Time for some more good reads for kiddos! Cat books? Of course cat books!! Sam has had a fondness for cat books since he was a babe. Anything cat, anything dino. He’s totally our kid! Anywhooo, when I went to write this post, I realized just how many cat books we have. I pulled the ones out we read the most or were obsessed with in days past.
We have quite the book worm in our house, and honestly, reading is pretty important to hubby & I too. We started reading to Sam as a baby, in the toddler years we could pass hours just reading stories to him, and reading time is built into our day-to-day routine even now. We’ve definitely got a lot of favourites! Some are pretty common, others might not be, so that’s why I thought I would start to share some of our good reads.
Adoption. A very powerful word. So many unknowns. So many scenarios.
Definitely walking entirely on faith through this. Not blind, but trying to get educated & full of love & acceptance. It’s going to push all my own boundaries and it’s going to take strength that I don’t have on my own. This I know.
Love to all the mamas 💜
I continue to learn about the different kinds of mamas in the world. Those waiting to be mamas, those that have sacrificed their own motherhood to give their child life, the mamas to little angels they never got to meet. Motherhood journeys are vast & varied.
I recognize that Mother’s Day is not always happy. It can be really hard for some. There is sadness to that day for me. We buried my own mom two years ago, on May 12th. I miscarried for the finally time on Mother’s Day of that year. I said goodbye to any chance of having another biological child. I would never again be pregnant.
And I could not have gone through any of those experiences without all the other mamas in my life, supporting & loving on me.
And here we are, praying for some unknown mama to sacrifice her own motherhood so that we can give her child a life in our family. Adoption journeys come from a place of loss. I never want to forget that. The brave birth mom who chooses this path, will have all my heart & respect.
Motherhood. What a complicated & blessed thing.
Oh Disney. You have a special place in my heart and in my daydreams. Disney is my happy place {so are buttons}. It’s no surprise that we’ve been looking forward to our trip, although perhaps me most of all, but Sam & hubby weren’t complaining. In fact, I’m really thankful that the two of them let me indulge in all the Disney crazy. So come along on a little daydream about our recent family trip to Disneyland.
Of all the blogging I do, I find it most difficult to put into words this boy. Partly because he is so all encompassing and consuming. My world revolves around my role as mama to him. I used to easily write monthly posts about his progress & growth.
And now.
There he is.
For Christmas, we decided the main gifts to each other would be Lego! Yep, a Lego Christmas! We each got to choose a BIG Lego set, with the intention of doing family Lego building time. Of course, Marcus and I grew up with Lego in our lives and this past year, Sam has finally graduated more seriously into the land of Lego {from the land of Duplo}. We thought getting some big sets would be a great way to spend quality time as a family.
{Our Sammy turned FIVE last week! So this one is inspired by him}
As the hour approaches and this year draws to a close, it’s time to reflect a bit on 2016. {To see my previous year reviews, click here}
Age: 35
Books I kept beside the bed:
Most enjoyed restaurants/food:
Songs I’ve had on repeat:
Biggest Challenges:
Smartest decision I made: Walking through the doors of the local gym, committing to a weightlifting program, and connecting with a wonderful group of moms all doing the same thing. It’s been an incredible two months so far! I don’t feel weak anymore. I don’t feel sick. I don’t feel so broken. I like feeling my muscles work, I like the sweat & the challenge. I like the little village I’ve finally found myself in & the support & inspiration we freely give to each other. And I keep saying, as long as I walk through the doors of the gym, I’ve completed my goal. Doesn’t matter how the rest of the workout goes.
Glad I finally: Set some clear boundaries on my craft business that I’m comfortable with. Although it meant a loss in sales and having to say “no”, it was wonderful to be closed for the month of December. No markets, no online sales, no custom orders. Every year, I take steps to turn my focus to the true spirit of Christmas & going forward it will always mean being closed in December, so I can do just that.
Most thankful: For my Sammy, hubby & family. For friends, new and old. For customers & their custom orders. For getting a spot on a local adoption list. For God continuing to surprise us at every turn.
There’s plenty of things to be proud about the city of Calgary. No matter, how cheesy, loud or crazy it gets, the Calgary Stampede is one of those things! As a born & raised Calgarian, I still get excited every summer for the Stampede. I anxiously look for the booklet in the mail, mark out a day when we can go down {and hopefully catch the World Stock Dog Championship}, and daydream of mini donuts until the fateful day arrives. Are you this nuts about Stampede, or is it just me? It can’t be just me, not when attendance can crack 1.2 million people each year!! Anywho, I thought I’d just share some highlights from our adventure this year.