mmmm lunch

We had an amazing afternoon visiting with our "old" friends (you had to be here to get that joke...hahaha) over a really nice meal if I can toot my own horn. I made shepherd's pie (at Mike's request), had a nummy salad and fresh veggies. For desert we had cookies that Evelyn made with her Nana and proudly shared with the table handing one to everyone and my favorite fro yo from Sobe's...mmmmm delish! We have really been involving Evelyn in our food choices lately. I read an article in Rachel Ray recently that really resounded with me. It essentially stated that a large reason why children are obese in today's society is because they have no relationship with their food. So many foods are prepackaged, everything is bought at a store. People do not go to markets or farms much any more. Children basically have no idea where the food they are eating comes from. We have always attempted to make/prepare most of our meals and we do love the farmer's market on a Saturday afternoon but I realize I have not really involved Evelyn in the choices of what we buy and what we eat. So for the last month or so we have been letting her decide on our fruits and veggies and fill them into the bags. Since we have a short season for markets we have been taking advantage of the locally grown produce section at our Sobe's as of late. The taste of the carrots especially is my favorite. I love the smell of the dirt and pulling the green plants (as Ev calls them) off the top. Evelyn really enjoys grocery shopping now and seems to take great pleasure in picking which colors of fruits and veggies we buy and loading everything into the cart. When cooking we let her stir and shake seasonings into the pot. She has even started using the beaters :) Today I realized as Evelyn was excitedly sharing her cookies with our company that our efforts to involve her in the meal process is really having an impact. She was so proud to tell us all the she made them. She is so proud to fill the cart and tell us about her favorite foods. We definitely have a little foodie on our hands. Maybe she will grow up to be a chef...

Fab Fridays!

Millarville Christmas Market....

I am so excited the Christmas Markets are upon us. I look forward to the Millarville Market every year. There is a woman there that make the most adorable knit caps. Every year we get one for Evelyn from her. I can hardly wait to pick one out again this year. The market features delicious baking, seasonal decoration and local farm products. Take a free hayride, check out Santa's workshop and try out the pony rides.

Admission is $5.00. Runs November 5 - 7

http://www.millarvilleracetrack.com/christmas/index.html

Fab Fridays!

I am in love with the new Zinnia print by Dwell Studios. I am actually considering having another child just so I could put this bedding in the nursery....well, maybe I won't go that far ;)

http://www.dwellstudio.com/designer-baby-boutique/nursery-bedding/zinnia-rose-crib-set.html

Haiti Update

If you haven't heard yet, Mike is going to Haiti in January. He will be there for just over a week with a construction and medical team from our church. Mike will be on the construction team. He will be putting the trusses and roof on a church. In countries like Haiti, churches are so much more than a place to worship. Mike will be putting the roof on a building that will sometimes give shelter, sometimes be a school, sometimes be a clinic and so on. I am so excited for him to have this experience.

How did we come to plan for this some of you may ask...well, to put it in short terms, God made it happen. To put it in longer terms, God told me in August when the team leaders asked Mike to come and he said "no thanks". This trip weighed on my heart for a few months when I went to one of the leaders and said that I believed Mike needed to go. They agreed so we set to work on Mike. Within a few days someone stepped forward with a $1000.00 donation for Mike to go. We were shocked since financially this trip was a big commitment and that was the main reason Mike was holding back. With $1000.00 it meant we only needed $500.00. That amount was manageable. Since that moment we have done a fair bit of fundraising to cover the remaining amount as well as contribute to other trip costs. The team as a whole needs to raise $19,000.00 beyond their $1500.00 to cover material costs, donations and medical supplies. We have been beyond blessed by donations and have raised well over $1000.00 at this point.

I truly believe that God wants Mike to be in Haiti. There is something special planned for Mike there and something special planned for the people of Haiti.

If you would like to make any donation or pass this info along please do not hesitate to contact me. I am incredibly thrilled at where we are at but there is still a lot to do.

anticipation...

It seems the defined changing of the season outside (snow) came with perfect timing today as it is also a day of political change for our city. Today is the day our new mayor, Naheed Nenshi, and several new alderman start their new jobs. I feel this joyous little sense of anticipation as I think about all the changes coming to our 'purple' city in the coming days. I hope our new mayor is supported, works hard and follows through on his promises. I truly believe he will continue to earn my vote.

Fab with an announcement...oooh!

My fab product of the week...

"Baby Guide to Calgary". I loved this book when I was pregnant and I loved it even more when I was in desperate search of child friendly places to check out. This book was chalk full of great tips on being a parent in our fair and beautiful city. This is a must have guide!

This fab product also comes with a bit of a fun announcement for me. I am going to be WAHMing it up with "Baby Guide to Calgary" I was just asked to be one of the researchers/writers for the third edition coming out summer 2011! I am really looking forward to expanding my skills in the wide world of Mom and being a part of something new and for me very fun. I will still be one of the smiling faces at bo bebe, I love working there so I will not be leaving anytime in the near or distant future. This is just another fun opportunity to throw onto the Mommy plate.

http://www.babyguidetocalgary.com/

Been there, dumped that!

I had a friend request on facebook recently from an old boyfriend. Out of curiosity and if I am being totally honest the need/want to show off my beautiful family, I accepted the request. After perusing some of his photos and seeing where he is at I am so thankful I dumped that. I actually dumped him as a friend almost right away realizing that I don't need to show off who I am or where I am at in life.

It is amazing to me how things can turn out. I am thankful I had that courage to wait for Mike. I am thankful God gave him to me when he did and I am thankful for the life we have together. While we have had some major ups and downs it seems that neither of us knows how to be without the other. We are deeply connected and seem to know how to crawl out of the bad times together.

I have debated sharing this but in the interest of being honest I am going to share with you all a bit of my story with Mike.

Mike and I met, married and got pregnant all before we had known each other a year. Just before our first anniversary we had our beautiful Evelyn. That first year of being a family of three was blissful. We had some hardships. We lost Mike's Dad suddenly to cancer and we had to navigate a life with baby while we were still in essence getting to know each other but we were happy and in love. Our second anniversary came with great celebration. We had a big year, it was worth celebrating. Our second year of marriage was a challenge. I was so deeply depressed and full of anxiety that I found myself losing all my bliss. Mike and I had horrible fights. The threat of divorce was openly made on more than one occassion. That time is still hard for me to think of. We went to Mexico last February and I actually considered suicide. Here we were on this amazing holiday and I was so lost that I didn't even want to live. Upon coming home Evelyn had her 18 month immunizations. The public health nurse was a close friend of ours. She asked me how I was doing and I broke down. I cried and cried in that little room. The nurse promptly sent me to the doctor where I was diagnosed with depression and anxiety. I am now on medication and learning how to take care of myself better so I don't get back to that dark place. All the while, Mike stood by me. Through all the fights, all the drama and all the tears he was perpetually there. Mike is calm and even. He has rarely lost his cool in the years we have been together and through all of the struggle and heartbreak I went through this last year he has been there. He has taken care of me. Mike and I have developed such a strong faith in each other and God that it seems at this point we can overcome all the challenges life gives us. In September we celebrated our third anniversary. Now that was an anniversary worth celebrating! We went away for a whole weekend together and had a wonderful time. It was so nice to just hangout in bed reading, eating leisurely meals together and walking around the mountains without any concern. That weekend was truly a joy and treat for us. It was the perfect way to celebrate all that we had overcome. On the drive home we both agreed that a few more days would be nice...but only if Evelyn would have been there for them :)

Late Fab Fridays

Well, it was a very busy weekend around here so I have hardly been on the computer. My Fab Friday this week is not so much a product as a person. Joy, from Captures Photography is an incredibly talented photographer and one of the MOST fabulous people I have had the privilege of knowing. This past weekend she did a fundraiser for my husband Mike's mission trip to Haiti and helped us to raise an incredible amount of money.

Joy spent her entire day Saturday taking family photos. She ran thirty minute sessions and charged $100.00/session. Included in that cost the family will get a disc with all the best images on it. Saturday was not a particularly warm day but still everyone showed up happily for their photos and not once did I hear Joy complain about any hint of cold or heavy camera equipment!

One of the many reasons I am claiming Joy as such a fabulous person is that at the end of the day she surprised us and gave us every penny from the day. The original agreement was that Joy would share the profits so we were overwhelmed with gratitude when she gave us all the money from the day. Because of Joy's generosity Mike has nearly paid for his portion of the trip!

I feel so blessed to have someone like Joy in my life :)

I will post more about Mike's trip in the coming days. I realize I haven't written about it on here.

Here is a link to Joy's website. I strongly encourage anyone reading this to book her for your next family photos.

www.captures.ca

Something funny

Saw this today, thought I would share.

Enjoy!

Fab Fridays!

Books that give back!

I love to read, my husband loves to read and Evelyn from a young age is already showing that love. I remember being in trouble growing up reading by my nightlight at 3 in the morning. Mike's story is not unlike mine. On countless nights we have gone into Evelyn's room before going to bed to find her buried in books sound asleep. Hmmmm, do you think this is genetic?? lol!

Barefoot Books are some of my faves. They have beautiful illustrations and wonderfully unique stories. Barefoot Books has a series that are charitable giving books. These are books that once purchased money is given to charity. Ten Thousand Villages in Calgary (on Crowchild Trail) sells some of these. "We All Went On Safari" is a current fave in our house! What's better than learning to count in Swahili and knowing that proceeds from the book went to the African Wildlife Foundation.

http://store.barefootbooks.com/we-all-went-on-safari-books-for-africa-edition.html

Love...sigh

Our babysitter called in sick yesterday which meant we needed somewhere for Evelyn to be today. Mike decided that he needed a Daddy Daughter day so he stayed home with Evelyn. I was a little sad that it was him and not me until I came home and noticed everything Mike had accomplished. I seriously am never sure what I will come home (read: naked child running about and Mike playing a video game has happened in the past) but today was a very pleasant return. The house was clean...very clean! Mike had vacuumed every carpeted surface and did a load of laundry. Evelyn was clean and clothed and supper was on. Mike made whole grain rice, pork chops and peas. I have to admit I also enjoyed the midday phone call from them telling me about what they were doing and the cuters albeit cheesy pics Mike sent me of the two of them playing.

Sometimes I am overwhelmed by how much love I have in my heart for that man. Funny how a little vacuuming can make my heart flutter.

Fab Fridays!

OMG!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the new Ikat print OiOi bags! I seriously hope we get some of these in at work so I can put it on my Christmas list. Wink Wink Michael ;)

http://www.oioi.com.au/index.php?s=collection&p=NEW%20Ikat,167#

Hemophilia Sucks!

For those of you who don't know, I have a type of Hemophilia called Von Willebrand's Disease. Basically I am low on certain factors in my blood that help it to clot properly. This typically does not affect me on a day to day basis but every once in awhile it kicks me in the butt. Today was one of those days.

Yesterday while walking down the stairs I took a clumsy fall. I knew it must have looked bad when my Mom, who is one of those Mom's who says 'if they are hurt they will come to me', jumped up and ran over to make sure I was OK. I knew right away that I hurt my toe and my wrist had a nice scratch on it. To be honest, at the time I was more concerned about picking up the children't Tylenol chewables that spilled out of the bottle everywhere. As the evening went on my wrist bothered me more and more. Last night was awful. Everytime I rolled over or bumped my wrist I awoke in pain. BLAR! I was booked in for annual Hemophilia testing today so I figured I would have the Doctor look at my wrist while I was there. Upon seeing my wrist and my toes the Doctor was concerned. My wrist, hand and fingers especially looked bad. My fingers were not unlike sausages. So they sent me for my annual blood work and then once I returned the Doctor looked more closely at my wrist and toes. The toes are broken and the wrist has some soft tissue damage, possibly more. They decided to treat me for an internal bleed with DDAVP. DDAVP is basically a fake clotting agent. I have had DDAVP many times in the past without issue. Today however did not go so well. I was given it to quickly which caused my blood pressure to drop quite low. On top of that one of the side effects of DDAVP is slowed kidney function which is always something to watch for. Basically because my wrist looked so bad and because I had a bad reaction to the DDAVP I have to go back to hospital tomorrow and maybe Thursday. BLAR #2. BLAR #3...the room I was put in was the room Mike's Dad spent a significant period of time in while he was passing away from cancer. Of course the nurses didn't know this. They were trying to be accommodating for space and comfort since I had brought Evelyn with me.

The nurses and doctors were all fabulous. I had brought Evelyn with me thinking it would be a routine in and out thing. 5 hours later I was on my way home. Far from routine. The room I was set up in had a large bed and a couch. The room had a TV with a VCR which they setup a movie for Evelyn on. They also brought Evelyn healthy snacks and some juice.

Our day was long and emotional but adventurous. I feel lucky to be part of such an amazing clinic and have such wonderful doctors and nurses who are invested in our family and my health. They have referred Evelyn to the Children's hospital for Hemophilia testing later this year. I can only hope that her nurses and doctors will be as amazing as mine.

Fabulous Fridays!

Items of the week...we got an amazing nursing bra in at work. I wish this bra was around when I was nursing. It is by Bravado and the style is called bliss. This bra has molded foam cups which will hide your nursing pads. Has pretty lace detailing and is oh so comfy. And for you busty girls like me, it actually has support! I needed some new bras this week and I actually considered this bra even though I am no longer nursing.

You can find the Bravado Bliss at bo bebe lifestyle stores in Calgary.

Here is the link to the website:

http://www.bravadodesigns.com/shop/the-bliss-nursing-bra

Happiness

OK, so recently a good friend of mine has been going through some marriage troubles and decided to attend some counseling. One of the things she was challenged to do was to come up with 5 things each night about her day that made her happy. It could be as simple as a good cup of coffee. Seems simple...right? Well, here is the challenge, those five things can NOT include her daughter in any way. So I got to thinking what five things made me happy that day. I tell you, it was hard to do when I couldn't include Evelyn. That child is the smile in my heart. I do have some great items to share however.

1. Starbucks delivered me a coffee to the store! Seriously, how awesome is that! I usually get a coffee on my way into work. They had a long lineup and one of the machines was not working. There was no time to wait :( The staff noticed and brought me a coffee to the store :()

2. Mike did ALL the dishes. There wasn't even his annoying, perpetually there cup sitting by the sink :()

3. My family is coming today!!!! :()

4. God will always provide when you trust him and do good work in his name :()

5. My nummy lasagna is bubbling away in the oven...mmmmm cheese :()

Making a list of 5 happy things each day is unfortunately always easy but I tell you it has made me realize how truly blessed I am.

Fab Fridays!

Ok folks, this is my most favorite item Evelyn has right now. It is custom so don't all go copying me..lol. It is a chalkboard made by a local Calgary Mom. Creative Artwork by Denise is the name of the company. Denise is amazingly talented and so fabulous to work with! Think of your own fabulous design and get one done for your playroom, kids room, kitchen whatever you like! Our chalkboard is hanging proudly in Evelyn's room. I searched and searched for something fabulous to put on the walls of her big girl room and this so perfectly fit her personality I couldn't resist.

Here is Denise's link on Facebook...

http://www.facebook.com/creativeartworkbydenise?ref=ts

Princess!?

As I sit here writing this I am curled up on the couch with Mike and Evelyn watching Beauty and the Beast because Miss E has requested a "Princess movie". I am astounded at the young age of two she already knows and loves what princesses are. Mike and I have never taught her what princesses are. In fact, we have spent a lot of time exposing her to all sorts of things in hopes of avoiding the little girl princess syndrome. We honestly thought we were safe when a few months back Evelyn fell in love with 'Cars' and 'Toy Story'. In the Disney Store recently she picked Buzz up and said 'I love you boyfriend Buzz'. Now suddenly we are faced with a girly girl who asks for princess movies and princess clothes and only wants to wear purple.

I am curious...do you, as parents, expose your children to the "gender specific" colors, toys, games and so on?? Or do you allow your child to explore what they want without concern??

Evelyn has been girly since she came out of the womb. She has from the start loved jewelry, dresses and high heels. We have an abundance of photos of her loaded up with costume jewelry and wandering the house in nothing but a pair of my heels. Each day when getting dressed Evelyn has a strong opinion about what she should/shouldn't wear. As of late, the color purple is a strong asset. I wonder, am I encouraging this behaviour or is it something inside of her that needs no encouraging? I remember babysitting my brother at a young age with my sisters and my parents coming home to Kurt dressed in our baby clothes singing and dancing. Kurt seems perfectly masculine to me now, aside from the butt bongoes he likes to play on Mike and my brother in law (sorry Kurt, I couldn't resist). I am sure Evelyn's girly girl clothes and behaviour won't slow her down as a strong independent woman in her adulthood but one wonders how long this will last...

Fabulous Fridays...a fews days late

So sorry about the late Fab Friday post. I was off and away celebrating mine and my husbnad's anniversary. So, without delay, here is my fab product of the week...

The 'Sweetpea' baby mp3 player is a fab item! It is cute, easy to use and my personal fave Mommy feature of it...only Mom and Dad can change the volume. The Sweetpea is great for lulling babies to sleep in their crib, letting your toddler dance around to their favorite tunes and great for taking out of the house as it is durable. I am quite certain our sweetpea has been through more than any toy should go through and it keeps on working. We have owned ours for over a year now and it is still a favorite in the car, on trips and in bed for Evelyn. The player comes prerecorded with a handful of stories and songs plus with a simple process (even I can figure out) you can add all your own music and stories. Currently ours has most of the original come with stories and songs plus a few of Evelyn's current favorite bands...Bobs and Lolo, Pearl Jam and the Beetles. Yes, I said Pearl Jam and the Beetles. Evelyn has an eclectic taste in music for a two year old. This is likely Mike's genes...lol.

http://www.sweetpeatoyco.com/

Quran burning in Florida

While watching the news tonight I was very disheartened to hear of Pastor Jones in Florida and his plan to have a Quran burning. As someone of devout faith I always worry about the ripple effects of misguided 'Christians'. While listening to Pastor Jones speak I was shocked to hear his reasoning that Jesus was a man of action who often did extreme things to prove his point. That Pastor Jones believes if Jesus was here today he would participate in the burning event is so sad to me. Jesus would never instill this amount of prejudice or hatred into anyone.

I truly believe that God works in mysterious ways and has an incredible way of bringing good to any situation. I hope and pray that He is able to work a miracle into this one. I pray for the beautiful Pastor in the neighbouring church who is hosting an evening of peace and love at the same time as Pastor Jones' awful hatred filled event. I pray for all the brave men and women who are working so hard overseas to protect people like Pastor Jones and I pray that these awful actions will not harm those soldiers in any way. I pray thay Pastor Jones will see the error in his actions, receive a divine intervention from God and turn away from the awful event planned.

I hope that you all will pray for peace, understanding and love.

In his service,

Amen

Fabulous Fridays!

OK all! I have decided it would be great fun to post some of my fave baby items. Each Friday I will post a fabulous baby/toddler item on the market that I either a: LOVE or b: am dieing to own. I work in the trendy baby industry so I am always being exposed to all sorts of fab products on a daily basis. Hopefully you will find this fun and as the blog gets more established I will throw in a few draws for the oh so fab items posted!

This week's item is from the 'b' category. I saw this item while reading an 'Everyday with Rachel Ray' magazine and I am now on the hunt to own one. The item is called a Jaq Jaq Mat and can be found on the sam and bellie website (which I have included). This totally fab product seems like it is the end to our restaurant/eating out troubles. The Jaq Jaq mat is an eco friendly chalk mat. It is a placemat on one side and a chalkboard on the other. It has a handy little pocket for chalk, crayons etc....and I am in LOVE! I have included pictures for your enjoyment. I pictured the owl print because I am totally obsessed with owl prints as of late but there is a whole assortment of great patterns and styles for both boys and girls.

http://www.samandbellie.com

Mixed Emotions

Today my heart broke into a thousand pieces. When Mike picked Evelyn up from her dayhome she said 'bye Mommy Tara'. I keep trying to convince myself that this is a good thing, that it means Evelyn is happy at her dayhome but I can't help but feel a slight bit jealous. I don't want Evelyn to love someone as much as she loves me! She is supposed to be my baby and me her Mommy. No one else is supposed to have the name Mommy except for me. Ok, I know I am being a touch irrational but this whole decision to go back to work has been a tough one for me. I always thought that I was meant to be a Mom, to stay home and raise beautiful children, keep a nice house and cook fabulous meals. When I started working part time last fall I realized that I actually like being out of the house a bit. As time went on I realized that I really like being out of the house and that maybe it would be a good thing to work full time. In the back of my mind though I thought Evelyn would hate being in a dayhome and I would have to drop down to part time again for her sake. Now she is loving the dayhome and I am happily, well, most days happily, working. I am thankful that Evelyn is happy but I think I am transitioning into this whole dayhome thing as much as she is...and in my heart of hearts I know she loves me the most ;)

As a funny little side story. While I was complaining to my Mom about this whole situation my Mom shared with me that I called her and my Dad by their first names for years all the while calling my grandparents Mom and Dad.

The 'Sex' shoes

Our good friends got Evelyn some dress up clothes for her birthday. One of the items beings a pair of dressup heels. This was all fine and good....even when Evelyn made her way through the bushes of our campsite in those ridiculous shoes I still found them adorable. The situation changed when Evelyn's Aunty Joyce told her they were "sexy shoes" and Evelyn repeated in her cute little two year old voice that she really likes her "sex shoes". It is just brilliant that my daughter decided to leave out the 'y'...lol. Nearly a month later and Evelyn is still loving the sex shoes wearing them all over the house and reminding us what the pink heels are called. Poor girl, I am quite certain this will be a great story to share with her future boyfriends.

Be warned! Sappy Mommy post!

My baby, who at the ripe old age of two is not really a baby anymore but if we are being serious here aren't our babies always our 'babies'? Anyways, said baby brought me to tears tonight. There was no drama in our house at bedtime just a few minutes of play, some reading of stories and prayers. Mike and I have been saying prayers with Evelyn for quite some time now. It is a time we all seem to enjoy but tonight was special. We laid Evelyn in bed and she held out her hand to hold ours and said her own prayers. Most nights Mike and I say the prayers for Evelyn. Some nights they are said quickly while Evelyn yells at us about not being tired. Other nights they are said to a half asleep child and so on. Tonight Evelyn said her own prayers without any coaxing. She said 'Dear Juses, tankyou Mommy, Daddy, Google, friends. Help to have nigh nights. Tankyou Juses, AMEN!'.

Seriously, what a happy way to end the day.

So, my life now includes a blog. For those of you who know me I am basically an open book. One of those 'wear my heart on my sleeve' kind of people. I have, in my humble opinion, lots of fabulous tales about the drama of my little suburban life and I want to share it with the world. Not that I think the world is instantly reading my blog...but my family and friends are my world so, why not think of it that way.

I hope you enjoy!