my grocery sidekick

 this week will be the last of our weekly Friday grocery store runs.  we kind of got set on going once a week during covid, and Cree became a fixture in my cart and loved "helping" me out each week as i tackled my long list and full cart.  as he starts into full time school, i'm going to miss him tagging along with me.  Superstore has some kind employees, specifically Mr. Mike, AJ, Mr. Dave, Miss Irene, Mrs. Lynn and Mrs. Sharon, and i'm sure they will also miss his cheery conversations.  

one of his favourite parts was pushing the cart until we got to the deli meat counter, and then he'd move into the cart to eat a couple pieces of ham, often bagged by Miss Irene, when she'd say "There you go, handsome!"  he also loves to help me move the bags to the trunk of the van, and return the cart back to its place...he loves when i tell him how strong he's getting after he carries a twelve pack of sparking water all by himself.  he seems to love the predictable routine and time to connect with familiar faces.  gonna miss him, for sure.  thankful for these normal everyday memories we made...

Jeff's helper

 Cree describes it like this..." remember that time you went to coffee school Mom and I was daddy's assistant at the college..." Cree and Jeff started the day with the Sarnia Roadrunner's race.  so Cree did 1km first thing.  like a champ.  then they were off to a wrestling camp/clinic being hosted at Lambton College.  Jeff was providing the physio support in case it was needed.  Cree was set to step in and help if someone had an injury.  

well, he loved it!  wore him right out, but he loved it.  he wants me to go back to coffee school so they can do it again :)

below, he helped unload the wrestling mats from the "big truck"...

i hated leaving the crew, but was still happy to know they survived and thrived in my absence...well, within reason at least haha

thirty

 thirty years married.  how can it be?!  feels surreal and impossible somehow.  just the way time passes.  it also feels like the greatest of gifts.  the gift of time and togetherness for three whole decades...marriage is a covenant, before God, and one of truly sacred status.  that remains unchanged.  but being married to Jeff has never felt like an agreement, or anything that i needed to remind myself i'd signed my name to.  the promise remains utterly important, but more to say that my commitment to Jeff has been the really easy part.  he has my whole heart. 

and to think that God in His goodness saw fit to bring us together so long ago, to give me this life partner who is by my side through thick and thin, well, that is no small thing.   

in the above picture we were babies...my word. the picture below~ no longer babies...

but here were are anyway, heading out for our dinner date to celebrate.

grateful for all these years. we've shared so much.  so glad i took the time to seek God's will when choosing my partner.  because i landed "one of the good ones", to be sure...

43 kms?!

 my dear husband is a bit of a crazy man.  not sure how his brain could be wired so different than mine.  on this occasion, in the rain and then later the most thick humidity and blazing sun, he decided to take part in a six hour race.  it was called the "Sole Burner".  he completed 43 kms. total, stopping only ever for drinks and nutritional breaks and always less than ten minutes.  and he did it with a smile.  

so proud of him and his overall mental toughness.  he inspires me.

amazing job, Jeff!