Craig and I took a trip to Vancouver last week, Wednesday-Sunday. We went to see Glen Hansard in concert and to just get away for a few days.

 

This trip went a lot better for me than last year when we went to Vancouver to see Jason Mraz. I felt a bit better about leaving the kids. Last year I worried a lot and last year it was also my first time leaving Serafina.

It is always so dreary coming back to Manitoba from BC. BC is so fresh and lively. There is still green on the trees and since it is a city, there are tons of people around. We also enjoy walks on the sea wall every day when we are there. Here it is plain and flat and pretty boring and our town is so small and desolate. I enjoyed just being around people for a change, even if I didn’t know them, there is something about that liveliness that I enjoy, though I don’t know that I would always enjoy it if I lived there permanently. At least here in Manitoba the sun shines, even when it is cold. In Vancouver, it is pretty much always cloudy and grey, at least when we have been there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This year, I mostly took pictures of nature and they wouldn’t allow pictures or video in the concert like they did at Jason Mraz. It was a great show though. Here are some of my favorite Glen Hansard songs. His music is very spiritual and uplifting, mostly because he is such a real human and raw musician.

When we got back we had some sad news, learning that Serafina’s child development worker is moving on to another job. We will surely miss her. She was quickly becoming a part of our family. We will miss her here, but wish her the best as she moves on to better things in her world.

These days I feel kind of lost. I have a lot of homeschool planning to do and feel stressed about many things in life, so it is a time when I know that I have to rearrange my life, reinvent myself and do some soul-searching; to just pause and figure out some kind of life plan in my head and what I want for our life together. There are so many people in this house to consider and keep happy, sometimes it can be difficult.

The most difficult thing for me lately is Autumn going through the puberty stage and navigating these waters while trying to remain a good authority figure for her and not getting too emotional in the process because of her attitude and the things she says/ways she acts and the fact that she is not a little girl anymore and that all of my kids are growing up. I am not the type of mother to yell at my kids, so it is hard for me to correct her and discipline her. I like to teach by my actions and example and instill good values and morals in them through the many stories we read and hope that they plant little seeds in them to bear fruit for them when they are older and reach difficult times in their lives.

Also, just worrying about Serafina and always trying to give her the best life possible has me constantly stressed out. She is always on my mind and I am always trying to keep from feeling guilty for not doing enough for everybody in my family. Plus, winter is approaching.

Still, of course, I am happy to be home sweet home! ❤