happy valentine's day!!

Hi all. Happy heart day!!! Sending all of you our love!!

Today for the first time Cam and I were able to head off for a ski just the two of us. It was a great way for us to celebrate the day. I was a little nervous as this was the first time out on skiis since I hurt my back. Cam had gone out and bought us a pair of skate skiis so now we have a set of classics and a set of skates. I started off on the classics figuring that it was better to test the waters on something at least I am somewhat familiar with. I am not the best skier for sure....but I had been slower getting better before my back did me in. The trick for me is that I am not quite as heavy as Cam and so I tend to slip on his skiis as I don't compress them as much as they need in order to get grip. We thought if we waxed them really well I would be okay, but I was face down on the ground in no time!! It was both hilarious, nerve racking, and a good thing all in one as it broke the "nervous ice" with my back really quick. Each time I slipped I would do a mental "damage control" check to see if I was okay.....and I was!! YAY!!! However now it was just getting ridiculous and so we decided to swap skiis and see if Cam had any better luck. He is much better on skiis than I, and the skate skiis are faster, so we figured the switch might even things out a bit. Skate skiing is tough!!! My poor butt!! All those stabilizer muscles were working overtime. It takes some getting used to, but it was great. The morning was a huge success and such a nice way to spend some one on one time.

Tonight we celebrated with a heart shaped pizza and a dessert pizza to go with it. A great way to end the day and give Cam a good feed before he took off to work.

On Friday we took the kids out for our Friday Night Family Night and did something we hadn't done together before. We went bowling!! The kids had a blast, and it turned out we had the whole bowling alley to ourselves. Good thing because Taylor launched one of her shots into the air, cleared our lane completely and went rolling down the alley hallway. She was so embarrassed she wanted to leave...but with a little encouragement, a few laughs, and honoring her with what had to be the craziest shot award....she felt better and was back in the game. To be honest I think the kids got just as much of a kick out of the shoes as they did the bowling!!

Other than that things are trucking along. I took the kids out to telemark the other day...and Tylin (mini me version of Cam) was so intent on being the leader that he would literally run with his skiis in order to get ahead of everyone. Then not only did he need to be the leader but he also had to control who was second, third and so on. Oh boy we are in trouble with this one!! He has to have his ducks in a row....color coded, and organized to the millimeter. Combine that with the craziness he has inherited from Uncle Brad and I really don't know what we are in for!!! All I know is that it is going to be some ride!! Tonight as he was eating his dessert pizza, he realized that there was chocolate rolled inside the crust. All of a sudden we hear him yell...BOOYAA!! Cam and I looked at each other....what?? Booyaa he said again...there is chocolate inside the Booyaa!! After some discussion we figured out that he has named the very inside part of a cinnamon bun...you know the gooey center...the tightest part of the roll...the booyaa....and today when he was taking apart the pizza crust he found that same tightly rolled gooey center....and yelled BOOYAA!!!! That boy....he comes up with the wildest things.

Anyway....much love to everyone!!
The Adventurers

let's not do that again...

Recovery....finally! A couple of weeks ago I herniated a disc in my back and it has been a slow crawl back to standing upright and walking amongst the world again. I could not move for what seemed like an eternity....I felt so bad for Cam who had to not only look after me....but the kids, the house, himself and work all at the same time. Not fun!! I hate being that person.....the one who needs to be looked after. BUt....at last I am up and mobile. Not fully recovered but hands down way better than I was and working on getting stronger every day.

In the meantime life went on with out me. Taylor has started ski school where they load the kids up by bus load right from the school door and take the kids up to the hill for a ski lesson and free time skiing with friends....then back home in time to crawl into bed. She is loving it!

Tylin had his first invitation to a birthday party. It was themed "royalty" and the kids were all to dress up as knights, kings, or some other "royal" character. Ty decided he wanted to be a knight. After my attempts to find a costume for him failed, I decided to bring out the cardboard and make him one. Together we made some body armor and a shield that actually turned out not to bad. Tylin liked it anyway and that's all that mattered. He couldn't wait to put it on and head off to the party. He had a great time and was actually given another toy shield and sword as a gift at the party and spent the rest of the night at home playing dress up with Dylan....the princess that the fearless knight had to save. Very cute!!

We all took off to the hill today for a ski...the sun was out and it was a beautiful day. Dylan and Taylor are getting quite confident on their skiis now and are starting to branch out on their own a bit. We went to our local hill here in town and it wasn't long before they we off on the chair lift themselves and having a ball. We gave them strict instructions to stay on the green runs and stay together. This hill is the perfect size for them. Small, not crowded, and gives them just enough space to explore and feel independent, yet cozy enough that they really can't go wrong. Tylin is also starting to get the hang of things as well. By the end of the day he was cruising green runs with no harness. So cute to see them bombing along!!

I am feeling MUCH better now...but not quite up for skiing yet. So I stayed in the chalet, read a book and watched them zoom past as they headed up for another run. An easy Saturday afternoon.

Cam is now off to work for his first night shift. I am thinking of taking the kids to Big White tomorrow but will see how the day plays out.

I've attached a pic of our backyard.....just for those whom may have forgotten what grass looks like. HAHA!!!!

Hope all is well with everyone.
love ya lots
The Adventurers

Dad's day

Today is my Dad's day.....thinking of you Dad. Miss you much and trying to remember all you taught me!!!

Love you!!!
The Adventurers

back in the GROOVE!!

This past week has been a mission of getting back in the swing of things post winter break. Taylor is back at drama club and the 7:30am practices. (she is determined!) All the kids are back at swimming lessons. A few gripe and groans....but is something that we are saying is mandatory.....and the reality is once they are in the water they love it. Plus we have managed to add in a few activities that we feel we have let slide a little too long. In an effort to have more exercise/family activity/quality time I did manage to get Tylin his "push around skating thing" and took all the kids skating again to the outdoor rink by the lake......sooooo much better. Tylin loved it...we were there until they kicked us off the ice. I've taken Dylan out on a date. We went to Tim Horton's on her request and I let her talk as long as she wanted....completely uninterrupted and the luxury to take as long as she wanted to get to the point!! Taylor also got some special one on one time with Cam at an overnight winter survival weekend at Telemark. (our x-country ski club) They made quinzees, played hide and seek with avalanche beacons, built a fire on the snow and roasted hotdogs & marshmallows and of course went for a ski. It was all topped off with a movie and a gigantic sleepover in the lodge. (she was in bed at 7:30am tonight....I think we have finally tired the girl out!)

The only downside of this week was that I sprained my ankle playing in our co-ed rec volleyball league....but it is getting better and I think I am going to try and head out for a ski in the morning.

Our food experiment is going over wonderfully. We have been trying to cut the sugar...well at least minimize it as much as possible. We've always been fairly on top of the candy thing and limiting straight up junk....but we've decided to take it a step further and see if it helps with the kids behavior. We had noticed that Taylor especially would almost get so restless she didn't know what to do with herself.....other than litterally start bouncing....and getting into fights with her sister and brother. Its like a nervous anxiousness combined with uncontrollable energy would just take over and she became like a tea pot ready to blow. So I figured that a chance to burn off the energy ( skating, swimming, skiing) combined with well moderated balanced blood sugars, and the chance for some quality cuddles and down time would be a good combination to try. We've found a lot of really great recipes for treats that have no sugar at all...and a pile of good substantial meals that allow me to sneak in a lot of punch without the kids even noticing. Meatballs with parsnips and oatmeal....cake made out of flax, beats, and sunflower seeds (the kids couldn't get enough of it!!!! SERIOUSLY!!), home made energy bars for the school lunches and smoothies with just about everything under the sun...even avocados. It has been a bit of work trying to pull it all together, but so far so good. It seems to be helping with Taylor and really feels good for all of us. We even made home made ice cream....not a drop of sugar, honey or anything like that, packed full of healthy ingredients and the kids thought it was great! Not sure that I can carry this on for ever....but it is nice to give it a try and take some of this recipes and incorporate them more often.

Cam and also managed to watch a movie together one night. Not knowing really what it was about.. we chose to watch the notebook. What a wake up call that one was!!! That hit home for both of us in so many ways that it really rocked us to the core and made us really think about what we are doing. We've been doing a lot of thinking and weighing options lately in terms of my work, Cam's work, family life, and just really tying to make the right choices for what we feel are the right reasons. Those priorities that we set in place back in NZ and are fighting to stick to. There is a inner battle...always. What is best for you as a person, what is best for your marriage, your kids, the lifestyle you want, the financial pressure. There is always a battle to try and make the right choices. Everything is a choice....an opportunity.....what foundation do you make those decisions on the back of? Well we have been feeling like we are on the right track...more so that we have felt at times in the past year. That we are placing our priorities in the right order and are tying to focus on what is really important for us. But that movie made us sit up and really put a few of the points we've been weighing back and forth in perspective. The biggest "option" we've been rolling around in our head has been in regards to my work. Do I or don't I. I have put so much of my energy of late into our business venture. I was absolutely gutted when the rug got pulled from under me and things came screeching to a halt with it. Now the question is do I continue to pursue it, in what manner, do I look for other work, do I go back to school.....do I not do any of those things and stay at home. So many thoughts......I could write forever about all of those thoughts.....the short version is I/We are trying to make those decisions on the back of the right foundation...the right priorities.....and is there a way to balance it all. So I am going to take a note from my own book and just breath...remember why I am here....what lessons I have learnt....and be open to the opportunities. Everything works out the way it should in the end.

Well that's about it for now....I hope you have a wonderful week!!!
Talk soon
The Adventurers

ahhh....rest

I am now sitting down for what feels like the first time today. I can feel the muscles in my legs saying a unanimous Ahhhhh. Just a recap first of all...yesterday was ski lesson day with the local cross country ski club. The girls are off and running and have been out a few times now, but this was the first go for Tylin. He is in the bunny class. The plan was that Cam was going to be in the lesson with Ty to help him out, the girls each in their lesson, I was going to go for a snow shoe, and then when Ty finished I would wait with him until the girls were done a half hour later and Cam would take then take off for a short ski. Sound confusing! Well of course all did not go as planned. We arrived to a packed parking lot and started pulling out the gear only to notice that we were missing 3 poles. Off to a good start! So I helped everyone get going and took off back home to get the poles. By the time I got back to the hill Tylin was just about done...no snow shoe for Shawna. ( no worries really I had gone the day before anyhow) But as I arrived I could tell that our little Tylin was on his last breaths. He was slipping and sliding and saying...."I just wanna go home!" Well I managed to cheer the boy up and had him hanging on to my snow shoe while I pulled him around on his skis. I have to admit he is a cute little "bunny". Cam got his ski, the girls had a blast, and Ty ended the day with a smile. All good things.

This morning started with a skate down at city park. Again Ty was struggling. He wants so bad to skate....but doesn't want to have to go through the learning process. I honestly don't blame him at this point. We've thrown him in the fire with swimming, skating, cross county, and downhill. This year is one big learning process for him. "I just want to be BIG!!!" was the statement he repeated over and over each time he fell. Poor little dude!! I promised him that I would bring him back every weekend so we could practice....but the underlying clause for him was that I had to go buy one of those "push around learning things" that he saw the other kids with. I gotta tell ya, I'm not the greatest skater either and between Tylin and my hilarious attempts trying to hold him up and the girls grabbing on from time to time I myself just about hit the deck a time or too. Maybe I should get one of those push around things too!!

When we came home I started in on cooking some home made soup for lunch and another batch of homemade buns. We have decided to cut the sugar (or at least minimize it) as I am starting to suspect that Taylor might be reacting to it. I figure we can do a little experiment and see how it turns out. Not a bad thing for all of us to try. A nice start to a healthy new year. After lunch Ty went for a nap...the girls got kicked outside again....and I continued with my baking and finally getting some of my pictures copied to disc. Then before I new it, it was dinner time....salmon and homeade pita pizza loaded with veggies and the kids settled in to watch a movie while I did the zillion dishes. This brings me to now....a moment to sit, relax, and get ready for another round. Soon it will be time to go pick up Cam from work and get all the kids ready for school in the morning and off to bed.

Well....I hope you day was a good one!!
Talk soon
The adventurers.

Peace Love & SNOW!!!

Hello all.....what a wonderful day in a winter wonderland. This morning after we got the girls off to school, I left Cam and Tylin to their home renovation projects and took off with a friend for a snow shoe. Amazing how here in the valley there isn't even enough snow to cover our grass, yet just 20 mins and we are playing within snow drenched trees and big puffy snow trails. The fog was pretty thick which gave the trail a misty mystical never never land feel. Like you were walking in the middle of one of the girls magically snow princess movies. So quiet, warm, and walking amongst untouched white powder. I think about how nice it would be to have a little cabin hidden away in the middle of that "no whereness". A chimney of smoke peaking out of the roof, nails hammered into the side of the cabin to hang your snow shoes, a couple of snow mobiles and dogs hanging outside, and a warm cup of hot chocolate waiting for you when you walk in. This one hour of happiness just sets the tone for the rest of the day. A chance to recharge and give that little pep in your step to carry you through even the biggest child temper-tantrum!!

The rest of the day was spent re- laying out our basement....better know as the kids area of destruction!! We have actually had some fun with this. We had an old futon that my brother gave us years ago and we have turned it into a entertainment unit. YES WE DID!! How handy is my husband. Plant the idea and he runs with it. Not only has that futon become our entertainment stand....but also we managed to get two sets of shelves from it as well. FREE & PERFECT!! Then we took an old blanket and turned into a hammock for the Zillion stuffed animals they have, and managed to actually set up the speakers we've had in storage for the past 3 years.

We'll I'm off to sit and relax in our new found rec room.
Talk soon
The Adventurers

first day back.

Today was the kids first day back to school after the break. Funny thing is that we had finally tired them out enough to actually sleep in!!! Cruel joke if you ask me!

Tylin started back to pre-school yesterday morning and so I used the time with the girls and took advantage of their final day of holiday. We headed up to the telemark cross country ski area about 20 mins from our door and went for a morning ski. So pretty with the snow absolutely drenching the trees. The girls are so proud of their new found ski skills and were excited to take me on some of the trails that they have been on during their ski lessons. The funny thing was they had more ambition then energy and although they were fighting to go on trail after trail their little bodies were plum tuckered out from the last few days of outdoor adventures. I convinced them to call it a day, promising to come back another time, and went and met up with friends at the near by toboggan hill to finish off the morning. I love that rosy cheeked relaxed look on my kids faces when I sneak peaks through the rear view mirror at them. To me that means a job well done.

I made cinnamon buns last night just in time for the kids to fall asleep to the smell of them coming out of the oven. There was a method to my madness as I was hoping to use them as a bribe to get the kids out of bed on time for school in the morning. Smart thinking by me I must say....it worked like a charm!!!

The weather was a bit snowy and windy today so Cam, Tylin and I stuck pretty close to home. The day was spent playing lego, I rode the trainer for a while, and Cam finally was able to complete his work of art with some of the sea shells we brought home from NZ. An easy transition day into the first week back.

Well I will leave you with a few pics taken over the holidays. Unfortunately I forgot the camera on a few very fun outings....one of which was a "Tylin led" follow the leader game while we were down hill night skiing. He was so excited as he finally mastered skiing without the harness!!! It made me think what this game would look like in a few years....crazy.

Love
The Adventurers

Happy New Year!!

Hi All!! Welcome to 2011!! I hope this year is filled with moments that make you laugh till your cry, inspire you, make you feel loved, and truly make you feel lucky to be alive.

I know I haven't written in a REALLY long time....but tonight as I sit in my quiet house I had an urge to write...and so here I am.

What a wonderful holiday....in the most unsuspecting ways. This year was a very eventful year for us.....I don't want to get into all the details...as this would turn out to be a novel rather than a blog....but this year felt much like a roller coaster ride that was running at warp speed. We have had unforgettable amazing experiences this year that we feel so incredibly lucky to have been a part of, but we've also had some very stressful times as well....and to be honest we've felt as if we have been pushing a tanker uphill on roller skates for the past while. Hilarious to watch.....positive moments....but extremely tiring and really kinda stupid.

Our christmas break was shaping up to be much the same with the logistical planning needed to be where we were supposed to be, and do what we were supposed to do. We ended up having an impromptu early celebration before the craziness started which payed off for us 10 fold. It allowed us to be okay with the fact that our family was going to be split up over the holidays, as strange as that sounds. We were able to relax and just enjoy the time we were spending with others knowing that we've already had our own special time. For me personally that time away made me appreciate my family that much more, immediate and extended....and that I think is a fantastic gift. One that I never really thought I would appreciate as much as I did. I was so wrapped up in the busyness of it all....that it took me awhile to take a step back and just appreciate the time.

This past week Cam, the kids and I were able to spend some quality time together in a way that has not happened for a really long time. Cam was not working, our minds we not on anything else other than just being together and for the first time in a long while it felt like we all were able to take a collective deep breath. The craziness, the roller coaster, and even the pushing of the tanker all just stopped and it felt like our life came back. Happiness....easy and full of life. It sure feels good.

We tend to get caught up in the everyday. The activities for the kids, my work, Cam's work, schedules, logistics and plans. Its like it has a life of its own...that daytimer with all the pencil marks and red circles around dates. Before you know it you don't even see life anymore...you just see appointments, commitments, and time passing by with each flip of the calendar. It starts to feel overwhelming and that even the smallest thing can make your whole world feel.....CRAZY! When someone asks what your plans are for an upcoming holiday, weekend, or evening......you feel the walls close in just a little more. NO MORE PLANS!! LET ME BREATH!!

Funny isn't it. My body tells me I'm stressed when I lose weight....I know....tough one.....but for me its a tell tail sign. The other is when I start to feel like I'm living in a straight jacket. I don't have the best relationship with schedules....I like the openness of those mornings you wake up and see how the day feels. But I also know that not everyone works that way....and as a mother with 3 kids, and a women in the business world....I know plans are essential. But there has to be room to breath....everyone needs it....everyone needs to have that balance where life feels again....where you feel again....and you just get off the track and just stand still for a moment. This holiday....this past week....we stood still. We saw the colors of the sky, we heard our kids laughter, and joined in.

Happy New Year.....may this year bring you one moment each day where you get off the track and breath!

The Adventurers!