Merry Christmas!!

We just wanted to wish all our friends and family a very Merry Christmas. We wish you all a holiday filled with love, joy, and happiness. We miss you all and are sad we aren't able to see you this Christmas, but you are in our thoughts and in our hearts.

Christmas comes but once a year

Wow, it's almost Christmas (T-10 days, or T-6 days of work). It just doesn't feel like it, probably because it rains all the time here, has been surprisingly mild, and we're away from our families and friends. However, we are trying to get into the holiday spirit and have put up some decorations, lights, and our tree. So I thought I'd take this opportunity to show all of you what Christmas looks like at our place:

Our tree (it's small, but it's there)

Our living room window (inside the house)

Our Christmas corner in our living room

Our living room window (outside)

Our front door

Our front entrance window

Semester one is done!

Well Chris finished his first semester of grad school yesterday. It actually feels like it went by quickly, which is good because we'd really like to get back to Toronto and our family (well Bambie's) and friends. Now he has 3 weeks off before second semester starts, however it won't all be spent playing Xbox (contrary to popular belief). He has to start working on his thesis idea and doing some research for a class he has. On top of that, I keeps bugging him to get a seasonal job. No rest for the wicked!

Oh, as a follow up to all those following the shingles saga, I'm back at work now and have been for a week. The shingles are stubborn little fellas and are still there, healing, but not causing any pain or itchiness (thank goodness!).

Yay and nay

Yay - I have a couple days off work!!! Get to sleep in, wear sweatpants all day, it's pretty sweet. Why, do you ask? Because...
Nay - the shingles are still here, and progressing slowly at that. I go to have them looked at on Wednesday morning to see if I can work, but a doctor at work that's been monitoring them thinks I'll be off all week. You see, they're still in the 'contagious' stage and since we see lots of children and pregnant women, the clinic just doesn't want to risk me giving someone chicken pox. So I've got xylocaine ointment now for both the pain (which has been at an all-time high) and the itching (not too bad anymore and I guess it helps that it hurts when I itch so I just don't do it). Just numbs the area. I must say, it works, and feels tingly in the process!

At least it's not Mono!

A week ago I (Bambie) went to my doctor with rib pain as well as a very sore throat that felt swollen, and sore lymph nodes. After some questions and investigating my doctor thought I may have Mono (really???? I haven't gone around kissing people), so I had a blood test. Now, having blood drawn is usually a very unpleasant experience for me as my veins are tiny, usually collapse, and nurses have to use a child's needle and poke me a bunch of times. I decided to suck it up, and with Chris as my support, went to have the bloodwork done. I was in awe of the nurse. She was able to get the vein on the first try and draw the blood using an adult needle. However, more than a week later, I'm still bruised!

So I had to wait a week for my next doctor's appointment. In the meantime the sore throat resolved and I started to get itching on my torso where the rib pain was. A couple of days later I noticed a rash, which has progressed into...SHINGLES! UGH!

Aren't they lovely? And they're suppose to get worse. Yuck!

You can only get shingles if you've already had chicken pox. Who knew having chicken pox as a child would come back and bite me in the ass 19 years later.

I was sent home from work today because it can be contagious (if you haven't had chicken pox) and dangerous to the elderly and pregnant women (after I checked in a pregnant woman I may add - hope she'll be ok!) but should be ok to work on Monday. Until then it's taking all my will power not to scratch, and calamine lotion is my new best friend.

Luckily Chris had chicken pox as a child so he can't catch anything from me.

Our new nephew

Although there's nothing exciting going on in our neck of the woods, there is on the other side of the country so we thought we'd share that news.
Our nephew, Henry Christopher Sherwin, was born at 1:15am (Pacific Time) on November 19, 2008, weighing 8lb 8oz. He's such a cutie!!! We can't wait to meet him.

Congrats to the proud parents, Mike and Emily, big sister Ruby and big brother Leo! We love you!

Mardi Gras

Every year around Halloween St. John's holds a 2 night Mardi Gras festival on George Street. The street is closed off and you pay entry to the street which gives you admission to all 22 pubs/bars/clubs on George Street. They have live music, a costume competition, and you can drink on the street. We went Saturday night dressed as a French Maid and a hippie. Chris wanted an original costume but because he couldn't think of anything, went as what I felt would be the easiest, and cheapest costume. As it turns out, he was the only hippie there so it ended up being original after all. For myself we again went with an easy and cheap costume so I was a French Maid. Of course there were a bunch of French Maids but I wasn't too concerned, I didn't really care how original mine was.

We watched the costume contest and cheered our favourite costume onto victory, bar hopped to about 10 out of the 22 bars, people and costume watched, and had a fun time. Sadly it would have been better with more people in our group as well as if we were drinking as all the drunk people seemed to be having an amazing time. However it's a St. John's event that we can say we experienced.

Us in our costumes

Nominees on stage

Best costume winner: pterodactyl