happy new year

i'm still in disbelief that 2010 has begun.

some highlights from 2009 were....

*our new home and meeting more new friends

*finding out that TWO of my scrapbook pages were going to be published in a magazine

*having a reunion with friends we knew so well a decade ago....and had lost touch with. being reminded that time truly does travel quickly since all of us have kids of varying ages...those who had babies now have pre-teens!

*camping trip and holiday in Banff

*Aidan and Kiara making loads of cards for their fundraiser for the Stollery Children's Hospital

*an opportunity to be a guest designer for my long-time favourite scrapbooking company TWICE

*learning that a third scrapbook page was going to be published

*being approached to teach some scrapbook classes....ladies groups, work team, and scrapbook store

*asked to be a part of a local design team at Urban Scrapbook

*asked to work some shifts for the same store...excited to start in a few weeks and hang out with fun people

*finding a new church home that is nearby


i don't think we have had as eventful of a year since our babies were born.

Kris and i don't look back at 2008 with the fondest of memories....he had a brutal job for a few months that required him to resign. we learned how tough we were and held on more tightly to each other. we also learned to be more respectful of the needs of our family and decidedly moved forward to keep our family as our number one priority. although the year had its fair share of highs and lows, it didn't end much better than it began. like that little spruce tree that manages to grow among the rocks....we too managed to stay alive. my word for that year was GROW. it was slow, but there is much growth when you are simply working each day to live!

it took awhile for 2009 to improve. the first few months were months of decisions. life stabilized long enough for us to decide that a move was a priority. which meant shining the rough spots on our old {1949} little {850 sq. ft.} bungalow. shine it did! and sold within hours of it being on the market. less than a week later we found a house that seemed to fit us. enough for Kristian and i to know immediately and hold back tears because it seemed too good to be true. i think i had the most challenging time trying to move my heart from the old home and community. i'll never miss the noise and crime issues we faced....but it was home for nearly 11 years for us. the home we brought both our babies to. as 2009 ended, our new home felt like HOME. we can look forward to more memories here with our family. all the sad and troubling memories of 2008 and early 2009 don't have a place on a shelf here. amazing the last half of the year has been tremendous. most of our blessings and my favourites have happened during the last few months. we are so grateful to our friends who remain close to us despite the move. we are thankful for new friends who have welcomed us into their circle. my word for the year was BLOOM. we definitely did.




the real shift in me occured just before Christmas. once the tree was decorated and the "halls were decked" it felt like home. due to the busyness of the season, things didn't quiet down until later in the holiday. however we hung our first round of pictures on our walls! yes, it felt more like our home with every nail we pounded. we as in Kristian pounded the nails. he is very handy that way!

we also added our first real "mark" to the house too.. we were playing a game of Settlers of Catan with our neighbors and Kristian bumped his glass of red wine with his elbow. it splashed all over one wall and our baseboards. even with being wiped up immediately, it still left a hint of a stain. maybe i can try a wash of Tide...{wink}



we also transformed what was originally the kids' playroom into my studio area. as time passed, we found it just wasn't being utilized by the kids as much as it once had. we also found that i did less creating in the massive basement space, choosing instead to carry my supplies up the stairs to the kitchen table and bar counter. the kids were a little miffed at being moved out, but were appeased when they had the toys moved closer to their rooms. so far i use this little room daily. the kids will also have a table of their own when they choose to create at the same time as me. it is much more inspiring than the grey of the concrete floors.


this is how we begin 2010.

mostly unpacked. mostly settled. definitely happy.

i'm still thinking on my word for the year. i had thought of "propegate" or "mulitply" that sounded too much like adding on to the family. we won't go there! maybe "peace". "time." "discover."

it will be decided. i need to give it more thought.


i hope that 2010 will be a year filled with fond and wonderful memories for you as well.

blessings!

look what i found...

my word!!

i think i'll add this to my birthday list.....

go here:

Lisa Leonard Design

i know i've mentioned her before....check out her other designs too...i promise you won't be disappointed!

welcome to 2009

we are enjoying the last days of holiday...still cold outside....what else is new?!


so we are enjoying staying warm indoors and filling our time with....

...wholesome....

....movie watching!

we enjoyed being with some friends last night ringing in the new year. with the kids. they set a record for the lastest night of their lives...since their newborn baby days!

of course i forgot my camera at home...so i'll have to rely on my memory alone to remember the night!

they made new years' masks. got their faces painted. made a noise maker. (that is a winner!) requested a balloon animal - Aidan has a white giraffe and Kiara has a little ladybug that fits on her wrist. and i have to add, it is amazing how relaxing it is watching balloon animals get made. truly. {Aidan told me this morning that he didn't think it looked like a giraffe...and had list of reasons why. something tells me he is getting a little too smart...need to find a way to revitalize the 'pretend factor' in his mind!}

our friends' rent a room overlooking the city square. very cool! for our two it was the first time they had been in a building that tall...it really awed them. the city hall was lit up. you could see the main tree....all the lights...watch the spot lights. or jump on the king size bed! yes, the adults had a blast doing that....not! but we were totally amazed at how well the kids did throughout the evening. they did so well, that we kept saying to ourselves, "well, why not another hour?"

so the kids got to watch the fireworks at MIDNIGHT. you could tell they were tired as we walked to the car (parked in a heated underground parkade...nice!) but no one complained or cried. happy parents! then after about 5 minutes they both fell sound asleep in their seats. it was a late morning at our house - thank goodness! and Kiara had an excellent nap this afternoon. she should be able to last until 11:00pm we're sure! or not. we can only hope.

thanks for the great evening! {you know who you are!}

being Candian, eh....i am a lover of pleasemum. i am a little picky with my kids' clothes. and i tend to watch GAP kids, gymboree, pleasemum, old navy and the children's place. winners is alright too...i just don't get there enough.

i garage sale and shop at second hand sales too. although i find i have to watch the prices more closely these days. for instance i found a cute summer dress at gymboree for Kiara for $8...marked down from $49. and most likely i would have paid $8 (at least) at a second hand sale. which means i got an AWESOME deal today! i would much rather pay a few dollars more for a brand new item than a used one...who wouldn't?!

i LOVE the winter coats at pleasemum....i bought Aidan's first winter coat at a garage sale...$5. {that is a rare deal...and has not been able to be repeated since} he was at least the third child to wear it. and two kids have worn it after him. i don't doubt it could last through a few more boys. so ever since that is the brand i buy for 'the winter coat'. they cost more than $5...but i think they're a great deal! go Canada!!

and here is a switch to a more serious topic!

i am excited about the new year. i plan to live this one to it's fullest potential. last year was a tough one. in one word: GROWTH

i'm still thinking about what my goal should be for this year. i have the feeling it will need to build on that...maybe BLOOM

did you ever read the L.M.Montgomery books? Anne of Green Gables series was the most popular. she also wrote a book called "The Blue Castle". it tells the story of a woman, Valancy, who grew up in a home where she was expected to be a certain person. her behaviour was that woman...but inside she struggled with the expectations put on her. she lived in a small town, and had to visit the town doctor for something minor...but the town doctor got called away very quickly and was gone for several months. she received a diagnosis that stated her heart was not well and she would be lucky to live another 6 months....she didn't know it at the time, but the nurse who relayed the sad news had mistakenly mixed up two patients. knowing that she only had a few months left....Valancy made some very bold changes in her life. she was frustrated with the "box" she felt forced to live in, and ended up making some changes that confused the people who had thought they knew her. the first "odd" behavior upon returning home after hearing the bad news about her health she hacked down a rose bush to its root. she had been given it years ago...but it had never bloomed. in the end she made decisions that were her own....making an attempt to live a life of her own. the ending is something i won't spoil for you, if you have not read the book yourself and want to. i will just say that her life was truly more rich and joyous as a result. she lived each day as if it were her last. not every day was smooth sailing, and there were some moments when she wondered what in the world she had done! later on she went back to the house she grew up in and saw that rose bush she thought she had hacked to the death....for the first time ever it was lush and full of the most beautiful blooms she had ever seen. i love that!!

i think that the rose bush tells so much....it was growing and trying to bloom...but it couldn't. not until it was forced back and pruned. as a result it was able grow they way that it was meant to be.

Valancy was like the rose bush. she couldn't bloom in the circumstances of her life. she needed to be put into a different environment...and be allowed to be who she was meant to be.

the more i think about it, BLOOM is a fabulous word!

i'm thinking about ways that i can bloom as a wife and mother. how can i live to my fullest potential without getting tripped on perfection?

i came across this recently:

i love it.

go here for more info. or maybe to join?!

i think that this will help keep me inspired. help me keep my focus. because it isn't just about me.

such deep thoughts to start the new year.....yikes!!

what can i do to help myself bloom this year?

ali edwards shares the coolest, deep, everyday stuff on her blog. fun! she says:

"The idea behind the one little word concept is to give yourself something to focus on throughout the year. As I stated in my newsletter back in January 2007, "A single word can be a powerful thing. It can be the ripple in the pond that changes everything. It can sharp and biting or rich and soft and slow."
Also from that same newsletter:
Can you identify a single word that sums up what you want for yourself in 2009?It can be something tangible or intangible. It could be a thought or a feeling or an emotion. It can be singular or plural. The key is to find something that has personal meaning for you. This is not your mother's word or your spouse's word or your child's word - this is YOUR word. One little word can have big meaning in your life if you allow yourself to be open to the possibilities. And here's one thing that is totally interesting: sometimes a word will pop into your brain and it will not make any sense to you right now. Give it some time. Let it percolate a bit. I have often found that our hearts speak to us in very unique ways. Maybe this is a word you need to hear but just aren't ready for it yet. Again, be open to the possibilities."

what's your word?