::ANNA::

Happy Halloween

Determination

We're seeing a side to Ella we've never seen before.  Contrary to what I thought she's showing herself to be highly motivated and determined to achieve certain goals.

Goal #1.

Ella is scheduled to test for her orange belt in Martial Arts (Omega Tao) on Friday.  To say she's excited about this event is an understatement.  This weeks activities culminate in this all-encompassing event.  For the last month she has been religious about filling out her chores chart and we haven't heard the usual complaints of not wanting to help out.  She's motivated by the growing number of tapes on her belt and  eager to attain the next level.

Goal #2

There is a prize for perfect attendance at Ella's school in the form a *Buffalo*.  Ella has set her sights on winning one of these prized buffalos, and in spite of being under this weather this week, has been determined to make it to school every day so far, even with my encouragement to stay home.  A fever would have trumped her efforts but the only fever we've seen so far was when she came home from school. In spite of my concern for her, I have to admit, I applaud her determination. 

She's more like her Mom than I thought. 

Something New

 

 

Ella earned her white belt today.  Obviously super-proud of her, but also entertaining the possibility that apart from this adventure being really great for her,  I think she's going to be good at it. V. COOL.

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MIA a bit this week spending time with the fam.  6 weeks flies by doesn't it?

Seven

[supplies list + journaling]

Seven years ago today, I swam 30+ lengths of the pool at Misawa AB, Japan.

Came home and had a ham and cheese sandwich on non-gluten free bread washed down with a glass of watered down apple juice.  Miss that bread sometimes.

I rested a little on the couch and watched some TV before heading to the Commissary where I bumped into an acquaintance.  I confidently told her that I had at least 5 weeks before baby was going to arrive. 
It was 3 weeks until my due date, my Mum was induced with me and this was my first baby, so I bound to be late, right?

Wrong.

My waters broke at 8.45pm that night, and Ella was born with very little drama, at 10.10am on Wednesday, 3 July 2002.  I remember just staring at her as she lay in the cot next to me.  I could not take my eyes of her.  I just couldn't believe that she was finally here, and ours.

When we left the hospital the reality kicked in.  I cried all the way home terrified of how I was going to care for this tiny little person.

We placed her in her car seat on the dining room table and there she stayed until she awoke.
We had no clue of what we were going to do with her.

Seven years later, and I admit I'm still *winging* it. 
Mum's words often come back to me, "Unfortunately, they do not come with handbooks."
So far so good, I think.

But on the eve of her seventh birthday, I can't help but reminisce.

[supplies + journaling]

Earlier this year I wrote the following:

"Time certainly flies... It's seems like yesterday that I received my first SLR. It was an overcast day in Misawa AB, Japan, offering the perfect cloud coverage to get some shots of my wee little girl. She was 15 months at the time. Still a little unsteady on her feet, cautious but eager to explore the world. It's hard to believe she is now hurtling toward age 7. Where did the time go, Back then I thought I had all the time in the world but looking at these photos, I just feel like the rug has been pulled from under my feet. Feb 2009"

It's not that I want her to be little again.  I'm enjoying her more the older she gets.
The thing I struggle with most is the passage of time.

Time is so very precious.  Once it's gone, it is lost forever.

Which leaves me with one question:

Did I fully use it to it's potential?  Have I done enough for her?  Am I doing enough for her?

{March}in' On

Where does the time go?

I just got around to downloading my photos today for the first time this month. 

Seriously lagging in the photo-taking department at the moment.  Taking my camera is not the problem.

The problem seems to lie in actually capturing the moment.

I guess I've been spending more time living and less time documenting over the past few weeks.  That said, I am enjoying fewer photos to comb through.  I have big plans to catch up a little while Eric is away.  Only time will tell if they actually materialize...

Here are some favorites from this month:

One Word

AMAZING

Skiing that is.  It was a LONG and TIRING day but SO worth it.  I think we've actually found something we ALL like to do, and less than 2 hours from our front door.  Ella, Luke and Eric all went into ski school for the day while I skiied with my neighbours and re-acquainted myself with the slopes.

I was a little concerned on the chair lift heading up to that first run that my legs might not remember.  It has after all been more than 10 years since I have skiied, but it is just like riding a bike, and it all came flooding back. By the end of the day I was skiing down the mountain like I'd been doing it my whole life.  Fantastically cool!  Even the weather held out for us.

So here's Ella.

Ever so cautious and apparently has a tendency to cross her skis, but she enjoyed it!  Times have changed since I learned to ski.  I remember my Dad teaching me on a similar slope except I had to side step up the "hill".  They have a neat little conveyer belt these days that does the trick, not to mention GPS tracking devices on each kid to ensure no-one goes missing.

Here's Luke who likes the "straight down the slope as fast as possible approach."  He managed to charm his way into the ski instructors heart.  It's those big brown eyes.

I also managed to get Luke being assisted in recovering from a wipe-out just as Ella heads into one.

Good Good Good Times.

Here we are on the bus heading home:  So very happily exhausted! 

I remember learning how to ski like it was yesterday and here I was watching my own children.  Scary to think time has passed that quickly but also very cool that I can give my children the same opportunity I had.  They have no idea how lucky they are.  I knew I didn't.

Now planning our next trip!

36 hour day

I need one of those today.  Having had at least one child at home with me on any given day this week due to illness or otherwise, as well as unexpected appointments and events, there is much to catch up on.  I could do what I always do, and aim to achieve the impossible, or, I can throw caution to the wind and enjoy the weekend with my family.  I choose the latter.  I love this idea of us confusing "I can't" with "I won't" and acknowledging that it is a choice.

When Eric returns with the children, we are heading over to his parents house for a family dinner before his brother deploys to Korea for a year.  Ella and Luke are excited to see their cousins again.

Tomorrow, we are off  to Copper Mountain with our neighbours for our first family ski adventure.  I couldn't ski in Japan because I was pregnant for most of the 3 years we were there, Alaska was too cold for such antics, but with Ella and Luke at the perfect age, I'm hoping Colorado will prove to be just right.  I started skiing at 7 years and have great memories of family times on the slopes. 

I hope we can create and capture some skiing memories with the second generation.

The Wedding

Finally finished the bulk of the wedding photos.  Still have the pre- and post-wedding photos to go through as well as images of the location which was impressive in itself.

 

1000+ Photos

It's quite a task to even begin this project, but I have started slowly combing through the many photos I took while in England and Scotland.  The wedding photos are getting done as those seem to be the one's people seem to be most eager about.  My sister had a photographer at her wedding but of course I couldn't resist having my camera in hand.  It was tougher than I thought working in the poor hotel lighting and not being too familiar with my flash.  Those that know my sister, know that she's not one for patience and by the time I'd got the flash set up correctly she'd had enough.  Some are technically great and some are not but they're all great memories.

Took a break this afternoon to bake a some GFDF chocolate cake with Luke and got this new "favorite" shot.  He is becoming such a character.  It is for one of my Art-Slam Diptych projects which can be found here.

Luke says about his new slippers...

"Look Mom, I wanted to decorate them for Christmas."