A Bit About Me: Family Edition

So I hummed and hawed over what to write for my first official “lifestyle” post. Do I talk about cake? Do I start back at my first childhood memory and go from there? (Don’t worry…I decided against that one ?) Do I recite to you my most favourite high school monologue? I thought and I thought and figured I would start with something I love…love dearly…my family.

The People I Call Family

My family. My people. The ones who drive me crazy and make my heart burst all at the same time. Thick and thin…we walk through it all. So here is a quick little intro into my life and what better way to do so than tell you about the people with who I do “life” with.

My Partner In Crime

I met my husband, Ed, gosh almost 13 years ago. I was working at a local pub and a co-worker had invited me over for dinner that evening after our shift. Tired and spent after all day on my feet, I decided instead to put my pj’s on early and crawl into bed with a book.

My flip cellphone (yes, that’s how old I am) started ringing incessantly. I knew it would be my friend and despite my best efforts to ignore the call my inner people-pleaser was soon quaking and I had to answer. “Get over here now, Katie!” she told me. It was not a question. It was a statement. A command.

Begrudgingly, I pulled on a pair of jeans and swung by the wine store on my way to her house. Good thing I pulled on those jeans. Not 30 minutes later there was a knock on the front door and in walks this incredibly hot guy with the sexiest (am I allowed to say that?!) tattoos.

I spent the night playing card games, chatting, and laughing with this good-looking stranger who was kind and funny and slightly reserved. Well, here we are now…married for 11 years. A bazillion moves. 2 provinces. 5 houses. 4 kids. And a whole lot of tears and laughter later. He’s my partner. My biggest fan. The one I choose, sometimes daily, because marriage ain’t for the weak of heart, to do this thing we call life together.

Kiddos. All the Kiddos.

“First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes so and so with the baby carriage.” Funny schoolyard sing-song that proved true. Shortly after I put a ring on that stud muffin’s finger we got pregnant with our first, our son Dominic. Nothing is guaranteed in this life and tragically, Dominic passed away several hours after he was born. His life, however short, forever shaped our lives and though he is not physically with us he will always be part of our family. You can read more about Dominic here.

Shortly after the birth and loss of our son, we welcomed our oldest daughter Bree. It was while on maternity leave with her that I started baking. I have beautiful memories of spending my days tucked away in our tiny little kitchen, her in her bumbo seat on the counter, while I baked muffins, cookies, and cupcakes.

We liked Bree so much we decided to have another daughter…Mila. And gosh Mila was just so darn cute with her big brown eyes and mop of dark hair that we had yet another daughter, Hope. And Hope…well that girl did not stop screaming until she was darn near two years old.

I am happy (and relieved) to report that she is now a spunky almost 5 year-old who screams only when her older sisters leave her out of whatever game they are currently playing. Three incredibly beautiful and healthy daughters to call our own was and is enough for us to call our family complete.

Where We Do Life

We do life together in a small city in Northern British Columbia where it snows at least 6 months out of every year. We live in an average house on a quiet street where we back onto the elementary school field. I relish the summer months when my windows are open and I can hear the sounds of children laughing and playing outside. Life is not fancy. It’s rarely, if ever, glamorous, but it’s mine. And I love it.