Celebrate the True Meaning

This year, I have thought a lot about Christmas and what it means to me. Amidst all of the distraction it sadly appears that somewhere along the way, the real meaning can become very vague and lost among the constant pressure, materialization and stressors that seem to always find their way into everyones path this time of year. This year, I have realized a lot about the fragility of time, of life, of everything. Truly, Christmas is a very special time. However, Christmas should not be the only time of year reserved for reaching out to others, making others feel appreciated, loved and celebrated. This should be part of everyday, because it is never known when that day will be our last. A girl whom I grew up with since kindergarten tragically passed away on Monday, December 14th, 2009. She leaves behind a husband, two very young children, as well as her parents, siblings, and many other family members. It is so extremely hard to put this sudden loss into any type of understanding, really. Tonight was her prayer service and probably one of the most difficult ones I have ever attended, for many many reasons. It just really got me thinking. So this year, Christmas is definitely a time for me to celebrate all of the love and connection that surrounds my world. Sure, it is about presents too...but not the kind you buy and wrap. Now, it is going to be about being "present", being there for others, making everyone know how much they mean to me and my life and how grateful I am to be a part of theirs. How I look forward to celebrating a new year consciously aware of these connections. Above all, take the time to tell those how much they mean to you. I can almost guarantee that is going to be one of THE greatest and most memorable gifts they will ever remember recieving. The time to BE and CELEBRATE is NOW. Not on a certain day, set aside that we will aspire to. It is NOW and HERE. Wishing everyone a very happy and memorable holiday season. xo

Celebrate Life Now

Nothing has captured my heart more than this video I found a few weeks ago. It is truly something everyone needs to watch. I hope anyone who can spare the extra 3 minutes will appreciate and hear the message of this video. It is truly the time NOW, to celebrate and be grateful for this life. Not tomorrow, not in a year, not in a few months or a few weeks...but NOW. So enjoy and savor every moment and minute of life, be it good or bad. Because it is still LIFE, and it is here. And you are ALIVE. Celebrate it, don't be afraid. Be true to you. (Just a note, before clicking on the video be sure to stop the music on the sidebar. Thanks and I hope you enjoy!)

It's That Time Again...

With Christmas only weeks away, the days have been busy with preparation. Amidst the freezing cold temperatures, Matt and I braved a trip to Edmonton this weekend to complete our Christmas lists and get our shopping done. It was a jam-packed day however we had such a great time and were busy from morning to night.:) Even though I am not a true fan of shopping any time of the year, I actually really enjoyed hunting around for gifts for those on our lists. It really was fun, and I hope that they all love what we have found for them all this year. I will admit, some of my finds I really wanted for myself...but I stayed in control and reminded myself, that it is truly better to give than to recieve...right??? ;) As overwhelming of a time the holiday season can be, it is always so important to stay grounded and focused on what truly matters this time of year. Maybe that is why at times I can feel so conflicted about the whole shopping and "materialism" of this time of year. I found a very beautiful verse that to me truly represents the spirit of the season and an awesome reminder of why this time of year is truly magical in every sense. What is Christmas? It is tenderness for the past, courage for the present, and hope for the future. It is a fervent wish that every cup may overlow with blessings rich and external, and that every path may lead to peace. Agness M. Pharo And now...just some cute photos I had a chance to capture this VERY cold weekend. Usually our dog is always wanting to spend her time outside, however she was a spoiled one this weekend as temperatures dipped well below -45 degrees celcius. She had a sleepover inside our house this weekend and I do not think she minded one bit. ;) And there is truly nothing better than spending a little quality time with her and her unconditional love. It is recognizing the little moments that make life happy, filling your soul with nothing but comfort and enjoying the ordinary everyday. It truly is the greatest.

My Heart is Full

Right now, my heart is full. Full of excitement, gratitude, worry, a little fear, anxiousness...the list goes on. Luckily this weekend I had a bit of time to reconnect back to a place where I can just relax, enjoy, and be in the moment. Ahhh...scrapbooking. Can anyone else relate? I actually have not had a chance for some time now to just play around, as stuff was packed away, and then unpacked...and then time...to find that was another issue! However, I could definitly tell that I needed some time to just get back to doing what I love. It is amazing how awesome it can make you feel when you just take a little moment to do what you love. It really felt great. So here is what I came up with. A layout documenting a time, where Matt and I had officially jumped with both feet in, turned our next page and began the next phase of our journey. I remember this moment exactly. How I was feeling, how we were feeling together...the way our old house had started to look as bits and pieces had begun their way back into boxes. What made our home, home was now slowly being packed away. Even though it seems like ages ago, it really has only been over a month. Sometimes I look at where I was in September and where I am now in December, and it literally boggles my mind. So many things have changed. It is so overwhelming. But of course, all in a good way. I am trusting in that. I have also been thinking alot about gratitude. How important it is to be grateful and recognize all of the amazing things one is blessed with. I have always wanted a place to jot down thoughts, clippings, photos etc. and the other day I decided to make myself a little Gratitude scrapbook/journal. And thanks to House of 3, and their awesome Gratitude printables, this is what I was able to come up with. I have already started placing some of my favorite quotes, phrases, emails etc. in it along with some photos and it is really turning out to be the cutest little book. This will definitly be an ongoing project, a place where I can continually add things here and there, but I like the fact of always having a "home" for things in my life that I want to recognize, document and celebrate.

Baby Love

Today I fell in love. One of my best friends gave birth to the most beautiful little girl in the world just a few days ago. And I was trusted with the task of taking the first official baby photos of her. Honestly, I could not be happier with the moments I captured, and I truly hope that both mom and dad love them as well. Their daughter is truly a blessing from above and these photos literally take my breath away. Congratulations to you both, Jodi and Chris. Welcome to the world Mya Maddison.

I Wish You Enough

I Wish You Enough I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess I wish you enough. ~Bob Perks~

Perfect Timing

This beautiful family and I have been in attempts for quite some time now to get together for a mini family photo shoot. All I can say after today's shoot, was talk about perfect timing. The day turned out beautiful, and I have never seen such awesome and cooperative children in all my life. They were wonderful and made my job easier than ever. I really hope this family loves the moments I was able to capture of them. I think they turned out beautiful, and the snow we got yesterday was definitly the perfect added touch!

Hananna-Bananas Hand Made Creations

I just wanted to quickly give a little "shout-out" to my best friend Hannan, and her brand new blog she has created displaying all of her hand made knit creations. Please check it out! Hananna-Bananas Her stuff is beautiful and would definitly make the most perfect gift for someone on your Christmas list. There is just something extra special about something that is hand made. Best of luck to you Hannan on your new adventure. I am so happy and thrilled you are wanting to share your talents with us all.:)

I Pinch Myself...

It has quickly become a new tradition, that each morning when I wake up, I pinch myself. Waking up in our new house everyday has been the greatest gift I could have ever hoped for. I never thought I could have found the perfect home. But it's true, Matt and I lucked out in more ways than we can even begin to imagine. This is now our home. And we LOVE it. We are eternally grateful and so overwhelmed by how much has changed in a little over a month. We are also so lucky that for the most part, the whole process went pretty smooth, including the move. So many of our friends and family worked so hard that day to help us out in so many ways. We are so blessed to know such amazing people that are so willing to help out. Thank you so much to everyone that was a part of our new journey and beginning. We love you. In other amazing news today, one of my best friends had her first baby last night. Congratulations Jodi and Chris and welcome to the world Mya! I cannot wait to meet you. It was only a couple of weeks ago, that this picture was taken at Jodi's baby shower. How time flies! Back to the homefront, most of everything has been unpacked and set up. Still a few rooms to tackle in the basement, along with my scrapbook room. Hopefully this weekend everything will come together. Getting this completed is definitly high a-top my priority "to-do" list. We'll see how much get's done...fingers crossed! :)

Every Once in A While

Every once in a while, it seems, at just the perfect moment, and the perfect time, I come across little signs here and there that always put back that little reassurance I sometimes feel I have lost along the way. Today that sign was this quote. I could not have needed it at a better time. “Life is a series of experiences, each one of which makes us bigger, even though it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and griefs which we endure help us in our marching onward.” ~Henry Ford~

Still Here...

Well it has been a HUGE whirlwind for us since the beginning of the month. Seriously, looking at my November calendar I am in awe. It is already the 9th??? Crazy, I know. We are finally settling in to our beautiful new house. I am still pinching myself about the whole entire process. Moving is definitly no easy task, but we were so blessed to have such amazing friends and family help us out along the way. We could not be more grateful for all their help and time. Our place is truly starting to begin to feel like HOME. Still in the process of having things hooked up and transferred over so soon I hope to have my internet back up and running...oh how I've missed it!:) I have so much more to post about!

Too Cute to Spook

Today I had the best job. I got to snap a few pictures of my very good friends adorable children. This year it was Frankenstein and a Unicorn. They both were adorable. Truly, the cutest ever. Aahhh...to be a kid again. It is truly faces like these, that make it all so worth it.

Thanks for the Memories

So here is to the final days in our first home. The boxes are almost packed and ready to go. The walls are bare where all my favorite pictures used to hang. My scrap room is almost empty and packed away. It really is hard to believe just how much has changed in such a short time. This time is really so exciting for us and we are so anxious to begin this next adventure in our lives together. It's time to turn the page. As exciting as this time is, it is also very sentimental and a little sad for us too, to be leaving a place that we have called home for some time now. All the memories that we have made we will take with us, but where they originated was in this home. I remember when Matt was first moving into this place. I was still away at University during this time. I remember all the painting we did, all day and night, listening to the radio and talking the night away. It was so exciting. Your first home. I was so happy for you. At that time, little did I know how the future was going to unfold! Some of the other moments I will cherish forever and that stand out so strongly in my mind are when we brought our dog Hurley home. She was so small and timid and I remember her having to sleep inside the first night. She was so scared and unsure. I will always remember the nights spent looking around the yard and thinking how lucky we were and how beautiful the yard could be on a hot summer night. I always loved planting my flower pots too. I did love our rock garden in front. I will remember the BBQ's and family dinners. All spent together crammed in our little living room and kitchen. The birthdays too. Setting up our Christmas tree and decorating. I always loved how our living room looked when I decorated for Christmas. I will always remember the times we spent here with our friends. Especially the day before our wedding. That is probably one of my most treasured memories, where we all just were able to visit and hang out and not have to rush around. We truly got to enjoy one anothers company. It was one of those great times. So many laughs, so much fun. I will always remember coming home the day after our wedding. It felt so great to come home together as husband and wife. Who knew a year later, to the day, we would be turning yet another page and would be moving into our dream home. I will never forget these memories, the good and of course at times,the not so good. All in all they are part of our history and we will carry the time spent here with us forever. Thank you Allison with Moments Photography for capturing these moments for us to always have. We can never forget where we have come from.

Thank You, Mother Nature

Thank you, Mother Nature for such a beautiful day today! My very dear friend and I have been trying to co-ordinate for weeks, a little family photo session, while the leaves are still around, and the snow is far away. However, Mother Nature seemed to have different plans in mind and we were having to dodge around the unpredictable weather for weeks now! However, after looking through the photos of this family I can see that this photo session was definitly worth the wait. The day was beautiful. To me, these photos of this family celebrate so many things. They celebrate family love, seasons of change and the last moments spent as a family of three, as a new little one is on the way. To my very special friend and her beautiful family...thank you for allowing me to capture some of these moments for you. Here are just a sample of some of my favorites. I hope you all love them.