My weekend birthday!

Yes, tomorrow is my birthday...I am turning 41 and actually I wake up this morning excited that tomorrow is my birthday. I am not sure why but I have never been one of to be fearful of getting older actually I am quite the opposite....I love it each year... it gets better for me, I love more, learn more, serve more and live more. I wasn't a big fan of my younger years, but I have gotten older in life and is gotten better and better. I have sooooo much to be thankful for!!!

So my present to me is to write down things I am about to do or do at this particular moment or day in my life;So here it go!!!

Right now I am about enjoying the summer with my family and trying to slow down a little

Right now I am about renovating our house and turning my house into my home

Right now I am trying to not miss a day in my summer devotions

Right now I am happy for my older kids, and grateful for their love and respect they have for me

Right now I am about praying a lot that we will make it back in our home soon

Right now I am about organizing, organizing, organizing


Right now I am about being grateful that my hubby supports everything I do and his a great friend

Right now I am about enjoying little thing in life, instead of worrying about the big things that I have no control

Right now I am thankful for the friends that God bless my life with

Right now I am loving the fact that my 7yr old still loves to snuggle with me

Right now I am about enjoying turning 41 and what the Lord has in his plan to offer me in the year ahead!!!!

I would love to hear what you thougths are about where you are at right now too so please free to share with me...

XO Magda

We all have been l-o-v-i-n-g summer here...in my house summer is loaded with fun days, full of great food, sleeping in, having friends over, beach days, swimming, and water fights in the back yard. I know that summer also brings its own challenges -new schedules and new routine. My kids loves to sleep in, and they also enjoy lazy days,not as much as their boring days..ha ha!
The new baseball gloves were purchased and when the sun is shining Nate loves to play with his dad, and his very excited about his summer camp,Brendon got his second job- he went shopping and he got approached to come for an interview, nice hm, so his shopping now more then ever, working at Hollister allowed him to have a great discount and his not letting that pass by him, Christine is away for a week camping in Osoyoos having fun...Mario and I were working hard to finish our home and also I'm loving every second of working on planning our vacation.
We have few fun things that I planned for our family vacation. For me one of the ideal place to take my family is California. California family vacations are great because they are so much to see and do. We can combine beach time with theme park there is something for everyone.
I'm very blessed like many of you whom live here,to call this place home. Vancouver is one step away and is one of the most beautiful places on earth.
Looking for a spot vacation make me realize one more time how much I love sunny spots.I looked at the top North American beaches and guess what one of our beaches are on the third place- Kits beach is one of my fave and I also like Jericho Beach. I think is fair enough to consider Kits beach one of the nicest places, all the beaches are located in chic cosmopolitan cities, from LA to New York to Miami to Vancouver. I love everything that's around a beach, the romance, the peacefulness, and most of all the cocktail of sand, sun and sea.
Yes...friends we have the good fortune to have some of the best beaches in our backyard so to speak.

While Mexico,California and South Florida are obvious destinations for the natural splendor,simmering heat and beach paradise, but in the other hand we have the sea, the forest and the mountains.
We live in a place that offers us beaches like Kits and Jericho with delightful restaurants, parks, jogging trails, interesting and beautiful boutiques and electic stores.Let's enjoy our beautiful city!
I will post pictures of the top beaches, I been blessed enough to visit all of them; #1 is South Beach,Miami, Florida
#2 Main Beach, East Hampton's, Long Island
#3 Kits Beach, Vancouver,BC
#4 Laguna Beach, Orange County,California
#5 La Jolla Cove, San Diego,California
#6 Kanapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii
I can't wait to update the blog with pics and stories from my summer and from my vacations. For me is all about the B-E-A-C-H!!!

The mountains and the hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.Issaiah55:12

Love,
Magda

Hot dog versus Japadog

How long are you wanting on line for a hot dog? Five minutes, ten minutes...how about 25 minutes? That's how long I waited in the line for my first to taste my first Japadog. As the name implies, Japadog is a hot dog done Japanese style with nori, wasabi mayo, teriyaki sauce or Benito flaxes. There available at two hotdog stands..or Japadog stands at in Downtown Vancouver. I checked out the Burrard St. and Smythe location.It was a great sunny day, so I decided to be part of the 40 or so waiting for the gourmet meat in the bun. From my quick survey- many of us were Japadog virgins. One couple in town from LA read about the dogs on line-clearly the less serious side of our city's culinary reputation.I'm not opposed to waiting in little to experience something new.
This Japanese version of a hot dog was $4.75 and he got me all the beef,Teriamyo version. Is still a hot dog but with a distinctly Japanese flavour and I love the way shredded nori looks on top.The Japadog become so popular that the owner apparently considering opening a Japadog restaurant.It's a good idea considering the stands don't appear on the street when it rains- and it rains here a little bit.
One thing more I have to say when it comes to hotdogs, I am a bit purist. The funky toppings are fun, but give mustard, relish and grilled onion any day.I'll even venture into a sauerkraut. I'm going to leave the Japadog and the lineup up to the tourists.
Happy Summer!!

As my son high school graduation approaches I became very nostalgic.I've tried to prepare myself knowing that any milestone brings mixed emotions,but is still not easy.
Is this the beginning of the end, or the end of the beginning? One thing for sure; life is our home will be soon very different.
Even tough his going to focus on savoring every last moment with his good friends, I know he knows that his life shared with us is changing forever. We might have our arguments, or the attitude that he sometimes likes to share around here but saying good-byes to all that is going to be hard.

In the mist of the preparation for my son's high school graduation I've had to make an strong effort not to think that is also the time when our lives are going to change from having three children in the house to two. My role as a parent is changing now from parenting a child to the adulthood parenting. I realize that my son still need guidance and support,but this is all new to us. So we decide that the best way for us is to offer him encouraging words, daily prayers, reaffirming his good character, his intelligence, and his sense of humor. We don't expect him to thank us for that would be unrealistic for now.

His going thought a roller-coaster of emotions -fear, confusion, doubt and excitement until he leaves for home. He will never admit that but is very natural to go through such emotion, and I want to be as supportive as as i can be for him.
He will try to juggle all this emotions and the separation from us, his friends, and all the people that gave him a sense of security in his life.

I need to realize that I we've been raising our kids and preparing them for this very time- the day they leave home,and this day is almost here for our older son and us.
I've been blue for a while realizing that this day is getting closer and closer but My goal right now is to be there for my son, throughout this confusing time, by letting him know that his loved, by his parents and by His Heavenly Father, and even I will miss him terribly I want to give him the best gift that any parent can give-
my unconditional love and my daily prayers.

This summer is the last summer of his childhood,but my son needs us to help him to let go...and to hang on.


Let me know what you think... anyone going through some emotion period right now.
Let's pray for each other!

In His love,
Magda

It's been in my mind a lot lately.
The excess of our lives
The unnecessary stuff
The stuff that ends up holding us down and owning us.

When I took a closer look at God's promises, I was amazed how many they are. What is even more beyond my understanding is how God never break His promises, not even one.
He is faithful and true to His word and I truly believe that we can trust Him at all time.
As many of you knows about the trials and the challenges that my family experienced last year we learn to relay on the Lord provision
At the time when my family faced the financial challenges it seemed that God was going to take everything from us. We didn't understand why -we were seeking Him all along the way, but it became apparent that every time we pray about something, something else blew up in our faces.Before it all started we had a very good life, solid finances, a beautiful home, nice cars, owned a successful business of our own.
We weren't nasty prideful but we were proud of our stuff.
We look back at it now and see where the Lord was bringing us, at the point where I've REALLY learn to trust the Lord Not just say it! I've also learn to relay on
God's promises, and to recognize that He really does care for me and the smallest details of my life.
These struggles have taken it from head knowledge to Truth that Now fills my heart and soul. I so thankful for the friends that the Lord brought into my life, they have been there for me, praying for me and helping me in such amazing ways. We tried hard to keep our grip and climb out of it but, however it seem as if every decision we made,even after prayerfully presenting it before the Lord turned out to be a bad decision. I've fell very discouraged at times, depressed and with no energy left to bringing my sorrow before the Lord.
When I start reading and start knowing that God's promises are real, it become very comforting and reassuring to me that I can relay on Him, and He will never let me down.
"God's way is perfect.All the Lord's promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection"2Samuel22:30-32

I look back over to last year now, and see how the Lord refining us.
Refining- to purify from what is coarse , vulgar to make it elegant or cultured

to become pure
to bring to a finer state or form by purifying

It is clear to me that, though the finished product may be beautiful and elegant, the process is not.
This year I have resolved in my heart to not look the other way when I see someone hurting, to not to judge others by their circumstances or appearances, I now understand what is important and what is just fluff...

Some lessons are harder to learn than others. This one was excruciating at times for me. But I wouldn't trade the changes in myself and my family for anything!

Thank you Lord for seeing my heart and refining it for your glory.

Magda

20 Little Thinks That Me Happy!!!

Between the stinky economy and swine flu I'd say things are not that bad! Good grief!
When things get a little gloomy in my life, most of the time I try to focus on positives and today I create a list of things to be happy in life!!

Well I first start to make a list of happy things i'll admit I didn't find it easy (but maybe I was stuck in traffic after a long day)-I had hard time finding 20 things. It took me couple of days to realize that number 20 is not that high.

Here is my random list of life happy little things(there not in order):

1) Sunny Days
2) Chocolate with Nuts
3) My kids Laughs
4) Faith in God bigger than my problems
5) Makeover projects on Budget
6) Shoes and Purses
7) Jesus
8) Friends
9) Friends that encourage me
10)Family I adore
11)A clean house
12)New Dishes
13)Vacations
14)Happy Memories
15)Family nights at home
16)Lunch with my friends
17)Date night out with my hubby
18)Good Books
19)Everything organized
20)Desserts

I would love to hear what's your most happy thing...

Love,

Magdaxoxo

Girlfriends Getaways-

Girlfriend getaways- there is nothing like them. Last weekend my girlfriends invited me to go with them, so we decided to go into a power shopping spree, see our down the border stores were waiting for us-being right in our backyards- so to speak we simple had to be there.
Does fashion matter to my girlfriends, with everything is going on in our world today(all of them are ladies doctors),well if you are talking high fashion, maybe not.But no matter who you are, style does matter. My girlfriends loves to look great and they all have a great style.
We have to present our self's looking good, because we live in a such visually oriented society so you might as well give some thought for a great look put together. It doesn't mean you have to spend a lot and here are some of practical tips that I learn.
-Tailoring is your friends!
-Color is your friend.If you like a color nobody is going to tell you that you look wrong in it. You cant go wrong with one bright color and a neutral, or two colors with a neutral is even better.

The quickest way to freshen up a wardrobe is with new accessories. Other very important way for all of us to shop right is to understand our body type and to learn which fashion suits us best by doing that we gain confidence in shopping right for clothes.

Check out myshape.com a fantastic shopping website that offers personalized fashion recommendation based on your measurements.

Travelling with girlfriends was a change for all of us to recharge our spirits, renew our connections, and of course shopping and finding great bargains to show off back home. I consider myself a champion shopper so as my friends. We have a sixth sense for in and out of-the way in stores and finding bargains.

Fashion Designer Issac Mizrahi said:
''Don't shop with your mother! You have to go shopping with a really fun friend that you trust''!! So truth!!!

Well, getting lost and finding our way to the hotel wasn't really on our shopping list but that was the only setback in our trip.After the car followed the curves of the highway we realized how wrong we'd been and after few more unsuccessful attempts to find the hotel we stopped to asked for directions and we headed again to find our way.Getting lost can take you places you've never been before...you see we've learned that the great thing about getting lost is finding your way back.
The first step was to put the address in our GPS and we realize that we don't have the address of the hotel so the digital map cant guide us.So it took us longer than we expected but finally we end up in our room ready for a good night sleep.

The hotel was well located...close to shopping, dinning and had a uniquely chic decor, the staff friendly and helpful.The room was pretty cool, with a black and white Asian flair.
It looked welcoming and inviting.

The next morning after a leisurely breakfast we hopped in the car back in action again.. The parking area was pack,we finally parked our car grab our purses full of energy for other day in paradise...
Our feet hit the shopping area around eleven a clock, few good hours of underupted shopping.We had no children to feed, no diaper to change or anybody to pamper or take care of. Good feeling!Not the kids-though we adore them,and not our husbands-though we love them too...JUST US!

We had no intention of wasting time at very expensive stores, just at the great places that will offer us really beautiful stuff and just at the right price. I try to do minimal damage but my friends made some fairly impressive investments in their personal wardrobes. I don't think they call what they got outfits but they should. Well coordinated if I do say so myself.
Getting lost was not on our agenda but we cover it all-reconnect,adventure on getting lost, laughs, and of course shopping.

This awesome weekend started and ended with girlfriends-for her in the driving seat, thank you for patiently driving us and for a great weekend, and for MC and ML thank you so much for a wonderful weekend and the good laughs. And thank you Lord for humoring us this weekend I hope once we really got you tickled.

Our Shop-Till-you-Drop weekend was a success and it was a great way to recharge our spirits, renew connections and of course shopping.
So when you go for a weekend getaway don't forget the girlfriends and your giggles.

Magda,
xoxo