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Do you want to build a snowman?

My happiness moment began when my eyes opened today. The sun was reflecting on the mountains to the west and they looked like this:

  
I love it when nature reflects the joy in my soul. It felt like the sun was shining happiness into the day ahead. 

A second happiness moment happened when I was not there but I got to be part of the planning of it. Last night my niece and her entourage spent the night. She is 4 and lives and breathes Frozen. She had a brand new Anna dress and was so cute showing it off. On our walk home, Jenna told me she wanted to dress up in her Elsa costume in the morning, go knock on their door and ask Sia if she wants to build a snowman. 

I was out this morning when Jenna called to tell me she was heading over to do it. When I got home there was an Anna and an Elsa running around the kitchen giggling and squealing with excitement. Kid happiness. It hits right to the core of the soul. 

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Canada (boxing) Day in Waterton

Boxing Day is generally my favourite day of the year. It’s the day after Christmas, when we get to just relax and hang with family and enjoy everything we weren’t able to during the chaos of Christmas. 

I feel today like we took a Boxing Day for Canada’s birthday. A day just for the enjoyment of each other. 

The kids and I headed to Waterton – one of the most beautiful places on earth in my opinion. 

I woke up at 5:30 to this view from my bedroom window. When a day starts like this, you just know it’s going to be a good one.  By the way, that’s the moon hanging over the mountains. An amazing full moon.   

We arrived in Waterton and went through the bison paddock. There aren’t any shown in this picture, but the view….

Then off to the town to skip rocks. Part of our routine from last year. I love this lake.  

  

Next up: flower hunting. Last year we were too late, but this year was perfect. 

Here’s our provincial flower the wild rose. 
  

A stop on the way to Red Rock Canyon. I was looking for flowers, they were looking for the water to play in at the end. 

  

Yellow Paintbrish, it’s rare to find, but it was all over this meadow. Beauty. My spirit sings here. 

More of them. I got obsessed.   

  

Monsters still waiting to get to the canyon. 

At last the canyon and some water to cool off in. It was almost 30C and there was no wind. A big deal in a place where the trees grow sideways from the blowing! 

We had to drive up to Cameron Lake which was unfortunately very busy and we couldn’t rent boats. Fortunately though we came across tons of Bear Grass which is unique to this area. 

 A long drive home chasing the sunset (and being chased by the moon) and I feel like my soul has been strengthened and cleansed. I need these kind of days where we just stop and enjoy each other’s company and marvel at the beauty that is in the world. 

  
The great thing about it being light from 4:30 am until 11:00 pm is that we sure can pack a lot into a day. 

This was a much needed break.  I’m so thankful that I had this day to nourish my soul and fill up my heart with happiness. 

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The new kids….. Again

today was the kids’ first day at their new school. After a lifetime of coming back to Calgary to visit, today they started their new lives of actually living in Calgary. Which meant once again being the new kid. 

I don’t know who was more nervous – them or me. I had a really good feeling in my gut about this school. I was just hoping my gut was going to be right. 

We got up early and were sitting at the table having breakfast when suddenly Jacob started yelling the mountains are purple!!!!! So we rushed outside to look. We ended up staying out and taking the first day of school pictures 

This is from our yard. 

  

Here are the kids in front of the barn my grandpa built

  

It certainly was a glorious morning. 

 

After much anxiety I left the kids in very capable hands at the school. How lovely it was to be greeted by one of my sister’s oldest friends and then my cousin. New kids but not strangers. 

I picked them up after school and both of them were smiling an excitedly telling me how wonderful their day was. They both made friends   They both had fun. Jacob was ecstatic because they dissected a cow eyeball. He said that’s the best first day ever!!! Seeing the joy in their souls was my happiness moment for the da

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ayurveda, cooking, happiness, recipes

Churna time and a day of bliss

I finally got to making my kapha churna. I’ve mentioned it the past couple of days when I posted recipes for saag and for kitchari.

A churna is a mixture of different dry herbs and spices and is used frequently in Ayurvedic cooking. Ayurvedic churnas combine all six of the ayurvedic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter, and astringent. While it enhances the flavour of a dish, each one of the spices has it’s own medicinal properties. They can be sprinkled onto or cooked into any dish, however for better absorption they can be sauteed in ghee before being added to the dish.

Here are the ingredients for a kapha churna (from Eat, Taste, Heal)
Ingredients:

  • 1 tbl. fenugreek seeds
  • 2 tbl. whole coriander seeds
  • 1 tbl. ground ginger
  • 1 tbl. whole cumin seeds
  • 1 tbl. ground turmeric
  • 1 tbl. ground cinnamom
  • 1 tsp. ground clove
  • ½ tsp. cayenne pepper or chili powder

Preparation:

1.      Put all ingredients in an electric grinder or spice mill and grind them.
2.      Store in airtight container such as a glass jar.

Don’t the spices look pretty? Jenna stood over the plate and smelled and smelled and said how wonderful they were.


  Put them in a coffee/spice grinder and grind until fine

 

Place the churna in an airtight glass container.

Enjoy!!

My moment of happiness on day 42 of the 44 days was more like a full day of happiness. I was trying to figure out what the best part of the day was, but honestly this entire day has been one of happiness. I’ve noticed that as I’ve spent these past 42 days really focusing on happy things that more and more happiness is coming into my life.

This is how the morning started

When there is a sunrise or a sunset that is this fabulous I always imagine God dancing around like an excited 4 year old saying “look what I did!! Look!! Isn’t it beautiful? Look!! Stop and pay attention!!!”

So I did. I sat with my cup of tea and watched the sunrise with the dog and the cat ignoring each other on either side of me. As the rays moved on, Ella and I went and played our game of fetch. The colours from the sunrise were still coming in the window and they lit her up. She looked so pretty.

Before church I met a friend at Mill Mountain Coffee and we sat outside (outside!!) and had a wonderful visit in a sunbeam.

I didn’t have to teach children’s chapel so I got to sit in through the entire service which was led by the kids. It was a joyful service.

Jacob and I took a church selfie. Is this ok to do? Probably not.

I ran into  friend I haven’t seen in a few months. After losing a child late in pregnancy she and her husband have a wonderful, beautiful adopted son. Joy! Joy! Joy!

We drove to the Co op after church and we could see buds (buds!!! Spring!!!) on the trees.

I had a nap. An awesome, blissful, middle of the day nap (Jenna was at a sleepover last night and I had to check my phone 10,000,000 times at night to make sure she hadn’t called as she sometimes does).
It’s 7:15 and it’s still light out! I love daylight savings time!
Sunday Funday
 
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Our sunrise

I love our backyard. We have such a lovely, quiet, peaceful yard. Complete with a koi pond, a view of our mountain, and a view of the most amazing sunrises. Usually the kids and I have to stop for a few minutes and take in the beauty of the morning. And it’s an important thing to do on groggy, funky school mornings when everyone would rather still be in bed. We say it’s God’s way of jumping up and down, looking for attention saying “look at what I did! Look at the beautiful day I have made for you! Go and enjoy it!”

Sometimes the sunrises are even a bit more fantastic than normal. The last time I saw one as pretty as the one we got this morning was on Jenna’s birthday back home in Alberta. I blogged about that here. This morning both kids and I had to run outside in the yard to get a better look at the beauty that was this daybreak. I got Jenna in her typical pose of praising the new day. What was extra amazing about these colours (and this iphone picture does not even come close to doing justice to how amazing it was) was the bright, clear, baby blue that was streaking through the middle of the reds, oranges and yellows. It was an explosion of beautiful colour.

I was lucky enough to also get to celebrate an amazing Alberta sunset on Facetime with my parents on my birthday. Those sunsets from my parents house have always been my favourite, although I must say these sunrises here come pretty close.

(my dad took this picture on Jan 14th, so its not the exact same sunset, but it’s still pretty amazing)

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That’s my happy moment today for day 4 of the 44 days of happiness. Our beautiful sunrise from our beautiful backyard with my beautiful children. IMG_0371

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Sunrise over the mountain

Today is the 10th birthday of my amazing daughter Jenna. I’m sure she has brought so much more to my life than I have to hers. She has shown me pure love and true joy. I am thankful every day she chose me.

This morning I was sitting in the kitchen looking out at my beloved mountains being grateful for Jenna and thankful we are still home and can enjoy her first birthday here since her BirthDay. The mountains to the west became lit up in amazing colours reflecting the sunrise to the east and I sat down with my cup of tea to take in the beauty and joy God was showing in celebration of her special day

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As I was sitting, the song “Sunrise” by Deva Primal came on my playlist. I’ve had the song a couple of years and I’m sure have played it many times but I never really heard it

Sunrise
Over the mountain
Spreading your light
Over the land

Sunrise
Another new morning
We celebrate
We are the new man

It was exactly what was happening at that moment and was such a beautiful song. I felt like I was suspended in time being showered with beauty and love. Which is exactly the spirit that is Jenna.

I am eternally grateful that this powerful spirit of love is in my life.

She is my sunrise spreading her light over the land. Happy birthday dear Jenna

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