Happy New Year!

Welcome to the newest incarnation of the Young family's annual letter. I figured it would be easier to upload pictures here and then just email everyone the link. We'll see how it goes... (sometimes my bright ideas are dimmer than I realize).

2009 was an eventful year for us.

We moved into a new house at the end of August!

889 Manor Heights

I know I should have taken a picture in the summer time, when the grass was green and the flowers were blooming, but that would require waaaaay more planning than my little brain is capable of. :) We're still in Martensville, but now we're Northsiders instead of Southsiders. That took some getting used to!

We're really happy with the new house, though. It's a bungalow, so much easier for Bill to get around in. We're looking at a few renovations, such as changing the shower upstairs to one that's more accessible. The family that we bought the house from had a daughter with a disability, so the main floor has wide hallways and doorways and tile and laminate flooring, and a built-in ramp from the garage into the house. Perfect for us. And lots of room for visitors! (hint, hint)

I turned 50 in February!


Pink flamingos, dinosaurs, hearts and candles courtesy of my loving (?) sisters.

We had a great party at (where else?) the Senior's Hall here in Martensville. A good time was had by all... especially me!

It was a busy year for me. Besides sprucing up our house to sell and moving into the new one, I became acting president of my union local in the spring, when the president took a temporary rep position. Thankfully this only lasted until October, when I was able to return to just my position of VP - Communications. I did get to go to the National Convention in Montreal for a week, though, which was actually very interesting. I'm still enjoying my job as an Educational Assistant.

Greg got married on November 1st!


Greg & Andrea Young

Andrea is from New Zealand, and is coping really well with the cold. She'd like more snow, though. (Silly girl!) The wedding was a very small, lovely affair in our living room with a few family and friends. Afterwards, we went to New Island Sushi for supper, which was a new experience for most of us, but a lot of fun.

Greg is currently looking for work, and they'll be working to get Andrea landed immigrant status as soon as they can. They make a great couple, and I know Greg is thrilled to have her here. They both turned 25 this year.

Bill turned 62 this year!

... which he was not excited about. :) He has season tickets to the Blades hockey games again this year, and also went to most of the U of S Huskie football games. His mobility scooter gets lots of use. He also takes the dogs out to the backroads east of town for at least one run everyday alongside the van - which they love! Bill's mobility continues to decrease as his legs continue to weaken. He's using his walker more than his cane now. He does get a little depressed about it now and then, but is still thankful that at least he's not in any pain.

Troy was home for New Years!

Which was nice, because he was away for Christmas - working up north in the kitchen at one of the mines. Unfortunately it was just casual relief, but he's hoping he can get back on there permanently. Troy completed his GED this year, which made him and us very proud. He turned 23 this year.

We have just two dogs now.

Shadow and Bernie - not too spoiled!

Unfortunately we had to make the difficult decision to put Wiley down this year. After 18 years, his health was deteriorating, but although we knew it was time, that didn't make it any easier. Shadow and Bernie are best of buds, and provide hours of amusement for Bill.


So as I said, it was an eventful year for the Young family. We have lots to be thankful for, including friends like you. We hope 2010 will give you lots to be thankful for. Take care.