• This is the Christmas gift I made Desiree this year – hanging on her bedroom wall. For her to attract all she wants in her life:)

A new year is about to start! So much has happened this past year.

A graduate in the family

I’m so very proud of my now 18 year old daughter Desi who has graduated high school and started University.

She is studying to become a Psychiatric Nurse.  Her compassion for others and knowing that better days do follow has lead her here. Having struggled myself in the past with anxiety and depression I know first hand the benefit of having someone out there who is willing to listen and even intervene if needed to help find peace, and hope. We have family members with Autism long term behavioral and developmental issues. We can never know too much on how to best care for them as well as ourselves.

Desi got her first Tattoo just before Grad. She chose footprints with mine, hers and her little sister Angel’s year of birth. This symbolizes so much, I am very proud of her choice, it’s gorgeous!

Nursing Career

Being a nurse is a true calling and blessing. I’ve been working as a nurse for 21 years and still love it. Having the opportunity to help others and teach them to take care of themselves or their loved one’s (children) is quite an honor. The path to the career was not easy, many late nights of studying, failed and repeated courses, study groups and paper writing. I find myself raising my hand to volunteer to put that same effort in now. At no remuneration I will spend hours of my home time reading and researching a topic, building presentations, posters or actual journal articles. I am passionate about finding the best evidence, asking questions about current practice and then sharing this with others. I think that just because we’ve always done it one way doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the best way.. but maybe it is and it’s time to put the time and energy in to prove it?!

I have to admit that sometimes my passion for my nursing work leaves my other passions faltering, weaning, and waiting for me to come back!

Medical Setback

Two weeks ago my stomach turned into a complete knot. A familiar feeling I had not had in over 20 years. The Emergency department did a CT scan and showed active Crohn’s Disease with a stricture at the old surgical site. So, on 50 mg of Prednisone.. weaning weekly. If anything, I think it’s helped some as the pains are not so bad. The swollen Sacroiliac joint still causing me issues.. thank God for heating pads! I’ve made some “bone broth” and turmeric paste to try to help things along… not wanting to take Tylenol arthritis three times a day! I’ve been so healthy for many years, avoiding dairy, wheat and red meats usually keeps me on track. Think I just over did it with other things/commitments and waned in taking care of my physical health. Not as many steps in my days and with the cold weather not a lot of outside time.  Also I need to take my own advice and use the EFT Tapping that I love so much! I even bought Alex Ortner’s new children’s book titled “Gorilla Thumps and Bear Hugs” a few weeks back. It’s an adorable book to introduce tapping to children.  See http://www.thetappingsolution.com for information on this.

I am now thankful for this set back. I’ve been reminded by my body that I need to take better care of me so I can continue to fulfill my other passions. For instance my puzzle still sits on the kitchen table at the lake, 3/4 done…. as I buried it under my research articles and laptop the last time I “hunkered down” there this fall for a weekend alone to get my writing done… although I didn’t actually complete it until just a couple days ago while laid up at home!

Remembering to recharge

I’m so looking forward to Spring so I can finish it! It’s a beautiful scenic picture of two bears in the wilderness. I love taking my time to find where the pieces go, while I talk with my girls, or listen to a movie playing on the TV just 10 feet away. Covering it up with the place-mats to prepare and eat meals then excitedly exposing it again for my eyes to peruse.

Memories of Summer 2016

I had some fun this summer at the Lake, in between building a bathroom for our family to be able to shower and have a proper size flushing toilet!

Angel loved meeting new kids at the beach and perfecting her handstands in the lake. I actually started and finished an entire novel too! Wild by Cheryl Strayed – it was a lovely read. So nice to wake up early in the morning make myself some herbal tea and sit on the little porch with my feet up on the chair and lose myself in the story. My sweet husband Mikey even came out for a little bit and got into the Kayaks with Angel.

Aside from all the fun @ home & the lake

I had a few trips too!

 

 

Barcelona, Spain Fall 2015

 

 

 

 

Beautiful opportunities to learn, teach/present, network and visit cities around the world. I was able to take my mom, dad and Desi to Vancouver to celebrate her 18th birthday!

Christmas has just come to an end. Santa came and left Angel an amazing dollhouse! She woke me at 4:30 AM in a crazy frantic excitement!!

Had lovely family meals (modified of course so I could digest it easily) and was snowed in today…

thanks to blizzard conditions here!

We had some family time trying out Bailey’s new games.. monopoly with electronic banking and clue. I cleaned up in Monopoly.. who new investing in properties could be so lucrative!

Looking forward to the coming months. I’ve treated Desi and I to a painting course in January in support of the Manitoba chapter of the Crohns and Colitis Foundation. It’s been years since I’ve painted myself something. Plus it’s a picture of a tree that looks just like the one out of our back kitchen window!

One more true blessing from 2016 on my childhood friend Jody’s birthday of August 26th. My dearest friend Carole had a Baby, Nicholas! He’s adorable and they are truly blessed to have him bring so much joy to their family.

I’ll sign off for now and hopefully write again sooner than a year this time!

Dream and Believe, ask for guidance and have faith. God and the universe have nothing but amazing plans for all of us!

Nicole