Breathing

Standing on top of the world

My first born found her way to the top of the waterfall at Crater Lake.  I sigh, knowing that like the water trickling over the waterfall, so are my moments with her.  She is growing up and I am unprepared.

Better late than never?

I am wondering if I will continue with my blog. I actually just remembered I had it and have quite enjoyed a walk down memory lane reading my old posts. Can't believe so much has changed in my little world.

We now live in BC. On the same ranch yard as my folks. In an old log cabin type house with a wood stove and horses outside to mow my "lawn".
We are homeschooling all 3 girls, grades 1, 3 and 7.
I now am Auntie to 4 nephews, 5 neices and one more ? on the way in January.
My hubby no longer works at a hospital, but does construction/renovations in Calgary with his father.
I do not have a church.
We get mail deliver on Monday, Weds, and Friday.
We have 25 laying hens.

Life is definately changed as I knew it. Doesn't mean it is bad, just means it is different and takes some adjusting. I love having time to read all those books I had wanted to. Being able to spend endless hours with my girls is so precious. Smelling the fresh air and watching them run around makes my heart swell.

A cheery outlook is always welcome.

Boy, I was in a good mood on the last posting

Guess most of that hasn't changed, except it is FREEZING cold here and I am definately NOT eating a toasted tomato sandwich from my bountiful garden! ha ha

I am quilting now. So much fun, it is my reprive from life and the hectic parts of life. I love seeing something form out of nothing.

Babysitting 2 little sweetheart brothers right now and loving every minute of it! They are adorable and have me wrapped. Ages 1 and 2 and sweetness through and through. I will definately miss them when they are gone :(

We're still trying to figure out our basement reno. and how to afford and survive it. It will probably get starting in July, when school is out and no babysitting. We may just camp out for a month! So exciting...adventure and all that!

Hard to see where your life is heading sometimes. I think I have it figured out sometimes and then something happens that blows it all to smitherines.... So I'll focus on my family and keep going.

Have a good day to all...I'm up for a cup of tea!

Hummm, what is rumbling around in my head today?

It's been awhile.

I've been very happy in my skin. In my home. In my life as a daughter, mother, friend, wife, and non-bread winner of my family. I am the lady of the home.

THere is delight in the small things of my life. Such as singing "baby beluga" (raffi song) to my almost 4 year old and hearing her say at the same picture "mommy, that's you and that's me" about the baby/mommy belugas. The only time I may not take that as an insult :)

Comfortable can describe my life at the moment. Comfortable in the love of my husband and of and for my children. Comfortable weeding the garden and canning and making a home. Comfortable in my friendships. Kinda like snuggling up with that warm feather duvet on a chilly evening with a good book.

Speaking of good books, I have a gift certificate for Chapters On line and don't know what to buy. Gregg laughed when I said I got it from filling out a survey...my secret pleasure. Any suggestions?

The last good book we read was the "Wealthy Barber" and I think it has changed our outlook on money. I also finished reading "the stonehouse" at the same time. One later is a biblical way of looking at God blessing your 10% put away, the other is secular about interest blessing your 10% put away = same thoughts. So we are trying to put some of this into practice, but our bank account is not liking us at the moment. Soon it will be better because Gregg actually worked in the past 2 weeks. YES!

Sorry for the boring, comfortable posting. Time to go eat and enjoy my toasted tomato sandwich. If I'm fast enough, Mei won't ask me to "share"

the plants were left behind...

I am like the plants
left behind
alone
and
lonely

for the purchaser forgot
to pack 'em up

drove away
forgotten
alone


Really my folks were just here for a visit...the first since their move 11 months ago.
They left around noon. Mom forgot her bedding plants in my sunroom. Some of them are awfully nice and expensive too. Guess I'll have to plant them myself.

I was so sad to see them. Usually when someone forgets something at your house you think "OH MY! THey forgot ____ and I better call them quick!"
This time I was just overwhelmed with sadness "she forgot her flowers"

Lord I pray that Gregg & I won't have to move away from our children. They should move away from us.

'Tis the Season....

to be jolly! ra ra ra ra ra....
OH, I just can't wait to snuggle up with the whole family and watch "a christmas story". We missed it last year and I keep thinking about it this year. I also thought of "home alone" today and thought "hey, I could watch that movie again." Gone are the days of "is jesse old enough for this movie?" Now it's "can Kate watch this movie yet?" Oh how fun life is.

Well, check the fotopage for a few quick pictures of the house. I'll have to post some better ones of the "sitting room" so you can see how the color looks. Gregg is just finishing up the theatre wall. It is a big thing for him and he is being anal about it of course. The kitchen picture of the white receptacle actually shows the main event: the tiling job that Angie did most excellently! But I must say, I was some happy to have a receptacle with a PLATE COVER! yeah!

Well, tomorrow I officially will start some christmas baking, as I need to bring 3 doz. dainties to church for the carolling on Friday. The girls are excited about that and reading books between the baking times.

We have our glamorous 4 ft. fake and glowing tree up and the girls think it is lovely.
They are saving money to buy eachother gifts, and it is some sweet to see how Kate has put so much thought into her gifts already. We still need to take them "shopping" though...dollarmania here we come! Ha ha.

I am very behind this year in my christmas gifts, and some need to be mailed to BC...hopefully I'll get them in a expresspost envelope....

I am trying to finish up a quilt cover I started for Ruth, so I really should be doing that. So I will bid you adu.

Good nite

Officially 31 !!!!

Oh but I am so so so excited to have reached the big 31 !! Anyone who knows me at ALL, knows just how much I "enjoyed" being 30.

My dear husband arranged for approx. 50 people to show up for a potluck weiner roast on my birthday! It was a lot of fun, just even seeing who showed up! Friends from long ago and new.

It was amusing in a sad sort of way how this all came to be.... the surprise party and all. I have been feeling rather blue or "blah" for a long time and when the girls were asking what they could do for my birthday, I gave them some ideas. One was "a party".
"But who would we invite Mom?"
"oh, some of mommy's friends"
"but Mom, you don't have friends..."

Oh, the sweet innocence and bluntness of children...enough to make a 30 year old cry.
So, Daddy got on the phone to prove them wrong.
So, yes indeed, I feel loved, even if they all came for the food, it was well worth it. I will be trying to post some pictures of the party, so take a peek if you wish.

RENOVATIONS!
We have decided against an Oriental type theme for our living space and instead are moving to a "barnyard fresh" motif.
Also, see the photo page.
What fun Gregg and I had yesterday ripping our walls apart. Lathe and plaster anyone?

Well, I will try to do the photos now, should take me the rest of the evening with my "skills"
JO

Is the pain in the remembering, the forgetting, or the never known?

Today I am pondering this question...is my pain in remembering my sister, or in forgetting her voice, or in the fact that no one here has known her, and thus cannot forget what they've never known. What is more painful? Although pain cannot be measured on a scale. Such as at the hospital they will ask a patient to rate their pain level as compared to anything else they have experienced...the absolute worst or bearable? How do you rate the pain of a lost friend and sister? I don't think I can rate that...physical pain is a little different, although emotional pain can FEEL like a physical pain. Today I have a hole inside me that feels like it is threatening to eat my whole chest. But today it is finding tears to fill the void. I spilled some corn today...so I had a cry. I broke a jar todoay...so I had a cry. If anyone knows me, they know this is not exactly me.

I realized, while folding laundry, that I no longer remember Tina's voice.
I remember her smell, because on occassion I smell it on a few people...such as Bonnie, Angie or sometimes a stranger walking by.

I am in search of some video of my sister...at least something to show my husband and children so that they may catch even a glimpse of who/what my sister was. I have recently found some letters that she wrote me and in reading them out loud I could sense her being...her personality, her goofiness. It was very refreshing and fun to see Kate laugh at what her Auntie Tina had written.

Just random thoughts today, as I try to pull myself together to handle other obligations.
Oh, and did I say that the casserole isn't cooking fast enough for Gregg to eat before work...maybe I'll go fold the laundry and cry about that... :)

Hug a loved one and feel it. Don't let go.

A wee thing called Cocoa

We have come to realize that once again, our lives will never be the same...we are puppy grandparents so to speak. Our eldest daughter Kate has "her life long dream to own a puppy" and we must admit...he IS cute!

He, Cocoa Oreo Thiessen, is a wee Shih tzu/poodle puppy of 6 weeks of age. His first day home was spent running around our yard with our girls and a little friend of theirs. His little legs have to really work to keep up...no wonder he slept good. Not a peep out of him. No accidents, so far, so good.

First thing this morning, instead of little girls crawling into our bed, we heard them go into the sunroom and take Cocoa out to do his morning business. Then of course, the play clothes came out. What a good sport he is with everything. He crawls right up on you to cuddle....just what Kate ordered...

Oh, and don't let it be known that Gregg had to have a little play with the pup last nite too...hee hee. I think Daddy likes him too :)

Well, have a good day all.
Jo

So so here I sew

It's been awhile, which must just mean that I've been busily doing other things. I have just dug out a bunch of half-finished sewing projects and mending and am almost finished the pile. Feels so good to have the sewing machine out again. Now I just need to give the ole' Singer one from the dump a try and see how it is. Next is finishing the curtains for the sun room, so that may be a good project to try the machine on.

Passover is coming up also, which means we actually get to go to a Passover supper through my folks' church and with Jews for Jesus. That is exciting, so I'm looking up Kosher and Passover meal ideas to take along (we love potlucks).

Mei is potty training, and we are de-babying the house and basically been moving everything out to another's house. Feels so good to rid ourselves of some of the space clutterers like the highchair, etc. Now just to move out the crib, but then the child shall be loosed...hum...

My Mary Kay did very well in March and my commission will be the highest yet...thank you God for looking after us. So fun to see how just a little more effort in one direction REALLY pays off.

Kate and Ruth will be riding the big yellow school bus to swimming lessons one afternoon a week and are very excited!

Spring has sprung and we are looking forward to the return of the birds and neighbours too.
I love to walk outside and take a nice big breath! God is good all the time!