Backwoods MamaFamily Life

A Decade in Review and a New Word for 2020

A Decade in Review and a New Word for 2020

Happy New Year! It's 2020 and the start of a new decade. Much has happened in the last ten years of my life. In fact, I started this blog on the eve of last decade. My first post went up on November 2, 2009, and it was a simple reflection on an All Hallow's Eve Party....

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Let this not be farewell but au revoir…

Let this not be farewell but au revoir…

I have started and restarted this blog post many times. It seems so easy to share about life's successes and celebrations, but death and dying not so much. In the last four months we experienced the sudden illness and loss of my father-in-law. This wonderful man...

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Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring!

Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring!

Spring has officially sprung! For many of us in the Okanagan Valley it's a welcome relief from the long cold winter we've experienced. I love spring. The warm sunshine and colourful blossoms. This season fills my heart with hope and gladness. It also means my birthday...

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Into Autumn

Into Autumn

As daylight gives way to lengthening nights we brace ourselves and step bravely into autumn. October tends to be a time of sickness in our home and remediation involves re-subscribing to Netflix, drinking plenty of tea, eating homemade cookies, wearing long-johns and...

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A New Patio!

A New Patio!

In front of our home we had this patch of grass. Actually, it was mostly weeds and dead grass because I neither watered nor fertilized it. To make matters worse the area is surrounded by concrete walls on all sides making it a pain to mow. Eventually the...

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Birthday Interview: Claire at 6

Birthday Interview: Claire at 6

Claire experiences a great deal of anticipation for her birthday. Our three children have their birthdays close to each other, and hers is the last of the three. The week leading up to her birthday she wrote out a detailed countdown sheet and a list of things for me...

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Birthday Interview: Teddy at 4

Birthday Interview: Teddy at 4

What would you like to do when you grow older? Hmmm.... play.What are your favourite toys? Cars.Who do you like to play with? Claire, Felix and Kylie.What makes you happy? Hmmm.....video games.What makes you sad? Oooh...video games when I have to stop playing.When you...

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Birthday Interview: Felix at 8

Birthday Interview: Felix at 8

What are you most excited to do, now that you are eight? Well, do older kid things like the older kids do, like Oliver and stuff.What would you like to do when you grow older? That's one thing I've never...hmm... I can't think of anything. Because I need to wait,...

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A New Word for 2016

A New Word for 2016

In 2015, I chose the word balance and it was probably one of my favourite selections to date. I think that because it was such a successful word I found it incredibly difficult to choose a new word for this year. I spent quite a bit of time reflecting on how I would...

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Reflecting on 2015

Reflecting on 2015

Before picking my "new word" for the upcoming year, I like to reflect back a little on the year that has just passed by. At the beginning of 2015, I chose the word balance to be my guide and inspiration. I wanted to live healthier, calmer and happier life and I...

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Pond Skating

Pond Skating

Today is the epiphany, the last day of Christmas holidays. Our visitors have returned home and we are slowly rediscovering our daily rhythm. After all the excitement of the last couple weeks my children have become somewhat off-centered. For a few days our home was...

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Snow Play

Snow Play

In the last week we have been blessed with lots of beautiful snow. Temperatures have stayed consistently close to or below freezing with little snow melt and long term predictions suggest colder weather for the coming weeks. It seems that the snow will stay, at least...

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A Merry Christmas

A Merry Christmas

Our Christmas days have been filled with love, music, laughter and shenanigans. I wish you all wonderful and beautiful days of Christmas celebration.

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Gingerbread House

Gingerbread House

Since the beginning of the month my children have been begging me to make them a gingerbread house. Their friends were making them and my children have fond memories of making one a couple years ago. I promised that it would happen and made good on my promise by...

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Snow People

Snow People

Big fluffy snowflakes have been drifting down from the sky slowly covering everything with a nice layer of fluffy, sticky snow. The perfect kind of snow for rolling into snow people. Even before I got out of bed my two older children, still in pajamas, were making a...

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