Thursday 12 September 2013

Friends who feel like family.

Recently we've had some great times with old friends who were once like family and who frankly, still are.

Nine years ago, two families who were very close to us moved away at about the same time.  We were so sad, but everyone's lives move on and take their own course.

A couple weeks ago, one of those families moved back to our community.  We are ecstatic!  This is a family whose children spent so much time here, they felt like our own.  And it's their place where my kids spent so much time, it was like their second home.  It's the home where Blake learned what a clothes iron is.  It's the home where I knew my children were safe after school when I was working.   We moms worked opposite days of the week and our girls were the best of friends so it just made sense to swap daycare duties.  It was a great arrangement for many years.

The other family moved even further away.  Our eldest sons were best friends.  A year after they left, Derek went to South Carolina in the summer and spent 3 weeks with them.  He caught his first fish there, a flounder.

This fall, they returned for a visit.  They were settling their youngest in at SFU so this gave us a great opportunity to spend time together.  We wined and dined, fished and kayaked, and even went to an Eagles concert.  We had a great time catching up.  Alan took Derek fishing again and this time Derek caught his first salmon.  Likely his first of many as it seems he's caught the fishing bug.

Both of these families were like us when it came to the big holidays of the year.  They too, had no extended family living near to them.  So they were the "go to" families to spend Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas with when no one had family coming to visit.  They were great times with great people and I have such fond memories of our times together.

I am so grateful to have had over a week to spend time and reacquaint with the Donald family from South Carolina and I look forward to going down to visit them someday, hopefully soon.  I also look forward to times ahead with the Newman family right here in Deep Cove now that they are no longer that long drive to Abbotsford away.

Friends are only friends until they feel like family........and then, after that, they are "special friends".

So thankful to have these special friends who feel like family.

Sunday 14 July 2013

Marvel

It is a rare occasion that I am up before my husband but today he is having a much needed sleep-in so I find myself the only one up, enjoying my morning coffee and catching up on my emails and the few blogs that I follow.  One message told me it was time for me to blog again.

Now blogging is not something you can force.  The mood has to strike you; something has to suddenly pop into your head that needs to be said.  Trying to force a blog would just cause a huge writer's block.

So, I thought "Hmmm, I have no idea what to blog about today; don't think it's gonna happen".

But then, I read my beautiful daughter's latest blog.  I guess she's been in the blogging mood a lot lately as she's had quite a few recent posts.  They are always such a delight to read.  Sometimes she goes months without blogging and I sadly log on to see that there is nothing new to read.

Today, I was not disappointed.  She had a new blog to entertain me on my lazy Sunday morning.  Today I marvel at this person who is my offspring.  Today, as all days, I am so proud of this person and although I helped raise her, I can't take any credit for some of this "amazingness" that is her.

I marvel at her insight and maturity at the tender age of 19.  It makes me wonder just how much more awesome she can become as she matures even more.  I marvel at her connectedness with nature and her appreciation for the great outdoors. I marvel at her independence and strength; her kindness and caring.  I marvel at her gift for writing.  She has the ability to string words together to sound like music for the soul.  I marvel that this person is my offspring.

Today I marvel at how just the act of giving birth can cause you so much pride.

Today I am a very proud Momma.  Luv you gurl!

Friday 26 April 2013

Can't Believe It's One Year Down

Well, I haven't blogged for 8 months now.  Wow, time flies.  My last blog was all about the fact that Lisa was heading across the country to Halifax to go to University.  Well here it is 8 months later and she is officially finished her first year.  It's hard to believe.  She was only home for Christmas yet the time flew by.  Like all things, you adjust.

On the negative side, I miss having all three of my kids under my roof.  On the positive side, I don't miss cleaning up their messes or listening to their bickering.

Lisa is now home for a 1 week stay before heading off to her summer job, 9 hours away, at Fairmont Hot Springs.  It's not a long visit but it is better than nothing and we hope to travel there, once or twice this summer, to that beautiful location tucked away in the slopes of the magnificent BC Rockies.  I look forward to visiting her there and soaking in the hot pools of the place where I remember my one and only family summer vacation as a kid.  I remember camping there, playing with a little girl from the next campsite, and needing help from my big brother to climb up the hill to the pool.

We are also anxiously awaiting Derek's return from Singapore.  After studying there for 4 months, he continued on to do a one term Co-op job as well.  By the time he returns at the end of May, he will have been gone 10 months.  We can't wait to see him as the communication during these months has been quite scarce due to poor connections, time difference and let's be honest, his lack of desire. 

So, I can't believe it's "one year down" for Lisa's University career and I can't believe it's "almost" "one year down" since we've seen our eldest son and I can't believe it's "one year down" until our baby (sorry Blake) finishes his last year of Highschool and heads off for his adventure, whatever that may be.

Life goes on, kids grow up and parents adjust.  Can't complain; life is good.