I live just outside of Vancouver with my best friend and husband, Jesse. I am a Registered Nurse specializing in Public Health and seriously love what I do! I’ve got a bit of a penchant for writing and romance, cooking, reading, laying by lakes, and singing loudly as though my life depended on it. Jesse and I are both born and raised private school Christian kids but lately, we’re loving learning and stretching our beliefs – leaving some behind and being changed and made new by others – and challenging the more traditional and conservative religion we grew up with.
I am inspired by the throes of growing up and growing strong, and by all the makings of becoming a graceful human being. I fell in love with my best friend when I was sixteen years old and somehow – it’s a miracle, really – he fell in love with me too. I’m a teensy bit controlling/loud-mouthed/strong-willed and he’s the one who makes me feel human again. Like I can breathe.
I like random facts so here’s a few:
- You know those books that usually have a demure-looking woman on the cover standing beside a horse with a cowboy off in the distance and a painfully cheesy synopsis about finding love and faith on the western frontier? Those books you pick up and laugh at? I read those. I recently started a goodreads account and I’m too embarrassed to list hundreds of the books I’ve read.
- I’m addicted to chapstick.
- I haven’t painted my toenails since I was 13 (GAH.. 10 years later and it’s happened again!!
- I’m a very proud Dutch girl and my lookalike cousins are my best friends.
- I love to sing, almost more than I love to write and for most of my teenage years, I wanted to be a famous singer.
- I say what I think and yes, I know it’s not always polite or “sweet”.
- I’m a romantic through and through… just check out my ‘about’ page!
- I’m a little bit horse obsessed.
- Polka dots and red lipstick make me feel beautiful.
- When I took piano lessons as a kid my mom used to always tell me I’d wish later on that I would have learned more, practiced harder, and taken it more seriously. She was 100% correct.
- I write lists about lists.
- One of my favourite places to be is in the water but I get scared that little fishies will come nibble my toes and bum.
- My bucket list includes having many babies, owning a horse ranch, and being like Kate Middleton (or royal, in some capacity).
- I like instructions and details. I also like following rules and get angry when other people don’t also follow said rules. So cute, I know.
- The day Jesse and I met, I jumped off a cliff into a lake, botched the landing, and got a bruise on my bum/thigh that didn’t go away for three months.
- I LOVE reality tv, much to Jesse’s chagrin. Survivor, American Idol, anything with the prefix, “Bachelor…”, Chopped, etc.
- My mom is a born and raised English woman and with her entire family still living in the UK, the influence remains strong. I love tea, garden parties, frocks, striking hats, and cobblestone.
- Wine, wine, wine, wine.
- One of my biggest role models is Ina Garten (the Barefoot Contessa)… I just love her grace, hospitality, simplistic approach to entertaining and cooking… I could go on and on. I watch full episodes of her show on youtube regularly.
- I wish I grew up in the 19th century on a ranch.
