tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38031252171577799932024-03-05T17:33:39.589-05:00Me WomanGrab a Kaffe, sit down and enjoy the show...MeWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05920147534555992400noreply@blogger.comBlogger174125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803125217157779993.post-68651929346171907772015-09-18T16:46:00.000-04:002015-09-18T16:46:24.118-04:00You just never know...Life is truly good at keeping us on our toes!<br />
This week we got to experience that again, as we are being thrown for a loop.<br />
Tuesday evening Hubby went to play volleyball and when he jumped to spike a ball, he heard a loud pop, followed by him collapsing on the floor.<br />
He called and asked me to pick him up, feeling that he should go see a Dr, since his knee cap was 2 inches above its original location.<br />
I went to pick him up and found him sitting in a wheel chair.<br />
After several hours at ER (I went home to take care of our baby who was running a high fever), I picked him up at 3 in the morning.<br />
He had a brace around his knee and crutches to help him move forward. It was a fairly big project to get him in to the car!!<br />
His leg has to be kept straight and he has some long legs!! We did eventually figure out a way to get him in and went home to catch some rest.<br />
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Wednesday I got the kids on the bus and asked our oldest daughter to please stay home for the day to help care for baby, since I had to be able to bring Hubby to the hospital to see an orthopedic surgeon. Baby was still running a high fever (she has roseola), so I really didn't feel like bringing her along.<br />
We saw the surgeon and got confirmed what we had feared, my hubby had broken his knee tendon.<br />
<br />
Yesterday (Thursday) he had surgery to have his tendon repaired.<br />
He was able to come home only a few hours later.<br />
Now he has a long recovery ahead of him. At this point it's easier to say what he CAN do than what he can't. He's stuck on the couch and fortunately he can work from there!!<br />
The hardest part for him to accept is that he won't be able to work on our house. The surgeon said the recovery usually takes 6-12 months, so our life will be adjusted in many ways and some of our plans we had, will most likely change.<br />
<br />
For now we are thankful that the surgery went well, that he has work he can do while being bedridden, and that he's healthy otherwise.<br />
We need to focus on taking one day at the time and find comfort in knowing that things happen for a reason.<br />
<br />
We sure need prayers for strength and patience during this time.<br />
<br />
<br />MeWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05920147534555992400noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803125217157779993.post-37949188071611570832015-08-17T16:47:00.001-04:002015-08-17T16:47:18.445-04:00Under Construction...A note from my oldest daughter:<br />
<br />
I asked my oldest daughter to redesign my blog- update it a little bit. So, in short, this place is going to look a little crazy until she gets things tidied up and looking cute. Stay tuned!<br />
<br />
Enya (Oldest Daughter)MeWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05920147534555992400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803125217157779993.post-19617969657585483002015-08-17T14:09:00.002-04:002015-08-17T14:09:51.090-04:00Things are moving along...Here life has been going on in a less than slow manner.<br />
We've been busy with fun stuff though, so no complaints coming from this corner!<br />
The weather has been amazing too, so life has been great!<br />
I have truly enjoyed this summer, and one of the huge perks about this summer is that we didn't MOVE!!<br />
We did start building a house though, but I feel rather chill about it.<br />
It will go the way it goes, at the pace it takes.<br />
Life's too busy for me to get too worked up about it.<br />
I bet having built a few times, under a lot more stressful circumstances, helps too.<br />
I have learned to keep things in perspective.<br />
<br />
I told my hubby this morning how excited I am to see what this next year brings.<br />
We know that we are building a house, and I am having lots of fun planning the kitchen, coordinating colours and floors and choosing styles and designs of anything from door handles to roof shingles!<br />
And trying to not get too carried away, but keeping things within a realistic budget.<br />
The footings are done and this week the basement walls will be assembled (we are building the basement out of ICF blocks, in other words, styrofoam blocks with concrete poured inside them. This will provide us with a climate stable and waterproof basement. The basement will only be about 4 feet below ground level, so we'll fit full size windows in the rooms.<br />
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What else?? I travelled down to Windsor/Detroit with 4 of the kids a few weeks ago. We went for a weekend and visited my sister-in-law who was home alone with their 4 youngest (Hubby's brother's family) and also attended Confirmation at church and visited other friends. Such a fun trip!!<br />
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We have also had my husband's sister with family here for a visit, so we finally got to see their adorable, identical twin girls.<br />
There's nothing like cousins hanging out together, they all had so much fun! <br />
Between our family, her family and hubby's brother's kids, there were 24 kids between ages 11 months (the twins) to 18 (oldest grandkid to my in-laws just turned 18 last week)!!<br />
It's a half time job keeping up with who's where and with who and what they are doing!<br />
So much fun and lots of memories made.<br />
<br />
The kids are counting the days till school starts, 22 more days to go!<br />
I am glad they are excited to go back.<br />
Our 3rd daughter will be starting high school, and she's ready to take this next step towards growing up.<br />
<br />
I will try to keep up with this blog and share updates regarding our house, it sure will be fun to see our next home take shape! :)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />MeWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05920147534555992400noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803125217157779993.post-90901442493823268892015-07-14T11:05:00.001-04:002015-07-14T11:05:38.184-04:00Update...Hello there!!<br />
<br />
So, it's suddenly July and the last month was a blur of activity.<br />
We have done our fair share of house prep and planning, our 3rd daughter graduated with much pomp and circumstance from elementary school, there was a work trip for my hubby that I went along for (just one night), we've had visitors and over night company, and guess what?<br />
Summer.<br />
Glorious summer.<br />
It arrived!!<br />
I think I'm going to subscribe to this beautiful weather for a long time, it feels SO good!! Visiting the gorgeous beaches, playing in the park, swimming in our pool, eating ice-cream, tanning on the deck...we've done it all.<br />
<br />
Today is a big day!<br />
Last night the digger arrived and today they are excavating our lot and house building is starting within a short amount of time! Still seems a bit weird that we are actually building again, but also really exciting.<br />
<br />
I just wanted to leave a brief update to let you all know what's going on at the moment, and I'll try to keep updating as the house project advances.<br />
<br />
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<br />MeWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05920147534555992400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803125217157779993.post-73998404372729804332015-05-21T14:46:00.000-04:002015-05-21T14:46:12.251-04:00Never a dull moment...Our life is usually pretty busy.<br />
The last few years have been especially so.<br />
As many of you know, we've moved overseas twice and moved twice in addition to that, since summer 2010.<br />
We built a house in Finland, and before that we had a house that was built for us, but that we finished the basement, deck, fence, driveway and yard on. Our first home was a tiny shoe box that we lived in for 3 years that we did some major renovations on, while living in it.<br />
Anyway, with life being so full of constant change, you get a bit addicted to things happening on a regular basis.<br />
<br />
This last year included a new baby, a move, hubby starting his own business and lots of snow.<br />
Not sure what the snow had to do with this, but it was worth adding.<br />
I have maintained that "We are not making ANY big decisions or changes for at least another year!".<br />
But between breaths we have of course talked about all sorts of big plans, mostly regarding our next house. We have realized that buying an older house is not worth it where we live now, so we pretty much "have" to build again....<br />
So, since we are fairly crazy and often forget what we just "decided" only a few days ago, we bought a lot!<br />
<br />
Oops....<br />
<br />
So yeah, we are building a house! Chop, chop, here we go again!! Wish us luck!<br />
I am actually very excited, this will give me something to do, and to blog about ;)<br />
<br />
<br />
On a side note I'd like to add that our friends that had the apartment fire are doing really well. The husband has made some remarkable steps forward in the last 24 hours, and we have much reason to Thank God for this. Please keep them in your prayers.MeWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05920147534555992400noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803125217157779993.post-32287534471363838572015-05-20T10:07:00.000-04:002015-05-20T10:07:23.132-04:00Luxury problems.We went on a trip this past weekend. On Saturday we attended a wedding (it was beautiful!) and I realized that our 7 year old daughter only brought her high top sneakers along for the trip, so no dressy shoes to wear for church.<div>
A luxury problem.</div>
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We enjoyed some really warm days during our time away, however, with 10 people in our Suburban, and no AC, we did't enjoy driving a whole lot.</div>
<div>
A luxury problem.</div>
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I got frustrated upon returning home, to literally freezing temperatures (think, snow in the air).</div>
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A luxury problem.</div>
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I could go on and on, but you probably get the picture.</div>
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Our days are filled with these luxuries. </div>
<div>
"This coffee isn't that great!"</div>
<div>
"How did you manage to wreck ANOTHER pair of pants?"</div>
<div>
These are things that are a real annoyance at the moment, and I think we wouldn't be human if we never complained or vented for vain reasons.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
But what if one morning your whole life was turned upside down between going to bed and sunrise? </div>
<div>
What if a fire caused this change?</div>
<div>
What if you lost almost everything you had to this fire?</div>
<div>
What if your spouse was in critical condition from hot, toxic smoke inhalation?</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm not saying we should walk around in fear all day, waiting for something terrible or sad or scary to happen. That's not a way to live life. God wants us to be happy and enjoy the life he blessed us with. But isn't it easy to get caught up in all the little silly things?</div>
<div>
Isn't it easy to compare oneself to others in many ways. They have more of this, they have a nice car, how could they afford that house? How are they raising their kids? Why this and why that?</div>
<div>
Well, so far I haven't received any medals for doing so great.</div>
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I have however been blessed with a lot. In every aspect of the word.</div>
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That's why this terrible fire that changed our dear friends lives in just a few minutes, have been such an important reminder for me.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
It is hard to write about this accident, and I sure hope that this dear lady who lost so much will be OK with me writing this. I know she'll read this at some point and she'll shake her head and think I'm silly for writing this, but I will write it anyway.</div>
<div>
This lady IS one of the sweetest, most thoughtful and gentle persons I have ever met.</div>
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She is quick to smile, laughs easily, has a fun sense of humor and is liked by everyone that knows her. I have never heard a bad word spoken about her. </div>
<div>
When I moved to Canada she was one of the people who really helped me feel welcome, always making a point to talk to me.</div>
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Now, seeing her in this sad and heavy trial, she is inspiring me again.</div>
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I saw her this weekend and she still had her amazing spirit intact.</div>
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She happily went through all the bags with donated clothing, amazed by the generosity of her friends. She felt like it was Christmas!</div>
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She told some funny stories and we had some good laughs. </div>
<div>
Her heart is heavy though. Her traveling companion is in the hospital. In lots of pain. My husband and I went there and it hurt to see him in pain, heavily sedated.</div>
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It must be so, so hard for her to see him like that. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Times like these help keep things in perspective. You realize what matters. I have had a few trials that affected me like that during my marriage. When our 3rd daughter was diagnosed with diabetes at age 2, and she barely made it. When I suffered my miscarriage at 20 weeks.</div>
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I look back at those times and realize that the pain is still there. Those days and weeks were hard. But despite sometimes wishing things would have turned out different, there's a part of me that's so thankful for those trials. Without them I would have never experienced the amazing outpour of love and care. So many prayers, thoughtful cards, text messages, phone calls, gifts etc, somehow I wouldn't want to have NOT had those trials, since I learned so much from them and in the end they strengthened my faith.</div>
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<br /></div>
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I hope, wish and pray our dear friends, who are now going through such a hard time, one day can look back and say "Despite it all, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way!"</div>
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So, today I will try to remind myself to appreciate my health, the sunshine, my lukewarm coffee, sticky floors and loud kids.</div>
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Things could truly be harder. Much, much harder.</div>
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MeWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05920147534555992400noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803125217157779993.post-44974735558223771982015-04-27T13:52:00.001-04:002015-04-27T13:52:49.707-04:00Spring is my thing!Hello!<br />
<br />
I hope I have enough time to compose a little something.<br />
I realized exactly a whole month went by since my last entry, and although nothing too earth shaking has taken place since then, I figured I'd at least say a polite "Hello!".<br />
<br />
Guess what? The snow is gone. Yup. True story. It sure didn't look like it had plans of leaving, at all, ever. But it did!! (Let's all give the snow a round of applause for realizing that it was time to bid farewell, for this time).<br />
I have spotted spring flowers. Yup. Just like that. They hardly gave the snow enough time to depart, before they decided to greet us with their lovely selves. Thank you, spring flowers, for arriving, you made me very happy.<br />
<br />
We are still enjoying temperatures around freezing, but we have also had a few "heat waves" when the kids enjoyed wearing just short sleeved shirts outside!!<br />
They have had time to ride their bikes, play soccer and football and other sports.<br />
I have had time to enjoy driving on bare roads and taking walks, feeling pavement under my feet!<br />
<br />
So, I guess we can safely say that the arrival of spring has been the most important happening in the last month! I appreciate all seasons, really I do, but between you and me, I think winter overstayed its welcome this year. It can be a bit rude like that.<br />
<br />
What else? Our adorable baby is walking, started a few weeks ago, and it's SOOO cute!! She'll be ONE on May 3rd. And no, I have no clue where that time went. I do know that we have enjoyed her so very much though. So much so that my old self is almost catching a case of the baby fever. Almost.<br />
<br />
Hubby has been blessed with more work than he has time for. When you are running your own business, the most assuring feeling is knowing you have enough work ahead of you, so we are feeling very blessed. And the fact that he works from home sure is an extra bonus. We have traveled some lately, and he just brings the laptop along and works while I drive! Pretty neat!<br />
<br />
Oldest daughter is doing well, between 11th grade, work and boyfriend. She dreams of moving out soon, and I am getting ready for her departure! Nothing is happening yet, but maybe this summer! I used to wonder how you as a parent get ready/prepare for your children moving out/growing up. Well, now I know. Them becoming teenagers, never being home in the first place, and acting like a 3rd adult in the house (but not paying any bills), help.<br />
I love her so much and we have such nice visits, but at some point, your little princess becomes BIG! And this new, bigger child, needs to try her own wings, and I want her to do that. Not so I can say "See!, it's not that easy!" (well, maybe a little bit because of that too...), but because LIFE!! You need to learn to stand on your own two legs, and I feel that she's very ready to do so, making her own mistakes, forming her own habits. So whenever it happens, I'm ready to send her on her merry way!<br />
<br />
Daughter number 2 is doing so, so well, but we have our ups and downs. I just found out some things she'd done when she wasn't feeling so well. (last fall) Things that made me sad, upset and surprised to hear about. It's one of the worst feelings as a parent to find out stuff that your child has done, and you feel like everyone else knew, but you. I don't want to seem like the kind of parent who thinks that MY kid could never do wrong. I know they can. I know I did. But it's still hard when you realize that bad things happen.<br />
Fortunately all is taken care of and she corrected what she did wrong, what more can I ask?<br />
In school she's gone from failing 2 classes (pre adhd medication), to being in the top of her class!! (post medication). Quite amazing!, and I'm so happy for her.<br />
She literally LOVES going to school.<br />
So, over all, she's doing amazing. Her mood is great, almost all the time, she's way less anxious, and she just seems HAPPY!!<br />
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The rest of the gang is chugging along. 2 more months of school, and we hope to enjoy a LONG, nice and waaarm summer. I'm eyeing the pool, waiting for the last layer of ice to melt away. We have lots of stuff going on in the next few months, our 3rd daughter will be graduating from elementary school, and in the fall we'll have 3 kids in high school! Weird how fast they grow up.<br />
Good thing we have our little girl as a reminder of the baby years, otherwise I might have already forgotten about the night feedings, dirty diapers, teething etc. But just like the seasons change, so does our life, and I'm doing my best at enjoying these years, since I'm starting to realize just how fast they go by!<br />
<br />
Happy spring wherever you are!<br />
<br />
<br />MeWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05920147534555992400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803125217157779993.post-33654579003279795672015-03-27T13:53:00.001-04:002015-03-27T13:53:08.884-04:00We had a great time!Time to play catch up.<br />
This month sure went fast, and I can not believe Easter is only a week away! We still have LOTS of snow around here and the nightly temperature goes well below freezing.<br />
But the spring sun is showing its face on a regular basis now days and the evenings are getting longer, so somehow it does after all feel like SPRING! And it smells springy.<br />
Yum.<br />
<br />
We had a wonderful, amazing, fun, intense and busy trip to Florida.<br />
We left our town on Sunday the 8th of March. I started the morning with a trip to urgent care, since I in a very untimely manner managed to catch mastitis (breast infection). I was running a fever and felt like a truck had hit me and then run me over. So by the time I had gotten antibiotic for my infection, it was 1 pm before we hit the road. I rested during the drive and the kids were thankfully great travelers. We made it down to Windsor around 8.30 pm and visited my husband's brother and his family. I was pretty wiped, but it's always nice to see those familiar faces. <br />
<br />
We were fortunate to spend two nights at my in-laws, and my husband worked from their house while I recovered and thankfully felt better by the time we left on Tuesday.<br />
I appreciate the fact that my husband can work from anywhere these days, it makes our life very flexible. Such a blessing for us.<br />
<br />
We came to Detroit airport around 12.30 pm and checked in and ate lunch and hung out, watching planes take off and land. Our flight was a bit delayed, but after a 2 hrs 50 min flight, we landed safely in Fort Myers, Florida, at around 6.30-7.00 pm.<br />
When we walked out of the airport our 7 year old daughter finally got to see a REAL life "pom" tree (she thought until recently that's what they are called), and she ran up and hugged it :)<br />
We picked up our rental van and drove the 35 min to our rental house. <br />
It felt so amazing to actually be there! The house we rented was really nice, nothing fancy, but perfect for a family with lots of kids. We picked up pizza and some groceries and made beds etc, and then crashed for the night, quite tired after a long day.<br />
<br />
The following week was filled with fun! My hubby was able to get some hours of work done during the days, but otherwise we visited many beaches (they are SO beautiful!), went to a nice little zoo, spent a very fun day at a water park and did some mall strolling and a bit of shopping.<br />
Leading up to our trip the kids had earned "Florida Bucks", a few cents here and there for helping out, so now they got to spend those money on little things.<br />
One evening we went to the pier in Naples and watched the sunset. A gorgeous evening!<br />
<br />
We had a few visits to the Dr's while there, and our baby was sick with a cold, that led to a burst ear drum, but fortunately she was well by the time we headed home.<br />
We had to get up at 4 am on Wednesday March 18th (our oldest daughter's 17th birthday!!) in order to catch our flight back home. We spent the last night in a hotel close to the airport, so it wasn't a far drive. We landed in Detroit at 9 am and I drove most of the way home, after sleeping for all of 2 hours! It was not super awesome to return to lots of snow and cold, but hey!, I'm not going to complain after being able to go on a trip like that!!<br />
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Seeing our kids by the ocean, feeding a giraffe, riding on a camel and many, many other neat moments, I feel so fortunate and grateful. This was my 40th birthday wish, and I can't believe it actually came true! So I will try to handle a few more weeks....or maybe even a month?? of snow.<br />
<br />
Happy spring everyone!MeWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05920147534555992400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803125217157779993.post-46303398350861306692015-03-07T09:53:00.003-05:002015-03-07T09:53:59.313-05:00Live and bloom!I am very fortunate, in many ways. One of the ways is the fact that I have good friends, like, really awesome friends who love and like me, are there for me, no matter how pathetic, whiny, down, sad, happy, weird, corny I am.<br />
My number one friend is obviously my Hubby, but besides him, I have many others.<br />
Some of them are my siblings and my "spare sister", she's a really good friend of our family, and as close to a sister you can be, without actually being one.<br />
She laughs at us (us being my siblings and I) when we act weird or typical for our family.<br />
She's also a very funny, sarcastic and honest friend, and she will tell you how it is, the good and the bad, and remind us to cheer up when we are down, but at the same time shows empathy and understanding for our sometimes pessimistic moments.<br />
<br />
Anyway, this last month was rough for me, due to the cold and snow. I already blogged about it, so I won't lament on how much it dragged on. However, my good friend reminded me to "Live and bloom where you are planted!"<br />
It hit home.<br />
Such simple words, but also so true.<br />
I know that God guided us to be where we are for a reason. We were meant to move here, and in many ways it's a really good place for us to live at. But I felt like I was wilting lately. I forgot to water and nourish myself. I allowed myself to look at the negative and dwell over things I have no control over and can't change. What a waste of time! Or maybe not. Because it also gave me time to vent and reflect over many things, and that is important, I think.<br />
Reminding myself to "Live and bloom", put my mind in a good place.<br />
It made me think "What can I do to improve my situation?" (Because no one else will do it for me)<br />
"What can I do for others, to help improve their lives...?"<br />
Well, that list is endless. There's always something you can do for others. And when I find myself spending too much time dwelling on things that drag me down, I try to do something for someone else, and it pretty much always make me feel better.<br />
<br />
Don't start thinking I am this great person who do all sorts of great stuff for others, because I'm not.<br />
It might be small things, like reading a book for one of the kids, asking one of my teens about their day, taking time to really listen, and before I know it, my focus has shifted and I feel uplifted.<br />
<br />
Talking about feeling uplifted. Last night I had a great chat with our 15 year old. Our daughter that had a really hard time last fall.<br />
It's been about 3-4 months now since she was at her lowest. Back then I felt so much inner turmoil, so many questions unanswered. What was the best thing to do? Will people judge? Will people think we picked the "easy route" if we put her on medication? (which in NO WAY is an easy route, trust me!).<br />
There are so many kids now days that are diagnosed with "something". If our daughter got a diagnosis, would she be a number in the statistics of families hopping on the bandwagon of some new "trend"?<br />
<br />
Well, I can not answer for anyone else but ourselves. And it IS startling how many kids are diagnosed with something and given medication these days.<br />
BUT! That doesn't mean our daughter shouldn't get the help she needed. Maybe she's a number in some book. But she's also our child. She also needs to be able to feel happy and be able to succeed in school.<br />
So, together with several professionals, we decided to give her a low dose of antidepressant for her anxiety and give that some time before doing anything else. We could all see a change for the better, and she felt better, happier and less anxious, however, her ability to concentrate in school was still very poor.<br />
Our daughter was recognized as a "gifted child" at age 8-9 after going through several hours of testing in grade 3. So we know that learning comes easy to her, in pretty much all areas. But her lack of ability to focus, put many of her strengths to shame.<br />
So after trying several other changes, including removing wheat and sugar from her diet (which did help her to some extend), making sure she got enough sleep, ate well, moved around a lot etc, we decided to put her on medication for her ADHD.<br />
<br />
I had tears in my eyes when I walked back to the car, carrying her prescription in a bag. What was this stuff that I was going to give my child? Had we really tired it all? This stuff is a narcotic. It just sounds so BAD! No, it wasn't easy. And the Dr did not prescribe it without a thorough evaluation and many visits and counseling. And maybe way too many kids are given medication... but there and then, I prayed that we were doing the right thing for OUR child.<br />
We are very fortunate that she has a positive nature and an optimistic outlook on life. We are blessed with her having many promising talents and gifts. She's blessed with a strong, healthy, beautiful body, face and personality.<br />
She's a great, funny, sarcastic girl, and I truly enjoy being her mom.<br />
I have also spent many hours, especially in the last year, crying on her behalf. Seeing that she was struggling. Her schooling was suffering. She was not happy. <br />
<br />
Two weeks have gone by and she's taken her meds on school days. She's not drugged up or out of it. She's eating and sleeping well. She's smiling and is way calmer and a lot more focused and collected. Last night we had a good chat. I felt such great happiness for her sake. Her beaming face, telling me how math is now "SO EASY!!!". She can finally stay focused enough to get through each class, ahead of all the other students (not like that really matters, but just to show what an improvement it has been for her!).<br />
She said she gets upset when lunch hour rolls around "Because then I can't do anything academic!".<br />
<br />
So today I am happy. And I shall do my best to bloom and live, for my sake and for my family's sake. And I am thankful for modern medicine. When used properly, for its intended purpose, it's a wonderful blessing in a young girl's life.<br />
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<br />MeWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05920147534555992400noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803125217157779993.post-75097349360063764122015-02-27T11:24:00.001-05:002015-02-27T11:24:46.442-05:00Stupid feelings....Ugh. Feelings can be so frustrating. I sometimes wish I could switch to robot mode. Just "function" and chug along and not question anything.<br />
But that wouldn't be living, would it?<br />
<br />
First off, I like living where we live. Minus 5 months of snow. 5 months is a big part of the year btw, so it does get kind of long. I didn't grow up with long winters, and although I truly enjoy all the seasons of the year, and would not exactly want to live where there's summer all year long, these winters get to me. I am not dying to hit the slopes or skating rink. I prefer taking walks without slipping on ice and freezing my nose off.<br />
But, I can live with it. It's OK, life goes on.<br />
I love how close everything is here. Within 10-15 minutes I can get to most places.<br />
People are very friendly, in the stores, at the schools and at the various Dr's offices I've been to.<br />
Life is at a slower pace in general.<br />
I like all those things.<br />
There's enough shopping, and if I need to cross over to the US, it's a quick drive and hardly ever any long lines at customs. I can easily tank up the car, do some shopping and run errands and be back in Canada in just over an hour.<br />
We have lots of great friends and the kids like their school etc.<br />
We hope to buy or build a house and are looking in to different options. My husband likes his job and the people he works with and for.<br />
<br />
Yup. That's all really good and dandy!<br />
<br />
So why do I get homesick for Windsor?<br />
I find myself daydreaming of living there again. It's hard.<br />
It would not "make sense" for us to move back there, although we would be totally fine living there too, but we'd give up a lot of conveniences if we did.<br />
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Well, this is just a vent. I need to get it off my chest. I guess it's good to be open minded in life, knowing that we are able to live in many areas and be happy. And over all I AM happy here. I am. I'm just homesick for home....<br />
Fortunately we are heading down there soon, so hopefully that'll give me my "fix" and I'll be good to go for a while!!<br />
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Anyway. Time will tell what's meant to be, but today I will be homesick for home.<br />
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<br />MeWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05920147534555992400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803125217157779993.post-70325884337701228112015-02-17T10:16:00.000-05:002015-02-17T10:16:01.832-05:00Happy 40! I really need to write. Seems like my head is full and I need to let my thoughts find their way out through my fingers, through the keyboard, in to the computer.<br />
First of all, I turned 40!<br />
Yup.<br />
Just like that.<br />
It just snuck up on me, without a warning or gentle nudge.<br />
I just woke up on Sunday morning, and there I was, a decade older...<br />
<br />
I really can't say I've had any kind of crisis, or stressed about it, but because age IS a topic of discussion, it's hard not to ponder, even a little bit.<br />
I had hopes of being "Fab at 40". And although my hubby thinks I am (thanks!), I had hoped to feel "more" fabulous. And it has bothered me a bit that I'm not. I'm not even sure of what I picture it to be, but I guess in better shape, better looking, better.... just, better.<br />
But then my brain got thinking. And remembering.<br />
And I felt fabulous, as in "fabulously dumb".<br />
I look back at my lab work that I had done just before Christmas, following a physical. ALL my levels were perfect. My Dr told me "You are healthy as a horse!".<br />
My weight is, well, considering I've carried 8 babies to term, within reason. I have hair on my head and a smile on my face (I'm aiming for laugh wrinkles as I age, rather than the frowny ones).<br />
I eat well and I enjoy food. I am able to nurse my baby and keep her nourished.<br />
I do not suffer daily pains or aches. Most mornings I get out of bed without problems (unless you consider "sleep deprived due to nursing baby 3-5 times a night" a problem).<br />
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I AM FABULOUSLY BLESSED WITH GOOD HEALTH!!<br />
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Yes. I had to shout that out like that. Because it is often so easy to take this good health for granted. And I shouldn't. I should start each morning with a grateful sigh, thanking God he's kept me healthy. Healthy for myself and my family. Because that's a huge blessing.<br />
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I suffered from depression and severe anxiety some 10-13 years ago. I wasn't able to go grocery shopping. I'd have anxiety attacks just reading my shopping list. Even if I went without kids and had all the time in the world to end the task. I just couldn't. Thankfully my hubby could.<br />
I stressed easily and would get splitting headaches from it.<br />
I had days when I sat on the couch. I'd feed the kids, make sure they were safe and fine, but I wasn't happy. I didn't enjoy many things in life. When I was around people I was pretty good at keeping up a brave face. But I wasn't happy. I was depressed.<br />
I was, however, thinner and younger, and maybe even better looking than now.<br />
But I wasn't happy.<br />
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God has been with me and my family through those times, and I know, I really do know, how very blessed I am to have strong mental health these days.<br />
I laugh a lot. From my heart. Big, real, belly laughs, that reaches every crow's foot by the corners of my eyes.<br />
I am way more relaxed. I am more patient. I judge less. I love life. I am older and heavier and well, not so great looking any more. But I feel fabulous, and that's a fabulous feeling!<br />
<br />
Wishing all of us a healthy, happy year.<br />
And if you feel the way I used to feel, please take care of yourself. There's no shame. You deserve it, your family deserves it. Life is short, don't forget to live it.<br />
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MeWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05920147534555992400noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803125217157779993.post-5128052397440545562015-01-20T20:31:00.000-05:002015-01-20T20:31:58.539-05:00Hello, 2015!I turned around, and next thing I know, it's a new year!<br />
Happy New Year, all of you.<br />
<br />
We celebrated a very nice Christmas with my husbands parents and some of his siblings. Fun as usual! Our oldest daughter LOVED her trip to Sweden, I'm so glad she was able to go.<br />
After celebrating Christmas, we spent two relaxing days at a hotel. The kids swam and we all just chilled, went to a huge mall and had some well needed family time.<br />
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We spent New years eve at home with some friends, ate pizza and goodies and visited. Our oldest daughter came back from Sweden the same night, so it was so much fun catching up with her, and getting some Swedish candy!<br />
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Since last time I wrote, our 2nd oldest daughter has been doing so much better. She is more relaxed and happy, something we are all very thankful for. She still has a lot to learn, but she's an eager student, so she is already trying out various ways of how to deal with her challenges.<br />
I'm glad she's blessed with a positive nature, that makes any challenge easier to handle.<br />
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Our baby is now 8 months old and is getting busier, getting around and making lots of noises. She can also stand, on her own!, for brief moments at the time! Crazy how fast they grow up.<br />
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This past weekend I did something I've wanted to do for many, many years. I booked a trip for our whole family to go to Florida in March! We are all so very excited and I can't believe we are actually able to do this! We'll be flying down and stay at a house we rented, close to a beautiful beach.<br />
It seems like a dream and the kids are thrilled!<br />
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This last week several of the kids have had the flu, and a few are still running fevers and coughing, so a trip to the south sounds heavenly!<br />
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Well, that's pretty much it for now!<br />
I am excited to see what this new year brings, our last few have not been boring!<br />
Oh, I have to add, living here in the Soo is going so well, I really like it :) and last time I checked, my family members agreed!<br />
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<br />MeWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05920147534555992400noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803125217157779993.post-77772382514728651602014-12-09T11:26:00.000-05:002014-12-09T11:26:10.672-05:00Pray more, worry less....So here we are. It's December. I am 100% positive that somehow we skipped a month this fall. Because, truly, how else do you explain that it's already December 9th???<br />
See. I told you.<br />
<br />
Outside my window we have a beautiful winter day. Sun is shining and we have lots of snow and it's only around freezing, so not terribly cold. I like.<br />
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Another week and a half left of school before Christmas break. Our kids will have one semester under the belt in their new schools, and over all, it's gone quite well. It's easy to get caught remembering the lost books, the forgotten homework, the missed opportunities to study, moments of frustration oven papers misplaces etc, but when I look at the big picture, I realize those are minor bumps. If I have time to worry about those things, my life must be pretty easy, and normal!<br />
Our kids that are in elementary school are all doing fine. The younger girls are not gonna win any spelling bee any time soon, but they seem to be making friends, having fun and are keeping up OK. Our Kindergarten boy is doing so awesome! I went for an observation visit in his classroom and talked with his teachers, and they only had good things to say about our little guy. I am so thankful. The night before he started school my hubby and I hardly slept, but prayed a lot on his behalf... We were both so worried about sending him away. Would he listen? Would he behave? Would he be happy? Would he enjoy himself? Fortunately we can say yes to all of the above.<br />
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Our 13 year old is preparing for high school next fall and she's getting excited about being a "big kid"! She's reading all the information they are getting and wondering what courses to pick. I am SO happy to see her excited about high school, especially since she for a long time was resisting anything that applied to "growing up". She didn't want to become a stupid teenager. High school seemed scary. Well, she turned 13 and somehow she's managing just fine ;)<br />
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Our 11 year old is plugging along as usual. She's spunky and fun and our most reliable kid. She does well in school and does what she needs to do without being reminded very often. 1 out of 8 like that! Not bad!! He, he.<br />
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Our teens.... Well. Our 16 year old is off to la-la-land. Also known as "boyfriend land". Yup. Our oldest is dating. We had 17 years old for age limit, but since she's always been pretty advanced, she started dating 4 months early, so she's right on track according to "her" normal.<br />
It is weird. Really weird. And I wasn't prepared for it at all. She has always maintained that she wasn't going to start dating before she was well past 20. Like, 25, or so.<br />
Silly me. I believed it!! And I think she did too! Until this tall, charming boy made her head turn into a balloon on a string! Fortunately for her (and him!!) we approve of Prince Charming. He really is a very nice guy.<br />
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Our 15 year old has had a pretty rough 6 months. We moved away from where she loves to live. She had to start a new school and get to know new "everything" (she's doing well with friends etc, so that's nice). Then her pesky older sister, who has been her best friend since babyhood, starts working = gone a lot. To top it off, this same sister goes and finds a boyfriend! Without permission from her. NOT easy.<br />
It's like all the things she relies on, keeps getting ripped away from her. She does like to go to school though, and that I am very grateful for. However, her grades are dropping fast and hard. She does what she needs to do in class, and she does it very well, but she does NOT hand in assignments, does not study for tests, does not do her homework. (we are working on these things and she's making progress) This girl has always had a great big temper. She has always been very sweet and sensitive as well. There has been a lot of many things.<br />
We are now finally figuring out what most likely has been her challenge for many years, and are waiting for a diagnosis of ADHD. She's very open and positive about this, and can't wait to feel better. She also struggles with OCD and anxiety, so there's a lot on her plate.<br />
The ball is now rolling though, and she's starting therapy and might need to go on some medication. It's hard not to worry. It's hard not to feel guilty. It's hard not to feel pain and sadness.<br />
I hope and pray this will be a turning point for her. She has so much potential. In her construction class she has the highest percentage. She's so good at so many things. My heart goes out to her and wish she could see herself in my eyes. That she could see how awesome she is, how smart and beautiful she is. She has the most generous, thoughtful nature, but sometimes a switch goes off in her head, and all those wonderful things get overshadowed by some real struggles.<br />
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I need to remember this great, awesome saying that a good friend of mine sent me<br />
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"If you have time to worry, you have time to pray"<br />
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I need to remember to pray more and worry less. <br />
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<br />MeWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05920147534555992400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803125217157779993.post-58621356954881945002014-11-04T10:01:00.000-05:002014-11-04T10:01:24.449-05:00Life is full of changes.I am actually writing another blog entry again! Only a few weeks since last, wow!! But a lot has happened, so I figured I share it with you.<br />
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First off, yesterday I started my 5th journal!! OK, what does that mean? Well, four years ago, when we'd lived in Finland for about 4 months, I found myself looking back, wondering what in the world had just happened, and realized that I remembered very little of what had taken place in the months that had past.<br />
SO, I decided to start writing a journal. I purchased a simple journal containing a page for each day of the year, and I more or less filled each page with that day's events and happenings, little things that the kids would say or do etc.<br />
This has now become a habit!! (and I am NOT one of those who easily stick to anything that resembles a habit, so be impressed, please!) So, yeah, since the first day of writing in my first journal happened to be Nov 3rd, 2010, that has now become my informal "Family New Year".<br />
So yesterday I started my 5th book! It's actually sort of exciting to think about when I in the future have these books to read. I will be able to look back and smile, cry, laugh etc at what our life was like "in the past". I don't think my life is any more interesting or unique than the next person's, but it is MY family's and MY life, so to ME it is interesting! And trust me, the things I write aren't earth shaking by any means, it's the ho-hum of our daily lives, but even the smallest events are fun to read about later on.<br />
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OK, enough about my secret diary.<br />
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Two weeks ago I spent 5 days on the US west coast, visiting my sister and brother and their families. It was kind of a sudden trip, my sister had enough points for me to get a really, really cheap ticket for me to fly out there, so YAY!! I went! I brought baby along, of course. It was a nice break away from the day to day chores and so nice to see my siblings again! I hadn't seen either of them for several years. It was also awesome to come back home. Being away from my family and my everyday life reminded me of why I love my life so much! I have it good.<br />
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As of Monday a week ago, my hubby is now his own boss! Very exciting and I can't say how happy I am for him. He signed a contract with some local guys and he'll be doing business modelling for them. He also works on an hourly basis doing aircraft financing/analyzing for buying and leasing airplanes for his old boss (that he worked for before we moved to Finland). These kind of challenges are the ones he loves to do. This is when his business degree comes in handy, and he truly enjoys what he does. So, yeah, exciting and fun! <br />
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It feels like our life is taking a turn for the better in many ways and knowing that our future is an untold story, I try to remember to embrace the good that we are experiencing at the moment and thank God for the way he is taking care of us.<br />
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We have a few trips planned by the way, so maybe I'll write about them "next time"! Until then, take care.<br />
<br />MeWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05920147534555992400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803125217157779993.post-79678980439707064882014-10-17T10:43:00.000-04:002014-10-17T10:43:38.041-04:00......hello?I feel like I've been totally forgetting about this blog lately. Blame life. You know, that thing that takes place somewhere between diaper changes, running errands, house chores, filling up gas, making dinner, talking with my kids and hubby....<br />
It's been a steady stream of life going on.<br />
It has also included me running a long and stubborn cold, ending with me needing antibiotics and a puffer!! Never used one of those before, but the cold went down in my lungs and I was wheezing. Yukk. I am finally feeling better. The kids and Hubby have had the same thing to different degrees.<br />
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So, what's been going on?<br />
In September our 2nd oldest daughter turned 15. She didn't know what to do for her birthday, but was very lonesome for her friends in our old locality. So, I was able to arrange for her to meet up with them, about half way between our cities, and we had such a fun day with her friends and a few of the moms. We enjoyed a yummy lunch and then went shopping at the outlet mall. Our family spend the weekend at a hotel right by the outlet, we had some free nights to redeem from points we'd collected when hubby worked out of town last winter. Nice!! It was so nice and fun to just chill for a few days. Kids swam in the pool and we ate pizza in the hotel room. Such a typical family get away! <br />
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The fall up here was spectacular. The colours of the trees have been simply stunning! I have never seen it like that before, way awesome! I really like that.<br />
Now I am bracing myself for a long and cold winter with lots of snow. I have to admit, even though I love every season and do like snow, I am not really a winter person. So, a challenge it will be! <br />
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The kids are all doing well. We have 7 in school now and so far, so good. Our little guy in Kindergarten turns 5 next week, and he LOVES school this year. I am SO happy and thankful for that. He is starting to read small words and his favourite "subject" is gym. <br />
Our 2nd grader is a typical school girl. She loves to do "quiet" things. I think she alone has used up more tape and glue than the rest of our kids combined! She seems to keep up OK with the things they are learning as well, so no big worries there.<br />
Girl #5 is in grade 3 and she has made many friends and is enjoying her days. If she could she's be on the monkey bars all day, she is quite athletic and loves to move around. <br />
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Then we have #4 in grade 6. She is an easy kid that is very chill and laid back. She's also very goofy and giggly. She has a few really good friends already and school comes pretty easy for her.<br />
Our 3rd oldest is going to be a teen this month!! She has suddenly started to grow so much faster, and is not a little girl any more. She has always been tiny, and I can tell she's quite excited about FINALLY starting to catch up in size with her friends. She really likes her new school, friends and teacher. SO good to see! Her grades are coming up as well, I feel so happy for her. This is her last year of school before high school, so it's good if she starts to pay attention to her education a bit more!<br />
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Our 2 oldest are in grade 10 and 11. At times I want to put the break down hard. My eyes actually mist up when I think about it. Kids. Grow. Up. Fast.<br />
It is NOT cliche. They really do.<br />
I've been looking at some old pictures this last week that the kids dug up from somewhere, and there was one of them going to the first day of school in JR and SR Kindergarten. 11 years ago. Sigh.<br />
I bet the next 11 years will bring way too many changes along with them. Our oldest is now 16....in 11 years she'll be 27!! She got her first job this fall, at HM, (the clothing store), that they just opened at the local mall. She's pumped!! She also got her driver's permit.... Yeah. Scary.<br />
I know my kids are not perfect, and I don't expect them to be (then I'd have to live up to the same standard myself, and that would be impossible!!), but I do think they are pretty awesome kids. For being teen girls, I really couldn't ask for much better.<br />
They have some really decent friends around here, so that's a big help. I have much reason to be thankful.<br />
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Our youngest girl is already 5 months old. She's our daily dose of sunshine. She's my remedy when I look at the big kids growing up too fast. She keeps my days busy, and I LOVE to snuggle and hang out with her. Yeah, she's pretty fantastic.<br />
She is starting to scoot and has almost mastered sitting. I am introducing some baby food to her (mashed up bananas and avocados), and she has had some interesting experiences trying to eat them. I swear the food inflates when you put it in their little mouths!! The amount she spits out is like 4 times more than I TRIED to put in!!<br />
All the kids love her to pieces, even our little guy that had to give up his spot as the youngest, he's so protective of her, I love it!!<br />
And yes, hubby is VERY smitten by his youngest girl. ;)<br />
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Talking about him, he's been plenty busy with work, both physical and mental. He has been doing construction but also a lot of work from home (accounting related). He likes that he's busy with both!<br />
I am busy at home and over all I enjoy our new city. I have to admit I've been a bit homesick though... Fortunately we are planning a trip down there in a month, to attend a wedding, so that'll be awesome!<br />
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That's it for now! I hope you all have a wonderful fall!<br />
<br />
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<br />MeWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05920147534555992400noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803125217157779993.post-11773170979648883752014-09-05T12:04:00.000-04:002014-09-05T12:04:12.475-04:00Hello, September!It is quiet in here.<br />
Baby is taking a nap, hopefully long enough for me to get a few things done. All the other kids are in school, and hubby's at work.<br />
Weird.<br />
This summer sure went by fast, and I'm not sure if I'm ready for fall, but, ready or not! Here it comes!<br />
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Our little guy started Kindergarten. So far he likes it. His teachers are nice and fun and the kids all seem like a good bunch. It wasn't easy sending him off, both hubby and I were nervous and a bit worried, and I don't think either of us slept very well the night before school started. We did pray for all our kids though, starting new schools, again...<br />
Sometimes I wonder how they'll be effected by all of our moves and constant changes in their lives. But I have to trust that they'll be OK and that God is with them. As a parent though, I find that I question my actions, and I often feel that I might be doing the wrong thing. I guess knowing I am TRYING to do my best, is some comfort.<br />
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My parents were here for 9 days, and we enjoyed their visit. My older brother and his family came for a few days as well, as did my in-laws. While they were all here, we held our baby's baptism. We had such a nice and fun last weekend of summer!<br />
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Tomorrow we are planning to hike up in Hiawatha National Park (only a short drive from here). It's been raining a fair amount lately, so hopefully tomorrow will lend us some sunshine when we head out! I love exploring this new city, especially the nature around here! So beautiful.<br />
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Well, I need to get some stuff done, while I have a chance! Have a good weekend and happy new school year to all of you who have kids in school :)<br />
<br />
<br />MeWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05920147534555992400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803125217157779993.post-89436403042666316982014-08-20T10:27:00.000-04:002014-08-20T10:38:03.531-04:001 year Anniversary!One year ago, today, we woke up early and headed for the International airport in Helsinki, Finland. To say we were excited about the trip, would be an understatement. We were going back home!! Home to big maple trees (and maple syrup...), familiar stores, family and cousins and many dear friends! Home to our old stomping grounds. Yes. We were excited.<br />
<br />
Looking back, seeing what this year brought us, I almost need to sit down and catch my breath! Whew! What a ride! From when our plane first touched ground in Halifax, us only catching our plane to Toronto because they held it for us! Finding a house to rent, buying cars, signing kids up in school, waiting for our overseas shipping container to arrive... Also seeing everyone again, after 3 long years away! The two youngest hearing everybody speaking English, being able to understand everything being said!! (they had no memories of that from when we lived here before).<br />
Then, me finding out we were expecting another baby. Excited and nervous.<br />
Then Hubby working out of town, for 7 long months....<br />
I often felt like our life was on hold during that time. <br />
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Early May we greeted a perfect, beautiful, baby girl into our lives. She has been such a blessing, and we can not imagine our lives without our newest little princess. <br />
Hubby was able to take two weeks off after her birth, and then he got laid off, so his paternity leave got unexpectedly extended. Something had to be done, and despite us feeling quite wiped in many ways, another move was in God's plan. Now we have lived in our new home for almost 2 months!! Crazy. We really like our new place, as well as the city, surroundings, friends and work. God has been good to us and lead us during this last year, as he has in the past.<br />
I can't say it was always a smooth ride, but life seldom is. <br />
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Looking forward to see what this next year has in store for us!!<br />
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And yes, we certainly miss Finland at times. I have found myself crying, more than once, while thinking about our many dear friends over there. And of course, the candy, saunas, beautiful nature, coffee and chocolate ;)<br />
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I do have to add one thing... I LOVE the fact that I again can understand and speak and write the language that is used where I live!!! I have often caught myself being so thankful for this!! <br />
<br />MeWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05920147534555992400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803125217157779993.post-43228305658630288492014-07-29T16:22:00.000-04:002014-07-29T16:22:01.604-04:00We are still alive!Well, well! I am attempting to write a brief post, letting you know that we are still alive and well.<br />
<br />
We have now lived in our new house for 4 weeks, and time has not stood still, not even for a moment!<br />
So, what has happened?<br />
We moved, and the move went as well as a move can go. You know, messy, stressful, hair pulling, little sleep... and somehow it took place. The day before we had to leave our previous rental, I felt tired and spent. In many ways. It's always emotional to move from one place to another, not really knowing what lays ahead. It's also tiring and stressful. No matter how much you prepare and organize and prepare in advance, the night before is always crazy.<br />
It was the kids' last day of school. Newborn baby to look after. One of our vehicles broke down... And you know, the daily stuff you need to do, like eat and stuff.<br />
A few times I felt a few tears burning in my eyes, and I kind of felt like hiding in a closet and pretend that this wasn't our life.<br />
But then you keep on going and make it happen.<br />
<br />
The drive up to our new city, went well. I drove the mini van (that Hubby had time to repair in the midst of the moving madness!, only a new starter motor required) and Hubby drove the Suburban with a trailer in tow. I only had to stop 3 times to feed baby, so not bad!! We made it up here early evening and unloaded the trailer and whatever stuff we had in the cars.<br />
Then the 6 youngest kids and I spent Fri-Sun at friends house, while Hubby, friend's hubby and oldest daughter returned down to pack up the house in a moving truck.<br />
Of course the big truck we had ordered wasn't available, so we got a smaller one, that didn't fit quite all of our stuff... So the following weekend Hubby had to drive down one more time to get the last of our stuff in a trailer.<br />
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In the mean time I spent the weekend at our friends' house, and several of our kids got stomach flu. Gotta keep it interesting!!<br />
Monday night we spent in our new home, and it felt nice and exciting.<br />
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Now my baby woke up and I need to feed her, but here is bit of what has been going on as of late! Will write more later, but will sign off saying that life is going really well for us right now :)MeWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05920147534555992400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803125217157779993.post-34664118403856635972014-06-23T22:36:00.001-04:002014-06-23T22:36:24.526-04:00A chapter ending...I am grabbing a moment to write a few lines.<br />
Baby is sleeping and the rest of the gang is gone (it's strangely quiet in here!!) to watch the annual fireworks over the river between USA and Canada.<br />
I didn't feel like bringing such a small baby along, the crowds are huge down there and it gets quite loud too.<br />
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Four more nights in this temporary home, then off to new adventures.<br />
When we found this rental we signed a six months lease, and after that it's been on a month to month basis. We knew we weren't planning on staying in this house for long, but we didn't know that our next home would be in a different city!<br />
We had planned to find a house in this area, and settle here for the time being. But God had other plans.<br />
It's with mixed feelings we leave this area behind.<br />
I wasn't born in Canada to start off with, but this is the only city I have lived in, in this country, and the longest time I have lived in ANY city, in my life! My hubby moved here with his parents and siblings when he was 5-6 years old (he moved to Canada when he was 4 1/2, and spent the first few years in Toronto), and has lived here more or less since then, besides some years spent in Finland as single and married.<br />
So, this city has become our "base".<br />
It's not a strikingly pretty city by any means.<br />
It's rather polluted and boring, actually.<br />
The summers can get nasty hot and humid, and the lakes are too polluted to swim in.<br />
Doesn't sound so appealing, does it?<br />
But home is where you create memories, where you birth and raise your children, where the good and the bad days take place.<br />
Regardless of what the surroundings are like, the comfort of the familiar, the convenience of the known, become a security and a safe place to be. It becomes HOME.<br />
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When we moved overseas four years ago, almost to the date!, it was such a big move in so many ways, and in my gut my only wish was to one day be able to return to Canada...<br />
There were so many changes about to take place, it was hard to even sort out all the feelings and first impressions.<br />
I remember being overwhelmed, and like in a daze, for a full four months after arriving to Finland.<br />
Even if I enjoyed many parts of being there, the first while was quite intense.<br />
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Now we are moving to another city in Canada.<br />
It's exciting and A LOT easier in so many ways.<br />
But in some ways it's harder. I know I'll be comparing the new city to this one. I will miss some stores (the shopping here is a lot better and more varied), but I will enjoy the beautiful nature up there. The winters might feel long, compared to here, but on the other hand, I will enjoy the cooler summers.<br />
We will have four very distinct seasons, something I love! The fall up there is spectacular with all the maple, birch, oak and other trees. It's really like a mix of Canada and Finland.<br />
There are lots of beautiful, clean, beaches to visit.<br />
Berries to pick and the national park to hike in.<br />
But it's different to what we are used to.<br />
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Again I feel myself taking a deep breath before taking another plunge.<br />
Not knowing what the water will actually feel like.<br />
I send a sigh above, praying that our Heavenly Father watches over us, as he has promised to do.<br />
I need patience and strength in many ways.<br />
I have 8 kids' needs to attend to. Some of them will be homesick and miss living here, others are more neutral, while some are excited about the new.<br />
Hubby can hardly wait to go fishing in the awesome rapids, where salmon and steelhead need to watch out!<br />
I wish for a slower, more predictable, every day life. Something I've craved for several years now. I pray that God grants my wish...<br />
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I will update when we have settled down a bit, until then, remember us in your prayers.<br />
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<br />MeWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05920147534555992400noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803125217157779993.post-21332189570364007372014-06-09T21:04:00.000-04:002014-06-09T21:04:18.466-04:00...and life can be a smooth road too!I need to share an update, since we have some good news to announce!<br />
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First of all, last week we were going up to look at a house that we wished to rent in the city that we are about to relocate to.<br />
Last minute the guy, who was offering the house for rent, backed out of the deal. We felt pretty let down and discouraged by this, asking ourselves what we were really supposed to do. Maybe we should stay where we are? Hubby looked into different job options and we took a hard look at our situation.<br />
If we decided to stay where we are, and no job comes up, our situation will just stay the same and that's not what we want. So knowing that he has work elsewhere, we figured we need to find a rental where he has work, but IF a job comes up locally, before we find a rental, we'll stay here.<br />
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It's not like we "want" to move just to move. We moved in 2010, 2011, 2013..so yeah, it's not THAT appealing in itself. But sometimes you have to make changes, in order to achieve the desired change in your life, long term.<br />
We also know that the house we are in right now is temporary, so regardless, we'd be looking for a different living arrangement before long.<br />
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So, after talking back and forth and reminding ourselves of what our goals are, not just for the moment, but also down the road, we prayed for God to show us the way.<br />
I had a wish to find a house in a specific area, where we have friends and that is also close to schools, shopping etc. The friends also have a daughter with diabetes (like our 3rd daughter) and they are already good friends, so we had wished for them to live close to each other for support, and maybe even be able to go to the same school.<br />
A few weeks ago we had found a rental close to this family's house, and it sounded very promising. I couldn't believe how well God was lining up things for us. Until that deal fell through (due to the lady's plans changing). I was so upset when that happened, but knew in my heart that God had something else in store for us. Something that would better suit our needs. But how could it be better than that?<br />
Then we had the second house lines up, that also failed to work out.<br />
So, like I said, we prayed that God would show us the way.<br />
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There was an ad for a big house, on a really nice street, up for rent. It even had a pool in the backyard. The problem was the high rent. One of my friends asked me to contact them anyway. So I did, figuring there was nothing to lose. My hubby also called and talked to the landlord, and she had some people come look at the house that evening. She said she'd let us know how it went. Well, those people didn't work out, and neither did several other families that came to look at it.<br />
On Thursday she sent us a bunch of pictures of the house and we emailed back and forth. We were able to find common ground on the rent amount and after some more emailing during the next few days, she told us "The house is yours!" on Saturday eve!!<br />
She trusted us her house without even meeting us, saving us a trip up there.<br />
God surely walked ahead of us, preparing the way.<br />
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It's always so humbling, and such a great reminder, that God is indeed almighty and HE leads the way where we are supposed to be. And yes, this house WILL be better than either of the other two. So with thankful hearts, and busy minds, we now have 3 weeks to get this place packed up and our family ready to move!<br />
Off to yet another new start, leaving a good place behind, knowing we have a good place ahead of us. We are truly blessed.<br />
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And thanks for all the prayers, they were needed, we felt them, and they were heard.<br />
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<br />MeWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05920147534555992400noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803125217157779993.post-17105846395193782952014-06-04T11:53:00.000-04:002014-06-04T11:53:43.525-04:00Life can be a bumpy ride...I have to literally carve out time to write a blog entry these days. Whew. Little Gabriella turned a month old yesterday and she has already brought so much love and joy to our home. It sure is special to a have new little person in the family.<br />
She's growing fast and is a strong little girl, we are more than a little bit proud of her.<br />
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So, the last month has obviously been focused mostly on her, but it sure hasn't been boring otherwise either.<br />
Hubby took some time off after she was born, and then was laid off, so he's not working at the moment (not construction anyway). He has been able to start working part time, from home, for his old boss, doing accounting and analyzing for their air-line leasing business. He actually loves that kind of work a lot! Since we can't provide for our family solely on these part time hours, hubby has been busy looking for other work as well.<br />
He has been offered full time work for a construction business in another city, and so we decided that a move might -again!!!- be necessary...<br />
So we found a few houses to rent, and for a while it looked like things were falling into place quite nicely, making it seem like this is what we are meant to be doing. We informed our landlord that we'll be moving out of our rental at the end of June, contacted the new schools our kids would be starting in the fall etc.<br />
Then one of the rental houses fell through, but we figured, "Ah well, no big deal, we still have a second option" (that was more or less a done deal, we just wanted to go and see the house and sign the lease) until that house owner decided to sell his house instead of renting it out...<br />
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So. Back to looking for a rental again. It is not easy to find a house big enough for us, so it is more than a bit stressful and overwhelming, and we are second guessing our decision. Of course most of our friends and family had heard about our latest plans and our kids have already told their friends at school that we'll be moving. When you have made those announcements, you have already unloaded a lot of emotions that you carried up to that point. Then things came to a halt, bringing new emotions to the pot.<br />
Argh. It is not very enjoyable or easy at all.<br />
At the moment I am just trying to disconnect for a few days and just let myself float in God's hands.<br />
But with moving boxes already brought up from the basement and things "hanging mid air", it's hard not to think about this whole situation.<br />
I was fortunately able to extend our stay at our rental house to the end of July for now (thanks to our great landlord!), so that eases some of the stress.<br />
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I just wish I had a crystal ball that could show me what we are supposed to do. If we move, I am fine with that but also sad about leaving what we have now in this city. On the other hand, if we stay here, I know we'll be disappointed as well, and make some people sad. I would be fine with not actually moving though. This would be our 4th move in 5 summers... so if we don't move this summer would be fine! But if hubby doesn't work and doesn't find work here (he has tried and applied for many jobs locally), we will be in a pretty hard spot economically, so we realize that sometimes you have to make changes in order to better your life long term.<br />
Life isn't easy, and I suppose it shouldn't be, but these last 4-5 years have brought a bit more change and excitement than we ever asked for.<br />
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I just have to try to focus on the good and to be thankful for all the things that are good and easy in our life.<br />
We have a beautiful, healthy new baby to enjoy.<br />
We have great kids and a happy marriage.<br />
We are healthy.<br />
We have food for the day and all the essential things that make life convenient, like cars, means to cook, clean and do laundry. <br />
We have hopes and dreams for our future, we have faith and friends.<br />
I pray that God will soon show us the right direction and that we'd be given patience and wisdom to accept whatever we are dealt.<br />
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<br />MeWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05920147534555992400noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803125217157779993.post-84333204167315539792014-05-04T16:11:00.000-04:002014-05-04T16:11:00.023-04:00She's here!!Welcome Gabriella May! Born on May 3rd, weighing 8lbs 3oz/3720gr and was 20 1/2"/51.5cm long. A healthy and perfect baby :)<br />
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We feel so blessed and happy. Hubby made it home Friday evening at 8.30 pm. 6 hours later my water broke!! At 11.26 am Gabriella was born. Good thing hubby was here with me, I sure needed him at my side.<br />
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We are now at home, resting and enjoying our new little miracle.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">10 minutes "old"</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our little rosebud :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy parents of 8 kids <3 </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gabriella May <3</td></tr>
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<br />MeWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05920147534555992400noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803125217157779993.post-44490265771362803762014-04-25T10:42:00.000-04:002014-04-25T10:42:35.102-04:00Final count down...I haven't written much this spring. I take it as a sign that our life is fairly uneventful = not a whole lot to share.<br />
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We had a beautiful Easter weekend in every way. The weather was gorgeous and believe it our not, spring did arrive!! Unusually late, but this last month has contained many sunny and fairly warm days.<br />
Magnolias are starting to bloom, bushes are green, dandylions are decorating peoples lawns, trees are also budding and turning green. I love it :)<br />
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Here are some pictures of our gang at Easter btw, for once we remembered to take pictures when they were all in their dressy clothes! Fun memories of a nice weekend.<br />
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Hubby is still working out of town. He's been applying for work locally, but without luck for now. This is not the situation we wanted, but him sitting at home doing nothing isn't a better alternative, so for now I am more or less a single mom. He's been able to be home for the weekends lately, so that's very nice.<br />
On Sunday he needs to head up to a new project that's starting 6-7 hours drive from here. It's north east of Toronto, so if the traffic is bad, driving back home could easily take 8 hours. In other words, if I go into labor when he's up there, his chances of him attending the baby's birth are very slim.<br />
I really hope that won't happen, so my "goal" is to have the baby this weekend ;)<br />
I have 11 days left to my estimated due date (May 6th) and I usually go overdue, but, you never know!<br />
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I am feeling more and more ready for this baby to arrive and I've been in the so called "nesting mode" as of late. Meaning, I am trying to get all sorts of stuff done before the baby's arrival. I have that restless energy, while also feeling pretty wiped from being big and pregnant. My quality of sleep at night is definitely compromised, I need to use the bathroom very frequently and turning is a pain...<br />
Ah well. Soon I'll be up all night with a newborn, so I might as well get into the groove of things again!<br />
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The kids have another 2 months of school left, here they go till the end of June. Over all this first year of school back in Canada has gone well for them all, and now our little guy is talking a lot about starting school/Kindergarten in the fall. I think he'll be ready when September arrives, which makes it much easier for me to send him away! We sure enjoy our days together at home though and he keeps me truly entertained! <br />
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I hope to update you all with some exciting news in the near future, till then, I hope you are all having a wonderful spring!<br />
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<br />MeWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05920147534555992400noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803125217157779993.post-86424178879455363452014-03-25T14:15:00.002-04:002014-03-25T14:20:08.634-04:00Spring is here!!!Spring is here. Not really. But it sounded good, so I wrote that.<br />
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It's actually snowing as I write. But 1st day of spring did arrive last week, with no signs of it at all.</div>
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Our snow is more or less gone though, so bonus to that.</div>
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But, let's not talk about weather, soon enough we'll be complaining about the heat and humidity.</div>
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On another note, today I have 6 more weeks to go to my estimated due date. Not bad!</div>
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I waddle forward and am feeling more and more ready for this new person to make its entrance.</div>
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I have more and more discomforts and sleeping is kind of a joke. I am out of breath and get very light headed when I try to do stuff. Good thing I can just sit on the couch and stare while my house takes care of itself ;)</div>
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He, he, he. Super funny.</div>
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Last week our oldest daughter turned 16. SIXTEEN!!! What???</div>
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It feels way more recent than that. I very clearly remember a bright eyed little bundle, full of joy and poopy diapers, that we brought home on a cold March day. I felt absolutely and utterly clueless. I felt that the hospital staff was incredibly irresponsible for allowing me to take her home, as if I knew what I was doing!! But sure enough, at about 40 hours young, they sent us out the door, wishing me luck as a first time mom.</div>
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My husband had an evening shift and all his family were out of town, so there we sat, the new baby and I, trying to figure out how this baby business worked!!</div>
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Somehow we survived those first few weeks. Our baby cried. A lot. And nothing fell smoothly into place. I kept looking for an instruction label on her, but all in vain.</div>
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And now, our little guinea-pig, turned 16. I don't know how, but she actually turned out quite OK!</div>
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Now she's getting ready to get her beginners licence and looking for a part time job. She's kind of almost grown-uppish. </div>
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It gives me hope to see my big kids grow up and becoming decent young people, knowing that I still have many more to raise. I very much enjoy my younger ones too though, realizing how fleeting their "little kid" stage is. Our 4-year old keeps me laughing every day, he's a hilarious kid, and he knows so many things, I can't help but being impressed.</div>
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We are all looking forward to meeting the baby. My hubby is worried he'll be at work (2 1/2 hours away), when I suddenly have to go to the hospital. It's actually quite likely to happen, but I am not worried. It will work out somehow. I kind of hope I get to shock the socks off of him and interrupt his day with a "My water broke" phone call :)</div>
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He has promised to drop his tools and run when the time arrives...</div>
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I can totally see him doing that, and the image makes me smile. He's so excited, like we've never had a baby before. Or maybe it's because we've had babies before that he's so excited?? Regardless, I love seeing dad's so excited about becoming a dad again.</div>
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Well. As you can see, the new baby is what's on our minds most of the time these days. I pray for strength and patience these last weeks. At times it sounds soooo long, and then I'm all "WOW!! it's really coming up!! I wonder if I'll remember how to take care of a newborn again!!"</div>
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But at least we had our guinea-pig 16 years ago, and a "few" after her, and they have all taught us something, so I bet I just might catch on again.</div>
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MeWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05920147534555992400noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3803125217157779993.post-7153593048885006922014-02-27T15:17:00.000-05:002014-02-27T15:17:23.306-05:00The longest, coldest winter!!I can't get over this winter! <br />
Where we live we typically have a few weeks of snow, sometimes barely that. Some winters it's slush and rain and wind. This winter?? We got snow in mid December, and it has more or less stayed since then. The temperature has stayed mostly below (or well below!) freezing. Still!! At the end of February!! This is when spring usually starts to show subtle hints of its arrival... This year, not so much.<br />
I don't MIND winter. I actually appreciate living where there are 4 pronounced seasons, but now I am ready for spring!!<br />
Bring it on!!<br />
Maybe the most comical part of this is that where we used to live, in Finland, they've had a record mild winter, with way less snow than usual!<br />
Strange world.<br />
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Enough about weather. I just realized I haven't been on here for a while.<br />
Not tons going on I suppose.<br />
Kids have had/have colds and sniffles.<br />
Hubby has been working out of town, but has also enjoyed some much needed time at home with us! <br />
I have less than 10 weeks left till my estimated due date :)<br />
I still can't believe we are having a brand new baby join us soon, it'll be so much fun, and also a big adjustment. Mostly in a good way, of course, but it'll "slow us down" a bit, that's for sure.<br />
I've gotten used to the care free life with no diaper bags, diapers, bottles, pacifiers, extra clothing, night feedings, teething babies etc.<br />
I am however looking forward to little tiny newborn snuggles.<br />
To see a little wrinkled face for the first time, to hold that new person for the first time, to smell the sweet smell of a brand new baby.<br />
We are so excited!! <br />
The kids have felt the baby's kicks from the outside of my belly, and we try to figure out a suitable name.<br />
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So the main focus right now is prepping for baby. <br />
I have done "some" shopping as well... There are so many things you need for a baby, and well, many things that are "nice to have"!<br />
Over all I am doing well with this growing bump, but slowly I am getting more and more "done" with being out of breath, bulky, clogged sinuses, running to the bathroom non-stop, hungry, and in pain for various reasons. I know many women have far more difficult pregnancies, and complaining won't change anything. I am thankful that my body is holding up at this "advanced maternal age" (that's what they call it when you are over 35, and I turned 39 a few weeks ago!!), and I hope and pray that all goes well and that I will be able to carry the baby to full term and have a safe and healthy delivery.<br />
Those things you can't take for granted.<br />
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One bonus with this cold winter is that I've stayed comfortable! Many of our kids are born in the late summer/early fall, and that usually makes for a very miserable summer, feeling overheated and sweaty.<br />
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Not too much else going on here, so let the "baby count down" begin!!MeWomanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05920147534555992400noreply@blogger.com1