Jade played soccer tonight. It was a fun game to watch. Darren and I were both able to go because Nate went to Granny and Grandpa's. I know I have said it before but I will say it again: I am extremely thankful to have Darren's parents living close. They are amazing people and so help full with the kids.

Here is a picture from last Halloween of Grandpa Garry helping Jade with the pumpkin.

The Picture I promised!

Here is a picture from the backyard sitting area Darren worked on for me. He did a great job! I was able to have tea there with Roberta the other day. Love it! The crazy gardener that I am, is having a blast planting. Fun, fun! Jade and I also enjoy sitting there together and having a good chat. We found a tip in a gardening magazine about using granite pieces. I was able to get in touch with a granite shop that gave me all the pieces for free. I love a good deal!

My tidying up Fairy!

Here is a cute picture of my girls probably about five years ago. So sweet! It is one of those pictures that always make me smile.

Like every other breathing woman that I know, I feel very frustrated when the house is a huge mess! Usually correcting this requires delegating jobs, handing Nathan to someone else, working like mad yourself or praying someone will notice and do something about it. Today I got lucky and had a tidying up fairy, my daughter Jade. While I was busy upstairs she cleaned the kitchen, did the dishes, brought up the clean laundry, sorted the laundry, brought the dirty laundry downstairs, cleaned up the laundry room, the front hall, the family room and her BROTHERS bedroom...!!! Yes, I have not died from the shock! Fabulous!! Definitely ranks very high today as a blessing (look out Jade, now I know you can do it). Love ya!

Jo-Jo is at the door!

Joanne is my sister in law but above all else one of my best friends. She is one of those people that you can always count on and that has an incredible spirit. Unfortunately Joanne lives in Stittsville, works full time and I am busy at the other side of town. I don't get to spend as much time with her as I would like. Today was different. Joanne paid me a surprise visit around 9:00am and spent the morning with us. Excellent! So great to have the time for tea and a chat. We also got to wander at the mall for a bit and do a little shopping. Definitely an unexpected blessing!

Welcome to the neighbourhood Sugar!

Welcome to the neighbourhood Sugar! This little darling kitten was found about a week ago. She has been looking for that special home and it looks like she has struck gold. Sugar has moved in with Annik and her family. We are hoping that the adjustment goes smooth. I got to see her today and that was a highlight. The kids loved her as well. Nathan keeps saying he wants to go to Annik's house and that he loves Sugar!

Brave girl!

I started the day off today with a nice walk in the woods with Roberta and Bear. It was a great way to get some exercise and catch up on all the latest news. Bear had a blast and enjoyed the freedom of being walked off leash. Definitely one of the highlights of the day!

Here is one of my favourite pics of Roberta from last summers cottage trip. Looking good!

This afternoon Jade had her MRI appointment for her heart. She did very well. I was extremely proud of her. She had to have an IV put in and she co-operated with no tears and was very brave. Well done girl!! The MRI was also scary but she listened to the technicians and did everything she was told. Now it is the waiting game to hear what the cardiologist has to say.

Rainy day blessings

Gardening season is in full swing. I got to go Artistic Landscape today which is one of my favourite garden centers. It was raining hard but I still had a smile on my face. Jade was busy with a friend and Nate was at Grandma's so Darren and I had some time to ourselves. We also made a trek to Mountain Equipment and then to Rangoli's for lunch. We all know how I feel about Rangoli's...fabulous!!!

Supper tonight was at Darren's parents. I am now sounding food obsessed, but the lasagna and ceasar salad were homemade. Excellent! It is always nice to got there. Bear usually comes with us so it is a family affair.

Darren's Mom, Helen is one of the kindest women I have ever met. She is always thinking of others especially her family. Jade has an MRI appointment on Tuesday and Helen has arranged her schedule to be free to help that day, we never had to ask. We are truly blessed!

This picture is one of my brother Cliff's. I am usually cursing these plants because they get caught in the dogs fur but in this photo I see them in a whole different way. Beautiful!

Power of Dad's competition

Darren's first strongman competition of the season was today. It turned out to be great weather and the event was set up nicely to include families. There was a children's play area with a bubble making station, toys, barbecue and lot's of grass for the kids to play on. Excellent! Darren went early and then I went a little later with both kids. We only planned to stay for a couple of hours but ended up staying for the whole competition. Darren did very well and ended up placing 8th out of 16. Jade had a great time cheering him on and was really into the competition. Nathan played and played. It was a good day with lot's of cheering and excitement.

Modern Man

I was reading an article today in a "Canadian Parenting" magazine about Fathers. One of the points it made was how things have changed in our generation from when our Fathers were parents. It used to be that they worked 9 to 5, came home, sat down and had a beer and watched TV while their wives made supper. In our generation a man would be sleeping on the couch for that behaviour or maybe outside. I have to say I am glad to be part of the new generation! I am happy to be with a man who is an involved parent and who helps take care of the home. Tonight was a good example of the new generation. Darren barbecued and then played with the kids after supper. The kids were laughing and wrestling with him, the house was very loud but with happy noise. Later in the evening Darren took Jade to soccer practise while I stayed home with Nate. Thank God for my modern man!!!

Above is a picture of Darren working on a patio area at the back of our yard. He did an excellent job! I will have to post some finished pictures soon.

Big Thanks!

Okay, I owe some big thank you's. First to Helen (Darren's Mom) for coming over and taking care of Nathan on Saturday night and Sunday during the day. Second is to Emma and Crystal for coming and taking care of the wild man (Nate) on Sunday night and Monday during the day. Without you guys are weekend away would have never happened.

My third thanks goes out to Roberta. That woman is just amazing! I am really lucky to call her friend. She stopped by tonight with a gift for Darren and I. The gift was something I had been looking for for a while and she remembered. I am thrilled!!!

Happy #6 Anniversary!

We had an excellent anniversary weekend! Darren was incredibly thoughtful and kind. Every detail was amazing!

The weekend was very relaxing, the hotel was perfect and best of all I got to spend the weekend with my best friend. No phones ringing, no email to check, no chores to do...

I realize thinking back on the weekend, that some of the small things are the ones that bring me the greatest joy. Darren holding the doors open for me, the nature hike in the Gatineau's with Darren giving me his jacket to keep me warm. The whole weekend he made me feel very special and loved. I feel very lucky to be in such a strong loving relationship.

The above picture is from our honeymoon in Jamaica six years ago.

Happy Anniversary

Today is the big day, #6 for Darren and I. We are planning on going to the Hilton Casino for two nights. Jade will be away at camp and Nathan will be staying one night with Granny Helen and one night with Emma. Big thanks to both of them for giving us the break. The plan is to go to the Nordic spa today...and then tomorrow if weather is permitting some hiking in the Gatineau's. I am so excited. It will be fabulous to be away just the two of us. We always have a great time when we are together. Darren is an amazing man. He is a very caring husband and an excellent Dad. I am a lucky girl!

Ramble

I had a fabulous day! Today was the "Ramble Day". I took a trip to Burritt's Rapids with Judy and Annik and we went to the Rideau Ramble Garden center. I always love going there because they have so many unique plants and evergreens, definitely worth the trip. We had lunch in Merickville and had enough time to snoop through some stores. Fun, fun! Thanks girls for the great day!

A reminder

When Jade was little she used to always make pictures and signs. As she get's older, this does not happen as much. Today I got a special surprise. A new sign for my bulletin board, a reminder that she loves me. How special is that!!

Lunch with the girls

Lunch with the girls! Excellent! We went to Rangoli's and the food was as always, fabulous. I also got to catch up on all the news and gossip. Fun, fun...

I feel very lucky to have some good friends that I can count on. Friends that have similar values and goals in life. Things are good!

Story time

We had fun tonight. Nathan and I read stories until my throat was sore. He is at the stage where he likes one book to be read over and over again. Tonight his favourite was "In a People House". We cuddled on a chair in the family room and read and read.

Darren and Jade have gone to Jade's first soccer practice of the season. Jade was excited because her friends Kathleen and Rachel will be on her team. I am thrilled because that means their parents will be on the side lines and I have someone to chat with. Excellent all around! Should be a great season!

Mother's Day

Mother's day has been and gone. It was a day filled with friends and family. Just perfect in every way! The morning starts with "Hi Mommy"and "Good morning Mommy" coming from Nate's room. His little two year old voice is so sweet. Jade came into our room with her Mother's day gifts while we were still snuggled down. Her heart was in everything that she gave me. About a month ago she bought a pretty necklace from AVON. She poured over the catalogue and picked just the right thing and ordered it on the quiet. She also made me a beautiful gift at school and I do love it. Bear came up for a cuddles and then the day began.
Darren took care of all the cleaning from the night before and made a nice breakfast.
We then went to the 1st communion for Jonathan, Niana and Jordan around 11:00am. We spend most of the afternoon at Judy's house celebrating after that. Nathan was entertained because there was so many kids, not that he could take his eyes of Anna for longer than a minute or two. It was nice to sit outside and chat with Gaby, Judy and Joy. I really enjoyed it.

For dinner Helen, Garry, David and Oksana came over. We had Rangoli's. The food was excellent. It was a day full of smiles!

Big thanks to my husband for taking care of all the little things this weekend which really helped to make things special.

Saturday May 12th, 2007

Jade and I spend some time together today. We went to Canine for a Cause fundraiser with Bear. It was lot's of fun! Bear was very well behaved. The demos were very interesting and motivating. It is amazing to see what dogs are capable of doing and what a blesssing they can be to people.
Tonight my side of the family came over for a Mother's day dinner. The food was great. Darren smoked pork and sausages and we had some great salads to go with it. Homemade tiramisu for dessert. Heaven! We have been so blessed with nice weather especially on the weekends.

Friends

Excellent evening!
We had an unplanned last minute get together with our friends Roberta, Mike and Rachel. It is always great when they come over. The weather was cool but Darren cooked some steak over the fire. We had some good wine and great conversation. Thanks for the visit guys.

Grandpa and Nathan

This morning Nathan went over to spend some time with Grandpa. He was so excited to go and he had a fabulous time. It is so nice that we have Darren's parents living so close. They help us out with the kids and are building lot's of great memories.

Track and Field

Congrats to Jade. She had a great day at "track and field". In fact all my favourite girls did well. Good job also Rachel and Niana. Darren was able to get away from work for a few hours to go and cheer them on. It is so nice that we get the opportunity to be part of Jade's activities. Even better was the fact that Darren took Nathan with him. Nate had a great time and I was free to get some work done. Yeah!

Backyard Neigbours

It is the simple things that make us smile. An unexpected occurrence that will bring us pleasure. This morning I was working on patching the grass in the backyard. I heard a rustling coming from the ravine. When I looked over two beautiful deer were watching me. Amazing!
This is one of my brothers pics. I was not fast enough to get the camera and I really just wanted to stay and enjoy the moment.

The walk back in time

I took Bear to the vet for the snip, snip today. Poor guy!
Our regular vet was charging $330 + tax and the Doctor in Rockland charged $140 taxes included. The choice for me was easy. My friend Roberta was nice enough to come and keep me company for the ride. When we arrived at the vet clinic it was like walking back in time. The decor was very 70's. The Doctor has been practising for probably 30 years. He was working in a very relaxed slow speed (maybe he is on to something?). The place was very clean and well cared for. Roberta and I looked at each other as we left both shaking our head, it was definately an experience.

Thanks for the tip of the vet Judy.

Beautiful weather today. It feels like summer!

It is one of my busy work weeks so I don't have as much down time but I did get to walk over to the school and get Jade. Bear came with me and he is walking really well without pulling. This is a very big deal, when we first got him two months ago, he pulled so hard that I would go flying. Now he is walking nicely by my side (most of the time). Big thanks to Viola for the great dog training! One hour with Viola and I was able to walk Bear home on a regular nylon collar. Now that is good training!!

Socks

I wanted to share this cute picture of Nate's feet. He has been determined to pick out his own socks, his little piece of being independent
I love it!

Great day today. The family went to the BARK walkathon. Jade slept over at her friends house last night so we picked them up on the way. The girls had tons of fun. I would guess 400 dogs were at the event. Bear was stimulated to say the least. He just wanted to play and play and the male dog domination became a bit of an issue. He is off to get neutered on Tuesday so today was his last strut.

When we got home Darren started working on a sitting area in our back garden. Big job. I thought I was going to be doing allot of shoveling of stone dust and was concerned because my back has been sore this weekend. I was thrilled when our neigbour Eric volunteered to help and I was given the task of getting the beer. Excellent! Thanks Eric. We were also able to borrow an extra wheelbarrow so things worked out great. Two men got the job done in no time.

The freedom of the Ride!

Jade and I went to Joanne's for lunch today. The food was fabulous! An invitation to lunch at Joanne's is always a YES answer because you are guaranteed an incredible meal and excellent company. Today was no exception.

On the way there my heart caught in my throat for a minute as a group of motorcycles drove by. My immediate reaction was to think of my brother who we lost two summers ago from a motorcycle accident. Cliff loved to ride, it was one of his passions, he loved the feeling of freedom, the sense of power and adrenaline that came from feeling the wind.

Cliff was also a very gifted photographer with an amazing eye for the simple beauty of this world. When I look at his photos, I see the world in a different way.

Today I have posted one of his pictures. This one always makes me smile.

"Sheepy cuddle time!!!!"

Darren got home from his trip to Atlanta. We are all so glad to have him home. Nathan got in his PJ's and asked Daddy to wait for him on the bed for "sheepy cuddle time!". That is when Nathan gets his favourite stuffed turtle Shekky and his two sheep skin blankets and has a cuddle with Daddy. Nate was so excited to have Daddy home for the cuddles that he ran right past his room on the way to get his things. So cute!!! Welcome home honey, that is a special moment to remember!

Good neigbours!

The sun is shining and people on our street are out and about. I just had a good chat with Greg who lives on the corner. I have been admiring his ornamental grasses in his front garden. The grass dances in the wind all winter long. Winters can be long in our neck of the woods but these beautiful grasses give me gardening hope when the snow is flying. Greg was nice enough to give me the tags from the plants. Very exciting for a crazy gardener like me. Thanks Greg, you made my day!!

Trail Running with Bear

The hubby has been travelling this week so it has been a busy kid week. This morning Nate went to preschool so I had two hours to myself. I took Bear for a good walk/run in the ravine behind the house. It was great to have some quiet time. I really have not explored much in the ravine and am feeling more adventures. I am starting to get a feel for trail running and am loving it!

Spring is beautiful and every trip into the woods is different. Today Bear met another dog to play with and he had a blast. It is fun to watch them run and chase like they have known each other forever. I am so thankful to have Bear. What a blessing that we found each other even though it was during a rough time (a big thanks to Viola for bringing us together). I often think of my girl CC still with sadness but I am hoping in time that will just change to just the great memories.

Big happy birthday to Emma. You are an amazing woman and a great friend! Love ya.

Time to smell the clean laundry...

Usually the morning is busy in our house. Our daughter Jade gets ready for school and our two year old son Nathan runs around like crazy with his stored energy from the night. This morning was different. Jade got up early and was very good at getting organized. I went outside to hang some laundry and was followed by Nate and our dog Bear. Nathan decided he wanted to stay outside and I agreed. We played in our PJ's and had our breakfast on the deck. We took the time to listen for the birds and look at the beautiful blue sky. Nathan chased Bear around the yard and Jade played with Bear and his konk throw toy. This morning made me smile. What a great start to the day.

Darren was right about the clothes line. If it was not for that, we would have stayed inside doing our normal routine and we would have missed a great outdoor morning. Plus, this week alone we have saved energy by not using the clothes dryer on 6 loads of laundry.

May 1st, 2007

I have worked on a gratitude journal on and off over the years. I find that it really makes a difference in my life when I focus on the positives. My purpose of this blog is to get my butt in gear and focus on the great things in life. I have been so blessed with this amazing life and I just want to enjoy it and be thankfull.

Yesterday I left the house holding the hand of my two year old son and he looked up at me and said "It is a beautiful day!". It was cloudy and overcast but to him it was truly a beautiful day and his joy was written on his little face.