I made it through!!

Happy Thursday night bloggies!!

Thank you for all your support for my interview and the sweet comments about the "boys" and us looking for a new puppy.

Thanks Bitt for even tweeting about my previous post. That was so kind of you:)

Well, the interview is over and I'm at home trying to come off the adrenalin high:) I don't like waiting games. I'm kind of impatient.Especially when it comes to finding out if my life is about to change in a HUGE way.

It went pretty well..I think. It's so hard to answer multiple questions when you only have a few minutes with each interviewer but I tried my best. I'm kind of hard on myself too but I made the decision to not spend the next week going over the interview in my head a million times and asking the what-if's as I normally would do. I may not have given the BEST answers I could (who does in a time-restricted interview?) but I still tried to be as honest and thoughtful as possible given the circumstances. I learned a lot from each interviewer and got an even greater insight into the field and what kind of person they are looking for. Hopefully it's me:)

I talked to the other interviewee's and we all felt similarly about the process - sometimes you caught yourself rambling, sometimes you were stumped for an answer, certain interviewers were easier than others, and sometimes you wished you were on a beach in Hawaii (okay maybe this last one was only me).

The questions were pretty typical of interviews except I expected more to be based directly on my application. Live and learn. There were a lot of hypothetical situation questions, questions on stress management, sustainability, course load, and of course the biggest question "Why do you want to become a naturopathic doctor."

I find out either way in a week or so. Talk about pins and needles!!! I'm going to be glued to my phone during business hours and anyone wanting to talk more than a minute will have to call back after 5pm..including customers Ha! I may need to change my voicemail message!

There are three possibilities -

1. I get in - YIPEE!!
2. I don't get in - poop!!!
3. I get placed in limbo - I can get put into the "maybe" category where I have to wait it out until April to see if I get a spot. I really hope that I don't end up here. Recall the I'm-not-patient aspect.

I'm remaining positive and that's all I can do at this point! Please send some good vibes my way and maybe a time warp machine while you're at it:)

Thanks again for all your support!! I really appreciate it!
Have a great night everyone

Big Day

Hello All,

    Happy New Year!! I took a little break from writing as the hubby had some days off and I wanted to take full advantage of them as I know we will be back to our busy schedules soon enough:)


Now for some exciting news...Ry and I have decided to expand our little family to include one more:) No, we are not planning on having babies just yet. But we are getting a dog, most likely a puppy:) I'm so excited. Ryan says I ask him every week if we can get a dog. I don't remember if this is the case, but I don't doubt it lol.

We have been researching breeds and searching the SPCA and Petfinder.com for our future pup. I also had a good conversation with some shelter workers yesterday as to what types of dogs would suit our lifestyle. We are looking for a larger breed to take hiking, running,and camping with us. The pup will also need to love the boys as they rule the roost!!!

The shelter workers said the best bet for us would be to get a puppy (any breed ) and socialize it really well with other animals, people, children etc. Ryan and I both agreed to this logic but we are still going to look at all ages of dogs in our local shelters.

The shelter I went to didn't have any dogs that would be suitable for us. Yet I wanted to take all of them home:( I also visited the cat room and was happy to see that they were not overcrowded. I talked to a shelter volunteer in there for quite awhile and she got me interested in volunteering again. I applied online today and hopefully can start soon. Yay for tackling a New Years goal already:)

We have found a puppy that we are very interested in but it's located on Vancouver Island so we haven't decided if we should go or wait. I'll keep you posted:)

Besides the excitement of getting a new furry friend (eek so excited, you have no idea!!), it's a big day for me tomorrow.

 It's my interview for ND school.

It's finally here and I'm surprisingly not wanting to throw-up or come up with a fake illness to get out of going. This is huge for me!!! Such a change from previous years when I would panic and over think everything to the point of talking myself out of things. My mom asked me today if Ryan would be driving me to the school (about an hour away) and I said no..  She then went on to say how she wouldn't be able to drive as she would be so nervous. So you see, I've come a long way:)

I'm not going to lie, I'm still a bit nervous, but I also feel at peace with who I am and what I have to bring to the school as a student and future ND. And that's enough to keep my mind and body at ease. I also know a little how the interview process works and who will be involved. Ladies (and gents) I'm telling you that if school is in your future, go visit the campus and introduce yourself you learn a lot of insider information that can make the application process a lot less intimidating. I failed to do this so many times in the past but I got through my insecurity and began introducing myself to the people at Boucher who essentially hold the key to my future dream career.

In the meantime, please pray, send positive waves, and peaceful thoughts my way for tomorrow.

Sometimes it takes a tiny bit of discomfort to discover the greater comfort of becoming our true selves. ~ Tama Kieves


 

I'm experimenting with my diet a little bit this month and once I have a little more experience with it I'll share how it works and what my thoughts are on it. It's nothing too crazy!!

Sorry for the lack of picts, I haven't been taking many lately. The Nikon needed a breather:)

I find January a little hard as everything goes back to normal and there are no long weekends lol! Although I find it's the perfect month to do something you've always wanted to do like take a class, learn to knit, cook more, read a book etc. Because before you know it spring will be here and the garden will be calling your name:)

Have a great day everyone!!!

                                                                                                                 

Welcoming 2011

Hello all,

          I can't believe we are on the eve of welcoming in a new year. 2010 was a fun year with lots of change and fun adventures.

Here's a short re-cap:

1. Lived in one of the beautiful cities for 9 months. There were many struggles and hard times but I look back at our time with great fondness. The good times definitely outweighed the bad!! We both grew in so many ways and I'm very grateful for that.

Also, let's not forget that Nelson was also the place where we welcomed Nemo into our family:)

                                                         Such a ball of love!!

2. After Ryan was finished school we finally got to move into the house we bought nearly a year before. I rented places all my life and it was surreal to walk into the house that we bought together.

 

3. I entered into the Turbulance Training Transformation Contest. I didn't win but what I got out of the experience was more than worth it. 

 4. I ventured into many different food realms. There was the fermentation projects, fruit picking, many local farm visits, canning adventures,  and chocolate journeys, amongst many others.

5. Changed my attitude from a lot of negative, to a lot of positive! I used to talk about everything negative in my life and loathe in self-pity. There are lessons to be learned in good times and more importantly, in the bad. I cannot tell you how much this has improved my life!! I have a long way to go, but I feel more prepared to ride the wave of life than ever before.

6. I applied to ND school!! I've been dreaming of entering the field of naturopathy for a long time now and I can't believe 2011 could be the year I start school. January 6th is my interview and hopefully I'll know soon after if I'm in or not.


There was so much going on in 2010 but these are some of the biggies!! It's fun to look back at everything I accomplished and all the fun adventures.
2011 is going to bringing tons of new adventures and I'm so excited:)

 Goals for 2011

1. Learn a new language. I love the Spanish language and so I'm going to find a class or use language software like RosettaStone.

2. Volunteer again. I think the local animal shelter is where I'm going to connect with.

3. Take photography classes. I could learn on my own but I really would like some extra guidance at the beginning to cement in the basic concepts.

4. Hike and camp more. I did neither last year and missed it so much.

5. Get defined abs. I have really wanted to "see" my abs for a long time and I've never actually pushed myself to the level that I need to in order for the definition to come. I'll talk more about this in the new year.

6. Try to tackle the emotional eating. I  haven't talked much about this but I do have some emotional tenancies when it comes to food and eating past the point of being full.

7. Be more spontaneous!!!

8. Connect with friends more


What are your goals for the new year?

I wish you a wonderful night tonight whatever your New Years Eve brings!! Cheers to 2011!!!

My Christmas through pictures!

Hello Everyone!!

           How was your Christmas? Mine was filled with laughter, great conversation, amazing food, and lots of love. Christmas eve my mom came over and we exchanged gifts as the morning on my side is so busy! Christmas day was split between our families. One day Christmas will be at our house...one day:)

Was Christmas at your house this year or did you have to make the rounds?

I have tons to share with you so here it goes!!

Christmas Eve gift opening!

The loot:)

Holly's Christmas Crack and Averie's Rice Krispie treats with chocolate peanut butter coconut oil frosting. Both were a huge hit!! There are also a few chocolate covered almond butter dates on there too.

Mmm...chocolate craving is returning:)

Christmas morning with my family!

 Gorgeous little ones!

 Some major cuteness!

Oh so much!!

 Jam packed rooms!!

Has had enough of the paparazzi:)

 There was cribbage!!

 There were smiles that caused my heart to nearly burst:)

There were sing-a-longs!!

Gifts a plenty!

**Intermission** Drive, Drive, Drive...time for Christmas #2!!

 A huge feast!! My sis-in-law can't wait!!

A beautiful salad with pears, walnuts, and pomegranates

 There were glares...Ha!

 There were smiles

There were fun hats!

My box of goodies! A mandolin, a set of glass bowls, mini-Tabasco's, candles, crystal nail fail, and the HUGE How To Cook Everything Vegetarian:)

 Can you tell the hubby and I are different...he's excited over his massive wet/dry vac!

 Delicious goodies!

 Some good laughs!!

Posing as per our photographer's orders...it went something like this:  Shoulders out, chin over the fence, and pretend you have a pencil in between your teeth. Ha!! A little too much grit on that pencil Ry!!

After the festivities we went over to my sis-in-laws house and played Super Mario on the Wii. Oh man did that bring back memories!! Such a blast:)

Have a great rest of your Tuesday!! Can you believe 2011 is just around the corner?  



Merry Christmas!!

Hello all,

        Just wanted to wish you a very Merry Christmas from our family.....

....to yours LOL!!

It's chocolate time!!

Happy Thursday everyone!

          Anyone still out there? I hope you are almost off work or are spending some quality time with your family.

My mom arrived yesterday so we got together for some shopping and we also visited my grandma. She was recently put in a care home so it was a bittersweet visit. Leaving your loved ones in the care of strangers is a very difficult thing to do but it was the right decision. My grandma has Alzheimer's disease but she is still pretty witty. With this progressive disease, she no longer speaks English, it's all low German.  As my mom is fluent it was helpful that she was there and it was a happy, laugh filled visit. Although very difficult to leaver her there:( We talked to the staff and they said that we were allowed to bring pets into her room for a visit so her dog Goldie is heading there today. I plan on bringing Oddie there as well in the near future. She actually asked me about him during our visit, referring to him as my baby:)

Going back in time a little bit. I forgot to share with you about my Christmas party at work. It was a blast!! We had a limo bus to a place called Giggle Dam. Its a comedy dinner theatre. I was a little nervous as they pick people from the crowd to take part in certain skits but luckily I just got to enjoy the show:)

I was laughing the entire time! The serving staff are awesome and they remembered your name from the minute you walk through the doors. Here are some pictures so get what I'm talking about...

The grandma in the above picture did an Elvis tribute at the end of the show. He picked an older lady from the crowd and they danced on stage together. Oh man, so hilarious!!


 Now for some chocolate!!

Some mishaped vegan peanut butter cups!! These are mighty addicting..mmm! I followed Angela's recipe and used some of my homemade graham crackers:)

Creepy Santa Claus chocolates were made. I simply melted some chocolate bars and poured it into the mold. Simple! The green Santa was white chocolate with some food coloring added. 

No words!!! These vegan Nanaimo bars are so awesome!! You will never miss the dairy-filled version!! 

Thank you Angela for allowing me to devour my all time favorite dessert:)

Toffee Cappuccino Bark inspired by the recipe in Chatelaine Magazine. This stuff is SO good. I gave some to my assistant and she raved about it! So easy to make too. So, if you are in a pinch and need to bring something to Christmas dinner..make these!

The underside!! White and dark chocolate swirls:) Reminds me I need to make more for tomorrow!

Have a wonderful Christmas Eve!! I'm cleaning the house and about to go grab some groceries for dinner tonight with my mom. Talk about last minute Larry over here ha! 

I'll be back tonight with some holiday wishes!!

The holiday baking begins!

Hello all,

        This week is going faster than I expected! It's been a fun week and a half as my boss and I are off wooing clients and taking them for lunch:)

I am still finding myself not head-over-heels into the Christmas season which I usually am. I really need to slow down and take everything in as it's one of my favorite times of the year. Although I am definitely into the spirit of holiday baking:)

I found these cute Christmas cookie cutters at the dollar store and they came in handy for making Angela's Graham Crackers.I haven't made a roll-out cookie in a long time so this was super fun!

They actually tasted like the real graham crackers!! I left mine in the oven a bit too long so they were nice and crunchy but the flavor still rocked!

They even come in ninja shapes!!

I didn't just make these for snacking..they are going to become part of my favorite dessert..more on that tomorrow:)

Then it was raw cookie time!! Carrots in cookies? Trust me on this one:)

I was browsing Food Gawker (love that site!) and found these Carrot Cake Cookies from Cate's World Kitchen.

These are one of the best raw cookies I've had. If you love carrot cake, these are for you!! Super healthy and great to have around the holiday treat table. You could even make a healthy icing for them..now we're talking!!

I have so much more to share with you so stay tuned for the next episode that is all things CHOCOLATE!!

These may or may not have been involved:)

On Saturday night we watched The Fighter. AWESOME movie! Mark Wahlberg was really great but Christian Bale was absolutely incredible. It's a great movie about family, never giving up, and overcoming huge challenges.




Then Sunday rolled around and it was off to the mall for a little more shopping and the hubby had an eye exam. This was a Christmas present unto itself because he has really bad vision but I could never get him to go see the doc about it. Until now:) Surprisingly his eyes aren't too bad but the real problem is astigmatism.

Then Sunday night we had a friend over and so we had fajita night and watched the A-Team lol!

 Oh the goodness!

The filling platter!! There were fried onions, sauteed peppers,sauteed mushrooms, homemade salsa, homemade guacamole, and goat cheese. Add in Ezekiel sprouted tortilla shells and you've got dinner:)

I'll be chatting more tomorrow! Hope you are having fun with family and friends. And for the working crowd..Friday is almost here!!

PS Contagious Health just had it's first Birthday!!

I'll be having a giveaway soon to celebrate:)



Off to do some more wooing!!! Have an AWESOME day:)