tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-147636112024-03-07T19:21:09.783-05:00My Place In The Worldcould be right before your very eyes - just beyond a door that's open wide - could be far away or in your own backyard - there are those who say, you can look too hard - for your place in the world - could be one more mile, or just one step back - in a lover's smile, down a darkened path - friends will take our side, enemies will curse us - but to be alive is to know your purpose - it's your place in the worldJanicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17950510225891047509noreply@blogger.comBlogger592125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14763611.post-9436729653388589402022-03-06T18:19:00.002-05:002022-03-06T18:20:06.291-05:00My Dear Friend Laurie<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjYLJc4xDS-9Nt6X5ehqdS88arcPOfa4MKN1ySoXJrDXFaQ5N5Z4rT1le9Mb5YTw31dYyIzR9lKezzvcRmznRDRX40G0Yj_66YgnnFu4or9-2jGo14ihBKyvKMOoTWR06nwu-dRlXcyVetOka7zKSB1s1fSOq8AsdgUVRiyynXC_2gDRrUXg=s2048" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhjYLJc4xDS-9Nt6X5ehqdS88arcPOfa4MKN1ySoXJrDXFaQ5N5Z4rT1le9Mb5YTw31dYyIzR9lKezzvcRmznRDRX40G0Yj_66YgnnFu4or9-2jGo14ihBKyvKMOoTWR06nwu-dRlXcyVetOka7zKSB1s1fSOq8AsdgUVRiyynXC_2gDRrUXg=s320" width="320" /></a></div>As we slid into our seats at London's Centennial Hall for the Vinyl Cafe Christmas show, we were so excited to experience Stuart McLean in person - together with all of the festive elements of the show. This was a delight and we determined at that moment it would become an annual tradition. In fact, why wait for Christmas? Our adventures would one day earn our hashtag (who else would care but us?) #LLJMAdventures <p></p><p>When I think of Laurie, inevitably, I think of our Vinyl Cafe outings. But, there are so many other moments that pop to mind as well. She loved the idea of an "adventure" and seeing where the road would lead us. I loved our times together for she was a kindred spirit. We laughed until we cried and cried until we laughed. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgShMm4l6SyX-ZmEjBkp7tsi4oQioCGTxMpaE2idfMpZ6buDtUz8IK0yHy_ztTFh_XDxnjdNnAGob-uabunZ9Gbq0Q7bGkCFSDvHj2u2N_PDlC7YyyTpt7kybZ-cN9lBhgXRup8OnfQVH5qLazK4OQGX30R7BnU53kUkjFyZUoknoiYwz8T6Q=s1084" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1084" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgShMm4l6SyX-ZmEjBkp7tsi4oQioCGTxMpaE2idfMpZ6buDtUz8IK0yHy_ztTFh_XDxnjdNnAGob-uabunZ9Gbq0Q7bGkCFSDvHj2u2N_PDlC7YyyTpt7kybZ-cN9lBhgXRup8OnfQVH5qLazK4OQGX30R7BnU53kUkjFyZUoknoiYwz8T6Q=s320" width="319" /></a></div>Last Christmas when she told me she had been diagnosed with leukemia I was astounded. How could that be? We were so young and full of life and energy? I was relieved when a friend from church shared with me that her husband has the same type of cancer and it is very manageable. He's been living with it for 8 years. I could relax a bit.<p></p><p>But, you know what really sucks? When life gets in the way. Over the past 2 years life has been turned upside down and face to face friendships have been put on hold. Laurie and I had many plans for checking out a local artisan market or just coffee in our kitchen but each time something came up that roadblocked our plans. We were both flexible as this has always been the case with trying to arrange a time that worked for us both. </p><p><br /><br />Looking back, I wish I had taken the time to make the phone call we had talked about. But, once again, life got in the way. We had planned to talk on Sunday afternoon but after getting home from church and having lunch and going to pick Cody up, I had forgotten. </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjt4ujQqooOF1oFVDLmyIxYNsnLp0zdGJcQp3AN2YBC_1AZKwjtdRgUEqgSsisTEV2dMR6wTJSOUvRNf1NWzQmKG-XQIo3YU0R2LdF2JxGWq62Xf0UQ8vhysaXeRhTPucSFnJdiTZKhW9gLnJbhEObD2uHYSnyVtCIjPdzuToKE616RT7nOfQ=s1063" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1052" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjt4ujQqooOF1oFVDLmyIxYNsnLp0zdGJcQp3AN2YBC_1AZKwjtdRgUEqgSsisTEV2dMR6wTJSOUvRNf1NWzQmKG-XQIo3YU0R2LdF2JxGWq62Xf0UQ8vhysaXeRhTPucSFnJdiTZKhW9gLnJbhEObD2uHYSnyVtCIjPdzuToKE616RT7nOfQ=s320" width="317" /></a></div>Within a couple of weeks, Laurie was in the hospital and the outlook was not good. I was dumbfounded. On December 23 I was notified that she had passed away. <p></p><p>How could that be?</p><p>I've never experienced the loss of a friend before. My emotions were all over the map - shock, disbelief, sorrow, anguish, anger, sadness.... And this was all happening the day before Christmas Eve. Needless to say, it weighed on my mind as we celebrated this year. I kept thinking of the gifts she would have picked out and probably wrapped under the tree for her family. The thought was unbearable. In our last text conversation, she shared with me about their annual trip to get their Christmas tree. I always look forward to their Team Lane photo with the tree. I had no idea it would be the last one.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvS0se8tWQyEve1y8WEFdz5iAEQ_3tBgOT1GeDYIPeK0jQcR5LX9ChjdcfJU3bDOACs0dZCMoFWXVtUFkv3GJx2dUEdlIW89cSJ9P8p7T1DXydcj9ZZ46JfTg3FQfyPFBp3VVvhLGNwrQEXsB3y48Q2Bp_WHhdU2zxZIAfsPkKTUWfQ4E4Lw=s1440" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgvS0se8tWQyEve1y8WEFdz5iAEQ_3tBgOT1GeDYIPeK0jQcR5LX9ChjdcfJU3bDOACs0dZCMoFWXVtUFkv3GJx2dUEdlIW89cSJ9P8p7T1DXydcj9ZZ46JfTg3FQfyPFBp3VVvhLGNwrQEXsB3y48Q2Bp_WHhdU2zxZIAfsPkKTUWfQ4E4Lw=s320" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p>It has been a couple of months and I'm still processing. There are days that trigger emotions... like today when I saw this pic of Laurie's daughter Emma picking out her wedding dress with her Dad. I saw the photo, read Emma's caption and burst into a full-on ugly cry. Laurie was so excited when she shared with me about Emma's engagement. She was so looking forward to planning that special day with her daughter. It seems so unfair to both of them that she is not here for these precious moments. I am so thrilled that Emma and Bobby have Dave for their Dad. Of course, he is dealing with his own grief but the way I have seen this family face this tragic hurdle has been nothing short of inspirational. <br /></p><p>Facebook memories pop up with a post that Laurie tagged me in and I laugh and cry at the adventures we shared. I am so grateful to have had our times together. And I'm certain that Laurie is rejoicing with her Lord and had come to terms with God's plan for her. <br /></p>Janicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17950510225891047509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14763611.post-27185049602231990342021-10-07T21:20:00.008-04:002021-10-17T12:39:17.587-04:00Lost Treasure<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOlyjv9sBqmoK8t-cn7xkJs_lzT8cHHv7TcgB1W2np7kbx00qo8nLHLhSkPbx0Le5m-HrzuWyQl3PV1tHVABFSGs-opG8Ei2r04I1BRKEcQ72q6CltJRqIcJFKXSqOPMDoSEM/s1600/Peggy2.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1142" data-original-width="1600" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlOlyjv9sBqmoK8t-cn7xkJs_lzT8cHHv7TcgB1W2np7kbx00qo8nLHLhSkPbx0Le5m-HrzuWyQl3PV1tHVABFSGs-opG8Ei2r04I1BRKEcQ72q6CltJRqIcJFKXSqOPMDoSEM/s320/Peggy2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> My heart is broken.
Yesterday I lost my treasured Aunt Peggy.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Anyone that knew my
aunt Peggy loved her. She was a gem. Putting others before herself, an eternal
optimist and a fierce fighter. She entered the world as a preemie in 1925 and
has been fighting ever since! The last decade has been full of health
challenges but each time she met them face on, determined to overcome them. In
fact, several stories come to mind when I think of this.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: 38.4pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: #313131; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">After suffering a heart attack, she was flown to London in a
helicopter. When I popped into her room to see how she was doing, she told me
it was pretty exciting to be in the helicopter, but more importantly her
attendant was a "very good looking fellow". Ha ha...so cute.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: 38.4pt; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: #313131; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Another time while visiting her in the hospital, the curtain
was drawn between the patients. She did not have a view of the window but as
soon as I walked in, she smiled and said “it’s a beautiful day outside, isn’t
it?”</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I have shared that story
many times to emphasize how important your attitude and outlook
are. In fact, during my last visit with Peggy three weeks ago, I felt compelled
to share that with her. I explained how she had touched so many people and I often
shared the windowless story with my friends. She thought nothing of it because that’s
just who she is.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Her outlook and
attitude, I’m certain, is why she made it to #96. I recall visiting her (in
hospital) months before her 87<sup>th</sup> birthday. Things were serious but
she told me that she had been thinking and she would need to live until at
least 90 to complete all the things she wanted to do. I was thrilled to
celebrate that milestone with her…and six more besides!<o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8S4k4N0noCQPALRC6-TQwuO3oQDCsUhgVxU_DpLUpIqzlQFQFS116RD1Qoncow8eyI3yQUEwzDd9KaGFOas3QgrXYIH6suZgdn-tpegKFMUhyphenhyphen28SIj_bs3NHBNfmPJpGSksJ/s1120/DSC_0592.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1120" data-original-width="951" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR8S4k4N0noCQPALRC6-TQwuO3oQDCsUhgVxU_DpLUpIqzlQFQFS116RD1Qoncow8eyI3yQUEwzDd9KaGFOas3QgrXYIH6suZgdn-tpegKFMUhyphenhyphen28SIj_bs3NHBNfmPJpGSksJ/s320/DSC_0592.JPG" width="272" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Nearly 20 years older
than my dad, Peggy was more of a grandma to me than an aunt. We lived close by
and as a kid I would hop in the car any time my parents were going for a visit.
Many, many evenings I spent in her living room or around her kitchen table.
Instant coffee was always served (it’s where I started drinking coffee) and
usually a piece of pie or slice of bread with butter and homemade raspberry
jam. She shared our turkey dinners, birthday cakes, graduations and recitals. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">I always called her
Peggy but she also went by Kathleen or Kay. Kinda confusing, right? Well, as I
mentioned, she was born a preemie and named </span><span style="background: white; color: #313131; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Kathleen
Irene Mills. But when one of the Irish neighbours came by for a visit, he told
my grandparents that name was too big for a little thing like her and she
needed a good Irish name like Peggy. Believe it or not, that name has stuck
with her for 96 years! Some folks call her Kathleen, others call her Kay but to
me she will never be anything but Peggy!</span><span style="color: #313131; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Peggy grew up on a farm and worked just as hard as
any of her brothers, helping her dad with work in the field and her mom with
work in the house. Her self-sacrificing spirit meant she was always there for
anyone that needed her. When she was a bit older, she became somewhat of a
midwife. There was no training involved, but she would go and help deliver
neighbourhood babies and then stay for a few weeks to help out
the new mom. I thought it was really cool when I discovered that she
actually lived at the Petrolia Hospital for a time. We were driving by the </span><i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">older</i><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"> part of the hospital one day (which used to
be a house) and she pointed at the turret and said "Oh, I used to live up
there. I really liked my room."<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #313131; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">There were many afternoons or evenings spent listening to stories from the past. I love hearing history from the people that lived it. Peggy really changed the course of our family when she became a Christian as a young woman. The change in her life prompted a change in many other lives. She loved Jesus and was passionate about living out her faith.</span></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiItAaH87RITotXaou43_UOhRbEx4DzerfVxDpIojZXF3lzwtCbFGBBq1xAiT8ZTUxtN0P5Z_ADo5vUXw9DQ2l5RIkyPGo0sGsMeG68G5v0Y24urkavOsT0n7xfG56-T9K-VL_/s2052/Peggy.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1361" data-original-width="2052" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiItAaH87RITotXaou43_UOhRbEx4DzerfVxDpIojZXF3lzwtCbFGBBq1xAiT8ZTUxtN0P5Z_ADo5vUXw9DQ2l5RIkyPGo0sGsMeG68G5v0Y24urkavOsT0n7xfG56-T9K-VL_/s320/Peggy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background: white; color: #313131; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The past year and a half has been a
challenging one for many reasons, one of which is that Peggy went into a
nursing home in December 2019. So, her ability to visit with friends and family
has been very limited. We did our best to stay in touch, sending fun things in
the mail and calling regularly. I am so very grateful that I had a visit with
her just 3 weeks ago. She loved hearing about my canning so I took
her some dill pickles and peach jam. She was thrilled. I was thrilled. Hugging
her that day was extra special. I didn’t know it would be my last. My heart
broke when I heard she had left us. But, I know that she is rejoicing in heaven
and that brings me great joy.<o:p></o:p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3Sqo0M0zwbL2f9Bp625qM50fy4-T3K0ci9g0B9gx_HUMB8VUjnyG-OAzqV5hvIYPPHhA8yVKyK5OMml5lhnG2IWxucX1RLEycAdlH0toa3mKUFJLn6p0Vv03GCjvP77W7yca/s2242/IMG_0487.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2242" data-original-width="2234" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3Sqo0M0zwbL2f9Bp625qM50fy4-T3K0ci9g0B9gx_HUMB8VUjnyG-OAzqV5hvIYPPHhA8yVKyK5OMml5lhnG2IWxucX1RLEycAdlH0toa3mKUFJLn6p0Vv03GCjvP77W7yca/s320/IMG_0487.JPG" width="319" /></a></div></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Yfj6_G4uMCcvXFLJyHKA7u0NZLXffHVKRM-XmMnGYkqXFcpcjhrN9SW6pamAXKDKctG9Rq2ZQLGiSPQcHu0mUnHexDxUR1OY2kIQqMIsJTKZrHT3ku8xjrEgmV4KKoXJdNYj/s599/peggy.PNG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="595" data-original-width="599" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6Yfj6_G4uMCcvXFLJyHKA7u0NZLXffHVKRM-XmMnGYkqXFcpcjhrN9SW6pamAXKDKctG9Rq2ZQLGiSPQcHu0mUnHexDxUR1OY2kIQqMIsJTKZrHT3ku8xjrEgmV4KKoXJdNYj/s320/peggy.PNG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #313131; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #313131; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>Random memories:</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #313131; font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: #313131; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Yard sales –
she loved a good bargain<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #313131; font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="background: white; color: #313131; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Picking strawberries
– she just loved it<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Going to
London Dairy – Peggy would order a pineapple sundae and give me her whipped
cream because she didn’t like it<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Eating out and
Peggy ordering liver and onions<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">So many clocks
and none said the same time!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The carefully
folded paper creations I made and she kept in her china cabinet<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Teaching me
how to quilt<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Her crocheted
bowls<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Salmon
sandwiches<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Learning her
phone number before my own!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">She would
always ask about Cody playing the piano and commented that she “loved a man
that plays the piano”.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">She would also
always ask about Devin and ask if he was “working hard” (important character
quality)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18pt;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwz0j0v1BdaRut9C2-RhdB0uZq4D7rUOTxR5k9POZ4txxW8vHQ7kuA5K0U8NRVCh68P3C99nVVHXq64L2EbncTqNZOdnGFNfY1omkJUZwMWWh58_5hZEnWJgi6AYzvDsDXicrQ/s1404/13693019_10153835604548123_8694589334554062680_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1404" data-original-width="936" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwz0j0v1BdaRut9C2-RhdB0uZq4D7rUOTxR5k9POZ4txxW8vHQ7kuA5K0U8NRVCh68P3C99nVVHXq64L2EbncTqNZOdnGFNfY1omkJUZwMWWh58_5hZEnWJgi6AYzvDsDXicrQ/s320/13693019_10153835604548123_8694589334554062680_o.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our grins were the result of her whipping her cane over on the grass and declaring she did not want that in the photo!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span><p></p>Janicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17950510225891047509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14763611.post-52519381184020334542021-02-12T08:41:00.006-05:002021-02-18T08:51:51.112-05:00She Found Her Lobster!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGzo-mGjWeDTRv-TXE8MaaP_EEPOwbwOOfBVB61lkfW9SnCuc58T8ngEZPPgyS_Ic8FEx2zJnOGKuILV3K8cMIgOAiTW-7h4_mWWsZz2pBKL2ImIdQ9kr3t2zHNEUM5ZlhtpJ/s1915/Millennium.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1915" data-original-width="1334" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGzo-mGjWeDTRv-TXE8MaaP_EEPOwbwOOfBVB61lkfW9SnCuc58T8ngEZPPgyS_Ic8FEx2zJnOGKuILV3K8cMIgOAiTW-7h4_mWWsZz2pBKL2ImIdQ9kr3t2zHNEUM5ZlhtpJ/s320/Millennium.jpg" /></a></div>My cousin Carol Ann is one amazing person. We didn't spend a lot of time together when we were kids, but discovered each other as young adults and a beautiful friendship grew from that.<p></p><p>I've always admired Carol Ann's ability to take on challenges with great determination. She headed back to school in her mid 20's to get a degree and become a teacher. After graduating, she headed off to South Korea for her first teaching adventure. I always loved hearing about her new life and thought it sounded pretty exotic and she was pretty brave to venture out on her own like that.</p><p><br />After South Korea, she moved to Kuwait. It was during her time here that we started talking about traveling together. She was going to Egypt on her spring break and it had always been on my travel bucket list. I seriously considered joining her, but in the end, I decided to go back to school myself and needed that money for tuition, books, etc.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SzVfy4cQDeSesuId32C-S023NM-iSnSvKGL4nt0nByW_xIXSzrjGvHxpPwbst-p-LtFbL0dK6QufkUoF644NhviTtRPoIHa3-S2-XCyCa2JXZXhfh5cO9csWuwHW39xjoBe8/s3264/IMG_1225.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5SzVfy4cQDeSesuId32C-S023NM-iSnSvKGL4nt0nByW_xIXSzrjGvHxpPwbst-p-LtFbL0dK6QufkUoF644NhviTtRPoIHa3-S2-XCyCa2JXZXhfh5cO9csWuwHW39xjoBe8/s320/IMG_1225.JPG" /></a></div>We didn't give up on the idea of traveling together and did a few small trips when she was home in Canada. We did a weekend jaunt to Cleveland to do Cedar Point, shopping and take in The Beach Boys concert. When there was a Titanic exhibit at the Henry Ford Museum, we took off for the weekend to check it out (and do some shopping). We traveled well together and fun getting to know each other as cousins and as friends.<p></p><p><br />In 2012 she invited me to join her in Paris for Christmas. Wow, what an invitation! And when would I ever have that opportunity again!?! It took some thoughtful consideration on my part as it would be my very first Christmas away from home. In the end, I did it and I'm so glad I did. We met in Paris and spent about a week casually wandering the Christmas markets and sampling the amazing French cuisine. We squeezed in the essentials like The Eiffel Tower, The Louvre and Notre Dame on Christmas Eve but it was a very relaxed and comfortable trip that we both enjoyed immensely. We didn't have an agenda so everything we did was perfect!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2MHQsQRBb0M8ktEraUSZdDuqRpLLPRsjJ1lGhJ19LgMyMq3WAjPnKUfIQN0fin6GncyOOEKbSFgDqjJGUz-RF6KJokoJmRIo1anwhrM3VjE8R7Ata_3b3CS3JieVQjV7HL9a/s640/IMG_3275.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV2MHQsQRBb0M8ktEraUSZdDuqRpLLPRsjJ1lGhJ19LgMyMq3WAjPnKUfIQN0fin6GncyOOEKbSFgDqjJGUz-RF6KJokoJmRIo1anwhrM3VjE8R7Ata_3b3CS3JieVQjV7HL9a/s320/IMG_3275.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>For a long time, Carol Ann and I were perpetually single at all the Murray family functions. Grammie would joke that there needed to be a war so we could meet a soldier like her. LOL. She was very happy for me when I met Devin and Cody and enjoyed getting to know them on visits here and when we visited her parents in Nova Scotia. And one day, about 2 years ago, I got a message "I met someone". I had questions and her answers were pretty exciting. I thought "I think she's going to marry this guy". Today, she did. <p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQvEYQX1TfwEAHIjv0C54OwCB9l7tycoEMevqA7F1BUS-pYZnE532a3ggMgdtVAScB9zOtM_3o8smO1PF6NstMF7RFdvG09EgT07kaHvCj0EMGAW8HZ0rx_0IwD2wR3o2Hvzn7/s2048/Fruzzins.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1489" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQvEYQX1TfwEAHIjv0C54OwCB9l7tycoEMevqA7F1BUS-pYZnE532a3ggMgdtVAScB9zOtM_3o8smO1PF6NstMF7RFdvG09EgT07kaHvCj0EMGAW8HZ0rx_0IwD2wR3o2Hvzn7/s320/Fruzzins.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />My adventurous "fruzzin" as I like to call her (friend/cousin) lives in Qatar and married a British man, so, in the middle of a pandemic they had a ZOOM wedding. They will have celebrations in England and Canada in time but today we celebrated online.<p></p><p>I'm so thrilled that this wonderful woman has met her match. Someone that appreciates her humour, enjoys reading & photography as much as her and is also a globe-trotting adventure-seeker! For all the Friends lovers out there, Phoebe put it so well when she explained that lobsters mate for life and Carol Ann has found her "lobster".<br /><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyP6ZULTmGGlynEqpaDpV2mLbwDhxpCRN6Ezaj1MRXy-lEPtbQ2bTxJ03ZbRGGTVHxr5tIftIWfWBekdctqB5VMfOUUgoqXoqqV6NgAroy5kku-9ZATcAzJu7iF7XJDlu2QjG/s2578/20210212_114240.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1220" data-original-width="2578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHyP6ZULTmGGlynEqpaDpV2mLbwDhxpCRN6Ezaj1MRXy-lEPtbQ2bTxJ03ZbRGGTVHxr5tIftIWfWBekdctqB5VMfOUUgoqXoqqV6NgAroy5kku-9ZATcAzJu7iF7XJDlu2QjG/s320/20210212_114240.jpg" width="320" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIC5XWOtEOCaM9SExhLxnugRLt8cOQvOEh3oGs0d5de1nnVXgZSAwRqCnmnyIrAac5EZCvmwFaQDnH0ow_0RCjCvOQbQ_u8p5mbCZH4kH0XCAjQ5toHd3mJAOuSHKrgB6c6sN/s1683/149709724_10164643027530005_5232901460617573454_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1122" data-original-width="1683" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBIC5XWOtEOCaM9SExhLxnugRLt8cOQvOEh3oGs0d5de1nnVXgZSAwRqCnmnyIrAac5EZCvmwFaQDnH0ow_0RCjCvOQbQ_u8p5mbCZH4kH0XCAjQ5toHd3mJAOuSHKrgB6c6sN/s320/149709724_10164643027530005_5232901460617573454_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div><br />Janicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17950510225891047509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14763611.post-13977505715283668642021-01-19T12:09:00.000-05:002021-03-30T12:09:25.720-04:00Celebrating Cody<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFo5McDxdLz4O5SZI1T2KXPoXvGeCvAlQIsBPGD2k-cYFmy4b9t6XUs7ompMM7UZhLsQccEPQGCi2XHeFxn9OyLmk8FLgm5Bt9W6IwgAFDid0K6tvpWWUVzFyPCAdIJQvDHtji/s2576/20210118_083850.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1221" data-original-width="2576" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFo5McDxdLz4O5SZI1T2KXPoXvGeCvAlQIsBPGD2k-cYFmy4b9t6XUs7ompMM7UZhLsQccEPQGCi2XHeFxn9OyLmk8FLgm5Bt9W6IwgAFDid0K6tvpWWUVzFyPCAdIJQvDHtji/w400-h190/20210118_083850.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />It's hard to believe another year has come and gone and this kid is now TWELVE! In fact, while enjoying a lazy Saturday morning recently, he pointed out that I've now known him half his life.<p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVC5LXNocIMkX3FbpTOfQ2TxsHBsRVP6irq4Tqi-ZMhJOAel0-oYHT5WD-5PeW1NX5-ZwtbB8H8OeEsPEkFwUBRgIHlFZt1mA0Pt4nKpupIp1JGlqIv_9K_2Ee5IGlWnbi6JQ1/s1908/20210118_165506.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="1480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVC5LXNocIMkX3FbpTOfQ2TxsHBsRVP6irq4Tqi-ZMhJOAel0-oYHT5WD-5PeW1NX5-ZwtbB8H8OeEsPEkFwUBRgIHlFZt1mA0Pt4nKpupIp1JGlqIv_9K_2Ee5IGlWnbi6JQ1/s320/20210118_165506.jpg" /></a></div><br />The past year has been interesting to say the least. Just 8 weeks after Cody's birthday life changed when the pandemic entered our lives. In many ways it was a huge disruption that caused many problems and devastation. In other ways, it was a blessing. I treasured the time I could spend with Cody as we were both home together for months on end. I worked reduced hours so we both finished our work around lunch time and could spend our afternoons going for walks or bike rides. We played board games and worked on a project called "The Grandparent Diaries". Each day Cody would record a video question and send to his grandparents and they would record their answer and send it back. It was a fun way to discover some neat things about some special people.<br /><p></p><p>Over the past year I have watched Cody grow and mature into a very thoughtful and kind young man. He has befriended some elderly neighbours and checks in on them regularly. He is quick to point out when someone is not being kind and shares his thoughts with me on how the situation should be handled. He can see when someone is upset or down and is quick to offer a hug or some encouragement.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1h4s9QmcbCVwRQ9667lTt5AYo-1gSs8PG5dLEO5Zfy7xmT8CwgIfN-REHj5OE4BrIhOLpVbljJnxhFjbLHrh4mlsMuh0_TNmnN0tIGmiUbtm_Mzi8PtqOrz-XbqAi__bwSupD/s2048/20210118_183108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1h4s9QmcbCVwRQ9667lTt5AYo-1gSs8PG5dLEO5Zfy7xmT8CwgIfN-REHj5OE4BrIhOLpVbljJnxhFjbLHrh4mlsMuh0_TNmnN0tIGmiUbtm_Mzi8PtqOrz-XbqAi__bwSupD/s320/20210118_183108.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />I am particularly proud of how Cody has learned to choose his reaction to situations and use more appropriate solutions to problems. Academically he is taking much more care in his lessons and his progress has accelerated! <p></p><p>Most of all, I treasure the bond we share. I will never take for granted the joy and gift this relationship is and I am forever grateful to God for stitching my family together. Now, we will enjoy this last year before.... the TEEN years! Am I ready?<br /></p>Janicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17950510225891047509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14763611.post-72464216777130690442020-09-01T14:24:00.001-04:002021-01-08T12:03:03.623-05:00The Big 4-oh!<p>Forty is a milestone. I can recall both of my parents turning 40. We had a surprise party for each of them - and they were truly surprised! So, as Devin's 40th approached we talked about how to celebrate. Would we have a party? Go on a trip? We decided on both LOL. </p><p>We thought it would be super fun to have a pig roast and invite our family and friends. We had planned for outdoor games and a fun way to gather all of our people together. In addition, we were planning a trip to the Smoky Mountains. Devin has always wanted to drive the "tail of the dragon" and we planned to drive the Cobalt down to the Smokies for a week.</p><p>And then it happened.</p><p>We had to change our plans. The borders are not open for travel and gathering together is either not allowed or certainly frowned upon (depending on the day of the week). So, I made alternative plans. I discovered this great service called tribute.co which allows you to gather videos from people and edit them together for your loved one. That was a fun process and Devin LOVED the result. </p><p>We also had the Koiters over for a fancy dinner the night before his big day. It was fun to get all dressed up at home, bring out the nice dishes and eat by candlelight. And, on his birthday I surprised him with a "drive by party". It wasn't quite as big and exciting as in my mind (which is typical) but he enjoyed the day and felt very celebrated.</p><p>What is it like being married to Devin? Well, it means I laugh a deep, belly-laugh each and every day. It means coffee is brewed to perfection. It means feeling safe, protected and treasured. It means listening to the same stories over and over. It means meticulously cut veggies in my lunch. It means fearing for my life as he jumps out of his hiding spot. It means falling more in love every day.</p><p>I am so grateful God brought this man into my life and look forward to what He has in store for us.</p><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBKzddXAuE0aqI1kqxPL-K95PfVfFelXdWd9jxx2-MuGjW2mahfHCXxBAsDFoLfMTX1Er8BatMaT9J_d3XQWst0r3-I4wvj-ocWnSn1e8SywVPupj0QmLvMGNpj61EXKLilzp/s4032/20200830_143106.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVBKzddXAuE0aqI1kqxPL-K95PfVfFelXdWd9jxx2-MuGjW2mahfHCXxBAsDFoLfMTX1Er8BatMaT9J_d3XQWst0r3-I4wvj-ocWnSn1e8SywVPupj0QmLvMGNpj61EXKLilzp/s320/20200830_143106.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqjhYtdgkuuVkycTjR-XuMw8-siyqJennpQ56VJOvO7F0px7rJzlJ5-4M7NwH_haSuho8LHu5JuRsQu2e-svCbEgOinMgmNIsmhwiV7Jw6puS_CC2VdQTGdF2Dxo3-fh2Cs1IU/s4608/20200830_125555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2184" data-original-width="4608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqjhYtdgkuuVkycTjR-XuMw8-siyqJennpQ56VJOvO7F0px7rJzlJ5-4M7NwH_haSuho8LHu5JuRsQu2e-svCbEgOinMgmNIsmhwiV7Jw6puS_CC2VdQTGdF2Dxo3-fh2Cs1IU/s320/20200830_125555.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRMUz0-f9-Ln-rrt5xloJKRdwUdP9Y6JYjCFt6c5QopixQah39L2VSrK0XarrXGVnksrm6WPuLZVZhjR2wBx2uJERw0VH5lTH0vSCpbJbUI9rV4XInNnCRFuhhGEWheJTTR9Qt/s3130/20200829_225533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="3130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRMUz0-f9-Ln-rrt5xloJKRdwUdP9Y6JYjCFt6c5QopixQah39L2VSrK0XarrXGVnksrm6WPuLZVZhjR2wBx2uJERw0VH5lTH0vSCpbJbUI9rV4XInNnCRFuhhGEWheJTTR9Qt/s320/20200829_225533.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEGhnCN9BF-fhZBqrQ5ytThfsRetG7liixXvViJtUDS5DIf8Xm4fx6QIU4ILL8O_spgT7FGI_ybsc3_wS6pZF3LBtWYs8qHaePrmGWZj0PBDHmW4NSeMe1a29vYBF_2MyXAV_t/s4032/20200829_182640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEGhnCN9BF-fhZBqrQ5ytThfsRetG7liixXvViJtUDS5DIf8Xm4fx6QIU4ILL8O_spgT7FGI_ybsc3_wS6pZF3LBtWYs8qHaePrmGWZj0PBDHmW4NSeMe1a29vYBF_2MyXAV_t/s320/20200829_182640.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3w82G_xxqihr05pqUz3WcKiaCJhoqhwsN2ReJ7D72KN8F_AxTBApHHxf4fia0mwvu6lPPAnyicl7otSfunSGAGCRzF6S-B-mkk9wC9ui3ycuBFo3as2Kg3RHeA2wBIM5f9nb2/s4032/20200829_180431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3w82G_xxqihr05pqUz3WcKiaCJhoqhwsN2ReJ7D72KN8F_AxTBApHHxf4fia0mwvu6lPPAnyicl7otSfunSGAGCRzF6S-B-mkk9wC9ui3ycuBFo3as2Kg3RHeA2wBIM5f9nb2/s320/20200829_180431.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMg3NZdbHufkvp8Db6xUcYhkgdCteHoQDs4rS-AsUWZNRvsJmi3Uk3VOn2Pnzqusz_cnwz77WXoJUdDl1w_bKEpmzmESN9wSluyseCFffvXWz0lR5QNqA-U308oLxGlMazrmN0/s4032/20200829_182958.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1908" data-original-width="4032" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMg3NZdbHufkvp8Db6xUcYhkgdCteHoQDs4rS-AsUWZNRvsJmi3Uk3VOn2Pnzqusz_cnwz77WXoJUdDl1w_bKEpmzmESN9wSluyseCFffvXWz0lR5QNqA-U308oLxGlMazrmN0/s320/20200829_182958.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoymP3xCVZ2kr5KK2bEg-Ug3xxiRchyMXF9lYDh9QPsMejed8uGdXhFi4HJ8FjZFDm6XZY87INaK579eRU8sX4o7FE7x21vnMS-E4pSdsNf1HO7-SQ2ODFg2FEl9XRa_p9iyie/s4032/20200829_192448.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="1908" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoymP3xCVZ2kr5KK2bEg-Ug3xxiRchyMXF9lYDh9QPsMejed8uGdXhFi4HJ8FjZFDm6XZY87INaK579eRU8sX4o7FE7x21vnMS-E4pSdsNf1HO7-SQ2ODFg2FEl9XRa_p9iyie/s320/20200829_192448.jpg" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Janicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17950510225891047509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14763611.post-35536577943213741662020-06-24T10:55:00.000-04:002020-07-20T23:39:44.789-04:00Father's Day<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RL0RcxYuhw6V8SpJNk-aVLfCnkBy5kZr5uXQDzJ6-IgRk9TgAxWFy6w7IDLBl9hvV8g4uYAKJv2Jp4PNItRCs42bof3Ggaw7t1aIiIl9SV3PoUTk5QUxbYLc_NwaUqOhy-9x/s605/FB_IMG_1591800691000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="605" data-original-width="605" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RL0RcxYuhw6V8SpJNk-aVLfCnkBy5kZr5uXQDzJ6-IgRk9TgAxWFy6w7IDLBl9hvV8g4uYAKJv2Jp4PNItRCs42bof3Ggaw7t1aIiIl9SV3PoUTk5QUxbYLc_NwaUqOhy-9x/s320/FB_IMG_1591800691000.jpg" /></a></div>Time seems to be flying these days, despite more time at home. Father's Day was here before we knew it! I am so grateful to have three amazing fathers in my life. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>My own Dad...he's known me my whole life! A man of few words and actions speak louder than words ever could. Family means everything to my dad and he sacrificed many times over the years to provide for us and give us opportunities he never had. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>My dad loves to travel and we went on many family adventures in my younger years in our motor home. Even as I got older, I was able to travel with him and Mum to see the Smoky Mountains and the rolling hills of Pennsylvania. I'm pretty sure Dad ingrained my love of travel in me with all of those trips. And not just my love of travel but also country music :) <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Growing up on the farm, there were always lots of jobs to be done to help out. At the time, I hated it. But, now I appreciate the work ethic he was instilling in each of us. Despite not finishing school, Dad is very capable in a wide variety of trades and skills. I like that about him - I always felt he could do anything I asked him!</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdx9hAuX5aymprMNDJ-kTn-CBq0LISKXc9yzwIIrSqA8TCz6DzA8C948aAq1gTxhSf9bDwUhErbs-vs2S7s2YXah2VMj-s8dQAN_VWQ0shKAWqz5aPJPZZdndn_5gqNMSd7p80/s2929/20200621_104426.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2929" data-original-width="1908" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdx9hAuX5aymprMNDJ-kTn-CBq0LISKXc9yzwIIrSqA8TCz6DzA8C948aAq1gTxhSf9bDwUhErbs-vs2S7s2YXah2VMj-s8dQAN_VWQ0shKAWqz5aPJPZZdndn_5gqNMSd7p80/s320/20200621_104426.jpg" /></a></div><div>Then I met Devin. Not only did I fall in love with this man as my husband but I also fell in love with the Daddy that he is to Cody. He lovingly guides him, corrects him and leads by example. He takes his role seriously and invests in his relationship with his son regularly. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Devin is the perfect blend of a manly-man that knows his way around the garage and a tender-hearted, caring and encouraging daddy. I am so blessed to walk beside him on this journey. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>And...what a bonus! When I met Devin, I met Randy :) Randy is Devin's stepdad and I immediately knew we would connect. I saw a lot of similarities with my own dad and could see the evide<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2PV2sPyAoQAh-heEei1YyAyPwaZIbZJc1i1e5uamDHut5RGvJuoYK7c3veg21vDbddNky4l9_hOR_GKJQAUFSnOJU6qq4_ZJFX_dan65ZUWO5rrEPL8RK9UqG25HfHfrmb7t/s1074/20200720_233038.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1074" data-original-width="633" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV2PV2sPyAoQAh-heEei1YyAyPwaZIbZJc1i1e5uamDHut5RGvJuoYK7c3veg21vDbddNky4l9_hOR_GKJQAUFSnOJU6qq4_ZJFX_dan65ZUWO5rrEPL8RK9UqG25HfHfrmb7t/s320/20200720_233038.jpg" /></a>nce of his love and sacrifice in the lives of Devin and Cody.</div><div><br /></div><div>Before I met Devin, I really didn't know any step families. There just weren't many in my social circles so the thought of becoming a step mom was foreign to me. God knew I would need a mentor and He gave me Randy. He has been an inspiration from day one - showing me how to love a child that is not biologically mine without any hesitation. He does not call Devin his "step son"...simply "son" and I have done the same with Cody. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Before 2015, I had only ever had one dad. Now I have two :) I have adopted Randy as Dad and love him as if he were flesh and blood. I received a pretty special Mother's Day card this year. Dad has not been going into stores so he <i>made</i> it. He was concerned I would think it was awful but instead I thought the opposite. It brought tears to my eyes, but you can draw your own conclusion from the picture below. He used a piece of cardboard he had in the house, paint from a model car and a Sobey's flyer for the envelope. Oh, my heart.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am blessed to have these men (and one red-headed up-and-comer) in my life. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><br />Janicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17950510225891047509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14763611.post-68796681636879032492020-05-16T22:04:00.001-04:002020-05-16T22:04:31.349-04:00Mother's Day<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-e23P0vSKnLeJ764eLW6XcRTqd66RPJgJ99329tAzVAvTbc8pJ_77g19XLk_tBF82SZog7THGZO-nsaLUSmS6BFNnN4OU7DIHNHqkKc-TD52MliSYLZsclbWQtSzGOUvVfDYJ/s1600/20200510_130058%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1530" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-e23P0vSKnLeJ764eLW6XcRTqd66RPJgJ99329tAzVAvTbc8pJ_77g19XLk_tBF82SZog7THGZO-nsaLUSmS6BFNnN4OU7DIHNHqkKc-TD52MliSYLZsclbWQtSzGOUvVfDYJ/s320/20200510_130058%25281%2529.jpg" width="306" /></a>What a wonderful Mother's Day this year turned out to be. Typically, Cody spends the day with his biological mom, but since COVID 19 he has been staying with us. That meant that he was with us for the weekend - what a blessing!<br />
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Mother's Day has typically been a difficult holiday for me. There have been many tears shed through the years with my mum, wondering if I would ever get the opportunity to become part of the club. What an unexpected and delightful surprise when I met Devin and Cody. I am honestly so amazed at the bond I've been able to forge with Cody. It truly is a remarkable relationship.<br />
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The first time I met Cody was May 9, 2015. Devin & I discussed when the right time would be for us to meet as we didn't want it to be too early. By May, we felt it was time and Devin arranged a very special (surprise) afternoon to commemorate what we knew would be a day for us both to remember. He took us on a helicopter ride over Niagara Falls! I felt like I was dreaming as I realized God bringing the pieces of my life together.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiWWeyrTAN-Yo_22HfOgMtBAl40ZVkAU9N62vOPslqb0CqxxNcDdN07igH4u4MXA0KYejtDyYF4VYdpt3Z-RBWN2-I0YCHb_LS6pW7f5uEcQgK920-jhN51Swj7INe9VYArfYi/s1600/20200510_131633%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1104" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiWWeyrTAN-Yo_22HfOgMtBAl40ZVkAU9N62vOPslqb0CqxxNcDdN07igH4u4MXA0KYejtDyYF4VYdpt3Z-RBWN2-I0YCHb_LS6pW7f5uEcQgK920-jhN51Swj7INe9VYArfYi/s320/20200510_131633%25281%2529.jpg" width="220" /></a>I wasn't sure what to expect, but on Sunday morning I woke up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and my 2 favourite boys waiting for me on the couch. After online church, I opened my gifts and was delighted to be crowned "Queen for a Day" complete with a tiara, royal decree and personal pedicure. Devin was a good teacher for Cody, showing him how to fill up the foot bath and then use the tools to remove the callouses from my feet. They even painted my toenails! Such royal treatment!<br />
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We followed that up by playing the game of Life. Devin was ahead by a long shot, but when we re-read the rules of how to win, there is a clause that allows you to "bet the farm" and try to win by becoming a Millionaire Tycoon. Basically, place your bet on one number out of ten and spin the wheel. If you spin the right number, you win and the game is over. If you lose, you spend the remainder of the game in the poor house. I had nothing to lose, so I put all my money on number 8. I spun the wheel and I GOT AN 8!! It just seemed appropriate for me to win on Mother's Day. LOL.<br />
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I didn't see my own dear mother, but we did have a visit on the deck the week before. The weather was beautiful which allowed us to spend a few hours outside having a visit, while <i>social distancing</i>. I'm so glad we went the week before as Mother's Day was cold and wet.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ5Vzki7U-4x9dNarRnuGFzoG9a90hdO1bqXTtnlXlj23IYQwPV8Di9rw1kGQOs6VteHSI309-pvvYJhgMzrvhWfQ4kMpCB0mdnJC6XcfQSovZ-LiCHx1t7Q7ctkmNusmLK-dH/s1600/20200510_134028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="758" data-original-width="1600" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ5Vzki7U-4x9dNarRnuGFzoG9a90hdO1bqXTtnlXlj23IYQwPV8Di9rw1kGQOs6VteHSI309-pvvYJhgMzrvhWfQ4kMpCB0mdnJC6XcfQSovZ-LiCHx1t7Q7ctkmNusmLK-dH/s320/20200510_134028.jpg" width="320" /></a>I'm so grateful for the precious relationship I have with my mum. I've always felt we shared a special bond as I was the youngest and often it would just be the two of us at home or out on an errand. She has always been unwavering support and one of my closest companions. I miss being able to see and talk to her as much as before I was married. And although I know she misses that too, I also know she is thrilled that I now have a family of my own and all of those tearful Mother's Days are behind us.<br />
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<br />Janicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17950510225891047509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14763611.post-29050319668824473172020-04-22T22:26:00.002-04:002020-04-22T22:26:45.715-04:00Pro's and Con'sThese days at home have provided some unique opportunities. We don't really have a "busy" life but all the same, with our few options removed (virtual piano lessons, no AWANA, no hockey) we've been spending a lot more time together as a family.<br />
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<b>Some of my favourite things about our social distancing:</b><br />
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<ul>
<li>Campfire for supper</li>
<li>Family movie nights (Favourites, so far: The Blindside, Despicable Me 1 & 2, Big Miracle, The Sound of Music)</li>
<li>Jigsaw Puzzle</li>
<li>Slot cars</li>
<li>Baking </li>
<li>Playing catch on the front lawn </li>
<li>Family board game tournament </li>
<li>Building a fort with Daddy</li>
<li>Snacking (Snacks become very important when you can't leave your house)</li>
<li>Video chats with family & friends</li>
<li>Watching The Phantom of The Opera on YouTube </li>
<li>Working from home/no commute </li>
<li>Daily check-ins from my Aunt Penny </li>
</ul>
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<b>Things I am not liking about the current isolation:</b><br />
<ul>
<li>Wearing all the hats - mum, employee, teacher, entertainment director, playmate, cook</li>
<li>How the days blur together</li>
<li>Time flies - people are posting about being bored or having all the projects in their house accomplished. I am not one of those people. By the time I finish working for the day and helping Cody with school assignments, practicing piano and doing his DynaRead lesson (for extra literacy help) I need to start making dinner and then cleaning up from dinner. Then I'm coaxed into "family time" until he goes to bed and I'm so pooped by then that I'm ready for bed myself! </li>
<li>How much I'm enjoying my casual clothes and not doing my hair, makeup!</li>
<li>Proximity to the snacks</li>
<li>Anxiety, fear, uncertainty</li>
</ul>
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<br />Janicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17950510225891047509noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14763611.post-42412333664578648302020-04-09T11:32:00.000-04:002020-04-14T11:33:13.152-04:00Isolated ThoughtsI have been wanting to sit down and record my thoughts for the past few weeks, but it feels like life has been so busy! I've been working from home since March 13th and now have Cody home with me doing school. So, our days are busy. However, I want to record my thoughts about how I'm feeling during this pandemic.<br />
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On March 12th life seemed normal. I took my computer home with me from work because I typically work from home on Fridays. I had plans to take a vacation day on Monday as it was my birthday. We had been hearing about the caronavirus for several months but it seemed so distant. However, it was now creeping into Canada and impacting our daily lives. At the end of the day, we found out schools would be closed an additional 2 weeks for March break. I thought this was because of people going away on March break and they wanted travelers to wait the 2 weeks after leaving the country. We went to hockey that night and even had some friends join us for Cody's game. We talked about Cody being home for an extra 2 weeks and how we would handle that. We thought maybe grandparents would be involved and they offered to help out since they're retired.<br />
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Very quickly, things changed. By Sunday morning, I had been reading about "flattening the curve" and "social distancing" and realized we needed to cancel all plans and stay home. Unfortunately, that meant delaying a double date with my best friend to celebrate my birthday and pancakes at Cracker Barrel with my parents. I also cancelled a hair appointment I had that week. Although, it didn't matter because by the time those dates came, the province was in a state of emergency and restaurants and entertainment industries were closed (except for take out).<br />
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The first week I had a wide range of emotions. Fear topped the list. Fear of this unknown virus. Fear of financial stability. Fear of how life was about to change. During the first week I consumed a lot of news about what was going on and that didn't help. Cody spent March break with his biological mom as it was her turn on our rotation. It was hard not having him at home and we were looking forward to his return on Friday night. When he arrived, he headed straight for the shower and we washed all of the stuff he had with him.<br />
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The beginning of week two meant I was working half days while taking half vacation days - which will last 4 weeks. I made a schedule for Cody to keep him busy as his teachers were busy learning technology that could be used to keep the kids learning from home. He build a lot of Lego projects, listened to a lot of Adventures in Odyssey and enjoyed some video chats with his cousins. During this time I kept praying and giving over my anxiety to God....but I kept snatching it back. There was a lot of things to worry about - the health of my family, my extended family and friends. Job security - Devin & I are both working, currently, but my brother and sister were both laid off - along with countless others across the country. I am grateful that Devin is working and providing for his family but it does concern me that he is "out there" each day.<br />
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And, of course, we were still renovating our kitchen! Fortunately, we were in the end stages and the light at the end of the tunnel was shining. However, our family room had become a storage area, kitchen prep, cooking area, dining room and now it was my office and Cody's classroom. That was really starting to get to me - eating amongst keyboards and headphones each night. I felt like I wanted to burst into tears at any moment. However, Cody and I were spending some great time together - doing online art classes, learning to cook, playing chess and walking around our neighbourhood.<br />
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By Thursday of week 2 his teacher had a Google Classroom set up and Cody started doing e-learning. I've been impressed with how well he has adapted. I'm also very grateful for all of the efforts of the teaching staff at Woodstock Christian School for keeping our kids engaged and learning. It has been challenging, to be sure, to work from home and help him with school stuff. He is far from independent when it comes to learning but we are figuring out our new normal and trying to be patient with each other.<br />
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Fortunately, we were able to get our countertops installed. I wasn't sure how that would go - was it an essential service? Turns out that it <i>was</i>, since we were without a functioning kitchen and the order had already been started. I was apprehensive about allowing people into our home, but we decided it needed to be done as we couldn't live like this indefinitely. They were in and out in 45 minutes and we wiped everything down. It felt GREAT when Devin got the plumbing connected and I could cook in my new kitchen! <br />
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Continued prayer has helped me to accept what is happening around us and keep in mind that God is in control I can trust him in<i> all things</i> and surely this qualifies. It has been encouraging to connect with friends through video chats and attend church through Facebook live. The cool thing is, I can get encouragement from pastors from other churches I've been connected with over the years because they're on Facebook too!<br />
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It's interesting to think back over the thoughts I've had in the last three and a half weeks and how they have morphed and changed. Random things to remember:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Initially I assumed everything I touched outside our house was covered in the virus and washed my hands A LOT. Which led to using more moisturizer. And not wearing my engagement/wedding rings so they weren't constantly gooped up.</li>
<li>Social media posts flooded in about signs of the virus...one of the things I read was that you should be able to hold your breath for 10 seconds without coughing, so I would hold my breath and count to 10. Whew...ok good. I'm ok. I'm not sure what I was thinking since I was not leaving the house except to walk to the mailbox!</li>
<li>Gas prices are incredibly low....like 65 cents. I had filled up on March 14th and I've not driven anywhere since then! So, our monthly gas budget is doing great but it's a shame to miss out on those cheap prices.</li>
<li>There are TONS of free online resources for people spending time at home - virtual tours of museums and zoos, online art classes, audiobooks, etc. </li>
<li>We had done so many great family activities - boardgames, movies, playing catch, jigsaw puzzle, and walking around the neighbourhood.</li>
</ul>
I'm sure I will have more updates in the days and weeks to come but until now, these are my thoughts.<br />
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<br />Janicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17950510225891047509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14763611.post-23957255127502605672020-03-18T12:32:00.002-04:002020-03-18T12:33:44.987-04:00Our Kitchen Reno - A Video Journey<br />
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When we started the process, I decided to document the journey with video updates. I knew I would appreciate looking back on these snippets to see how much things really changed! By default, Devin is my host!<br />
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<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Sgn_LbVQd0U" width="560"></iframe>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/r3HI4i3gjos" width="560"></iframe>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XqaLN0GSPKI" width="560"></iframe>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6GK5IZPv6Kg" width="560"></iframe>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/03E_EHqv2X4" width="560"></iframe>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/AsvCfwbr4Iw" width="560"></iframe>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t3s-lDGfPco" width="560"></iframe>
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/2rRg3d5o_Gw" width="560"></iframe>Janicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17950510225891047509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14763611.post-72823830799903079622020-03-03T13:41:00.004-05:002020-03-04T13:47:23.001-05:00Kitchen Reno!Our first impression of our house when walking in with our real estate agent was:<br />
<ul>
<li>the walls need to be painted (they were a dark burgundy colour)</li>
<li>the light over the table needed to go (wooden/fabric contraption)</li>
<li>the kitchen layout and finishing choices was horrific - we would need to renovate</li>
</ul>
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In fact, Vikki took me aside when we were seriously considering buying the house to say "Are you sure you want that kitchen? There's not even a dishwasher in it!" We had already decided that we would renovate the kitchen so I said I would wash dishes by hand until we did that. Ha ha ha. Looking back, I realize how naive I was! After living in the house 2 months, we were installing a dishwasher - albeit in an very awkward location.<br />
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We opted to finish the basement before tackling the kitchen. Although this turned out to be the right decision, our reasoning wasn't all that reasonable. LOL. We thought we'd get more "bang for our buck" by doing the basement first. And while we got lots of "bang" (family room, spare bedroom, finished closet space, washroom and several utility/storage areas) it was more "buck" than we had initially thought. However, we are thrilled by the results and after enjoying the space for the past 2 years it was time to take on the kitchen.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrx0ngAWT0nynhyQSVAoCKgE25X-fljSGBbxRY1P5m6BsUjbDtCfqFRV3DpdQPtrQbbW4gsv-36GPMycvOSR3TwhF8K3C0hHrTa0OA6sSBsq84uR8tP6EzD_u5NVeQBfNL-G4/s1600/Kitchen+yikes.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="591" data-original-width="843" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOrx0ngAWT0nynhyQSVAoCKgE25X-fljSGBbxRY1P5m6BsUjbDtCfqFRV3DpdQPtrQbbW4gsv-36GPMycvOSR3TwhF8K3C0hHrTa0OA6sSBsq84uR8tP6EzD_u5NVeQBfNL-G4/s320/Kitchen+yikes.png" width="320" /></a></div>
We decided last winter that we would start just after Christmas. That gave us pretty much a year to design and plan as well as save up some money! We had already decided on Ikea cabinets based on several friends that had done an Ikea kitchen. Now we just needed to navigate their software and start designing. It's fun to look back on the early designs - which basically started as what we had plus an island. We played around with moving the door to the laundry room, moving the stove, moving the fridge etc. but the game changer was deciding to close in the awkward window! That's when things really started to take shape.<br />
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I'm so glad we made this choice. Initially it felt like a "big deal" to close in a window but after talking to a few people we determined it was not as big of a deal as we thought and it improved the layout of the kitchen immensely! We closed the window in October in anticipation of wintery weather in January.<br />
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There was lots of research involved in coming up with our final choices:<br />
<ul>
<li>trips to Ikea</li>
<li>browsing Pinterest</li>
<li>attending the "Tour of Renovations" put on by the homebuilders' association</li>
<li>trips to local flooring, tile, lighting, etc. stores</li>
<li>soliciting advice from friends & family that have done a kitchen reno</li>
</ul>
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On December 27th we started taking all the stuff off the walls and moving the contents of the cupboards to the basement where we would have our makeshift kitchen. (Remember when I said we made the right choice about finishing the basement first? Ya. I can't imagine doing this project and not having anywhere to BE when the upstairs is in such turmoil) On December 30th Devin started taking down the hideous wall and we've been going ever since!<br />
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I had no idea how much this project would infiltrate every room of the house. Displaced items from the livingroom in the office, the spare bedroom dismantled to access plumbing and electrical, the freezer room (where lots of extra kitchen stuff was being stored) spilled into the family room to access the electrical panel and run wiring and pipes. I believe our bedrooms are the only respite we have! But, it's finally coming together and the end result will be worth it. We're so excited! (And I'll be thrilled to be able to cook real food again and get rid of my dishpan hands!)<br />
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<br />Janicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17950510225891047509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14763611.post-12632299414269804622020-02-26T10:11:00.001-05:002020-02-26T10:11:56.654-05:00The SpeechDo you remember fifth grade? Do you remember the terror of doing an oral presentation? I do! I was in Mrs. Babcock's class and my topic was the Olympic torch relay. My sister Connie had carried the torch leading up to the Calgary 88 Olympics so I had a first hand account. I practiced and practiced and when the day came, I clutched my cue cards tightly as I stood in front of my class and delivered my speech.<br />
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Well, Cody is in grade 5 and he is currently working on his oral presentation. They had to choose an interesting person to research and deliver a speech about. He decided to go with his love of cars and chose the president of GM. <sound effect:="" record="" scratching=""> I was curious - was that the current president? The first president? What was his name and what had he done that was interesting? With a little coaching, Devin persuaded him to change lanes and focus on Elon Musk - the driving force behind the Tesla. (Cody points out a Tesla any time he sees one!)</sound><br />
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Initially I thought this assignment would kill us all! The research (50 jot notes required), outline, rough draft, final draft and finally memorizing...it all seemed like too much. Especially for a kid that struggles with literacy. But, you know how to eat an elephant? One bite at a time. So, we broke down the tasks and got busy. Dynaread got put on hold as we focused on this project and slowly, it started to take shape.<br />
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Learning about Elon Musk has been fascinating! What an amazingly brilliant mind. He was reading five hours per day when he was ten years old and taught himself computer programming. He has gone on to develop the company that became PayPal which was bought by Ebay and then used that money to fund SpaceX. He is using abstract and interesting methods to make fiction reality in so many areas - space travel, internet satellites, transportation tubes and so much more than can fit into a grade 5 speech. Also, an interesting fact I learned is that he inspired the Robert Downey Jr. character for Iron Man. Cool!<br />
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Cody has embraced this project and has exceeded my expectations! Once we had a final draft ready, I had him read it from the paper 3 or 4 times per day. I told him this would help familiarize him with the words and help him get quicker. My sneaky ulterior motive was that it would help him memorize it without realizing it. And, guess what? It worked! On Sunday night I asked him to say as much as he could without the paper and he made it through with only a few prompts. We were both really excited :) I hope that when he delivers the speech in front of his class, he's not too nervous to include all the great expression that he uses when he does it at home.<br />
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We have survived <i><b>the speech of grade five</b></i>. Surely, we can take on anything now.Janicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17950510225891047509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14763611.post-593990026338670792019-12-28T13:45:00.000-05:002020-03-04T13:45:19.011-05:00Christmas 2019It's the most wonderful time of the year. (you're singing it now aren't you?) I love Christmas and now that I have a family to celebrate with, it makes it that much more sweet. This year we squeezed in so many fun things to celebrate the season. It was filled with wonderful memories I've tucked away for years to come!<br />
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<li>We joined Abby in KW for a tour of lights and live nativity</li>
<li>Celebrated with our Hamilton family at the annual Christmas Tree Party</li>
<li>Annual Christmas shopping with Cody for Mummy/Daddy </li>
<li>Enjoyed the Ladies' Tea at our church (with Devin & Cody serving)</li>
<li>Celebrated at the farm with the Mills family</li>
<li>Headed to Niagara for the Cooksey Christmas - complete with a trip to Niagara On The Lake, dinner at the Mandarin and the Christmas lights in Niagara Falls</li>
<li>Feasted on the Festive Special with the Drysdale clan</li>
<li>Took in a festive performance of Mary Poppins at The Grand Theatre on Christmas Eve afternoon</li>
<li>Christmas brunch with two sets of grandparents</li>
<li>Loads of Christmas movies, special festive snacks and all the twinkly lights!</li>
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<br />Janicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17950510225891047509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14763611.post-48725997155856404742019-08-14T16:34:00.001-04:002019-08-14T16:34:36.267-04:00Camping AdventuresThis summer we've had the opportunity to test out our tent trailer which we bought last year. It's been so fun to spend time together, relaxing, playing games, riding bikes, cooking our supper over a campfire... It's the stuff family memories are made of!<br />
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I'm looking forward to many more Drysdale adventures!<br />
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Janicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17950510225891047509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14763611.post-58858617886310140512019-08-09T16:42:00.000-04:002019-08-09T16:43:38.136-04:00Why I Broke Up WIth Young House Love<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It was the mid 2000's and I was starting to look at buying a house. I was certainly taking more interest in my decor than I had before as I was moving out of college-shabby-chic and into a more mature-adult-phase of my life. I would search the world wide web for tips on decorating and I happened upon John & Sherry's blog - Young House Love.<br />
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They had lots of great ideas for DIY projects to do on the cheap but looked good. Also tips on decorating, furniture placement, etc. Things I needed to learn. So, I followed along. So did my friend Jodi, so we would talk about their latest project as if they were friends of ours.<br />
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When they put out a book, I dutifully bought it! I even got it signed. They were such an inspiring success story - turning simple DIY projects into a money-making blog. When I bought my first house, I used many tips and projects from Young House Love. They were around my age and stage of life, so it worked well.<br />
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Somewhere along the line, my following trailed off and I heard they "took a break" from the blog and disappeared from the internet. You could still look up old stuff on their blog, but they were nowhere to be found otherwise. Then, they came back. They started a podcast. They bought a beach house to renovate. They stopped DIYing and hired a contractor. They became a "home makeover" blog rather than DIY projects. Obviously they were making bank and bought a duplex beside the beach house so they had more content to share. And share they did. Instagram was on fire with posts of their progress.<br />
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At first, I found it kinda fun to follow along. The before/after pics were neat. Sherry's voice irritated me on the podcast and the content seemed pretty shallow, so I didn't bother subscribing. And the more I paid attention to what they were doing, the more disheartened I became. The CONSTANT "swipe up" on Instagram was my first clue that they were falling out of my favour. A couple that previously boasted a tight budget, cooking at home for a birthday, economical ways to make your house look great and chemical-free cleaning products for the home/personal care suddenly became the couple that was constantly showing off what they ate at a restaurant, complaining that meal kits are too much work, and as I mentioned earlier - hiring out many of the projects. Sherry became a fashionista - despite her claims that she has a "minimalist" wardrobe and constantly brags about it, she links to her favourite jeans, shoes, bathrobe, tank top, jacket, etc. multiple times a week. (ie: she gets money from other people buying stuff that she's flogging). For someone that claims to be ultra low maintenance, she's giving tutorials on Instagram on using fake nails, fake eyelashes and what kind of mascara she uses.<br />
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In fact, I don't even think they care about home renos anymore. Clearly they can make uber money by <i>swiping up</i> and she can do that from the comfort of her couch or walking down the street. Out of curiosity, I checked Instagram before writing this and she was showing off a pair of shoes she found at a thrift store. Now, you can't link to an online site that sells these shoes because....they're from a <i>thrift store. </i>Not to worry though.... Sherry found a similar pair from Nine West and linked them so you can "swipe up" and have your very own pair so you can be just like Sherry.<br />
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I can't say I've ever felt the need to write about another blogger before but I've just reached my max of how annoying this couple is. And what really irritates me is that they keep making money from all the people that click and swipe the stuff they''re pushing.<br />
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I'm done with the Petersiks. They need to go and get a real job and join the real world.Janicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17950510225891047509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14763611.post-6868315504284668722019-07-30T16:26:00.000-04:002019-08-14T16:27:09.960-04:00Mummy Date NightsWe started a tradition in our family of having some one-on-one time with Cody - Mummy date nights and Daddy date nights. It's a good chance for us to connect and talk, have fun together and discretely teach him some important life lessons :)<br />
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Recently we've had a few fun times on our date nights including dining at Subway, painting pottery, seeing Toy Story 4 and Lion King movies!<br />
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It's been a fun summer and I love spending time with this kid. He is the cherry on top of my already-sweet life. <3 p=""><br />
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<br /></3>Janicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17950510225891047509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14763611.post-30264117552443598662019-06-15T09:55:00.002-04:002019-06-15T09:55:37.118-04:00The Rocking ChairMost kids will have similar memories to this. Visiting your grandparents meant stepping into a home where the furniture rarely changed and there was a familiar sense of hominess. I had a similar childhood.<br />
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Visiting Grammie & Grandad meant feeling the warmth of the stove in the front room. It meant hearing the tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock GONG from the clock. It meant looking at the photos proudly displayed on the buffet inside the front door. And, it usually meant Grandad would be relaxing in his favourite rocking chair.<br />
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For many years, I never sat in that chair because it was Grandad's chair. After he passed away, Grammie would often sit in it but occasionally, I had the chance to sink into it's soft cushion and be wrapped in it's comfort. I loved that chair.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the only photo I can find of the chair previously.</td></tr>
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I loved that chair so much that Grammie promised that one day I could have it. And she followed through on her word when she sold her house and moved into an apartment. By that time, the chair was in pretty rough condition. The wood was nicked and scratched, the upholstery had seen better days and it needed a good clean. It also needed a bit of a tune up as it was a bit rickety. But, I had a vision.<br />
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Now, just because you have a vision doesn't mean you are motivated to complete the vision immediately! I didn't have the skills nor the money to complete the project so it sat in my garage for quite a while. After a time, it made it's way to my dad's shop where he squared up the frame so it was good and solid. He also gave it a coat of white paint at my request. It stayed in that shop for quite a while.<br />
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During this time, Grammie would occasionally ask "did you get that chair done?" She wasn't prodding but she was pleased that I wanted to breath new life into it and was anxious to see the final product. Each time I would have to report "no, I haven't gotten around to it."<br />
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We got married three years ago and Grammie made it a goal to attend the wedding. We were elated that she accomplished that goal considering it was a very early morning for her and a bit complicated to get there via special transportation and with one of her workers from the nursing home. She was beaming. She was so happy that I now had a husband AND a family.<br />
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She asked me what I would like for a wedding gift as she wanted to get us something special. My response was that her attending the wedding was the only gift I needed. But, of course, that didn't sit well with her. She wanted to give us <i>something</i>. I thought about it and I had an idea. I suggested she give us some money towards upholstering the rocking chair. We both thought that was a great idea.<br />
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Grammie passed away five months after we got married and sadly, she never got to see the chair completed. The chair now sits in our livingroom and is beautifully restored. Special thanks to Rene at Frantic Upholstery for creatively recreating this chair. The new colour and fabric blends in nicely with our furniture but it's a wonderful reminder of past visits to see Grammie & Grandad. I know they would both love to see the chair enjoying a new lease on life.<br />
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<br />Janicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17950510225891047509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14763611.post-43236807632787198642019-05-24T15:52:00.000-04:002019-05-24T15:55:57.372-04:00The Bus Stop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Each morning this is what I start my day with. Most days we haven't had enough time to be grumpy, have a meltdown or get behind, so we are both in a pretty good mood. We drive up to the corner and wait in the car for the school bus and then I continue on my way to work.<br />
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Sometimes we use these minutes to practice memory work but sometimes we use it to talk about what happens at recess, who is a good friend at school or (most recently) play "would you rather".<br />
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I treasure these moments.<br />
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I'm not sure what it is about watching him walk away from the car, but it hits me every time.<br />
<ol>
<li>He's growing up.</li>
<li>He is the most precious gift. </li>
<li>I am incredibly lucky to have him in my life.</li>
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Janicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17950510225891047509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14763611.post-82723193738182644092019-05-23T09:57:00.003-04:002019-05-23T09:57:53.177-04:00The KissEveryone knows that the big moment at a wedding is when the minister declares "you may now kiss your bride". Usually there is an approving uproar from the attendees as this kiss seals the deal.<br />
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On our first anniversary, we returned to the Elm Hurst - where we got married. We had received some gift certificates as wedding gifts and thought it was the perfect place to celebrate one year. It was lovely and much more relaxed than the year before! As we walked around the beautiful grounds, we snapped a few pics - including a kiss in front of the same fountain as "the kiss" the year before.<br />
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It has now become a tradition to kiss at the fountain on May 22. I love that we now have 4 photos in our collection and it will continue to grow.<br />
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I suppose it's one of the benefits of getting married 10 minutes from home!<br />
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<br />Janicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17950510225891047509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14763611.post-74350320582008304392019-05-22T11:19:00.000-04:002019-05-22T11:19:23.202-04:00Happy Anniversary to us! I could never understand people that said they loved their spouse
more today than the day they married them. That sounded odd and surely I
could not love Devin any more than I did on May 22, 2016.<br />
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Well, three
years later, I'm here to say that it is possible! Each day I fall more
in love with him.<br />
God selected this man for me and we fit
together perfectly - where he is strong, I am weak; where he is weak, I
am strong. And as<span class="text_exposed_show"> we both look to God to anchor our relationship - a cord of three strands is not easily broken.</span><br />
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Three years have gone by in an instant and at the same time, it feels
like we've been together forever. I'm so excited to spend the rest of my
life with him. 39 years was a long time to wait, but it was so worth it.<br />
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<span class="_47e3 _5mfr" title="heart emoticon"><img alt="" class="img" height="16" role="presentation" src="https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/t6c/1/16/2764.png" width="16" /></span>Janicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17950510225891047509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14763611.post-6643899989295135532019-03-28T12:11:00.001-04:002019-03-28T12:12:37.881-04:00I'm Not A Stepmom, I'm the Mum That Stepped Up<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I know I am way overdue with updating my blog. I have so many words in my head I'd love to flow through my fingers, but finding the time to sit down and make it happen is challenging.<br />
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Speaking of challenging, I had a challenging day yesterday. The kind of day where you wonder what the right thing is for your kid and desperately wanting to make the right decision but it's difficult to discern which way to go.<br />
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In the evening, I was working on the computer and a message popped up from Cody's piano teacher. She sent me the following words. Tears streamed down my face as I read them. It was exactly what I needed to read yesterday. Thank you Lord for speaking through her!<br />
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<i>A good stepmom is not made, she is built. She is built by the hardships of her role, the tears she cries in secret, and by the lessons she learns through trial and error.</i><br />
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<i>The passionate stepmom makes mistakes. She has strong opinions that she often can't express. She remains quiet when she wants to scream. She makes sacrifices others may not be capable of. She learns how to love in many different ways. And she gives. She gives her heart, her soul, and her life to making sure a child she didn't give birth to smiles, has wonderful memories, and - most importantly - feels loved.</i><br />
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<br />Janicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17950510225891047509noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14763611.post-26990848393234599602019-03-20T11:32:00.000-04:002019-04-23T11:42:23.333-04:00Spring Break!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This year, we decided to head somewhere warm for March break. We had tossed around a variety of ideas of places to go during Cody's time off school including a cruise, Florida and Washington, DC. Washington was a front-runner for a while. It's been on my "list" for a while and it's a day's drive from home. While it wouldn't be hot during March break, it would be pleasant. In fact, when I mentioned our plans to my sister Jo-Anne, she thought it sounded like so much fun that they might want to go too! We started looking for a house we could rent for all 7 of us.<br />
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As we researched our trip to Washington, we were getting excited about the interesting places we would see and things we would do. We found a great house to stay at just outside the city. Things were coming together. Except the public service workers were in the middle of a work stoppage and we weren't sure if it would still be happening during our stay. If that were the case, we could not see any of the places we had planned to see. This required a change of plans and direction. We decided, instead, to head to Myrtle Beach.<br />
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We found a great beach house inside a gated community. It had four bedrooms - each with its own bathroom, two large covered decks. It was right on the water and had tons of stuff to do including a skateboard park, basketball, ping pong, indoor pool, mini golf and, of course, the ocean! The only downside was it was about 5 more hours of driving than Washington.<br />
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We survived the LONG drive - which included a snowstorm through the Virginia mountains! We opted to drive there in one day but take 2 days to drive home. We were exhausted when we finally reached our destination but we made it one piece.<br />
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The week was filled with:<br />
<ul>
<li>coffee & reading on the deck</li>
<li>cousin adventures</li>
<li>many games of mini golf (a Myrtle Beach staple)</li>
<li>Bingo (both Devin & Cody won a round)</li>
<li>snacks</li>
<li>Monopoly Deal</li>
<li>independent boys with a walkie talkie</li>
<li>splashing in the ocean</li>
<li>fresh seafood</li>
<li>memories to last a lifetime!</li>
</ul>
We had such a fun time and it was a beautiful spot. We made friends with our neighbours who own multiple properties within Ocean Lakes. I think we will return at some point in the future.<br />
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<br />Janicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17950510225891047509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14763611.post-1318905464557426952019-02-21T10:07:00.000-05:002019-02-21T10:10:26.273-05:00Serving Up LoveWhen you truly love someone, you are willing to serve them. Not so it will be reciprocated, but rather because it is a way to <i>show </i>them how you feel. Last night my husband did just that. He took the time to pamper my feet - sanding away calluses and hydrating them with a creamy lotion. We commented when he was done that we should've taken a before and after pic because the change was phenomenal!<br />
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I'm not overly focused on my feet in the winter - which are typically covered up by socks. They were dry and rough. He made them smooth and luxurious.<br />
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Who am I that I could be so lucky as to have this man for my husband? Truly, I wonder this most days. I thank the Lord for bringing us together and for the blessing that he is to me and our family. Saying I love him is too great an understatement to appropriately express my feelings for him. I need to shout it from the mountaintop. (or my blog)Janicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17950510225891047509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14763611.post-51117820013159298062019-02-13T19:07:00.001-05:002019-02-21T10:10:42.959-05:00He Did It Again!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last year we were excited to go on the Top Tech adventure with
Devin's company - Cummins. After winning round one (a written test
combined with his safety record, efficiency rating, manager's comments,
etc.) he competed in a hand's-on competition in Montreal for round two.
We were thrilled when he won this round and we travelled to Indianapolis
for the finals! He didn't place in the top three but we had a wonderful
week hosted by Cummins - including a trip to the Indy 500. So cool.<br />
<br />
Anyway,
we just found out that Devin has, once again, won round one of Top Tech
2019! I'm so proud of him for getting an amazing score of 95.6 on the
combined elements. We can't wait to see how he does in this year's
competition with the experience of 2018 behind him. Janicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17950510225891047509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14763611.post-53524394922660928422019-01-31T12:32:00.000-05:002019-02-01T08:26:10.513-05:00Double DigitsThey say time flies when you're having fun. The past four years of my life have been one wild ride that I have enjoyed to the fullest! So, when I look at Cody now and compare to a photo from the first day we met, I can't believe how much he has changed!<br />
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He was just a wee little six year old when we met for the first time. It was the day before Mother's Day and Devin planned a special event so we would both remember the day forever. We went on a helicopter ride over Niagara Falls. I don't remember a lot about the ride, but I do remember that sweet little boy sitting next to me.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbzVrbESauXjOCcq05jj_quavTS1Ajp-JIC5o6REkgrkovreBinVAul593IQLLre-8i-JiOF4h1gA-FE9NrMBL1X_FrCSbIH0C3NIQuhQMVV1SRrsXEuUJOdQIMCRKLjeBtbV/s1600/IMG_6918.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTbzVrbESauXjOCcq05jj_quavTS1Ajp-JIC5o6REkgrkovreBinVAul593IQLLre-8i-JiOF4h1gA-FE9NrMBL1X_FrCSbIH0C3NIQuhQMVV1SRrsXEuUJOdQIMCRKLjeBtbV/s320/IMG_6918.JPG" width="320" /></a>I am so incredibly proud of how Cody has handled the many changes in his life since then. He moved into a new house in a new community and started at a new school with new friends. He had a new mum in his life and new routines and new traditions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGkTLUtKa4E68D9BB45dWhSF0Csyqea0gfhvD3tRod304wQ4qpTn7_P9j8zV9zrBHX1wCMB78RUBlPfvScqIp6AiWNU8L_l61d2rkAeNiAiwOyZ4KOHYsqSPDROc48Zocn9PUq/s1600/IMG_6922.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGkTLUtKa4E68D9BB45dWhSF0Csyqea0gfhvD3tRod304wQ4qpTn7_P9j8zV9zrBHX1wCMB78RUBlPfvScqIp6AiWNU8L_l61d2rkAeNiAiwOyZ4KOHYsqSPDROc48Zocn9PUq/s320/IMG_6922.JPG" width="240" /></a>He is maturing into such a thoughtful and kind young man. He makes his bed each morning and packs his lunch when he gets home from school. He is working so hard on his reading and writing and is astounding us with test results in his Bible, Math, Science and Spelling classes! He holds the door, saying "Ladies first" and helps people put their groceries on the conveyor belt. He is very aware of and concerned for other's feelings and is often there to give me a hug or pat my arm and assure me "it will be ok". He has become the apple of my eye.<br />
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Each night I sneak into his room, long after he's gone to sleep, and I watch him. (usually in some contorted position that looks totally uncomfortable) I can't believe how lucky I am. To think that God found me suitable to be his Mum and brought him into my life when I fell in love with Devin... it's beyond my comprehension but I am so grateful.<br />
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We celebrated his big day by having dinner at Subway. Of ALL of the restaurants, that is where he wanted to eat. It was a great deal for us plus he was thrilled to get TWO six inch subs AND chips! LOL. The next day we hosted 10 little boys for a party and had family over in the afternoon. A great time celebrating this great boy.<br />
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Double digits. Time flies.<br />
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<br />Janicehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17950510225891047509noreply@blogger.com0