Tag Archives: love

happiness

Easter break

We are heading into our Easter break. It’s kind of bittersweet- I love Easter – I love the meaning of hope and new life and the promise from God it reminds us of. I also love my childhood memories of Easter. We always went to Vancouver Island when I was a kid and celebrated with the flowers, the ocean, and the cathedral. The kids and I were so lucky to have spent Easter there last year.

It’s kind of weird going into Easter this year without mom and dad. But life goes on, there is always the promise of new hope. We are in a season of change and I need to embrace it not resist it. New and wonderful things are trying to grow and it’s important I tend to my soul garden.

I think it’s important to hold onto some of those good memories, but it’s time to let go of the ones that hold me back. They can serve as the fertilizer for the new chapter of my life. I’m looking forward to it

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Youth Group

We were so fortunate that even before we moved back home my kids were involved in the church we now go to thanks to my cousin and her family. They have been faithful members of this church for years and the year before we moved back home both my kids were involved in VBS here when we came back for a visit.

This church swooped us up right from the beginning and gave us a safe place to land. First my son and now my daughter have joined the youth group and gained instant friends, as well as time with their cousins, to play, laugh, and deepen their relationships with God. They have become an important part of all of our lives and I’m so grateful we all have this as part of our spiritual tribe.

Kids are at youth, mama is home reading a book with a cup of tea enjoying the quiet with a cat curled up beside me. Life is good and the simple things are what bring us joy – it doesn’t cost a penny.

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The Fallen Housewife

I have known for a little while that the next step in my healing was going to be sharing my story. I just had to wait until the time was right. Aside from the grief of my parents dying and the struggles from the divorce and just general life with teens- I wanted to wait to share when I was in a space where it would be more than angry rants.

I’m there now. It is time. I need to keep healing, and part of that is stepping out of the shame and embarrassment and hurt I lived in.

I’ve started a new blog. I’ll keep this one going of course, it has been a lifeline for me as I’ve been learning how to surrender into happiness. But I needed a place to tell my story. So thefallenhousewife.com was created (you can follow it on it’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/thefallenhousewife/).

As Rafiki says it is time. I’m thankful I’m at this stage of healing, there were some hard years in there.

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We are those guys

Yesterday when we were walking around Banff we kept getting behind the funniest two guys who were having the strangest conversations. The first time I heard well, I was doing fine until I sat on me ass for a year eating nothing but shit food, that made me fat and miserable. Later we ended up behind them again and I heard  well, I have to argue with you – you always think you’re right about everything and I have to prove you’re not. Lastly the boy heard them arguing over whether a giraffe or koala was the better animal. They were so funny I couldn’t keep a straight face.

Tonight after the girl had ball we went out for milkshakes and we were having one of our usual insane conversations. We noticed the people in the booth behind us snickering and poking at each other and listening to our conversation.

The boy looked at me and started to laugh and said we are those guys from yesterday – thats us today having this conversation. 

I am so grateful for the relationship I have with my kids. It’s a lot of work for all of us to be this close and work together, but I don’t know how we would do it any other way.

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Think Gingerbread Houses

The kids and I took a much needed mental health day in the mountains – it’s a place that grounds us all and life has been so emotional lately we really needed a mountain hug.

My lesson from A Course In Miracles today was to look for happiness wherever I went. Today was the perfect day for that lesson as we seemed focused on finding the light.

We wandered around Banff for a while this afternoon and finally sat down for my first ever Beavertail. I’m not sure I need a second one, but at least now I can say I’ve had one. As we were waiting the kids started each playing solitaire on their phones. The boy allowed me to watch him and for a few seconds I did just that – watch. It wasn’t long though before I was giving suggestions, then pointing, then telling him where to line up his cards.

The girl looked over at me, wiggled her eyebrows, and said think Gingerbread Houses, Mom. Oh. Crap. See, when we do gingerbread houses I have to buy an extra one for myself because I have this tendency to totally interfere with their creations. I can’t help it. I don’t even make good gingerbread houses (think drunk toddler art), but I just can’t stop myself.

So I pulled out my own phone and started my own game of Solitaire. I guess it’s all in the name – a game for one person.

We went to a Wrinkle In Time tonight. I loved the book and it was fun to experience the movie. As with all of these types of movies the kids had to process their feelings of their missing father on the ride home – but they seem to be making peace with that in their own ways finally. The movie actually was a good reminder of how important it is to focus on the light instead of the darkness.

There is a lot of light out there, we need to let ours shine too.

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It’s what makes me happy

Today was one of those days that was just so good. We need more days that bring peace to our hearts and smiles to our faces.

We spent the day in Olds at 4H multi-judging – it’s something so far out of my comfort zone and experience – yet the more my kids get involved in 4H the more I love it. I’m so happy they get to have these experiences, and we have such an awesome club. The adults get along, the kids get along, and the fact that most of us are related is a huge bonus. One thing about coming from such a large family is we have lots of extended cousins that we don’t know very well and things like this allows us to deepen those relationships. I love it.

The girl had softball evaluations after that – and softball is what makes her heart sing. I loved watching her hit the ball and run bases and do the other exercises they laid out for the kids. When she got in the car after she said it’s what makes me the happiest of all – playing ball – and we all need that thing that makes our spirit feel free.

We finished the day with a family birthday party at the Hall. I love the family, the community and our Hall and I love that we get to be part of people coming together to share and celebrate.

There are always ups and downs and bumps in the road- but when the sunshines in my heart on days like this it outshines any darkness that may be lurking. Life is good.

AND it was a year ago today I met my heart horse – I love him to the depths of my soul.

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Chin Chopper

One of my favourite games that Dad used to play with us was the Chin Chopper Game. No idea where it came from – I assume maybe it was one he learned as a child – I should have asked him. But it was guaranteed to give my sister and I (and whatever cousins were around) many many giggles. Then we we went on to have kids of our own Grandpa did Chin Chopper with them. Dad really loved his family and playing with us kids (or our kids) was something he did really well.

I was sorting out some photos on my computer today and came across a couple of old Chin Chopper videos from 2013 – two years before he died. Sometimes I feel our technology gets in the way of our relationships, but sometimes it gives us gem memories like these ones.

I miss both Mom and Dad so much – but we have so many good memories, and most importantly the memory of being loved unconditionally. That is a real gift. It is true happiness.

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In the quiet of the snow

Today was a weird day energetically for me. I don’t know if it was emotions or the massive snow dump we got or what – but it was just kind of a weird day. The good thing is it set me up perfectly to do some energy work and clear out some emotional junk that has been circling my heart. I feel sometimes like there has been so much happen in the last few years I haven’t had a chance to really absorb it all, forget figure out how I’m feeling.

Fortunately my coaching course is perfect for this, and I’m finding as I’m going through it that I’m changing old behaviours I’ve had my whole life. It’s like creating a new slate to write the rest of my life on. That’s pretty exciting.

It was a good day to look outside at the pretty snow (not be in it) and create.

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A regular day

Today was a regular day. Coming from years of living in chaos and stress, I appreciate regular days more than you could imagine. I was productive and got a lot of work done, the boy made the soccer team and was busy at practice, and the girl has made a new best friend. All very regular things, very small things, but also very authentic and genuine. And happiness is found in the little moments.

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Cranberry juice

I was in the grocery store this afternoon thinking what a fabulous day I was having. I actually stopped walking and said to myself that it was the first time in a long time that I genuinely felt happy and at peace in my soul.

I went front that thought to uncontrollable tears in about a half a second.

I reached out and grabbed some cranberry juice from the shelf to put in my cart thinking mom probably needs some of this, it’s been a long time since I bought her any.

Oh right.

She’s gone.

You know, it’s hard to recover from a mass of tears in the juice aisle of Save On.

Joy and sadness seem to go hand in hand. And I ended up just standing there by the juice crying and feeling the feelings. Then I texted my sister and told her about it and she gave me a long distance hug.

My tribe is by far the most important thing in my life. I love my people. And mom and dad instilled in my sister and I that we needed to love each other and have each other’s backs no matter what.

I miss both my parents terribly, but their legacy is one of unconditional love and support. And my tribe is full of that – and that is soul happiness.

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