Horse Party

The kids were so excited for the horse party! My parent's church have a party for the end of the Sunday school year at the home of a family from their Church. They have two horses. So it has become The Horse Party. So much fun! Unfortunately, Mark couldn't come with us. He stayed home with strep throat. :( But it was a beautiful day, nice and sunny but not too hot. Mosquitos weren't out in full form yet either!

We were the first ones there so Drew got the first ride. This is Drew and Cherokee. I have been told that Drew has a natural talent for large animals and for riding. It may be time to think about doing some lessons! We'll see!

Sophia's turn! This is Drifter! Such a wonderful, gentle horse! Sophia took to the horse pretty naturally too. She loves horses. Me too! I was lucky enough to lead Drifter around for about half the time, giving kids rides. I think I might of fallen in love with Drifter!

Ethan's turn on Drifter.

Beautiful smile!

Here come the miniature ponies! Another lady from the Church who lives down the street.

Even Grandma got a turn! :)

Waiting patiently for another turn!

Drew got to lead one of the miniatures around. He loved it.

But he wasn't the only one! All three kids wanted turns with this too!

We ended the day with a potluck wiener roast. Ended the day with smiles on our faces and full tummies! :)

Relay for Life, Update on Margie

Last week I went to Relay for life. I had wanted to go for the last few years to support my Mom's cousin, Barb, and her fight against a rare blood cancer, Polycythmia Ruba Vera, PV for short. She was diagnosed about 9 years ago and has had to take Chemo in a pill form weekly for most of that time. Evil disease! Because of this cancer she has had other cancers and stokes. She is a miracle. Barb, I love you and am so glad to have gotten the chance to know you! You are very special! I pray for you and think about you often.

This year I actually made it. It's a little ironic that now we live further away, than in the past years, but this is the year I made it. But the kids are getting bigger and it worked with Mark's work schedule.

I think that I was blessed just to be there. I was going to go to "visit" Barb, but ended up staying until about 11pm or so. First of all I got to spend the night visiting and walking with my great Aunt Marge. It was great to chat and reconnect. I love you Aunt Marge. You are a wonderful, Godly women filled with faith, joy and love.
Then I got to be "adopted" by their team and join them in their walking. I also took some time to walk around by myself to reflect and pray for Margie. It was also there that I got bad news about Margie's liver biopsy results. I felt like crying. I think God did that on purpose. To be with Aunt Marge and Barb after receiving that news. They had already started to pray for Margie because of my last post about her and my facebook post, but it became even more real when they discovered they knew who she was through different connections. Life's connections can be amazing.

During the evening everyone had a chance to buy luminaries for $5 each. I bought two. One for Barb and one for Margie. Luminaries are white paper bags that you can decorate with a persons name that you are remembering or honouring. You can also add stickers, stamps or be creative with the felts. For me is was a time to think about each person and pray for them. It was a meaningful activity for me. Once you were done decorating, a volunteer would put a plastic bag around your bag (for weather and such) and a piece of wood with a tea light inside to secure the light. Then you could give your bags to the volunteers or you could take it to it's spot on your own. They were all lined up around the track (at Rotary stadium), in alphabetical order. I decided to deliver them myself. As I walked around the track, putting them in the right places, I read the names on some of the other bags. And I recognized a few other names. Rachel Barkey, a cousin of a friend, who passed away, and Julie Falk, another lady from Church, who is fighting again. Looking at all the luminaries, you see and remember again all the people that this awful disease has touched. So many people. And not just the people with the disease but their friends and family too. When you think about the numbers, it's shocking! There is also a lady at my parents church (my Church growing up) who only has a couple weeks left, if that, becuse of cancer. It is so hard to think of her family without her. Death, disease and dying are really hard.

And then there is HOPE.



After it was dark enough, at about 10:30pm, they started to light all the luminaries. Up on the hill they lined luminaries up to spell out the word HOPE. It was beautiful. Walking around all the lit luminaries was beautiful, sad, somber, hopeful and inspiring. We took one walk as a team, and talked about different people whose names were on the bags. I also re-met Feather, an amazing lady who has beaten cancer more than once. She is full of life, and joy and I can tell she is a fighter.

As Aunt Marge said, thank goodness we have the good things to look forward to. I am so excited that four of my cousins are pregnant right now (from two side of the family), and two of Mark's. So we can look forward to the joys of birth. I am so excited to meet these wonderful little beings that God has created! Little miracles, big miracles. Joy in life.

At the end you are allowed to take your luminaries with you. I took the one I made for Margie when I left and can't wait to pass it on to her.

Margie Update:
Margie had her left led amputated at mid-thigh. She has started physio, and I think will be starting chemo soon. Please continue to pray for healing for her and for the chemo to work and get rid of the cancer. They did find cancer in her liver as well. There is a facebook page with updates, well wishes and prayers. There are almost 500 people, and I know many churches are praying too. Thank you for your prayers. We are praying for you, Margie!


Sorry this pictures aren't great quality. Our camera isn't working, so I took them with my iphone.

After decorating.



Putting the luminaries in place.




Luminaries from Aunt Marge, and from Me for Barb.




Feather's luminary for Julie.




The luminary I made for Margie (Left), Feather's luminary for Margie (Right)

"Baking" Drumstick Cake

On Tuesday, we had a BBQ/wiener roast with some of my cousins. It was great to see them again. One of them was visiting from Ontario. It was so good to reconnect. Good food, good people, good talks, great night! We missed you Shari! And everyone else that couldn't make it.

During the food prep, the twins helped me with the cake. They are always eager to help in the kitchen, and show off their muscles!

Drumstick cake:

Crust:
1 1/2 cups Crushed Vanilla Wafers

1/2 cup unsalted Peanuts (crushed)

1/2 cup Margarine or 1/3 cup butter & 2 tbsp Peanut Butter

Combine all ingredients. Keep some for topping. Press firmly into 9inch pan (spring form is best). Chill.

Ethan and Sophia demonstrating the Crushing:

Filling:

1 8oz. Package of Cream Cheese

1/2 cup Peanut Butter

1/2 cup White Sugar

2 tbsp Vanilla

3 eggs

1 large container of "Cool Whip"

Combine Cream Cheese, Peanut Butter, Sugar, and Vanilla. Add eggs, one at a time, on high speed. Fold in Cool Whip. Pour over crust. Sprinkle crumbs (left-over from Crust) over top. Drizzle 3 tbsp Chocolate Fudge sauce over top. Freeze.

ENJOY!

Please Pray Hard and Fast!

The last couple days we have learned that a friend, women from our church, has broken her femur, the large bone in her upper-leg, last friday. The way she broke her leg should not have caused a break, so she was sent for tests. In the last couple of days their world has been turned upside down. They learned she has a tumor in her leg, compared to Terry Fox cancer, and spots of cancer on her lungs and possibly liver. Waiting for more tests.

We are not really close to her, but have been in the same small group in the past. She is an amazing women of God, worship leader, dancer, always happy with a smile and a song. An inspiring women.

I can't believe this is happening, and can't even imagine. One day you feel good and the next minute, life has stopped. I can't stop thinking and praying for her. I feel so helpless. Wish there was some way to help. I ache for her. But for now we will pray. Please join me in prayer. The more warriors the better!

Our hearts go out to you, Margie and your family. We pray for healing for your whole body. May God give you peace and hope and love. We love you!

Sophia's Day - Ballet Recital

When I found out that the ballet recital and Game 6 of the final series were on the same night, I was honestly conflicted. But of course my daughter won out. Was there ever any doubt? Of course I am glad that I will get to see game 7 now, (Go Canucks Go) but I wouldn't have missed seeing my daughter perform and watching the rest of the amazing show and dancers. I was inspired once again!

We got to the dress rehearsal just before 3:30pm. This time her class was third on the list so we didn't have to stay too long. I asked Sophia if she wanted to stay and watch the other dancers or go do something in between. She just wanted to stay and watch. :) So we watched the whole rehearsal as she moved from seat to seat and danced in the isles. But she was having fun. Just Sophia and me. I think we out lasted almost everyone. When some of the teens were practicing their dance, I asked Sophia if she would like to do that when she was older. She said, "I think so. But where will I get that dress?" So cute!

We ate our packed supper of tuna sandwiches, rice chips and apples, and had our little "picnic". Soon people were coming back to get ready for the show. There was an excited buzz in the air as people busied themselves with last minute prep. Sophia was jumping with excitment, "When do I get to dance, Mommy?" "Soon, Sophia, Soon!"

They did amazing! Sophia was so cute to watch. Probably the most clumbsy, distracted ballerina, but so cute. (This is one reason we put her in ballet in the first place.) We thouroughly enjoyed watching her. She really did good! We gave her a small bouquet of a red rose and greens at the end of her performance, as I learned about from the spring recital. I think it is a wonderful idea, just to show her that we are proud of her and all the hard work she did, and to say that we love her. She loved it. Let's just say she was quite protective of it from her brothers! It is now in a vase in her room in a special spot right by her bed.

The whole recital was the story, 'Your are special" By Max Lucado. For those of you who don't know the story, it is a very heart-warming tale about Eli, the wooden puppet maker, who helps one of his creations Punchinello understand how special he is, no matter what other Wemmicks may think. (Regardless of how the world sees them, God loves each of them just as they are.) The other Wemmicks give gold stars to the talented and good looking puppets, and grey dots to the ones who fall down, are not as talented or good looking. Punchinello soon sees himself as the bottom of the pile and doesn't want to go out. Then he meets Eli, who tells him that he is special just because he belongs to Eli and it doesn't matter to him what the others think of him, only that he loves Punchinello.

Wemmicksville is a land created by Eli, the "God" figure of the story. Only when Punchinello stays close to Eli does he clearly see how to walk through his life in Wemmicksville. (Parts taken from Max Lucado's website).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Scj3A1cLVzY

The show was over close to 9pm, quite late for children who are in bed by 7:30pm. Once at home Sophia still needed a bath to get all the mousse and hairspray out. She was in bed by 10pm. A long day for a little girl. But it was a happy little girl that went to bed tonight! :)

Getting ready behind the scenes.

Our beautiful "puppet"!




Ready to dance!



Magic!

Thank you to all who came to watch, the friends that she has made this year at dance, and Mrs. Brittany for all you've done this year! You helped make today a great day!

Shabby Chic

Last Saturday, I was in the bathroom doing some cleaning when I saw a car pull up to our property. Not a big deal for most but since we are out in the country and not on a busy street, usually if someone pulls up to our property we know who they are or are expecting them. Totally didn't know this car or the people. Once in awhile though people will park near our place to go for a country walk.

As the first person got out and walked out to my brothers side of the property I was curious but not worried. They didn't leave though. Soon another car drove up to join the first. A couple minutes later the rest of the people piled out. First a beautiful bride and then the rest of the wedding party!

A couple minutes later, Mark came home from his errands and stopped by to see the excitement. My Dad had been working at my brother's place working on the chicken coop, so they had stopped to ask his permission first. Mark had told the photographer that he had wanted to paint the barn this summer. But the photographer and wedding party loved it just the way it was. One of the people involved answered, "It's kind of shabby chic!" They had fun for a while and then left.

That got me thinking. It would be cool to have weddings come to have their pictures done and then offer them a little picnic or homemade snacks and refreshments. Even if nothing like this never happeneds again, it was a neat experience. Some things about living in the country are just special, that wouldn't happen living in the "city", and I'm sure, vice versa too!

It was a good day to live in the country. We do live in a beautiful place, and I'm so blessed to be here.

Our Shabby Chic . . .