This weekend was all about my husband, for good reason, it was his birthday weekend!
Saturday we went back to Hamilton to spend the day with my husband’s family and celebrate his birthday with them. His mom made homemade pizza and a wonderful Romanian dessert called Papanasi. I purchased an ice cream cake (my husband’s request) and we had a blast!
Everyone came over and we chatted and caught up with my sister-in-law and her husband on their honeymoon and they showed us photos from the trip. The kids played and of course most excited about the cake, but who wasn’t?!
Anthony received some wonderful gifts from everyone and it was a really wonderful day/evening. He was so happy at the end of the night, which in turn made me happy.
Today, Sunday, we came home and my mom planned out a wonderful steak dinner and bought him a double fudge cake. I cooked all the sides and Anthony happily grilled the steaks for us, however he pleasantly surprised by the cake and absolutely loved it!
I bought him a cool customized BBQ Apron and grilling tools, but I gave that to him early, way before his birthday. But I’ll keep the sappy love letter to a minimum here and just say:
Happy Birthday my love! It has been four wonderful years and as we always said, we’re growing old together. You are an incredible husband/father and I couldn’t have asked for a better partner. Even during those days when we annoy each other, I couldn’t imagine having anyone else doing that. *Giggle* But I cherish you more than you will ever know and I hope your birthday was everything you wanted and more. I love you to Pluto and back, forever and always!!
Your life without a computer: what does it look like?
Let’s take this one step further and say not just computers, but a cell phone as well. I would live a more solitary life with my family, focusing on being in nature and really living very simply. And to enjoy life and everything around us.
It’s a pretty short and sweet answer, but it’s me.
My sister-in-law and her now husband had a beautiful wedding in August. They spent a lot of time, effort, imaging and major organization to have their dream wedding. To be honest, it was spectacular for the time that we were able to spend at it.
As previously statement, our day was cut short because Valeria wasn’t well, so we had to leave prior to dinner. But let’s recap what we did experience!
They rented out a bed and breakfast for their guests, and that is where we all got ready for the day. My make-up and hair stylist were incredible and the whole team that was there were incredible, friendly and so professional. I’d used this company before with my own cousin’s wedding, but they are always amazing and I have to say….I looked stunning! I put on my heels, dress and looked like the perfect goth queen!
Photos were taken both at the bed and breakfast and the venue for the wedding/reception. After photos at the B&B, we all drove over to the venue. The entrance to the venue was set up for photos, and it was sparkly and bright and beautiful. The entrance to the reception hall was closed off with sliding doors, but Valeria was so fussy we needed a quiet place to go, so….we sneak inside for quiet. The wedding coordinator noticed us sitting and guided us to a quiet back room instead. It was a blessing.
But I have to say…
The reception hall decorations were magical! Their theme was based on their astrological signs and the stars, I can’t remember exactly what they called the theme to be fair. Their colours were navy blue, soft pink and if I’m not mistaken gold. The dance floor even had a custom decal sticker on it with their initials. All incredible to say the least.
We were able to calm Valeria down and got her to sleep long enough for us to enjoy the wedding ceremony, which was held outside at sunset. The gazebo was decorated with floral and lights, and the ceremony was short, sweet and funny. Their vows were very personal and touching.
After the ceremony was done, back up to the reception hall for cocktail hour, in which Valeria took a turn for the worst. My husband and I decided than and there we were leaving, but we both ran around trying to find some quiet and to soothe her.
But before we could leave, my husband and his brother had to do a “Bride Napping”, so it’s a tradition apparently and not something I’m familiar with to be honest. But the concept is, a family member or members kidnaps the bride and demands ransom from the husband to get her back, to prove he would do anything for her. It was all a little skit, but apparently people loved it and my husband had some speaking lines. I however missed the whole thing. Once he was done, he found me outside singing and rocking Valeria as she slept and than we got in the car and left.
After we heard all about it from family and they said the music was amazing, their first dance was beautiful, etc. We were sorry we missed it because it was an event we were so looking forward to.
Though it sounds like it was the wedding of the year!
I wish them all the love and happiness in the world and we appreciated being part of their day, even for a short time.
The cool crisp air brushes my cheek The wind rustles the leaves The full moon above shines brightly
I close my eyes to bask in the glow Feeling it’s energy flow My eyes flutter open to admire it from below
A sense of renewal The inky darkness surrounds me I sit quiet and breathe slow
My season is coming You can smell it in the air The wind is whispering “It’s nearly here”
Summer is ending The earth feels it too A child of night, a lover of the moon
I gaze up once more and feel the wind blow The soft gentle howl, the free flow The season is changing, A smile spreads across my lips I savour the moment Feeling pure calm and bliss.
This post is a little late since it happened back in August, but hey why not write about it anyway!
My husband’s father came to visit from Europe for his daughter’s wedding, I mean how could he miss it, right? He came in on August 21st and left Sept 3, which now seems like a billion years ago, but really has only been a few weeks. His time here was short, flew by in a flash and a bit bitter sweet. Considering he had to go back so soon.
It was the first time I was going to meet him in person and though we had video calls in the past with Valeria and my husband, this was a big deal! Many scenarios ran through my head, all negative, due to my anxiety. My husband hadn’t seen him in nearly 4 years and he wished to spend as much time with him as we could, I happily obliged knowing how much he missed having his father around. Plus, I wanted Valeria to know him and spend as much time as she could before he had to venture back to Europe.
My husband and his brother went to get him from the airport and he safely made it with a few hiccups along the way, mostly while he was in Europe. He accidentally took the wrong train (going the opposite way from the airport) and only to be helped by a nice German woman who directed him in the right direction. Than had a complication with his Canadian Passport, but thankfully they allowed him to board the plane with his European one. Only to land safe and sound at Toronto airport and brought back to the apartment to stay.
When I met him, he greeted me with a big smile, a hug and a kiss on my hand and it made me feel reassured that this visit was going to be a good one. Over the next two weeks I got to know my father-in-law; spending mornings on the balcony with the coffee he’d make for us, chatting both into the morning and late at night (about any topic and he’d regale us with stories of his work or younger years), but he would also play and be marveled by Valeria. Often helping us out when we needed a minute and especially when she wasn’t well at the wedding. My husband got to spend a lot of time with him and his brother while he visited too, which was fantastic and much needed.
Sadly, his last day here I wasn’t able to say goodbye or spend much time with him. My fault really since I had finally crashed and fell asleep with Valeria for her afternoon nap, but my husband knew I needed to sleep and let me rest. However, our plans to spend the day with my father-in-law at my brother-in-law’s place was null and void since I over slept. Something I still feel terrible about to this day. But my husband went to drop him off at the airport nonetheless and I stayed at the apartment with my mother-in-law and Valeria.
All-in-all, the visit was great and the time we had with him was much needed. We promised we’d come visit him in Europe (when that will be, not sure, but hopefully in the near future). But maybe he will come back to visit us before that time, fingers crossed!
But meeting him will be a time I will never forget.
I would love to dwell and reminisce about the wonderful weekend I spent with my cousins last weekend, however it didn’t end up happening. It was sadly cancelled due to the weather, which turned out to be only a cloudy day instead of storms.
It was mildly disappointing because we were really looking forward to seeing everyone in one place, especially my cousin Antoinette, but such is life.
The weekend turned out fine and Valeria had a blast riding around on her little bike that grandma and grandpa bought her. We ran around doing errands and just out with her for the weekend.
So pretty boring but it kept her busy. All in all, a great weekend!
It happened! Today was the day and Valeria finally decided to walk!
She has been crawling for quite a while now and she has taken one or two steps, but today at my mother-in-law’s house, she decided to full out walk. I was shocked, my husband and mother-in-law were over the moon excited. We couldn’t believe it, she just decided to start after she figured out that a mini trampoline was for jumping that she would begin to walk.
She did it a few times, so we were able to capture the moment on film. Thank goodness I got my new phone and actually had room to film it. My old phone was filled with photos and videos of Valeria’s milestones. It was so exciting and I sent it to my mom back home. She seemed a little sad she didn’t get to witness it for herself, but I honestly think the little bike she got Valeria helped A LOT!
On the little bike she has to use her legs a lot, and after she mastered going forward, backward and turn (within two days might I add) she began to get off the bike herself and push it around from the back. Impressive if you ask me.
It’s the most incredible sensation to watch your kid grow and learn right in front of your eyes. I still can’t believe I grew this intelligent and beautiful little girl inside me, and I am such a proud mama. She is growing up so fast and sometimes I wish it would slow down just a little.
We are so elated about this massive milestone and we know we’re in trouble now because she is going to want to toddler run/walk everywhere. Better start getting my cardio up!
Proud mama and papa over here.
Have a wonderful day wherever you are in the world!
We’ve been home for a few days before we have to head back to my husband’s hometown to house sit for his sister. However, anyone with little ones will understand that they get a bit stir crazy being indoors all day long and my baby girl is no except. Along with my husband.
So, we ventured out to a local apple farm, my husband and I attended before, to go exploring with Valeria for the first time. It has all sorts of play areas, a toddler corn maze, animals (which you aren’t suppose to pet, but we did) and photo opportunities galore! Not to mention the opportunity to pick your own apples or buy from their store on site, we opted to buy some at the end of our visit. There was really no one there and we pretty much had the place to ourselves.
We took some family photos, went through the toddler corn maze, Valeria got to play in this area with bouncing animal things she could ride (she isn’t that coordinated yet so she just pushed and pulled them around. We went on this big jumpy pillow thing, I don’t even know, but my goodness it was fun! The kid in me came out, let me tell you! Also, when we went on the swings. As an adult, I’m truly still a kid at heart for certain things.
After that we went to see the animals; pigs, chickens, quails, bunnies, sheep, mini horses, goats, cows, a horse and a donkey. The horse took to me immediately, even watched me from the barn window until I came over to the pasture area. It would only let me pet it and whenever Anthony or Valeria tried, the horse would pull away. However, the donkey LOVED Valeria and kept nuzzling the fence for pets and attention. You aren’t suppose to pet the animals, but come on, how could you not? I know, shame shame on us. The horse and donkey even followed us along the fence as we left, it was a bitter sweet moment.
Once we were done all our activities, they had a sanitation station where you could wash your hands after playing (and sneakily petting) the animals. Very smart and convenient might I add. Bonus, it was not in a stinky building either, it was a cart that was near the entrance to the farm, absolutely fantastic for families with multiple kids.
Next up was the store, which be browsed and I got a compliment on my outfit from one of the stay members. Hurray! It was great in there, however they upped their prices just a smidge from last year, and their bakery has been cut down to half. A bit sad because their baked goods, both sweet and savoury, are to die for! I’m not a pie person by any means, frankly I hate it for the crust, but their apple pie is done with like puff pastry and oh man….so good. But we settled on an 8lb bag of Sunrise Apples, I believe that’s what they were called and left. Anthony ate two in the car and I had one, giving small nibbles to Valeria as we headed home. We just couldn’t resist honestly and the taste difference from a farm compared to a store, well…I’ll take farm fresh any day of the week.
I’m thinking I might make an apple crisp since these apples are good for baking and eating as is. So stayed tuned for that! The day was wonderful, cool and a bit overcast, but it was perfect for our little outing. We will definitely be making another trip out there before Autumn ends, but today was perfect. I couldn’t have asked for a better family day.
Hope you all had a wonderful day wherever you are in the world!
Well when I get a chance to relax, which isn’t too often during the day with a 10 month old, I tend to do a few things.
Game – yup, I’m a nerd at heart and before the little one came along I was a PC gamer. So I tend to do that sometimes. Everything from Dead by Daylight, Sims, World of Warcraft, and beyond. Quick gaming sessions at night help me relax.
Read – I used to read constantly in my younger years and now I’m trying to get back to it. My goal is a book a month.
Crocheting – I’m not very good and it’s a skill I picked up last year because I wanted to make a baby blanket. It turned out lopsided, and even the current project I’m working on is turning out that way. However, still love it nonetheless!
Crafting – I love it and it relaxes me like no tomorrow. The feeling of being creative and letting my imagination run wild with the projects I create is always fun. I do wreaths when people ask or as gifts, but I do a bit of everything. Wreaths, seasonal decor, wood burning, etc. Always love learning and trying new things!
Cooking/baking – Another chance for me to be creative and to dwell in my happy place. It’s relaxing for me to be in the kitchen and feeding my family good, homemade food.
And that’s it! It’s pretty boring I’m sure, but it’s totally me. Sorry no bubble baths for me, frankly I despise them.
Hope you enjoyed and wishing you a lovely day wherever you are in the world!
Well, this was an interesting one and to be fair, I hadn’t seen some of these people for many, many years!
On Friday, August 17th, we went to my cousin’s house for the night to visit with her and her husband. We are really close, and our husbands get along like you wouldn’t believe. An added bonus to be honest because I’m not sure how we would function if they didn’t. These are Valeria’s Godparents and to be honest the perfect choice. They are sweet, down to earth people and I really can’t imagine our lives without them! The day was great though, and we all had a blast the whole day through!
But the following day was the reunion on my dad’s side. Now, this is where it gets a little complicated, so bare with me and try to follow along. It is a cousin’s reunion for my dad’s mother’s side. Did you get that?
So my aunt was hosting the shindig at her place and as a rule we don’t let anyone hug or kiss Valeria. I know, seems weird, but there is a reason for it and frankly, I don’t really care if it offends people. But of course, someone always HAS to break our rule, which was a cousin’s wife who is….well let’s just say she has her nose up in the air. We ate and tried to be social, but it was hot and we stuck to the basement for the most part. All the kids were down there anyway, so of course we wanted Valeria around them.
I stayed out of the gossip and drama conversation and stuck to talking to my cousin’s wife and their 7 year old daughter, who was absolutely obsessed with Valeria. She’s a shy little girl, so when she asked to hold her, both her mother and I were surprised. We happily said yes and supervised carefully. It didn’t last too long as she found Valeria heavy. We chatted the rest of the time, promising to get together soon before we left.
We left around 5:30 PM as we had to head back to London since my parents were staying the night with my Nonna after the event was over. The animals needed to be cared for and we happily obliged going home to them. The drive home was good, with little traffic and Valeria fell asleep in bed happily.
To say the least, the potluck was delicious and some of the company was great, but we won’t be attending the next one….if one even occurs. Just not what I had expected, but people change over the years, just like I have. The cousins I’m close with, we see often and that’s all that matters.
Mama on the Move 
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