Friday, December 16, 2011

Have yourself a Merry little Christmas....

Good Morning Company Girls!

Well, How are you all doin'? Things are just peachy around here...I'm waiting for my grand girlies to arrive for the day....eldest daughter called last night to see if I could take them while she took eldest grandson to Toronto for his special therapy. The lady that she had lined up to babysit wasn't able to do it....her kids were busy being sick....so, it should be an interesting day...Honour is 8, Verity is 6 and Afton is 3. They keep ya goin'!

Hubby and I have been working our fingers to the bone the last few weeks. Emma's old bedroom, is significantly larger than Maya's 8 x 9 space, so when Emma moved out we decided to move Maya down to that bedroom. First of all, we had to pack up Emma's remaining stuff....then we had to assess the damage...yes, you read correctly....it would seem that whenever Emma was angry, she took it out on the walls.....several holes from kicking and punching needed to be repaired. I got the inspiration that putting some nice white wainscoting around the perimeter of the room would look nice as well as cover up at least 3 of the holes...hubby agreed....so that's what we did. Since hubby has a very busy schedule, most of the work was done on the weekends. We repainted, put up the wainscoting, new trim and baseboard, a new door (ya, that was kinda wrecked up too)..and last night Maya spent her first night in the 'new' room. We'll see how her night was when she finally decides to roll out of bed this morning. Today her work shift is 2pm-10pm, so I'll let her sleep awhile. Now, Maya's old room will be turned into an office. Hubby is in sore need of one....teaching between 2-3 classes per semester and doing the church books, and our books...he has so many different binders and cases around here..all spread out in different locations...it will be good when they're all contained in one room! This little makeover....new paint and moving the desk from the family area..oh and the printer in there wont take place for a few weeks cause Paul is coming home! He needs a place to sleep while on leave, so he'll be in Maya's old room....it's kind of a good thing that we get this break cause hubby and I are a little weary .......

How is your Christmas shopping coming along? I have one son that I still have to buy for and stocking stuff...oh, and order a plant arrangement for my mother-in-law.....we have to remember to get a turkey this weekend..we tried at our grocery shopping last weekend but they didn't have the size we needed....we don't need as big a one cause there will be less people this Christmas..Emma says that she'll come for dinner but I'm not holding my breath....haven't heard anything from Corey, so I doubt he'll come...daughter Lauren and her boyfriend will be attending his family Christmas dinner...and my mom, who has been at my place the last few Christmases will be at my brother's house. I figure a 15 pounder should do.....hope somebody has that size tomorrow.......

Hubby has next week off and the kids go to school all week, til Friday, so I'm really looking forward to having some time with him next week....and we wont have to paint anything, or nail anything...yay! Now,..if we just had the money to go away for a few days.....oh, well.....I'm just grateful that the room is done...maybe we'll even have some time to decorate our tree! Poor tree...sat for two weeks without anything on it...absolutely bare....last Sunday hubby got the lights on, so it doesn't look dark and quite so forlorn....maybe this weekend we'll get the 10 or so rubbermaid tubs upstairs and get some decorations on it....although just the lights do look pretty.....:0)

I doubt I'll have time to be on next week but....in case that I'm not, I would like to wish all the other Company girls a wonderful Christmas...I want to thank all that read my blog throughout the year, who left lovely encouraging comments,..who prayed for me and my family, please don't stop...I'm afraid that Emma is on a slippery downward slope. Thank you so much.

Merry Christmas!


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Friday, December 2, 2011

A Week in the life of.....

Good Morning Company Girls! It really is morning...the wee hours of....it's 2:57a.m. as I type...I can't sleep...too many things running around in my mind...have you had that happen? You wake up just for a quick run to the bathroom and before you can drift back off to sleep, your brain turns on and dong! ..you're awake...I first saw the time at 1:38 and have been tossing and turning ever since....I struggled with what to do...obviously try to go back to sleep....tried that for about an hour..obviously didn't work....thot about what I could do if I got up....I could work on the hand quilting of a quilt I'm doing...or I could finish cutting out the pieces of a new quilt....it's a big one...12 different materials...all cut in 1-3/4" strips before you cut them into the various lengths that you want....I've already been working on them a total of about 8 hours and still have 4 lengths of material left....or...could watch something on my ipad...with earphones as not to wake someone...or...I could come out to the living room and write this post...as I'm doing....

Last Saturday, I received a call from my quilting friend Carol....her husband has been in the hospital for the last month battling another form of his cancer...poor Dave has been battling it on and off for the last 8 years....they thot he was getting better..even talked about doing rehab with him, but his body couldn't take anymore and he passed away early that morning. Today I attended a memorial service for him....it was very hard...not only seeing my friend go thru this horrible time, but I will admit to feeling a strong emotional impact because this is the first funeral I've attended since my dad died. This service was also held at our church and they even closed with the song 'How Great ThouArt'...which was sung at dad's funeral. By the end I was a blubbering mess.

Earlier in the week, I went to the dentist...I was suppose to go on Thursday but because of the service I changed it to Tuesday. I was on my way there when the traffic slowed to a crawl, it continued on for awhile and then finally cleared. As I left the highway and got on the streets of the city, it slowed again...everyone was trying to get somewhere at the same time....I started to fuss..it was raining and I was concerned about being late and then being even later for quilt class after that. I pulled out my cell phone as we were crawling (I know...against the law around here) and called the dentist office to tell them that I was coming but delayed because of traffic. By the time I got there, I was a good 15 minutes late....I hate being late...I quickly parked on a main thoroughfare, hopped out of the van, ran across the street and into the dentist office....leaving my cell phone in the cup holder on the console in the van. Normally I always have it in my purse. Well, when I came out an hour later I was shocked to see that someone had smashed the divers side window in on my van and reached in an stolen my cell phone....there I stood, in the rain..disbelief allover my face. I reached for my cell in my purse and that's when I realized...'oh no, they not only destroyed my window, they took my phone and I couldn't even call hubby to come and save me.' I went into a nearby building and asked to use there phone...they were very kind and helpful as I was an emotional mess. Hubby came but it took close to an hour...he works a good distance away...I couldn't even drive the van as the drivers' seat was filled with shattered glass and I could only sit there and watch the rain come down, getting the interior all wet and listening to little bits of glass as they sporadically tinkled down from what was left of my window.

Hubby cleaned it up as best as he could and then he drove it home while I took his car. On the way home I stopped at my cell phone provider and was quite dismayed when I found out that they no longer make my phone...good grief I only got it 18 months ago...all they had were models that I find difficult to use (with my handicapped hands)..plus they said that I wasn't eligible for an upgrade yet so that would cost $80 plus the cost of a new phone. I've never paid separately for a new phone..they've always come with the plan...good grief, phones on their own are expensive! So, my mood was even worse by the time I got home...good grief....

I started checking everywhere to find a copy of the same phone that I had but to no avail. Then I was talking to daughter Lauren...she suggested Ebay...so I did...lo and behold they did have some....hubby agreed to me ordering it and now I just have to wait for it to come in the mail. The next day hubby took the van to work, he had already arranged with a car glass place to have a replacement window ready and during his lunch hour he took it in and got it all fixed up.

So...the bottom line is....$300 deductible that we had to pay to get the window fixed thru insurance and $100 for a new phone, (that I hope comes in the mail real soon)...that means $400 that we have to try and find this close to Christmas...not a pretty picture is it....tell me...why do people in our society of today have so little respect and regard for other people's belongings? Just because this person was walking by my van, obviously looking for stuff to steal (and my phone isn't even one of those expensive kind...not a blackberry or an iphone)....it wasn't random, obviously most people don't carry around instruments to break peoples windows with as a matter of course.....but...this person did...not only destroying my window and leaving the interior to get wrecked in the rain but taking my cell..with all my contacts, my calendar with all my appointments and pictures and videos that can't be replaced......why do people think it's alright to do this...what has our society become...very sad....after Joyces' comment on Facebook I realized that I was fortunate that they didn't take my van and destroyed it...I just know that our insurance wouldn't have covered the cost of a new van as nice as the one I have...and I had also been planning to take my Ipad into quilting to show the girls some pictures but at the last minute I didn't...so thankful cause they would have taken that too....

but...as I think of my friend Carol...all that she's been thru in the last month...heck in the last 8 years....and now what she has to look forward to in the coming time...her and her husband had just celebrated their 40th anniversary...I realize that I am blessed......after all...van windows and cell phones..they're just things...material possessions that will some day be a pile of rubble....but family.... relationships with those special people in your life...those can't be replaced.....they are what is important.....

...as we prepare for this Christmas season I hope that I will remember that it's not all the 'stuff' that goes on that is important but it is those relationships, especially with your family that really counts. I always told my kids as they were growing up...look at your brothers and sisters...they'll always be here for you...ya you may bicker and fight from time to time...and from time to time they may let you down, they may disappoint you, they may even anger you...but they are still your family, they'll always be here...friends come and go but family is always there....don't you forget it. As I think of the coming Christmas season, I think in particular of two of my kids who right now are wandering in the wilderness...Corey and Emma...both doing the life that they think they want...both systematically destroying their lives....please pray for my kids...especially those two.....one day I pray that they will also remember that family matters, that family is aways there...no matter what.


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Saturday, November 12, 2011

Today....

Today is my sixty-first birthday.....that sounds so very old....but I really don't feel that old, in my heart...but my body has a completely different age! My body feels old as it struggles to keep up...for instance, yesterday I did the vacuuming ....something I've done prit near all my life...my mom started me doing it when I was around ten...the living room had to be thoroughly cleaned every Saturday....that was my job....plus cleaning the bathroom...there was just one small one...for six of us...how did we ever survive....anyways..back to yesterday....I knew we were going away overnite, and I knew that I didn't want to come home today and do it on my birthday....so there I was, yesterday afternoon...vacuuming. It's a job that takes a good hour..by the time you do the floors and then the carpets. When I was done, I was fatigued, very warm and in need of a sit down and a cup of cool water. Years ago, I would have gone on to do the dusting, tidy everything and leave the room sparkling...then move on to the next job! Alas, life is different...something's you have to accept....the cleaning will still be there tomorrow..

But...61....at the risk of sounding maudlin ....I imagine if the good lord gives me a full life that this means I'm about 3/4's thru.....just imagine.....in thinking back on my life...just what have I accomplished in my own little quiet corner of the world...hmmmm..... It does give one pause to stop and reflect....if I had things to do over what , if anything, would I have done differently...or, on the other hand, is there any point to thinking that or do we just look forward, with purpose and choose just how we would like the remaining 1/4 to pan out?

Things to think about as I ponder the day and anticipate a lovely lunch at an old mill with my hubby....have a lovely day!


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Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Emma

Today is Emma's eighteenth birthday. Truth be told I've been waiting for this day for 90 weeks.... It was around that time that Emma became very difficult if not impossible to live with....someone with some legalease told us that she could do as she wanted basically but we were legally responsible for her actions until she was 18.

Today her birthday is bittersweet because 12 days ago Emma forced our hand and we took her into the shelter in the city to live. My only experience with shelters up to this point had been what i'd seen on t.v. ,......big huge rooms with cots set up.....this shelter is very different. It's run by Good Shepherd ministries....a local organization and it's specifically for youth. The building is a huge house and Emma must share a room with a couple of other girls. They provide food, laundry facilities, television and computers in a library. They even have a curfew.

In the last week that Emma lived with us, we had two meetings with the mental health clinician at the shelter...Emma included....in the meetings we agreed to give her a do over for her curfew...this clinician had two weeks previously set up a curfew schedule of 4 days at 8:30 pm, ( like the police had suggested after she had stayed out all night) and then the 5th night it would be 10 pm. In the following two weeks she never was able to accomplish that and many times she also came home reeking of cigarettes and pot. The day we all agreed to the do over Emma returned home at 11:45pm....obviously she had no intention of doing the do over. The week went downhill from there resulting with me packing her stuff and hubby taking her in to the shelter. Of course she was furious with us...but she went, refusing to speak. I don't think she really thot we'd actually go thru with it. Anyways, she's there....and as I said, it's bittersweet because this is her eighteenth...a birthday that all teens just wait for...( although in actuality I guess 19 might be more important in Ontario because that is the legal drinking age).....I feel somewhat sad this morning, thinking that we really can't have a proper birthday celebration.

Yesterday morning I called into the shelter to see how she was doing...I talked to a support worker and except for going AWOL two nights last week she's been coming in on time and no major behavior problems. Of course they're not aware that she's been stealing clothes from a local store like I know, or that she's been drinking and doing drugs....and 'having relations'......but I know, a mother finds out these things, a mother knows...I knew when my other kids were doing it and I know when Emma is.....I know. It saddens my heart to know that she is systematically destroying herself. The shelter is trying to get her into a youth home that is a little more like home...but they don't have a female spot yet.

The shelter people must have suggested that she call me....and surprise, surprise...she did...we spoke briefly, I asked if she had plans for her birthday. She said no...I asked if she'd like to go out for some supper...she said yes. I was surprised that she agreed....although the cynical side of me wonders if she'll stand me up...just to 'teach me a lesson'.....

I don't know how things are going to end up for Emma, I pray that she starts making some good choices...that she gets off this 'suicide' mission.

I pray that she has a Happy Birthday.


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Friday, November 4, 2011

Have you met my son, the doctor?

Once again, haven't posted for a few weeks but I was determined to post with good news...so here it is!




This is my eldest son, Ryan....tomorrow he is scheduled to graduate with his doctorate in theology ...... Dr. Ryan Wettlaufer....isn't that fabulous! After about 15 years of post secondary education...he's finally done!

It has been a very long journey...in the beginning hubby and I, and some of our kids drove Ryan and his best friend James, out to Briarcrest College, in Sakatchewan to begin 4 years of schooling for his B.A., then we drove him to a little town outside of Boston, to work on his M.A. At Gordon Conwell, two years after that he got married and started his work on his Ph.D. at a college affiliated with the university of Toronto, back up here in Canada....if nothing else our kids get us traveling!

The last number of years have been very long....for Ryan...for his wife Jennifer...and for the rest of us , his family, as we have supported, encouraged and prayed that he would have the success and endurance to finish the race. Over the years Ryan has had to take many different jobs to support his family, to provide for them, especially as it grew to include William and Samuel, their sons. Right now he's been working with a local contractor, building houses...he's learned so much....I don't think there's anything that he can't build or fix...just a couple of weekends ago hubby and Ryan went to our trailer and ripped up the rotten flooring and replaced it with new. Now I know that hubby is capable but his strength is in numbers...he is an accountant...but knowing he had his son beside him to help with the job gave him the confidence to get the job done...and they did a great job!


There have been many times I have felt great pride in all my children...whether it be graduations from high school,college, or the military, or overcoming a difficult life experience....all the different aspects of their lives that have shaped them into the people they are today.....people that we are glad to say....'ya, they're our kids....ya, we were crazy to have nine of them...but we couldn't imagine what our life would have been like without them'......well, maybe a little quieter and without as much drama....

But tomorrow, it's Ryan's day....he's worked hard and long for it.....we are not only proud of his academic accomplishments but we are proud of the man he has become....a husband, a father, a carpenter (just like his papa), ....and a good son.

Well done.....we will watch with joy in our hearts and probably tears running down our cheeks as you walk across the stage tomorrow to claim your prize.....well done!


The pic above is him modeling his cap and gown that he must wear tomorrow...in true mother fashion, I told him that he'd better shave tomorrow!

Monday, October 24, 2011

These are our good friends Dave and Anne.....we first met around eleven or twelve years ago where we camp every summer...a camp that is called Fairhavens Bible Conference grounds.....they have their trailer permanently there also. Dave and Anne are around the same age as hubby and I ...they were also foster parents for a lot of years, just as we were, they have biological children and many adopted kids, just as we do......we have many things in common....there aren't very many couples that can truly relate to what we are going thru with our lifestyle and kids....they are going thru the same thing....it's truly a wonderful friendship.

Last week Dave was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of prostrate cancer.....they'll be going thru more testing...bone scan and cat scan to see if it has spread....please pray that it hasn't ...please pray that it is contained and the doctors can remove ALL of it....

Thanks.



Location:Our Friends

Friday, October 21, 2011

Mothering

Good Morning Company Girls!

Ya, it's me again...I haven't fallen off the face of the earth just yet...but somedays I wish I could....

Pretty well all of my married life I've been a mom.....we were married in '73 and eldest daughter was born in '74.....and so it started.....in '80, my brother and sister- in-law asked me to look after their little guy, 3 months old.....so every work day til he was 18 months old (and mom had the next babe) little Daniel was part of our lives....and I became his 'other' mom......in '83 a wee little girl came into our home...her name was Tanya and her mom was a single mom with a lot of problems....every few weeks we'd get a call from the mom...and out Tanya would come...sometimes in the middle of the night, delivered by a good friend....the first time she came I didn't even have a place for her to sleep...we cleared out hubby's dresser drawer, lined it with soft blankets and put her in it....every time Tanya came she looked pale and worried..within a couple of days her cheeks were rosy and her eyes sparkling. It was also at this time that I was introduced to a woman who was a foster parent. Hubby and I decided that if we could help other kids like Tanya then maybe we should become a foster parent.....and we did. That started a stretch of 19 years of fostering approximately 25 kids....some just for a few weeks...some for years.....I learned that there were all different kinds of mothers out there....some to be admired and some gave you nightmares .....some were only thinking of themselves, never putting their childrens' needs before their own....spending their welfare cheques on everything but their children. It opened up our eyes to a whole different world out there.

If you've read my blog at all in the past then you already know that we adopted 7 of the 25 that came through the front door. Every child was a different circumstance....two were new born, one had been in 4 other foster homes before he came to us...and he was 2-1/2 years old! One was almost 4 and another was abandoned at age 3.....one turned 7 the day before she came and one came on her 10th birthday.....we never went into fostering with the idea of adopting....but it does get into the back of your mind when you see these little kids , and they become part of your home, your family...your heart....

It doesn't matter what we do...or they do...or don't do....they are still your kids....you're still their mom.....whether they keep in touch with you all the time....every once in awhile or only in emergency (like when the hospital calls in the middle of the night saying your kid is there). The other night we had a horrible night with Emma.....verbal and physical abuse...no, not from us, from her ..to us....later after she was in bed, I went into speak to her...as I was leaving her, I stroked the side of her face...wondering what happened to that little girl that came when she was just seven, wondering what her future would hold for her.....

I came out of the room and one of the other kids said to me....why...why did you do that...after what she did.....I said ...what, do what....she said....talk to her and stroke the side of her face.....

......because...no matter what she does...I'm still her mother...she's still my daughter....just like the others....no matter what they do....

You start this mothering journey all wide eye and innocent...never dreaming that the hard days will be so hard....that the hurt sometimes will be more than you can bear....you just see this tiny baby...this little child....they burrow into your heart and never leave....it doesn't matter whether you personally gave birth to them or some other woman did....

I've been a mom for thirty-seven years....yes, I've done other things....a statistical typist, invigilator, Creative Circle demonstrator(needlework), a Sunday school teacher and director..a VBS director for 10 years, a foster parent, a babysitter, a fundraiser, ...many positions and some I know i've forgotten ....but I'll never stop being a mom...even though there are days when I don't want to be...when I want to run away from home and if I hear 'mom' called one more time ( especially through the bathroom door) I'll scream.....
.......it's the position you never walk away from, you never get a day off from....that you never stop being.....a mom....plain and simple.



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Friday, September 30, 2011

It's Been Awhile......

Since I have posted anything....life has been unbelievingly exhausting the last few weeks.....but let me share with you something so beautiful, so wonderful.....it just brightens your whole day and makes you forget all the yuckies that you encounter just too many times in one day.....this is Samuel's very first genuine smile....


Isn't it wonderful?.....Doesn't it just make you smile yourself?

Those are the special moments that you just have to hold onto....when the world around you is just crashing...and no one has any answers....you just have to look at little Samuel and just breathe....

Some other things...our eldest daughter and her husband have sold their house and hopefully in the next few weeks they'll be able the break ground on their new house!

Number two....the quilting group at our church, a group that I'm proud to say I am part of....we held a fundraiser ..a fundraiser to help our grandson get enough money to help pay for some very special therapy that will hopefully help with his speech therapy...we raised just over $5000!!!

Number three...my grandson, the same one featured in the last paragraph has made a video for a Kraft peanut butter contest. The winner wins $10,000!!!! If they had won my daughter had wanted to use the winnings to help her son (my grandson) to get the therapy he needs...but since our fundraiser was able to do that and my grandson has enough for his special therapy, my daughter decided that another little girl named Esme....who really needs some very expensive therapy for autism could really benefit from having this prize money to pay for her therapy...it costs a lot of money but it's really good...I think it's thru the Sonrise Foundation....anyways, you can go on the website and vote for my grandson's video...it's called Nightraider.....please do that...you can vote everyday...please help Esme to get her special therapy.....the link is www.kraftpeanutbutter.com/en/contest/gallery/107/
...."please vote EVERYDAY..".we need Jairus' video...Nightraider to win...it only takes a few moments each day...and even if you have multiple computers, iPad or blackberry/iPhone...you can vote several times by going on each electronic...please help a little girl with autism...she's also legally blind and suffers from seizures.


Number four...daughter Maya got a job...up here in Canada there is a well known donut coffee shop called Tim Horton's...she got a job there...she has her very first shift tomorrow! This mama is very happy about it all!

These good things are the things to try and focus on...they kind of help when you think about the frustrating battles with Emma....

...the fact that she comes home smelling high and of cigarettes...
...the fact that she starts a co-op job from school but only shows up to it 2 out of 6 days....they let her go
....the fact that she went to school one morning and we didn't see her til the next morning...at school...when I went to talk to her...to see if she was still alive....
....the fact that I had to finally say to her that we were done...that her dad and I couldn't do this anymore....(either can her sisters and brother who are still at home)
....the fact that I told her that if she wanted to obey the rules of the house that she could come home
....the fact that after we finally thot we were done, we really weren't...when the police call you in the middle of the night to ask if they can bring her home...

....the fact that she's still coming home after curfew but is now telling us lie after lie to try and convince us that she had a legitimate reason for being late...

......the fact that we've been parents for 37 years and we've heard all the lies and we believe none of them

....the fact that one Saturday night..when we weren't wondering about Emma that we get a call...our son who is an alcoholic..got in a fight and was at the hospital with is face slashed....another midnight run to the hospital....


So......scroll back up to the top..take a good long look at that smile...isn't that the most wonderful smile you've ever seen....




Please vote for Nightraider.....every day...please....help Esme....you don't have to give money...just a click...everyday til the contest is done...please.




Friday, September 9, 2011

....and so it goes on.....

Good Morning Company Girls!

So...it's been an interesting week this first week back at school.....can I leave home now? Oh, the drama.....

Last weekend was unbelievable....a roller coaster...well, maybe more like a drop tower of emotions...in a nut shell....on friday night it was confirmed that Emma indeed has been going out her bedroom window after hubby and I go to bed quite regularly....(I actually waited in her room for her to come back....from 2-3:15am).... Then, after we talked to her about it and then sent her to bed she took an overdose of megan's ADHD medication....rushed her to the hospital...spent the next 15 hours there while they neutralized the meds and had her see social workers and psychiatrists......came home and the next day hubby and I had to head up north to bring Maya home from her summer camp job....spent a lovely overnite in a hotel....went on the next day ..picked up Maya...then went onto Parry Sound to see our youngest grandkids and their parents....poor parents....wee Samuel has developed colic.....parents are already soooo sleep deprived that they are having difficulty functioning......oh, I remember those days so well...the nightmare that never seems to end..( now we just have the teen version)....the fun just keeps coming people!

Tuesday, school started...the coldest back to school day I think I've ever experience.....it's like over night, summer left!

Emma continued on her merry path.....coming home after curfew two nights in a row, going to a store and stealing some clothes ( she keeps doing this...one day I hope someone catches her). Constantly lying, Threatening to either kill herself or move out....

Maya had been giving us a hard time....she needs to get a job,....so far, she hasn't made any attempts, spending all day long watching movies and tv shows on YouTube....we keep telling her she is an adult now but she's resisting....I guess her teen years are a more comfortable place to be right now..so that's a battle we don't need....

Megan and Ben are back in the swing of things in their special needs classroom...this is the last for Ben...he should graduate next June...special needs kids can stay in school til their 21....which he'll be next march.....Emma should also graduate since she only needs the credits from this semester to graduate....this is her second year at grade 12, which isn't unusual in Ontario....a good amount of kids do it in two years...makes you wonder why they thot it was such brilliant idea to do away with grade 13!

Anyways, today I must drive to my chiropractor and pick up some digestive pills...yes, I know what you are thinking....it's not a wonder that this old woman needs help with her digestion!

Then come home and this afternoon pick up two grand girlies from an art class cause their mama is tied up at a teacher's meeting to bring teacher up to speed about how our oldest grandson functions.....Jairus is non verbal and delayed by a few years and once again the school and school board have cut his education assistance even more...now it's one third day, every other day...and they're insisting he takes French....French!! The poor guy is having a hard enough time with English! So, I'll get my grand girls, come home and make supper for 8 people...son Paul is going back to the army base after his summer leave and him and his girl Sara, will be here for supper. Than the kids have been yammering about going to youth group tonight...not real sure if they'll get there or not...all depends if hubby and I can find the energy after the week we've had...and so life in this household as it is, moves on.....leave you with a couple of pictures....sweet Samuel and the kids first day back to school pic...good grief...just thot...next September it should just be Megan in the pic.....yes!...things are moving along aren't they?

Have a good one ladies!





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Friday, September 2, 2011

The Last Week of Summer

Good Morning Company Girls!

Ah yes....I'm very well aware that summer doesn't officially end for a couple of more weeks...but...I'm still a mom of kids going back to school this Tuesday and to this mom, summer is done this weekend....I've often wondered when I don't have kids going 'back to school' whether I'll finally be able to change my thinking..I don't know ...it has been over 30 years of sending kids 'back to school'...time will tell I guess.

I'm looking forward to getting back into the routine again...of having my days to myself...except for the never-ending appointments with the kids.....it will be nice to have the kids actually doing something with their days instead of staring, open mouthed at the television!

Maya comes back home on Monday! In the last year she's been home two months....I think there will be some adjustments to be made...on all our parts...I spent all day last saturday getting her room ready....Maya is a hoarder...that really is an ugly name isn't it? Let's say that she just likes to keep things....everything.....I was ruthless and I really hope she doesn't get upset with me....maybe she won't notice the tag from a pair of work gloves...old candy canes....valentine cards...
cards of all sorts....running shoes that were worn to death....a plethora of unmatched socks with gigantic holes in them....school reports that she handed in 3-4 years ago....and the list goes on....and she has the smallest room in the house...about 8 x 9......so, her room is definitely cleaner than when she left....someone said I should take a picture cause when she returns, with all her stuff it probably won't look like that again! I hope..that it will be good to have her home....she really is a pretty good kid...with a smile that lights up her whole face....we'll see how next week goes.

The grandkids are suppose to be coming and staying overnite tonight....their mom and dad have to travel to a city a couple of hours away first thing in the morning so, they will stay with us...it's actually a pretty good trade cause hubby had some Marriott hotel points saved up so instead of spending Monday going up north to get Maya and coming back on the same day....we plan on leaving on Sunday, going to a town not too far away from Maya...staying the night...going to pick her up on Monday...then travel to Parry Sound,..another hour away...Maya hasn't seen new little Samuel yet...and she's dying to...Maya loves the babies....then....we'll make the 3 hour trek back home....that will be much, much longer since it's the end of the holiday weekend and EVERYONE will be coming down from up north....it's safe to say that it will most definitely take longer than the three hours! All this to say.....daughter and family will stay at our house Sunday night...to keep an eye on our teens and dogs in a trade off to us looking after their kids tonight and tomorrow....sounds good, right?

That's about all for now.....Emma was up to her usual tricks this week...but you really don't want to hear about that..suffice to say..if your a praying person that we could really use some!

Take care and have a lovely long weekend!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Friday, August 26, 2011

Good Morning Company Girls!

So, I've been back home for almost a week now. It's been a quiet one, well besides the usual junk that Emma hands out. Somedays she's just been acting very weird...only speaking when she absolutely needs to and when she does in an extremely quiet voice, barely above a whisper. She stays in bed every day til 3 pm. And then gets up to go to her friend's house, til 9 pm....except for one night when she kept sending me text messages asking to stay overnight. My phone was off, it was charging. Instead of coming home when she didn't receive a reply she stayed past her curfew. Finally, when I turned my phone on, I sent her one back, telling her to please come home now....she took her time and sauntered in at 11 pm..a half an hour later. We spoke....or rather I spoke....she sat and stared at me like a zombie. I told her there would be a consequence for her action. She asked what...I told her that i'd tell her the next day ( I didn't need her going to her room and cutting just because she was upset over the consequence). I did entertain the idea of not letting her go to her friends the next day...but that would be like shooting myself in the foot.....so the next day I told her that because she chose to come home two hours late that tonight she must come home two hours early...amazingly that was accepted without weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth! She had a few other things she did, but I've mentioned enough......I really do love Emma and I care what happens to her but she's really pushing the limits.....

This week I spent a couple of days emptying my fiction book shelf, cataloguing and entering their ISBN's onto a computer program called Readerware....it would have been easier with a scanner, but I don't own one....and some of my books are so old that I had to individually google some books to get their numbers. So, after two days of that...and dealing with all the dust.....I'm embarrassed to say, some books hadn't moved in 3 years and thus hadn't been dusted....but 404 books later...my fiction books are done! Now to get the energy to do the non-fiction...some of those are still packed away since our Reno 5 years ago...I think I'll sort through and purge some of those....after all, if I've done without for 5 years I imagine there are some that I don't need anymore! My fiction ones are a different story....there's like old friends...some even hrad my maiden name in the flyleaf....and I've been married 37 years! Good friends for sure!

Had a few conversations with DIL Jenn this week....Samuel is doing well, gaining weight...although not letting her get much sleep...which we all know is compounded by having an active toddler in the house...and William is ACTIVE! He's an extremely smart little boy and is not content to let the world come to him! I wish I could still be up there but hubby really needed my help at home. He's not been well for over a month now...has been to the doctor's twice.....since iVe been home I've been plying him with vitamins and other pills my chiropractor has me on for healthy digestive system...he grumbles and complains about taking them but I think he's starting to feel better....he says he just needed me home...sweet talker, he is....
I miss my boys! But glad to be back with this one....


My hubby...he's a keeper.....


William...


Don and William...


On our walk to the beach....


William....


THE most comfy position for Samuel....


- son ryan and his son...............Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Friday, August 19, 2011

My week in Parry Sound....

Good Afternoon Company Girls! I was a little busy going to the beach with daughter-in-law, Jenn and grandsons William and Samuel to post this morning but everyone is napping at the moment so here's my chance!

It's been a very good week, albeit a little tiring....okay, really...I'm 60......what do you want from me....I do realize just why the good Lord made our bodies to NOT reproduce at this age....good grief....toddlers and new borns can wear you out!

Samuel has been a very good baby....so far.....I think Ryan and Jenn are waiting for the other shoe to drop, as the saying goes. He sleeps well and is even content to just lie in his bassinet when he's awake. Once Jenn got him staying awake long enough to nurse, he started to do very well at that too.

William , the explorer,...always on the go....tries hard to be a good big brother...bringing him his blanket when he needed to sleep...or a book to read....unfortunately Samuel didn't always appreciate his thoughtfulness or exuberance with which William presented his gifts!
I will be glad to get home to be with my hubby again but I will miss these little guys. A couple of mornings William and I would go down to the bay to see the tugboats at the pier.....the weather was perfect and we had some special times....even though Parry Sound is a very hilly place...everywhere you walk there are hills to go up and down so my leg muscles got a work out as well as my pitiful arm muscles pushing the stroller....man, I'm out of shape!

Now, if I can do this again, I'll try to put some pictures up....

Samuel.....and William





























- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Friday, August 12, 2011

Good Morning Company Girls!

What a week it's been in the family! Such exciting goings on....and they're just wonderful!

You may already know that our grandson was born on Tuesday afternoon, after 22 hours of labour! Yes, you read correctly....a very long time.....and the poor wee guy has been making up for it ever since....he's being a little bit of a concern because all he wants to do is sleep...which in one way is nice because mama gets some rest but in another way a very much a concern because he would rather sleep than eat! It's hard getting his breastfeeding established if he doesn't have the energy to do it!

My son and his wife live in a town a little over three hours away and DIL was being induced first thing Monday morning so we got on the road by 9 am. They hadn't induced by IV drip but rather using some gel, so she was waiting at home for things to get happening. Her and I went on a long walk in the afternoon and there was some minor activity but not a lot to speak of. At about 4pm they went back to the hospital to have more gel in and ended up staying there because there were some contractions, although irregular. After we had some supper, hubby and I and DIL's mom, Deb went to the hospital. We spent the evening as the contractions increased but by 10pm they still weren't accomplishing a lot. I'm saying all this to explain that hubby ended up going with son to get William from the people that were looking after him and then hubby stayed with William while son, Deb and I spent the night with laboring DIL. It was a very long night....we were hoping for a babe by morning but he really didn't cooperate. By this time DIL was exhausted and the doctor came and broke her water. The contractions picked up in intensity but because of her extreme exhaustion she needed pain medication and an epidural was put in. This allowed her to get some much needed rest to do the work that was needed to get the babe out. Unfortunately the babe didn't care for the epidural and showed it by decelerated heart rate during contractions...who knew that would happen....I guess some babes have this reaction, but we had no idea that it would. They monitored carefully and thankfully after two hours of the Medication they let it wear off so she could push.


So, it was some drama and some excitement......I don't remember the last time I stayed up all night....oh yes, I think it was when our very first grandson was born! Hopefully little Samuel wakes up enough very soon to start feeding properly and stop stressing everyone out...about that anyways...I'm sure there will be other things over the years....


On to the other excitement...you may remember a few months ago, in April I told you about son Paul re-enlisting in Canadian army....then he went to New Brunswick for artillery training. Today is his graduation from this training. His girlfriend Sara is down there to witness this prestigious ceremony, with our video camera and her mom's digital camera so I hope she gets a lot of pics since we couldn't be there. We are really proud of Paul..he has a 'good head on his shoulders' and is becoming a man of integrity....his papa would have been very proud, as are we. After his grad, he and Sara and another guy will drive back to Ontario where he will report to his new home, Pettawawa....down near Ottawa.

Tomorrow, the plan is that we drive back up to Parry Sound so that I can stay and help with the new babe and 20 month old William (the Explorer)...on the way we will stop in at the Baptist camp that Maya is working at, because this week she called and said she is getting baptized ! This is a big step for Maya and we are pleased that she has decided, all on her own, that she wants to do this. The only thing that she is sad about she says, is that her papa won't be there. You may remember that my dad passed away a year ago May and it's had a profound effect on Maya,...several times over the past year she has become quite sad and emotional that her papa is no longer here.

So, that is our week.....told you there was lots going on!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.....I'm anticipating a tiring but wonderful week getting to know Samuel and enjoying William...I hope you all experience God's blessing this week in your lives. Take care!

Now, I'll try to post some pics but don't know where they'll be in the post or how they'll turn out so bear with me.....


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad. Samuel


William...........


Maya....



Paul and Sara at his swearing in when enlisted...


Ryan and Jennifer and little Samuel....

Oh my goodness, I think I did it....wow!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

More pictures of Samuel....

My son Ryan and his wife Jennifer admiring God's handiwork!








- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Location:James St,Parry Sound,Canada

Samuel has arrived!

Our new grandson, Samuel Don,...born yesterday at the hospital in Parry Sound, Ontario.

Isn't he beautiful?


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Friday, July 29, 2011

Life...as I know it....

Good Morning Company Girls!

Sometimes when I write that I hear that comedian, whose name has left my memory banks at the moment declaring 'good morning Vietnam!'.....just a thot....

Well, here in Canada this weekend, it's a holiday weekend! Yay for three day weekends...not that we're going anywhere....we don't have the money to put the dogs in the kennel. Sometimes, I will admit that it's a pain in the butt...or rather the wallet,...to have dogs....kennel costs are exorbitant! I could go to the trailer on my own, of course, with my kids....not sure I want to do that with Emma , although she does seem to pick up unsavouries wherever she goes! When we came home from the trailer a couple of weeks ago, she went for a loooong walk and met a new friend! Now, before one gets to excited about a new friend, you have to know Emma....put Emma into a room just packed with teens and Emma will zoom in on the grodiest ones and act like they're THE most wonderful new friends in the whole world. I have learned to be skeptical . So,.....now she has a new friend....they have become fast and furious very quickly...already she has slept over twice...and when she goes to her house she's there for hours and hours....having fun, when I ask....my skeptical brain..always on high alert when it comes to Emma...just has to think....What the Pete are they finding that's so much fun...I think the worst and justifiably so......part of me cares, part of me wants to go there and see what they are doing....the other part is relieved that she's out of the house for a few hours...and if she's drinking, smoking and drugging...then so be it.....I've fought the battle long enough.....sounds horrible doesn't it....to hear a mom admit that...but I'm weary....

So, Ben did well with his minor surgery this week and so that just leaves Megan getting her braces off next Wednesday and baby wett being born.....no..that's not a typo...our last name starts with the letters Wett so it's just easier to shorten it to this for this circumstance. Other than that...I have nothing planned....no more appointments....yeah!

Last weekend we celebrated megan's sixteenth birthday....I jokingly asked her how it felt...she said, in all seriousness...that it felt different....okay, I didn't even pursue that answer.....Paul's girlfriend came and got our video camera to tape Paul's grad from artillery training on the 12th of august. Looking forward to seeing that tape!

Hoping to get some cleanup done around the house this weekend...it should be a quiet one.....hopefully....unless grand baby decides he wants out....or Emma decides to go for another long walk......good grief....

Have a good one ladies!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Friday, July 22, 2011

Summertime....

Good Afternoon Company Girls!!

My goodness...where to begin...it's been so long since I posted my blog that it's hard to know just what to talk about!

Well, we're well into summer aren't we....temperatures in southern Ontario have been stifling. Yesterday it was over 40 degrees Celsius...which is over 100...very hot....and you all thought Canada is a cold country!

Three weeks ago we went up to the trailer for a couple of weeks....the first week it was just Don and I and the kids ..that was a trial since Emma didn't behave herself....we even had a set of parents come to us to 'gently inform' us of her inappropriate behaviour. They meant well, and were understanding about it but..it was still hard to take. The second week we had daughter-in-law Jennifer and grandson William come and stay.....it was wonderful tp get to know our grandson better but it certainly was different having a 19 month old running around all the time...nana and papa got a workout for sure!

The third week I was suppose to stay up there, by myself with the three kids, for the week...but after the stunts Emma pulled the first week, her non cooperation the second week...I preferred not to handle the third week on my own, so I came home.

Now, we are awaiting the birth of grandson number four...William's little brother due on August the third. Jenn's mom will probably stay a few days then the plan is for me to go up for some time, to help out.

This Sunday is Megan's 16th birthday...to say that she's excited is an understatement! She's asked me at least five times in the last week and a few times the week before 'when are you getting my cake'...in exasperation I replied...'Megan, in all the birthdays that you've had here have I ever forgotten your birthday cake?' "No'....'well, then I think you can count on me getting one this time!' Jenn suggested that the next time she brings it up I should write it on a piece of paper and when she wants to ask the question just tell her to look at the paper! I thought it was a great idea!

Next week Ben is having some minor surgery and then the following week, the same day that grandbaby is due, Megan is supposed to get her braces off...cue the Hallelujah chorus!!!

Son Paul, who you may remember rejoined the Canadian Army....has been down in another province, New Brunswick, doing some more training..this time in artillery (before it was infantry)...girlfriend Sara, who's in daily contact with him, says he's doing great and enjoying himself. He's supposed to graduate on August the 12th, I believe....I really wish I had the extra funds to go and see him graduate...I've been at the last two but this one is kind of out of our price range this time...over $500 for the flight and then you have the hotel and food costs....and perhaps car rental.....probably closed to $1000 by the time you're done....oi vey....why does everything have to cost so much.....

What happened to summer holidays being the days of slow and easy? I much preferred those days...now the days just seem to be chomping at the bit to run on to September!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Maybe that's not such a bad thing...at least the kids are back to school! :0)

Friday, June 24, 2011

The weekend....

Good Morning Company Girls!!

Well, you've probably all heard that phrase...'the best laid plans of mice and men....', this morning we were suppose to 'get on the road', bright and early..take hubby's car to the shop for a minor tire glitch...(minor to me but not to him) and then we were suppose to head up north to take Maya to the camp that she's working at for the next two months...then we were going to come back down via the camp where our trailer is sitting and get it opened up for the season. Opening the trailer entails flushing the antifreeze out of all the water lines, emptying the trailer of all the stuff that was stored for the winter in there, cleaning up, cutting the grass and raking everything...and so on and so on.....

Well, yesterday when I was driving my van I looked up at the oil change sticker on my windshield and down at the odometer and realized that I was 26 kms past oil change time...I'm usually quite a stickler about this because we had one engine on our very first van burn out because this wasn't attended to...ever since then I'm rather paranoid about it all. Since I knew we'd be going up north today...I got it in to the oil change place....the very nice man there informed me that I had a leak in a drive shaft seal...thankfully it's still under warranty..unfortunately it needed to be attended to as early as possible...the car dealership where it is under warranty needed or could take it first thing this morning....so....hubby is on his way with it to hopefully get that fixed.....this means that we wont get away til probably noon and we wont get to stop at the trailer to get it opened up...which means when we all troop up there next Friday for our holiday...well, lets just say...it will be a very long day..doing all the work required to 'open' it and then unpacking and setting up.

This also impacts tomorrow which was going to entail taking the dogs to the vet in the morning to get their required inoculations so they can stay at the kennel next week while we are gone. You see, we have two large dogs...my hubby has to be here to take them to the vet but he had to change the time of taking his car into the shop to tomorrow morning. Yes, there's more....son Ben is going to a theme park near Toronto with the church youth group tomorrow morning...he has to be at the church for 8 a.m.,...(hubby wasn't impressed with that news) ...so now...hubby will take Ben, drop him off at the church, go to the auto repair place, leave his car, get a drive home so he can be here by 10 a.m. to take the dogs for a 10:30 a.m. appointment to get their needles. In the afternoon we have plans to visit friends that we haven't seen for awhile...we're looking forward to that but I'm starting to question whether we will be able to carry on an interesting conversation with our friends when we'll be likely to be nodding off!

On the home front Emma has been up to her normal tricks and of course we're still the worst parents ever....c'est la vie....one of these days she'll grow up and hopefully all will be well.

School is done...Megan and Ben finished yesterday and in a few moments I have to go and pick up Emma from her last exam.....
......and the summer begins....good grief.

Friday, June 17, 2011

The Grandkids are coming!!!.....

The Grandkids Are Coming! The Grandkids Are Coming!!


Good Morning Company Girls! How are you doin'?

Many moons ago when eldest daughter became engaged she said...'do you mind if we use the same wedding date that you and dad have...June 16th?' we said 'no'...I mean we didn't have any copyright on that date or anything....but, unfortunately when the calendar was checked we found that the following year was a leap year and instead of the Saturday being the 16th, it was actually the 15th...eldest daughter was slightly disappointed but went with the 15th.....now, fast forward to when we both needed kids to be babysat just so we could go and have an anniversary dinner...and we would end up reciprocating for each other so we didn't have to pay a babysitter as well as expensive eating out costs....sort of a mutual babysitting club....now, my kids have outgrown the need for a babysitter (well, unless Emma gets herself in trouble and we have to have someone watch (guard) her).....but fortunately our little grandkids still need nana and papa to step in when mom and dad go away ...overnite...like they're doing today.....so....in a couple of hours Jairus,10...Honour 7-3/4,.....Verity 6,....and Afton 3....are coming to nana and papa's for a sleepover!!!

This has been an interesting week, since we returned from Hawaii, to say the least.....two days after we returned, I had a meeting with Emma's therapist......and with Emma present she told us that Emma acted the way she did because of the way Don and I parented her...um....We've parented approximately 25 kids in the last 36 years...so now they tell us we've done it all wrong...well, for goodness sake...please don't tell the rest of the kids...we could have a mutiny on our hands....in fact....people seem to be jumping ship....a phone message left while we were gone indicated that the social worker I meet with to pour out my troubles to and have used as a personal sounding board has gone on sick leave and will be gone indefinitely (no I didn't make her sick...the poor woman was recently diagnosed with MS...have you noticed that that seems to be happening a lot lately...a little scary).....then there was a lovely card in the mail that explained how the lady that has groomed my dogs....for over 20 years is moving 3 hours north of here and she really doesn't have anyone she could refer me to...ya...does the phrase 'being thrown under the bus' come to mind??

Yesterday, was our anniversary...please go back and read the last post to read about it....the day didn't exactly go as hubby and I had planned.....for one thing..he was teaching in the evening...which means he doesn't even come home here for supper on those days never mind us going out for supper.....so...we decided to meet for lunch.....I left home a little bit early so I could stop at a card store...to get him a card....which I did...and continued on my way....hubby works a distance away so I had to drive for a bit to meet him for lunch.....on the way, the high school called...(I almost didn't answer my cell phone...I just looked at the number and thought...'oh no, do I really want to answer this?)...but...I did...yes, indeed it was Emma...not well...in fact, lying on the floor of the cooking class room..unable to get up because of dizziness.....would I come and get her or they'd call an ambulance......well, my mother instincts thought that was a bit overkill ,..but....I thought that maybe I wasn't seeing the whole picture here...so, I turned around after calling hubby to cancel and went to the school. When I arrived they indeed had got her off the floor...the vice principal accusingly said to me...'she's not had any breakfast you know!'...what a shocker..really?.....like I'm suppose to do something about this....the girl will be 18 in November and is bigger than me...I'm suppose to spoon feed her? So, my diagnosis of the situation was this...she was dehydrated...hadn't eaten or drunk anything since 6 p.m. the night before...which she always does...(yes, I know..there goes my mother of the year award)......started feeling light headed and dizzy....started to hyperventilate and panic over it all which resulted in tingling in her finger tips and toes....so the teacher starts to panic....they think they have to call an ambulance when really after they found out that she hadn't eaten anything if they would just have had her drink some juice and eat a muffin (which they were shoving at her when I arrived)...we could have avoided all of this.....yes, I did get after Emma as we drove home..explaining to her that this was the problem when she didn't eat breakfast and didn't take a lunch.....I did reinforce to her that she had to at least drink more so this didn't happen again.....

....so, needless to say..there went lunch.....not anybodies fault mind you...but disappointing none the less.....hubby did send me an email later on that afternoon to tell me to be prepared..he was taking me out to supper on Saturday evening..after the grandkids leave...well,....they'll still be here for about an hour after we leave but we'll prevail upon Maya to keep an eye on them til their mom and dad return.....so...all is not lost but when hubby didn't come home last night til after 10:30pm..I said that I couldn't remember an anniversary that we had actually spent such little time together!

Well, I best go...the school just called...again...(do you think they have us on speed dial?) it would seem that Megan forgot her locker key...the teacher gave her the spare to use....which she promptly locked into her locker where here gym clothes and lunch are that she needs this morning.....good grief...

Have a great weekend ladies!!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Testing


Trying out a post from my iPad....see if this works......today is a gloomy day, Ben's gone off to Wild Waterworks and I'm not sure if they'll get rained out!

Location:Ontario

Friday, June 10, 2011

Amazing!!!!!

Good Morning Company Girls! At Last....able to do a blogger post....

The picture above is the first view from the lobby of the Silver Cloud Inn in Mukilteo, Washington....a little further down is a pic (I got them out of order, sorry) of a little bit of the lobby...very quaint and nautical....of course the picture above is of one of the many ferries that go back and forth from the mainland to the various islands nearby. Hubby and I actually took one the next day to go over to Port Gamble. We had tea at this cute little tea shop....they have hats there...fancy ladies hats that you can wear while having your tea...we declined but there were two young girls...about 12 years old...who were there,....all by themselves, having tea and wearing these fancy hats....very cute. Then we drove around some more and found a quilt shop!!!! I was so excited.....of course I would have loved to buy out the store but since it was the beginning of our trip I restrained myself....I was thrilled to find some things that I've been looking at online...some things to use in appliqueing ....some special glue and some heat resistant plastic called Templar that you make templates with.....so exciting...it's the little things ladies really!

This is a wee little lighthouse close to our hotel in Mukilteo....cute eh?
On to Hawaii...to the Queen's palace...you couldn't take pictures inside but it was very nice...a lot of beautiful wood...and a very old quilt, kept under glass that the queen and her companion worked on while she was imprisoned in one of the rooms there...(it's a long story).....I have to tell you about getting to Hawaii though....you'll be quite impressed with my hubby....you see hubby knows quite well that the extent of my flying, hours wise, is about four hours...maybe four and a half...well, flying to Hawaii from Washington is six... record for me...wasn't sure how I'd do it but I really wanted to go to Hawaii so I was willing to try.....ya, I know...overseas flights are much longer...maybe I wont get it there..but then again...maybe I'll just have to get my courage up to use the onboard washrooms......that's my greatest fear...flushing those toilets on a plane ...they scare the bejeebers out of me...so I'll do anything to avoid using them...including dehydrating myself...which I did...foolish yes, but these are desperate measures! Well when we arrived at Seatac airport for our flight, there were a lot of people standing around waiting to get their bags checked and hubby says...'I'm not waiting for this'...and proceeded to go down the aisle for first class...I'm following, protesting...'Don, Donald...we can't go here..this is first class...we're going to get in trouble'....but he kept going.....I was sure when he handed the baggage handler our tickets that the guy would say...'sorry,...wrong line'...but he didn't....I was surprised...then we were directed to the faster lane for first class to go through security....I was still quite dense and thought..'someone is going to stop us anytime now'.....as we were standing there I looked at my ticket to see where our seats were situated and it said 3C...that puzzled me because I always have the middle seat and Don has the aisle or window...well 'C' would not be the middle (??)...so I says to hubby...'what is your seat number...he said...3A....I said ..well, I'm C...does this mean we're not sitting together?...who's in between us....he just grinned and said 'ya, we're sitting together'....well, I stood there, waiting my turn to take my shoes and jacket off...empty all my stuff into those little bins....mulling this over.....and I looked at hubby...'Don, are we going first class?'...he grinned and said we were.....'How can we do that...we can't afford that...oh my goodness, what the pete are you doing?' I said...he just grinned...you see...we were flying on airmiles....he found out that by using more air miles and a little bit of money to make up the difference that we could go first class...he decided that he'd do that to surprise me, to make the 6 hour flight a little easier....insert 'aw' here....ya, he's a pretty good guy..think I'll keep him....First Class is soooooo cool...all the times I've flown and I've never realized just how the other quarter of the plane was living way up there at the front of the plane! My Goodness!
This is the view...sorry evening view so it's a little dark, from the balcony of our room on the 22nd floor .....of our hotel room in Honolulu, Hawaii....very nice...except I have a very strong fear of heights...I could force myself to go out about a foot on the balcony and that's it.....but a lovely view....
This is the pic that's out of order but it's part of the lobby in Mukilteo....
One day we went driving up the North shore in Oahu and saw these humongous sea turtles...this pic doesn't do it justice because it doesn't look as large as it really is.....
A view from a lookout where some battle with the king of Hawaii took place.....breathtaking view really....
This is a shot back in Washington....this is when we returned from Hawaii...we drove up the peninsula to the rain forest and stayed at a lodge in Lake Quinalt......very nice and peaceful after the busyness of Honolulu......
...before we left the area we went further up the coast to say we saw the Pacific Ocean...so there it is.....
Sorry...another pic out of order (I'm really not good at posting pics..)....this is hubby back in Hawaii trying to get a pic of the sea turtles in the water...when he gets the pics off his camera, which are much better than mine, I'll have to show you some.....

So, anyways...we had twelve glorious days of freedom...it was wonderful..we've never been away for that long and certainly not been away from the kids for that long...it went well at home...Emma stayed with eldest daughter Leslie...she wasn't happy but she cooked her goose and this was the consequence.....the other three stayed at home and Paul's girlfriend stayed with them...she survived, which was wonderful....it was the first vacation that I didn't have one bit of concern about what was going on at home....it was wonderful! Hubby planned our time away so very well...as he always does......Two days in Mukilteo, Washington, eight days in Hawaii, two days in the rain forest back in Washington and our final night in a lovely room overlooking Commencement Bay in Tacoma, Washington...the check in girl even upgraded us to a jacuzzi suite with no extra charge....a lovely treat situated right under the window looking out over the bay!

We had a long day of flying on Tuesday, (not first class :0) ).....from Washington to Chicago and then on a tiny little claustrophobic plane from Chicago to Buffalo and then the drive home...leaving our hotel, in Tacoma at 6:30am and arriving at home that evening at 9:30pm.....poor hubby had to get up the next morning and get off to work right away...which he wasn't looking forward to...after our holiday he was dreaming of retirement!....

It was a dream trip of a lifetime to be sure......we enjoyed every minute....I can safely say there wasn't one thing that went wrong...on our trip or at home.....it was worth the wait that we've been waiting for , for over a year....we were blessed...yes, we were blessed indeed and might thankful to the Lord for giving us this amazing opportunity.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Friday, May 27, 2011

Friday, May 20, 2011

Honour's quilt and holiday talk.....

Good Morning Company Girls!

Above is 7 year old Honour, with her quilt that she made for her new cousin, due to be born in August...didn't she do a great job..of course nana's photography skills could have been better, but I think you can see it. I am very proud of her..not only for the sewing but that she even had the idea herself and gathered all the materials on her own! Way to go Honour!

I was going to post more pics to do with my post but blogger's taking five minutes at least to upload my next pic so I figured I would just get on with the post.....today we have two birthdays in our family!! Paul, who is 23 today and grand daughter Verity, who is 6!! I also have a nephew who is celebrating today and I remember that cause he was the youngest guest at our wedding. We will be celebrating 38 years on June 16th, Lord willing and Ray was just a few weeks old ...my dad also celebrates in May and before Verity was born, quite often we would celebrate Paul's and dad's at the same family gathering....yes, May is a very celebratory month in this family!

This week things have been rough with Emma.....she's got an attitude a mile long that's very difficult to live with....she told me last night that she'll probably get beat up at school today...apparently the girl that loaned her the marijuana pipe last Thursday and subsequently had it taken by the police, wants renumeration..well, Emma hasn't any money...do you know that you can buy those pipes at any local convenience store...isn't that the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard of....you can just walk in and buy something that is used to do something illegal, while you're picking up your bread and milk...isn't that wonderful....????????? It boggles my mind....my advice to her was to always stay in open spaces where there were a lot of people, preferably closer to school personnel...I know that if I called the school and reported it that it would just make it more difficult for her...the choices that kids make these days truly prove that their frontal lobe is still unattached....

This weekend little William is coming for a visit...his mom and dad are going camping...his mom and dad think this will be the last time that she can go camping before the baby comes...they really camp...you know..sleeping bags, air mattress....guess it would be hard to roll off an air mattress with a large pregnant belly....the weather hasn't been good around here the last week so it's probably best that they leave William here...toddlers and mud..oh my....

.........next week......so far..no appointments scheduled......I am thrilled...although hubby does want me to switch vehicles with him on Wednesday so I can take his car in to get the summer tires put on.....so I guess that's kind of an appointment....and then on Thursday we are scheduled to leave on our trip....it will be a loooooooooooog travelling day.....leaving Buffalo airport at 11:30am...3 hour layover in Chicago.....landing around 8pm in Seattle and then going to our hotel...about a 45 minute drive in Mukilteo (not sure if that's spelled correctly)....and then on Saturday..on to Hawaii...hubby is very excited...I'm starting to allow myself to feel a little anticipation..there's been sooooo much going on lately that I keep thinking that something will happen to prevent this from happening......hubby has been planning and saving for this trip since a year ago March...it's been a long wait of anticipation......so very grateful that eldest daughter Leslie and Paul's girlfriend, Sara have willingly stepped in to cover teen care for us...without them there wouldn't be a trip and we are extremely appreciative.....when you have four special needs teens it's not easy getting help and we are understanding of those who feel they can't handle it and are too busy with their own lives (hey, if they weren't my kids I'd probably be running in the opposite direction too!)...that's life and that's what we accepted a long time ago...some days are easier to accept than others but that is life..so be it.

Well, I've just noticed that I separated Honour's two pics of her and her quilt,...looking below you can see the quilt better ...oh well....I've never professed to be good at this computer stuff!

It's a long weekend here for Canadians...Victoria weekend ,..in commemoration of a Queen's birthday..one long ago dead but we still take the holiday...when growing up we called it the 24th of May weekend....now, the kids refer to it as the two four weekend...oh well...it's still a holiday....hopefully the weather will co-operate!

Have a wonderful weekend!