Watermelon Salad..

I have to lose weight...no joking! Seriously this is ridiculous, I am absolutely the heaviest i have EVER been. So here I go again when I say..."i'm going to incorporate more salade's into my meals"..ooh boy!!
So as I sit here and write this post..i'm eating a salad and pushing my way through it. Everytime I try a new one..i will post the recipe and give you an opinon of how I feel about that particular salade.
The one that i'm eating right now is a Watermelon Salad and its pretty good! Not alot of ingrediants which makes it easy to whip up quickly on a hot summer day and with watermelon included.,..maybe even the kids will try it?! I could not find Raspberry poppyseed dressing so i just substituted with Creamy Poppyseed..it was really good too!
Here is the recipe..

What You Need

8 cups loosely packed torn Boston lettuce

2 cups seedless watermelon chunks (1 inch)

3/4 cup quartered cucumber slices

1/3 cup thin small red onion slices, separated into rings

1/3 cupPure Kraft Refrigerated Raspberry Poppyseed Dressing

Make It

COMBINE first 4 ingredients in large bowl.
ADD dressing; toss to coat.

kraft kitchens tips

Special Extra

Cook 1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans or walnuts and 1/4 cup sugar in skillet on medium heat until sugar is melted and nuts are evenly coated, stirring frequently. Spread onto sheet of foil; cool. Sprinkle over salad just before serving.

 

Weekends coming friends...Paul's off on Friday's through the summer so i'm one happy wife!!

Ideas for summer fun..

Welcome Summer Time

Here's to lazy summer days...
So i've decided to do some blog posts on summer fun for kids, mostly free things to do with your children. I came up with this idea because every summer I have my nephew who happens to be a very busy young man. I haven't had younger kids around my house in a very long time, and i haven't had to plan sumemr time fun for kids in years. Except of course when I have Ethan., I've been busy planning my week with him and would like to have some good ol'fashion fun with him because to me that's what summer's all about. You don't need to spend lots of money..use your creative minds!
Here are some idea's that I found on a Canadian Living website..

Creative minds
1. Think outside the cardboard box. Your child will love making a fort, car or spaceship in your living room or backyard.

2. Make musical instruments and have your kids put on a summer evening concert. An empty water bottle and some dried beans makes a great shaker; a plastic container and spoons become a drum; and pot covers can be cymbals.

3. Help your child make a card -- from scratch -- for someone she loves. Use materials from around your home and garden. Pieces of grass, leaves and flower petals can punch up the design. I LOVE this one...i spent many sunny,hot humid afternoons inside doing crafts with my kids..especially when it was just to hot outside.

4. Together with your kids, go through old magazines, wrapping paper and gift bags. Cut out different pictures and make a collage on an old clay pot for the garden. If you have more pots, make a few your kids can sell at yard sales. I have also used black chalkboard paint on vases...they have fun with that too..

5. Organize a weekly neighbourhood talent night, where kids and their parents can show off their singing, dancing and drama talents. You can have theme nights and include story and poetry readings. This is something my kids did on their own, then they set up an audience section and we'd have to go outside and sit down to watch thier performance. Usually it was an airband of some sort.

6. Make and decorate papier-mache face masks with your kids. They can reflect your child's personality or be completely whimsical.

7. Set your kids up with a bucket of water and paintbrushes and let them "paint" the fence, an outside wall of your house or the garden furniture. I'd just give them chalk and let them go crazy on the fence.
Green pursuits
8. Build and decorate a birdhouse together, and learn about the birds that will use it in your backyard.

9. Set your tot outside with some large pieces of white paper and crayons and have her draw all the nature she sees, such as birds, butterflies, gardens and trees.

10. Encourage your child to create his own illustrated nature journal, keeping track of all the things he hears, sees, touches and smells outside over the summer months. They would enjoy taking pictures as well and pasting them into a nature journal.

11. With an insect book in hand, discover the creatures living in your garden, and learn about their benefits together. You can buy bug containers at the dollarstore for a dollar..hours of fun for kids, i did this every summer..countless bugs crawling in my garage, usually found dead in a day or two.

12. Plant veggies (cucumbers, peas, tomatoes) or herbs in your garden or a large pot. Your kids can help tend to them, water them, watch them grow and then eat them when they're ripe. Indoor plants and garden's as well..balcony garden's for those in apartments.

13. Go for a walk and collect leaves and flowers as you go. Back at home, use a field guide to help you find out what the plants are called.

14. Take a trip to your local farmer's market and teach your children about local fruit and vegetables. Don't forget to try new fare.

15. Designate one day out of each week in July and August as Earth Day and help your kids with cleanups in your local park and community. Trade this day off with other mothers where you can take turns and have a mental health day while someone else takes your kids out. After this...go to a free water splash park.

If you don't have a pool in your yard but a close friend or relative does...ask if you can come over one afternoon and treat your host to freezes, juice boxes and a veggie tray. From experience..its not usually the fact that company would come over for an afternoon..its the countless entertaining that can be tiring for those with pools. If YOU bring the snacks and drinks..then your host can just sit and enjoy an afternoon with you! Keep that in mind with neighbours who have pools, don't over stay your visit 3-4hour afternoon swim is usually sufficient for friends..especially those who have maybe entertained already the day before..its exhausting!
I plan on making homemade lemonade with Ethan one day while he's here..I have some masonary jars that I want to use up, this way he can take some home too.
Well friends..there it is, good luck to those of you have young ones home still..and better luck to those of you with teenagers home this summer~


For more fun ideas..check out this website below..
30 fun things to do with your kids this summer - Canadian Living

Physioterrorist...

Hey friends, today was a Hamilton day...i'm not as nervous driving any more, it seems to be passing. I still drive by that spot where the poor dog ran out in front of me..I still hate it, but today It didn't seem to get to me. Braden's physiotherapist (physioterrorist) wants me to take Braden to a Orthopedic surgeon before she starts to get him to do sit to stand transfers. OMG...here we go again...lol, didn't we just deal with the whole issue of Braden's childhood surgeon not wanting to follow him anymore because he turned 18yrs old?
She came out to see me today to tell me that she'd like him to see a surgeon before she lets him stand, because of his dislocated right hip. I told her that I fully agreed with her and would LOVE for him to see one, but i have already been through this with the doctor's and they feel there is no one around here to see Braden. It anger's me sooo much, it is something that I HATE with a passion..the fact that we live in Southern Ontario and can't seem to find a suitable surgeon to follow him?! I told her that I would do my best...note:we have SO much going on right now with appointments for Braden going to college..that i'm not even sure I want to deal with this issue right now.
I told Braden that i'm not rushing around this summer to Toronto to see a surgeon who knows nothing about him...why doesn't this therapist understand that its just not that easy. No one will want to take responsibility for allowing Braden to stand. No surgeon will do an x-ray and then ok him to do that so quickly..this will take forever! OR she could just ask Braden how HE feels about it, if he has pain when he stands or not and go from there.
I have a little secret to share..he's been standing on that leg for years when I transfer him...and honestly..we don't need a physio therapist to ok this..its something we can do on our own. He has no pain, he has the ability and he is willing and able..thats all I need. There's no reason to take this to a surgeon, they are not going to fix his hip anyways..its too risky. I just feel like there is always something going on, keep it simple..seriously there is NO reason to see a surgeon for this..it just adds more shit to our plates..ain't gonna happen!! No need!
F**k...

Things I love..

Sundays are difficult to blog. These are the days that I might just cop out and post certain things that I like or just interest me. Things like these...

Old Victorian home...so beautiful!

 Absolutely love this dresser...i'm looking for something similar to this for my dining room. Time for a change in there.

This is a wonderful idea..I would have totally done this in a hallway, probably when the kids were younger.

We actually did do this a couple times, the kids had a blast. It was so fun, they could watch a movie, swim or hot tub all at the same time. Our back yard didn't look this cool, but either way it was fun.

Loving this kitchen, everything about it. The stone work is gorgeous and I love the old beams used in the ceiling, LOVE IT!

Iphone case, I am fairly certain that my next phone(hopefully this summer) will be an Iphone, loving these cases.

Wise words from Steve Jobs..RIP.
I really believe that Pinterest is the best thing that's happened since chocolate cake, I love having quiet time searching through that site. All of these wonderful pictures came from just there..if you haven't checked it out..go do it!!

Saturday morning Coffee

Saturday Morning Musings...
Not much on the homefront my friends, my mom is having a garage sale today...oh I remember the days! Getting up early to set up tables, and all the wonderful treasures that use to be of much importance. The kids up and out the door, usually with a lemonade stand..neighbours coming around to browse through your good ol'"junk"..I miss those days!
Today no one in this house EVER has the energy to get up early on a Saturday morning. Those days are long gone. Lounge time has arrived, coffee, music, outside in the backyard..lazy Saturday morning breakfasts. We've waited a long time my friends for the days where someone else would be coming in on a weekend to get Braden up and ready for the day. Its a beautiful thing, Paul or I do not have to get up and hour and a half early anymore to have breakfast and then go into get Braden out of bed. We finally after 17 years have someone who does just that, and we love it! Still not use to it..we still have trouble sitting down in the morning, its hard to completely relax when you've lived 17 years of the same old routine..we've always envied all you out there with able bodied children. Don't take for granted the fact that you're healthy child or teen can get themselves out of bed, make their own breakfast, dress themselves and play outside for the day...cause honestly...you've got it made!!  Anyways our days are here..hopefully they last, I mean seriously its not  new to us to have someone quit and leave us back to where we started...so for know, in this moment..we will enjoy!
What's in the news lately??
Did you hear about the little bastards on the news who bullied that elderly lady on the bus?? I do not know all the details..but I heard just a smidge and saw an eyeful of the video recording where these kids verbally abuse a lady on the bus and actually make her cry. OMG...what would you do if this was your own son? I couldn't fathom that..how could a child be that mean?? It is terrible what they did!
I'll tell you one thing...the natural consequence of something like this to me would MAKE my son actually volunteer in an old age home....AND i'd make him take a course in compassion and empathy. Through the communtiy there are programs at our local centres on dealing with elderly or children, cooking, writing..etc etc..and trust me..his ass would be so wrapped around time spent with the elderly..he'd start walking with a cane!! (figuratively speaking ;)
Thats the problem with kids these days...they don't have any consequences, parents just don't take the time to make their children pay the prices, due their time or take responsibility. Its sad..it really is! In ALL of Kailey's school years she has NEVER been late, unless I ok'd it with the school. Once this year...just last week..she woke up late, and went to school late...I would not validate that lateness (it was becoming a habit) SO, she went to school and paid for the price, she sat through a detention..then on top of that, we grounded her for a weekend. Not sure who she thinks she is...going into school late, and then dismissing it like its no big deal (that was the part that pissed me off the most). She didn't seem to think too much of it, she argued its the end of the year, teachers aren't teaching anything new etc etc..she's probably right, but its the principle. Those are things that turn into habits and then escalate to personality traits and NO thank you..its not one i'd like my child to have. Even though it wasn't a really big deal..and like I said she's never had a detention or a lateness that hadn't been validated...we still feel she has a responsibility and its not ok to make your own rules. Let's hope it doesn't happen again..probably won't..i think she was embarrassed about the detention and she missed a friends get together over this whole ordeal.
Like I said, these kids that brutally bullied that elderly lady need a swift kick in the ass (sadly..not literally) and I hope those parents don't just blow it off and let them get away with it. I love that its in the media, and we as parents need to show OUR children what had happened, this gives family the chance to sit down and talk about many things. I know we did, we went out for dinner and had a great conversation around bullying and abuse. So parents, take the time to talk...lets teach this generation something about empathy!
Cheers friends...loving the summer weather!!

Are you ready for the summer??

So are you all ready for the summer?? Oh boy..i am so excited to have summer time here! I LOVE the kids home, no school, no homework, no sports...just relaxing, pool time, movie nights and late morning teas. We've already had a great start to summer..loving the time with my family.
I sorta want to get back on track with this blog...but I can't remember what I did for certain days of the week? I think Fridays were for Family posts. I guess I could do some research on a family topic and come back to you with some advice and/or opinions...but I won't!
Not this Friday...
Instead I will share with you something I found on Pinterest and want to make for myself and Kailey...this will especially be useful for after pool time this summer...check it out..

Ok, i know this is hard to see but basically its make your own beach waves using seasalt, coconut oil and gel. I for sure will be trying this recipe out soon. Check out those waves..its something that would work well after getting out of my pool and having to get ready without having much time to do so. VERY COOL!
Well friends, have a wonderful weekend...enjoy the weather~

New Scalloped Potatoe and Ham casserole...

 On Monday I made a ham for dinner..it was the kind that you boil for most of the day. It was a big one, and with just the 4 of us we don't normally eat a whole ham. I had a ton of left overs..so i went online to find some recipes were I could use some of this left over ham...and I found this one! Overall it was pretty good..Paul felt it was missing some vegetables so I suppose if I were to do it again i'd add some corn or green peas..maybe even some brocoli. It was good...I also should have added some bacon bits..i think that would have completed the whole recipe! I thought i'd share this one as i'm sure many of you run into the same problem. This recipe calls for sliced deli ham...I just used my boiled dinner ham..it was even better!


What You Need

4-1/2 lb. red potatoes (about 13), cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices

1 tub (500 mL) fat-free sour cream

1 cupCheez Whiz Light Cheese Spread

9 oz. (255 g) deli smoked ham, chopped

4 green onions, sliced

1/4 cupKraft 100% Parmesan Light Grated Cheese

Make It

HEAT oven to 350°F.
COOK potatoes in boiling water in Dutch oven 10 to 12 min. or until tender; drain.
PLACE 1/4 of the potatoes in large bowl. Add sour cream; mash until smooth. Add Cheez Whiz, ham and onions; mix lightly. Gently stir in remaining potato slices. Spoon into 13x9-inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; top with Parmesan.
BAKE 30 min. or until heated through

A moment of clarity...

I don't often share on here what its like for me to live with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It is a private matter and somethings will be kept to myself but today i'd like to share a moment that I had. It started as an awful moment but somehow by the grace of god turned around and I came away from that moment with hope, faith and happiness.
As you know, each week I drive to Hamilton to take Braden to a physiotherapy center which is affilitated with Hamilton General Hospital. Every time I go there I take a book and just sit in a corner, by myself...away from everyone. I do struggle while i'm there, I don't like to look at the sadness, or the pain that I see in some of these people's faces or the faces of their family members. I have never gotten use to this, and this ultimately was one of the reason's for leaving my job in the hospital.
I do see miracles and beautiful things in life too...i am NOT a person to only see the negative, I work VERY hard to see the positive in everything. But i can't hide from the fact that even still today...after 17 years of living this life, I still have moments of complete darkness! I get ANGRY...I want to scream, I want to hit and I want to fight!
The feelings are triggered by many things...scents, sounds, people, songs..there was a time when the scent of Pamper diapers would send me into a frenzy. The hospital used Pampers, and the smell of them would remind me of our time in ICU or the of the many times we sat at bedside crying over a VERY sick baby.
I guess a way to explain it would be to say...when something signals a memory in your mind, you panic, hot flashes,sweating and a world wind of emotions run wild through your body. SO many images flash through your mind, you can't focus and you can't control it. Its like it takes over your body and for a time you feel completly out of control..its the scariest feeling ever.
Please note that I have worked extensively with professionals to deal with these times and I do very well with getting myself out of that frame of mind.
Today I had a moment like this, Braden and I were waiting for his appointment to start and while waiting we went outside to sit in the beautiful weather. Braden was sitting across from me, about 5 feet infront and we were chatting away. Like always, I was admiring him...his gorgeous face, his beautiful blue eyes and that smile...a smile that everyone remembers. Sometimes, I find myself wondering.... what he'd be like if we hadn't been in that accident, how tall would he be? Would he be athletic? Would he have played hockey?  Who would he have turned out to be? How different would he have been? I wonder these things ALL the time, and its not fair to do...but like i explained before when a child is born we all have hopes and dreams for our children. We have visions and hopes of all the wonderful things they will be capable of.
We had everything figured out for him on the day he was born...he was born for something great..we saw it in his eyes the minute we met him!
Its still hard to this day..to look into those same eyes and realize that those dreams we had will never be, and its even harder to live with the guilt of that.
As I was admiring his charm and beauty, i realized where I was...in this place of sadness ( I really need to change the way I view this place) Its a place that reminds me like a slap in the face that I had a car accident and paralyzed MY son. A place where people come to lose their legs due to amputations or to be rehabilitated because of an accident or a stroke...WHO wants to deal with these things? NO ONE DOES!!
While I was sitting there...I started to realize that I was going into a "dark place", my thoughts were changing...i was panicking, breathing changed, slight headache started, pain in my chest...all the feelings were happening...I thought I was going to bolt and just run from this environment.
With a smile on my face (protecting my son) I calmed myself, quietly shifted my thoughts and without making a noice...screamed so loud in my mind that tears formed in my eyes...
Please god...give me strength~
.......without hesitation, within a moment...between breaths, a man in a wheelchair pulled up beside Braden and said.."I've been wanting to talk to you Braden."
This mom shifts gears quickly...as most mom's do, when need be!
I smile softly...trying to gather my presence and wrap it up in the sweet little bow that everyone see's on the outside *wink*
Ron is a peer support co-ordinator for the Canadian Paraplegic Association, and he has been wanting to talk to Braden about becoming a peer mentor...
He and Braden's therapists at this hospital feel Braden would be a huge assest to their organization, they feel he has a strong sense of who he is, he has alot to offer and has the right frame of mind to do this kind of work for their association.
Can you say "devine intervention" any louder??  Do you see what I mean, if you seek..you will be answered. Whether you believe or not in the power of prayer or even in god...please understand that I have had many moments in my life like this one. I HAVE to look at this as a sign that Braden's future has never really been in my hands...its always been in gods and HE has a plan for Braden. It really didn't matter what Paul and I had hoped for him on the day he was born...its never been my plan
Honestly...without a lie, when Ron spoke those words to Braden I couldn't help but smile and look up at the sky and thank him...thank you for answering me..for giving me my hope back when once again I was sabotaging it all on my own. He is so patient with me~
Ron went on to explain that they would like Braden to start with a young 15 year old boy who recently sustained a C3 spinal cord Injury due to a bike accident. This boy is still in hospital and Braden will be seeing him there soon enough.
I cannot express in words alone how proud we are of Braden, it was just a year ago that Braden himself was seeking help with some issues of being a teen in a wheelchair. I am shocked with the strength this young man radiates. Braden will be an amazing mentor and will see this young guy through a VERY difficult time, I have complete faith that Braden will lead this boy. He will do so with respect, understanding, patience and most importantly humor.
Braden is nervous, but thats a good thing..it means he cares. But if there is anyone in the world right now who can help answer and support this guy...it'll be my son. He has so much knowledge, compassion and fight in him...this young man will be lucky to have met Braden.
When your world changes..and things turn upside down and becomes still for sometime...the first thing you do is think "this is shit, and I hate it"...those feelings are normal and expected. Once you've acknowledged this, you can then change it...and that will be what Braden will take to the table. Its also nice to know that Braden holds no punches and this young man will learn to fight for his life, future and dreams like no one else, and there's no one better to show him this than my Braden.
So, with all this said...after my moment of "darkness", I was quickly jolted into a moment of clarity.  A realization that even though the dreams I have always had for Braden will not come true...he has been blessed with better one's! Seriously, look how fabulous he is...at 18 years old..he's a mentor, making changes in other peoples lives..that's pretty special, today I was reminded of how blessed I am~

Taiyo...meaning Sunshine!

Hey Friends, I havent't forgotten about this blog...i have just been so busy with our Japanese student being here. Its been a wonderful experience and I have some pictures to post with a few stories. This past weekend was lots of fun, i'm very impressed with Kailey and her friend Emily as they spent the whole weekend with Taiyo and his friends. We had originally planned on going to Toronto on Sunday, but then one host family decided to throw a pool party for some of the boys ( I had one on Saturday) so Taiyo had decided to go to that. Can't blame him really...with us conversation is limited, but when he's with his friends they all have so much fun! It was fine with us, we ended up having dinner out as a family...good ol'fashion family time! *Thumbs up*
Taiyo has two more sleeps here with us, on Wednesday he is off to Niagara Falls then to Toronto on Thursday. He says he likes Canada, and he has had a good time here. Once again, i will follow soon with a more indepth blog about Taiyo. Hope everyone is enjoying this gorgeous weather!! So nice to have a pool on days like these!

Broken heart healed...

Today was my 19th anniversary and I'd like to express my love and gratitude for my husband...but that will have to wait until another evening. We had a wonderful day, and this year we did something so special and meaningful that I just need a few days till i'm ready to share it with you. So, my next post will come with a complete description of my day today and the special events that came with it.
Unfortunatley today's post is a sad to happy post...yes it going to start out terrible but incrediably it ends on a VERY happy note!
Yesterday on my way to Hamilton with Braden(he had to see his surgeon) I was travelling on Highway 8....driving 80 MPH and a  beautiful King Springer Spaniel Dog ran out onto the highway into on coming traffic. The car that was driving towards Cambridge managed to nearly miss him, however he continued into my lane which I did not see...and with great sadness...I struck him. *tears shedding*
I was driving my BIG black Ford Van, and because he ran in between 2 cars...he snuck out and ran into my drivers side, I heard the bang...and new immediately that I cranked him. I panicked, I lost my senses and very nervously I looked in my side mirror and caught the dog flipping through the air, turning head over heal, flying...until he fell to the ground. I pulled my van over...got out..and started running towards the dog. He was NOT moving...and he laid mangled in the road. I thought for sure he was dead and as I was running to him I was terrified, I was sick..I so did not want to approach him. As I got closer, all of a sudden he jumped up..and took off to the side of the road where he collapsed once again. Holy shit...immediatly I felt devine intervention, lol..it was like he rose from the dead. Being a nurse however, even in the short time that I worked in a hospital (although i've been around them probably more than most nurses) I have witnessed patients who get one final bout of energy right before they pass away. This was going through my mind at this time.
Thank GOD some people stopped, actually one couple saw the accident and turned around to come back to see if any assistance was needed. Two cyclists were there as well, they helped with the dog and everyone went into action. I of course, thought he was dying..he looked so bad. He was bleeding from the mouth, from the nose and his hind leg had a gaping wound that looked like it clearly needed stitches. At this point, i'm still thinking he isn't going to make it and I'm waiting for at any moment he would die. How do you brace  yourself to watch a dog die at the side of the road in which you accidently hit?! (note: Harley's passing and anxieties entered here)
Everyone who was at the sight went into action and we started calling some numbers that were on his dog tags. Unfortunatly the number on the tag was out of order...so ANYONE reading this who has a dog with a dog tag PLEASE PLEASE have it updated and get proper numbers on it!! I got ahold of the breeder and she told me to take him to a vet, (which we were going to do anyways) and she would call me back once she located the owners of the dog. She too had an old number..but she had their names, so it was a start. In the mean time, a wonderful young man showed up with his Ford F150 truck and a blanket in which the cyclists wrapped up Ben(the dog's name, we found out afterwards) and they very carefully loaded him into the back of the guys truck. I followed behind them to be sure they were safe because the cyclist sat in the back of the truck with the dog. Thankfully there was a vet just down the road on Highway 8, so we pulled in and they came out with a stretcher for Ben and transferred him into the facility. Ben was conscious, shaking and pale..but he was alive!! The four of us who took care of him exchanged names, hugs and thank you's and they were on their way! I stayed back a few minutes until I knew that the vet had a name and number for the dog...just before I left dear Ben they had left a message on his owners phone, i knew they'd come for him. I left, in tears...I also left my phone number and asked for an update a few hours later. Obviously we did not make our appointment, I was very shaken by the time we got home and the rest of my day was spent with tears. I really didn't think Ben would survive. At around 5 pm I called the vet to see how he was and they said "he's actually doing really well"...I was STUNNED!! Seriously, this dog should NOT have survived..I even asked her if she saw the size of my van?? LOL...she said yes she did and he's one lucky pup. I said that i'd call in the morning to be sure he had continued success in his recovery. The vet phoned this morning and informed me that Ben is doing incrediably well and would be going home today. I asked about his injuries and she said they thought he may have had a broken jaw, but it doesn't look too bad today. The didn't suspect internal injuries, however he is very sore and banged up. We discussed a bit how he could have survived and she suspects the same thing Paul did..he must have hit my van but then was thrown underneith my van and by shear luck managed to come out alive. My van is a raised one inorder to accomadate the lift for Braden's wheelchair, so thankfully for Ben he had room underneith to roll under and not get to beaten up.
Let me tell you...I HAVE unfortunatley been that scared before..actually, obviously alot more scared at one time in my life. This experience did impact me, it was horrible...you all know how much I love dogs..and to think that one was suffering just ripped my heart apart.
I am aware that this was not my fault and this morning I spoke to the dog's breeder and she filled me in on the family, she commented that they are in a bit of trouble just because the dog should be properly locked up and safe. When you buy a dog from a good breeder you do sign papers that bind you to a contract that you will follow certain rules. We did as well with our labs, so the breeder has some questions for these owners. The dog clearly needs new tags and update contact information, that was the biggest inconvienence as we were on the side of the road trying to find an owner... my heart still hurts for Ben. I am thanking god today that he is fine, I will move on and count my blessings that this beautiful boy survived and has a second chance at life! Everyone involved yesterday did a miraculous job and I thanked them all so very much, I wouldn;t have been able to handle this situation on my own. I was hoping to hear from the owners...but the vet didn't seem impressed with them and nor did the breeder. Both of whom stated these owners need to call all of those involved and give much thanks as it was THIER dog running out into traffic and was almost killed. Its ok if I don't hear from them...bottom line is that Ben is going to be fine, he survived and once again my prayers were answered!

Memories of a life lived...

A couple posts back I told you about an evening Paul and I spent cleaning out old files and going through reports. Well that night I also found some old calenders. One from 2002 and 2004, it was weird reading through these months. When I said to you how busy we were..i wasn't kidding!! Check out a couple months that I added to this post. You can barley see..but if you look close EVERY single day was filled with either an appointment or two, sometimes three, a lunch date, play date or a day date.

Ok Check out October 9th and October 15th..Seriously, 3 appts in one day...I don't know how I survived all this! Not to mention every other day that week was filled with 2 appts.

Add caption

Ok, so this is April 2004..out of 4 weekends we were away 3 of them. Once again each day filled with usually 2 appts.

Oh my god..could life have been ANY crazier. It's funny how soon you forget how often friends were here, or how frequently I made time to meet for coffee, lunch or dinner..to look back now I wonder why did I do that? Seriously, I was busy!! Busy with life, with Braden, with Kailey, my marriage...EVERYTHING! These were just 2 months out of  24..those were the only ones that I was comfortable with sharing. Most of the other months were filled with appts for Paul and I, or Kailey...some personal things with Braden.
When looking back on these days of our lives the only explanation I would have inorder to defend our busy life would be to admit it was probably a survival technique. I guess somewhere in the midst of crazy busy...I needed to keep going. Actually, I do remember..that If I ever stopped..long enough to think, I would have ended up...well...actually..kinda, maybe..crazy?! It was all our own fault, we didn't have to go to the boat every weekend, we didn't have to go snowboarding with physiotherapists, I didn't have to go scrapbooking...etc etc etc. I chose to be this busy, and like I said...I did what I had to do to survive.
Today is another story, I feel like i've kinda shut down the house a bit. No particular reason really..i enjoy the occassional get together here but for the most part if you want to see me, lets do it at YOUR house! I'm done entertaining big crowds, swimming parties, hot tub soaks amongst friends...I've done enough and to look back on these calender's..it confirms it! I'm sure all my beautiful friends would agree with this..there was a time when I'd hear more than once.."your crazy for doing this again at your house!" typically refering to a party we'd throw on the weekend. LOL...I just wanted the kids to have fun, I did love having my house filled with kids, friends, family, food, sweets and drinks.
However today....I'm tired, my kids are grown and i'm old. I don't have the energy anymore to have those get togethers...and looking back at those calenders once again helps me realize that its ok to feel that way! Paul and I were great friends to our peep's and our house was always open to everyone. They were great years, not to say it completely over..we are not dead...lol..its just never going to be the way it use to be, and that's good with us! These couple years have been kinda quiet, and its hard to adjust too...its not like I don't want to necessarily have my house full of family and friends every weekend, I just don't have the energy anymore. Once my weekends come, both Paul and I crash, its movie time, lounge time and relaxing time...its our time! We don't really want to share it with others every weekend anymore! Its like everything else in life, its adjustment to change. It makes more sense now for Paul and I to meet friends out, its less work for me and more relaxing..I enjoy going out more, I seem to have more fun that way!
Looking through those calenders and old files brought back ALOT of memories...I had the need to share on my blog, these are the first steps too starting the beginning of my book. Its exciting, i'm finally getting the itch to scratch..lets fire up the neuron's in my brain!