My lil' Birthday Boy

So I promised I'd post pictures of Nix on his bday, so here they are:

These are him at our special bday dinner at BP's He thoroughly enjoyed eating some delicious cake! (also totally didn't even notice when I dressed him this morning I put on his shirt that has the number "3" on it... very fitting.)


And the beloved train table... I've never seen him this interested in anything before... I'm loving it!

So that was his bday... more pics after his party this weekend!

Ps... have you noticed how much I've been blogging lately? I'm just sayin...

Enchanted with Entitlement

So the kids and I just finished watching the movie "Enchanted" and it got me thinking....
At the beginning, it starts out with the princess or I guess maiden... all happy and waiting for her prince to come and for them to share in "Love's true kiss". And of course, he comes, sweeps her off her feet (literally) and then says "We shall be married in the morning". So naturally, I scoffed at this and was like "oh right, we meet and are married in the morning and will live happily ever after". And then the movie goes on and the queen casts her to NYC and there she meets Robert who teaches her about the reality of life and she teaches him of course of happily ever afters and they end up in love and together and then Robert's girlfriend ends up with Prince Edward. So what had me thinking was the ending, when it showed Robert's girlfriend and the Prince getting married. This led me to thinking of a simpler time when roles were clearly defined and people knew what they had to do to make life work.

Now just so we are ALL CLEAR... I am a working mom who LOVES her work, and I totally understand the necessities of working and the importance of being with your family and that we live in the 21st century... this is just a train of thought that I am sharing with you!

Now... when the movie ended, I thought now they'll get married and have kids and live happily ever after. And we all know that "Happily Ever After" is relative... that one person's H.E.A might not be yours and there are different ways to define it. But I started to think... they'll have kids, she'll be the nurturer, he'll be the provider and they'll live that life. But wait a minute... why are there so many issues with THAT life? I am striving to live THAT life but still find myself longing for more.... why is that?

I mean, THAT life has worked for years and years and years... and then all of a sudden we decided it didn't and all hell broke loose! What I am referring to (in case you haven't realized) is the Women's Movement. Now HOLD ON! And stop badmouthing me under your breath! I'm not saying the Women's movement was bad.. lotsa good came out of it... changes of laws on reproductive rights, domestic violence, maternity leave, equal pay, voting rights, sexual harassment etc. etc. What I'm referring to is the change in attitude that came from this.

All of a sudden, being a mom and caring for your kids and being the person to kiss all their boo-boos and teach them right from wrong, and taking care of your family and their health and their needs failed to be enough. Women wanted MORE... they wanted to be seen as the men (and I believe we are equal in every way), they wanted to be out there proving their worth instead of caged up in a house with their offspring all day. (I Am Woman Hear Me ROAR!) Now, this is what I see as a negative. Yes we are equal, I believe that! But that doesn't mean we have to pull the "anything you can do I can do better" thing. There is something special and quite noble about a woman who can truly find joy in loving, caring for and raising her family. (Now I am one of those who strives for MORE... I wish I didn't and am working towards finding true happiness and contentment in my primary role as a mother).

So my thoughts had led me to thinking of the past... thinking of that simpler time, when men worked hard to provide for and take care of their family, and when women where nurturing and loving and happy. (Not JUST happy to stay at home... but just overall... HAPPY!)

Ok, so like I mentioned before, I work and LOVE what I do. I am also a stay at home mom and am proud of it! I love my kids and I LOVE being the one who is there for them and who gets to see every side of them and watch them grow on a daily.. hourly.. second-by second basis!

Back to that simpler time... Roles were clearly defined, everyone knew what they did to make life work and it worked. Where they happy? Honestly? I think they were!

I picture a family where the husband gets up to go to work and the wife is there by his side, helping to make his morning easier. I picture that wife ironing his shirt (I HATE IRONING.... just a side-note) and I picture the husband giving her an appreciative kiss as he takes his shirt and buttons up his boots and gets ready for the morning. I picture the wife lovingly making him a hearty homemade breakfast that will help him to have the energy to go about his daily labours. I see their children waking up and doing some chores and having breakfast and I see them getting ready for school or other chores. I see them as a family seeing their father off and telling them they love him as he heads off to work. I see the Mother then helping the children finish getting ready for school and what not and singing a happy little tune as she tidies the kitchen and gets on with her day. I picture the mother cleaning and cooking and tending to their home which is her sanctuary and because of all of her diligence and hard work in making it beautiful and a haven, I see her enjoying it. I see the mother after a busy morning and some chores, reading a book in the afternoon or taking a nap. I see her getting dinner started and her husband coming home from a very busy day and helping set the table. I see the father playing with the kids and asking them about their days. I see the family sitting down for dinner and enjoying each others' company. I see the family kneeling in prayer at the end of the day to offer gratitude to their Father in Heaven for all that they have been blessed with... and aren't they blessed?

OK... now I know some if not MANY of you will tell me that I'm delusional and that's not how life is... that the kids will fight, the parents will fight, the house will be a mess and they'll all be miserable! (ok maybe that's a bit much). I wonder though... how that wife felt. If she felt like she was missing out on a stressful busy day at the office, or if she enjoyed being at home in HER home with her family. I wonder if that husband felt that he was doing all the work and his wife should step up to the plate and do more. If they are truly happy (and I suspect they are). I don't think so.

I think the wife understands her worth and her value in the home. I think she understands the potential she has to influence her children and her family in ways that no secondary caregiver ever could. I think the husband respects and appreciates his wife. I think he knows how much she works to tend to their family and is truly grateful for her as his equal partner.

I think the children see their parents' love for one another and it makes them feel happy and secure. I think they see that their parents don't love every thing they are doing, but they do it happily because they absolutely love whom they are doing it for.

I don't believe every day is a day full of bliss and cheer. I believe many hardships will come to this family, but because they are so happy to be working together and for one another that these hardships will come and go and that this family will remain in tact... completely unshaken.

This family in my mind, was living in a sweet cottage in the prairies sometime in the late 1800s or early 1900s... not unlike Anne of Green Gables. But that doesn't mean that we can't have this family in our homes today.

I am well aware of the drastic changes in time since the picture I had in my head would have been a reality... but that doesn't mean that we can't still have the same spirit that this family had.

I understand that we have sports and school and dance and work and a million things to complicate such a simple life... but still, I wonder... why are we so unhappy? Depression rates are increasing and we seem to be less happy and less content. Why is this? (Just an interesting side-note... that study said that generations have been increasingly more depressed since those born in 1915... since the women's movement started in the 50s... those women born in 1915 would have been 35 at the time of the movement... I'm just saying is all). But why are we getting increasingly more depressed? Didn't women like the one in my little picture get sad or depressed? Didn't they have extremely difficult lives and hormonal imbalances?

My sister-in-law and I were talking about a similar subject not too long ago, she had read a book in which they talked about this. They talked about how women now a days are over thinking, that we are so educated (not a bad thing) that we over analyze. In the book, the author interviews some elderly women, and asked what they did when they got depressed... and the women replied "depressed? Oh honey, we had some hard times, but we just pulled up our socks and worked through it". (Now those may not be the exact words... but something quite similar.) The book went on to say how now a days, we basically diagnose ourselves with all sorts of problems (and I'm not saying chemical depression is just a myth or anything.. trust me I know it isn't) when they just didn't have time or maybe even the knowledge of/for such things.

Now I really hope I didn't totally butcher that book but it made me think, why isn't it enough? Why do we always long for more? Why can't we be happy with what we have? Weren't they happy back then? Part of me wonders if it's that we now feel entitled to soo much. We should work too!(as if being a stay at home mom isn't loads and loads of work and I understand needing to work), We should have a bigger house, We should have a nicer car, We should etc. etc. But is that it? Do we feel entitled to so much that we lose sight of what we do have... and what is so quickly slipping away from us?

And to tell you the truth... this is where my thought process ends... I have no idea why we're so much unhappier as a society... more crime? more murder? would happier homes and families change that? Would a simpler life change that? I don't know... do you?

And the Saga Continues (Part 3)

Sorry this is being dragged out so long but life is crazy and kids have needs! So back to the story....

So we get into the major city and capital (Kingstown, also where my dad and his family grew up) and it reminds me very much of New York! There are street vendors everywhere -a very large marketplace- and half of them are selling bootlegged movies and music! Disney's Princess and the Frog was being pushed quite heavily when they saw Liv lol. It was like I'd said in the first post, such a different world. I loved that you had to interact with people in every setting. Walking down the street there's street vendors, and I love that they're not pushy. St.Vincent isn't uber touristy yet so 90% of the people who go through the markets are locals. So through the markets, you interact with people, at the grocery stores, there's at least 3 or 4 people at the checkouts working the cash, bagging, helping you to your car... I loved it! In Canada I usually favor self-checkouts and ATMS (usually drive-through) but it was so nice to feel so connected to so many people... it reminds you that people are people and I just really enjoyed it! So back to the markets, there was fruit of all kinds, there's a fish market by the harbour (I stayed away) and then you can buy clothes and stuff (all really highly priced and clearly from the states). I think the majority of people there do their shopping in a mixture, purchasing from people on the streets and in the grocery stores.

Market

So we decided to visit family first and then get our groceries before heading back to the guest house. We met up with my mom's cousin at the bank (love that they had ATMS that accepted our cards! We just withdrew and got out some Eastern Caribbean money or EC$ which looked a fair bit like Canadian $... maybe it's 'cause they're a part of the British Commonwealth as well so the Queen was on their moola too.). So my mom's cousin, Calvin was one of the only people I remembered 'cause he had just moved back to the Caribbean from New York and I remember visiting him in the States. So I think he had a busy day that do so we talked for a little bit and then we were off to my Grandpa's.

EC$

So my Grandpa is my Dad's father (my mom's dad died shortly after I was born) and my parents are divorced, but my mom is soo sweet. She gets along really well with my dad's family and she's the one who called and made arrangements to meet up with all of his relatives. Anywho, so it was wonderful to see my Grandpa, he has Glaucoma as does the majority of my dad's side and can hardly see, so it was soo nice to have him be with my children and meet them. He hasn't seen me since I was just a year or two older than Liv, He has pictures from my Dad, but I brought a large photo album with pictures of my family from the birth of Liv till now... don't think I put wedding ones in... but maybe.. can't remember. Anywho, we brought some gifts for him and my aunt Rosie lives with him and takes care of him, but she was working that day so we had a nice visit just with him. The kids just loved him! They sat on his lap and gave him tons of hugs and kisses... it was soo sweet! He happens to be their only great grandfather that's alive now and it was just so wonderful to see them together.... my family!

Grandpa & the Kids

After we visited with my Grandpa, we went back to the market, got the food we needed and then took another van-cab back to Layou (the town where the guest house was and where my mom and Grandma grew up).

So, the guest house wasn't anything extraordinarily beautiful, but it was perfect! It's kinda set up like a motel, each room has 2 double beds, a bathroom with a shower, toilet and sink, a wardrobe to hang clothes in and a TV (only one channel). Our room also had a mini-fridge which was awesome for us 'cause Nixon pounded through a LOT of milk! Our room also adjoined to another room which we had the kids in. So there was about 10 or 12 rooms and then on the main floor, there was a big kitchen with a little rec-room typed thing attached. So we had a fridge and stove and cooked a bunch of our meals, it was really nice not to have to eat out 3 x a day for 2 weeks!

The Guest House


Liv eating in the rec area, my mom cooking in the kitchen, Nixon sitting on the step

One of my favourite things about St.Vincent was how much fruit there was and how green it was! At the base of the guesthouse there was a fairly large open green space with a couple of mango trees, and some orange trees and some lime trees and a fruit called sugar apple, Papaya and Coconut... among some pretty flowers and plants! It was soo neat to see so much that you can use and live off of. When I got home, it seemed like such a waste that we have all these ornamental trees that pretty much don't do anything. Anywho, I just loved how simple it was... we wanted limeade... so we picked some limes and made some juice... we wanted a mango, we went and picked one! I was beginning to think I could live here happily ever after lol... I really didn't miss home at all... just my friends and family!

Some of the Fruits & Flowers that were at the guesthouse

The Long Awaited Post

So I have no idea why it's taken me so long to post about our vacation but here it goes!

So after Christmas we headed to the Caribbean! My parents were both born and raised on an Island called St.Vincent. It's pretty close to Barbados and not too far from Venezuela. I've visited before but when I was 3, 5, and then not again 'til this year... when I'm 24! So needless to say it was very much like visiting for the first time! So here's the story from the beginning:

Flights from Canada to Barbados only leave from Toronto, so our first leg of the trip was boarding a plane to the T-Dot at 12:00AM! Or something like that. It was sooooo much fun with the kids (3 1/2 and about to turn 2). Sorry if you got a little damp from the dripping sarcasm there... anywho... so the wait in the airport and the plane ride really wasn't too bad... the kids seemed to be fairly decent... Liv fell asleep and well.. Nick had Nixon! So the girls got some rest on the 5 hour flight and then we met up with my Mom in Toronto and waited just a couple hours for our next flight to Barbados! So that went not too bad either except the boy hardly slept! Then we get to Barbados! OH MAN!

Barbados was warm and beautiful and we started to get excited for our vacation... until...
Until we had to wait in line and go through customs even though we were just hopping on another flight! Well.. the plane to St.Vincent only allows you 1 piece of checked luggage per person unlike our planes from Canada.. (and a baby doesn't count... they have more crap than the rest of us!) which was fine for my family... but my mom had extra baggage so we had to juggle luggage around while at the front of the line to check in and while trying to make our next flight which was leaving VERY soon! (within 30 min) So... we move stuff around, get it all done and then we have to go through security and OH YA since we shuffled our crap around Nick's shaving kit ends up in a carry on and they throw out like all of his stuff.... toothpaste, shaving cram, hair stuff etc. etc.! AND our kids start freaking out and crying!

SO Nick is the first one through security... my mom and I are juggling all our carry on stuff, trying to take off belts and shoes, dealing with rude Airport people (VERY common in Barbados) and both kids while trying to get out passports and what not when Liv decides to have an even bigger freak out and that she doesn't want to go on another plane and wants to go back home... So what does she do?! SHE BOOKS IT BACK THE WAY WE CAME! Oh man I was about to kill her! SO I had to drop all my stuff and chase her down the airport!I catch up to her and she starts screaming and kicking (14+hours after we started with only like a 2-3hour nap when she's supposed to be asleep for the night... think she's tired much?)!

So I get Liv, we get through security with lots of looks and comments and then book it to the plane that has already boarded! We make it on the plane and are the last ones there... 30 minutes later, we're in St.Vincent! FINALLY!

Liv on the Plane.... when she was happy!

To Be Continued.... (wanted to add dramatic effect and I'm kinda tired lol)

LDS Apostles

So for those of you who are not LDS, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is led by a Prophet (kinda like the pope) and then he has 2 Apostles and that makes up the 1st Presidency. Then there are 12 others that make up the Quorum of the 12 Apostles and then there are other groups but for now that's all I need to clarify lol.

So I really want my kids to learn more about the religion we live and although just about every LDS kid can tell you who their Prophet is, they usually can't tell you much about the rest of the leaders of their church, and I really want to teach my kids more. So today, I found this awesome video on You Tube that a group of LDS singers made and I'm gonna play it for Liv so she can learn their names and a little about the 1st Presidency and 12 Apostles of our church. I think we're gonna do a Family Home Evening Lesson about it too. Here it is:

A Day Of Rememberance

So today we took our kids to the war museum here in Calgary in honor of remembrance day. We taught them about the poppy and about their great grandpas who fought in the war. It was such a wonderful experience and the ceremony made me tear up. I am so grateful for those brave men who fought in those wars and their wonderful wives who supported them, and for all they gave up for their country and for our freedoms... some even their lives. I am grateful for those brave men and women who are fighting today, for their efforts in trying to make a difference. I love this country and am so proud to be called a Canadian. I feel so blessed to have been born and raised in such a free and peaceful country and love our American neighbors and in my case, family members and friends, and all they do as well to make this world a better and safer place. I can't imagine sending my son or husband away not knowing if they will come back or what will happen, but am so grateful for the strength and faith those men and women had then and so many still have today. Below are some pictures of Nick's Grandpa Bridge (look like someone you know?) He was a veteran and a wonderful man, and along with Nick's Grandpa Larsen who was also a veteran and amazing man, we are remembering them today.
Lest we forget.

Latest in Olivianess!

Olivia: "Mom, I know! We should have 2 boys and 2 girls!"
Me: "We should? Where?"
Olivia: "In our house!"
Me: "Where are we going to get the other girl and boy from?"
Olivia: "Ummm... from the baby store!"

She's such a ham! Honestly... where does she think of this?

Whoah Nelly!

So it just feels like life is going by sooo fast! I remember when I had been married like 6ish months waking up one morning and just being amazed at where I was in life. It was like in the movies when you see them and then in a flash you see them 20 years later. Sometimes (like this morning) I feel like life has skipped ahead so quickly and I should still be like back in high school or something. Anyone else get this or am I just crazy? It's not like I'm not happy or don't love my life, I am very happy at where I am in life and love my family. I dunno, I just feel like it's going too fast! I can remember riding my bike around the neighborhood for hours with my friends in elementary/junior high school and now I'm married and teaching my own kids to ride bikes. I feel like I should stop sleeping or something to make the time last longer. Before I know it my kids will be starting school and then graduating and then getting married and having their own kids! Oh man... but that's all the joy of growing and experiencing all the different seasons there are to life right? As excited as I am for all of these things to happen, I think my new goal in life is to take some time to breathe, relax and really try to enjoy each season. Funny... as I'm writing this the leaves have turned and snow has come and melted and more should be on its way in the next few months and I realize that I didn't enjoy summer as much as I wanted. So I will take a lesson that I learn each fall when I regret how much time I spent indoors during the beautiful months of summer and apply it to my life in a much grander way and make a goal to not look back and regret not spending enough time with the kids, or Nick or doing the things I love. I know that life gets in the way and I can't spend EVERY minute of my life doing something I ABSOLUTELY love, but I can try a little harder, complain a little less and just enjoy each season, even if it is the dead of winter...

Aunt Gigi

Nick's sister and her now husband (pictures to come) are so much fun! Our kids just adore them. Nick's sister is Meg but Liv decided to call her Gigi and it's just stuck. Her husband Jorge is a complete riot, he's just so much fun! They are wonderful together, both so happy and a bundle of fun! I can't wait to see them with their own kids in the future 'cause our kids think they're the best! They watch our kids for us overnight whenever we need to get away (which surprisingly has been a couple times this summer) and are frequent guests at our dinner table. I love having them around, they bring such a happiness to our home and our lives! Oh and the pictures... ya, they pretty much speak for themselves, if they were your aunt and uncle wouldn't you think they were awesome? (I love how in the 1st one you can see Nixon on the swing watching them... he looks confused).

Fun at the ranch

Our dear friends Kelly & Weston have this amazing Ranch not too far away. We have so much fun going out there and hanging out, whether it be photo shoots with the girls, horseback riding, quadding, dirt biking, or just hanging out having a BBQ, it's so much fun. They're some of our closest friends and I love just hanging out with them. We can sit and gab for hours and never get sick of each other. I love that it's not just us and Kel & Wes though, their kids are a riot and we have so much fun with them too! They pile our kids around and take them on the quad or just out to play. These pics are of the kids hanging out in the horse corral (also very useful for children) and of Ashley sporting a hot look of liv's sun hat and some dirt biking gear!

the two peas

My little Bruiser:

so I am pretty sure that Nixon is going to be "that kid" You know who I'm talking about that kid in school who always had a scar or broken limb, that kid who's parents get called to come in 'cause he was showing off on top of the monkey bars and now needs stitches, or a cast... or both! I am confident in my thought that Nixon will be "that kid" because he already is! No broken bones yet (knock on wood) but he's got scrapes and scars like crazy! Last week he cracked his back on the side of Liv's beds while doing somersaults and jumping, so I went to console him and he pushed me away and did another somersault over her foot board! Also, if you were to look at his back, you'd see a pretty nasty looking scar from him running through the house and jumping onto the couch so hard that he bounced off and fell onto a toy! These particular pictures are from a run-in with he vacuum earlier this summer. He was running around and tried to tackle it and cut his eyelid. Lucky no stitches, but it did turn into a tough little scar! These pictures remind me of what guys look like after a boxing or UFC match, swollen and cut up! I don't know if this is typical of all little boys, but I am DEFINITELY noticing a difference across the genders! Liv was busy, but busy playing where Nixon's busy getting into as much mischief as he possibly can between naps and meals. He keeps me on my toes... that's for sure!

My girly tom-boy!

I have so much fun dressing up my kids! I know everyone says it's not as fun dressing up boys but I totally think it is! Girls though... they're just a whole different kind of fun! Liv loves to get all pretty and have her nails painted and put on a new dress! Now, any of you that know me know that I'm not super girly... I clean up just fine and can act the part, but it does take a little effort for me to get in touch with my inner "girly-girl" and yes, she is in there beneath a few sports injuries and concussions! Liv is the perfect balance though, she'll get dressed in a pair of tights and a pink shirt, occasionally a tu-tu) and then go out back and collect worms and bugs. She is a girly tom-boy, it's awesome! She has no problem wrestling with her dad and brother and then strapping on some ballet shoes! The first pic I just love, she's in an adorable little outfit and just hanging out, the other pics are her in a cute little tunic dress I bought for her. I love how photogenic she is!