Things that are awesome

I recently bought a book because the title caught my eye (as well as the 20% off sticker since I am apparently cheap). The Book of Awesome. I haven't finished it yet, but so far, each thing he mentions I have been in agreement with. I'd be interested to see what percentage of people agree. Perhaps we're all not so different after all.

I decided to do my own list of simple but brilliant things I have noticed lately.


1. The smell of clean, hot laundry straight from the dryer.

2. Striking a pose.


3. Mint chocolate.

4. The soothing transition to cooler air as you walk down the stairs to the basement on a hot day.

5. Hanging onto something apparently useless, only for it to actually come in handy! (Story: When we bought our house, the previous owner left this pool skimmer in the garage and we thought, "Why would we ever need one of those?" But we kept it.)


6. Opening up to someone you love and feeling an increased connection with them.

7. An unexpected and lovely phone conversation with someone you don't know very well.

8. Laughing so hard that you cry. This picture was taken after seeing her aunties in their musical revue. Madeline was totally in diva mode. She posed like this for every picture.


9. A fridge full of art.

10. Spontaneous date nights made possible by willing babysitters.

11. A moment of stillness.


12. Racking up Airmiles. Boo yah.

13. Eating on the patio of a restaurant and sitting in just the right spot to catch the sunset.

14. Trying something scary, hard and new. Acro-yoga.

15. Staying until the end of the movie credits and seeing something cool!

16. Summer. Period.


17. Totally rocking a complicated step combo.

18. Hooded towels - why don't they make those for adults? I ask you!


19. Fitting into old clothes from the back of your closet.

20. Contagious smiles.


21. Staying until the coffee shop closes because you lost track of time with a good friend.

22. The unfeigned excitement of a child. (Maddie at the musical)


23. Being COMPLETELY caught up on laundry. All of it washed and dried and put away. No piles anywhere to be seen.

24. A poignant memory of a loved one. In 2 days it will be one year since my grandma died. The last time I saw her, she and I folded fitted sheets together. We didn't talk much because she couldn't speak very well at that point, and today while I was on my way to completing my laundry, and was folding fitted sheets, I had an intense remembrance of that moment and it made me sad and happy all at once.

25. Forgetting you had zoomed in for the last picture you took, and discovering that it was way TOO close for the next one.


Rob and I (zoomed out).


26. Having a window in your shower.

27. Fixing things with zip ties.

28. Spontaneous napping.

29. Coconut lime lotion.

30. Sitting tall. Claire riding excellently on Babe last week!


31. Flowers that last a long time.

32. Motorcycle dates.

33. Friends you haven't met.

34. Talented siblings. These are just two of them, Mel and Nat, after their musical production.


35. Remembering random phone numbers.

36. This picture.

37. Glee versions of songs.

38. The first taste of the hot chocolate as it bursts through the layer of whipped cream topping.


Ryan's contributions:
1. Speeding up until you've reached a previously discovered photo radar trap, suddenly applying the brakes and waving as you pass by at the speed limit.
2. Old school rap, Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff style.
3. Ducati Monsters
4. Knowing all the words to a song on the radio and successfully singing along. (Ex. It's The End of the World as We Know It - REM)
5. 200km/h (bike or car)
6. Being asked to turn to a specific page in a book and opening to the exact page on the first try.


As a side note, if you think my list is long, check THIS out.

This was a fun exercise and obviously not a comprehensive list of simply awesome things in my life. The more I wrote, the more things came to mind. I would encourage you to make your own list. It's very fun. Make sure you leave lots of extra room at the bottom because I guarantee you will find more things to add.

100 Things

Bold the things you've done:
1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait drawn
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie - a tiny little Wetaskiwin made movie that played at the Reynolds museum. I was the piano player in the background.
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business - piano lessons, does that count?
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a cheque
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy - my mop doll
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Been in a commercial or other ad
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating - on the pioneer trek in the Red Deer Stake
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous - Sherri Dew
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee - a wasp actually
100. Auditioned for a reality T.V. show (like American Idol...)

7 things & 3 New Posts

I've done three new posts so make sure to scroll down to read them all....if you dare.


I got tagged by Brenna about a year ago to tell 7 interesting things about me, so here goes:

1. I love to do laundry and load the dishwasher, but I hate putting dishes and clothes away. Also, when I load the dishes, first I have to sort them into categories and then put them in. When I'm hanging up the clothes I do the same thing. I have to take everything out of the washer, sort them into categories and then hang them up in groups. Maybe OCD, who knows.

2. I hate veins, I hate thinking about them, I hate to look at them, I hate it when people touch my wrist where all those veins are....I'm crazy, I know. Along with this one...I hate needles.

3. I love step aerobics - the more complicated the routine the better because it helps take my mind off the fact that my body is suffering. I hate running though.

4. I normally hate onions, but I love onion rings. I'm a big texture eater - I get in the mood for something crunchy, smooth, crispy, snappy, etc.

5. I'm a night owl - I like to stay up late. But since having kids, there is no such thing as sleeping in so I've had to take it down a notch.

6. I'm a list maker - I make lists for everything: groceries, things to do, goals, etc. I even add things to my lists that I've already done, just so I can cross them off. Then I feel like I've accomplished more.

7. I love to watch Stargate SG1 and Atlantis and the movies. I'm a geek.

Lots and lots and lots

I'll start out this blog by killing two tags with one stone. Ages ago Brenna tagged me to write 7 interesting things about myself and Karen just tagged me to write 7 quirks I have so I'll do them both at once:

1. I am totally squeamish when it comes to veins and needles. I can handle lots of other stuff but even right now as I'm typing, my hands are resting on the keyboard tray and I am painfully aware of the bulging veins on the inside of my wrists and it grosses me out. I can't have anyone touch my wrists because it freaks me out. Weird, I know.

2. I love doing laundry and loading the dishwasher, but I hate dealing with putting the clean stuff away.

3. I love to alphabetize things - all our DVDs and CDs are in alphabetical order (and if you saw how many we have you would know it's a big job). It really bugs me when Maddie pulls them all off the shelf and they get mixed up.

4. I have no green thumb - I try my darndest but I seem to kill every green thing that enters this house. They may appear to flourish for a while but it never lasts.

5. I love to read but I always do it too quick - my mind and eyes keep jumping forward to find out what happens next. Sometimes I even start at the bottom right hand corner of a page and read backwards. I often miss important details though and so I like to read books over and over until I have all the info.

6. I am a list maker. I even made a list of what to write for my 7 quirks before I wrote them down. I sometimes even write things on my "To-Do List" that I've already done, just so I can have the satisfaction of crossing them off. Some may feel that is cheating but I don't!

7. Whenever I eat pineapple, my tongue gets really itchy.

8. Because I'm so weird I have to add an extra one - every time I see billboards or brand names or any words when I'm bored...I count, in my mind, how many vowels are in the words and add them up. I would do this at university when I was bored with a lecture. Sometimes I even count rare letters - like x's or z's or q's. It helps me pass the time.

I would love to hear about the quirks/interesting facts about Jenny, Tanis and Sarah - if you have the time!

We've had a busy few weeks. Here's some highlights:

Madeline enjoyed playing with Uncle Robbie's new cymbal. She would run over to it and balance on it. It was pretty funny to watch.

We spent a day at the zoo with other kids from the CNIB and we got to meet lots of "behind the scenes" animals. Here is Madeline chasing the petting zoo animals. She would run from animal to animal, giving them a pat and moving on to the next. She just kept going and going!

I loved watching Claire interact with the animals. She was so gentle and careful and sat very still when she was meeting them. Our guide was so kind to the kids and made sure they each had enough time to explore. Here Claire is meeting a ferrett in the restricted area that only we got to see! We also got to touch a snake, chinchilla, skunk!, bunnies and chickens.
The girls were in heaven.

We also got to meet an armadillo and it was super cool!

Another fun activity put on by the CNIB was a visit to the Build-a-Bear store in West Ed. The ASVI gave the kids $20 each to put towards a furry friend so we had a ball picking out the sounds and accessories. Here is a picture of the lifeless bodies we picked out for the girls.

Here's Claire hugging her bear Sunshine - we picked it out because it was yellow and sparkly and picked a giggling sound for her button.

Madeline was going crazy in the store because there were so many fun things to look at and grab. She loves her Fraidy Cat and how she meows.

Luckily I had the help of Natalie and Robbie or I couldn't have done it.

It takes three of us to handle the two girls! One for each and one for damage control!

One rough part of last week was that we noticed some seizures again during the night. It's a really scary thing because it just seems like Claire isn't really there and we can't get her back for that minute or two until it's done. It was even more of a blow since we haven't noticed any since November and we thought we had things figured out. Now it takes another EEG, another day at the hospital and probably another "wait and see" or "up her meds" solution.

I love to look at pictures of Claire when she's just purely happy - she is never fake about what makes her laugh and what makes her happy. She equally as able to tell us when something scares her or hurts her. I wish I could take those scary times away from her but I'm trusting that Heavenly Father is allowing this to happen for a reason - although I can't see it now.