Chelle tries to keep up in 2017 (take 6)

I am Chelle, 35yo wife, mother of two and a police dispatcher. Hubby is an officer and between our two shift work schedules we share in all duties of house and children. I read at work when it is slow and after our daughters are in bed, which doesn't amount to much reading anymore. We just our second child so life is hectic right now but I'm still trying to find time to read.
I used to read about 100-125 books a year but in 2016 I only hit 36, so it's quite a drastic cut!

October
70) Who Will Run the Frog Hospital by Lorrie Moore
71) The Fisherman by John Langan
72) The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
73) The Suicide Motor Club by Christopher Buehlman
74) Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones

November
Zip, Zero, Nil :(

December
75) Rituals by Kelley Armstrong

Books in 2017

January
1) The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King
2) The Whistler by John Grisham
3) A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
4) Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by JK Rowling
5) The Bat by Jo Nesbo
6) The Wings of the Sphinx by Andrea Camilleri
7) The Track of Sand by Andrea Camilleri
8) The Potter's Field by Andrea Camilleri
9) The Bone Collection by Kathy Reichs
10) the Age of Doubt by Andrea Camilleri
11) Aunt Dimity and the Next of Kin by Nancy Atherton
12) The Dance of the Seagull by Andrea Camilleri
13) Treasure Hunt By Andrea Camilleri
14) Angelica's Smile by Andrea Camilleri
15) Canada by Mike Myers
16) Game of Mirrors by Andrea Camilleri
17) Beam of Light by Andrea Camilleri
18) A Voice in the Night by Andrea Camilleri
19) Montalbano's First Case by Andrea Camilleri
20) Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: Screenplay by JK Rowling
21) The Beast by JR Ward

February
22) The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters
23) City of Thieves by David Benioff
24) the Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
25) The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood
26) Going Postal by Terry Pratchett
27) A Darkness Absolute by Kelley Armstrong
28) Stone Mattress by Margaret Atwood
29) Countdown City by Ben Winters
30) World of Trouble by Ben Winters
31) Heartless by Marissa Meyer
32) Mort by Terry Pratchett
33) In A Dark Dark Wood by Ruthe Ware

March
34) Cycle of the Werewolf by Stephen King
35) Werewolf Cop by Andrew Klavan
36) Someday, Someday, Maybe by Lauren Graham
37) The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
38) Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson
39) Winter by Marissa Meyer

April
40) Talking to the Dead by Harry Bingham
41) Love Story, with Murders by Harry Bingham
42) The Girls by Emma Cline
43) Fire Lover by Joseph Wambaugh

May
44) The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
45) The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham

June
46) Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill
47) 14th Deadly Sin by James Patterson
48) 15th Affair by James Patterson
49) Cockroaches by Jo Nesbo
50) Camino Island by John Grisham
51) Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by JK Rowling

July
52) Timeline by Michael Crichton
53) This Thing of Darkness by Harry Bingham
54) The Dead House by Harry Bingham
55) The Deepest Grave by Harry Bingham

August
56) Come Sundown by Nora Roberts
57) Down River by John Hart
58) The Last Child by John Hart
59) Redemption Road by John Hart
60) In The Woods by Tana French
61) A Nest of Vipers by Andrea Camilleri

September
62) Glass Houses by Louise Penny
63) The Likeness by Tana French
64) Faithful Place by Tana French
65) 16th Seduction by James Patterson
66) Good Omens by Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
67) Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer
68) The Vegetarian by Han King
69) Broken Harbour by Tana French

Because I am a sucker for book related lists I had to jump on the bandwagon (along with Paul and Karen) and find out my favourite books that I've read that were published in every year since I was born. I was surprised to see the amount of Stephen King novels on my list and the amount of children's books that we read to Chloe that were published around the time that I was born!

1981: Red Dragon by Thomas Harris
1982: The Gunslinger by Stephen King
1983: Christine by Stephen King
1984: Thinner by Stephen King
1985: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
1986: It by Stephen King
1987: Beloved by Toni Morrison
1988: The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
1989: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
1990: Postmortem by Patricia Cornwell
1991: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
1992: Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
1993: Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
1994: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt
1995: Kiss The Girls by James Patterson
1996: Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
1997: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling
1998: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
1999: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
2000: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK ROwling
2001: Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
2002: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
2003: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
2004: Going Postal by Terry Pratchett
2005: The Book Thief by Markus Zusah
2006: The Road by Cormac McCarthy
2007: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
2008: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
2009: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia
2010: The Passage by Justin Cronin
2011: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
2012: Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
2013: Allegiant by Veronica Roth
2014: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
2015: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
2016: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original Screenplay by J.K. Rowling
2017: Glass Houses by Louise Penny

Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread, Chelle! I just showed the pics of Elissa and Chloe to my wife, and she loved them.

Oh Chelle -- you made me literally chuckle out loud. Those photos are simply TOO cute!!!

Happy new thread, Chelle! What adorable toppers!

Happy new one, Chelle! Your toppers made me smile BIG.

>1 ChelleBearss: & >2 ChelleBearss: Are both gorgeous!

Happy new thread, Chelle.

Just marking my spot, Chelle : ).

Happy new thread!

Happy New Thread, Chelle! LOVE the baby topper! And the Angel topper is pretty darn cute too.

Happy Friday, my friend. Hope it is going smoothly.

Happy new thread Chelle my dear and gorgeous photos of Elissa and Chloe, sending love and hugs dear friend and hope you feel refreshed dear friend.

Happy new thread, Chelle.

Sorry that Elissa's tummy was upset (on your last thread!) and glad you're able to have coffee again. The pictures of Chloe at dance class were precious, too.

Happy new thread, Chelle, your daughters are adorable!

>6 ChelleBearss: I completely forgot to reply on your list at your previous thread, so I am happy it is here again.
I have read 10 from your list, loved all Harry Potters & The Book Thief :-)

Happy new thread, ChelleBearsS!

>1 ChelleBearss: >2 ChelleBearss: Very cute pics!

>6 ChelleBearss: I like the idea of making such a list, but its seems like a crazy amount of research. Am I wrong?

If it weren't for Roni's kittens, I'd say you win the topper award for this round of threads! SO cute!!!!! Both of your daughters are truly adorable -- thanks for sharing photos.

I'm not a Harry Potter fan but I did also love The Book Thief and Station Eleven.

Awesome photos of your beautiful daughters!! I can't believe you found time to do your list of favorite books by year...must be because you have less years than me. LOL!

Happy New Thread, Chelle. Hope Elissa is feeling better and can totally understand not wanting the surgery in December!

69) Broken Harbour by Tana French

I think this one was my favourite of the series, so far. It caught my interest right away and I stayed interested all the way through, and I got the "who dun it" wrong which makes it a winner in my books.

Welcome everyone to my autumn thread! I'm hoping to keep adding more books read, but with the kids being kids who knows how much reading will continue to be done!
⥣ I finished a book last night, yay! I plan on starting the next in the series as soon as I can find a copy. My library has a large hold list on the ebook.

>7 drneutron: Thanks Jim!
>8 jnwelch: Aww Thanks Joe!
>9 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba! The goofy pics of Elissa were a fun surprise by our photographer!
>10 Carmenere: Thanks Lynda!
>11 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie! Glad I could make you smile!
>12 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul! I think they are both pretty sweet most days! More on the days they let me get some sleep lol
>13 lit_chick: HIya Nancy!
>14 mstrust: Thanks Jennifer!

Happy new thread, Chelle! The photos of your girls are gorgeous - they get cuter and cuter all the time!

>15 msf59: Thanks Mark! Your little angel is in super big trouble right now! She is having a hard time staying in her bed at bedtime! I caught her out of bed 5 times last night and she has lost a bunch of privileges today! Hoping bedtime tonight goes better but I'm doubtful! I'll have to pop over to your thread and see how Mr King(²) was last night!

>16 johnsimpson: Thanks John! Hope you and Karen are feeling better
>17 karenmarie: Thanks Karen! Elissa's poor tummy troubles are continuing and we are heading to see her paediatrician this afternoon. I love Elissa's Dr and was surprised that she was working on a Saturday and she asked us to come in for a followup. It's probably TMI but Elissa just can not have a bowel movement on her own. She stopped about three weeks ago and can only have a movement when we give her a suppository. Poor thing. Most of the time it doesn't seem to bother her but the last week we can tell that he tummy is hurting.
>18 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita! That's pretty good, 10 of 36 years!
>19 brodiew2: HI Brodie! I thought it would be a lot of researched but then Karen mentioned using goodread's feature of the top 200 books published each year. I figured the chances of my faves not being in the top 200 were pretty slim. I made my list over coffee one morning.
>21 EBT1002: HA Ellen, my kiddos lost out to some adorable kittens, eh! Perhaps I should take a picture of them cuddling Roni's kittens :)
>22 Berly: I had it easy Kim, only 36 years. Some would have it easier and some had many years to choose from. Some of my favourite books were from before my time though like the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Stephen King's The Stand
>23 ronincats: Thanks Roni! I can understand wanting to get it out of the way but for me January would be much better. There is always a chance of complications or issues and it's not something that we want to do over Christmas time. Especially with Chloe as I'd like her to have a normal Christmas.

>26 scaifea: Thanks Amber! They aren't looking too cute to me this morning as they ganged up on me last night and when one was sleeping the other was awake and vice versa. Nate is home tonight (off work for the weekend) and he gets to help with bedtime, hallelujah!

Reposting what I posted on the Halloween Thread:
I have decided on a few Halloween reads. These I have available to me but we will see how many I can get to this month.

Dan Simmons Song of Kali
Christopher Buehlman Suicide Motor Club
John Langan The Fisherman
Samantha Hunt Mr. Splitfoot
Joe Hill Fireman

I wanted to read The Woman in Black by Susan Hill but I can't find a copy right now :(

I haven't read any of your potential Halloween reads, so I'll look forward to any reviews you end up with. I've read The Woman in Black though, and it's spoooky!

>29 ChelleBearss: Hi, Chelle. Dan Simmons can be a very creepy writer. I don't think I've read Kali, but I still remember Carrion Comfort with a chill, decades later.

>30 mstrust: Hi Jennifer! My library doesn't have The Woman in Black and I couldn't find a copy elsewhere. I was sad as that is the one I wanted to read the most but I can't buy it as I have a rule about buying new books from authors I haven't read before. Trying to keep my book purchases under control :)

>31 majleavy: Welcome Micheal! Dan Simmons is SUPER creepy! I've read Carrion Comfort and The Terror and both were quite creepy!
I stared The Fisherman today. Hoping to find some reading time tomorrow

Have a great weekend, Chelle.

I will skip the Halloween reads as my life is scary enough at the moment!

>27 ChelleBearss: "Your little angel is in super big trouble right now." She's my little angel now? LOL. Hope this has gotten better.

>24 ChelleBearss: Hooray for Broken Harbor! This is also one of my favorites of the series. The plotting was amazing.

Happy Sunday, Chelle. Enjoy the day.

Happy Sunday Chelle my dear.

>33 PaulCranswick: Hope you had a great weekend, Paul! Hope your life improves quickly!

>34 msf59: Ha Mark, you are the only one who calls her an angel right now!
I have the next instalment ready to go but I think I'm going to try a few Halloween reads and then come back to it. Looks like the next book is two other detectives that we haven't read about before

>35 johnsimpson: Haps Sunday, John! Hope you and Karen got to sleep in late!

" you are the only one who calls her an angel right now!" Poor baby. LOL.

>37 msf59: Ha, poor baby indeed! She is giving me a run for my money this week!
Today she is being a lovely girl, I think because she finally got a decent sleep last night. We put a nightlight in the hallway outside her door and I think that helped. She didn't call for me in the night and we all got a good sleep, Eli included!

She wanted to help me give Elissa some apple juice this morning. (Dr said it might help Eli's poor belly)
Don't mind the messy bed head :)

"messy bed head" -- really?!? It looks lovely and they both look adorable!

>38 ChelleBearss: :-)

Your two girls are so cute!
I just had to stop in and see if you had pictures. What a treat :-)

Hooray for a good night's sleep for all. Hopefully it will happen more and more as time goes on and belly issues resolve. "Many happy days to come" reminisces an old woman looking back when her two girls were that little... Ah, the smiles and giggles in your future.

Hugs!

>39 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba! you should have seen the nest on the back of her little head :-)

>40 jnwelch: hi Joe!

>41 -Cee-: Cee!! So glad you stopped by! We miss you! Elissa must have known you were stopping by as she blessed Nathen with her first giggle tonight after supper. I heard it from the kitchen but she only did it once before the pre-bedtime meltdown started :-) my goal is to get one from her tomorrow!

More cute pictures, to be admired from a safe distance where sleep is not negatively affected! Hope you get a good night's sleep tonight, Chelle.

>43 ronincats: Ha, Roni! I think your sleep is safe from the girls! Elissa got 10 hours and Chloe wasn't up in the night, so I can't complain :)

Good morning, Chelle!

>27 ChelleBearss: Loved the shout out to The Stand and LOTR. Loved them both as well.

>38 ChelleBearss: Another wonderful pic. Cute kids, though baby doesn't look so sure about his bottle. :-P

>45 brodiew2: Morning Brodie! I think The Stand is still my all time favourite book. I have many that I love and can reread but that one always stands out to me.

Elissa did not enjoy her bottle at all lol. She seems to think the apple juice is out to poison her and rejects it fully!

Hi Chelle!

Sorry poor Elissa's tummy is still wonky.

I never felt bad about giving my daughter a night light. I'm glad you all got a good night's sleep.

>46 ChelleBearss: "stands" out to you? Tee hee.

>38 ChelleBearss: & >46 ChelleBearss: Elissa may have rejected the apple juice, it resulted in a lovely picture with her big sisiter Chloe!

70) Who Will Run the Frog Hospital by Lorrie Moore

A beautiful short novel about a woman reminiscing of her teenage years with her best friend. I enjoyed the flashbacks of her childhood more than the present day.

>47 karenmarie: Morning Karen! The nightlight in the hallway seems to be working. If only I could find something to keep her in bed at the beginning of the night though! She is pulling the "I'm not tired, I'll play quietly" nonsense and is getting in trouble for constantly getting out of bed.

>48 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita! We have resorted to apple juice from a syringe and it seems to be helping now!

>49 ChelleBearss: Now that's a title!! LOL. What was the connection to the story?

>51 Berly: Honestly I think it was just a catchy title for her as there was only one mention of frogs in the book and it was, IMHO, not a vital part. It was what caught my eye though and made me read the book.

Well then, it worked well enough!!

>38 ChelleBearss: Aw...look at those faces. Harmless as teddy bears. Smiles...

Morning, Chelle. Glad to see you are squeezing in some reading here and there.

Good morning, Chelle! I hope all is well you and your kidlets (prhase my mom still uses for my kids)!

>53 Berly: I looked it up after you asked and this is what I found:
"The novel's title comes from a painting Sils made the week she became Cinderella. The Horsehearts boys liked to shoot BB's at frogs; Sils and Berie would pull out the BB's and patch up the frogs. Sils's painting shows two girls in Cinderella costumes and "two wounded frogs, one in a splint, one with a bandage tied around its eye: they looked like frogs who'd been kissed and kissed roughly, yet stayed frogs." Such myths may turn ironic but they die hard, even when embedded in a cynical time."

"The novel was inspired by a drawing of the same name by Nancy Mladenoff. While visiting an art gallery, Moore saw Mladenoff's drawing, which she bought and later used for her novel's title."

Either way, it's a catchy title and it worked for me.

>54 msf59: Morning Mark! They are harmless, most times! Chloe is in a bit of a wandering at bedtime stage which I hope she grows out of very soon!

>55 brodiew2: Morning Brodie! I still say kidlets too! Or kiddos, or sometimes wee beasties depending on how the day has gone :-)

I wandered around the threads a bit this morning and got hit with a ton of book bullets!! OUCH :)

Added to my Wishlist this morning:
The People We Hate at the Wedding
The World of Tomorrow
The Secret History
Bluebird, Bluebird
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

>57 ChelleBearss: I know all too well what wandering around the threads can do in terms of book bullets! Glad you're taking your share, Chelle. :)

Hi Chelle!

Ouch! Book bullets! I have a two-tier system for being hit by BBs: level 1 is that something goes on the wishlist, level 2 is that I must have it NOW. I've had quite a few level 2's this year so far, (un)fortunately.

I hope you have a lovely day.

We are quite exhausted tonight! We spent our whole day today shopping for a new SUV. Thankfully Chloe was able to go spend the day with her Grandma but we had to take Elissa with us, which was not super fun.
Our old car was a VW and we got caught up in the whole drama that their diesel vehicles caused. We sent our car back to the dealership yesterday and walked away with a small compensation cheque to buy something new with. Unfortunately we were not prepared to turn the vehicle in yet as we were under the impression it would be a few more months until they would give us our cash back. So since we turned it in yesterday we are now scrambling to find a new vehicle.
Today we drove three: Nissan Armada and Pathfinder and an Infinity QX60. We did not like the drive of the pathfinder or the QX60. They really had no "get up and go" (or "balls" as Nathen says). I really love the Armada! It's huge, quiet, smooth and fully loaded. We would like to test drive the Ford Explorer too, sometime this weekend.
Hopefully we can get something in the next week before our appointments for Elissa start up again as it's really a pain in the butt to get Elissa's car seat in Nathen's mustang!

>58 DeltaQueen50: Ha Judy! Glad to take some for the team :)

>59 karenmarie: Hi Karen! I usually a quite a few to my Wishlist that I never get around to buying, but these ones are on my "need soon" list :-0

Oooh, car shopping. Both exciting and frustrating. Good luck!! I sometimes miss my Jeep SUV...

Good luck with the car shopping. Although it's always fun to have a new car, buying a new car definitely is not fun for me. Hope you find something wonderful and get a great deal soon.

>61 scaifea: Hi Amber! We love jeeps too. Nate used to have a Jeep Wrangler and we have considered a Grand Cherokee. I'm finding this stressful to shop for with Elissa and a bit of a time crunch.

>62 RebaRelishesReading: Hi Reba! I don't find it fun either as I have expensive tastes for my current wallet size. Being on mat leave and taking some unpaid leave is going to determine what we can buy

Happy Saturday Everyone! I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend and Happy Thanksgiving Weekend to all my Canadian friends!
Today my side of the family is coming here for Thanksgiving dinner. Nathen is on nightshift so we will be doing an early afternoon dinner/late lunch type thing. Just a small potluck type meal but I'm looking forward to turkey and wine! :)

Yesterday we got a call from Toronto Sick kids hospital and they have tentatively booked Elissa's heart surgery for November 22nd. I've asked them to push it back a week or two, if possible, as our in-laws were going to watch Chloe for us for the week we have to spend in Toronto but they leave for a cruise November 23rd! The hospital is going to call back next week with either a new date or confirmation that that is still our date. I'm trying not to think about it too much as I can tell I'm going to be a wreck as it gets closer. I know Elissa needs this but I just can't wrap my head around open heart surgery on a 5 month old. She just seems so small and fragile right now.

On the reading front I'm halfway through The fisherman and it's finally starting to get creepy. The book spent A LOT of time setting up the plot line (maybe too much time) but it is interesting now.

Morning Chelle. Happy Thanksgiving weekend.

Good luck on the car buying. Always stressful.

You have me intrigued by The Fisherman.

>64 ChelleBearss: Happy Thanksgiving Weekend, Chelle!

Of course you are afraid for Elissa's surgery, she still is so small. I hope it can be done two weeks later, so you can focus completely on Elissa during that time. Big ((((hugs))))!

Happy Thanksgiving, Chelle!

Good luck with the date scheduling for Elissa's surgery.

I'm really happy to not have to go car shopping for a long while. I have a Toyota and those things live forever so I'm more than happy to drive her until she becomes too expensive to maintain. Of course, I'm not in the SUV category. I've got an adorable little Prius. :)

>65 msf59: Happy Thanksgiving Mark! We still need to test drive more this week, boo. I think we are leaning towards the Ford Explorer now.
The Fisherman is creepy enough that I had a weird dream last night, but not too creepy that I need to put the book in the freezer. You would probably like it.

>66 FAMeulstee: Happy Thanksgiving, Anita! I hope we will hear this week about the new date. I have started Christmas planning and shopping online in a big way to make sure I have everything bought and wrapped before Elissa's surgery as I know I will be too busy and stressed to think about it then

>67 MickyFine: Happy Thanksgiving, Micky! Those Prius are pretty cute, and get good milage I hear! I will miss the milage we got in the VW Jetta, especially if we buy a big chunkster SUV!

>68 ChelleBearss: I love the putting it in the freezer reference. :)

Hopefully you find a vehicle that's the right size and has decent gas mileage.

Hi Chelle!

Good luck finding the right vehicle. I have a 2012 Ford Escape, which I dearly love; before that I had Volvos, which I also dearly loved. I got tired of the expense of maintaining them, though.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Hugs to all of you as you prepare for Elissa's surgery.

71) The Fisherman by John Langan
4*

This was a slow-burning horror story about two men who have each suffered terrible loss and find solace in fishing together. One suffers from a deep depression and talks the other into fishing at the hard to find Dutchman's creek. There is a reason that this creek is hard to find and they will come to regret looking for it.
This novel worked for me, but I could see how it might not for others. The first part of the novel is the backstory of the two men's respective losses and introduces in the creek. Then a second tale starts of them being warned of what happened in the creek in the previous century, which starts the horror part of the novel. Once we get back to the tale of the two men the novel stays firmly in the horror category right to the last page!

>69 MickyFine: Morning Micky! Love me some friends references :)
Thanks, we are going to drive the Explorer this morning.

>70 karenmarie: Morning Karen! My sister just upgraded her older Escape for a new one. She really loves them. I like the older body style on them better than the new one, I just prefer that square look instead of the new rounded edges. Love the inside though!
Nate wanted us to get a Volvo but I didn't really like the one he found and it was quite expensive.

Wishing you good luck with the car hunting, Chelle. We recently purchased a used (2012) Toyota Highlander, and I am totally in love with it. The outside is lovely, but the interior is GORGEOUS, and it had all the bells and whistles - I still don't know how to use half of it, but I am looking forward to figuring it out. So fun for me after many, many years of a minivan.

Keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers concerning Elissa's surgery - hoping you can get the date changed and that everything will fall into place as you make those plans. So scary with one so little, but they can do such amazing things these days.

Hi Chelle, hope that the date for Elissa's surgery works out the way you hope. I know how anxious you must feel, and the support of family to look after Chloe is important.

Look forward to hearing about your vehicle decision.

Hi Chelle. I love coming here and seeing photos of the girls!!!!
Good luck on the car search.

We bought a car, hurray! Tomorrow the dealer is going to deliver my new Ford Explorer! I'm so excited to have a new vehicle and to not have to drive Nate's standard any longer! Yippee for the invention of the automatic lol!!
We splurged a little and got a higher model than we originally looked at and it's loaded! It's going to be so nice to have a new, fancy vehicle to drive and to not have to climb in the backseat of the mustang to get the girls into their car seats :-)

>73 Crazymamie: Morning, Mamie! I've heard good things about the Highlander! If we had of had more time we probably would have test drove that one as well, but we were to time crunched and didn't make it there. I'm a little sad that we decided to be financially responsible and not buy the Armada, but I'm taking an extra long maternity leave and it would have been too tight for the months that I won't have a pay cheque. This one has all the bells and whistles too (and massaging seat backs, what?!)

>74 lit_chick: Thanks Nancy! I hope we get the new date sometime this week. The hospital called about her pre-surgery blood work this morning so they must have a date in mind that they haven't called us about yet.

>75 EBT1002: Thanks for visiting, Ellen! I should add a new picture of Chloe when I can sneak one. Her great-aunt just got hired as a fire department dispatcher and gave her some plastic junior fire hats and she has been running around all morning saying "fire girl to the rescue". It's just about the cutest thing I've seen her do!

Yea for the new car! I hope you enjoy it. Isn't it nice to have all that research over with?

>71 ChelleBearss: Thumbs up for The Fisherman. It is now on the list.

Congrats on the new vehicle. I have an Explorer too but it is a '06 and still driving just fine.

Hope the week is going well.

Congrats! The Explorer is a nice vehicle. Hope you enjoy it!

HI Chelle!

Congrats on the new Ford Explorer. Bells and whistles are good, especially when toting around small children!

We had an Explorer when daughter was young - she named it Raptor. Husband and daughter name vehicles, I don't. Mine's currently either "the car" or "the SUV" if I want to be technical.

My husband's maternal grandfather was one of the first Ford dealers in North Carolina USA in the 1920s. We have a medallion for the 50th Anniversary of Ford (somewhere), a console radio in the walk in closet behind the Media Room, and an escritoire in my Library. The latter two were won in sales contests, I believe. Husband has always had Fords, and except for my Volvos, all vehicles purchased in our marriage have been Fords.

Hang in there in the run up to Elissa's surgery. Hugs to all of you.

Morning friends! We are in full renovation mode here today! Yesterday my dad and I, along with one of his friends, ripped out the carpets and mudded the walls in the large fourth bedroom. Today we will be painting walls and baseboard and then this weekend the men will be installing new floors. When all is finished that room is going to become a playroom for the girls and we will be getting our living room back to normal with less toys, hurray! I think Chloe will love having such a large playroom and she will love it even more when "Santa" brings her a large dollhouse this Christmas ;-p

Yesterday the Toronto Hospital called. Elissa has been scheduled for surgery for December 13th. I am of two minds: happy that we will get it over and unhappy as the surgery is a risk right at Christmas. I am doing my best to stay positive and stay busy as I have made it my goal to have Christmas presents purchased and wrapped by the end of November. I'm halfway done already :)

>77 mstrust: Thanks Jennifer! I am happy that we won't have to test drive anymore with an infant in the car! LOL

>78 msf59: Morning Mark, glad to hit you with a book bullet :) That's awesome that your explorer is still going! Hopefully mine will last us many, many years

>79 drneutron: Thanks Jim!

>80 karenmarie: Hi Karen! We don't name our vehicles either. Nate used to name his cars but he has grown out of that over the years. Now it's just "the mustang" or "the bike". I imagine this one will just become the creative "the suv" lol

You're well ahead of the game if you are more than halfway done on Christmas! I've got only one present acquired and it's not wrapped yet.

At least the surgery's scheduled, Chelle! Good timing or bad timing, at least you know.

Hugs to you.

Hi Chelle, I'm glad little Elissa's surgery is scheduled. You'll all be home together for Christmas, with the ordeal behind you.

Wow, you have a lot going on, Chelle. Congrats on the new Explorer. I'm impressed by the DIY work on the new playroom - that's not a small project! And you're ahead of the game for Christmas. Plus Elissa's surgery is now scheduled. I think you deserve a hot drink and a few minutes with your feet up!

Congrats on the new car, Chelle! And keeping you and your family in my prayers in the lead up to Elissa's surgery (and afterwards). Hugs!

>76 ChelleBearss: Congratulations on your new car. It sounds amazing...massaging seat backs!! really?!? I didn't know that was even a choice. It sounds heavenly.

Morning friends. I'm up early today as I could not get back to sleep after Elissa's 5am feed. So I'm caffeinated and online shopping at 6am. I'm kind of jealous of all of you American friends, did you know you have some amazing products that we can't get (or get easily) in Canada! I've been trying to find the new M&M flavours (Pecan Pie, cookies & Screem etc) and I can't get them here, as well as I'm trying to get Chloe a Fingerling Monkey toy for Christmas and they are sold out here! Makes me wish I had a passport so I could pop over the border for a shopping day! :)

>82 karenmarie: Morning Karen! I want this Christmas to be as normal as possible for Chloe so I wanted to make sure that I got our shopping done ahead of time. I don't want to be trying to find presents during Elissa's hospital time. Especially if any complications arise as it's so close to Christmas. Online shopping is the best!

>83 lit_chick: Thanks Nancy! Crossing my fingers that all goes well and we have her home with lots of time before Christmas

>84 jnwelch: Hiya Joe! I am very thankful that my Dad and Nathen are very handy people! It would have cost quite a lot of money to have workers come in and do all these renovations but we save so much by doing it ourselves. We only have to pay for contractors to install the flooring on the stairs as we can't do that ourselves.
I'm having a hot drink right now while both girls slumber and Nate is off to work already. It's quiet and I plan to drink the whole cup while it's still warm! :)

>85 MickyFine: Thanks Micky! I don't imagine I'll be on here much in December but I'll be sure to pop in and give an update

>86 RebaRelishesReading: Reba isn't that the best! And the funny thing was the dealer didn't even know it did that! I found it while playing with settings on the test drive! I don't remember seeing anything about that on the website but I'm glad I found it!
Makes me wonder what else it can do that I haven't found yet :)

72) The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

My heart is still pounding.
Ghost stories are not often my go-to horror novel but this one gave me goose bumps and then scared the bejebus out of me.

>49 ChelleBearss: I have intended to read more of Lorrie Moore, for a while now.

>64 ChelleBearss: Heart surgery for a 5-month old, that is a very scary thought. But they don't do heart surgery on 5-month olds for no reason, and I am sure that they best of the best are on the case.
Maybe Kidzdoc/Darryl can reassure you, I'm sure he knows a thing or two about paediatric medicine :) And if nothing else, he's a supporter of LT folk!!

Hi Chelle!

On-line shopping is the absolute best. Almost the only thing I ever actually buy at a 4-walls store for Christmas is stocking stuffers.

Color me ignorant - I didn't even realize the there were seasonal M&Ms. What rock have I been hiding under?

I don't feel so bad about not knowing about Fingering Monkeys since daughter is 24 now, although come to think of it, she'd probably like one. ... No. No. And no. Erase thought from head.

>88 ChelleBearss: I've seen the movie with Daniel Radcliffe and have the book on my shelves. Maybe a day-time read. It gets awfully dark out here in the boonies.

Yeah, The Woman in Black was a definite daytime read for me!

Hi there, Chelle! You have been doing some great creepy reading. I was spared a book bullet on The Woman in Black (having read it already), but you hit me with >71 ChelleBearss: The Fishermen!

Glad you were able to reschedule the surgery and I totally feel for you--my daughter's 2nd heart surgery was scheduled on December 19th when she was a year and a half. (First was emergency one when she was 9 days old!). The surgery went well (and she is still doing great) and the holiday went off without a hitch. So, I am wishing the same wonderful outcome for your family. ; )

>88 ChelleBearss: But it made you feel like you'd read a Halloween story, didn't it? : D That's a scary one alright.

>88 ChelleBearss: Be still that beating heart!

I did like that one too, very atmospheric.

>90 karenmarie: Hi Karen! Yes, I think it should be a day time read. I made the mistake of finishing it at 10pm while alone in the house. Not a good idea

>91 drneutron: HI Jim! Yes, I should have finished that in the afternoon instead!

>92 Berly: Hi Kim! Glad to hear your daughter's surgery went well and you were able to celebrate Christmas together! I am hoping for the same. If all goes well we should be home by the 20th. Nate has the weekend off before Christmas but has to work afternoons on Christmas Day.

>93 mstrust: Jennifer, it was indeed a worthy Halloween read!

>94 PaulCranswick: Hi Paul! Atmospheric is a great way to describe it!

73) The Suicide Motor Club by Christopher Buehlman

Not a scary Halloween read, but an awesome Halloween read nonetheless! An avenging mother takes on a gang of brutal vampires that took her son from her. I had not heard of this author but will be looking for more from him.

Getting into the spirit of Halloween with Chloe with these books:


Goodnight Goon


A Creepy Countdown (too creepy, Chloe didn't like it)


Happy Halloween, Little Critter


Ollie's Halloween


Scaredy-Cat Splat


Miss Smith and the haunted library


Bob's Hungry Ghost


Happy Halloween, Stinky Face

And a viewing of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, I hope. ;)

>98 MickyFine: That's a great idea, Micky! I'll see if I can find it on our TV :)

Happy Friday, Chelle! I also had a good time with The Woman in Black. The film version is pretty good too. Glad to see you squeezing in the books.

Aw, Ollie's Halloween! We love that one (and all of Dunrea's stuff)!

Hi Chelle, hope you are having a good weekend my dear and that your lovely girls have been good. I saw the picture of Chloe on Facebook and she is adorable. Sending love and hugs to you all dear friend.

Hi friends,
Sorry for my absence, life has gotten a bit stressful for me at the moment. Nate started a new position at work yesterday with the plain clothes unit and I've been trying to schedule our life around his new schedule as well as Elissa's upcoming surgery appointments as well as Chloe's speech appointments and dance class/swimming. Elissa has her pre-op appointment and surgery dates now for December and we need to take two trips to Toronto. So I've just been working to get all our Christmas plans taken care of as well as booking hotels and planning care for Chloe for those days. I am trying to contact Ronald McDonald house to confirm we can stay there for the surgery but we need the hospital to send a referral before we can start the background check. I would much prefer to stay there at $15 a night instead of the nearby hotel at the discounted $135 a night. Thankfully her surgery is paid for by our healthcare system but the hotel stay and food and parking for us is still going to be a large charge. So thankful that we have our families close by to take care of Chloe so that I don't have to worry about her while we are with Elissa. That's one large weight off my shoulders!

On a plus side it's only October 24th and I am finished my Christmas shipping! I love me some online shopping :) Once the rest of the parcels get delivered I will wrap and store them and be done with that particular to-do list :)
We had workers in yesterday to replace the carpet on our stairs leading to the second floor with the matching laminate that we are putting in the bedrooms. Chloe & Elissa's playroom slash library is finished and we just need to move a couch in there. I am halfway through sorting my books on the shelves :-)

Still reading a bit at night. Working on Mongrels right now and really enjoying it. I don't remember who recommended it (Mark, perhaps?) but thanks to whoever did!

Wow! Congrats to Nate on the new position and to you for handling...life!! Done with Christmas shopping already? Very impressive and a load off your mind I am sure. Good luck with the Ronald McDonald House application and I bet the girls (well at least Chloe) are super excited about their new room. Very fun Halloween reads! : )

>103 ChelleBearss: Look at you go! Sending hugs as you continue to work on planning all the things.

Hi, Chelle! It looks like you have been doing some juggling with RL issues. You sure seem to manage it, like a good wife/mother. High-Fives, to my pal.

Cold and rainy here. Good day, to stay in with the books. I had heard good things about Mongrels and I have it saved on audio but I have not read it yet. You might give me the nudge, I need.

Wow, you've really got a handle on things. I'm impressed. Hope you get into Ronald McDonald House. Not only would that save a bunch of loonies but it would probably be a supportive environment as well.

I really hope everything works out with the McDonald House. How nice to know that the money they collect from customers is going to such an important cause.
Done with Christmas shopping? Way to go! I had a year or two there when I finished with Christmas around Halloween, but apparently I've lost the ability to be organized.

Whoa, you really are busy! Yay for getting that Christmas shopping finished (!!) and fingers crossed that the RM House comes through.

Hi Chelle!

You've got so many things going on. Good luck getting into Ronald McDonald House. I hope you get a teensy moment here and there for some Chelle time.

Hugs to all of you.

>104 Berly: Thanks Kim! Chloe is very excited about the play room and wants to be up there often! We don't have the couch yet and although the TV is on the wall there is no cable yet (forgot to add "get cable box" to my to-do list lol) But we have a couple large stuffed animals and a stuffed cow seat that work just fine for hanging out up there.

>105 MickyFine: Thanks Micky! Life is a work in progress right now :)

>106 msf59: HI Mark! We had a very rainy day yeserday as well and even had hail. Chloe and I went out on the covered balcony and watched, she was so excited about it. Sky ice!! lol
Don't know why I thought it was you who recommended Mongrels. I just finished it last night and really liked it. It shows the human side behind the beast (but not in too much of an emotional way)

>107 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba! I hope so as well! I need to get in touch with the surgical unit's social worker to make our referral but I couldn't reach anyone yesterday. I'll try again tomorrow if they don't call back today

>108 mstrust: Thanks Jennifer! I knew Ronald McDonald house was a great place to stay but I hadn't realized the rate was SO discounted! $15 a night sure would help!
I don't normally mass shop this early and I do miss going to the stores (a bit). Online is great for people like me, though, who have two kids and a weirdo shift husband and 45 minutes to the nearest large mall. Just not worth the drive and stress so online worked great for me!

>109 scaifea: Thanks Amber! I dropped the ball on one thing on my to-do list as Elissa's flower costume came and the headdress is huge and fit Chloe! I need to alter that somehow before Halloween or else she will have to use Chloe's first costume (lady bug)

>110 karenmarie: Thanks Karen! The girls have been giving me a run for my money at bedtime lately but thankfully Nate was home early last night and tackled Chloe while I did Elissa! I got some me time around 9 as they all went to bed (Nate included) and I had a glass of wine while I finished my book! :)

74) Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones

Morning, Chelle! We have sunshine! Yah! And hooray for Mongrels. Looks like I should bump it up.

Hi Chelle!

I'm glad you guys are tag-teaming it with the girls. I hope Nate's new job is going well. And yay for wine and a book.

Good news - I've confirmed the names of the people on my Christmas list. *smile*

Hi Chelle it's been awhile since I caught up with you. I am in absolute awe at how you have completed your Christmas shopping! I know things are very stressful right now, but you seem to be on top of everything. Just remember to take care of yourself as well as Nate and the kids.

Last year I read Those Across the River by Christopher Buehlman and found it to be both scary and good. He's an author that I intend to read more of.

My little Ghouls :)

>113 msf59: Hi Mark! Yes, bump it! I like how it was told from the view of a child who wants to become a wolf like his family but isn't sure if it will happen.

>114 karenmarie: HI Karen! Ha, glad you confirmed who you need to buy for! I have one present left for Nate's brother and then I just have Nate to buy for but I have no ideas for him so I'll have to put some thought into it!

>115 DeltaQueen50: HI Judy! Thanks, I'm trying to keep myself busy so that I don't stress too much.
I'll have to add Those Across the River to my list! Thanks!

Another adorable photo of your two beautiful girls!!

Hi Chelle, what a gorgeous photo of your adorable girls, hope you are having a nice weekend dear friend, sending love and hugs from both of us.

>116 ChelleBearss: Adorable!! It the weather supposed to be good in your area? We are lucky enough to have a dry forecast--first time in 10 years no rain on Halloween!

Trick or Treat!

Happy belated Halloween!! Hope everyone had a great night filled with some nice little ghoulies!
Chloe and Elissa had a good day! Chloe brought home quite a haul just from our street and Elissa tolerated her costume for all of 5 minutes so I could get a picture!

My little bugs! Chloe the butterfly and Elissa the ladybug


Back of Chloe's costume


Start of the day pic


>117 RebaRelishesReading: Thanks Reba!

>118 johnsimpson: Thanks John! It's been a good week

>119 Berly:/120 Thanks Kim! Weather was clear but cold, 3c. Nothing like fitting a winter jacket into the costume design :) Halloween in Canada heehee

>121 ChelleBearss: So cute!! And I spent many a Halloween in MN, so I totally understand the jacket-must-be-part-of-the-costume thing!!

The girls look fantastic, Chelle!

Wonderful photos, Chelle - the girls look so sweet! And Elissa's expression in the ladybug costume made me laugh.

Hi Chelle!

I'm glad you've had a good week. Yay for the candy haul for Chloe, and I agree with Crazymamie about Elissa's expression!

Your girls look so adorable!!

Sweet little bugs, Chelle!

Holey Moley, that's a lot of cuteness up there, Chelle! What a sweet couple of girls. The back of Chloe's costume is an eye-popper, isn't it.

Absolutely adorable photos, Chelle! Elissa looks totally perplexed by her costume.

Hooray for the Little Bugs! Absolutely adorable. Glad they both enjoyed their Halloween. Hope you are staying away from their candy haul. Smiles...

I am in awe of your forward planning- its great when you do it, but the reason for your doing it isn't that nice. :( I hope you get a place at R McD house, the extra cost is something you just don't need!

Great photos, Chelle. Elissa has a real look of Nate, don't you think?

I know you've had it for a while now but congratulations on the new car, Chelle.

Chloe and Elissa are so darn adorable in their costumes. Thanks for positing pics. I had not realized that Elissa was up for a surgery -- I can totally understand the ambivalence about having it close to the holidays. You want to get it done, get it over with, and move on, but it will be hard to have your holiday season dominated by that. Still, what you know is that the holidays will come around each year and this is what matters most.

I'm also impressed by how many books you have been able to read this year while raising those two bugs!

Keep taking good care.

Just keeping the thread warm here...hope life is just busy and fun! See you back here soon. Hugs.

Hi Friends,
Sorry for my absence but the stress about Elissa's upcoming surgery has set in for me as well as Nathen's uncle underwent surgery on his brain yesterday after suffering a stroke last week. It's been a bad run for health in our family lately. Elissa is doing well right now so the surgery is still being scheduled for December without it being emergency surgery. She is growing and developing well. And sleeping 12 hour nights now (yay!!)

To keep you up to date we travel to Toronto in two weeks for a day of pre-op fun (ie: tests and more tests) and Elissa is scheduled to have her surgery on December 13th. We will probably be in Toronto for about a week for her to recover in hospital.

I appreciate all the visits and well wishes from you all. Unfortunately I just don't have the energy to respond to everyone or make many visits to threads right now. Hopefully life will get back to normal once Elissa has recovered.
XO

Hugs to you and your family, Chelle, as you go through this difficult time.

Of course it's additionally stressful with Nathen's uncle's surgery. Best wishes for a good recovery for him.

We'll keep your thread warm for you!

Thinking of you and yours, Chelle. We'll be here for you when you get back. Please give those two beautiful little ladies hugs from me.

Will be praying for surgical success for Elissa and the uncle!

My goodness, it's certainly understandable that your energy and thoughts are elsewhere. I'll be sending good energy your way as you work your way through the next few weeks. Hugs to you all.

Sending good thoughts to you all, Chelle!

Hi Chelle, thinking of you and all your family at this time my dear, we will always be here for you all but for now forget about us for a while and put all your energies into the family where it belongs. Sending love and hugs to you all from both of us.

Sending hugs and prayers for you and your family during this stressful time, Chelle.

Hi Chelle. I am rather behind with threads so instead of wishing you a happy new one, I will just say how adorable your two little ones are! So sweet!

>38 ChelleBearss: - I see Chloe is becoming quite the big sister. ;-)

Congratulations on the new vehicle purchase!

>88 ChelleBearss: - Quite the recommendation I for that book. BB taken, although I may have to resort to watching the film version. That way, I can cover my eyes if things get too spooky. Hard to do that when reading. Just don't seem to progress past the scary bits that way.

>118 johnsimpson: and >121 ChelleBearss: - Fabulous costumes!

Sending hugs and prayers to you and your family.

Chelle you and Nate and Chloe and Elissa are very much in my thoughts and prayers at the moment.

I trust that the little cutie will come through her procedures in December with flying colours. xx

Chelle, you and your family are definitely in my thoughts and prayers over the next few weeks! Hugs!!

Chelle--Best of luck with everything. And the last thing you need to stress about is LT! We are here rooting in the background. Update us when you can. Glad Elissa is so strong going into this. Hugs. : )

Keeping all of you in my thoughts and prayers, Chelle.

Hi Chelle, just want to add my thoughts and hugs for you and family. I completely understand your stress around Elissa's surgery. I predict as Paul does: she will come through with flying colours!

Chelle, I totally understand how you don't have time to be on LT right now, but my best wishes to you and Elissa ,Chloe and Nate as you get through the surgery. I am sure it will all go very well, but I certainly understand being anxious. I hope you have been able to get into Ronald McDonald House. Less financial stress and the support of other people around you.

This is a time of year when I as a non-American ponder over what I am thankful for.

I am thankful for this group and its ability to keep me sane during topsy-turvy times.

I am thankful that you are part of this group.

I am thankful for this opportunity to say thank you.

On this day of Thanksgiving, I am grateful for many things, one of them being my



Thank you for being so wonderful! : )

Keeping you and yours in my thoughts. Hugs.

Happy Thursday Chelle my dear, sending love and hugs to you all from both of us dear friend.

I know your thoughts are elsewhere, but I couldn't help but think of Chloe when I saw this ad.

Just stopping by to say that I'm thinking about you. I hope things are going well. xoxo

Thinking about you, Chelle, and sending hugs.

Hoping all is going well on your end, Chelle.

Thinking about you too Chelle. Hope our little gem is ok. HUGS

Hi Chelle, Elissa is doing ok and that you, Nate and Chloe are well dear friend, sending love and hugs to you all from both of us.

Been checking your FB pages and I trust that all is well, Chelle.

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.

^Stop by and give us an update, Chelle. This way we know all is well. Smiles...

Hi friends
Sorry for my absence (still)
We had a weekend full of Christmas parties and this is now the week of Elissa's surgery. We got a call from Ronald Mcdonald house yesterday and it sounds like the house is rather full right now and they don't currently have a vacancy for us. Hotel life for us this week, I guess. At least the hotel is right beside the hospital.

Elissa's surgery is this Wednesday. I will try and post an update Thursday if I can get online at the hospital. If not I will at least post something on facebook at some point.
Please send her some healthy thoughts or prayers on Wednesday!
Thanks!!
xo

Sending hugs and prayers, Chelle!

Chelle, all the very best to Elissa for her surgery - she has lots of LT best wishes flying her way :-)

Hugs and positive thoughts coming your way, Chelle!

I'm adding my good wishes to Elissa and your family.

Chelle, keeping all of you in my thoughts and prayers. All of us here at the Pecan Paradisio are holding Elissa in our hearts and praying that her surgery goes well.

I'll definitely be keeping Elissa and the rest of your family in my prayers this week. Hugs for you, Chelle!

Sending lots of positive thoughts for Elissa's upcoming surgery, Chelle. Sending hugs, too!

Hugs and good thoughts for all of you, Chelle. Hoping everything goes well with Elissa in the next days.

HUGS

CHELLE, NATE, CHLOE AND ESPECIALLY ELISSA.

Chelle, keeping you, Nate, Chloe and Elissa in mind this week, especially. Best to you and may you soon be home and all is well! Love to you and yours.

You know we are all thinking of you and especially small Elissa this week, and sending our best.

Big hugs and lots of positive wishes to you, Nate, Chloe and ELISSA!!

Love and hugs to all of you, Chelle!

Love and hugs to all of you Chelle my dear friend.

Thinking of all of you today, Chelle, and keeping Elissa in our prayers.

Hoping all went well today!! Hugs.

Hoping all went well today!! Hugs.

Double post--Double good luck!!

Thanks everyone. Surgery went well. She is resting now. A little agitated this morning but sleeping again
Thanks for all your support!! Xo

Glad to hear the surgery went well. Hugs for all of you!!!

Great news, Chelle. It's amazing what they can do now. Yay for Elissa!

So pleased to read it went well, Chelle.

So happy that the surgery went well. Big hugs to all of you, Chelle.

Happy to read all went well, such a relief!
Hugs to you all.

Hi Chelle, glad that the surgery went well my dear, sending love and hugs from both of us to you all.

I am so glad that everything went well, with little Elissa. Thanks for keeping us updated, Chelle. A big HUG from the 75 gang!

So happy to hear that the surgery went well! Hugs to you all.

I thought today I'd catch up your thread. Little did I know so much was going on in your life!! Beyond congrats for the new car, beyond the adorable Halloween pics the most central thought right now is Elissa! Glad to read surgery went well. Hugs and healing mojo on the way!

Oh, thank goodness all went well, Chelle. You, Nate, and the girls will be so happy to be home for Christmas! Hugs.

Hooray!!! So very glad everything went well. Christmas will be wonderful this year.

Hurray for Elissa!

I hope she continues to get better and get back to her normal (and improved) self!

Yay!

So glad the surgery went well. Here's wishing a speedy recovery and peaceful, healthy holidays for you all!!

Hope recovery is going well and you are getting some rest, too. Hugs.

I'm so glad it went well and I'm sending lots of wishes for a speedy recovery!!!!

It is that time of year again, between Solstice and Christmas, just after Hanukkah, when our thoughts turn to wishing each other well in whatever language or image is meaningful to the recipient. So, whether I wish you Happy Solstice or Merry Christmas, know that what I really wish you, and for you, is this:

Sending healthy holiday wishes your direction, Chelle. Know that your LT community continues to hold you in our thoughts and hearts.

Hi Chelle, stopping by to wish you and your loved ones peace, joy and happiness this holiday season and for 2018!

Hi Chelle!



Stopping by to wish you, Nathen, Chloe, and Elissa all good things this holiday season. (Keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers, too!)

Knowing you lights my world!
Merry Christmas! Peace and Joy!

Hi Chelle, wishing you, Nate, Chloe and Elissa a very Merry Christmas my dear and sending special love and hugs to you all dear friend from both of us.

Happy holidays, Chelle! I hope you're having a merry Christmas and that 2018 will be a great year for you and your lovely family.

(Or in other words, Happy Christmas, to you and yours!)

Wishing you all good things this holiday season and beyond.

^I hope you are having a nice holiday with the family, Chelle, despite the issues with baby Elissa.

Dear Chelle, best wishes to you and yours at Christmas! I'm sorry you'll be in hospital, but it will be worth it to bring home a healthy baby. Love to you.

Merry Christmas to you and your family, Chelle! Congratulations on Elissa's successful surgery; she'll be in my prayers.

Merry Christmas to you and your lovely family!
So happy Elissa's surgery went well. Praying for abundant blessings and great health for each and all of you :-) Hugs.

Happy Boxing Day!! Still sending lots of healing wishes!! And hugs.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas!! Thank you all for the well wishes!!

I have to keep this short as I am on my iPad and it's frustrating me.
Elissa and I are still at Toronto sick kids hospital. Her surgery went well but she is struggling with a fluid build up in her chest. We are here until that clears up. So far the first two treatment attempts have failed. Hoping for lucky number three!!

I finished book #75, and probably the last of this year
Rituals by Kelley Armstrong

Wishing you all a wonderful 2018

Chelle--Thanks for the update! Sending best wishes to Elissa--third time is the charm and I hope they fix the problem. Big hugs and best wishes. Here's to 2018!!

Thanks for the update, Chelle! Best wishes for this third treatment to work. It will be great to be back at home, I know!

Thanks for taking the time to write. Sending good mojo for the third treatment to do it's work so that sweet little Elissa can be on the road to perfect health. Hugs to you all

Crossing my fingers that Elissa's third treatment goes well. Hang in there!

Also, congrats on reaching the magic reading number!

Congratulations on reaching 75, Chelle!

Thanks for the update on Elissa, as I am away and have an awfully slow internetconnection. LT is doable, but loading FB takes ages. Sending good thoughts for you and Elissa, and hope you can return home soon. Are Nate and Chloe with you, or have they returned home?

Hi Chelle!

Sending healing thoughts for Elissa and hugs and energy to her Mommy.

Chelle, thanks for letting us know that that we can send all that positive mojo Elissa's way. Keeping your family in my thoughts and prayers and crossing my fingers that the third time works its magic.

Congrats on reaching 75!

Happy Holidays, Chelle!

Congrats on 75!

Happy belated Christmas greetings to you and your lovely family!
Woo Hoo on reaching 75, Chelle!

Hi Chelle, thank you for taking the time to post a status update. Hoping all goes well with the third treatment and hugs for the entire family.

Hi Chelle, just stopping by to wish you, Nate, Chloe and Elissa a Very Happy New Year my dear and hope that 2018 is a really good year. Sending love and hugs to you all from both of us dear friend.

Hi Chelle! Hugs to you, Nathen, Chloe, and Elissa this last day of December.



Peace, Health, and Happiness in 2018

Wishing you a wonderful 2018-

Thinking of you and your family and hoping that Elissa's third treatment goes well.

I hope you are all home soon!



Happy 2018!!

Hi Friends!

Thank you all for your wonderful love and support in 2017! I am happy to report we are home from hospital now! Both girls are tucked in their beds and it's so nice to have them both under one roof with us! We were able to do our family Christmas tonight and Chloe was very shocked to see that Santa had come while we were away

I am going to take some time to try and get our home and life back in order and then I will join you all in the 2018 group.

Hope you are all having a wonderful start to the new year!
xo
Chelle

Best news ever! So glad everything turned out well -- 2018 is off to a great start. Make sure to post when you set up your new thread!!

Hugs!

(Way to go Santa!)

Glad to hear everyone is home and doing well. :)

So happy to hear things are going well and that you're (finally) all home again. I would love to have seen Chloe discover that Santa had come :)

Thanks for the update, Chelle, very happy to read everyone is safely home.

Yay!

WOOT!! I've been following along with you on FB and Instagram, and I'm so glad that you're all home now!!

Hooray! That's great news.

That's great news Chelle, all home safely now. See you when you come back on here my dear, sending love and hugs from both of us.