Sept 3: Who I Am

Tuesday, Sept. 3: Describe where or what you come from. The people, the places, and/or the factors that make up who you are.

Technically, I came from my mom and dad, in a hospital in Calgary, in the cool month of March. My mom said I interrupted her lunch, but that was ok, cause I was her first babe, and I think the labour wasn't too bad. I also know that my name comes from my mom's bunkmate at camp when she was a kid, and that she fell in love with the name Reva. Turns out my dad wasn't the biggest fan of the name at first, but after watching my mom go through labour, he let her name me whatever the heck she wanted! I'm pretty stoked on my name. I don't think that I've ever hated it (except maybe when doing touristy things as a kid, and I couldn't find my name on anything!)

Hi! I'm born!

We lived in Calgary until my sister was born, 4 years after me. I thank my babysitter from Calgary for my love of hair. She taught me to braid (french, fish, inverted) on My Little Ponies and my little Sheera doll. I also fondly remember the snow. We had the biggest yard on our street, as we had an irregular corner lot, and I remember walking around in the snow with my dad to spell out all our names. Calgary is also where I learned that I can be really good friends with boys. My best friend Nick lived behind us, and we spent lots of time climbing over each other's fences to play.

My moms famous ski jacket, easiest person to find on the rink and the ski hill. Plus a cutie little sister. (stole this from Ali's instagram.)

When my dad got transferred to Edmonton when I was 4, we made the first big move of my life. Thankfully, there were other families who got transferred to Edmonton too. One of these families included one of my oldest friends, Erin, and we quickly bonded. I remember lots of time spent at her house, specifically lunch time, with Itchiban soup and grilled cheese sandwiches on placemats we collaged ourselves. I remember playing in the sickest snow fort ever that her dad would make us every winter from shovelling off the back deck, and hosing down the fort when it was all done so it was solid. I remember watching Rock-a-Doodle-Do constantly, and reading Sweet Valley High daily. We actually blew through hundreds of books through the library program (cause we would win POGS for every book we read!) And we started a secret club, with a code for writing notes, and handshakes and everything. I still have my little box that we each have, with my notepad and pen. I miss adventures at West Edmonton Mall, spending the whole day floating down the lazy river at the water park. I miss sleepovers and playing dress-up in the basement, with an overflowing tickle trunk. And I really miss all the cardboard boxes, which we painted and made windows and doors, and played for hours in. I can't wait to do all the things I remember from when I was a kid, with my kids.

1993, all dressed up to go see Joseph and Technicolour Dreamcoat. I loved it so much, I went with other friends again the next night. I still know most of the words to most of the songs. Josh also stole this picture from a family album and has it hanging by his desk. I also think my mom made my dress, with matching headband. Woot woot shoulder pads!

When I was in Grade 4, my dad got hired my a company in New York. It was the hardest thing to leave all my friends, move not only thousands of miles away, but also to completely new county. I was the weird Canadian kid, with the weird accent. It was a hard three years in New York, but I wouldn't have changed it. Again, I found a best friend in a boy down the street, where countless nights were spent playing Man Hunt in the court, days swimming in the pool, and chasing the ice cream truck (Vinny!) down the street to snag some AirHeads and BlowPops. I remember bailing hard one day on my bike and totally tearing up my leg, and Vinny gave my friend and I free rootbeer float popcicles. I remember sitting in the hammock in our backyard (the same one I now have on my porch!) singing My Heart Will Go On by Celine Dion at the top of my lungs, over and over again. But New York wasn't always the nicest to me, and therefore I wasn't always the nicest kid. I was sneaky with my friends, nasty to other girls, getting in fights in the hall at middle school (which is pretty much like high school here in Ontario) and had such a foul mouth. I definitely needed the break from that whole culture, so it was a good thing that after only three years in the States, we moved back to Canada.

We moved to Ontario, to a little town and I started grade 7. It was pretty weird going back to a school of a couple hundred that was full of little kids, compared to have been in a high school type atmosphere in the states, full of 1800 grade 6, 7,and 8s. Thankfully I wasn't the only new kid in class that year. It was a hard year, as I went back in the French Immersion program, which I had missed out on the last three years, so I was so behind. But I eventually found some good friends, and learn how to live life in a small town, after living in three big places all my life. My little town totally changed my life. I made the greatest friends, whom I'm sure I'll keep forever. I realized the potential of my faith through church and youth group and these friends. I stopped being afraid to be more creative, and started working hard on artistic creations. All of my friends were interested in the same things, and I learned about hardcore music. These friends took my to my first Cornerstone Festival, which completely changed my life. I stopped wanting to be part of the popular crowd, and started to feel comfortable being different. I finished high school and went to university, started dating the man that would become my husband, and try new things artistically that I never had before. I learned that I don't do well with roommates that are girls, and that it's hard to make new friends that measured up to all my old friends. I graduated, and eventually went to school again, and then a third time! I couldn't narrow down what I wanted to do. I got engaged to a wild stunt man after an around the world trip to Australia to see my sister graduate, got married to the man of my dreams, and moved to our little beachy town.

Little Josh, the first year we started dating. I miss those huge earrings, and my stretched ears. I don't miss the skater hair on the boy as much though.

In the last year, I don't feel like I've changed too much, but I've learned tonnes. I've learned to snowboard, to (almost) surf, to skateboard, to keep a home. I've learned to be a momma to a kitty, to cook for a troubled stomach, and to host lots and lots of friends and family. I've learned how to love in new ways, to understand my faith better, to communicate in new ways, and to push myself in new ways. I've realized the work that I want to be my job, which is nothing I would have ever imagined before. And now, looking back on all of these factors that make up my life, I've realized what kind of woman I have become. And for that I am forever thankful.