Feeling a little late to the party... but better late than never... right?

So, there's this thing called a blog party.  I kinda still don't really understand it and that's why I've avoided them in the past.  But I figured, why not?  It's time to join the fun.  After all, I've been blogging for almost 2 1/2 years.  Right?  I wouldn't classify myself as a wallflower at parties, but I'm pretty quiet until you get to know me (or get a couple glasses of wine in me.  mmmm... wine... but I digress).  And I'm coming - as per usual - late to the party.

I started blogging way back in 2007 as a way to document and find support for my weight loss.

When I started, I looked like this:

At my lowest weight, I looked like this:

And right now, I look like this.  30 pounds above my lowest weight, but 70 pounds below my very highest.

I've started getting serious about weight loss again and will be blogging more about my adventures in getting healthy in the next little while.  And I say healthy because it's about much more than my pant size.  

I have 3 little kids.  They are my biggest joy in life, as well as my biggest stress.  I'm learning that kids can be super stressful, especially when they have some extra issues, like a couple of mine do.

Here they are:

Willem is 7.  So very smart, but struggling in school like you wouldn't believe.  Oh the joys of a gifted level IQ.

Nate is 4 (almost 5, as he keeps reminding me).  He only ever wears jeans, he's a pro at Lego and has a girlfriend.  They are very serious.

And little Miss Finleigh is 3.  She has significant developmental delays which include not really talking yet and and is an ex-tubefeeder.  We like that she can eat normally now.

I'm married to a wonderful man, Brian.  He works shift work, which can be hairying at times, but the time off he gets is nice.  He's also an aspiring writer and a pretty good one at that.  He wrote a poem about me a couple years ago and it made me cry.  Maybe one day he'll let me post some of his work on here.  Most importantly, he's a fantastic father and really, what woman could ask for more than that? (And I'm not just saying that because he reads my blog)

I am Canadian.  Brian and I made the epic move 4 1/2 years ago from Vancouver, the beautiful city that has my heart, to a town in Northern Alberta.  I grew up here and I still have family here, but let me tell you... it was a tough choice to come back.  Coming back meant I could be a stay-at-home mom, so here we are.  It's a good life.  I like my life even though I sometimes find my self completely overwhelmed.  I am tossing around going back to school once my 3 are happily tucked into all day school.  We'll have to see.

Sometimes?  I have mommy rants.  Or tantrums, depending on how honest I want to be about it.  Somehow, they really do make me feel better.

I also review books in all the spare time I have and post my reviews here.  I love books.  Well many of them anyways.  

I love to decorate cakes and goodies for my kids' birthdays and other special occasions.  I sometimes post pictures of them here, though more on Facebook, it seems.  Here's what I did for my son's 7th birthday...

I like to shop online (have you seen the lack of stores here?  Sometimes it's the only way, short of a 5 hour drive to the city, to get things).  I like to try to be crafty, but I'm really not.  And I spend too much time on the computer.  But you wouldn't be able to identify with that, now would you?

And that's me.  See?  I may be quiet at first, but once you get to know me, I just don't seem to shut up.  Ask my friends... one of whom is partying over here.

Thanks for stopping by.  It was nice to meet you.