Simplicity

I have been living simply these last few weeks. I only just began sleeping on a mattress again (one not full of air). I have no furniture, besides four kitchen chairs, a small table and an orange stool. I have my guitar, some of my clothes, and enough food to get me through the day. I've realized I have no reason to go to the store. I have water, tea, milk, sugar, left overs and mandarin oranges. If I wanted to I could go and get something else, but I have no desire to leave the house today.
I am working on one of my final assignments for school. At first I resisted it but I think I could use it one day, so I'm trying to put effort in now.
The internet is distracting, but not distracting enough when I really want to shut my brain off. I've been falling asleep with the computer on, and waking up so early. I don't know if it's the t.v before bed or merely because I am sick. My immune system definitely shuts down when I am stressed, and I'm surprised it took so long this time.
I am doing much better today than I have been. And I hope I keep feeling better each day. Although after every weekend I feel as though I've done a cleanse, and as I said to CT Monday rolls around and it's like I've eaten McDonald's after being so healthy all weekend. But I only have 3 more days like that. Then I can truly feel free, empty at times, but free nonetheless.

Quotes

A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.
- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
- Mark Twain

Zephyr

Zephyr - a gentle mild breeze, the Greek god of the west wind.
Zephyr Robert McMillan
Born October 12 2013 just after 4 pm. Weighing 5 pounds 7.5 ounces.
I was there to take pictures and I am so glad I was. I am always amazed at the calm I feel as I watch a woman give birth. It is a mind blowing experience and I hope to witness many more births. To watch and listen to the transition from the pain, the fear, the doubt, to the determination of pushing. I walk away knowing that I can do it too.
It's strange, I thought it would seem traumatic and make me glad I haven't done it but it's quite the opposite. I know that having children is what I'm made to do and I am so excited to finally go through that myself. (Although when I'm in it I'm sure I'll wonder why I ever thought this way.)
Zephyr, thank you for coming into the world this weekend when we could all be there. The weekend was not what we planned, but it was so much better.

I have so many pictures, but I will pick a few to have here for safe keeping.

A list

Taken from http://meetmeatmikes.com/2013/08/taking-stock/
Beacuse I want to write on here, yet I never do. I love having this to look back on. I need to make more time to write.

Making : Journal after journal after journal
Cooking : Mr. Noodles
Drinking : Red wine (malbec)
Reading: They Called Me Number 1
Wanting: Furniture
Looking: At school work
Playing: Shakey Graves (oh and actually playing Trivial Pursuit with C&C)
Wasting: Time
Sewing: A sock monkey or two, well three.
Wishing: To graduate, but only once I have a job lined up.
Enjoying: New t.v.
Waiting: For life to begin
Liking: Having a shower in my house.
Wondering: What will happen in April
Loving: Me time
Hoping: All goes well
Marvelling: Resiliance
Needing: Affectionate words
Smelling: The orange I just ate
Wearing: Stripe skirt, t-shirt, tights and my favourite Frye boots.
Following: Behind
Noticing: My thought process
Knowing: I will be a teacher
Thinking: When? When will I ever earn an income I can live comfortably with?
Feeling: Defeated
Bookmarking: School readings
Opening: Notebooks
Giggling: At Sarah
Feeling: Exhausted

"One goes out, one comes in"

How fitting that on the drive home yesterday I quoted Jack Johnson. Without realizing just how true it is. It has been a crazy few days, and it will be an interesting summer. On Saturday we drove up and stayed with Paul and Danica on the boat. We had a late dinner, I felt the baby kick, and the boys went for a dingy ride. In the morning Danica had been having contractions but they were far apart and seemed to slow throughout the day. We sat on the dock while Paul and Will turned the boat around, then left for brunch with Quynne, Alex and Dad. It was a nice relaxed brunch in a new restaurant. We hung out at Dad's for a bit, I showed him my class picture, then off we went to Nanaimo for lunch/early dinner with the uncles. Quynne and I drank some white wine, we sat out in the sun, it rained a tiny bit and we had an awesome bbq. Uncle Phill gave me a new turn table, which I am really excited about, and Uncle Dan gave me a solar powered usb charger, so useful. To top off the night we had a Beatle's themed ice cream cake. The best.
Before we left I checked with Danica, but she said to go home...fast forward to 6:23 Monday morning. The phone rings, and it's Paul telling me they are on their way to the midwife's. Will got up eventually and on our way we went right back up to Nanaimo.
I was with Danica until about 11 am when she began to push. Then I waited upstairs with Will, L and D. R showed up right as we heard a tiny new baby cry. (At one point another midwife had a new baby check up and we thought its cry was Danica's baby, we all got really excited!)
Kim came up and told us we would be able to come down soon, we didn't know then but Danica needed stitches, so we all waited (im)patiently. Eventually Paul came up and told us it was a boy and he was 10lbs 4 oz. We thought he was joking. We all went down when we got the ok, and met Ivor. I'm in love. I can't wait to see the pictures Kim took.
We went and ate, I was so hungry it was already after 2. After some rejuvenating White Spot we parted ways. Will and I stopped by the boat for an hour and took a couple of pictures.
We drove home, exhausted, and collapsed into bed. But not after Will smashed the bathroom light trying to kill a moth.
Today I had Joseph for a couple of hours before my driving test. Quynne took Dad to his follow-up appointment and it isn't good news. She felt terrible telling me before my test but I am glad I know. Luckily it didn't affect my test. I am so glad I had lessons with Ingrid, she was amazing. I was so nervous right before it began, and I was so thirsty at the end. I had a bit of panic at the end doing my reverse park, but I did it perfectly in the end. The woman was so kind, she gave me a hug after because Ingrid told her what was going on with me. She said if I drive that well while feeling that way I will be great. It was such a relief. Ingrid and I rescued a turtle too, so it was a pretty good day over all.

Baby BBQ

On Saturday we went to Page Point for the BBQ for Paul and Danica. It was so much better than the typical baby shower. Just good food, a fire (with s'mores at the end of the night) delicious sangria, an amazing cake and baby watermelon.

^ Tessa made the labels ^

^ Erik and Jacky are amazing, I brought home so much fruit! ^

^ Uncle William ^

^ Amazing sparkling cake ^

^ Sadie said 'Happy Birthday' to Danica ^

We drove home that night and had an amazing, relaxed, awesome Sunday. 

This week has been busy so far for both of us. I now have three jobs for June. I went from nothing to extremely busy. But it's good, I need to work as much as possible this summer so next summer we can take a road trip. Will casually mentioned a trip to San Francisco for my birthday....hmmm, sounds excellent.

Another One Done

My first Monday after practicum, it was such a treat to wake up and not have to do anything this morning. I can't believe it's over, one more semester, one more practicum and I'm done. I definitely want to get my master's one day, so many things to do.
Some things to remember from this practicum...
Be flexible
Over prepare
# the kids
Alright Friends
Paint is a disaster
Develop a system for early finishers
And so on...
I'm meeting someone tomorrow for a possible nanny job, and I'll have the boys, I think it will be a good summer. Change is in the air...
San Francisco?

^ Blubber Mitt Experiment ^

^ So many portraits, I have such blonde hair ;) ^

First Game of the Season

We played our first bocce game of the season last weekend. Friday C & C came to the boat for the evening. I began celebrating at about 2:30 because it was my last day of third year university classes. We hung out on the dock listening to music for a bit, went for late night burgers, then to bed. Saturday was spent lazily at their house, then in the park by Fisherman's Wharf. Deryck drove by us about 5 times while we were playing. 

Colleen tried to get me to share this with her...one sip was enough.

A rainbow over the city. I always think of Lillian.

Someone's ball went into the pond. Her toe almost touched the water before Colin came to her rescue.

My ball was chipped by a very big and pointy rock. Sorry guys.

Now that the weather is getting better and the days are longer I don't want to give the boat back. I am ready to live on land for space reasons, but it's been nice to have the dock. We camped at Mystic Beach, and Will is now obsessed with hiking the Juan de Fuca trail. We are planning to visit Jackie in Cape Scot for my birthday. I hope it happens!

Nine Years

We celebrated nine years at the beginning of the month. We before we went out he gave me Pyrrha earrings. Roses. Eternal flowers. We took this picture right before we went out. 

A real smile for once. Only because we were laughing.

We went out to Garrick's Head for a drink before dinner. Ran into Toby from boat school and hung out for a bit. Hopefully we see him on New Years.

We had the most amazing dinner at Il Terrazzo.

Prawn Risotto, Pork Tenderloin on a bed of fusili. Pear nectar drinks, the heaters above us blazing hot. The people around us, pure entertainment.

We walked around a bit before heading off to the boat.

I can't believe it's been 9 years. It sounds a bit mad when other people say it. Jayne always likes to brag about us. I get a bit embarassed. I feel like one of those old couples that people ask, How did you do it? How'd you stay together so long? 

When really, all we've been doing is living. And growing, and changing, and luckily we've grown together. This last year I have really come to realize that it comes down to a choice.

I used to think that was so unromantic and people who said that weren't in love. 

But I think until you come to that realization, that we are both making a deliberate choice,

you don't really know. We choose one another. And that is the most romantic thing ever.

Who doesn't want the one they love to wake up every morning and know that they have chosen to be there, through everything, with you?