here i am

After having spent the weekend at the BMO Center in Calgary (reminiscing about Stampede's past...) learning about real estate, I am now back in the flat land of Saskatchewan. We made it home in record time last night, doubled both by our weird side road we found, and the speed des was allowed to go since backroads usually don't have anyone on them. However, once home, we discovered our keys didn't work, and waking up the landlord at 11 when he's already sleeping isn't do fun. Neither is standing in the cold, trying to jimmy a lock, with our puppy whining beside us. Like I didn't know it was cold, or want inside either!

Learning about real estate investing was really eye-opening. We learned a lot of tricks, and how to invest in real estate safely and smartly. It's all about the cash flow baby! haha. Now onto making my personal belize collage. What this means is putting together a collage of all of the things I want to accomplish in my life. A reminder of why I want to start investing in real estate to begin with -basically what this financial freedom will do for me, and why/what I will do with it. It was reassuring to know that all the calculations added up for the property we have already purchased. I was a little nervous as we were doing them, but it looks like someone was watching out for us!

What this now means is that I have a BUNCH more planning to do. Not to mention putting up multiple ads on kijiji for both our suite and garage and the suite I'm in. I'm also making a folder on our finances, and real estate bookkeeping as well as one on our current property. I must learn how to think like an investor. We also have to find an accountant, and set up more bank accounts for business. Holy moly lots to do this week.. I guess it kind of is a good thing I'm not working!

I wanted to leave the post with a picture of our adorable puppy (almost a dog... wah). I've done some more experimenting with my camera. Again, with editing it would be much better. All in due time. 

On a healthy note.. put the following in a mug, microwave for one minute.. and you have an instant, sugar-free muffin.

1/4 cup ground flax
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp coconut oil
1 egg
1 packet stevia

Saw it on doctor oz, and totally want to try it! I'll let you know the results!

If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there

--- Lewis Carroll

winter winds

I'm not sure why, but lately my days off have been way too lazy for my liking. It's nice to be able to have days off, but when you're home alone all day, you kind of reserve yourself to doing nothing. I baked and worked out yesterday, and am doing laundry today, but I still feel like all i'm doing is sitting on the couch watching TV and on my computer. Granted, "on my computer" means looking up things for the wedding or house reno's, but I still feel like a lazy bum!

Today we have our first marriage prep session, and I'm getting nervous. What if they tell us we will break up soon, then what do we do? Kidding, they wont say that, even if they thought it. I'm looking forward to seeing what we are going to talk about and get up to. Should be interesting to say the least. 

Next weekend I have my Moose Jaw wedding shower. Who would EVER have thought that I would one day be having a wedding shower in Moose Jaw.  There are going to be a lot of people there - mostly Marilyn's friends, but my mom and a couple of my friends are coming as well. I'm pretty excited to have a get together in Saskatchewan with numerous people there that's all about ME. haha, I feel like I don't know too many people in this province, so it will be a nice change to have people all in one place that I know, and that are there for me. Sounds selfish, but I'm allowed to be every once in a while! 

Today's picture is one I took this summer of the new surfboard that Kevin bought for his new boat. The one below this is a picture of Desmond wakeboarding. They both remind me of last summer, and as luck would have it -  I had the best time last summer! Vicky and I spent a week out at the lake on the boat.. it was perfect, and I got the best tan! It was also the summer we went to Camp Arbuckle and got engaged. Other not-so-nice things happened, but its best not to think about the bad, and instead concentrate on the good! And I have so much more good in my life. 

I just can't wait for it to be summer again. Not only will I be getting married, but summer means no more snow and cold. I don't do cold well. And no, that does not mean I simply need more meat on my bones, it means that I don't do cold well. I'm always cold. always. Coupled with my poor circulation and coordination this girl has trouble in winter! Which is probably why I try to avoid heels in winter at all costs, as cute as they may look... but I digress... 

I don't know about everyone else, but I have always wondered what it would have been like to be extremely rich or extremely poor. How different would you be as a person? I almost think the middle class have it best - they (typically) work hard, and appreciate what they earn. They aren't stuck up like the extremely rich, and they aren't like the poor. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have more money, but I feel like the middle class, or even upper middle class is one of the best places to be. Being middle class or working class, if you will, growing up has taught me the value of money and life in general. Money can't buy you happiness, but it sure as hell can make you comfortable enough to find happiness. I've learned that things aren't just given to you, you have to work hard and earn them. I wasn't given a brand new car for my 16th birthday, were you? That said, if I have the money, I'll totally spoil my kids. 

"Anyone who lives within their means

suffers from a lack of imagination"

--- Oscar Wilde

top of the world

I am officially an RN. Years of work and one stupid 3 hour test later, I have passed and joined the ranks of the Canadian Registered Nurse. No more hours spent worrying about my test results - behind me those minutes lie!

It feels good to be DONE. Now just to find a permanent job, as opposed to this casual business. I'm really blessed in the fact that they pre-book me for shifts, but when I am called 3 times in one day to cancel some of my shifts... it starts to become a little bit more treacherous territory - with a new house, and a wedding, money is not just something thats "kind of" needed these days.

Oh yeah, new house. Just a home inspection this sunday, and we are good to go. Ah, so exciting... now to tell my current landlord.. I'm so not good at confrontation. When it comes to people I love, great at confrontation. But people of so-called "authority" not-so-much. God give me strength. Cute little innocent, soft spoken blonde seems to come out on the cusp of confrontation. Other than that... kind of bitchy, opinionated blonde (still pretty cute though?) seems to come out. In the future, I'm going to try and find a balance between the two.

I honestly feel on top of the world. Fiance, puppy, amazing family and family to be, RN status, new house, new job, wedding in 114 days (totally not counting). What is there not to be thankful for? Well, getting rid of this snow might help as well.. but no one can have that much going for them at once, right? I just stopped today and thought... even though there are some (pardon my french .. btw, kind of hate that saying) really shitty things happening, I have so much in my life that I need to give thanks for. God, or whomever is up there watching over me, is good. Great, really. As I am cleaning my house today, I'll remember that life is good, even though cleaning really sucks. I want a maid, so badly.

I've decided to share another picture I took with this post. Maybe I'll try to keep sharing pictures I've been taking with every post - seeing as how I love it, and maybe it will help me to become better at actually taking some. Who knows, maybe it will actually become a hobby of mine, this whole picture thing, instead of something I love, but don't do very often.

"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. 

I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle.

 But if you can't handle me at my worst, 

then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best" 

 -- Marilyn Monroe

sitting, waiting, wishing

Currently sitting, waiting, wishing for my RN results to come in the mail. I can't take it, and have checked our mailbox 4 times this morning. I just wish I knew exactly when the mailman came. I'm going to throw myself into P90x plyometrics, even with this darn cold and sore throat, so that I don't have to take it anymore!