jeffrey

my dear husband just had a birthday.  forty-five....yep, that's 45 years, and i can't quite believe it....some days i bet he really believes it!  he keeps a pretty busy pace.  he holds many spinning plates in the air.  yet other times, it's very clear that the perspective of a big kid remains alive and well inside his brain, and undoubtedly the whirlwind of years between childhood to "middle age" :) are a crazy blur.  i better be careful how much i tease, because i'm a few short months from the "forties club" myself. 

 

 

the above picture is soooo Jeff.  the quality isn't great, because it was awhile ago, after all (last dig, i promise). yes, Jeff loves wrestling.  he's passionate about its value in equipping for life.  he lives and breathes it....i love it now too, because of him, and it's pure joy to watch him coach the kids at the Sarnia club, and especially our own children. 

this picture of the two of us makes me smile.  we look SOOOO YOUNG!!!!  it's back in the day when it was just us.  little did we know what (who!) was to come!  life was silly and fun and looking back~ so carefree.  and, even more strange~ this room is the same room Layla now sleeps in.  crazy!  this was my room, and it's easy to tell because of the stuffed dogs and dog poster on the wall~ because i was such a dog lover even back then!  ahem....rest in peace, Josee.... 

so, as i celebrate this birthday with Jeff i feel increasingly thankful for each passing year.  as i said in his birthday letter, "...yes, many days the pace we live feels like it's kicking our butts, and the routine can be draining, but the strong undercurrent for me is that we are still best friends, and we still have our roots and history and good times behind us and hopefully ahead.  i need that somehow.  so, let's hope for lots more amazing memories together in the remaining time God blesses us with."

happy birthday, sweetie-pie!  (he loves that.....no, he doesn't, but it's my blog)

eight

Hudson recently turned eight.  this is a big deal for him, and us.  he was so excited to hit this milestone, and to be honest, we were excited for him.  each passing year for Hudson seems to bring slow and steady growth and change....usually in the right direction.  sort of the "two steps forward, one back" routine...just being honest...Hudson is lively and loving and full of potential.  i adore this child.  i feel for him when i see him struggling.  i want to help point him to success and good choices. 

celebrating his birthday together with family was super exciting for him.  first, he opened gifts from Jeff and I.  a gigantic highlight was the signed Malcolm Subban jersey he received (thanks Uncle Bob for orchestrating this!), the autographed photo and birthday message from Malcolm, the Belleville Bulls loot (water bottle, hockey cards, puck) and the Bulls t-shirt with "Hudson" on the back...

 

below, he sat through his birthday letter...

 

 

 later, cousins and aunts and uncles and grandparents came for cake.  love the super sincere smile here.  notice, front tooth #2 has fallen out as well. 

 

lights out, sparklers lit, fun attention and focus just on the birthday boy.  sadly, i had started to cut and plate the cake before cluing in that we still needed to sing to the birthday boy, thus the missing piece.  bothered me, but i don't know if Hudson even noticed it.  even more disturbing, i did the same thing last year for one of the kids.  i think i'll be ok.  must need a vacation...hehe...

 

four sweet girls...two older cousins, one proud new sister, and one brand-spankin' new baby named Cali....we were all smitten.  AJ declared "i like that girl".   i loved stealing a few moments with my new niece.  she is perfect and cuddly and has that awesome baby smell that i'll never tire of....

 even though birthdays with my kids always involve extra work, there is something really special about seeing the moments unfold.  Hudson was thankful for the day he had.  he loved sharing those moments with extended family.  i loved seeing him excitedly participate.  we also spoke of his beginning, we remembered his first family, we shared some more, we thanked God we'd been matched with each other.  i pray Hudson's life will be marked by ongoing joy, gratitude and a clear and simple understanding that his life has a purpose.  that he is loved unconditionally.   i pray he'll continue to grow and develop both physically and emotionally and spiritually.  happy birthday, Hudson!

cancun

Mexico, oh how i love Mexico....Cancun, more specifically....as many of you know, Jeff and I had the surprise of a lifetime just before Christmas when I won a radio contest offering a free, all-inclusive trip to Cancun with others from the local radio morning show.  there were twelve of us in total.  we arrived home last Saturday night to our kids and brave, brave parents who graciously offered to move in and hold the fort.  Mom and Dad, thanks soooooooooooooooooo much......the break was so incredible and the seven nights staying in such a beautiful resort was a treat i never could have imagined ever experiencing...i find myself drifting back in my mind to the blue beaches and warm white sand.  i imagine what i would have been eating a week ago~ because being totally honest, the food was fabulous and even nicer when prepared by a chef other than myself!  here are a few pictures.  if this is all too torturous for you, i fully understand....skip the photos and return next week for more of the usual...

first photo~ we're on our way....i still love flying~ it remains a novelty for me.  right down to the mini pretzels...

 

 from the Presidential Suite, which we toured but were not staying in, a view of the great pool..

 

 

Jeff on the Mexican Wrestling night, loving every minute, and insisting on being shirtless for the photo.  otherwise it wouldn't have the same effect, i'm told...i laughed so hard seeing his eagerness to get in the ring.  you had to be there, i guess, but it was super fun...

 

us at Zen, a Japanese restaurant with a fun and talented chef preparing the food right in front of our group....

 

i loved the food....and wonder if my dear father would install something like this in my kitchen...so easy to cook on and my kids would love it if i learned some of the same tricks....like the flaming volcano onion stack....it would be great for parties! 

walking to a nearby mall. 

 

sitting with Sarah on the gnome chairs.  this girl is crazy and fun and sweet....nice to get to know her...

the view from my chair late afternoon....just a wee bit pretty...

some dude playing volleyball....wait a minute, that's Jeff!!

 

typical breakfast for both of us, with Jeff's plate always including a bigger heap of bacon.  he's in withdrawal this week.  his arteries are glad we are home.  amazing omelettes, french toast, fruit, freshly squeezed juices and hot coffee....TAKE ME BACK!!!!!!!!

the token palm tree shot...

 

Mel and I...another great girl who happens to look like my sister in this pic.  she's lovely and kind and the wife of a crazy fun man, named John....

 

the beach at night.  in this picture i'm trying to mentally prepare to "walk away" in just 12 hours...

 

still having trouble saying good-bye to a week of fun and rest....hanging on to the bitter end...

 

it was, however, great to drive up the snowy driveway and see a few little monkeys peering out the window, awaiting our arrival.  nice to snuggle them and catch up with their lives...they did great with grandma and grandpa~ and grandma and grandpa did great with them.  my parents returned to their much more sane  calm existence and slept well in their own bed...

so, back to reality with a renewed and refreshed spirit.  good thing~ because this week is a big one.   Muchas gracias, Cancun....

 

the rink

today this very rink is more like a pond.  however, there has still been lots of enjoyment already from this particular rectangle of ice on our back lot....Good, old-fashioned, unstructured outdoor play with nets and sticks and more recently~ the new addition of a ramp made by Grandpa Joe.  hopefully there are more snowy days to come when i can post pictures of his latest build...

 

 

it sure helps the winter pass~ with rosy cheeks and weary bodies that crawl into bed at night dreaming of hockey and sledding and all the carefree "stuff" that childhood is made of...we're so blessed here in Canada.  by the seasons, the property, the health, the freedom, the leisure and the privilege...so thankful!! 

"brown boys"

another quote that made me smile...the scene: at the breakfast table before school.  both boys had made it to the table in time, which is not often the case.
Hudson: "the brown boys beat the timer today, AJ"
AJ: "yah, just the brown boys.  Mommy's not brown.  Hannah's not brown."
Hudson: "we're the only brown ones in the family, AJ, and brown guys are fast!!"

:)

hudson quote

me to AJ Friday morning as we checked backpacks before school: "where are your blue mitts buddy?"  AJ looked at me with a blank stare...
Hudson excitedly jumped into the conversation with his toothbrush hanging out of his mouth: "oh mom~ i know, i know!"
he proceeded to run over to me by AJ's backpack and open the small pouch where, lo and behold, were the blue mitts.  i hadn't looked there yet....i never use that pouch!
me: "wow Hudson, that's twice you've found those mitts there.  i don't know why i can't seem to remember to look in that spot...what would i do without you??"
Hudson, with a big grin: "i know, i'm going to be a great husband, hey mom?"
awwwhhh....he surely will, there will be a lucky lady someday that is the recipient of his wonderful affectionate and charismatic spirit, his tender heart, his sweet smile and his great ability to locate things that are lost! :) what more could a girl want??

december in photographs

of course, there's much i could write about the month of December.  it really was great!  jam packed with lots to do, a bit of gastro-disruption thrown in (i mean thrown up!) the mix with five of eight facing the 12 hour wrath of digestive upset (thankfully all done before the 25th!), Christmas festivities with friends, family, gifts, worship of Jesus born as a baby, down time, twinkle lights, warm fires, games, stories, puzzles, sledding, skating, play dates, cookies, delicious meals, a new year, traditions, brand new socks, fresh snow, etc....so, instead of expanding on all of the above, i gathered a few pictures collected through the last month of 2012....enjoy!

 

here's Joelle being Joelle...regularly appearing without fail on my cell phone, Jeff's cell phone, or our camera....always makes me smile when i discover them...

 

AJ celebrated Gotcha Day #2, aka his adoption day, on December 16th....cream puffs to mark the occasion...two years have flown by~ and this boy is a GIGANTIC gift every single day we're given to parent him....

a live nativity done annually by a church in Sarnia, with real sheep and a donkey!  i found it surprisingly moving...you could just about imagine what it was really like in Bethlehem that momentous night...

 

dear Mrs. Nikke gave all six a "grow your own Christmas tree" kit~ and that they are!  these six cans are closely inspected daily, arranged near consistent sunlight, watered (too much, i fear) and lovingly spoken to by our crew, with Hannah leading the charge...all have sprouted so far and look very promising. 

three visits with Hudson's special friend.  these two have a special mutual connection to Haiti and GLA.  they are experts at silly and rambunctious behaviour...but i expect that one day this bond will have much deeper meaning for the two of them...i feel their friendship is a gift, and i love that we've been able to foster it whenever possible...

shirts are off because the two oldest were hot from all-out basement play, and AJ's shirt is off because Hudson's shirt is off~ he must do what Hudson does.  that is cute~ most of the time....

Christmas Eve, two happy boys asleep with their brand new batting gloves on...baseball season 2013 can't come soon enough.  hope they don't lose them before the season starts...

 

Grandpa Joe playing his new harmonica...how does he do that so effortlessly???

 

skateboards on Christmas morning.  AJ on Hudson's...he will wait a bit before he's deemed ready for a board of his very own, much to his disappointment.

Layla in la-la-land...my thoughts exactly after a whirlwind month, but so worth it all...

 

wishing all a blessed 2013...Cheers!