Life's Whirlwind Adventures

I am a crier.  Like I cry at so many things it's almost comical, but lately I've been crying more at things that I should cry at because I am feeling complete out of control in many areas of my life. So I cried last week on Tuesday! TWICE!!! IN FRONT OF TWO VPS!! Not one but TWO!!  So embarrassing, but I couldn't stop it and so the next day I wore no make up and I didn't cry. I will have truth blog come out next week as a reflection to what it happening in my world right now so I am going to keep this one short and to the point.  I am sure I will cry again, it's just how things are going right now.

When I am feeling down in the dumps,  it's sometimes hard to find ways to feel better about your situation.  There are few things in my tool kit that always help me feel better, and it just takes me making me a priority to set time aside for any one or all these things. 1. A good gym workout, and by this I mean I come out a sweaty disaster.  In these workouts I've lost myself in the music and have pushed myself to the limits to really exhaust my body and when I am working out I am in my own head so I can do a lot of problem solving without outside distraction. 2. A nice long bath.  A bath that is full of bubbles and hot, almost or minimally scalding water, where I just sit and ease myself into becoming one with the water.  Usually I have to half drain the tub and refill it because that's what I need. 3. A good cry, a cry where I do not hold back, I release all the grief and sadness I am keeping from overwhelming me each day, those moments that bring tears ...

A few days back I wrote about what I miss, and I let you all know it was my dad.  Man I miss him, more today than I feel I ave ever missed him, and it's been ten years since he passed away, or will be ten years in December. That whole year, in retrospect, was filled with difficulties with my dad, but also a lot of really weirdly positive things.  We will start with the good, I met my husband, got this new job that I found I was really good at, met some great people at work, I really felt like life was settling down and this was the first time Red Deer began to feel like a home and not just a stopping point. I also travelled a lot this year and that was phenomenal, being able to go on trips with my good friend and do something that I sort of missed in University because I was a mom and went to school in the summer all the time.  Some back story, my dad had been sick for a long time, he'd been in and out of the hospital, was on oxygen, and steroids and in the last ten y...

I am working up at building my blog reading list.  I don't read them half as often as I should but I do have a few blogs I really enjoy. Sweat Like Becky  This is a friend of mine's from High School.  She always posts about what she is doing and different things they try in Calgary and area. You Signed Up for What  This is a blog I stumbled upon that I used more when I was running my half marathons.  She has great tips and is really funny. Eat Pray Run  another blog I found when I was training for my half marathon! https://www.mariankeyes.com/ this one is my favourite authors site which has her blog there! These are where I go to find some fun reading and useful tips! What are your favourite blogs? Thanks for reading

I am supposed to tell you about my best feature. I think that one is easy, my eyes and eye lashes are my best feature. I, like liz Taylor, have double lashes, there is some scientific term for it, but basically what it means is that instead of having one row of lashes I have two rows of lashes.  Making my lashes look thick and the added bonus is that they are long too! So what is your best feature? Thanks for reading!!

I try not to let other people's idiosyncrasies annoy me, but there are few things that just get my blood boiling.  I think it gets my blood boiling because it is so apparent that the person is either trying to be sneaky, or just too scared to come out and say something. 1. I dislike fake people or people being fake to me.  2. Offering up something so they can ask you for the favour they actually need. I mean this is nice but I prefer it to be the other way ask for a favour and say this is how I can repay it. 3. Saying 'i can't do that" and giving excuses for why they aren't going to try. 4. Not having the dishes done at the end of the night. 5. Fans being left on for extended periods of time when no one is in the bathroom.  The sound of bathroom fans actually irritates my ears so I hate them. Those are my big pet peeves, do you have any pet peeves? Thanks for reading!

I don't know if I should do of all time, of country, of pop, or for right now...... I think I'll do a list, but it will be random. 1) Carly Price Every Little Thing 2) Pink Blow Me (One Last Kiss) 3) Garth Brooks The Dance 4) Garth Brooks The River 5) Colbie Caillat Try 6) No doubt Just a Girl 7) TLC No Scrubs 8) Train Hey, Soul Sister 9) Sugarland Stuck Like Glue 10) Everclear Wonderful What are your 10 favourite songs? Thanks for reading!!

This one is easy. I miss my dad. I wasn't as close with my dad as I am with my mom, but we were close enough that I knew I could trust his advice, tell him things in confidence and argue with him empathically and he'd still love me.  This is going to be a two part blog post because in a few days I will talk about the difficult time in my life when I lost my dad. My dad was stubborn, set in his ways but he loved people.  As a child growing up I'd watch my dad make friends with everyone he met, he was always kind and considerate even when he wasn't getting along with the other person. He was definitely the person that introduced me to some very surprising terms in my youth, especially because he always had a wide range of people around him.  I know my dad was a bit racist, but I also know even with his beliefs he always gave everyone a chance to prove him wrong.  I'd say 9 times out of 10 the person did and my dad would let bygones be bygones. My dad had the wor...

In ten years I will be on the cusp of entering my 50s! That is an interesting thought, I will have two adult children by this time and one child just entering his teen years, oh Lord help me! So let me paint you a picture of my life in ten years. I will maybe have to flag this post to see if it comes true. In ten years I will be sitting in the sun room or breakfast nook having my morning tea, while I wait for the youngest to crawl out of bed so we can head to school.  My house will be eerily quite since it will just be the two of us at home, Lil Man having turned 18 last October is off in school, pursuing his dream of becoming a teacher/ police officer.   I will drop Prince T off at school and then I will head to work at the downtown office, having traded in my teaching hat for a division programming hat 2 years prior.  I am responsible for Inclusive Education in my division and I work closely with the Alberta Government developing guidelines to help develop a...

Procrastination. Absolutely the worst habit, and in that, when I have something to do I will often find a million other things to do instead and then what I have to get done doesn't get done. This is going to be a short post because I totally have to get my kids to bed and I am avoiding that but I am hoping I can catch up with a friend after they are in bed so you know priorities!!

I feel like I am always renovating something in this house.  This is probably a truer statement than I want to admit since EVERY ROOM in this house has been done at least once if not twice, except the master bedroom and ensuite. When we moved into this house eight years ago the living room was a ghastly sunflower yellow.  Now sunflower yellow is not actually a terrible colour, but when it is on every wall it's overbearing. Seriously it was so much yellow, it just had to go, so we may have gone complete opposite and went for a beige brown combination.  It worked for eight years, but after awhile the darker brown just started to resemble shit brown and one grows tired of having shit on their walls.  Something had to be done!!! I'm sure I get a look in my eye and then my husband wants to run for the hills! Like I am about 60% positive this happens because I like to change rooms, either the lay out, the colour, the furniture, but every six months or so I a...

Most people claim spiders and snakes as their greatest fears or heights but none of these scare me.  I don't particularly like any of these and don't seek them out, but they aren't my greatest fear. They aren't a fear that takes my breath away and breaks me down.  That fear is for one inevitable, and no it's not taxes. Thanatophobia is my greatest fear! The fear of death is my greatest fear.  I'm not particular about it being my death though, I am terrified to lose people I love.  My grandmother will be 85 this year and if I even vaguely thinking about her dying, my breath quickens, my eyes water and I begin to feel very anxious.  I lost my dad at 30 and there are months after his passing where if the day didn't have something to do with my dad I don't remember it.  It's really probably the control freak in me, in regards to my own dying that terrifies me, because what would my children do? Could my family raise them without me so that they becom...

The best book I ever read as a kid was I Want To Go Home  by Gordon Korman.  I loved all Gordon Korman books, This Can't Be Happening At McDonald Hall, Beware the Fish, No Coins Please. , all of them but I Want To Go Home is the best. My friend, Sharon, and I will argue this because she prefers No Coins Please .  She believes it's funnier but I think I Want To Go Home is better.  In this book a very smart, and unwilling participant is sent to camp by his guidance counsellors. He does everything he can to escape and refuses to participate in any camp activities except arts and crafts and activities where he will be given an advantage and possibility to leave camp. I remember the first time I was reading this book, my mom had friends over to play Kaiser.  I was in our living room laughing so hard my mom came in to make sure I was ok.  The first time she came in I was laying on the couch regularly, the next time my feet were on the top of the couch an...

Would you believe that I currently have one of my dream jobs as my 9-5, Monday to Friday jobs?  Well I do! I went to school to become a teacher, and I wanted to become a teacher so I could help kids discover their passions and full potential.  Guess what I do? I teach students that have some disabilities when compared to the "normal" "mainstream" student, but I get to teach them how to work with in their abilities and how to chase after their dreams!! BEST! JOB! EVER! In our classroom we don't have a curriculum to follow, which is both a blessing and a stressor.  But we do get to participate and change our teaching to that of the students interests.  It's amazing watching them grow, mature and find their confidence! I wouldn't want to be teaching anything else!

 Hi welcome to my life's commotion! Things are always busy and life is always happening!  I'm late, I'm late but not really, here is what a typical day in my house looks like. 5:50 Alarm goes off, reach for phone check out the social media  (this is something I am hoping to eliminate but it is still happening) 6:15 get out of bed and head to the bathroom. This is where I wash up, do my hair, do my make up and get dressed. 6:30 leave bathroom mid getting ready to wake up Lil Man so he can go have his breakfast and start getting ready. 6:35 return to bathroom to finish getting ready. 6:45 head downstairs to make my Arbonne Smoothie.  Right now it's a Vanilla Chia Smoothie and it's delicious! 6:50 wake up Prince T if he isn't already awake, get him some breakfast that he won't eat but at least I provide it. \/O\/ 7:15 say good bye to Husband as he leaves for work, finish getting boys ready to go. 7:30-7:45 head out the door to go drop off Prince T ...

A better question might be what's not in my handbag, because that is the one area of my life I can't, for the life of me, keep organized. Seriously, I have bought thousands, ok maybe only hundreds, of handbags, trying to find one that will keep my organized and not be a junk collector.  I've tried just a wallet sized purse, but then I can't fit my lip gloss and some other things in there.  Then I try a large messenger bag and well in a week it's over flowing with receipts and other pieces of paper I have collected along the way. Lately, I have been using my Lululemon festival bags.  I have found that these are the most useful and a pretty decent size.  The only thing they don't fit in them in my agenda, but for the most part I am ok with that.  The back pocket is where I keep my lip balm, extra charger thing for my phone, my phone when I am out and my floss.  The front flap has a zippered pocket that will sometimes find headphones, jewelry and...

There are a few people in the world who have sparked in me a spiritual connection like nothing I've ever experienced before.  Mostly because these are people I've never met but I feel like we are kindred spirits, at least I try to live my life as they have, I'm not perfect but I think I'm hitting about 80%.  Those two are Audrey Hepburn and Judy Garland. I have two quotes by them that I absolutely love and try to live my life by, because I think they speak to the need and fulfillment of living an authentic life. from http://izquotes.com/quote/343093  from http://blog.dressific.com/2015/11/audrey-hepburns-inspirational-quotes.html What are your favourite quotes?   Leave a comment below and share, share, share!!  Thanks for reading!!

I'm trying to think of my proudest moment, I've had a few proud moments that I take a lot of pride in but my proudest moment really has to do with my children. I am proudest of the strong working young man Chandler has become, he never gives up and he always does what he needs to do.  He's kind, grateful and has a great sense of humour. I am proudest of the compassionate, loving, space invading young man Leigham is, he loves everyone and is always first for a hug and quickly goes to those who look down. He's a genuinely kind soul who isn't afraid to show his emotions. I am proudest of the determined, outspoken little boy in Theodore.  He knows what he wants and he will go for it and don't you stand in his way, he is not a push over and will not let anyone be the boss except mommy and daddy.  He's a go getter, he just needs to learn to pull in his temper with his brothers. I am proudest of all the moments I get to be a mother and friend to my ...

When I win the lottery.... man that  is a loaded question really. Would I continue working, or would I venture out to work on my own doing what I love most? (I don't know what that is except helping others reach their potential) Would I travel or maybe move somewhere far from home? (this is a possibility but only if I can move all those I love with me....I'm greedy that way) Would I go back to school to continue learning and get a bunch of useless degrees simply because I can? (there is a 60% chance that something like this will occur.) Would I donate to charity or maybe start up my own charity to help single teen age moms realize their full potential and give them a chance to prove that being a young mom doesn't stop you from reaching your dreams.  (It didn't stop me!) The day I win the lottery, it will be a surprise, an off chance that I buy a ticket or decide to join some co-workers in purchasing a bunch of tickets.  That day will be going well, it will be ...

I grew up in a era of acid wash jeans, hair bands and NKOTB.  So my first crush would easily be Joey McIntyre.  What a little heartthrob he was!  I still remember being completely and totally in love with him, and even has a young pre-teen, early teen girl I was fairly pragmatic.  He was the youngest and the one that was most within my reach to actually win over. I mean all my friends had their NKOTB crush, Jordon, Jonathon, Donny and even Danny, and I admit that if Joey had been pushed off the bridge I probably would have set my sights on one of the Knight brothers but that never happened so I continued to have my crush on Joey. My dad bought me everything New Kids on the Block.  Pencil cases, pencils, t-shirts, posters, books, cds. And I paid him back by making him watch my friend Vanessa and I sing....neither of us are singers nor were we singers back then.  But my dad liked to indulge me in desires and I took full advantage of being center stage f...

I believe that people should be able to express themselves however they wish.  If that means having a giant elephant on your chest or a tiger on your hip then you need to go for it. Or if it means stretching out your earlobes , piercing every small divot on your face then you should.  Freedom of expression is important and to be true to oneself you must do that as you are comfortable. Personally, I have piercings. My ears are pierced, currently I have two holes, one in each lobe, but I used to have three in each lobe.  I have also had my naval pierced twice the first time it grew in in three months.  I no longer have my naval pierced and I can sometimes re-pierce my second holes in my lobes but that is a little painful and more effort than it is worth. As for tattoos, they just aren't my thing.  I change the things I like and feel passionate about so much that I just can't commit to having something on my body for the rest of my life.  Also they are...

It was Red Deer again this year! So many plans changed this holiday season, and I've said before I am a creature of habit and once an idea gets in my head I don't like it to change.  Plan one was to go to Saskatoon and Prince Albert for New Years.  That changed.  Plan two was to go anywhere in the Central Alberta region as a family.  That changed.  Plan 3 was to have an adults only night at our friend's place.  That stuck. So we dropped off the kids after a day of renovating and painting.  We got ready then we headed out to spend the evening with some friends.  Visiting and playing games were on the schedule. It was a fun evening.  There were many laughs and I got to ring in the New Year with Adrian, which I haven't done in three years. I am not a big New Years Eve fan, I have always found it doesn't live up to the expectation.  But really pinning all your hopes and dreams that things will be different on one night because...

This is going to be a picture blog, it's going to have some random pictures of me to illustrate not in words but images how I've changed or grown in my life! Leave me a comment below, and Share on Social Media!!! 

If I could only eat 10 foods/meals what would they be? 1. Lasagna, it's probably my favourite meal of all time. 2. Ice Cream 3. Hot Fudge for on the Ice Cream. 4. Strawberries 5. Bananas 6. Christmas Oranges 7. Oatmeal 8. Arbonne Protein Powder 9. Brie Cheese 10. Homemade White Bread. I get that some of these are a combination of foods, but the question wasn't specific if they could only be ten foods from natural sources or combinations to make a meal. What are your top ten foods/ meals that you would eat if you could only eat those?

Why is it easier to point out the things we aren't so proud of, I could come up with a list of 10 characteristics about myself that could be improved.  Yet coming up with three that I am proud of.... a struggle. Well maybe not so much a struggle as there are ones I am proud of having, but I know that I can always improve them and they aren't perfect. So here are the three I feel are pretty much me without much need to a total overhaul. 1. I feel I am a good listener.  I am an active listener, I listen to listen not to respond.  I'm obviously not always perfect at this but I really try. 2. I am empathetic.  I feel for people when they are in a tough situation and even if I haven't been in that situation I can feel how they feel, this is obviously to a lesser degree than what they are feeling but I can definitely envision their trials and tribulations and how I would be in a similar situation. 3. I am imaginative.  I have a huge imagination and I can fin...

My guilty pleasures revolve around television! In the past year or so since we have cut our cable I have dramatically decreased my consumption and time spent watching television.  I used to have shows I would watch religiously, without fail the night they came on television.  And since we've cut our cable I would say I am down to around 7 shows that I like to watch consistently and within one to two days of their release.  So here are my guilty pleasure television shows! 1. Grey's Anatomy.  I've been watching this show since it's inception year and I used to buy all the DVD season sets.  I get many feels from watching this show so it's still a top on my list.  But if I don't watch it right when it comes out it's not that big of a deal. 2. Scandal.  I love the intensity of this show, but I am glad they are bringing it about to a close, I mean really, what they show started out as, is not what it is ending as.  Thankfully, this streams each we...

I have often told my mom things I remember from when I was kid, and my mom gets this weird look on her face and asks me how I could possibly remember that. I don't know but there must have been some huge feeling attached to it because though I can't recall every day of my life I can recall with details many events in my life from the time I was 2 and a half onwards. So my earliest memory, dates back to when I was two and a half. My parents had divorced and after my uncle passed away my mom decided to move back to Canada.  I am not really clear on the details but this is the information I have learned and pieced together in the past.  Mom and I moved to Prince Albert, I don't know where we stayed until we found a house, but I do remember going to look at place with Low Income housing in the Carlton Area of the city. I remember the brown and white town houses and looking at them, not knowing that there were multiple units in each, and thinking that was a huge house. ...

This year we were supposed to go back to Saskatchewan for Christmas, well orginally I was going to leave on December 26th and then Adrian was going to fly out to meet me on December 29th and we would celebrate New Years in Prince Albert with my friend Estelle. Then Adrian wasn't able to book a flight out to Saskatchewan so I decided since I wanted to go to Saskatchewan as a family and spend some time altogether and he had 4 days off at Christmas I would suggest we do Christmas in Saskatchewan.  He was agreeable to those terms and so we began planning to go. I was super excited. I haven't spent a Christmas in Saskatchewan in three or more years now.  Last year I had surgery, the year before we went to Disneyland and maybe the year before we went to Saskatchewan but I'm not sure, it has literally been that long. Well you can guess by the title of the blog post that we did not go to Saskatchewan, in fact we did not go anywhere this year for Christmas.  We were quaran...

I don't really have a business name, I have worked with a couple Home based businesses, but I don't have my own business name. So this post won't be about my business name, but about the type of business I'd like to open. I have a passion for taking pictures.  I love capturing moments at family gatherings that show utter relaxation or pure joy.  Those moments no one poses for but that happen and you capture a moment that no one realized they wanted captured until it has passed. It's photographing real life as it happens.  I think this is an easier and harder type of photography to capture.  One you aren't staging people and hoping they get in the right light, you aren't hoping everyone is looking the same way, you are just out there capturing the moments.  But it is hard because it takes a special intuition, a special knowledge or ability to be able to read the crowd and moments as they occur. Everyone does this with their own family.  But there i...

Alright here it is 20 Facts about me. 1. I was born in Fremont California and spent my first 2 and half years as an American Citizen.  I still retain my American Citizenship even thought I no longer live there. 2. I moved to Canada at 2 and half and got my Canadian Citizenship, I still have the Canadian Citizenship card. 3.  I have lived in Newark, Prince Albert, Wakaw, Saskatoon, and Red Deer.  There may be one other location but I don't where it was except it was an apartment in California. 4. I have two siblings, and two nephews from my sister and step nephew from my brother. 5. I was a teen mom, my oldest son was born when I was 19. 6. I have two more sons. 7. I have worked many different career paths in my life, as a bakery assistant, waitress, model, actress, customer service representative, teacher, social worker, program coordinator for people with disabilities. 8. I have dabbled in Home based businesses with Arbonne and Fifth Avenue Collection. ...