summer 2108

My mom turned 68 ( she is so young I know ! ) and we had a little party for her at home with our family and our good friends Cheryl and Melissa whom she knows very well too as Mélissa does some work with here when she is unwell

It was a super night of laughing and socializing and being outside in the warm air . I bought candles that said 58 by mistake and so I lessened her age by a decade and she was thrilled !

My mom and her friends spent their traditional 5 days at Trent alone and had amazing weather

We went home during our cottage stay for a night to drop Beauty off at a party and we spent the evening with our boys at Hasu ( all you can eat Thai and sushi ) and went to see mama Mia 2 ! The couple behind us could not believe that 2 teenage boys would go see this ( one of Them groaned a lot each time a song came on but the other one happily sang along after the movie ! )

Walking out of the theatre with one boys around my waist and the other boys arms around his dads shoulders towards the car - I felt so happy and so very proud of these boys and this close connection we share . They are really not embarrassed of us at all ! And happy to indulge our desire to see this movie :)

We shared some fun nights with Beauty’s friends . Cassie came on boat our friend generously lent us for an evening and we went swimming and sunning and our to dinner the four of us and had a super time . Then charlotte came to Trent for a couple of days and we ended up meeting her mom for dinner when we dropped her off and had some more great laughs . Love seeing these girls together since kindergarten:)

Two more of Beauty friends arriving for 4 days soon and excited to share cottage life with them

We went to regatta of course ( has been a decade do this the last Saturday of July at Holiday House ) there were about 35 people and half teens . Had all three of my kids there but Matthieu of course ! Was a great day and evening for all . We are so blessed to have such friendships with so many year after years traditions we share with our families

We were having one weekend as a family all summer for 48 hrs ( all the other weekends friends here of 1 or 2 of kids only )

Five mins before the boys were driving up to come we get a text from bear

“ mom can Matthieu Come Up too “

“ no . Only family weekend and already discussed this “

“ please mom . Matthieu is our best friend and he is like your son “

• “ok that is true !”

He is truly like our adopted son since kindergarten and pretty much lives and breathes every member of our family ( minus grade 6 where he dumped chase ). He has always been chase bff to the point everyone thinks they are a gay couple , now he has Also become bears bff ( and his manager too at the pool ! ) and he is the first person beauty goes and cries on literally when she has boy issues .

So along he came ( as usual ) and of course we all had a blast at regatta and then the next day at Trent all day and evening . Them surfing on the Neighbors boat and us just happy they are here sharing this slice of heaven with us . It’s so satisfying to see them love the cottage life too . I love that it is engrained in them

Beauty seems to have perked up a bit too since their arrival as had been a tough few days with her alone on vacation with us with  the break up  . She has been a bit of a disaster to be honest but things are getting better everyday . Plus have been talking to a bunch of moms and they all say their own teenage kids ( especially daughters ) would rather die than be alone at a cottage with their parents for an extended time ( or even a day )

I guess we have high expectations of our kids and always have when it comes to time with us . Was never an issue with boys so guess we got a little spoiled . True she is last child so alone with us more but boys often were too and never an issue . With Beauty it clearly is !! But will empathize more but won’t change it as think an amazing experience for kids to connect in nature with their parents alone ... and can see Day by day she warms up to

Us more especially when we ban the phone for an afternoon and she has no other options :)

Was good to talk to some other moms though and get some valuable perspectives .

The Sunday all kids were here had such an awesome day . Was perfect . Tons of boating and napping on boat and eating and kids surfing on neighbor boat . Then it rained and all three boys came running off the dock and dove into the lake ! They called our names to join them and we all went into the lake in the pouring rain and then the hot tub and sang French Kid songs . Was so fun . When chase left that night he squeezed me hard and said “ we had the best time ever thanks so much mom “ it’s moments and days like this that I truly love for . Gives me a glimpse and hope of the future and life with adult kids . Just hope they all have spouses as nice and cool as their friends !!

Hubby and I Celebrated 22 yrs of marriage !!! It’s a big accomplishment ! I feel like we are heading into a whole new part of our couplehood together especially this year for many reasons . Will be fun to take the journey and see where it leads us ! He continues to be a massive support to be as I run my current company and launch my second . I truly could never do this without his physical support and mental and emotional support . We truly are life partners

The boys and all their Friends continue to nap all together at our house and cottage whenever and wherever they can . There preference is always in the same bed all cuddled up ! I know might sound wierd but that’s who they are and they are all damn proud of it

Many days of the week at home bear and chase and Matthieu her home from Work and go up to

Sleep in bears bed ( chase room way to messy to find the bed !! ) and sleep all together . They are very odd as boys often would never do this ( girls do ! ) but they love it and tell everyone :) I love that they are themselves !

Lots of big events coming up . Bear driving 7 friends to Toronto for 4 days music festival . Staying on hotels and they spent a Fortune in the tickets

Chase ending his Pharma onco internship in 2.5 weeks and heading to a business leadership camp for 4 days in Ottawa bc of his student government role

And my Bebe beauty is heading in 6 days to ecadour on a humanitarian trip !!! To build a school ! All alone and knows nobody ! Only huge fear she has is spiders ! This will for sure deserve a post or it’s own and will get one when she comes back !!!!!

Very proud of her . Kinda forced her since no camp to do something away 2 weeks and this is what she chose . So can’t say she is excited but I think will end up being an amazing experience for her especially since no phones for 2 weeks yay ! A parents dream

That’s is for now ! Only blog 1-2 times a month on this blog now as switching over to my new website which will include a blog there too

This is more of a record keeping now for our family and bffs :)

Fall 2018

Hmmmmm this blog is really really taking a hit lately . Using it only for recording keeping purposes until beauty graduates from highschool this year in June 2019 so can record her prom and her big surgery and be able to publish her at grad on top of a printed blog book like her brothers had . It’s only fair our beautiful girl gets that too !

Recap of what is going on this fall of 2018 as there is lots )

Chase in second year jmsb ans in case comp which he loves . Very very entrepreneurial guy and lots of talks about his future etc and trusting him to do what is right for him while strongly strongly pushing university and finishing . He will I am sure but a bit of a battle lately . Will be interesting to see where all ends up and i bet in the perfect place . Have so much confidence and trust in this guy to make the decisions that are good for his life

Working also on him being a good roommate as a 20 yr old living at home . Gets worse and then better and then worse and better . Overall he makes us so happy and all works out but hard letting go ! No more family dinners as courses all evening of the week ! New thing is having a thing with Spanish girls ! Taught himself full Spanish this summer and looking for opportunities To practice verbal and non verbal o guess !

Bear - loving second year cégep and did some great volenteering for big  TED . Waiting to hear answer for awesome trip to Belize for marina bio course . Uni applications this year . Huge year for him !!! This kid is sooooo organized . As chase likes to say “ he has his shit together this boy ! “

He totally does . Becoming easier and easier to live with and less stubborn and really finding our way at this age that can be tough to navigate as parents . And bear is in love since sept 2018 wish a lovely girl sandrine he met a year ago . She is a sweetie and they seem very happy to have made a decision to move forward with their relationship

Beauty

Ah beauty ... hard hard hard her growing up . Hard on family life . She is a tough teen . Listens and obeys rules for sure thank god but doesn’t show us love which makes me want to cry all the time ( and often I do )

I don’t give up . I know she is worth fighting for and I will but man she does not make this easy

In solo compétions and will do 3 before surgery we hope .

Teaches hip hop at h4l . Takes jazz tech

Studies more and more as opted for high math and sciences and struggles but persists a lot ( and complains a lot )

Over Simon thank god ! Seeing a new guy and goes on dates

Surgery is around Week of March 25 and will have medical exemption for last semester . Some big stuff coming up for her and cégep applications too

She and Cassie coming to Turks with us in 3 weeks !!

Us - work work work

Have never ever ever done this on our lives . Together we work mornings weekends and evenings all the time . Together . All new . 10 month some . 6 months a lot . 4 months massively intensely .

Book is launched and got the title of more than could have hoped for 1 international bestseller ! Worth every effort !

Company launches on a few days oct 10 and website is amazing

Sweat tears and massive amounts of work

If I could guess ? My end of 2020 ( 2021 ) at latest this will be a millionaire dollar company :))

I work to get what I want and this will be no exception

Hubby and I in a good place ! He is stinging on many very visible events for choir ( televised , Justin Trudeau coming etc ) and we spend tons of time alone at cottage which is quite fun ! Miss kids sometimes but usually have Friday night dinners and some good times planned out carefully . A new stage and a good one and far better than thought what would be . We are doing a slow withdrawal from family life so empty nest won’t be such a shock !

That’s it for now . Signing off to read be copy have in my hands of my book ! So very very proud

CheapSkate Vacay Miami 2018!

We experimented this year and did something we have never done before . A long weekend get away on a massive budget .

Usually for us vacation is the opposite - we save money for it and spend it there . We have drinks when we want and food and treat ourselves . 

This year because we are going to Bali with Bear in June we didn't plan  for a family vacation or a weekend away as a family ( we usually do a  family vacation week every two years and a skiing or long weekend  away as a family every alternate year )

So we booked Miami south beach for the Easter long weekend And tries to make it as cheap as possible by :

• driving to platsburg USA for the flight 
• - taking a flight at 3am there and 2am back ( aka losing 2 nights of sleep )
• Being on a plane with no reclining seats 
• not having any luggage with us and only a  small knapsack on our back each 
• - having a room of two queen beds for 4 people and bringing a camping mat and sleeping bag for the 5th . And concealing the fact that we are even 5 in a room 
• - not having drinks during whole vacation except one Diet Coke on beach and one piña colada Virgin for beauty 
• No snacks except bought from grocery store 
• Cheap shared meals except one nicer supper 
• No souvenirs 
• Walking everywhere vs taxi 
• Uber on way back to airport 
• Breakfast in room bought at Walgreens 
• - 4 beach chairs instead of 5 
• Way way more I can't think of !

It's fun to do cheapskate ! When beauty got her piña colada and hubby got his Coke on the beach they looked as if they won the lottery !

Lucky for us there is a couch in the room that is big enough for one kid to sleep on alternating each for a turn so we don't even have to use the camping mat :) still have to hide one toothbrush from the cleaning ladies though 

One thing I can say above everything else is that when you have older teens abs young adults it really feels like a big treat to get to have them for four full days . It's an amazing luxury . And often people with same age kids ask me don't they get annoyed with the family time after a few hours - but not at all . We have always been a family I think because of the cottage where a lot of togetherness is enjoyed and very much expected . Lots of fights and irritations but among it all loads of fun and laughs and time together 

And the kids seems to be loving every minute of their time here . They all study and work so hard . Like really really hard and it's fun to watch each of them unwind in their own way. Chase works a lot on his computer for planning his events and schoolwork on the plane , on the beach .. everywhere . But he looks like he is having fun doing it . Amazing to see bear just relax ( this is a very rare occurance as either studies or works out or at boxing )

And beauty schedule is just so full of dance and competition and studying that just nice to see her be a teen  for a bit 

It's not all roses either people ! Bear and I had it out at midnight , they are messy , they scream at us when we eat Krispy cremes and they are highly irritating to me as put me in a small room with 4 other people ( three of them under 25 ) and this brings out the worst in me ( and the best of me ) in many ways . It's hard to do  for me and brings out the nagging in me a lot and the control freak but after a couple of days I calm down ( and then it's time to come home )

But man do I love his bunch and our times together 

We all love miami south beach . For us it is the perfect balance between big city and great beach . The kids love all the fast and fancy cars and the night life that when they are 21 they want to be part of . Every second person you see truly looks like a movie star . It’s very cool for a long weekend away

One of the Cool things we got to do while we were here was to see hubbys beautiful niece who lives in Naples . One of her daughters is his go 

D daughter and was so cute to watch them bond . Her hubby and other adorable daughter too all met us for a great pizza dinner on Lincoln for the evening and was so fun to get caught up with them all . Hubby ended the evening at Dilans candy store with the three girls ( Daniela , Sofia and our baby girl ! )

Today we had trouble deciding what to do with the day . I am not a great Person to plan it out as I would be happy everyday with nice weather to lie on the beach and read . Chase had his big interviews to prep for and so bear and beauty and hubby headed off on bikes on the boardwalk and intercostal . I got my irritating and annoying self out of their way and headed  to the beach alone with a good novel and chase joined me later on .

They had a super bike ride and stopped for some nachos on the pier . We all had a light lunch together and a swim in the ocean all five and then did our own stuff in the afternoon ( of course hubby and I slept half the afternoon on the beach which feels so good )

Man have we lucked out on weather this trip ( for once ! ) as hot sun everyday and evenings warm and lovely without even wearing a sweater . Feels so good .

Tonight we are heading for a loooong walk to the holocaust museum and then wanted to go to our one fancier dinner at a super meditarian place that my brother and I had found when we were here a couple of years ago . The museum which was a very sobering and humbling experience for us all as we looked at the sad sculpture and read the thousands of names of the people who died in the holocost . At one point it all just so sad as did a group hug in the middle of the place . I love my family and it's moments like this that bff savvy calls "thin moments "

ChAnge of plans and didn't go to the tapas place  and found a seafood steak resto on Lincoln road and had a great dinner . I love seeing the kids eat and love what they eat ( lobster and steak at decent prices was nice too ! ) Really good conversations about life and everything and was just really really nice

Stopped for Starbucks coffee for bear and hubby ( I find it very endearing that bear likes a coffee here and there and love that he and his dad share this passion ) and then some frozen yogurt for the rest of us .

Walgreens again for a few items and thankfully for our waistlines they were out of Krispy Kreme donuts

My fave part of this vacation is disconnecting . For a girl who loves her phone I am very disciplined . Usually I  or hide it away but this time family needs it as the only phone that has a USA plan and loads of data because of my work . So they all use it and I don’t ! Turned off all my notifications  and beeps and icons and just relaxing my brain

I have so much going on in my work and life all the time that I need to just think of nothing for a bit . I also find that since we found out about beauty surgery I have felt more distanced from my usual life which I am sure is not uncommon . Many days I feel disconnected from my life  and other people's lives too . It feels so good here to be just us five . It’s something my heart has missed a lot these days

We are trying to figure out a way to possibly own a condo in Miami one day . Fun to dream !

This cheapskate trip ( which is turning out to be not so cheapskate as we are cheating a lot on the food part !! )is really just good for us . Perfect timing and great togetherness . There are many things I love in life , but having all five of us together in a relaxed setting like this is really top of my list

Ended vacation getting home this morning at 4:30am . Skipped our early morning  classes and work and all got up around 10am so at least had a bit of sleep 

Best Bali bed ever . will be in my dreamhouse one day!

Not posed!!!

Back to the grind !  Loved our Easter weekend in Miami . Will celebrate next week a dinner at my moms for late Easter with some chocolate egg hunts  . I think in this family as they get older and older Easter weekend might just be the perfect time to escape the five of us . Excited to do another cheapskate vacation like this again one day ! 

"The Big Three' ETC...

Things going on around here lately ...

I feel like lately I can't find time to write my blog . I am truly juggling two careers right now as I set up for a new full branch of my current business . It will be a very hectic ( but worthwhile ! ) year 

I have honestly not felt this type of passion about work in my life and have barely started . And that is saying a lot as I am often passionate about my work and career . This is big stuff ! Can't wait to reveal it all soon 

So blogs will be a bit of a brain Dump for now as I find my way and find a way to manage this all . Pics will usually be in separate posts too !

Things I want to remember about the Big Three ( my new name for them from this is us show ! ) they have always been like three triplets to me although 18-24 months apart . Have never seen a show more like so elements of our own family :)

Bear  and getting amazing r score and him screaming from his too.  and our  family dance !!

Beauty opening blog book and saying next year mom will blog about nicaruaga trip   and my solo and for sure I will be on front with my surgery !!! Loves how she pretends doesn't care and LOVES it . So much teenage pretending but sending me clear messages " don't forget me mommy ! " 

Chase telling me that he couldn't make  family dinner for valentines in such a respectful  adult way . He is growing up !

Bear just finished poisonous awful accutane for 5 months ! He survived ! Clearer  skin for sure although lots of scarring of course but so much clearer and looks amazing ! So many awful side effects and limitations and so glad off of it now .  Cross fingers doesn't need second treatment !

Chase and I talk business all the time now . All the time . I adore it . Takes a ton of my time as he texts mid day and wants connections for internships etc but I always told myself I would a totally amazing available mom to them as teens and young adults ( even more than when little for me ) and I am trying to stick to that commitment ! I love it and love this new part of our relationship 

Beauty competition season begins today ! Back and forth gatineau all weekend as has team and solo 2 different days ! Meeting Bruce and Terri for dinner and they are coming :) Having Swiss chalet the other night with our girl ! Can't wait to watch her perform ! Especially knowing may need to be last year because of surgery makes it very emotional for all 

Bear made us a three course dinner one night for a course he is taking in humanities on food . All organic and delicious ! Brie and walnut maple syrup roasted , an amazing Chicken pasta and apple crumble ! So like his dad and neat and tidy and all organized and yummy . She was so excited to serve it and we were more excited to eat it ! Beautiful dinner . We joked that organic food makes our family nicer 

Now about us :

Starting new company ! Mine but hubby actively involved ! A sister company to my existing company . Will be launched in September !

Watching over 50 hrs of training materials to learn how to do this right and going to Ottawa for private mentoring for marketing expertise etc . 

A bold career move for sure !! Fun ( and sometimes complicated ) to share  with hubby . Partnering a lot in this! Also it is preparing for in a few years living abroad in various countries once a year for 3 months at a time and being set up to work virtually there . I can't believe I am doing all this alongside a full career . Overwhelming but also feels amazing too 

Had great celebration dinner with bear and me and hubby and Didi our for fondue as accutane finished celebration . Was so fun !

Few trips coming up :

Miami for 4 days at Easter all 5 

Bali for 2 weeks june me and bear and hubby 

Me and great friend in NYC ( she is there for business and meeting her for a wild 24 hrs ! )

Beauty and humanitarian trip in summer to nicaruaga . And bear maybe next year Kenya !

Also business travel for me to Calgary 

Lots of fun summer plans ( sister savvy and brother and his family coming to Trent  . ) Lots to look forward to upcoming 

That's it for now ! Cottage winter season over so weekends some at cottage and some home so that I will miss as love our winter and time there 

Bye bye !

Pics Vacation !!

Better late than never!!!

my office party:)

 My Tenor's great show at Place Des Arts!

Beauty baked for Charity:)

Client gift

Secret Santa Fun

Quiet Xmas eve buffet

New earrings from mama bear

Cool auberge on Dec 25

Squad charm

new haircut

the team::

me and me Ann-abella

we did such an awesome presentation that day!

our great extended family on xmas in ottawa!

Hubby said so rare to see me doing dishes!!

cousins!!!

the whole gang!

game with pie in face!!!

awwww

sooooo sweet!

Got two rooms at hotel yet piled into my bed anyways!!!

Beautiful xmas table

Cottage life and reading book by fire

good old selfies!

All of us finally together:)))

New years at Trent!

Xmas gang ottawa!!!

New year!!