My Answer Is YES!

 The other day the movie "Yes Man" was on tv and I decided to watch it. It's about a guy that doesn't like to commit himself to anything, including his job, love life and friends. So he goes to a seminar about saying YES to everything, literally. The movie itself is alright. The moral of the story is basically that saying yes to life is more beneficial than saying no. After watching the show I decided that for the rest of the day I would say yes if anything came up. Hours pass and I have long since forgotten my little vow to myself for the day. Rob has been on the computer for a little while, he seems distracted, like his wheels are turning and I know that he's up to something. He tellss me to keep an open mind and asks if I would be interested in going to Salt Spring Island over the weekend for some camping. Normally camping is a yes for me. But Alina has been difficult to get down to bed in the evenings and I have been reluctant to do anything out of our schedule. We started the ferber method of getting her to go to sleep at night. It has been working- although I didn't want to change her schedule because Friday would only be her fifth night.. (But that is for another post entirely!) The point is, I wasn't sure about going to another island, for two nights with Alina being somewhat unpredictable at bedtime. BUT- I remembered my little promise to myself and I decided that I would just say YES and not worry about it.
 So this Friday, Rob, Alina and I putt putt-ed in our '85 Westy to Salt Spring Island. I prepped a couple of meals beforehand. I had the van all loaded up by the time Rob got home from work and we were on the road within twenty minutes.
 Rob worked on Salt Spring Island for about eight months last year, helping with the electrical for the new library that was being built. He spent many hours on the island, but was unable to venture off on his own to see what the island was all about. He was very excited to take Alina and I there to show us the beauty of this place.
 Salt Spring Island is in between the mainland and Vancouver Island. It is the largest and most populated of the Gulf Islands. It is also the first of the Gulf Islands that I have visited so far.  After my little vacation I think we'll be looking into visiting a few more. The ferry ride is only about ten minutes, which was perfect for Alina's first.

Alina's first ferry ride!

Our family's first weekend trip.

 We arrived on the island and I instantly felt that Salt Spring is a tight community. It's the beginning of the summer and the island was full of tourists and happy locals soaking up the sun. We went to our campsite and we were a little reluctant at first. The sites were on the small side and the only thing between us and our neighbour was a rickety fence that I could see through fairly easy. Our neighbour was snoozing on a lawn chair when we arrived. I joked that he looked like Father Time or Rip Van Winkle. But once we were settled in, we realized that it didn't matter who was beside us because we were having a good time. We decided to check out downtown Salt Spring while the sun was still out. We walked all around the harbour and decided that this little island reminds us of a more chilled, laid back Victoria. We sat outside by a fire at the Oystercatcher Bar and Grill and had a beer to celebrate our mini holiday. The best part, was that Alina was allowed out there with us.

Sitting outside, enjoying the fire.

The umbrella couldn't have said it any better.

  Saturday was a very busy day for us. We woke and made breakfast in the van and it turned out delicious. Nothing is better than a breakfast made while camping. We decided to check out the Salt Spring market. Talk about a huge turn out! Apparently hundreds of people show up for this market every week during the summer months. We are walking around browsing at different stands and I see a man signing cd's. I recognize the c.d's; "Baby Beluga", "Banana Phone". These are all songs that I have been playing for Alina on her c.d that a neighbour bought for her. It takes me a minute before I realize that the children's songwriter and singer, Raffi is there at the market, signing c.d's! I couldn't believe it. Honestly, before I had Alina I heard of Raffi and knew of his songs. But I didn't care or really think anything of him. But once I listened to the songs a few times, I really started to like his music. It's really upbeat and fun for kids.. and okay, for ME. I enjoy making my coffee in the morning and tapping my toes to "Banana Phone".  It's catchy and Alina really seems to like it. "Baby Beluga" was my graduation song in kindergarten that we had to perform to our proud parents. I sing that song to Alina at her nap times during the day, and she usually drifts off after the second or third time I sing it. I was so excited to meet Raffi!! I couldn't believe that he was there.

Rob making us yummy breaky.

The delicious result!

Alina and I meeting Raffi!!

Rob showed us the library he worked so hard on all of those months ago. It looked like a ton of work was put into the library. What a gorgeous project to be a part of!

Proud Papa showing off his mad skills!

I wish I took pictures inside. What a modern, beautiful place to read in!

 We decided to check out a bunch of beaches and took tons of pictures of our visit. We had a really nice break from regular life and I think that's what we enjoyed so much about our little trip. I'm so glad that I decided to say YES to something I wasn't totally sure about. Alina did do some crying, but fell asleep within thirty minutes both nights. (with us checking in on her frequently of course!) It turns out she can sleep anywhere. She is happy wherever she is, as long as she gets to hang out with her Mom and Dad. We both agreed that this weekend really proved how much she's already growing up. She was out all day Saturday in the warm weather and she was a champ! We joked that she napped whenever she had the chance because there was no telling where her crazy parents would take her next!

Yup, her Dad put her in a tree stump..

Just chillin' on a log.

In another tree.

Happy Little Family.

 So I'm not necessarily going to start saying YES to everything. But I am certainly going to consider saying YES to more in life. I have nothing to lose and it could make for some really memorable stories. I mean, I met Raffi!

A Day To Share

July 10th- my wedding anniversary! I married Rob, my best friend three years ago today! I think back on that day and get the faint flutter of butterflies in my stomach. Our rehearsal dinner was the night before and my sister Kyli and my sister in law Erin and I all packed overnight bags and stayed in the really fancy, old fashioned hotel that Rob and I were staying at on the night of the wedding. Erin, Kyli and I all slept in the same bed, giggling and talking about how excited we were for the upcoming BIG day. It was honestly the sweetest most unique idea to have a little slumber party with my sisters the night before my wedding day. We were a bit tipsy and I remember Kyli being her last minute self;  painting her toesies and Erin and I were sprawled out on the bed gabbing and getting ourselves pumped up for the wedding.

In bed with my sissy's!

 The next morning I woke and Ky and Erin had to do some quick running around before we left for our hair appointments. They returned sometime later with my favourite drink; Koala Mango and Orange Sparkling Juice and mini croissants. They knew I was going to be super nervous and that I would have a hard time downing anything other than that! My hair appointment was for 10, which to me is a fabulous time because then you don't have to be up too early! I remember being really ridiculously nervous when I was getting my make up done upstairs at the hair studio. It was pretty warm up there and the make up artist was really close to my face talking. I felt this sudden panicky feeling, like I couldn't swallow. I had to calmly remind myself that I was probably feeling slight anxiety at the prospect of all of our closest friends and family watching ME walk down the aisle! I never liked the idea of all of that attention fixed on just me. But my sister is my best friend and I believe she made me feel better, by just being herself. The girls were all so amazing that day. My good friend Morgan came to film and photograph the day with her boyfriend Tim. I didn't realize that they would be photographing the wedding as well. So I had my other good friend Sofia there photographing the day as well. I remember feeling VERY overwhelmed with all of the cameras on me and had to politely ask Morgan and Tim to give me some space. (Wow I sound like a huge bridezilla but I can promise everyone that I wasn't!! I just don't like being in the spotlight and there were just a lot of lenses on little old me.)

 After our hair and make up was all done, we returned to the mansion. Oh, yes I should explain.. The hotel we were staying at was originally a mansion built for a family that lived in our quaint, little town many years ago. The mansion has been sold since then and restored into a beautiful hotel. The rooms are immaculate, modern yet old fashioned at the same time. We had a claw bath tub in the room, right in front of the bay window overlooking the golf course (where we were married) !! It was a gorgeous place to stay and I'm still so glad we did.

The girls and I posing for pictures at the mansion.

 The wedding was at 4:00 and we all stuffed ourselves into the Jeep around 3:45. I remember we pulled up to the golf course and just sat waiting for all of the last guests to scurry in. The wedding was outside on one of the putting greens, overlooking the ocean. It was a remarkable setting. So we sat in the Jeep with the air conditioner blasting and watched the guests.. I remember seeing "the boys" and my heart was fluttering like I was on a first date at just the sight of Rob!  I'm not usually romantic, but watching him when he couldn't see me, right before our wedding was special.

The boys.

 I walked out to " Canon in D" by Pachebel - it was the Celtic version with the violin and bagpipes. (Ohhh I just listened to it and tears fill my eyes with emotion!!)
 My mom walked me down the "aisle" which consisted of two big trees, a grassy hill overlooking the ocean below. My dad came from Alberta for the wedding but was at the end of his illness and was too sick to come to the wedding. It was a really hot day and he would never have made it through. Other than that, it was a perfect day.

Rob and I danced on the grass to Otis Redding's "Stand By Me". Our music was all programed into Rob's Iphone. We chose every song and we even timed when the party would really begin by playing more of our favourite, upbeat tunes. The speeches were during dinner, so everyone didn't have to wait to eat. We were served delicious Chicken Cordon Bleu or Steak dinner. We skipped out on a wedding cake because we aren't very traditional. We had cheesecake served with blueberries in a  blueberry sauce. There were appetizers as well but I hardly remember eating much.

My in laws giving their speech.

Our wedding party.

  Once the party started, the wedding just flashed by in a blink. My besties were pulling me up to the bar to do shots with them. At one point I was smoking a cigar with my girlfriends, joking about how classy we all were. We danced and I mostly talked to friends and family about the day. Our wedding guests moved the party to the patio outside and drank and visited while the sun set behind them. It was everything we imagined and more.

 My father in law, Rodney drove us to our hotel. Rob and I hurried inside and got to "business". Afterwards we both crawled into the claw bathtub that was in the bedroom, opened wedding cards and animatedly discussed the entire day to each other. I would have to say that once the day was completed, that moment would be my favourite. It was just the two of us and we were married and so proud of the day we put together for ourselves and our peeps.

End of the night.. Wedding dress hanging in the back.. A great day, always to be remembered and shared.

  So I sit here spending most of my time tonight, recapping the day and night of our wedding. I think it's time I hang out with my hubby and give him some well deserved smooches for being my buddy and marrying me.

View Wedding Video Here

 Video made by my friends from Paper Tiger Media.

Many of my photos were taken by  Sofia Katherine Photography

Happy Belated Canada !!

As of recently I joined Bloglovin.

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 Since then I have started 'following' other bloggers. I have my favourites listed at the bottom of my blog, if you want to check any of them out.  Many of the ladies I follow are from the U.S. and each and every one of them posted a shout out to their country on Independence Day. It got me thinking that I should probably make tribute to my country.
 I love Canada for all of the beauty it contains. We are known for being polite and friendly! (although I know MANY Canadians that contradict that one....!) We may take our hockey seriously but that's because it's AWESOME and fun, fun, fun to watch, especially during the playoffs.
 We have our own problems, like any country. But I am especially proud of the Peace we keep. My name is Haley and I am proud to be Canadian!

My little Canadian showing her patriotism for the Canada Day Celebrations.

A Lifetime of Scribbles

I have been writing in a journal, everyday since December 31, 1996. So I have a record of my life for the past seventeen years come this New Year's. What started as a project between two friends turned into a lifetime of records. When I first started the journal I was eleven and had a lot of time on my hands. My journal entries from back then are lengthily and pretty descriptive. In the last ten years, the entries have turned into a single page and each entry is usually about what I did that day. There are days that I don't write in it, but I almost treat it as homework and fill in the date I missed and write as though it is that day and record what I did. So there are times in the evening where I'm writing in my journal for an hour, trying to remember what I did last Tuesday. I often have to ask Rob and he's actually getting pretty good at recollecting our day to day for me.
 It's strange because I know that I could just stop. I could even just write in it whenever I thought about it. But I can't stop. It is a part of me and what I do everyday. I'm not too thrilled with the fact that Alina will look at my journals once I am gone with her siblings and see how imperfect I am. She'll know all of the bad things I did as a teenager and read about all of the mistakes I made. It was never meant for my children or anyone for that matter. It was just for me. So why am I almost OCD about keeping up with it? My Auntie's mother in law kept a diary for 80 something years. I think that will probably be me. I'll have a book shelf stacked with journals from my life.
 I have each journal numbered and I also have a journal log so that I can find a certain date quickly if I ever need to. The journals have come in handy for us a number of times. Most importantly I can look back at entries I wrote, about people that have passed. It's nice to be able to read about my loved ones that are no longer here. I remember looking through old journals when my step dad Rudi died. I just scanned the pages for his name. I haven't done it for my dad just yet. I visited dad on the weekends and in the summer so I will have weekend long entries about him. I look forward to delving into my past with dad sometime soon..
 I do have a fantasy that one day one of my kids will be into writing like me. I imagine she/he will go through all of my journals and put together a memoir from my point of view and it will become a best seller.  It will be my dream come true, after I am gone. I always said I wanted to be a "famous" author. Emphasis on famous, of course.
 So I suppose it will be a gift to my children, one day to be able to look on their mom's life and really find out who I am.. outside of being their mother.

My trunk full to the brim with my journals and special mementos from my life..

From My Vantage Point

 I sit in my backyard, the sun beats harshly on my freshly shaved legs peeking out from beneath the patio shade. I hear the faint humming of the fan in Alina's bedroom window, blowing cool air towards her as she sleeps in her crib. The back of her neck damp with sweat and the mohawk Daddy fashioned in her hair yesterday after her bath is wilting limply from the heat. There are just a couple of birds chirping lightly in the distance in comparison to the dozen I'd heard early this morning through my open window. Alina coughs and spits out her soother waking her into a temporary panic. I rush into plug her and find her big blue eyes looking up at me in mild confusion. She sees me and closes her eyes knowingly. A close call. I sigh in relief and hear the oven timer beeping urgently. Ten minutes have gone by since I placed one beer into the freezer for me to sip in the sun. The weekend leaves me with a cooler of  forgotten lukewarm brews bobbing in water that was once cool ice chunks. The first sip of a beer is always my favourite. The taste hits your tongue and coats your mouth with that wheat beer taste. It could be colder, but I am too content to return it to the freezer. The lawn is lush and green and needs a good mowing. I would do it myself but I wouldn't be able to hear baby girl if she woke from her siesta.
 It seems as though summer has finally started. The past few weeks were filled with rain and clouds and the occasional sunny or at least warm day. Now the temperatures are in the late twenty's and the house is muggy and warm. Fans are situated in windows in hopes of keeping the house at a decent temperature. I look ahead at the summer that is before me. Most of my company has been and gone already. I have each day off with Alina to enjoy the sunshine and free afternoons. This feeling I have is.. appreciation. I appreciate so many things in my world right now. Alina is my obvious first. She is growing so rapidly and with each day she shows us something new and exciting. Different sounds are coming out of her and just yesterday she stared up at me with her lovey eyes and she gently touched my cheek and then grabbed my nose and we had quite a mommy-daughter moment. I not only love my husband but I like him. I like him a lot. I can definitely say that he's my best friend. I enjoy spending time together with Alina as a family. We do our fair share of laughing and that would probably be my favourite part of us. The laughter. The goofing around and not taking ourselves too seriously. I appreciate the year I get for maternity leave. I can't imagine not having this first year with Alina. I am loving the weather, the blue, clear sky and the nature happening all around me. I love that it is 2:11 in the afternoon and I am sitting outside in the shade, with my legs up, computer in lap and a beer beside me, doing what I love the most; writing. Life sure feels good at this point. I don't have a lot going on but I feel like I have a lot to be thankful for. Things happen in life for a reason and at the time it is so hard to imagine why tragedy strikes. But, then I am presented with all of these gifts now and I can fully understand the why. I'm even grateful for it in a way. If I didn't have loss, I wouldn't have what I am staring out at right now.

My Life.

Flattered

I am an anomaly. When it comes to shopping that is! My husband, Rob LOVE LOVE LOVES to shop. He'll be trying on a dozen shirts and I'm sitting with three guys, all on their phones, holding their girlfriend's purses. My friends say I'm so lucky to have a husband to shop with. Although, it makes leaving the mall very difficult for this girl!  During Christmas I will often bring my Kindle and sit on a bench while he shops. Now that we have the baby, he goes ahead with her to the next store. Once I catch up with him, he'll give me what he wants to buy and I'll buy it for him and he'll move onto the next shop. It gives him a running start at each store. I usually don't take very long to browse.
 Yesterday Rob and I were doing our usual shop at the mall.. He was ahead of me with Alina and I was meeting up with them. A man with special needs in a wheel chair wheels up to me and politely gets my attention.

Man: Do you know why I stopped you? It's because I saw you walking and I just had to let you know that you are absolutely gorgeous.

Me: THANK YOU so much..!

Man: Do you known why I put sunscreen on today?

Me: No, why?

Man: Ssssssssss (He pretends I'm so hot it burns his skin..)

 He is the first person or stranger that has hit on me since I was pregnant and it felt really, really good to be noticed! I don't care if he used a cheesy line either. It was kind of sweet and I took it as a compliment! Besides, I don't think he was hitting on me but just voicing his opinion in a cute sort of way. It just made my day and I had to share.

Christmas Pre-Alina.. Couldn't find a really recent one right before I got pregnant.. So this will have to do!

Alina's 2 days old in this one.. And I'm 2 days after being pregnant for 9 months!!

This was taken last weekend. That's right.. I think I'm sort of bragging. It feels good to be almost at my normal weight again!!

I'm a REAL Boy..er Blog!

 It's been 8 years.. 8!!! years since I started my blog. I initially started it because I was well, bored.. and I needed an outlet. I had a tragedy unexpectedly happen in my life and needed to be able to write about it. It definitely helped me with my grieving. I also met my husband while I was writing in this blog day to day. So it's really neat looking back on the 'early days' of our relationship and reading about how he 'swept me off of my feet'.
 Once I met my husband Rob, I slowly stopped writing. My life became more interesting and I felt like I didn't need to depend on the posts and input of my blogging friends. About one month ago a family friend of mine invited me to read two of her new blogs she started writing in. I got addicted to checking in to see if she had posted anything new and found myself yearning to update mine.
 I am currently on maternity leave. I had my first child, Alina in March so I have some extra time during the day to write. I also have more time to think about personal things, rather than how many pills someone will need if they take 2 and a half twice a day for 3 months. (I'm a pharmacy technician by non-maternity-leave day!) The answer is 270 if anyone is wondering..... Go ahead, do the math.. I'm right!
 I wrote a story and entered it into a writing contest and won a year ago. So I had to write a mini bio about myself and I included my blog. I made sure to edit out any inappropriate, 'immature' posts about ex boyfriends so that people would take me a little more seriously. I started to post some of my recent blogs that I felt like sharing on my facebook.  Now I feel like anything I have written is fair game and can be read by whomever.
 So far, I shared two posts on facebook and have had an okay turn out. I looked into reading more blogs and found Bloglovin'. At night I wake a few times to feed my baby girl and I find myself bored as hell. So I have saved the most entertaining and interesting blogs to my favourites on my phone. After a few days of reading different blogs in the middle of the night, I decided that I would like to be on Bloglovin' as well. So I linked my blog to it and have suddenly decided that I want my blog to be more than just a journal for myself. I think some blogs are really busy and that's why they're so popular. But I want my content to interest my readers. There are so many bloggers out there that it's going to be difficult to compete. But I figure, why not give it a try and see how many followers I can get after a bit of time? So, if you like what you read.. please follow me on Bloglovin'. It would make my day and give me a cheap thrill!

Us kids in 2005.

Still kids.. but with our own kid in 2013.

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Have You Seen This Man?

Sixto Rodriguez.. A Detroit born man that made two records in the late 60's and early 70's. He was compared to Bob Dylan in his writing of music and the way he sounded. But unfortunately for him, his records flopped and nothing ever came of him in the United States. He had been in contact with people to help him make his records,and they recall him meeting up with them on street corners or random park benches. They assumed he was homeless, another drifter. He made the records, they flopped and most people that knew him or of him, said he disappeared. There were stories told of him committing suicide on stage after a particularly bad show. These tales were never the same.. One story claimed he doused himself in gas and lit himself on fire. Another stated he shot himself right at the end of his last song. It remained a mystery .. for awhile.
 Meanwhile, in Cape Town, South Africa a man by the name of Stephen "Sugar" Segermen had his own questions. He had heard of Sixto Rodriguez, in fact all of South Africa had. Apparently Rodriguez was a musical legend there. One day a woman asked if she could find a record of Rodriguez and Segermen simply pointed her in the direction of the closest record store. She was shocked that there would be copies because she had been in the U.S. and no one had ever heard of him, never mind getting a copy of the record. It's like he didn't exist. That, got Segermen's attention. He had noticed that there was little to no information on this American legend like there was on the Rolling Stones or The Beatles. Another man, Craig Bartholomew Strydom took interest in finding more information on Rodriguez. He was a writer and decided it would be an interesting story to tell once he did his research. He was most intrigued when he finally contacted someone from Rodriguez's record label and the next day, the phone number was disconnected. Where, if Rodriguez was in fact dead- was all the money for his records being sold in South Africa going?  Segermen created a website that was directed at finding any information on Rodriguez or his death in the late 90's. Soon after, Rodriguez's eldest daughter came across the website and came into contact with Segermen. Rodriguez had a family and was in fact alive!
 Segermen recalls waking at one in the morning to the voice of Rodriguez calling from the United States. He, being a huge fan was completely dumbfounded. The fact that this mystery man was alive was one thing but that he didn't know he was famous was another!
 Rodriguez is informed of his unknown fame and to him, nothing changes. He continues working where he works and living in the house he owned for forty years. He is convinced to go to Cape Town and perform a series of concerts to long awaiting disbelieving fans. He is greeted with limos at the airport and nearly walks past them thinking they are for someone else. He is treated like a king and continues to act like a labourer in Detroit, never letting his new found fame get to him. His daughters are in awe of their father because of his cool, laid back demeanor. He performed for thousands of people and played with such ease and grace, like he had been doing it for years.. One daughter describes that her father now has two lives. One in Detroit where he is like a nobody. The other in South Africa where he is what he always dreamed of being..

 I learned all of this from the documentary, "Searching For Sugarman" that I watched tonight. Rob introduced the idea of watching a documentary and I instantly sighed and mentally signed out for the night. I'm not sure why, but my attitude towards documentaries is always fairly negative, especially when it's one that Rob wants to watch. But I am almost always interested within the first few minutes. Such was the case with this one. I couldn't believe the mystery behind this .. intriguing voice and his haunting lyrics. The documentary played many of his songs and with every song I wondered.. why wasn't he famous? Was it because there already was a similar song writer; Bob Dylan? I found that Rodriguez's songs were chilling and touching like Dylan's but that his voice could be compared to Don Mclean's or James Taylor's.
 I couldn't believe that this man's dreams came true in another part of the world and yet he had no idea. I would have been so sad to find out that he was dead and that he would never know how big he had been. But it was exciting to learn that he was in fact alive and that he did get to live that dream years and years after his disappointments. When he goes to South Africa to perform for the first time, I can almost feel the anticipation of the crowd waiting to see if it's really him... The bass player is strumming the same beat over and over.. as Rodriguez is being introduced for the very first time.. The crowd goes nuts for a good five full minutes before he can actually begin to play. The moment his voice is heard throughout the crowd everyone starts cheering, LOUD. It must have been such an incredible experience for Rodriguez and his family to live that moment. This story was so touching, I had to write about it. There was never any proof of where Rodriguez's money went when he sold all those records back in the 60's and 70's. But the money he made from all of the concerts he did after he was rediscovered went to his family and friends. He continues to live in his old house and he does what he did before he was discovered. Although I did some research and found out he was just in London last week playing a concert. The documentary is out now, so he must be getting a lot more publicity because of it. I know that I would like to have a few of his songs on my ipod to listen to. He is a very talented man. I'm so glad his talent wasn't wasted on deaf ears all of those years ago. Someone somewhere heard something in that voice. I guess it could be a lesson to be learned.. Never give up on a dream because.. someone.. somewhere .. could hear/see something in you.

Summer Co.

I have to say that I am in love with summer. The obvious reasons are that it's hot and sunny, the days last longer and because of where we live- we can go to the beach everyday! But I also love summer because of the company. So far, and it's only the end of June- we have had Rob's mom visit, my best friend and her son last week and my three buddies from Alberta just left yesterday! I am one spoiled, new mom being on maternity leave and having this much action in my first three months with my baby girl. I suggest to all people that plan on having babies.. try to conceive at the end of May, beginning of June...! That way, you'll pop in March or April and the summer will be right around the corner. I didn't even have a chance to get the baby blues.. It's been too nice!
 A friend of mine asked me the other day if I got the phone call from the public health nurse asking me a series of questions to see if I had postpartum. I did get a call but she didn't ask me the questions I think because I was so chipper and happy when I answered the phone. I remember she asked me how I was feeling and I said I was great and then I mentioned how beautiful the weather had been and how could I be anything but. So that right there, says it all. The nurse just skipped asking me the questions because of how happy I sounded on the phone! Have a baby in the spring time. Alina is now over 3 months old and happier, holding up her own neck for the most part and just all around easier to take out camping and to the beach, now that the weather is beginning to improve.
 The girls visit was super quick but fun. I was saying to them last night, that it's funny how you miss your friends over time but you gradually get over missing them because they aren't part of your day to day. But as soon as you reunite again, everything falls into place, and you realize how much you really enjoy being around them! Carmelle was saying hilarious things, as always. Kailey was crying when she laughed- which she used to always do and it wasn't until she did it again, that I remembered that about her!  It was lots of fun being around the girls again. The best medicine is an evening with old friends.. It was also the first time I've hung out with them, where I didn't get drunk. That sounds sad but we all grew up together, partying most of the time. It was really fun just having a beer here and there, laughing and blabbing just the same. They brought yummy cupcakes, champagne to toast Alina to and great company. Our house is small and the girls slept in our camping van. They decided to only stay one night, which was perfect because there isn't very much to do in my little town. They went off to Victoria for some night life and we decided to go camping.
 It's June 23rd and I already feel so fulfilled with all of our summer company. Good thing there's still two whole months of real summer left.. and I still have my sister's visit to look forward to!
I heart you summer!

Crazy girls having a campfire.

Until the next time ladies...

Win, win!

It all began with a trip. One trip that tweaked a couple of heart strings and caused a few wheels to turn...
 My cousins from Alberta went on an all girl's trip to the East Coast with their daughters. Of course the girls got together with my sister, Kyli and her family while they were there. Courtney has two daughters that are very close in age to my sister's two little ones; Quinn and Sophie. Jessica has a 9 month old daughter as well. So all five babies got together, as well as my cousins and sister and they took lots of pictures as promised. I found myself looking at the pictures all of the time. Part of me was so happy and excited for Kyli because her babies got to meet their babies. The pictures were so cute of all of these similar little kids. But another big part of me wanted sooo much for us to be able to afford to get together like that too! 
 I remember telling Rob that I really wished that I could have some pictures of Alina with her cousins as a baby.. so that when she looked back at them, she would see that they somewhat grew up together. I also have never met Kyli's 15 month old Sophie and obviously Ky hasn't met our Alina. It's important to me to meet Sophie while she's still little and to see our little Quinn again.
 My relationship with my sister isn't normal. We just really, really, really love each other. We were the maids of honour at each other's weddings and can both honestly say that we are still the other's best friend. I love our chemistry. We can just talk and talk and ... talk and always get each other. I can't imagine not having a sister to confide in all of my life. I always had Ky to look up to and I continue to look up to her, now that we are both mothers.  I could go on and on about our relationship, but I'd never stop.  Rob and Joe met right after we started dating in 2005 and became instant friends. Rob was also in their wedding party. Him and Joe share a die hard love for the Toronto Maple Leafs, they are both incredible musicians and they seem to have a similar sense of humour that can entertain for hours. It's almost as if Ky and I married brothers.
 Kyli, Joe and Quinn moved away the day after our wedding day. It was really sad and we will never forget that feeling we both had, when we had to say goodbye to them. This July will make it three years that we were all together last.
 The pictures of the kids got me thinking, that we really needed to put in an effort to visit my sister this year while I am on maternity leave. Rob and I got onto the airline websites and made a promise to keep our eye on any seat sales going to the East Coast. The next day, while visiting my mom I told her about our plan to visit Kyli. We were thinking about going on September 11th because we know that flights are sadly cheaper that day. My mom was forced to tell me her big surprise...
She was helping pay to have Ky and the family visit US this summer!!!!
 The words came out of her mouth and I instantly started crying..and saying, "Thank you.. thank you!"  I could hear my Grannie saying; "Oh Hay....oh Haley..." I don't think Gran sees me like that very often. Needless to say, Mom agreed that it was an awesome reaction to her surprise!
  I am so beyond excited to see Kyli..! But then to top it off.. I get to meet Sophie. I get to see my Quinnster again. Joe and Rob get to reunite... and they all get to meet Alina!!! Win, win, win, win, win!!!
 Apparently after Kyli's visit with the cousins and their daughters she had a similar feeling that I had. She found out how many aeroplan miles she had and she had enough for a round trip to the West Coast. She decided she would take Sophie and come for a visit. She told Mom about it and Mom being Mom.. said that if one gets to go... so does the other. (In regards to Quinn.) She's like that with her dogs Audi and Lucy. Many times I've asked her to just bring Audi over to visit me, but she says I can't have one without the other. She then decided that if she was paying for Quinn to visit, why not pay a bit more and have the whole family come!? Amen, sister. Or mother...!
 Really I should be thanking my cousins for going to the East Coast and giving Ky and I that feeling of desperation to see the other this summer. Now, because of their trip- we are getting reunited again!
 Here's to the trip of a lifetime coming this August!! I can't wait and oh, there will be much to blog about...

The last time we were together!

One of the Good Ones

Father's Day is tomorrow..
 June 16th marks Rob's first Father's Day. I believe that today will mean more and more to him each year. This year will be special because it's his first as a Daddy. I'm writing in the dark, with the glow from the t.v. and computer lighting the room. Rob sits in the rocking chair he bought me for Christmas, with a very exhausted little girl in his arms. He busies himself with his Iphone, patiently waiting for her to be in a deep enough sleep to dare put her down. She is teething and has a bit of a cold. We took her out to the Show n' Shine's Annual Dance In The Streets tonight. She was out late, but eventually fell asleep in a friend's arms. As we walked home, the air began to cool and the melodic jerking and bumping of the stroller, kept Alina asleep. It wasn't until a street light lit Alina's buggy, that we saw two bright eyes looking up at us. She was awake, just in time for us to bring her home to bed. She began the screaming as we entered the house and carried on for about ten or fifteen minutes. Normally Alina is a pretty easy going girl, but she is a baby after all and babies do cry. Her daddy tried all sorts of tricks as I sat with my head in my hands, stressed that she was so upset. This is the very reason why Rob deserves a great day tomorrow. He is an incredible dad. He knows not to get upset or frustrated with Alina or the fact that she's upset. He tells himself that she was happy minutes before and goes through all of the different things that could be causing her to be upset. Once he checks off.. changing a diaper, feeding her, opening her sleeper so she cools off.. he takes her to our room to look at the ceiling fan- a usual favourite of Alina's. But the screaming continues, tears running down her red, angered, scrunched up little face. He then tries putting her in her car seat and swinging her back and fourth- again another trick that usually calms her. Nope, not the case tonight. He doesn't let the screaming bother him and keeps his mind on the task at hand. He tells me that he knows she is not really upset, because minutes before she was smiling and completely content. She has just gotten herself worked up and needs something. But what is that something? Finally he puts on a striped shirt because he knows she likes looking at the pattern and sits in the rocking chair, with her against his chest shushing and patting her back. Within minutes, her breathing slows and her cries turn into soft whimpers. Our baby is asleep in my favourite place; against Rob's chest. That has been a spot that has given me much comfort over the last eight years. A place where I can rest my head and feel completely safe. Turns out it's a new favourite place for our little girl. Rob's a natural. He is going to thrive at being a dad and each year he will only get better.
 Tomorrow I will celebrate his first of many Father's Days to come. I won't let losing my dads shadow the day. I will think of how lucky my daughter is to have such an amazing daddy in her life. I will appreciate that this man is in my life, keeping us happy and safe. And I will smile and feel proud that I found him and chose him to be a part of my life. He's one of the good ones..

Playing guitar for her - only days old in this picture.

He wanted to take her to the beach right away so she could put her fresh toes in the sand.

We had a jersey ordered for her the first week we were home from the hospital- priorities!

This was their "Game Face!" The onesie and t-shirt were custom made.

He will share anything with her.. even his own shirt.

Goofs.

Daddy's girl.