Thursday, December 27, 2012

A New Year's Mantra For This Mama

This was our Christmas card this year. We are so happy in this photo...I get all warm and gold just looking at it. The ocean is really a place where we feel at home. Our holiday in California was such a peaceful, happy time, so we thought we'd capture it with some family photos.

Just before the sun snuck behind the blue horizon, we frolicked together on the beach, doing what we do best- just being. In the sand, in the surf, soaking in the great wide open sea that is better than any yoga, and man, I love yoga...

Our friend Rylan did a fabulous job- so grateful for his beautiful eye. Here are a few of our favs. I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas. We are taking time to reflect on the past year and observing its many teachings. Collecting and soaking in its wisdom. So many amazing moments and memories. It was busy and not always easy, never-mind loosing two beloved grandparents...we felt our mortality more than ever in 2012. It was a like a window opened, and we'd lay in bed at night feeling a deep emotional sense of gratitude for the life we have and for our loved ones. Spending everyday with these guys makes it so amazing and beyond worthwhile. We are looking forward to a wonderful 2013, focusing together on personal health. This mama's got a mantra- 'Nourished body, open heart, calm mind- happy life!'

Have you thought of a 2013 mantra for yourself? If so, please share! Last year's was DOMINATION PART TWO, and let me tell you, the universe delivered...but now we're a wee bit exhausted, lol. So we're changing our approach. The New Year will enrapture us with love, health, and maybe some sleep. That would be nice, but who are we kidding. Happy New Year everyone.















Love The Edwards
xxoo

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

If You Want The Rainbow...

Its kind of been a crazy December for us. You know, you take the good with the bad. Nothing like a little old fashion stress during the holidays. I just remind myself that 'this too shall pass', and to BREATHE through the crap. Minor crap, not the real stuff some people are going through... It sure makes you appreciate all the good stuff, and there is always plenty of that. Case in point, this cutie pie below.

Amazing how my stress just melts away when I'm present being a mommy to these guys. They truly make my heart sing. Our love is the most nourishing medicine of all. 

Cove's been teething like crazy, so we've been gobbling these frozen organic mango chunks. They do an awesome job of soothe his sore and swollen gummies. They are so tasty and a healthy little snack for mommy and Morgan too. Morgan loves when I whip them up in a smoothie too- just simply add water and viola- delish.



I picked up this gorgeous ribbon banner in the Cedros Shopping District just outside of Carlsbad, Cali. It looks so pretty at the head of Morgan's bed. She loves looking up at it, admiring the different ribbons, picking out her favourite ones. I love buying special treasures like this on holidays, made locally, and will always bring back amazing memories.  

Morgan started dance this fall and is loving prancing around in her little pink tutu. Its a mixed class, so she is able to test drive ballet, tap, jazz and musical theatre. Not going to lie, she''s already pretty good! (In this mama's eyes anyways).


2013 is going to be all about...personal health! More sleep, more exercise and more clean food that nourishes my body and soul. I want to feel like this rainbow, I want to radiate its divine energy. So its time for a little more self discipline and love to get there. As a mom of two littles, my life is a little unbalanced right now, and I know that's just how it goes for a few years (more like 20, I'm told, haha)...but I just need to create a new balance. Make small changes now, so it just becomes easier and easier everyday. Who else is in?

Every night when my head hits the pillow, no matter what's happening for me, I feel a deep sense of gratitude. I am so thankful my family is safe and my babies are snug in their beds. The loss of all those precious children in Connecticut makes my heart ache. It will always make my heart ache. We don't know our fate. All we have is this moment.  

Thursday, December 13, 2012

La Petite Artists












This was the first time Cove got to exercise her artistry skills. I cant even let the poor guy colour because he eats crayons and felt tips like candy. Our painting extravaganza started out pretty chill. I thought, 'great, I think he might be ready for this'...duh, a minute later he was drinking the paint and rubbing it in his hair.

Not only that, but it was the first time I had ever used this so called 'kid friendly' paint, and it was like nail polish. I could not get it off their skin! I had to scrub his scalp with a nail brush. I thought he was seriously going to have patches of blue hair for Christmas. Finally, patience, some elbow grease and serious soap got it out. Maybe we'll hold off on the arts and crafts for a little awhile longer. Ya think?!

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Toy Cars and Tutus



Photo credit- The Pink Couch 

I love the idea of buying sweet lil toy cars and holidaying them up with tiny Christmas trees strapped on top. A charming little trinket for the mantel, or in a children's room. Would also make a super sweet little gift from someone small in your life. Maybe the elf on the shelf needs to deliver one to our house this week! 

I'm so happy we picked up this little joy banner in Cali. 
Christmas time in our house is messy, clean, messy, clean, and definitely 
full of joy...and tantrums too.   




This girl loves wearing her birthday suit, or a fabulous frock such as this vibrant lil number, paired with her uncle's baseball cap. She definitely has her own style and frowns upon anything plain. My little drama queen always keeps things exciting and oh so sweet. Sometimes I wish I could wear something like this around the house, can you imagine?! I think she wishes mommy would sport something like this too.

I hope you are all enjoying your home and littles over the holidays. I've been keeping Morgan busy with Christmas crafts and a tiny bit of baking. Cove is content cuddling with mama, playing with his cars, chasing after his big sis, or helping daddy fix things. Oh yes, and mommy loves that afternoon nap time for Cove, where Morgs and I can just listen to music and get creative. xo

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Where The Sun Meets The Grass


And I thought, wow, what a life. What a treasure. What a memory. Last night Brydon said, "He was never a man with a lot of money. He was just a farm boy with a dream, and look what he did. Look what he left us."

Aldo Johnson passed away today with Cathy (Brydon's mom) by his side. 

A message to the family-

He was so loved. It will be a long road to ever really saying goodbye, but he'll always be with us, in our hearts and on every spring bank where the sun meets the grass. And like the sun, he has loved and nourished us all. 

Love Lane 

And now his legacy...

August, 2012

My grandma loved to go berry picking. She was so in tune with nature and took such splendour in reaping in its bounty with her gentle hands, a beloved pastime from being a small girl in Ukraine. The land around my husband's family lake is bursting with fresh berries, and now that I have children of my own, I want to share this tradition with them. 

It was a cool morning and Cove was almost ready for a nap, but a misty rain, the kind that feels like a facial when it lightly touches down on your face, enveloped the muggy, stone sky. We had just endured a fabulous heat wave, so the cool comfort was welcome after the late hours of endless sunshine. Morgan was dying to take a walk, so Nanabelle (Brydon's mom) and I took her through the private access gate towards the beach, crunching down the old gravel road- a pair of wee runners, Nana's clogs and my flip-flops. We stopped every few meters to hunch down and pick, munch, pick, munch, munch, and then crunch, hunch, crunch, crunch on. 

Brydon's mom actually expressed her distaste for picking berries earlier that weekend. As a young woman, it was work, not just a leisure task for yummy sampling. Her and her sisters would spend hours under the scorching sun, picking buckets full to make jam and pies on the farm, but I think our laxidasical approach may have shifted her distaste.

I've spent some time at my husband's lake over the years, but haven't ventured out much past the family lots. There's a dozen or so of them, belonging to aunts and uncles, cousins, grandparents, great aunts and uncles, second cousins, etc. At first, going to the lake was quite overwhelming for me, like a family reunion every weekend. I grew up in a small family, always wishing it was larger and closer- well, I guess I got my wish! I've grown to love my time at the lake and even more so, appreciate it. It was originally Brydon's grandfather's pasture land he decided to hang onto, and subdivide into 49 leisure lots. A brilliant man who dreamed of keeping his family together, as they grew and grew. He wildly succeeded, even having the public beach named after him, as well as the large subdivision. This is where my husband grew up with his cousins who know every back door path, nook and cranny on the entire property. We try to spend almost every weekend in the summer  at 'Johnsons Beach'. A legacy Brydon's grandfather will always have long past his mortality. A gift beyond measure to his loved ones.

Recently, I've discovered a whole new world here with my kids, who don't allow me to sit still for more than a minute. Its wilderness has many secrets and adventures that only my husband has explored. But soon our children will grow up, weaving through the same paths, leaning against the same trees, counting the same stars, and laughing under the same moon light. I'm excited to take them on some of their first adventures, but I have a feeling, they will be taking me...and soon have the desire to scuttle off all by themselves. 

Now, back to berry picking. We must have filled that one old-school tupperware cup we brought along a dozen times with strawberries, raspberries and saskatoons. There is something so dang wholesome about berry picking. It inspires us to pause, be present in our pursuit to find the most voluptuous berry, swollen with sweetness. While Offering an invitation to actually stop and notice the nature around us. The gratification is instant as soon as we slip that berry between our lips, but what we discover along the search is even more delicious. We bonded over the berries, and the crunch, crunch, hunch, pick, munch, munch pattern our bodies did over and over again like a moving meditation under the stone sky, in the misty rain. 


































Rocks that sit over looking the lake, 
painted by the family in the early 90's. 

Brydon's grandpa Johnson is in the hospital, and the family is hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst... my last memory of him was at the lake just a couple of weeks ago. We went up to his lot to fly a kite, hoping for more wind. He was sitting on his deck in the heat of the day, watching his grandson and great grand-daughter. Brydon- running like hec back and forth across the field, Morgan wildly chasing after him. The kite, puttering along until it finally caught a gust of wind, a tiny rainbow sailing high in the blue sky.

And I thought, wow, what a life. What a treasure. What a memory. Last night Brydon said, "He was never a man with a lot of money. He was just a farm boy with a dream, and look what he did. Look what he left us."