Oh Wedded Bliss!

Its been almost six years (this September) since PC and I said I do... and two babes later you can imagine that the wedded bliss phase has worn off just a tad (although I still love him dearly). This past weekend, we attended a wedding, and I have to say, it was nice to be reminded of why people should get married. 

The things that are said at a wedding ceremony are truly insightful and uplifting and for young marriages in today's society, I think these little reminders are necessary to help couples stay the course. At this particular wedding, it was non-religious ceremony, but the vows were so true and realistic.

The bride's father gave a very funny speech, but he also gave some advice to his daughter and her new husband in saying (and I'm summarizing) that it's easy to be in love today on your wedding day, but in 5, 15 and 25 years down the road, it might not always come easy... and you have to remember to support, respect, and always love each other the way you do today to survive the difficult times.

His speech reminded me of a fitting toast that our best man said at our wedding ... 'may your love be strong enough to survive the times, but old-fashioned enough to last forever'.  Simply stated, and is something I often write in wedding cards because I believe it has a lot of truth to it.

Yes... weddings are fun and a great party (this one especially), but when the party is over, and the hangover passes, its important to remember that weddings and marriages signify so much more than just a good time... but a commitment that is to be taken seriously for the rest of your life.

Thanks to Adam and Annabelle O'Keeffe for letting us share in your special day, and for the little reminder of what true love looks like! Congrats to both of you!

Hard to please... that's me!

I'm having one of those days weeks months where I go to bed at night feeling like nothing but a bitch. Have you been there?

Maybe? Maybe not.  But I'm there.

Whether its my hormonal balance trying to find its new home post-pregnancy, or its just plain old me - whatever the case, I'm feeling extra bitchy lately.  I'm not talking nastiness, I'm just talking about an overall feeling that brings my mood way down.

I go to bed at night thinking... tomorrow's a new day and wishing that the same old annoyances won't irritate me so much, but turns out they do.

I have so many things that I want to accomplish in life (many of them have already happened, but I'm talking about the smaller things in life) ... a laundry list full of small items that remain unchecked, and this frustrates me.  I have a pretty terrific family, great friends, a loving husband, two of best boys in the world, yet I can't seem to just sit back and enjoy them, I am always wanting to do more, have more, know more - and yet when these things happen, its never enough.

Bottom line is, I'm hard to please... really hard to please. I don't think that anyone's best efforts will ever satisfy me... and its kinda a scary thought, because you have to wonder when the people in my life will stop trying to please me.

I'm starting to think I need a new outlook on life... one that is more of a simple approach, and one that I can look back on in a month, a year, a decade later and be proud of. I do love my life, yet I'm not acting like I do... so here's to a fresh take on the simple things... less bitchiness, more happiness.

So ... lookout world, this bitchy - hard to please - self is moving out, and a simpler - less irritated - me is moving in. Hopefully!


P.S. My Keurig machine that I heart so deeply has been descaling for two days now, and I've been without a decent cup of java for what feels like an eternity. #someoneshootmenow

Happy Father's Day... Dear Old Dad!

I am feeling kind of horrible this Father's Day, because I was recently at my parents for a week and left my Father's Day card (and present) on the kitchen counter at home. It was one of those things that I had set out so I wouldn't forget it, but in the chaos of packing up - I FORGOT! Now this wouldn't be a big deal if my father lived 20 minutes away... or even two hours, but its an 8.5 hour car trip... and with the Canada Post situation, I figured dropping it the mail post-trip was probably a big waste of time.  So ... since my Dad is without his gift, I thought I'd share with you some nice and very true words about why I love him so much (which I would do anyways, regardless of a gift or no gift)!

My Dad is one of the best, and I know a lot of people think they have the best father... but for personal reasons, I'm going to go with my opinion on this one.

I don't think I'll ever meet someone more supportive than my Dad.  He has always been the cheerleader in my life. His simple philosophy of 'if you put your mind to it, you can do it', has served me well and its that kind of confidence as a parent that I hope I am able to pass onto my boys.

As a child, I loved spending time with my Dad. I think because he worked away A LOT, I really cherished the time that he did spend with me.  As a teenager, I can remember thinking how cool he was when he took me out driving on the back roads before I turned sixteen, and other important things like the extra time he spent coaching my high school curling team. He may not have been able to be a parent volunteer on any weekday field trips, or attend every volleyball or basketball game on my calendar, but he was always tuned into my life and I knew his heart was always behind me.

In my later teens, and now as an adult, my Dad has always been the voice of reason for me... when I'm talking outrageous ideas and concepts, he is quietly steering the conversation back down to reality.  He keeps me grounded, and isn't shy to remind of my roots. He's a small town man, but isn't afraid of the big city either.  And its thanks to this trait that I felt I could conquer the capital city as my choice for post-secondary education. He never deterred me from thinking big, and it was his extra encouragement during all the pressing decisions that made me believe my dreams were possible.

As the years roll on, I'm finding a new appreciation for just how much he did for me as a child. It still amazes me that my parents raised our family in the beginning on my Dad's sole income, and like I've said before, I never felt like I had to do without the major must-haves (hand me downs... YES, must-haves... NO!). My Dad worked hard for the things we had, and never was one to indulge in stuff that was just that - stuff.

Now that he's retired, its nice to see him enjoying life, and most of all, enjoying his grandchildren. I get such satisfaction to see him interact with my boys... that extra spark they bring to his life, and the cherished moments he brings to theirs! I know he feels lucky to have them in his life, but let me assure you that they are equally as lucky to have him for a Grandpa.

I hope you have a great Father's Day Dad... and no matter how many miles separate us, I hope you know how much love and respect I have for you! You truly are the best!

Love to you... today and always!
xoxo

Six months: Teeth, Fingers, Toes!

We've reached the half way point in H's milestone first year... and I don't know whether to laugh or cry!  He is changing by the minute... and while I love to watch him grow and learn, I want to snap my fingers and stop time to just enjoy the ease of this baby phase.

H cracked his top four teeth last week, making his total tooth count six... for six months, no doubt!  He has been a bit fussier than usual, but nothing to really complain about! His fussiness consists of, a few extra 'look at me' whines and growls, but that's about it. 

In this last month... the fingers and toes have really become the toys of choice for soothing.  This boy is not completely in his element unless he's sucking his two middle fingers on his left hand or maneuvering his big toe to his mouth (a skill any adult is completely jealous of)!

Just last week, H took his first real road trip (to the tune of 8.5 hours in a car) to see Grandma and Grandpa B! He was a trooper... and thanks some entertainment in the backseat from his big bro, he was all smiles and snoozes for about 8 hours and 10 minutes of the trip (if only they lived in Blind River instead of Thessalon)!

I am still enjoying the simplicity of bottling feeding, and H is starting to pack on the pounds a little more rapidly than before (he weighs 14lbs 8oz at his six month check-up).  We are so close to starting solids, but he's still sleeping well, and not demanding anything extra, so I am willing to hold off another week or two before we introduce some rice cereal.

As I look at the calendar, the upcoming three months are jammed packed with family fun! I can't wait to see H experience his first summer with our extended families, and to just soak up some fun in the sun with my boys!

As tradition dictates... here are the results of H's 6 month photo shoot... which we decided to take outdoors as it was 30 degrees and rising on his six month b-day!  As you will see... curiosity about the outdoors was a bit more attracting than Mommy dancing around like a monkey with a camera! Oh well... I tried!

Happy six months Hudson... your sweet sweet face and the sound of your giggles make life so much fun! I love you baby boy!

Dupuis Ford Lincoln, I'm not happy with you!

I had a 'fun' customer service experience that I thought I'd share... just to get it off my chest.  As you know we recently purchased a new vehicle, as our lease on our Ford Escape was up. It was a three year lease, and we've never leased before, so we were trying it out.  Turns out, leasing isn't for us... we drive too many kilometers in a year to fit into a lease, and if I weren't on maternity leave twice in the three years we had the vehicle, we would have had to pay a pretty penny for extra mileage.  Luckily, I've been confined to the house for the last six months, so we were just under the mileage allocation at its maturity date.

So... to cut to the chase, we leased our Escape for Dupuis Ford Lincoln in Casselman.  When the deal went down, Dupuis screwed up royally... between the salesman and the finance manager wires were crossed and we ended up owing the bank $600 on the spot, because Dupuis got the numbers wrong, and after the papers were signed, it was our problem.  Fast-forward three years... and they are still using the same approach - not our problem, your problem.

Three months ago... we stopped in at Dupuis Ford and asked them about changing our winter tires back to our original all-seasons, which we knew two of the four tires had low tread on them.  The service manager told us that all we needed was four good tires that matched, with the same speed and rating as the original tires on the Escape (when we received it).  He said we would be taking a chance leaving on the winter tires when the warmer weather came around, but they were probably our best bet as we'd have to pay a replacement fee if the other tires were not good. In addition to this advice, I also went online and reviewed Ford leasing's documentation about the tires, and concluded the same thing, as no where does it specify that winter tires are not considered acceptable tires.

So... we took his advice and left the winter tires on.  The day we go to turn back the Escape and pick up our new non-Ford vehicle, we find out that we are being charged $125 per tire (totaling $500 + GST) for having winter tires on the Escape.  Apparently if we had turned back the vehicle before April 15th, winter tires would have been acceptable, but on May 30th, its a $500 charge. 

When you break it down... its almost understandable that they don't want winter tires on a vehicle in the summer... however, when we did our homework on the options, and we were given misinformation from a trusted source, this outrages me.  It also makes me mad that the winter tires that are on the Escape are in fantastic shape... and while they charged us for them, they still can re-sell them andndouble their money.  I mean... honestly! What we should have done is roll up on Dupuis' lot and then take our tires and run, leaving them with just the rims! The charge would have been worth it then!

I talked Dupuis and they told us that its up to Ford Credit if they want to reverse the charge or 'figure something out' with them, but upon calling Ford Credit, we got the reverse approach - its Dupuis who can make the adjustments.  Given that we learned about the charge 2 hours before we were to pick up our new vehicle, it left little time to figure out a solution (which we tired to find a set of used all-season tires to put on it, but to no avail).  We had already disposed of our all-season tires on the advice of Dupuis' service manager, but according to Ford Credit, we should have been talking to the leasing manager.  I explained that the service manager is our main point of contact for Dupuis Ford and has been for three years - but she corrected me in saying that it was a stupid move as I should have been asking my questions to the 'leasing manager' - who frankly I didn't even know exisited, but turns out, he's also the 'finance manager' (who originally screwed up the deal three years ago).  I'm annoyed because when we asked the service manager he didn't pipe up and say 'oh that's not my area, you have to speak to the LEASING manager'.  No ... he answered the question, like he has been asked it 50 times before.  I apologize for believing a manager of Dupuis Ford on an issue related to a Ford vehicle that we purchased at... Dupuis Ford.

All this to say... I tweeted about my frustration and someone from Ford Customer Service offered to look into the issue for me. I was happy about this, but even after all his efforts, he couldn't do anything as he was based in the states, and this is a Canadian issue. However, he did forward my tweet and the background to Ford Canada Customer Service and they phoned me... to tell me (in summary) its a sales issue and customer service can't intervene in a credit matter because, get this, Ford Customer Service is not Ford Credit AND, technically I'm not considered a client of Ford Customer Serivce, because Dupuis Ford is their client and I'm only a client of Dupuis. Oh ... and Dupuis really isn't Ford, their an independent broker who sells Ford vehicles.

Clear... as MUD! They're CUSTOMER SERVICE for Ford Canada right, but I'm pretty sure Charmaine, ID #4503, told me I'm not considered a customer, even though I leased a Ford Escape, from who I thought was a Ford Company, and I've paid Ford Credit every month for 3 years.

After speaking with Charmaine from Ford Customer Service, she advised me that she would 'make a note' of my frustration and forward it to Dupuis Ford, but that I needed to speak with Ford Credit and Dupuis if I wanted anything done about the charge. I did call Ford Credit as I wanted to know who I owed the $500 to? Ford Credit or Dupuis Ford?  The agent I spoke with, Candice, was actually very factual, and informative, telling me that Dupuis got their money for the sale three years ago, and any outstanding charge was owed to Ford Credit.

That pretty much explains Dupuis' lack of interest in my problem... as they've been paid for the sale and beyond that they could care less about my frustrations. The Ford Credit agent did argue with me quite a bit, but in the end she knocked off $70 from the charge for, as she says, 'trusting the service manager's word'.

$70 is better than nothing, yes... but the whole back and forth with Ford Credit, Ford Customer Service, Dupuis Ford car dealership was pret.ty. crazy, and at the end of the day I still owe a car payment worth of money on a perfectly good vehicle, that was turned back with practically brand new winter tires on it.

I am done with Dupuis ... done with their 'its not our problem' approach... and the now proven stereotype that car salespeople are only nice to you until they get your money.

I still do heart my Ford Escape and love the Ford product, but if we ever do drive a Ford again, it won't be from Dupuis 'independent broker who sells Ford vehicles' in Casselman.

New purchase... NOT a Mini Van!

Over the last few months, PC and I have been doing our homework on the next big purchase... a new family vehicle.  It was an exhausting search... for both of us. I was concerned about the looks, gadgets, and overall vehicle technology, while PC was concerned about the guts of the vehicle, gas mileage, and cargo room. We had different agendas but managed to settle on one that we both liked and can live with for the next 6 to 8 years! One thing we were definite about is: NO MINIVAN.

Now, I know minivan-ers across the world are reading this and probably saying... you were anti-swagger wagon owners too until you actually purchased one, and that it was hands down the most practical vehicle you've ever owned... but for some reason, PC and I were not willing to go the minivan route.

I kinda think it has A LOT to do with aging... we are in our early thirties (let me emphasize 'early')... and something about a minivan screams 35 plus to me, and I am NOT 35.  I somehow think that the purchase of a minivan would catapult me into a mid-life crisis or even worse, more grey hair! Now... that being said, I have dear friends who are minivan owners, who are not 35 plus, and some that are - and this isn't about shaming them, its just a personal thing I have in my head that I don't see myself in a minivan, and thankfully PC was in the same mind space. 

Deep down, I know how practical vans are ... but on the surface, I feel much more ME driving some sort of an SUV/Crossover.

I absolutely loved my Ford Escape... and if cargo room and seating capacity were not a factor, I would have bought another Escape in a heartbeat.  I love the size of them, the drive, and the flexibility, but once you load in two boys, and their gear, and a 6 foot 2 inch, broad shouldered husband, it gets a little cramped!

I have always been a bit of stubborn two-year old when it comes to vehicles... my parents can definitely attest to that. In public school, we owned a GMC Suburban - which I thought looked like a bus when I was 12, and I would have rather walked home in the pouring rain than be picked up in the suburban.  These days, I think surburbans are awesome, but 20 years ago - not so much.

There was also the great car debate of 1997... when my parents were in the market for a new vehicle and wanted to purchase a Buick Regal. This would be the only vehicle I would be allowed to drive and internally I was dying when my Dad brought it home for a test drive.  It was a grandma car in my (out of whack, teenaged daughter type of) opinion and all I could think was... "I'm suppose to roll up to high school in this? Are you kidding me?".  I turned on the father/daughter charm and talked my 6 foot 4 inch Dad into a mid-size Grand AM.  Still to this day, I feel a little selfish about it all, but after seeing how many clicks I racked up on that car, I'm pretty sure my parents were glad they didn't invest in the Buick Regal!

Fast-forward to graduating University... I was still in love with the Grand AM, but not the practical four-door version, the impractical, bang your head off the roof, can't reach the seat beat from the driver's seat, type of impractical TWO DOOR.  It was cool... it was used, and I was in love. The only thing good about that car was... the extended warranty on it, because everything and its dawg went on it! But ... it was snazzy looking (and believe it or not, PC owned a Grand AM too, so when we met, it was one of those points you tell your friends about - "and ... get this, he's drives a Grand AM' - LOVE")!!

All this to say... I've had my fair share of experiences with what I like and don't like... but I've also hit my head on the roof enough times to know what is practical and necessary in owning a vehicle long term and what options are just a waste of money.

So without furhter ado... here is our newest addition - not a minivan, but our new crossover, the 2011 GMC Acadia!

I hope to have this baby in our family for a while, and that she'll bring us nothing but good family memories for many years to come!!

Now... you know my unimportant thoughts on minivans ... but what are yours? Yay or nay?

Old MacDonald had a farm... (an Experimental one)!

This past weekend we took advantage of an overcast and potentially rainy Saturday and decided to visit the Experimental Farm in Ottawa. It turned out to be the best day.

I knew E would love it before we entered the parking lot... but I didn't imagine he would talk about it for days on end afterwards! I think because the weather was so iffy lots of people decided to stay indoors which made the farm a dead zone.  There were maybe 20 people there in total... so we had a great time roaming our way through all the barns and stables at our own pace... and E really got a chance to explore the agriculture world.

The cows 'mooed', the horses 'neighed', the pigs 'oinked' and the sheep 'baa'd'! It was a live version of Old MacDonald and then some! The tractor exhibit was also a pretty exciting highlight of the day... E got to try out all types of different tractors, his favourite being the biggest one - similar to one he got to ride in at Farmer Logan's last summer!

H was a cool customer as well, didn't sleep the entire time we were there... and just loved watching his big bro describe all of the animals to him - and getting up close and personal with a few barn friends of his own!

All in all it was a great family day! If you are in need of something fun and cheap to do with your kids in the Ottawa area, I would highly suggest the Experimental Farm/Agriculture Museum - you will not be disappointed!