Happy Birthday, Melinda!

Today is our daughter's 33rd birthday!  It's incredible that our children are in their 30's when I think about it.  They probably don't want to be called middle-aged yet but in a few years they will be at the halfway point in life expectancy.  If they are nearing middle-age, there is no way around it - I am passing middle aged! 

Two ways to look at that - and I am choosing the better way.  The way of multiple blessings and amazing chapters and great adventures and such incredible joy that is my daily life.

Because this daughter of ours lives on the other side of the country and because it's been many years since we've actually spent her birthday together, I'm feeling a little melancholy today.  Here are a few pictures that bring back so many sweet memories of our Melinda!

 1980 with my Gramma Hetman

1983 swimming lessons

2002 Convocation at Acadia University

2004 Wedding day in Chester, NS

2005 Surprise visit home for my 50th birthday

2013 Mama to 2 sweet boys, Fredericton NB

Happy Birthday, Mel!

Five on Friday

  1.

“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”

Elisabeth Kübler-Ross (1926-2004); psychiatrist, author

2.   Did you know that  within 72 hours you’ll forget 95 percent of what you heard? 

3.  This week I popped a lovely little chicken into my slow cooker, added a little paprika and garlic salt, filled the cavity with an onion and a whole head of garlic (following the ideas here) - and walked away for 7+ hours.  When I got home, the house smelled yummy and supper was nearly ready.  I cooked some potatoes, squeezed the head of roasted garlic into them and (s)mashed the whole lot together.  Some gravy from the slow cooker drippings and cooked creamed cabbage rounded out a  most delicious meal!  You should try it!  I'm so glad I took N's advice and tried this method.  

4.  I started a little sewing project this week - but I can't show you because it's going to be a Christmas present.  I like how it's turning out so far :)  Next up - some pouches for the Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes.

5.  Photo of the week:

the birthday girl with her Olympic swimming pool cake

(her Mama is so creative!)

Creating

Last week one day, I walked into my scrapbook studio and realized just how much I was missing the photos, words and layouts that I create.  So I left the box of tomatoes waiting in the kitchen and used an enlargement that I found at the bottom of a pile on my desk and came up with this!

During Big Picture Classes Big Idea Festival, Becky Novacek's big idea was to go bold so I used this big picture and came up with this response.  The paper and journal card are from the Birthday Girl Line by Echo Paper.  This was the first time I used washi tape (from The Sweetest Thing line by My Mind's Eye) - it was fun!  I can see myself playing with that again!!

Gratitude Gifts Today

#4512 - #4552 - July 31 - August 6, 2012

- asking for forgiveness
- resting in Him when I feel hopeless
- words that leap right out of the sermon to speak to me
- that He loves me so much and cares for me
- worship music

- blank pages of a new journal
- white chickens wandering on green grass
- big jug of milk
- haircut
- de-humidifier drying out the basement

- stack of books from the library
- 3 gifts eaten: raspberries with brown sugar and cream, saskatoons fresh from the bush, all our own garden grown vegetables at suppertime
- bright yellow-orange pumpkin flowers
- grain beginning to ripen
- pink, stripey petunias

- freshly mown grass
- yellow beans to pick
- tall tomato plants hanging with green globes
- 2 pails of saskatoons cleaned and spread on cookie sheets to freeze
- groceries to fill the fridge and cupboard

- conversation with siblings
- sweet peas, my Dad's favourite flower
- my childhood church and the foundation I gained there
- cuddling Peyton
- supper with family

- listening to vacation stories
- helpers to make alot of potato salad!
- care packages to send home
- freshly made beds
- floors vacuumed, cupboards clean, dishes put away - our home

- sitting under the trees on a summer afternoon
- birthday celebrations
- the respect my father has in his community
- stories from years past
- watching him with the great-grandchildren

- words of honour given to him as gifts
- Mom's pies
- pastures of cattle grazing
- a sermon about finding manna in our wildernesses
- this little light - one life lived for Him

(catching up slowly - the lists are recorded but not posted)

Savouring

Just savouring the morning-after goodness of a certain little girl's 5th birthday party -
The trying on of new clothes (and realizing that her long legs need size 6 pants),
the little hands strumming on the new guitar,
the whirling and twirling of the Snow White costume,
the reading of a stack of new books,
the listening to a new CD (Tschaikovsky Visits America - which she loves),
the sleepy yawns and tired eyes,
the playing and laughing at a new game, Whack-A-Mole,
the cousins finding their way together after nearly 10 months apart,
all the goodness of a family being together.

She's called me to walk to the park with her!
I'm off on a new day's adventures!

Gratitude Gifts Today

Summertime fun has been in full swing around here!  We went away on a little quadding trip with family and celebrated some special birthdays with the other side of the family last week.  The weather was hot and sunny and then turned stormy and very rainy.  The mosquitoes are growing bigger and hungrier by the minute - it's ridiculous!  But so many good times have been had and so many great memories have been made that we aren't letting little things interfere.

God's goodness is filling every day and so I count on with the little moment-by-moment wonders that He puts everywhere for me.  How very blessed I am!



#2710 - #2740

- safety while travelling
- time spent with loved ones
- laughter around the campfire
- smoke that sends the mosquitoes away
- a snug camper

- wildflowers blooming everywhere
- tall, tall trees
- rivers, clear and running fast
- firewood
- beautiful vistas

- watching others with their grandchildren
- a visit with our grandchildren who are safely home from a vacation
- a kind and beautiful daughter-in-law
- working together
- abundant, delicious food

- baby smiles
- cooing and sounds from Maëlle
- shy smiles from Blake
- great big hugs from Meadow
- pictures of vacation fun

- pancakes cooked on an outside grill
- breakfast stacks
- grilled salmon and new potatoes
- delicious birthday cakes
- birthday celebrations

- travel opportunities
- safety while driving through windy rainstorms
- the mail moving again
- intense discussions on convention resolutions
- childhood memories shared with great laughter

Thank you God for these wonderful days of summer and the times we share.

Birthday Celebrating

Happy Birthday, Naomi!  We are so thankful that God placed you in our family thirty years ago.  You are amazing and we are blessed by your love and care.  May you enjoy all the adventures the year ahead will bring!

Happy Father's Day to my dad, my husband, and our son-in-laws - amazing men and fathers!

My dad's hands holding Maëlle, his newest great-grandchild

Another Year

- 365 days

- memories made

- photos taken

- smiles shared

- hugs given

- hugs received

- kisses planted

- dreams hatched

- work done

- books read

- nature enjoyed

- friendships nourished

- roads travelled

- posts written

- gratitudes recorded

- Word read

- blessings poured

- birthday comes

- I'm Blessed!

Happy Birthday, D!

Happy Birthday to our son!  I wrote this post about him just a few weeks ago - so glad I recorded these thoughts about someone who is so very special.   It's good to reflect on the years and remember hockey on the skating rink on the lawn, the dogs that he's loved over the years,  how he learned to ride the bike on the front lawn, what a help he was with chores and fieldwork, how very even-tempered he's always been, when he went away after high school graduation, summers back at home - the list could go on and on!

You are an amazing man.

We've celebrated a lot of milestones.

You have been blessed with health and strength, 

wisdom and kindness, intelligence and a big heart.

May you continue to enjoy every day

and God's care and blessings always!

We love you very much!

Happy Birthday!

It's Melinda's birthday today and even though we are seperated (again!) we are thinking of her!

Mel - We wish you moments of joy and laughter with those you love and God's protection and guiding through all the days of a new year.  We know that He has awesome plans for you and we celebrate the wonderful woman you are.  We love you!!

I found a few old pictures - it's always such fun to discover treasures like these on the hard drive!  This one was taken at the airport as Melinda and Tyler left for Taiwan in July of 2005.

Melinda's education degree convocation from Mount Saint Vincent University in Nova Scotia

Her wedding in 2004

A Christmas photo taken many years ago at my parents' farm

Melinda with her two favourite guys

Christmas, 2010

A Milestone

So Bob had a birthday this weekend and we celebrated very quietly (for now!).  For his 50th birthday 10 years ago I made him a scrapbook - the first one I ever did.  It's hard to believe that I've been scrapbooking for that long - and it's hard to believe that my husband is 60 years old.  Life is good and we are indeed blessed!!

My husband has always had dreams and goals and one of the most recent was to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, in Africa, before he turned 60.  So last year that's what he did!  The last trek to the top eluded him when he got a lung infection but he got very close.

looking at Kili from Amboseli

Just last night during our little New York City movie marathon, he said how glad he was that we were able to visit the Big Apple.  

on the ferry to see the Statue of Liberty

And he is definitely enjoying being a grampa!

straw maze with Helayna and Silas

skating on Lake Invermere

drawing during family art time

He's developed an interest in woodworking and this year made the girls art boxes for Christmas.

He's an expert at towing people out of jams when we are quadding.

with Ian at Crimson Lake

He is the man who taught me how to dance, how to laugh more and to embrace new challenges.

dancing with Helayna at Darrin and Kelsey's wedding

I pray that the years ahead will be filled with family, friends, new adventures, and much happiness!

Happy Birthday, Bob!

Happy Birthday, Silas!

How can it be that he's 2 years old already?!

He's the oldest of our grandsons and he's becoming such a great little boy!  He talks to us, grabs our hand to take us places and has the most beautiful little smile.   To hear him say, "Amma - come, come!" is just the best.  We are so blessed by his presence in our lives.

Happy, Happy Birthday, Silas!  Finally the day has come when you can have the cake and candles!  See you soon at the party!

Canada Day Party!

Meadow's birthday was the day before Canada Day so we celebrated the two events together.

Naomi made this awesome cake with chocolate cake flip flops and graham wafer crumb 'sand'.  It was wonderful!

Snow White rides again!  And her bike (which she had earlier) is sporting a new basket too.  

Happy Birthday, Sweet Girl!  May your 4th year be blessed and full of good times!

Happy Birthday, Meadow!

Happy 4th Birthday, Sweetheart!

It's been such a joy to have this sweet girl in our lives!  Her enthusiasm and boundless energy, her curiosity and questions, her love of the outdoors and sports,  and her tight hugs have added a whole new dimension to our days.  We thank God for blessing her so richly and for placing her in our family.  We are looking forward to a big party tomorrow :))

First Birthday

It was Blake's first birthday on the longest day of the year yesterday and we celebrated by going camping and spending a delightful weekend together.  How can it be that one whole year has gone by since Naomi called Melinda and I in Nova Scotia to say that she was going to the hospital?!!

 
And now here he is, trying so hard to keep up to big sister, taking his first steps, loving to eat any kind of fruit and melting my heart with every sweet, sweet smile!  He has this tender way of laying his head down on one's shoulder and cuddling right in, which is perfect with Gramma.  Happy Birthday, Little Man - you truly are a gem!

Celebrations

June 5th is a big day in our family!  Kelsey celebrates her birthday -

and Heather and Jonathan celebrate their anniversary.

So, big congratulations to you all!  You bring so much joy to our lives and we are so incredibly proud of all 3 of you.  We pray that the days ahead will be filled with joy and much love.

The Party

It was Samuel's first birthday party celebration today!

He loved the balloons Uncle Darrin and Auntie Kelsey brought.

Auntie Naomi and Mommy baked and decorated a baseball cake.

Gramma baked and Daddy iced the cupcakes.

Everyone sang Happy Birthday and the cousins took turns blowing out the candle, over and over again!

And then we ate cake, opened presents, took pictures and had a very good time altogether.

It was the perfect family gathering for a perfect little man!  We are so thankful that he came to Alberta to meet everyone and share the fun with us!!