My Baby is 7

Yes, wow, what a feeling ~ my baby, my sweet Mei Nita is already 7.  We were holding hands walking back from getting the mail the other day and I thought wow, my baby is 7 and I still have the tummy to prove it.  That is depressing.  HA HA.  Yes, I have the tummy to prove it...just don't have that much ambition to get doing those crunches and sweating to the music to get rid of that extra skin roll.  Mei just stretched me out that much further than the other girls and my skin is saying NO WAY am I going back in.  Oh well, I am healthy and able bodied, I do not complain.

On to the birthday.  Our girls don't expect big nor elaborate parties or presents.  We have been known to give our children battery operated toothbrushes with Hello Kitty toothpaste ~ much to their delight.
This year I wanted a party for Mei that was a little bit more special.  We invited 7 girls to share in her 7th birthday.  I thought it would also be a good way to get to know some local homeschoolers as well.  Yes, practical and yet fun...win win.  We decided on PIONEER theme.  So dress up of course.  Not all the girls had pioneer dresses or bonnets, so I took it upon myself to sew 7 new bonnets for 7 sweet girls.  Besides, we had missed out on some birthday parties, so this was like our belated birthday gifts to them.  Practical and thoughtful and fun...win win win.

All 3 of my girls thought carefully about who would receive which bonnet and then Mei put them into a decorated brown paper bag with her Thank You note. ( I didn't hear any crying over someone getting the wrong one, so hopefully it worked out fine)

The day before a party is full of "party prep".  Here the girls are giggling as they cut the cheese into little shapes.  Cracker, cheese, pickles, cinnamon buns, licorce sticks and cake was our menu.

The soon to be birthday girl

I started experimenting with this idea of a cake shaped like a wagon.    I think this will work out ok.

My day was going along just fine, until we realized our dogs previous injury from a cat had not healed up and he was scratching it underneath the gross scab.  So out came the scissors and while Kate or Gregg held the dog, I carefully snipped away the most disgusting scab without snipping the poor dog's underbelly.  It made for a long evening.  Oh, and then we spilled all the pink lemonade for the paper on the floor.  I have as of today washed that floor 4 times and there are still sticky spots. 

At 9:30 pm we took the dog over to my Dad and he advised us to clean the wound with peroxide, then rub some powdered lime into it.  We did as advised and all was well....until dumb dog started scratching again.  So the next morning said DOG got a girdle.  HA HA. We won!

Does it look like we won?  I forgot to tell you that after all the wound prep, Gregg thought we should trim the dogs nails.  The first one ( and only one) he trimmed, he cut too far, so there was a yelp and blood all over.  It was enough to put this man above right over the edge.  We decided it was time to sleep!

The morning dawned beautiful and clear (Mei's prayer was a clear day with a few cumulus clouds)

Daddy gave Mei a necklace because she had told him one day "for some reason Daddy, I don't have any necklaces but this one".  Daddy was determined to find her one.  I found one with 3 stars on it from my jewelry box.  "Look Mom, 3 stars.  1 for Daddy, 1 for Mommy, 1 for Mei or 1 for God, 1 for Jesus, 1 for the Holy Spirit.

She opened funny wrapped presents from her sisters.

She helped with the fun part of doing cinnamon buns.

She had 2 sweet phone calls with singing of the birthday song for her.  She even turned on a computer program that knew her birthday and it did a little surprise for her too!

The cake starts to take form.  3 layers, with a gooey fudgy chocolate marshmallow centre to stick it all together.  Frozen it is a lot easier to frost.

I used chocolate pudding mix and whipped cream for the frosting.  Not nearly as sugary junk and easy to spread.  Kate is figuring out the reins for the horse and I am getting ready to goop the wheels on.

The pioneer girl is pulling "rocks" in her wagon with her new puppy catching a ride.  One very pleased birthday girl.

The Pioneer Gals

After they all had the chance to pet a real chicken, they played "Pin the Beak on the Teepa"

Little brothers hung out with the Moms and the horses

3 Legged Race

Drop the clothespin into the milk jar

Bonnets double as blindfolds for the "Bob for your dried apple slice"

My nearly 13 year old and my 9 year old daughters were in charge of getting the games ready and supervising them.  They did a great job.  The kids all loved the raw egg on spoon race.  They did the games all over the ranch and had a blast. 

We feel very blessed for our Mei that she had such a beautiful day with such beautiul friends!

Half way to 70

So another birthday has come and gone.  I was sick again.  Nothing much happened.
 I put my hair in pig tails to prove I was still a child inside.

Still in my PJ's, hopped up on Tylenol Cold & Sinus and fevered to boot!

A few days later, I was feeling a little better and had my twice annual hair cut appointment.  Stopped off at the Share Shed's on our way to town and couldn't resist taking a pic of these lovely red neck fenders.

First time getting my hair cut in BC ~ "Rose" was wonderful and I think she gave me a nice cut.  I told her the problem areas others with her expertise had encountered on my mane.  We used my DQ Birthday coupons for blizzards.

My eldest, wearing my circa 1984 A & W hat, the shirt we found at SMAC ~ In DQ of course!

We like to be ourselves and express our individuality!

Forever Frugal ~ we asked for the empty mini blizzard cup so she could share the cheaper-by-size-medium Cookie Dough with her "bestest buddy"

After her digestive enyzmes, this gal was ready to dig in!

Sadly, this was the best picture of me with my new hair do and eating a beloved treat...ha ha

And of course my children thought that was funny ~ or that I am worth laughing at!  ha ha

We gave our change to the girls to donate to the Children's Wish Foundation (I think) and some of the coins sure spun around forever.  A good time for a good cause.

My gifts...some much needed new Oven Mitts from a sweet sis/bro in law (they even have grippers on them), the last cook book for my series "Icebergs & Beluga's" and Dymond Lake seasoning from a sweet Mom in law, the crockpot from my Mom and myself (don't ask what happened to the other one from a different birthday...ha ha)

Now why is it that we women tend to get kitchen related presents?  Well, it is practical, and I do use them lots and it is annoying and dangerous to burn yourself without proper oven mitts.  It was a nice haul and I am happy to use my new things.

My inlaws did some work for these people at their Northern lodge past Churchill, MB Canada.  They have great recipes that always turn out and recipes for "weird" things, like moose, elk, deer, grouse, etc. too!

They also make their own seasoning blend, which is wonderful on potatoes!  yum yum!

Once I was feeling well enough to cook, I made "skinny pancakes" (crepes, german pancakes) with all the trimmings!  Fresh whipped cream, peach sauce, blueberry-raspberry sauce, plum sauce, or plain butter and syrup or peanut butter and syrup.  So yummy, so good, so wonderful!

A sticky gooey mess, that I did NOT have to clean up afterwards ~ a good belated birthday to me!

First time Thiessen type BC gathering...

Since moving to BC, we have not entertained many people...or larger groups of people.  Who better to use as quinee pigs than your relatives?  So 21 relatives braved our yard for an impromptu gathering.

Borrowed my Dad's homegrown BBQ for the special occassion!

One of the younger members, enjoying a hot dog.  I saw the bun later on placed neatly in the cup holder.

A poor excuse for any sort of a sandbox ~ the leftover gravel from digging up the sewer...yikes.

Brothers ~ The one who fixes teeth and the one who will fix just about anything else

I do love this picture.  Uncle had just made a joke about how his sister ruined his meal with the bun she made ~ he no longer had room for desert!  Ha ha...doesn't he know by now there is ALWAYS room for desert!

Kate did a short Quad Demo with the younger ones ~ it was fun fun fun!

First time driving for this cousin

The old wagon we pulled out of a dumpster was a big hit!

Walking the path to the local lake... showing off our countryside

Sitting down at a neighbours dock, wetting line, enjoying a good time!

So full of memories today

There are some days that just don't "go by"...today is one of them.  August 23, 1993 changed my life forever.
I saw my sister and her finance in my apartment in Winnipeg.  I lent her a picture frame to use at the guestbook table and warned her "be careful with that, I got that from someone special " (her) and gave her a hug and actually said "I love you". (not so common for us to say that)
They walked away and that is my last memory of her.  She was killed when a truck ran a stop sign and ran into their car travelling highway speed.  She survived a few hours, but there was nothing the Doctors could do.
I woke up in the wee hours of the morning to my Dad on my apartment intercom "jo, it's your Dad"...I lost my feet for a minute.  I thought Crystal (my sis in law) had lost the baby (she was due any day) but knew it had to be bad if my parents were at my house in the middle of the night.
Shock kicked in and I picked out a dark dress for the funeral that would come.
Life would never be the same and the rest of that year was a blur.

I am thankful for friends and family that understood and were just there.
I am thankful for many good memories of sisterhood.
I am thankful to be able to experience some of those sisterhood moments through watching my three girls.

Seize the day.  Don't forget to tell those you do love that YOU LOVE THEM...at least once in awhile, those words may be your last to them.  No regrets.

Troy, Tina Mae, Jolene Imbery

Tina's grade 12, Jo's grade 10, in sweaters Grandma Unger knit us.

We both really enjoyed that year being at MCI together...lots of sneaking over to the other sister's dorm room for sleepovers!  I remember her doing my makeup in the bathroom and puffing my hair up so we would look more alike....ha ha!

Tina's Columbia Bible College Photo from 1992?  Tina and Jo at Grandparents.

Days like today I wish I had my photo albums instead of them being in storage three provinces away.

So today, as with each anniversary, I will send a card to someone I love to let them know it.  I think it's a good tradition.  Love is never wasted, it only grows the more you give it away.