Photo-Bomb Brats

It was Bailey's day and all I wanted was some beautiful pictures of a beautiful girl. The fact that we live in a beautiful part of the world makes it even easier to do...Her delightful sisters begged to tag along (aww how nice and supportive), turns out their only collective objective goal was to photo-bomb every possible shot....Awesome and annoying....

 Alex you are supposed be my sweet one.... 

And this one...makes me laugh every. single. time.

 

Madison says 'seven' when we finally get in the car...???? What? 'That's the number of times you or Dad threaten to punch in the head (we would never actually, but you know). That's a better record than last year!!!!'

Sometimes instilling your offspring with the same sense of humour you have is dangerously annoying.

She Made It!

Two down, three to go....(apologies, this is totally a self indulgent post)

Bailey's high school graduation was yesterday. She actually finished back at the end of January so this was just a technicality.

We took off early in the morning trying to beat the stormy weather for some pictures...First was one of our favourite place, Island Bison farm. It was unusual to have the bison right up at the fence, its like they were totally checking her out :)....

 

By the time we hit Saratoga beach the wind was blowing hard, but mamma wanted some beach shots and Bailey knows don't mess with my beach time so she froze while Grant got some great shots...

then it was Filberg Park(seriously the prettiest park on the planet)....

She met up with her Grad date, who was in tails and top hat and RED Converse high tops (my Dad would have been pleased :)) a perfect gentleman.

 

Then for the important part....Cap and gown...

She made it! And we couldn't be more pleased.

 We are so blessed! Grant and I promised each other, just the other day that we would never miss the celebrations and milestones and victories in these kids...maybe it's losing my parents but sometimes just being there, means everything and we really never know how many chances we get to just be there.

Way  to go Bailey, so glad we could celebrate with you!!!!!

And now that we are experienced grad parents here are notes for future reference....

The second kid graduating is easier than the first (less stressful).

You should not be required to sit for three straight hours on wooden bleachers, if you are over 25...I still can't feel my lower half.

Never bring a barking, BARKING Yorkie, to your child's graduation (seriously people)

The teacher who introduced his TA grads using quotes from Mean Girls (valley girl accent and all) ...you are AWESOME

Sad they didn't play the Pomp and Circumstance March...the grads picked there own songs to march in and out (lame)

We really don't need to hear a 2 minute presentation on each grad, we know our kid is awesome, just like every other kid there is awesome...their name and a single sentence could suffice, cutting the ceremony down significantly and saving my sore a#$, just saying

Bring more snacks and make sure your phone is FULLY charged :) bad but honest parent.

Goodbye Elementary

The last one graduated from elementary school (grade seven) today....and will be off to high school, HIGH SCHOOL this fall.....(I shed a few tears as my little man walked into the gym)

 Yay! The kid I wasn't sure would survive kindergarten made  it through elementary school with only one trip to the principal's office, a "you know your son talks a lot" at every single parent/teacher conference, a few trips to the emergency room and no one ever taping his mouth shut (I think ;)). Now that's quite the achievement!

 

Grant and I had the duty pleasure of surviving attending man child's award/grad recognition ceremony. Nope he wasn't up for any special award, nope just a regular kid graduating from grade seven. If they gave an award for an amazing grasp of sarcasm, being able to talk faster than a politician or being "choke on your food" funny then he would have been a shoe-in, but our elementary school is far to swanky for that :)

 

Parent confession: Award ceremonies are boring as H#$% if it's not the fruit of your loins getting the shiny plaque, but superman and I survived with 100 calorie snacks and playing with our new camera (bad parenting) I mean, we were listening intently, happy for the other parents brilliant children, yeah that's it. :)

 

Love this kid! Can't wait to see what lies ahead for him...comedian, politician  who knows. He has a heart of gold so what ever he becomes he, as always will be AMAZING.

Way to go Dallyn, we love you.

Brutal

Writing words....I best express myself in writing. At times when I'm speechless, which is often, the words flow onto this blog with ease. I love being able to share our lives this way..."You are so open" I hear it often..."You talk about stuff, I would never..."

Yes, I am open, but on my terms and if by "stuff I would never" you mean mental illness, the penis joke someone told at dinner and peeing my pants in public, oh and the occasional swear. Then yes, guilty as charged.

I am no where as open as you may think. This blog is the edited, watered down version of our lives. If you say "oh I know, I read it on the blog, that's only the half story.

So many times I have sat here to share our lives and hit back space over and over again or given up all together. Half the stuff I want to blog about, I just can't... Somebody won't understand or it will just kindle gossip or heaven forbid somebody will get their feelings hurt...none are my intention and in a matter of honesty I don't have the energy or desire to stroke someone else's insecurities....

We have made it to the other side of a BRUTAL three weeks..... {backspace}

Many don't know that. When it gets this difficult, I am afraid to talk about it, to ask for help because there are only a very few who I trust with the heartache and fear and I can't bear another "not now"...{backspace}

"Oh I'm fine" I hear him reply on the phone and I want to scream "He. Is. Not!, He needs you! If you really knew him, you'd know that" {backspace}

We have made it to the other side of this relapse (I hope) but it's been a lonely road....{backspace}

Heartache and Answers

I have struggled and struggled the last few weeks...Our family is good at rolling with the punches and adjusting our sails. It's never been a peaceful walk in a meadow around here but I take pride in the  chaos and challenges and our ability to land on our feet. It means we are strong and blessed...But lately I have felt like telling life to BLANK  {pick yer favourite bible swear}off !!!Is that too honest? Seriously...

 

Its not new trials, but a realization that certain trials, aren't going anywhere.

 

At what point have I shed enough tears over trial A? Isn't there a limit on the water works for trial B?

Is a thousand prayers, like enough, cause I am positive its been more?

If I pay like 12% on that tithing, can I earn a free pass, eventually?

 

I have struggled with much grief and discouragement, a private struggle with my own heart...I can't keep doing this! Will things ever feel normal? Will I ever stop worrying? Will the sadness ever not hurt so much? Will we ever be able to catch our breath?

 

******

 

For years our Stake President (regional church leader) has said "keep your feet moving" when challenges, discouragement, worry come your way....keep your feet moving...For years that has been stuck in my head. Last week as I was struggled to find answers and fixes and peace and after a particularly long prayer, in my minds eye I could see President VH at the pulpit.

"Keep your feet moving"

 

And these are the thoughts that followed...

Don't stop doing the good things, just because it got a little harder, keep your feet moving. You are already headed in the right direction.

 

The answers to your troubles don't come sitting surfing Pinterest, drowning my sorrows in Dr Pepper, but while I'm  working or serving or visiting with friends, so keep your feet moving, now is not the time to sit stuck in sorrow.

 

When your heart is heavy, reach out to someone who is hurting more and show them some kindness, keep your feet moving, helping others.

 

*****

 

I had a beautiful experience this week...

 

It was a difficult, difficult week and my heart was aching...But while visiting with a dear friend I realised some ones heart was aching more than mine....what can I do?

 

Make a quilt!

but that won't fix the heart ache, hers or mine...a dozen thoughts went through my mind...but the thought would leave my mind...so I got busy...

 

What a beautiful distraction, my worries were far from my mind as I cut and pieced and sewed...Prayers for my dear friend took their place...

 

 

 

 

 

Its not that the quilt answers anything but it is a reminder that we are not alone in our heart ache....

My "quilt" today...

A message from a dear friend, saying that he knew how hard father's day was for my sister and I and was thinking about us....

 

So I will keep my feet moving, one "quilt" at a time and hopefully the answers will come. :)

Ten Things Faster Than Telus

So...here is the quick back story {AKA why Telus, well... sucks}
Telus is our phone, internet, TV provider...We have had problems with our connection for months with no fix, finally they suggest switching to the new Optik service....that should solve your problem, dedicated line blah, blah ,blah...I schedule an appointment with a technician...

Original appointment is lost in their system and is changed THREE times before they actually show up this morning (nearly a month later)...
Technician is here for 2 hours and 30 minutes: Up a ladder, down a ladder, in the house out of the house, over and over... coffee/smoke break with 2 other Telus employees in my driveway (2 Telus vans and a Telus truck parked in front of my house) Up my stairs down my stairs...

Finally..."So I think we are finally ready to go" Technician goes to enter the codes on my TV receivers..."oh sorry ma'am, I forgot there is an outage, I can't finish this today" Ohhh??? " I'll be back WEDNESDAY, you wont have any service until then. "What?" How long has there been an outage? " Since yesterday, sorry about that..." he then leaves with all my tvs still on and equipment strung across my family room....

So I call Telus to complain..."Well he shouldn't have done that...but there is nothing we can do until Wednesday..." Well he DID!... Sorry ma'am..."Well you are just going to love our Optik service, once you get it, and we get the kinks worked out trust me"(yup you are instilling confidence in me AS. WE. SPEAK!) "Please don't waste any more of my time today," I say...

Bunch of bone heads...So here are the top ten things that I could do faster than Telus hooking up my TV...

10. WALK to the Telus head office in Vancouver including the 26 mile swim across Georgia Straight
9. WITNESS an entire life cycle of most flying insects 
8. MOWING my lawn with scissors.
7. WORLD PEACE.. I am nearly confident this could indeed happen faster
6. READ the entire works of Dickens in a Disney Princess voice (I'm thinking Cinderella)
5. PAINT my entire house with (Grant's) toothbrush
4. MEMORIZE pi, backwards
3. CROCHET sweaters for all the neighbourhood cats
2. LEARN Klingon
1. GIVE BIRTH to FIVE kids...oh wait I did that...all of my labours combined do not add up to the time TELUS takes to hook up TV :)

Telus get it together...do I need to call your mother?

Bob the Beetle

 

 Weird, I haven't posted in like ten days, what's wrong with me?!? I haven't felt like it and its taken me a few more days, than I planned, to get my crazy sea legs again....Oh, trust me, there is plenty to blog about...

First: Maddie  WON the room, and not by votes, we wanted her to have it all along and then we figured out that her competitor cheated, staking anonymous votes on this blog...so said competitor had to forfeit, sometimes parenting is AWESOME :)

 

Second: We bought a 1975 VW BETTLE and we have named her BOB!

This is completely out of character for us, we don't need a second vehicle but....

You see my Dad drove a White Beetle, with red interior off the lot in 1962, his first new car, and continued to drive it for 28 years, he loved that car and so did I...When he died last year, I mentioned that if we ever find one...It would be a fun way to honour him...

 

 

Two weeks ago we found BOB and she's even robin's egg blue! I had a hard time hiding my tears as we drove her around the lot for the first time...memories of bombing around in my Dad's as a child came flooding back...

 

Well, BOB now resides in our driveway and I SMILE every time I look at her, she is much smaller than my child's memory serves, but still so fun to ride in and I am sure my Dad is very pleased.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Battle of the Bedroom

Now that we have an empty bedroom and Madison and Alex BOTH want it...We have asked for a presentation on "Why I deserve my OWN room?" Here are their efforts.....PLEASE VOTE for which kid you think deserves the room :)

 

 

MADSISON : "No Room"

ALEX: Can you see me in that room?-  sorry Lion King (let the over-singing begin)


My our best child win :)