Updates and Holiday Greetings

Hello out there!  I know I said I was going to write all these blog posts in December and try and be a good girl, but sometimes shit happens.

Crazy shit that is more important and needs to be dealt with directly.

My dad had a heart attack on Dec 19th. And while it was terrifying and life changing, we are all ok. He will be ok. I don't know if any of you remember that he had a quadruple bypass back in April of this year, but there were some complications from that that caused his heart attack. I am so, so grateful that my mother was there when it happened. 

There were some other health concerns going on at that time with other members of my family that were causing a lot of anxiety and stress, but despite everything, everyone (and thing) will be ok. It could have been a lot worse, and everyone is out of the hospital just in time for Christmas! So needless to say, it will be an extra special one this year and I am more than happy that we will all be together.

Other than that, the holiday season has been treating us kindly. We attended Dave's first Ubisoft Christmas party (post on that to come!It was a doozy!), my best friend had a baby and I became an aunt to the cutest little boy you ever did see, we were gifted a huge tin of homemade Christmas cookies from said best friend (if you know me at all you know this is the greatest gift you could ever give me), my birthday came and went and it was a pretty darn good one, and now we are waiting for Christmas, to enjoy good food and family (and way too much wine). 

I have been on vacation for the past week (and for the next one too!) and Dave is officially on vacation starting tomorrow, so the fact that we get to spend some time together just relaxing and playing video games (I started Red Dead Redemption and it is pretty rad so far!) is making me more than a little happy over here!

We are pretty excited for Christmas around here this year. Even though we have been together for almost 8 years, Dave and I have never spent Christmas morning together! We always woke up on Christmas day at our respective family homes, and for a few years now I have been suggesting that we do Christmas together and start our own traditions, and this year is the year folks! Our first annual Dave and Kato's Christmas Extravaganza will commence on the morning of Dec 25th.

We are pretty giddy because for 5 or so years now (?) we haven't been able to afford to buy presents for each other. Not that we are super poor or anything, but I guess there were other things that we made priorities first, and we were ok with it. But this year we wanted to make our Christmas extra special, so presents and memories will be shared. I am so excited to wake up and make some coffee with Bailey's in it and open gifts.  

Plus, it was my 33rd birthday yesterday, and usually I go out and have some drinks and all that stuff, but this year I was content and happy to just spend my day with Dave. We went out for breakfast at our favorite place, finished up Christmas shopping at the Eaton Centre (which is always really festive!), had a glass of wine to break up the craziness of all that shopping (I got carded woohoo!) and then had a yummy dinner at Kenzo, my favorite place ever.  So all in all, it was a really, really good day. Thanks Dave for being super awesome all the time, but especially on my birthday!

Haha, I look like the past few weeks have seriously taken a toll, but I was happy, I swear!

I have a lot of good posts to share soon, and my annual Year in Photographs slideshow to compile, (links to

2009, 2010 and 2011). Plus I am excited for 2013... I really think that it will be a great year.  

I just want to take the time to say Happy Holidays to everyone and let you know that everyone who reads this means the world to me, and it's crazy the friendships you can forge with people you've never had the pleasure to meet.  I appreciate all of you and hope that this Christmas is wonderful for you and yours. 

Cheers to all of you!