Winter!

Winter has gone by so quickly, I can't believe it has been over two months since my last entry. We have been so busy as a family. Taylor competed in his first bodybuilding show in November. It was a fun experience but boy was I happy when it was over, I felt like my husband had been missing for a couple of months while prepping for it! After his show we spent a couple of days in downtown Vancouver at the Hyatt of course, it allowed for some much needed relaxation. 

Unfortunately, in early December, Taylor's grandmother, Mary lost a very short battle with cancer. I've only known Mary for a few years, regretfully, but she was the kind of person that made you want to be a better person. Her presence is greatly missed as I believe and I know so many other believe that she was a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day.

My mom and grandmother came to visit for the holidays. I booked their schedules pretty tight for their two week stay. We started with a night riding the train in Stanley Park, it was absolutely beautiful and of course Cade loved the train. The next morning we went up to Grouse Mountain and had breakfast with Santa. It was awesome!!! Cade loved Santa and Santa seemed to like my Granny... 

It was quite the visit, we had lots of activities planned and we did most of them, until I had an accident while skiing. My accident left me unable to walk and put a damper on the remaining few days of their trip. I'm thankful for the time with them, I know Cade loved it, especially playing trains with his "Tunnel Granny". My grandma would make tunnels for his trains and it just blew his mind!! 

Fall is in the air!

Something I didn't get in Florida was the changing of the seasons, it was either warm, hot or hotter!! Every now and then we would have a cold spell but nothing that was consistent, nothing that defined the season of fall or winter. I love seeing the radiant colors of the leaves changing here in B.C., brilliant reds, yellows and oranges decorate all of the surrounding trees. So far, everything has been great, I was afraid it would be rainy and cold but the rain has held off and the air is crisp and light; very refreshing. 

I turned 29 this month and I can honestly say that I had a great birthday, my in laws made me feel so special by hosting a birthday dinner for me and of course my husband spoiled me rotten. I feel so very lucky. Since I am in my last year of my 20's I plan to make it a great year. I am hoping this is the year I can get healthy and get my body back to the way I want it.

Taylor has been doing so well, he is settling into his new job as a warehouse manager at Magnum. It is a great fit for him, he is finally working in the industry that he loves and the work environment is fantastic and breeds positivity. He is currently less than two weeks away from competing in his very first bodybuilding competition. It has been quite the journey for him, living a nearly robotic life for the past several months and I know it will all pay off. We have planned a few days away in downtown Vancouver right after his show, this will allow him some time to reflect and relax. We haven't had a whole lot of time together because his gym schedule has been very demanding. I am so very thankful that we will have this time to enjoy each other.

Cade has been fantastic, he is turning into a little boy and he is impressing all of us with his intelligence.  He can work and iPad better than some adults and he catches on to letter and sounds very quickly. He has mastered letter matching at this point and is able to put words together. We have been going to a program called Mother Goose on Mondays which is so much fun for him, the entire class is learning through song and dance.

With the season of Fall, we have enjoyed many festivities so I will leave you all with some photos of our visit to the pumpkin patch and Halloween night.

Cade's Half Birthday

We celebrated Cade's half birthday this week with a half of a birthday following a family dinner with Ginny and Lou. Now more than ever before, I realize the value that each day holds. Life is worth celebrating and Cade has brought so much joy and happiness into our lives over the past year and a half that I would never take one day with him for granted. 

Becoming a mother has changed me in so many ways. I'm much more emotional than I have ever been, I am calmer and I am a lot less selfish! I remember all of the materialistic things I used to have, I shopped constantly, at that point in time my things were treasures to me and held value. Now it's the little giggles, new words, hugs and sweet kisses from my baby boy that hold the most value. Time with my family means more than anything. I am proud of us as a family, Taylor and I thrive on love and respect for each other, I will always support him and I know he will continue to support me in all of my dreams. I believe that our love for each other will foster the best environment possible for our son. Because really, all you need is love. 

After speaking with a friend, someone I graduated with I realized more than ever just how precious life is. Her 8 month old son is losing his battle with brain cancer, and as you can imagine, she is in pieces. It really hit me that life is much more fragile, and every breath is a gift. My heart drips in tears for her, my mind wonders what else I can do for her...but I know that there isn't much I can do other than offer the words that my mind speaks. She knows that she wants her son, Peyton to make an impact on the world even after he is gone and I have some exciting news for her...he already has. Little Peyton will forever be in my memory and forever change me as a parent. I will never forget how precious life is. You don't think things like this will happen to you, but now it hits home. It can, so be sure to live life to the fullest.

A Summer of Fun

This was our first summer as a family in British Columbia and I must confess, it was amazing! The weather was absolutely beautiful, not too hot, not rainy..it was just right! We stayed busy making several trips to the beach in White Rock, the zoo in Abbotsford as well as some visits downtown.

The cool breezes of Fall are now upon us and I am starting to get excited about the holiday season. I know Cade is going to love every bit of it! I know that I'm going to have to start getting creative with activities for Cade since we won't be outside in the cold very much. We are starting a Mother Goose program which will be every Monday and we will continue to go to Strong Start during the week, I'm hoping we will also enroll in "My Gym" as well.

Taylor is currently in the midst of contest prep for his first bodybuilding competition, it is rough on the body but this is something he has wanted for a long time, so I can't wait to see him succeed!! He has been working for an optometrist since we moved here but was recently offered a job in the industry he loves the most working as a manager at a supplement company. He starts the new job next week and I couldn't be more excited for him. 

I have been doing well too, I love every moment that I get to spend with my son. I love that I am able to mold him into a proper young man. I feel like time is the only thing a lot of children with behavioral issues need and my time at home with Cade has I only proven my theory more. We get compliments all the time on his demeanor in public and I attribute it to all of the time and effort I have out into parenting and most of all loving him. It is so unfortunate that mothers in the states don't get the opportunity to stay at home with their little ones for long.

I am adding a few photos of Cade from the past couple of months, enjoy!

Enjoying a Day at White Rock

We wanted to put our toes in the sand today so we took a short 20 minute drive to White Rock. I love the smell of the ocean water, I also think it is pretty cool that you can see Washington State just across the bay.

Cade's First Visit to The Zoo

Cade and I went to the Vancouver Zoo this week. I figured he was ready since he was roaring at the TV anytime a picture of a lion was on it.

Celebrating Canada Day

Yesterday was Canada Day, although it wasn't Taylor and I's first Canada Day Celebration while in Canada it was our first as a family! We enjoy the festivities in Langley, which were only a couple of blocks from our house. Gamma and Pop were there to enjoy the day with us!