BFF

When I woke up this morning I opened my email, like I do every morning. I saw that my beautiful best friend of 19 years had sent me an email with her advice for  "5 Quick Tips to Happiness".

1. Take a deep breath in and imagine the word Calm. Breathe out slowly and imagine the word Joy. Repeat 3 times.
2. While driving, make an effort to smile. Quickly peek in the rear view mirror and smile. Even bigger than that! Repeat until your face hurts!
3. Give someone a hug. Kids give the best hugs, so if you have one of those, hug him or her. Next best thing, hug your pet, cats or dogs are best (fish and reptiles, not so much).
4. Laugh! Nothing you find that funny right now? Try this website - guaranteed a few laughs, it might even make you cry.
5. Shake your booty! Play your favorite up-beat song, get up and move your body. Don't have a favorite? Choose a song that has good memories associated with it, such as a song from your wedding or last vacation

Very whimsical and so attainable! I thought about these things all day!

She has created a wonderful website for herself called
"Inspired by Julie Caroline": http://www.julieboyer.com/  On this site she has blogged about a lot of Mommy issues and health in general around families.

We have been business partners for 5 years now and she has taught me a lot about working diligently at an entrepreneurial business. Things like what I should and shouldn't be doing to be efficient throughout the day and how to be computer savvy! Actually, Julie was the reason I created my hotmail account back in 1998! At the same time, over the past year since she had her baby, I can see a huge shift in her way of thinking, both in business and in life .

I love how she can now relate more to what I have been going through for the last 7 years and realise that having kids does make a big difference in the way you can work a business. Especially, if you are choosing to be a stay at home parent! I can see she has matured and grown in a way that only a mother can. I feel privileged to have Jules as my BFF so that we can help each other along this windy road to success!

If you do check out her website, just mention my name!! Try the 5 tips to happiness and see where it takes you at the end of the day!

For This I am Grateful (Day 12)
1. EMAIL
2. Best Friends
3. Grocery shopping without kids!


Blessings
Lee-Anne

Proverbs 18:24 (NIV)

²⁴ One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Crazy Tired!

Well, just like all things in life there are always bumps and turns in the road that keep us on our toes as we go along on our journey. Today I hit my big bump called sleep deprivation! It is common in my life with 3 kids who like to wake up before the sun rises, and 9 times out of 10 at least one of them wakes up in the middle of the night as well. Sometimes it is all of them depending on how much noise the first child makes!

As I said in my last post, we had a jam packed day yesterday. So when we left the house today see my husband play his first home football game of the season we were already almost on an empty tank of energy! The excursion was about 3 hours altogether. 20 minutes to get there, 2.25 hours of game time, then 20 minutes back home.

Because it was just me and the three boys things were a little crazier. I walked out from the parking lot with a camp chair and my Healthy Edge lunch bag on one shoulder, and a tired little Jacob, who had fallen asleep in the car, on the opposite hip. Logan carried 2 chairs and Mason carried his own. Why the chairs? The football field, although very beautiful, is not quite finished for the spectators so there are no bleachers yet.

We carried our stuff over a very muddy landscape and then over a ditch and up a steep hill. At the top of the hill was a wooded area for the boys to play around. Luckily there were other children to play with so the boys made new friends. Hopefully the next time there is a home game they will see their new friends again! On the other hand, since the boys were running through the trails I only got to capture about a 1/4 of the game. I did manage to get a couple pictures of my hubby on the field, but not too fancy! Next time I might suggest we only go for half the game!

When it was time to go back down to the car, I had to manage three very overtired boys. Mason, just wanted to keep playing and Jacob was trying to follow. Logan did okay staying with me, in fact he kept talking about our next trip there. He wants to bring paper and pencils so he can draw in the secret hideout they discovered!

We said goodbye to daddy and shuffled our way into the car. I have to admit I had a flash thought of driving through Burger King because I REALLY did not feel like cooking. Then my Healthy Edge angel on my shoulder reminded me of the yummy salmon I had in the fridge that would not be difficult to prepare and not only would it be 100% healthier it would definitely taste 100% better!

Now those of you with kids can probably understand how wonderful dinner was with three absolutely exhausted boys! I admit there was a lot of stair sitting and bedroom bound moments before, during, and after dinner. It really didn't help that I was just as tired as they were! I have been told to not react too quickly when in state of anger or when I am tired or hungry. I did my best, but I am still learning!

I successfully put all the kids to bed before 8pm and now I have a few minutes to recap my day.

Writing this blog is kind of like therapy for me these days. I do my best to focus on the highlights of the day and sometimes the low points are forgotten! I can't recall any difficult moments since I have started the 21 days of gratitude, until today, so I think I am doing okay! I plan on going to bed early tonight, reading my Bible and then having a peaceful nights sleep! Tomorrow starts the beginning of yet another crazy week so I am going to be as well rested as I can be!

What is it like around your house when everyone is on the tired side? How do you handle yourself?

For this I am Grateful (Day 11)

1. The chance to start each day with a fresh outlook!
2. The chance to play in nature with the kids 
3. Choosing to eat healthy over not so healthy food!

Blessings
Lee-Anne

2 Corinthians 4:8-18 (NIV)

¹⁶ Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

A Fun Filled Day!

Yesterday was a jam packed fun filled day.

It started with my first of a three week session Bootcamp. I call it LA's Circuit Training Bootcamp.
It was super cold, super early (7-7:45 am) and the 5 ladies that showed up got a great 45 minute INTENSE workout!

Then it was off to hockey practice for 8am! Thankfully, I did get a chance to go home and take a shower before I met Martin and the kids at the arena. I got there to handle Jacob and watch the second half of Mason's hockey practice, while Martin got Logan ready for his 9am practice!

After practice we ventured out of the arena for Townshipper's Day! A day to celebrate the English community in the Eastern Townships. It is held at a different location every year, and this year it just happened to be in Stanstead!

The boys climbed a wall erected in the middle of the field by the scouts. Then they played basketball and jumped in the bouncy house. At 11am we walked over to where Grandmaman and Grandpapa were square dancing and Grandpapa pulled me up on stage for a demonstration! I had never square danced before, but it was really fun!

We ate hot dogs and fresh shoestring french fries. Grandmaman provided goodies from another kiosk for our dessert. Some ginger snap cookies, lemon poppy bread, and oatmeal raisin cookies! I have to admit that I did indulge a little!

After lunch we came home for a nap. I think I slept the most! A good nap is so wonderful after an extremely full morning!

After feding the kids supper, I slipped into my magic jeans ( somehow I wore these when I was a size 12 not too long ago and they still fit nicely now that I am a size 6/8). Then we had our amazing babysitter come over and watch the kids while Martin and I went out for a Date Night! Yes, we still get to do that once in a while!

We had dinner at our favourite restaurant in town Millie's. Unfortunately, we also learned that they were closing their doors for an undetermined period of time beginning next weekend! At least we got to have one last wonderful meal there. The food is always fresh and usually comes from someones garden in the area. I have never experienced such delicious salads as the way Bachard (the owner) makes it!

As we were finishing up our dinner, we had a delightfully unexpected encounter with Mr. Fred Tombs. He is a well established golfer in town with such a gracious heart. Now at the age of  83 he is fit as a fiddle, still golfing for money, and enjoys everyday of his life! He is a true giver and has truly blessed me by sharing his stories!

We finished the night with some dancing at the local bar, Check Point Charlie's, where our friend Mike Goudreau and his band was playing. We sat with a good friend of Martin's for the hour and enjoyed the rest of the evening.

The best part is when we got home, all the kids were in their beds, sleeping, and Abby drove herself home! It is so awesome that we did not have the added responsibility of driving a babysitter home. A great end to a perfectly crazy day!

For This I am Grateful (day 10)
1. Stretchy Jeans
2. An evening out with Hubby
3. A babysitter with a drivers licence!

What fun things filled your day?

Blessings
Lee-Anne

Life is a matter of passing the time enjoyably. There may be other
things in life, but I've been too busy passing my time enjoyably
to think very deeply about them.
- Peter Cook

An Extraordinary Day

Honestly I was on my way to bed! My eyes were half shut after falling asleep with Mason. I almost talked myself into writing my blog in the morning! However, I HAD to check my email to see if there were any important messages I needed to tend to. Guess what I am so happy I did.

Have you ever had one of those days that you wish you could repeat because everything just seemed so right? I mean it was just an ordinary day, not somewhere exotic and hanging on the beach, but a day that was just an average at home doing the regular stuff kinda day.

I had one of those days today. I started by being more patient. Before the craziness started at the breakfast table I walked away and let my very capable hubby take care of serving up the toast. I took that time to prepare myself for the day upstairs. I also left the younger two at home while I dropped Logan off at school. This allowed me to put up a couple Bootcamp flyers at the daycare and recruit more of the caregivers (sans dragging anyone with me).

Then I took the liberty of going  to the grocery store alone! I had a fabulous encounter with a mom whom I met during soccer season, who's daughter also happens to be in Mason's Kindergarten class. We had never taken the opportunity to chat one on one because we always had kids surrounding us. Of course as soon as I mentioned Beasse she smiled and said "my mom is great friends with Adele (my mother-in-law) and I know Anne Marie very well "(my sister-in-law). Someone almost always knows someone from the Beasse clan!

As I was finishing up my shopping I bumped into a mom from the playgroup. We stood and chatted for about 5 minutes then I saw someone else from my previous bootcamp! I stopped to say hello and to pump her up for my class tomorrow morning!

All through the day I have been sending and receiving messages that are so positive and exciting I couldn't wait to see who else was going to write to me! Words like "YOU ROCK" and "I like your way of thinking" and "Woohoo" were being thrown around everywhere! I was even told by a wonderful woman today that I inspired her. Do you know how amazing that feels? I am so excited to partner up with Kim for our Money Mirror calls starting next week!

In fact this is what my mom wrote to me "  I just wanted to let you know that I am grateful for so many things in my life but the thing I am most grateful for is God’s most precious gift to me, YOU!! He knew what He was doing". I know this is my mom, but I will never get tired of hearing words like these!



I had the chance yet again to cuddle with my little Jacob as he woke from his nap. I smiled as I picked Logan up from school and saw him joking around with his friends. I enjoyed the peaceful ride home with just him. When Mason started having a meltdown I kept calm. When Jacob had his meltdown I stayed calm. :)

I enjoyed a meal prepared by my loving husband. Nothing like a steak, sweet potatoes, and leftover corn off the cob! Then we all went outside, enjoyed the sunset and roasted Marshmallows on our spur of the moment campfire! ( I will take the time at some point to upload some pics)

Now the kids are in bed, and when I checked my email I got a message from an old school friend, and two from Wild and Kim who are full of super charged energy and so much fun to be with!

As you can read it was just an ordinary day, but because of all the positive energy it just made it extraordinary! I am so pumped to see what tomorrow holds for me!

What was the most extraordinary thing that happened to you today?

For This I am Grateful (day 9)
1. Words of gratitude and kindness from others!
2. The simple pleasures of life
3. Roasting Marshmallows in my backyard with my family!

Blessings
Lee-Anne

1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)

¹⁰ Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms

Ask and You Shall Receive

I spent a wonderful 2 hours this morning with fabulous women in conversation about everything from cooking to religion.

I had originally planned to meet up with two ladies for an outdoor intensive workout. However, we all decided that it was raining too hard so we took it indoors so our we and our kids wouldn't get so wet. We took a lucky shot and went back to our playgroup hangout and did a half hour of strength training while the kids played quietly! We ended up staying and talking with our two fearless playgroup leaders for another 2 hours!

Last week some of us brought in clothing to exchange with other moms so today we rummaged through the pile again. I am not shy to take hand me downs, especially when I got a great pair of pants out of it! Then we sat while the kids had a snack of apples and cheese. We talked about FB and how some people choose to make trouble by gossipping. We discussed our future Collective Cooking menu for the following week. We told our pregnancy stories which led into the topic of how we eat. We talked about house repairs and costs included with them. We really did cover a wide variety of topics!

I was the last of the three to leave and I ended up staying behind for yet another 30 minutes to talk about religion and some wonderful opportunities that were happening around town to get kids involved. This has been on my heart ever since we left Seattle.

I have been searching for a place to keep my kids in tune with God. Yes we go to church, but it is very far and we have not been as regularly as I  would like. There are not many places around here that include Sunday school during a service. Today I found out that Amelie will be teaching a bible class for kids aged 6-7 for the next 8 weeks! It won't be during a service, but I will be able to bring Logan once a week into town for an hour to do fun craffts and read bible stories. It is a great opportunity to keep Logan in the Word of God and introduce him to other children who are also spiritual. Maybe it will lead to creating a space for this type of gospel involvement with children on a regular basis!

So not only did I get a great workout in this morning, I got a pair of pants, gal time, and a new hope for where space is being created for God. He is so good!

What have you been asking for? Have you been talking to the right people?

For This I am Grateful (Day 8)
1. Girlfriends of all sorts
2. New opportunities
3. Mom's Healthy Edge meatloaf that I pulled out of the freezer for tonight's dinner!

Blessings
Lee-Anne

John 15:7 (NIV)

⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

A Sense of Belonging

I had such a great experience today. I walked into my childrens' school, for parent teacher orientation for Kindergarten, and I knew half the moms in the room personally! And I knew most of the faces of the other parents. As opposed to last year when I only knew one mom at my fist school meeting!

Since then I have: joined the local moms group; met many of Martin's friends from when he grew up;  gotten involved with events at the daycare and elementary school; had the kids in hockey, soccer, and baseball; started playing soccer on an adult league in town; and started a bootcamp for moms!

It is amazing how things just started happening when I got myself involved. It was a natural evolution. A year ago I was not very happy to be so isolated and to have to start making new friends yet again! I struggled with my emotions a lot! In fact I was still in resistance up until April of this year.

As soon as I changed my attitude so many doors started to open up for me. I ate better, exercised more, released over 20 pounds, and thought more clearly. I started BEING me again!

Now that Mason and Logan are at the same school this year I will aim to be an even bigger part of the school. I will be on the planning commitee, with other active parents, for school activities and volunteer whenever I am able. I was thrilled to hear Mason's teacher say she loves parents to volunteer! Last year it didn't seem like the school was as open to parents being involved in the school. Somewhere something changed for the better and I am excited to get more involved.

So many great things going on right now that if I think about it too much I may get overwhelmed! However, in order to not get frazzled, I will choose to structure my time so that I can be as involved as possible with my children, yet remember that I am only one mom. I will allow time for myself so I can be the best woman that God created me to be.

It is so important to have a sense of belonging. Do you feel a part of your community? If not, what are some ways YOU can change that?


For This I am Grateful (Day 7)
1. To be able to send my children to a french school
2. To finally (since a a year ago when we moved) feel like I am part of a community
3. For Grandmaman and Grandpapa (Martin's parents) who only live 5 minutes from us!

Blessings
Lee-Anne

Romans 8:28And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (NLT

The 6th Day of Gratitude

Well, I have made it to day 6 of keeping a gratitude log! Not to mention one on my blog! It is much easier to just write things down on paper, but I have found, I truly think about what I am grateful for most of the day so I can blog about it!

Have you ever heard the song Philadelphia Freedom by Elton John? It was a pretty popular song at one point and I finally heard the story behind it while at USANA Convention 2011. Have you ever heard of Billie Jean King? The famous female tennis player who started the women's tennis movement? Well the song was about her! It is true because she was personally at convention to tell her story!

This goes along with my theme of inspirational people. It was so amazing to have the legend herself speak to us and tell her side of the trials and tribulations of how women's tennis began. Without her there may never have been a WTA. Without her girls may not have had the courage to dream and stand up for what they believe. Without her there wouldn't have been the freedom song by Elton John!

My point is there are just some people that stand out because they are not afraid to be seen or heard. These leaders are making a difference for the rest of us. What does it take to be that kind of leader? Besides a lot of guts, it takes strength and a whole lot of courage! In many ways it takes unshakable faith. It may be faith in God or a presence in the universe, but knowing there is a higher power, and an even greater force, makes life worth living to its fullest.

It isn't important to be famous like Ms. King, but it is important to live for a greater purpose in life. What would you do with enough faith, enough courage, enough strength?

For this I am Grateful (day 6):
1. To be a woman with full rights
2. To have the courage to stand up for what I believe in
3. To have met Mr. Brian Klemmer before he tragically died earlier this year. To have studied his teachings, and to be a part of the growing movement of living in a world where no one is left out!

Blessings
Lee-Anne

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." (NLT)