I'm Back! Life Lately

Friends I am finally back after a two month break!  Yep, I decided to step away in May until the end of school and boy am I glad I did.  Life was just FULL and I decided to step away from the blog and mostly social media in order to manage life/stress and ALL THE GOOD.  Let's do a quick check in with what's been going on!

School's Out for Summer!  June 27th was the official last day for the kids and June 28th was my list day.  In the fall Anya will be in Grade 9 (high school), Halie will be in Grade 12 (last year of high school) and I will be entering my 18th year of teaching at full-time Vice-Principal in the same school.  

Anya's Celebrations: Anya wrapped up her dance season with a final showcase, did another spring of baseball, was cast as Dodger in Oliver Twist and was FANTASTIC.  Also, she celebrated her last year of elementary school surrounded by her friends, family and teachers.  Oh and landed her first parttime job at the lake!  What a busy young lady.

Halie continues to love her horseback riding and has already had three shows and has plans to keep going this year.  She also applied and received a horseback riding scholarship.  Halie continues to work in the city part-time, and is hoping to work in a vet clinic this summer to explore that as a career option (fingers crossed).

Photography has been AMAZING this spring.  Families, maternity, grads, young love, etc.  Unfortunately I've had to say no to a couple of people because I knew I just couldn't keep up.  Please feel free to follow my FB page or IG account.

Friends.  It's been so busy that we haven't had a lot of one -on -one time with our friends.  But we were lucky to gather some of our favorite people for a BBQ, games and fire in June.  So good for the soul.  Always invest in those friendships, that's all I know.

Trying something new.  My teen daughter talked me into lash extensions.  I was so worried that I would have a reaction, sensitive eyes, and a little worried that I would end up loving them.  GUESS WHAT?!?  I love them.  Sigh, another possible monthly bill.

Loving these lip stains for summer.  They are on sale right now for $6, regularly $20!!!!  Soft Coral & Fearless Fuchsia.  

Reading...Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, the prequal to the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. Honestly I have just picked it up again, after the busy spring season.  I did however listen to People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry which w2as cure and a perfect BEACH read.  

Wearing in June!

Next week, I'll be sharing my new favorite bikini that I feel comfortable and confident wearing on the beach this summer as my body continues to change and approaches 42.  See you on Monday!

Year End Reflections form a Mom: Parenting Teens

The trenches of the baby years represented by sleepless nights, the endless cycle of sleep, feed, change, cry, repeat, "oh and when is the last time I brushed my teeth?".  This is followed by the terrible twos and then excitement of them being old enough to go to preschool.  When you are in the trenches of the baby years you can’t imagine that one day you won’t be needed 24/7. You love them ferociously but you are absolutely exhausted by the end of the day.  Suddenly the days start to blend into endless hours watching them at gymnastics, hockey, dance, etc.  The weekly playdates at some point become sleepovers and suddenly you go from an active participants to looking in from the sidelines, and then eventually they take over and check in from time to time.  Oh don’t get me wrong, we are still driving to activities, we still host the sleepover and friends, and they still need us, but it's  different in intensity.  You stay close by, but you also know that they are figuring out their own path.  You brace yourself for having less say in their friendships, in their activities,  and hope the foundation you’ve laid is going to be strong enough for the next chapter.  It’s bittersweet to see my oldest going off to high school.  I am both excited for her and at the same time I know that we are going down a path where I will see her first heart break.  She’ll  have to make tough decisions and I’ll have to watch her make mistakes, because we all do.  Although I’ll always be here, I also know that she needs to do things in her own time and in her own way.  I have to embrace the change not only in her but in my own role as her mom.  I get little people.  I know how they work and how to convince them to ultimately do what I want or know is best.  Teens are all new for me too. 

 

So I am here to celebrate my daughter.  The young lady she is becoming.  She is strong.  She is compassionate.  She has opinions but is open to others ways of thinking  and doing.  She is funny.  She works hard.  She values family, friendships and most importantly herself.  So Halie, if you ever read this, I am so proud of you.  Although my heart is broken to see the years of your childhood gone, I am so grateful to walk beside you in this next chapter.

 

On another note, I also want to celebrate my youngest Anya finishing up grade 5.  She continues to keep me in awe of her energy, ideas and perspective.  She is friendly.  Outgoing.  Creative.  And loyal.  Although there are times that I am frustrated by her endless need for the next thing, I find myself equally mesmerized by her sense of herself.  Her ability to be unapologetically be herself.  To choose to live life in all the tiny moments it offers.  When we were doing family pictures, she did what was asked, she took the pictures and then she was off exploring.  We had no idea where she was but knew enough to trust her instincts. As we walked out f the gardens, I see her fancy shoes dangling from the tree  LOL.     She had climbed in a tree, in her new red, polka dot dress  and her dress shoes.  My girlie girl and my girl that loves adventure.  She already knows that you don’t have to choose one.  You can be both and everything in between.  In that moments, I wondered how I can insure that she stays just as she is.  I RELALLY DON’T WANT TO BE THE REASON SHE LOSES THAT. 

 

So there you have it.  My girls and this mams reflection.  What have you been reflecting on?

Photos by A & H Snapshots (Saskatoon & Candle Lake, Sk.)

Life Lately: Spring Edition

6 workdays left.  5 school days.  Being a teacher, my life revolves more or less around the school calendar.  I feel tired. I need the summer break.  The sun on my face.  Early morning runs, followed by drinking coffee and reading on my deck.  I want to spend days with my children in a slow and laid back sort of way.  No agenda.  No plans.  No on-going hustle and bustle. 

Now don't get me wrong, I love our life and it's a blessing to have a life thats so full of activity, friends, and family.  In fact today's post is actually all about reflecting on all the goodness that has happen in the last month.  Let's take a peak.

Concerts!!!! 

Three and a half years ago, I took Halie and Anya, to their first concert, Justin Bieber, read here.  That evening is  one of the memories I treasure the most; not because I cared for Bieber but because my girls were so excited.  Halie was quoted saying after the concert, "mama, I had tears.  They were tears of joy." 

Well on Monday night we had an opportunity to recreate that pure joy for both girls by going to  Shawn Mendes.  They screamed.  They sang.  They danced.  They loved.  They cried tears of joy once again.   My husband and I just sat in awe.   If you follow my IG stories, you know that we had a specail way to surprise them with concert tickets.  They went on an alphabet scavenger hunt, followed by an invitation to unscramble some of the letters, to spell Shawn Mendes.  It was SO MUCH FUN!!!

I also was lucky enough to go to see Carrie Underwood in concert just a few weeks ago.  Absolute blast and I sported a cute outfit with my cowboy boots, check it out here.

 

Father's Day

We spent a low-key weekend at the lake.  We were able to enjoy a quite morning by the fire with our favorite dad/husband with simple, homemade gifts. 

Family

May brought  us the best gift EVER.  My aunt, Jasminka, made it out to SK. from Seattle for a few days.  Her time with us was much too short.  My aunt is who I want to grow up to be.  She has forever been fun, silly, loving, and she has taken life in stride.  She has raised two amazing men, my cousins, and my children absolutely adore her.

My uncle came for a visit as well and we were lucky to spend a few evenings over some good food and conversation with him as well. 

Friends

Friends are family that you choose.  We were able to finally catch up with some of our favorites.   Life is so busy as parents it's hard to make everyone's schedules work, but regardless how long it's been some friends are just easy to reconnect with and make it feel like old times.  Of course I wish it was more frequent but I'll take the times we carve out as a gift.  Love these peeps.

Reading

I've been reading more and writing less it seems.  I have fallen out of the habit of having a blogging schedule.  Honestly, I just don't know how to fix it at this time, maybe I'll do some reflecting on it this summer (also if you have advice please share).  That being said, I am reading more.  A month or so ago I read a personal goal a blogger set for herself (can't remember which one, sorry) was  to read one chapter a day.  That really struck with me and I've been making time to read one chapter a day too.  I try to sit on the deck right after work to help me unwind.  It's become a really nice way to end the workday and begin our family time in the evening.

Packing

I am almost done with my role as a consultant.  I am packing up my space.  I feel good.  I feel excited for this next chapter!  I feel ready.

Wearing

Thanks to everyone for the kind words on my fashion posts lately.  You make me soooooo happy and I feel more confident after I read your words of encouragement.  Here is a few things I've been wearing lately but they haven't made it up on the blog.

Your turn!  What are some of the highlights from you spring.

Giving Thanks: The Importance of Extended Family

My family, both immediate and extended, is a blessing in my life.  This past weekend we celebrated our Canadian Thanksgiving and we are reminded to take a moment to reflect on the blessings in our lives.  What can I say, I have an endless list of things to be  grateful for.  Two daughters that are healthy and bring me joy like I’ve never known before.  A husband that has loved and supported me for 17+ years.  Parents that taught me to be strong, confident, self-assured, kind, forgiving, loving and open-minded.  Three nephews to love, adore and watch grow.  A sister that always has my back.  Two grandmas continue to give me the gift of multi-generational learning, living and culture.  Aunts, uncles, cousins, that all wrap us with endless love and support.   Friends that I choose to be my family because they lift me and challenge me in the same breath. 

Thanksgiving 2018 with my in-laws. 

Today I am choosing to focus on a specific topic, extended family and their role in helping me raise generous, confident, nonjudgmental, loving children.  I was raised with plenty of family around, and family friends, around to keep me safe and protected.  I look back on the first 10 years of my life and feel that there was a village that was guiding who I would eventually become.  Obviously my parents were my primary caregivers and the ones that made decisions about our upbringing, but I had the opportunity to develop strong, healthy and life-lasting relationships with my grandparents, my aunts and uncles, cousins and community members.  This upbringing has impacted how I’ve taken on my role as mother, a daughter, a granddaughter, a sister, a friend, an aunt, a teacher and a community member.

 

This year my girls were fortunate to kick off their summer vacation by spending a week with my sister and her family on the coast without us.  I felt absolutely no hesitation to send them.  Why?  Well even though my sister lives two provinces away and we don’t get to see them often, she has been an integral part of the girls life thus far.  They know her as family, but more importantly they trust her, feel safe with her, feel her love as that of someone who has a great investment in them.  Even though they live far from us they've made choices that have allowed them to forge these relationships of equal part love and trust.  They have flown home to welcome the girls into the world, they have snuggled them, gone to the park with them, taken them to ice cream, swam in the pool with them, had family vacations, talked to them on the phone, Skyped, Facetimed, etc.  My sister has put the work into building a relationship with the girls and I feel like that relationship can never now be undone.  To end summer 2018 off the girls were invited to join my sisters family and my parents, who are a part of the girls day-to-day life, in Washington for a family wedding.  Logan and I had no way to attend the wedding but my girls were once again surrounded by family.  Not just the family they know intimately but family that helped raise and shape me.  They made new bonds, they forged new relationships, they know that their family circle extends beyond the people int heir day-to-day lives.  

 

These are the people we have chosen to leave in charge of our children if anything should happen.  Hmmm.

Dressing fancy with tetka Tiki.

The three marketeers.

 

My girls know there is a large circle of people in their corner.  They have family in Saskatoon, Regina, Big River, Victoria, Seattle, Bosnia, Serbia, etc.  Some of these people they have close daiily interactions  with and others they know from stories.  Either way they know that other people are rooting for them.  They also developing their own definitions of what it means to be a significant member of  a family, how to support each other, how to make time with family a priority, how to have responsibility to more than just yourself, how you can never run out of love.  Should anything happen to Logan and I, we know that they will be with people who love them and would care for them.  We know that our story would be shared with them.  We know without a shadow of a doubt that they would have every opportunity to be loved, cared for and develop into the best versions of themselves.

Aunty Jenna, uncle Jason and baby Anya.

Baka, deda, great-grandma and the girls.

Missing a few Dautbegovic/Fazlagic clan but we keep them close to our heart.

Goofing around with striko & strina.

Aunties can give us sugar anytime!

Nana, papa and the girls with their birthday gifts.

Cousins sharing with Cooper.

We are fortunate to have family both near and far.  We have family to support us in our day-to-day child rearing and ones that have to work harder to sustain their relationships.  But some people don’t have family near by, or close ties, but they create family with their friends.  That’s another post but friends are family you choose.  Rely on them.  Have your kids learn to relay on them.  Allow them to step into shoes of an aunt, uncle, grandmother, grandfather, cousins.  All of us need a tribe of some sort.  Life is better with a tribe.  So I give thanks to the fact that we are fortunate enough to have a large tribe to help us raise two wonderful kids. 

 

Further reading:

How Important is Extended Family to Kids?

The Importance of Extended Family to Your Child's Confidence & Growth