{WW} news

{WW} News

 

There is something so very splendid and exciting about the word news. I love to hear about a new baby, that company is coming or that some prayer has been answered. I love to hear about weddings and trips and gardens and books. I love to hear about your work and dreams, your thoughts and fears.

 

Very definitely, news can be terrifying and heart-stopping, as well. I’ll never forget my pounding heart, when as a teenager my mom woke me up at midnight and said my best friend, Char, wanted to talk to me. Her dad had died. The long drive to her house, by myself with all my stuff hastily thrown into a bag on the passenger seat is forever etched into my mind. Also, the memory of the six-in-the-morning call on Easter Monday, 2000, will always bring a small stab of pain. Gord and Adrian were missing.

 

Some news is so life changing and good and scary all at the same time. Like the phone call I got from my mom the day before my school year of teaching was done. Mom said her and dad wanted to meet me for supper in Grande Prairie and it didn’t matter if I missed singing with the youth in Hythe once again. I was literally sick that time. I will always hold dear the picture of my dad leaning against his pickup, grinning at me, as I drove into the restaurant parking lot. I jumped out of my little two-door cavalier and ran to my dad and hugged him. “Is it what I want?” I asked with tears in my eyes. My dad hugged me and said, “Yes, it’s what you want.”

 

Each baby has brought the same scary, good, life-changing feeling of news but I especially will always remember finding out about our last baby. Our boys were 8 and 10 and we had long given up on having any more children and it was tough. When I missed my period my first thought was cancer. I really wondered what was going on. By the time I was six weeks along I felt a little nauseous and I truly thought this must be the end. I did not let myself once think that I could be pregnant. We’d had too many disappointments. We were school board at the time and the day of yearend I was so exhausted. I went home to get something and ended up taking a two hour nap with no plans of any such thing. It was time to look into this. I booked an appointment at my doctor, going by myself and telling Pat I’d let him know if it was serious. When the doctor came into my room and told me the pregnancy test was positive, I was stunned into silence.

 

I suppose, no matter where we go and what we do, changes will come to us; news of weddings and babies and baptisms and ordinations. There will be deaths and hard times and sadness and grief. But there will be peace and God, through it all, if we are His.

Company and August

There are big juicy freestone peaches sit on my counter, one box is left on the floor to fully ripen and there are rows of pretty jars in my pantry filled with peaches. It's the best time of year. Very much so.


It's also the time of year for company. And girls, we are so blessed with friends! I'm truly so very grateful for each one. Jeff & Deli were one of the many who have come through in August and that was really neat. We've written together for so long that it feels like we know each other but I'll admit I was a little terrified to actually meet in person.


Deli is tall and slim and fun-loving. She is so easy to be with. We talked and talked and talked. Straight time. And it just wasn't long enough. Of course, I loved meeting her beautiful girls and her busy little boy and her relaxed Kansas man. It was just so good. I am very blessed to have so many friends.


More friends that came through were Russ & Tracy Klassen, Wes & Kim Schartner, Duane & Geri Isaac, Wendel & Sharon Toews and Arlene Hildebrand & boys. One day Bren and I met our old friends, Deana, Tami and Grace and their mom, Val, for lunch in Saskatoon. In between we've danced the end-of-summer dance of an evening out in Wendel's pasture, supper around the fire at Rudi's, a big 40th birthday bash for Miranda, supper at Pike Lake with Bob & Jo and many many more.


It's like taking a long ride on the merry-go-round and when it's over we say, "Whew! That was fun!"


Today is a first day for a long time that we're home by ourselves. I napped. Wyatt napped. We've all relaxed. It's been great. And this week school starts. It's exciting and sort of sad to actually be facing fall and September. For sure in our dear north country where the nights are so chilly and the leaves are turning color. It's time to think pretty fall boots and leggings and scarves. It's time to sit on the deck with our hands around steaming cups of coffee, dreaming and planning for winter.

Of trips and life and home.

You know the feeling of coming home from a long trip and you're just inspired to organize and clean and love your house to bits? Well, that's me this week. We got home on Monday from visiting Bill & Penny in Quesnel and Jerry & Karen in Creston. In between we drove through Banff and Jasper and toured and camped (one night). Banff and Jasper were gorgeous, as always. But full!! Yikes, the 150 anniversary must have brought the crowds in. There were literally NO CAMPSITES left in the whole park of Banff for our second night so we toured on down to Radium instead.


Being with my sisters was the best. Each of their families really outdid themselves with taking care of us and having fun together. We LOVED it! A gigantic thanks, sistas.


And now home is home. My beans are ready to pick. I ran for groceries yesterday and took Wyatt to the eye doctor. Good news, all is well. He is a little more farsighted in one eye and that could be why he held one eye open on our trip, but he doesn't need glasses. So that's taken care of. And the days have just the tiniest hint of fall here. The crickets are chirping, the nights are colder, and the other day I heard geese flying over. Oh, my heart. I never like to let our lovely summers go...


And it's the season for company! I'm so excited that Tracy and Russ are planning on coming out this next weekend. And next week we're expecting Jeff & Deli and Wes & Kim! The very most unfortunate thing happened while we were gone. My lovely finally-finished guest room flooded. We came home to a horrendous stench in the house even though folks were trying to dry it out. We decided to rip out the carpet and hopefully dry it that way. It's improved vastly, but the whole thing does seem to pose a small issue on the company topic. We are just so very grateful it was not worse. (My soaker hose got left on in front of the house for five days. Eek.)


So, yes, the day is unfurling around me with sunlight dappling through willow and spruce. The sky is a promising clear blue with tiny white clouds above. I love our wide open prairies for the sky-scapes we get.


I'm off for some coffee and eggs.

A Wedding and Wyatt

I'm sitting by my table, my coffee and eggs sitting quietly beside, my fingers frozen from the chill of night and open windows, quickly writing. I see sunshine against spruce trees and blooming canola and directly in front of me, my almost blooming hydrangea. I so love this time of year. I love the green grass and long warm days.


So we just got home from Korwin & Raquel's wedding in Swan River. It was a quick, fun weekend. And a huge wedding. We stayed at Chris & Kimbre for night and our boys loved it. Wyatt and their little Bria played and played and played. She's such a little sweetheart. And Wyatt is such a little case. He never ceases to amaze me. He LOVES people. He loves meeting everyone of all ages and isn't one bit afraid of girls of any age. Eek. What have we on our hands. On our way home our older boys laughed until they cried about Wyatt walking around with some girl I had never met, holding hands and best of friends. I found out later she's Mark & Rachelle's 14year old. He'll happily go to any group of people and put out his hand and say, "Hi, my name is Wyatt." Maybe the most amazing thing is how everyone loves him. Dear friends and people, there are times I'm embarrassed too.


So, in other words, we're home for a few days. We're planning on heading out to B.C. to see Bill & Penny and Jerry & Karen, the Lord willing. Truly, with the fires and all, we haven't known if we should plan on going or if Bill's would be evacuating or what. But as of today, we hope to go. That means more jeans for Colby, new trunks for some, food for the trip and such stuff. Pat & I were hoping to run in to town for a special supper for our anniversary too, maybe. So many thangs. So many blessings.


Another thing, in my multifaceted life, is that Chris Boese has been painting here the last week, just a couple hours here and there. She is so good; painting is her forte. And I love having a girl and friend around to yack with. She painted Zach's room a medium grey (this is all his choice) with a wide lime stripe at an angle down the wall under his window, then two smaller and different widths of stripes in charcoal on either side. It looks really sharp. And she did Wyatt's room just a light almost blue-y grey. I've been dreaming of that one for years. It's a huge improvement over the black and red I painted before we ever dreampt of him joining our family. So ya. Good stuff. And since I'm on a painting kick, the lime bathroom awaits a transformation and so does our master bedroom. Why aim for the stars when there are whole galaxies out there?


Can you tell what I've been reading by how I write? I just finished L.M. Montgomery's first set of diaries. Wow. Just wow. I loved it. I felt validated. I felt sorry for her and yet caught such a glimpse into the real 'her'. So many of her books and stories are taken from her own experiences, which just does my heart good. Anyway, do you all order books from the library? I do. Because I don't like to pay for anything I don't have to. And there's so much available through the libraries. I just ordered her next four diaries. It might be heavy reading for some but if you're ever interested in her life, I'd definitely recommend them. One thing, when she was fifteen she came to Saskatchewan, Prince Albert, to live with her dad and stepmom for a year. I LOVED reading her view of the prairies.


Oopsies. Now my eggs are cold. Wyatt is up. The day awaits. I've been invited to Linda's for coffee for Ruby's birthday. I'm going to putter with my beloved flowers and maybe spend time in my sanctuary (my garden) pulling weeds. And if it suits Pat, we'll fly off to town for a while too.


Enjoy your day!!

Growth & Validation

So it's been a journey, the last year or so. A journey of growth and peace and joy. I don't deserve it and I'm not sure how to explain it even but so much has changed since some of our family moved away. things are going so good with folks and Jeffs and us. We have so much fun together and it feels like we can get to know each other in a genuine peaceful way. It's just been so so good. It's not only that though...


And ya.


Maybe physically things have improved as well. I've been on the exercise bandwagon. And I take copious amounts of liquid vitamin D. I need to take it faithfully every day but I'm to the place that I'm relaxed. I can tell if I need vitamin D. Like, one lady told me you know you need a little extra vitamin D if you're braking on the passenger side when your husband is driving! Yes. Totally. I get this. And much as I hate to admit it, sugar makes me foggy brained. So yup. All things physical.


But vitamin D falls under mental health as well. And I have two things I've been doing for mental health.

• be thankful
• wish people well, including praying that they will be blessed

But isn't that spiritual health as well? And so it's all intertwined. And spiritually, I've been reading Streams In The Desert. I love the depth of that book. I feel pressed closer and closer. I feel peaceful and loved. I feel strength upholding me that is not my own. I feel blessed beyond comprehension. I have so very very much.


It helps that my hubby is so supportive. He's the best. And our little and big men growing so fine and strong are a boost to me as well.


So thanks for listening as I bare my soul. ;)


May you be blessed in your journey. :) :)

Life & Feelings

And then one morning she woke up and thought why not? Why not write again? Why not quickly chop half the group off and write again with freedom? This doesn't mean that I don't want people here. It means I'm sometimes afraid of the silence. In times past, I've merrily written things from my viewpoint only to have them passed on and I feel so vulnerable.


But I've taken a nice long break. And it hasn't only been that. My life has gone from full throttle to overdrive. I am in no way needing something to do with my time like I used to. (I know. I admitted that.) My older boys have so much going and happening and it's just different writing about them. I just have to respect them in a different way than a four year old. So maybe now I could write a little bit about some of the things.


Like, Colby graduated this year! Like, seriously, the whole thing took me by surprise. Forever and ever we've been doing homework and trying to get him to sing and just like that he was standing with his grade, singing The Open Road (nervously, no doubt). But he did it. I'll always have this picture of him in his black shirt with the red bits of trim, his dark jeans and canvas high tops. We couldn't see the emoji socks that the boys all wore, matching, but they smiled because of them. He will always be my quietest boy, with a shy smile that you know hides a lot on his beautiful face. (I'm the mom, forgive me.) He has so much love for wildlife and little children and people that are left out. He's loyal beyond his years. He's grown in leaps and bounds this last year, in the area of spiritual understanding and the depth makes me cry.


There are so many things I want to write down and remember but my 'moment' is swiftly coming to a close. Bren and I are doing a 40th birthday party for our men at Pike Lake this evening, about a hundred people. (And we used perfectpotluck.com to plan it.) Chris Boese has been painting for me and will be here in a couple minutes. Yesterday she painted Zach's room, a medium grey and then on one wall she's going to do a wide stripe at an angle in lime green and a narrower stripe in charcoal a little ways away. I have Wyatt's room and our main bathroom on the list yet too. So hopefully I can write an update on it all soon.


Thanks to my faithful family and friends for bearing with me.


Talk again soon.

{WW} time

You can’t take back moments, once you live them they’re gone… This song has been going through my mind ever since I got the word for this week. It’s the song our family walked out on at my dad’s funeral. It’s a song full of meaning and emotion for me. And it’s a good reminder to live in the moment, enjoy each gift of the day and thank God.

• Listening to Alison, Jaxon and Wyatt jumping on the tramp, laughing and talking.
• Wyatt proudly showing his ‘flower’ to anyone who will look and listen. It’s from Miss Audrey at the greenhouse just down the road and it’s going to get this tall! (lifts hand to his chest emphatically)
• My favourite brown thrasher singing his heart out.
• Wyatt pointing out a cloud that looked like above my coffee cup – sure enough a perfect steam picture.
• PW’s drip beef cooking in the crockpot.
• The look in Zach’s eyes as he explains to me how many hours he needs to work on the new shop this month yet to save up for his puppy/horse/quad/whatever he is currently dreaming about.
• Combing Colby’s hair for ticks… he’s so grown up, there’s not much I do for him anymore.
• Shopping grad shirts and jeans and shoes. He asks for so little when it comes to clothes and it’s a pleasure to hear his real thoughts.
• Wind blowing. I always think of time flying by and we can’t see it.

Just a couple lists...

To do

• till garden
• plant garden
• call Villa cooks about Frank
• finish mom's dress
• find shoes for Zach
• grad shopping on Friday with moms and grads
• yard cleanup and raking at the Villa with the youth
• pay Cobra bills
• clean office
• fertilize grass
• paint Zach's room

Thankful List

• happy four-year-old
• coffee on the deck on a warm morning with my MIL
• shopping greenhouse plants with MIL
• watching the baby great-horned owls
• raking and mowing
• sewing for others done for the season
• waking up to birds singing
• inspirations from Streams In The Desert
• cuddles on my big chair with Wyatt

A list from Zach about me...

• kind and loving
• likes to do fun stuff
• likes to camp
• likes to go to town and shop
• likes to play games with me
• likes to read out loud to us
• likes to picnic

{WW} spending

I’ve been thinking about my ever-present ‘book’, aka my family-planner (big scared-eyes here), aka my yearly calendar. This year I bought a planner book from Michael’s with the brand name of Create 365. I love it. Mostly. I probably will never be completely happy with a planner unless I’d design something myself but this is nice. One thing I really like about it is the colourful month pages with sayings and the ‘currently, right now, this month’ list. It doesn’t even have spending in the list like I thought. It has buying instead. But it’s so much fun to fill out each month and since this is my form of writing diary it’s just another added element. Here it is.

LOVING: Home…

EATING: cinnamon hearts

WATCHING: Snow blowing

GOING: to town, so very often…

READING: The Book Of Negroes – Yikes. If you like history…

TEXTING: my school-group 3-grade chat

PLAYING: boggle

CELEBRATING: birthdays! Bren’s 40^th, Steph’s 30^th, Wyatt’s 4^th, Melanie’s, Jodi’s, Jaxon’s, Jeff’s, Trevor’s, Char’s, Karen’s…

LISTENING: Taylor & Amber’s wedding (heart eyes)

BUYING: Groceries!!

PINNING: Tiffany’s baby quilt – I call it winter in Romania. It’s brightly coloured houses against a white background with blue sky. I pulled a Tiffany trick and put Very Bright birdies on the back.

PLANNING: Birthday parties, need I say more? (Is this necessary?)

VISITING: Folks, J now that they’re home again!

{WW} Highlight

{WW} Highlight

We’ve had a couple jam-packed weeks lately. So much so, that I’m not completely sure I’ve read all your articles. Which IS a big deal to a girl that loves to read. I thought I’d quick write the highlights of the last while and send you all a note. At least communicate, right?

So, it’s the year for me to help celebrate milestone birthdays. Steph’s 30^th was last Tuesday and I helped plan a supper at folks with a bunch of friends coming in the evening to surprise her. Wyatt turned four last Saturday and we celebrated with a big sledding party and wiener roast out in the community pasture close to us. Tomorrow is Bren’s 40^th birthday and my mother-dear is flying in tonight to help celebrate. We’re planning a ladies’ tea on Friday for Bren but we’re keeping it simple. Everyone is helping with food and the decorations will be a big bouquet of flowers from my mom.

In between we’ve had two school holidays, three town days, two shop days and one Sunday at home recovering. (Gotta make it sound as bad as it felt, eh?) I had one delightful ladies’ night out, another friend’s birthday coffee spur-of-the-moment and a couple lunches at folks when we’ve been working at the shop. We’ve had Villa stress and meetings and a finalized possession date for the shop. We’ve bused school children, picked up birthday Lego and thrown in a couple loads of laundry here and there, for modesty’s sake.

We’ve eaten cupcakes with green icing, charred hotdogs in frozen wiener buns with ketchup spilling down our chins, chili soup in our lunches and McDouble’s a few too many times. We had venison roast on Sunday with vast quantities of mashed potatoes, bought pizza out of the freezer after one shop day and porridge and scrambled eggs late Saturday night.

But there are some things I hold close and remember; watching my four-year-old fearlessly walk away from us to Sunday school for the first time, the grin on Zach’s face after I took him shopping, watching Colby’s arm muscles while he target-practices with bow and arrow.  

Please excuse me while I go tuck my boy in again and take that last pan of cookies out. And is it truly almost time to bus children again?