Party for three!

One of the newer traditions we began in my family is that my brother, sister & I gather together to help celebrate each other's birthdays. It's probably been about 5 years or so that we've been doing this and I love it. My brother, bless his heart, was the one who came up with the idea. Since I recently celebrated my birthday I got to choose the restaurant where we gathered. So we meet up in Stratford at Kelsey's (totally forgot my camera) where we enjoyed a great meal, even better conversation and totally enjoyed our time together. We continued our time together by heading over to Coffee Culture and continued to catch up with each other and our ever-so busy lives.

Family is something I tend to take for granted, it's one of those things that I've always had and today really realized how grateful I am to have a brother and a sister. Thanks guys for a great afternoon, I'm really looking forward to February when we get to do it again.

Blessings

A time to relax

Our hot tub arrived, and is strategically placed just off the deck on a small patio that Wayne built.
He's a pretty handy guy, I think I'll keep him ^.^ I'm so looking forward to using it and taking the time needed for relaxation.

Blessings

Sasha

Our puppy celebrated her 2nd birthday today, and I couldn't resist posting a blog about it.

Here is a picture of when we first got her... .. ... and another one of her now. She is such a sweet little puppy and greets everyone she meets with such excitement as if to say "you're here, you're here!" Though she is a dog, she is definitely part of our family!

Blessings

Life is like a Box of Crayons

Colouring was one thing I enjoyed doing with my kids. We would and did spend several hours sitting together coloring. I found that when we were focused on something else, like colouring, the conversations we shared were some of the best. I loved colouring, opening a brand new colouring book with a new set of crayons, would a bring a smile to my face. Sometimes I wish that I still had little people around to colour with, it's just not same doing it alone.

Introduced in 1903, a box of Crayola crayons sold for a nickel and included eight of the same colors available in today's palette: red, blue, yellow, violet, orange, black and brown. We could learn a lot from crayons; some are sharp, some are pretty, some are dull, while others bright, some have weird names, but they all have learned to live together in the same box.

Blessings

Shopping spree

Krystle & I just returned home after a very long, afternoon and evening of shopping. Not my most favourite activity, but one that was very necessary. After losing 20 lbs, I found that my clothes were not fitting anymore, thus a shopping spree. I really hate shopping. The looking through all the racks trying to decipher what to try on. The pressure of the sales people to buy the things you're trying on, whether they look good on you or not. And the time it takes to try everything on. Having Krystle along made it much more tolerable. Thankfully we found a few clothes that when added to what I already have at home will give me some new outfits.

Best part of my day??..., no it's not coming home with new clothes, it's being able to spend time with Krys ~ thanks doll, you made the whole experience wonderful, let's do it again... um.... but not for a while. >.<

Blessings

Sundays + Starbucks = Smiles

We headed to London today to run a few errands, visit our son (who's attending Fanshawe College) and of course treated ourselves to something special. ah yes, I love starbucks - my favourite ~ a venti tazo soy chai tea latte, extra hot.. . ... Sitting, sipping and savouring not only my tea, but time. Time that I choose to set aside. It's easy to get caught up in the busyness of life, the comings, the goings. It definitely takes discipline to sit and to be. Great ending to a great day! Blessings

Happy Birthday! - to me!!

On my facebook account several of my friends wished me "Happy Birthday" and a few even congratulated me on turning 29 - again!

However I am not 29, as much as I'd like to be, it's just not true. So today I celebrated my 40th birthday - again ^.^ In fact my son said to me, "Happy Birthday, Mom. I legit don't know how old you really are." That's ok, I don't plan to reveal my age, ~ I know, I know it's just a number but... .. ... until the math no longer works with the ages of my kids, I'll keep it a secret.Blessings

Saying good-bye

Both our boys live away from home while their attending college. With Kyle in Orillia and Darcy in London, today was a day of good-byes. This weekend was wonderful having everyone home for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately all good things must come to an end. So I drove Kyle to Stratford where thankfully my Mom & Dad were willing to take Kyle back to Orillia. Later then, Wayne & I drove Darcy back to London; and here I sit a little down-hearted. But as Dr. Seuss says "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.” So I'm trying to smile... .. .. .

Blessings

Happy Thanksgiving

We celebrated Thanksgiving today with the whole family, not just my kids, but my Mom & Dad, my brother, my sister and her family, all 15 of us were gathered together. After our delicious dinner we took a walk back to the bush... and took some family photos. Unfortunately we didn't have an extra person to take the photos of all of us, so my brother & I took turns taking the photos. As we got closer to home, I quickly snapped this picture as I was suddenly overwhelmed with thanksgiving for all that I have. My family, and our home - a place of refuge from the world - our haven.

Blessings

Road trip anyone?

No, not for me, anyway. I just returned home from being on the road for 10 yes, count them 10 hours. With Thanksgiving just around the corner our two boys who are away at college this year came home. And who should be the lucky chauffeur, yep that's right, me. So I left at 10 am this morning, drove to London to pick up son #2, returned home and headed right back out to drive to Orillia to pick up son #1. Thankfully my dad was able to come with me the second time, as I wasn't looking forward to doing that drive alone. Sitting here typing this blog, I find myself grinning from ear to ear and listening as my boys re-connect with each other. It's so nice to have them home.

We'll be celebrating Thanksgiving on Sunday and the whole family will be together again. That's one thing I know I took for granted - having family at home. With the boys gone to school and Krystle married, Wayne & I find ourselves as empty nesters, it'll be a nice change to have the nest full again this weekend.

Blessings

Story Telling

When I was over at Krystle & Gerard's apartment I suddenly remembered something that I didn't want to forget so I asked Gerard to e-mail the reminder to me. When I opened the reminder e-mail, this is what I found:

Once upon a time there was a boy named Gerard, and he was supposed to tell someone a certain location in which they were to google. But that little boy Gerard forgot where he was supposed to tell that person to google. So he got very frightened, frightened that he would get in trouble, by the big scary, google maps fairy. She was a mean lady. She bonked people with google maps. And they hurt.

SO Gerard ran away and cried! He ran as far away as he could. BUT, then he was in deep deep trouble, because this was the google maps fairy he was running from. SHE CAN SEE EVERYWHERE!! (with her maps and such). So he went to the google maps fairy, face to face. He went to apologize, and when she went to slap him with a google map, he kicked her in the shins! And yelled, "Google maps fairy, no more Google Map Bonking!" Then Gerard slapped her with a Ink Pad, and chucked scissors at her, and the Google Maps Fairy was no more. Hallelujah!

He saved the Day! Everyone was so happy, because now they could google map things in peace, without having the fear of the GMF (Google Maps Fairy) anymore. The local townspeople named Gerard the new Official Google Maps King, and he could help everybody find where they needed to go. The ladies loved him. What a hunk!

Once Gerard was named the OGMK (Official Google Maps King), he remembered where he was supposed to tell that certain someone where they were supposed to google. It was Orillia! (the back way of course)

Wow, what would we do without him. THE END.

This totally made my day!

Blessings

Falling Behind

OK, before I begin I must admit I like the intended pun of the title of this post ~ it's frightfully accurate.

Wayne & I are business owners where we share the multiple tasks of running the business together. I, however am the lucky individual who does the bookwork. But as of late, I've gotten a few months (OK, I haven't actually started 2010) behind in keeping the books up to date. Normally I love 'doing' the books. I get excited balancing to the exact penny, even thought the accountant says I don't need to. But here I sit at the computer and while I should be doing bookwork I am totally distracted by blogging, facebook, googling and anything else I can do to prevent me from starting. Who'd have thought that I was a procrastinator ... . .. mhmm maybe I should go and get the mail. {smirk}

Blessings

Decompress

Every once in a while I need a day or sometimes two to decompress. The World English Dictionary describes it: (diːkəmˈprɛs) — vb 1. to relieve (a substance) of pressure or (of a substance) to be relieved of pressure.

It wasn't until a few years ago I realized how much I needed time away from everything so I could make time for me. For the longest time I always felt selfish/guilty for taking time for just me. Most of us moms know that time for us usually gets put to the back burner, as we're usually putting our loved ones first. We're great for giving everyone what they need and even sometimes what they want that we too often end up neglecting ourselves.

As I came to realize that for me to do my 'job' well I needed time to decompress. Normally I do this with journaling, as I think we owe it to ourselves to make some record of our lives. I hate the idea of waste in general, and I know how much of my time, how many thoughts, ideas, and memories, would be lost forever if I didn't write at least some of it down. Consequently, I have written journals on and off for around 15 years now. Sure, life isn't all roses, and a journal can be a useful medium for sounding off about the world and working off your everyday frustrations.
But today I found that sitting quietly with my journal didn't just cut it; so I took some much needed time and got away from the normal routine, away from everything, and had some "me time".
Blessings

Getting Decked!

Recently, I posted on my facebook status that "Anita Gingerich just got decked". One person who knew what I meant clicked on the "like this" button. Another person not knowing what was meant commented with great concern about my well being. You just gotta love the English language. But that's not the point of this post.

We built a gazebo last fall in preparation for Krystle & Gerard's wedding, knowing that after the wedding we'd move it into it's permanent place. Last week Mike Z started building the deck and attaching the gazebo to finish it off. It took 3 guys with 3 tractors all morning to get the gazebo in it's proper place. In one short week it was finished, so I took a walk around and got some photos.
Looking out from under the veranda. Walking around the outside. A new seating area - one I am super excited to use! The platform steps. And the end - this is where the hot tub is going - yeppers finally convinced him ^.^ ahhh I LOVE IT!

Blessings