Tag Archives: love

happiness

Little healing steps 

My boy took a few small healing steps today and I love him so much for it. He prepared himself and once again went in for a therapy appointment  with Mr. X (who failed to show for the last one). I don’t know all the details but it didn’t go well. Still, this brave soul put his heart out there and I love him for that. 

I learned a few years ago from that same person that sometimes what seems like the most painful, difficult heartbreak can actually be one of life’s greatest gifts in disguise. When I looked at the gifts I received I realized I found my renewed relationship with God, my self respect, happiness, joy, love, a return to my tribe, hope…. it goes on and on. Basically I got my life back – but a better version. I hope Jacob finds his gifts from this experience. 

After a little decompression we went to one of our favourite spots to relax and enjoy some family time. My happiness moment was sitting by the creek with my boy just being. I am so incedibly proud of that kid. 

Standard
happiness

Safety lights are for dudes 

The monsters and I saw the new Ghostbusters movie tonight. We were in need of some good laughs and it delivered. It was a lot funnier than I thought it would be, and there was a group of ladies sitting in front of us who had the most contagious laughter. It was exactly what we needed to lighten the stress load. 

We enjoyed a fabulous sunset on our drive home. I know, I go on and on about how much I love where we live. But seriously, we live in a freaking postcard. Who wouldn’t love this?


Belly laughs and sunsets. Happiness. 

Standard
happiness

Mud!

We had a very tiny window of summer this morning when the sun was shining and the rain clouds had been banished. I grabbed the opportunity and spent some time pulling weeds in my vegetable garden. I’m finding that time quite meditative as it allows me time to clear my head, align myself with my Source, and find some gratitude for what is growing. I love it. 

I also tend to get frustrated because I discover while pulling stubborn quack grass and dandelion roots that I am nowhere near as strong as I would like to be. I am so much stronger than I was, but I have a long ways to go. 

Today though was so much easier. The ground is so muddy that the weeds came up with way less effort than what I normally have to give. It was so much more satisfying with so much less work. I had a great happiness moment listening to the radio while clearing out my garden. I’m so happy to see things finally getting to the stage where they can be eaten and enjoyed. 

I had a bonus happiness moment later on when I somehow ended up in the middle of a game of tag with the boys. It was so fun to watch them run and laugh and play in the park. I love that they wanted to include me in it. 

Standard
happiness

Wedding at the farm

We went to the wedding of my cousin’s son today. They had intended on having the wedding outside at their farm, but since we have had nothing but rain for the past few days they had to move it inside. They did a pretty amazing job of moving a huge production into the local community hall. 

What impressed me about this couple was how easy to tell how much they love each other. I could see it in the way they looked at each other and in the way they spoke of each other. The extension of their love flowed to her child and to their extended families. It was so heart warming to see two families so genuinely embrace a union of their loved ones. 

I got to see some cousins I rarely see, sat for supper with my aunt, uncle, which was really enjoyable – and we watched as these two families celebrated together. It was a real honour to be included in an event that was so filled with love. A blessed happiness moment. 

Standard
happiness

At the kids’ table

Tonight we attended a party at the hall for the TV show Context with Lorna Duek – which is a a news program done from a Christian perspective. It surprised me how powerful I found the evening and I’m going to blog about it later – when it’s not 10pm and I know I have to get up for a busy day at the Stampede tomorrow. 

My cousins and I were there to help out with what we could – but we also got to listen and learn a bit about their mission which I found fascinating. We were in the back room of the hall while everyone was getting seated for supper – I wish I could say we were working but really we were eating copious amounts of garlic cheese dip and laughing – and we realized that we were going to have to split up to eat. 

My brilliant cousin said I think we need a kids’ table. Let’s set up a kids’ table for us to sit at. This remains our delight at family functions when us kids – all now in our 40s and 50s – can sit at the kids’ table and laugh and be silly just like we have done  since we really were kids. It was kind of a shocker when the actual children thought they also should sit at the kids’ table but we adjusted….

My happiness moment – knowing that we will never be too old to need to be at our own kids’ table. 

Standard
happiness

Just watch out for bears and stuff 

The girls and I finally got back out for our evening walk/bike ride. After it being so dry it has been raining non stop the last couple of weeks. We had a little break in storm clouds and took full advantage. 

Those girls make me laugh so hard. They have such a good time together out on their bikes. They make all the trucks honk their being horns and they play crazy, made up games on their bikes. 

As we were passing a field we saw two bucks quietly grazing. Our presence scared them and they quickly bounced away. 


The girls saw me trying to take their picture and informed me that there was no way my iPhone could take a good photo from that far away. Then they said if you want a good picture of some deer, look closely – here come some now. And they put their fingers up like antlers and proceeded to prance all over the road laughing so hard they could barely breathe. Which of course made me laugh just as hard. Time spent being silly with those two made for a great happiness moment today. 

They rode their bikes a bit ahead of me and as we parted we all did our typical have fun, just look out for bears and stuff. 

Standard
happiness

Secret life of pets 

I had a girl night with my girl this evening. I spend a lot of time with my kids but the one on one time is a bit more rare, so those moments are extra precious. 

We went shoe shopping for her (holy cow, she grows and grows) and then went and saw The Secret Life Of Pets. It was cute, silly, and fun. Exactly what we needed on a rainy night. 

There’s so much that goes on inside that little girl and I feel so blessed for evenings like this when we have the time and can really focus on her and her life. I feel honored that she shares so freely with me. 

Solo time with my girl, my happiness moment. 

A bonus happiness moment was an hour of tea and chatting with him this afternoon. I count my blessings that I have someone in my life who I can talk to so easily and feel so content with. 

Standard
happiness

The ride home from DQ

We went out this evening for a little DQ treat. I am not exactly sure how the kids convinced me it needed to be done, but they did, and there we were. For some reason when we were there all three of us were cranky and out of sorts. How that is even possible while eating a sundae is beyond my understanding, but it happened. 

On the way home there was an explosion of emotion of gargantuan proportion. My poor little family has been through so much over the last couple of years, and it seems sometimes like there’s been no chance to stop and absorb all the changes. 

One good thing about the bond the three of us has is that we are pretty in tune with each other’s emotions. Even when there’s an explosion it does not last long,  and it’s usually a pretty effective way of getting all the emotional crap out and dealt with. 

I’ve discovered on this happiness journey that true happiness is so much more than butterflies and rainbows. It takes many shapes and often comes out of harder times. My happiness moment today was talking through some deep stuff with my little people. They teach me so much about how to be kind and strong. They show me how to love unconditionally and how to keep faith no matter what we face. I am so grateful for those two little souls. 

Standard
happiness

Alone time 

I’ve taken the kids to the wind up party for their VBS and I’m hiding out in the parking lot in the shade of a tree. I came here with the intention of going and mingling with the other parents, but when I arrived I realized how tired I am. Instead I decided to steal an hour of quiet time to myself. 

I feel like the last few months have been busy putting out fires. I’ve tried to make time to stop and regroup and embrace the quiet time I need to do that, but it hasn’t always been possible. As a result I’m feeling tired and overwhelmed. The good thing is I know I just need to slow for a bit and hit my recharge button. I also really need to spend some time figuring out where I want to spend my energy. There is so much happiness that has come into my life over the past year – and also a lot of pain and hurt that has left it. I need to rebalance myself and acknowledge all the change. I spent so many years in a fearful survival mode and none of that is relevant anymore. It’s like I need the constant reminder that we are safe, we are loved, we can let go. I don’t have that huge burden to carry all alone anymore. I can lay it down. 

My happiness moment is sitting under the tree in my hometown – knowing we are safe and loved and that it is time to move ahead in joy. 

Standard
happiness

My hometown 

Since moving home I’ve put a lot of effort into making Cochrane our hometown. I was fortunate because by coming back home I had a ready made group of friends and of course my family – my tribe. But the kids needed to get to know the extended family and establish their own friendships. That is finally starting to happen for them. 

Jenna was invited to join VBS today and as soon as she got there was surrounded by friends and cousins. I had a nice chat with my own cousin and also one with a new friend. I could see the comfort level that Jenna has in this place be so much greater than it was last year. 

Jacob joined a group of school friends tonight for a movie. I love that he’s developing his own tribe in town that he can hang with. Even though this was a move home, a move always seems to take a year for it to shake itself out and feel like normal. 

Comfort in our hometown, that feeling of belonging and having a safe place to land. My happiness moment. 

Standard