...across the room over and over again #2.....

         ...FRIDAY turned out to be another activity

filled day  trying to keep the two little rascals from getting bored.

Thankfully Papa was home to help relieve the boredom. Morning and evening motorbike rides for Papa and Declan were included in our busy agenda. Meanwhile the women had some shopping to do.  Miss Rowan was a trooper as I dragged her from store to store until she yawned and informed me "I'm tired.  I want to nap!"  What two year old says THAT?!

After lunch (complete with many candle lighting ceremonies again) and a nap,   everyone agreed a trip to the park was in order.  Going to the park is a piece of cake when the Papa is present to do the running after the two year old!! 

 

Later, bath time was so much more fun with some new Dora and Diego bath toys and everyone was ready for a good night's sleep. 

 

The pace in our home Saturday mornings tends to be slow and relaxing.  Compare that to trying to cook bacon, scrambled eggs, toast, coffee, hot chocolate, clearing the toys off the table, trying to look modest in a robe that keeps rearranging itself,  to chants like "I hungwee!", "Juice?", "Nana, is it ready yet?  I'm starving!"  "My tummy hurts!"  "I POOPED!" and others I can't remember!  Meanwhile Papa is tearing around the house after the two year old who continually teases him with "Papa, you gotta GET me!"

After breakfast and staggered showers for the adults in order to provide police presence for our energetic inquisitive house guests it was time to pack the bags for the trip back home.  For some reason there was more to pack for the return trip.  Could it have anything to do with the women's shopping spree?!  I didn't mention that during nap time the little man and I enjoyed another shopping spree!  It's all about equality and keeping everything fair!

It felt a little sad to drop them off at their home and oddly enough we don't seem to be in any great hurry to tidy up the house yet.  It just looks like somebody REALLY lives here!!

 

....across the room over and over and over and over...

Our quiet, peaceful, relatively neat retreat has recently become a den of music, Ratatouille replays, squeals and shrieks of laughter, tea parties, ping pong games and bed time routine revamping!  Our refrigerator  is bulging with chocolate puddings, apple juice, cheese, M & M's, cookies and other delectables people our age should be ashamed to have in the house.   I don't even want to talk about what lurks in the pantry!  They like candles even more than we do....especially extinguishing them!  I probably lit the kitchen table candles ten times during our last meal.  Declan is a pro at roasting wieners with Papa; Rowan's idea of hot dogs is to eat the bun around the wiener  corn on the cob style until all that's left is the whole wiener!  I'm to eat that part!  She has no ice cream cone issues though.  My apologies to her Mom for not wiping the ketchup off her face before taking pictures!  

My days seem to have so many more hours in them now.  We were up and about by 6:20 AM, made Papa's bag lunch, ate breakfast, and dressed for our 7:45 AM walk in the park with my friends. Normally I grab my running shoes and socks (or one shoe and two socks, or two shoes and one sock...the other sock is often on the driveway when I get back home!) and dash out the door to meet my friends.  Today we transferred the car seats from the car to the truck, put the stroller on the box, made six trips back and forth from the house to the truck, from the car to the truck, from the garage to the truck, from the shed to the truck before we finally got going. Our walk was delayed by wrist protectors, knee protectors, elbow protectors, helmet, and roller blades which my friend patiently helped the little man with.  Suffice it to say the walk seemed so much longer than our usual hour.  We came home, packed a picnic lunch and made our way to another city park.  (Note to self:  Do not spread picnic lunch for two year old in plain sight of playground EVER!)  Two hours of lunch and running back and forth to catch Rowan coming down the slide and pushing Declan on the swings, running after Rowan from station to station, I was about ready to convulse!  We maneuvered out of our parking spot with much unsolicited advice, ducking and sucking in of breath by a seven year old who thought we would fall into the woods with the back end of the truck!  It caused a set back for me and brought on a case of hot flashes I have not experienced before!  Thank the Lord for nap times.  I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer and I needed an energy infusion.  Unfortunately seven year olds don't nap, and don't realize naps in four minute intervals are mostly disturbing.  I love bath time.  I make sure the two little rascals are safely tucked into their beds, fast asleep before I slip into my big soaker tub for a good long muscle relaxing soak (reminder:  add epsom salts next time!).          

...across the room to celebrate again....

         

                                                       *Birthday  & Anniversary

          I've been trying to post a picture of us at the Spa this weekend and for some reason it will not work for me.  We spent from Friday to Sunday at the Spa and had the most relaxing weekend ever!  My BP reading was extra low when we arrived back home! The weekend get away was for our anniversary and the spa treatments were my birthday present from my hubby.  All I can say is BLISS!!

For most of the time we have lived in Alberta my birthday celebrations usually last at least one week.  This picture is a few of my biking friends and I on a birthday lunch ride.  My good friend Renita who is a "pre-rider!" (meaning, of course she will have her own bike eventually!) honored me by allowing me to give her a ride on my bike!  Later this week another friend and I are going for pedicures for our birthdays and then I think I'm all done celebrating!   My body cannot handle any more desserts!!

Thank you to all my family and friends who helped me celebrate another great year.  I am truly blessed!

 

...across the room to celebrate....

*Canada Day!  Canada...our HOME land.  Whenever we leave our Country for awhile I enjoy my time away but I have to say that when I cross back into Canada I feel a sense of relief, rest, and safety as I immerse myself in familiar territory once again.  Canada is home to me and I love living here.  We are so blessed to live with all the freedoms of this country.  God keep our land, glorious and FREE!  

We celebrated with family this year as we enjoyed a fabulous dinner out on a restaurant patio and then joined many of our city folk to watch the fireworks.  It felt much like a great big family gathering and it was a very special day.

...thoughts of summer, weddings, marriage ....

Summer seems to be the season for weddings and this summer is no different.  We have some weddings to celebrate again this year.

I have to say that for myself the whole idea of the big wedding bash/celebration does not have the same appeal it once did.  As a young woman I looked forward to the day I would be the one to walk down that long isle to meet my husband to be.  The idea of a big celebration with all our family and friends with us seemed very exciting and something to dream about and look forward to.  

When the time came for us to get married, what mattered most to me was the vows that we would promise to one another, the reality of a life together forever, and of course the gown I would wear!  I even forgot to order a wedding cake.  It just was not a priority for me.  Our cake ended up being three boxes, all different sizes, stacked, and iced!  There was not a crumb of cake to be found underneath all that icing!!

After being married for 36 years, I am so aware of all that follows that very important day and it makes the wedding day pale in comparison to 'life after the great big fat wedding'!  There is so much fun to be had, such joy to be shared, and so many blessings to experience as a couple. There are also adjustments to make, pride to be swallowed, humility to be learned (humble pie is my least favourite!),  and a life long opportunity to share all of ones self with that one person that we chose from all the others out there to chose from!   A good thing to remember when the honeymoon is over! 

This is the part that seems to dictate just how good the relationship will be.  In this relationship honesty is paramount.  I remember discussing this early in our life together and promising to be honest with one another.  It is risky business.  Or at least it feels like it.  To be completely real and honest about ourselves, our motives, and our intentions will mean that some of the time we won't look very good to our spouse.  We might not even like ourselves much some of the time.  But unless we can share ourselves openly and honestly we will never reach that point of satisfaction we crave in a marriage relationship.  When I think back over the years of my life since my wedding day, it seems to me that it was all those times of raw intimate openness that helped us evolve into 'one' unit.

With another anniversary to celebrate soon I've been thinking about what makes our marriage feel so solid.  We are SO DIFFERENT in personality, interests, professions, likes and dislikes. Strangely enough, we seem to have 'one heart'.  We are soul mates, best friends and lovers.  Our commitment to each other is forever.  We do not allow ourselves to entertain ideas of other options.  It is the two of us together for the rest of our lives like we promised at the altar. There is security, peace and rest in knowing that.  Our priorities are the same.  Our God is the same and we both realize that our thanks for our life has to be directed to Him.  It is because of Him that we are where we are today! To God be the glory!

If there is one piece of advice I would like to give to newlyweds it would be to keep your promises to one another, don't allow yourselves any other options or a way out, and take the risk of being completely real, true and honest with each other.  

...across the room to Halifax!!

My hubby was going to Halifax for a conference this year and I decided the opportunity for some R 'n R for me  was too good to pass up!  We've just returned from our week on the east coast. My schedule the past six weeks had left me rather sleep deprived so while he was busy attending sessions I slept until I could sleep no more.  Between naps I got re-acquainted with downtown Halifax.  I walked EVERYWHERE and if you know Halifax you will know that there  are NO level streets there!  I was so thankful for my habit of walking every day this last winter.  Even so, I had to keep doing stretches to keep limber.                                        Last time we were in Halifax I was so enthralled with the scenery and I was this time as well, however I found myself taking note of the people more this time.  They are refreshingly friendly and interesting.  Waiters and waitresses, store clerks and hotel staff were helpful, gracious and seemed to be happy with their jobs.  We found drivers to be extremely courteous to one another as well as to pedestrians.  Personally I found the street people in Halifax to be particularly entertaining and fun.  Because we spent a week there and I did so much walking I often saw the same people and I know they were beginning to recognize me as well.  When we didn't donate anything to them (after awhile you run out of change!!) they would say things like "I accept bills!", and "I accept credit cards!" or "I give tax receipts!"  One lady I saw often as she sat on the street corner held out her donation cup to me and when she saw she wasn't getting anything that time she said "How about giving me your coffee to go with my sandwich?"  We both had a good laugh and I went on my way, gripping my cup just a little bit tighter!  I was not about to give up my Starbucks Java for anyone first thing in the morning!!

In case you've started packing your bags for a move east to this perfect city, be warned!! ... it seems that anything loud going on at the water front carries all the way up to the citadel and these easterners like it LOUD!  When they finally turn off the speakers for the night everyone makes their way up the hill.  Nobody is in a hurry.  There's lots of loud chattering, laughing, joking and singing to share with their friends.  Since we liked to sleep with our window open it's no wonder I had to keep napping during the day!!

Not too far from our hotel was the beautiful St. Mary's Cathedral.  Since I had Sunday morning to myself I decided to worship there.  The beauty of this building is breath taking. The gorgeous stained glass windows become even more exquisite as the sun shines through them.  I love pillars and there was no shortage in this sanctuary which seems to go on forever!   I especially noticed the respect and reverence in this place ..... something I often find lacking in churches these days.  The music was beautiful and the singing hearty.  One song in particular gripped me so that I copied it to take home.  Here it is (I'm not sure the words are exactly right but they are close):

Lord Jesus we must know You if we would make You known

For how can we proclaim You but by Your grace alone.

We long to know Your fullness, Your life of risen power.

For You alone can answer the challenge of this hour.

Our broken world is seeking what only You can give.

Our words may go unheeded but not the way we live.

O Saviour live within us, Your life so strong, so true.

That others touched with wonder may seek and worship You.

Lord Jesus by Your Spirit, renew Your church we pray.

'Til what we are makes valid the truth of what we say.

So truly may we know You, So make Your life our own.

That we become so like you our lives must make you known.

I love Halifax and will look forward to going back some time.  Hopefully we will find ourselves seeing this beautiful city on two wheels next time!!

Celebrity Collage by MyHeritage

http://www.myheritage.com/collage

This looked like fun so here are my supposed look alikes!  I had to try a few pictures to get anything I would be brave enough to post here!!

MyHeritage: Family trees - Genealogy - Celebs