Friday, July 29, 2016

Wherein "Epic" Is Defined As "71 Hours In The Car"

We're going on an epic road trip this summer. In fact, we're leaving today. Yikes. And I figured if anything can get me back to regular blogging, it's documenting this trip.
We're taking seventeen days and five of them will be spent at my parents' house in Saskatchewan. Two of them will be spent visiting friends and family in Edmonton -- we haven't been there since we moved back to Ontario over four years ago. And some, or all, of twelve days will be spent driving.

I'm so excited to take in a couple of baseball games, meet some people I've never met, including a blog friend (!), and catching up with some people I really miss. And going to the World's First Target!!! I already have Ro-Tel and bows for Rachel on the list. Ha! I'm also looking forward to hanging out and reading a book while the kids do this:
I'm less excited about the 71 hours in the car, especially the last four days when we are driving home through Northern Ontario, which is very...sparse... but beautiful. Also, we have no DVD player in our car. However, I have created "Road Trip Books!!!" for the kids, inspired by many ideas on my Pinterest Travel board, so hopefully those will help. As will the "Road Trip Bag Of Fun!!!" (And yes, you have to market these things to kids with capitals and exclamation marks to really sell them. Ha!)

As I said above, I am going to try to blog regularly about this trip because when it comes right down to it, the blog is about documenting our family's memories, and boy, oh boy, are there going to be memories :) However, you can also follow me on Instagram because I KNOW I will be posting (over posting?) there.

So seventeen days, four provinces, seven states, almost 7,000km (4,400 miles) -- ready or not, here we come!

Read about Day 1 here.

Tuesday, July 19, 2016

Dreams Are Coming True Or An Update On Week 27

So do you all remember way back when I used to blog regularly in January when I was doing the 30 Week Writing Challenge? Week 27 was about "How I envision my life to be." Go back and read that post. Have you done that?

Well, I somehow ended up with that dream job. Nope, not the making a living while blogging about drinking tea, although that would have been pretty cool. I am starting a new position as an administrative assistant/bookkeeper for about ten to fifteen hours a week. The organization used to be a non-profit but has recently switched to being a for-profit organization and they work with churches and businesses in conflict management and envisioning future directions.

The original organization was founded by a friend of mine and my former pastor, and my friend still works there. She was the one who sent me an e-mail back in April, asking if I was interested in applying. From the time of that e-mail until I got the job was almost two months, and it was the most fun interview process I've ever had!

I'm officially starting in September, since I am still working my original "full-time" job until August 31. However, I have started taking on some small tasks -- some bookkeeping and taking minutes at meetings -- over the summer. So I've gone down to 80% at my original job.

All this is to say that this summer has been a little intense! And that is some of what has cut into my blogging time. Needless to say, I am really looking forward to September when I will be done with my original job and only working ten to fifteen hours a week at something I love, for an organization which does work that I can really get behind.

And if that wasn't enough, there's this:
It's not the most elegant ambiance ever but we no longer have bathroom lineups. And I have never been happier about something bathroom related in my life. And thanks to our newest addition, I've also crossed an item off my bucket list. Whoo hoo!!! Sometimes it pays to have simple dreams :)

Monday, July 18, 2016

Project 366: Days 170 Through 183

June 18, 2016 -- The table looked so fun for Rachel's 5th birthday party!
June 19, 2016 -- We stopped at a hardware store and bought a big board so I could easily assemble cupcake cakes. The kids got to paint the extra pieces.
June 20, 2016 -- It's hard to take a picture of the moon. Ha!
June 21, 2016 -- Rachel has become our early riser so I took her with me on my morning walk to return library books.
June 22, 2016 -- Rachel made her birthday donation to the Red Cross to support the victims of the Fort McMurray fire.
June 23, 2016 -- Did I mention Rachel was our early morning girl? At 7:18am this day, she had already made some fans and opened a "fan shop." If you're interested in one of her special, one-of-a-kind paper fans, just let me know!
June 24, 2016 -- It's always easier to convince the kids to go for a walk if it includes stopping for frozen lemonade!
June 25, 2016 -- Rachel enjoyed the bubble blower at Sam's T-Ball BBQ.
June 26, 2016 -- The kids donated a school kit in honour of each of their teachers for end of year gifts.
June 27, 2016 -- The first day lily of the summer appeared this day!
June 28, 2016 -- This is Rachel, and her best friend, Z, from JK.
June 29, 2016 -- Last day of school for the year!!!
June 30, 2016 -- Rachel was working on patterning on the white board on her first day of summer vacation. I think she doesn't want to lose all the knowledge she's gained this year! Ha!
July 1, 2016 -- Some pre-fireworks sparklers with a friend on Canada Day!

Monday, July 04, 2016

Project 366: Days 156 Through 169

June 4, 2016 -- There were so many choices to be made on the Chocolate Trail. Choosing just three of these truffles was one of them.
June 5, 2016 -- While a lot of pictures were taken of me this day (I did a 10K with my youth, A, and one of my friends), no pictures were actually taken by me this day.

June 6, 2016 -- I hurt my ankle a little doing the 10K walk the previous day so I had to wear a tensor bandage for a few days.
June 7, 2016 -- Missing from our backyard: One overgrown hedge.
June 8, 2016 -- It was a frustrating week of waiting for people to show up to do work and then they wouldn't show up. So the contents under our kitchen sink sat out for a few days. Grrrr...
June 9, 2016 -- I had no energy left to fold laundry so these baskets sat out for a few days too. (Obviously I also lacked the energy to take interesting pictures as well!)
 June 10, 2016 -- We finished off Jump Rope For Heart Day (and kicked off the weekend) with ice cream after school. Yay!
June 11, 2016 -- After a hot morning of yard work, we relaxed at the pool in the afternoon. With a good book, of course!
June 12, 2016 -- This was another day in which, for some reason, I took no pictures. Boo.

June 13, 2016 -- Dave spent some time colouring this day. He hadn't done that for awhile.
June 14, 2016 -- It was the first CSA pickup, and thus the first sorrel for Sam, of the season. Yay!
June 15, 2016 -- It was another day of going to bed with a good book and some soothing foot balm for my feet. It's just fun and good times around here, I tell you! Ha!
June 16, 2016 -- My mom and dad were visiting this week and they (with a little bit of help from me one day) did a TON of yard work. I'm so excited about this new rock garden, which was formerly an ugly patch of weeds and rocks.
June 17, 2016 -- Rachel turned FIVE this day!!!