the wait is almost over...

The last day of school is here--finally!  The kids are nuts, the staff even more so!  You can absolutely feel the excitement in the air, and Santa even made a visit to our assembly this morning.

The excitement at home is nearing fever pitch.  The family is heading for our very first vacation to the south for Christmas!  We are getting up at 4 in the morning to hit the road for Baltimore, where we board the ship Christmas at about lunch time.  The dog is going to Grandma and Grandpa's house (*sniff* I miss her already) and "The Boyfriend" of Jess is going to look after the house and the kitties and caged critters.  It's so exciting, yet kind of scary!  We've never done this before and as always if I can't plan it, it makes me nervous.  But I'm sure it will be a fabulous vacay!  Florida and Bahamas here we come!

I do miss the trappings of traditional Christmas though, and I'm already looking forward to next year.  I may be a Christmas-aholic.

Wishing everyone a fantastic Christmas, filled with blessings and love.   

20 years is a long time

Today, on the winter solstice is the 20th anniversary of my marriage to my husband.  20 years!  That's long time, no matter how you count it.  In human years, dog years, or married years 20 is a big number.  It has been an eventful 20 years.  Lots of laughing, crying and sometimes even yelling.  Ok, maybe a fair bit of yelling, but mostly in the first 10 years.  You know, when we were raising young kids, suffering from sleep deprivation and a severe lack of funds.  But we got through it in one piece, and I would even go back and do it all over again.

We have 3 wonderful children, and on August 8th every year we ponder what would have been.  We have been married almost as long as we weren't!  In 2 short years I will have been married as long as I wasn't.  How many of my generation can say that?  And all to the same man.  How do you quantify what another means to you?  We can count it in years.  But how do you express that our lives are so intertwined and woven together that I'm not sure where I end and he begins. 

Sometimes marriage is like a favourite sweater.  You look forward to snuggling up in it after a long hard day out in the world, sometimes you think it needs some mending, and on other days you think it stinks and needs a good wash.  But like an old sweater that you love, you dig it out and put it on and revel in the comfort.  There's no itchy tags to contend with, no pretence, and frankly if there's a spill, you know you can deal with it.

I suppose having been married for 20 years officially puts us in the old people club.  Who has been married 20 years, except someone's parents?  I consider the enthusiasm of the newly married with some envy.  But I still prefer the comfort of my old marriage.  The wrinkles have been worked out, we finish each other's sentences and he knows what I'm thinking before I think it.

This morning on facebook my husband asked if I was up for another 20 years.  He can count on it.  I'm in if he's in, I can't imagine it any other way.

I'm not the most demonstrative of people, PDA makes my skin kind of crawl.  So he will know what a huge deal it is for me to tell him how much I love him on my blog.  This is major people!

Happy anniversary honey, I do love you and I'm looking forward to the next 20 years.

By the way, I highly recommend getting married on the solstice.  It seems to work :)

Flower Patch Farm Girl's bark

I swiped this pic from her blog:


Doesn't it look yummy?  I made some last night, and likely the only thing that kept me from eating half the pan was that it was too hot and not hard enough to break up before I crawled into bed.  That and Rick was watching me.  The man often acts as my conscience when it comes to sweets.

Anyhow...it's a good thing, because I actually made it to give some away.  Some to my Secret Santa recipient at school.  Some to Shimmy's teacher.  Some to my friend Cathy.  I think I will need to make more.  Because there's no way possible for me to package it all up and not eat it.  Rick is working tonight, so no conscience ;)

And I might just make a batch to pop into the mail when I get to the US so my friend Julie can enjoy it too.  I figure it's easier to mail it in the US so it doesn't need to go through customs.  I don't trust those customs guys to not eat it and send the empty package.  Of course, that's if I can keep myself from eating it first.  And if I can find a post office on the way to the hotel.

Thanks to Flower Patch Farm Girl for the picture and the recipe.  I hope you don't mind that I borrowed, so I could spread the bark love.  Check out her blog for the original post, and a wonderful blog to read.  I like her.

Fitness updates will follow in January.  I'm on a hiatus.  I will be doing some running and stuff, but not likely blogging.  I'll be on a ship, eating my self silly.

Enjoy the bark.

a new addiction?

About a month ago I was invited to join Pinterest.  Being really busy with everything, I didn't bother checking it out.  I did so this morning.  Omgosh!  I think I may have done a dangerous thing.  I can hours disappearing, sucked into the Pinterest vortex of looking at boards and repinning.  Goodness gracious!

Christmas parties and elusive sleep

Last night was the staff Christmas party.  Let's just say I work with some very funny people.  My face hurts from laughing.  I also coughed so hard I almost coughed up a lung.  Which would have put a damper on the party.  Or maybe not.  But what happens at the party stays at the party.  'Nough said.  I'm just glad I don't have a hangover!

But, I did get to bed at about 1 a.m.  And woke up for the day at 4 a.m.  It's going to be a very long day.  I imagine anxiety about our family Christmas is the reason I couldn't sleep.  It's going to be....interesting.  Christmas is my favourite time of year.  The magic of the season, the decorations, wrapping gifts, the whole deal.  Except then family Christmas get-togethers and the reality of holiday stress sets in.  And I come to the realization that I am no Martha Stewart.  Nor am I a model of patience.  Throw in a night with only 3 hours sleep--yeehaw!  Perhaps tomorrow I may be writing a Canadian Hangover screenplay.  I wonder how Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifinakis and Ed Helmsley feel about the Great White North?

Throw in a couple Santa hats and some snow.  Can't you picture it?  Instead of Jagermeister the boys will be drinking Canadians and shooting Canadian Rye Whiskey laced with maple syrup.....but I digress.

I am weary.  I am possibly a little grumpy.  And I need to put on my happy face and act like a house full of people, all with strong opinions and sibling rivalry rearing its head is what I'm in the mood for.  I think a nap is in order, and likely a very long walk in the bush.  It will be loud, and chaotic and I will be grumpy, but isn't that what Christmas is all about?

Just in case anyone reading this thinks I'm being a bit Grinchy, you're right.  But I love my family and Christmas just wouldn't be the same without all of the things above.  Only Brad, Zach and Ed won't be there.

How do you deal with the anxiety and stress of the Christmas season?

Blessings for a beautiful Saturday friends.

Finished!

I submitted the final assignment for my course last night!  I received the feedback this morning and I am officially finished.  And I tell you, I feel like my load has been greatly lightened.  I am indulging in the decadent-blogging during my prep time and NOT marking any of the huge pile sitting on my desk, awaiting my seal of approval.  Do I feel guilty for wasting time?  Not one little teeny bit.  I feel as though I have suddenly found hours of time to accomplish stuff in.  Because I have!  I am taking a break from courses, so no more hours in front of the computer, working away.  I will likely soon be complaining about not knowing what to do with myself, but for now I am happy!

I am feeling like Christmas is coming.  We will begin the crafting any day now at school.  I only have to figure out exactly what we're going to do.  I have to do some reading of my Christmas-y craft books and take an inventory of stuff I already have.  So many ideas, now to narrow it down to what 9 and 10 year olds can actually do fairly independently.  So we shall see....

Great run on Saturday, a nice easy 5k, no pains, no coughing.  Only 3k last night, but feeling a bit sore and with a stuffy nose.  Looking to knock off 5k again tomorrow and then on the weekend work on increasing distance again.  And yoga.  I will have time to do yoga, and not feel like there's something else I should be doing.  Sweet!

Looking forward to setting new intentions and goals for the new year.  Nothing concrete yet, but a few races will be involved, along with some new yoga intentions.  I intend to spend some of my newfound free time clearing away a part of the basement and actually setting up a workout/yoga corner. 

Hoping everyone is enjoying this fantastic Tuesday!  Oh the headiness of freedom, sweet freedom.

December musings...

It has been a trying month, to say the least.  I won't bore you with the gory details, but let's just say I feel like I've been through an emotional ringer.  And we're only just getting to half way through!  December is often such a difficult month for so many people.  Not usually myself, but then again, it`s been particularly trying.

But, the good news is that Christmas is coming!  Went to 2 different Christmas celebrations yesterday, one at a friend's beautifully decorated house and another at my fav pub-style Irish place--Fionn MacCool's.  Going to my friend's house made me think about digging out some Christmasy stuff, even though we're going to be away.  Lights and candles and decorations are magical, even if you don't put up a tree.  Since we are having a Christmas celebration here tomorrow, perhaps I should dig out a few things so it doesn't resemble the Grinch's house around here.  I am starting to get into the Christmas spirit :)

I used to spend alot of time crafting for Christmas, making ornaments, baking, knitting, sewing.  I have to say I miss it.  I don't have time anymore (working full-time and not being at home with little kids), but I'd still like to do it.  Hubs mentioned that this has been a crazy busy week.  Yes it has, but then again, welcome to my world.  It's important to make it basketball games and practices to watch and cheer.  It's important to make time for friends.  And once I've done all that, worked a full week and worked on assignments for the blasted course (3 more and I'm done!!) there's not much time left for crafting.  Or to be honest energy.

Alas, I must go and work on the course.  I must do laundry today (or go buy some new gitch, 'cause I'm officially out), tidying must be accomplished.  But this weekend should be it for the course, the house will be tidy enough, and then I can start packing for our trip.  Have I mentioned that I'm beside myself with excitement?  Dreams of sand and sun are filling my head.  Christmas on a ship will be different, but maybe that's just what we need this year.

I might even work in a run and a little yoga this weekend!

sniffle, sniffle, cough, cough

Just when I was recovered enough from my self-inflicted, albeit unintentional injury, I have been laid low by a nasty cold bug.  It's been a yucky week.  And although I know it's a cold, and finite in length and severity, I have not been well enough to run.  And I even skipped yoga on Thursday.  Which is not what I wanted to do.  The good news is that it's been an extra week of rest for my iliopsoas, and it should be really healed.  The bad news is that I am going to feel like I'm dying the first long-ish run I do.  Which I'm hoping will be early next week.  But, I know all about muscle memory, blah, blah, blah, and I will be back running 8k at a shot before long. 

My darling hubs is planning a half-marathon in the new year.  And last night he was even talking the craziness of a full marathon!  I won't be doing a full marathon, but maybe a half by next fall?  I don't know.  I do know that I want to get back into my regular running schedule and get in a few 10k races, and then we'll see.  I feel like a slug not running for almost a month.  I totally get resting an injury, and I've been whining alot, but I'm almost there.  Just need to get over this cold.

Yesterday was my birthday.  Let's just say the shine is definitely off birthdays :)  Although I do love getting gifts!  And I am thankful and blessed.  My family gave me an ipod touch, and the first app I'm going to buy is the timer for running intervals!  And Angry Birds.  But that's another story.  And my son Jackson (who recently got a part-time job) bought me a Nike + ipod for measuring distance.  I love gadgets!  I also received lovely gifts from my parents and siblings.  Gifts are a wonderful way to show you care about someone, and that you know and understand them.  And my family does.

Today--Christmas shopping.  I can't think of a less appealing way to spend a Saturday.  Unless it was dental work.  However, I love giving gifts and to do that, I need to actually buy them.  I should have been thinking ahead and done my shopping online.  Much more my style.  I do get to spend the day alone with my hubs, and possibly will have a nice lunch together.  And Starbucks--my guilty pleasure.

When I was writing about my birthday, I didn't mention that it was also my favourite brother-in-law's birthday too.  We met at Fionn MacCool's (Irish pub-style restaurant) for dinner.  It was so nice!  A pint of Harp, my favourite Irish beer, yummy food and great company.  My nephew was adorable.  And I need to get together with him so he can show me how to use my ipod (he's 3).  I figure he's the best tech support.  He speaks a language I can understand.

Enjoy this sunny December Saturday friends.  Think of me in the craziness of Christmas shopping.  Maybe say a little prayer for me that I don't become completely unhinged and have a complete meltdown.  I will be employing some pranayama to keep me calm.