DLS workshop week one...

Woot! I finally have something to blog about! This blog might be slightly out of frusteration but I've made it a positive and I feel I have succesfully combined a passion, a frusteration, some evidence, and a homework exercise into one hour this afternoon...

So here is a brief run down... I will make this a short version, I apologize if this is lengthy but the history is imparitive to the story!

This year has been a tough one! Actually to be honest the last 2 years have been a struggle for our family! We moved to Edmonton to follow the "oil" dream of being able to offer our family everything they could ask for! Then the "so called" recession hit... (and I can call it so called because it has had an effect on us but I am not sure we can go as far as to call that a recession in comparisson to the past recessions of the world)

My husband Jason has been laid off a number of times since November 2008 which I might add was only 3 months after our family took the trip of our lives to Fiji and finally got married after 10 years of being together! Needless to say that trip was expensive, even with a lot of help from family to get there.(thank you) Then suddenly we were blind sided by a recession which left us with an unemployment income that most definitely cannot support a family! Do not think I am asking for pity, because I know that many people lost everything they had over the last 2 years. This is simply our story and our short version of the struggle we have had to hang onto everything that "we" have worked hard for!

Now that, that is out of the way...

Jason is finally back to work at a job that "seems" permanent. This means he is out of town in Ft Mac which is likely the story for 50% of families in the Edmonton area! I don't know the actual stats but to me I'd say 50% is a low ball estimate... Jason hasnt been home in a month and the schedule he has at this time has no room for a visit home, even for a day... So we do not really know when he will be able to come home for a visit. I found full time work as well just to keep our heads above water which now leaves me working full time and being the full time mom, financial keeper trackerer, grocery shopper, house cleaner, dog trainer, homework helper, school volunteerer, SNOW SHOVELLER!!!! It's hard work... My house is messier than it's ever been and I admit my children have gotten sluffed to the side more than we would like, due to very hectic schedules that I am trying to balance on my own! I also promised to myself that this year was going to be focussed more on me... Over the years I put myself last in every aspect (as most mothers seem to do) and I made a promise that this year I was going to find some of my own passions, focus on my health and fitness, and work towards some goals of mine for my future to make a happier me and in turn a happier family...

Alright so there is the history and where we are today! Now... I just worked 7 days straight! I had one day to get caught up with everything and try and get some quality time in with the girls! I pull out of my drive way and on Jasons truck parked on the street directly outside of our house is a BIG ORANGE STICKER on his truck window.... Abandoned Vehicle??? Fully insured and registered but has not moved for a month due to the fact that Jason is out of town... Remember all the snow we got this month??? There is evidence of the snow ALL AROUND the truck boxing it in , and the notice says I must comply and move this truck by Sunday! Move it where??? THis is where I live! I LIVE HERE!!! And for a single mom just trying to keep the side walk clear of snow and everything else on my shoulders, this big orange ticket was very upsetting! I did manage to talk to the City and they do want to see that it was moved, evern though they looked up my registration and do know that this vehicle has not been abandoned and in fact parked outside my home...

Now in all fairness! I must admit this may be the ugliest truck I have ever seen... It is definitely an eye sore... It is our second automobile and on occasion we do use it for more than just camping and to be quite honest, at this time we cant afford to store it or replace it unless we sell it.  The beast was a gift from Jasons Grandma, complete with a camper and our kids LOVE it... It has been the source of some wonderful family memories and also some great moments with friends. The camper inside has been repainted and on one of our "girls only" camping trips we decorated the inside with some meaningful sayings...

We have been tossing around the idea of selling both truck and camper but honestly the sentimental value of it hugely outweighs how ugly it is...


So I have a workshop tomorrow. I am WAY behind on my homework for it and my time I alotted to get caught up had to be taken up by digging the beast out of the snow. One of my exercises just so happened to require some time outside throwing around the snow... So Hope... This is what you get! :) LMAO!!!

I had very little time to use my brain to get it all right but I refuse to show up tomorrow empty handed! I combined it all! My responsibilities along with some passion and giggles and some evidence to the city that this beast is loved and has been moved, even if it is just 4 feet forward and  4 feet back... And now my neighbours really know that I am a crazy person! he he! Oh yes!!! I saw you neighbours peering out the windows at me... No doubt it was one of you who called to complain that the beast was stealing the lovely view of the fence!!! LOL... Still smiling! :)


So without further ado~I'd like to introduce the beast and my contribution to DLS exercise #1 (plus a few extras that I thought I'd add) ...

 Hope,  this is me moving in the frame with my timer on... :)

My "BIG ORANGE STICKER" threatening impound...

Me shovelling the truck out from the months collection of snow and ice ...

 and this is me throwing the snow in the air as requested... :) LOL

 This is evidence that I moved the beast forward...

 And also moved it backwards...

Now let me add that the city has some pretty high expectations of us to keep ontop of things when we get dumped with snow. Yet they have a team of employees and the still have not plowed my street...  :s

So there it is.. My afternoon and now I must go get ready for my lovely job! :) I did manage to play around a little more... LOL Completely out of focus but moving through the frame with timer was the task and I consider it complete! :)

see... Still smiling... LOL... I really did enjoy this!

oh and proof that I did attempt this exercise about 3 weeks ago but was unsatisfied with the results so planned to do it again, just ran out of time... :s

 ahhh... my sister! Finding amusement in my exercise! Snapping her own pics from the window! <3