~ My Story ~

Hello Ladies, I thought it would be good idea to write about me and the story that brought me here, to Canada. It's a nice way for us to know a bit about each other. I would love to hear from you and if you feel like it, tell about your story as well. I love learning from diferent experiences people had been. Hope you enjoy it:

Little Finland, Penedo, where I grew up and met the love of my life! This is Santa Claus House! You can book a visit with him!

pictures from Flickr

Sorry, couldn't make them bigger.

I used to walk after school with my sister here...

A few Stores, Cafés along the main street.

I was born in Brazil and I’m the youngest of 4 girls. Dad was a Vet and mom an Artist. I also grew up in a farm surrounded by animals, and after my dad retired we moved to Penedo, a cute little Village up in the mountains, 2 ½ hrs from Rio de Janeiro, colonized by Scandinavians, to be more precisely, from Finish. We moved from a farm to an acreage and still we were close to the small city to go to school, and do the other errands. I met Nick, my hubby, when I was 11 when we moved to Penedo, and his parents are from Finland as well. We were very good friends, as we still are, but just got together (dating) when I was 22.

At this age, I moved to Rio to start Physiotherapy at University. To pay for rent and school, I had to work. So, I got a job at a very nice store in downtown Rio. It was a store filled with different objects from Italy and also from local artists, called Cartoleria. After 2 years I became a Manager. At the same time I was struggling with my studies, and finally I decided to quit Univ. From that day, I said to myself: "One day I will have my own business". I was enjoying so much managing and meeting new people.To not be away completely from studying, I started an English course. We were planning to get married and travel a bit. I had no idea my life was about to change completely! So, Nick got an invitation to come to Canada for his Post Doctoral Fellow at UofA. He was about to finish his PHD in engineering, so we got married, two days after the wedding he defended his Thesis and we arrived in Canada in May 1996, a month after.

After 2 months he had an option to stay 4+ years and so we did. It was quite difficult in the beginning because I thought being here for a year was fun, but 4 more? We never planned to be away that much from the family and friends...

We came with pretty much noting, just a few clothes, and that’s it! So, we applied for our Visa, got it 5 months after and I did lots of volunteering jobs in the meantime to kept in touch with people and learn better the language. I had plans to go back to Univ. But to be honest, I’m quite glad I didn’t.

I was also very shy to speak, so mostly, I was a listener, a very good listener!

After 3 years I got pregnant with our first child, but unfortunately, with all my 3 pregnancies, we had 3 BIG losses in our family down in Brazil. I also had the kids by myself because no one could come to help me a bit.

My dad was the first one, when I was 7 months pregnant with Annikki, then almost 3 years later, 15 days after our baby boy Nick was born, my father-in-law. As no one is “made of iron”, I started to get really depressed. But one day, an Angel sat over my shoulder and whispered: GET SOME HELP! And so I did. Otherwise I don’t think I would be here to tell you this story.

I started a medication and at the same time migraines were killing me. It was awful...so, taking one for depression and almost a bottle of Advil for the headaches, a month after, I decided to quit both. I said to myself: enough is enough. I can’t deal with this anymore. Instead of searching about the disease (which I knew enough about it) I searched for another thing: HAPPINESS.

I got books in the library, book stores, everything you can possibly imagine to help me, from Louise L. Hay “You can Heal your Life” to “The Teachings of Abraham” (all of them), by Esther and Jerry Hicks. Then, I started to see “light” after reading and understanding those words and messages and I could appreciate life in a way I couldn’t before. Today, it’s been 6 years I’m totally cured!

We all have UPS & DOWNS once in a while, but I try to be positive as much as I can. My mom passed away (the 3rd loss in the family) not long ago, after our third kid, Ewan, was born. I miss her a lot, and not being there with my sisters was the worst part, but we can’t prevent things like this to happen in our lives. Nick wanted 5 kids, a big family like I had, but coincidence or not I don’t want to take any chances! I’m very happy with our 3 kids! And I know he is too.

You know, life is beautiful. It has to be. My story might be a bit sad because of all the losses, but I grew so much from all of this as well. Before, I would never open up my heart and my life to say anything. Actually, nobody ever new. Now, my message is this:

We need to talk. Find someone you trust, but don’t keep to yourself if you have something even close to this. And don’t stop the medication like I did! I was quite brave to do it. This was my experience!

Now, I think wrote too much! Sorry, ladies! It might be from my background: Italian/Spanish!

I call myself “a Citizen of the World”. I’m an explorer, love to learn new things, new cultures. And new languages! I see in our kids with the same spirit as we are: free to learn, to fly...

The best gift? To wake up every morning and feel that I’m HERE!

To wait for my daughter to come to my bed and give me a kiss;

To wake up the boys and see the “grumpy” faces, because they want to sleep more;

To hear the phone ringing early in the morning and it’s Nick wishing us a good day and saying he LOVES US!

To be able to work with my hands, help others, blog!

To phone my sisters and friends whenever I want (we pay only $0.04 cents a minute to Brazil) and talk as much as I want!

To be a Stay at Home Mom and proud to be with my kids.

To enjoy life and what I do.

Now, after all these years, I really know what I love to do. I have no regrats for quiting Univ to be who I am and to be a mom. I love my job as a mom, a wife, a friend and everything we can name it!

I never do things that doesn't bring me joy and so I teach my kids the same. They have to enjoy what they do, otherwise it won't be complete!

Well Beautiful Ladies, I hope my story wasn’t so sad. I have an amazing life now and realized that I always have. But sometimes there are some dark clouds over us, and we just need to blow them out! This is a story to show you that everything is possible here in this Planet. You just have to BELIEVE!BELIEVE.

Sorry about my writing ladies. My Grammar is not a 100%, but I’ll improve, I promise. Just writing here is an amazing way of practicing my writing skills. Learning another language is not only "saying", but also learning how to say it "properly". I did lots of mistakes (still do) and sometimes I wonder if I'm rude, or something. Traslating everything and quickly is just funny, and we have the tendency to put our native always first. But I'm trying to only think in english here.

Wish you all a wonderful week, full of joy, happiness.
I have lots to do here. The bathroom is almost done...

Peace and Love always,

Li