Wednesday, December 26, 2012

December Goings On

Erin in the dress we made ~
going to the Crystal Ball

Out on the hunt for a Christmas tree!

What's a campfire without a few weiner jokes?


It actually happened, a Norman Rockwell moment, egg nog,
Christmas music, decorating the tree

Soon diverged into other shenanigans

Yes... they actually play volleyball in the house.  It's pretty hard to stop it
 when he's the instigator.  Only 1 broken light fixture thus far.  I'm trying to
 convince them 10 foot ceilings would be a good alternative!

Our sweet Pioneer Girls! the Christmas party!

Being silly with "Kiwi" (Erin's bird name)

Erin's new job!
I really wanted a pic of her in the CUTE apron,
 but this was all I could purse-cam.
Teenagers are mortified by such things as
 Mom taking a photo of them!!


My Birthday

Jacob's Nativity always seems to have interesting dynamics

Mom's Birthday

LOVE THIS!!

Yup, he's going to be the shortest soon!

Christmas Eve- post op day 4! 

My latest activity- 1000 pieces later!

My amazing husband and SIL have taken over the kitchen for the festivities!

Erin's awesome onesies!!

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Gross Alert- for all you nurses out there


Here it is...  I hadn't showered or cleaned it yet.  It's much lovelier now.  I like the surgeon's doodles, as he called them.  I also like the fact that he came and saw me before they took me to the OR and put his signature on the correct leg!  I'm not bored yet, too much lazing around, working on a puzzle, watching movies, dozing off, and having visitors pop in - THANK YOU all for being so caring and amazing!!

I also think I'm done with the narcotics after last night's weird dreams and Kevin trying to wake me up.

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Laying Around

I've neglected the blog for quite awhile, but now I have some time since I'm leg up for awhile. Yesterday was the big day.  By extreme "coincidence" my sweet friend Janet was having the SAME surgery, SAME leg, SAME surgeon, SAME day.  I was first, she was second in the OR.  So we waved as we passed by being wheeled around, and got to have a little visiting post-op.  The husbands could compare notes in the waiting room and maybe we can drive to some physio appointments together :)  I got to go home first, so didn't get a photo side by side in our gowns, like Erin wanted, but this was close enough.


So it's ice for a few days and trying not to eat too much Christmas baking, which won't be too hard since I didn't get much done.  My Mom came on Monday to look after me and everyone, we got some shopping done  the day before and she got up in the night with me to change my ice packs last night and is keeping my tea and drugs by the bedside.  That's what Moms do even when their kids are all grown up :)  I also have the BEST husband in the world!

Thursday, November 29, 2012

All done.... big sigh...
Surgery date finally.... December 19th...

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Hello Blog World.. aka in recent news...

I'm coming up for air!  I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  Only two more weeks with my students!  It's been quite a journey and learning experience, all mostly good.  It feels a bit like being totally entrenched in the daily goings on at the University and what they are learning (so I can stay on track and pretend I know what I'm doing), and now we're just smooth sailing til the end.  I've also been orienting to a new area of the hospital (our ward closed down in the new hospital tower expansion and everyone got bumped around),  so that I have somewhere to work next term and post- my knee surgery.  I won't be teaching next semester and I kind of am a bit sad about that, so that's a good indication that I like it and hope to do it again. 

Still no surgery date...  Maybe I won't be couch surfing Christmas Day :)

Erin has the Crystal Ball coming up in early December, a Christmas dance for grade 12s, and after a once around our one and only mall, we realized we weren't going to find anything, let alone have it fit properly.  So we've tackled a sewing project.  We bought the most beautiful deep eggplant satin:


and have had so much fun sewing on this together.  I won't show the finished product, because it's not done :)  and we don't want to spoil the surprise.  But this is what we're making.  $32 later, what a deal!


School volleyball season is coming to and end, can I hear a collective sigh of relief?   In Jacob's own words, "We lost, we lost EVERYTHING".  He is especially happy, and Erin is just done. With club season just around the corner, we'll have a short break til January without driving someone somewhere EVERY week night.  Plus, Erin is going for her Driver's License next week!! It will be nice to have another driver in the house, especially for her 6:30am practices.  "Bye Honey, sorry I didn't get out of bed to say goodbye!"

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

New

September and half of October have been a blur of activity, learning a new job (still in progress), school and grad activities and meetings, soccer, volleyball, board meetings, picking fruit, trying to keep up with some new ministry things, and attempting to keep supper on the table most nights.  When things just drop on your lap, and you feel them fully, and you know you can't say no because they are just right there on the edge of your heart and so much YOU, I know it had to be a God thing.  That's happened 3 times this month, so I'm praying for the strength to not be overwhelmed by them all, that His strength has to provide for what He's given me.  It feels like so much blessing all at once! My heart, my mind, and my schedule are so full and rich!  I just can't imagine a better, more full life, but fall into bed with sleep heavy on my eyes, before I hit the pillow most nights.  Just ask Kevin, he's jealous of my ability to do that.

We had fun last weekend watching the girls play. What a fun bunch! 


In other news... Jacob has grown an inch and slept 15 hours on Saturday.  The growing didn't all happen on Saturday :)  Here it comes!  You know what I'm talking about!

I love my students, well almost all of them :)  Brings back tender memories of those university days.

Saturday, September 8, 2012

1st Day of School


 Erin wanted to re-pose her very first day of school ever with her last first day of school! 
 Kindergarten, grade 12.  Where did the time go?  She was a little less excited this year than 13 years ago.
How cute is she in her little skort?

 Jacob missed the action on the 1st day, (or maybe wasn't totally cooperating).
 But, this is actually the 3rd day of school.
  Close enough for the crazy first week of September this year :)
I'm pretty much just happy we all got there in time.

Erin and her One Direction notebook, oh my!
Poser.  Grade 9!

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Officially...

I'm working for UBC!!  I interviewed in the summer for a job I applied for on a whim, that I didn't really know much about or want for that matter ~ especially after I found out more about it.  I had hoped to just get an interview, so they could know who I was if something else opened up.  I hadn't heard anything back from them and didn't really expect to.  I got an out of the blue phone call last night offering me a job as a clinical instructor, which is really what I've thought about doing and think I would like to try at some point, so why not right?.

So I thought about it over night, and accepted this morning!!  It's part time, which is awesome, and I'm hoping it's not more than I can handle.  I have orientation tomorrow!  YIKES!  Pray I get awesome students.

It's scary thinking about all that lies ahead, so I have to just take one day at a time... "sweet Jesus".  I guess when something like this falls in your lap after saying, "Id take a job if it were like this..."  and then it is, what more can I wonder about?  I guess we're up for a new adventure, which is sort of what my restless mind has been looking for.  No turning back now.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

It's starting... the September hurry...

It came in the mail:  the big grad. student package with all "the stuff", the events that are going to happen, the calendar for the year, the credits and grad. info. and all the busyness of the school year fell into my lap.  I wasn't ready for it, and I'm still not. Grade 12!!! I spent some time putting all the important dates on the calendar and September is filling up, and fast.  But we still have 2 MORE WEEKS of summer!  I want to savor the last dusky days of the season.  To sit by the lake and feel the sun heat, to read more books than I have this summer, to stay up late with my teenagers making milkshakes and talking in the dark.  And I want more time with her.. this last year!? When did that happen?  When did she turn from pigtails and blonde curls to tall and lovely, thoughtful and thinking her own ideas?  It all just needs to slow down!  The world can stop spinning today for a bit and let me wait a little longer before some more change overtakes us.

So I will hold on to the moments I get with them before the busy season returns and I go back to work next week.  Some boring, long summer days will become more lasting and we'll cling on to them when they are the last few.  We'll take a walk by the river and maybe jump in, catch that drive in movie we haven't seen yet, go for ice cream one more time, swim in the lake before it's cold,  meet friends for supper at the beach, paint that bookshelf still waiting, do a hike in the wilderness before city life closes in.  What about you?  What's left of your summer list to hope to's?


Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Family Time

Had some good times with the inlaws this past week.  The kids drove back from Alberta with Kevin's parents, and then the rest of the siblings joined us.

a LOT of volleyball action, all of Kevin's siblings played and all the teenagers play
Gramma, a bit of a texting addict at the beach

I love this kid...  drinking laying down? relax a little would you?

Erin and Morgan got into Uncle Cam's motorcycle gear! Village People?


Dinner time on my deck!

trip to the Kangaroo farm

Sebastien and the joey

Sam and the joey in his "pocket"

Erin, the animal whisperer as usual

hanging out in the pool

The Drew 5

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Alberta Trip

Erin and Jacob flew to Calgary and spent 9 days with all of the grandparents.  Erin took lots of photos, and I was happy because I could see what they had been up to.
A trip to the Calgary Zoo with cousins. 

 A ride on the Stettler steam train with both of the Grammas and their cousin.
 The train was robbed.

  I love this photo (below) of the girls together.  All the rest of the cousins are boys!

Riding the train

Our Moms ( looking shorter all the time) with Jacob and Morgan

I love this crazy pic of these 2!!

My gorgeous niece!
 They made a trip to a Creation museum.  I love that Erin took photos of every exhibit so she could read and study it all later. She just finished her Bio 12 "theory" of evolution unit.  She is a science nerd and I love it!

fish fossils


genealogy of King Henry VIII back to Adam

Erin and Papa in a corn maze somewhere in Central Alberta
They are home, made some great memories,  and life is back to normal for us :)  Kevin and I enjoyed some nice dinners out with and without friends, a few bike rides together, got some stuff done around this place, and realized we still enjoy each others' company.  All very good things.