October was a whirlwind of activity.  Thanksgiving, marriage and Halloween were the major events that my family was involved in.  Not to mention swimming and skating lessons on the weekends.  Thanksgiving and Halloween come and go every year but the highlight of the month would most obviously have been the wedding.

On October 22, 2016 I married my best friend and person who makes my heart happy (even when he is annoying me)!  I want to dedicate this blog to all of the people who made the day such a success.  The first person who made the day possible would have to be my mom.  Without her support, the day would not have even happened!  She helped me to be organized and took care of ordering/cooking the food and beverages.  The kids were a big help in setting up the hall and carrying in supplies.

The evening would not have been possible without Kathy taking care of cooking food and looking after supper.  Many other family members and close friends also helped out in the kitchen and with bartending.  A big shout out needs to go to my Maid of Honor Lisa who helped with set-up and cleaning up the next day.

A wedding is not complete without entertainment and Stephen's brother in-law and Best Man needs to be thanked for providing us with live music!  Of course we need to thank our bridesmaids and groomsmen who did us the honor of standing up for us.  I cannot forget to mention the fabulous people who took pictures before, during and after the ceremony, especially my sister in-law Denise who also compiled the photo album.

This day would not have been possible without the support of family and friends.  Thank-you to everyone who helped out that day and made it so special for me and my family!

Thought of the day: Is it legal to name your kid "Anonymous"?

Quote of the day: We are all born for love.  It is the principle of existence, and its only end.- Benjamin Disraeli

A lot has changed since my previous Thanksgiving blog a year ago.  The biggest change is that my dad is no longer here to take part in these holidays where the focus has been on family and being together.  This is not the first holiday that has come since he passed, but for some reason is bothering me quite a bit.  That being said, Christmas is not going to be a cup of tea either.

It seems harder to focus on those things that I am thankful and grateful for when I am still so sad and angry that my dad is no longer here.  To make the holiday even worse, this happens to be a weekend that my kids spend with their father.  It seems easier to focus on the negative than it does on the positive.

Unfortunately as time passes our lives do not remain the same.  Families can grow apart, peoples lives go in opposite directions and traditions lose their importance.  These holidays where my family has been known to come together to celebrate have always meant a lot to me.  It is hard to face up to the fact of the matter that not everything can be as it was.

I am sure a lot of people can relate to how I feel.  My aim is to make the most out of the holiday as I can with those members of my family that I do get to spend time with.  There is still a lot that I know I can be thankful and grateful for, it is just going to take a bit of work on my part to focus on the good and not the bad.  If we all take a moment we should be able to come up with one blessing we have in our lives!

Thought of the day:  Why are softballs hard?

Quote of the day:  Give thanks not just on Thanksgiving Day, but every day of your life.  Appreciate and never take for granted all that you have.- Catherine Pulsifer 

No one ever said that being a parent was easy.  Yesterday was one of those days.  I was thoroughly enjoying my morning after having completed a workout and a trip to the library and was sipping my second cup of coffee when the phone rang.  I did not recognize the number and do not usually answer those unknown numbers but something made me answer this call.

It turned out to be the Vice-Principal from my children's school informing me that my son was in the office for having punched and kicked another student!  The Vice-Principal was very calm about the incident and did not lay blame on anyone, he simply wanted to inform me of what had happened.

I on the other hand was quite upset by the phone call and after giving it some thought decided I had best go to the school to talk to the Vice-Principal.  Many thoughts were running through my mind as I drove to the school the foremost one being that I must be a terrible parent for my six year old son to behave in such a manner.

Kids learn behaviours from those people around them.  My son has obviously not learned how to express his frustration and anger in appropriate ways.  Do not get me wrong, I do not beat on my children and am not abusive towards them but I will admit that I can lose my patience with them and raise my voice.

I am somewhat at a loss of how to help my son deal with his temper.  He does currently see a school counsellor who works with him and shows him strategies to help deal with his frustration.  I just want my children to be healthy, well-rounded individuals who will grow up to be successful adults in all aspects of their lives!

Thought of the day: Ever wonder what the speed of lightning would be if it didn't zigzag?

Quote of the day:  It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.- Frederick Douglass

As many know, I spent six years at the University of Lethbridge obtaining my Bachelor of Arts degree and my Bachelor of Education degree to eventually become a certified teacher.  I have experience working with students of all ages and backgrounds.  Over the last few months I have developed a newfound respect for the adult students I have had the opportunity to work with.

It takes guts and determination for these adults years removed from school to sit down at my table and attempt to relearn subjects such as math and science in order to obtain their GED (General Education Development), which is an alternative to a high school diploma, or to work on their reading and comprehension skills.

A lot of people take their education for granted.  It must take a lot of courage for these adults who did not finish or pass high school for whatever reasons to come back later in life and tackle everything from algebra to the different forms of government.  Learning or relearning skills later in life does not come easy for a lot of people.

As an instructor attempting to help these individuals learn concepts such as mitosis, I have discovered that I am learning all over again except for this time I have the tools necessary to understand and to help others understand.  If as an adult you are contemplating taking a computer course or learning a new language as examples, do not be afraid to take the plunge.  There are numerous resources available and qualified people out there willing to help.  All it takes is the desire and a positive mindset.  Having an education is important in life and it is never too late to realize that!

Thought of the day: What shape is the sky?

Quote of the day:  Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.- Nelson Mandela

Hello everybody, it has been awhile since I have put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard and plunked out a blog.  Somewhere along the way I lost the motivation and desire to keep up with my writing.  Perhaps all it comes down to  is laziness. 

When I started writing this blog I totally thought it would be easy to dream up ideas and subjects to explore and write about.  In the beginning it was that way but as time went on it became harder  and harder for me to brainstorm ideas.  Here I find myself months since my last blog kicking myself in the butt because writing is and always has been an enjoyable activity for me.  So what has been stopping me you might ask?  To be honest I think I needed.....no I did not need anything, I simply have not wanted to do it.

We all have times when we have tasks or duties we do no want to complete and writing this blog was one of those times.  Today I started thinking that instead of seeing it as a task or duty to complete I need to look at writing my blog as my way to regularly engage in some king of creative expression.  The only thing stopping me from writing this blog has been myself.  People often quit activities because they say they just do not have the time, but that is not my problem.  I have the time, I have the tools needed and I know how satisfied I feel when I hit the share button.

I also quit going to the gym for a couple of months so maybe I was going through a phase.  Why do we tend to quit those activities that we know are good for us and our overall well-being?  I know I am not the only one out there guilty of slacking off but it is certainly something to think about.

Thought of the day: How can you tell when it is time to tune your bagpipes?

Quote of the day:  Very little is needed to make a happy life; it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking. - Marcus Aurelius

Going through life without having a few regrets I say is impossible.  I regret right now that I have not kept up with my blog.  I can come up with a bunch of excuses why, but when it comes down to it I realize I have just not wanted to.

The biggest regret that I carry with me at this moment is the fact that I did not get to see my dad before he passed away.  I saw him at Christmas and that ended up being the last time I spent time with him.  When I share this regret with others they try to make me feel better by telling me that life gets busy.  Of course it does, but that does not change how I feel.

There were weekends where I could have travelled to the farm and visited with my dad but I chose to do other things instead.  One could say I had no way of knowing he was going to pass away when he did, but I always knew in the back of my mind he was not going to be around for long.

For this reason I should have made the time to spend with him.  All I can do now is make sure I spend time with family and friends, living my life the way that would make him proud.  I do not want to have any other regrets like this one because it is too hard to live with.  Some parts of life are out of our control, but how I spend my time and with whom is one part of my life that I can control.

For a list of the 25 Biggest Regrets in Life, visit www.forbes.com/sites/ericjackson/2012/10/18/the-25-biggest-regrets-in-life-what-are-yours/

Thought of the day;  Why does Sea World have a seafood restaurant?

Quote of the day:  Do not brood over your past mistakes and failures as this will only fill your mind with grief, regret and depression.  Do not repeat them in the future.- Swami Sivananda

Throughout our lives we all have different heroes.  According to www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hero , a simple definition of hero is: a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities, a person who is greatly admired, or the chief male character in a story, play, movie etc.

I never fully realized until he passed away that my dad was my hero.  No, he did not save children from a burning building or some other act often associated with heroes.  What he did do was much more than that.  He gave me the tools I needed such as a strong work ethic, family comes first, education is important types of beliefs that helped me to become the person I am today.  Of course he was always there to protect me from the monsters hiding in my closet as well!

My dad worked so hard his entire life to make sure his family had all of their needs and wants taken care of.  Even as an adult I knew I could count on my dad to help me out of a rough patch.  My dad would give you the shirt off of his back without hesitation if needed.

It is for these reasons that it was so hard to see him have to endure so much pain and suffering for so many years.  The strength and will-power that it took for him to simply survive day to day are other reasons that make my dad my hero.  The fact that he lived the way that he did for so long make me proud to call him my dad.

I only wish with all my heart that I could have told him that.  He did not deserve the last 8-10 years of his life, I only hope that he found some sense of joy and love from his family.  I love you dad, you were my superman!

Thought of the day: Father: A banker provided by nature.

Quote of the day:  A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.- Christopher Reeve

Losing a loved one is one of the hardest ordeals to endure.  It has been a month since my dad passed away and I will be honest when I say I am not dealing with my grief that well.  I have this heavy feeling weighing down on my chest that at times is unbearable.

In the past I have used writing as an avenue to alleviate the feelings that I have and am trying to do that now as I write this blog.  Everyone deals with grief in their own way, up until today I have been trying to navigate through the feelings of shock, anger, sadness, anxiousness and fear on my own.

Friends and family ask me how I am doing and my instant response is 'ok'.  I want to seem strong and in control when in actuality I want to scream at the top of my lungs that I am so sad and angry that my heart feels like it is ready to explode.  I do not want to cry in front of my kids so as not to upset them so I hold the tears in until I go to bed.  Even then I fight back the tears because I can hear my dad telling me to "stop your crying".

In my head I understand that with time the feelings I am experiencing will not be as overwhelming but it is hard to see down that road right now.  I have been leaning on a couple of close friends for support but lately have felt like I am more of a burden to them than they need to put up with.

I know I need to deal with the loss of my dad in a healthy way, but having to acknowledge the pain is almost too much to bear.  To everyone out there dealing with loss of some kind just remember that you are not alone!

Thought of the day: What is a chickpea if it is neither a chick nor a pea?

Quote of the day:   Grief starts to become indulgent, and it doesn't serve anyone, and it's painful.  But if you transform it into remembrance, than you're magnifying the person you lost and also giving something of that person to other people so they can experience something of that person.- Patti Smith

We all deal with pressure in some form on daily basis.  Getting kids ready for school, meeting appointments, dealing with work deadlines, driving down the road on a crappy winter day, all of these 'daily' situations place pressure on our physical, mental and emotional well being.  Some people thrive under pressure while others crumble.  In order to be successful in life we all must learn how to cope with pressure.

I have been feeling pressured for awhile now from a couple of external sources.  I am fairly certain these people who are placing this 'pressure' on me do not know they are doing it, but alas it is how I have been perceiving it.  The simplest course of action would be to sit down and have a conversation with these people to let them know that is how I am feeling, but I am afraid I will only hurt them in the process.

Instead of telling them how I feel I have been attempting to deal with the 'pressure' in my own way.  Going for a walk, going to the gym, writing this blog, reading a book, playing with my kids, sharing my worries with a friend, have all been methods I have experimented with.  Unfortunately the feeling of being pressured is still there.

I cannot control how these individuals feel or what they say to me so I am trying to focus on how I react to them and what my feelings are because in the end it is really what I want for myself that matters.  How do you respond to pressure in your own life?

Thought of the day: What is a refried bean?  Why do they have to fry it twice?

Quote of the day:  When we long for life without difficulties, remind us that oaks grow strong in contrary winds and diamonds are made under pressure.- Peter Marshall

I realize it has been a month since I have sat down and written a blog.  I really do not have a good excuse for it.  I could blame how busy the Christmas holidays were, having sick kids and being sick myself, but these are pretty lame reasons.  What really happened was that I lost my motivation!  That and I started to read the Game of Thrones book series and became caught up in in the fantasy world of King's Landing, Winterfell and the Wall.

Last night at work I was given inspiration to write this blog thanks to a student asking me a simple question.  He was working on a homework assignment for his English class.  The assignment he had involved completing journal entries for a novel they are reading.  One of the entries had to do with having dreams and aspirations.  He must have been trying to brainstorm ideas because he asked me what my dreams are?

I was completely caught off guard by the question and actually drew a blank!  All I could come up with at the time was that I would like to do some travelling.  I honestly could not think of anything else.  If he had asked me the same question back when I was in University I would have had numerous answers such as: obtain a job, get married, have kids, own a house etc. 

Now that I have achieved those dreams I have never really thought about dreams for myself.  I have dreams as a parent for my children and short-term goals for myself like losing some weight and paying off credit card debt, but I have never really thought about any 'dreams'.  Do we lose those dreams and aspirations we had as kids because we mature and grow older or am I at a point in life where my dreams are simply to enjoy life and be happy?  What are your dreams?

Thought of the day: Do Lipton employees take coffee breaks?

Quote of the day:  You have to dream before your dreams can come true.  A.P.J. Kalam