Petersen/Haskett Happenings

Good grief I am the laaamest blogger in the world!! I haven't even been on here in like 6 weeks!! Ha ha I suck! Well in my own defense I will say that I have been very busy lately trying to get my stuff together for school. I would like to make it in for November but I am not very optimistic as I am still waiting for paperwork and the deadline is approaching fast!! Oh well next year I will be ready for it and this time I will let nothing stop me...so there!
Anyways I have also been catching up with lots of friends and getting ready for the new school year. The baby of the family is now in grade 9 so we are in the home stretch now. It feels kind of funny that we are grandparents yet we still have 2 kids at home that we have not finished raising yet. Travis has been busy with senior volleyball and the Lakers placed second in the tournament this weekend so yay for them! Victoria is set on being an actress so she is involved in Theater Performance on Tues and Thurs after school They will be turning the school into Crypt-ville at the end of Oct and Victoria will be performing Michael Jackson's Thriller and with her Drama Class will be performing a play for Fire Safety Week at different schools. Her role is the Newsroom Producer. Victoria has her first boyfriend and we have not met him yet BUT we have spoken on the phone and he is VERY polite  and has scored some points with her Momma for that! Now he just has to pass Doug's inspection which will probably be a little harder. Good luck with that one Tor! So it's been a good start to the school year so far.
The older kids in Alberta have been doing well I think! It's hard to say from so far away but from what I see on Facebook and hear from them it's all good. Dylan is doing well in Calgary with his job. He started as a labourer and now is a Fitter's Helper and he is hoping to apprentice sometime in the future. He loves his baby boy Keiran and is enjoying being a daddy. He has also recently moved out on his own and is loving his independence. Apparently his roommates have lots of guitars and he gets to play them. He lost his guitars about 3 years ago and hasn't played since and really misses it. Keiran is now 4 months old and is learning all about his world. He has figured out how to put his soother in his mouth on his own and watch TV during tummy time. I swear it goes even faster with grand babies than it does with your own kids!! We love him so much and I hate that I can't see him everyday. We are so looking forward to the time when he can come for a visit to Nana and Papa's house and can talk on the phone....sigh...missing out is not fun!
Ashley has  a new boyfriend and seems to be really happy with him. Doug has just gone to Lethbridge this weekend to surprise her with some much needed Dad and Ashley time so I will hear from him about the new boyfriend haha a dad's point of view can be a little biased though :) Ashley starts school in Jan and also has moved into her own place. It seems so strange to have children that are actually young adults starting their own lives now. We will never tell them how to live their lives but will advise them and guide them so that their lives are happy and they live life to the fullest.
My Sarah, in California, has also recently acquired a new boyfriend and I couldn't be happier for her! She has grown from the sweetest little girl into an amazing, funny, strong woman and I am  so very proud of her and of all of them really. The only thing I would change is the distance between us all. I seem to be destined to live my life far away from the people that I love. Booo Hiss!!!
The change of the season into Autumn always makes me so homesick for Ontario and the beautiful fall colours. I miss the Haunted House in Waterdown at Halloween and I miss the Santa Claus Parade and most of all I miss our family dinners at Christmas. Then I wonder why the heck I moved so far away and then I remember the horrible heat and humidity of the summer and the damp cold of winter that makes your bones cold too! Plus it's so beautiful out here with the mountains and the lakes I couldn't imagine leaving it.I haven't been able to enjoy fall in Ontario since 2003 and haven't been back for a visit since 2007. I am soo overdue that I am trying to save my $$ to go back next summer.  My parents come out her once a year so I get to see them but I haven't seen my girlfriends in almost 4 years and I need to get back to see them. So much has changed since my last visit. My parents sold the house we grew up in after 33 years and have moved to a house in Burlington by Lake Ontario. I have seen pictures and it's beautiful but it just looks like my parents belongings in a strangers house! Plus the old cats have died and now they have a new kitten Maggie that I haven't met either so I need to go home to check it all out. Whew! Wow once I get going I can't stop!! Talk about information overload. K that's enough for now and hopefully I can make time to blog on a regular basis so  that I am not rambling on and on and on and on! ha ha Victoria has just informed me that I am crazy......like that's news ;P.