Happy Birthday to Alex... 7 years old already!

It was a beautiful October day... similar to the days we are enjoying right now.  Alex was my second baby and his arrival was a little less dramatic than when we had our first baby (Grace) and a little more like a typical labour despite his early arrival (just a few days).  Ian and I spent the afternoon of October 3, 2006, walking up and down our laneway while my contractions proceeded.  By late afternoon we made our way to Renfrew Victoria Hospital and our wee Alexander John Denniston arrived in the evening.  He was a jaundiced little fellow but healthy nonetheless!

He was such a sweet little baby... those cheeks and that little smile were irresistable!

Happy First Birthday to Alex

Alex was a happy little baby but had a lot of fussy times.  He was a very poor sleeper for a couple of years but much of this was due to teething.  He didn't break out in a rash and didn't develop fevers but he just cried and cried... his poor little mouth was sore a lot!  

Many baby pictures showed him with red, red cheeks.

Sitting with Mommy at his first birthday party

Alex at 2 years old.



By the time Alex turned 3 years old he had definite interests and for this birthday we celebrated "Cowboy Style".
Here he is dismantling his horse corral and licking off the icing!

Alex at 5 years old... almost a big kid!

Here is Alex at his 6th birthday party - another beautiful October day!  Love his smile!

Happy 7th Birthday Alex

Today Alex turns that magical age of 7... a great age!  He has been counting down the days and wishing for a few new toys.  Playing with his lego is one of his favourite activities but Alex has many interests.  Another favourite activity of his is reading and playing games on his ipod. He is really, really smart and excels at school.  Alex enjoys sports and plays basketball, soccer and hockey among other games at school.  Spending time with Daddy in the tractor and combine is also special for him and he takes any chance he can to be there.  A very special attribute of Alex is his friendly nature.  He makes friends everywhere we go - he has made new friends so many times.  We will go to a park and he will easily find someone new to play with.  Last year we were watching the fireworks at Disney's Magical Kingdom and he made a friend while watching.  He meets other children, introduces himself and asks their name... and always finds a way to have fun with them.  That's pretty special.  He is the only boy in the middle of two girls and has been surrounded by "girliness" yet he finds ways to have fun with his sisters and also loves those special times he gets to spend with his two best cousins, Noah and Ross... the only boys in his life that can be like brothers.
We are so proud of Alex... and love him like crazy!  Happy 7th Birthday!

Fall in the Ottawa Valley

Sunday was one of many beautiful, perfect Fall days we have had this year.  We didn't venture off to a pumpkin patch or apple farm (although that would have been fun) but we drove up the Valley through beautiful farmland and hills to Barry's Bay and Wilno.  The scenery is just beginning to show it's vibrant colour and the weather was warm.  As promised, we had ice cream and found a playground.

Barry's Bay beachfront

Our kids love any playground - big, small, new or old.

We stopped in to the Polish Heritage area in Wilno.  What a treasure.  Right on the side of the main road, highway 60, we found a very beautiful museum - a group of buildings preserved showcasing the area's strong Polish history.

The small school house was a big hit!  They each took turns being the teacher.

This was my favourite spot -  a perfectly reclaimed home.  I could imagine myself living in this home, raising my family and working very hard to make a good life.  Bright colours are a big part of their decor evident in their quilts and dishes and the bright yellow front door.

As long as we can find a park, have a treat, the kids are happy and I love discovering new and old places.  We have had a beautiful fall so far... let's hope we can enjoy more of the same.

Shin Splints

I turned 36 in August and then a few weeks later I had a visit with my doctor.  These two factors have spurred me into action and as I explained before, the "cleanse" didn't last but becoming a lot more active has and I am proud to say that I have conquered 5 weeks of the "Couch to 5K in 8 weeks" program and tonight I finished the middle of week 6.  I have noticed a huge improvement in my stamina and feel really fantastic afterwards (well after I've recovered my breath).  Tonight is a different story though.  I am feeling the effects of shin splints and tonight was the worst that I have felt after my run.  Ugh.  I really hope there is a cure... any suggestions would be appreciated.

On the bright side, I think I just might be a positive influence on my beautiful oldest daughter, Grace.  This morning she joined the Cross Country team for her school.  She has always disliked running but I might just be providing her with some inspiration.  I am very proud of her and she had a lot of fun this morning.

Just Being Honest...

I need to be honest.  This whole "cleanse" thing... not working for me.  I just don't like it and I certainly don't feel good.  Especially my mood so I gave it up.  Just being honest.  I gave it a whole-hearted try for 4 days... day four was really hard and then I just threw it out the window.  I know what changes I need to make AND I know what I can cut down on.  I learned some great new recipes and discovered quinoa and how easy and versatile it can be.  I know now that I can give up dairy if I want to - that wasn't so hard.  I think the biggest mistake I made is that I gave up too much at one time.  Maybe I should try cutting just one or two things out of my diet for a while and then moving on to more once I mastered that... overall I need to become a lot more healthy and pay attention more to what I eat but the best thing I've learned is that I love to be active.  It just feels good.  Here's shot of my lovely runners after a great run today.  I overcame some hurdles today and that just feels amazing!

I hope we can all find ways to be more healthy - I plan on being around for a while and I hope to run and jump and play with my grandkids so I better keep those runners going.  Although, I really love all the bright, fluorescent colours in running shoes right now... maybe a new pair is in order!

Some super-cute running shoes we bought for the kids today.

Fresh Starts

There's a change in the air around here... fresh new starts is literally on the menu.

I am making a healthy change.  A few weeks ago I began running again.  Once I get myself out the door, running shoes on, music going, I feel amazing.

My Running View

I have only just begun but feeling pretty great and looking for more.  This week I began somewhat of a cleanse.  I mean "somewhat" because it is really hard to just cut certain things out of my diet - dairy is a pretty big part of our eating day - but I am doing my best.  I am also taking away wheat products and alcohol for 10 days.  Hopefully this will give my body a much-needed healthy break and also give our family some ideas we can take way to last us past the 10 days.  Wish me luck!

What I Love About September

Here comes the bus...

Day one of our new school year is over...

We are rolling into another school year; new routines, new lunch ideas, new teachers, new classrooms, new shoes... how exciting!

The kids were very, very excited for school to begin again.  Grace is in grade four which means a new hallway in school, a new teacher, some new classmates and a different area of the school yard at recess.  After the first day of school she wasn't as excited about all of the changes.  After the first week though, she has found a rhythm.  Alex is in grade two and Jean is in senior kindergarten.  Not a lot of changes for them but excitement to get back to school nonetheless.  Our nephew Ross is now in school and shares the same class as Jean which will be nice for both of them.  My volunteer commitments at the school are already underway as well - we have a vibrant library for our students completely run by volunteers.  I love the library.

What is really love about the school year is time to myself.

For the next few weeks I will be canning and preserving.  This week I made crab apple liqueur which we will enjoy in the winter months and later I will be making more jam, salsa, tomato sauce, apple sauce, freezing sweet corn and much more.  Our farm has a bounty of produce available right now and we love to make the most of it.

Off to the Renfrew Fair now...

It Takes a Village... Our Ongoing Story

This morning I woke up with a full list of things to do, arrangements to make and thoughts in my head.  By 10:00am I had an almost empty list, arrangements made and a full heart.  I am again thankful for my wonderful community of friends and family.  I look forward to giving back to them all at some point in time.

Late last week my beautiful Grandma Rimmelzwaan passed away.  As I grew up, she was the Grandma I spent the most time with because my Grandma Bloetjes suffered from MS and passed away when I was 13 years old.
I have wonderful memories of my Grandma Rimmelzwaan; playing on the farm as a child, roaming through their farm house, sleepovers, shopping trips, "Grandma's McDonald's", walking her gardens at their farm and then at the home they built for their retirement, playing rummy; the list goes on.  As I became an adult, I noticed that I look a bit like her.  I am always proud of that. Even through my teens, she was there for me.  She and my Grandpa shared a love that I think is so precious... it took them over oceans, through raising children and creating a successful farm and into their ever-expanding family.  No doubt there were challenges but above all they were happy together and it showed.  It will be a tough few days saying good-bye to her.

It is a beautiful day.  I am thankful to all of the people in our lives that continue to help us out when we find ourselves in a "pickle".  Ian and I could not live our lives the way we do without our friends and family.  Thank you.