Hey, May!

May is going to be awesome. I know this because:

• Leith got called out to Ft MacMurray for 3 weeks today. This would normally throw me into a fetal position, but with our financial diet in full gear, 21 days of 12-hr shifts sounds pretty good to us!! Hello, overtime!!
• His office did fix the paperwork screw up, so we did get paid in full…which means all my bills will be paid today – yay!!
• I get to pick up my bugz’ first dance pictures this week
• I’m going to see my bestest Suzi this weekend for a training run in Cochrane, just 4 weeks before the Footstock half marathon!
• I get to buy new underwear!! Woohoo!
• May means almost summer, which means PLANTING MY GARDEN!!! The nursery in my living room is getting out of control…
• The start of morning coffees out on our deck 🙂
• Erin is going to have her baby this month!
• The greenhouses are in full swing, which means I can go and get all my beautiful flowers for my yard soon!
• It’s Celiac Awareness Month
• I have a new treadmill to play with, and it’s oh-so-beautiful
• I get to keep Shredding, which is giving me oh-so-beautiful arms 😉
• There’s sunshine everywhere, and long daylight hours for playing outside
• I’m thisclose to getting my devil IUD ripped out!
• I can buy groceries at the farmers’ markets soon – outside! In the sun!
• The first baby wearing walk of the year is on May 23
• We will be celebrating our 5-year anniversary on May 25 – so far, so very good

Although we’re guaranteed to have a few ups and downs, I’d say we have a lot to look forward to this month!

What are you excited for in May?

Counting up

Sooo…April was kind of a bust in a lot of habit-keeping areas. One thing that fell by the wayside was counting my gifts. So while this list is short, with a lot missing in the middle, rest assured that I did not miss any of my gifts in the past 4 weeks. I just neglected to write them down 😉

248. Silly wisps of fog being chased away by the morning sun

249. Fluffy yellow dresses

250. Excellent customer service, via social media

251. A fresh, clean house

252. Measuring cups and spoons that click together!

253. This moment

254. A lunch bag full of healthy snacks for us

255. Flourless chocolate cookies

256. Quiet snuggles and Gravol

257. Sunshine and no jackets!!

258. Seeds planted, and waiting for the ground to thaw

259. Fuzzy soft puppy ears

260. Earth Day: celebrating the world around us

261. A return to bikram yoga…and surviving

262. Less pain than expected after a 15km run

263. When they sneak into our bed to snuggle

264. Playing for hours in the sunshine

265. Seeing friends, talking to friends, feeling love everywhere

266. Surprise visits from my parents

267. Freshly tilled earth

268. Their bathtub giggles

269. Good, real, healthy food for us, every day

270. +20 degree weather in the still-early spring

271. The chi weenie frolicking in the fresh air

272. A strong body, for running, yoga, yard work, playtime

273. Swinging in the sunshine

Counting up

What a week, what a whirlwind week! It felt like we did nothing and everything all at once. Leith has been out of town, and will be gone until the 29th. Unlike our usual solo-parenting stretches, this one has been surprisingly smooth. Let’s pray that it stays that way, and that I haven’t jinxed myself into a corner!!

216. Perfect weather for my first outdoor run of 2012

217. Movie time together, before he leaves again

218. New of brand-new baby arrivals!!!

219. Getting to the parkade kiosk one minute before the next 30-minute charge would have been applied

220. “Truffula trees” sprouting:

221. Successful new recipes

Poached salmon with roasted Brussels sprouts, steamed broccoli tenders, and ground raw almonds!

222. Talking to him before bed

223. Hugs and kisses after a frustrating day of feeling like the bad, angry mom

224. Sleeping so very soundly

225. Hour-long play baths, allowing this mama to have some me-time 🙂

226. Down time for all three of us; waking up happy!

227. Catching up with a long-lost friend 🙂

228. Hearing them pick out shapes in they see in the clouds: elephants, turtles, princess castles…

229. Leftovers for lunch…having more than enough food to fill our stomachs

230. Watching C-boo dance for me, spinning and twirling in the sunlight

231. Beautiful weather to walk to the mailbox; meeting some of our neighbours

232. Seeing the first fresh calves of the year!!

233. Late-night shopping trips with my bugz, buying seeds and starter trays. And yes, 7pm is “late night” in our house 🙂

234. 4 vases and blue stones from the dollar store to plant our tulips in…a special, surprising find!

235. Moments of feeling overwhelmingly blessed by the two smalls sleeping in my bed, tears of wonder streaming down my cheeks

236. Going for walks together in the brisk spring air, with Gracie and Petey tagging along!

237. Flowers planted indoors…and their excitement, waiting for spring!

238. Simple dinners on snowy spring days

239. Bath-time shrieks and giggles, sisters playing together

240. The way they collectively decide to come and apologize for being rude, and ask in unison if they could pleeeeease have a story??

241. Time to read (okay, devour!) a new novel

242. Winter tires, even if it’s officially spring

243. Walking to the mailbox together (can you tell I’ve been enjoying these daily walks??)

244. Excitement about Princess gardening gloves

245. Wifi access to buy new books to read!

246. Empty bowls and full bellies

247. Bedtime snacks of mangoes and almond milk

What blessings have you counted this week?