Bits and Bobs

Just popping in to share a few moments from our week. Tonight I'm typing on our computer while it is set up on a ping pong table in my in laws basement. It's become our temporary home base while we shift focus and locations.

Packing up the trailer with my brothers and sister in law. All of our stuff fits, yay! One more downsize and it will be ready to be moved to Nova Scotia. 

Hours spent in emergency with my girls and my very willing sister in law. Khaira has had a rough couple of months but we're hoping we've turned a corner. It was nothing serious but I've had my share of doctor's offices and hospitals for awhile. 

Saying goodbye to our little hobbit hole in Edmonton. I hate goodbyes and transition time is always hard for me. I took a few minutes while we were cleaning our place to sit and remember all the good and not so good times we've had, so thankful for this time in our lives and the memories we've made. 

Peonies. Gorgeous rain-kissed, fragrant blooms. 

Chalk drawing, bike rides, water fights, visits to the chickens/cows/sheep - we are all loving being at the grandparents! 

Tomorrow night is Jared's big recital , I am so excited for him! It's been an intense month on many different levels and we're both ready for a little quieter pace in July. Famous last words, I know. =) 

What's keeping you busy and happy?

 

Riverbend Gardens on a Sunday

I am currently sitting on the floor, surrounded by boxes. We're almost ready to move out of this place, my brothers in law are coming on the weekend to move all our stuff to my inlaws, where we'll be living for the summer until we fly out to Nova Scotia. I needed a little reprieve today so I re-visited a favorite day of mine from May. It has become one of my happiest memories from this last little bit. Do enjoy along with me! 

It was a Sunday. The sky was bright blue with lots of fluffy white
 clouds. It was the perfect day to go to the country. And so we did.

My smile grew bigger and bigger as we drove out of the city into the country and down roads I had never been before. I love discovering new places and this one was practically in our backyard. We drove down gravel roads, keeping our eyes peeled for the bright green and yellow signs that would direct us to Riverbend Gardens.  
We've long enjoyed their produce at our local farmer's market and when the opportunity came to show them some support and visit the gardens where our veggies are grown, we were all over it.

 I love the earthy smell of freshly plowed fields, misted over with the slight-ish green tinge of baby plants. It was a treat to walk over the farm and see how well-cared for everything was.

I oohed and ahhed over all the flowers, being very tempted to buy a huge lot of them but reality won and I came away with a bright orange gerbera daisy to brighten my windowsill until we move. I satisfied my beauty craving by taking pictures and enjoying the other people who were setting up their window boxes full of blooms.

 

A highlight of the day was taking a wagon ride through the woods. We climbed up behind the bright red tractor and set off. Through the woods and  along the river. Past an old apple tree in full bloom and sun-bathed clearings in the woods.

The girls were thrilled to be outside and they loved the wagon ride. I loved seeing their bright faces and exchanging smiles with my man over their heads. 
We left with our gerbera daisy in tow, quite happy and more passionate then ever about supporting our local food scene.

What are some of your happy  moments from this last while?

Moving with Little Ones: My 5 Point List

Life is very full right now. It feels a little crazy. 

Have I said that before?

Our house is now officially in getting-all-packed-up mode. The bookshelf in the girls' room is empty and I just packed up one of our living room bookshelves this morning. An empty bookshelf always signifies change for me. We moved several times growing up and the bookshelves were always one of the first things to get packed up. I filled 3 books in about 20 minutes this morning, I think that's why I like packing books so much. You get that 'look how much I accomplished' feeling a lot faster then say, packing the kitchen. 

 

It's a little different getting ready to move with two little ones. One who can unpack the boxes almost as fast as I can pack them and another who can crawl around everything. I'm having to be a little more creative in how I pack and what I pack. 

 

Here's what I've found works for me. 

 

1. Let them help

As long as they don't unpack the box I'm currently packing, they can play with almost anything else even stuff that normally is off limits. Dumping the box of diapers on the floor?  Really, it's okay. Those can be cleaned up very fast and if it keeps them both happy for ten minutes, I'm happy. I have learned to pack boxes fast. 

2. Make it fun and memorable

Build towers out of empty boxes and let them knock them down. Kilmeny loves this. 

Stop in the middle of the craziness and have a tickle time. I am energized by the my girls' giggles and they love seeing me laugh with them.

Take time to do some of the normal, everyday stuff that you usually do. For me, that means walking to the library, getting new books, and saying hi to our favorite librarian. It also means that I don't get any boxes filled that morning. But my girls feel special and that life isn't totally crazy. 

3. Go easy on meals 

 We've been eating meals from the freezer and picnic style suppers. I'm trying to empty the freezers and pantry as well as not spending a ton of time creating the meals. Kilmeny's delighted to have 'rabbit' (her word for mac and cheese) a little more often. Pancakes and eggs will be showing up a little more often in our supper rotation. And granola is our steady go-to for breakfast. 

 

4. Know when to take a break  

It's nap time. The house is quiet. I could be filling boxes but I'm not. I'm writing here. I've learned enough about myself in the last couple months that to push too hard doesn't end in results, it ends in burn out and stress. I take time to read a few chapters of a book while savoring a cup of tea and a little something sweet. I breathe deeply. I strive to enjoy this crazy time without losing my sanity. 

5. Use the Time Well

We have a time deadline to get this place packed up and cleaned. I can't afford to take too many breaks. I have to have a game plan and stick to it. That means sorting and packing, packing and sorting whenever I have a spare moment. In the evening, when the girls are down, I pack fast and I sort hard. Really, how many Mason jars do I think I need? Yards of ribbon in colors I don't even like? Random paper scraps that I've been saving for goodness knows how long? They don't need to take up space in a box. 

 

There's my five, what would you add to help me during this time? 

10 on 10: June Edition

I started out with good intentions this month, being on a family weekend trip to Jasper helped me remember to take lots of pictures. And so I did. Until we were on the way home. The rain, the mud, the getting stuck in the mud, the finding supper and the unloading of everything kind of distracted me from taking more pictures. But here's my set for this month. 

1. Probably one of my favorite moments from the weekend. We walked down to the very full and  very fast-flowing river amongst the pinecones and wild strawberry flowers. It was so nice to just be the four of us and to treasure the sacredness of our family. 

2.My treasures. 

3. Baby Markus was such a highlight to be cooed over by his older cousins and uncles. 

4. I love his bright eyes!

5. My girl, in a rare quiet moment. 

6. Mother and son. Love the love and safety that is depicted here. 

7. Coffee before we started the drive home. 

8. Special treats from a special bakery. 

Dancing in June

Life feels really crazy right now. The girls were sick for most of May which is very out of character and I am thankful for the antibiotics that finally seemed to kick their infections. I am so glad to have them laughing again and we are all sleeping better at nights. 

And now we're plunging straight on ahead into packing and moving mode. 

At the end of this month, we'll be all packed up, sorted out, and ready for the next bit of our life in Alberta. We're also getting ready for a big concert also at the end of the month. 

And in between all of that, there's just life stuff. Relationships to keep up, emails to write, questions to ponder and the daily life of being a mom to two busy little girls. 

The introvert in me just wants to run and hide in a shell. 

 I don't always feel ready to dance this dance. 

No one always feels ready to step onto the dance floor, that first step is the hardest. And then the music changes and the steps get faster. 

 But it is all beautiful. 

Sometimes the beauty isn't found in the perfect. It's actually almost always found in the imperfect mess of the everyday life. Where moments happen so fast that you want to breathe it all and just freeze time.Where little girls laugh together, and the floor doesn't seem to stay clean, and dinner is simplicity at it's best. Where you make time for 11 year old birthdays and lunchtime picnics with aunties. 

I'm dancing today. Smiling at the fast-paced music that is making up my life. And choosing to enjoy it, one step at a time. 

What does your life look like right now?

Project 365- Week 17

May 29-June 5 

1. A quick family picture, this is one of my favorite shots of us. Just happy and outside and together. 

2. A trip to the doctor resulted in both girls being on antibiotics. Not my first choice but it seemed to clear up the infections. 

3. And with the antibiotics, I upped our yoghurt intake by quite a bit! 

4. Beautiful tulips that Jared bought for him, and his picture of them. 

5. Love this picture of my girls sharing life and books together. Their jammies are adorable and I love being able to capture moments like this. 

6. Late-night cuddles with the Khaira-baby. 

7. Chilling at Mosher Sr. house.