Tag Archives: family

happiness

Gardens and girlfriends 

We went to Buchart Gardens this afternoon and enjoyed some amazing spring colors and smells. I have fond childhood memories of wandering the paths with my sister, my parents, and my grandma – now I share those with my kids. 


Then we had supper and a visit with one of my dear girlfriends. She’s one of those special friends where time can go by, life can change, but when we get together it’s like no time at all has passed. I consider her to be a great blessing in my life. People like her not only bring me happiness, but are happiness. 

It was a good day. 

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Back in balance 

We went to the beach this morning and walked logs. I used to walk logs along the beaches here when I was a kid and it was fun to continue the family tradition with my kids. 

I walked by the water early this morning and had a long chat with God about finding balance in my life again. I felt how that balance should feel later walking with the kids. Family time – it’s powerful stuff. It’s happiness. 

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Fun with flags 

We went to Melissa’s in Banff tonight for supper – it’s been ages since I’ve eaten there. We were in desperate need of a mountain hug and our feet found our way to this place to eat. 

We played our own version of fun with flags and quizzed each other on the flags that were hanging on the ceiling at the restaurant. The meal was yummy and after having taken a 3 week sugar break I ate an insane amount of fudge brownie dessert – because life is short. 

I love these kind of moments, where happiness just is. Family together in a beautiful place. 

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Brighten the path

One of the biggest issues I struggle with is wanting God to shine a light on this path so I know where I’m going. More than at any other point in my life I feel that I’m on the right path, that God is guiding me and supporting me – and more than at any other point in my life I have no idea at all what is happening in my life. It’s weird to have both the feeling of complete certainty that I’m on the right path and have no idea at all where that path is leading. 

I guess this is what faith is about. 

And I can’t leave the path because every other direction is fear and I can’t go there. I need to follow my heart, listen to my guidance, seek my bliss. 

But damn. Where am I going? 

The struggle is real. 

My Facebook memory popped up from a year ago today and it made me realize how far I’ve come in a year. Today a year ago we were still in that terrible, fear filled state where Mr. X had cut off finances and the court order for support hadn’t been put in place. I look back at how I was then and how much stronger, wiser, braver I am now and I realize how much I have traveled on that path of faith. 

I went for a drive with my boy today and he shared some of his feelings of his growth over the last year. There has been a lot of pain, but has there ever been healing and growth. And knowing that we are deepening our faith, learning to love and trust, and finding freedom – that is happiness. 

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Too much fun

I really could have my happiness moment just be this one photo. I have waited a lifetime for this to happen again, for the longest time it seemed impossible. Drishti is proof of the power of prayer and my heart has a broken piece put back together. Love is a beautiful thing. 

He loves the girl too….

But there were other moments of happiness today. It was the last Sunday for our pastor at church today, and while it was a sad time, there was also happiness. Happiness that he is following his calling, happiness in the form of a community lunch gathering, happiness that people share faith that there is always a plan even if we can’t see it at the time.

There were happiness moments like the one I felt driving this morning and this evening. The next two photos were almost taken at the same spot – the first of the sunrise reflecting on the mountains this morning and the second of the elk hanging out in the evening. What an amazing place this is where we live.

I feel like I’ve been really impatient with God lately and wanting Him to shine the light a bit further down my path. This weekend, while I don’t feel like the path is brighter, I feel like I have a lot more faith that I am on the right one. It all reveals itself at the right time. 

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Softball started

Today was the first day of softball evaluations and finally after missing two years because of family issues the girl is back at playing. This is her sport. She not only loves it but is quite good at it as well. I loved seeing how excited she was this morning as we were getting ready and even more watching her play. 

We all should follow our passions. 

I am so happy for her that she is following hers. 

Another happiness moment of the day was a community party celebrating the 50th anniversary for some family members. I love this tribe.  I love that people find someone to share their lives with for that long. 

This was how I finished off the night which also made me happy and grateful for where I live 

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Cards and kids 

The boy and I ended up having some pretty intensive healing stuff happen today. We have an amazing support system of people here in town who are helping guide us to a better place. It amazes me how much stuff there is that seems to need to be addressed. For me it was a big chunk of my life but for them it was their entire lives. 

We were exhausted but knew we had done some big stuff. One thing we had agreed on was making sure our house returned to a place of love instead of one of fear. 

So when we came home we sat at the table and played cards all together for a couple of hours. We laughed, we discovered our competitive sides, we were reminded that I can’t bluff. It was fun – it is the way I want our family to be. Happiness. 

Love is going to win. 

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Wasn’t that a party 

We celebrated my uncle’s 80th birthday today with a huge party at the Hall. This guy has always been a bonus dad for me (I call him uncle-dad) and a bonus grandpa for my kids. He’s pretty cool.

It was a wonderful afternoon spent visiting with the community – friends and family – lots of people I haven’t seen in ages. And the Hall looked amazing, just like it is supposed to look with an old-time feel.

As someone who spent years floating as part of  a lost little pod of people in various places, I can’t express properly what it means to be part of this community, to know that we have this place where we are from, where we belong. Everyone has a family of some sort, but our family is really pretty unique – both in size and in the way it functions.

It is a deep kind of happiness, one that I carry with me all the time. An extra happiness was celebrating the birthday of one of my favourite people – I have always looked up to and admired this guy – I am really lucky that he’s my uncle.

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The spring puddle 

Things are melting like crazy and our giant puddle appeared in the yard today. This puddle holds generations of memories of kids splashing and playing – my mom remembers playing in it, my generation did, and so do our kids. Maybe even my grandpa’s generation found time to sneak out and play in the puddle.

It means (hopefully) the end of the brutal cold is gone and we have survived another winter. I am ready to see things start to grow, the calves start to come, the swans return, and smiles come back to our warmer and happier faces. Spring… it is the promise of new life and regrowth.

I have been working on some personal development – funny how the dark times seem to generate even stronger bursts of learning and growing. The rainbow in the storm.

It made me smile today seeing the puddle come back. I will need to grab my boots and my kids and go outside and play in it a little bit. Happiness.

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