Ode to Saskatchewan

I want to write this whole elaborate post about my love for Regina, Rosewood, and all the people who we have come to consider family, but the words are not coming. How can I express what these people mean to me in a way that you all could understand. Understand how loved I feel when I am with them, how much I learn from them, look up to them, am blessed by them. There are no words. And as we prepare to leave this incredibly surprisingly beautiful place and the people who call it home, I cry. Not because we are saying goodbye, true friendship transcends distances. But because I won't be here for those silly, sad, happy everyday moments. I want stand in Rosewood every Sunday, singing a hymn off key. I won't be getting to know these teen girls how go to Girls Night. I won't watch girly movies and eat icing with the girls on Friday night. Chat with an amazing friend while our kids laugh and chase each other. I won't be here for all that. My heart is breaking. So as exciting as it is to be returning to our family (who we truly miss too), I feel like we are leaving a whole new family behind here.

I always said that something amazing or 'big' would happen when we moved here, 'the Queen City'. I never knew what that was really until now. It was the friendships that were formed and the most important friendship being reunited, that one with God. We are so blessed to have had this opportunity to grow. To grow as individuals, as a couple, as a family, and in our faith. We leave with full and gracious hearts.

A Poem For You

Seeming as I am not generating any comments for Earthy Thursdays I think I will stop posting them. Put here is a poem I found that I really like. I thought I would share it today.

You Helped Me Find a Way

Lord, I came to you with a troubled heart
and you helped me find a way
to become a better person
and live from day to day.
I didn't understand
why I hurt so bad
but you lent your ear to me
and took me by the hand.
You listened to my plea,
with you I shared my pain.
Then you held me in your arms
and wisely began to explain
that everything that happened
from my beginning to that day
happened because you let it.
You taught me to behave.
To come to you with humility,
to lose my selfish pride
you knew before I turned to you
that my life was a tangled lie.
you picked me up, you brushed me off,
you helped me smile again.
I remember how you steered me
away from spiritual death.
You gave the answers I needed
you taught me how to live
to lead a good and pure life
you taught me how to give.
Lord, I feel there's something I owe you
to repay you for what you've done.
So I pledge to tell my story;
I pray I reach someone
and show them what you did
how kind you were to me.
even if they won't listen
I'll know I've planted a seed.
If I could reach one person
and bring him to your side,
my life would have a meaning
and he, eternal life.

Written by Jody Gomez

Bring a Little Sunlight Into Our Lives

Hybrid Solar Lighting (HSL)

Dana and I have been looking into this a little more lately. It combines the eco-benefits of solar energy and the consistency of hybrid energy into one. Not only is it all the rage now, but it is wonderful for our planet, our wallet, and our bodies. It's a WIN WIN WIN alternative to traditional lighting options.

What is it? The Hybrid Solar Lighting (HSL) technology uses a solar concentrator to collect and distribute sunlight into the interior of a building via plastic optical fibers. It's goal is To capture sunlight and distribute it, using optical fibers, into the interior of a building to provide premium quality, controllable lighting capable of reducing energy consumption.

Q. How does the color of the light compare to sunlight?

A. For all practical purposes, the delivered light is equivalent to direct sunlight in every way. The delivered light has a color correlated temperature of 5400K and a color rendering index of 100 (as does sunlight). In the mornings and evenings, the delivered light will have a reddish tint just as the rising and setting Sun. An option on the HSL3010 light switch panel allows this shift in color to be eliminated, if desired. The delivered sunlight does not contain IR or UV wavelengths.

Q. What happens when clouds obscure the sun?

A. The Hybrid Solar Lighting system collects primarily direct sunlight. Therefore, when cloud coverage is dense, very little light is delivered by the system. Under these circumstances, electric lamps are used to compensate for the reduced sunlight. A daylight harvesting sensor monitors the room illumination to maintain a constant intensity level.

Q. How much space will one system illuminate?

A. Although the exact value depends on lighting requirements for the space, a typical lighted area would consist of 750 - 1000 square feet.

Q. How much energy and money will I save with this technology?

A. Unfortunately, that answer depends on your location within the United States, your local utility costs, and your current lighting technology and use. The Northeast U.S., Southwest U.S., and Hawaii are the geographic areas most likely to benefit from this technology. As an extreme example of the energy and cost savings, an installation in Kauai, Hawaii that normally uses incandescent lighting would likely receive $1100 or 8,000 kWh a year in energy savings due to lighting displacement alone. If the cost savings associated with extending the life of existing incandescent lamps and reducing building cooling load is factored into the savings, a Kauai customer could save as much as $2000 - $3000 per year per system.

Benefits of HSL

Increased Wellness with Hybrid Solar Lighting The effects of natural light on the regulation of key biological processes has been known and documented for many years. As more time is spent under artificial lighting, the regulation of these processes can become disrupted and affect wellness. Studies have estimated that 5-20% of the U.S. population now suffers from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a serious disorder that causes symptoms of depression that occur during the winter months and subside during the spring and summer months. Depending on the severity of the disorder, SAD sufferers may display one or more of the following symptoms: Sleep Disorders Overeating Depression Anxiety Family/Social Problems Lethargy Joint/Stomach Pain The cause of this disorder is known to be linked to a disruption in the natural light cycles that humans experience with the changing seasons. By spending a significant amount of the day under artificial lighting, a building occupant can become disconnected from the seasonal and daily variations in natural lighting levels that regulate the body's circadian rhythms. This eventually results in a disruption in the production of melatonin hormone levels from the pineal gland. "Bright light" therapy is the recommended treatment and involves exposure to intense lights for a prescribed period of time each day (to stimulate or reset the production of the pineal gland). Research has shown that the lack of natural daylighting in buildings plays an important role in the occurrence of SAD. For the first time, the Hybrid Solar Lighting technology provides building owners with a convenient method of delivering the therapeutic properties of natural light to their occupants without the structural constraints and architectural drawbacks associated with conventional daylighting. Existing buildings that are not properly oriented or constructed for daylighting can be easily retrofitted with the Hybrid Solar Lighting technology to provide continuous exposure to sunlight throughout the year. The increase in employee wellness can result in increased worker productivity, reduced absentee-ism, and improvements in employee moods and interactions. To learn more about the connection between SAD and natural lighting, please read the National Mental Health Association's fact sheet on this disorder.

Reduced Energy Costs with Hybrid Solar Lighting Lighting consumes more electric energy than any other building end-use, accounting for a third of all electricity consumed for commercial use in the United States. Ironically, much of this lighting energy is consumed during peak daylight hours when sunlight is readily available. The ability to capture and utilize this sunlight for interior building lighting provides a real opportunity for significantly reducing energy consumption in the United States. On a sunny day, one Hybrid Solar Lighting system will deliver 50,000 lumens of sunlight, or the equivalent of 55 60W incandescent lamps. For buildings in the Nation's sunbelt that use incandescent lamps, which have a luminous efficacy of 15-20 lumens/watt, this can result in two forms of energy savings. First, there is an energy savings of approximately 8000 kWh per year due to the reduced lighting needs. Second, there is an energy savings resulting from the buildings reduced cooling load. Because the Hybrid Solar Lighting system delivers light with little to no infrared component, there is very little waste heat. Depending on the cooling technology utilized, this can result in an additional energy savings of as much as 8000 kWh per year, or a total energy savings of 16,000 kWh per year. The cost savings associated with this energy reduction will vary depending on local utility rates. As an example, for areas with high utility rates, such as Hawaii or California, the cost per kWh can be as high as $0.10 per kWh (and in some places even more!). Therefore, over a ten year period, a Hybrid Solar Lighting system, working with incandescent lamps, can save a building occupant in these locations $16,000 per unit. For large floor-spaces of 100,000 to 200,000 sq. ft., this translates into $1.6M to $3.2M of energy cost savings over a ten year period.

This is an exciting time to be living. Where being eco-friendly and 'going green' is considered cool or 'in'. There is more information, resources, and knowledge than we have ever had before. Things are becoming more affordable to the average consumer making it not only smart for the planet, but easy on the wallet to go green. I have noticed in changing some of our consumer habits, yes, it is slightly more expensive. But who can put a price on our wellbeing, our lives and ultimately our planet. Instead of buying products with parabens in it, we look for something with natural preservatives. By doing that we spend $3-$5 more per bottle, but avoid a cancer causing agent which some research has shown is a leading cause in women's breast cancer today. I'm sorry, but my life is worth more to me than that $5. We switched to a flushable product called gDiapers for Ava which is almost double what traditional diapers cost. But it completely biodegradable and is completely absorbed within 150 days. The average decomposition of a traditional diaper is 7 years. Think about the millions of diapers in our landfill that just I am saving our planet from (not too).

Last week, my Earthy Thursday post didn't generate alot of comments. Mind you, my blog never really generates alot of comments. But this week if you could share if like getting this information or if you would just rather my regular ramblings. Thanks and hope you have a great week.

Honored

Today my week, my month.... was made. I was unexpectedly asked to do a reading at my sister-in-laws wedding. Unexpected because I never thought she would think of asking me. I feel so unbelievably honored. So honored in fact that when she asked me, Dana started laughing at me because I think I started to cry. I'm a baby, I know. Just need to share this awesome news. Thank you Shalane and Phil. You have touched me so much by this request.

Earthy Thursdays

Opps! I almost forgot that today is suppose to be Earthy Thursdays. I missed last week so I thought, better late than never for this week. I was going to write about a cool thing that Dana read about called Solar Hybrid Lighting, but I couldn't get my act together. Next week!

For this week all I want to do is actually ask you a question. I do all these posts and Dana and I have actually changed alot of our consumer habits. Our most recent change is actually switching Ava's Diapers to GDiapers. If you haven't heard of them check out Kaili's post about them. The are great. But truth be known, I find 'going green' kind of mind boggling and time consuming. As a mom of two, I am sure most of you can empathize that I don't have a lot of time or mind left for that matter. Please share some of your simple eco-friendly rules that you follow. Share your wisdom.

When Giving Gives Back

Well, last night and all morning today we have been at the church volunteering for their semi annual 'Clothesline'. People at the church donate unwanted clothes, shoes, accessories, and toys and the volunteers sort, hang and display them for three days while the public gets to shop.... for free. It's a great program. Dana actually is the one who convinced me to volunteer; otherwise, I am sure that I would have been home staring at empty boxes trying to get the motivation while Kynan watches 'Monster Trucks' for the umpteenth billionth time. Last night we were the for three hours. Kynan played with the other kids, Dana had Ava in the backpack and hung clothes, while I worked in the kids section. This morning I went back with Ava on my back and Kynan running around again. I was so amazed by all the giving that was happening at that church. While I pulled out countless items with tags still on it, brand name items... some really nice stuff, their were half a dozen other ladies doing the same thing, and a few more ladies in the kitchen making us lunch. Before I knew it, we had been there for 5 hours, and both Kynan and Ava hadn't complained once. That was a miracle in my opinion. So then I decided to head out when someone said: "Susie, have you looked for yourself?" Now secretly I had been shopping in my head and made little piles of clothes in the kids section and knew exactly where I hung up the items I liked. I asked the lady if we were aloud and of course she said take as much as you want. So I did. I got a huge score for Ava, a few for Kynan, and my new favorite shirt. However, in the process someone scooped Kynan's new boots probably thinking they were part of the lot. Kynan didn't care. He just walked to the car.... barefoot, but with a new transformer toy (that he is now having a nap with). But other than the fantastic loot we scored, I was so touched when a lady came up to me and said that she is on disability and isn't working. She can't afford new clothes so ministry is such a gift. She just kept saying thank you, thank you so much as the tears started to well in her eyes. I didn't really now what to say or do so I hugged her and said I was so glad she was blessed by it. And she whispered 'God bless you'. I felt like that was the true prize today. To be involved in something that touched someone so deeply, even if it is just that one who appreciates it that much. And to have her make me feel so loved in that moment. So when you give, you usually always get something back.

An Awakening

This weekend was awesome. I travelled to Echo Lake with two very good friends, Tara and Teena, for a Woman's Retreat with my Church. The drive was beautiful, and long as we got VERY lost and ended up circling the lake for 3/4 of an hour. But we had fun talking and laughing. When we arrived I was blown away by the amount of details that went into the planning of the weekend. We stayed in dorm like rooms and each door was a paper flower pot with our name and the name of our roomie in it. On our desk in our room was a basket of treats and a hand towel. We each received a gift basket filled with little gifts: facial cream, shampoo, note pad, coupons, lip gloss, pens, ect. The place was decorated in a spring like feel, and felt so bright.

I didn't really want to attend the weekend as I didn't want to get closer to these girls then I already was. We are leaving in two and a half weeks and I didn't want those goodbyes to be harder than they will be, but I have to say I am so glad I did. I had so much fun getting to know these ladies, laughing with them, crying with them, worshiping with them, and ultimately falling in love with them. I felt like a little girl again at a sleepover. Both nights we stayed up very late playing board games and talking. I feel such a bond to them now. The one thing I value the most from the whole weekend was the sessions. In those hours of learning about the body of Christ and where I fit in, I feel affirmed more and have a small sense of purpose. For those who know me, know that I struggle alot with what my purpose is and what I am suppose to be doing. I toss ideas around like becoming an event planner, wedding planner, interior decorator, teacher, ect ect ect.... The list is too long. While all these things still remain a possibility, I feel more of a focus now. As a Christian, you are taught that God is the focus of our lives that everything we do is to glorify Him. While knowing this, I never completely understood how to practically implicate it in my life. A revelation occurred this weekend happened that helped me understand how to do this more successfully and practically. I can't explain it in words, just hope that my actions speak louder.

As with all retreats on any topic, it is hard to come back to reality and get back into the groove of things without losing sight of what you learned. So I pray this week I will not lose sight of what I have learned. I want to give Dana a tremendous thank you for not only making me go, but also taking care of our little kidlets and the house so I could. I love you Dana, more and more, everyday.

Cupcake Madness

Well, I am off for the entire weekend for a Woman's Retreat through my church. I am excited, but a little sad. This will be one of the last times all my church friends will be together before we move. We have to bring a snack for tonight so I made cupcakes because I have a huge sweet tooth.

Trisha, take a look and let me know what you think. I was thinking we could do this for your wedding. I bought crystal sprinkles and turquoise food dye. Imagine the same design, but with silver wrappers and the turquoise icing???? Email or call me to let me know.

Smells Like Spring

My Uncle Danny and Auntie Liz were driving through Regina and decided to stop and stay with us. It was so nice to have family come visit. I love entertaining and it has been years since we've seen Dan and Liz. We had a great time hearing about their travels in over 8 different Latin countries. They have been traveling for over 100 days. They had hour of beautiful pictures to look at and the conversations were a flowin!

It's definately spring in Regina. The snow is ALMOST melted. Some ice and snow in areas that don't get lots of sun. Kynan was taking full advantage of his new boots and jumping in puddles.

We broke in our wagon and took her for a ride. Ava totally loved it. With every bump she let out a giggle. Kynan insisted on pulling her everywhere. Oh ya, the dirty face is from her very first oreo. Most of it ended up on the ground, but she seemed to enjoy it.

And today just smells like spring. It is raining a little, the ground is moist, and the air is warm. I love it. A cozy day for hot chocolate or tea and a movie. But first I am meeting two girlfriends at a craft superstore. Should be deadly.

Living with this Boy

Living with this boy is becoming more and more of a joy everyday. As he learns more about the world that surrounds him and the people, his knowledge and cuteness grows. He makes me laugh constantly with his jokes, his ramblings, and unexpected questions. He has such a tender heart for others. He loves being around people and kids. Chasing them, talking to them, playing with them. He always has the time and never says no to a friend in need. And what a lover! He totally loves cuddling, kissing, and hugging. Even now. He has just started to ask me not to kiss him on the head or hug him quite as much. Usually, he says 'Maaaaaa ooooooooooom! Don't!' But in his defense I try and hug and kiss him almost everytime there is an opportunity. He totally loves playing with his sister and is so excited when she wakes up, he runs into her room and says 'Hello Baby Ava!' He truly warms my heart and I am overwhelmed by how much I love him and how that love grows daily.

I just wanted to share some funny things that Kynan has done the last few days.
Yesterday we had some friends over for dinner and in the middle of eating, Kynan looked at me and asked 'Mom, do you have a vagina?" Teena looked at me and we both started laughing as we were just talking about our kids embarassing us like that. Then today, Kynan was in the back yard playing in the puddles in his new fire chief boots when I heard him yelling for me. I came running into the back yard and asked what was wrong and he said 'I'm stuck!' He had jumped in a mud puddle, but the mud was so sticky he couldn't get out. He was a little panicked, and got really mad at me when I started laughing. Then, we ran a few errands with the promise of a park visit at the end. I was pretty quick in the store so I got Kynan an ice cream cone at the drive thru and told him we were heading to the park right now. He shouted with excitement and off we went. I pulled in to the parking lot and turned around to unbuckle my little man. But to my surprise he was fast asleep. Cone almost falling out of his hand. Too cute. What can I say, he melts my heart.

Earthy Thursdays

The Living Roof

This week I want to share something Dana and I have been looking into called the 'Living Roof'. It's a new eco-friendly way to build that has many cost and environmental benefits. Many city buildings are already using these methods and is very popular in the UK.

What is a living roof anyway? A living roof is basically a roof with vegetation or part vegetation, also called eco-roofs or roof gardens. There are three types of living roofs. Intensive, extensive and domestic, which basically range in the height, depth and maintenence of the plants on the roof. So now you know what it is, let's talk benefits.

While 'living roofs' are not that popular yet in rural and suburban Canada, cities like Toronto are already reaping the benefits of these eco-friendly treasures. In a concrete jungle, the obvious benefit is the increase of green space which has been linked to reducing stress and improving health through air quality. But what is the benefit to an average builder?

Let's talk money, because that seems to a driving force in our decision making process.
EXTENDED ROOF LIFE- While most roofs last an average of 25 years, living roofs can sustain for upwards to 60 years so you will replacing your roof basically once in your life if you buy you do the living roof in your early twenties.
ENERGY CONSERVATION- The living roof acts as a natural cooling and heating insulation. A green roof not only acts as an insulation barrier, but the combination of plant processes [photosynthesis and evapotranspiration] and soil processes [evapo-transmission] reduces the amount of solar energy absorbed by the roof membrane, thus leading to cooler temperatures beneath the surface. Green roofs can help to reduce heat loss from buildings during the winter when root activity of plants, air layers and the totality of the specific system create heat and thereby provide an insulation membrane.

The major benefits are for the environment and us sustaining our planet. Did you know that 1.25 million tonnes of asphalt-based roofing materials are discarded annually in Canada. In the United States, the number is between six and nine million tonnes. That's alot of waste in our landfills not to mention the affect that asphalt has to the Green Island Effect.

REDUCTION IN SURROUNDING HEAT-Roof areas are a significant part of urban hard surfaces. Plants on green surfaces absorb heat and then use it through evapotranspiration. Green roofs therefore would play an important role in reducing urban temperatures, and subsequent improvements in air pollution/smog, as associated with the albedo effect.
NOISE AND SOUND INSULATION-The combination of soil, plants and trapped layers of air within green roof systems can act as a sound insulation barrier. Sound waves are absorbed, reflected or deflected. The growing medium tends to block lower sound frequencies whilst the plants block higher frequencies.The amount of sound insulation is dependent on the system used and the substrate depth.
RECYCLED MATERIALS-A number of materials used in green roofs are from recycled sources, such as the membranes and growing mediums, such as crushed porous brick, which is used by some suppliers. In London, uniquely, there has been a move to use recycled secondary aggregate as the growing medium, preferably from the original site.
STORM WATER AMELIORATION-Green roofs store rainwater in the plants and growing mediums and evaporate water into the atmosphere. The amount of water that is stored on a green roof and evaporated back is dependent on the growing medium, its depth and the type of plants used. In summer green roofs can retain 70-80% of rainfall and in winter they retain between 25-40%.

For more information on this great eco-friendly method, check out Living Roofs!

Hospitality

Today at MOPS we were discussing hospitality and what it means to be hospitable. I know for me, and based on todays discussion so do alot of women, sometimes our insecure about our homes and inviting people in. Not only are our homes so personal, it's where we hang our masks on the hook and are we truly are, but sometimes we feel insecure because of our physical home. Either we feel like it is not big enough, not nice enough, not enough seating, ect ect... I know I have felt this way. We have been studying this book called 'Dwelling' that talks about making your house a home and everything that surrounds the home. I am really enjoying it and today touched my heart especially. I love to entertain. I love having people over. Baking for the. Cooking for them (even though I am not the best cook). Loving on people. We don't always have that opportunity. Family get togethers usually being held somewhere else, friends usually somewhere out, but we did always have a monthly dinner and poker evening for Dana's guy buddies that I miss hosting dearly. It was never anything fancy, usually everyone pitched in for dinner, we laughed over dessert, watched a movie and then the boys retreated downstairs or outside for poker. I loved it. Of course Kynan, and then Ava, were always under foot and those boys quickly became uncles to our children. Today I was particularly touched because we talked about what the true definition on hospitality was. One lady said that hospitality is blessing people who enter our home. Another said it was caring for those who come in as if they were at a hospital, meeting their needs above all else. Either way, it didn't matter what stuff was in our home or how big it was or new, what mattered most was the company. The person. So my question to you is:
a) Do you like hosting people in your home? And if yes, what sort of things do you do to make people feel welcome?
b) If your house could convey a feeling, what would it be?

Getaway

This is a flattering picture... I know! I had wicked bad blisters so I took off my shoes to walk. Dana said that it would be cool to do a 'Barefoot in the Park' picture.

Our hotel. It was a castle.

Room with a view.

The happy couple.

SOLD.... sorta

Well, the real stress is over. Last night we reviewed offers and accepted one. The whole process was pretty quick. And by 6pm we had sold our house. Now, we have to wait for the conditions to be removed. A home inspection and finances. But it all seems pretty positive.

Today, the kids and I are having pjama day for the first time in weeks. No more showing and we can start living like we normally live. I already have laundry scattered in piles so that I can attempt to actually get some done. I think we are taking a week off, no working on the house or packing, and next week when the conditions are removed we will start packing the nest.

Dana and I had a great weekend being a couple with no kids. I will admit that I missed the kids though. And woke up at 7:30am automatically! On Saturday we got messages, went for a walk in the art district, and ate at a fantastic Indian Resturant. On Sunday we walked a little down town, which was pretty much dead but beautiful. When the mall opened we did a little shopping. I found an outfit for Shalane's wedding and bought two new bra (my first new bra in like a year and half). The weekend ended with a little pregnancy scare. Yes, you read that right, SCARE. I would have been thrilled to be expecting again, but it would have come at an inopportune time as we don't even have a house yet. BUT I am not pregnant. And life continues on. I will admit though that I was already thinking about a unique way to tell Dana and our parents. Funny how news like that, no matter how unexpected, can still get you excited. I am hoping to post some pictures soon of our getaway so stay tuned.