My Mood is Like the Weather...

... a little bit on the yo-yo end. Oh well, this too will pass, (we all hope.) Anyway, I was feeling a touch lazy and thought that an update would be good. Or a good distraction. Whatever the case may be.
On to the distraction.
For the last couple of years, on the May long weekend, we have gone to the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller. It's an amazing Dinosaur museum that our kids have loved. And usually the weather is gross on the Monday of the long weekend, so it works out well. We even invited the Morrisons to join us, cause a road trip is always better with friends, right? I am finding that we even have a good feel for the museum now. I love that it's a place that my kids want to go to and I frankly, like a good museum. And I even have proof that we showed ups as well as our kids! How great is that? Thanks to the Morrisons for joining us!

And, the Saturday before... I managed to get Clark to build me some planter boxes! I've been toying with the idea of a garden for a couple of years now. Got some books, happily read through them and never did much else. Well, as part of the year of actually finishing projects, this is one step closer to getting that done! Now, snow, go away for the summer so that I can get a garden planted!

Doesn't it look nice? It'll look better with a garden!

Speaking of garden and snow, here's some of my plants, in planter boxes of their very own, hanging out with us inside. Wasn't that nice of them? I have seen a couple more that I wouldn't mind getting, just to get things started this year. I'll need to plan better next year. But, one thing at a time, right?

Some randomness....

So, I planned a little party of sorts for my 30th birthday - a trip over to the movie theatre to see Iron Man 2. It was so fun to see my entire family (that's in the city - missed you Lara) there and some really good friends as well.
Let me just say what an awesome movie. Totally biased opinion. I loved the first one, so I was happy to love the second one as well - even if we were sitting 3 rows from the front on the right hand side.

Thanks again to everyone who showed up. Nice party - no clean up involved. Hopefully you can get out and enjoy the movie as well.

As I look at the calendar there is basically 4 1/2 weeks left of school! Where did this year go? I am so excited for the summer but can't believe that it's so close already. Next year I'll have 3 in some form of formal schooling - from grade 2, kindergarten to preschool. Enoch is so going to be tired of the one on one time!

It's finally warm. Big smiles here.

I have also managed to convince the hubby and a brother to do some digging in preparation for my garden! Getting there, even if it's slowly. Huzzah for getting those goals done!

And lastly, I'm grateful for a chance everyday to get better - at something. Me as a person, things I can do to help my family and friends and things I've learned from said family and friends. Pictures and a little story later.

On a side note: Heard one of the most beautiful baby blessing on Sunday. A lot of love and great expectations for a very special little girl. She will and has touched so many lives already - on top of her family's. And I know that with her very dedicated parents and siblings help - she'll be able to touch a lot more. Rooting for you little Miss M.

Perspective

Perspective

I get up.
Another day, the same
Messes
Tears
Chores
Work.

The repetition is hard.
Some days -
Too hard.

Where is my mark?
Fame?
Notoriety?

And then I look outside
My home
World
Mind.

And I cry.

These aren't tears of sadness, grief.
It's realization.
That what I do
Is a good work.
Sacred
Time Honored.

And I should cherish it.

Reflections of the Last 10 Years

Happy Birthday to me. This is the first birthday in a looooong time where I wasn't working, being pregnant, nursing or generally dealing with little babies (not that I don't love them, cause I do - they are just a LOT of work.) So, I have to say that I was generally excited for this birthday.

Birthdays also make me look back at what I've done - usually in the last year. But with the big 3-0, I was looking back at the last 10ish, trying to figure out what I've done with myself.

So, join me on a little bit of indulgence as I look back....

I took my first plane ride at 19 from Salt Lake to Oakland, California. I graduated from nursing school at 20 from Ricks College (the last group to graduate from Ricks College before it became BYU-Idaho). A long, hard process, but I was glad to have survived.

I got married at 21 (a whole 2 weeks later, but it makes the countdown look more impressive, don't you think?) I also started working at the hospital the week of the 9/11 attacks. I was in orientation when the two towers were struck.

I had my first baby at 23.

I went back to work for a little bit at 24. Our second came a couple of months before I turned 25.

On my 25th birthday, we found out that Clark wasn't getting re-hired with the firm he was working with. We moved from Edmonton to Calgary that summer and bought our first house and eventually our first van.

At 25 (almost 26) and for our 5th year anniversary, Clark and I went to Las Vegas for our first kid-free vacation. We were able to hit Hoover Dam, the Strip and just enjoy the lights and wonders of a Vegas vacation - without our little ones. We even spent a couple of nights in one of the hotels on the Strip.

At 26 baby #3 came along.

At 27 I was able to go to New York City with just the ladies. My first girls only trip. I saw 4 Broadway shows, the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the Freedom Tower site, and tried out some Frozen hot chocolate. I learned to Jay-Walk "properly" and between my sister-in-law and I, to navigate the Subways.

At 28, baby #4 and we were able to fly with the kids (their first airplane ride) to Florida for a visit to Walt Disney World and Sea World.

At 29 I went to England - twice. The first time, I flew all by myself: First to Amsterdam and then over to London where I wandered around the #1 place I've wanted to go to, by myself for a week with a nervous husband working at his London office. The second time, I was able to bring my parents along for the ride. We even got out of the city!

Our family recently drove (2 1/2 days down, 2 days back) to Anaheim California to go on a family vacation with my extended family: 21 bodies in total. We were able to see Disneyland, Legoland, and the San Diego Zoo. We visited the Mormon Battalion Center and felt some after shocks from an earthquake in Mexico.

On our return, Clark started a new job after working 5 years at the Law Firm that brought us back to Calgary.

I look forward to the next 10 years and looking back on them. I have a bucket list started of things I want to do, places I'd love to go or go back to, and things I want to learn.

Happy Birthday to Me!