young love

Just had to backtrack a bit. Cara and Jon and Michaela just posted these pictures from their recent visit to Grandma and Grandpa's house. Micah and Michaela have become very good friends now that they are both 3 years old. This was a particularly precious moment during their time together, and I'm so glad it lasted long enough for Cara to get these great shots of them watching Looney Tunes together! Earlier that same day, I happened to be looking out the window when Michaela approached Micah and his Daddy as they were sitting on Grandma's bench by the lake. Michaela squeezed herself onto the bench beside Micah, and Micah had to scrunch over to make room for her. There they sat side-by-side looking out over the water. The moment was gone before I knew it (and before I could go for my camera), but the sweet memory of it lingers on.

la la land

This may not be the best-quality photo, but it certainly was a best-quality moment! Babysitting a spunky two-year-old gives even the most humdrum of activities an infusion of glory. Putting on shoes - who would have thought it could be an event to remember? Elizabeth, thanks for a glorious week! Your Grandma loves you!

lulu land

Grandma and Grandpa were delighted to have a world-famous children's entertainer come all the way from Manitoba to entertain our grandkids in person! Micah and Elizabeth's great-aunt Lori (LuLu of LuLu and the TomCat) came to see us, bringing with her their newest not-quite-released CD "Stick To It!" with its accompanying hot-off-the-presses Sing-a-Book (see www.luluandthetomcat.com). What an incredible surprise and delight when we turned to the first page and saw that it had been dedicated to Micah, Michaela, Elizabeth and Jamie, as well as to Tom and Lori's niece, Rose! Thanks, Tom and Lori, for your love for children, and for being so especially attentive to these particular little ones in our lives. And thanks also (and yes, I do mean it) for the harmonicas you gave them - I sincerely hope that non-stop happy children's noise will never cease to be music to my ears!

toddler forever

Happy Birthday, Heidi!!! Heidi turned two years old yesterday, August 21st. Caitlin and Sharon and Heidi honoured us by choosing to celebrate Heidi's birthday at Grandma and Grandpa's house. Heidi swam in the lake, played with her cousin Elizabeth (also two years old), and even had "cake" and presents! Elizabeth helped her blow out her candle and open her presents. This picture was taken recently at Elizabeth's house. I think it's an especially lovely portrait of Heidi, revealing what a charming, sweet and beautiful creature she is! (Heidi was particularly taken with the present that Grandpa bought for her, which shows that she is also a forgiving creature, willing to let bygones be bygones!)

tiny little lives, part 2

If you think the country is quiet, you may not have encountered this little creature. As I sit here writing these words, a loud and incessant chorus is ringing in my ears. Of course I could be wrong about who is making the racket, but I think that tree frogs such as this one are to blame. As you can see, it is tinier than one of Ron's fingernails! Ron found it on our front (back?) porch (see previous entry). Sure made us wish that the grandkids were here to see it! I think it would have been at least as interesting as the squished baby snake we found on our walk today with Micah and Elizabeth (Micah very perceptively said it was "very dead").

tiny little lives, part 1

We have installed a new hummingbird feeder on our back (front?) porch. (I'd like to conduct a poll - which side of Grandma and Grandpa's house is the front, and which is the back?) So far so good about the new location for the hummingbird feeder (hanging from the house instead of from a tree) - we no longer call out our usual "hummingbird alert" because there's almost always at least one hummingbird on its way to or from the feeder. And if there's more than one, there's usually an entertaining air battle to watch. And perhaps best of all, we seem to have solved our squirrel problem. Have you ever heard of squirrels being addicted to guzzling sugar water?!?

vegetarian censorship

Finally, here's a picture of Jon and Cara, taken during their recent visit to Mom and Dad's house (aka Grandma and Grandpa's house). You may have noticed that the picture has been bowdlerized. Anyone (other than Caitlin and Sharon) remember where I got that word from? Anyone want to take a wild guess as to what has been expurgated from the picture? And no, Jon is not holding Michaela over the side of the boat -Michaela was safe and sound at home, watching a movie and playing a game with Grandma.

ohana!

A rare moment when we were successful in herding all three kids into one smiling spot, and keeping them there for several entire seconds. The smiles are thanks to Grandma (that's me) jumping up and down. As you can see, the kids are all dressed up. That's because we were celebrating Michaela's third birthday, with a third third birthday party in her honour (yes - third birthday, third party). I think Michaela is competing with her Auntie Meghan for the Birthday Attention title, because although this party took place on her Daddy's actual birth-day, the singing of Happy Birthday, dear Michaela definitely won out over the rounds of Happy Birthday, dear Jonathan. And I don't recall a single Happy Birthday, dear Meghan, taking place during the entire evening - Meghan, I think you may be losing your touch. Missing from this photo is Jamie Ruth (and her Mommy and Daddy), who called us all the way from England to wish Happy Birthdays to the whole Cara/Jonathan/Michaela family (Cara's birthday is also coming up)! So along with our phone-in family, we were all together for this very special celebration. Josh Heather Jamie Cara Jonathan Michaela Meghan Aaron Micah Elizabeth Caitlin Sharon Heidi Grandma Grandpa - ohana, everyone!

the skipper

Dearest Michaela, thanks for so many wonderful memories!

With all our love from Grandma and Grandpa.

phenomena

Michaela's fascination with nature is phenomenal. I don't know how long we would have lingered there placing little round green objects into a "nest" in the ground if it were not for complaints from my aging knees. The "music stick" in my hand, a couple of strands of grass that Michaela had collected, and a treasure trove of "mica" (interesting trying to explain that to Michaela) - none of these were permitted to be abandoned by the side of the path. Tireless walker through the woods, tireless explorer of nature's minutiae, Michaela was willing to brave the mosquitoes longer than those of us with larger blood-sucking surface areas. But being a relatively reasonable person, and familiar with the limitations of adults, Michaela at last consented to be led home again after an hour or so of tiring her elders out.

waterspider

Micah (aka Spiderman) is enjoying the lake this year! This is because he is able to be more "in control" now that he can scoot around on his own in his very own Spiderman inner tube. He also has a cool Spiderman bathing suit. And lots of other Spiderman stuff. He is actually our family's very own superhero. His secret weapon is his laugh - contagious and irresistable, it is capable of rendering the most hardened cynic helpless with childlike delight. He has actually been known to use this secret weapon against himself - when he was a year old, Micah was sitting on the floor playing with a balloon and found it so funny that he laughed so hard he fell over backwards, laughing the whole way down... over and over again! Hmmm - here's an idea for a contest - anyone want to suggest a superhero name for someone with this unique superpower?

eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

Michaela, I'm at a loss for words.

A squeal of delight will have to do.

Welcome to Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Welcome to our arms.

You have come and now you have gone home.

How we miss our little phenomenon!

(...and we miss you too, Cara and Jon!)

"great" introductions...

It was nearly three years ago that Great Grandpa and Great Grandma last came to visit us. Micah had not yet had his first birthday; Michaela was just a few weeks old; and God's next knitting project had only just begun! Great Grandpa and Elizabeth were finally introduced to each other just over a week ago, at Micah and Elizabeth's house. And Michaela also joined us for the weekend. Great Grandma (Mom), we hope you will enjoy looking at pictures of this wonderful visit with your great grandchildren. We love you and miss you!

who am I?

Birthday presents from my friends, representing me! Thanks, Shari and Brenda and Bev, for encouraging me to recognise and live up to the person I was created to be. On the left is the Angel of Healing "For those who give comfort with caring and tenderness" and on the right is the Angel of Hope "Sharing the light of hope and courage". Two aspects of my calling. Two gifts that God has created in me for serving in this world. I wonder what difference it might make for each one of us, if we were to reflect more intentionally and more persistently on what God had in mind in creating us just the way we are. Each one of us a small, unique part of God's big story, each one of us asking: " what was I put here on earth to be and to do?"

my birthday

"Wherever you are it is your friends who make your world."

(William James)

Thanks, Bev and Brenda, for the difference you've made in my world!

(...and thanks, Jon, for teaching me how to upload my pictures!)