Friday, April 30, 2010

Sails

I love KD's most recent shots. If you're not following his blog, you should be. The "sails" are like a Kelowna landmark, on many a tourist brochure.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Woohoo! I got a raise... $2.oo/hour on my last pay cheque. It only took me 3 1/2 years to move up one pay grade. Hey I'll take it. It'll pay for my Diet Coke tonight when we say goodbye to our friends who are moving to Africa on Sunday. Pray for them as they go with their 4 kids to Uganda for 2 years. Girls night out tonight :)

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

This Day

Trying to find things to be thankful for... there are so many... but they seem so squished down by the unknown, the uncertainty, the patiently and not so patiently waiting that's been happening around here for 1 year, and 35 days. I would be so happy to say YES to something, or NO to something, if those options would present themselves. Instead we sit and wait and wonder what is to become of us. And the days go by one by one filled with events and kids' activities and things that fill our moments, with joy, with fun, with family. But always in the back is not knowing. So I try to trust and I KNOW that God will provide. But my cynical spirit rises and makes me hate monster.ca and the things that slow down the process of re-hires. How long do we keep believing that they do want to re-hire as the 2 weeks change into 7 or is it 9 I've lost track? I know more and more it's about being, who we are when no one is looking, who we are being- separate and alone from "doing" anything. I wish I didn't fail so often.

There are things that people wait MUCH longer for that matter MUCH more, like this little one we prayed 8 years for with our dear friends. Happy 1st Birthday my sweet boy! I can't wait to see you!! He is the triple blessing of those prayers!
140.
141. rain for this dry, dry spring
142. the wisdom my son is more and more showing. After reading some adventures of David and Saul in Samuel, he remarks, "all this because they wanted their own king, and couldn't allow God to remain their one King".
143. health
144. ability to work and play
145. a visit from my Mom
146. visits to the garden center and an afternoon of planting pots- I just had to spend that money! My soul might wither if I don't have them.
147. that getting braces on wasn't as traumatic as I feared for my no pain tolerance daughter. There was no fainting and she's gotten used to them pretty easily.

Monday, April 26, 2010

This Week in the Garden - my perspective

tulips against Siberian iris greensthese tulips didn't fair so well near the basketball hoop
peach blossoms against the blue sky and cherry tree blossoms
creeping phlox nestled
hostas unfurling
periwinkle
bottle brush

This Week in the Garden - Kevin's perspective

I wondered why he came in with dirt on his back. Gazing up, a good place to be...




Sunday, April 25, 2010

She's back on

The love has waned a little with the big fall, but she rode again after a little break. I'm so proud of her for fighting fear! I'm sure I haven't done anything that's taken that much courage in quite awhile!!

Saturday, April 24, 2010

Kamloops Tournie

We have been watching a lot of sports these days... But we love it! It is such a great place to talk with other parents, it's so great for the kids and they love it and get to make friends, and it gives us lots to do that's for sure! My mom and I spent 11 hours going to and from Kamloops last Saturday and watched a LOT of ball. She commented on how she now understands what we mean when we say we've been at a tournament. KD wasn't there, so you'll have to suffice with my slightly blurry photos.

What a GREAT group of girls!



Hot Shots


Every year the school makes a big, fun deal of the Hot Shots competition. It's a fun contest to see who can make the most baskets in a minute with your partner. There are practices and try-outs and the best 2 teams from each grade go to the finals. The principle, an ex-UBC basketball player got boomwackers for every child in the school to get the cheering going- he's crazy!


But this year held quite a story. The competition has always been tough with the grade 6 boys. Jacob and whoever his partner is (which has changed every year). This year he was with his good friend Daniel versus the competition S and C. Well every year S and C win and Jacob has gotten 2nd place. Well this year the odds were the same, same 2 boys made it to the finals against Jacob and Dan. Well 5 days before the big day, C had a terrible mountain biking accident and was air lifted to Vancouver to set many broken bones in both arms and elbows. He is pinned and screwed together and in 2 straight arm casts. His first appearance back to school, so pale in the face, was the day of the Hot Shots competition. The boys had gotten together and chosen someone to shoot in his place, and the excitement was building. The teams were very close, but S and his new partner "J" snatched the 1st prize again. The joy of the moment came when all 4 boys invited "C" up to join them in front of the school, which he declined, but the boys went back to where he was sitting and his substitute gave him the 1st place prize of a brand new basketball. It was a moment all parents were proud of!! The Dad of "J" commented to Kevin, "I didn't even tell him to do that". It was a life moment and Jacob agreed he was so happy to come 2nd place so they could honor his friend.

50 Mall Bucks!


Erin won the photo contest at school with this entry (at least we think it's this one, they didn't tell her, but she only entered 2 and this one is better). The theme was water, our most important natural resource! Now she's hoping for the pet photo contest!

Friday, April 23, 2010

Broken

* Van
* Underground sprinklers
* Washing machine
* Hair dryer
* Broom

You know when you start making a list, it's getting bad. My poor handy man is so frustrated! This wasn't what he had in mind for a day job.

70

Today I thought about the man I knew, but didn't know. The one who gave me life, provided for me, loved me, held my hand while we walked down the street when I was little, and was everything a father needed to be for a girl. He was kind and strong, quiet and loving, his faith was strong, but not flamboyant and unbelievable, it was private and you knew it had to be real. He sometimes got tired after work and needed a nap, got frustrated with silly things children do, spanked me once with a red belt I had that was so flimsy it didn't hurt but I cried anyways, later I was I'm sure he picked that belt on purpose. He did needlepoint under a tree one summer on vacation. He made all of us kids home made kites one year, and I don't know how well they flew, but mine was red with a white maple leaf on it.

Today he would be 70. It's a strange thought because in my mind, he'll never be older than 53. So does he get to be younger in heaven than the rest who die at a really old age? In a way he would never be older than 45 because that was the year his life changed forever and he would never walk again, never scratch his nose, or steal one last cookie without having to ask someone to grab it for him (see I am all about the cookies). My memory is losing the propensity I used to have for details, but there are some moments that seem to stand still in time. Like when he traveled out of town for work and always brought home caramel apples from Banff. Or the time he took me to the driving range and I hit him in the head with a golf club, totally by accident. Or the time I taught him to ski and took him up to the top of Lake Louise knowing it was green all the way down, and he spent the rest of the day on the bunny hill, and I don't think ever skied again. I remember the bus rides I would take to visit him in the hospital in high school, 2 buses and the C-train to get there every Tuesday.

Today I think how hard it must have been to leave your homeland, go across the ocean and start a new life for yourself in a new country at age 17. Will my children be prepared enough to look after themselves when they leave home? I don't think I want them to leave! Not for a long time still! What memories will my children have of me? Will they remember the fun moments, or the times I get frustrated because they leave such messes? Will they know that I try to do everything because I love them? Will they think other things in my life were more important than they are? Will they know they are loved? Beyond anything!

Today I think of all the things we've missed not having him here. The way he and my husband think the same, and would connect. The way he would sit and watch his grandchildren with such pride in his eyes. The things he could teach them without hardly a word. The knowing. And so I have to tell them stories and hope they come alive because there were no video cameras then.

Today I am also glad he's sitting with Jesus and out of his pain, waiting for us. We had chocolate cake in memory.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Very Funny

I have to tell you a funny thing Kevin told me yesterday. One of the reasons I continue to love him. What other dad would do this or even think about it? He and the kids were playing a rousing game of nerf gun wars in the house. Kids vs. Dad. For some reason, probably defeat, Kevin locked himself in the UPSTAIRS bathroom. After a moment in there, KD remembered that the ladder was leaning up against the bathroom window because we had just replaced the screen. So he climbs out the window and down the ladder and sneaks around for an ambush. Imagine the surprise!!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Random Thoughts to Unwind

Been a little busy lately. 3 of the past 4 days I haven't even been home between 8 and 11:30pm! Very unusual for a homebody like myself:
- meeting the mayor with Jacob's class and sitting in on a real court trial, all the boys thought he got off easy for taking his girlfriend's car, driving impaired and crashing the vehicle. Very interesting thing for kids to see.
- watching Erin play volleyball ALL day Sat. and I mean ALL day! We were home at 11 pm from Kamloops. The girls came 4th!
- took my girl to get braces on, very traumatic! OK not traumatic, painful!
- my mom visited for 5 days and we hardly had any shopping time, but she did have a root canal! We did sneak in a wine tour and lunch, actually our first one official tour ever since living here
- missed Jacob's first soccer game of the season :(
- oh ya-- work
- helping a friend move, so excited for her and her family!

Now I'm up for some good down time. My garden is crying out my name! The flowers have opened up and it's turned spring in what feels like overnight. One day the kids are wearing jeans and hoodies, the next they are pulling shorts out of their drawers! It's amazing how a little sunshine can totally change your mood. My cherry tree is in full bloom, and it's glorious, and the bees are buzzing!

Friday, April 9, 2010

A Spring Day


We took a little hike out on Easter weekend with some friends from Alberta that were out visiting for a few days.
Another good reason for living in the Okanagan!
A little herd of mule deer met us along the roadside.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Thankful again

I've missed gratitude Monday on virtual paper the past few weeks, but in my am trying to practice it more often in my mind, when I feel distracted, frustrated (which seems often these days), empty, or directionless, like this morning:

133. simple sermons that aren't profound, but still Holy Spirit filled
134. Jesus coming to life, and hope that we look for it more each day
135. old friends that visit and don't need explaining, it's easy to just BE together
136. daffodils opening up
137. the ease with which we had our own children, when so many suffer with waiting
138. a great looking roster of soccer boys to play with this season as I assistant coach with KD
139. a spontaneous invitation to Easter dinner! We loved being invited somewhere instead of most often doing the inviting.


holy experience

Friday, April 2, 2010

From yesterday...

My heart had a little trouble this morning, but my mind forced it to let go. It's a sad day, my little ones are growing up. The baby days are LONG gone (thankfully), but I LOVE - LOVE - the preschool and elementary ages. The clock of those days is slowing ticking by. As June makes it all too soon approach, I don't know where this last year has gone! Being part of such a wonderful elementary school community out in what we call "the country" will soon come to an end. All the days of cupcake baking and reading to kids, helping teachers in the classroom, going on field trips, hot dog days, and knowing what is going on from day to day in a small school have been a blessing, a place that feels safe and warm. The world of middle school looms upon my little boy. At least we've done it once, so it's not quite as scary for us.

Last night, the neighborhood boys all decided spring was here, and biking to school would begin. The 4 km ride has been done before, but with MOMMY!! So the brakes were checked and off they went leaving a part of my heart on the front step. My saving grace was his science project needed delivering, so I could come 20 min. later and make sure he had arrived in one piece. Should I be surprised that he had? I used to think, "oh once he's in grade 6, he can ride his bike to school, and save me the drive", but now that the day is here, I like our morning drive together, yes all 4 minutes of it.

Thursday, April 1, 2010

April Fool's

Gotcha! She did NOT dye her hair red! One of things I love most about my sweet girl is the color of her hair, it's the color I always wanted, so how lucky am I to get to look at it everyday? Besides the fact that I think hair dye is probably carcinogenic, even though I have no proof or have done no research on that, she'll be allowed to do that when she's 30! Sorry to disappoint my newest reader .... Debi..... Tara was the only one that clued in several hours later :)

Erin did it as a joke and e-mailed it to her Gramma's to get a reaction. She really likes her own hair color.

I Finally Caved

After much begging and pleading, I finally let Erin dye her hair. I kind of like the darker reddish, but still think her strawberry blonde looks better!