Big Changes & Happy Times

Since we moved we have been busy building garden beds, cutting down damaged trees and making this house our own.

I managed to have an amazing garden this summer which yielded over 30 lbs of tomatoes and lots of spaghetti squash and zucchini. I loved growing our own healthy food so we built some more raised beds a few weeks ago in preparation for next year!

I'm learning to appreciate all of the seasons since moving here. I really don't enjoy winter too much, but I am starting to get used to it and enjoy some of the outdoor activities we can do as a family. I also love the frost covered trees and pure silence the country has to offer.

Almost two weeks ago we added some chickens to our acreage. We got a rooster and two hens and I love everything about them so far. I look forward to opening up their coop in the morning, Joseph the rooster crowing and hearing their cute little noises when they hear me bringing their food.

Unfortunately there have been ups and downs in our clean eating since we moved. We're further from the grocery stores so sometimes we end up with less vegetables on our plates than I'd like! We're working on it though and I got a FitBit from Matt so I'm also increasing my exercise.

I had better sign off for now. A certain toddler is looking for someone to play blocks with. I have attached a few pictures of our new home and goings on around here.

Our Lives Have Changed

I apologize for being away from the blog for so long. So many things have changed in our lives which have kept me so busy!

One awesome change has been our home. We sold our 30+ year old, 1000 square foot home in the city and bought a beautiful 1 year old, 1400 square foot home on almost 3 acres of land outside of the city. It has been a huge adjustment for us all but I think now we're in our groove and loving it! I was a little sad to leave our old home behind but more excited for a new adventure as a family. This is a picture of us at our new home the day we got posession.

We started out with absolutely no grass, but it has filled in so my hubby enjoys mowing it on his new tractor. Ceili, our oldest loves to help too. I have learned all sorts of things like how to use a chainsaw, log splitter and more! We are on a bit more of a budget since we moved so I have gotten very good at baking all of our own bread as well. We have met quite a few of our neighbors in the subdivision and a few people close by. Everyone has been very welcoming and kind to us.

We have had a cougar issue around our home since the beginning of fall. It is a cub and has been hanging around our yard and the neighbors. The first time my hubby saw it was when our dog and it scared eachother at the edge of the treeline. They both went jumping backward in the air! Since then we have seen it a few more times and have become much more aware of our surroundings. Ceili is a little more frightened than her sister so we have to keep reassuring her that it's not going to get her. Animals are part of living in the country and we just need to get used to it, although this cougar should probably be moved since it seems to like humans!

All in all we are happier now than I think we have ever been. We are enjoying "camping" in our home and seeing all of the nature around us. I really love the fact that we have so much space and can do what we want when we want to and the loudest noises we hear is the wind for the most part. I am in love with our new life.

2013 in Review

The past year has been a busy one for our family so I thought I'd do a little summary just for fun!

At the beginning of the year I started a home business and ended up closing it at the end of the year. We traveled to Arizona for a vacation in March which was bittersweet because we found out my dad has heart problems while we were there. We celebrated our youngest sweet girl's 1st birthday in January and our oldest beauty's 5th birthday in July. We started our juicing/ cleani eating journey in May and have kept it up well and lost about 75lbs between Matt and I. Our family took a camping trip in August and survived tent camping even with a one year old! We watched our oldest daughter start kindergarten in September which made mommy cry and daddy proud. I traveled to see my sister in Victoria, B.C. in October which was a wonderful getaway for me. My dad was diagnosed with bladder cancer, had surgery and is now cancer free (yipee!)...I believe it brought our family closer together. We rang in the New Year as a family and had a super cool kid- friendly party. And last but most definitely not least- Matt and I encountered many up's and down's in our relationship as most everyone has and came through it even stronger than before.

All in all we had a wonderful year. There are many more positives than negatives and here are some pictures of all of these awesome adventures. I look forward to a terrific 2014 filled with more amazing moments!

Happy New Year everyone!

A New Lease on Life!

Clean eating is still going great! We eat as much as possible organic and are making pretty much everything from scratch. I have now lost 15lbs and feel like a new person. I haven't weighed this little and felt this good in over 5 years.

Yesterday we put together the bike trailer and went for a little ride and today I packed the girls up and went on a longer ride. When I got home I was sweating and thirsty but man did I feel great!

I have a friend who started eating clean about a week before us and she is feeling the same way. More energy and loving the healthy grub.

I thought I would put together a little blog post sharing my favorite clean and healthy recipes for those of you who would like to try some. I have a few friends asking what my favorites are, so here it goes!

Breakfast:

Breakfast Pita

Apple Cinnamon Quinoa Muffins

Lunch & Dinner:

Chicken Gyros, so juicy and delicious!

Southwestern Chicken Chopped Salad

Asian Noodle Bowl, this is amazing! We eat it once a week in our house.

Greek Salad with Baked Pita. Filling and delicious!

Quinoa Chicken Fried Rice. Matt says this tastes like "junk food" but it's not!

Cilantro Lime Shrimp, tastes just like buttery shrimp from a restaurant but with no butter

Snacks & Desserts

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Apple Sandwiches, great after exercise!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Ice Cream, this is a real favorite around here

Chewy Granola Bars, so yummy

The longer I do this eating clean thing, the more I look at a lot of the recipes on Pinterest and shake my head in disgust. They are so full of artificial ingredients like color, flavor, and refined suger and flour. I can't believe that I used to eat that stuff. Now if I eat anything that contains refined sugar or is processed I get severe stomach cramps. Tells you something, doesn't it?!

Happy 2013!

Wow, I can't believe it's 2013 already, Every time I say the year, it makes me feel old! I remember when I was small and thought that by 2013 we would live on the moon and have flying cars!

We have a New Year's Eve tradition at our house and we followed it again this year. We get a bunch of appetizers, champagne and Christmas crackers and have dinner together followed by a movie. This year we loaded up on Asian appetizers and a giant shrimp ring and got some "kid champagne" (sparkling apple juice) because of Ceili and the fact that I am breastfeeding and didn't want to have alcohol. We had a delicious and fun night!

Every year at New Year's I reflect on the past year. What a year we had! We started the year off with a new baby then Matt went out of town the next week with work and I enjoyed a visit from my sister from B.C. I eased into having two kids much better than I had imagined. I have to admit, it is a bit more difficult now that Abbey's on the move, but it isn't as insane as I had thought it would be. I have learned alot about myself while dealing with these two little versions of myself! I celebrated my 30th birthday and my big girl turned 4 years old! We also saw her start school in 2012, meet new friends and grow and change so much. We enjoyed a family vacation to Cuba in June and survived the crazy flight home. We also got our new pup Boots this past year. So much has happened! There have been ups and downs, but we survived another year and when I look back I see much more good than bad.

Here are a couple of photos of our wonderful New Year's as a family.

Wishing you and your families a very Happy New Year and wonderful things in 2013!

Ceili and her "kid champagne"

Abbey didn't like her New Year's hat so much!

Why Are You Running Away?

This past week I have encountered a lot of people I know who are running away from things. It's bothering me for a number of reasons, so I thought I'd better spill it in my blog!

First it was a friend who was a member of a group of a few women on Facebook. We all had babies in December 2011 and January 2012 and we have all become very close. She just found out that her daughter has a health problem and is understandably upset. She had left our group for some reason and has now shut off her Facebook account because she doesn't want anyone to say anything to her other than "I'm sorry" or "I'm praying for you". She said she doesn't want to look on the positive side or hear any other comments. I understand that some people can be rude in their comments, but I don't see why that would be a reason to close your entire Facebook account. She is running away from the people who care about her when really she should be running to these people who have their arms open to give her a huge hug. Our moms group is so wonderful and supportive and we are always there for eachother and do not criticize. I just cannot understand why she wouldn't want to take the support. I know that's what I need most when I'm dealing with alot of stress.

The next was my sister in law. Once again, Facebook related but she took my husband and myself off of her friends list without saying anything to us. I sent her a message mentioning it and she said that Facebook makes her sad. I guess when I said I was happy to find a reliable babysitter, that upset her because she loves to babysit our girls but our oldest just decided that she didn't like staying there anymore. Unfortunately, I only found this out today after 3 days of wondering what the heck was going on. She avoided the whole issue until my hubby blew up at her because she wouldn't say why she was upset. Once again, someone running away. She ran away from a discussion that could have very easily solved the problem but instead it turned into a huge problem! She called me crying this morning. I told her that she should have just told us why she was removing us and I'm sure it would have been fine.

I understand that everyone has their own way of dealing with things, but shutting people out isn't the answer. We are only human; sometimes we hurt, we cry and we need eachother. Without support in tough times, we can and will crumble.

So a note to my friends; thank you for your support when I have needed it (keep it up!) and I am always here if you have a problem with me, a problem in life or just need a shoulder! I don't want to hear "I needed to talk to someone, but...." because I am here. Don't try to hold it in and be strong because eventually it will eat you up inside. This is something I have learned in my 30 years of life and feel the need to pass on.

So Much to Give Thanks For!

I can't believe it's Thanksgiving again, it seems like the past year has gone by in a blur. A good blur, but a blur nonetheless! Every Thanksgiving I try to think about all of the things that I am thankful for and every year I have a little more to be thankful for!

I am most thankful for my wonderful husband who puts up with me day in and day out! lol. Well, I guess we actually put up with eachother because we all have our bad days and we love eachother whether it's a bad or a good day! He's always there to comfort me- like this week when I got in my first fender bender with our van and dented the bumper. I called him and he answered even though he was in meetings across the country and he told me he was more worried about us girls than the damage to the van and that everything would be alright.

I am thankful that we have a nice house and food in our fridge because I know there are alot of people in this world without those things. Most people who do have them take them for granted and we really shouldn't.

Two other reasons to be thankful are our two beautiful, smart little girls. They make my days (and nights!) interesting. They have changed how I see the world. I appreciate everything about life so much more since they came into our lives. My appreciation for the miracle of human life is also tremendous now. My body grew these beautiful babies and fought to keep little Abbey safe. At this time last year I was unsure of whether or not we would be meeting our sweet baby in January because of all of my pregnancy issues. I spent almost every day of that pregnancy so scared and I am so happy she is here and healthy!

I am also thankful for a trouble- making dog who makes me crazy some days....well, to be honest most days but I love him all the same! He has made our family complete.

I can't forget all of the rest of my family and friends because without them I would never have mommy- dates, babysitters when I need a break, advice and hugs when I need them the most! As much as we fight with our parents when we're teenagers and think they don't know what they're talking about, I really do appreciate them and all of the support they give me now. I realize they were right all along and I'm sure our girls will shake their heads at us one day and say "you don't understand!".

So this Thanksgiving remember to be thankful for all that you have, not just the things but the people too!

Stop Time...NOW!

This morning when Ceili was at school, I was nursing Abbey before her nap. Being the crazy momma that I am, I was smelling her head and holding her little hand and thought to myself "can we please pause in this very moment forever?". I feel like our baby girl is growing up way too fast.

When Ceili was a baby I was always looking ahead thinking "I can't wait until she can do ______". I am finding with Abbey, our last baby I want to savour every moment of her being a baby. She is now scooting around the house on her bum and trying to stand up. Most of the time when I cuddle her, she pushes away because she wants to go play with her sister. Where has my little baby gone? I can't believe she will be a year old in January!

Maybe I feel like it's going by too fast because we are always so busy and I haven't had as much time to just watch her grow and change. We're always doing something or running somewhere. Plus, breastfeeding has created an amazingly strong bond between us which makes me want her to stay a baby even more.

I think I need to stop, smell the flowers and enjoy my little girls before they're not little anymore!

Ceili's First Day of School

Last Monday we sent our first "baby" off to preschool!

Ceili was so excited to go, and of course a little nervous. I was really excited for her because I knew she missed the structure and learning aspect of school. She was in daycare when I was working and absolutely loved it. They did alot of educational things and did crafts, singing and reading books which is why we called it school.

We all got ready in the morning and took Ceili out for breakfast at Tim Horton's before school. We had our breakfast then headed to school. Matt even took time off of work to come along and see his little girl off to her first day!

When Monday came, even after all of the preparation for school it finally hit me that our little girl was actually going to school! Sure, preschool may not be "real school" but next year she will be in kindergarten! As we dropped her off and she barely noticed that we were leaving, I got a little misty- eyed. Looking back, she has changed so much over these past couple of years. She has such a great personality- maybe a little too much of one sometimes! But she is also so much fun and has a great sense of humor. As much as I was sad to see her go to school I was also feeling quite excited for the years ahead and seeing our bean grow and change even more.

After school I picked her up and she had so much to tell me. She loved her teachers and did crafts. They also played in the gym and had snack time. She was exhausted after lunch and had a long nap!

I think this will be a good thing for her and also a good thing for Abbey and I because before this is was rare if we got quality time just the two of us together.

Moody Mommy

I've been compiling this post for a few weeks in my head, but haven't had the chance to put it all down into words in here. I have finally admitted to myself and my family that I need to get some counselling.

I have been having some issues with stress. I know it's normal to have some stress being at home with 2 busy kids and a puppy, but I have recently come to realise that some days I just feel like I can't handle it and that's when I feel alot of anxiety. I'm sure it's a common mommy problem because we're always trying to be everything to everyone.

I have found myself snapping at Ceili and Matt for no reason and I can't even catch myself before I do it which worries me. WhenI get mad like that, I feel like I'm not even myself. My family doesn't deserve to be yelled at which is why I am going to the doctor to be referred to a counsellor. I feel so guilty for doing it and it makes me feel like such a terrible mom.

Part of my issue is exhaustion. When I have had a long night and been up multiple times with Abbey then up early in the morning I definitely have a shorter fuse. I know that I put too many expectations on myself like laundry, dishes, cleaning, taking care of the kids and dog, walking the dog, etc all in one day but if I don't feel accomplished I feel like I'm not doing my "job" since I'm at home with the kids right now. Matt says "are the kids cared for?" when I say "yes" then he says, "well you're doing your job then! The other stuff isn't important" but I guess I like to try and exceed expectations.

I am hoping with someone unbaised to talk to I can spill out all of the feelings and thoughts I have sitting inside my head and start to try to deal with the unnecessary stress so I can start fresh. I want to be the best mommy and wife possible which is why I'm seeking help. I love my girls and husband too much to make them have to live life walking on eggshells.

Routine is Our Thing

After 6 months of having a crazy, unpredictable sleeping schedule I have finally gotten Abbey into a routine and she seems to have taken to it better than expected!

I have to admit, I coddled her way more than I did Ceili, our oldest. I think it's because I know she is our last baby and I wanted to hold onto that so badly and as long as possible. Now I have realised that I have to let go, just a little bit and let her have her own space to grow and discover.

We now have a routine for both girls. Abbey starts her nap at noon and Ceili starts her's at 1pm and bedtime is around 9pm for both of them. Abbey started to be so crabby when we were trying to keep her up later, so one evening I just decided to put her in her crib and see what she did. Well, she cried for a few minutes then rolled onto her side and fell asleep! What a surprise to me! I expected the same fight as with our oldest where she would scream and kick as soon as she saw me leave the room.

Over the past 4 years I have come to understand that routine is our thing in our house. Without it, I think we would be in complete chaos. If my children skip a nap or get to bed too late, they are complete monsters and it makes our day so much more stressful. I have had so many people say to me in the past "Does she have to be in bed at that time?" or "can't she just skip a nap?". To that, I say we are in a routine that works for us, it keeps my kids happy and healthy and mommy and daddy aren't insane because we never spend any time on our own.

The Thompsons Go to Cuba!

We made it to Cuba and home safely...barely!

Our flights there were quite good, Ceili enjoyed the movies and TV on the plane and all of the snacks and toys I packed for her. Abbey alternated between nursing and sleeping most of the time with an explosive poop here and there but it wasn't so bad. I even got to watch the movie "The Help" which was an excellent one!

Cuba was beautiful. It was +30 on average and the humidity was between 85-100% every day. We spent most of our mornings on the beach which was only a few steps from our hotel room (awesome!) and in the afternoon we had a siesta and normally went to the pool. Abbey didn't enjoy the sand at the beach so much. Nursing isn't so easy when there are granules of sand in your mouth and your big sister runs by and sand flies into your face! I think Abbey's favorite part were the siestas in the air conditioned hotel room. Ceili couldn't get enough of the beach, I think every kid would love to spend all day making sand castles and playing in the warm ocean. All of us except for Abbey got a bit of a sunburn and a tan and now we're peeling like snakes.

We hired a guide, Michael to take us into town for a day trip. He took us to the zoo in town, a market, the crocodile farm and a few shops that the Cubans shop at. It was really sad to see the lack of choice they have for food, clothes and items for their homes. For example, one store we stopped at had a few large cans of tomatoes, some beer and pop and the rest was bare shelves. It really makes you appreciate what we have here and how much money we have compared to them. We were glad that we brought the stroller and carseat to give away to someone there after we saw the lack of baby products in the stores. We gave the stroller to a man that worked at the pizza restaurant at our resort that had two girls almost the exact same ages as our girls. The carseat was given to a lady that worked at the Asian restaurant and was due to have her baby girl in mid-June. She just adored Abbey and would pick her up and snuggle her whenever she had the chance.

Matt went out on a deep sea fishing trip on his own one morning. I told him that he had to go because I know he has always wanted to. He had a fantastic time. They speared a stingray that was about 5' across! Little did they realise, the stingray was pregnant and as it lay on the boat it gave birth to a bunch of babies. All of the babies survived and were put back into the ocean. The mama was enough food for a bunch of them at the marina to share, so I think they were pretty happy. I was mad at Matt when I found out that he killed a mama stingray, but I guess how were they to know?

We also went to a beautiful beach called Pilar Beach one morning. The water was such a beautiful aqua color and sand was so fine and white. I thought it was terrible that we had to pay $2 for a lounge chair, but we had an amazing time there. There were tons on angel fish which appeared when Abbey spit up in the water! There were also gar fish that swam all around us and they must have been around a foot long each. The water was so clear, you could see everything!

Our flight home was far too exciting for my liking. We were supposed to fly from Cuba to Toronto. We ended up flying from Cuba to Miami and landing. At one point I looked out of my window and said to Matt "Why are we so

low....are we even flying or are we on the ground?" I could see a city's lights right out my window. Not really below us, but more beside us. Finally after about 30 minutes of me wondering what was going on, the captain comes onto the speaker and tells us what is going on. They were flying so low because there was a cabin pressure problem on the plane and they were trying to fix it. If they would have gone much higher we would have been low on oxygen and the masks would have popped out of the ceiling. Needless to say, they couldn't fix it so they had to get rid of fuel by flying in circles and we finally landed in Miami about an hour later. I really felt lucky to be alive. If those pilots didn't know what they were doing, we wouldn't be here today! We ended up sitting on the tarmac for almost 2 hours while they figured out what they were doing then had to go through customs, get our bags and line up to get our hotel info. It was complete chaos and we finally got into our hotel room at 4:30am. We had to get up and get to the airport again before noon because our plane to Toronto left at 1:30pm. Our last plane ride from Toronto home was uneventful, thankfully and I am not overly excited to fly again in the near future!

I am THAT Mom

In a few weeks, we will be travelling to Cuba with both of our girls for a one week vacation. I am so excited, but ovewhelmed with packing! I think we're taking half of the house with us, but at least we'll be prepared.

While I was collecting 75 diapers and 3 packs of wipes I got to thinking about our very first trip to Cuba. It was just Matt and I and we went around 5 years ago. It was alot of fun. On the flight there, there was a small baby crying. I heard the mom talking about how excited they were for their vacation. I remember saying to Matt "why on earth would someone take their little baby on a flight all of the way to Cuba just for a vacation?". Now I'm that Mom! And, you know what? I have no regrets! Over the past 4 years, I have come to realise that we do not view our children as optional. Many parents take off without their kids every chance they get, but I want my kids to experience things like a swim in the ocean, feeding flamingos and different cultures and types of people. When I see my children experience those things, it makes me feel like I am experiencing them for the first time as well because I get to live it again through them. I understand parents who need a getaway once a year or so because us parents do deserve some alone time, but I hear of parents going on all- inclusives every few months and leaving their kids with grandma and that's just not us.

I have had a few revelations over the past few years regarding children that I never thought I would have. Another example is, I always saw mothers breastfeeding their babies without a cover in public and thought to myself "I would never do that, I'm too self conscious". And what do I do every time we go out and Abbey is hungry, I whip my boob out and feed her of course! My child needs to eat, so I don't care what anyone else may think!

I also carry a potty seat in our van, make my kids wear a leash when they're toddlers and are in public, have endured many, MANY tantrums in the middle of stores and do not give in which causes an even bigger scene.

Yepp...I'm that Mom and I don't care what people think of me because I do what's best for me and my kids and Matt and I are doing our best to raise smart, caring, healthy, independent children!

The Big 3-0

Well, here I am, 30 years old. I can't believe it. It feels like just yesterday I was in junior high buying Slurpees and gummy candy at 7-11 and wandering around the neighborhood aimlessly with my best friends. Now here I am 30 years old, married, living in a house that we own with two kids and a minivan!

After thinking about this crazy comparison and the changes that have occured in the past fifteen years, I feel so fortunate. I feel complete, like I have accomplished what I wanted to in my life. Not that my life is over by any means, I know the fun has just started! I am so happy that I married the love of my life and had two beautiful daughters with him. I know that if I hadn't done these things by 30, I would be pretty lonesome and my ovaries would be screaming "BABIES, NOW!!!"...sorry, too much info!

From the time I was a little girl I had wanted a nice wedding to a great man and two kids. I have everything I dreamed of and it feels fantastic!

Now I can look forward to my next 30 years that will hopefully include graduation for our girls, possibly a wedding or two and maybe even some grandbabies and best of all growing old with my awesome husband. I cannot be more thankful for my life.

Intro

I'm Heidi, a proud mom of two beautiful girls, Ceili (3.5 years old) and Abbey (6 weeks old). I have been happily married to my hubby Matt for 7 years and we live in Alberta, Canada in a small but nice house.

I discovered that I enjoyed blogging when I was pregnant with Abbey and stuck on bed rest for most of it. I started my blog "Blogging from Bed" then and loved having a place for all of my thoughts, so here I am again!

This blog will be about my crazy life with two girls, friends, family, good deals and things that I find funny!