All in all 2014 has been another great year. Some really fun vacations and family memories made. I also had a chance to do some fun things work wise.
My biggest change this year was yoga. As I said in said in the last post it has been something I have embraced whole heartily this last year. When I look at how I'm going to spend my free time, yoga it is. Last year if I had a couple of hours I would head out shopping, now I'm much more likely to head to the yoga studio. My favorite thing about it is how good it makes me feel both physically and emotionally. There is such an encouraging, family like atmosphere there. I see my flexibility improve, but I also see my patience and gratitude improve.
One of my favorite memories of 2014 was a trip we took for my Dad's 60th birthday at Panorama. On the last day there we weren't sure what to do, most of the rest of party had left it was just mom, dad and our family. We decide we would go to skiing in Panorama for the afternoon. It was not very busy, the sun was shining, the runs were perfect. We closed the hill that day.
My resolutions from last year did not go great.... Here is a bit of a summary:
1. Personally and creatively I would like to take more pictures with my
big camera.
I did not do very well with this one. It will be one I'm moving to 2015... I explain more in the blog post tomorrow.
2. The other part of that is blogging those big pictures more.
See comment on #1....
3. Spend less money on clothes and more money on vacations.
This did happen... although see comment one..... I've got a good plan for 2015
4. I want to implement with myself and my
kids is a healthy snack first.
This went well this year. My snack, especially in the evenings has been much better. There are still treat for all of us, just not as frequetns.
5. Run a 10K race.
Done, check!
6. Parenting, I'd like to have more patience with my children.
Especially with Lucas. He is a different person then I am and I find it
challenging to deal with. Not that I don't have challenges with Nathan
too, but I would like to try and have more patience with both of them.
This is getting better. I'm getting better at recognize that Lucas has his own personality and accepting him for who he is rather then trying to change it.
Here is the yearly video summarzing the awesomeness that was 2014!
Jenn
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Sunday, December 28, 2014
December Challenge
It's amazing how in the last year yoga has become such a big part of my life. In September I did a yoga challenge where I went and did yoga at the studio every day for 30 days.
This month I did a yoga challenge on instagram. It was a fun experience and caused me to try lots of different poses that I would have normally said I couldn't do, but with this I knew I just had to achieve them for a moment while Lucas got the picture. Here is a copy of the challenge and the poses I had to do:
This month I did a yoga challenge on instagram. It was a fun experience and caused me to try lots of different poses that I would have normally said I couldn't do, but with this I knew I just had to achieve them for a moment while Lucas got the picture. Here is a copy of the challenge and the poses I had to do:
Day One:
Day Three
Day 24
Friday, December 19, 2014
A special 20 hours
In the last 12 hours I had two moments with my boys that I wanted to share and remember for when they grow.
First was yesterday after school, with one of Lucas's longtime friends. They don't go to the same school so they don't see each other on a regular basis, but probably about once a month. Yesterday Lucas's bus was late and he was walking home from school. He saw me waiting for the bus and stopped to chat. Once Lucas got of the bus, they were chatting and chatting like they had never been apart. Lucas is lucky to have a few relationships like that where he just clicks with people. As a mother it's such a good feeling to see your children have those relationships and get a long with people. I took a picture of them walking together and it makes my heart shine.
Later we had a dinner (albeit slow) at Swiss Chalet from the activity advent calendar and then went to see the lights at Spruce Meadows, which was yesterdays activity, but Alexis's birthday dinner took priority. ;)
Then this morning I took Nathan to school and one of the other parents waiting in line asked me if I was Nathan's mom. I said I was and she proceeded to tell me what a great kid he was. She has had him twice over the last couple of months in her group at school and she said she told the teacher she can always assign Nathan to her. He's polite and listens, takes his turn. She said he was one of the best kids she's been around and she works at a school. I'm sure I was blushing with happiness. Again such a satisfying feeling as a parent that we are doing a good job.
I was lucky to go to hot yoga after with my best friend, honestly the best 20ish hours.
Jenn
First was yesterday after school, with one of Lucas's longtime friends. They don't go to the same school so they don't see each other on a regular basis, but probably about once a month. Yesterday Lucas's bus was late and he was walking home from school. He saw me waiting for the bus and stopped to chat. Once Lucas got of the bus, they were chatting and chatting like they had never been apart. Lucas is lucky to have a few relationships like that where he just clicks with people. As a mother it's such a good feeling to see your children have those relationships and get a long with people. I took a picture of them walking together and it makes my heart shine.
Later we had a dinner (albeit slow) at Swiss Chalet from the activity advent calendar and then went to see the lights at Spruce Meadows, which was yesterdays activity, but Alexis's birthday dinner took priority. ;)
Then this morning I took Nathan to school and one of the other parents waiting in line asked me if I was Nathan's mom. I said I was and she proceeded to tell me what a great kid he was. She has had him twice over the last couple of months in her group at school and she said she told the teacher she can always assign Nathan to her. He's polite and listens, takes his turn. She said he was one of the best kids she's been around and she works at a school. I'm sure I was blushing with happiness. Again such a satisfying feeling as a parent that we are doing a good job.
I was lucky to go to hot yoga after with my best friend, honestly the best 20ish hours.
Jenn
Friday, August 29, 2014
summer 2014
As I sit here drinking tea on our last day of summer vacation I am feeling a little melancholy... well maybe a lot meloncholy. What a wonderful, fantastic, fun summer we have had, yet again. I love being with my kids so much. I love the laziness and the summer vacation. I love getting up when we choose and doing what we want each day. I love visiting with people we don't normally see and trying new and different things we don't normally do. I love summer vacation. I feel grateful that I have a job which allows me most of the summer off to spend and enjoy it with the kids and that I get to be with them rather then at camps etc. And they love that too. =)
Here are some of the picture highlights....
Each summer starts out here with the Stampede. Which we did not go to this year. I love the Stampede and usually there is a band or two I want to see at the Coke Stage and usually one day I take the kids, but this year they had no interest in going. I had asked them on a couple of occasions, but they turned it down. It's interesting as they get older and develop more into their personalities about what they do and do not want to do. I think it's great, even if it doesn't always jive with my personality, but it's great to see them grow and learn about them.
Luckily I did get to dress up and go to a Stampede party with my best friend and one of the companies we work for. It was as usual a great time and we have the picture to prove it. This of course was taken after a my first and last glass of burbon.
After Stampede we headed out to Kelowna. This was the first year of fishing we did in Kelowna. My best friends son got very interested in it, which in turn got my boys very interested in it. So now I am an angler, although only in BC. I even have the angler number to prove it. The boys really enjoyed the fishing. There is a stocked lake by Oma and Opa's house so we would drive there every other day and catch fish. By the end of the week all the boys had caught fish. Although Nathan's first catch was the funniest. He was so surprised and had no idea what to do when he got the fish on his line. He handed the rod the my friend's son and had him take it off.
We also spent lots of time at the beach, playing games with Oma and Opa, playing RC cars, doing yoga and running. There was also a big forest fire in their city and we spent time watching the airplanes put out the fire. It was an incredible thing to watch.
IN our off weeks from Kelowna we filled our time with other things: Science Center, swimming in the mini pool in the backyard, golfing, drumming, baseball games, meeting Darryl for bubble tea, playing with friends, going to Millarville etc. Again, love summer!!
Over the long weekend Darryl and I went house boating with a bunch of other adults. It was a good time for Darryl and I to spend a little time together and the kids got to spend time with Grandma and Pop too. Afterwards Darryl and I took the kids and Emma for our annual Kelowna vacation as well. Again more beach and fishing and relaxing and running and yoga and playing.
To end off our summer Grammy and Grandad came for a visit. It was great to have them come and stay and show them lots of our favourite summer activites. I took Grammy to hot yoga, we took them drumming and to the zoo for the delicious brunch.
All in all it was a great summer. Love having two months off with my boys.
Here are some of the picture highlights....
Each summer starts out here with the Stampede. Which we did not go to this year. I love the Stampede and usually there is a band or two I want to see at the Coke Stage and usually one day I take the kids, but this year they had no interest in going. I had asked them on a couple of occasions, but they turned it down. It's interesting as they get older and develop more into their personalities about what they do and do not want to do. I think it's great, even if it doesn't always jive with my personality, but it's great to see them grow and learn about them.
Luckily I did get to dress up and go to a Stampede party with my best friend and one of the companies we work for. It was as usual a great time and we have the picture to prove it. This of course was taken after a my first and last glass of burbon.
After Stampede we headed out to Kelowna. This was the first year of fishing we did in Kelowna. My best friends son got very interested in it, which in turn got my boys very interested in it. So now I am an angler, although only in BC. I even have the angler number to prove it. The boys really enjoyed the fishing. There is a stocked lake by Oma and Opa's house so we would drive there every other day and catch fish. By the end of the week all the boys had caught fish. Although Nathan's first catch was the funniest. He was so surprised and had no idea what to do when he got the fish on his line. He handed the rod the my friend's son and had him take it off.
We also spent lots of time at the beach, playing games with Oma and Opa, playing RC cars, doing yoga and running. There was also a big forest fire in their city and we spent time watching the airplanes put out the fire. It was an incredible thing to watch.
IN our off weeks from Kelowna we filled our time with other things: Science Center, swimming in the mini pool in the backyard, golfing, drumming, baseball games, meeting Darryl for bubble tea, playing with friends, going to Millarville etc. Again, love summer!!
Over the long weekend Darryl and I went house boating with a bunch of other adults. It was a good time for Darryl and I to spend a little time together and the kids got to spend time with Grandma and Pop too. Afterwards Darryl and I took the kids and Emma for our annual Kelowna vacation as well. Again more beach and fishing and relaxing and running and yoga and playing.
To end off our summer Grammy and Grandad came for a visit. It was great to have them come and stay and show them lots of our favourite summer activites. I took Grammy to hot yoga, we took them drumming and to the zoo for the delicious brunch.
All in all it was a great summer. Love having two months off with my boys.
Till Next Time Jenn
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Spring Cold.....
Which is why I'm blogging. You can only watch so much TV and check Facebook so many times before I need something else to do. So here I am, summing up the last couple of months and the highlights.
A couple of weekends ago I ran 10k. And not a regular normal 10K, but a hard hilly 10k in the mountains. I was challenged with the run much more then I expected. I have run 8K before and enjoyed it but I was so tired when it was all done. But I'm proud of the accomplishment. I took me 1 hour and 19 minutes, which was what I was aiming for between 75 and 90 minutes. The best part about the run (other then the end) was the loot bag. It was sponsered by Rocky Mountain Soap Company, so we got a lot of good stuff.
One of Nathans favorite things was going to the zoo for their Sunday brunch. If you like in Calgary and don't have zoo pass and like brunch this is a really good deal. We were planning on a zoo visit and the brunch was not too much more, so we did both. The brunch was really good. Nathan loved the chocolate fountain, I loved the waffles and Lucas loved the cherry crepes.
We've also been enjoying Outdoor yoga this last month. I've really been enjoying yoga this year, and so when I learned once a week we could do it outdoors and the kids, it was a great activity. The kids did great and continue to do well. And if they are not really feeling it they are good at being quiet and respectful of everyone else doing yoga.
In the meantime both kids are doing well at school, but we are all looking forward to summer break.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
March Round Up
As I blog Nathan's yearly news letter I realize I've fallen off this blogging wagon, I mean of course I have fallen off, that's not the realization, but the realization is my rope is getting thinner and thinner. And I don't want it to, so I'm working to rebuild this rope....
Anyway here is March's roundup....
March was a good month, atleast it always ends well because of March Break!! It's always nice to have a week where we can sleep in and not get ready for school and run around. We do some fun stuff, like ski or go to the pool. But alot of it is just 'chillin'.
We also had our annual St. Patricks Day dinner, which someone bought a special green hat for! And since we all know green is not his favourite colour I know this was a stretch for him.
We also got some big doses of cuteness in March. First my sister got a new puppy who is so so cute. Here she is playing with Lucas. She is doing a really good job for my sister, learning what things to chew, where to go pee and how to play properly. Luckily my mom is also very helpful with the dog too.
Our second dose of cuteness was going to visit our friends who just have twins. Aren't these babies just the cutest!! And there is two of them! Lucas loved the babies. They also have a toddler who Nathan had lots of fun with, but Lucas just loved those babies.
March break was also great for spending lots of time with our best friend family. It's amazing how well all our boys get along. Whether it was in the pool or at the ski hill or at one of our houses there is always lots to talk about and lots of fun to be had.
Hopefully these pictures will be some of the last with all the SNOW!!.. It has been a pretty long winter, with not as many chinooks as we are use to. Maybe that means we will have stunning growing season, but I am looking forward to wearing less hats and scarves and mitts.
Jenn
Anyway here is March's roundup....
March was a good month, atleast it always ends well because of March Break!! It's always nice to have a week where we can sleep in and not get ready for school and run around. We do some fun stuff, like ski or go to the pool. But alot of it is just 'chillin'.
Hopefully these pictures will be some of the last with all the SNOW!!.. It has been a pretty long winter, with not as many chinooks as we are use to. Maybe that means we will have stunning growing season, but I am looking forward to wearing less hats and scarves and mitts.
Jenn
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