What a Good Hubby

Making me dinner. What a good man.

Made it.

We arrived at our hostel at 0400... four hours behind schedule. It is now noon and we have forced ourselves to get out of bed, chatted with the hostel worker, and are ready to explore Miraflores a bit. I am sure Erik will want to recount the events of last night, but I am far too lazy and it is not interesting enough; just your typical traveling woes. We are here, we are almost healthy (my cold is lingering), and we are happy. Delayed flights, late luggage and a lost cab driver haven't dampened our spirits.

Love from Peru.

It's Official

It is official, we are on our way to Lima, Peru. We are sitting in Los Angeles waiting for,our next flight. Erik just spent $30 at an airport convenience store because he didn't see prices until he was at the till and it was "too late". Is that a boy thing? I think I will have to be in charge of the money on this trip.

How am I feeling? I have asked myself that many times and I don't really have an answer. It feels surreal. Leaving Vancouver this morning and thinking that I wouldn't be back until July was bizarre. I think the whole trip will feel surreal -- it is so out of the ordinary and I have never done anything like it. But it will be awesome and I am (or at last I will be) excited for it.

We have a hostel booked for three nights in Lima and we have no plans beyond that. I can't tell if I am thrilled or terrified by the thought, but I am just going to embrace it and enjoy myself. We are actually doing this! Crazy!

We will be in Lima next time you hear from us. I hope it is a tad bit warmer there than it is in this airport... I am freezing!

Fun fact: I found out Lindsey was pregnant a year ago today. That was the best Christmas present ever! And I found out she was having twins around me birthday. Fun, eh?

Have a lovely day.

Master of Counselling

I am thrilled to share that my dear husband has been accepted into the Master of Counselling program at City University of Seattle in Vancouver. He will be doing a Mixed-Mode format and will take three years to complete the program so he can live in Kelowna with me while he's attending school. School starts in September and we are excited and nervous.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday Ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!

*** *** *** 

Nori Joy's Birth Story: Part One

I know there was no labour involved, but Little Nori Joy was born and the story of birth always deserves to be told.

Milena was hoping to have a VBAC and this was the goal throughout her entire pregnancy. A few weeks ago the ultrasound showed that her placenta may have been growing over the scar from her previous c-section so they booked a section just to be safe. It ended up that the placenta was not over the scar so the obstetrician said it was ok if Milena still attempted a VBAC. They kept the cesarean tentatively booked though in case anything happened. Baby was posterior so Milena did everything she could to try to spin it, but nothing was working and baby was measuring around 10lbs so, based on her history and the fact that Maelle (Nori's older sister) was posterior, over 10lbs, and unable to descend they opted for a c-section. If Milena went into labour before the section date the doctor was ok with her attempting a vaginal delivery, but he said they would quickly move to a c-section if labour was not progressing and the baby was showing signs of stress. A week before the section Milena asked her obstetrician if I could come into the operating room and take some photos during the c-section and he willingly gave his permission.

Milena did not go into labour and so the c-section went as planned. I picked up Sam and Milena in the morning so Milena's mom and Maelle could stay home. We headed to the hospital at around 8:15 and waited. Milena had some bloodwork done and then we waited some more. We had the nurse double-check with the doctor to see if it was still ok for me to come take photos during the c-section and she said that only three of us could go in. So it was Sam, Milena, and one other person -- either the midwife or I. After discussing it with the midwife, Milena decided that she wanted me there to take pictures for her. The midwife was going to wait in the recovery room so she could be with Milena post-op.

So Sam and I donned our scrubs, Milena went pee one last time, and we were off! We sat in the hall outside the OR for a few minutes and the anesthesiologist came and introduced himself (I triple ok's photos with him as I would be standing by him), the pediatrician's resident introduced herself, and the obstetrician came to say hello. We then kissed Milena as she was wheeled through the OR doors and then waited to be summoned.

It felt like we were waiting forever. At one point we were discussing my sister (who used the same midwives Milena did) and her milk-makers. I may have been demonstrating the size of said milk-makers as a doctor walked by. Sam instantly went beat red and the surgeon said, "don't worry I'm a plastic surgeon" to which the midwife called out "yeah, but these are because of milk!" It was nice to have a little comic relief while we waited.

We were eventually allowed into the operating room. Theater 6. Sam joined Milena over her right shoulder on a stool and I was over Milena's left shoulder.... standing by the anesthesiologist. I told him to let me know if I was in his way and he nodded and said that was fine.

And so I made myself comfy. I snapped a few photos. Kept my anticipatory tears at bay. Peaked over the curtain. Wiped a few stray tears away. Watched Milena's monitor. And tried to find an angle to photograph the actual birth.

I watched Sam holding his wife's hand. He rubbed her hand with his thumb and swept the hair from her face.

I peaked over the curtain again and saw the obstetrician pushing and tugging on Milena's tummy and knew the birth was imminent. I readied my camera and battled elbows and tummy's in an attempt to snap the first moments of that sweet baby girl's life.

I saw meconium in the amniotic fluid that erupted from Milena's abdomen and my heart sunk a wee little bit, but then I saw a tuft of hair as the babe's head emerged and heard a small wail even before her head was fully extra-uterine and my heart burst. A babe's first cry is one of the sweetest sounds in all the world. At 12:34pm Milena's perfectly beautiful daughter made her way into the world. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I basked in the newness of the heartily screaming baby girl.

The obstetrician held the little girl up beside the curtain for Sam and Milena to see and then the pediatrician checked her out. Milena asked Sam to wipe her tears away as her arms were secured to the operating table. She wanted to see her baby girl when the time came and her tears were blurring her vision. Sam lovingly did so and he rubbed the top of Milen'a head as they gazed off in the direction of the robust screams of their baby girl.

The anesthesiologist un-velcroed Milena's arms in preparation for her first snuggle with her baby and one of the nurses brought over the lady of the hour.

Watching Milena fall in love with her daughter before my very eyes was indescribable. She got to snuggle for fifteen minutes and she spoke sweet nothings to her baby the entire time. The babe sucked her mama's face and even worked her hand out to hold her ma's finger. The little one kept sticking her tongue out kept licking her Ma. Milena told the babe that her daddy would take care of her while Mommy was resting, but that Milena would join her soon. She told her she loved her and that she had a big sister who was excited to meet her.  The babe kept sticking out her little tongue.

The doctor asked Sam and Milena what the baby's name was. Sam looked at Milena and she nodded her confirmation before he announced the name:

Elinor Alida Joy.

Fresh tears found my eyes as I heard her name as Joy also happens to be my middle name.

Sam followed the little Nori up to the nursery and I stayed with my dear friend while the doctor finished closing her up. Milena was radiating joy and relief and excitement. She looked absolutely lovely and so very beautiful.

When Milena went to PAR to recover I headed upstairs to join Sam nd my Little Joy. I promised Milena that I wouldn't hold the baby until Little Miss and Milena's mother got to meet her so I tried to avoid Sam's attention while I furiously snapped photos of the papa snuggling his newest baby.

I felt like I was imposing as I watched Sam get to know Nori Joy. He was enamored by every part of her little being. Her wails made him smile and I saw his heart soften as her little hand gripped his finger and her eyes focused on his face. Sam cradled Nori in his arms and held her skin-to-skin. He inspected her and commented on how much she looked like her sister, Maelle. He also noted the differences between the two. He told Nori her mommy was going to come soon and that she was going to be okay.

Nori was rooting and alert and was obviously hungry so the midwife warmed some frozen breast milk for Sam to feed Nori with a syringe. She gulped it down, settled, and contentedly stared at her daddy.

It was beautiful to be a part of those first moment's of Nori's life. I felt privileged to witness such a pure and holy experience. Birth remains the single most amazing thing I have ever been a part of. I am so thankful that Sam and Milena invited me into this moment of their lives.

T-209hrs.

Erik and I will be leaving the country in 209 hours. I can't decide if 8.5 days or 209 hours sounds like more time, but I am wishing for just that, more time.

I love my life. I love my job (most days). I love my family. I love my friends. I love our little house. I love my friends' babies. I just love the way things are and I am so content... it feels like the wrong time to up-and-leave. But that's good, right? I have all these things to look forward to when we return.

I am excited about our trip. So very excited as it will be awesome! I'm interested to see how Erik and I work together on our travels and curious to see how we handle the stresses we encounter. I'm looking forward to the uncertainty of endless possibilities.

We don't have too much to do... Well, we have plenty to do, but things are coming along. The house is slowly being packed up. We are figuring out what we still need to purchase for our travels. We're organizing our things for easy accessibility in our packs. Some days I feel I can breathe. I'm a little less certain on other days. But we're surviving and enjoying our time left here as much as possible.

I'm squeezing in as many newborn baby snuggles as I can manage, reveling in the joy and hilarity of my 4-month-old nieces, enjoying a very serious Gus Gus, and eating up the love and attention of my favourite two-year-olds.

I'm sick too. Missed both my day shifts... I won't have to work another of those for six months. Being sick has greatly cut into my small-children time -- we went to Lindsey's for pizza last night and I didn't even get to hold or smooch the girls.

Hoping I get better because I realllllyyy don't want to miss work tomorrow. I love my girls there and need to (need to) say goodbye! Also, the income doesn't hurt.

209 hours folks. That's all!

birth order

I know this photo is awful, but it's hilarious. On one of our last days at the resort we asked one of our regular servers to put us in our birth order. This is what she came up with. Picture Lindsey between Jonathan and Joel. Her order went Sharlene, Anthony, Zachary, Benjamin, Joel, Lindsey, Jonathan, Me, and Justin. Or for those of you who don't know the birth order yourselves... 1, 2, 5, 9, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8.

Poor Little Ben. 

Elinor Alida Joy

Elinor Alida Joy

Born December 6, 2012 @ 1234.

Weight: 9lb 15oz.

Height: 20 inches.

Jansen's Go To Mexico

My parent's had their 40th anniversary this year. What better way to celebrate than to spend a week at an all-inclusive in Mexico?? We were going to go with just the kids and our spouses, but then Lindsey went and had twins this summer and Jonathan's wife is pregnant and so so sick so we went added two babies, went without a SIL, and added a family friend. Oh ya! I haven't even shared that Jon and Courtney are pregnant!!!

Jonathan and Courtney are pregnant!! They're due on May 26, 2013! Courtney has been in and out of the hospital as she has hyperemesis gravidarum (severe debilitating nausea and vomiting), but baby is healthy and mama is hopefully starting to feel better. Due to her condition (the hyperemesis gravidarum, not the pregnancy) Courtney couldn't travel with us.

Oh! I don't think I've mentioned that Erik's sister is also pregnant! She's due May 25, 2013. So Erik and I will have two new babies waiting to meet their favourite Auntie and Uncle when we get home!

Back to Mexico. There was a grand total of 20 of us and we had a fabulous time! We went to Puerto Vallarta and stayed at Velas Vallarta. I'm told it was a small resort, but I'd never been to an all-inclusive so I had nothing to compare it to. It may have been small, but it was perfect for us because you want to be able to find people easily when you go with such a large group. The last week of November was the perfect time to go too because the resort was all-but-deserted. We had a suite on the ground floor right by the pool so Lindsey could put the girls down and take the baby monitor pool-side. It was awesome!

The week was spent lounging by the pool, eating way to much food, playing tennis, jumping waves in the ocean (read: being beaten by the ocean, drinking so much salt water that two of my brothers puked), reading, playing tennis/ping pong/beach volleyball/water volleyball, playing cribbage, chatting, laughing, snuggling sweet little babes, and enjoying everyone's company.

I love my nieces and nephews dearly, but it was nice to just have adults there. It's sometimes nice to just be us. No one had to entertain children, worry about kids running off, deal with tantrums or boredom. We just got to enjoy each other's company.

Lindsey's vacation wasn't as relaxing as the rest of ours, but she enjoyed herself too. Her girls did so well! They are now 4 months and are easy going little ladies so they slept poolside or in their playpen. They had many aunties and uncles who doted on them.

I enjoyed hanging out with my family, having no responsibility, eating when I wanted, drinking as many strawberry smoothies as I wanted, and snuggling with those babes to my heart's content (are there ever enough snuggles though?).

It was just a wonderful time.

Does anyone know why I can't upload pictures anymore? And how do I fix it? Or do I need to change to another blog?? And where would I go?

Nori Joy

I am pleased to announce the arrival of Maelle's baby sister, Elinor Alida Joy. She was born via cesarean section this afternoon at 12:34pm. Little Nori Joy weighed in at 9lb 15oz and both mama and babe are doing well.

weekend for the ladies

We had a weekend for the ladies and it was awesome! As I mentioned before, the kiddies joined us the second day, but we did have 24 hours free of interruptions. I love those kids with all my heart, but those 24 hours were wonderful. They were absolutely wonderful.

I had no idea what to expect as we haven't actually spent any time alone together, but it was excellent. I make it sound like I was worried, but I wasn't... just curious to see how things would go.

We all brought books and projects to work on, but we ended up talking for 12 hours straight. We tried to watch a show, but it didn't work so we just ended up chatting the night away. We talked about everything... marriage, parenting (and auntie-ing), family, pregnancy, birth, books, movies, and life in general. We laughed, we cried, we talked, we ate, we read (a wee bit), we played a game and we just enjoyed each others company. It was refreshing.

These girls. These girls are just too much sometimes. All weekend I couldn't help feeling overwhelmed with love and appreciation for these two fabulous women. They challenge me, encourage me, pray for me, laugh with me, and they make life more lovely. They are wonderful.

Milena Mai is eccentric. She's a little bit crazy and 100% lovable. She is so full of knowledge and is more than willing to research a topic if it will benefit her health or her family (or her friends even). She is a devoted mother, a committed wife, and so full of love and energy. She's the first person to laugh at herself and she manages to find "the positive" in each and every situation. She constantly reminds me to pray about everything and is always ready with open arms.

Ms. Mandi is the most patient person I know in the entire world. She is the calm, steady force in our trio. She is selfless, serving, and sweet. Mandi is the first to jump up when you need a hand and the first to throw a party in your honour. She's a hard worker, a thoughtful friend, and a perceptive and gracious mother. Mandi may be the most consistent person I have ever met and I love that about her!
She is consistent, but she is also spontaneous and up for anything. She is adventurous and so sweet.

There is no doubt in my mind that I am a better person because of these girls. I'm a better wife and a better friend because of them. If I am half the mother they are then my children will be so lucky.

It was nice to have the kids join us even though I relished our time alone. Those little ones are so full of love and energy and they bring joy and life everywhere they go. I also enjoy seeing my friends as mothers -- it gives me something to aspire to.

So, to make a long story short, we had an awesome weekend and we should definitely do it again sometime.

Quail Ridge Bed & Breakfast

You may or may not remember me saying that my parent's moved to Kelowna and bought a B&B. Well, they did and their website is finally up and running. Take a look and come for a visit!

http://www.quailridgebb.com/

Some OT

I'm going in for some overtime tonight. I was hoping to catch up on some blogging, but work has been a bit ridiculous lately and we've had quite a few sick calls. There's a strong cold going around and people are having a tough time shaking it. I'm praying I don't get sick as we leave for Mexico on Friday and having a cold would negatively affect the experience. I got off my regular set this morning and was awake all day. I succumbed to sleep at 2:45pm and was offered OT at 5:30pm and in my half sleepy state I accepted. Let's hope it is a wonderful night and that I don't regret this decision.

Erik and I talked Scotland this afternoon. We skyped with our friends who are living in Scotland and who we plan on visiting and it made me so very excited to see the country. I wish we had six months to travel around Scotland alone, but 10-12 days will have to suffice. We're trying to just hit the main highlights in the North and then hoping to spend ample time exploring Edinburgh and the Isle of Arran with K+E. That is really the only part of the entire 6 month trip that we will have the day to day planned of. I think it would be overwhelming if we didn't have it planned as there is so much to see!

Well, I should be on my way. I hope you all sleep warm and cozy in your own beds tonight. I'll be eating apples until I have diarrhea and drinking tea tea tea.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday Ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Wishing you a wonderful weekend! 

*** *** *** 

steam rollin'

I feel as though we are just steam rollin' forward. Well, to be more precise, I feel as though time is steam rollin' ahead and I am being dragged behind. I can feel myself digging my heals in wishing it would slow down ever-so-slightly so I can breathe a little bit. That's not the way it ever goes though. When you want it to go fast, time crawls on by, but when you're begging it to slow down it seems to pick up speed and zip away from you.

I'm not ready for our trip yet.

I know... poor me. About to gallivant around the world and stressing because my vacation is coming too quickly. But it is! I'm not ready! I have things to do, people to see, and my life to organize.

And I only have 10 shifts left at work. Ten. Four shifts until Mexico and only six shifts between Mexico and Peru. Eleven shifts. That is 121 hours of work left. Yippee skippy. And... guuuullllppp.

To break it down even further...

We leave in 35 days. Well our flight leaves in 35 days, but we are catching our flight out of Vancouver so we will actually be leaving a day or two before that.

So of those 35 days...

10 will be spent at work.
9 will be spent mexico-ing (traveling there, back and being there).
15 will be spent not working (though three of those are sleep days and Milena will be having a baby with roughly 10 of those left).
2 will be spent heading to and being in the Lower Mainland.

Wowza. 

the girls in their emma's.

I had the Abba and Bronco's tunics knit up months ago, but it took until last week to actually finish them. I know... typical me. The important thing is that I actually finished them! Yippee!!! It's been a while, but do you remember them?? Abba's Emma and Bronco's Emma??

They're little Emma Tunic's knit in size 6-12 months, but they fit right now as little dresses. Don't Peyton and Avery look sweet in them?? Don't they look sweet anyway? Oh this auntie just love love loves them.

And I'm not the only one. Everyone I know adores these two... and how could they not? I keep saying that the only thing better than one smiling, cooing, and giggling baby is two smiling, cooing and giggling babies. And that is their usual state, despite what these photos show.

Sawyer wouldn't leave their side when we were at my parent's. She was rubbing their faces, holding their hands, petting their heads, and asking to hold them. Peyt even gave Sawy a few smiles which she seemed to enjoy.

But I digress. Back to the little tunics, though I suppose I have nothing more to say about them expect that I wanted them to be similar, but not the same. So I used the same colours, but made different patterned tunics and I was happy with the way they turned out. Maybe even more than happy... thrilled even.

But I'm even more thrilled about the wee ones wearing said tunics. They're something special.

Music Monday

Hola! Yo escribo una carta. El nino come pan. Nosotros somos hombres porque bebemos leche.

I'm learning Spanish, slowly.

Have I ever told you about Radiohead? About how they are my absolute favorite band? No? Okay then; Radiohead is my absolute favorite band.

Moving on here is a song from my absolute favorite band. A song called Feral



One of my most favorite things about Radiohead is how much they have changed through the years. They started as melancholy heavy pop rockers and steadily went crazy from there. You never know what you are going to get with them. By their second album they had started experimenting with sounds, instruments, rhythms, etc to make very interesting music. Each album is very different and I am always interested to see what they do next.

That being said they do have a few signature maneuvers that are fairly common in their songs. The first is layering. They have multiple layers of instruments, vocals, and sounds that they use masterfully. I have listened to the same album from them almost every night for 8 years and I still hear new things in their songs. The second thing to watch out for from them is that they build songs right in front of your ears. One has to listen to an entire song before you hear all it has to offer which is completely opposite from pop songs that give everything catchy all at once and that's it for the rest of the song.

It may also be important to give an idea of how important Radiohead has been for the music industry. Everything from innovations in recording technology to marketing strategies they have left their mark on the music industry. I like them.

Until next time, keep yourself domesticated.

EDO

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday Ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Wishing you a wonderful weekend! 

*** *** ***

spew

I babysit the neighbour twins once a week. They are three years old and they make me laugh all day long. Today Lo cradled my face in her little hands and said, "I love you so much, Ashley. I really love you, but your face is funny looking."

Finally done my work week. This week it was enough to just get to the end of it. I made it! Phew. I slept for only an hour and a half between my night shifts -- uh oh. And then I babysat today at noon after getting off work at seven. It may have been a lets-play-playdoh-all-afternoon kind of day. The kind where I sat on the couch and asked them to make various things for me. It was wonderful.

It's snowing here. Nothing is sticking thankfully. I'm not ready for winter.

We are slowly slowly packing up out house. We don't know if our niece will live here with a roomie while we are gone or if we will be giving up our place and putting everything into storage (aka Lindsey's crawl space) while we are gone so we've decided to start packing the non-essentials. It is a bit stressful and I feel like our house is in complete disarray (what's new?), but I'll be glad I started this early. 

I'm looking forward to a weekend with the girls. Mandi, Milena and I are having a bit of a staycation at my parent's B&B (did you know my parent's have a B&B here in Kelowna??) and I am so excited. I wish it wasn't at my parent's place as it is "mom and dad's" to me and not really a holiday, but we are accommodating for the kiddies who will be joining us on the second night. You heard me correctly, the kiddies aren't coming until day 2. That means I get my girlfriends to myself for a night. I don't think it has ever been just the three of us and I can't tell you how excited I am. I love their children, but I can't wait to spend time with just the ladies.

With this trip coming up (in six weeks!) I feel a bit of desperation and panic. I want to capitalize on the time I have left here as I am acutely aware of how much I will be missing while I am gone. My nieces and nephews (both bio and pseudo) are going to grow and change so much and I won't be there to see it. My sister and friends (not just the mama's) are going to go through so much and they too will grow and change and I won't be there to physically support or spend time with them. I love being there to help out in practical (and sometimes impractical) ways. 

Milena will have a new baby. She will be adjusting to life as a mama-of-two and I won't be there to help with meals, or housework, or snuggling. I know she doesn't need me, but I love being there to help out. The new baby will be over six months before he/she knows just how much I love him/her.
Peyton and Avery will be almost a year old when I come home. They will learn to sit, crawl and maybe even walk all before I get home. I find the 6-12 month stage so.much.fun. And I'm going to miss out on that too.
Sawyer and Maelle are going to be little three-year-old ladies when I get back. And little Gus will be one and a half. Ugh! They're going to be so big!
I know there are many adults I won't see for six months too, but those relationships are easier to maintain at a distance. It's those six little ones that I am most sad to leave... ugh I need some kids of my own.

But I will also be changing and growing and experiencing and it will be awesome. It will be different, but it will be awesome. And I have absolutely no regrets about being gone so long. Erik an I are going on an awesome adventure -- a grand adventure -- and we are going to love every minute of it!

I'll still miss home.

within

what lies behind us 

and what lies before us

are small matters

compared to what lies within us.

-ralph waldo emerson-

Music Monday

Hello Mondains,

Today a short post as our home has been invaded by window installation men. In honor of that this is The Cinematic Orchestra with "To Build A Home"



Patrick Watson does the vocals. If you've never heard of him then you should check him out. Great musician.

Until next time, keep your windows up to date.

EO

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday Ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Wishing you a bright weekend!  

*** *** ***

the strangest thing.

The strangest thing happened last night.

I woke up in the middle of the night and it took me a moment to realize I was feeling nauseous. I was violently nauseous. I scrambled out of bed in a panic thinking I was going to hurl on my feather duvet or on the mattress and I did not want to have to clean up that mess. I thought vomit was coming so quickly that I actually considered bringing the sheets or even my pillow to my face to catch the puke or, ugh, to stop it from coming out of my mouth all together.

I made it to the bathroom just in time to spit the saliva that comes pouring into your mouth pre-puke into the tub (I really had to pee as well). Then I just sat there waiting to vomit. Instead of puking or even dry-heaving I just continued to spit out that gross out-pouring of saliva and then I felt fine. Well, not entirely fine. My stomach felt a bit sensitive like it does after you ralph your guts out, but my nausea was gone.

That was at 0330.

I brought a bowl into bed with me so I wouldn't have the panicked scramble to the bathroom in case it happened again.

And it did happen again. At 0430. Same thing -- violently nauseous and saliva pouring out of my mouth. I did gag and have one little dry heave, but then it just stopped as it did before.

Same story at 0530. I didn't have the panicked feeling this time as I wasn't anticipating vomit (I hate puking! Hate it. Hate it. Hate it!) but it was still horribly unpleasant.

Has this ever happened to you???

Happy Halloween

The girls know their Auntie is about to tromp around the globe and they are acutely aware of my sorrow over not being able to see Africa on this excursion. They decided to bring Africa to me instead and came over dressed as a itty bitty elephant and a wittle zebra. They were deliciously adorable and it took everything in me to not squeeze them to bits.

Typical -- Avery pissed off and Peyton just hanging out. 

The cutest little elephant I have ever seen. 

Pretty Peyt.  

These girls are just too much some times. Most times. 

Gah! I just love them.

I know there are too many pictures here, but I just couldn't resist!  

Aren't they sweet?

...

I love my husband. I love him for many reasons, but this little note I found on the computer when I came home from work this morning shows just one of them. The note was absolutely necessary and I got frustrated even with the warning. Oh, he knows me so well that husband of mine. 

Eshlas,

This is the new operating system OSX Mountain Lion. It will run slower for a little while; especially when opening programs that haven't been open yet. Plan for it to take longer. If you find you are feeling frustrated then count backwards from ten and go from there. Please refrain from throwing or stomping the macbook. I would imagine that iPhoto will take the longest due to the thirty thousand pictures you have on it. Please be patient and don't say that this machine sucks.

Thank you,

Irk

A few things not to panic about.
-The scrolling has changed direction. Move your two fingers on the track pad up to scroll down and vice versa
-Microsoft word no longer is support by this operating system but documents can be opened with "pages"
-We will have to download Skype again

Music Monday

Hello Mondains,

I have to admit, sometimes it gets to me. If you have never heard of or read the book "I Heard the Owl Call My Name" I highly recommend it. I remember my father reading it to me as a child. I didn't remember what it was about but I did remember that it was sad. I read it this past year and I very much connected by its insight, pace, and descriptive qualities. The most powerful description that I remember is the narrator talking about a "depth of sadness" that could be scene in a certain people group's eyes. As soon as I heard that term I knew it. I knew it in the sense that I had always known it but now it had been identified; the best kind of learning.

I see the depth of sadness every day. I see it in the eyes and actions of the people I serve. I hear it when I speak with their family members. I watch it take hold of others who endeavor to serve those in need. I feel it within. Pain is complicated and it does not wait to be introduced.

Some days it gets to me more than others. It is always present but most of the time I understand that I can only provide opportunity and I cannot control other people's decisions. This thought keeps me in line and gives me the desire to continue. I provide opportunity.

This is Neil Young and these are his songs Needle and the damage done and No more performed on Saturday Night Live.


Neil Young-The Needle And The Damage Done-No... by f838349870

Until next time...

EO

P.S. If you like I Heard The Owl Call My Name then I suggest your read Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe and The Samurai by Shusaku Endo. These three books are almost like a trilogy written by different people in three different cultures. They each compliment each other brilliantly. A little warning though I heard the owl call my name is the most hopeful of the three, the other two are downright depressing.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday Ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Wishing you a lovely weekend! 

*** *** ***

Music Monday

Hello,

Today is a follow up day. I said a while ago that I would find out more about the genre of dubstep as I have been interested in it for a while. I did some research. Apparently:

Dubstep started in the UK club scene back in the mid to late 90's. It is dance or electronica music characterized by it's use of low frequency bass "wobble" and repetitive drum beats. When it started it was mainly just instrumental remixes but gained popularity in the UK throughout the 2000's finally becoming very popular in the late 2000's and in the past two years in the US. Dubstep is also known as Grime but there are a couple distinct sub-genres. The one that most of us in North America would know first is called "brostep" this is bass and drum fused with heavy metal such as heard from Skrillex and others. Another popular variant is "chillstep" which usually features a much more mellow sound and usually a female voice.

Dubstep's influence is widespread today being incorporated into many different genres from pop to dance to heavy metal.

Here are a few artists who are credited with starting or developing the dubstep scene:

Benga-  One of the first artists credited with developing the dubstep sound. This song is a hit from the mid 2000's.

Plastician- An artist credited with the development of dubstep in the mid 2000's.

Skream- Now a dubsted producer. This song definitely gives you the distinct bass wobble of dubstep.

Now the piece for resistance. This is Flux Pavilion with Bass Cannon.

On second thought I need to provide two warnings:

1) If you happen to be my mother you probably will want to opt out of listening to this as you will only ask "why would anyone want to listen to that" after it is done.

2) If you do not have a speaker system with a sub-woofer you will not understand. If you do have such a device, crank it up to eleven and let the soothing sounds of dubstep concuss you.



That's all for now. Until next time keep your steps dubbed.

EDO

a little project

Knitting inspiration has been lacking so I decided to try my hand at sewing. I've had my eye on a pattern from Anna Maria Horner's Homemade Beginnings and have decided that it is time to make it.

I started by cutting strips of various widths. It was tough cutting up such beautiful fabric... I have been saving some of it for something wonderful. I passed up a few of the fat quarters, but came back to them deciding that there is never a time like the present to make them into something beautiful.

After cutting for days and weeks (you know, a few strips here and there) it finally came time to sew the strips together. I did this today before work and I must say, it is always fun to see things come together. My quilt will look nothing like the one in the book aside from the fact that it is predominantly blue. Mine will have much less variety -- I have fewer fabrics than the original. But I'm excited to see how it turns out none-the-less.

After sewing my strips into even longer strips I rolled them all up so they can wait until I have time to work on the next portion of the project.

I'm a little worried that I don't have enough strips cut... or that I have too many. I can't be sure how many are required until I have actually tried to assemble to quilt.  I can always cut more and I guess I can always make a pillow if I have too many.

Hope you are having a lovely weekend.

TMI

This will probably be too much information for many of you so feel free to stop reading now. Consider this a fair warning.

When I turned 25 (in January) I started noticing my body changing. These changes were gradual, or at least they started that way, and I didn't really notice anything until June.

I've never really cared about body hair. Anyone I ever played sports with can attest to the fact that I did not (and still don't) mind living life on the hairy side. I'm not bothered by body hair (and Erik doesn't mind too much either... double bonus!) so I just leave it if I'm feeling lazy. Take the current state of my legs, for example, I think the last time I had them waxed was in August. (I can almost hear some of you vomiting, but I'll press on anyway.)  I've had my legs and armpits waxed many many times since grade 11 and that helped reduce the amount of hair I produced. My hair became finer and lesser and it was wonderful.

Then came my 25th birthday and a slew of what I can only imagine are hormonal changes. My body hair has started growing thicker and more coarse than ever before! As I said before, I didn't really notice any changes until June when the weather warmed up and I started paying attention to such things as grooming and presentability. Ugh! That was unwelcome. So I turned 25 and got extra hairy. Big woop.

That wasn't the only thing that changed.

I only have two "normal" bras (bras not of the sport variety) as I tossed all my others when I decided to purchase brassieres that actually fit. My two over-the-shoulder-boulder-holders (haven't heard that one in while) are identical but for the size of the cups -- one is a bit bigger than the other. The reason for this is simple, when I went to purchase my second brassiere I necessitated a slightly different size than I had previously. No biggie.

I didn't realize it at first, but since that blessed day in January when my body decided to play tricks on me I have been gravitating towards one particular bra. At first I attributed it to the annoying clasp that I keep needing to re-bend into place on the one. This was a nuisance so I assumed I was just avoiding that bra. It wasn't until June that I realized I liked the smaller bra because it actually fit better. A lot better. It went from being "yeah, I can still squeeze into this" to "yeah the ladies feel better in here".

The ladies are shrinking. 

In the four weeks Erik was gone for fishing the change was outrageous. So outrageous, in fact, that it was the first thing Erik commented on when he saw me again.

I've started fitting into clothing I haven't fit in years. The dress I wore to Joel's wedding, for example, wouldn't even zip up at the chest in the years between Zac's wedding and Joel's wedding. At the time of Joel's wedding it was a tad loose (I wore the same dress to each of their weddings... five years apart). 

I am back to the size I was in high school! I know that may not sound like a huge size difference, but it is incredible actually. The seem tiny even though I know they aren't. I can't even wear my one bra because the girls don't even fill half of it. Interestingly, my overall weight hasn't changed in this time. It has just been distributed differently and the bulk of it now sits lovingly around my midsection.

At first I was worried -- I thought something may be wrong with me because my chest was shrinking so incredibly fast, but I have been diligent and have been checking for lumps and bumps and there are none to speak of. I'm chalking it up to hormones... or age... or something. If it is hormonal, it hasn't effected me in any way other than physically, I don't think. I haven't had any emotional lability that I know of.

Have any of you experienced anything similar? Ever?

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday Ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. 

Wishing you a cozy weekend!  

*** *** ***

0410

What am I doing up at 4:10 AM? I have no idea. After tossing and turning in bed for the past two hours I decided to have pity on my poor husband and to vacate the premises. So, I am now sitting in our freezing cold living room (why didn't I remember to grab my slippers?) staring out the window.

This may be the only time I ever say this but I wish it was snowing right now. There is nothing more cozy than staring out the window watching the snow fall. Though I guess this is most true when there is a fire crackling away, a cup of tea steeping, and some knitting clacking on the needles. Or a baby to snuggle.

For now, the stillness of the early morning hour is lovely enough for me.

not-so-happy

Lindsey and Adrian took the girls to Edmonton for two weeks. They just came home on Sunday and I got to spend a little time with the babes while Mama went for an oil change and something or other. I don't think the girls were too happy to be left with their now stranger-of-an-auntie.

I hate to admit it, but they were both crying within 15 minutes of Lindsey being gone -- they realized their Ma had abandoned them and left them with me, someone who looked and sounded a bit like her, but didn't smell right.

What do you do when you have two tiny screaming children?

Well, if you're me, the first thing you do is snap a quick picture. They were a bit comical really, they have completely distinct wails. Avery's lungs are definitely more powerful and she was just giving 'er. Peyton seemed to be screaming in solidarity to her sister.

L'il P quit crying as soon as I snapped the first photo. The clicking of the camera seemed more interesting than whatever her younger sister was screeching about. Aves just kept on hollering.

How do you actually calm two upset little ones? Well, I piled them on top of each other and rocked/bounced them until they both seemed content. Poor Avery is bigger so she had to support her sister's weight. She didn't seem to mind though -- they're close like that. I eventually had the two of them suspiciously inspecting me.

And they went back to loving me and smiling. Phewf!

Aren't they just darling?