Always go with your gut feeling!

You know that feeling deep down that is like the little voice you hear of the angel and the devil when you are trying to make a decision. That uneasy feeling or the butterflies of pure joy. Without a doubt when you have to make a decision go with what you’re feeling, you’ll never be steered wrong.

I recently had to make a decision, major for my kids at their age, and I didn’t want to make the wrong choice and later regret it. Tossing things around for months I finally was able to make the final decision today, the decision that in my gut I always knew was the right one for our family. A decision that will make things jive that much better on a daily, weekly and monthly basis.

Thinking back on many things that I have had to decide on weighing pros and cons, all positives and negatives, opinions of others while talking on and on 😉  I know what’s right for me and what’s wrong, what is worth it and not. Regardless of my choice I do what I believe is right for them, its tough being a parent sometimes, but at the same time the most rewarding experience ever!

Trust in me, as their mother, their protector and I know that even though I may be presented with small obstacles or challenges if I always have their best interest in my heart and mind, I’m doing the right thing!

You do know that gut feeling, when you think of doing something but get this uneasy feeling or when you finally make your self make a decision and you finally feel at ease. Change is tough on everyone but it can also bring on new exciting beginnings!

Victoria Day Weekend (May 2-4) ~ Family, Sun, Sand & Water! Kick off to the SUMMER!

We spent the Victoria Day (aka May 2-4) weekend with family at the family cottage! What an awesome kick off to the summer! The weather was amazing, hot gorgeous sunshine, cool water and great times with family and friends!

We got our boat in for the first time, I dont know who was more excited Cars or Hubby! In the one pic you can see our lil man’s tiny arms straight up in the air – he was that excited!

First time to the cottage for our puppy! He wasn’t too sure about going in deep in the water lol but loved playing with Hazel and Tara 😉 They were 3 tired dogs thats for sure! Only downfall with 3 dogs is they get up early, so I not only got photos of the sunset the one evening, but the next morning I also got the sunrise lol! I have lots of landscape photos including the sunrise and sunset that I will have to do another post on! Some from Southampton going up the river with the fishing boats, Port Elgin Harbour and of course Chantry Island!

HELLO SUMMER!!!

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My awesome hubby! Who doesn’t like to smile in photos but is very obliging when I take his photograph ❤
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If you look close at this one you will see our boy sitting in the bow of the boat with his arms up HIGH cheering! This was when they put the boat in Saturday morning. Yes very much like his dad hahaha! 😉
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Beginning & End of a beautiful weekend ~ Sunrise & Sunset

What a gorgeous way to being Summer with the weather we were blessed with this Victoria Day weekend. My family and I were lucky to spend the weekend at my Grama’s cottage in Port Elgin, it is just breathtakingly beautiful there! Not only was I lucky as a child to spend every summer there, but now being able to share this with our children, not only our children but most weekends to have 3 generations under the cottage roof is just awesome and SO much fun!

This weekend we not only had the 3 generations under the cottage roof we also had 3 labs – black, chocolate and yellow! They had a blast together:) Our boy Becker enjoyed his first trip to the beach!

Having the 3 dogs there meant  early mornings, because they could then nap (after getting us up!). So not only did I get some sunset photos but also some sunrise photos the next morning 😉

Posted in random order 🙂 Sunsets to the left of the cottage by the sand point and the sun rises to the right of the cottage looking in the range of the harbour.

 
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Sunset colours
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Early morning sunrise on Lake Huron
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My personal fav! Might need to get this printed on a large canvas!
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The last photo of the sunset, taken from the top steps at the cottage. Gorgeous!
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I want results…

May 16th, 2012

I’ve always been a slightly impatient person, thankfully when I had my kids I did gain more patience, I had to, these little people were are quite demanding :P. I’ve always been strong willed and independent and always stand up for myself and what I believe in. Except when it comes to weight… which since in college has been a constant battle with an unknown reason to why until we tried to have a family. Yes I am enjoying vmax, I can feel that I am much stronger physically, it feels amazing to be able to work out and break a sweat without being in pain…

…and then comes out the impatient Pam. I am slowly toning, which is awesome, even my husband tells me everyday how great I am looking and quickly adds in how beautiful Ive always been lol 😉 , but I’m not losing, I know muscle weighs more than fat and I need to continue working harder… and I want to do this the right way, I don’t want to do anything extreme ‘just to lose weight’ … blah!

May 18th, 2012

After a very relaxing long weekend and allergies totally taking me down on Friday that I wasn’t able to go to VMAX that day – I spent my lunch sleeping I felt awful! I was very happy to get back at it today… first on the agenda since May 20th was my 1 month mark was to get my measurements taken to compare… I was nervous but I thought if anything even if Ive lost inches or even half an inch somewhere I would be very happy for all my hard work – most days I come out of there dripping in sweat!

I was SO happy when Tasha told me I had lost 3.75 inches!!! Ah yeah Im SO happy with that!!! Especially when its from the places I wanted to 😉 Not only does hearing that make me feel that much better, its given me something to actually see that I am doing good.

The best part though… I do not get pain when I exercise! Sure I do still get pain from the endometriosis but not like before my hysterectomy. By joining VMAX I was able to help build up my core strength… painless!

I am now a strong believer, VMAX does work – BUT … YOU have to work as well. The core and strength training exercises to do on the machine – works sooo great! Some people may think its too good to be true, but for someone like me who does have “invisible illnesses” its been a god send!

A special celebration and treasured memories

We had a FABULOUS time this past weekend! First celebrating a very special lady’s birthday, my mom!!!

We had a great time with family and close friends… grama even made her famous “money birthday cake” lol it was awesome!

Here’s to many more wonderful years … and more importantly to all the amazing memories we made this evening. A friend of ours messaged us this weekend to let us know that not only did her family suffer the loss of her grandfather, suddenly her father passed away very soon after.

Our hearts go out to them as their pain would just feel like torture right now. A true reminder of how special memories, even the simplest memory that at the time may not seem like it is “that much” one day will mean so much more. Never take any day for granted, spend your time with people who not only you love and respect, but those who love and respect you back. Enjoy life to its fullest, work hard, reach for your goals and dreams!

A very important reminder for the photographer in me… please take photos! Whether it is with your phone, your point and shoot or a DSLR… I remember each time we have lost a loved one, it has been a very harsh reminder to capture more memories. We may no longer have our loved ones, however those memories within a photo will live on forever with many more stories and generations to be told!

Thinking of N, G and mr T tonight… hugs to all of you!

 

Our Family Dogs… Black, Chocolate & Yellow Labs

Growing up both my hubby and I had lab’s as our family pets. Since Hazel joined the family last spring we knew our next pup would be coming from the same place where mom and dad got not just Hazel but also Tara 8 years ago!

Its so fun watching these pups grow up! Our lil man Becker and Hazel are 6mths apart exactly, they are best friends and tire each other our perfectly! Our pups came from Cooperslane Kennel just outside of Arthur.

Tara is the black lab, Hazel is the chocolate lab and Becker is our boy he is the yellow lab! 🙂

These dogs have such an amazing personality – each of them so different and yet they all get along so well! Our boy is now the same height and size as Tara, miss Hazel has height over the both of them. But that has never stopped Beck, even when he was a baby, from tackling her!

And here is our boy…

My life in photos… what a story they will tell!

Any event or fun thing we do in our family, I have some kind of photographic memory. My life truly is in photos, not only my life but our life – my own little family of 4 and any extended family get together.

Sunday morning while prepping a Mother’s Day blog post, I went back through the photos from exactly a year ago on Mother’s Day. How much our kids have changed! How much I cherish these memories! As happy a day Mother’s Day is for me as a mother myself and to spend it with my own mom, its also a sad memory for us for my husband’s mother who lost her battle with cancer in 2004. If anything, missing her as much as we do it has also been a constant reminder for me to capture all of these memories for not only me, but for my children and one day their children. We spent the evening doing exactly what I love doing, spending time with our extended family! Adding another chapter to my story, each of our story’s… called Our Life!

LOL Uncle Justin is VERY tired from practicing the day before 🙂 But loves to get pics with his neice and nephew!

Our beautiful babies!

Me and my gorgeous sister!

Uncle Justin and Cars

BBQ’in boys!

Yum! Cedar Planked Salmon and Steak for a perfect Mothers Day Dinner 🙂

Daddy and his lil girl

Her baby blues…

Mama and her babies…

Love these kids!

“Greatness is not found in possessions, power, position, or prestige. It is discovered in goodness, humility, service & character. -W Ward”

Our wee miss wanted to capture a picture of mommy & daddy!

“If you look at what you do not have in life; you don’t have anything. If you look at what you have in life; you have everything.” Unknown

Live ~ Laugh ~ Love

Always reach for the sky towards your goals and dreams, but never forget what truly matters in life… Family!

Mama and her babies!

Love these kids. every part of them, their good amazing traits, personality, individuality, knowledge and everyday, every moment with them!

Happy Mothers Day ~ Love & Memories!

Happy Mothers Day!

I am a mom to two of the most amazing children I have ever met and I am so very blessed to have them call me Mom, Mommy, Mama and yes at times they like to sneak in Pam. 😉 Each and every day they make life so much more fulfilling, fun and simple. Not only have I learned so much from becoming a mom, our kids have taught me to be the person I’ve always wanted to be.

But today isn’t just my day…

Its a day to celebrate our own mom’s, celebrate the beautiful women who gave us life. Unfortunately, for my amazing mother-in-law she is not here for us to show or tell her how much we do love her, and how proud she would be. We are so thankful for having my mom in our life and appreciate all of the amazing things she does and the time we spend with her. There truly is not a day that goes by that we do not think of both of our moms and think of all we have learned from them, what they have taught us by being the amazing mom’s that they both are!

We not only celebrate our beautiful mom’s today, we celebrate all the wonderful women in our life, my grandmothers we are so very blessed to have in our life, Grama M & Grandma G, remembering hubby’s grandmother’s who both were amazing women, and our aunts, aunts who some have children of their own, but have always been like a mother figure to us and now our children. And to one woman who isn’t family, but always will be family and a very important mother-figure in my our life!

Its very true, as much as we each have always loved our own mom’s, you do not truly appreciate all that they are until you have children of your own! I wouldn’t be the mom I am today without the amazing role model of my own mom and my mother in law, Diane.

“Being a mother is learning about strengths you didn’t know you had, and dealing with fears you didn’t know existed.” ~Linda Wooten

And now as I was instructed by my kids… I must get back to my bed to relax 😉

Your Life As Art Photography by Pam

Artist & Intuitive | Pamela Zmija

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