Let's chat...

Well, really, let me chat. It's virtually impossible for us to have a two-way conversation on my blog, but I figured I'd enlighten you to everything that has been going on in our lives lately. Besides the obvious - bald head - there have been other thing going on here. But, let's talk about the baldness first. I know that this may seem strange, but shaving my head has been a bit empowering. The first day I did it, I was proud of myself for having gone through with it. I didn't really think about how it affected me - it's just hair, right? Well, that changed the next morning. I woke up, went to the bathroom and caught a glimpse of this stranger in the mirror. It changed the way I look - I no longer look like my mom but now I bare a striking resemblance to my dad. How weird is that? The complete change of looks. It seems very strange to me. What also seems strange to me is the way I feel, as if I have a new start, new possibilities, etc. So, in light of that, I've decided to make a pictorial diary for the next year. So last week was week 1. As we go through the year, I hope to discover more about myself - not just me as a wife and mother, but me. Who knows what changes I'll discover or what truths about myself. I hope you don't mind, but you are all going to be along for the ride! LOL

OK, lets move off the hair topic and on to the wonderful time we had when my dad came up to visit. I know we didn't talk as much as we usually do when he comes up, and we didn't get to go many places as we usually would, but I can't tell you how much it meant to me, let alone the boys, to have him up here. To see him, spend time with him and watch him spend time with the boys! They loved having grandpa here, and their favorite thing was having Grandpa "pull" them on the swings. Everyday we hear, "pull us like grandpa did" - it's just not the same without him here now, even Nicho ("adopted" son and the boys best friend and Grandpa's third grandson in Canada! LOL) feels it - he asks every time we see him when Grandpa Ralph is coming back. We miss you daddy! Come back soon!!!

So, the boys have both joined a T-ball team and as of yesterday, I am now the assistant coach! Stop laughing right now, Linda - and yes, I know you are. LOL Liam has become amazingly good at batting and fielding the ball, when he gets the chance. We have a couple of boys on the team that are bigger and older, and a little better coordinated and they like to get the ball...every time. Liam has handled it very well and really looks forward to his T-ball nights. Then there is Conor. He's more interested in digging in the dirt and picking dandelions, but hey - it's getting him out there and he's getting pretty good at batting himself. Most nights he's pretty tired and fussy so we let him do what he decides he will - he's a bit young, but if you'd seen the fit he through the first time we went and he wasn't on the team. Holy cow! So, twice a week, from 6 - 6:45 I am a "T-Ball mom". What fun!

I have also branched out - 2 nights a week I'm now taking a photography class. It's been so much fun and I'm actually learning how to use the beautiful camera Glenn bought me last year! LOL So, you know you can count on seeing some pictures from me in the future! Hopefully some new and improved pictures!

On the really, really personal side, please keep me in your thoughts and prayers. I've been having a lot of "female" problems, lots of pain and other things going on. I am "scheduled" to go for a laproscopic procedure sometime in the next 2 months to see (hopefully) what is wrong and how to treat it. There is a chance that it could be something that is not treatable, which means I'll be facing this pain basically forever, which I just don't think I know how to handle. So, a few prayers would really help!

Oh yes...and then there's this: (Please knock on wood and cross your fingers before reading the rest) Liam is potty trained! Yay! This is seriously cause for HUGE celebration! We've tried so long and nothing worked, so I was talking to a friend (thank you, Luanna!) who was telling me about a friend that had been as fed up as me and decided to just suck it up and put their child in underwear and deal with things as they came. Well, we did it and within the first 24 hours we had gone through almost all of the underwear and shorts Liam has, but the next day we only had 2 accidents. And the day after that we only had 1. It's been over a week now and he has an occasional mishap, but overall, he's got it down! WAHOO! Now he can go to preschool in the fall and, with any luck, it will rub off on Conor!

Other than that, life is good. It's been really hot up here - in the high 80's and 90's. We've even had a couple of Thunderstorms! Yay! Those are really rare up here and something I love! We are planning our vacation - going to Edmonton for Klondike days and some fun in the big city! The boys are really looking forward to it - Chuckee Cheese, the Zoo, the Waterpark and, best of all (according to Conor), we get to stay in a hotel. LOL The kid is hooked on hotels ever since our trip last year - he even asks if we can stay at one of the local ones here, "Just for tonight". LOL I just love my funny little dudes!

Of course I have tons of pictures to share, from dad being here, T-Ball and general backyard play, but you'll have to come back to see that! It's too late to dig them all out tonight!

Love and (((HUGS))) to everyone - I hope you are all doing well!