finding nature in the city

Would you believe these photos were taken in a nature area in the middle of a large subdivision in a city? They were! We discovered this pond and naturalized area this past weekend.

I love finding nature pockets like these!

52 fridays and BAM ~ week 35

2 of my kids and i during our morning walk...crazy hair and all. i love it, love walking and love being with my kids.

52 fridays and BAM ~ week 34 + my belly is part of a mosaic

Another week of self portrait...I wasn't being too creative this week. I should have thought about taking a photo with the snakes on Wednesday, but I didn't. I don't mind holding snakes at all, but I was too busy enjoying watching my kids! Anyway, today was supposed to be a "school day", but starting at 9am, our door bell rang and the kids on the street wanted to play. So school work can wait, soon all these kids will be back in their public school, and we'll have lots of time for our work! I spent some time playing with my dog this afternoon, and thought of using him for my self portrait this week. He is a complete sweet heart, big, about 80 lbs, a Siberian Husky. 

He puts up with me. Him and I are really missing our long walks together. We haven't been able to do them, or not as long with the high humidity and heat of this summer. Soon, it will get cooler and we can get back to our hour long walks.

I took another photo with him. He had moved to lay down on top of the vent so he could feel the cold air! This photo makes me laugh:

Finally, here is the mosaic from Tiffani called Things I Love Thursday: Vulnerability and Acceptance. This BAM group is awesome, just like the 53 fridays group. This self portrait challenge has been a wonderful journey for me this year.

  mosaic by tiffani, for all photo credits, see here.

How to be alone

Thanks to the Hip Mountain Mama blog, I just discovered this. I love being with my family, but I also love being alone. I always have. This video is great, hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Wordless Wednesday ~ Hanging Out

sugar...blah

On the road, with a mint chocolate milkshake, family vacation - september 2009

I really need to cut sugar out of my life completely.

I have been doing that, but on a "part-time" basis, not really thinking about it that much. I tend to not eat a lot of sweet stuff anyway, but then one day I will have something like ice-cream, cookies or a chocolate bar. And it tastes really good, but within an hour of so, I feel completely blah. I feel tired, and easily get cranky.

In the past, I have noticed this, but thought..nah...I am just making connections that are not really there.

But it happened again these last couple of days and I really don't like that feeling, so now I am going to make a conscious effort and stop ingesting sugar filled products, homemade or from the store.

I don't like eating foods with artificial sugars (or colours or flavours) and as a family, we are always watching that and choosing products without them.

I just need to remember how I feel after I eat certain products full of sugar and that should stop me from eating them!

Day one starts tomorrow...I will let you know how I do after a few days. So long sugar...

i ♥ my wii fit plus

who am i to argue with technology?

a little gift just for me

from my teenage daughter...a little mermaid. i love mermaids!

52 fridays and BAM ~ week 33

untouched with a different angle and a shorter haircut

my garden :: sunflowers

---

Love

Love. I never used to believe in love, especially growing up. I had a difficult childhood, divorced parents, physical and sexual abuse , rape, really ugly stuff. I never envisionned that I would be married or have children. It just wasn't in my dreams.

But then, I met him. And after barely three months of "dating", he asked me to marry him, to spend a lifetime with him. The top photo was taken that evening.

Shortly after, he told me he wanted to have babies with me. He also came from a broken home, but was determined to make it work.
I don't talk openly about our lives, but for some unknown reason, I feel confortable sharing it on my corner.
That evening when he proposed was almost 16 years ago, in late summer of 1994. We have had our ups and downs, but we have continued on, sometimes I am the one being optimistic about our future, sometimes it is him. With our heavy baggages, we are making it, learning together as we go.

The bottom photo was taken this past weekend. We spent a nice quiet day at the lake, after having a rough two weeks where I found myself having to deal with ugly childhood memories. He was there through it all, trying to help me, even though I was pushing him away.

Love is really a beautiful thing, and I completely believe in it.

As I get older, I find it easier to share my story little bits at a time. I hope I will not make anybody unconfortable by doing so.

52 books :: book 38 :: The Time Traveler's Wife

The Time Traveler's Wife novel by Audrey Niffenegger was a interesting love story. Henry, the main character, is suffering from a genetic disorder that makes him time travel without control. He vanishes and travels in the past or in the future. He meets Clare when she is a little girl and they have regular meetings in a meadow near her home, then meet again when she is older.
Overall, I did like this book and will be watching the movie. I will have a bit to wait, since I am getting it from the library and it's a popular one! I don't mind...good things come to those who wait, right?!

I have gone back to non-fiction for my next book, and already started the Voluntary Simplicity by Duane Elgin.

Books read: 38/52
Pages read: 11478

52 fridays and BAM ~ week 32

It has been very hot and humid here...not really wanting to do much besides reading a good book.

52 books :: book 37 :: The Unschooling Unmanual

The Unschooling Unmanual is a small book, a collection of eleven stories and essays by various unschooling parents and writers. Even though we don't unschool, choosing instead an eclectic style of homeschooling (a bit of classical, charlotte mason, and whatever else works at the moment!), I could relate to this book. I agree completely that learning occurs naturally and that children are natural learners. I have witnessed that if my children are truly interested in something, they are like little sponges.
This book was published by the Natural Child Project, you can read excerpts here.

Next book: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger