howdy from cowtown.

With the recent tragedy of the flood hitting my home town (and surrounding areas), I've been a bit caught up in finding ways to help/be a part.  Our direct community was not hit with the flood waters, but many other parts unfortunately were.  My regular routine is somewhat out the window and my social media updates (or anything to do with the internet) have been focused on finding ways to help and getting informed with what I need to know.

How can one volunteer with a busy one year old, and a baby bump that is half-way along?  With food!  I've been baking, meal making, and snack bag creating!  At this point, volunteers are many (with some of downtown still not open, volunteers are more) ... it's awesome to see how people are coming together.  Once the initial 'help drive' dies down and when people will try to be "normal" about life again, I'm anticipating another rush of need.  Not sure what that will look like...but, Calgary, I'm stocking my freezer in the meantime.

I've never experienced natural disaster hit hard in my own backyard (persay).  Being part of relief efforts locally is a whole different ball game than from the sidelines or actually travelling with the intent to help places in need.  I feel like I should/could be doing more, yet, I know that it'll become more evident in the days to follow.  It's just hard to go about life normally, when a 15 minute drive away, it is far from normal.

If you've been part of disaster relief, what did you do to help?  Your ideas might trigger something for me to do here...I'd love it if you'd share.

pic pix: food prep (the constant at this house!), my kitchen, 08.Nov.2012

lil bit of fish 'n chips.

Because morning sickness has kept me void of getting anything productive done this week (ugh), we decided to head out for dinner tonight.  Earlier today, I heard from some friends about a mom and pop joint that made some pretty darn good fish 'n chips.  And that they were ... pretty darn good!  Just a little stop off of 17th avenue, Trawlers proved itself a worthy stop for a mid-week meal out of the house AND there is a fish market part of the same store (future dinners perhaps?!).  This is the kind of place I like - unassuming, mom-n-pop diner feel, and so delicious!


pic pix: tonight's fishy excursion, at Trawlers Seafood Kitchen, 08.May.2013

thoughts. things.

Has it EVER been a busy time!  From the first week of June, until this last weekend, we have been going going going!!  Like I mentioned in my last post, new things, changes, busyness.  All good things, but a LOT to digest in 2 months.

At this present moment, I'm looking forward to settling into a new schedule and lifestyle with Judah.  Integrating blogging and jogging back into my routine is next on the agenda.  I haven't really done much of either since last August!  As well, come September, I'd like to find a Bible study or something.  I've got a load of pictures to sift through, especially now that I take so many shots of Ju-ju!  Some camping weekends ahead, my piano ready to be played, a few blank canvases waiting to be given some color-lovin...let's just say, i'm excited with all that my plate holds coming up!

 

1. auntie instagramming

2. cousins meet

3. sunday afternoon in the park

4. stagette in banff

5. mama & judah

6. what a beautiful bride

awaiting the arrival

My mind has been, let's just say, "occupied" with when baby will finally makes it's debut!  The actual 40-week due date was May 25.  I have officially come to terms that we will be having a June baby instead of a May baby (yes, I know it is already June 4th today!).  I haven't felt inspired to write/think of anything but "baby" in the last week, but figured, it's time I share a bit of my goings on (besides being pregnant)...well, since my last post!

Another Mother's Day...

My brother recently graduated from his 4-year program down in Texas, so we decided to celebrate Mother's Day when he got back.

**just missing me & my dad in these shots ...

I covered some ceramic pots with fabric & modge podge, as a gift for Mom ... I think they turned out pretty cute.

Big Buckets ...

Baby really is growing inside of me.  I can barely recognize myself in pictures/the mirror let alone, get my arms around my belly these days!! 

Fishing & Walks ...
We live so close to such a beautiful park ... it's a good guess I am down there on a sunny day!  While Matt fishes, sometimes I read, snap away with my camera, or just sit there and take it all in ...

 *taken w/vsco cam - iphone

*taken w/vsco cam - iphone

 Here's hoping my next post will have some baby news!!!



pic pix: my life as of late, Calgary, AB, May-June.2012

random thoughts & things

After my breakfast (tried this french toast recipe today...yum!), a bit of cleaning up, a pleasant visit with my midwife, lunch with my beautiful friend, a long afternoon nap, grocery shopping with my sis, dinner with m'love, then the wind-down with laundry and a movie ... I now, FINALLY have time to share some written words of my string of recent/current thoughts and happenings!!  With baby's due date only 9 days away, I've been keeping myself busy busy and have been pretty quiet blogging because of it.  So, here's some of those "things" I've been busying myself with...
   

Baby of mine ...

There are limited pictures of me and this protruding belly ...  so I'm glad we took a few the other day for proof that I did actually get this big!  When I walk by a mirror, I am still in complete amazement that God actually worked out human life to happen/start this way.  It's pretty wild.  Pretty remarkable.

 

I've been on the prowl for some good book finds ... was able to pick up a few from the thrift store (along with many other treasures).  Now, if getting this baby to arrive were as easy as thrift store shopping!

Life's timing ...

Lately, I've been so thankful that there is a planned and perfect time for everything.  Had we found out we were pregnant one day then expecting the baby to arrive not even a month later ... there would've been (obviously!) no way I could have physically nor emotionally been prepared.  Being given 9 months to think about, wonder about, and begin to adjust to the preliminary grounds of becoming a parent seems hardly enough but yet, I feel like so much of me has changed and grown.  I'm ready to be mommy!   

Toy cars & cuties ...

Last Friday, I got to watch my 2 nephews and niece.  Them little smiles make my heart melt and their funny antics make my soul laugh!  And oh...they LOVE cars.

Nesting ...
I always thought it was funny, the term "nesting" - getting ready for the new baby bird to arrive.  I thought, "Really?  How much can there be to setting up your home for a newborn?".  Maybe my nesting has been different than most others (yup, I'm a nester!), but my focus hasn't so much been on baby prep stuff ... my focus has been cleaning out closets, drawers, junk, and other unnoticeable things (?).  It's all in prep for the baby, but seriously, how does my unorganized front hall closet have anything to do with baby's birth day around the corner?!?!  

Female brains, mothers' sacrifices ...

On Sunday, we celebrated my mother-in-law by way of a picnic at "our" park (we have a pretty sweet community park right across from our apartment building).  We made bbq beef on a bun(!) and had salads, strawberries, and a yummy dessert.  Food and good company is the best combination for a perfect picnic.  Next week (due to my family's schedules), we will be celebrating my mom!

Along with the mother's day theme, a friend of mine was talking about this sermon that was shared last Sunday.  The first 5 minutes (all that I've listened to so far) had some really interesting statistics about the female brain.  Those 5 minutes are worth a listen!


And ... that's all for now. xo



 pic pix: all in Calgary, AB this last week, May.2012

sprouts

It's mornings like these ... that I wish I still had Sprouts.

Just over six years ago, I opened up a little cafe in an industrial area in Calgary.  The food was all fresh, healthy and homemade (yes...I used to make bread everyday!).  Daily, a new soup creation was put on the menu (soups given names like "Billy"!), there was baking ready to be eaten, and coffee always fresh and brewed.  The view wasn't the greatest ... the cafe front was east facing directly into a lumber yard (!), but the morning sun made up for it.  Hours were from 6am-2pm ... never have I had more ideal hours.  Well, minus the round-the-clock work I did the rest of the day :)

After the breakfast rush and my soup was simmering, usually, I'd sit outside with my coffee and read/crossword-it-up before friends would visit me through the day.  As a public place, the amount of friends/family that would just "pop by" has way surpassed the amount of guests I have had in my own home!

 It was during my time at Sprouts that I fell more in love with m'love, got into some wonderful discussions/conversations with strangers and friends (that I learned a LOT from), hosted many "functions" to where close friends and new friends gathered and grew ... oh how I miss that daily community! 

Like anything, there were things that were really "hard" about it.  Running a business like that presented risks and challenges and sometimes, I didn't always feel so flexible.  I grew so much personally that time of my life (almost 2 years before I sold it), and wouldn't not have wanted to do the difficult parts because of how rich the experience was.       

Looking back, I was so incredibly blessed to have that opportunity and am blessed today to reminisce about this special, unique time in my life.  Wish y'all could've been there with me ... 

pic pix: SPROUTS Cafe, Calgary.AB, 2006-2007

lovin' it

This morning I woke up to such a beautiful surprise .... the sun!!  It was 5:45am, and the rays were already warming our room with golden happiness.  I am NOT your by-the-book morning person, but I couldn't help myself from wanting to rise that early and enjoy it.  The last week or so has been rainy & gray in Calgary, which has brought us some lush green to look at.  But let me tell you, today was a joyous awakening!

Here are some other things that I'm just lovin' this morning ...

 

 My baby bump is barely allowing me to see my toes ... but, nonetheless, if I lean forward a bit,
I can still see that they are there. Just over 3 weeks to go!!

The seedlings are coming along quite nicely.  It is feeling like a mini green house in here!

Scored this soap & soap tin with a girlfriend yesterday at HomeSense.  Yellow always makes me happy.

I've been on the hunt for a used rocking chair since about week 8 of this pregnancy!  My original thought was to sand a used one down and paint it "fire engine red".  Up until a few weeks ago, I was still without my coveted chair until my mother-in-law mentioned this gem in her basement (!).  It is in such nice condition, I don't have the heart to paint it ... I just heart it as is! 

and, of course ... m'love  :)

pic pix: Calgary, AB, April-May.2012

clean slate

Lately, I've had this "thing" with white.  White & cream, layered textures on my bed, milky winter skies, really minimalist home design ideas, soft baby blankets that are (yup!) linen white, white-washed walls, creamy lattes (though, I really shouldn't be drinking any milk)...maybe because it is winter and we haven't really had that much snow this year either (*knock on wood*).  Even my current favorite soap is simple & white!  I really don't know why this is, because by nature, I am in love with colors.  Bold, bright, and beautiful...COLORS!

But, there is just something so raw about white and the elements that fit so well with it.  It's pure.  It's clean.  Much like how I have been attempting to start my days.  A while ago, I wrote about a bad habit of mine...not putting things away.  Along with that unruly pattern, tag-teams the "starting fresh" routine that I haven't seemed to get into a groove with since we got married.

You see, for me, mornings are just not my thing.  Never have been.  Though lately, I've been trying.  Trying to consistently make the bed as soon as I 'jump' out.  Taking the dishes OUT of the dishwasher before I leave for work.  Reading/writing something while eating breakfast instead of just staring into space (though writing down my thoughts that early usually consists of a sentence or two in a 45 minute span...maybe!!).  Though, they are the smallest of steps, I have noticed an improvement in my attitude towards the day...having a clean slate to work from.

When I was taking out the trash today, it hit me how "grubby" I can let myself get.  If you think about it, the garbage bin itself really isn't that gross, it's just the bag full of stuff that sits in it!  As I've been purging my home and making room for baby I've had to ask myself, "..am I really that cluttered or unorganized of a person?".  The answer is no...I just hold on to stuff that I really don't need and have carried it with me for years - memorabilia, guilt, papers, habits...things that limit me from starting 'fresh'.  It's like creating a painting and trying to combine every color of paint I've have collected (with every single year/experience/memory/etc.) in my life.  All that will result is an ugly, big, brown mess!

More and more, I see the need to let go of all the garbage/clutter/habits that limits my perspective to be clear, pure, and clean.  It will get harder and harder for me to see the right colors glistening together, or to enjoy the simple beauty of unpolluted white if I don't oust the unforgiven thoughts, get rid of unnecessary items (tangible or in a memory), and attempt to clear my current vision of "mess".

How do you start from a clean slate?

By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.  We have received all of this by coming to know Him...In view of this, make every effort to respond to God's promises.  Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.

The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.  2 Peter 1:3-9

pic pix: latte from DeVille, November.2011, Calgary, AB