A year of Corben

One photo a month, for one year. (Except for October...there's two, I couldn't pick.)  All Corben, all the time. 

Happy Birthday dude!

(And sorry about the watermarks, but I wasn't about to re-upload them all!)

January 2013

February 2013

March 2013

April 2013

May 2013

June 2013

July 2013

August 2013

September  2013

October 2013

Annnd October again

November 2013

December 2013

Happy Birthday, to the coolest, awesomest kid I know.

Week of Birthdays

September 16th, and we have just closed the door on the "week of Birthdays" (which is really 11 days of birthdays) for the year. Griffin turned 7, and then a week later Steve turned 47, and yesterday I hit the big 38. And what a fun 11 days it has been!

We celebrated with Griffin's friends last weekend, a delight of a time that included a lego theme, dancing, "Pin the tail on the Griffin", cake, presents, and all the other fun birthday stuffs.

We celebrated Steve's birthday mid-week, with a new pair of jeans, some yummy dinner, and some apple crumble - perfection!

Friday night we invited our neighbours for a little bonfire action. It was the coldest evening so far this fall, with the temperatures dipping down to near freezing for the first time (the first official frost warning for the season.) I was a bit worried about getting the fire lit, since it had rained all day, but the boys managed just fine.  We had a GREAT evening, it was one of those nights where suddenly it's 1:30 in the morning and you realize that maybe you should go to bed...but everyone was just having too much fun to notice.

We also received an excellent birthday treat from our friend Jim - a special hollowed out log that he threw on the fire, that burned bright and hot and quite beautifully for a good chunk of the evening. So much fun!

The second best part about the fire were the potatoes that we decided to throw on it as we went to bed at 1:30am...the next morning they got turned into homefries.  Best campfire homefries ever. 

Yesterday it was my turn - my day began with a Corben-imposed sleep in (he came to snuggle with me in the morning, and promptly fell back asleep on top of me, forcing me to stay in bed!) A lazy morning ensued, followed by a deliciously long hot shower, and some puttering in the yard and the house.  We moved a few things around in the living room, and got a few things checked off the "before the snow flies" list.  I got a flower delivery from my neighbours mid afternoon, I managed to get a few things picked out of the garden myself to put up for the winter. 

I got the most delicious dinner last night, with cake and ice cream too. 

It was a delight of a day, a perfectly excellent weekend, and altogether, a wonderful week! 

We now interrupt this month of Autism Awareness...

...to bring you some very important news!

See this kid? 

You'll never see a picture looking like this again - we have said our last goodbye to the beloved "soose" (rhymes with goose) after losing (and then finding, but ignoring) the last soother in the place.

So long soose.  I'll miss how you instantly transformed my big kid back into a baby...but since he's not a baby anymore, I guess it's time. 

Welcome to big-boyhood. 

Now about the potty...

Change is the only constant

I kind of fell off the Month of Happy Bandwagon. 

You know that phrase - "Never be too busy making a living, that you forget to make a life?"  (Or however it goes.)

Yes, that.  We've been very busy making a living, and trying to make a life all at the same time.

But once again, everything is about to change. 

So long "making a living." My last day of full time work is this coming Friday.  Full time work, with full time benefits, and a full time paycheque.  Adios amigos.

I don't want to get into the long story, nor to I want to be vague and let you think something when that's not really the story, so I'll make it brief:

I asked to have things changed, so that I could make my family the priority over my job.  I still wanted to DO my job, or a version thereof, but needed some things to shift.  They said no.  And so, I left. 

And that's all I'll say.  (You can take a wild guess about how that rubbed me.)

And so here I stand, unemployed to be.  One hundred percent certain that I made the right decision about what is best for my family.  And scared shitless, all at the same time.  And throwing myself on the mercy of the universe, hoping that it's all going to be ok. 

And knowing, that in all this, we'll be happy.  We ARE happy.

So...raise your hand if you've ever paddled in this boat before...I know lots have.  Any advice?

I'd love to hear your pearls of wisdom (or even your terrible jokes if they'll make me smile!) 

Much love,
xoxox

Happy Solstice

Last night we rang in the summer with our first official bonfire, and our first official "hey everyone, come over and play at our house." 

It was perfect. 

We were small, and it was effing hot out, but somehow the bonfire didn't make it any hotter...it just made it better.  The strawberries and ice cream didn't hurt either.  And after the first wave (with all the little ones) said goodbye, and we put the kids to bed, there was fire part 2.  Just as perfect.

Every day, there is something little, or something big, that convinces me that we absolutely positively made the right choice here.  After floundering around for a few years, we're now exactly at the epicenter of where we are supposed to be.  Where we belong. 

We are home, in our new home, and I couldn't be happier. 

New {Educational} Digs

My sweet G.  My little man who has had so many miserable days at school.  He was SO excited today, to visit his new school.  I think it might be just what he needs.  It's small, intimate, and filled with love - you can tell just by walking in the front door.  I hope, with all the hope in my heart, that this is a change that does him good.