'tis the season

eeekkkkk! is christmas closing in quickly or is it just me? why does it feel fast? and what the heck happened to november? although I am not complaining about the weather [it's be BEAUTIFUL here], maybe I'm complaining about the lack of snow [SHOCKING!]. here in the lovely alberta, we are accustom to it "feeling" like Christmas this time of year - the cold, the mountains of snow, how the lights look with the snow...there is NONE of that this year. it's dark. it's dreary. and it's fairly warm. like I said, I can live with the warm, but it's throwing my christmas spirit off big time! I have a huge christmas card thingy tomorrow, so I hope the combination of christmas cards, christmas music and the smell of mulled cider may just do the trick! and if it does work, perhaps I'll haul the tree upstairs and decorate.

and in other news...

if you're going to drink starbucks anyways, maybe you can make it count.

blog guilt

so it's really easy to say that life is busy, that there's not really time to stop and spend a few moments reflecting on my day, my week, my life. although in many ways it's true, it's partly because I put myself on the back burner when life gets a bit hectic. and really, [and this will be a shock to you, so brace yourselves!] I blog for my sanity, not because anyone really reads this. okay, sorry to the two of you that are faithful readers! so, I want to take a pause and just take this blog post to be thankful for a few things:

1. I am thankful that I have a wonderful job that I really love. it's hard to be thankful in the middle of IPP, report card and PTI season, but I am very grateful that I can provide for my family with a job that I adore.

2. I am thankful for all my stamping buddies. I let myself feel criticized [I'm sure it was how I took it vs. how it was intended] about why I sell stampin' up! and I made myself feel "less than" when defending how I do things with my business. lately I have been really reflecting on the "why" and I am so thankful that I keep going with this business just purely because of the relationships I have formed and the joy that just the thought of the girls I meet with monthly, occasionally and sometimes just yearly.

3. I am thankful for my kids. I talk a lot of crap sometimes, mainly because parenting is maybe the hardest job I've ever had, but I do love my kids. I love how Nate is learning to read and tells me how "when two vowels go a'walking the first one does the talking" and how Ty sings everything and can play Nate's batman song on the piano better than Nate can!

4. I am thankful for my husband. he's not the most talkative guy, nor the best communicator. however, he loves me best and I love him best. he treats me better than I often treat myself and for that I am so thankful.

5. I am thankful for all the people past and present that invest in my life. I could start with my parents, but really, the list is quite lengthy. some people I've lost touch with. some people I am still friends with. some people were there for a time and a place. some people have been along for a big part of the ride. but everyone has played a part and invested something of themselves in my life. and for that, I am eternally thankful.

family pics

so my friend Irene took a bunch of family pictures about a month or so ago [maybe it was just 3 weeks ago!]. I love these pictures. LOVE. here's a sampling: photos

I should also write about my trip to Ottawa - THAT was a good time too! I'll gather my thoughts and write about soon...