My Big Fun Romanian Wedding!

Hello or Servus (in Romanian),

I just returned from Europe and spent almost a month with family and friends in Romania , seeing many beautiful places, learning to make many delicious Romanian dishes, and learning to speak broken Romanian, which makes my family laugh uncontrollably.

I also had the opportunity to experience an authentic Romanian wedding and had the honour of standing in for the bride and groom as their "little godmother." This has nothing to do with a person's size. During a traditional Romanian wedding, the bride and groom have two sets of godparents, one set from each side. I am so grateful that I was standing next to the bride when my almost "most embarrassing moment" would have occurred if it wasn't for the "big godmother" standing next to me. During the ceremony, we were required to hold a very large candle, that had a white sash wrapped around it, which connected the bride, groom, and respective godparents. As we were instructed to follow the priest in a circle, my very long, pink dress got stuck underneath my heel! I tried to inconspicuously pull it out, but I was not successful. My worst nightmare was about to happen...Thank goodness for fairy godmothers because mine was walking behind me, and pulled my dress out just in time!

Next, came the party and boy do Romanians like to party and dance! We ate amazing food and danced to many traditional Romanian dances until our feet ached!

Looking back at pictures from the wedding gives me much joy, but more sadness. It was difficult counting the days left after the wedding because I knew it would be time for us to leave our Romanian family...

Memories, that I will keep close to my heart, precious moments shared that will last a lifetime. We may be separated by an ocean, but the close bond we acquired over such a short amount of time, despite the language barriers, will always remain!

Sharing stories in broken Romanian, learning new family recipes for our Family Book, sitting around the table surrounded by the people closest to us...Love lives here, too!

I will post Romanian recipes that I learned first hand in future posts!  And by the way, Romanians don't use Windex for everything, they use sour cream! Yum!

La revedere! Til' next time,

Sandra

Fun In the Sun!

Welcome back!

What is it about summer? The days seem longer and the memories are endless. Spending time with loved ones during the summer is something we look forward to every year and this year was no exception. Except the weather hasn't been so great and from what I hear from others around the world, summer overseas doesn't feel like summer at all.

But, does this matter to me? Not at all! This summer feels different, more relaxed, almost peaceful. Sitting on the beach this summer was pure bliss because I got to spend some quality time with my mom and sister. The kids despite their usual squabbles had a great time as you can see in the picture below!

Building castles with cousins

I had the opportunity to begin our family book with the kids. The kids were very enthusiastic and helpful during this process. I am very excited to begin my new project and intend to involve the kids in the whole process. It was also great to ask my parents about their great grandparents, though I may need to confirm some specific names and dates from my cousins in Italy who have already made a Family Tree. I am in the process of getting family recipes old and new, from my family and from our extended Romanian family and will be sharing these recipes in future posts! Yum!

Our Family Traditions.

Our Family Tree

One of my favourite family traditions is to spend time together at my parents' home up North, or our family cottage. We've had this house for more than 30 years and it has over the years, become a 'sanctuary' for me. I tell my kids all the time how fortunate they are to have a place to escape to, a place to get away from the everyday stresses of life, a place to reconnect with family and friends. I think they will appreciate our family cottage when they become adults and begin to bring their families up North.

I am raising my children to understand the importance of responsibility by explaining to them that if they want to keep the cottage in our family, then they need to help with the daily chores and the regular maintenance of the house. Who said that pulling out weeds isn't fun!

Thanks to my mom, she has the boys on a daily routine of fixing breakfast, emptying the dishwasher, and collecting the eggs from the chickens. The boys have a lot of free time, too! It's great that they have the freedom to ride their bikes around the subdivision, go to the tennis courts and play a few rounds, or just chill at home and chat with their cousins about what they will build on the beach that day!

My dad has been teaching the boys how to grow vegetables in his garden. Next to his family, this is his pride and joy. He wakes up early in the morning everyday to do whatever he does to grow his delicious vegetables. We have a rule in our family, "Eat whatever is grown in Nonno's garden. Look at all the wonderful garlic, 400 in total! I told the boys how important it is to learn how to grow vegetables rather than buying them in the supermarket.

400 garlic planted by Nonno

Nonno with the grandkids learning how to grow vegetables.

Next to his family, this is Nonno's pride & joy!

The days of summer, hot yet long lasting, lazy days at the beach, sharing stories and spending quality time with family. Sadness is setting in as the days are getting shorter and the summer is coming to an end too soon...

Enjoy it while it lasts!

 I'm in Europe right now trying to finish this post in Romania. The connection is not very good. I am in the courtyard where the connection is the best.  My next post will be about my trip to Romania visiting with family.

Cheers,

Sandra

Choosing Our Battles!

Hello Everyone!

Doesn't life sometimes feel like a battlefield? We win some, and we lose some! From childhood, we instantly learn that winning is something good and losing isn't. We try and teach our children that winning isn't everything, but they know better!

Is winning at a board game and winning an argument the same? I think so. When you win at something, others acknowledge your accomplishment and congratulate you, while others become infuriated because they wanted to win.

The same occurs when people argue.
Why do we argue? Is it to prove our point, to justify a decision made, to defend someone else, or is it just to be right, even when we know we are at fault?

All the above.
Recognizing when we are wrong is hard for most of us to admit. For some of us, we learn how to solve conflicts by compromising, by being the better person and admitting we are at fault, or by diffusing the argument before it goes too far! For the rest of us, we never learn how to deal with conflict!

We soon recognize at some point in our lives that in order to have peace, we need to choose our battles and walk away when conflicts arise!
This may be difficult with the people in our lives that know how to push our buttons and say the right thing to set us off and they learn this at a really young age.

They say that the people who we argue with the most, are the people who are most like us. I have a few of those in my life and boy do they drive me crazy!

I realized recently that this is part of the learned behavour we have all acquired since childhood and I've also realized that this learned behavour can be changed. We can change how we react to conflict and create new pathways in our brain and begin to solve issues in our lives in a healthy manner rather than a destructive one!

Difficult? Yes. Possible? Definitely!

Choose your battles! Let go of the little fights, otherwise you will find yourself surrounded by conflict all day, everyday!

Sometimes life has to hit us over the head with a brick before we realize our mistakes and learn that if we don't break this cycle, we will pass these negative behavours onto our children.

Pass on life skills to our children to build their independence. Pass on effective communication skillls to build their confidence. Pass on your unconditional love and they will love themselves completely and then be capable of forming long lasting and loving relationships.

Children learn what they live, so let's give them the necessary tools to live their lives full of joy, love, and success!

Enjoy,

Sandra

Bake Me Happy!

Hello, Everyone!

I would like to share my passion with you! Baking!

Have you ever met someone who didn't enjoy baking, or eating something homemade? Of course not! Like I mentioned in my first post, we need to surround ourselves with things and people that inspire us, that give us passion, that give us a purpose in life!

I found my passion with the help of Pinterest. Thank you, Pinterest for inspiring me to discover this passion that already existed. I found the recipes below (follow link) on Pinterest and spent countless hours reading comments and suggestions from people like you and I and discovered many recipes that have now become family traditions!

I discovered over the past months that baking is an art, a creation, an expression of oneself. I felt my love of baking in everything I created, in every piece of dough I kneaded, in every cookie I rolled, and in every cake I frosted! It's an indescribable feeling that I get after baking, equal to how you feel after you exercise, or when you see the joy of learning ignited in a child for the very first time! These feel-good endorphins are released in your body and make you feel like you can accomplish anything and overcome any obstacle!

The first time my nephew ate cake without eggs was a moment to cherish forever! This picture says it all!

"I can eat cake now!"Depression Cake: sweetlittlebluebird.com

I love that I can put a smile on someone's face, that I can bake someone's favorite dessert. These cream puffs were made for my uncle while he was in the hospital. The joy on his face was worth the many attempts to get this recipe right! I hope to bake these 'little pieces of heaven' for him when he fully recovers!

Cream Puffs with Mascarpone Cream & Bailey's recipenewz.com decorated by my son!

Seeing the look in many childrens' eyes and their mouths opening wide in anticipation of these yummy treats! Words can not describe this moment!

Mexican Wedding Cookies! from Hanielas.com

My first attempt at making a specialty cake for the love of my life! The look on his face after his first bite ignited my passion for baking and cooking!

Italian Cream Cheese Cake  lynn-southernwithatwist.blogspot.com

Finding something that inspires us, that gives us passion, allows us to live a fulfilled life surrounded by  loved ones, who share in our joys and sorrows.

Sharing stories around the dinner table, stories of the past, stories of the future, sharing food made from loving hands, recipes shared from the past for future generations to enjoy. Passing down family values and traditions that will last a lifetime, instilling strong family ties from one generation to the next...

Zebra Cake: recipebyphoto.com, I used Depression cake recipe!

Banana Cake bakeorbreak.com

"Bake someone happy" and take a picture in your mind that will last a lifetime...inspiring you to be the 'best possible' person you can be!

Life is short...make it count!

Enjoy,

Sandra

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly!

Hello, everyone!

The good, the bad, and the ugly...wasn't that a great movie? Thanks to my big brother, I watched every guy movie growing up!

We all have loved ones, friends, acquaintances, and random people who bring these wonderful traits out in us.

How do you deal with the good, the bad, and the ugly days of everyday life? The good days are 'easy peezy lemon squeezey' as we often say in my classroom. It's the bad and the ugly days that often make you scratch your head and wonder if you handled that situation properly.

Family is Love

Life is what you make it! The people in our lives determine how we live our life and what decisions we make.  Like I said in my last post, "you are only going to be as good as the people you surround yourself with...so get rid of those who make you feel bad?

Aren't the people who are the closest to us often the people who treat us the worst? Why is that? So, do we get rid of them? Do we cut ties with family or friends who bring the worst out in us, who make us feel bad?

No...of course not or sometimes...depending on the person!
Family is everything, remember? Or is it? When we have a heated argument with someone, whether a family member or a friend, how does it usually end? You say or do  things that are hurtful, sometimes unforgivable...right? What happens next? Do days pass before you speak to one another?

How strong are your family ties, your relationship with the closest people in your life?

I have strong family ties...sometimes so strong that it's suffocating...but that's okay...do you know why? Because I am surrounded by love...love from my parents...more than I realize, love from my children...who love me no matter what, love from my husband...God he must really love me with all my daily 'drama' moments! Love from my lil' sis who often has to give my 'head a shake' and make me see the whole picture...and love from so many other family members and friends!

I had an ugly day the other day that has left me sleepless at night and feeling not so proud of myself. Guess what? I AM HUMAN! And so are you. We are allowed to have bad and sometimes ugly days. There is a reason for our actions and reactions. Maybe stress from work or home, a sick loved one, a failed marriage...whatever the reason, we tend to take it out on the closest people in our lives!

Not acceptable...but we do it anyway! This is learned behavour that has been instilled in us from childhood. We learn from example, though this is not something we want to pass onto our children.
Can we change this behavour? It depends on the person. Once you accept that your parents or grandparents are set in their ways, then the rest is up to you. Change the reaction, diffuse the argument, be the better person and walk away before it gets out of control. It is possible, but difficult!

With strong family ties and close friendships comes love, respect, and most of all, forgiveness. We forgive the ones we love because we know they are human and are allowed to have bad and sometimes ugly days. Once we realize that saying and doing hurtful things towards the people we love is unacceptable, we begin to fill our days  with wonderful memories and share moments that will last a lifetime.

The good, the bad, the good again, sometimes ugly but less often...the cup is only half full, following the path you are meant to follow...

Love lives here...surround yourself in it and count your blessings!

Enjoy,

Sandra

I Love You No Matter What!

This is a special post dedicated to my children!

Today, 12 years ago, my life changed forever! Why? Because two angels from above were sent to me...to me! Can you believe it! After many years of waiting and I got two! Miracles do happen...I look at them everyday and count my blessings!

Happy Birthday Joseph and Michael! You are loved by all of us!

I love you no matter what! These are words that I tell my boys everyday! Words that were passed down from my parents to me!

Celebrating at the cottage!

What do these 6 words mean? I love you no matter what you do or what you say. You will test me throughout the years, but that's okay. I did the same thing when I was your age to your grandparents.We share something together: a strong family bond between past and future...this bond is unbreakable because it is held together by unconditional love, you know what I mean...loving someone no matter what. This kind of love is different from any other love you will experience....it is deeper...the love between a mother and a child cannot be described, but it can be felt in many ways...in a hug, a kiss, a smile, with encouraging words...you will know and feel that you are loved...

Thank you Michael and Joseph for choosing me as your mother! I promise you both that no matter what happens over the years, my love for you will always be the same. I promise to be by your side in good times, but mostly in bad times. I will be the wind beneath your wings that lifts you up when you shall fall. I will tell you that no matter how hard things get, things always work out...things always get better when you have people who love you by your side...

I will love you no matter what Michael & Joseph!

 Love, Mom

Doing the Right Thing or Not?

Welcome back!

Did you ever find yourself faced with a difficult decision? A decision that could ultimately change your life forever? A decision that left you wondering and asking yourself, "Am I doing the right thing or not?"

I have... and many times throughout my life. I recently had to make a decision that was difficult since there were too many emotional attachments involved and years of wonderful memories to give up. I often struggled with this decision and asked myself if I was doing the right thing.

It was a long process that lasted almost two years before I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and told myself, "Everything happens for a reason." I made this decision more than a month ago, and though it has been difficult for me and the people involved, I realized that I was meant to begin this new chapter in my life...

Doing the right thing or not! Yes, I've always tried doing the right thing in my life. Decisions like getting married or getting divorced or leaving a job you loved after many dedicated years. Difficult? Yes! Yet, feeling a sense of peace after the fact...

What is it that makes us do the right thing? Our conscience? Other people's opinions? Wondering who this will ultimately affect? I think a bit of each. Then what makes us decide to not do the right thing?

Envy, anger, not wanting others to be happier than ourselves? Maybe...think about it and ask yourself if you did this recently. Did you get angry at someone in your life because you weren't thinking about their happiness but of yours instead? Did you resent them for making a decision that wasn't about you and your future, but of their future and well-being? If you answered yes, then ask yourself why are you not doing the right thing now? What is stopping you? Do you feel good about your decision? Probably not!

Life is too short...but not too short! You still have time to do the right thing and fix a relationship that will ultimately end if you don't do something about it!

Or maybe, this is meant to happen as hard as it feels and you just need to accept this unexpected turn in your life...

Things happen for a reason!

Twists, turns, ups and downs, the good and the bad, to inspire or to become inspired, setting goals and attaining them, back in the day, keeping family traditions...

You decide...

Enjoy,

Sandra