Tag Archives: family

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Party party 

Tonight we went to a big family birthday party. Thrown by a couple who really know how to throw a good party. Since childhood I’ve made it a point to try and weasel an invitation to one of their “hellabaloos” as he called it tonight. 

Good timing too because we really needed to get out and let our hair down and have some fun. I went with my parents and my kids and it was much needed fun and visiting. 

Every morning on our drive into school we pass a man driving a black truck heading the other way. We always wave and smile. In fact the kids and I judge how late we are by where we meet him on the road. 

Tonight at supper we were eating with my parents, my aunt and uncle and a few other people. One of them said I pass you when you’re out walking your dog during the day. I drive a black truck. So Jacob turned to him and said do we pass you on our way to school too? And he looked at me and said you drive the silver car through the hay valley?  We both decided now we will be giving big huge waves as we pass instead of little polite ones. 

I’ve told the kids that when they go out here they’ll always run into family. To find out this man is married to a cousin of my mom – their nana – just confirmed for them that they are home and constantly surrounded by family 

It was fun, it was important to be brought back into the loving arms of our clan. Today’s happiness moment. Out with my family with the family. 

Here’s the kids at the party:  
Don’t you love the cowboy light hat? 

 

Just to prove we live in the most beautiful place in the world this was the view towards our house on our way home. The pair of swans has decided to stick around for a while.   

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The bouncy back road. 

Today I got to spend the day doing errand type things with dad. Normal things like a trip into the mall to get his hair cut. Then over to the bank to pay taxes. 

This afternoon we drove the back road into Cochrane to pick up the kids and for him to have an appointment. Driving the hay valley at the beginning of spring is always beautiful, but it was extra special to share it with him. Just doing regular things and visiting and enjoying each other’s company. Happiness moment with my dad   

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When life gives you lemons…. Eat lemon cake 

Today was a day that in many ways felt like life really had handed me lemons. This afternoon while  I was at the grocery store thinking about my lemon day, I looked down and there was this lemon cake. I figured what the heck, when life hands me lemons darn it I’m going to eat lemon cake. It was delicious by the way. 

   

I have sometimes wondered how my exit from this world will be. I hope at the very least it’s somewhat dignified. It probably won’t be. But one can hope. 

Today when I was driving my kids home from school I had a little preview of what that could be like. Trust me it was not dignified at all.

We were driving on the highway following some other cars when suddenly a very large gravel truck with an extra trailer pulled out from a side road and started making a left hand turn across the two lane highway and in front of us   

I was doing 100 km/hour and suddenly there was a monster of a truck just a few feet away from us and moving in our direction. I hit the brakes and the horn as we skidded/flew across our lane and onto the shoulder I screamed FFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUU – well you know the rest – as loudly as I could. Either the horn or my swearing caught the attention of the truck driver and he stopped – blocking all oncoming traffic. Thank goodness no one was coming right at the moment. We were somewhere between 2-4 feet from the front of the truck when he stopped. 

So while my motto has always kind of been this:

 
Apparently it’s more likely that I will slide in screaming the F bomb. My poor children.  

I took away several things from this moment. 

1. My guardian angel works hard and probably falls into bed exhausted at night. 

2. My life has been saved several times by my being behind the wheel of a Volvo. 

3. I should always take backroads. 

4. Sometimes when life seems to be all lemony it’s not really so much so. That living in the moment thing. Sometimes the moments are good and sometimes they’re not so good. But they are moments and there is something to be gained from each one of them.  

My happiness moment today was that I got to spend most of the day with my parents and my sister. While it was a day that seemed to want to hand us lemons we did our best to make lemon cake. In fact we ate that lemon cake together tonight before my sister headed back home. 

Happiness is those small moments with the people you love. 

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Buttercup 

 
Today my mom, my dad, and I went out in the field to search for crocuses. After searching and searching we were unable to find any. Bummer. But along with some buffalo beans, I did find this buttercup along the ridge. Spring. It’s finally happening. Actually today may have been summer as it was 27C and wonderfully sunny. 

My happiness moment of the day was wandering the field with my parents. It was so wonderful to see dad out all excited in search of the hiding crocuses. May the joyful feelings of spring give dad lots of love and strength. 

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The daily commute 

It’s a double post today. This is the one I had planned before the after school incident took place. 

I was thinking today how awesomely lucky we are with our daily commute to school. This is the traffic jam I was in on my way to pick up the kids:   

And this is the view on the way home: 

    

It was so awesome that Jenna had to get out and do her holding the world in her hands picture 

 

Happiness drive. Happiness moment 

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Your best friend 

When my kids are arguing and fighting with each other I have a standard speech that I give. You guys will be each other’s best friends in life. No matter where you go or what you do you need to know that you have each other’s backs. So, even though you disagree no one will ever know you or love you like each other. 

They have moved so much that there have been many times where they have only known each other and have had to rely on each other. They can still fight like you wouldn’t believe, but they are good friends and look out for each other. 

Today I was late picking them up after school. Not late just a few minutes late. I have no idea where the day went. I picked them up and Jacob told me about their after school incident. 

They were sitting on the ground beside the school, hooked onto the wifi playing a game. A kid came up to them and said ahhhh haaaa you guys are watching porn? Then he came right over beside Jacob and looked down and said oh no I was wrong they’re just having sex. At this point Jacob stood up and towered over the boy (Jacob laughed telling me and said obviously the kid didn’t know how much taller Jacob was). 

Once Jacob stood up the kid took off. Then Jacob said you know what it’s like when auntie Cherie takes off on her horse after a cow? That’s what I was like after that kid. He caught up to the boy and stood over him and said you need to go back there and apologize to her. No one talks like that to her. Then he herded the boy back to where Jenna was sitting. The boy said I’m so sorry, sometimes things just come out of my mouth and I don’t know why. I’m so sorry. Then he took off. 

Proof that they love each other and in fact DO have each other’s backs   A happiness moment in a tough after school incident 

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Between the horse’s ears

 

Today was a double happiness moment   First of all the kids and I were invited by my extremely patient cousin to go help (and I use that word loosely) chase cows. Mostly we just sat and watched and then walked around on the horses. But since horses are my most favorite thing on the planet and it was the first time my kids were riding out by themselves on the ranch it most certainly was a huge moment of blissful happiness. 

When I was pregnant with Jacob we were part of a birthing and babies class. For the first year or so after they were born, our group would get together once a week for a play date. I became good friends during that time with one of the moms. I hadn’t seen her in at least 10 years though – ever since we moved away. Well tonight she had us and one other family from the group over for supper. We had a fantastic night eating supper, catching up on 10 years, watching our kids play, playing board games and laughing ourselves silly, and watching the Flames win (Go Flames Go). An extra special happiness moment and something we have missed out on for years. Just getting together with friends. 

As one more special treat, my sister and her kids are down for the weekend so we get special family time too. 

It was a blissful happiness day.  

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Beat with the FOMO stick

Today I drove my mom’s van into town to pick up the kids from school. After much arguing over who got shotgun, Jacob had it the first part and then switched at the recycling drop off with Jenna. 

So we are driving along, Jenna and I talking while Jacob is stuck way in the far back (the middle seats are out of the van). 

Suddenly we see a stick waving around between the front seats. I look and it’s Jacob waving an ice scraper in our direction and trying to poke it at Jenna. 

I look at him in the rear mirror and he says what? It’s my FOMO stick. Don’t forget about me back here. 


FOMO or the fear of missing out. It’s a real thing. 

Happiness moment. That kid makes me laugh 

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Family ties

This afternoon my cousin helped me out and brought my kids home from school. I’m lucky because this cousin – M – her kids go to the same school as mine. Which made being the new kids (and the new mom) so much less scary because there were familiar faces this time. 

I returned home from my meeting to see her kids and my kids and her sister’s kids all playing outside. What a wonderful sight! 

M and I are only 4 months apart and spent most of our childhood running that same yard – having adventures, getting into trouble, climbing trees… You name it. 

When I moved away my kids were 4 years and 5 months old. Her kids weren’t born yet. So they haven’t grown up knowing us adults or each other. I feel so blessed that I am now getting the opportunity to get to know her family better and on an everyday basis (instead of as a visitor). 

Happiness moment for the day was watching those kids run up and down the field laughing and screaming while we stood out there and visited. 

Family ties. 

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