"I did it without a man..."

There is something about that phrase that really irks me. (So is my lack of spelling, but that's another post. Focus Kristen, Focus.)
Back to the phrase. There are many things that I am grateful that I have in my life: the ability to vote, get a job, buy a house, etc. And then there is that awful phrase. This thing that I did is great, because I did it without a man.
There are lots of things I do without a man. Clean the house, laundry, dishes, deal with kids all day long. I got my schooling without a man. I've done some travelling without a man. But, there is something fabulous about a man who is supportive and encouraging. I'm looking at going back to do some schooling - totally unrelated to my field. And my man is totally fine with that.
I just think that in the grand scheme of things, there will be a lot things that I will do without a man. But those things won't be the things that I am proud of. The things that I will remember, be proud of, share with those around me, will be the things that I did WITH a man. (Get your mind out of the gutter...) Travelling, children, schooling, careers, talents - all those things that I would be encouraged or joined by my man. And nothing is nicer then a warm man on a cold winter's night. Believe me.
To those who haven't had the opportunity to have a man, keep looking. To those who don't think they need one, you're missing out.
I have done a lot because of my man.

A New Love with New Entertainment

The lease on the van was coming up and due to some technicalities (and luck) we were able to return the van early. I can't say that I was sad to lose the van, we had grown with a love-hate relationship. So for Valentine's Day this year, instead of jewels... I have a brand new Acadia! I LOVE IT! It's such a nice ride, fits 8 and is just a nice change to the van I was starting to loathe everyday. On top of that, we were able to get a new Thule. It carries more and fits on the Acadia much better then the other one would have.


About a month ago, I got 9 ladies together to work on a quiet book for the kids in our lives. It was a pattern that I had purchased. I was so excited to see the work that everyone had done. It's just so great! Good job ladies, I'm so happy with how each page turned out.

New Dinos at the Zoo!

For Family Day, we went and checked out the Dinosaur Alive exhibit at the Calgary Zoo. Several new, anametronic dinosaurs have been added to the 13 old-school ones that were already there. These dinos are pretty fun. It's obvious they're fake. (Yes lady, that's you I'm commenting to. Can't be real cause they're all dead. Sorry you missed the memo. Seriously, it's built for kids, please quit analyzing while we are trying desperately to get past you.) But, they move very well, are on a system, so they don't move all of the time. They do their little sequence, pause for a minute or two, and do it again. So it gives a feel of randomness to their timing. There are also 4 that you can press buttons to move yourself.

At first the kids were a little hesitant, especially my little man. But by the end, all four kids were very intrigued. I also loved that there were a couple of "family" pairings. (See T-Rex and Baby in the pictures.) All in all, we will be going back to check it out again before it leaves in October. There is also a Dinosaur Alive exhibit at the Science Center that we need to take a peek at. Hooray for Dinos!