For Today.....December 5, 2011

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW ... it is pouring rain and quite windy! Very gloomy and making me wish I was snuggled up in bed.

I AM THINKING ...that a full out family vacation will now be a yearly event after the amazing time we had at Disney and our cruise to the Bahamas. Would love to see Disney at Christmastime!

WE ARE LEARNING … or trying to learn that we cannot change the unchangeable. We need to learn how to take stress factors in stride and not let it consume us.
I AM THANKFUL FOR ... the amazing new friends I have met in my neighbourhood. It is truly fascinating how you can connect with someone and have such respect for them.

FROM THE KITCHEN ... time to make some stew!! It's been awhile and the weather is perfect for it.

I AM WEARING ... reindeer jammies and my ever-so-comfortable sweater from Old Navy.

I AM GOING ... to have my shopping done very soon! No more last minute rushing for this gal!
I AM READING ... Tell Me No Secrets by Joy Fielding. I am such a fan of Joy Feilding. How I find the time to read is beyond me.

I AM CREATING ... a lot of stress for myself. I admit it. I am a worry wart. There is so much on my plate that I need to learn to be patient and let what will be, be. Giving myself panic attacks in the middle of the night will not resolve anything.

I AM HOPING ... that our house sells quickly!!  And to the perfect family since we will be neighbours!

I AM HEARING ... the rain pound against the windows! It really makes me want to crawl into bed and just lay there listening to it. I love the sound of rain, hate what it does to my elbow.

AROUND THE HOUSE ... it is bare and clean! All to get it sold! You would never know that I am living here! LOL Some things I enjoy - like my bed being made perfect for the showings. What I hate is making the bed!

ONE OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS ... Morph Starburst. I could eat them all day to the point of being sick. They are THAT good.

A FEW PLANS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK .... hopefully more showings, movie with Jonah and some Christmas gatherings!

Enjoy your week!

Crazy Story

As you know, we moved to Brooklin just over a year ago.

The situation was very spontaneous, a leap of faith really. Hell, we put an offer in on the house before we actually saw the INSIDE of it. Our main goal was to get into the neighbourhood.

And we did it.

Now we are doing it again!!

I am so not kidding.

We heard on a friday about a house that was going up for sale.

Sunday, we put in an offer!

And the funny crazy part??

The house is TWO doors down!

TWO freaking doors away!

Crazy right??

The house is on the end of our townhome row. It is bigger and since we figure we will be here until Jonah finishes at this school, we might as well  be in a more comfortable home.

So now I am in "Sell the House" hell. I hate it. Love that my house is clean, just hate the stress of it all. People walking thru my house. Stress of wondering if it will sell before Christmas.

Hate it.

Keep your fingers crossed that the house sells!

Blog Neglect

Ouch!! Has it really been almost 4 months?? Shameful.
I guess I just got carried away with life.  Not a very good excuse since that is the "stuff" I would blog about!
So if you are still hanging around my blog, I am sorry. I promise to get some updates together very soon.
Until then....

The Magic is coming!!

14 Years ago - June 7, 1997

Fourteen years ago,

we were celebrating our love for each other

Fourteen year later,

we are still celebrating that love....

...only difference?

The love is stronger and continues to grow.

Happy 14th wedding anniversary

to my best friend, biggest supporter,

and true mate.

I love you.

xoxo

Friday Fill-in

My answers are in Bold. Do you participate? Leave me a link!

1. This week I made a commitment to no longer let my body let me down. It's time I take control of my well being.

2.Captain Jack Sparrow returns.

3. It's all about protein and exercise for me right now.

4. Being a red-head means I always burn in the sun.

5. I demand an awful lot of myself and it is my downfall.

6. Find and follow your own path, it's filled with many blessings that are not always evident.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to seeing Pirates of the Caribbean!, tomorrow my plans include hot yoga and gardening and Sunday, I want to just relax!

Attempt at Digital Scrapping

While I was off having my elbow surgery, I thought I would enroll in a digital scrapbooking class to see how I liked it. I honestly thought I would have time to do the class during my time off. Who would have thought that recovering from surgery can put you in a "not in the scrapping" kinda mood??

Luckily for me, the classes over at Jessica Sprague don't expire!!

I finally found some time to go thru Lesson 1 of "Up & Running". It gave you the basics, a template to follow and basically I had to just put in the pictures. There is definately a learning curve, but here is the result of Lesson 1:

What do you think?

Bird Charmer

We had such beautiful weather this weekend, I wasn't about to let pneumonia get in the way. So we took Jonah to one of our favourite conservation parks, Lynde Shores in Whitby. There are so many birds and chipmunks and the scenery is just beautiful. We brought along some birdfeed (proper,safe birdfeed) to feed the chickadees and chipmunks. Jonah was quite the charmer and was able to get the chickadees to land in his hand.

Here is a small video of it. My (not so little) Bird Charmer :)

For Today

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW ... there is a baby bunny who comes to visit at my patio door. It's like he knows I am about to grab a picture of him, so he hops away. I am determined to capture a shot of him.

I AM THINKING ...that trying to find a cheap(er) flight to Florida is going to get the best of me! ARG! So frustrating!!

WE ARE LEARNING … how to accept ourselves for who we are. All of us in the O'Hara household have been trying to overcome some challenges the past couple of months and I think we are finally making strides!

I AM THANKFUL FOR ... my son's school. I cannot stress what a difference it has been for him both academically and emotionally. Jonah has improved so much with his grades and attitude. We are working with a fantastic team at Blair Ridge!

FROM THE KITCHEN ... I am thinking it will be chilly since we are expecting thunderstorms.

I AM WEARING ... something so hideous, I won't even admit to it. Just be glad the webcam is not on.

I AM GOING ... to see the elbow surgeon again on friday. I am quite certain he will be impressed with my results. Now I just have to learn to be impressed with them.

I AM READING ... The Secret Daughter which was recommended by my friend Stacey FH. I am half way thru and I am LOVING it so far. And I am reading it on my KoBo. Have I mentioned how much I love my KoBo??

I AM CREATING ... nada. STILL!! My scrapbook room is still filled with boxes. We have just had too much on the go for me to be able to focus on that one very important room! But the good thing is that I will be going away in June for a scrapbook retreat! YAY!

I AM HOPING ... that the decisions I am making for my son, my family and my health are the right ones. I really need to just lay it down and let it be. I am very hard on myself that way. 

I AM HEARING ... the sounds of spring - lawnmowers, birds chirping, bugs buzzing - finally it feels like spring!

AROUND THE HOUSE ... it is coming together. Slowly, but it is coming together. We just need to find room for our stuff!!

ONE OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS ... trying NEW teas. I know...shocking, since I am not one to try new things. When I went to St. Annes Spa back in early May, they have tea time and always have samples of tea around. Now I am hooked. I have Grapefruit, Raspberry, Chocolate Spice, Cranberry and Peppermint. All of them I love!! You should try them!

A FEW PLANS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK ..f. movies with Jonah, hopfully a pedicure and finally get rid of this pneumonia!!!

A PICTURE TO SHARE...Jonah participated in Wacky Friday at School. Now he wants his hair to be red and blue all the time!!

Pancake Tuesday

A delay in posting these pics!
====================

It may sound corny, but I love Pancake Tuesday!

Yes, I know I can have pancakes for dinner any time of year,

but having a designated day makes it all the more fun!

It's like pumpkin pie. I love it but only eat it at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

One year, things were kinda rough and I FORGOT about Pancake Tuesday.

How could that have happened??

My mom sent me an email this year to make sure I remembered.

It was a tradition she started with our family afterall.

So this year, I remembered.

Jonah was so excited to have pancakes for dinner.

He even helped Daddy make the pancakes, which was a first time cooking for Daddy!

A plus of being on disability ;o)

We stacked them up, smothered on the butter and topped them with syrup.

It was DELISH!!

Today......

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW  the sun is brightly shining! Goodbye Winter, you have overstayed your welcome. 
I AM THINKING  I have an addiction to ScentBugs from Bath and Bodyworks. I want a different one for each room!! 

WE ARE LEARNING that we have to be patient and not take things for granted.

I AM THANKFUL FOR the undying love and support from my family.

FROM THE KITCHEN we are sliding back into the convenient meals as opposed to the "better" meals. I can't use my elbow as an excuse anymore. Time to get back on track!!
I AM WEARING  my comfy jeans from reitmans. Love them!
I AM GOING to be better than I was 2 years ago, on so many levels. I have to continue believing in that. 
I AM READING  Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - still. I stopped and started too many times. Now I am half way thru and sticking with it. 
I AM CREATING Not a darn thing. I need to get my room set up! Starting to annoy me frankly. 
I AM HOPING that I will be able to stay calm the first time I try out Hot Yoga. I am afraid the heat will make me panic. That would be an embarrassing first class!

I AM HEARING the birds chirping! A nice (and most welcome) sound of spring!
AROUND THE HOUSE  we are finding our groove and planning more changes/upgrades.

ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS is scrapbooking, but I haven't been able to do it (other than a class) in quite some time!

A FEW PLANS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEKEND visit and shopping with my mom, game night with my fellas, church and picking up our buckets for March of Plenty! Enjoying the spring sunshine!!

A PICTURE TO SHARE - wonderful flowers I received from my parents. 

Maxine on St. Patrick's Day

Fun Time with 2 Ingredients

This Sunday we were reminded that you can have so much fun with just 2 main ingredients:

1.  Whipped cream in a can
2. LAUGHTER!

What started out as making hot chocolate with whipped cream, turned out to be a spray war in the kitchen!!

The weapons of choice:

Battle is on!!

The aftermath on the floor

The smiles from the laughter.

SO worth the mess!!

Life is all about having fun.

Life is good in the O'Hara home.

Gas Price Reality

True Scrap = A Giveaway!

I adore Lain Ehmann.

I adore her methods of inspiring others.

Craft Gossip is giving away a seat to Lain's Virtual True Scrap that is being held on April 7-9th.

So much talent, inspiration and creativity!

To enter to win a seat, go here: Craft Gossip Giveaway

Reflections of February

FEBRUARY 2011 - a big month for the O'Hara Family!

• I can hardly believe my little man turned EIGHT! Just seems impossible that time has passed so quickly. It was an exciting milestone for Jonah since technically he doesn't have to ride the car in a booster. He knows it makes Momma feel better if he does, so he obliges.

• I struggled with the fact I have an eight year old. Not that I felt "old", I just wanted to keep my little boy, a little boy. Is that too much to ask??

• We had a birthday party for Jonah. Not sure where my head was on that one. Total chaos! I didn't expect that I would have to implement a "No Kissing" rule either!! I quickly learned that Grade 2 is quite the soap opera!

• Had the chance to see some movies this month - The King's Speech, which was brilliant and so deserving of all the award nominations and No Strings Attached, which was quite funny and made me a little more drawn to Ashton Kutcher. I haven't really been a fan of his, but I really liked him in this movie!

• Saw firsthand how the tides of friendship can last decades. A very good friend of the family went thru a terrible medical scare, but he did not weather it alone. The arms of friendship enveloped him, gave him encouragement and a lot of positive energy. We are thrilled that the test results have all been positive and we keep the faith that it will continue to be positive. It still warms my heart that friends, who really are more like family can be each others mast in the storm of life.

• Figured out how to get over my dislike of the local grocery stores. Don't shop there! Brilliant, I know. I found out that Grocery Gateway (a grocery delivery service) uses Longos! I love Longos, but there isn't one in Durham. It costs me $9.95 extra to have my groceries brought to my door. I love it and don't care if people think it is lazy. It saves my sanity of having to shop in the local grocery stores. Happy girl is me.

• It has been a cold month! I am thinking Mr Groundhog got it all wrong!! BRRRRRR!! Even though it was quite chilly, what I found mind-boggling was all the cancellations around the city. Umm, hello? Is this not Canada??

• February also welcomes a holiday called Family Day. We spent the day as a family, with some close friends, The Lams at the local swimming arena. The kids had a great time playing while the parents had a chance to catch up. Dinner at McDonalds Playplace followed. Game night at home was a wonderful ending to a great day.

• We continue to reap the benefits of Scene Points and took Jonah to see Gnomeo and Juliet. It was a cute film that had a good storyline. It still makes me laugh at the "adult humour" found in movies that are over the kiddies heads.

• I am completely in love with my KoBo eReader that I recieved for my birthday. I have downloaded some books, thanks to a gift card from my parents and sister it also has a fancy case and booklight. I am currently reading "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". It is so easy to take anywhere, so easy to use and read from. LOVE my KoBo!!

• My elbow surgery date is finally here - last day of the month! March will definately bring on the healing lessons and test of patience. I have had a lot of anxiety about this surgery, more than needed really. The past two years have been a struggle for me, more than I have let on and I just want to have it over and done with - with good results. I know there is a lot of hard work ahead, but I will get thru it. I have had so much support from my friends and family it's overwhelming.

How was your February??

Surgery Tomorrow....AGAIN

Have I mentioned that I am sick of surgeries? Sick of hospitals? Sick of being broken?

Well, if I haven't here it is......

I AM SICK OF IT ALL!!!

Tomorrow I am going in for another surgery.

Hopefully this will be the last.

This surgery is to repair my elbow.

I broke my elbow in April of 2009 and it hasn't been the same since.

There is very little strength in my left arm, I can't bend or flex fully.

The kind of break I had is seen once every 2 years apparently.

Not very common.

I stick to being unique, even when breaking bones.

The screws they put in are now falling out.

Sometimes you can see the screw protrude out of my skin.

Not pretty.

The plan is that the doctor will remove the one screw, possibly the second one if they can. Then they will cut out a cartilidge type thingy that is in the bottom of my elbow preventing me from flexing/extending. They will manipulate the tendons and muscles and what have you to hopefully give my arm better mobility. They will also remove the scar tissue that has formed from the last surgery.

Sounds like a frickin fantastic time, doesn't it??

Have I mentioned I am SICK of this crap??

I am.

My Current

Saw this on my wonderful friend Lee's blog and thought I would give it a go! I love the different memes out there.  

listening to Eminem. I know some lyrics can be inappropriate, but I love him.
eating plenty of crap. I really need to stop.
drinking lots of tea and not enough clear water
wearing American Eagle. My fave place to go for hoodies.
feeling very anxious. Surgery is Monday.
wanting to just shut down but I know that's not what I do. I'm a survivor.
needing sleep
thinking too much about the negative, need to focus on the positive
enjoying my 8 year old everyday
wondering why it took so long to invent a Kobo! (my eReader)
creating a list of what needs to be done before my surgery
procrastinating on getting the cleaning and laundry done
pondering what will be in store for me next
loving the sunshine
anticipating a very busy and stress week and weekend before my surgery

where is your current taking you??
Lee discovered this meme on this blog.
do you participate? send me a link so I can check it out!

Truths

Truths that were sent to me from a co-worker - Enjoy!

========================

I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

There is great need for a sarcasm font.

How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

Map Quest really needs to start their directions on #5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the Person died.

I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

Bad decisions make good stories.

You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blu Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

"Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this - ever.

I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damn it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voice mail. What did you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.

I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.

I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand a word they said?

I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up to prevent a jerk-off from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers and sisters!

Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my ass everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!

Even when opportunity knocks, you still have to get off your ass and open the door.

8 Years Ago

8 years ago my life changed.

It was a change I thought I was prepared for.

I was wrong.

I never expected the impact to be so strong.

I never expected my heart to feel the way it does.

I never expected the new found respect I felt for other women.

In June of 2002, I learned my life was going to change.

I knew it would be different, I knew it would be great.
But there was a lot I didn't know.

I would learn.

8 years ago my life changed.

On February 11, 2003 I became a Momma.

It is a moment I will never forget.

It is a moment I will cherish for a thousand lifetimes.

It was a moment the doctors told me would never happen.

Thank GOD they were wrong.

8 years ago, my life changed.

For the better.

It completed me.

It showed me what true love is.

8 years ago today,

Jonah William O'Hara came into this world

In to my life
In to my soul

In to my every breath

He is 8 today

I feel like he just arrived

Yet, I feel like I have known him forever

He is funny

sweet

sensitive

rambuctious

quite a character

and the most loving boy you'll meet

He is my proudest accomplishment.

Happy 8th Birthday to my Jonah

Friendship and Honours

What a wonderful birthday surprise from my very talented cyber friend Shirley! I have not met Shirley in real lfe (maybe one day!) but I feel like I have known her forever. I enjoy reading her stories and seeing her brilliant photography on her blog. There is so much I am learning from Shirley. She has inspired me on many levels. Be sure to check out her beautiful life. You can find Shirley's blog Here.  

Thank you so much Shirley!!

For this award, I am to tell 8 things about myself and then pass the award on to 8 more people whose blogs I adore.
8 things about me -

1. I have to sleep listening to my ipod playing a thunderstorm.
2. I have a ridiculous fear of spiders. I can sense when they are in a room and I will find it. If I find a spider in my room, I will sleep on the couch, even if it has been smooshed.
3. I have always wanted to go skydiving, but I am too afraid to get into the plane. I have no fear of jumping out of it mind you.
4. I cannot do anything creative if my feet are bare. 
5. When I filled out my corporate profile, I listed "Roller Coaster Tester" as my dream job.
6. I have 5 tattoos and I don't regret a one. 
7. I CANNOT live without my tv. Love my tv shows. 
8. I cannot say the word NAPKIN properly. I pronounce it NAP-I-KIN. I just can't blend the letters "P" and "K" together. Same with PUMPKIN.

Now, to pass this along to 8 more people. I wouldn't be surprised if it has already been awarded to these ladies.

Kyla
Vikki
Barb
Pen
Monica
Martha
Sherry
Kari Ann

Another Year Older

That is exactly how I feel....in a good way! Today is my birthday and you see, darling hubby of mine actually had me convinced....CONVINCED....that I was turning 39.

I am not 39.

I am not even 38.

Yep, I am 37.

In all honesty, other than my 31st, birthdays never really bothered me. Why get upset? It's not going to change anything. And it is the perfect excuse to indulge in cake!! But when I thought I was 39, I felt like I had missed something. Well hello. I did. Two years apparently!! It just made it even more clear to me that every day, every word, every moment needs to count. Never have regrets. Continue to discover.

Today I will be celebrating my birthday with my family - truly the best way to celebrate. We are all going to a lunch buffet. YUM!  

Another year older - Whatever!

For Today

OUTSIDE MY WINDOW ... the sun is shining bright and reflecting off the newly fallen blanket of snow. Although I am not a fan of driving in it, I think snow is wonderfully beautiful.

I AM THINKING ...that I need to make lists. Better lists. And act on them. To do lists, meal plans, grocery lists. Need to get better organized.

WE ARE LEARNING … how to make things fit in a smaller house. This means purging. A lot of purging. And you know what? It kinda feels good!

I AM THANKFUL FOR ... my son. I still look at him in amazement, full of pride and love. I can't imagine my life without him, even on the days he drives me nuts. Given that I was told children could never be for me, I will take the nutty days!

FROM THE KITCHEN ... it is a stew kind-of-day. I love my crockpot and often wonder what I would do without it - especially since I work full time.

I AM WEARING ... grey track pants and a warm sweater.

I AM GOING ... to be 37 on Sunday. The number isn't bothering me because a week or so ago my darling husband had me convinced that I was going to be 39! Isn't he a peach?

I AM READING ... The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I am just in the early stages of it, but have been warned by more than one person that this is a dark read and I should not read it before bed. Unfortunately, that is when I do my reading!!

I AM CREATING ... nada. My scrapbook room is still filled with boxes. We have just had too much on the go for me to be able to focus on that one very important room! It is driving me nuts!!

I AM HOPING ... that my elbow holds out until my surgery date. The screw is often protruding from my skin and now my hand is numb almost everyday. This cold weather does not help! I have a month to go and I just hope I can make it and not end up in the emergency room.

I AM HEARING ... the sounds - good and horribly bad - from the American Idol try-outs that I taped. I am pleasantly surprised with the new judges. Steven Tyler is hysterical and Jennie from the Block is not as bitchy as I had assumed. Now if they would just get rid of "The Dawg" I would be happy.

AROUND THE HOUSE ... is piles of laundry that seriously need to be tended to. Finally a clean kitchen, messy front doorway but things are coming together and I am loving our home. All in due time is what I keep telling myself.

ONE OF MY FAVOURITE THINGS ... my beloved tea. I could drink it all day. And I have. Which is why I sometimes have the shakes. Totally worth it.

A FEW PLANS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK ... PA for Jonah on Friday, a birthday pedicure, tobagganing birthday party for Jonah, my birthday on Sunday - Mandarin for lunch! YUMMY!

A PICTURE TO SHARE...my Monster Jam boy, complete with a Grave Digger foam hat!

Art Award!

Jonah's school has a monthly award program called "The Five A's" - Athletics, Arts, Attitude, Academics and one other one that escapes my brain right now.

Jonah was very excited to hear that he was receiving the Arts award! The school hosted an assembly and invited the parents to see the kids receive their awards. Jonah was so very proud. WE were so very proud.

Jonah with his award

All students who received the Arts award
Jonah with his principal Mr. Island