Almost a month ago?

Well this is quite pathetic. My last blog was almost a month ago and in it I start telling you how I was sick. Well.... not much has changed. I'm now on day 7 of this month's bug. It started as a flu, then a cold and now I've got a cough that kept me up the entire night yesterday. Oh well.... life goes on.

Lots has happened!

Firstly we had a cheerleader and a pirate for Halloween. We once again went trick or treating with Todd & Rayael's kids along with Justine and Tricia with Hunter, Rob & Sherry with Kyle & Mariah and Brian and Beth with cutie Sienna.




I had a lovely visit from Craig and Jacquelyn a few days later and we ate cake with tea. And we laughed, we cried.....it was a beautiful thing.





Then I started my second cake decorating course - fondant and gum paste. And this time, I get to do it with Tricia - YAY! Way more fun with a friend. The bonus is there are only 3 of us in the class so lots of room on the decorating table. Looking forward to see what we learn this time.

Last but not least, last week we had a surprise visit - Kelly rang me asking if I wanted to run. I said I couldn't (heading to the cake course) so we hung up. A minute later her phone rang me again only for me to hear my sister's voice at the other end! She and Mike and Jack had gone to Seattle for a few days and decided to come up to visit for some extra time. They stayed from Tuesday night until Sunday morning. So much fun, seriously the most beautiful baby boy around.

(Sorry I gave you my cold Anna and Jack!)





Then Friday we had the pleasure of having Miles & Louise and 2 of their kids with Ken & Debbie (and Erica) come over for a pizza supper. It was fun to all be together in the same city!

And yes, although some of my friends think I'm nuts....I've already done my Christmas decorating! Yippee.....almost December.

Next week my Mum arrives after her missionary work in Honduras!

The Weekend....

Nothing new to report here. I've been sick since about Thursday and it appears I may have given it to Darrell. Not too great since he works another 10 hour shift tomorrow, but like he said - it's not like working at Sears when you had to be 'up' all the time. Might not be so bad. Actually, I'm up blogging because 'going to bed early' wasn't working for me. Having no use of either nostrils makes sleeping a real nuisance. Who knew noses were so important?

We (as a result) laid very low this weekend. All except for taking Zachary to his football games and Brooklyn to dance class. Zachary was with a team for 2 weeks and was then asked if he'd consider moving to a different one which was lacking players. We (myself and Z) pleasantly said 'Sure' in an effort to help out wherever possible (Z at this point was not bothered about it). Big mistake. The new coach is....how should I say?.....very uptight and takes things far too seriously for a bunch of 8 year olds. First practise there was a new boy - never played before in his life. He was crying by the time the game ended. And he chided the ref yesterday for not making good calls in our game. A FOURTEEN year old ref who just wanted to go home after a day's work but couldn't because our coach was in his face. It was embarassing actually. And don't get me wrong, I don't want to be that parent that kicks up a huge fuss - there will always be people in authority in your life who are not your favourite, or with whom you disagree. You have to learn to live with that. But come on, they're 8 years old.

And then there's Brookyn's musical theatre class. Different story - great teacher and B is in her ELEMENT! She sings and moves with such sass and attitude you would think she was born in the theatre. She must get that from Darrell! Yep, can't wait for that recital.

Well, I'm going to try hitting the hay again and see what happens. Ciao.

Life Change

Well the Richmonds have experienced a big change as of late. It started a month ago with a letter that began as follows:

"After having worked for your company for the past 22 (!!!!) years, please accept my letter of resignation."

YEP - Darrell has left Sears. He is now the general manager at Richlock Rentals (owned by his cousin) and although he works long days (7am to 5pm to start) he has EVERY weekend off. He has worked weekends ever since we met (17 years ago), and this past weekend he enjoyed 3 days with his family. NOT WORKING!

It is a miracle.

Flowers? For Me?

Well I was going to post a pic of my anniversary flowers but it didn't quite work out on the day of my anniversary so here they are now. They were beautiful. Our anniversary dinner, on the other hand, not so much. We went to Spinnakers (never been before but people have recommended it). I ordered the pork tenderloin. After cutting into the first piece Darrell & I were both alarmed to see that it was flaming red. This is PORK people! From a PIG! What are you trying to do here? KILL ME ?????? So needless to say we sent it back only to cut into the 2nd plate of it and discover the same thing! The waitress was very apologetic so I wasn't upset but by the time my meal came (NO, did not order pork again), Darrell was completely finished. They brought me bison ribs the 3rd time around. I have to say, we will probably never go back but if YOU do - get the Bison ribs. Very delicious. Their effort at apologizing was a 20% discount. That was $9. You know what? My dinner should have been for free. I worked in the restaurant business and that is just what you do. So yes, overall not too impressed. However, dinner at GLO on Monday night more than made up for it!

This Tuesday was the last day of my cake decorating course. I wanted to take the 2nd course in the series but they're running it on Wednesday nights when I have choir so that's out. But, the kind instructor said she will run the Fondant and Gum Paste course on Tuesday nights in November to make sure I can go so I've signed up for that one. I've worked with fondant before (see a few posts down for pic.....) but never Gum Paste. I'm actuallyr really looking forward to it - there is this amazing carnation we will be making - looks really lifelike. This past Tuesday we learned roses which was not rocket science, but I doubt I would have figured it out if I had not been able to see someone do it right in front of me.

Fall....Cakes....Marriage....Children

My days are flying by. In an effort to minimize daycare for my in-laws (well, Joanne namely), I am now working Monday to Friday. Brooklyn is in school full-time (grade 1) and my boss is so flexible that we've changed my schedule to accommodate that. So, I now finish work at 2:21 (I know....long story....) each day. The days wing by me and in fact I didn't even mind working my first Friday as it came so fast.

And we still have cakes coming out of our ears for this Cake Decorating Course. There will be even more as I've decided to sign up for the second one. Although Darrell thinks I might be the teacher's pet or perhaps driving the other people nuts because I'm always finished early and end up leaving 30 minutes before anyone else!



Yesterday was our Wedding Anniversary. 14 years!!! I know, crazy how time flies isn't it? Darrell bought me a gorgeous bouquet of flowers, really beautiful. I'll try to post a pic at the end of this post. For our anniversary dinner we had Cheeseburgers, french fries and caesar salad. Nice - don't you think? We're actually going out later this week to celebrate it (see cake course above) as I was out last night due to the busyness of our Fall.

I must confess, Fall is not my favourite time of year. I love summer. And yes, I know I've already complained about making school lunches but it's just one of the reasons why my summers are so much easier. No taxi services are required to soccer, dance, cross-country meets etc. Having said all of that, I had the joy of watching Zachary in his first cross-country race on Saturday and I have to say, highly enjoyable. He did not disgrace himself in the least but he was a little ticked he wasn't in the top-20 as only those boys got a ribbon! It was a race between all of the private schools, and the funny part was that when he crossed the finish line, he didn't look all that tuckered out. We asked if he tried his best and his response was 'yeah, kind of'.

Actually, there is my segway into this week's funniest Zachary moment. Conversation in the minivan on the way to school:

Me: Brooklyn, did you meet any new people at dance yesterday? Or introduce yourself to anyone new?
Brooklyn: No, I don't like doing that.
Me: Why not?
Brooklyn: I just don't like it (nervous perhaps??)
Zachary: You should just do what I do when I see someone new.
Me: What's that Zachary?
Zachary: I trip them.
Me: What!? Why?
Zachary: Because then you have to go over to apologize to them, and you can say hello at the same time. Works every time!
Me (in fits of hysterics!): But what if they fell down and hurt themself?
Zachary: Well at least you'd know you got their attention!

My son - the master of Social Interaction :)

Weekend Update

We had a blast of a weekend. We picked up Kelly from work, caught the 5pm ferry, then drove to Kelowna to suprise my sister in her new house for her birthday weekend. The kids knocked on the door at 11pm - Anna answered with mouth wide open and ecstatic with the surprise. Then we all walked in the door - all except Kelly - and carried on laughing and crying in disbelief. As we were getting louder baby Jack awoke - at which point (and this was the best part) Kelly walks into the house and completely nonchalantly says "don't worry - I'll get him" and proceeds to go to the nursery. Anna just about lost it. It was great. Mike had arranged the whole thing as well as a birthday party at their friends place.

We had great weather - spent some time walking in Peachland, took the kids to the beach and Anna, Kelly & I visited Mission Hill & Quail's Gate wineries. Good times.

Also went a bit hog wild with chocolate cake................

AND - Darrell bought a Wii while we were in Kelowna. Never before had he seen one, played one or researched one. He'd only heard from Aaron how much fun theirs was, and from Brooklyn & I how much fun we had playing it at Jeni's. Let me tell you - if you try the boxing - prepare for soreness! Great workout.

Back to School and Class....for almost all of us....

I hate packing school lunches. My parents always taught me never to use the word hate. We always said "Really don't like" so as not to invoke the intense emotions brought on by the word Hate. But I don't care. I HATE PACKING SCHOOL LUNCHES. It's not that it takes very long to do. But it is one of those things that you put off because you don't enjoy, and at the back of your mind all evening you're telling yourself you need to get it done. Before you actually make school lunches, it is like you have a nag on your shoulder constantly reminding you you haven't done them yet. This is why I love pizza day at our school. Don't get me wrong - I would not willingly choose to give pizza to my children on a daily basis. However, our school offers alternating pizza and hot dog days on Thursdays for a nominal fee so Yes, I participate. It removes that nagging voice from the back of your mind, the one that prevents you from thoroughly enjoying that episode of ER or takes the pleasure out of an evening down at the mall.

Well, it's Wednesday night and we have made it through the first two days of school. Brooklyn is now in full-time and at the new PCS campus (old Montessori school). The new campus is very cute but I can't help feeling a little disappointed that it will now be 2 years before Zachary and Brooklyn are back at the same campus again. I always wanted an older brother growing up - I thought it would be cool on the school playground to be able to find him if ever I were in trouble or getting bullied. Brooklyn will, I guess, have to settle for taking care of her own business. Oh who are we kidding? Like that will be a problem......!

And I have taken to starting the Wilton Cake Decorating Course. I've wanted to do it for ages, actually signed up a year and a half ago but had to cancel out. So in light of the upcoming wedding cake, it seemed like a smart thing to do. It doesn't actually look like this course will be of any benefit bearing in mind the cake the bride wants for May, but it will at least give me the experience in certain decorating techniques that I always wanted to learn correctly. (And the bride is as of yet un-named in this blog, only because I wasn't sure how much is public knowledge....but if you read my comments I'm sure you can figure it out!)

Well my friends, 1am now and I really nee to head to bed. At least I can now that the ham and cheese sandwiches are all sealed and refrigerated.

Life thus far......

See? I told you I would be more consistent in blogging.

However, not much been going on here since the lake. Ahhh....the lake.....

We do have family in town from Kelowna however, Darrell's cousin and boys and aunt & uncle. So the five kids have been back and forth between our house and Clint and Joanne's house playing 24/7. So convenient this housing situation.

And Auntie Sherry's having everyone over for dinner tonight so I made a fruit flan. And shortbread......and cinnamon buns for the kids hike with Grandpa today.....yes, the baking is a bit of an obsession....

That's about it. Going up to Stenberg's cabin this Monday but this time unfortunately without Darrell as he can't get off work. Looks like it's going to rain so we'll take a movie. Still, it will be fun to just nestle in with friends before the onslaught of school starts. Ah yes, my Fall schedule. Looks like we have soccer Monday, Dance Tuesday, Choir Wednesday, Soccer Thursday, Soccer noon on Saturday and Dance 2pm on Saturday. Yep. Nuts.

Oh and last thing - picture of the trial cake as well as cupcakes Brooklyn & I made last week.

Ciao All.

Long time no blog........

Well, at the request of a friend I have taken the time to update the blog. It's true....I'm not sure anyone reads this anymore after the invasion of facebook. So, if I'm wrong, feel free to drop me a line and I'll make sure I'm more consistent in the world of blogdom.

I guess it's been a month since the last entry. Luke & Helena's wedding to be exact. Not had great weather since then here in Victoria I'm sad to say. Making a lot of people wish they had booked some time outside of Vic for the month of August. Trust me, we are some of those people!

But we have managed to fit in some friend-time sandwiched between more work on the fence at the front yard and ripping out bushes in the back yard. And a friend of mine has asked me to make her wedding cake so after a very rough 'trial cake' using a new recipe for rolled fondant, I decided to say Yes. I'm very excited about it actually, I love cake-making and have wishes to learn more about decorating than I already know so here is my chance. I'll keep you posted on how the prep goes.

Oh, and a big WELL DONE to Jacquelyn for running the IRONMAN today in Penticton! YES, I SAID IRONMAN! Can't wait to hear all about it Jac.

Last week was a really relaxing, albeit short, break for us. I took 2 days off work and the four of us went up to Horne Lake for two days with Jeni & Aaron at her parents cabin. It was awesome! Just what we all needed. Zachary was in his water-baby heaven and Brooklyn had a hoot with us all in the 3-person tube. We also had an interesting time trying to persuade B. that it was okay to pee in the lake since we had stopped the boat in the middle of it for a swim and no-one was in a hurry to go back. We had our initiation with ConeZone and also got to see the Horne Lake caves. Very interesting. But most of all it was just fun to hang out with friends and relax. As Jeni put it, operating with 'no schedule' is very therapeutic. Enjoy the pics. And Jeni - enjoy the music! (Remind you of a little dance-party perhaps???)

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Luke & Helena's Wedding - July 21/07

Well, it was a beautiful wedding. The bride looked stunning and classic in a dress that few could pull off as well as Helena did. Luke looked delighted beyond belief, and the gorgeous little children provided extra entertainment. Above all else it was a very God-honouring ceremony. Following was a reception at the Empress Hotel and dancing for all. A very enjoyable evening spent with two people who are head over heels in love with each other.

Enjoy the video - it's much clearer on my computer than when it uploads unfortunately, but you get the idea.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

New Babys, Spa Day and Flowers

Well it's been a fun couple of days so far. I got to visit my friend Elizabeth and her new gorgeous baby Maya. Then yesterday Tracey had her baby ! Way to go Tracey! Can't wait to meet little Joshua.

Then yesterday I had a great girly evening with crazy Kelly. First we went to the Ocean Pointe Spa for a gorgeous scrub (if decided between the scrub and massage, choose the scrub - you'll still get the massage for the same price!) If you haven't been, it's glorious. Low beautiful music, candles and wonderful towels everywhere. Then we walked through some shops for a little girlie shopping, followed by dinner at a restaurant I'd never been to before - the Mint. Awesome! Last of all we got locked out of my house for a short while - babysitter fell asleep and couldn't hear us knocking or the telephone! (still love you Jonathan :)

Our house right now is a flower-lovers paradise. Whoever planted it was very smart; as one set of flowers dies, a brand new set of a different variety seems to flower. It's like a symphony; every new plant plays it's part and overlaps the last one. Best of all is this: I absolutely LOVE rose bushes and told Darrell while dating that when we owned our own house I wanted them in my garden - and now I have 17!

So, I'm going to try and post a slideshow of them - they are so gorgeous, I just took a few photos of them this week right after they were rained on. There is also a couple of pics of my baskets.

Great News!

Well, we've finally heard the report. Paris made it through her first night in jail.

I know.

I was relieved too.

New Adventures!

Well, there's been a lot going on around here.

First of all Zachary, Darrell and Aaron along with Jeni's brother, went to one of the Canucks playoff games. Obviously it didn't work out so well for the Canucks but the boys had fun.



Last Saturday we had a garage sale to get rid of the stuff we had leftover from the move. The kids each made $20 so they were thrilled.

Then just yesterday Brooklyn said she wanted her training wheels off so she could try riding without them. Darrell literally pulled off the wheels and she rode away. This was a bit shocking to us because with Zachary this was a week long process with many falls and tears. Quite funny!

I'll see if I can get the videos working:

Frustrated....then Sore....then not so Frustrated

So the Times Colonist 10km race went off without a hitch. However, it was a frustrating one for me. As a run it was not good - I started having pain in my right thigh, aggravated by jumping onto a curb to overtake a slow lady. So, at about 7.5 km, and after having run with Steve Yeats that whole way, I had to start walking. I'd walk for 30 seconds then run for 2 minutes. Walk for another 30 seconds, walk for 4 minutes. Frustrating as I usually run straight for the hour.

Needless to say, I crossed the finish line feeling a tad dejected. Race was still fun, but didn't feel victorious if you know what I mean. Imagine my surprise to find out I had somehow knocked off 2 1/2 minutes from my time last year! Doesn't make any sense, except that maybe I started out too fast. Truth is, I don't have the mental game to be highly competitive. I just don't operate that way. Some people would be extremely focused and push through the pain. I prefer to live the next day.

So, I took it a bit slower but still had a p.b. Once the pain in my leg leaves my body I'll give it another go. Maybe at the one in July, we'll see.

Anyhoo - not much else going on around here. Literally relaxing on the couch a bit. Singing at PAOC district conference tomorrow night and Brooklyn's dance recital on Saturday. Should be fun.

Fast update

Ok - this will be quick because...... well I shouldn't be here right now.

Easter was fun - beautiful church services, kids looked for eggs, adults stuffed ourselves silly. Visit from Louise & Myles from Saskatoon. Good time had by all.

Recent baby shower for a friend, good girl chatter.

Had a great BBQ with a few friends on Monday night and watched the Nucks win - on our new big screen TV - wine flowed, ribs were broiled and there was enough apple pie to feed a Catholic family.

I haven't been here so much because ....well, I am facebook-addicted. It's easier than email people! No really, if you haven't tried it yet, you should.

So - prepping for the 10km race on Sunday. This will be my 2nd and thanks to the renos I skipped about 3 months of training. So, my only hope is to beat last year's time for myself. Which, with the lack of consistency might be a bit difficult. Falling short of that, it's not to be injured. Too many friends have had disappointing body failures this past week or so. It's horrible to train so hard for something only to have your body give out. Anyways, the race is lots of fun with bands playing along the way and people cheering. Our church has entered a team of 61 people! And we're getting lunch at GT after the morning service (after first having to go on stage wearing our running bibs). So I will peace out from here and catch y'all soon.

A Mother's Musings........Happy Easter

Our Only Begotten Son

I know it’s a bit early for Mother’s Day and parental musings but this blog is spurred on by two recent thought-moments. One of them echo-ing our upcoming Easter season. One was a blog I recently read and the other was upon realizing it is only 2 weeks until my son’s 8th birthday. The two thoughts, it seems, are linked with small similarities.

I was touched recently by reading a blog linked to my sister-in-law’s. From what I can tell it is by a woman who recently lost her son and this blog is partly in memorial to him. She writes beautifully and touchingly.

I can not fathom the grief that must come upon losing a child. Whenever my mind starts to wander to thinking what that must be like, I have to sharply pull it out of those thoughts as I am immediately brought to tears. This blog shows the pain and yet amazing strength and courage shown by a woman who has gone through the worst type of loss. I was brought to tears upon reading it. Whenever I hear of someone who has gone through this I feel the most painful twinge in the pit of my stomach. No, actually in the pit of my heart. The death of a child in human terms seems to be the worst tragedy that one could have to endure.

I lost a child through miscarriage a few years ago. It is not the same thing; that child was not born, although it was loved. I spent months agonizing over what would have been had the child been born, and felt that its conception was a miracle of God which made its loss so much more painful and harder to comprehend. But I did not get to see him/her crawl, walk, run, laugh, cry, hug. This woman’s writings show me what I have always believed. That is must be nearly impossible to go through that kind of experience without Jesus at your side. Jehovah Rophe, our healer, is the ultimate source of comfort in times like this. What a friend to be able to turn to, cry upon, and wail our most despairing thoughts to. God, the Father, knew the ultimate pain that comes from the loss of a child.

This brings me to my last and final thought. As I pondered Zachary’s upcoming birthday I was thinking about the day he was born. It was the best day of my life (I’m tear-ing up now just writing about it….). He was the best present I had ever received and opened up a whole gap in my heart I never knew existed. I said something to my Mum and Darrell that day to explain how I felt. I felt like I finally understood the crucifixion. Don’t misunderstand, I never claimed to understand God, but the crucifixion suddenly made so much more sense to me. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son”. HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON. In a million years I could never give up my only begotten son. Even after he had only been born 5 minutes. The love for him was that instant. God gave up His ONLY SON. For you. And for me. And for my children. How can you reject such a gift as that?

Is it finished yet??

Ok.I am seriously OVER the rain now. We in Victoria have been dealing with incessant rainstorms, windstorms, bizarre snowstorms and more rain. It has been such a wet winter that now the weatherman/girl grins with glee when they can see "And today, we only have light winds and an overcast grey, dreary sky". Yes, very exciting forecast isn't it? And don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those people prone to SADS or anything like that. My joy in life comes from a much deeper place and is not affected by the weather. But, I must admit that even I for a brief moment have dreamt of moving to Greece and can honestly see how sunlight-deficient humans could become prone to SADS.

So, as you can see this is simply a rant about the rain. And to cheer myself up I'm going to post a couple photos from our Awesome European vacation 3 years ago. The first one is Steve, Darrell & myself at the top of the Spanish Steps (right before I fell down them!) and the last one is Darrell & I outside of the Coliseum (which we're facing in the picture). You may have to click on them as I'm too tired to crop them for you. Ahhh.... memories of beautiful architecture and beautiful sunshine......

Signing off.

Yes - a new post (even though it looks like the video doesn't work, click on it, it does)

Ok, Ok, Ok.... I know, I've been lame in the blogging department. Since people are probably bored of me saying I'm busy let's just say....I've been tied up.

Brooklyn turned 6 ! How did that happen? We took a few little girls bowling, it's weird when your children reach an age where their friends are now people you don't know. Should this be allowed? Inviting people I really know nothing about to my daughter's birthday? When you feel like your babies are growing up, it's a really strange sensation.

Anyway, they had a good time so I'm going to try to post a video and a pic of the cake. Again, birthdayexpress.com was a great place to get the party favours.

Family Reunion!

So we recently had a family event in Sidney - my Grandad's 90th birthday. What is more shocking than him turning 90 is the fact that he is completely with all his faculties. (Well, perhaps with less memory but still functioning nonetheless). It is amazing when you think of what someone's life has seen in the way of changes in society over a period of 90 years. Happy Birthday Mush!

Although it was much too short of a visit I got to see my aunt and uncle from Three Hills and my youngest cousin Brian (missed you Dennis!). And to toot my cousin's horn for him, at the end of the meal he stepped up to the grand piano and played some awesome post-dinner music. Beautiful stuff.

Here's what his composition and keyboard playing sound like on "Water". Enjoy.

http://profile.myspace.com/soulartransmissions

New Post.... a short one

Well, the move went well.... we've still got some things to put away, hang, fix etc. but the basics are done. But no, I'm not posting any after pics yet - until I feel it's really done I'll just be frustrated by posting it 'almost finished'.

Very tiring renovating. And I'm usually a 100% go go go person but I'm feeling a tad flat. My kids are also out of sorts, absolutely knackered and tired of being dragged from Rona to Home Depot etc.

Still, this too shall pass, every day is feeling a little more normal and I'm really excited to be in my beautiful new home. Can't wait for you all to see it.

SOLD !

Well, well well....

What an exciting day it's been - thanks to the prayers of many we sold our house today. First offer given, and accepted. THANK YOU JESUS!

And on Saturday we booked a moving truck for this Wednesday (before having sold) so after this week is over I will finally be planted in my new house with almost all of the renovations completed. Only minor things left to be done now. I will send photos once it's all set up but I'm pretty knackered and I still have to do some packing tonight.

BUT - the big blessing is, new people don't take this place until mid-March so we have plenty of time to clean it up, get everything out etc.

Peace, love and joy out and up,
Me.

PS - Rayael sent me a link to these guys and a song they did - which was freaking hilarious - but then I clicked on one of their other performances and let's just say that .... well, the last minute's concept is a tad off but seriously I am CRYING MY EYES OUT WATCHING IT. FUNNIEST THING EVER. You must see and give me your opinion. Is it just that my brain and stress levels make this 'seem' funny or are you too busting a gut??? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eum-W589NIs&mode=related&search==

Run-in at Canadian Tire

I'm taking a coffee break here at the office to update my blog and recap what happened to me last night.

I was at Canadian Tire (on one of many trips for the new house supplies) last night with Brooklyn as Darrell desperately needed a part for our new stove.

We were in rather a long line up and were waiting for the next till over to open. It was at the point where I was the next person in line at the till we were lining up for, with a woman (in her 30's or 40's, too young to be grumpy) lining up behind me.

The girl at the till that was not yet opened said to my oblivion "I can help whoever is next in line" at which the woman behind me moved over to pay for her items. I turned and noticed this, started to move my buggy over and then thought to let it go. At which point, the kind Canadian Tire employee said to this woman, "I think that girl over there was ahead of you"

Ok - so here is the kicker. Yes, I was in a hurry. Yes, I started to make my way over to take my rightful place in line but ended up foregoing my turn as the quick woman had jumped ahead of me. The woman who had jumped ahead of me, obviously in a bad mood and feeling ticked that she was being 'reprimanded' by the C.T. girl, said OUT LOUD "Well she should have been listening".

Foul. Foul Mood. I was feeling defiant and said 'Well sorr-rr-y" as I passed her to take my rightful place in line. Now you have to understand, this is a bit out of character for me. I may be thinking those sarcastic words but I don't usually come right out and verbalize them. So back in the van I explained what had happened to Brooklyn and we discussed how important it is to not be rude to people, even if you are being treated unfairly etc. And Mummy had to apologize for the words she retaliated with.

But it got me to thinking.......so often we feel treated unfairly, unjustly, as if we deserve better. And we may in anger, defiance or sheer frustration say things we don't mean or push to get what is 'rightfully ours'.

Jesus didn't do any of those things. He was treated as the lowest of the low, he was spit upon, he was beaten, he was ignored. He, the one without sin or blame, was despised more than any other. And yet, after experiencing all of those things still chose to give the most sacrificial gift ever known to man. His Life. For us. The unworthy, the ungodly, the selfish. We don't deserve half of what we have here in the modern world. Nothing will teach you that more than a missions trip which I highly encourage. Staring into the faces of those beautiful, hungry and dirty Mexican children was enough to bring me to tears and feel so thankful and grateful for what we have.

But more than that - we are all equal in God's eyes. All unworthy ....and yet..... all loved to the point of human sacrifice. So, the next time someone cuts you off on the highway, or in the aisle of Canadian Tire, remember that God loves you to the point of death and that your reaction might be watched by a little child who needs you to teach her that your blessings in life are so great that we should never feel like we deserved 'more' or 'better'. And if you find yourself in a place where 'more' or 'better' does come your way, then you know who to thank.

To my friends and family

Hello All,

I thought I would send out a quick Richmond update as my inbox was full of messages like "where are you?', "what's new?" "how come you're never home?" etc. ;)

We are in the middle of moving between our two houses. The top floor and our portion of the lower floor in the new place are almost done with the kitchen having been completed on the weekend and the appliances arriving this week. I DO NOT DESERVE MY KITCHEN! It is sooooo beautiful and I can't wait to show you the completed photos (or in person for those of you in town). Although the tiled backsplash may not be done for a few weeks, depends on how tired my tile-man (Darrell!) is. The suite is also coming along and there were 4 people working on it the last 3 days.

Poor Darrell has been working like a crazy-man between his two jobs and the new place, and the kids and I have also been over there every possible minute so it was no surprise that we all caught a cold this past week which has left me without much of a voice (what luck I hear some of you say!). Despite being sick we have been out of the house almost every night last week as there were showings on our current place, along with open houses this weekend and private showings right after. 7 straight hours on one day.

Needless to say, we are a bit tired but looking forward to finally being moved over. The blessing of not having yet sold our place is that we've been able to move things over gradually.

Thanks for all your prayers re selling our current house. With 15 people that went through it this past week we know God is sending the right person one of these days. So, apologies for not having responded to emails, phone calls etc. All will be back to normal in a week or two, and I will then be posting from the luxurious new building that I shall from thereafter call, MY HOME.

Rachel

Visit/House Reno/How she'd do that?/Zachary's school performance

Well, this will be a quick post. Every waking moment is spent packing boxes, taking them to the new house, working at the new house, working at the old house etc.

This week - lovely visit from Leon, Alison & Aria who popped into the office for tea with myself and Jeni. They were only in town for 2 days so it was great to see them so soon after my Calgary visit.

Jeni & Aria with their intense pose:

Next, as promised some more before & after's of the new place, please pray for Darrell - he is working his TAIL off!
Family Room, now minus fan, border & extra sliding doors:


Living Room, newly finished wood floors were a tad dusty that day:


Downstairs Rec. Room, now with wall pushed back 4 feet, new door, paint & Carpet!:

Brooklyn never ceases to amaze with comments, expressions AND positions!
Today we all got to go to the PCS chapel for Zachary's class performance of the Watchmaker. And may I say, my son knew ALL his lines off by heart.....unlike some children......

2006 in Review

So I stole this idea from Alison..... who stole it from Heather......... you get the idea........

2006 in Review

What did you do in 2006 that you'd never done before? - Ran my first 10km race, did a Missions trip.

Did you keep new year's resolutions and will you make more next year? - I don't make them, but I always endeavour to get back into shape after Christmas. Which I ALWAYS allow myself to enjoy to the fullest in the culinary department if you know what I mean.

Did anyone close to you give birth? - Yep! Aria was born to Alison & Leon in March, Tatum was born to Joel & Tania in March and Jack was born to Anna and Mike in December. Sorry if I missed any :(

Did anyone close to you die? - No

What countries did you visit? - U.S.A. and Mexico.

What would you like to have in 2007 that you lacked in 2006? - Less time working, more time with my children.

What dates from 2006 will remain etched in your memory and why? - I am the worst person to ask this - I would like to say the dates of my niece and nephew's birth but I've already forgotten what date Tatum was born. Trust me - I HAVE A BAD MEMORY. But June for my missions trip to Mexico. Mind boggling sights and scenes.

What was your biggest achievement of the year? - Probably the 10km. I'm not usually very good at self-motivation.

What were your biggest failures this year? - Wasting time.

Did you suffer illness or injury? - No, thank the Lord.

What was the best thing you bought? - A new house and all of the fun toys to go in it.

Whose behaviour merited celebration? - Anna's for giving birth.

Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed? - No comment.

What did you spend most of your spare cash on? - Hmmm..... shoes ????? No actually (see Vicki!) - house stuff.

What did you get really, really excited about? - The trip to Disneyland.

What song will always remind you of 2006? -

Compared to this time last year are you happier or sadder? - Happier, more fulfilled with each year.

Thinner or fatter? - I think the same.

Richer or poorer? - DEFINITELY poorer! (still own 2 houses, waiting for the sale of one of them)

What do you wish you'd done more of? - Giving.

What do you wish you'd done less of? - Working!

Did you fall in love in 2006? - Over and over again with the 3 roomates in my home!

How many one-night-stands? - Well, I once this year dreamt I had a one-night stand..... turns out it was with Darrell !!!!!! (I'm sure psychologists would have a field day with that one......)

What was your favorite TV programme? - ER

Do you hate anyone now that you didn't hate this time last year? - No, never.

What was the last book you read? - Ugh......errr......sorry, don't remember.

What was your greatest musical discovery? - My son has rhythm with his new drum kit!

Greatest concert of 2006? - Bryan Adams

What did you want and get? - A New Kitchen (well, will get....)

What did you want and not get? - Under-tile heating in the kitchen and the extra prep sink. ALMOST had em.......

What was your favourite film this year? - Rarely go to movies, not even sure if I saw one in the theatre in 2006.

What did you do on your birthday and how old are you? - Had a wonderful birthday brunch with my family, my in-laws and niece at John's Place. Darrell invited some friends over in the evening and had a divine chocolate fudge cake. I'm 36.

What one thing would've made your year immeasurably more satisfying? - Is it too shallow to say winning the lottery? Because honestly, it would have saved us a lot of headaches :)

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006? - Accessories, Accessories, Accessories.

What kept you sane? - Prayer. Darrell. Zachary and Brooklyn.

What political issue has stirred you the most? - The Poor.

Who did you miss? - My Mum while she was working in Mexico. My family in Alberta and Leon and Alison once they moved. And of course all of my friends who were already in other provinces (Come Back........)

Who was the best new person you met this year? - Wow. We can only pick one? Luke and Helena.

Reunion with Good Friends! And BABY JACK !!

Well, New Year's Eve was a fun night - 8 of us went to the 4 mile pub for dinner and a wee bit of dancing. And most of all - LOTS of giggles! Our good friends Gerry & Sharon were in town so we enjoyed seeing them again.


Then - my lovely husband Darrell sent me to Calgary for a birthday present to see my new nephew. And a big thank you to my dear friend Vicki for her birthday present - babysitting!

Ok - so you know how some babies are cute? Well Jack is STUNNINGLY TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY BEAUTIFUL. And no, I'm not biased. Well, yes I am but he's gorgeous. I spent 4 great days at my sister's place and on the Friday Leon, Alison, Jacquelyn and Aria came over to visit.





I love how when some friends show up you just put on the kettle and sit down to lovely conversation, stories and giggles like they had never left town. It was a great day and it was so good to see them again. I MISS YOU ALL BADLY ! Aria is such a doll, what a well-behaved little muffin she is......

Then on Saturday my brother and his wife and 2 girls came over and we repeated the Christmas turkey dinner. Everything - crackers, turkey, hats and all. It was a precious, precious time as I got to visit with Tatum and Chloe and remind them who Auntie Rachel is. They are gorgeous girls, Joel & Tania are awesome parents.

(My brother doing his best 'Wallace impression!)






Auntie Rachel with Tatum Rachel Turner.

Highlight of conversation: "Chloe, what is Daddy?" "A man" "good! And what is Mummy" " A girl". "Good, and what is Chloe?" Whispered response "A Christian"!!!!

HOW CUTE IS THAT?