cherish

This was a good week. Yesterday, was my friend's birthday. Yesterday was also the day that Hunny and I met 13 years ago! We met at said friend's birthday bbq, not knowing eachother beforehand, although hearing of eachother's names. I can't say that sparks flew for us right away (well, at least not for me) but it happened soon after! The very next night is the one that got me interested! It's so neat to watch my Hunny today, see how much has changed for us, and remember. I loves him so!

This past week also marked the anniversaries of some people I love. On the 11th, my parents celebrated their 37th year of marriage! In today's world, that is Forever! And while it is a long time, they are still quite young and have (prayerfully) many years to come! I like to think back on how much they've been through in those 37 years, how many changes they've had, how many struggles and how much growth, and it's amazing.

It's so sad to think of those couples who after 25 years or more of marriage decide to end in divorce! You'd think that after so long together, they'd have more memories to keep them as One than to separate. :(

On the 12th, was the 15th wedding anniversary of family friends, Nathan & Jenelle. So amazing to think I have peers married that long! I've known Nathan for a very long time; since he was a teen and I wasn't yet! I have always referred to him as "The Brother I Didn't Want To Have!" and I think he actually carries that nickname with pride! He is my own Brother's best friend, and while Mark was nice to us girls and didn't pester us to much, he was the complete opposite! He would bug us, and tease us and frustrate us and it was terrible!!! Yet he still came around and we still wanted to hang out with him, go figure! I also call him my "Half Brother", which gets people curious since we're not blood-related or anything. I do love this annoying older brother of mine!

I feel so blessed to have friends and family who have been married for so long, who have been there/done that before Hunny and I have, and who can support us. It's good to have couples who can lead by example or offer advice. We really do find them encouraging. Out of our own friends, Hunny & I married first, so we are the "trailblazers", which is a strange thought sometimes!

Congrats to Mom & Dad, Nathan & Jenelle. We love you! I made this card for you.


recipe: Baroque Motifs stamp set, Whisper White c/s, Crumb Cake c/s, Pretty in Pink ink, Crumb Cake ink, Whisper White taffeta ribbon, Pretty in Pink taffeta ribbon, Backgrounds 1 texturz plate, Big Shot.

On the same topic of marriage, I feel so distressed to know that there are several friends of mine whose own marriages are in trouble. I don't know the background stories on some of them, just know that things aren't good, and that makes it tougher. I don't know how to help and I so desperately want to. Not because I think I have all the answers or can solve all problems, but.... *sigh* I just want people to fight for their marriages, to work as a team (we are considered One when unite), and to deal with their issues instead of blaming or trying to hide them. Please keep these couples in prayer.

Knotty Tots and new friends!

Way long ago, way back at the end of April, my new friend (who doesn't really know me, per se, but whatever. Okay, okay, it's more like I'm a huge fan and would love to be her friend. Sheesh, you're like wolverines out there! It's not like I'm a stalker or anything.) had a fundraiser on her blog. She was collecting donations for Amazima, a twenty-something woman from USA living in Uganda. She started out on a simple missions trip and ended up adopting 14 girls. Not all at once, of course, but over time as God led her. You have to read her blog! I have spent many hours there, reading all her stories and crying. Her heart is so beautiful. (she's my new friend now too, she just doesn't know it yet either!!!) She amazes me. I wish I were more like her. But here. Doing Katie things here in my own house and hometown.

All donors were entered into draws for various prizes and I won!!!! I was so giddy! Well, first I thought I was going to pass out! It's strange seeing your name on someone else' blog; I got all tingly and freaked out, then decided it was rather quite cool! I won a gift certificate to Knotty Tots. You NEED to check out this site too and see all of Candace's wonderful creations! I am in LOVE with so many of her items. They make me *squee* and want to take up knitting or crocheting!!! Abi and I have a very difficult time choosing what we'd get! But we finally decided, and after many emails back and forth, finding out Abi's measurements (which I was so worried I'd screw up, but well, Candace never corrected me or laughed or anything, and the items arrived, so...phew!), and waiting very patiently for the dress to be made (it was custom made as Abi is older and bigger than the ones listed in the store) and shipped....the day arrived!



Abi chose a summer crochet dress with matching shorts, along with some leg warmers with matching hair clips. Absolutely adorable! She is in love with this dress and wears it as often as she can. It fit perfectly too! Thank-you, KingdomTwindom and Knotty Tots!!!!

Wordless Wednesday

pool party

Many evenings, just before dinnertime, the kids throw an impromptu Pool Party on our deck. It's not what I'd call a "quiet" affair, but it's not big. Just four children jumping around in a turtle-shaped pool. Enjoying summer.



They fill the pool halfway with the hose, then they get the pool boy (uhm, that would be me) to fill it the rest of the way with warm water from my tap. (Hunny likes to remind me on those special pool party days, many hours after said event, that we have a tap nearby that can connect the hose to the hot water tank. Our pool boy, I mean I pretend to not care and tell him that I like carting 97 buckets of warm water through my kitchen and onto the deck. I'm all about building muscle.)




They like to add water games sometimes as well. (what's a pool party without water games?) Like car racing. It's a bit like car racing on dry land, but in the water.


First, you choose your car (a small bucket..one that used to hold toys works wonderfully), then you set them all up side-by-side, and here's where it gets tricky: you scoot in that little bucket of car, and you wiggle, and you urge your car along the bottom of that plastic pool. (it's not easy and quite the competition between the kids)



You splash. You tip over. You cry. You decide that you don't want to play anymore. You move to separate sides of the pool. All is well again.




Until you decide that you're just too cold for the big pool and need your own private hot tub.

With your own private lifeguard on duty, of course.


That's how we spend our evenings. How about you?

*four*

I remember four really well. Four years ago, to be exact. For it was four years ago that I started to leak during my pregnancy, was sent from the hospital I hoped to give birth at to another hospital that could handle preemie babies, had a bizarre reaction to a shot of Gravol in the hip (I went deathly white apparently and felt incredibly weak), and took an ambulance ride (which was anti-climatic and not at all dramatic, which is a very good thing but also made me feel almost silly. I mean, sheesh, I could've driven and not been charged the $50, thanks!) from one city to the next, next, next one!

Four years ago, things were good enough for the doctor to decide I would just stay put in the maternity ward for a good week before they'd induce me. I wasn't leaking badly, baby was fine, and I was having no contractions. And I was okay with being forced a week-long "vacation" of rest; I was tired! (not to say that my dear Hunny was pleased with the situation! We had two children at home and he had to work!)

It was four years ago that after getting myself situated in the not-so-comfortable hospital bed, in a crowded room with three other roommates who were all terribly busy with their visiting families that I made it to the bathroom, got sick, managed to make it back to the bed and throw up three times on the floor! After paging the nurse, I then fell asleep! I.was.sick!

Four years ago, the doctors decided I must've caught an infection from having PROM. So four years ago, I was induced, and four years ago, I labored (with a little help from "laughing gas", which did not make me laugh, but I didn't hyperventilate, that was the key) and gave birth to my second son at 33 weeks.



So much time has flown. Many things have changed. A lot of memories, some a bit foggier than others, but I have not forgotten that crazy day four years ago.

Bryn, you are my little fighter. You are challenging and you are strong.




You are our "Adventure Boy". You are fun-loving and easy-going.



You are patient (for the most part) and quick to give hugs and even quicker to forgive. You are caring and sharing with your siblings. You fill our house with laughter.



Bryn, you are such an amazing little boy who has grown from such a tiny little four pound baby in the NICU to a big bundle of energy! I am so excited to watch your personality grow and see the talents God created in you emerge. It's funny how four years ago, it would've been easy for our family to stress and be worried about your future when you started off so early. But you did amazingly well. You left the NICU after only 13 days and settled into our family so well! And it hit me that even though, medically and scientifically speaking, you arrived "too early", you came just as it was meant to be. Nothing happens outside of God's plan. He knew your birthday and He knows your life and the paths you will take, nothing escapes Him. I don't need to worry about your future because He has it all figured out! You are exactly where you are supposed to be, and little man, I am so pleased it is here with us. Happy birthday. {{{hugs}}}.

Sustaining Life

On a rare sunny weekend (not this past one, of course), Hunny and I decided to do some more work in our backyard. And I decided to help! We're a funny couple. We'd both love lots of yard (10-15 acres makes out hearts beat excitedly) yet we both hate yardwork! (he'd love to never have to mow grass and I'd love to have flowers and a garden that grows itself) So needless to say, our yard leaves a bit less to be desired.

Hunny worked on finishing the deck (a long drawn-out project that began last summer) while I started to clean up. Our lawn mower is in the process of being fixed, so the yard will need to be neat for the unruly grass to be cut. My goal was to clean up the space under the tree, behind the playfort. An area left untouched and littered with junk. Mostly garden ties, pieces of discarded lumber, an upturned plastic table and garbage. I moved everything out and was so pleased with myself, but found a new project.

A mysterious tree.

We have this maple that started growing a few years ago that has totally shot up in just two years. (it's actually kind of in the wrong place now. Oops. Didn't think too far ahead, I guess. But we didn't plant it, a squirrel did.) I've noticed a small tree starting to sprout just at it's base recently that has us confused. I don't know what type of tree it is; there doesn't appear to be any that look like it around our house. Another thing about it is that it is also planted in the wrong place. (another squirrel surprise) It wasn't going to grow where it was, so I thought that I'd better move it.



That turned out to be a bigger job than anticipated. I found out that I'm not very strong (*smile*) but I worked hard and got another hole dug in the back corner of our yard. (Hunny did warn me not to dig too deep or in the far corner as that's where our lovely Possom lay. {{shudder}} duly noted.) Then I had to get the tree dug up. And that's where I needed help.

Seriously, all I did was just ask for an opinion on how to go about digging up a tree, I didn't intend to have Hunny do it all for me. The fact that it benefitted me when he took over was just a bonus!



So he dug it up and then moved it and then helped me dig another hole! I placed some old discarded bricks (from a dismantled project a few years back) into a protective square, making mowing easier, with some help from Abi.



Now the area looks much better, and it's safer, and I feel good about that. I just hope this tree takes to it's new home. It didn't transplant the easiest, and it's iffy on it's survival, but it's better than leaving it where it was. I'm a "tree hugger" I guess because the idea of killing trees makes me so sad. Not only do they provide shade and homes for animals, but they help us breathe. I don't understand people who cut them down without replacing them with newer younger ones. So sad. So I'm trying to do my part. And I tell myself that even if it doesn't survive, it wouldn't have survived very long in it's place under the tree fort. I was trying to give it a better home. (like how I justified myself there?)

a lot of catching up to do

School ended for the Olders (*sniff*sniff*) and my awesomest sister graduated from BCIT, we went camping, celebrated three birthdays, had BBQs and surprise visits with friends, had playdates with classmates, had sleepovers, and went to beach and got sunburned...and we're only three weeks into summer break! We've had some hot days and some cool ones, some loud ones and some quiet ones, some days full of grumpiness and a lot of late nights. But it's been good. Well, except from the grumpiness, that is.

I have a lot of catching up to do, but you know what? I'm not going to stress about it. I don't feel badly for not being on her often at all! The stories will come eventually! So sit tight and keep checking back. Or not. Whatever. Enjoy your summer! *smile*