If you would ever consider buying me tickets to a concert...
Hillsong United (hasssss to be United!)
Michael Bublé

If you would ever consider buying me tickets to a show...
Blue Man Group
Wicked

If you would ever consider buying me tickets to a comedian...
Brian Regan
Jeff Dunham

If you would ever consider buying me books...
A Million Miles in a Thousand Years, by Donald Miller
The Atonement Child, by Francine Rivers
Ever After, by Karen Kingsbury
On Every Side, by Karen Kingsbury
Shadows of Lancaster County, by Mindy Starns Clark
Shades of Blue, by Karen Kingsbury
Mistaken Identity, by Don & Susie Van Ryn, Newell, Colleen & Whitney Cerak
The Mark of the Lion Series, by Francine Rivers (hardcover, please)
This Present Darkness, by Frank Peretti
Piercing the Darkness, by Frank Peretti

If you would ever consider getting me (a) dvd(s)...
'Alias' Seasons 1-5 with Jennifer Garner and Michael Vartan (prefer Season 5)
'Anne of Green Gables' with Megan Follows and Jonathan Crombie
'The Proposal' with Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds
'The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past' with Jennifer Garner and Matthew McConaughey
'The Dark Knight' with Christian Bale and Heath Ledger
'Taken' with Liam Neeson
'X-men Origins: Wolverine' with Hugh Jackman
'Transformers' with Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox
'Transformers 2' with Shia LaBeouf and Megan Fox
'Pirates of the Caribbean 1-3' with Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley
'17 Again' with Zach Efron, Leslie Mann and Matthew Perry
'Planes, Trains and Automobiles' with Steve Martin and John Candy (for Tristan)

If you would ever consider buying me a cd...
Focus on the Family - Adventures in Odyssey (preferably earlier years)
Michael Bublé - Crazy Love
The Phantom of the Opera - Movie Soundtrack
Hillsong United - In a Valley by the Sea
Taylor Swift - Fearless
David Crowder Band - Church Music is Here
Brooke Fraser - Albertine
Carrie Underwood - Some Hearts
Steven Curtis Chapman - The Music of Christmas (Older One)

If you would ever consider buying me a gift certificate...
Villa Macri Ristorante (Granger)
Trios Jazz Club (South Bend)
Ten Thousand Villages (Mishawaka)
Little Red Roaster (London)
Spageddy Eddy's (London)

Also, I like...
Bath and Body Works - Vanilla Bean Noel
Victoria Secret - Love Spell

**Will be updating this as time goes on**

I found this at the SB Animal Care and Control when we were buying Makita's dog license for the year. I just want to preface this by telling you that I am not and have never been one of those people who does not set boundaries with my dog, nor do I let her have free rein in my house. However, I do love her.

[Sidenote: This is written in first person, as if your dog is talking to you]

1) My life is likely to last 10 to 15 years. Any separation from you will be painful for me. Remember that before you buy me.

2) Give me time to understand what you want of me.

3) Place your trust in me, it is crucial to my well being.

4) Don't be angry at me for long and don't lock me up as punishment. You have your work, your entertainment and your friends; I have only you.

5) Talk to me sometimes. Even if I don't understand your words, I do understand your voice when it is speaking to me.

6) Be aware that however you treat me, I will never forget it.

7) Remember before you hit me that I have teeth that could easily crush your hand, but that I choose not to bite you.

8) Before you scold me for being uncooperative, obstinate or lazy, ask yourself if something might be bothering me. Perhaps I am not getting the right food or have been out in the sun too long or my heart is getting old and weak.

9) Take care of me when I get old, you too will grow old.

10) Go with me on difficult journeys. Never say, "I can't bear to watch it" or "Let it happen in my absence". Everything is easier for me if you are there. Remember, I love you.

The following is an excerpt from Marley and Me, "Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things - a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight. And as he grew old and achy, he taught me about optimism in the face of adversity. Mostly, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty'" (Grogan 279).

Legacy means, "Anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor".

The only legacy we have left is our memories.

On Friday, my parents passed the keys to their house, my childhood home, to another couple. There are 20 years of memories in that home. And I am sad to see it left behind but what I do have and will always keep.. are my memories there.

I remember the first day that we moved in. It was September 1989. I remember pulling up on the side of the road and there was a huge box truck in the driveway unloading our stuff. Two kids were riding away from the house on their bikes - I found out later that they were the previous owner's children. I remember walking in and needing to explore. I remember it being a very different house than it is now.

My parents did so many things to make that house into a home. They took the red carpet out of the rec room. The put dry wall up in the rec room and replaced the ceiling. As soon as you walked in the front door, you were looking at the laundry room. So, they put a wall up so you could not see the laundry room anymore. They put tile down. They painted and re-painted. They converted Mel's room into a room - by taking out the dangerous patio and making the room bigger. They painted the driveway black. They put a porch on the front of the house. They cut trees down. They painted outside. They re-painted the house outside. They landscaped and re-landscaped. They re-lined the pool several times. They tore the pool out when it broke beyond repair and put in a newer, bigger deck. They got a hot tub. The put a fire pit out back. They put in new carpet upstairs. They replaced the entire upstairs bathroom several times - one of those times, Josh put his knee through the shower tile a few weeks after it got done. And the list goes on and on.

My memories of that house are.. endless.

I remember many birthday parties at that house. I especially remember the one I had coming out of grade two and going into grade three. I had a lot of girls over and we ate a New Kids on the Block cake, played a dancing game and swam. I remember helping my little sister swim at that party - but the shallow water was about my height at the time so I felt like I was drowning. See the pictures below for proof!


Top Row: Ashley Ann, me, Anne Marie, Tamsyn, Melissa (my sister) and Josh (my brother).
Bottom Row: Aliesha, Julie, Mikelle and Rene


My sister and I - at my birthday party. I'm drowning, see?

I remember many many Christmases spent at 113 Main Street, my home.



I think mom took a picture every year with all of us kids under the tree. I have no idea what year the above picture was taken - maybe 2000? I remember joyful times of opening presents. I remember the first time that Christmas came and went - and the joy that Christmas gave me as a child didn't come with it. I remember opening my stereo - my first cd player and how much joy I got when I realized what it was. I remember taking Winnie the Pooh downstairs with me every year to watch me open up presents. I remember my dad getting up at the absolute crack of dawn and going downstairs to bang cupboards so that we, kids, would wake up and go downstairs to open our presents. Dad was always so excited to watch us open our presents (and he still is). I remember getting engaged Christmas 2006 in that very house in the early morning before dad got up, by the light of the fire and Christmas lights.



I remember the summers at that house. I remember swimming, camping out back and battling earwigs. I hated ear wigs. I still do. I remember the chores mom had me do: laundry, hanging it up and folding it, sweeping and mopping floors, etc.  I remember how long the summer used to drag on - 8 weeks seemed like an eternity! I remember the time we used to spend on the tire swing. I remember accidentally meeting the neighbours who lived two doors down - the Trepanier's.


Melissa, Mom and I.


My siblings and I playing in the backyard - where we had a swing set, a climber and a tire swing.

Hallowe'en. There were many Hallowe'ens there. Many of the first couple Hallowe'ens, I choose to be a princess - wearing my favourite [flower girl] dress over and over just so I could feel beautiful like a princess.


This is a picture of me, Melissa and Josh. I was a punk/rockstar. Melissa was wearing that beloved flower girl dress and was being a princess. Josh - a pirate. I believe that mom's clip-on earring was lost during this Hallowe'en outing.

I remember Grizzly. Grizzly whose entire life was spent living in that house. A dog I will never forget, an amazing dog and friend. I remember that whenever I cried, Grizzly would find me and just let me cry. He was such a wonderful dog who always knew what you needed and would somehow do whatever he could for you to feel better. He died in March 2007. And to this day, I miss him very much.


Grizzly and I outside our home.


Grizzly in his last few years.


Grizzly in front of his favourite place - the fire place. That was his coveted spot and no one took it from him.


This is a picture of Grizzly and I - when I was leaving to go to see Tristan's family near the end of 2006. I thought that it might be the last time I got to see him but he fooled us all and continued to live until March 2007.

I remember when Sean, Stephanie, Christine and Erika used to sleep over because Aunt Margaret was working midnights. I remember getting up in the morning to get ready for school. I especially remember listening to Adventures in Odyssey and Yo Kidz (Carman) with them. I remember when the Smiths and Burts got the chicken pox - except me because I had already had them - and they all stayed home from school and played together all day long with my father as their caretaker.

I remember cold winter nights. Listening to music on my daddy's lap. I remember dad singing. Fire crackling. Grizzly lying on the floor beside the fire.

I remember having tea with my mom when she got home from work. Or having dinner ready for her so she didn't have to do it. I remember learning to cook earlier on in life - and learning the secret Burt spaghetti sauce recipe - which I think was not really a secret but was more exciting to think about in that way.

There are a lot of memories I have. Some that I will cherish for life. Others I will forget about until I am reminded by someone in my family - something we'll laugh or smile or cry about.

One thing is for certain - the legacy will live on in our memories. The house may be gone, I may not have got to say good-bye, but the memories are something I will always have.

This week has been a busy and yet not-so-busy week. It's been busy because there are a lot of things to do at home (like cleaning, organizing and lots of laundry) but it hasn't been busy because a lot of our normal weekly appointments are either canceled (due to Spring Break) or they are over.

I met my new friend, Rochelle, at The Daily Grind on Tuesday. Doni met us there as well. Eventually, Tristan showed up smelling like fried breakfast food. We sat on couches and talked for almost 4 hours about nothing and everything. Before we were done, Tristan left again. So, afterwards I went home with Doni and I got to see Yogi for the first time in months. YOGI!

I am speaking on Monday, April 13th at a local college about Fair Trade. I'm excited and nervous about it. I made a PowerPoint yesterday. I am bringing a bunch of pamphlets so that I can empower the students I am speaking to. I do not like teachers/speakers who articulate a problem but do not give examples about what they can do about it. I like showing people that they can make a difference in everyday life. I think what is great about buying Fair Trade is that we can make a difference in the lives of people around the world (and not just here in North America). I, by changing my buying habits, can empower farmers and artisans in third world countries instead of causing them to dive further into poverty. Therefore I can feel better about what I buy/bought. A couple weeks ago, I purchased a purse from a local store called Just Goods. To me, knowing that the people who made that purse got paid a living, sustainable wage makes me feel even more empowered to make a difference. It's awesome.

April 15th is Tristan's 26th birthday! It's hard to believe that we are both closer to 30 than we are to 20. I don't know what we are doing for his birthday because I have yet to work out the details with his mom which I am doing later today. Maybe we'll surprise him. Maybe we won't. Who knows?

Signing off for now...
-A.S.

"If you are married to someone who won't fight with you, then you are probably married to someone who won't fight for you".

Doctor Bob Laurent
Granger Community Church
March 18, 2009