runlindsayrun

Friday Smile

Gotta love high school students. This seriously made me laugh until we nearly experienced a tea-through-the-nose kind of situation here.

Labels: Friday Smile

posted by Lindsay @ 4:02 PM 0 comments

Friday Smile

So I just had a super encouraging phone call from the Mayo Clinic. It's looking more and more likely that I'll be able to see their fibromyalgia specialists - and soon. THANK YOU, GOD. Now if we can just win the lottery to pay for it... :)

Labels: Arthritis/Fibromyalgia, Friday Smile

posted by Lindsay @ 1:03 PM 1 comments

Friday Smile

Oh, gosh. Check out this little homework assignment turned AWKWARD. The things we have to look forward to once our kid is on her own in society... :)

Labels: Friday Smile, Stuff I Found Online

posted by Lindsay @ 7:26 AM 1 comments

Friday Smile

I couldn't pick, so you're getting TWO totally unrelated Friday Smiles. Because they both made me literally laugh out loud. And because tomorrow will officially mark ONE WEEK of having a sick toddler, so I'm in serious need of some smiles.

1. Things You Don't Really Need To Take Pictures Of, from The Oatmeal. This link is dedicated to all the people who annoy me by posting photos of their food on Facebook. Seriously, no one cares. I actually doubt that - two days later - YOU really care.

2. I was browsing Toys R Us online last night and found these epic Halloween costumes.

There's the unicorn (seriously...)



The lion (I kid you not...)



And finally, BATGIRL! (If you need to put a picture on the front to tell you what it's supposed to be...)



These are only a select sampling of the hideous costume choices available to you and your children at Toys R Us this Halloween - all for the low, low price of $29.99. I know... The mind BOGGLES.

The best part is that the child models look absolutely humiliated. (And WHO CAN BLAME THEM.)

Labels: Friday Smile

posted by Lindsay @ 5:24 PM 4 comments

Stop The Presses!

Can I take back my Friday Smile? Because that first one was only mildly amusing. This one has both Geoff + I grinning from ear to ear like the biggest dorks in the world. Are you ready for this? WE GOT TICKETS TO THE COLBERT REPORT. I've been website-stalking this show since we first started talking about a possible trip to NYC and tonight... at long last... SUCCESS!

*insert gleeful little happy dance here*

They seriously overbook these shows, so now fingers are perma-crossed that we'll get in. That'll be good for my arthritis, hehe :)

Labels: Friday Smile, New York New York, Television, The Boy

posted by Lindsay @ 12:01 AM 0 comments

Friday Smile

Labels: Friday Smile, Stuff I Found Online

posted by Lindsay @ 2:51 PM 0 comments

Friday Smile

You wouldn't imagine that a Friday Smile would start with the fact that I woke up SICK today. It would appear that, as much as Lindsay's head + heart are appreciating the beauty of this gorgeous Winnipeg autumn, Lindsay's body is like, 'DUDE, what happened to summer? This sucks, so I quit.'

Briony had dance class this morning and I couldn't wrap my head around 45 minutes of parent participation. So Geoff took her. And I waited in the observation area with the grandmas and siblings.

Oh. My. Gosh. Cutest thing I've ever seen in my life (and Briony was SO THRILLED to be dancing with her Dada).

Now THAT is a real man :)

Labels: Briony, Friday Smile, Mommy Stuff, The Boy

posted by Lindsay @ 11:39 AM 3 comments

Friday Smile

Sorry... I'm too busy this morning to resize my 'smile' so my blog is going to be ugly for a couple of hours. Seriously, SORRY. And it's okay if this comic is only moderately funny to some of you... So much of my media and public relations work is all about social media, so this one made me laugh until coffee came out of my nose. I'm totally cool like that.

Labels: Friday Smile

posted by Lindsay @ 8:29 AM 4 comments

Friday Smile

Way back when I was pregnant with Briony, I joined an online message board for expectant mothers who were due the same month that I was. Over the past two and a half years, these women have become a very special and incredibly unique part of my life as we've supported each other through so many milestones.

This week, we reached a big milestone together. Even though we've never met in real life, we all felt our collective hearts break back in November 2008 when one of the moms lost her baby boy in childbirth due to a mistake the delivering doctor made. Amid an excruciating lawsuit, she picked herself back up and they began fertility treatments all over again - and we celebrated with her when she announced she was pregnant again at the beginning of this year. In July, she delivered a beautiful baby girl... three months early. And then this past week - a full month before her original due date and almost two years since they lost their son - she brought a baby home for the very first time.

I don't really know her, but I know her heart. This is the biggest Friday Smile I've had in a long time, and one that comes with accompanying happy tears.

Geoff + I are SO BLESSED to have a healthy daughter. To have welcomed her into our family without having any trouble getting pregnant (ahem... OBVIOUSLY) or complications during pregnancy is absolutely incredible. It is only the competence and skill of our delivering doctor that ensured our delivery story had a happy ending. These are things that I quite literally thank God for every single day.

I've been thinking so much this week about how our God cares about the tiniest things, and I smile when I think of baby Anna - many times bigger than when she was born but still ITTY BITTY and under five pounds - being rocked to sleep in a nursery in Ontario that sat empty for far too long.

Labels: Friday Smile, Mommy Stuff

posted by Lindsay @ 8:48 PM 3 comments

Friday Smile

We took Briony to her first-ever dance class this morning. OH MY GOSH. I very nearly fainted from all the cuteness.

As nervous as we were about putting her in a class with other babies in her birth year - where she is the very youngest girl there - she *loved* it and did a great job! She even made some little friends - she held hands with a little girl she met named Brooke LONG after the holding-hands song was over.

ADORABLE.

Can't believe how big our baby is getting... It just makes me cherish every little memory that much more.

Labels: Briony, Friday Smile, Photos

posted by Lindsay @ 10:55 AM 3 comments

Friday Smile

You know where to find me tomorrow morning... :)

Labels: Friday Smile, From My Inbox, Starbucks

posted by Lindsay @ 11:33 AM 1 comments

Friday Smile(s)

So many of my recent blog posts have been darkish, but we really have made time for fun and created some wonderful memories out here this week. So for my Friday Smile, I wanted to collect and document just a few of them.

-

On our Calgary to Vancouver flight last week, I ended up sitting in between my parents. I don’t know why, but it was hilarious to all of us - I felt like I was eight years old (but with a baby). A few days later, I found myself in the backseat of my parents’ rental car with Aaron + Cait and it was hilarious all over again.

Briony has been using ‘I love ___’ phrases for a while now, and she’s also been singing the ‘I love you’ line from Sharon, Lois + Bram’s song a lot lately. It was inevitable that the two would merge somehow... On this trip, we’ve been hearing her sing about loving just about everything under the sun, and it’s just as ridiculously cute today as the first time she did it. I can put up with just about any kind of tantrum if it’s followed up with an ‘I love Mama!’ song. SMART BABY.

On this trip, I was able to spend more time than usual with my sister-in-law Joanne. It’s such a strange thing to just be thrown into a family like I was. The first time I met Joanne, I was already wearing her baby brother’s engagement ring - and the next time we met was at our wedding. The time after that, I was five months pregnant. It was short, but we were able to run out for lunch on one day and we went shopping for part of an afternoon the next day. I don’t know why that made me as happy as it did, but it did and it was important to me. Geoff’s sisters don’t really feel like sisters to me, but I hope that I can somehow build friendships with each of them.

Briony’s been cooking up a storm... She plays obsessively with her little tea set at home, and she has a little kitchen with pots and pans here that she LOVES. At Ikea this week, I picked up some little pots and pans and cooking utensils as a surprise for when we get home - and some fabric fake food that she’s been playing with here already. She loves ‘cooking’ for us and serving us tea. ADORABLE. I only wish we had room for a little play kitchen in our house. Good thing she has a great imagination :)

Last Friday, Briony went with Marilyn to her exercise class in the seniors’ complex where they live. I didn’t go along, but I would have killed to be a fly on the wall... A fly with a video camera! The stories are hilarious, and the ladies who were there have been stopping us on our walks all week to rant and rave about my daughter. Apparently, they hardly got any exercising done because they were all so busy laughing at her.

On Monday, I was able to go see Jason + Amy for dinner, great talks, and the finale of The Bachelorette. We’re thinking of coming back this fall (not 100% sure yet) and they’ll be away then, so it was even more special to sneak in a bonus visit with them this time. I seriously hate that we don’t live in the same city.

Briony got a little haircut on this trip that no one is especially fond of (mostly her mom... hehe). I will admit that I’ve never liked a single haircut she’s had. I will also admit that this one - though flawed - has the potential to be super adorable when she has a headband on. But the problem with that plan is that BRIONY IS ONE. And seriously, YOU try keeping a headband on a one year old. Drama, drama, drama... SHUT UP. I totally have real problems too.

Last night, Rob + Vicky + Ava came out and it was so funny watching the girls together. Briony is so cautious around other kids, but eventually they were having lots of fun - even inventing a silly little game to play together and giggling like crazy over it. They’re expecting again in December, and it was fun to get to see Vicky, who’s starting to show a little bit and looking adorable. It was even more fun to unload some more of our baby stuff on them (hehe).

Um, have I mentioned how much Briony loves her cousins? SO CUTE. She was constantly looking for Hannah and David (‘DAY-bid’) while they were visiting, and she absolutely adores them. It’s kind of special that they’re older already and can recognize and give her the attention she’s wanting so badly from them. We missed seeing Sean, Ruth, and Libby on this trip, but it was awesome to get to spend some time with everyone else.

Have I mentioned that Aaron + Cait scheduled their move on Pride Parade day here in Vancouver? They totally did. And their new apartment is totally about half a block from the parade route. I could live to be 200 years old and still never forget how hilarious it was to be stuck at a red light with huge crowds of parade-goers parading (for lack of a better word) in front of the car where I sat with my dad, who was waiting as patiently as he could while men in tiny colourful briefs, topless women, and seven foot tall bearded transvestites in tiny glittery dresses meandered through the intersection. My dad was desperately trying to (a) bite his tongue, and (b) remain on schedule. I was desperately trying to (a) not pass out from laughing, and (b) remember that moment for the rest of my life.

Briony has been helping Marilyn water flowers (she received a little watering can as a gift from the neighbours here on our last visit). The only problem is that the one flower pot that’s the best height for her gets A LOT of water... I’m so scared that plant is going to die...

Labels: Aaron, Briony, Caitlin, Family, Friday Smile, Going Coastal, Jason and Amy, My Friends, Rob and Vicky

posted by Lindsay @ 4:30 PM 1 comments

Friday Smile

I'M DONE! I'M DONE! I'M DONE!

I finished writing + submitting my final paper for my final course today - The Evolution of Public Relations, if you must know... And I wrote about the last ten years of public relations and the effect of blogging, microblogging, and social media on our profession, using the marketing of The Blair Witch Project, Paranormal Activity, and Scott Pilgrim vs The World as case studies.

Oh yes, I did. While my classmates were researching genocide and historical political campaigns, I was reading about Comic-Con. True story. Impressive, I know ;)

Assuming that my ridiculous topic won't prevent me from passing this course, I can now add a Diploma in Public Relations from the University of Victoria to my long list of auspicious achievements (tongue firmly planted in cheek).

I can't even tell you how happy I am. I honestly wasn't expecting this to be a big deal, but I sat here and cried after I uploaded the file. Actual tears. Turns out that I'm more proud of this diploma than I was of my first degree... Funny how that works. I'm just so ridiculously proud of myself for finishing despite all the challenges the universe has thrown our way lately. It feels a little bit like finishing that marathon. And it feels a lot like something worth celebrating :)

Thanks for sharing this victory with me. I know there were many people praying me through the home stretch.

Now which program should I tackle next? Accreditation? My Masters? Or should I go straight for my MBA?... JUST KIDDING. I'll wait now until Briony's in Grade One. At least. Because... SCHOOL'S OUT FOR THE SUMMER!

Sorry. I had to.

Labels: Back to School, Friday Smile

posted by Lindsay @ 6:30 PM 6 comments

Friday Smile

Okay, I have been waiting ALL WEEK for Friday so that I could share this... :)

Labels: Friday Smile, Stuff I Found Online, Video

posted by Lindsay @ 9:56 AM 2 comments

Friday Smile

I know I posted this one in the middle of all our camping photos the other day... But seriously. LOOK AT THIS MONKEY FACE. If this doesn't make you smile, there is something seriously wrong with you.



Do you remember when life felt like this? When nothing in your life could make you upset for more than about eight seconds and you experienced everything with complete and unabandoned JOY?

Having a toddler in the house kind of forces you to look at the world this way... In our house, we can never be too busy for a dance party (or a tea party). Adventures always take priority over dishes. And there are ALWAYS random hugs and messy kisses to be shared. I know that she'll grow up... But I hope that we're learning something now that we will never, ever lose. Parenting a toddler is sometimes exactly the opposite of what my Type A personality feels it wants, but it's full of so much of what I need.

Oh, and another thing that has me smiling on a Friday? My dad came to help me this morning. He is currently out adventuring with my daughter - special Grandpa + Briony time - while I try to do some catch-up work on client deadlines. How amazing is that? :)

Labels: Briony, Family, Friday Smile, Mommy Stuff, Photos

posted by Lindsay @ 10:55 AM 3 comments

Wednesday Smile

I love getting mail that isn't bills. One of the very best parts about working freelance in receiving physical cheques in the mail. Seriously. I'm all about the convenience of direct deposit, but there's something very cool about holding an actual cheque in your hand and receiving something tangible in exchange for your work.

But this post isn't about freelance or cheques or how things were so much better in the olden days.

Yesterday when we got home from the lake, there was a big package in our mailbox from Chapters that was addressed to Miss Briony Wright. I was kind of confused because we didn't order her anything. And it's nowhere near her birthday or Christmas.

I opened it up and saw a children's book about a bunny.



Still confused.

Then I picked up the packing slip and scanned it for a clue. This is what I discovered. And it made me smile for the rest of the evening.



It's nice to know that people read my blog (hehe). And it's even nicer to know that our family - spread out across the country - loves our baby girl as much as they do.

And Briony capital letters LOVES the book. She couldn't stop looking at it and kissing the pages :)

Labels: Aaron, Blogging, Briony, Caitlin, Family, Friday Smile

posted by Lindsay @ 10:41 AM 3 comments

Friday Smile

Have you been following this story about the deep cover Russian spy ring in the US? I totally understand that it's terrible and dangerous and all that... But it's also a tiny little bit INCREDIBLY COOL.

These spies were totally generic suburban people who passed intelligence using old school methods like switching bags in a train and notes that used invisible ink. INVISIBLE INK! I'm secretly a little bit delighted to find out that the spy stuff in the movies and television shows and books I love oh so much ACTUALLY HAPPENS IN REAL LIFE. With limited success, apparently, because they totally got caught... But STILL.

(Just in case CSIS is reading this, I would make a kick-ass deep cover spy somewhere like... um... Hawaii. Or anywhere in western Europe. I'm sure you already know how to contact me.)

Labels: Current Events, Friday Smile

posted by Lindsay @ 1:10 PM 0 comments

Friday Smile

(click the photo to enlarge)

Labels: Friday Smile

posted by Lindsay @ 1:19 PM 0 comments

Friday Smile (Belated)

If this video doesn't make you smile, your heart is three sizes too small. Yep. That's my official diagnosis.

Labels: Friday Smile, Stuff I Found Online

posted by Lindsay @ 6:56 PM 2 comments

Friday Smile

This is an easy one. I'm smiling a lot today :)

Today is Geoff's last shift for an entire MONTH. We made it! And now our reward will be lots and lots of family time (most of it spent in and around Vancouver).

Tomorrow, Emily and I are headed to the Hotel Fort Garry for a sleepover packed with girly awesomeness - including two yoga classes and a visit to the Ten Spa. And it's all being capped off with the hotel's Sunday Brunch with our boys.

If it's nice, we'll head out to the lake for the day on Monday.

Oh, and then there's the secret... Which is not as big of a deal as it's turning into, but I'm quite enjoying torturing you all :)

Labels: Emily, Friday Smile, The Boy, Travel

posted by Lindsay @ 12:03 PM 1 comments