Miss Z.

miss Z. has moved on.  our deepest hope and prayer is that she's one step closer to lasting security, the unconditional and forever love of family, and the warmth and consistent loyalty of "her people" around her to deposit and invest in her potential and sweet little spirit.  while lots remains unsettled, this much is sure~ her sixteen months here have shaped and taught each one of us.  the time spent loving this sweet girl has been a gift.  many days were hard and i was literally stretched often.  still, her capacity to show care and affection and simple and pure love was a beautiful thing to see...it changed me, for sure...

i will always remember her smile that included her twinkling eyes, her deep care for me and others, her deep capacity to love any and all, her love of baby Jesus, her love of princesses, dress-up and imaginary play.  i loved how she loved to sing, to eat, and to snuggle~ a few of my favourite things too...

Miss Z., i hope and pray our paths stay connected for years to come.  regardless, i'll always love you and pray for you and be thankful i could know you....

God, bless this sweet one...cover her with your care and constant presence.  may she always know of your deep love during all life's ups and downs.  may she walk in the clear purpose you have carved out for her...hold her close...amen ❤

yep, pretty much

still here...and one day when all this crazy is behind us, i'll likely blog about Covid-19...might call it "Quarantine Files" or "Isolation Lessons" or "Pandemic Ponderings" or something kind of clever like that.

  for now, it's just "home sweet home"...counting many blessings still to be found.  

take care everyone!

quarantine

i've been thinking for a good day about what to post next.  we are almost through our two week, post-vacation mandatory quarantine, yet we know not much will change after the fourteen days.  we will be able to go out for essentials like groceries and prescriptions, but we will continue to have physical distancing, isolation, and stay at home basically, other than blissful strolls in our yard or down our street.  we are all living, on a global scale, in real time, the changes a pandemic must bring....it feels strange and inconvenient....nothing, however, to the level of pain that so many are living with as a result of COVID-19...there has been loss and grief experienced this week by dear neighbours, friends and acquaintances in our community.  it is sooooo very sad.  yet it has also not been without hope.  hope brimming over amidst the pain and suffering...inspiring evidence of the difference Christ makes.  over and over again.  it can't be denied.  and i can't be silent about it.  how would i ever navigate these days without it?  how would they, the ones most deeply affected??  Hope floats on this rapid river of uncertainty and fear and unknown.  so grateful for that...

so for this week i think Layla's chalkboard creation will stand alone.  it seems most fitting for all that is unfolding around us.  may it encourage you...

❤

florida 2020

never did i ever think this post would be so enjoyable to record...

as you all know things have gotten a wee bit crazy, here and beyond, with COVID-19 currently changing life as we have known it.  that will be another post on another day- hopefully on the other side of this pandemic that's ravaging our world...praying so...

so our week in Florida barely happened, and if it had been shifted a few days later on the calendar it surely would have impacted our decision to leave the country.  however, Florida 2020 did happen and was full of endless sunshine, hot hot hot days, lots of swimming and rest and refreshment.  best of all, though, was that for the first time in a long while, and maybe the last time in awhile too~ we were together as EIGHT!!  a silver lining and crazy fun twist~ Hannah was able to join us when she learned that her university classes were going online.  

fast forward to today.  we are home, in self-quarantine, and all currently feeling well and hoping that continues.  there is much to be grateful for and i see God's goodness and grace both on our vacation and here back home.  Florida already feels like a lonnnggg time ago, but thankfully these pictures take me back and serve to capture that blissful week of time when we actually felt somewhat isolated from the mayhem that was quickly escalating across the globe.  photo credits are mostly to Joelle and Hannah because we all know and acknowledge that my pics are lame in comparison to theirs, because i can't really be bothered to edit lighting and filters and retake the picture ten different times.  like c'mon....so i steal from them when the time comes to blog about the trip, and i'm so happy they let me.

on our way.  travel shenanigans.

Tampa pick up of a special delivery...

Krispy Kreme traditions...

breathtaking sunsets

our cuties...Joelle is in a lot of the pictures because she took most of them! :)

dinner memories...

evening at the pier...

my person...i adore him and every adventure we share~ near and far...

such a gift of time that i wonder if we'll only come to appreciate more and more as these weeks move along.  thankful for new memories made with my bunch.  thankful for road safety and no major incidents as we traveled, including the fact that no one harmed their siblings on the ride home when all six were divided, three to a row. :) thankful for the oasis of rest and beauty and sun and refreshment.  

Florida 2020. it happened.  so grateful!

U Sports

another wrestling post.  bear with me.  these are noteworthy and so significant, particularly for our two oldest daughters.  Hannah~ at her first U Sports tournament since her comeback to wrestling.

Joelle~ at her last U Sports tournament of her university days.  for us, it was blissful to be there, fully engaged and without the littles accompanying us so we could be fully present and soak it all up. 

this all-Canadian event is the real deal.  the best in each province compete.  the cream of the crop.  our girls were so happy to qualify.  they wrestled great, with such grit and character and overall just a great showing.  Hannah finished 6th.  Joelle finished 5th.
 

we loved every second.  so proud of their work on the mats.  so fun seeing them and catching up.  it was a bit emotional for all of us as Joelle wraps up her time on the McMaster team.  she's super grateful for the experiences and the friendships with teammates and the memories made.  it seems impossible that it's over, to be honest...

still, we're thankful it happened for Joelle and that we could enjoy the view as often as we did from the corner of the mat.  Hannah hopefully has a few more years to participate.  great job girls~ super courageous...we love you and will always be in your corner!

U Sports 2020~ Brock University, St. Catherines

wrestling pics

Layla has battled hard this season.  she had grown and developed lots in this grueling sport.

i love these two pictures above and below because they capture it so well...these are taken at provincials and SWOSSAA.  today she's competing at OFSAA.  it's really the pinnacle of high school wrestling.  she's having a great time and i'm super happy for her to be there for the first time.

 the facial expression and hair says it all~ a hard fought win.

congratulations, my Lay...another fun season! 

my person

my husband is fifty plus two, today!  it sounds too crazy to be true.  how are we this old?  i started dating Jeff when he was less than half this age...we've been together for almost 30 years!  how even??!?!

 

there's lots i adore about this man.  so many things.  a few things rise to the top, however.  

he loves Christ and has deep gratitude for what this has meant in his life journey.  he is unwavering in his faith.  no shifting or wishy-washiness with circumstances or storms.  to him, what was true then is still true now.  he is firmly rooted and lives a life of gratitude for God's rich grace.

he is authentic and real.  what you see is exactly what you get.  no facade, no pretenses, no shifting personality to suit a crowd.  love that about him.  he is and always has been 100% content with who he is and what he has.  no reaching, striving, grasping.  just contentment.  it's completely refreshing.

he is fiercely loyal.  to me, to family, to friends, to work and church connections...

his heart is so kind and his compassion runs deep.  without this we'd never have opened our home to so many kids, to so much chaos, to so much less free time and the persistent stage of "crazy".  often people like to think this is all my doing.  they'd be very wrong.  

i could go on and on. i'll stop there and just say that it's such a gift to celebrate Jeff today.  super thankful to be his partner in life.  he's so easy to love.  

here's to your next 52 years, Jeffrey! :)