birthday wishes from far

there is a dear man i know celebrating a big birthday this week.  and....i'm told he reads this blog!  he is worthy of mention today as he rolls into his 85th year of life.  Ome Jan, ("Ome" being the Dutch word for Uncle) is my mom's uncle who lives in Holland.  they are close.  she adores him, and i know the feeling is mutual.  because of this mutually tight relationship, i've also had the privilege of meeting Ome Jan and spending time with him during several of his trips to Canada.  he would arrive at our home with a warmth and presence that naturally drew you in.  he'd always bring treasures from Holland~ gorgeous flowers for mom and mouthwatering chocolates for all of us, but more than that he brought his beautiful spirit of love and his desire to connect and bond with his Canadian "family".  he'd stay awhile and the days and memories were cherished, but seeing him leave was always so difficult, especially for my mom...

 

 

 he is a man of class, style and deep thoughts. Ome Jan defines "gezellig"...his dear children and grandchildren love him deeply~ which is surely a testament to his character as a father and grandfather. i know these ones will spoil you today, Ome Jan, and you certainly deserve it!

  we love you and send our hugs from far....Happy 85th Birthday!! :)

posing, at 5 and 9

I'm back after my week long break from this blog...it was March break with all kids home, so i needn't say more.  all went well, other than Joelle's bout of pneumonia, but even she is now back to normal strength, lung function and just overall feelings of "wellness" :)  

can't figure out the legs behind the kids, but my best guess is this was Jeff as he was attempting to dodge the photograph, but failed...i wasn't actually there, and i have no clue who took the pictures, but they were a cute surprise in the album.  so, with you i share!

 

have a great week!



childhood pondering

not sure where i'm going with this post.  just typing, really.  because the thoughts are a bit jumbled and bending toward nostalgic lately.  i was sorting though some old photos, looking back at the many memories of my childhood.

 

just thinking about the stages of life and how my kids are now where i was then.  forming memories and impressions and foundations based on their childhood experiences.  in all of the photos i felt an obvious recurring theme.

 

 

above, i'm about two or three months, and loving the dairy a bit much already....perhaps this is when the summer shirtless trend started for my brothers...

it hit me, glaringly noticeable, the longer i sat and stared at them.  my childhood was a wonderful gift!  period.  i was a happy kid.  my mom loved me, she loved my brothers.  my dad loved me and my brothers too .  i feel like i always knew it, i never doubted it.  my life was pretty terrific.  i was blessed.  i was secure.  i was content.  i had my needs met consistently and lovingly.  i was healthy.  i was thankful.  i am still so thankful.

over and over, photo after photo, i saw it in my smile, my eyes, my surroundings.   my world was safe.  it was stable.  it was conducive to growth and creativity and allowed me to just "be a kid".  the playtime, the vacations, the meals, the pets, the backyard fun, the holidays~ all said the same thing to me. "you are free to just be you...."

 

 

the above pic says a lot as well...looks like mom is thinking maybe this rug hooking craft wasn't the best gift after all.  here's when she first knew i hadn't inherited the "craft gene".

 

 

yep, deck stairs turned into an icy ramp was much more my thing, and this one was so much fun.....

sure, there were days, maybe even occasional weeks where the family felt stress, or pain, or friction, we were not perfect or even close~ yet those times were so few in comparison to the usually great and sometimes spectacular days in between.  i also remember being conscious very early on of our family's financial state.  i remember my parents scrimping and saving for things like Christian education, or vehicles or vacations.  i remember knowing that we were not materially wealthy, compared to some, yet still very well provided for~ and generally i remember feeling content with all that we had.  i was grateful for our blessings.  we had many...
 

Christmas~ always a highlight...Mom made Christmas so special with all the little details...about the hair, it must be addressed.  above, the longggg stage of feathered hair began.  it didn't work for me overly well but i kept trying and hoping it would suit me....let's just say the curls were not happy being tamed.

 

proof of my love of animals, above and below.  it's there inside me, buried deep but still there...

 

 

my award winning bunny, Winnie.

 

 

the huge pan of cabbage rolls above was a typical meal, and only now do i know the work that went into making that many.  i've only made them once since being married, with Mom's help, and even then it seemed like a huge undertaking.  she did this regularly for our family, and the three "hollow-legged" males in the house ate like ravenous beasts.  she loved (and still loves) seeing her food consumed and enjoyed~ it speaks her love in such a tangible way.  that bottle of homemade milk didn't speak quite as much love to me, however, and i'm not missing it a bit...glad that phase didn't last, yet it was another way Mom was being conscientious with their finances, and that i understand...

i was thankful for two parents that invested in our lives.  certainly, i had my moments of grumbling, complaining and wishing for more~ i still do slip on occasion with this~ yet, the photos took me back so vividly to a time of my life that shaped me profoundly.  i'm so grateful that my parents took their role seriously.  having just come through foster care training, both Jeff and i were inundated with statistics and ugly descriptions of the effects on kids who aren't so fortunate.  kids who enter the foster system having endured neglect, abuse, trauma, rejection, etc....kids who turn into teens and adults with lifelong struggles from poor choices their parents have made.  kids whose parents most likely endured the same when they were children.  the cycle is sooo tough to break.  so, all that being said, it seems my little stroll down memory lane caused more introspection than i expected.  but the resulting conclusion was a great reminder~ i had a great childhood.  i want that for my kids too.  minus the homemade milk....

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!!