Turning 40

Yep, this is the year I turn the big 4-D. The fabulous fore-oh. Four. Zero. 40. Not that birthdays are a big deal, but the turn of a decade is something to celebrate, don't ya think?

In my thirtieth birthday year, I delivered my second son at a home birth with the help of midwives (and my partner of course), took the year off from work, got married (oh my god, did I really play Celine Dion at our beach BBQ bonfire wedding???), sold my car (bought a mini motorhome), gave up our rental apartment behind Toys R Us, got married (oops, already mentioned that... loss of memory is a sign of getting older, like forty old) and drove away to Mexico.... stopping all over Western Canada, USA, France, Germany (Oktoberfest!!!) and the Czech Republic along the way.

I bought a red hot bikini and wore mini skirts on the beach. I got drunk in a bar in San Francisco and lost my wedding ring. Then found it. Then lost it again. (Losing things is another sign of age....sigh.) I swam in the Mississippi and the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific. I swam close to alligators. I climbed into the Grand Canyon.

I played with my kids, Paris and Kje, every day, which was a rule. I was rescued off  Zipolite, a.k.a. "beach of the dead," by a sun-kissed surfer and drank coconut juice from free coconuts my husband climbed trees for and cut down with his machete. Did I mention the hammock? Ah.... the wake-up-when-the-sun-wants-you-to, barefoot good life.

Earlier this year, my friend Andy came up with an idea to create a list of 10 things we wanted to do within our fortieth year. I knew I wanted this year to really set the stage for the next decade, kinda like my thirtieth year did, so doing something big was in order. The problem was, whenever I thought of something I wanted to do, like a concert or a weekend away, it didn't seem big enough to put on a list, so I just went ahead and did it. I bought the tickets or booked the flight. Suddenly, three months have gone by and I have come to realize my big year will be full of a bunch of little things that make me happy. 

But the best little thing I have done so far is come up with my personal motto for the year:

"I will do anything and everything I want, and pay for the fun when I'm forty-one."

I kinda like that.

Fortunately for me, my supportive husband does too.

Last week, my friend Kim and I were talking about nudity. You know, like how cute kids are when they do silly things when they are young and naked and no care in the world if anyone sees their teenie-weenie peenie. She has a four-year-old boy, and the story goes, he was all into being naked around the house, (including starfish position standing in front of the living room window) and then one day he says to her:

"Today's the day I am going to eat my soup naked."

I love it!! How much fun is that?

So there you have it folks, my fortieth year. The year and I am going to fill my weeks and weekends with way too much to do. Or... not get out of bed at all. The year of living life, playing too hard, slowing down, creating memories, making connections and doing what I want, when I want, how I want, why I want, where I want, with who I want. I am going to jam in all those things I have always wanted to do... if I still want to do them of course....into 365 days, give or take. (It's my birthday year and I get to decide when it's over.)

This is the year of eating my soup naked.

Instead of sharing the full list with you now, I will start to blog about what I've been doing. But here's a few categories to give you a sense:

1. Family & Friends
2. Travel
3. Music
4. Photography
5. Parties
6. Health
7. Small stuff to make me smile

And there is one really, really big one for my favourite number:

8. Write a novel.

And with that start, more on Turning 40 later..... when I get back from the weekend party with friends in San Francisco.

Robert Bateman Day

Took the boys for afternoon tea yesterday, complete with dainty sandwich triangles, raisin scones with Devonshire cream and a puffy, brown tea cosy for our pot of Orange Pekoe.

Not sure how we got on the subject (afternoon tea conversations can be sooo random) but Kje mentioned that he tried haggis. Hmmm.... news to me.

"I'm impressed. When did you do that?"

"At school, on Robert Bateman day," he replied.

Smile.

"Um, do you mean Robbie Burns day?"

"Oh ya, that one."

I think Robert Bateman would get a kick out of having his own day, not to mention kids eating haggis in honour of it.

Ah, Iceland

I thought I would share a few shots from my favourite co-pilot and photographer assistant's recent trip to Iceland.

Can you find the house tucked into the hill?

Icelandic chickens:

Door to the past:

Ta Da! And this would be the ice:

Modern art:

Big blue sky:

Holli & Millree Get Married!

I was truly honoured to be the photographer for Holli & Millree's glamourous wedding last weekend. The event took place within an elegantly restored heritage building, previously a bank (yes, that is the vault door in the photo below) and now home to the Segal Graduate School of Business in dowtown Vancouver. Both Holli & Millree looked classic, confident and very much in love. Here is a sneak peak:

Hallowe'en in March?

Just stumbled upon this photo again and thought I would relive the moment with you...'cause he looks too damn cute to just file away again in the deep dark depths of my photo archives. Happy Hallowe'en!

Butterfly Gardens Butterflies

One hour in tropical Butterfly Gardens was worth every cold penny I paid. I haven't been that warm...nay, sweaty... since last August. Nice, very, very nice! Just a few shots of fluttering friends I thought I would share in honour of longer days and.... hopefully...warmer ones to come.