cause I know you wanna see some pics...

The sweater I knitted!

cute girl on her rocking chair!

Superstar

My house is soooooo organized looking- well the main floor- it feels so nice! The living room area is completely organized, so I'll be starting with the laundry room this week- but I'm loving this so far!'

I'm trying to figure out how crafting works. I would LOVE to be able to have a table at the Dwight Hall Craft fair next year for Christmas, but what do people do? Craft all year long just for the one event? And how can I possibly not keep/give away everything before then? Hmmmm..... well once I have my sewing centre set up....

does anyone have any ideas what do buy Kevin for his birthday? He needs clothes but I think that he will hate me if I buy him clothes, because that is what he always gets now- but I honestly don't have any idea of what else to buy him!!! hmmmmmm.....

So sad...

A mother in my junebug community gave birth this morning and her beautiful daughter Savannah died during birth. I'm so devestated- how can something like that happen- I don't even know what to think. Please pray for her family...

apple6

apple6
Originally uploaded by jendodd79

Here's a picture from the photoshoot I did last weekend- I love this family!!! I have tons to edit and I'm hoping that it (or one of the others) will end up on the cover of this month's prliving magazine

Block stacking

Avari has started trying to stack blocks- it's really cute, but looks so frustrating!!!

Riding the Round Circle...

OK- I just got back from the most incredible meeting. It was a pain to get there and I have been suffering from a 7 day headache, and I'm exhausted and getting completely overwhelmed this month

The guest speaker was Alison Roberts and she is a professional organizer and she works on the principles of clutter effecting energy and such. Well, about 10 minutes in to it, all of the pieces fell in to place- no wonder I've been stressed, and exhausted- my complete life is one big ol piece of clutter!!!

Well, I'm devoting Avari's nap times for a solid month to helping feng shui my life- it's so hard to imagine starting, but I can visualize how I feel afterwards and OMG- my headache had dissipated by the end of it.

On to even more exciting news- Karen blogged a couple of photos from the shoot of Avari and I last week. I love her so much- she is the most incredibly positive person and such a great energy to be around! and she makes me look great!

http://mckinnonphoto.squarespace.com/

My magazine debut!

I'm so proud!

Look for more to come in the future!

Lots to live up to

Wow- apparently 1% of the population is like me only- and alot of them are actually great humanitarians like Princes Di- that's alot to live up to....



As an INFP, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you deal with things according to how you feel about them, or how they fit into your personal value system. Your secondary mode is external, where you take things in primarily via your intuition.
INFPs, more than other iNtuitive Feeling types, are focused on making the world a better place for people. Their primary goal is to find out their meaning in life. What is their purpose? How can they best serve humanity in their lives? They are idealists and perfectionists, who drive themselves hard in their quest for achieving the goals they have identified for themselves
INFPs are highly intuitive about people. They rely heavily on their intuitions to guide them, and use their discoveries to constantly search for value in life. They are on a continuous mission to find the truth and meaning underlying things. Every encounter and every piece of knowledge gained gets sifted through the INFP's value system, and is evaluated to see if it has any potential to help the INFP define or refine their own path in life. The goal at the end of the path is always the same - the INFP is driven to help people and make the world a better place.
Generally thoughtful and considerate, INFPs are good listeners and put people at ease. Although they may be reserved in expressing emotion, they have a very deep well of caring and are genuinely interested in understanding people. This sincerity is sensed by others, making the INFP a valued friend and confidante. An INFP can be quite warm with people he or she knows well.
INFPs do not like conflict, and go to great lengths to avoid it. If they must face it, they will always approach it from the perspective of their feelings. In conflict situations, INFPs place little importance on who is right and who is wrong. They focus on the way that the conflict makes them feel, and indeed don't really care whether or not they're right. They don't want to feel badly. This trait sometimes makes them appear irrational and illogical in conflict situations. On the other hand, INFPs make very good mediators, and are typically good at solving other people's conflicts, because they intuitively understand people's perspectives and feelings, and genuinely want to help them.
INFPs are flexible and laid-back, until one of their values is violated. In the face of their value system being threatened, INFPs can become aggressive defenders, fighting passionately for their cause. When an INFP has adopted a project or job which they're interested in, it usually becomes a "cause" for them. Although they are not detail-oriented individuals, they will cover every possible detail with determination and vigor when working for their "cause".
When it comes to the mundane details of life maintenance, INFPs are typically completely unaware of such things. They might go for long periods without noticing a stain on the carpet, but carefully and meticulously brush a speck of dust off of their project booklet.
INFPs do not like to deal with hard facts and logic. Their focus on their feelings and the Human Condition makes it difficult for them to deal with impersonal judgment. They don't understand or believe in the validity of impersonal judgment, which makes them naturally rather ineffective at using it. Most INFPs will avoid impersonal analysis, although some have developed this ability and are able to be quite logical. Under stress, it's not uncommon for INFPs to mis-use hard logic in the heat of anger, throwing out fact after (often inaccurate) fact in an emotional outburst.
INFPs have very high standards and are perfectionists. Consequently, they are usually hard on themselves, and don't give themselves enough credit. INFPs may have problems working on a project in a group, because their standards are likely to be higher than other members' of the group. In group situations, they may have a "control" problem. The INFP needs to work on balancing their high ideals with the requirements of every day living. Without resolving this conflict, they will never be happy with themselves, and they may become confused and paralyzed about what to do with their lives.
INFPs are usually talented writers. They may be awkard and uncomfortable with expressing themselves verbally, but have a wonderful ability to define and express what they're feeling on paper. INFPs also appear frequently in social service professions, such as counselling or teaching. They are at their best in situations where they're working towards the public good, and in which they don't need to use hard logic.
INFPs who function in their well-developed sides can accomplish great and wonderful things, which they will rarely give themselves credit for. Some of the great, humanistic catalysts in the world have been INFPs.

Figuring myself out...

Your Score: INFP - the Healer

You scored 9% I to E, 21% N to S, 9% F to T, and 71% J to P

You are more introverted than extroverted. You are more intuitive than observant, you are more feeling based than thinking based, and you prefer to go with the flow rather than having a plan. Your type can best be summarized by the word "Healer", which belongs to the larger group of idealists. You have a capacity for caring that is deeper than most. You strive for unity, are fascinated by the battles between good and evil, and can be something of an idealist. Only 1% of the population shares your type.

As a romantic partner, you are usually supprtive and nuturing, however, you have a high need for individuality. Harmony is extremely important to you as you are very affected by conflict and tension, which also makes you resist confronting your partner directly about problems. When you get angry, you usually blame yourself, rather than your partner. You can also be stubborn and unyielding when you feel you are being criticized or mistreated. You feel the most appreciated when your partner listens to you carefully. You need to be understood. You need to hear your partner express their feelings, the more often, the better. Your group summary: idealists (NF)Your type summary: INFP

Healer Idealists are abstract in thought and speech, cooperative in striving for their ends, and investigative and attentive in their interpersonal relations. Healer present a seemingly tranquil, and noticiably pleasant face to the world, and though to all appearances they might seem reserved, and even shy, on the inside they are anything but reserved, having a capacity for caring not always found in other types. They care deeply-indeed, passionately-about a few special persons or a favorite cause, and their fervent aim is to bring peace and integrity to their loved ones and the world. Healers have a profound sense of idealism derived from a strong personal morality, and they conceive of the world as an ethical, honorable place. Indeed, to understand Healers, we must understand their idealism as almost boundless and selfless, inspiring them to make extraordinary sacrifices for someone or something they believe in. The Healer is the Prince or Princess of fairytale, the King's Champion or Defender of the Faith, like Sir Galahad or Joan of Arc.

Healers are found in only 1 percent of the general population, although, at times, their idealism leaves them feeling even more isolated from the rest of humanity. Healers seek unity in their lives, unity of body and mind, emotions and intellect, perhaps because they are likely to have a sense of inner division threaded through their lives, which comes from their often unhappy childhood. Healers live a fantasy-filled childhood, which, unfortunately, is discouraged or even punished by many parents. In a practical-minded family, required by their parents to be sociable and industrious in concrete ways, and also given down-to-earth siblings who conform to these parental expectations, Healers come to see themselves as ugly ducklings. Other types usually shrug off parental expectations that do not fit them, but not the Healers. Wishing to please their parents and siblings, but not knowing quite how to do it, they try to hide their differences, believing they are bad to be so fanciful, so unlike their more solid brothers and sisters. They wonder, some of them for the rest of their lives, whether they are OK. They are quite OK, just different from the rest of their family-swans reared in a family of ducks. Even so, to realize and really believe this is not easy for them. Deeply committed to the positive and the good, yet taught to believe there is evil in them, Healers can come to develop a certain fascination with the problem of good and evil, sacred and profane. Healers are drawn toward purity, but can become engrossed with the profane, continuously on the lookout for the wickedness that lurks within them. Then, when Healers believe thay have yielded to an impure temptation, they may be given to acts of self-sacrifice in atonement. Others seldom detect this inner turmoil, however, for the struggle between good and evil is within the Healer, who does not feel compelled to make the issue public.

I heart September!

September is my most favourite month- it always has been, and always will be! It feels much more like the beginning of the year than even January does- which is why I have decided to do some Resolutions! I have figured that the reason my "new year" resolutions don't work is because it's not really My new year! stay tuned

I'm "all of the above"

I have just been asked to write a few sentance bio of myself-

who am I?

How to be a better blogger 101

So, I've come to believe that my blog is far to contrived. After reading it, I realize that it is tailored under the off chance that someone actually reads it, not to show my true feelings. I still want this to be a positive experience, but i have to start being more true to myself or there isn't much of a point to writing it!

I arrived back from my trip. It's amazing what ever 21 hours away from home can do, although when I returned, I realized that there has be a ruckus gone awry on my support community. I wish that it had not become such a negative environment. One of the people that I most wanted to participate in our trip and who's posts I look forward to has decided not to be present and that really bummed me out- it feels like I'm losing a friend. I hope that things can settle soon because I miss the fun of the old days!

and yes, it's always about the old days with me. Today on the radio they played Symbolistic and I was transported back - it's wonderful how nostalgia can give you that little shiver! I decided that it will be my cover single when I become a fantabulously famous singer.

I'm starting to understand the difficulties in the pressure of being a woman and trying to balance financial obligations and familial obligations. It's looked upon negatively if you do go back to work or if you don't go back to work. Basically, it's a financial necessity that I do work part-time right now. Yes I don't make much money, but an extra $200 a month makes it so that we can actually eat healthy and try to provide Avari with the best healthy options that we can. I've sacrificed one of our family days so that we can keep Avari out of care and Kevin super juggled his Mondays to make sure that we just have to have someone keep her for 4 hours. This is the best we can do, but the amount of guilty pressure that we are on the receiving end of is incredible- it's very disappointing to not receive positive support and reassurance.

On happier notes- Avari is such a doll! She showed off like a little monkey today and was chasing these boys all over the ferry kid zone. She even pinched one of them when they wouldn't let her spin the boat wheel (we of course did our job of discipline, but were smiling proudly to one another). She has finished the "toddling" and is running everywhere! There is a new obsession with books, and she insists on carrying one all over the house, usually it is "Ted and Friends", but there are a couple other choice ones as well.