Happy Holidays everyone!

[Guest guest]

Hello everyone! As always, I can't believe Christmas is just around the

corner. I thought I would send my holiday greetings now as I will be going

no mail as I leave Friday morning (leaving my apartment at 5am!) for cold

Calgary Alberta to visit my sister. Traditionally I send out an " everyone "

letter every year so I thought I would include this in my email. So here it

is! My 2006 at a glance! lol It's a little long though!

It's been another great year. I started off last January by having a bunch

of friends come from the UK, so I got to show off Vancouver and we spent

some time skiing in Whistler. I haven't skied in years, but I am happy to

report I quite well and didn't fall once. We also went zip trekking which is

the most exhilarating experience! It's hanging a few hundred feet above the

ground from a wire (strapped in with a harness) and zipping down the wire.

Then it was time to get back to reality and the wonderful world of school.

Still going strong at College, now doing my final year of my

associates in arts. My sister came down to visit me in May for a few days

and I had my Vancouver Community College graduation, despite the fact that I

finished the program almost a year prior, its just the way the graduation

dates worked out. Around the same time I got hired by College to

work part-time in their student services office and am still doing that

presently. It's nice going to school and working in the same place. I did

quite a bit of traveling throughout the year, but only within Canada. 90% of

the traveling was business related-conferences and workshops, and I

presented at several of them. It's all been fun though, and I've made a lot

of really great connections for when I graduate. It's nice to know I have

options! Velda has been doing wonderful. She is almost 6 now and really has

settled in as a Guide Dog. I had some issues with my eyes this year, nothing

too serious, it just seems to fluctuate a lot so she's been extremely

helpful, especially with all the traveling. She absolutely adores going in

the airplane! Because she's a working dog, she gets to come on the plane

with me and just sleeps at my feet. Whenever we go to the airport she goes

insane with excitement, leaping into the air and dragging me through the

terminals. 2007 will find me doing some bigger trips, which Velda will be

sitting out on; May-2 weeks visiting my friends in London, England! This

trip has been seven years in the making so I am so excited it's finally

going to happen. I will be doing a few other conferences in Canada and one

in LA in July, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that I can attend an

international one in Australia in September but it's pretty unlikely. Also

in September I will be starting a new program at the College. Yes, another

diploma! There is a method to my madness though! I have been in touch with

UBC in regards to a Masters program I want to do in Special Education. I

don't have a full degree in anything specific but a lot of diplomas all in

the area of education and a lot of experience in the special education

field. So, unofficially I have been told I have a very good chance of

getting into the masters program without a degree. It is too late to apply

for September 2007 so rather then do nothing for a year, I am going to take

the Classroom Community Support Diploma at College. Normally it's a

two year program, but again, with my prior education, much of it will be

waived and it should only take a year. It will look really good when I apply

for UBC as the diploma is specifically geared towards working with kids with

special needs. So if everything goes according to plan, (like life ever

does!) I should be starting the masters in September 2008! Who knew when I

decided to go back to school in 2003 I would be planning for a Masters!

Despite being so busy this year, I have had a lot of fun. Some of my

co-workers are almost as big of Canucks fans as I am, so we go to the pub a

lot to watch the games. I started playing with a blind hockey team as well,

but I had to forego that until the New Year as my schedule just got too

hectic. I look forward to going back though! I also had to stop going to

taekwondo until I have more free time. Not sure when I will get back to that

again as the days that's on are the same as the days I will be skiing at

Grouse Mountain. Too many things I want to do, and not enough hours in the

day! Cats are just fine too, no health issues this year. *knock on wood* I

am spending Christmas with and her husband in Alberta, so that will

be a nice vacation and I will be back before New Years so I can spend New

Years Eve with friends. 2007 looks to be a great year and I am really

looking forward to it. I hope 2006 was as good to you as it was to me and

have a wonderful holiday!

Lots of love,

&

All the animals

[Guest guest]

-

Wow - you had a great year! And another one coming to look forward to! It

was delightful to read all the of exciting things you've done and how well

your career and education are going. You've got me smiling and remembering

when I was younger and so eager to live constant 'excitement'. I'm so happy

for you to be enjoying your life so much. That's what it's all about!

Michele W

Aubrie's mom

[Guest guest]

Ditto to Michele ! 2006 sounds fantastic and 2007 sounds like it

has brilliant things in store. You are so full of fun, life and ideas. I

look forward to lots of lovely feedback about your 2007. Oh, and if you are

coming to London, if you have a moment to spare what with all your fun

activities, give us a shout and maybe there may be a meal in it for you!

Glad you are having a fab time at college still and that work is going

great. Keep up the good work so those of us with no energy don't have to!

Flo (UK)

Mum to - CHARGE - (6) and Elly (4)

[Guest guest]

and if u come out here let me no and we could meet up id love to meet u and

velda xxxxxxxx

>

> Ditto to Michele ! 2006 sounds fantastic and 2007 sounds like

> it

> has brilliant things in store. You are so full of fun, life and ideas. I

> look forward to lots of lovely feedback about your 2007. Oh, and if you

> are

> coming to London, if you have a moment to spare what with all your fun

> activities, give us a shout and maybe there may be a meal in it for you!

>

> Glad you are having a fab time at college still and that work is going

> great. Keep up the good work so those of us with no energy don't have to!

>

> Flo (UK)

> Mum to - CHARGE - (6) and Elly (4)

>

>

[Guest guest]

,

What a fun--and busy!--year you've had! I loved reading about all your

activities. Hope your 2007 is just as great!

, mom to (4)

http://kauffmanlak.blogspot.com/

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