A response to my mommy friends- in the phase they're in.

This post was written by one my very best friends Shar in response to my last post. I am so grateful for our beautiful friendship and thank you for this letter! See the previous post here if you missed it. 

A response to my mommy friends- in the phase they're in. 

Don't be sorry. 

Don't you ever apologize for prioritizing your family and spending time being the best mommy you can be. 

When you cancel plans, I know it's not because our friendship means less to you now than it did before. 

I understand that days are long and difficult and happy and frustrating and that you can't always do it all. 

You are important. 
Raising children who can help to make this world a better place is important.
I see you. And I value the work that you're doing. 

I don't mind having conversations with you while your toddler tugs at your sleeve, asking for attention. I can't think of anything more precious than seeing you become a mother. 

It brings me happiness to see you blossoming into motherhood and contributing to the world on a level I am not yet familiar with. 

When you prioritize a girls night over a night with your children or partner, I understand the sacrifice you are making. 

I also understand that adult time is important for you. To remind you who you are and keep your sanity. Even if rarely, I relish in being a part of this reminder of your past-self, but I never expect to be your number one. 

I will never forget you- or the memories we have. I will always have a seat open for you at the table- when you have time to re-engage. 

Thank you for setting an example for me. For showing me that motherhood is a daily struggle, one of the hardest jobs in the world - but one of the most beautiful things a woman can do. 

Whether I decide to have children or not- we will always find a way to connect. 

I love you, I know you're trying your best to find balance and that your love is simply being divided in more pieces now. 

Thank you for not feeling guilty about prioritizing those precious humans and for letting me be a part of your journey. 

Xoxox
Your childless friend.

To The Sisters, Brothers & Friends Who Don't Have Kids Yet

To the sisters, brothers and friends who don't have kids yet but still want to hang, THANK YOU! You are important, a life line and while we may not say it as often as we should, we could not do parenthood without you.

Thank you for:

the visits even though our conversations are broken

loving my children even though their noses are running and my baby cries when you hold her

bringing me coffee and food

meeting me at the park so my child can play while we try to catch up

not judging my messy house

holding my baby while I throw in a load of laundry

being patient with me when I need to cancel because someone is sick

just being an extra set of hands and eyes

for caring enough to ask me questions about my kids

I love you so much and if you decide to have children of your own one day, I will be the first one to bring you food and clean your house, when you bring your babies home.

xoxo
Audrey

My Text Buddy

After I shared a hard motherhood moment on Facebook when Luke was a new baby, I had a friend from my past private message me to simply say "if you need someone to talk to, I am here". Our Facebook private messages turned into text messages and we have even chatted on the phone and sent snail mail since reconnecting. She lives far away now and we hope to visit in person in the future but don't have any plans to do so at the moment, we just text a few times a week.

I believe that as long as we have one amazing friend we have enough, but I also believe we can never have too many friends.

Our text conversations span everything from beauty, to motherhood and everything in between.

How was your weekend? 

What do you have planned for your day? 

What's your favourite bronzer? (we both love beauty) 

This is how our conversations often begin and then they sometimes lead into the daily trials we are facing in our lives. When my friend first messaged me she said that sometimes it is easier to share honestly about our struggles with someone outside our everyday circle of friends. I feel very grateful for this friendship and know that she is only a text away if I need someone to chat with while I sit on the floor and play Lego for the 20th time that week. I have said it before but I will say it again, motherhood is a sport best played as a team and I am so glad to have many different women on my team in various relationship forms. 

I am sharing this little story for two reasons; 1) I am really grateful for this rekindled friendship and 2) If you have ever seen a Facebook post and wondered if you should send someone a private message to say your thinking of them or to find out if they need to talk, just do it, one more caring friend is never a bad thing.

Those are my thoughts for today, but what do you think, I would love to know your thoughts too.
xoxo
Audrey

Easter Weekend 2016

This Easter was a blast, so many good times with friends and family, we are feeling blessed and tired today! Our get togethers keep growing as my generation begins their own families and as Luke gets older things get more entertaining.

You guys know I love great food and treats, let me tell you, I am one spoiled girl to have some amazing chefs in my family! Ty's dad and my Aunt Tina stole the show this year pulling together some amazing, classic home cooked meals.

I also made time to reflect on the death and rising of Jesus because while all the egg hunts and chocolate are fantastic, I am most of all grateful to be saved from my sins and to have the Holy Spirit guide me as I navigate life.

I hope your Easter was blessed! Check out this fun video and pictures from our weekend below.

Wishing you faith, family, friends and great food!

Weekend Wishes - Meg's Bachelorette

A few weekends ago I was lucky enough to go on a little girls weekend. This was my first time being away from Luke for two nights alone. Leading up to my weekend away, I was a little anxious about leaving home because I knew I would miss all my boys, (Tyler, Luke and Charlie). I knew they would have a blast without me but I was going to miss home.

I did have moments where I felt homesick, but for the most I just enjoyed some time with my girlfriends celebrating Meg as she gets ready to marry Jim. The weekend was a perfect blend of relaxation, girl talk,  adventure, good eats and laughs and some awesome memories were made. The highlight of the trip was of course TreeTop Trekking, I would recommend this activity for anyone who likes a little adventure, I would do it again!

If you have girlfriends who live out of town, you know what it feels like when you are together, extra special. When you can't see someone whenever you want, you really appreciate the time you have with them.

I captured some moments from our trip in the video below as well as some pictures of us getting ready for Saturday night dinner. Does anyone else agree that getting ready to go out at night, is the best part of the night?

What did you do for your last girls weekend adventure?

Adventure Day - Parks Blueberries

This week we went on an adventure to Parks Blueberries, a blueberry farm about an hour from our home. Luke is loving blueberries, I cut them in half for him and he just swallows those little bites right down. Anyways, its blueberry season, I wanted to stock up and I have been wanting to visit Parks for awhile now.

They have a cafe, bakeshop, country store and an amazing, beautiful farm where you can pick a variety of blueberries (I didn't even know there was more than one kind of blueberry until this trip). Luke and I went with my sisters and our friends Marie and Mya.

Can I just side track for a minute and say, thank you, to all the aunts and friends without children who choose to hang out with their friends who have children, on their days off. You are life enhancers, you allow us to do extra cool things, that without you, would not be as fun!

Ok, back to our blueberry trip. We of course tried to time naps with our drive which kind of worked out. Both children fell asleep about 15 minutes before we arrived at our destination so we drove around Bothwell for a little while to let the babes sleep. Bothwell is a pretty little town and is also where we go to cut down our Christmas tree, in the winter.

When we got there we had lunch. I enjoyed a fresh salad with a blueberry dressing which you can pick up in their store so you can enjoy it at home. I had blueberries on my salad but if you ordered a meal like a sandwich, you got a big pile of blueberries on the side, who doesn't love that? Everyone enjoyed their meals and Luke entertained the crowd by waving at everyone the whole time we ate (waving is currently his favourite thing to do and its just the cutest).

After lunch, we headed outside to pick some berries. Before we started picking, we were able to sample the four kinds of berries that were currently fresh and available. The young man working gave us the run down on which berries were best for baking, eating, freezing and so on, we picked the Reka variety.

Compared to strawberry picking (which is the only other kind of berry picking I have done) I would say that blueberry picking is really easy. The bushes are tall so you don't have to bend down if you don't want to and the berries come off the branches really easily. We filled our buckets pretty quickly but not without snapping some picks of the marvellous landscape. As I picked, I couldn't help but think how blessed I am to live so close to a place where I can pick fresh fruit, our little corner of Ontario is pretty great. I was so happy, I did a little singing while I picked, which was enjoyed by others blueberry picking near by.

I picked two buckets full of berries and Luke ate two buckets full of berries of the ground, just kidding:). On our way out, we all grabbed some baked goods from the bakeshop. Not only do they have delicious treats made with blueberries but they also have brownies and cookies. Tyler and I have been enjoying a classic blueberry pie for dessert all week and now I need to learn how to make pie.

I would say that our Parks Blueberries adventure day was a huge success! I froze a bunch of my berries for baking and smoothies. When the colder weather rolls in and I am enjoying blueberries, I will be dreaming of the sun on my face in the blueberry field and our day at Parks Blueberries.

Beach Days

I have been heading to the beach as much as possible on these hot summer days. Its my first summer with a baby and while going to the beach is a little more work that what I am use to, its so much sweeter. Last week while we were at the beach, Karli and I marvelled at the beauty thats just a 15 minute drive from our front step. I am grateful for our beaches and the summer sun and how sweet the summer is because I get to experience all four seasons.

I grew up on the beach, my summers were made up of bathing suits, bare feet and swims after every meal. It is so awesome, to now share this with Luke and know that he will have is own special memories with the beach. 

Just being near the water makes me feel at ease, even if I am checking on Luke every two seconds to make sure he isn't eating a rock, there is no other place I would rather be, than near the water on a hot summer day. 

I hope your summer is going great and you can make it to the water this weekend.