Children are meant to out live us and tragedies such as this one in Newtown, Connecticut have really hit everyone hard. I cannot imagine anyone not having their emotions turned upside down after hearing about the nightmare that the children and staff of Sandy Hooks elementary went through. There is no making sense of such a tragedy, these children were taken before they even had a chance to live.

I will never forget Barack Obama's quote from yesterday's memorial "being a parent is like living with your heart outside your body all the time" Never have their been truer words...

Newtown you are not alone, the world grieves with you....Let us all remember....

This is the list of names of the dead provided by the Connecticut state police. It does not include the name of the gunman, nor his mother. 

Children

Charlotte Bacon, age 6

Daniel Barden, age 7

Olivia Engel, age 6

Josephine Gay, age 7

Ana M Marquez-Greene, age 6

Dylan Hockley, age 6

Madeleine F Hsu, age 6

Catherine V Hubbard, age 6

Chase Kowalski , age 7

Jesse Lewis, age 6

James Mattioli, age 6

Grace McDonnell, age 7

Emilie Parker, age 6

Jack Pinto, age 6

Noah Pozner, age 6

Caroline Previdi, age 6

Jessica Rekos, age 6

Avielle Richman, age 6

Benjamin Wheeler, age 6

Allison N Wyatt, age 6

Adults

Rachel Davino, age 29

Dawn Hochsprung, age 47

Anne Marie Murphy, age 52

Lauren Rousseau, age 30

Mary Sherlach, age 56

Victoria Soto, age 27

Let us all remember

Our hearts go out to the families of Newtown Connecticut. Such a terrible tragedy....

One of my biggest weaknesses is chocolate, candy and cookies. Into Chocolate carries 2 out of 3 of my weaknesses and is a very dangerous shop for me to stop in and browse...:)

Today I visited the Cloverdale store for the 1st time and met one of the owners Delaine Wilms. Delaine helped me put together a custom gift package of delicious treats. Of course, I couldn't leave the store without buying a dozen of their artisan chocolates too. (Which my family devoured as soon as they saw them...:)

They carry a wide variety of specialty candies and chocolates. From novelty, retro, American, British to local and in house made treats and so much more. Their fudge is delicious! I had never tried bonbons before...never knew what I was missing until today.

I usually visit Delaine and her husband Doug's Into Chocolate shop in Fort Langley every time my husband and I take a stroll through town. I very rarely walk out without at least buying myself one treat. The new Cloverdale store is much bigger and offers a wider variety of yummy treats.

Click on the following link to visit their website and stop by their shop today...you won't be disappointed.

Into Chocolate

The original Port Mann bridge opened in June 1964 and yesterday officially closed down forever. The new Port Mann has 2 westbound lanes now open.

http://www.news1130.com/news/local/article/422826--some-lanes-of-new-port-mann-bridge-open

If you haven't ordered your new TREO decal be sure to order it in time for the tolls that will be charged as of December 1st when 4 lanes will be open for both eastbound and westbound traffic on the Port Mann. Don't forget to sign up for your decal and receive 20 free trips if you sign up before November 30th. Not only do you get 20 free trips nut you will also receive 50% off the toll rates.

As we approach the end of the year, I thought it prudent to remind everyone that they only have a few months left until March 31, 2013 to take advantage of the LiveSmart BC incentives that offer over $7000 in rebates for BC households. There are over 54 incentives to help improve your home's energy efficiency. From insulation to heat pumps, there are a lot of great incentives for BC households.

For more information on how to become more energy efficient and save money doing so, visit the LiveSmart BC website:

 http://www.powersmart.ca/livesmartbc

Tomorrow Americans head to the polls for the US Presidential election and it will be interesting to see what the outcome will be. It is surely promising to be a long night. Hopefully Americans will make an educated choice and choose to get "Fired Up" and move "Forward" while voting for the next President of the United States.

Since I can't vote in the US Presidential election, I figured it would be ok to show who I would be supporting...Who do you think should win.

http://www.barackobama.com/  

The title of the following article is what caught my eye. My husband having worked in the restaurant business while we went to University developed an appreciation for good wine...the funny thing is he doesn't drink. But that doesn't stop him from admiring homes that have wine cellars and wanting to have one in our next home. But as the article makes mention to, there's a lot to consider when building a wine cellar.

http://life.nationalpost.com/2012/08/29/fellers-and-their-cellars-toasting-a-trend/

How important is a wine cellar to you? Do you like to enjoy a fine glass of wine after work or with dinner? Is a wine cellar a must have when purchasing your new home?

Yesterday, my eldest had the honour and privilege to be a part of We Day Vancouver 2012. She attended with approximately 30 other students and teachers from her school. They all had an experience of a lifetime and heard speakers like "Desmond Tutu" and "Magic Johnson" speak, encouraging social change. This day will be one she will remembers and will likely share with her children one day.

"We Day is an educational event and the movement of our time—a movement of young people leading local and global change."

Her school like many others has taken part in the Me to We program which is partnered with Free the Children. They have helped to build schools in Africa and to provide clean water for these communities. The students who have taken part in We Day or Me to We programs are taking active roles in social justice initiatives in their schools.

The Story behind Me to We started in Ecuador over 10 years ago when the co-founders and brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger helped to build a school for an impoverished community. It was their experience and how the community and surrounding communities came together to make this school happen (when the Kielburgers feared it wouldn't) that brought about the Me to We mentality. Their main objective was to make the world a better place and that's exactly what the movement has achieved and will continue to do so through our children and hopefully through our children's, children and so on and so forth!

Be the Change you wish to see in the World!

 Who doesn't love FREE movies???

Looking for something fun to do with your kids this weekend? Something fun and FREE??? Why not head to an early morning show at your local theatre and watch one of the many FREE family movies that Cineplex is showing for their Starlight Community Day event. Enjoy a FREE movie and get a regular popcorn, regular drink and candy for only $2.00. With all the proceeds going to Starlight Children's Foundation. Movies start at 9:00am.

Visit the following link for the movies playing at your local theatre tomorrow morning.

http://www.cineplex.com/Promos/Starlight/Community.aspx

Just after midnight tonight, the transition to start opening up 3 east bound lanes on the Port Mann will begin. By the time commuters are up in the morning and heading into Surrey or further into the Fraser Valley...those 3 lanes will be open.
I don`t know about you, but it is a little concerning that we will be crossing over a body of water on the widest bridge in the world...even though it isn`t finished. But I guess we shouldn`t be too worried as there have been construction vehicles travelling across the bridge for months.

Unfortunately, the cost to build this bridge has us paying tolls as of tomorrow...although there will be the introductory rate of $1.50 if you register your vehicle. On a positive note once you register and receive your FREE decal for your windshield it will be good for both the Port Mann and the Golden Ears Bridge and you will be able to do away with the transponder. Register before November 30th and receive 20 free trips.  

Drivers will be able to register for an account, starting Monday, Sept. 17, either online at www.treo.ca, by phone at 604-516-8736 or in person at the Coquitlam and Service Centres located at either end of the Port Mann Bridge.

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/Port+Mann+Bridge+tolls+start+incentive+drivers+with+video/7232152/story.html#ixzz26n7IFBCH

For more detailed information on the building of the new Port Mann Bridge visit the following link:
http://www.pmh1project.com/in-your-community/in-your-community-port-mann-bridge/Pages/default.aspx

2 years ago we took our girls to New York for a holiday and to cross a few things off our bucket list. One of which was to pay our respects and visit ground zero. St. Paul's church outside of Ground Zero, had been transformed as a permanent memorial and the emotions that overcame us as we walked through and read accounts of September 11th. We never expected to be so emotional, it brought us back to that day. We can only imagine how difficult it must have been for New Yorkers living with that reminder everyday.

The present memorial was still in construction when we visited New York, so it still remains on our bucket list to return and pay our repsects once more.

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/9-11-museum-previews-exhibit-spotlights-lives-3-000-victims-article-1.1156330

Today around the world, our hearts go out to the families that lost loved ones in New York.

CIBC's having their grand opening at the new Brickyard station plaza on 176 and Hwy 10 in Cloverdale this Saturday from 10am -2pm. They will be having a barbecue and Canucks fans should stop by for their chance to meet Trevor Linden, who will be there between 11am - 1pm.

http://www.bclocalnews.com/business/168655636.html?mobile=true