Love all the stuff I got for Father's Day this year. 😄 (Cell phone capture, excuse the quality please.)
Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. I got a new mug today. This one comes with a story.
This is one of my favourite photos of all time. Taken in July 2009 with film, which we developed together at a photo lab. I printed a wallet-sized version of this and have carried it in my wallet since. Happy 8th anniversary, Nikki! ❤
In the past 12 months and leading up to my 40th year of being on this planet, I've gone through a lot of self-evaluation and changes. First big one was to lose weight - which was in big part to stop snoring. I also set a goal to reboot this website to have an outlet where I can post these thoughts and they don't get lost in a sea of endless scrolling. Finally, I got a new job - same company, but a totally different job.
Maybe it also has to do with the stigma around the number 40 that's making me look at life differently, I am not sure.
Today Nikki and I celebrate our 8th wedding anniversary. I feel like the luckiest guy in the world with her by my side... but have I always showed her this emotionally? No. I've never been one to be great at communicating my emotions. With anyone. It's not the way I grew up. I've suppressed emotions until my late 20s, very slowly started opening up and it took me years and years to get to where I am today. If you have to deal with me on a daily basis you'll probably agree I still have a long way to go.
Nikki and I have had our ups and downs but she has always stuck by my side. Through thick and thin, when push comes to shove, she knows exactly the right things to say to make you feel loved and appreciated. Getting on this same level of communication and awareness - or at least in the door, in the lobby - is the last change I've set out to conquer this year.
Happy 8th anniversary Nikki. I love you to the moon and back. Thank you for always being there. 💓
John's in virtual learning for the remainder of the year. The teacher is currently reading them The Year of Billy Miller in their read-along class but he didn't want to wait over the weekend and wanted to read it for himself so we ended up buying the book on the Kindle. He finished it in two sittings. I asked him how it was and he said it was really good and that I should read it too.
I read it this morning and I really liked it. It puts you into the shoes of a 7-year-old boy and lets you see a snippet of their life from their perspective. John, being 7 himself, found it easy to relate to the boy in the book. We also agreed that the author is "really good with his descriptive words" and clearly illustrates the story so that anyone can understand it.
If you get the chance, I recommend you read it and if you have a second-grader, let them read it too. It will enrich your lives and give you lots of relatable content to talk about.
Beautiful day today. Almost 20?C. We all hung out in the backyard reading books and drawing.
This super quick, use-what-you've-got black bean chili was the easiest meal I've made in a while and turned out delicious. Sadly it didn't last long enough for photos.
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 large red onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup mushroom of choice, chopped
- 1 540ml can of black beans, drained
- 1 340ml can of corn, drained
- 1/2 680ml can Primo Thick & Zesty Tomato Basil pasta sauce - or equal amount of tomato/pasta sauce of choice
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 cup shredded cheese of choice
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 green onion
- 1 tbsp Sriracha (for an added kick)
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a medium-sized pot over medium heat. Sautee onion, red pepper, garlic and mushroom for about 8-10 minutes. Stir in chili powder and cumin, let it absorb into the veggies for 2 minutes. Add sauce, black beans, corn and let it heat thoroughly. Garnish with sour cream, shredded cheese and green onion at the time of serving.
Serves 2-3 people.
Happy lockdown birthday #2 Nikki! Hopefully the last lockdown birthday we ever have to celebrate.
He wanted to go for a drive today to test out his new camera. He said 'Dad, we live in a beautiful area'. I told him that photography will make him look at the world differently. 😃 📷
Another trip around the sun. These trips seem to get quicker and quicker every year. I love this kid more than all the raindrops that fall in a summer thunderstorm.
It was a beautiful sunny day today. We went for a drive on the parkway. I saw this scene around a bend and pulled over for a snap. Didn't realize at first that a couple had beat me to it.
He's really been into drawing comics lately. Here's a page he drew before he went to school today. It continues on the backside with an evil circle, a nothing man, a pencil and an active man. 😃
Went to pick up eggs from Field and Forest Acres yesterday and had a few moments for baby goat snuggles.
