JensPlace

cuteness....

Fri, 09 Jun 2006 17:43:01 GMT

Youngest Canon Digital Rebel

Oldest Canon Digital Rebel

I love my kids...

Feeling better...

Wed, 10 May 2006 13:49:09 GMT

Warning! This post is a little bit of rambling....

Sitting in a tree Canon Digital Rebel

So I'm feeling a bit better about life. Not sure what it is but hopefully it will fully go away soon. I've been loving Superhero's blog lately...she recently became a life coach by trade and has wonderfully inspiring entries over there. Here is one that I thought would be fun to try but sadly (and truly this is sad) I don't have a dictionary! I always use one online!!! I'll have to go get one.

Opening Cottage Canon Digital Rebel

We got the cottage opened...I just love going up there. It always makes me feel better...it's my Utopia.

Maybe I just need to take a vacation and try and get back to the idea that my life isn't a straight road to old age...but that things can still change and things can still be an adventure...that's what I need...an adventure. Maybe that's why I love my girls weekends so much, they always turn into an adventure.

I am unwritten,
Can't read my mind
I'm undefined
I'm just beginning
The pen's in my hand
Ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words
That you could not find
Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your INHIBITIONS

Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Unwritten by Natasha Bedingfield

What's going on?....

Thu, 27 Apr 2006 13:17:14 GMT

Oldest and Ben Canon Digital Rebel

So I haven't been posting lately as I didn't want to be whining...not sure what's going on with me. I seem to be feeling blah but I have no idea why. I usually have some idea about why I'm down in the dumps but this one has got me scratching my head.

So I haven't posted because when you have nothing really much to say other then negative things...what's the point! So what's new? I've finished my photography course!

I loved it. It was great. Each class was so exciting and interesting...the last couple of classes just kind of fizzled out in the end but overall I thought it was great.

Youngest jumping Canon Digital Rebel

It was so great to have a Wednesday night off last night...and what did I do with it? Watched American Idol if you can believe it. I've heard all these people talking about how loopy Paula has become and yet I have never witnessed it (and I watch not religiously but often). Well last night I finally witnessed some of what they're talking about (well, it was a replay they had from Tuesday night but I was busy watching the Ottawa Senators beat Tampa Bay in hockey so I missed it....Go Sens!). She's was standing up waving her arms talking over Simon and I really had no idea what it was that she was yelling....she slirs her words so much that unless it's just her speaking and slowly it's quite hard to figure out what she's saying in the first place. And (oh I'm on the soap box now!)...I don't get why everyone hates Simon so much. Yes, I guess he could be nicer with his comments but this is a competition and you think the contestants would want his judgement to better themselves seeing as he seems to be the only one able to give an honest judgement of their performances. I'm sorry but I quite like him.

Onto a more important topic..... THE COTTAGE IS BEING OPENED THIS WEEKEND!!!! Can't wait....my Dad built the cottage (he died 8 years ago) so everytime I go back there I feel like I get immersed in the feeling of my Dad. Can't wait!!!!

What now...

Wed, 05 Apr 2006 16:53:07 GMT

It's strange...whenever I talk to people I haven't spoken to in a while who ask "What's new?" I feel like I should have tons to say...

I usually have nothing.

I seem to be constantly doing things but nothing ever seems 'new'.

Usually at this time of year I get all excited about Summer and the prospect of all the fun things me and mine will be doing during it and yet I don't have that this year.

Why is that? Is it because usually I'd be planning a weekend away with my girlfriends by now, but this year that has been delayed until August timeframe? I know that those weekends usually rejuvenate me and maybe I'm just feeling the lack of my yearly 'rejuvenation'?

I just feel lately I've been 'going through the motions', trying to get through my days and get things done. Is this what this time in life is suppose to be about? Getting through your days and making sure your kids have a great time? Or am I suppose to be having a great time too...because I tell ya...lately I just don't 'feel' it.

I'm not sure what it is...I hope it goes away soon.

Maybe it's this: (taken off of Rosie's site)
�People universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you�re fortunate enough. But that is not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking or it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it, you must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it. If you don�t, you will leak away your innate contentment..."

Maybe I need to start fighting for my own happiness again....

Feeding the birds...

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 11:57:20 GMT

Chickadee Canon Digital Rebel

My girls and I and my sister and her daughter went to a walking trail near my house this Saturday.
What is unique about it is you can go there and feed the birds from your hand.
When we first got there I thought we may have to walk further into the forest to see them but my sister said "Look around"....and there you could see about 50 chickadees following us from tree to tree.
So we stopped where we were.
All you have to do is pour some sunflower seeds into your hand and then hold out your hand and all of a sudden they'll start flying over and eating off your hand.

Oldest feeding a bird Canon Digital Rebel

Even my youngest (3 years old) did it and I thought it might scare her....I guess it helps that most of the birds were cute little chickadees.

It really was a wonderful experience.

Chucking it all...

Tue, 14 Mar 2006 18:07:07 GMT

Have you ever thought of just chucking it all (my husband loves it when I use the term 'chuck')....of selling the house, the car, etc. Taking the kids out of school and going to live in some other country for a year? Instead of having to fight to keep up with your life and having the same day over and over and over.

Wouldn't it be nice to wake up some morning and not have any idea what you were going to do that day?

Not sure why but this prospect seems really appealing to me right now...must be spring fever.

Full house...

Mon, 06 Mar 2006 23:47:26 GMT

kids Canon Digital Rebel

We took care of 4 extra kids this weekend. My 3 nephews and one niece.
It sounds like a lot having 6 kids in the house but it actually wasn't that bad.
I thought it would be a lot more hectic then it was.
Don't get me wrong...it was hard, and we were constantly cleaning AND it ultimately helped us realize that our decision to only have 2 kids was a very smart thing to do....BUT it was fun to have all those little people running around.
My nine year old nephew was a big help and all the kids (the rest of them are 5.5 years and younger!) LOVE him, so they just followed him around a lot.

So, though I don't think we'll be planning a weekend like that any time soon, it was nice to know that we were able to do it and no one got hurt and, most importantly, everyone came out of the weekend alive!

ps...they didn't sleep on the floor in the family room...we had just set up a movie....just didn't want you to think we were horrible people.

Sulking...

Wed, 01 Mar 2006 13:41:23 GMT

Oldest skating Canon Digital Rebel

This picture was taken a couple of weeks ago. We were skating at the inlaws' pond and my oldest had fallen. She was mad and was sulking by the side of the 'rink' when I called her name to get her to look up.

The look on her face just kills me. She looks so miserable. Children are amazing that way, they haven't yet learned to wear a mask and hide their feelings yet and so you can see every emotion written clear as day all over their faces.

I think it's wonderful.

I'm feeling a little bit like she looks in this picture today. I'm missing my friends and hating the fact that I work during the day and they are at home during the day (some working, some working at being moms) and are able to talk to each other (some live far away).

So I guess you could say I'm sitting by the side of the 'rink' sulking.

Rose...

Wed, 22 Feb 2006 11:49:40 GMT

Rose Canon EOS Digital Rebel

My daughter is sleeping in her room again! Thank goodness.
Want to know how we fixed it? We bought a smoochie mattress pad that made her bed more comfortable.
That's it.
We realized that her mattress was just too damn hard.
Thanks for the advice though!

On another note....

Youngest Canon EOS Digital Rebel

I did my first assignment for my photography course. We'll see how it goes.
The above picture is not part of it, I just thought my youngest looked cute in it.
But here are some of the pics from it. It was an assignment in motion.
So blurring, panning and freezing the action.

Freezing

Blurring

Panning

Works of art eh!? Hopefully it gets better.

What to do...

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 00:54:19 GMT

Woman Canon Rebel

So this post has nothing to do with this picture...I just liked it.

My oldest (5 years old) is having nightmares....and I don't know what to do about it.
She has a beautiful room, filled with toys and books...and she can't seem to sleep in it. She's taken to getting up and either a) waking us up in the middle of the night to help her move to the spare bedroom or; b) getting up and moving herself without a word to us. Of course we like option b) better but I'd prefer option c)...stay in her own room.

We've allowed her to keep moving into the spare bedroom mostly because we don't know what to do about the nightmares. They're pretty scary stuff too...like once she said that she dreamt her palm was sliced by a knife over and over and that it was dripping blood....yeah I know...I don't know where she's getting it. We don't let her watch scary movies and she doesn't read overly scary books.

So I ask you o' intelligent internet...what do I do about this. I can't seem to be able to help her and it bothers me that she doesn't seem to fill safe in her own room. Poor thing.

Off for the weekend...

Fri, 10 Feb 2006 19:42:11 GMT

We're off for the weekend for a beautiful night sans kids.

We're heading to Calabogie Resort.

It's not the best skiing around...it's more of a hill then a mountain but it will do. I used to be a part of my high school ski team and here I am not having skied more then twice in the last 5 years.

So like I said...it will do.

Most of all I can't wait to sleep in!!! Yeah!!!!

My husband...

Tue, 07 Feb 2006 17:56:46 GMT

Can you think back to a time when things were flowing? When things were full of ease and grace?

Those are the questions that Andrea Scher aka Superhero asks today on her site.

My answer?

Nearly 10 years ago when I finally realized that my good friend Lee was meant to be my best friend and husband. As Oprah calls it, it was my "Ah ha!" moment.

Once I realized that he was it everything else was so easy. Not that as soon as we both decided that we'd be together it was perfect but rather, as Andrea pointed out in her post, being together felt "easy like Sunday morning".

We've had our moments and will continue to have them but at the end of the day I never ever questioned again whether we were suppose to be together or that I was on the right path. It became a non-question.

I may question my personal 'creative' path in life, but I know that no matter what path I choose to take he will be there with me....and I love him for it.

Exposure, Shutter speed and Aperture oh my!....

Thu, 02 Feb 2006 13:47:50 GMT

So I'm in the 3rd week of my photography course and....I LOVE IT.

We are doing simple things, things that I wish I knew 5 years ago. Shutter speed, Aperture and, the best of all, exposure. My automatic flash was constantly driving me crazy...I could never get the photo I wanted unless it was daytime...

WELL...after last night's class I came home and was able to take some photos in my dark-ish family room without the automatic flash and they turned out awesome. I'm very excited.

ps the above pic has nothing to do with the post...I just came across it recently and thought it was funny.

I LOVE my job....

Sun, 29 Jan 2006 05:23:20 GMT

...can you hear the dripping sarcasm in the title of this post?

It is currently 12:23 am on Sunday morning and I will be up atleast for the next 5 hours testing something for work. Usually I don 't mind my work but this is pushing it.

Wish me luck...if it doesn't go well then I could be up for the next 36 hours...which means I will not be going to work on Monday...atleast that's something....

Morrie...

Thu, 26 Jan 2006 18:36:39 GMT

Ok...I know I'm about 8 years late on this one but I am finally reading Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom.

I'm not sure why I fought it but every time I picked it up at the book store I'd give a big sigh and put it back.

Again, I don't know why.

Maybe I wasn't ready for the message...maybe I didn't want to hear it yet.

Well, I finally bought it and am nearing the end and all I have to say is - I wish Morrie was still alive so I could go and sit in his study with him and give him a big hug. I find it amazing that some people spend all their lives following a religion, yet we all pass by someone that should have had his own religion (I would call it a humanist one). I spent most of the book ear marking page after page of pieces of wisdom.

I'm sharing some of them here:

"So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they're busy doing things they think are important. This is because they are chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating somehting that gives you pupose and meaning"

"Everyone knows they're going to die, but nobody believes it. If we did, we would do things differently"

"The fact is, there is no foundation, no secure ground, upon which people may stand today if it isn't the family. It's become quite clear to me as I've been sick. If you don't have the support and love and caring and concern that you get from a family, you don't have much at all. Love is so supremely important. As our great poet Auden said, 'Love each other or perish'"

"Whenever peple ask me about having children or not having children, I never tell them what to do. I simply say, 'There is no experience like having children.' That's all. There is no substitute for it. You cannot do it with a friend. You cannot do it with a lover. If you want the experience of having complete responsibility for another human being, and to learn how to love and bond in the deepest way, then you should have children......I would not have missed that experience for anything. Even though there is a painful price to pay...Because I'll be leaving them soon."

"It's very simple. As you grow, you learn more. If you stayed at twenty-two, you'd always be as ignorant as you were at twenty-two. Aging is not just decay, you know. It's growth. It's more than the negative that you're going to die, it's also the positive that you understand you're going to die, and that you live a better life because of it."

and lastly....

"The problem, Mitch, is that we don't believe we are as much alike as we are. Whites and blacks, Catholics and Protestants, men and women. If we saw each other as more alike, we might be very eager to join in one big human family in this world and to care about that family the way we care about our own."

Morrie Schwartz was a very intelligent human being.

We could all learn a lot from his words.

Douglas Coupland....

Thu, 19 Jan 2006 20:01:24 GMT

I'm currently reading Eleanor Rigby by Douglas Coupland.

When I read the back I thought, "Oh great. Another depressing story about a lonely, plain girl".
But it has surprised me. It's quite good actually.
Liz Dunn, the main character, is in fact a lonely plain girl but she is very charming in her weirdness.
You can't help but like her right away.

I don't know why I'm surprised...every time I read something by Douglas Coupland I tend to love it. So check him out!

ah...the good old times...

Fri, 13 Jan 2006 19:50:52 GMT

Yeah...I'm actually old enough to say that. It's sad but true.

Someone at work today had a fist load of CDs that had mp3s burned on them...it was a '80's heyday!!! Duran Duran, Paul Young, Madonna and Prefab Sprout. Fun fun. One band he didn't have was The Smiths....has no one else heard of this awesome band from the 80's?

They are fabulous take a listen!

One of my favourites is "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" (number 14 on the list)

Feeling like an old woman....

Tue, 10 Jan 2006 16:01:58 GMT

So I'm feeling like I'm 10 years older then I am so, like every year, I've decided that this is the year that I'm going to get fit, lose weight and start being more active.

Last night I started with Yoga...in fact I had my 5 year old and 3 year old do it with me. My youngest lasted about 2 mins but my eldest did it right to the end. She was so into it that I decided to try and find a Yoga for kids dvd for her. I think the adult one is too hard for her.

Tonight I'll try and do the stationary bike for a bit OR my new abs workout. We'll see but this year I'm determined to finally push myself over the line between semi-fit and fit. I refuse to hit 40 and look 50 so wish me luck!!!

It's a new year...

Wed, 04 Jan 2006 13:46:14 GMT

Ok so for my first entry of 2006 I've decided to steal from an article I read...it's cute and is a little inspiring so here you go...it's long so bare with me:

52 fun things to do this year

Try new things. Take a risk. Overcome a fear. Accomplish a task. Reading about other's big news in the daily paper, you think to yourself: If only I had the time.

If you make the effort to make the time, to turn off the television and get out there, this year could be the year you do all the things you've always wanted to.

Forget huge easy-to-break New Year's resolutions and think about small steps toward a more well-rounded you. Some will take some planning, others will only take a few hours out of your day, but at the end of the year, when you look back at all you've accomplished, it will be worth it.

Make a list of the things you would really like to do and promise yourself to get started on one task each week. Here is a year's worth of suggestions to get you started:

1. Have your portrait painted.
2. Learn to ski. If you already know how, teach someone who doesn't.
3. Go on a drive in an area near you that you don't know well. Explore. Throw the map out the window.
4. Learn to say "I love you" in a foreign language. Practice on everyone.
5. Volunteer for an afternoon at a soup kitchen.
6. Take a guided tour of the town or city where you live.
7. Sleep under the stars. (Bonus points if the stars don't have to compete with street lights.)
8. Ask a senior citizen, either one you know, or someone you haven't met yet, to tell you about what it was like when they were young.
9. Jump into the ocean.
10. Go tobogganing.
11. Learn how to make a dinner you would be proud to serve, and then invite your friends or family over to enjoy it.
12. Make an emergency kit for your car. Include all the essentials: flares, bandages, chocolate.
13. Send Valentine's cards to all your friends.
14. Make a scrapbook of a memorable occasion -- a friend's wedding, your mother's surprise birthday party or just an evening out.
15. Tell a stranger to have a nice day.
16. Take a sick day from work, lock yourself in the house and watch daytime television while giving yourself spa treatments.
17. Go fishing.
18. Make candles -- so easy -- and give them as gifts.
19. Re-read your favorite childhood book. (Bonus points for reading it aloud to a child.)
20. Write a thank-you letter to your mother.

21. Grow a garden -- flower, vegetable, whatever. If you live in an apartment, grow some herbs or even grass on the windowsill.
22. Adopt an endangered animal.
23. Learn how to create an online photo album so you can share your digital pictures with friends and family around the world.
24. Spend a whole day at the beach building an elaborate sand castle; moats and turrets are essential.
25. Grab a last-minute seat sale to a place you've always wanted to go.
26. Learn sign language.
27. Clean out your closet, donate everything you haven't worn in the past year to charity.
28. Take a teenager out for ice cream. Listen to his or her problems and take them as seriously as you would your own.
29. Keep a diary of all your thoughts and feelings. Write every time you feel like it.
30. Learn how to change a tire.
31. Throw a party and invite everyone you really want to be there. Don't worry about how they'll all mingle.
32. Donate blood.
33. Take a vacation from the world for a day. Turn your cellphone off.
34. Forgive someone.
35. Get over your fear of heights -- skydive or hang out on a balcony or roof-top, whatever you need to overcome your fear.
36. Buy a piece from a struggling artist. It could be worth a lot someday.
37. Have your friends over to play board games.
38. Become a mentor to someone younger than you.
39. Go bowling.
40. Fundraise for a local charity.

41. Become more informed about your local political parties.
42. Vote.
43. Look up a childhood friend and find out what she's doing now.
44. Shovel the walkway of an elderly neighbour.
45. Take a scuba-diving course.
46. Get over your fear of public speaking. If you have something to say, say it.
47. Put down the book you are supposed to be reading and pick up the one you want to be reading.
48. Apologize if you behave badly.
49. Get reacquainted with a family member you haven't seen in a while.
50. Get an online service to remind you of birthdays and always send a card.
51. Take an art class.
52. Make a list of everything that you've done and take yourself out to dinner to celebrate your accomplishments.

Merry Christmas everyone...

Thu, 22 Dec 2005 16:01:43 GMT

I know I didn't finish off this year with much posting. I was feeling a little uninspired. I'm going to try and rework the site in the new year and hopefully bring some more pictures to the entries.

I love taking pictures and I'm taking a photography course this January so maybe I'll start posting my results from that.

I hope you all have a most wonderful Christmas and a very safe New Year...let's hope next year brings more happiness and peace to the world. It felt like a very angry place in 2005.

Hope you all have a great holiday. See you in 2006!