The Reality

I am slightly embarrassed to share this, but I have come to accept my sad reality... I was an awful student. I sucked at school. Well, mostly... It's pretty obvious, for anyone who knows me, where my strengths lie. This is proof.

An Ode To Autumn

When the wind starts to chill

and I've lost all my will

to go out and explore past my windowsill,

it must be Autumn.

When apples turn red

and trees start to shed

and their leaves all end up in my flower beds,

it must be Autumn.

And though it is my favourite season,

I fear it leads itself to guilty treason 

as it's colours and scents and beauty end in snowy cold without reason,

it must be Autumn.

But for now I'll settle in,

start the fight to not over eat and never win,

and enjoy the beginning of holiday season with my next-of-kin.

It must be Autumn.

Family Portrait

It warms the cockles of my heart to share this with everyone :) Our first *good family portrait.

*I handed out a christmas photo that was not as good as this one... haha.

Oh My Heaven, I'm 27!

I wasn't really expecting it, especially with a toddler taking up all of my mental concentration and energy, my last two birthdays have kind of snuck up on me! I forgot about aging last year, but I still turned one year older. I'm not opposed to being older, it just keeps happening! I hope to enjoy my 27th year, and maybe I'll be a little more aware of it this year.

(I sometimes think I'm all grown up, then I do stuff like this, haha. Write your own captions :)

Our First Family Road Trip

It was a success! I wasn't sure what to expect while traveling with a two year old, but I have this trick of expecting the worst, so the experience is always better.. haha.
We had a great time! It's so good to get away and mix up routines once and a while. Then you get to come home and settle in again :) Here are a few pics of the trip...

Aali getting in some reading...

We were welcomed into a wonderful home for a few days.
And of course, Aali found all the babies right away!

Uncle Don and Mama singing. Apparently we had a fan in the audience  ;)

Exhausted after a long day of JUNO festivities...

Then we met up with some old and new friends!

It was so good to visit and catch up. We miss them already...

We took advantage of the nice(r) weather for a family walk. Aali definitely made a friend for life!

Iron Deficient

Hello, my name is Kimberly Oost, and I am iron deficient.

Haha... But seriously, it kind of sucks. I was researching the symptoms (after a blood test and a prescription for high dosage iron supplement, so ya'll don't think I'm exaggerating... Bec and Pam...)
Anyway, I found that I have been dealing with low iron for a long time. I don't know what it is about my body that can't hold my own iron.
It's totally possible to live a normal life with low iron for a while, but it's when I'm on the edge of becoming anemic is when it gets pretty annoying. Mostly energy, or lack there of, is hard to deal with especially with an almost 2 yr old at home.
I'm not sure if it disrupts my sleeping, but apparently my tossing and turning could have to do with restless leg syndrome. If you ask my husband, I do indeed have a problem keeping my legs still...
A few other symptoms just made sense, thin, wavy nails (I know, sounds gross, but I do occasionally see a wave in a nail or two)
And, seeing as multiple members of my family have low iron I can say I come by it... genetically. So I guess I do know why my body lacks iron. And I'm seriously thankful for supplements. I would hate to live my whole life deficient.

To Get Me Through The Last Of Winter

I stumbled upon them. They made me happy and hopeful :)

The Oh Hellos' first full-length album, "Through the Deep, Dark Valley," is a self-contained concept album, and so for best results should be listened to in its entirety, in chronological order, in one sitting. 

https://www.facebook.com/theohhellos/app_204974879526524  

Raising Aali

It has been one whole year with our daughter Aaliyah. I'm sure her blood parents would cringe if they heard us call her our daughter, and we hope for her sake that they will continue to love from afar.
She has been an absolute joy in our lives, a blessing, an education, a comfort, a happiness we never knew we could experience before she came along.
She's challenged us, and pushed our buttons, and tired us out, and driven us crazy... But somehow at the end of everyday when she snuggles in our arms, it wipes the slate clean. We wake up the next morning to a new day, and our hearts swell with the joy she brings us.

I have never done anything in my life that gives me more purpose than raising Aali.

Then

And now

My Sacrifice

I'm choosing not to blog about Valentine's day today, though I do like the celebration of love and chocolate... But I would rather talk about myself  ;)

Lent is upon us, as preparation for Easter. It's known as a time to cleanse and refocus and prepare our hearts for celebrating Christ rising again. It really is a great time of year. When I was growing up my siblings and I would give something up for roughly 40 days, from Ash Wednesday to Easter morning. It was usually food, like candy or pop. But as I got older (and wiser.. ha) I started to choose harder things to sacrifice, like computer time or TV. And I think it was important to sacrifice something that I would encounter on a daily basis, or desire on a daily basis because the idea was to revert the desire of wanting that thing to thinking of God, so he would take the place of that thing. And I'm not sure why I liked doing it so much, partly the challenge I think, but maybe because thinking about God more often was actually satisfying and healing, and became almost natural by the end of 40 days.

And I never thought it was weird that chocolate led me to God on a daily basis. Lol.

Well on Ash Wednesday this year, I gave up my iPhone. Everything about it except the time feature and the phone feature, and only the phone part if really necessary.  I'm at home most of the time so our home phone has been used a lot more so far. But already I am struck by how many times (even in an hour) that I have the urge to find it, check my email, check facebook, check the weather, read the news, check my email, play a game, make a list, text someone, did I say check my email?
It's ridiculous.
And I have been spending obscene amounts of time on our computer the past two days, but I know that will diminish after the transition. It hasn't been easy to sit at a computer with an almost 2yr old around, so I've noticed.

So far, these are the pro's of not using:
- Less phone in hand action
- Not obsessing over checking email
- Less scrolling and scrolling and scrolling
- No taking picture or videos of everything I see on a minute basis (they're usually not good anyway)
- I will be saving money this month on our phone bill
- There are probably more I can't think of
- I like the iPhone thoughts reverting to God :)

And the con's:
- I can't read the morning news with breakfast
- I have to make lists of pieces of paper (making a list you can just delete later is great!)
- Checking and replying to emails can only be done once or twice daily
- It's sometimes inconvenient to call instead of text someone
- I've lost a quick, smart map in the car
- I like texting, and I'm missing that already

So, it will be a long 38 more days, but I'm looking forward to missing it less and less as time goes on.
I don't actually know where it is right now. That's a good start! Haha.

Coming Home

I think coming home is one of the most satisfying feelings I will experience. And I tell ya, it's totally amplified when I had a little girl waiting for me. I doubt she knew what she was missing, but the first pitter pat of feet I heard, the first "Mama" called out to me, the first snuggle, it all made me feel so complete. Maybe its just feeling wanted, but I can assure you the love is mutual.
We had a wonderful, stress free time away from our everyday life. I was looking so forward to white beaches and warm winds, but I never thought that I'd miss her that much! I saw other little kids running around and just wanted to scoop them up and hug them! But I'm glad I didn't, I'd probably be thrown out of the resort for craziness... Anyway, the thought of coming home overpowered the desire to be in a surreal, tropical setting. I am home, and now I am satisfied :)
She is where my heart is now...

To Cuba, Or Not To Cuba...

Cuba.

It's almost a year to date that we last visited the tropical wonderland. We will soon have white sand between our toes, warm ocean breeze around us, and one (or two) fruity drinks to cool us down.
I have to confess: I feel very spoiled at the moment. I grew up always in envy of my school mates who travelled to warmer climates during their spring breaks. Although, DisneyLand was the place of my dreams then... Now, white beaches, blue ocean and lazying about is what I dream of. And we're going!
I know, I know... It's not realistic to think I can have this whenever I want to escape the "real world", but when we are there it is the real world. And we're totally spoiled.
And, this is the first time we'll be this far away from Aali together, for 8 days... And it's scaring me. I just got back from NYC, and I have to say, I didn't enjoy the being away part like I normally do. It was hard to separate my every thought from my two loves at home. It will be easier this time. I'll at least have Nick beside me, and the comfort of knowing Aali is with the other people she loves dearly. But I never anticipated that distance between mother and child would be so.... hard.
But, as Nicholas so lovingly pointed out, it will be so very nice to spend some time with each other in a beautiful place like Cuba. We'll make great memories together, and always think back to them when it's -30 with the windchill at home. I'm so looking forward to it.

Anyone else wanna come?