Life's Whirlwind Adventures

This is going to be a wordy post with few pictures.  But it's a post reflecting on the year that was 2016 for me. I came into 2016 and I was going to make it the year of me.  The year I focused on the things I wanted most, putting myself first.  In some ways I definitely succeed at this but in other ways 2016 did me like it did the icons on my youth, killed my spirit! I wrote last year in February about being in a Funk, being a little depressed (ok maybe more than a little) and essentially giving up on all things that were me.  But I kept putting one foot in front of the other and moved forward. January of 2016 the PERFECT job landed in my lap.  It was like kismet... I actually had two interviews one at a high school I loved (NDHS RD) and one at Chandler's high school (LTCHS RD). I was torn, if both jobs came to offer what would I do... choose the position at the school I loved and had built relationships already or choose the job that was quite frankly ta...

I'm liking up with the DC Trifecta girls, Mar, Courtney and Cynthia once again!! Have you been reading my Friday Fives?  Would you like to join, just head over to here  and read more about, I'd love to have more blogs to read!! Today's topic is Spring, my second most favourite season!! Although sometimes living in Alberta we call it messy winter, but I still love it anyways. Here are my top Five things that I am looking forward to this spring!! 1) My Baby's FIRST birthday!! I am amazed at how fast this year has gone by. I mean he's 10 months already and in two more months he will be a year, a WHOLE year!! It means I am going back to work soon, but my baby will be one and he's such a delightful little guy!! We aren't really planning anything big, but we are doing family pictures and a cake smash for him! He's my baby and my last baby too, so I am relishing these last first milestones!! 2) Running outside, in the morning!! I am a self procl...

Someone asked me once if I loved my job, and I took awhile to really come up with an honest answer.  I mean the easy answer is (now) yes, (years ago) no.  But I really wanted to figure out why I loved my job, I want to quantify what it was about this job that made it a job I would be happy working at my entire working life should that happen. Now most of you know I have a Bachelor's of Education (Go Huskies) and I used that degree in the teaching field for approximately 8 years from 2003-2011.  I had temporary contracts and I had subbing positions and it was fine. I actually really enjoyed subbing because I could make my own schedule but it sucked because the work was inconsistent.  I enjoyed being a classroom teacher, I enjoyed teaching, I didn't enjoy the politics of teaching though.  Don't get me wrong, I know that all jobs come with their fair share of politicking, but with teaching I just didn't want to play that game, I wasn't interested in it.  I j...

It's been a quiet weekend around here, I have been working all weekend with my Fifth Avenue Collection business and Adrian and the boys have been doing their own thing.  It's been nice being able to stay home and just hang out with us here.  I'm really liking it. It's not been often in the past few months that we have been able to do this, what with me working nights, and then other things with the holiday season, justing sitting around and enjoying each other's company has been a fleeting ideal.  Not even something that has been actualized. Maybe that's why I love my Fifth Avenue Collection Business.  It brings in money when I want it to, it has the potential to be so much more, but for now it does what I need it to do.  I have made more this weekend by being at home then I have on my sleep nights, so I know making the decision I made to stop working front line is the right decision.  I know that I have to grow my business and step outside my comfort...

In September of 2011 I began working for Parkland CLASS as a front line worker.  It was something I did part time while I was subbing but felt that I needed to be making some kind of guaranteed income, so it was a new venture. My friend Stacey was a supervisor with the company and said I should try it.  I was really very hesitant about it, I mean it took me three months or more to finally get all signed up.   I started working every other weekend in one of the children's homes.  I was very green but the supervisor and staffing team were very good to me.  I pulled my weight and I worked to do whatever was needed of me. I was not a fan of personal care, I don't like changing my own kids diapers so changing diapers or toileting people was not the draw to the job, and really the pay wasn't the draw either, but I always left feeling I had made a contribution to someone's life that left them better than when I had come.   As this was going on I became disi...