Maui 2016

Ahhh Hawaii! How I longed to return after experiencing the warm tropical breezes and soft white sand of Oahu back in 2014. Truth-be-told, Brandon actually had the idea to go to Hawaii once he found out our trip to Turks and Caicos was cancelled. I was worried he was going to be disappointed but the first words out of his mouth were "oh does this mean we could go to Hawaii instead?" Clever boy! He knows my weakness for tropical vacations so my mind immediately began to formulate a plan that could get us to one of Hawaii's most popular islands - Maui.
I began by setting a budget and putting my internet search skills to the test. I found us a one bedroom condo at the Westin Kaanapli Beach Villas for one week and then a 2 bedroom condo at the Ekolu Village in Wailea for our first 3 nights. I transferred the Turks and Caicos flights to Maui and voila! Just like that we were booked for 10 nights (Oct 26th to Nov 5th) in paradise!
On the morning of Oct 26th we got up early and caught a cab to the airport. We had a quick connection in Vancouver and, after a very long flight, we arrived around 2:30pm Maui time. The first item on the to-do list was to pick up the rental car. What a joke! We waited in line over two hours to get our car. The only good thing was I had reserved us a small car - like a Nissan Sentra but by the time the car rental company finally got to us, they had no small cars left. The had to give us a small SUV for the same price so at least that worked out.
After the car we were off to get groceries. As it turns out, Safeway in Maui is exactly like it is here - only they sell booze in-store and for considerably less than what we pay at home. Fast forward one hour and we were on our way to Wailea. It only took 30 minutes our so to get to Wailea and find our condo. As a high-end golf community, Wailea is easy to love. To me, it didn't even look real. Everything was so green and perfectly manicured. Our condo was easy to locate and was quite large. It had two bedrooms and two bathrooms. At first I was disappointed with how dated it was (think early 90's) but after I stepped out onto the lanai and saw the view, I was in love! I had requested ocean view and the Ekolu delivered. Our condo sat on the 11th fairway and had a 180 degree view of the water. It was truly outstanding.

We spent the next three days enjoying Wailea. They had a high-end outdoor mall called "The Shops at Wailea" and we visited there a few times. We used the car to visit different beaches with our favioute being Makena Beach (or "Big Beach"). Another lovely beach was called Wailea Beach and we shared that with the well-to-do crowd at The Four Seasons. One day we spent in nearby Kihei to visit Kamaole Beach and dine on fish tacos by the ocean.

Our time in Wailea seemed way too short but after three days we packed up the car and headed North to the area known as Kaanapali. Little did we know, the best was yet to come.
Just like every other Westin I've ever visited, the Westin Kaanapli had beautiful grounds, wonderful service and perfect accommodations. When we arrived at the Westin we learned we were upgraded to an oceanfront condo. Wow! Our room was just mere steps to the beach and we enjoyed beautiful Maui sunsets every night from the lanai.
It didn't take us long to settle into our new condo. Every morning we'd head to the beach to play in the waves, snorkel and build sandcastles. At noon we'd return to the condo for lunch and a little rest. After that we'd make our way to one of the two huge pools and lounge the afternoon away.

About half way through the week we discovered the Westin never closed the pools or hot tubs so we also started swimming in the pools at night by the lights of the tiki torches. We would float on our backs, look at the stars and listen to the live music that played at the poolside bar (one of my favourite memories).
Before going to Maui we had discussed doing all kinds of activities. Once we got there, however, we never really got up to much. Jamie and Brandon went jet skiing, we all visited the Maui Ocean Center, I enjoyed a morning at the spa (my birthday present!), we had our photos taken on the beach and that's kind of it. We did try to visit a beach known for having turtles but once we got there the surf was huge and Brandon had forgotten his bathing suit so that was that. We also ventured out one night to eat some of the best sushi of our lives. A little hole-in-the-wall spot called "Miso Phat Sushi" served fresh fish daily off their boat. The sushi and service made up for the lack of ambiance but that bill sure hit the wallet hard. Ah well when in Maui . . .

One of the highlights of our trip was the Halloween parade in Lahina. We used the hotel shuttle to get us to the town where hundreds of people in costume lined the main street to watch the high school band and town mayor go by. After that, the "keiki's" were invited to parade down the street and collect candy from bystanders and shop owners. It was fantastic! The people of Maui really enjoy Halloween and I couldn't believe how much candy Brandon collected. I think this event will stand out forever as the only time we were ever warm while trick or treating on Halloween day.

Ten days in paradise went by really fast and before we knew it, we were back on the plane to spend a night in Vancouver before going home. I really loved Hawaii back in 2014 and, on this trip, I fell in love all over again. It is such a beautiful place with a laid-back vibe. No one is in a hurry there, no one seems stressed  or even like they have a care in the world. The weather was perfect every day and the beach was never more than a few minutes away.

Now I have more happy memories of a wonderful family vacation. May we have many more to come!

On Turning 40

Well this is it . . . the big milestone birthday has arrived. I am now 40. Over the hill. One foot in the grave. The new 30. However I choose to look at it, there's no denying the fact that my youth is officially behind me. It's not that I have any trouble with the number 40, it has more to do with reflection and determining if I'm "in a good place" with my 40 year old self. Humpf! what a loaded question that has turned out to be. My younger self figured by the time I reached my 40's I would be sophisticated, professional, financially secure,  confident, and basically an altogether outstanding person who had all the answers. But I didn't wake up on Oct 25/16 and magically know everything so here I am, at the proverbial crossroads of mid-life, asking myself "what now?"
Time to take stock. It's hard to know where you want to go if you don't know where you've been. A quick look back reminds me I come from a very good place. A loving middle class family that always supported my opportunities for growth and challenge. I rode horses, drove a car, received my college diploma and university degree. I traveled to the USA, Europe and Mexico and basically lived a very privileged life. Either by virtue of nature or nurture, I knew from a young age I wanted to have a career in business, own a house and have a family. So from the ages 20 to 40, that is exactly what I spent my time, energy and money on. How did I do?
1. Marriage - I married a wonderful man. He supports me in all ways imaginable. Our marriage is not perfect and it's hard work but we are both committed and I can't see myself growing old with anyone else. In fact, I don't want to.
2. Family - Kids are tough. Every day I'm surprised by how much this parenthood gig challenges me. Am I doing a good job? I don't know but at least I try. The one thing I do know is there is nothing I love more in this world than my child. Being a Mom is truly life's greatest gift.
3. Career - I work in a very dynamic and interesting industry. Every day I'm surrounded by high functioning, critical-thinking people. My day-to-day work isn't always exciting but I know I work for a good company and a good boss in an environment that is well suited for me.
4. House - We own a beautiful house in a great location. I love the house but it comes with a price tag. Lately I've been thinking it's time to get serious about owning the house and not just "renting" it from the bank.
So life's bumps aside, I've done really well for myself. Yet here I am, on the other side of 40 and I feel lost. I've done everything I set out to do and now I'm not sure what the next steps are for my life.
I recently sat down with a very good friend and shared with her my feelings of uncertainty.  Luckily for me, my friend is very wise and she said "well now you need to plan the next 40 years of your life. What does retirement look like? How are you going to get there? Do you want a second degree? Do you want to start your own business? Think about what's important to you and get started on it".
Retirement. Of course! Jamie and I would like to retire at the age of 55 but we've never really discussed what that looks like for us. We've been saving since around the age 30 but I see it's time to get more serious about this. We'd both like to live by the water, spend time with friends and afford some travel if it suits us. And of course we want to be healthy as we move into the second half of life so we also need to reconsider our eating and exercise habits.
So 40, for me, is about putting into practice what I've learned so far. Set goals, make a plan and live life to the fullest because tomorrow is no guarantee. Spend time with friends and family, be curious and explore, eat only good things, simplify, optimize, be brave.
I thought about all of this as I relaxed after my spa treatment in Maui. It was my husband's 40th birthday present to me. As thoughts, plans and memories washed over me, I developed a mantra that I hope sees me live my 40's with grace and grateful acceptance:

                                                     Breathe. Relax. Let go.

Summer 2016

It was only a week ago today that I gently shook Brandon awake and told him to get up and get ready for school. It was the first day of Grade 1. Wow! just like that summer was over and we were back to our regular routine. So before I fall too far down the rabbit hole of school events, play dates, birthday parties and after-school activities, I'd like to reflect back on the summer fun we just had.
Kindergarten ended with so many events and activities that the following week I took off to spend with B felt slow and quiet in comparison. We still managed to have some fun - we went to the zoo, we went swimming and went to Tommy K Play. None of our little friends were around to join us but we made the most of it.
Soon B was off to his first of many summer camps. He only did about two weeks of camp and attended the Stampede, before flying to New Brunswick with this dad for nine days. While I marveled at the calm and cleanliness of my home, the boys were busy riding quads, swimming at the beach, sitting by evening fires, feasting on lobster and visiting family and friends. They stayed with Jamie's sister and Brandon loved hanging out with his older cousin Julien. I guess they would play from dusk til dawn. They would ride bikes or jump in the pool whenever they weren't on the road going somewhere. I'm happy for B - I think he had a really wonderful holiday spending time on the East coast with family.

Jamie and Brandon were only back a few days when we packed our bags and headed to Invermere for the August long weekend. Our friends had been gracious enough to lone us their cabin for four days. It was so nice! The weather was hot and the view off their deck was perfect. We spent many hours hanging out at the beach by the lake but we also enjoyed going to town to grab some food. We even had the pleasant surprise of seeing my brother and his family as they passed through Invermere on their way home from an Alberta road trip. On a day that was a bit cooler than the others, we went to the Fairmont Hot Springs. It was busy but the facility was beautiful and had a lovely view from the mountainside. It was here Brandon first tried the diving board. With barely a hesitation he hopped off the 3 foot board like he'd been doing it his whole life. After about five tries he decided he wanted to go off the 9 foot diving board. I personally didn't think he'd do it but if he had any fear up there, he didn't show it. He looked down for maybe 5 seconds and then jumped off. People in the hot tub beside me started cheering for him saying "way to go" and "good job kid". He tried the high board another four or five times before deciding that was enough. I have a feeling our time at the pool will never be the same again :-)

August was a busy month with Brandon attending both a YMCA swim camp and a U of C adventure camp. In the evenings we'd go to Confederation Park where he'd practice riding his new mountain bike. On the weekends we did our best to connect with friends over play dates, wine and bbq's. On August 21st my mom flew down to pick up Brandon. She was taking him back to Victoria to have some fun before my dad's big 70th birthday party and family reunion. Jamie and I had a few days to ourselves before we too jumped on a plane to meet up with the rest of the family.
For three days we partied like it was 1999! The first night was Dad's party held at his house. About 30 or 35 adult family and friends came out to celebrate. Mostly we just mingled and ate until about 7pm. From there  songs were preformed (written for Dad), a roast given, some speeches made and then we wrapped it up with dancing on the deck.

The next day we enjoyed a family bbq in my brother's back yard. All the cousins, aunts and uncles turned up to fest on burgers and cake. My brother and I hired a photographer to take family pictures but other-than-that it was a pretty casual affair.
On Sunday night we met up with a smaller group of family at the Bear Mountain Golf Resort. Dad treated us to a buffet dinner that was quite wonderful and it was nice to spend some quiet time with the smaller group. Early the next morning, Jamie headed home while B and I stayed around for a few more days. We went swimming, shopping, out for lunch, to the movies and all around just relaxed before making our way back to home for the long weekend.
So that was summer. Just as I predicted it would, it went by really fast. I don't know about Brandon but I'm looking forward to Fall. I love Thanksgiving, family birthdays and Halloween. This year though - I can't wait for Hawaii. Bring on the palm trees and soft white sand. Summer may be done but I'm not ready for long hot sunny days to be over just yet!

Kindergarten Come and Gone

Today is the last day of Kindergarten. Brandon and I have been talking about it all week - the fun and exciting activities the kids do to mark the end of the school year. Yesterday was "Beach Day" and today is "Sports Day". Last week Brandon got a tour of the Grade 1 classroom and came home to announce "Mommy, there are no toys in the big kid classroom". He seemed disappointed but excited at the same time.
With all the activity going on, I didn't stop to think about the emotional impact this might have on me. In fact I was quite surprised by it this morning as I dropped him off to Kindergarten for the last time. I was struck by how fast this year seemed to go. Had I somehow missed a year of my kids' life? I thought back to the Halloween Dance (fun!) and the Christmas Market (Marche) we had missed. I thought about picture day, school field trips, hanging out with the other parents at the playground and parent-teacher meetings. I reflected on the first day of school and remembered it with crystal clear clarity, like it only happened yesterday.
That's when I realized it had been a great school year. Brandon loved his teacher - Mme Laura - and I liked her very much. At our last meeting she told Jamie and I how Brandon was flourishing at school. He was engaged in learning activities, strong in Science and Math, a classroom leader, popular with his classmates and even strong in French. We were so proud of him and happy in our decision to hold him back for a year.
I also liked the school and the principal. There was a strong feeling of community, a commitment to learning and respect for others. The school itself is large with nice facilities and a great playground. I also enjoyed how close it is to our house. Though my mornings were often trying with attempts to get Brandon out-the-door and on time, I did enjoy walking to school with him.
So just like that, summer is here and school it out. I'm taking next week off to hang out with Brandon and after that he'll start summer camps at Summit Kids. He's really looking forward to his trip to New Brunswick and then later his trip to Victoria. I'm sure he'll find, just like I did, summer goes by way too fast. Here's hoping we catch a moment or two to live in the present, enjoy the sun, eat some ice cream and marvel at this beautiful life.

Kittens!

Even while we still had Finch and Kazi in our lives, I made the announcement they would be our last cats. I loved them dearly, of course, but the constant cat hair, mad dashes to pick up forgotten cat food and regular litter box cleanings had left me feeling like I needed a break.
Turns out I made a false announcement.
In the days and weeks that passed since Finch's death, I found I couldn't stop missing him. I thought about him often and selfishly wondered why I had to sit on the couch alone to watch TV. When I was on my bed reading a book, I thought about the fuzzy friend that would keep my legs warm. In the mornings when I got up, there was only silence down the hallway outside my door. I guess at some point I should have realized it would only be a matter of time before we brought another pet home.
And so it happened one day I was spending way too much time on Facebook and discovered some pictures of my friend playing with kittens. God they were cute! She happened to mention that 3 of the 5 were still available and from there, well the rest is history.
Brandon went with me to pick them out. Originally I was only going to get one but either reason or stupidity prevailed and so we chose two.They looked like twins. Little, fluffy Ragdoll brothers. They wouldn't sit still long enough for a decent photo but I'll never forget how they looked the first time I saw them. Aside from my son as a baby, they were probably the cutest things I'd ever seen.
We brought them home when they were nine weeks old. We've had them for almost five weeks now and they are slowly destroying my house.
As a family, we couldn't agree on names so one is called "Enzo" and the other is called "Milo" or "Max" - depending on who is talking to him. Though similar in looks, I can easily tell them apart. Enzo is the more reserved of the two and he's also the boss. His coat is soft and sleek and his sweet blue eyes give away that he's scheming something. He's the one always trying to figure a way to jump onto the kitchen table or counter tops. He enjoys curling up with me for a nap and he's very tolerant of Brandon, who is forever trying to hold or hug the two of them.
Milo is the one who's stolen my heart. He purs mightily every time he sees me. He has a soft fluffy coat and I swear he could be a model kitten for toilet paper. He's very playful and enjoys curling up with anyone who's got a free lap available. He's got beautiful blue eyes and his heart is as soft as his coat.
So I have cats again (actually worse - kittens) and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I love the new additions but I wish they came with good manners. Like any other baby, they are a lot of work. I am impressed, however, with how much Brandon adores them. He seeks them out constantly, talks about them all the time and plays with them regularly. They are very good with him and I'm surprised with how little pain they've inflicted on him so far. Maybe in the end these two will not be a replacement of my Finch but rather best friends and companions for B.

My Sweetest Friend

Really, you were always my cat. I guess technically speaking, you were actually Kazi's cat but there were times when you stuck to me like glue and I called you "my best buddy".
When we first got Kazi she was a little crazy. After a couple of months we decided we should try and get her a friend so that she might calm down a bit. I saw your picture on the "Meow Foundation" website and you seemed like the perfect companion. Your profile said you were about 6 months old and that you had been found as a feral cat living in a barn with your siblings. Jamie and I arranged to meet you at the foster home you were staying at. You were painfully shy but you had beautiful large green eyes that caught my attention. We agreed to try a trial period in our home and your foster mom dropped you off the next day.
You were so scared in our house at Rocky Ridge. You never did like change and so you hid in a corner and cried for a few days. Kazi was intrigued by you and your first meeting went well. It was Kazi who slowly brought you out of your shell and soon after you began to adjust to the cozy life. You absolutely loved to lie on comfy beds and comfy couches. You adored Kazi and you loved me. You were a very vocal cat and you would talk to me on a regular basis. You would welcome me first thing in the morning - as if you had missed me in the night. When I came home from work in the evenings you would rush to the door and demand a quick pet. You never missed an opportunity to jump up onto the bed or the couch whenever I found my way there to relax. You loved rolling in fresh laundry and you always greeted people when they came to the house (mostly because you were nosey I think). At night you would join me on Brandon's bed whenever we read a bedtime story. You liked to sleep with Brandon but he kicked you out of his room when he discovered you had vomited on his bed one night. He couldn't quite forgive you for doing that ;-) You enjoyed going outside to catch a breath of fresh air and give the neighbourhood a quick patrol. You were always very street smart and you were never gone very long. You loved your family and your comfy beds to be away from either for too long.
So it was on the evening of Feb 17th when I knew something was very wrong. You didn't come scratching on the door after having been outside for about an hour. I had Jamie go looking for you around 9:00pm but he couldn't find you. It was very dark. We listened all night for your return but there was nothing. In the morning Jamie looked for you again and when I got home from work I walked the neighbourhood, calling for you. My best guess was that you had been hit by a car and were hiding under someone's front porch or deck. I figured you were probably injured and I put out an ad asking people to watch for you.
On the morning of Feb 19th Jamie found you in the bushes in our front yard. He brought you inside and it seemed your back was broken. You couldn't stand up so you must have crawled your way back home.  You cried from time to time but you were comforted by my pets and my voice.
We took you immediately to the emergency vet clinic. They ran x-rays to confirm your back was indeed broken. They guessed that perhaps you had fallen from a tree or a fence and the break was at your lower back, close to your tail. Your injuries were too severe to suggest a successfully recovery and so we filled the paperwork to have you euthanized.
Jamie and Brandon said their good-byes and then I carried you to a quiet, lovely room and placed you on a soft table. You were scared because you hated being at a vet's office but I told you how much we loved you and gave you kisses. I asked you if you wanted to see Kazi again because I knew how much you missed her. I told you to tell her we loved her too. You calmed down and the vet came in. She was very kind and told me how you would fall asleep and then she would give you a final injection to stop your heart. She let me know it would happen quickly. I knew you were ready so I told her to proceed. I stroked you and wished you sweet dreams. My last last words to you were "I'll see you again buddy. I love you".
I'm so grateful you made your way home to us. I'm so thankful I could say good-bye to you. I'm so blessed that I got to spend more than 11 years with you. I'll miss you always my friend. xo

Finch Fontaine June 2004 - Feb 2016

Brandon coloured the above picture for Finch while we were at the vet clinic. He showed it to Finch as he said his good-byes.

Christmas 2015

When it comes to the holidays I think sometimes you win some and sometimes you lose some.
We arrived home from Mexico on Dec 2nd. On Dec 5th we attended the Shaw Family Christmas party. We got there around 10:00am and the venue was great! They had face-painting, cookie decorating, a craft station, a balloon character station, snacks, video games, bouncy castles and visits with Santa. Brandon seemed to be enjoying himself but after 30 minutes he started to complain of a headache. After only one hour he said he wanted to go home. Admittedly he didn't look well and his forehead felt warm to the touch. We decided to take him home and let him chill out. For the rest of the week, Brandon struggled to get well. He seemed to be fighting a nasty cold - just like every other kid in his Kindergarten class.
On Friday Dec 11th we attended his Summit Kids Christmas concert. OMG it was so cute! Brandon and his classmates sang "Up On the Rooftop" and "Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes" once in English and once in Mandarin. After singing they preformed a dance to a Shikira song. It was really cute stuff. Brandon was a pretty good performer all-in-all. He claims he likes to play outside more than he likes "being on stage" but he said he didn't feel shy or nervous about it.

The next day Brandon seemed to be getting better - like he was beating his cold - but on Sunday he was really sick. He was running a fever and feeling terrible. We kept him home from school on Monday and Tuesday. On Wednesday we tried to send him to school but I got a call in the early afternoon that he was running a fever. I ran to pick him up and we kept him home again on Thursday and Friday. This was Brandon's last week of school before the Christmas break and he ended up missing all the fun. I felt so bad for him. Every day he would run a temperature at about 3pm. He ate almost no food and was very lethargic. He spent his days huddling under  a blanket on the couch.

As Christmas approached I started getting more worried. I kept calling the HealthLink for advise but they said unless he was vomitting, we probably didn't need to take him in. On Dec 21st I finally did get him in to see the doctor. He was given a very thorough exam but in the end they just didn't know what was wrong with him. They ordered blood tests and sent us home with instructions to keep him warm and hydrated.
The first attempt to get blood was at a regular clinic. They couldn't find his vein and traumatized him (probably for life) with needles. Jamie ended up taking him to the Children's Hospital on Christmas Eve where they had success drawing blood. Brandon wasn't impressed but he did get a small Lego set and that helped things a lot.
Brandon was very excited for Christmas morning and he got us up to start the day around 6am. He was very pleased to see Santa had left him a remote control Monster Truck and an Arctic Lego helicopter set. Under the tree he found some awesome presents like a Lego watch, a light sabre, books, Lego, PJs and chocolate. Our morning was really fun and he even tried to eat a tasty breakfast with us.

Around 5pm we started to make our way to the Rawlyck's for Christmas dinner. As usual the house looked lovely and all the Rawlyck family members were there. Brandon tried to eat some dinner but was feeling quite poorly by then. Unfortunately we had to leave early to take our little man home. Once there we discovered Jamie's mom and sister had arrived. They had driven all day from Winnipeg and had made it safe and sound. We spent a couple of hours catching up with them before finally turning in for the night.
The rest of the holidays saw Brandon slowly getting better. The blood results came back showing he had a "raging infection" but there was nothing to be done about it expect rest and fluids.
So that was Christmas for 2015. I would describe it as kind of quiet. Given Brandon's illness we didn't go out sledding or even to Confederation Park to see the lights. We didn't go to the King George "Grand Marche" festival and Brandon wouldn't even watch "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas" with me. Did he at least believe in Santa Claus this year? For me that's hard to say. He certainly asked a lot of questions like "how does Santa eat all of those cookies?" or "how does Santa visit all the kids all over the world in one night?" Jamie thinks he'll let us know when he no longer believes but I'm not so sure. Brandon is too smart to reveal if he knows the jig is up. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't risk losing out on all the "Santa presents" just to let us know the truth. He's crafty like that ;-)