On a cool fall morning walk, love is in the air

You can tell that fall is upon us when our walks on the way to school get a little too cool for comfort.

Today was such a day. There was a good sized chilly breeze that hit us face on all the way to school. So Cody and I decided to walk backwards.

That got old pretty quick when you stumble and can't see what you just tripped over. So we faced up to the fact that it was just cold out, so let's get busy and just get there.

I get a kick out of how Cody looks all bundled up. Half his face disappears behind his cushy winter coat zipped up right to the top. And with a toque pulled down, only eyes and nose appear. It's just, well, cute!

He reaches for my hand. "Mom, is my hand warm?" "Ohhh yeah, very nice!" But it's still cold out. So on we go.

We reach the school grounds and slow down. Cody then cuddles against me as a means to snuggle to keep warm, and to also add, "Ohhh Mom, I just LOVE you!"

With the big 'ol smile I wore on my face right after that comment, I forgot about being cold.

BEAUTIFUL blogs!

Oh my goodness. Instead of going to bed like I should have earlier, I was browsing the net from blog to blog to blog analyzing how beautiful blogs are created. I suppose it's simply website building but in abit of a simpler form.

Check out how this gal revamps BORRRRRING blogs like mine into something spectacular... you must look at the before and afters via 1 column blogs, 2, 3, etc.

http://www.graphicallydesigning.com/search/label/2%20Column

This stuff just really interests me! It's so creative!

And here's one of the most incredible blogs I've come across to date. Look at these pictures! Layout of the blog! What she creates! She puts Martha Stewart to shame. I like just looking even if I don't learn something because everything is just so beautiful.

http://alittleloveliness.blogspot.com/

Looks like I have a little more work to do on the designing front. But not too bad so far for having 0 time to currently invest in new and wonderful things. I didn't even know what a blog was before April 2008.

It's already been SIX months since blogging and my renos. Wow. Time is flying. I'm so enjoying the busy-ness and progress of everything, but now, I'm really looking forward to learning how to build websites and blogs (among so many other things) with a one day shiny new laptop in my newly renovated home. I think I'm finally morphing into a world beyond dust and wall paint. I'm starting to think about a future. And THAT is huge. That right there is what my wonderful Extreme team is helping me to do. To move on from just renosrenosrenos. Gosh I am so grateful..

Let's just say this little blogging habit is slightly turning into a passion rather than an excuse to whittle away time. There is sooooo much to look forward to!

The best rainy day ever

In good 'ol rainy BC Canada, we get a tremendous amount of rainfall. And yesterday was no exception.

A sudden downpour released from the sky. The rainwater rapidly made it's way down the road in true river form. Those kinds of cloudbursts always have me scrambling for the nearest window so I can better enjoy the show.

The sky was heavy overhead as if there was a dark ceiling hugging your surroundings. And then the coolest part happened. A burst of warm sunlight came sneaking in from the sideways window, warming up the darkened outdoor room. THAT is the very part that made me run outside. I LOVE those moments when it's raining and sunny at the very same time!

I had to quickly run back inside again for my camera, for THIS is what happened next, right in my backyard.


The rainbow was massive, and doubled up after this picture was taken. It was simply one of those moments where you felt like calling all your neighbours to get outside and enjoy!

Instead, I quietly stood in the rain with my camera buried under my shirt, enjoying the awesome show all to myself, wearing a huge grin. Nature most certainly does it best!

Productive, CLOSED and hugs, all in one day

Weekdays seem to be days designated for high productivity. We get the kidlets off to school, go to work, come home, make dinner, make sure homework is done, the kiddie bedtime ritual, clean the house abit if time, do abit of renovating if my eyes can still stay open, then sit and blog. (ok, that last one maybe for a selected few...)

Ah, and then there's the school field trips you don't want to miss (that you REALLY don't want to get up so early for), trying to figure out if you have flowerbeds or weedbeds (and the confusion so overwhelming you just start calling them beds), your black truck turns a lovely shade of 10% grey (graphic designer kinda talk), your dog silently begs for a walk that would never end by means of staring at you ALL DAY LONG, on the list grows.

Today after school, Cody and I had plans to go pick out some pumpkins. He was soooo excited! Last year he slept with his pumpkin so I know this shopping venture meant alot to him. So off we go. Gitter done! Lots to do, so let's do it!

But first, I swerved into the local yokel hairdresser's. Cody needed a haircut. Cody protests loudly. Why kids don't like haircuts I'll never get. Wait till they get older.. it's called a DAY OFF of work. (for women's 4.5 hr appts anyway) I finally bribed Cody to get the hair deed done so off we go. We are smacked with a CLOSED sign. No.... I got my boy out of the truck. Don't they understand how difficult that was?!? Cody yelped for joy and RAN back to the truck. Drat.

Ok, next stop, pumpkin patch. Now we're talkin' Cody's language. It was a gorgeous sunny fall day to boot and I actually remembered my camera. We were all set! Flashbacks of last year's pumpkin hunt happily drifted through my mind... We drive into our favorite nearby place and quietly... pass... by... the... CLOSED... sign. It's like 3 days before Halloween and they aren't open to sell all those oodles of pumpkins they just have sitting outside in the open! (I give Yarrow credit. A Yarrow Pumpkin Stealer doesn't appear to be anywhere near a wanted poster anytime soon.)

Now we're heading home after not even going anywhere in the first place.

I didn't even THINK to head out of Yarrow for some reason. I like shopping local. And when local was closed, I just wanted to go home. So we did. With the promise of trying all this fun again Thursday after school.

Some days just aren't as productive as others. But that's ok too. Gives a person more time to play and enjoy each other. When cuddling in Cody's bed tonite, I gave him one of my lingering heartfelt bear hugs. He hugged back hard and said, "I LOVE hugs!" Me too buddy. Me too.

Doubt he'll feel the same come Haircut Thursday, but a mom can always dream...

Waiting for the next chapter in life

Many times over the course of my 46 years of life, my path has travelled in directions I didn't plan for nor participate in. At times, I'd struggle and fight it because I wanted MY way to work! Because we think our way is the best way. Until you look at the much bigger circle outside of you.

Others are affected by what you do. So generally, your actions will not touch just you. You are most certainly delivering them, but for every choice or action you make, you will indeed affect the others around you.

Does that mean you should just do what you want regardless of others? Or does that mean you should think of others first?

I believe it's a recipe of both, in just the right doses. Really think before you act, but keep your perspective where it needs to be. Simply pleasing others when it doesn't equally please you is not the way to go.

What's your main purpose/goal for your action? Don't look at the garbage circling it. Pinpoint your goal. Then work on reasonable alternatives to make that goal feasible.

And hopefully your hard work will be reciprocated or materialize in some way. If it isn't, it wasn't the right choice.

I go through lots of internal struggles as a sole parent. Life takes different twists and turns and are generally new, so there's a continual learning curve to most situations I take on. Some good, some unfortunate. You try and make sound choices along the way, but inevitably, something won't go your way when you think it should.

Or should it? Whenever something hasn't gone my way, something good and often better has come out of it in time. It's hard to wait, but time can be a wonderful twist. And I do pray when I'm troubled. I ask for strength for Cody and I to get over the next hurdle. And then wait for the next chapter. Sometimes it's all that's left to do.

In my life, many times I didn't just want to be right. I just wanted things to work. But I don't think that's quite right either. Although the biggest goal isn't to be right, I believe you have to make choices for the right reasons.

I can only implement what I think are good and sound ideas and try to be reasonable. But I can't dive into poor or unreasonable choices. Generally, when we settle for those types of things, more of the same are around the corner. No. You have to continue to make good sound choices that just make sense. No matter how awful it feels at the time.

So before me, life continues to challenge me. I'm thinking it's not the challenges that count, but what you do with them that really matters.

And praying doesn't hurt either. Please say a small prayer for Cody and I today if you would. We just need a little help while waiting for the next chapter.