I like you a Latte...

I never used to drink coffee, though I have always loved the smell and enjoyed the taste of coffee flavoured things; cakes, ice cream, chocolate bars etc. In my mind it was equal to vanilla extract, smelling delicious and tasting like death!

When I was pregnant the first time, even the previously pleasant smell of coffee became intolerable. One whiff sent me reeling (and retching) to the closest latrine. Well, lots of things did, but coffee was especially offensive. My husband would seclude himself in the laundry room across the hall from our apartment suite to brew his morning cup. This is, in fact, one of my fondest memories of our first years together - him shuffling off so that I could retain most of my breakfast and some sort of dignity!

After the birth of my son we visited some dear friends at what was to become one my favourite haunts, Cafe Artigiano. Nestled between shops and right across from the Vancouver Art Gallery, walking to the Cafe with the stroller was a downtown Vancouver highlight. I have no idea why I ordered a mocha that day, but I did. The blend of espresso, milk and chocolate tasted like heaven, the caffeine boost was something I had never before experienced - and I liked it!

I much prefer a 1% latte with a hint of sweetness these days. Some new favourite locales have been added to our repetoire as well. We LOVE JJ Bean here in Vancouver and anywhere that serves Cherry Hill Coffee. Two years ago Michael bought me an espresso machine as a gift. My morning latte, whether to-go or to stay, is a well savoured ritual. We both practise our latte art prowess and even fancy ourselves baristas! The perfect foam bunny is his Easter morning latte art "accident".

Now I'll even pack the machine itself for a trip to the ski hill, the lake...or just in case!

The Birthday Box

My son had a wonderful 4th birthday, I could hardly believe 4 years had passed, but he had a great time!

Aside from being treasured, loved and adored more than he will ever know, he got some pretty awesome gifts! He was blessed with some really cute clothes, books, toys and even a 10 week old Brussels Griffon(from his sister with whom he shares the puppy), Velma.

One of the gifts came in an immense box. This box is so big that it was wrapped in packing paper and the Happy Birthday message spray painted across the side. I'm talking BIG. Thankfully, the toy enclosed was to be enjoyed outside. But then the rain came. And has basically stayed. So this huge box lives in my living room and has quickly become the go-to gift.

The birthday box is where my son now takes his meals, naps and visitors. The inside has been adorned with felt pen creations and every now and then I need to rescue Velma from two overzealous preschool box-dwellers. It has been a lifesaver.  I really feel that the box was a gift for ME and have begun to think that these 35 cubic feet will allow me to pack up all the other toys unnoticed as the tiny cube people wile away the next three weeks inside its cardboard walls. Hallelujah!!!!

TeeVee or not TeeVee

So every now and then our household contemplates getting rid of our cable. I am not a responsible television viewer. I find it is easy to get lost in my programs, consumed even. But I also watch passively while I cook, clean, write thank you notes and now while I blog...I like the drone in the background and have never been a big fan of silence.

The conversation has been resurrected for a few reasons: 

1.We are moving so we have to cancel our current subscription. 

2.It is the end of May, which means all of the gazillion shows that we follow are over for the season. 

3.We have a growing number of friends who do not have cable and lead lives of normalcy.

4. Most of the shows we watch are available online.

I have wanted to move our television out of the main living space for a while now and in the new house the TV will live in the den not the living room thus no longer being the focal point. Of our LIVES lol!

And I am trying to move towards the vision of what I want my life to look like and including or excluding things as they bring me closer or distance me from that vision. Ironically a life strategy from TLC's show Hoarders.

Every summer, sans TV, I rediscover my love for reading and meditating and last summer I discovered I love to run. But the fall line up is like CRACK every time!!!

3 MORE WEDNESDAYS...

I packed our first box last night, well I put some baking pans into a box. It was this morning when I was taping it shut that I realized there will only be 3 more Wednesdays here in this home. In this city.

I moved to Vancouver to pursue my acting career 7 years ago. That was the only plan that I had...other than wanting to marry the very handsome and talented man who did indeed become my husband! Ffwd through countless auditions and serving positions and I have evolved into a stay at home mom who picks some sporadic acting on the side. I loved acting, but it is doing what I do day to day that has captured my heart and takes my breath away everyday.

Three months ago, as if we had both heard the same voice, DH and I suddenly began discussing moving out of Vancouver and closer to other passions that now seem to be more weighted; being closer to our families, being closer to a ski hill, our first house, a yard, and our own business. We started talking about what we wanted our life to look like, the quote unquote BIG PICTURE.

Trading our life on the left coast in a bustling metropolis for a town where we will become 4 of about 2,000 residents there are moments when I think, this should be more scary. Am I being naive? But I could not be more excited...and if I get lost in the move I'll take a deep breath refer back to this post!