Life ¤ Love ¤ Laughter ¤ Linds

Have you ever heard/read the quote saying implying that those who rely on quotes lack inspiration or the creativity to think for yourself?  I can't remember exactly how it goes and I'm too sleepy to Google to find it.   Anyhow, everytime I 'hear' this quote, I tend to chuckle as I'm a BIG relier on quotes and I find them very inspiring. Today I was browsing some of the local home decor stores for wall art (my kitchen is now painted and all that's left in our reno project is a few baseboards and the transition piece at the stairs.  It only took all summer but it's looking good!  Thanks, baby!)  Anyhow, HomeSense and Winners had slim pickings, a few hopefuls but nothing that struck me enough to buy and Pier1 is just a scary store to go into with 2 rambunctious monkeys.  The couple things I saw were pretty close to what I was looking for but way out of budget. This disappointment led me to browse Etsy, which I haven't done in some time. The category I...

This weekend offered a spectrum of choices in the celebration of life.  My great-uncle, Frank Weening , passed away suddenly on Thursday in his 78th year and while I have not maintained a close relationship  with many of my extended relatives, he was still much beloved and will be missed by many.   My heart is saddened on behalf of his children, many of whom I've become good Facebook friends with, and of course, for his wife, Auntie Rita, and siblings, especially my Pake.   While it is necessary and normal to mourn, I'm always struck by the laughter that often can be heard at the visitations and memorial services of those who cherished life, family, faith.    What a wonder that in the midst of such great sorrow, we can look back and remember all the good and know that above all we love and are loved.   That not only do we say goodbye and mourn, but we celebrate happier times and a life well-lived. I was touched...

We are indeed blessed.  We live in an amazing country.  We have a roof over our heads, food on the table, 2 beautiful boys, the joys of family and friends.   It is at once incredibly easy to count our blessings and impossibly difficult to number them all. Every season I'm struck anew with a wonder at the beauty and bounty surrounding us.   Summer brings with it it's own particular set of blessings to count and enjoy.  Some of the simplicities - small things that bring me pleasure, are: * My gardens - I don't really have a green thumb but I love to pretend I do.  I'm always amazed when I can pull produce from the garden and glow with pride because somehow I managed not to kill it!   This summer, once again, my beans are thriving, my zucchini is an overwhelming jungle, my basil is fresh and fragrant, the cucumbers survived and the rest are hanging in there. As for my perennial beds, my lilies (always a favourite) are indulgent w...

...when I think of how Kevin 'courted' me.   I know it's such an old fashioned word but really, that's how he made me feel.   As much as I'm a sucker for romance novels, I'm not naive enough to believe that life is a fairy tale and that happily ever after happens without an effort made on both parts.   I was never a damsel in distress unless you count the few times I ended up broken down on the side of the road.    Kevin was a romantic - surprises and dinners and flowers and more.  He won me over with his charm, his endless patience, his wry sense of humour, his firm and steady personality. We've known each other for 10 years.  We've been marred for 6 - yesterday was our anniversary.  You would think by now, the shininess of our relationship would have worn off.  Don't get me wrong, most of the time, with two kids underfoot and busy lives, the grime of daily life means you have to look for that glimmer but when I lo...

It's Father's Day tomorrow.  It's also our 6th anniversary.  On June 20th, 2010, I not only will I miss and remember my incredible Opa (maternal grandfather),  marvel at my industrious Pake (paternal grandfather), celebrate my incomprable father, but I get to celebrate 6 years of mostly blissful marriage to the love of my life.   10 years that we've known each other, 6 as husband and wife, 4 as the most amazing father I've been privileged to know (and that's alot of amazing dad's when you realise the size of my extended family!) For now, I'm going to post laud to my dear old dad and save the anniversary accolades for tomorrow.   I have tender memories (and some not so tender as most of us do!) of Daddy & Me.   I can remember 'working' in the greenhouses with him, fishing, camping, snowmobiling (and then having to pee in a snowbank - no small feat for a girl in bib-front snowpants), cuddling when I couldn't sleep and he w...

Man, this year is just flying by!  I know they say that happens as you get older, but really, c'mon now, I'm not even 29....    Kaleb has less than 2 weeks of school left and it's crazy to think how it seems like yesterday we were taking pictures of his first day of JK.  It's also amazing the things they pick up when their out from the sheltered life that mommy encourages.  I'm by no means overprotective and they are probably exposed to stuff that is slightly older than age-appropriate at times as a result of having slightly older kids in the house... but some of the things they say leads to some pretty mixed reactions - laughter and the knowledge I should probably address it because it's wrong. The most common refrain we here these days is the ever-popular "Well, you're not my (blank) anymore."  This always comes on the heels of someone they are playing with not wanting to play by their rules.  Everyone wants to lead and no one wants to follow...

...hubby.   Kev's the best.   I know I don't always show how much I appreciate him (and his hard work) but I really do.   He is an amazing husband and father and I can't imagine how different (and lacking) my life would be if we had not met. ...kids.   They light up my lives.  Two very active, excitable, crazy little monkeys come with their challenges and endless patience-testing occasions, but moreso, they come with hugs, cuddles, kisses, funny antics, and a ton of moments that make me stand back in awe and pride that I am so blessed to be their mother. ...kitchen gadgets.   I figured I should get the important stuff out of the way first, but now that everyone knows my priorities are straight I want to rave about my new T-Fal Actifry !   (Check it out on the T-Fal website .)   Kaleb won't eat potatoes unless they're in french fry form and I was feeling guilty feeding him the frozen variety too oft...