Paths of Danger

"There were some times mom where it got . . .(dramatic pause) pretty dangerous."
my son says to me as he arrives home from his scout camp.
"I only fell once, but if I had fallen in this one part. . . ya it would have been game over."

I made some granola bars, wiped down the cooler, picked up some sausages from Save On and did a few more little things to make sure he had what he needed for the camp.
I try not to think about what they actually do when they're gone.

Steep inclines, rocky precarious paths, plummeting crevices, icy footings
but waiting for him at the top . . .
"Mom, the view was incredible, we could see the tops of mountains from every direction!"

A Little Lesson:
Scout camp . . . life from 12yrs until he leaves on his mission. . .
pretty much the same thing.

Traveling Home

(We said good-bye to 15 years at Fairmont. . .sniff sniff the party will move to Kelowna)

A beautiful vacation with my grandma and family ended with . . .

Clara throwing up through the night before we left

starting the car at 6am to leave for home in the morning with yes,

a dead battery. . . (did I leave the ipod plugged in???)

driving 6 hours while Clara dry heaved into an oreo ice cream container

got gas in Revelstoke, turned off the car to discover, yes, another dead battery

BCAA arrives and we are on our way again. . .

a few minutes later. . .in 100 degree heat outside of Osoyoos. . .

the air conditioning stops working.

Mmmmmm. . .

A Little Lesson:

we didn't get a speeding ticket

we left nothing of importance back at the resort

nothing went flying out the window

we didn't have an accident

and so . . .

all is well.

(all of those things have happened to me, by the way)

A Little Catch Up

What have we been up to for the past 6 months?

I still spend my days with this little bundle of joy while the rest of

the gang participates in public education. .

We do laundry, empty dishwashers and he

pontificates with me as to the best veggies to buy at the local market. . .

Clara continues to loose a tooth what feels like every week. . .

We had Magna Glosli (remember her??)

come back for an encore performance for

Emily's birthday to do face painting . . .

If they wiggle their noses the doggy dances and the dinosaur growls!

Jordan played basketball this year (grade 8) in high school,

he grew 5 inches,

he made the Spring League team at Pitt Meadows,

then made the zone development team for the Pitt/Ridge/Poco/Coq/Mission team

They won the finals and he was selected to play for the provincial team!!!

(Even when he told them he wouldn't play on Sunday!!!)

He stands at 6"1 third kid from the right if you are having troubles

finding him because you thought he looked like this,

he doesn't . . . I know, I keep thinking this little boy will come around the corner.

But I can't find him anywhere. . .

We went to the Oregon Coast for spring break, we started at Gold, beach. . .

Then we dipped into California to see the biggest trees on the earth

(at the Redwood Forest)

Then we met Violet and her beautiful family to play

a few stones from the Rogue River in Medford Oregon

in a big house on 15 acres with 1001 things to do. . .

I turned 40 and was spoiled by my hubby, family and friends. . .

with the garden of my dreams

from this to thisto this. . to this . . .

and weekend getaway with Craig and many more wonderful surprises!

Finally. . . this past weekend I took my gals up to see my buddy

Colleen and her Emma who was getting baptized!

I missed about 683 other little things but these are the highlights. . .

A Little Lesson:

I spend most of my time driving & cheering (my oldest), sowing and harvesting, (with my youngest) refereeing and mediating (my middle girls) and enjoying having a husband around more than I ever have, and a few projects here and there that help keep the water level just below my chin. It's full. Really really full.

One day it wont be so full, and I will long for fullness . . .so I've been told.

The Whole World To Myself

Today I decided to talk Lucy for a long Sunday afternoon walk.

I put on my coat and my hat, put on Lucy's leash and headed out.

After a few minutes of walking up and down my favourite street

I've found so far living here in the ridge of the maples, I soon discovered. . .

I was all alone. Totally alone. Not just on my block, or my street or even my neighbourhood,

I venture to even say I was the only one out in my entire city.

No cars, no people walking their dogs,

no one unloading their cars,

not a soul mowing their lawn.

There was an eerie silence that blanketed the entire neighbourhood, yes, the whole city.

And then it occurred to me that I was taking Lucy for a walk

right in the middle of the Superbowl.

Clearly this new city where we now reside respects the sacredness of this event.

I had no idea.

I started to sing out loud.

I even talked out loud to myself.

I answered a few philosophical questions

and planned some goals for the upcoming week. . . out loud.

A Little Lesson:

As solitude is hard to find these days. . .

Thank you Superbowl for the little time out.

Wrinkles

I started to get him all dressed up to play in our one day of snow.

This was technically the first real "enough snow to play in" day of 2010/11

He giggled with delight for every zipper, every snap and every Velcro push.

After an hour of snow adventures in our big front yard, I opened the door to call them in.

Couldn't do it.

What if it didn't snow again this year?

After two hours I opened the door, walked down the steps, almost yelled out. . .

Nope.

There is just something so spectacular about snow. . . especially for us west-coasters.

Three hours later they all came in on their own. . .half frozen.

A Little Lesson:

I decided today there was a great lesson in Benjamin's shrivelled hands.

I hope I remember it in forty years from now.

When you're having fun, there's no time to stop and worry about the wrinkles.

Sorry Liam

Clara: Mom, today in school my teacher asked us how many students go to church each week?

Mom: Really, how many people answered yes?

Clara: Only three. When I went to the cloak room Toby said to me he doesn't like Jesus.

Mom: Really, he said that?

Clara: Yep, but I told him Jesus died for us! And then Brooklyn my friend said " He died for us so we can go and live in heaven!"

Mom: That's awesome Clara. You're such a great missionary!

Clara: Then I told Toby that before we came to the earth we had to choose between Liam and Jesus, and all of us made the right choice and chose Jesus!

Mom: Liam?

Clara: Ya the bad guy who lived in heaven.

Jordan: Clara, I think you mean Lucifer.

Clara: Ya, Lucifer.

A Little Lesson:

Lucifer, Liam what's the difference, unless of course your name is Liam.

Then let it be said, Liam, you are NOT the bad guy who lived in heaven.

The point of the story, my daughter is taking after her dad in her "say it

how it is" missionary skills and NOT her mom.

Happy Day.