long overdue updates.

It's nearly the middle of November and it's been a month since I last wrote a blog post. A MONTH.  If you've been reading this blog since my flight attendant days or earlier, then you'll know that it was once a rarity to go even a week without an update.  This crazy thing happens when you have 2 children... life gets busy.  In my former life, I'd use my downtime to update my blog.  I'd grab a cup of coffee, pull out my laptop, and recount the stories from my globetrotting adventures.  I loved to write, and I loved that other people actually enjoyed it enough to read every update.  These days, when I'm gifted with a rare moment of downtime I prefer to use it to eat lunch, or throw in a load of laundry... or maybe even just to go pee, all by myself.  Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't trade my mom life for the world, but having kids has meant putting my once beloved blog on the back burner.  I try to keep up. I love to read my old posts and see how much my life has changed, but sometimes, especially lately,  it feels more like an obligation than a hobby.  It's never good when you start to dread something that you once enjoyed. I took a much needed break, and gave myself time to miss it.   There is something therapeutic about putting your memories into words and I'm happy to be back!

  So without further adieu, here is what has gone on since my last post: 

We spent 2 consecutive weekends in the Rocky Mountains "glamping", as I like to call it.  What is glamping, you ask?  Well, for us, it was partaking in all of the best parts of camping (the campfire food, the hikes, the fresh air, and the scenery) and then retreating to a warm hotel with a king sized bed, a shower and a flushing toilet for the evening.  This was made possible by the fact that Ryan's parents were camping in their RV.  We'd spend the days with them, and return to our Canmore hotel each evening. I'm all for tenting, but let's not forget, this was October and the evenings were nowhere near warm enough to sleep in a tent with 2 small children.  

We went on some long hikes (I kicked butt in the weekend FitBit challenges), ate many campfire pizzas, and Aaralee loved spending time with Grandma and Grandpa.  

On the weekdays I ventured to the gym, took the kids on playdates, went to our mom and tot program, and took a bunch of photos of brand new babies... because all of my friends seem to be having those lately.  Weekdays are often chaotic and I count down the hours until Ryan is home from work, but I love spending my days with my beautiful little girls.  

Last but not least, we celebrated Briley's first and Aaralee's third Halloween!  Aaralee went as a koala, I was a kangaroo, and Briley was my little joey.  Ryan's Halloween spirit was lacking, and he simply wore a pair of jeans and a shirt.  

We started the day off with trick or treating at the mall. Whoever planned that event clearly didn't realize that it was timed just perfectly to interfere with toddler nap time.  I was certain that Aaralee wouldn't be phased by the lack of nap because she would be too excited about the prospect of running through the mall and getting candy. I was wrong.  She refused to walk, and nearly fell asleep on Ryan's shoulders before we called it quits and headed home.  Briley slept through it all, as per usual.

That evening we went out for some real door to door trick or treating, and that went far better.  We'd planned to visit 2-3 houses, but our excited toddler insisted on continuing on.  She especially loved ringing doorbells and pointing out every single pumpkin that she sighted.  We came home with quite the haul. After devouring more sugar than she'd ever consumed in her lifetime, Aaralee got sick and I promptly sent the leftover candy to Ryan's office.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that recently we had our first tiny dusting of snow.  It only lasted a few hours, but I bundled up the kids to take them outside.  Despite Aaralee's excitement when she looked out the window in the morning, neither of them seemed too thrilled about the snow once we actually ventured outside.  Safe to say, they take after me.  Bring us to a beach, we prefer sand!

That's pretty much all that's been happening around here! The Christmas decor is officially out in our house and I'm working hard to teach Aaralee some Christmas carols. I can't wait for December.  Spending the holiday season with 2 little ones is going to be so much fun! 

I promise to share all about our Christmas fun.  It's my favourite time of year! 

Thanks for reading my updates (consistent or not) throughout the years.  This is where I announced that I was moving across the world, chronicled my travels, shared that I was engaged, and broke the news of both pregnancies.  I've shared my life here, and it truly astounds me that so many of you actually care to read about it!