Cute conversation

The getting ready for bed routine involves showering and then running to the bedroom wrapped in their towels to get their pajamas on. Tonight was no difference except for Mason fixed his towel and said "Look mom I'm wearing a married towel, I'm going to marry you" when I explained I was already married to dad he said okay "I'll marry Dani" so right away Dani said "I'm going to marry Mason" when I explained to them you don't marry your siblings or your family you marry your best friend. The next sentence melted my heart, Dani exclaimed "but mom, Mason is my best friend". 

So my 3 love bugs may you always be each other's best friends.  Love your faces, love mom

Remembrance Day November 11, 2014

Today was Rememberance Day. Normally we would go down to the memorial and be there for the service,  but Alin was unsure of letting us go down with the huge crowds and in light of what just happened, he is nervous that there would be something go wrong.  So we stayed home and watched it on television,  I was a little disappointed to be in Ottawa and not be down at the memorial but it actually turned out to be quite a touching experience. The kids were playing in the living room when the broadcast started, but I had them all stand beside me as we say "Oh Canada" the words truly hit a chord with me and I could feel and hear my voice crackng with emotion. I was so impressed with the speakers and the use of prayer the mention of God and how It was just a great program. One fellow caused my heart to ache I think he was 92 and they interviewed him after but while the service was going on and the bag pipes began to play you could see in his face that he was back in the war... Remembering... His eyes started to well up and then he closed them. My heart was filled with gratitude, love, admiration and sorrow. I felt sorrow for the things he had probably seen, done and felt and immense gratitude for the life I have. I pray that my brothers, my brother in laws and our sons/daughters NEVER have to go to war. That we are always blessed to live in a free country. 

The kids made poppies (paper plates and paint)

I think it's so important that our kids realize the blessings we have living in Canada respect for everyone that has paved the way and are still paving the way. One of the things that my parents always did was take us to the rememberance service growing up which as an adult I truly appreciated the lesson of the importance of remembering, respecting and showing gratitude for our Country and its servicemen. 

The kids put their hand painted poppies on the grave of the unknown soldier and I was so proud of them. 

30 things to start doing for yourself taken from the world wide web:)

Marc and Angel are the authors of 1000 Little Things Happy Successful People Do Differently. Here’s their amazing list of 30 things to start doing for yourself. 

#1. Start spending time with the right people. – These are the people you enjoy, who love and appreciate you, and who encourage you to improve in healthy and exciting ways. They are the ones who make you feel more alive, and not only embrace who you are now, but also embrace and embody who you want to be, unconditionally.

#2. Start facing your problems head on. – It isn’t your problems that define you, but how you react to them and recover from them. Problems will not disappear unless you take action. Do what you can, when you can, and acknowledge what you’ve done. It’s all about taking baby steps in the right direction, inch by inch. These inches count, they add up to yards and miles in the long run.

#3. Start being honest with yourself about everything. – Be honest about what’s right, as well as what needs to be changed. Be honest about what you want to achieve and who you want to become. Be honest with every aspect of your life, always. Because you are the one person you can forever count on. Search your soul, for the truth, so that you truly know who you are. Once you do, you’ll have a better understanding of where you are now and how you got here, and you’ll be better equipped to identify where you want to go and how to get there. Read The Road Less Traveled.

#4. Start making your own happiness a priority. – Your needs matter. If you don’t value yourself, look out for yourself, and stick up for yourself, you’re sabotaging yourself. Remember, it IS possible to take care of your own needs while simultaneously caring for those around you. And once your needs are met, you will likely be far more capable of helping those who need you most.

#5. Start being yourself, genuinely and proudly. – Trying to be anyone else is a waste of the person you are. Be yourself. Embrace that individual inside you that has ideas, strengths and beauty like no one else. Be the person you know yourself to be – the best version of you – on your terms. Above all, be true to YOU, and if you cannot put your heart in it, take yourself out of it.

#6. Start noticing and living in the present. – Right now is a miracle. Right now is the only moment guaranteed to you. Right now is life. So stop thinking about how great things will be in the future. Stop dwelling on what did or didn’t happen in the past. Learn to be in the ‘here and now’ and experience life as it’s happening. Appreciate the world for the beauty that it holds, right now.

#7. Start valuing the lessons your mistakes teach you. – Mistakes are okay; they’re the stepping stones of progress. If you’re not failing from time to time, you’re not trying hard enough and you’re not learning. Take risks, stumble, fall, and then get up and try again. Appreciate that you are pushing yourself, learning, growing and improving. Significant achievements are almost invariably realized at the end of a long road of failures. One of the ‘mistakes’ you fear might just be the link to your greatest achievement yet.

#8. Start being more polite to yourself. – If you had a friend who spoke to you in the same way that you sometimes speak to yourself, how long would you allow that person to be your friend? The way you treat yourself sets the standard for others. You must love who you are or no one else will.

#9. Start enjoying the things you already have. – The problem with many of us is that we think we’ll be happy when we reach a certain level in life – a level we see others operating at – your boss with her corner office, that friend of a friend who owns a mansion on the beach, etc. Unfortunately, it takes awhile before you get there, and when you get there you’ll likely have a new destination in mind. You’ll end up spending your whole life working toward something new without ever stopping to enjoy the things you have now. So take a quiet moment every morning when you first awake to appreciate where you are and what you already have.

#10. Start creating your own happiness. – If you are waiting for someone else to make you happy, you’re missing out. Smile because you can. Choose happiness. Be the change you want to see in the world. Be happy with who you are now, and let your positivity inspire your journey into tomorrow. Happiness is often found when and where you decide to seek it. If you look for happiness within the opportunities you have, you will eventually find it. But if you constantly look for something else, unfortunately, you’ll find that too. Read Stumbling on Happiness.

#11. Start giving your ideas and dreams a chance. – In life, it’s rarely about getting a chance; it’s about taking a chance. You’ll never be 100% sure it will work, but you can always be 100% sure doing nothing won’t work. Most of the time you just have to go for it! And no matter how it turns out, it always ends up just the way it should be. Either you succeed or you learn something. Win-Win.

#12. Start believing that you’re ready for the next step. – You are ready! Think about it. You have everything you need right now to take the next small, realistic step forward. So embrace the opportunities that come your way, and accept the challenges – they’re gifts that will help you to grow.

#13. Start entering new relationships for the right reasons. – Enter new relationships with dependable, honest people who reflect the person you are and the person you want to be. Choose friends you are proud to know, people you admire, who show you love and respect – people who reciprocate your kindness and commitment. And pay attention to what people do, because a person’s actions are much more important than their words or how others represent them.

#14. Start giving new people you meet a chance. – It sounds harsh, but you cannot keep every friend you’ve ever made. People and priorities change. As some relationships fade others will grow. Appreciate the possibility of new relationships as you naturally let go of old ones that no longer work. Trust your judgment. Embrace new relationships, knowing that you are entering into unfamiliar territory. Be ready to learn, be ready for a challenge, and be ready to meet someone that might just change your life forever.

#15. Start competing against an earlier version of yourself. – Be inspired by others, appreciate others, learn from others, but know that competing against them is a waste of time. You are in competition with one person and one person only – yourself. You are competing to be the best you can be. Aim to break your own personal records.

#16. Start cheering for other people’s victories. – Start noticing what you like about others and tell them. Having an appreciation for how amazing the people around you are leads to good places – productive, fulfilling, peaceful places. So be happy for those who are making progress. Cheer for their victories. Be thankful for their blessings, openly. What goes around comes around, and sooner or later the people you’re cheering for will start cheering for you.

#17. Start looking for the silver lining in tough situations. – When things are hard, and you feel down, take a few deep breaths and look for the silver lining – the small glimmers of hope. Remind yourself that you can and will grow stronger from these hard times. And remain conscious of your blessings and victories – all the things in your life that are right. Focus on what you have, not on what you haven’t.

#18. Start forgiving yourself and others. – We’ve all been hurt by our own decisions and by others. And while the pain of these experiences is normal, sometimes it lingers for too long. We relive the pain over and over and have a hard time letting go. Forgiveness is the remedy. It doesn’t mean you’re erasing the past, or forgetting what happened. It means you’re letting go of the resentment and pain, and instead choosing to learn from the incident and move on with your life.

#19. Start helping those around you. – Care about people. Guide them if you know a better way. The more you help others, the more they will want to help you. Love and kindness begets love and kindness. And so on and so forth.

#20. Start listening to your own inner voice. – If it helps, discuss your ideas with those closest to you, but give yourself enough room to follow your own intuition. Be true to yourself. Say what you need to say. Do what you know in your heart is right.

#21. Start being attentive to your stress level and take short breaks. – Slow down. Breathe. Give yourself permission to pause, regroup and move forward with clarity and purpose. When you’re at your busiest, a brief recess can rejuvenate your mind and increase your productivity. These short breaks will help you regain your sanity and reflect on your recent actions so you can be sure they’re in line with your goals.

#22. Start noticing the beauty of small moments. – Instead of waiting for the big things to happen – marriage, kids, big promotion, winning the lottery – find happiness in the small things that happen every day. Little things like having a quiet cup of coffee in the early morning, or the delicious taste and smell of a homemade meal, or the pleasure of sharing something you enjoy with someone else, or holding hands with your partner. Noticing these small pleasures on a daily basis makes a big difference in the quality of your life.

#23. Start accepting things when they are less than perfect. – Remember, ‘perfect’ is the enemy of ‘good.’ One of the biggest challenges for people who want to improve themselves and improve the world is learning to accept things as they are. Sometimes it’s better to accept and appreciate the world as it is, and people as they are, rather than to trying to make everything and everyone conform to an impossible ideal. No, you shouldn’t accept a life of mediocrity, but learn to love and value things when they are less than perfect.

#24. Start working toward your goals every single day. – Remember, the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. Whatever it is you dream about, start taking small, logical steps every day to make it happen. Get out there and DO something! The harder you work the luckier you will become. While many of us decide at some point during the course of our lives that we want to answer our calling, only an astute few of us actually work on it. By ‘working on it,’ I mean consistently devoting oneself to the end result. Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.

#25. Start being more open about how you feel. – If you’re hurting, give yourself the necessary space and time to hurt, but be open about it. Talk to those closest to you. Tell them the truth about how you feel. Let them listen. The simple act of getting things off your chest and into the open is your first step toward feeling good again.

#26. Start taking full accountability for your own life. – Own your choices and mistakes, and be willing to take the necessary steps to improve upon them. Either you take accountability for your life or someone else will. And when they do, you’ll become a slave to their ideas and dreams instead of a pioneer of your own. You are the only one who can directly control the outcome of your life. And no, it won’t always be easy. Every person has a stack of obstacles in front of them. But you must take accountability for your situation and overcome these obstacles. Choosing not to is choosing a lifetime of mere existence.

#27. Start actively nurturing your most important relationships. – Bring real, honest joy into your life and the lives of those you love by simply telling them how much they mean to you on a regular basis. You can’t be everything to everyone, but you can be everything to a few people. Decide who these people are in your life and treat them like royalty. Remember, you don’t need a certain number of friends, just a number of friends you can be certain of.

#28. Start concentrating on the things you can control. – You can’t change everything, but you can always change something. Wasting your time, talent and emotional energy on things that are beyond your control is a recipe for frustration, misery and stagnation. Invest your energy in the things you can control, and act on them now.

#29. Start focusing on the possibility of positive outcomes. – The mind must believe it CAN do something before it is capable of actually doing it. The way to overcome negative thoughts and destructive emotions is to develop opposing, positive emotions that are stronger and more powerful. Listen to your self-talk and replace negative thoughts with positive ones. Regardless of how a situation seems, focus on what you DO WANT to happen, and then take the next positive step forward. No, you can’t control everything that happens to you, but you can control how you react to things. Everyone’s life has positive and negative aspects – whether or not you’re happy and successful in the long run depends greatly on which aspects you focus on. Read The How of Happiness.

#30. Start noticing how wealthy you are right now. – Henry David Thoreau once said, “Wealth is the ability to fully experience life.” Even when times are tough, it’s always important to keep things in perspective. You didn’t go to sleep hungry last night. You didn’t go to sleep outside. You had a choice of what clothes to wear this morning. You hardly broke a sweat today. You didn’t spend a minute in fear. You have access to clean drinking water. You have access to medical care. You have access to the Internet. You can read. Some might say you are incredibly wealthy, so remember to be grateful for all the things you do have.

October 22,2014 CHOICES

CHOICES

This morning and as I type this Ottawa is in a state of panic, confusion and heartbreak.  There was a shooting at about 9:50 this morning at the war memorial downtown by parliament.  A man walked up to a soldier and shot him with a rifle, then fled (this soldier has since passed away).  There were shots fired at parliament, around rideau shopping center and other places.  The news reports at this time are a little sketchy and pieced together, but police consider this an active situation and buildings, schools and parliament are all on lock down. 

I was listening to the radio when I heard the breaking news and driving home from Costco, instantly a panicked feeling hit me, we have so many friends who's husbands work for the government, us embassy or military.  It makes me want to gather my little family, and our friends hunker down in our home, play some old fashioned board games, eat some comfort food (soup comes to mind) start the fireplace and forget about this crazy, awful day. 

 Why do people do things like this? Why is someone now left without a dad, brother, husband, father because of someone's horrible decision and choice? What has gone so wrong in this fellow/fellows life to warrant killing another human being? What does he think he is proving or demonstrating? Why was someones last kiss goodbye and wave today? Everyone has their free agency but it is sometimes so hard to understand why someone would use their agency this way.  Surely Heavenly Father is heartbroken as well.  Today I am praying for everyone involved.  For the families of the victims who are now without their loved one and will have to go on without them, to the families of the shooter because their life is forever changed as well. To the shooter and to the Sargent in arms who had to shoot the shooter. For our city that we call home, that we will still see it as beautiful and wonderful and that it will heal from this day.  For me and my little family that we will be kept safe and not live in fear because of someones bad, horrible decisions.  I was surprised at how hard this hit me today, I think because I now have a mother's heart and little's to worry about and want them to live in a world that is peaceful, kind, beautiful and where panic and fear don't grip them. 

The news has also said he has a little boy  that's kindergarten age.  And he himself was 24. My prayer tonight is that his family is comforted, that this will not break them, that they may feel of our Saviours love upholding them and comforting them. That his little boy may be wrapped in love. 

That we remember there are still good salt of the earth people around and here's an example

Great wolf lodge holiday with the McAteers

We were off again to Niagara Falls to enjoy each other's company, not cook meals, no distractions except for water and fun, and the icing on the cake...McAteers. We left Friday and it's always a little stressful getting out the door but a deep breath as soon as we are on the road. As I write this we are on our way back so the craziness and kids going snaky is almost forgotten...almost. That being said we did pass a car and trailer on side of rode in a fiery inferno when we took a picture you could feel the heat of the fire.

So I guess they were having a worse road trip then us. 

Arrived at Great Wolf Lodge around 6, went swimming and then to bed. Spent Saturday in the pool and the weather was phenomenal so we spent most of the day in the outdoor pool. The kids LOVED it and are looking sun kissed. 

Our fun this trip included: 

• Watersliding of course, Mason went down a new slide (Orange) this visit and now a whole new world is opening up to him. Poor Abbie is so anxious to join Mason and Daniela as they waterslide so I took her up, she went down the little slide...loved it and I went to take her again but one of the lifeguards stopped us to tell me she was to little. She was sooooo sad. Lots of swimming outdoors, sun and sliding. 

• Princess Party that Alin suggested I take Daniela too. It was $10 and it was so fun to watch Daniela's reaction and just have some mom and her time.  There was Belle, Elsa, and Snow White. They sang so many songs and really interacted with the kids and then of course a photo op.  Dani was so excited when Snow White waved at her but wanted to stick pretty close to me. Really a fun activity. 

• Trip to town to see the Falls

At Niagara Falls

Love this picture: Daniela, Abbie, Eloise, Evie and Mason. 

I love how every season they decorate. So here was some fall decorations and our crew In front of Great Wolf Lodge. 

The McAteers; Dan, baby Arthur, Evie, Eloise and Kate

I can't say it enough such a great family and we love travelling with them. I had one of the best laughs with snorts and tears included with Kate. We decided we would try and watch women's conference together, so we headed to the gym got on some crazy treadmills that didn't seem to be working normally and started to watch. When out of the corner of my eye I saw Kate trying to adjust something on the iPad that was leaning against the control panel, but it must've put pressure on the speed up button and honestly all I saw was some arm flailing and quick motion while hearing some quick stepping, and then Kate was gone, It was so fast and furious and surprising that I couldn't help but start laughing and I must have been in one of those moods because I couldn't stop and it turned into one of those laughs that tears are running down your face you have to bend over in fear of your 3 baby bladder giving out on you and I topped it off with some snorting. 

• We also went for a little stroll one afternoon and ended at the whirlpools, Dani fell asleep in the stroller and so I took Abbie and went across the trolley above the whirlpool (Alin and Mason were not excited about it at all due to heights)

Abbie and I on the trolley

• We also did some bowling, mini golf, arcade (those dads love the arcade) and of course ate some great food. The kids slept great and another great adventure had:)

First night away...without bringing a baby home

I was nervous, stressed, dripping with sweat, anxious but also needing the chance to try being without my babes and my love for a night.  Not going to lie the thing I was looking forward to the most was uninterrupted sleep. Just for your information I haven't slept more than 3 hours in a row since Mason was born (that's 4.5 years) I could honestly envision my head hitting the pillow, drool running down my cheek and the occasional  snore escaping my throat. If that's a awful picture in your mind, to me it sounded like heaven. 

This is me, in a car (BMW) to be exact, with my new haircut...which I absolutely love, singing at the top of my lungs along with Pink and enjoying the beautiful scenery. The drive to Mont Tremblant was amazingly beautiful, the leaves were beautiful and the smell of fall in the air was delicious. 

Here's the crew that went: Bianca (she is living with the Zimmermans and is from Brazil), Michelle Laycock, ME, Amanda Dugan (pregnant with twins), Elizabeth Du Guilo and Amy Zimmerman. Really amazing group of ladies. It was stunning and beautiful on Friday night. I got there late after everyone else so I just caught a bit of shopping and dinner. I ate my whole meal without anyone spilling on me, putting their hands down my shirt, having to go to the washroom with a little.  I had a conversation from start to finish. All things you don't appreciate when your not a mom:) then back to the room and visited till around midnight. Most important news was I slept from midnight to 7 and only woke up twice thinking something must be wrong with the love bugs, because no one was up and then I remembered and stretched out in my bed and fell back asleep:)

The next day was rainy but I wanted to go up the gondola. It was chilly, and blowing but I loved it. 

So it was Elizabeth, Amy and me while Amanda got her yoga on, Michelle and Bianca where also chilling at the hotel room, then another walk about, lunch and then headed home

The gang

I had to snap this picture I just thought this was so beautiful. 

I have a secret Sept 16,2014

I hear almost daily from people, that they are amazed at how much I do with you kiddos. That we are always out and about and doing things like apple picking, little hikes or a plethora of other adventures to hosting fun little parties, to having our own little school with crafts BUT here's my secret...I am scared to death that I won't always be able to do fun active things with you, I aim to, I hope to and I'm working hard to be healthy but the downside of having kids late in life is that I'm no spring chicken and that scares me to no end. I want to be the mom that is always active with her kids, I want to hike and rock climb and ride bikes and do all those things and let's face it no one wants to get old. I am scared that I'm not going to see you graduate and be that mom

In the crowd fist pumping as you guys walk across the stage. I'm scared  I won't be there for your first loves, marriages, babies or if I am then I'm going to be out of energy, in a body and mind that's failing me.  So while I'm somewhat with it now... most days.   You can bet your bottom dollar that I am going to walk your socks off, make you hike hills, eat snow, try and teach you how amazing and beautiful nature is. That it renews, refreshes and relaxes the soul. Try and enjoy every little exhausting, wonderful, learning, fun moment with you and watch how amazing you three little beings are. I love you "this much", sweet dreams. And here's to a million and more adventures