15-Love & 40-Love

I have been looking quite forward to my 40th birthday. I am not overly sure why but I think it's partly because I am pretty content with where I am in my life. And because of my new goal to practice regular gratitude, here is my listing on this my fortieth birthday:
 
Husband, partner, best friend and fantastic dad? Check.

Kids, that which I always knew I wanted. Check.

Extended immediate (think about it, it makes sense) family that's awesome. Check.

Career/job that I love. Check.

Financial security. Check. 

Good friends. Check.

Minimal regrets. Check.

There might be a few regrets but most are more like wishes that things could have been different. After 40 years, that's probably to be expected.

So here is to 40 years young.

To celebrate, Jay planned a nice dinner with a few close girl friends this past weekend. I am an introvert. A big surprise party is not my thing. This dinner? Perfect.

 

Jay acted as chauffeur so that we could all responsibly indulge in the adult beverages. The location was our favourite restaurant.  We indulged in (what we considered) expensive wine and an amazing 6 course meal. You'll note that there are not 6 courses pictured above.  I missed taking pictures of two of the courses. I was too busy laughing and eating and drinking.

As an aside, I am still dreaming of that scallop (top left). And I thought I didn't like scallops. Converted! I think I was like 12 last time I tried them so.... 

Oh yeah and there was the oyster choking incident.  Mental note, easy on the horseradish when you are going to try to let it slide down your throat.  Horseradish on the back of the throat = choking Kami. And those I still don't like. Similar to the clam slithering down my throat incident of 1985.

And that wine.  It was worth every cent.  

These girls.  Well they made my night. We are all super busy people and I am so grateful they could take the time to celebrate with me.  They might be gorgeous on the outside, but more importantly, they are beautiful people on the inside.


 

It was perfect.  Thank you Christie, Leah, Terry-Lyn and Michelle (who was there is spirit from NYC).

Jay and I are also celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary.   It's a big year.
He and I had our time together in Jamaica and after all these years, we still seem to really like each other.

I fully realize what a blessing that is and try not to take it for granted.




Happy Fifteenth Anniversary Jay! My only wish is for many many more.

Kamden Is Nine

Two days ago, this little blondie turned nine.

(better late than never, right?)

How he went so quickly from that little boy to the cheese ball below, I don't know. That smirk above?  Cute.  And now?

Well let's just say you could never accuse him of not having a personality.

He is funny and smart and full of energy.

Exhibit A:

An end of school drawing brought home on the last day of school noted that "Summer Rocks".  Then he put "Ow, my feet." 

You know, because of the rocks.

Yuk, yuk yuk.  Or hardy har har.

(I didn't get it at first, I must admit)

Smart, Exhibit B, his grade 3 report card. 

And Exhibit C, full of energy.

This kid would play sports all day long every single day.  Not only does he love it but one of his football coaches noted that he was so fun to coach because he takes direction well.  As a parent, that makes me super proud. 

I just wish he would listen to my direction a little better sometimes but we can't have everything now, can we?

(the next paragraph is for the annual photo book - feel free to skip and ignore my blatant bragging!)

He scored multiple touch downs in the flag football season that just ended (parenting fail as there are no photos or video) and as a defender in soccer managed to score a goal in the tournament they played in.  It was a gorgeous goal - he raised to the top right corner.  His coach took off his hat and bowed. Kamden, cool as the cucumber he is acted like he did this on a daily basis. This only served to crack us up.  After we finished screaming with glee.  (We cheer loudly whenever his team scores but because he plays defence 99% of the time, we may have cheered extra loud this time).

Happy Birthday to the kid who never fails to make me smile and make me proud as a Mom!

Happy 12th Birthday Jack!

It's hard to believe that this little guy is now twelve. Twelve.

I kind of miss those glasses but I know he doesn't. 

 

One more.  He's changed so much yet he still looks like this guy, just an older version.

 

 

 

Dear Jack,

 

Happy birthday buddy! I know you no longer like to have a huge deal made out of this day but like I told you many times last week, it's a special day and because we love you, we are going to make somewhat of a deal of it. 

I think the cake I made where I accidentally used baking soda instead of baking powder (a whole tablespoon of it) really shows you how much I love you, no? Or maybe it was more when I threw that horrid tasting cake out and made a new one?

Thanks for helping me with the second one to make sure I got it right.

You are growing up to be a really great person.  You are kind and loyal and quick to hug your mom.  I like that, you know.

This year brought you new challenges.  Your first reaction to something new is usually that you would rather not try it, thankyouverymuch.

I know this is part of who you are and you can't change it any more than you could change the size of your nose. I get that.

I also know, from my considerable years of experience (cough, cough) that as your mom, I can't let you sit everything out because of this gut reaction.

You and I came to heads on this a couple of times this year.  One resulted in this:




That's you at the ski hill having the time of your life. The reason? Because you tried it, even though you didn't really want to and because you tried it, you found out you love it.

 

No, I don't get tired of being right, why do you ask?

 

And then yesterday, there was an outdoor ed trip with school. Again, you didn't want to go but mean old mom made you. I knew parts of it would not necessarily be your thing but I also knew you would have fun most of the day.

 

So yeah, sorry about that getting swamped in the canoe thing first thing in the morning, I didn't foresee that, I promise.  You handled it very well and Dad and I are so proud of you.  You could have thrown your hands up and said, "See Mom, I told you this would suck!".  Instead you changed into your swim trucks and had fun.

 

 

It's been a great year, dude.  Academically you continue to excel.  You work hard at school and while most things come easy, you still put in a full effort and do all your work on time. 

 

You have a great group of friends. You chose well there, kiddo. Good friends are a gift to be treasured. As you know, not everyone is as kind, fun and generous as your group of guys.

 

Your Dad and I couldn't be prouder of who you are.  We love you and are privileged to walk by your side as you grown into the man you will become.

 

Love Mom and Dad

June, the Rest of the Story and Well July too

Another month gone, another birthday celebrated.  Kamden turned 8 and we celebrated in between his end of the season flag football and soccer tournaments.  He slept really good that weekend as you can imagine.

We almost had a tornado too.  Nothing touched down but we had these really neat clouds (Mammatus clouds) which only appear after a tornado type storm.

Pretty neat and much less frightening than the cloud I was driving towards that looked like it was forming a very large funnel.  It didn't, thank goodnesss.

I also prepared for and passed the practical portion of my personal training certification.  It's all done, I am certified and on ward ho.  It was stressful but so worth it.  I am looking forward to this new addition to my life.

I also bit the bullet and traded in my Blackberry for an iPhone.  I was skeptical but I am a full convert.  I just couldn't believe how much better it could be but it really is.  Email and internet are 100 times better and makes my work use of the phone so much easier.

And the camera kicks my Blackberry camera's butt to Portugal.

I got all dudded up to go out and celebrate my birthday with a good friend.  Also a busy friend.  It took us two months to find a day that worked for both of us.  Life is full and busy and good.

And we laughed till we cried.  Twice.

There ain't nothing better.



And that brings us to July.  The weather has been unbelievable and on the weekend we hit the beach to enjoy it.  We ran into Jack's good buddy from school and the boys got a tube ride out of the deal.  Living less than an  hour from about a dozen beaches is something for sure.

It's been a great summer so far, here's to the rest of summer.

June So Far

June, it's here and almost half over already. We've been busy. Kamden is playing both soccer and flag football. Here he is lining on the defensive line.  I don't actually know what I am talking about but I fooled you there, didn't I?

The day I brought my camera he got a tackle (ie ripped a flag off the ball carrier) in the first few minutes of the game.  He was also about 5 feet from me and my zoom lens.  When you look at the picture below, envision his arm extending above the top of the photo holding the yellow flag.  Then look at his face.  He was proud.

He also went to a birthday party and got his face painted.  Adorable, no?

Then we had a birthday.  Jack's 11th to be exact

This card had Phineus telling us what I breath smelled like.

I love the look on Kamden's face!

I found this book while browsing in the books with Jack. Kamden and I managed a covert operation to get it to Dad at the till without Jack's knowledge.  Mom's got some stealth.

Jack, being my son in every way, only wanted to invite three friends to his party plus his little bro. They battled with Nerf guns for three hours in between pizza and cake. Good choice Jack, good choice. Next up, Kamden's birthday.

Seven

Today, Kamden Jaymes turned seven. SEVEN.

He into all things sport, particularly soccer. He would play it all day long every day if only he had someone to play it with.

He is still goofy and falls off his chair at the supper table at least once a week. He also knocks his own teeth out. With his knee of course.

But he still needs his Momma to sing him a song at bedtime. Although lately he has been requesting I go out of my 3 song repertoire and make up a song instead. And then he giggles his little heart out. He is laughing with me, right?

Time is flying but this boy is growing up just as he should, full spunk and vinegar!

The Big One Oh

Dear Jack,

Ten years ago today, you came into this world and made us parents.

And now look at you.

You are growing up, my handsome son. I see it every day. It makes me happy to my core and scares the tar out of me in equal parts.

Have I ever told you that I am winging this mom gig?

I am.

Sometimes I do right by you. Other times I beat myself up because I know I didn't handle a situation with you the way you needed.

I shower you with I love you's and hugs and hope that makes up for it, in some small way.

I also hope that the day you are too old to feel comfortable with that stays away just a little bit longer.

Today, you came running out of school at lunch with so much excitement that it made my heart skip a little. It is the simple things that make you happy. Daddy and I took you out for lunch, just the three of us, and you chatted excitedly about your morning at school. I couldn't help but smile and think about how much you have changed.

You are growing up, my son.

It is exactly as it should be.

Happy 10th Birthday buddy!

Love Mommy

It's Been 12 Long Years....

and I love you just the same.

Okay, so the song says 5 longs year but we surpassed that years ago.

Yesterday, May 8th, Jay and I celebrated our 12 wedding anniversary. It was also Mother's Day (as I am sure you know) and May 7th (Saturday) was my birthday.
Do you feel a little bit sorry for poor Jay trying to handle all those occasions in one weekend?

I do.

But if you know Jay, you also know that he handles this like a pro.

Saturday morning, my 37th birthday, I ran a 10 km race with my friend, Terry-Lyn. When it comes to running, she is the hare and I am the turtle. But she happily (I think) ran at my pace, encouraging me, cheering me on, even yelling a bit to get me mad to run faster. You see, I had a goal. I started the race hoping to finish in under 60 min. Well actually I started out wanting to run it in under 55...turns out if I would have thought about it a bit, that just isn't possible for me, yet.

Thanks to her I finished in 58:37. And I literally almost lost my lunch steps from the finish line. Gross eh? But what the proves is that I ran as fast as was physically possible for me. I recovered in about 30 seconds and was very happy I met my goal.

Next up, Jay informed me I had an appointment at noon. I had no clue what it was and I loved not knowing. I had my suspicions but he pretty much fouled every guess with a rational explanation. Dude does his surprises up right.

Turns out it was an Indian head massage (which as I found out has very little to do with your head) followed by a hot stone massage. Oh my word. Let me just tell you that every ounce of pain I felt during the run was more than made up for by the massages. I was as relaxed as a puddle of goo when I was done.

I was then picked up by three handsome boys and whisked off for a hot coffee and bagel followed by mini-golf and a steak supper out. At home I was treated to homemade cards.

And gifts. Which Kamden felt he should model.

It was, as birthdays go, pretty damn fantastic.

And then, just because that wasn't enough, he also got me a make-up 101 lesson to share with a friend.

I am not sure I deserve all this. I don't really need to say this, it is quite obvious but I'll say it anyway because he deserves the credit. As husbands go, I hit the jack pot.

Jay, you are unbelievable. Simply the best. Sharing my life with you is well, beyond fantastic. Thank you for all you did to make me feel special and loved this weekend and every single day of the year. I love you more than I could ever express in words!

Photography is for Professionals

Every year we get photos of the boys done around their birthdays in June. This year it didn't happen so I decided to do them myself.

I had a vision of what I wanted. It involved using an old piece of the now defunct power station converted to a science center in our fair city.

Problem is, it is surrounded by trees on three sides. Trees with the sun streaming through the leaves makes for shadows.

So they both have large metal things growing out of their backs too, did you know that? We tried to keep it under wraps but they both had a growth spurt so there is no hiding it any longer. The shadows hide their faces so we can still be in cognito.

I don't mind this one though.

Attempt number two was this weekend. After much discussion and reading about placing the sun behind your subject rather than behind the photographer as I thought, we got these.

It just wasn't possible, in this spot, to put the sun behind them. I was really set on this spot, why I don't know, the metal thingy's are yellow but not very yellow up close.

Take 3, the play ground near by.

Huh. So the sun is behind them but somehow I still don't think I got it right. Ah well, the subjects are still cute so we'll call it a day.

Someday, I will take that photography class I keep talking about. That day will be when I remember to register before the class fills up. Hell might freeze over first.

It was Grand and so is he

I promised more pictures from our Vegas trip and when I make a promise, I deliver gosh darn it all anyway (anyone remember that from SNL back in the late 80's - it was that guy who said "I am good enough, and strong enough and gosh darn it all people like me!).

Anyway, here are the pictures from our Helicopter Tour of the Grand Canyon. I would highly recommend this if you can do it. It was, aside from hanging out with our friends, the highlight of the trip.

Our pilot was very cute (a nice bonus), young and a Mormon from Utah. He even knew where Saskatchewan was as he had been in Alberta on a church mission. Poor guy (the Alberta part, I got nothing against Mormon's!)

As an aside, I was pleasantly surprised how many Americans knew where Saskatchewan was...normally I just say that we are from Canada because I have to admit I have a skewed view of the average Americans knowledge of Canadian geography. After this trip, I have to stand corrected, y'all know what you are talkin' about.

Just outside the city limits of the bright lights, big city, nature competes with its own show and I, personally, think it gives the strip a run for its money.

More stunning rock formations a bit further outside the city limits.

Hoover Dam - it doesn't look to big from way up here. But thos white specks towards the bottom right of the photo are boats. That kinda puts in perspective, no?

Our first view of the Grand Canyon. To state the obvious, it is grand, beyond adequate words.

We flew down into the canyon after our pilot (his name escapes me but I can however picture his face) dropped us down. I just about lost my breakfast at about that point too. I took Gravol, however, it either wasn't enough or wasn't working. I was never so glad to be out of the copter in the 44 degree C heat (111.12 degrees F for you imperial folks). It was hot but much preferable to the motion sickness!

The Canyon walls are 4000 ft above us down on the Colorado River (in my head I totally say CALL-er_RA-do with some good American twang).

Mind blowing. The walls people, not my sad attempt at an accent.

Then we flew up the canyon wall in the helicopter and took a bus to Eagle Point (click to see why it's called that) home of the Sky Walk. We didn't go out on the Sky Walk (had to pay even more for that) since we had such amazing views from the helicopter.

Having friends with us was great for taking photos of each other. We did lots of that but you know what we never did? Take photos of us with the friends. Nor did we take photos when we were dressed up later for dinner and the David Spade show. We are so smart.

Next we took a bus to Guano Point. Our helicopter pilot was telling us that Guano means bat poop in one of the Native American languages and that it is used in cosmetics. I am going with ignorance is bliss on that one.

Here you could walk out over this big rock ledge - see picture on link above. It freaked me right out. In places you were inches from the edge of the canyon wall. Which judging by the sheer edge of the side on the opposite side of the canyon, was deadly. We stayed as far away as possible. I am very clumsy. AND there were people on there with kids. Like kids my boys age. I nearly had a coronary. They can go when they are 18. No wait 30, around the same time they can start dating.

The rock formation is stunning. It is really that red. My running shoes still have the red dust on them from walking on the path.

I am running out of commentary. The photos speak for themselves and this has no bearing on my ability, it's the subject that takes all the credit.

And this guy, my handsome Jay, he turns the big X-O today. The X is the number of his age but it's a secret. Well not really, you can probably figure it out.

Jay, this trip was amazing. It reminded me of how much I love spending time with you. Thank you for the last 17 years (seriously, this is the 17th birthday we will celebrate together). You are my everything and it is an honour to walk beside you in this life.

Happy birthday Jay! And my big brother, Trevor too!

It's meatloaf night! (not even kidding, we are going out for meatloaf - it has become a tradition)