Tag Archives: summer

happiness

Grade 10 graduate

The boy wrote his last exam today and is officially on summer vacation. I can’t believe my baby is finished grade 10 – where did all that time go?

He laughed at me this morning and said I’m going to be just like you were in grade 11 mom. I hope you’re ready for that.

Grade 11 was not my finest moment. But I did remind him that I had to work like hell to make up for essentially doing nothing for an entire semester in order to graduate on time.

I am so proud of this kid. He has worked so hard and is such an amazing young man. That is happiness complete.

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Locker clean out

My boy had his last day of classes today – almost the end of grade 10. I can hardly believe it. It feels like yesterday I was in a panic as to whether to put him in the French or English school in Quebec. And here we are, a whole lifetime later with him in the Catholic system in Alberta after taking a tour of North America.

He’s doing so well and growing into such a great young man. I feel honoured to have been such a big part of his growing process.

He texted me this afternoon asking me to bring garbage bags so he could clean out his locker. When I arrived at school it had a happy energy carried by hundreds of bodies (student and teacher alike) who couldn’t wait for summer vacation to start. This school has been such a blessing for him, we have lived a series of miracles in the last couple of years that’s for sure.

End of year locker clean out – happiness. Happy for him, happy for me. End of making his lunches!

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Walking again 

After what feels like a really long break due to bad weather and hangry bears, the girls and I went out for our evening walk/bike ride/dog walk. June in Alberta, and particularly at the ranch,  is absolutely stunning. I love where I live. And I don’t just say those words, my soul deeply loves being in this spot where our roots are, where my memories live, where my family is. That is happiness.

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Sunshine around the cloud

I have been pretty vocal about my feelings about the support issue that has been going on over the last few months, and because I have shared the bad I also want to share the good. I checked my bank account and two payments were deposited in the last couple of days. They are both less than the normal amount, but money was put in and I can buy groceries for the kids and I again without huge amounts of stress sitting in my gut.

I am so thankful and happy that this seems to have been resolved. I am thankful that Mr. X decided to make the payments and that maybe this will settle some things in all of our lives. It’s a big deal and I’m glad we are in this place where maybe things can calm again and we can get to a better place.

This is huge happiness.

I had happiness this morning as well when I took Drishti out for a ride – actually just schooled circles with him in the field. He’s paranoid of the electric fences and really feeling spunky from all the green grass so we had a “trot until you drop” kind of workout. I almost dropped first, but managed to outlast him.

He teaches me how to be brave. My desire to bond with him and ride beats any fear I have when he’s being a turd – so I keep moving ahead even when I get anxious feelings in my gut. It teaches me to do that in real life too.

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Down the hill

This afternoon the kids took advantage of the beautiful weather and went down the hill to the creek for a swim. It’s the 13th of September which is significant for two reasons. First – it’s super late in the year to even be thinking about going in the creek. Second – it’s Internet appreciation day at our house. This means it’s the day of the month when our crappy internet rolls over and we can actually get online again. Last month we ran out of our horrifyingly low data 10 days into the month. 

I had expected the kids to want to soak up all the streaming they could so I was incredibly happy to see them outside enjoying Mother Nature instead. Hearing them giggle and seeing the smiles on their faces as they returned home from an afternoon of fun was my happiness moment today. 

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Family day 

The phrase of the day today seems to be family day – and that is what we have had. A quiet but really fun day spent together. It’s become very obvious  lately how badly we needed some quiet time just enjoying each other’s company. Happy, happiness moment. 

As an added bonus, the figs are in at the Italian Centre and we had fig salad for supper. Done family style with everyone picking off the plate. Normally that grosses out germaphobe me, but today it seemed fitting. 

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She’s Squidward

I’m so excited – today I picked up Jenna’s clarinet for school band. She’s been talking about it all summer and I’m so happy for her that she’s going to learn a new instrument. 

There have been Squidward and his clarinet jokes all summer long and she says it all with a smile. It’s going to be so much fun to watch her learn a new instrument. Between this and the guitar it’s going to be a very musical year for her. 

I feel such incredible gratitude that the kids are finding activities that they enjoy and that I’m able to participate in it with them. It’s a huge blessing. 

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Unplugged

The kids were still not feeling well but the sun was shining and it’s the middle of August which means every nice day needs to be enjoyed to the fullest. I took a staycation day with him and we went to the creek. 


There aren’t enough days where the world just stops and you get to lie in the grass and look at the clouds. It is an interesting thing about being in a beautiful place that has no phone reception – you have to unplug and just be there in the moment. So we did. And it was a moment filled with happiness and peace. 

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