Oh man, spring is in the air!! Okay, maybe it is a tad early to be thinking about spring but I can't help it. This mild winter of ours leaves me with the impression spring is just around the corner, awaiting a signal to appear.
I have flowers on the brain! This year I have plans to actually plant flowers in my flower bed, instead of taking the easy way out and letting my sons use it as a sandbox. Oh how I love flowers! Time for some research, since I know virtually nothing about growing blooms.
Normally at this time of year we are still in the icy grip of winter. Not even Valentine's Day yet and I can't stop thinking of sweet new grass, dew, tulips and warmth from the sun. I love this! Who doesn't, right? Maybe boarders, skiers, and snowmobilers, I guess.
Oh man, the past few days I have been feeling so melancholy. Just a bunch of things getting me down; missing family, winter projects weighing on me, etc. Today after picking up the boys I decided to take a break from all the "i wish"es and the "if only"s that have been dragging me down and just HAVE FUN.
We went sledding. It was SOOOO fun! I mean, it was incredibly fun. I was able to just shed every bit of negativity and fly down the hill weightless, full of wonder and love for my boys, and enjoy the moment of having them with me. No fighting, no worries, just smiles and crazy laughter together with my sons.
It was perfect weather for it too; not too cold and a gorgeous sun shining, blue sky, birds singing, and red cheeks and noses. We had the hill all to ourselves (the bigger kids were still in school) and even though traffic sped by on the other side of the small ravine, it felt as if we were the only ones on earth. Just me and my guys. And oh, how I love those little guys!
After an hour of bliss I had to call an end and we trudged back home. It was with a much lighter heart, though, that I walked through our door. Pretty amazing what an hour of sledding can do!
I know Christmas is a memory in the past now, being as how January is almost over... but I haven't put up any Christmas pictures yet anywhere. Here is one of my favorites, Grandpa Ron Surry with the three cousins on his lap.
This year we drove to BC to spend Christmas with Grandpa Ron and Grandma Terry, and the boys were lucky to see their cousin Prestin for a few hours on Christmas Eve day.
We had a great Christmas! They had snow there, unlike at home, and with the mountains and daily walks with the dogs to the river it was very magical. On Christmas Eve we sang Christmas carols with Grandpa Ron on the guitar (sadly there wasn't a piano handy, or I would've played along) and afterward the boys dropped reindeer food outside on the snow (oatmeal with sparkles).
The reindeer food must have worked because in the morning the stockings were full and Santa had eaten most of his cookies :) It was a wonderful Christmas and I enjoyed seeing loved ones and sharing in the Christmas spirit.
Tonight is... wait for it... DATE NIGHT!! I am so excited I can hardly contain myself. It has been so long since my husband and I have had a night out just to ourselves. With no family around we don't get out much, and we don't want to burden our buddies with constant babysitting so we tend to save those for weddings or work functions. Therefore, our dates suffer.
Tonight, however, the boys are going for a sleep-over at a wonderful friend's house and thank goodness. I'm due for some one-on-one time with Jonny! We will do dinner and a movie, don't know which restaurant or which picture, and right now don't care!! I'll think about that later. I am just so happy to have a night out that I'm dancing around while I pack up the boys for their overnighter. (Gee, will that send them a bad message?) =)
Ohh I love my boys so much I could just squeeze them to bits, but mama needs some sane time with papa! Conversation with a grown-up! Not having to explain the 'why's' of everything! Not having to get into a detailed explanation of how an airplane engine works (like I know!) or how trains can stay on the track while in a curve!!
Ahhhh, I can't wait. Gonna get me some steak, or fajitas, some laughs with Jon, and get lost in a movie. LOve it!!
I love calendars. The calendars with scenic photographs are my favorite, which we have right now courtesy our realitor. Last years' was animal pictures, very cute but not as inspiring to me as a good seashore, meadow, or mountainside.
The January picture for our scenic calendar is a beautiful mountain meadow with frost on all the trees, feet of snow, a blue sky and sunshine. Breathtaking. This year I like the view outside my window much better though! I can see half our brown lawn, and the other half is only crusted with a thin layer of icy snow. Normally at this time of year we have feet of snow, like my calendar...not fun.
Another reason I love calendars is filling out a new one. Placing birthdays, anniversaries, special events in the squares is a relaxing task for me and gives me a minute to think about every person I hold dear to my heart. I also like filling out forms though...so maybe I just like the feel of a pen and paper ?
Ahhh calendars are great. I would actually stop functioning if I couldn't look to my kitchen wall and know what day it was. I also keep them. Strange? Maybe so. I only have as far back as the year my boys were born, though. After 4 or 5 years I do chuck them, but I like to keep them and once in a blue moon look back at them and remember...'oh yeah, we did that,' or 'I remember that day'. Like a journal, of which I have 2 currently (personal and family) - not to mention this blog. I don't write every day though, in any of them!!
Well well. I haven't been here in a while. Shame. I actually almost quit my blog; I was waiting for a new printer so I could print off all my posts and compile them in a journal. I have this thing where I compare myself to everyone else and I have some great friends who happen to be great writers. Every time I opened this site with a post in mind I would read others' and decide mine just wasn't good enough, and on to other things I went. Stupid, right? But who doesn't compare themself to others? One of the things I am working on is believing I am ok just the way I am! It can be tough. I shall give this blog yet another try.
Happy New Year everyone! This year brought so many changes for my husband and I. I am almost scared to write about them in case I don't keep up on my goals, then I just look the fool. But here it is. Jonny bought me Georges St. Pierre's training camp called RushFit for Christmas (before the hackles get up, I really REALLY wanted it and asked for it, he wasn't being an insensitive man). So we are doing this 8 week beginner program together.
We have quit smoking, quit coffee, quit fast food (SO hard!!)...we are eating more super foods, healthy foods, fruits and vegetables. It has been 4 days so far, which is nothing in the grand scheme of things. BUT I feel better, have more energy, breath easier, wheeze less... it is good. I miss the smoking, Jon and I have always smoked together and now it's so strange to not smoke, especially when we are having a discussion about something. And coffee...I am seriously addicted to coffee. I am having a hard time without it. I know I can do it though! And will give this 100%.
The workouts are tough! I mean, this guy is a Ultimate Fighting Champion...these workouts are designed mostly for those wanting to get into fighting condition, but they are also for those who desire to cut weight and get in shape. Jonny and I are having fun, working hard, and doing it together. I love it.
I have noticed that this is mostly a mental game with me. During the course of a day I go back and forth repeatedly between feeling great and happy, to wanting a smoke and a Timmy's and forget getting in shape!! It's so hard, but nothing worth having is easy. I love that Jon is doing this with me, and we can back eachother up.
That's my New Year's resolution, to get in shape and be healthy and happy. Good luck to me and Jonny!! I know we can do it, but I have started and quit so many things over the years... so yeah, good luck to us.
Oh yeah, and we also have two short guys rooting for us, they've been asking us to quit smoking for a couple of years now and finally we are doing it. Feels great not letting them down every time I step outside!
