Life is Sweet

snapshots from the last few days......

2012-02-01T23:50:00.000-07:00

Beautiful garnet necklace given to me for my 40th birthday from Susannah's friend Jacob.

My birth stone:

Another birthday gift from my friend Melissa - a canvas made for me with a certain person in mind hahahaha :) Hmmmmm I wonder who!!! :)

Maybe I should put this on the gate post at the end of the driveway:

Still finishing off the candy from the candy bar at the party:

Rosie is constantly by my side wherever I am:

Cutting out bits and pieces on the cricut for my art journal homework ready for tomorrows class:

Tonights sunset. february 1st 2012:

Rosie looking soooooooo sweet on the sofa the other day:

First set of classes ending.....

2012-02-01T23:10:00.000-07:00

The first set of art classes are coming to an end over the next few days. Childrens art journaling ended today. My first teen art journaling class ends tomorrow...the next on Monday...Sculpture on Tuesday...the time has flown by and it is sad and yet exciting to have them end. It is exciting because I can now say that I have survived my first classes and they went well and were a success and can look forward to the rest.

I have a learned a lot from the last four weeks - things I would change...things I need to develop...things I definitely want to keep the same.

My students were wonderful and their work was amazing!! I am so proud of them all! Even those who weren't keen on art and were only here because their Moms dragged them here with their siblings (lol) created some pieces in the classes that were pretty fabulous!!!! And there were students who were going home and spending all their free time doing more art and staying here extra time to create too :) Which just makes me feel wonderful and makes me feel like my job is worth doing TOTALLY!!!

For today:

2012-01-31T22:47:00.001-07:00

Outside My Window... a very starlit sky. It was very pretty driving to and from town. It is also surprisingly warm out still. The weather is so bizarre this winter and so warm. A few bitterly cold days last week especially for Brandy - just to make her feel better about being in Hawaii :) but apart from that it has been so very warm compared to normal - and we have so little snow - there is still grass everywhere! Apart from outside of Lorraine's house today hahaha :)

I am thinking...how nice it will be to have a break from daily classes next week and to do things with Abby and Sam again - science centre and museum field trips etc. They have loved having people here every day - and I WILL have classes planned again very soon - but it will be a nice little interlude too :)

I am thankful for...awareness that this too shall pass. For amazing friends who seem to come into my life just when I need them - and I hope I am there for them too and that they know that xx And a great lawyer - who although I panic sometimes and wonder what the hell he is doing or thinking, he always seems to be on the right track :) Thank goodness I got a good'un :)

From the kitchen...we need to go grocery shopping! Sam is asking for hash brown casserole! Yesterday I made home made potato wedges with vegetables and sausages. Tomorrow maybe a soup or stew. I have plenty of beef to use up. lots of vegetables too. Hhhmmmm

I am wearing...old faded jeans. tshirt and hoody.

I am creating...a birds nest bowl - that is what we made in sculpture class today :) using wool and glue and balloons :) I am also creating some fab art journal pages for my different classes. I can't believe the first childrens course ends tomorrow! Four weeks have FLOWN by!!! :(

I am going... to the Starlite room with darryl this week to see Charlie Winston, which I'm looking forward to :)

I am reading...a magazine I was given for my birthday, a book on gluten free eating that a students Mom has lent me, and coursework for a class I'm taking.

I am hoping...to hear some good news this week about a couple of things....

I am hearing...pipes making noises now that the heating has switched off. Rosie breathing on the bed beside me (not snoring for once). Silence otherwise. Kelly Clarkson singing in my head.

Around the house...life is ticking over.....the house isn't too bad - nothing major needs doing - I need to finish the painting!!

One of my favorite things...my teen art journaling classes :) Oh and Instagram :) I have 105 followers on there now :)

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...I have classes tomorrow and Thursday. Thursday we are meeting friends in the afternoon - so looking forward to that! Friday I am not sure but if we have the chance I think we will go to the science centre as we have membership there. What else this week. Oh my night at the Starlite Room with D. Oh and he wants to cook me dinner for my birthday.....oh and fix my car....lol. hhhmmm. Susannah wants to take her learners driving test.

Thank you Jennie!!!

2012-01-31T21:32:00.000-07:00

Received a lovely package in the mail today from my friends in England

Jennie and Roger.

So nice of Jennie to think of me on my birthday and send me this beautiful necklace.

So thoughtful!!

She even enclosed some chocolate for the children :)

As you can see they were VERY happy :)

English chocolate :)

Scenes from our party....

2012-01-31T16:50:00.000-07:00

Photobooth fun :)

2012-01-31T16:42:00.000-07:00

Photobooth pictures with Leanne and Monique!

2012-01-31T09:05:00.000-07:00

See more by CLICKING HERE

xxx

Snapshots from the party night.....

2012-01-30T23:01:00.001-07:00

Soooooo many more pictures to come, but here are a few pictures from my phone for now:

My Tiara and necklace for the night:

The stunning Topsy Turvy cake made by Melanie!! Fantastic!!! :

Moniques cleverly thought out gift:

A 'few' of the empties from the night:

Gorgeous martini glass from Val and James:

Kicked off my heels:

3am after the last people had left and we had tidied up a bit and were thinking about going to bed:

Beautiful necklace/ locket/ watch from Leanne:

Suckers on the candy bar:

I will post more tomorrow when I get the cd of pictures :)

You can also see the fabulous and hilarious 'photo booth' pictures taken by Lorraine Marie Fotography by CLICKING HERE until February 6th.

Susannah and I had such an amazing night of celebrating our birthdays with all our wonderful friends :)

Thank you to everyone who came and helped make the night so special!!

xxx

My Baby Girl Turned 14!!!

2012-01-30T22:50:00.000-07:00

On Saturday Susannah celebrated her 14th birthday.

We got up early and headed out for brunch at Cora's

And here it is :)

2012-01-27T20:17:00.000-07:00

I'm 40 :)

My 30's were fabulous and I have a feeling my 40's are going to be just as good...life is an adventure to be enjoyed :)

Although I have some cruel, CRUEL friends......lmao....Sharon turned up at the CRACK OF DAWN this morning :) Hahaha I was still in bed of course!! But she knows me well!!! So we sat and chatted and had coffee and I opened this gorgeous card (above) and some of Sharons incredible scones that she had brought with her - because she knows I LOVE them :)

Apart from that it has been a fairly quiet day....a quiet start to my 40's :)

Thank you for all the amazing birthday wishes via Facebook, Email and text today. I feel so loved today.

xxx

Last day or my thirties......

2012-01-27T18:30:00.000-07:00

Had a great time with this dork last night ;p

Classes continue.....

2012-01-27T18:27:00.000-07:00

Another week of classes is over....Some of the first series of classes ends next week....the rest the following week, and then a new set will be beginning. This week in sculpture class we began two projects - using pipe cleaners as wire bases/ frameworks for our sculptures, and then using papier mache over the base. We will paint them next week.

Then we all moved over to a group project - paper sculpture - building up a sculpture using JUST circles and half circles of paper...working towards each others circles and building up and over and on each others work to create a really interesting design. Hopefully we will have time to add to this in the next couple of weeks. The spirals were really interesting.

Welcome to the world little Princess :)

2012-01-27T18:16:00.000-07:00

Paige and John welcomed their little girl to the world this week.....

So beautiful and precious.

xxx

Keegan's life.....

2012-01-27T18:14:00.000-07:00

Instagram piccies....

Laurence this week....

2012-01-27T18:06:00.000-07:00

Laurence finished his grade 11 finals for the first semester at the beginning of this week, so had most of the week off.

We went and used up his GC at Bench where he got a new hoody. On the way home he learned the lesson of not to park TOO close to the barricade when a train is coming!!!

He was a little worried when that barricade started coming down hahaha :)

snow flakes.....

2012-01-27T17:21:00.000-07:00

Snow fell for a little while on Wednesday - huge big gentle snowflakes - it was soooo beautiful!

candy bar :)

2012-01-27T17:14:00.000-07:00

Carousel lights :)

2012-01-27T16:31:00.000-07:00

One of the things that made me happy on my birthday - I reached 100 followers on Instagram :)

Chinese New Year Festivities at West Edmonton Mall

2012-01-27T16:24:00.000-07:00

My lovely students :)

2012-01-27T16:00:00.000-07:00

I received some gorgeous gifts this week from my students!!

Miss T gave me the most gorgeous mug that she had painted for me!!! My very first Teacher gift!!

Best Art Teacher Ever <3

I love it so much :)

It is on the little shelf by my bed :)

N and the G family gave me this gorgeous reusable bag made from plastic grocery bags :) N's Mom made it!!! It is soooo clever and so strong :)

Love love LOVE!!! :)

The bottom picture shows the canvas T created on Wednesday afternoon when she and I had an art afternoon together!! This girl is so talented!! She's TEN!! TEN!!! wow!!

Snapshots from our week.....

2012-01-27T12:11:00.000-07:00

There was a big accident by our house on Monday - at the crossroads. The police and ambulances were there all morning. Sadly a friend of mine drove by just after it happened and said that the drivers were badly injured :(

My penny jar is full:

Darryl sent me a picture of his 'morning so far' and I sent him this one in return...

Playing Mastermind with Sam:

Sitting by the fire with a snack:

Hahaha was chatting to darryl while lying on the floor by the fire....took this to prove it:

One of the pages I did with one of my teen classes this week:

Mod podge - I get through sooooo MUCH of this lovely stuff:

My Rosie posie:

We went swimming with friends on Wednesday afternoon:

The page I did in my teen art journal class yesterday:

Ice on Whyte - week two.

2012-01-23T23:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the temperature had warmed up quite a bit, and so we headed back to the Ice on Whyte festival. We took Cassie with us as she had never been before. This time we caught the old Streetcar from Whyte Ave over the High Level Bridge to the Legislature Building, where the second part of the festival was. I think riding the Streetcar was a highlight for all of us :) We will definitely go back in the Summer and do this again but I'm glad we experienced it in the Winter too - and it was free :)

Ice on Whyte - one of my favourite festivals.....over for another year!!

Percolator.

2012-01-22T11:03:00.000-07:00

Bliss :)

2012-01-22T11:02:00.000-07:00

He is so sweet. 'nuff said.

Instagram Heaven!!

2012-01-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

Who would have thought a McDonald's Playplace would be a photographers playground??? The new McD's on 34th St is Instagram and photo app heaven!! I percolated the wall designs, instagramed the wall posters, photographed the fireplace and took pics of the girls in the playground :)

So much fun!!

You could make some amazing fabric designs using percolator!! :)

Teens on a Saturday night.....

2012-01-22T10:55:00.000-07:00

Oh the things they do to fill an evening....... :)

xxx

snapshots from yesterday :)

2012-01-22T10:45:00.000-07:00

Sam showing me things in his new Lego magazine that arrived on Friday - he loves being in the Lego club and having fun mail arrive:

Rosie getting more love and smiling:

New journals from Dollarama - fell in love with them:

Couldn't resist this bell - and the kids LOVE it - Sam had gone to bed and then he heard it ringing and came RUNNING downstairs to hug Cassie last night:

I painted a ton of pages in one of the new journals last night - prepped and ready for some art journaling one day when I'm feeling creative:

LOVING Instagram still...took this one of Rosie yesterday:

Retro fabric I'm using in my Body Restoration Journal:

It snowed a little yesterday - the treehouse looks pretty:

My Lifebook from SR2 - I LOVE this book with all my heart - those classes changed me and changed my life and brought so many special people in to my life!!! <3

Coffee addict:

Me, myself, I.

2012-01-22T09:45:00.000-07:00

5 days until the big 4-0

My Brave Girls had an online get together and we had to share some glam shots of ourselves :) We were supposed to dress up and put make-up on etc etc but as everyone probably knows, I don't DO make up lol...so this is as glam as I get....au naturel...no make up....but me :)

Another work week over :)

2012-01-21T10:46:00.000-07:00

Another week of classes is done. It has been yet another fabulous week!! I am so loving the classes and the children/ teens who are taking part. It is such a joy to teach them. Abigail and Sam love taking part in the classes, are loving having friends here to play during the classes they aren't in and love having playdates each day too. The house is buzzing with chatter, friendship, laughter and creativity!!

Each day at the end of classes I round up all the palettes and brushes...and then they soak in the sink and after the children are all in bed I spend some quiet time washing them all out while I chat to D :) I love seeing the mix of colours in the sink...it reminds me of washing out the palettes and brushes at school after art classes :) It also reminds me of how lucky I feel to be doing this job, and how much I am enjoying waking up to this work each day :)

Go to work on an egg :)

2012-01-21T10:29:00.000-07:00

We've been having a lot of eggs lately - scrambled, omelettes, and egg toasties....so when Trish offered us some of her farm eggs on Wednesday we bought some!! And WOW!!! They are amazing eggs! Sooooo creamy and yummy! I have no idea why those eggs taste so different, but they are the best eggs I've ever eaten!! They taste so amazing in egg toasties!! Abby and I make ourselves egg toasties for lunch daily now :) YUM!!

And I love how this egg looks as though it has a heart in the centre:

snapshots form our week :)

2012-01-21T00:28:00.000-07:00

Rosie snapshots from this week :)

2012-01-21T00:04:00.001-07:00

Drop-in gymnastics morning!!

2012-01-20T23:28:00.000-07:00

This morning we headed to Salto for the drop-in gymnastics session. For $4 you can use all the gymnastics equipment there for 1 1/2 hours. Even though it was mainly filled with little ones, they still had all of the big apparatus out - vaults, springboards, trampolines, assymetric bars, parallel bars, rings, rope etc etc....

It turned out to be a really great session and both Sam and Abby enjoyed it!! :) We will definitely go again soon :)

Wednesday tag - a day late :)

2012-01-19T19:48:00.000-07:00

1. A new Miss America was crowned on Saturday night-did you watch? If you were a contestant what would your talent be?

I don't have tv, so we didn't watch, but if I was a contestant my talent would be something like baton twirling :) hahaha something girly like that! I even bought myself a new baton in December after about thirty years :)

2. Do you have houseplants? Real or fake?

I have ONE real one now - and it isn't doing very well. I have a LOT of fake plants - but I am fussy about my fake plants and only buy ones that look real :)

3. When you were in school did you speak up or were you more of the hide your face, avoid eye contact, and pray the teacher didn't call on you type of student?

I was quite loud and outspoken in school - I wasn't a top student and I wasn't the bottom student, but I was assertive and outspoken and always stood up for the cause - kind of like I do now. I've always been little but mighty hahaha :) My English teacher used to adore me but he always made the sign of the cross as if he was keeping the devil away :) I didn't have much respect for teachers unless they treated US with respect - I think I've always believed that teachers should treat students with respect to earn respect themselves.

4. Next Monday marks the Chinese New Year....what do you order when someone suggests Chinese food?

chicken balls with a sweet and sour sauce....I love vegetables. I loves steamed rice. Apart from that I will see what looks good.

5. How would you define a miracle? What would it take for you to consider something a miracle?

A story I heard recently about someone having died and having been dead for quite a well and then coming back to life....it was amazing....a true miracle. But so many small things each and every day are miracles. Too much to mention.

6. What's your favorite Disney song? If you're stuck you'll find a listhere.

The Circle of Life

7. I should have __________yesterday.

Have picked up the alternator.

8. Insert your own random thought here.

I really shouldn't nap. It makes me lazy and sleepy and grouchy!!

Bricks4Kidz.....Weather systems.

2012-01-18T20:45:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Sam and Abby returned to Bricks4Kidz for another semester. This time the classes are all about the weather :)

Afterwards we headed down to Part Source to pick up the alternator - D is going to put it in for me at the weekend. :) He was going to do it one of the last few days but it has been so cold that we have put it off until the weekend when hopefully it won't be so bone-chilling!!

So grateful also to Niki and her DH and friend who have lent me their trickle charger and fixed my trickle charger!!! You are amazing!!!! I have such FABULOUS friends!!

And to Ki who this morning drove out and picked Laurence up and took him to school for his exams!! Love you all so much!!! xxx

I am soooooo lucky to have you all in my life xxx

You know where I am when you need me xxx

:)

2012-01-18T20:37:00.000-07:00

Art classes have begun....

2012-01-18T00:45:00.000-07:00

We are well into the second week of art classes now and all of the current classes have now started. I am loving teaching them and have had some wonderful feedback from the students and parents :)

Above are some pictures of the students work in this mornings sculpture class. Many of the pieces still have some work to be finished on them, but I am so thrilled with what the children accomplished with the recycled heads :) Their imaginations went crazy with this project :)

The top picture is my art journal page from Mondays teen art journaling class.... 'I am...' :)

Little comic artist!!!

2012-01-18T00:27:00.000-07:00

I am so impressed with Sams art work :) He loves doodling and drawing and has taught himself how to draw these great cartoon characters!! He does all kinds of art work anyway and this is just one style of art he enjoys - but wow I think he does soooo great - and he has JUST turned seven!!! Like a week or two ago!! :)

He sat on the bed the other morning and taught me how to draw the heads - he is a great teacher too :) shows you step by step and makes it really easy :)

Love :)

2012-01-15T11:03:00.002-07:00

Snowfall and Winters arrival...

2012-01-15T11:02:00.000-07:00

When we went out yesterday there was no snow on the ground and it was about -2c

During the ice festival it started to snow lightly...by the time we headed back to the car, the roads and sidewalks were already covered in snow. I spent much of the evening in my chair by the fire watching the snow fall outside. It is my favourite place to sit. I put the outside lights on and watch the snow falling through the light.

This morning the temperature has dropped to -20c with a -30c windchill. It is supposed to stay around -30c all week.

Winter is here for a week at least.

A quick run downtown....

2012-01-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

Before heading to Whyte Ave yesterday we ran downtown to the Reuse Centre to stock up ready for sculpture classes. It was really busy there - I've never been on a Saturday before but WOW!!! I think I will stick to week days in future.

We still came out with a nice cart load of supplies though and are all set for our first couple of projects :) I can't wait for this class to begin :) It's going to be so much fun :)

I have another teen journaling class tomorrow though first - and I LOVE those!! :)

Ice on Whyte festival 2012

2012-01-15T10:46:00.001-07:00

Heading back to the car...the roads had been clear when we arrived - and there had been grass...but by the time we left, it was a winter wonderland :)

Ever woken up in the wrong bed???? :)

2012-01-15T10:42:00.002-07:00

(not my picture - found on Facebook)

science in the bathroom :)

2012-01-15T10:41:00.002-07:00

Showing Susie his baking soda powered submarines :)

Snapshot from Winter...

2012-01-15T10:40:00.002-07:00

Friday fill ins...

2012-01-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

And...here we go!

1. When I looked out the window this morning I saw we had had a dusting of snow.
2. alternators and stupid car batteries and this car engine business doesn't make sense to me.
3. Remind me that I like being single when this all goes wrong hahaha.
4. art journaling is something I love to do!
5. TP is ???? toilet paper???.
6. I cleaned the refrigerator recently and I found sugar fondant pumpkin from Halloween that Laurence had made but won't let me throw away. How long do we have to keep it??
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to Being lazy at home, tomorrow my plans include work prep, Ice on Whyte...running errands downtown and Sunday, I want to stay home and stay warm!!! Cook a roast!! Yum!

Wednesday tag - two days late :)

2012-01-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

1. Lake Superior University has once again banished a list of words/phrases they think should be banished from the Queen's English in 2012-

amazing, baby bump, shared sacrifice, occupy, blowback, man cave, the new normal, pet parent, win the future, ginormous, trickeration and thank you in advance.

Which of these words/phrases would you most like to see banished from everyday speech and why. Go here to read more about how the words were chosen.

Man cave probably - if I HAVE to pick...but none of them really bother me. some of them I haven't even heard of and I can think of many more words that bother me other than these.
2. Are you easily embarrassed?

No not at all - I've lightened up and I've learned to laugh at myself more easily as I've gotten older.
3. what is your go-to snack?

A Banana at the moment. Or a green monster/ smoothie. Or an egg toasty.

4. Have you ever been to Washington DC? if not do you have any desire to go? What site/attraction would you most like to see in that city? If you have been what's your favorite site?

I'd really like to go to the Smithsonian. So much there I would like to see - not least the Ruby Slippers :)

5. sit ups-planks-lunges-squats-which one do you hate the least?

Sit ups but they work well. I really want to do that 100 a day for 30 days thingy I saw on someones page - it is supposed to make a huge difference in just one month!!
6. What's a small act of kindness someone did for you that you've never forgotten?

A friend brought me flowers and a card after my husband left - just to say she was thinking of me. It meant a lot. Another friend sent me an Email one morning just to make sure I had a HAPPY Email to wake up to instead of just nasty lawyer/ divorce Emails. These things make a difference <3

7. Have you ever been a blood donor?

no - I've never been allowed for a variety of reasons - I have either been under weight, anaemic, or from England (which means I can't give blood in Canada) .

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Two weeks today I turn 40!! :) And two weeks tomorrow it's our big birthday bash :) Woohoo :)

Snapshots from our Thursday afternoon.....

2012-01-13T11:12:00.000-07:00

Pictures from Chris's Grad last Summer :)

2012-01-13T11:08:00.000-07:00

Chris at his Grad last year, with his dad Nigel, and on stage getting his diploma and as MC for the ceremony. :)

Altering thrift store finds.....

2012-01-11T21:35:00.000-07:00

Old silver trays, spray painted white, then chalkboard paint (or black gesso) used to create a blackboard effect. Then word art added. I have a selection of these and am adding all kinds of 'Brave Girl Club' words such as 'Enough' and 'Courage' and 'Breathe' etc etc...and I am going to hang them all together on the wall in the art studio :)

I love it :) 99c each from the thrift store :) If you don't want to paint your word on you can use them as chalkboards instead :)

Spin art!!!

2012-01-11T21:30:00.000-07:00

Abby was given this spin-art set for Christmas by Susannah. She has always loved spin-art, since trying it at The Festival of Trees, so she was thrilled to have a set to use at home! Tonight she finally sat down in the studio and had a go!! It is a great set! It works just as good as the one she had tried before!! She created three beautiful designs and had a lot of fun doing it :)

Bubbles :)

2012-01-11T21:25:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I treated myself to some bubbles. I just couldn't resist these little tubes of happiness. I LOVE bubbles. I love blowing bubbles and seeing how much fun they create - watching children chase them....watching them blow through the air...watching their colours in the sunlight....

These little tubes have heartshaped wands - and they are the perfect size to keep in my purse and take with me so that i can blow bubbles whenever I'm bored or whenever I want to entertain a little one - or a a friend :)

This morning I woke Sam up gently by blowing bubbles at him :) He LOVED it :) he was giggling as he woke up and saw all the bubbles around him - he started batting them away with his hand and then trying to catch them and then he was giggling more - then he took over and started trying to blow them :)

What a lovely way to be woken up :)

Life stuff...

2012-01-11T21:22:00.002-07:00

Snapshots from our day.....

2012-01-09T22:38:00.000-07:00

Today was another good constructive day. Split the day up with a yummy lunch of egg toasties, and a yummy snack of green monsters. Todays was made by Susie and was extremely delicious!! She put plenty of strawberries in it and it was juicy and yummy! Strawberries and bananas!! Abby drank tons of it which I love to see :)

Then we had pasta with a yummy spinach salad for dinner - I think I need to start buying spinach in bulk!!

I've signed up another teaching resource which is REALLY exciting. I am sooooo thrilled :) I have several classes planned for the next set too AND I am already planning Spring and Summer classes too - some outdoor classes with nature themes and some non-art classes!

I booked Abby and Sam into a digital book class today where they get to create an interactive book on cd or dvd. It's an all day class. They are also booked in to start climbing again from next week AND Lego classes again. The theme for the Lego classes this semester is 'weather'. They will be learning about windmills and satellites etc....we have a drumming class in a couple of weeks and of course they are also doing sculpture. Sams reading and writing is coming on in leaps and bounds now and his math is great. Abby's has always been fabulous. All in all we are having a fabulous year :) The best ever :)

At the dog park....

2012-01-09T20:10:00.000-07:00

It was CROWDED which didn't make for a very pleasant walk - wished we'd gone to Jackie Parker instead :( But Rosie had a great time anyway!! We took her ball with us and took turns throwing it for her which she loves...she brings it straight back and drops it for us to throw again - she's such a good girl - so smart and so well behaved! Even without training she stays by our side always and never runs off, never, never leaves us, never gets in to fights...just stays by our side and walks with us unless we throw the ball for her and then she plays fetch until she's exhausted. My darling Rosie :)

Love her so :)

A new posting for today....

2012-01-09T11:47:00.000-07:00

Surrounded by...christmas decorations. Blah....

Thankful for...Susannah's help this weekend

Pondering...love poems, marriage vows, meanings...

Learning together...how to run a business, how to start a business, how to create a classroom. Oh and I just signed Abby and Sam up for another class - on creating a digital story book - it's an all day class with the City Art Centre which sounds pretty cool :)

Domestic bliss...having my kiddo's here again after a weekend of us all going in separate directions.

What's app-ening...Instagram...love it :) Love how it works with IOS5 - love how it adds pictures straight to their own folder on Facebook. Love how you can connect with so many people locally and globally. Love how you can find out about so many new places and see your own area through new eyes.

Making progress...The house is feeling like a home so much more now. It's lovely being able to use the basement at last. It's fantastic having a bedroom that is really and truly a bedroom with no toys or clutter or anything in it - just my things in it. The kids are loving the basement too!! :) They were down there ages this morning :)

Read of the week...The Artists Way

A new habit...Back to having smoothies every day - Green Monster style :)

On the nightstand...water, tissue box, couple of books, journal and a bucket of pens...but they will be going downstairs today and then it will just be my mug of pens that will stay - and I love my mug that read 'Pretending to be a normal person day after day is EXHAUSTING' :) love it :)

Prayers and petitions...thoughts are with a friend of a friend having brain surgery...and another friend with surgery....

Something I love...this amazing incredible weather we are having :) Just LOVE it :) Think we will head out with Rosie for the afternoon :)

This week...swimming, painting walls, heading to the reuse centre for supplies for sculpture class, walking Rosie, teaching several classes, planning and advertising new classes for February, Science classes at the science centre, Ice on Whyte.

A photo to share...

Found this great book yesterday - funny how we don't see these books until AFTER we marry those idiots.....sigh....we really need to be given these books to read as part of the school curriculum!! Hahahaha :)

Love these.....from Pinterest :)

2012-01-08T00:13:00.002-07:00

Instagram...20 days until my 40th.....

2012-01-07T22:59:00.000-07:00

Love this :)

2012-01-07T21:59:00.001-07:00

For today:

2012-01-07T21:54:00.000-07:00

Outside My Window... it is dark. There is a full moon - or almost full at least. It is just outside the window to my right beside my chair.

I am thinking...about the thrift store and all the bargains I have got from there over the last year and how much money I've saved furnishing this place....and kitting out the classroom...and other things - and yet this place is beautiful :) I love it :) I can't believe I have managed to kit out an entire classroom for so little :) Today we ran into Tina there and it was lovely to see her again - hadn't seen her for sooooo long and then we saw her at the Christmas brunch in december and today :) Hope to see her again very soon :)

I am thankful for...my life....the fun of it...the luck of it...the adventure of it. the way I live it. Wouldn't swap it for anyone elses. I have so much fun :) My life may well be a bit of a rollercoaster and an adventure at times, but it's one hell of a ride and I love it :) I don't think I have one day go by where I don't laugh out loud several times :) I am blessed with amazing children, incredible friends....many who are totally insane which suits me perfectly - I am so grateful for their cracks ;)

From the kitchen...daily smoothies, yummy dinners, finishing off the Christmas goodies we still have...lot's of fruit...

I am wearing...old jeans...tshirt inside-out....old sweater - we've been painting :)

I am creating... lots :)

I am going...to bed early tonight because it's been a long busy day but I feel soooo good about how much we accomplished today :) Woot!!! :)
I am reading...through a pile of magazines that Sharon gave me at Christmas :) Thank you Sharon - I LOVE the magazines you always give me xxx

I am hoping...that I've signed up two new students to my class at short notice :) woot :) I also have another teacher signed up to teach fine arts - starting with oil painting!! AND I have a some one-off classes planned throughout February - including a session on Vision boards to help you keep going on those New Year Goals you made for 2012!!! :) Also come on over and make a Junque Journal....

I am hearing... Hedley....listening to their new album which I got for Christmas :) It is fabulous! I love love LOVE Hedley :) So hold on tight, it's gonna be a wild wild ride....

Around the house...I am slowly putting away all the Christmas things...it's such a chore and it's hard to do also because I am always sad to do it - AND because I don't WANT to pack them away!! BUT...I get to decorate again in a few weeks - for my PARRRRTAAYYYYYY!!! :) WOOOHOOOOO :)

One of my favorite things...Instagram - and the fact that Instagram now uploads pictures automatically into a folder on facebook. Yup - little things please little minds :)

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week...Ummmm....cleaning, sorting, organizing, swimming, walking Rosie, heading to the Winter Festival, celebrating Sams birthday and planning his party, working, teaching, planning, Science Centre, Lego class, library, pub quiz, Ice on Whyte, work/ Exhibitors conference.

MMMMMM :)

2012-01-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

A well deserved supper out after all our hard work today!!!

Omg we ache so much but it was a job well done :)

Woohoo!!! :)

Thank you Susannah

xxx

Green Monster Lurve..... :)

2012-01-07T19:50:00.000-07:00

Today was MY turn to make the smoothie....

Flax, protein powder, spinach, banana, peaches, raspberries, blueberries, apple, strawberries, pumpkin, milk.....all blended up. YUM!!!!

xxx

Morning Gratitude....

2012-01-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

Early morning.....sunshine.....and emergency coffee cups :)

I keep these cups of coffee in the back of the cupboard for emergencies JUST like this morning - for when I run out of coffee :)

This morning we had to get up early as we had a lot to do in the basement to get organized :)

So before we started we NEEDED coffee :)

Sitting in the morning sunshine drinking emergency coffee and watching Rosie :)

Grateful :)

Dads of girls!! :)

2012-01-06T16:59:00.000-07:00

Click here to read a great blog post about Dads of Daughters!!!

Such a great post!!!

A must read for all dads of girls :)

About Last Night.....

2012-01-06T11:21:00.000-07:00

Last night at the pub was just....well...I don't think I stopped laughing all evening. Thanks to everyone who came out!! Great night out!! So much fun!! So lovely to meet Melissa - even though meeting her was like meeting an old friend :) Somehow meeting a fellow Brave Girl is like meeting a Sister - you know so much about each other. And Melissa and I have walked the same path over recent years....we can relate to so much.

I loved loved LOVED last night :) Can't wait until the 28th :)

xxx

Twelfth Night.....and it's over....

2012-01-06T11:00:00.000-07:00

Wow. Twelfth Night....and with it, Journal Your Christmas comes to an end. I can't believe that 37 days can go so fast. My album is full of so many wonderful memories yet again. I am so grateful that we have been healthy and fortunate enough to enjoy the season as much as we have. We made the most of every moment. This morning my little boy summed it up for me. He woke up, hugged me and said "I love this family, it's so much fun" ♥ And THAT is what I want my children to remember ♥

Green Monsters!!!

2012-01-06T02:17:00.001-07:00

Susannah and I are taking it in turns to make smoothies each morning. Today Susie made this one! I want to encourage her to drink orange juice high in pulp, but she doesn't like it!! So we added it to the smoothie instead of milk and she really liked it.

This week we've been adding a lot of frozen berries instead of ice, bananas, mangoes etc etc...protein powder and of course the flax and spinach.

Everybody has been drinking a lot of these and I think it's sooooo good for the kids to have a cup each day :) Luckily they eat a lot of fruit and veg anyway - always having salads, apples, bananas vegetables etc etc...but this is a great way to get a LOT of good stuff in to them in a quick shot!!

I love vegetables but was never a fruit fan, so for me its great to have these again as it has upped my fruit intake again....there are instagram groups for pictures of them too so I'm taking part in those :)

As of today Instagram pictures instantly go into their own folders on Facebook!!! At last!!! yay!! About time too!!! :) Makes life so much easier :)

Triops

2012-01-06T02:08:00.000-07:00

The Triops are growing so fast!! We have moved them in to a bigger bowl now and they are doing great! They are pretty dumb though and swim really fast doing somersaults and crashing head first into each other and in to things again and again! They are very strange looking but fascinating to watch :) Much better than sea monkeys! I would definitely recommend these little creatures for kids and I will definitely get them again! I would NOT follow the instructions on the box though, but would follow instructions online about how to care for them!! Much better :)

definitely fun little things :)

My little boy turns seven :)

2012-01-06T02:04:00.000-07:00

My Samsam turns seven this weekend. I can hardly believe that my little boy is so old already! The time has gone much too fast!

This morning he sat on my bed and we had a big SERIOUS discussion about what it will be like to be seven. How it is going to be different and what he thinks he is going to be like when he is seven. It was so sweet to watch him talk away and pulling faces and using his hands and moving around on the bed as he chatted about all kinds of things - all kinds of crazy ideas - changing subject again and again. I snapped away with my phone while he talked - which was one of the reasons I had started the conversation :)

Afterwards we curled up and watched Ice Age 2 :)

:)

2012-01-05T13:00:00.002-07:00

Enjoying the gorgeous weather!! +11c!!!

2012-01-05T01:17:00.000-07:00

After the museum we headed to Broadmoor Lake to enjoy the gorgeous warm weather!! january 4th and it was +11c :) How wonderful!! :)

The children played on the lake for a while - they didn't have their skates on but still had a lot of fun - they especially seemed to like being able to get onto the island!!!

The playground and skating pond were fairly busy because of the gorgeous weather!! Great to see everyone out enjoying it :)

After a good while we decided to walk up tot he ice slide by the community centre. The warm temperatures were melting the snow and ice sculptures extremely fast, but the children still got to enjoy them - even if it meant they got VERY wet!! Good job we went prepared :)

They had fun on the slide for a while and then we headed into toe library to dry off and warm up for a while. They played on the computers and on the Wii together and little K played on my iphone making cookies endlessly :) So very cute!!! :)

Once we were all warmed up and dried off, we headed back towards Broadmoor Lake again and the cars.....said our goodbyes and headed for home just as the sun was setting.

What a fabulous day :)

To top it off, I even won free passes to Ice on Whyte today :) Woot!!! :)

Tonight the girls and I settled down together and watched Flashdance :)

Oh the memories :)

lol!!! :)

Museum field trip!!

2012-01-05T00:48:00.000-07:00

Today we headed into town to the Strathcona County Museum, to join in with their Festive activities. For only $20 you can sign up for a family membership for a WHOLE YEAR!!! So we did that!! We were given a guide of historical sites to visit in the area, and quite a few of them I didn't know about, so I think we're going to visit a few of them in the next few months!

The museum has really changed since I was there last - and since Chris worked there! It is so much more hands-on now, which the kids LOVE - and each room has a button you can press, which sets off a tv, that plays a movie and talks you through the era...a few of the rooms have changed too.

The children were given activity books to take for another time - they each match their grade levels. They were also given scavenger hunts to do - they had to do things like find out how many Dutch Elves were hiding in the museum, how many stockings were hanging on the tree, how many bears were hidden around the exhibits etc etc...oh and where the German Shepherd Reko was displayed on the wall..

They got to decorate cookies, hunt for candy canes and then take one home....cut out and take home paper dolls, and decorate paper gingerbread men to hang on a tree.

We had a quick look around the museum but didn't really learn anything much about the displays as it was more of a 'fun' visit this time, but as we now have free access for a year, they suggest we plan a field trip with more families (three families went today) and plan a themed visit with guides.

We can also go one day with our activity guides and go through them.

Wednesday tag....

2012-01-04T23:28:00.000-07:00

1. What are three words you would use to describe your 2011?
fun
creative
adventure

2. Do you like shrimp? What's your favorite way to have it prepared?

Sure. But only when grilled.

3. Is your house de-Christmased? If so, when did you tackle that job? If not, when will the decorations come down?

No not yet. I will do it this weekend when the little ones aren't here and when I have time. I will be sad to see it all come down as I love to sit by the Christmas lights and enjoy the glow of them.

4. Do you like to watch scary movies?

Only at Halloween. We tend to watch quite a few in the run up to Halloween.

5. ice skating~sledding~ skiing~snowboarding...of the four listed which wintertime activity do you most enjoy?

All.

6. Did you have a childhood hideout? Describe it.

No not really. I lived in a village and we would make dens and things at odd times....but I didn't have a hide out ever.

7. What's a place or space that motivates you?

Canmore. It inspires me and refreshes me and makes me feel calm. I feel so much better after a day or two there any time :)

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Today was such a fabulous day :) Gorgeous weather - fun with friends, fresh air, sunshine, movie time, dinner....watching the Triops, Abby grew crystals....throwing cream puffs at the girls hahahaha :)

:)

2012-01-04T23:11:00.002-07:00

Morning games...

2012-01-04T23:09:00.000-07:00

This morning was spent chatting, playing games, and getting ready to go out.

The latest addiction in this house apart from Minecraft - seems to be 'Tiny Towers'...as in the picture above...and the girls have to constantly show me their latest little characters going up in the elevators!! Wearing funny costumes!!! It's so odd! But I guess it's addictive!

A couple of weeks ago it was Sims. Now it's Tiny Towers :)

Yesterday we were playing Abby's new horse card game - thats a good one! we also played Trigger - another new game we have from the same series as Spot It!! It is such a GREAT game! So funny! We made soooo many mistakes with our true and false answers hahahaha :) It makes you feel like a fool at times but so many laughs :) It makes you forget your left from your right too :)

A very important blog post to read!!!

2012-01-04T09:48:00.000-07:00

You can read the original BY CLICKING HERE

(I am posting this in the hopes that my Ex husband Lloyd will read it - or his parents - and that he will finally stop using this word around my children inappropriately.)

Being Retarded

All around me, people use the word retarded without a second thought. Sometimes, I’ll say “Um, dude, really?” and they’ll say “Oops, my bad! But really! I was being so retarded!”

Sometimes, I let it slide. I realize that it’s a word that’s ingrained in our society’s vocabulary and people use it without a second thought to its meaning.

But what does it mean to be retarded? Well, I know what it doesn’t mean.

It doesn’t mean not being able to choose something for lunch despite 100 choices in front of you.

It doesn’t mean not being able to find your car keys.

It doesn’t mean saying the wrong thing to a person.

It doesn’t mean forgetting your best friend’s birthday.

It’s not something to describe yourself as when you’ve spilled your coffee, or tripped on a crack in the sidewalk.

It’s not something to describe your computer, car or phone.

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary the word “retarded” means -

: slow or limited in intellectual or emotional development or academic progress

For me, it’s not just any old word – it’s my daughter. My beautiful, bright, happy, loving, amazing daughter who is slow or limited in intellectual development and academic progress.

In our household, being retarded means something different.

It means not being able to fully care for yourself.

It means not understanding what the doctor is going to do to you.

It means not being able to explain what hurts when something hurts.

It means not being able to ride a two wheeler. Or read. Or ever be able to live on your own.

But ever the optimist, I also know that retarded means…

…never realizing the negativity behind the word retarded.

…never knowing the insensitivity surrounded the word’s usage.

…never realizing the ignorance of people.

…never knowing how other people view you.

Being retarded also means…

…loving unconditionally.

…finding joy in the smallest of things.

…being self-confident.

…not realizing that there are limitations.

…innocence.

This is Maura. Her diagnosis? Cognitively disabled. Which means retarded. When you call yourself retarded, you’re also calling my child stupid. Because you use the word as just that – another form of stupid.

Let’s get something straight here.

My daughter may have cognitive issues. She may have delays. She may never live on her own. Scratch that. She will never live on her own.

But Maura is not stupid.

In her own way, Maura is very smart. Maybe smarter than us at times. She has more self-confidence than anyone I know who’s called themselves “retarded”. She is the best judge of a person’s character than anyone else I’ve ever known.

Yes, she is slow to learn things. But she is not stupid.

I know that most people don’t use the word “retarded” maliciously. Most people I know use it in a self-depreciating way. And when I point it out, they go “Oh wow! I’m sorry!” and they truly feel like a heel. But the thing is, you’re still using it in the way that people who do use it maliciously use it as – to describe stupidity.

So why not just use the word “stupid” instead? Because I know what “retarded” is. I live with it in the form of my daughter. And in our world “retarded” doesn’t equate to “stupid”.

Beauty :)

2012-01-03T22:55:00.002-07:00

An afternoon at the library....

2012-01-03T22:54:00.000-07:00

We headed in to the library this afternoon. Susannah was pleased to pick up three new books by her current favourite author. Sam played on the computer with a boy her started chatting with - helping him with some game or other...I could hear them chatting away about space ships and something or other...

Abby was still fed up from her morning disappointment. She didn't pick any books, but after a while she got a couple of board games out and played them with Susannah - including Scrabble which they played - although the words they chose were a little 'odd'.....

I flicked through this book which had some interesting ideas on how to alter thrift store finds:

After the library we stopped off at the ice slide which is still outside the community centre. One girl was wearing just ski pants/ snow pants with no shirt underneath!!! omg!!! I know it was +5c but seriously???? Wow!! Abby was trying to slide down and NOT get a wet butt hahaha with the above freezing temps the ice was a little wet!! :) I wonder how the Ice on Whyte carvers are doing with the warmer temps. They arrived last week ready to get carving for the festival that opens on the 12th :) Yay we can't wait to go and have plans with friends :)

Today was not an easy day for Abigail. When she has a disappointment she finds it hard to deal with and it takes her a long time for her brain to come to terms with it. It can affect her whole day :( She had a rough time at her Dads tonight too :(

Tomorrow we have a fun field trip planned so hopefully tomorrow will be a better day :)

2012-01-03T11:04:00.000-07:00

It's Tuesday.....so strange as yesterday felt like Tuesday to me! My days are all messed up!

Abigail was supposed to have a friend over today at 10am. The friend cancelled though...gggrrrr. She actually lives next door so it wasn't such a big thing except Abby was looking forward to it - and it was the girl who had asked to come over....and Abby got up early and got dressed etc...and all ready...and of course then the girl changed her mind and went to her Aunts instead....so now Abby is fed up!

Susannah wants to go to the library today. She reads too fast hahahaha!! And too much! hahaha never thought I'd say that about Susannah! But she does :) I love it :) I am sooooo HAPPY that she now has a love of reading :) Now all my children know the love of books. The boys don't read as much these days but they DO know that reading is enjoyable!! Laurence will read a good book when he has one...Chris used to read but now his life is too busy I'm sure....Abigail reads like crazy. Sam loves stories.

So this afternoon we are heading in to the library for a while. I also want to go to get some printer ink so I can finish my Christmas journal.

Tomorrow we have a field trip that I've organized - meeting the homeschool group at the museum to take part in their Post-Christmas Activity 'Rudolph Got Left Behind'....the children get to decorated cookies and get hot chocolate as well as learn about Christmas through the ages and do a scavenger hunt. Then as the weather is supposed to be gorgeous we are heading to Broadmoor Lake for a walk and park playdate. Yay!!!

Thursday Susannah is off to her friends for the day and a sleepover....then Friday we pick her and her friend up and head off to the pool for a while.....and her friend is sleeping here. Saturday we will do something I'm sure, before getting her friend home. The kids are at their Dads this weekend. I am hopefully meeting a friend on Saturday to do something too and Sunday I'm meeting a friend for brunch :)

Ooooh and pub quiz on Thursday night!!! Woot!!!! :)

It's been a while :)

Pictures from my day yesterday.....

2012-01-03T10:48:00.000-07:00

We are still using up things from our Christmas, and the children are enjoying having crackers to pull, paper plates, pop, paper cups etc etc....last night at dinner we lit the candle again....we quite often do this if we sit at the table. We don't always sit at the table these days - we'll sit at the island instead if we aren't all home or if we aren't all eating at the same time. If I make something in the crockpot we can all just eat when we are hungry....but if it's a meal we are eating at the table then we set the table and have a candle and the children really enjoy it :)

The picture of the cake I've given to my friend who is making my birthday cake!! It won't be exactly like this, I said just to use it as an idea, told her the colours I like and gave an idea of things I like....and I said to have fun! I said that instead of balloons it could be cake pops coming out or something... 24 more days until I hit the big 4-0!!! :)

Something I want to focus on this year:

My One Little Word......for 2012!!

2012-01-02T00:32:00.000-07:00

(not my picture)

And so, after a LOT of thought, discussion, reading, and changing my mind again and again over recent weeks, I have FINALLY decided that my word for 2012 is going to be:

FOCUS

I was sat on New Years Day journaling about my plans for this year - not Resolutions, but more goals...and I started to write all over the page. Then I stopped to see what I had written amongst the doodles, and one word kept showing up. FOCUS!!!! I want to FOCUS on several specific areas of my life...I have felt very FOCUSED over the last few months and I want that FOCUS to continue.....so although I had planned to choose the word 'community'....as one area I want to FOCUS on is the art community and becoming more involved in it, I find that there are many more areas of my life that I want to FOCUS on...and so I felt that 'community' wasn't quite the right word for me.

Drive came close....I do feel as though I have drive at the moment and I hope that continues....but no.....FOCUS just feels right :)

So very true :)

2012-01-02T00:15:00.000-07:00

New Years Day 2012

2012-01-02T00:12:00.000-07:00

Played games, watched movies, ate 'party type' food...made green monster smoothies, did art journaling, read books, watched the Triops, played with Rosie, took photos, made ice cream, caught up online, pulled Christmas crackers...played remote control cars, sang songs on the microphone.....chatted with friends.....thought about plans and goals for the year, filled in new diary....that was the day at this house....

Very relaxing.

Home made ice cream!!!!

2012-01-01T11:54:00.000-07:00

Abigail is LOVING her new little ice cream maker!!

This morning she made chocolate ice cream in just a few minutes!!!

And it was sooooo yummy!!!

It's a really great little gadget!! :)

It came with a little recipe book and uses ingredients that almost everyone has at home anyway!!

Perfect :)

One very happy girl :)

New Years Eve 2011.....

2012-01-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

Bumper stickers to live by :)

2011-12-31T21:47:00.000-07:00

Reverb 11

2011-12-31T20:26:00.002-07:00

- Did you try anything new in 2011?
I tried new classes - and they were amazing. They changed me soooo much! They changed my relationships with my children, they changed the way I react to situations, they changed the way I see the past, present and future....they changed the way I see myself and they helped me see what I want from life. They made me BRAVE. They gave me COURAGE to go after what I want. They showed me how to LET GO of all the things that were holding me back.

- What was the most memorable gathering you attended (or held) in 2011?There were so many....I'm not sure which to mention. It has been a fabulous year :) Perhaps Canada Day? Because I was able to introduce Nigel to Samantha :)

- What storm did you weather in 2011?

I know this probably means 'bad times' and I guess I could say about how my Ex husband decided to be a selfish idiot and turn his back on his children by leaving them financially ruined...and yes I found ways around it - and 'weathered that storm'....but I will instead talk about a weather storm - the week we went to Banff for my Sons birthday and we had an amazing time celebrating at one of his favourite places! It was fantastic and the weather where we were was wonderful! But back here in Edmonton they had a HUGE winter storm that left several feet of snow...we ended up being told to stay an extra night because things were not good back there - roads were bad etc. We were so worried that we might not be able to even get back up our driveway and we envisioned a long tiring walk up our driveway with cases and bags after a 5 hour drive home! When we did drive home though, roads were fine all the way to Leduc and then they got a bit nasty - we saw cars sliding off the road and several semi's with their loads in the ditch. We made it home safely and I almost cried with happiness when I saw our wonderful neighbour Dwayne had cleared our driveway!!! I think that was the best thing I had seen in a LONG time :) Such relief!! :) So all in all it was a good weathering of the storm as we missed it completely - ended up with an extra nights holiday and came back to a lovely clear driveway!!! Sometimes I am utterly grateful and feel so blessed :)

- Did you discover a favourite song or musical artist in 2011?

Adele!! And her cd - 21 will forever remind me of driving to Canmore with Susannah back in the Spring :) We played it constantly and knew all the songs off by heart by the time we came home :) I think my favourite song this year is probably Kelly Clarksons Stronger. Although there have been sooooo many great songs this year that I am not sure...

- Five things you do not want to forget from 2011?

My weekend in Canmore with Susie.
My week in Vegas with Laurence
My special date night with Sam at Milestones and Marble Slab Creamery
My special date night with Abby at the Fondue Restaurant.
Sitting in the hot tub with Nigel - ten years after our divorce :)

- What was your favourite gift given and/or received in 2011?

I gave the gift of a few classes to people. I gave JYC to Val as a birthday gift, and so each December from now on she will be able to join me in receiving Shimelle's wonderfully festive Emails for 38 days :)
I also gave the gift of Soul Restoration 1 to a few people. I don't know if they did the work or if they finished the class, but even if they watched a few of the videos and read a little of the Emails, made a few truth cards, I know it will help. I KNOW this work, this class can change you - can change your life - and can bring amazing people in to your life - if you do the work!!

- What was your funniest story from 2011?

Far too many to mention.....I don't think we have stopped laughing this year....it has definitely been a year full of laughter :) I love that these days this house is always full of laughter...

- What was the quote or saying that most resonated with you this past year?
"We must be willing to let go of the life we had planned so as to accept the life that is waiting for us".

- Was there anything you were feeling nostalgic for in 2011?
To have my children small again. To know then what I know now. To have a second chance and to be able to raise them the way I raise them now.

- 10 things you were thankful for in 2011?

In no particular order:

1. Brave Girls classes - for the people I met and the things it taught me. For all it brought to my life and the person it changed me in to.

2. My lawyer. One visit to his office and I feel all calm again :) He is such a great guy - always asks how the kids are doing...always reassures me.

3. I am thankful for my 5 amazing children all of whom make me incredibly proud - all of whom are so amazingly different but so fabulous and astound me constantly!!

4. Rosie - my gorgeous golden retriever who loves me unconditionally. Who hates when I leave...who gets excited every time I arrive home. Who never says no to a cuddle.

5. Instagram - my new addiction :) I think I use it every single day :) My FAVOURITE app and a great way of meeting new people around the place....

6. My iphone.

7. My friends....my REAL friends - you know who you are....you are AMAZING and I love you all xxx

8. Facebook - for the way it allows me to communicate with friends, share links, share pictures, send messages, arrange get togethers, plan field trips and events.....

9. My home. For how warm, safe and secure it is for my children - how much they love being here and love coming home each day and love bringing their friends here....and how it is filled with laughter and comfort.

10. Art and creativity - for the way it has changed my life in the last year - for how it relaxes me, for how it has become my income, for how it has brought so many changes/friends and good things into my life.

- Did you form any new, or strengthen any existing, relationships in 2011?
I made so many new friendships in 2011 :) Some amazing people came into my life this year. I won't mention them all as I don't want to forget anyone....I can't not mention Ki or Niki though....and recently Doug :) Kathy, Sandi......Bea :) so many others!!

- What was something you planned to do in 2011 but didn't?
I had a whole list of things I wanted to do before I turned 40 - my 40 before 40 list :) I didn't cross many of them off :) but I'm not too bothered!! They are things like 'get a tattoo' (I even had the artist draw it up for me) and bungee jump at WEM Waterpark....and go skinny dipping....so I'm not bothered that I haven't done them - they don't actually feel all that important any more :) Maybe i'll do them one day and maybe I won't....I'm a very different person to the one I was a year ago...and I don't feel the need to do those things any more....whatever will be will be :)

- What was your biggest indulgence in 2011?
My trip to Vegas....even though it was so VERY cheap and cost next to nothing to me personally, it was still quite an indulgence to take that week without the children and go!! It was so indulgent to be in a hotel for a week somewhere hot and be a tourist and fly by plane and relax and it was lovely :) And I got to spend all that time with just Laurence and we had such a wonderful time and laughed sooooo much! You really know you're in Vegas when you're standing on a side street and Elvis walks up and nods hello at you like its just a normal thing to do!! Hahaha It was so funny :) He was just strolling by like it was just so normal to be dressed as Elvis....and then the Criss Angel show!! Wow!! AMAZING!!! So yes, it felt very indulgent :)

- What was the best meal you enjoyed in 2011?
In Vegas in that place in Caesars Palace that Daniel and a few other people had recommended - The Cheesecake Factory!! Not to be mixed up with The Cheesecake Cafe or whatever they have here!! Totally different!! Food was fantastic!!!

- What was your favourite photo taken OF you and/or the photo you loved best that you took in 2011?
My favourite picture OF me was taken by Nigel I think - and I am sat on the bridge at Cascade ponds. I asked him to take the pictures (I have two or three) specifically because the bridge is an important symbol in Soul restoration 2 - a class I was taking at the time. I love the picture because of what it represents...
I also like the picture of Nigel and I taken up by Lake Minnewanka as it is almost a double of the one taken in 93 of the two of us when I was pregnant with Christopher :)
My favourite picture that I took this year.....hahaha how can I pick ONE??? All I do is take pictures....hhmmm I took a picture of Abby with a goat....we were at the zoo and she was cuddling the goat and it came out so well and I LOVE that! Also the pictures of Abby and Sam with Santa - just because they have refused for YEARS to see Santa!! :) And the picture of all the children at the airport with Nigel before he left. Thats a great picture :) Oh and the ones of Nigel in the water with sam at cascade Ponds ;)

- What was your most memorable moment with family in 2011?
Far too many to mention...which just goes to show how lucky we are.....maybe playing Quelf with Nigel - and watching him dance with Laurence.

- What was the bravest thing you did in 2011?
A blind date I went on. He was really cute and I wasn't sure whether to go or not...but I went and we had a really nice night - great dinner and lovely evening - and he turned out to be such a sweet guy! In fact too sweet - not my type at all....would have been like dating a brother!! hahaha! I'm so glad I went though.

- Did you visit any place that holds special meaning to you in 2011?
Canmore as always.....and Banff...several times. We love going there and it gives us a chance to switch off from all the nastiness that a certain person seemed to want to inflict on us.

- What was your most surprising revelation in 2011?
Matt Goss is BALD!!!! Hahahaha Holy CRAP!!! The love of my life is BALD :( This totally sucks :(

- What did you change your mind about in 2011?
I booked a place at Brave Girls Camp - they only take 25 women from around the world at each camp and I managed to get a place. You are sent for a week into the middle of the forest in the mountains and have no contact with anyone form the outside. You're put through intense therapy. By the end of this year though I felt that I really didn't need that kind of therapy...and really didn't need a whole week of no contact from my children - and right now they don't need to NOT be able to contact me either....so I sold my place to a friend who is very happy to be going, and I'm very happy with my decision not to go.

- Do you remember any of your goals and resolutions from 2011?
I know I was going to be closed for restoration....hhmm I don't remember my word - maybe it was RESTORE...I wanted to get to know myself, learn about myself, become a better Mom, a better person, become calmer......just work on myself...and I DID...I spent all of 2011 in therapy and in going through endless work on myself that changed me in sooooo many ways....and I NEEDED it....and I'm sooooo glad I had this chance...and I really like the person I have become :)

- What was your most memorable trip in 2011?
Vegas Baby!!! :) Not really my kind of place - it's crowded, smelly, dirty, loud, full of rude people, full of drunks.....but somehow it has this draw...and there really is no place like it...although I said I'd never go back, a part of me is already desperate to go back!! Hahahaha Maybe because it's so cheap! Maybe because it's soooo different! I can't wait to take Susie there!! It was a wonderful week of crazy experiences and I'm so glad I had that week with Laurence!! :) I so wish I had managed to get the picture of the lady at the bus stop!! Sigh.....

- What was your most saddest moment in 2011?
Two come to mind....having to say goodbye to our cats. Knowing how much this upset the children. Knowing there just wasn't another answer. Knowing I had to make it as easy as possible for them and explain it to them as best I could - knowing they've had so many losses to deal with in the last year or two and this was just another to add to the hurt. The other one was just a couple of weeks ago when Susannah was let down by her Dad. She was heartbroken and she - like the others - just doesn't understand what has happened to the Dad they used to know. It's heartbreaking to see them hurting and knowing that all I can do is be the best Mom I can be but I can't make up for his failings and they are just going to have to grow up dealing with it themselves :( It's hard to watch it happen though :(

- What phrase or saying did you pick up in 2011?
I can't think of anything new.....I write 'oh my gawd' on FB a lot....

- What do you believe in?
I believe in...love, astrology, therapy, journaling, art and creativity, friendship, happiness, enjoying life!!

- How did you celebrate your birthday in 2011?
Ummmm well I have pictures of me blowing out the candles on my cake and I had a sparkler on my cake :) And I remember the video of the children singing to me :) I can't remember anything else about my birthday! omg how old am I??? How bad is my memory???

- What could you have done without in 2011?
Selfish self centred ex who doesn't think about what he is putting his children through as long as he gets at me :( It's so sad.

- What did you regret not getting to or not doing in 2011?
I don't really have regrets...life is too short to have regrets. I did have a list of 40 things to do before 40, and I didn't do many of them - very few actually, but I don't regret that! Life changed and I changed, and the list didn't seem to matter the more the year went on....oh...Nigel and I still joke about the fat that our 'chaperones' didn't let us get it together hahahaha....he got given a bell for Christmas that says 'ring for sex' and he says I didn't 'ring his bell' hahahaha....hhmmmm :) so maybe I should say I regret not ringing his bell hahahaha!! We still tease the kids that we DID though....just to gross them out ;) And of course all my friends wish we had - just to make cute babies :)

- When did you feel your most authentic in 2011?
I always feel my most authentic when I am in Canmore...when we take Rosie and have lazy days there...heading out for walks....walking into town, the dog park, flattening pennies on the train track, paddling in the lake, eating in the pub.....bliss :)

- What was the most important, or potent, lesson you learned in 2011?
"The more you know who you are and what you want, the less you let things upset you".

- What is your greatest wish for 2012?
That the children's Dad will finally wake up to what he is doing to THEM...and realise that it isn't me he is hurting. That he will grow up, take the parenting after separation course and finally become the Dad we all know he can be.

One Word - rollercoaster

Vices - Goodwill, Facebook

Virtues - saving

Superpower - I'm a BRAVEGIRL :)

Theme song - Kelly Clarkson 'Stronger'

Catchphrase - Happiness is a choice! I choose to be happy :)

Achievement unlocked - 'selling my art and starting my business/ teaching art'

Welcoming 2012 with open arms....

2011-12-31T12:48:00.000-07:00

Well, 2011 was a wonderful year - full of so many amazing experiences...so many wonderful new friendships and cherishing friendships I already had, learning so much about myself, growing closer to my children, letting go of the past and feeling excited about the future.

2012...I am looking forward to every adventure you bring me :)

xxx

Thursday....

2011-12-29T22:22:00.000-07:00

Susannahs friend came over today and they wanted to go to Southgate Mall to use up some Christmas giftcards...so we headed over there. Sam and Abby had some cards to use up too, so we headed to Coles and Sam bought a little notebook...Abby bought a few things in Dollarama while we were in there stocking up on paper plates and hats etc for New Years Eve....

Abby and I had cinnamon swirls from cinnabon with tea and Sam had something from Tacotime...

Wednesday tag....

2011-12-29T01:40:00.000-07:00

1. Share something you loved about your Christmas Day.

Our dinner - the food was perfect, the company was FABULOUS - pulling crackers was fun - sharing the jokes, trying on the pirate eye patch and scaring Susie - reminding her of the guy on the LRT!! hahaha! Sam going back to the oven tray to steal the last of the stuffing!! Everyone raving about the swede!!

2. You get to put five items in a time capsule to be opened in 100 years, what items would you choose and why?

An Iphone fully loaded with apps, and pictures, music etc etc etc. An art journal/ junque journal written in with lots of information, tickets, scraps, newspaper clippings etc etc, A grocery shopping receipt showing how much an average family spends a week on groceries, The Harry Potter books, Some seeds from some of my favourite wild flowers.

3. What do you like on a cracker?

Various cheeses...Boursin, cottage cheese, Philly, cheese and pickle, pate

4. Do you make resolutions at the start of a new year?

Not really. I pick a 'word of the year' and I then focus on that word for the year....that tends to work out really well each year. I also have goals for the upcoming year but I don't plan on starting them on January 1st

5. What's a song or song lyric you'll associate with 2011?

First half would be Adele's album 21, and the second half would be Kelly Clarkson. Adele reminds me of my trip to Canmore with Susannah as we listened to it all the way there once we couldn't get Now Radio any more....and then Kelly Clarksons entire cd is like my new anthem hahaha :)

6. How will you ring in the new year?

I have plans with friends :)

7. What is something you look forward to in 2012?

So many things :)

8. Insert your own random thought here.

Happy New year everyone xxx