Social Anxieties

We all have "issues". These issues come from childhood, hurts or just plain personality but our issues are what bring us together, tear us apart and when we work through them, make us into the people who we are.

Most of the time an issue that we see in someone else, is usually an issue that we have or that we have overcome. I, for instance, I see new moms struggle with leaving their new babies at home with daddy, guilt free, because I hardly left the house without Hope or Austin fearing that Kevin couldn't handle it and it would be mean to my babies. Mom, Tanya and Tara will likely remember that time very well as it was they who pulled my though it. It was also Mom who told me to make Kevin stay because he needed to learn to deal with the screamy baby, "He's the dad Jennifer." It wasn't easy I will admit, but boy! am I glad that I learned it that way. I wish I could tell all the moms that they needed that information but, it seems that it's the kind of thing you either learn or don't learn and it's on your own.

To get on with my reason for posting, I have been noticing all around me people who have social anxieties. My husband used to very hard to get out of the house for a social function and over the years and through councelling and self help type groups, he's learned to overcome that one thing that made it hard for us to be social....obviously I am glad because I am who I am...duh... but again, back to my reason for posting. I am sure that this issue is getting under my skin because I am on the opposite side of the spectrum on it, but I just don't want to be bothered by it anymore because, well, it's none of my business. A couple of themes of my life are that I don't want people judging me and I don't want to judge. I am wondering about this social anxiety thing though and asking for prayer on it. Do I have them too? I suppose we all do in some way, but really I just want to sort it out.... like I said, it's none of my business really.

Ahhh, much better.

I have been wanting to change this for a long time and now, it's done! Thank goodness for all the people on the internet who are savvy and don't like the plain old boring blog templates that everyone seems to have. It has taken me 2 months to find the one I wanted and install it, the only draw back is that you have to get rid of all the little gadgets and reinstall them...but I think it looks cleaner now anyway...nice and fresh :)

Happy Canada Day! eh?

LINK TO PICS OF THIS WEEKEND

This "weekend" has been awesome! Kevin took Monday off to give him a looooong weekend so tomorrow is my Monday and my Friday will be only two days away...this IS how the summer drips away...Paige will totally be here sooner than I keep thinking! (NO, SHE WILL NOT COME EARLY, remember the 11th of October or the 12th if Andre is happy to share) :)

On Friday, I took the kids to Barnet Marine Park for a quick afternoon at the beach where they got to play in the sand, touch the water with their toes and skip rocks on the ocean. The picnic table where we ate some sannies was shaded and the sand was nice and warm but the goose poop I did NOT enjoy so I would love some suggestions for other beaches that are sorta close to me. We went to the Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner to celebrate the end of school but also to congratulate and recognise Hope for winning the Peter Hare Memorial Award which is like an award for an all around good kid...I was in tears the whole time as I watched the teachers give her the awards. After dinner we stopped in a the new plaza thingy at the bottom of the south slope off of Marine Drive and uh, well, it's a different world than the one I remember...no more long feilds of grass, now it's a long feild of shops..........

The next day what did we do?! I don't even remember but Kev took the 3 older kids canoing and I blogged that I sat on the deck with lappy, playing Star Pirates (blog to come about the group I have met...amazing people!) and ate JellyBelly's. I really hope I blog about the canoe a lot; its a valuable way for them to spend time with their dad and for him to give them an experience that they will cherish.

A lot got done around here too, come to think of it. We got a water purification thingy installed, the awning up so I can lounge on the deck with Lappy and watch the kids from a sort of parapet, and we might be able to enjoy a few meals out there without the sun burning my fair family to a crisp. It took almost the whole time to get the thing up, between getting the stuff from Home Depot and waiting for the timing to be right. I just don't want to be on a ladder in the heat with a 15lb ball hanging off of me lifting a heavy thing above my head in the blazing heat but I needed to help Kev get the thing up. It's done THANK GOD no really THANK GOD!

Sam went to swimming lessons yesterday at 1130 and will be going everyday for 8 more sessions. I got it in my head that I need to take the 3 big kids swimming at least once a week in the outdoor pool (I love the outdoor pool here) so I looked it up and decided to take them at the last minute at 330 until 5pm. We had so much fun but the best part about it was that Sam FIGURED it out! I can't wait to see how much he will enjoy swimming!

Today was the apex and really the highlight of the time. Last night I prepped most of the food so that when today's outting happened we would not need to be in an an all fire rush to get things going to company to come. We went to a carnival that we have been coming to for years that I keep forgetting is mostly free and enjoyed hot dogs, pop, games, candy and all the kids even got a snow cone! Then to top the afternoon off, we ate the most memorable cake (again so many years of going to this place). Oh but before we left for the carnival, we took our first family photo since the twins were just wee... aside from the normal circus-like act of getting everyone in line, I am pleased with how it turned out and think we look supercool in our nice red and white shirts! Even the scowl on Sams face can be overlooked, we are 7 people for petes sake!

We finished the whole thing off with a great barbeque dinner shared with the Nagy's and Naglings (as Hope has named them). And we ate well! Shrimp and veggies for appy, the standard bbq burgers and dogs, potatoe salad and for dessert yummy last minute cupcakes with red (okay it was pink) icing and strawberry tops. We hung out and ate and just had a great visit with them, then we captured their eldest child and will not return her until we are begged ;)

Well! I see that that was a huge blog...but it was a huge weekend and I am so thrilled that we could make such a good start to the summer for these kids to remember! Next on the list is the housewarming barbeque. Its going to be BYOM and BYOB and I will be sending out invites this week BUT everyone who we know is invited!!! We really want to show off our house, our yard and how God has blessed us with this home!!!