Merry Christmas!

When you have three teenagers, it's a whole new kind of busy. It's not the physical stuff like when they were toddlers, like helping them with their shoes, wiping their bums, assisting with lego clean up. It's now a constant clean up of food, dishes and laundry. It's sorting their lives with homework, things they need to purchase, keeping them in clothes that fit, driving them places, booking and taking them to appointments, reminding them of their lessons, activities, and family events you need them to attend. It's encouraging them to be kind, to help around the house, still teaching them different things in the kitchen, how to properly clean/make/do. It is just as busy. A different busy than before, but still busy. Then we added a puppy in the mix. Copper has been great. He has definitely added to our lives, even though he adds to the tasks. He is hard to leave, and a bit of a pain when we need to go away...but that's not too often. He loves each one of us and makes you feel special when you come home. Even if you only went out to get something from the backyard. The best part of a dog, is that they are always so happy in the morning, and he's so snuggly in the evening. We do love him. We haven't trained him perfectly and he has some quirks, but overall he's easy. We've almost had him a year!?! He loves the snow and bounces around in the deep piles like a little rabbit. He makes our many trips outdoors, and daily walks to the park still enjoyable because he's having such a great time! Christmas is on its way, and today was my last day of work til the new year. I got a facebook reminder that I was hired seven years ago today! Wow, time flies. I have had such highs and lows there, and have met so many amazing people and coworkers. I can't imagine my life without my job. I am fortunate to have had a friend get me back into the workforce and to have a part to play in society other than motherhood. I may have been ok with only being a housewife, but I am fortunate to have had the chance to be a stay-at-home mom for 10 years, and now an employee and mom for the last 7. Before that I spent a few years as a newlywed student and employee. Each stage of life has been a challenge as well as a blessing. I'm grateful for all the ways life teaches you and makes you grow and develop into a more empathetic and strong human. Merry Christmas to all! Blessings for this new year ahead!

Graduation 2019

Did this just happen!? What a blur. My once busy little boy is a tall, handsome, graduated young man. He looked so amazing yesterday. We are so proud. School was not his favorite, but he hung in there and got it done. I have no doubt he will find something he loves to do, and do it really well. I think right now the world feels wide and overwhelming, but he will sort it out. We wish him all the love and best wishes.

Copper

Just because life wasn't chaotic enough, we decided to add a dog to the mix! Meet Copper, our first puppy and real pet (other than fish and a hamster)! The name "Copper" seems fitting with the blog name, doesn't it? It has been as much a joy as it is a huge effort! Much like bringing a new baby into the house, everything has changed. Routines, dynamics, habits, spending etc. I had been putting it off this long, as I knew it would be a huge undertaking and indeed it is. I am home the most, of course, so the job falls to me most and he is my constant shadow, crying if I leave the room. He is 99% house trained now, sleeps 10-6:30 in the crate and does a few tricks, but the biting is exhausting, and needing to be on top of when it's time to go out is hard too. Not sure how people do this with toddlers, but I know they do! It has added a lot of joy, though, and he's joined me on many hikes already. I'm sure he'll have many good adventures with us. The boys haven't stopped growing, and are well over half way through this school year (sorry, it's been awhile!). Riley is pretty much graduated, just waiting on one English exam mark to be certain. Like always, he is more passionate about his friends, snowboarding, work and driving than he is about school. He goes willingly, thankfully, because he loves to socialize, but doesn't like the school work part. He hasn't made any plans for post secondary, though he has some ideas, which is fine with me as I know he's not ready to dig in and focus yet. He only just turned 17. I'm hoping he takes a year or two to work, mature, travel and figure himself out. He got his drivers license in a different city (as ours was booked til a month later), and passed his test on the first try. We were very excited. He put his Mazda 3 on the road, which he had bought with his hard-earned money over the summer. He has to keep working hard to pay for the insurance and gas, but loves it. Today he's up the mountain snowboarding, as he joined the ski team. He has dry land training for it 2x a week and also has PE this semester, so his big 6 foot 1 body is getting in shape! Liam is still in boxing, joined the Shuswap Pipe and Drums marching group, and goes skiing on weekends, so is a busy guy. He's very studious, getting straight A's. He isn't as social, but that may start up as he gets more independent. We're hoping to get out with his resume once he turns 15. Having a job will definitely open him up to new people and opportunities like it did for Riley. Shea is struggling slightly, being out of the comfort zone of elementary school. He isn't as carefree and happy, but the dog does add some new excitement for him for sure. He didn't want to do piano again, and we tried bass lessons, but he gave no effort in the practicing, so we cut him off at Christmas. He goes swimming with my mom and I and his friend every Tuesday, which is a great new activity for all of us. He is bombarded my nasty kids at school, but is a strong, confident, smart kid who will figure out eventually where he fits in. It is hard as a mom, when you see their potential and all their strengths that they don't see or put to use yet. I'm home from work today, taking one more day to recover from a nasty head cold. It has been a good job, still at Bastion Place, though can also be really tough to work with many seniors who are trying to gain strength back, but are limited due to factors out of their control. We deal with lots of grief, loss and depression on a daily basis. This is another good reason to only work part time! But overall, I enjoy the work, and being out of the home. Greg got office space downtown this past summer, and loves being out of the home more! It is a great building with a lake view. He also joined the pipe and drums and is learning bagpipes!!?! It has been so hilarious! Usually the practicing takes place on a little chanter pipe, but when he brought home the actual pipes, the noise was astounding! He has a funny Scottish teacher, who says he is doing well for how crazy hard of an instrument it is. Greg filled in and played the massive bass drum for one of their Robby Burns shows, and Liam was able to do the snare part already. Looking forward to when Greg is ready to play the full pipes with them. I'm sure it won't take him long. We don't have many big plans coming up, but we need to make some. We have our first boy graduating, our 20th wedding anniversary also in June, and summer here before we know it. I haven't spent time with my girl friends for ages, and we have been caught in that rut of work, life, stress. Another two weeks in Mexico would be amazing right about now! That was nearly three years ago!!!?!