Category Archives: Life

Home Ownership, One Year Later

Posted in House and Home, Kara and Kyle, Life by

This post is slightly overdue, since we’ve now been in our house for one year plus a couple months, but better late than never!

I though I would take a moment to reflect on the past year  – our first year – of being home owners. Let me tell you, it’s been an eye opener. And stressful. And a learning experience.

For example, because we were first-time home buyers we didn’t have to pay a land transfer tax. Now that we’re looking at buying again (more on this later) we’ll have to pay the tax. (We could’ve got around this if we only put one of our names on the title for this house, and the other use their for the next one, but we’re not sneaky like that). Land transfer tax on a $325,000 house is $5,000! Holy crap! In Alberta, the transfer tax would only be about $500! Stupid, stupid, stupid … But, that’s part of getting into the real estate market.

And then there’s the whole being attached to our neighbours thing. Townhouse ownership is a challenge. We want to respect our neighbours but it’s hard when they don’t respect us. Like partying until the wee hours or the morning. Or listening to their loud music. Or parking like complete a-holes. Anyway, it unfortunately started to get tiresome sooner than we thought. Kyle and I are like old people in the sense where we like peace and quiet. We are definitely not getting it with only a wall separating us and our neighbours. I can hear their washer and dryer going some days!

There are some good things we learned about homeownership, just silly little things, really. Like, how no matter how hard we try, Daphne will kill any patch of grass she sees by peeing on it. Or that sunflowers grow likes weeds. And that we really, REALLY love dishwashers. I’m pretty sure we won’t buy another house unless it has a dishwasher, or at least room for a good, full size one.

Of course, the best thing about owning a home is finally being able to create your own space with your own personal touches. We have our own house rules and it just feels amazing to have a place to call our own.

I really can’t wait to see what our next home brings us, other than more amazing memories, of course.

Do you own a home, or rent? What are some of the things you’ve realized over the years (or months, weeks days) of having your own space?

The C Word

Posted in Hard times, Life, Pets by

No one likes it. No one should like it. It sucks. And recently, I found out that my favourite lab in the world has it. Cancer. In his bones. I’m so heart broken.

That’s Tanner. He’s really my favourite. Sometimes I love this old man more than Daphne.

My mom called me last night and gave me the news. Apparently he was limping really bad for no apparent reason (he has had joint issues but they only get bad when he goes on walks) so they took him to the vet. After some poking and prodding the vet did some x-rays and they revealed a lack of bone density and some black areas. The vet is 80% sure it’s cancer. I hope Tanner falls into the 20%.

For now he has medication for the inflammation and pain and has to go back to the vet in a couple weeks. My mom says he’s still the “same ol’ Tanner”: Rolling around in the grass, stealing socks, and just plain happy. They’re taking him camping next week as planned and just hoping for the best.

I know I shouldn’t be surprised that his health is declining – He’s 11 years old. He has lumps all over his body (the x-rays revealed that not a single one of them in cancerous), but he’s still my puppy.

Sometimes I think that I shouldn’t have pets because I just can’t deal with the thought of them dying. It’s not fair.

So – if you can just keep Tanner in your thoughts for me, that would be great. I’m cheering for that 20%.

Trying

Posted in Babies, Kara and Kyle, Life, Stress by

Sometimes it’s just hard to keep things to yourself, especially when they’re frustrating, stressful, and involve a lot of rules.

Like baby making.

In case you didn’t already guess it from this Tweet over the weekend:

Yeah yeah – Kyle and I are in the process of trying to create a family. We have been for two months actually. And? It’s hard.

Not the actual baby making part – that’s the fun part I suppose – but everything that comes along with it.

Like being off of birth control for the first time in eight years. If you ever want to experience raging, uncontrollable hormones like you’d never believe, stop taking birth control. Let me tell you – my mind and body did somethings I never thought it was capable of. Like bawling my eyes out over not painting the computer room/future child’s room. And breaking out into the worse acne since I hit puberty.

And then there’s the other little things: Prenatal vitamins. Folic acid makes your poops hard (sorry, but it’s the truth), and Omega vitamins makes my skin SO OILY.

Then there’s the bigger things: Trying to tell people that, “No, really, I don’t need a drink. No, I’m sure. Why? Because… no.” Trying to keep the baby making on the D.L. is HARD, especially when it seems like everyone wants to know my business. I suppose this post is letting virtually anyone know my business, but that’s besides the point.

It’s the people who started constantly asking me when kids were coming once Kyle and I got engaged who I’d rather not tell. Why? Because they’re childish and annoying and what’s really going on in my uterus is none of their business. And then they give unsolicited advice, which is only really unsolicited because none of them have had children or have gone through the “trying” process. No, it won’t “just happen” after a couple months of trying. No, you don’t really know how stressful getting your period actually is. For the first time in years, I’m disappointed that I have it.

And I’m not trying to belittle those who have been trying for ages to have a baby – don’t get me wrong. Two months of trying is nothing compared to some people who’ve been trying for years. But I feel I understand in a way. I’m more than certain the length of time I was on the pill has something to do with it taking a while to get pregnant. I’m just hoping my body hasn’t f-ed me over in the process.

I guess this is just another reason why I love the blogging world, because like I said Monday, there’s always someone who understands.

I love you Blog World!