sibling vacation

Two weeks ago today, Rick & I met my siblings in Pismo beach for a much anticipated week together. We were blessed to stay in a beautiful vacation home that belongs to a family friend. We had never been on the California coast in summer before - it was not nearly as hot as I thought it would be, actually it tended toward cool at times (as you can see from the way we're dressed in some of the pictures.) But whether or not the sun was out - there was just nothing like being on the beach ; watching the waves roll in from the Pacific Ocean. I would never get tired of hearing that! "I love to stand at oceans' shore & hear the thundering breakers roar..."
This first group of pictures are from the pier & beach at Pismo (click on pic to enlarge)

On one of the sunnier days, we went to Avilla beach and the top right picture shows how I felt about being there. My brothers, sister, husband & I all tried our abilities on a boogie board. I have to say, I was definitely not a natural, but when I actually caught a couple of waves - man, was it fun!!! Thanks for being so patient with me, Merv. And guess what, I only swallowed ocean water once - not bad, eh? Oh, there was a sea lion (or one of it's relatives) playing about 25 feet away from us - pretty cool, but it didn't make it onto any of the pictures.

It was so great for us all to be together for an extended time - it's usually not more than a day or two per year. We did some really fun day trips, golfing, wine tasting, live theatre, Hearst Castle, shopping (probably too much for some), and of course beaching.
We also did a fair amount of eating, mostly at the house, but we did go out a few times.
Below are a couple of pictures taken at a restaraunt called F. McClintocks. One of their specialties is that the servers fill your water glasses from about three feet away. On request, they will do a "blind pour" - the picture with Viv is self explanatory :)
Another of their specialties is turkey nuts - yup, the real thing. Couldn't bring myself to try them, although I was the only one who didn't.


The day after we got to the vacation house, Rick filled a hummingbird feeder that was hanging empty. For the rest of the week we were entertained almost constantly with the coming & going (and sometimes fighting) of the little creatures. I have never "heard" hummingbirds before - they can actually be very noisy!

I have lots more pictures - of Hearst Castle; San Fransisco; Oregon coast; the Redwoods.
Is anyone interested in seeing them?

trip to the strip

Back in May, I asked my brother-in-law whether he had any plans in mind to celebrate my sister's 50th birthday. He told me that yes, actually, he was planning to send her & her best friend on a little getaway to Las Vegas, and that she was aware of this plan already. When she joined us in the room, I said how exciting this was, and asked her who she was going with. She looked at me and said something like - duh - to which my hopeful self said - me?

I can't even explain how excited I was right then! And the anticipation for me is almost as exciting as the actual event!!

So, plans began; flights & hotel were booked; spa appointments were made; shows were chosen & tickets reserved.

June 29th I was up at 5:00 am & by 6:30 I had picked up Viv & we were on our way to Bellingham airport. Our flight was scheduled to leave at 9:25, and even with a stop at Woods for coffees, we were there in plenty of time.
We easily went through the check in & then through security. We happily made our way to the "holding room" were we saw our plane already waiting for us. It had BLUE MAN GROUP painted on it - what fun!!!

Shortly before boarding time, we were told that there was a mechanical problem with the plane, and that we would be delayed in leaving. They would give us more information in 1/2 hour. Okay, we can deal with that - we want to make sure the plane will make it safely!
About an hour later, we were told that the part had not yet arrived - we would be updated in about 1/2 hour. OKAY - we can deal with that - we're going to Vegas after all, what's a little more delay!
At about 11:00 am, they tell us that they're going to order pizza for everyone - it should be there in about an hour. WHAT!?! Now we're starting to get annoyed - okay - we were already annoyed, but this isn't funny anymore.

About 1/2 hour later, they tell us that they have ordered a rescue plane to take us to Vegas, since they can't seem to fix our plane.
Our new scheduled time of departure is 4:00 pm.


WHAT!?!?!?!?!?!?!
The room explodes with frustration - pizza is not going to pacify this crowd.
But wait, they are also going to give us each a $25.00 voucher.
To be used on our next flight with Allegiant.
Except nobody wants to EVER fly with Allegiant EVER again!

We are told that if we wish to leave the airport, we should be back by 3:00pm.
Viv & I look at each other with the same thought - Bellis Fair!!!
We relinquish our offer of free pizza in a stinky airport holding cell & happily make our way to the mall -
when life gives us lemons - we make lemonade

(with cranberry juice & vodka - but that's another story)

We tried to do a picture of us together looking mad, but we just ended up laughing.

We laughed alot on this trip :)

We eventually did arrive at our destination - 7 hours later than planned & hungry because in addition to not flying on schedule, Allegiant only has about three of the things on their food list available & a kid's snack pack only goes so far. But enough about Allegiant - okay, maybe just one more thing - we were also delayed 1 1/2 hours on the way home. BUT THAT'S OKAY - WE MADE A MEMORY!!!!!

We checked in at the Bellagio - what a beautiful hotel!! Of course the cab driver dropped us at the wrong entrance, so we trekked through the casino with all our luggage.

Our room was amazing!! Oh, in keeping with the theme of the day, we found housekeeping in our room (this is around 8 pm) either watching TV or making a phone call - we're not sure which - but she left in a hurry. At this point we weren't surprised by anything anymore.

Some of the highlights of our stay were a morning at the spa (absolutely wonderful); fabulous dinner at Olives; Menopause the Musical (laughed my butt off); O by Cirque du Soleil (phenomenal!!); walking the strip & being hit by a wind, dust & drizzle storm (weird); being asked if we were twins (okay that was more of a highlight for me than Viv); browsing through art galleries; pastries from Jean Philippe (amazing chocolate fountain) & time spent laying out & swimming in the massive pool area. OH YEAH, WE HAD A GREAT TIME!!!

The atrium in the Bellagio is so beautiful - the gardens were breathtaking (they smelled great too) Such attention to detail. Enlarge the collages for a closer look.

From our room we had a great view of the Bellagio fountains - I could have just sat at the window for hours & watched the dancing waters (but we had places to go)

We packed alot into our four days - we even got some sleep each night!!!

I had a fabulous time & know how lucky I am.

Ron said it was Viv's gift, but I feel like it was mine too.

Viv, thanks for choosing me to go with you & Ron, thanks for having such a great, generous idea!

I love you both so much!!!!!

facepainting

We celebrated Olivia's 7th birthday today with a family brunch. One of the gifts we gave her was a Klutz facepainting kit and you can see the creative talent that she & her sister have inherited from their mommy.

I have lots of pictures from our Vegas trip - one of these days I'll make the time to post some & share some of the stories - and there are stories!!

passionflowers & perversity

I have been uninspired to blog lately, but on the off chance that anyone still checks, I'm back.


We have a new plant this summer called a passionflower. The blooms are quite spectacular but sadly last for only a day or two.
I'm wondering if it got it's name because passion can be so fleeting.
Whatever... it's growing like crazy & has tons of buds so it's all good!

This is the view from our deck of part of our backyard. You can see that everything is coming along nicely and, for the most part, the beds are relatively weed free. We enjoy compliments from neighbours who walk by & appreciate the work we've done. We also enjoy seeing other neighbours' yards that are well maintained.

By definition, perversity means contrary to what is right, reasonable or accepted. Look over our back fence with me & you'll see what we DON"T enjoy...

That's right, people, that is a six foot fence & the "lawn" is clearly visible. And NO, it has not been mowed at all this year.

It's so bad that one of their visitors let loose a string of profanities when he came out of their back door & saw it.

Now I AM glad that they are quiet neighbours (ever since they got rid of their dog), but seriously, there has to be some sort of law against this mess. We've considered spraying roundup over the fence after dark (would that be wrong?)

Ah well, if this is the biggest problem in our neighbourhood, I guess life could be much worse! Of course, as I'm writing this, some hooligans (for lack of a better term) are setting off fire crackers in the cul-de-sac. Sheesh!!

O, I'm off on an exciting adventure next week. Maybe I'll remember my camera this time. Or maybe I'll win so much money that I can buy a new one!

apparently nobody looks there

All of last Christmas season (which, if you know me well, you know that's quite a long time) I could not find my favorite Christmas CD. I racked my brain trying to remember what I might have done with it; leant it to someone, maybe? But why would I lend out my favorite CD?

Yesterday, I was getting something that I had tucked away in the guest room closet & thought while I was at it, I'd tidy it up a bit. As I grabbed an "empty" box to put stuff into, I discovered inside it some Christmas gift bags that I had purchased over a year ago along with MY FAVORITE CD!!!! I must have missed putting it away with all the other Christmas stuff in Jan 08 & thought that would be a good place to store it.

I was pretty excited (and also glad I hadn't bought another one - I tried, but couldn't find it anywhere). I was also glad that I haven't lost my mind - just misplace it occasionally.

the ranch

Having a son in law who is the program manager at Timberline ranch gave us the opportunity of a fun family outing yesterday. Of course, Dobby & his family were excited to show us around, especially the kids, who already have their favorite horses & best loved play areas.

It was so great to see where Dobby has been working & get to explore a place that we've heard lots about but had not yet been to.

We were not disappointed - and I'd love to give you a glimpse of our day....

(click on the collages to get a closer look)

Some of us did rock climbing (in varying degrees of difficulty) while others stuck to driving tractors. Motorized vehicles are sometimes safer than dizzying heights!

The kids could hardly wait to show us the ropes - literally! We all tested our coordination & strength on the challenge course. It was great to see everyone playing like kids - I even tried a couple of things & was relieved to make it all the way (under close supervision by Olivia)

Making new friends. Personally, I found Bethany the llama a little stand-offish, however one of the calves loved me. The kids had a great time with the animals, even though it had started to rain by this time. After spreading the love, we headed for home. The calf kept calling us back as we walked away; they were pretty young & I think they missed their mommy.

Naps on the drive home; then a yummy barbecue to celebrate Greg's birthday. Such a fun day!!

(fairly) recent happenings

During spring break, which is already about a month ago, Rick & I spent a few days in Vancouver. Sometimes it's just nice to get away from the everyday & enjoy each other's undivided attention. And maybe do a little shopping. Okay, more than a little.

This was the view from our bedroom window...



...and this was my view from the doorway of the bedroom. Yay, we had sunshine and a great view from the 19th floor!

Prior to the getaway, there was a project to be done. This is a before picture of our office/computer room. Nasty carpet and blah walls.

This is how it looks now - big improvement, don't you think. I love it! My man does good work!!

birthday

I had a fun day last thursday, celebrating my (our, since it's Cindi's too) birthday with family. We started the celebrations at House of James with yummy beverages (excellent foam, Ardelle!). Becky & her boys couldn't make it due to Isaiah's cold :( but the rest of the kids loved playing & browsing in the massive kid's section.
Then we got a tour by Kathy, who showed us Steve's new recording studio - way cool!! Kathy also took this first picture - good job!
It was extra special to hang out with my sister Viv for most of the day.

Malcolm wanted to share his puffed wheat bar with Auntie Viv, but for some reason it turned into him trying to put the pieces up her nose. Where on earth would he get such an idea? Seriously!

Sabrina enjoyed her smoothie (except she didn't want to drink it too fast in case she got some whipped cream up the straw by accident). Cindi, as you can see, was very into the conversation :)

Malcolm & Olivia enjoying their smoothies before they headed off to start their playing & shopping (and adding to their wish lists). What a great store - something for everyone!!

From there, Viv took me out for lunch. Then we wanted to go to a matinee, but the silver city in Mission wasn't open. What? So we rented a movie instead (7 pounds - good show!)and watched it at home - Cindi was able to join us while the kiddies had their quiet time.

Rick got home from work & took me to Mission Springs for dinner, even though he was sick & got to enjoy his dinner twice (if you catch my drift). What a trooper!! Needless to say, we spent the rest of the evening at home (after a quick stop at the pharmacy). I watched the series finale of ER. I'm going to miss that show!

So, tomorrow is our 36th anniversary - fortunately Rick is feeling better, so we'll try that going out thing again!

Praise You in this Storm

I was sure by now
that You would have reached down
and wiped my tears away.
Stepped in and saved the day
but once again, I say "amen" and it's still raining.

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
and takes away.

I'll praise You in this storm
and I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
no matter where I am.
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand.
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm.

I remember when
I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry.
You raised me up again.
My strength is almost gone.
How can I carry on
if I can't find You?

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God who gives
and takes away.

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth.

-Casting Crowns

optimistic

I'm back. It's been a long week since my last post, during which it has been confirmed that my body doesn't like being introduced to new drugs. The good news is, I'm not likely to ever become a drug addict.
My bronchitis induced asthma symptoms are improving, so that's more good news. The bad news is, as a side effect of either the inhaler or the antibiotics, I've developed a case of the shakes/tremors which is quite unnerving! Even typing this is kinda weird, because my fingers seem to have a mind of their own. My doctor (whom I've been with for about five months & who is amazing compared to my previous doctor) assures me that the tremor will be gone by tomorrow, because I can stop taking both of the meds effective immediately. The antibiotics seem to have cleared up the infection & he switched me to a less aggressive inhaler (which I can stop using as soon as I stop coughing).
He also intoduced me to a lovely non-medicinal treatment that I can use to help clear my blocked sinuses. It consists of spraying saline solution up into my nostrils & letting it drain back out. I anticipated it feeling similar to the time a thought I was drowning as a child, but it was surprisingly non eventful. Hopefully I was doing it correctly - a few more times & I should know if it helps.
So, there you have it - a sore throat that turned into five days off work (which is the equivilant of two weeks since I only work mon - wed). I'm optimistic that I will be feeling awesome by the weekend. I better be - there's a sisters weekend in Seattle in the immediate future!

sick, sick, very sick

This is a phrase I've used often in the 30+ years that we've had kids & then kidlets - most often referring to one of them or my husband. Today I'm ssvs. I've succumbed to one or more of the myriad bugs making the rounds. It all started with a sore throat beginning of last week - no big deal. Then it progressed to a productive cough alternating with a persistent hacking cough that made my throat (and the whole rest of me) sore again. This tuesday, my boss graciously sent me home with instructions not to return until I was symptom free (something about spreading influenza germs to my coworkers & the elderly residents) Okay, I thought a day or two of rest would work wonders, but I made a doctor appointment for this morning (the first I could get), just in case I was still coughing.
So, ya, over the last couple of days & nights the cough has persisted & I've started wheezing, especially at night, loud enough to wake the deaf (not a typo). This morning the Dr. tells me I've developed asthma to go along with the bronchitis. Not sure if the bronchitis is virul or bacterial, so I get a prescription for an inhaler & also for antibiotics to fill later if the inhaler doesn't do the trick.
On my way home I head over to Safeway (gotta get the airmiles) to pick up the inhaler. I'm standing there talking to one of the pharmacists when an older man comes to the wicket next to me & is giving his prescription paper to the other pharmacist. He's told that it will be about 25 minutes til it's ready and the guy just loses it - starts swearing & saying how he moved to Mission because the other pharmacies are always so slow. Really? Anyway, I impulsively said "sir, sir" and was planning to try to talk him down but apparently he was deaf in addition to being rude. As he walked away I commented to the pharmacists that some people are so disrespectful. We carried on, and when the pharmacist had my info, he told me it would be ready in 10 minutes.

HA - goes to show you that it's wise to be kind no matter how horrible you're feeling!

10 minutes later I was heading home with a gallon of grapefruit juice & my $90.00 inhaler (thank the Lord for health benefits). Now I'm praying it's effective, cause I'm tired of being sick, sick, very sick!!

You want a new post? Really?

Seriously, the pressure has finally prompted me to update. I, however, am having trouble knowing what to share.

I could tell you that more than the usual amount of my time in the last few weeks has been spent in prayer for loved ones. That's not a bad thing, but I can't help wishing that the need wasn't so great - you know what I mean?

I could also tell you that I have had some wonderful answers to prayer & I have had my faith strengthened.

I could tell you that I'm enjoying work more again lately. That's probably because the training of my new job-share partner is feeling more complete. There's still lots to do & lots of challenges to face, but the pressure has lessened - praise the Lord!

I could tell you how grateful I am for my husband who loves me even when I'm a pain! I wouldn't want to share my life with anyone else.

I could tell you what a blessed mom & grandma I am. I have amazing children & incredible grandchildren who love me & like being with me.

I could tell you how much I appreciate our parents & the wonderful heritage they have given us.

I could tell you that I have the best sister & brothers in the world!

I could tell you how thankful I am for my friends (you know who you are!) and I could tell you that I REALLY miss singing with some of them!!

I could tell you that I love my new teeth. Seriously!!

Next is the nose - stay tuned :^)

Happy New Year!

It seems like we've been digging out from under the snow for weeks now - oh, wait, we have been!! It's so beautiful to wake up to a fresh white blanket this morning. It wasn't a surprise though, we watched it coming down last night as we "saw in" 2009 with our precious kids (the kidlets were fast asleep by then)

We were reminded of the snowstorm of 1996 when Dobby was trying to get here for Christmas from Saskatchewan to meet our family - that turned out to be quite an adventure & test of patience (with a very happy ending)

Here is one of the results of that adventure - working hard to clear the driveway this morning...

...and here are the other two - supervising the operation. You gotta have quality control, right?

We wish you all a very blessed & hope-filled new year! We have a God who knows what's ahead & He loves us more than we could possibly imagine. His grace is enough!!

puzzling

A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that Rick was working on a project for the kidlets. He got them done & presented them to our little angels on Sunday. I don't know if you can tell from the pictures, but each piece of the jungle scene is a puzzle of it's own & they are all interchangeable on the stand. A very ingenious, intricate wood craft which they were very happy to receive & immediately try out!
You do good work, Grandpa!

for Gord, Bev, Ger, Shirley & families

We know that you would have loved to be with us yesterday, so I just want to show you a bit of what happened. We were a little late to think of pictures of the actual dinner (what with getting it on the table & eating) but it was all very tasty as usual. In the first pictures you see us enjoying the yummy cheesecakes that Cindi & Christine made.
After dinner we did a bit of carol singing; so enjoyable with the kids all gathered around to sing the songs that are becoming familiar to them! I think you can see the delight in the faces of the adults too.
Olivia read the Christmas story from her children's bible - we've found that's the best way to keep the kids from being bored.
We had fun giving & receiving gifts - the picture of Mom & Dad shows them opening the gift that we all went together on - they were pleased with what we had done!
It was fun to host the family festivities for the first time at our house. Wonder who's place we'll be at next year?
Merry Christmas, dear family!

Christmas Concert

This past sunday, three of our five beautiful grandchildren were involved in our church's morning services. As you can see, their daddy was leading worship as well - great photo op!
Malcolm was a little distracted by the paparazzi, but he came through when it was time to perform. He is our constant entertainer.
Sabrina sang her heart out! I was videoing her & she sang right to me the whole time. She is truly our little singer; always a song on her lips & in her heart.
Olivia sang with the big kids choir & was very focused - what a beautiful little lady she is! With her years of dancing, she is becoming our seasoned performer.
I am truly a blessed grandma (& wife, mother, sister, daughter)

gettin' ready for Christmas

The hands of the master craftsman at work on a project for the kidlets. I'd love to show the finished product to you, but that's going to have to wait until later.

We made alot of yummy treats this afternoon - shortbread, peanutbutter balls, & jam jams. Here are the girls hard at work putting the baby jams together...

...and while the big kids are busy & the mommies are distracted with other projects, Isaiah spots an opportunity too good to pass up!

That little cookie didn't stand a chance. Doesn't he look pleased with himself? And Grandma was cheering him on all the way!!!
If you look closely, you can see the jam on his forehead - I'm guessing this wasn't his first encounter with those little cookies. :)