Monday 31 August 2015

Birthday Love

Somehow, Monday snuck up extra quickly on me this weekend and I am not to impressed. However this past weekend was one for the books, so I can't complain too much!

Friday night we went with my friend Danielle to a BBQ and then she came back to our house and we played a board game, chatted, and drank tea.

Saturday we were up and out the door early to get to Winnipeg. We picked up our friend Laurel and met my sister Ashley at the farmer's market. We looked around at all the vendors, bought some salsa making ingredients, and indulged in some delicious spring rolls! Then it was off to Old Navy and the mall for a couple more hours of shopping. I got some boots, clothes from Old Navy, and a new cat tree for our babies. After that Laurel had to go home to study and my sister had other plans, so Brandon and I hit up Winners, Home Sense, Costco, and Superstore. With our car full to the brim we decided to hit the road home and spend the night watching Netflix curled up in bed :)

Sunday (my 23rd birthday!) turned out to be wonderful! Brandon bought me an essential oils kit for my birthday so he had his friend who sold it to him come over to explain it more to us. Then we went to work to make our first batch of salsa. It takes a lot of chopping and prepping but then you leave everything simmering for 3 hours. During those 3 hours I curled up on the couch and caught up on my DVR shows and Brandon snuck off to the store. Brandon surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers and he made me supper (schnitzel, potato wedges, and broccoli) with wine and treat pizza for dessert :) He then poured me a bath and had wine, candles, and rose petals in the bathroom! It was a perfect, low-key birthday and I really am a lucky girl. 

Time is sure flying by quickly but I know that 23 is going to be an amazing year! :)





Friday 28 August 2015

Birthday Weekend

Helllllllo Friday, I sure do love you! :)

So my family has always made fun of me for proclaiming once or twice, "it's my birthday week, I shouldn't have to work". Obviously this statement came out of my mouth when I was still a teenager working my summer jobs because guess what? I had to work this year during my "birthday week" lol. However, I am thankful that my birthday falls on a weekend so that we can celebrate me all weekend (I know how thrilled Brandon is about this haha). Tonight we are going with my friend Danielle to a barbecue at a local nursery and tomorrow we are heading into Winnipeg to hit up the St.Nortbert Farmer's Market with my sister and one of our friends(yay!), do some shopping(finally), and maybe go to a free movie! Sunday is my actual birthday and so far we don't have many plans but hopefully just a relaxing, fun day with my love and our kitties. It's supposed to be a hot weekend, so I will soak it all in :)

Anyways, I just wanted to touch on a few highlights from this past week that made the week so much better.

#1. Long walks along the crescent with Brandon. The weather has been cooling down a bit and almost every night we lace up our sneakers and head out on long walks. Sarah (Brandon's sister) stayed with us Wednesday night and we even talked her into going for a walk after supper.  It has amazing views for such a small Prairie town and it's the perfect way to spend summer nights! :)



#2. Week night adventures! Our friends Danielle & Kristin invited us to go to Delta Beach with them. It's only about 20 minutes away but somehow we had never been there before. Luckily we went early enough to catch the sun before it disappeared into the haze. It was lots of fun watching their dog splash around in the water and was the perfect way to spend a Thursday night.


#3. On Wednesday this week, I woke up feeling less than ideal. I hopped into the shower anyways to avoid being late for work. However, I was so dizzy and nauseous that I kept having to sit down and close my eyes while getting ready. I decided it was best to text my boss and crawl back into bed. Thankfully, I had my two sweet munchkins to cuddle me and make me feel better.

Side note: they sleep like this ALL the time!
 #4. The silly, crazy antics of Brandon and our sweet kitties. Brandon truly is one of the goofiest, happiest people that I know (most of the time). Even when I'm in a bad mood, Brandon knows how to put a smile on my face. He is also clearly loved by our kitties... Tucker is always giving him kisses.


#5. Hanging out with friends. Even though I am usually anti-social, I have enjoyed meeting up with my friend Danielle once in awhile for walks along the crescent. We both pulled out our phones when we saw the pretty cotton candy sky.



Looking over moments from our last week makes me so grateful for the life we live and the people we have in our lives. Life truly is about the small, insignificant moments.

Here's to a wonderful weekend! :)

Wednesday 26 August 2015

Alberta Bound

So my blogging is still quite sporadic but I'm surprised that I have blogged even 3 times this month. It's definitely not a lack of ideas or content, it's just that summer is always such a busy time. Anyways, today I thought I would share the rest of the photos and details about our trip to Alberta which started with Brandon proposing to me on the Saturday. Be forwarned, this is a photo heavy post. There are just so many beautiful views and memories and I don't want to forget any of the details :)

The following day, we woke up and used the soaker tub again (it was heaven!). Then we headed downstairs for our complimentary breakfast which consisted of a breakfast wrap, yogurt with granola, fresh fruit, orange juice, and coffee. I would definitely stay at that Bed & Breakfast again! We then packed up our car and one of our good friends from high school Laurel and her boyfriend Nikita drove out from Calgary and met us for a day of hiking. We decided to hike Johnston Canyon and all the way to the ink pots which was about 14-15 km round trip. Not to mention that it was at least 32 degrees and it was our first full day adjusting to the altitude. Only a couple kilometres into the trek, Brandon stumbled and sprained his ankle. He has really sensitive ankles that he has sprained multiple times before but he was a trooper and hiked the rest of the way. My lungs hated me and I think I got minor heat stroke but the views were definitely worth it!

After the long, hot hike we were all starving so we decided to head back into Canmore to grab some grub from the Bear Paw Pub. We all had delicious burgers! Then Laurel & Nikita hit the road back to Calgary and we went to check into our campsite which was right by Johnston Canyon.















On Monday, we decided to go into Banff and tour around. On our drive into Banff we saw some bighorn sheep only about 5 feet away from the car and we also stopped at many scenic stops to take photos and take in the view. Once we got into Banff, we drove around and found Tunnel Mountain. Even thought Brandon's ankle was swollen & sore and our bodies were aching from the previous day of  hiking, we decided to hike this short but extremely steep mountain... in sandals. Sometimes I wonder why we don't think things over before we commit to it lol. It had beautiful, panoramic views of the town of Banff and the golf course. We then hit up Central Parc for a picnic style lunch before walking around and browsing through some of the stores. We hit up Second Cup for some coffee and to charge our phones and use free wifi. We then went back to the campsite where we saw a black bear right along the road into our campsite!!!! We made supper and relaxed around the campsite and fire for the rest of the night.

Brandon icing his sprained ankle





My handsome fiance ;)




The river right by our campite :)




Hopefully I can wrap up the rest of the trip in my next post! :)

Tuesday 18 August 2015

Weekend Love

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Weekends spent with this guy are my favourite :)
Somehow weekends always seem to come and go in a blink of an eye. I usually spend so much time anticipating their arrival and then I end up packing so much into every weekend that they fly right on by.

This past weekend is no exception. My weekend started with my wonderful boss letting me off work an hour early. So I booked it home (in the 35 degree heat) to anticipate the arrival of my best friend Justine and her daughter Casey. Friday night we hit up Boston Pizza for supper and then we stayed up until 1 a.m. catching up over wine! We woke up at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning and ate a delicious breakfast and got ready to head to Splash Island. Fortunately we got in a solid hour at Splash Island before it started to rain and storm. We headed home and shortly after Justine & Casey packed up and headed home again. After they left, we pouted for a little  bit because we already missed Casey saying "auntie" and "uncle" and running to the window every time a train went by saying "choo choo". She is the sweetest little girl and we love her so much! Also, Justine is officially one of my bridesmaids and Casey is the flower girl for our wedding. We are so excited!

After they left, we made some lunch and then hit the road to Winnipeg. We did a bit of shopping around before meeting up with Brandon's best friend Sarah and her boyfriend Matt. We went to Stella's for supper which was amazing as always and then we hit up the VIP theatre to see Fantastic Four. Going into the movie, I was kind of dreading the movie choice since it's not something I would typically watch but I ended up really enjoying it! The movie theatre popcorn and tropical sangria definitely helped :) We then hit the road home to see our kitties.

Sunday was full of sleeping in, yummy breakfast wraps, grocery shopping, house work, an afternoon nap, a long walk after supper, and preparing for the week ahead :)

Here's to a wonderful, productive week ahead!

Monday 10 August 2015

WE'RE ENGAGED!

Our bed & breakfast room

View from where he proposed!

View overlooking Canmore, AB

Waterfall at the end of the hike

Brandon could finally relax after poppin' the question

After the hike!



How we announced our engagement on social media!


After the hike

Well well well, once again it's been forever since I've blogged. Summer always seems to be a crazy time and we've had plans for like the past 6 weekends in a row. However, I have missed blogging and I hope to get back to semi-regular posting to document our life happenings.

So like the title states... Brandon & I are officially engaged and I couldn't be more excited!!! On June 27th we hit the road at 5 a.m. for a week long trip to Alberta (Canmore, Banff, and Jasper). We made the trek to Canmore by around 4 p.m. on Saturday and we didn't waste any time checking into our gorgeous bed & breakfast and then putting on our runners for a quick hike (*side note: Brandon also encouraged me to clean up a bit & put on makeup before we went). Little did I know what he had up his sleeve. We hiked the Grassi Lakes trail   which was a great way to stretch out our legs after a long car ride. We stopped along the way to take photos and enjoy the scenery. At one stop, a pair of girls asked us to take their photo and they took our photo overlooking the city of Canmore. Then Brandon asked me if he could take my photo. He was stumbling around in the backpack and then I saw him grab a little box from the pocket of the bag. I squealed and instantly started crying (I'm such a sap!). The rest is a bit of a blur but I remember him getting down on one knee and telling me how much he loved me and then he asked me to marry him!!!! I was bawling but of course I said YES with no hesitation! He slipped the most perfect ring (that I picked out without knowing) onto my finger, we hugged & kissed, and then we phoned all of our family from the top of the mountain!! :) 

We headed back down to the car, went back to the bed & breakfast for a soak in the huge soaker tub, and then we went for a fancy celebration dinner! We decided to splurge and order whatever we wanted. Brandon got a trio plate of ribs and I got a delicious baked chicken meal with drinks. When Brandon made the reservations ahead of time, he told them that we would (hopefully) be engaged so the restaurant served us complimentary champagne. We also got dessert with "congratulations" written on it!It was a truly delicious and amazing meal. When we went to pay, we discovered that Brandon's sister Sarah had used her sneaky detective skills and figured out where we went for supper & paid for it for us!!! We were so surprised & thankful. :) We then spent the rest of the night walking around Canmore, telling all our of friends/family, and talking about our future!!

I am so excited to marry my best friend! We've been together for 5.5 years and I can't imagine my life with anyone else. He drives me crazy some days but he loves me so, so well. 

Stay posted for more photos & details about the rest of our week long adventure in Alberta! :)

Friday 3 April 2015

Currently...


So it's been awhile since I have consistently posted on here, however lately I have felt the urge to write, so here I am. I stopped posting so often because I started a desk job where I am on the computer for 8+ hours most days and when I get home, the last thing I wanna do is go on the computer. However I really do enjoy looking back on old posts and remembering memories or events that I would of otherwise forgot. I'm not sure how consistent I will post but I am hoping it will become more consistent again :)

reading: I just finished a book that I started back in January, how embarrassing! However, one of my goals for 2015 is to read more... so I better get my butt in gear.

eating: leftover veggie stir fry. yummy!

loving: Jillian Michaels Body Revolution (in month 2), pineapple dipped in melted dark chocolate & kitty cuddles (what else is new hehe).

watching: Heartland! I apparently missed the memo that a new season started back in the fall, therefore I have a whole season to catch up on :)

looking forward to: short term- feeling better & enjoying the rest of the 4 day weekend. long term- getting certified as a personal trainer/fitness instructor & starting my new job!

thinking about: whether or not my car will stay running long enough to get me to Winnipeg tomorrow and whether my cats & sickness will let me sleep tonight

Anyways, I'm off to watch a few more episodes of Heartland and then hit the hay. 
Have a wonderful Easter weekend! :)

Friday 27 March 2015

Insecurities





Over my lifetime, my head has been full of insecurities and self-doubt. Growing up, I was always "the chubby one" and I always struggled with my weight. I played softball for many years growing up and I can remember when feelings of insecurity started to cloud those happy go lucky days for me. There was this one time when there was a local weekend softball tournament. I felt so disgusting in my own body and I was so ashamed of myself (I was probably 7 or 8 at the time), that I refused to take off my over-sized hoodie to play baseball even though it was scorching hot out. I got heat stroke that day from being stubborn and I remember breaking down to my mom when I got home and explaining how insecure I felt. I didn't want people to see my belly rolls or to judge me for being overweight. I hated running the bases and I hated any sort of attention on me. I've worn glasses forever and I started getting acne at a young age. I went through issues at school with classmates picking on me and I can specifically recall "the bully boys" in my class making remarks like "hey fatty, why don't you go eat some more cookies?" or "watch out everyone, wide load coming". I hated gym class and always tried to scramble for excuses not to go or to sit out because my body was disgusting. I hated fitness tests, I hated that I had to wear shorts or run in front of people, and most of all I hated my gym teacher. 

During summers growing up, my family camped seasonally at the local campground. As did several of my friends families. Overall, it was great and I had a few close friends BUT those years are also clouded with memories of my weight. I hated going swimming at the beach and always had to wear shorts or a t-shirt over my swimsuit. I hated that all my friends were so active, they would play soccer or go biking and I was always left in the dust. Overall, summers were way better for me than the school year ever was because I could avoid all those mean words from the bullies at school for at least a couple months. However, the time would come and I would have to go back to school again. Back to days filled with mean comments and gym classes from hell. I remember days and years of me going home on the bus after school and gorging myself on unhealthy food. I hated my body, yet I was addicted to food because food made me feel better. I would eat entire bags of chips, boxes of granola bars, ice cream, popcorn, pop and anything else that was in arms reach. 

There came a time when my mom said enough was enough. She noticed that we needed to make changes as a family in order to help everyone. She started buying much healthier foods and she started exercising. I saw my moms body and outlook completely change right before my eyes and it inspired me to do something about my own body. The summer going into grade 9, I focused on eating healthy and exercising everyday. I went from 210 lbs down to 170 lbs before I returned to school in the fall. People were shocked at how different I looked and felt. I felt on top of the world and ready to tackle high school. High school was a different thing all together for me. I had a solid group of friends and things started to look up for me. However, other problems started to fall into place. 

I got obsessive over counting/restricting calories and exercising to excess. I was terrified of gaining it all back and starting over again. The summer going into Grade 10 was when I started dating my "first love". He was popular and I never saw it coming. I continued on with restricting food and exercising excessively. We dated for 11 months and then he broke my heart. I had never felt so devastated before and I immediately put on the blame on myself. I knew it was because I was ugly and disgusting and unworthy. Things progressively got worse and I lived in a very scary place for about 6 months. I was extremely depressed, I would days and days without eating, I would run until my lungs felt like bleeding, and I would torture myself. That summer leading into Grade 11, I started to party and drink a lot. I would constantly go out with friends and drink to excess even though I hadn't eaten for days. I was in a very scary spot for awhile and my parents and siblings were terrified about what would happen to me if things didn't change or if I was left alone.

I'm not sure what triggered it but finally the hurt started to lift and my heart started to feel a bit lighter. I realized that I needed to do whatever it took to get out of this nasty cycle. I slowly stopped going to so many parties and drinking so much and I slowly started to find some peace and balance in my life again. I still had a few really good friends and I started to make better choices.

I don't want anyone to believe that my childhood was awful overall, these are just specific memories of how my weight overshadowed my childhood. I had wonderful parents who loved me and supported me, two amazing older sisters as role models, and great extended family and friends who always looked out for me. However, this helps to explain why I am now so passionate about health, fitness, and wellness. I don't think anyone deserves to feel trapped in their own body or ashamed of how they look. I want to be there to help guide people to make better choices for their health and to wake up each day to be thankful to have the body that they have. To teach people to be strong and in control of the choices that you make and to empower young kids to be kind to one another and to develop healthy relationships with their bodies at a young age.

I was recently offered a position at a new business in town as a personal trainer. To say that I am terrified would be an understatement. All those childhood doubts and insecurities start to resurface. I am scared that I am not in shape enough or skinny enough to be a personal trainer. I am nervous about my arm being a hindrance. I am scared to teach fitness classes in front of a group of people. But I will do it. I have taken the first leap of faith by signing up for the course to become certified. 


So now I must keep my composure, try my hardest, and give it my best shot. Even if fail, I will be able to say that I tried.

Monday 26 January 2015

Sick days

So unfortunately I have had a nasty cold since last Thursday. I felt it coming all last week and it hit with a vengeance on Thursday. I had already volunteered to babysit two kidlets on Saturday and Sunday, so it's just my luck to get sick right before. Brandon had a bowling tournament all weekend and I looked after two of our friends kids. Saturday I took them to the indoor water park and Sunday we were lazy and spent the day watching movies (thank goodness). Kids are so exhausting especially when you're sick and that folks is why I'm not ready to add kids to the mix anytime soon (sorry mom!). 

I'm also home from work today because of this sickness. I'm stuffed up, running nose, sore throat, major cough and no energy. At first I was super annoyed because I like being productive and I have goals and plans to work towards. But obviously my body needs some rest and relaxation, so I must oblige. I have watched endless hours of tv, drank copious amounts of tea&honey, and had so many sweet kitty cuddles. I'm hoping this is a winning combination and that I start to feel better asap!

Here's to a healthier week ahead! :)