Celebrating 60

I watch the way you greet us, with hands out to embrace us. I have done this for years and always smile in my memory.

Our relationship: between You and I, over the last years, has worn in like lessons learned well, shoes walked miles in. What I have not said in more ways than 1 is:

Thank you for being my Dad.

You smile as the children run into the corners of your home, yard, & space. All the while they're trying still to make you laugh or show you proudly something they have created.
Thank you for always letting them, it

Speaks volumes to my soul.

I remember the first time we met in Chinook mall.
Too shy, happy & nervous, that here Daryl's family was all together, & I got to be a part of the festivities.

A Father you have been to my
Heart since that very day.
All families have Stories.
For some, such as myself, they carry truckloads of baggage.
I am sorry for my part in not sharing more about my life & I hope that this keeps paving ahead, as I become braver.

Thank you for helping to make the journey home shorter, & lighter. Loving wholeheartedly when it was time to celebrate our marriage. & the wisdom, courage and heaps of love you now share with (y)our (grand)children.
Happy Birthday, Celebrating 60 years!!

I love you, Dad.

Alicia

Creating a habit

I unravel sweaters to re-knit almost every time. Notes aside, if the sweater is not perfect, I start all over again.


It is an artful expression from deep within. Taking time for every little stitch, to be well thought through & presented with ease.


When my Grandma first showed
me how to hold the needles, we
would sit across from each other. Her right hand strong, my lefthand dominating.
To knit one scarf: Took over 7 years. & then over again as I tried to learn the
Art well.


As we waited by Grandma's side those last days of her full life, I would knit..for hours. Though she was right there & I by the bedside. The knitting brought those last hours of
Peace within our time.
Around & around we turn the full cycle, merry go round in life. No one knows how the inner workings of a brain works but as I found out today: being an ISFP personality suits these aspects just as a fine tuned piano.

Over the next weeks I am inviting Daryl to join me, to accompany my words with his own music. We will start on his Birthday. October 21. The day we met 16 years ago.
I am honored that he will be here in this space with me. If you know him, this expression is as much kept to the private inner workings of his life as the music that flows through to compose his Own piece.
The idea for this season is a reflection of
Traveling light..er.

Planting memory seeds

Today, in memory of lost little footprints, I want to take another day to enjoy building childhood memories.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.
You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.

Psalm 139

What if..

I had a nightmare once that I woke up with only my supper from the night before.
Sitting at the table staring at day old perogies, with nothing to be thankful for now..
What if I woke up without the children I have watched grow every day, some hours feeling like eternity.
Without the husband, who is a strong devoted, faithful father. Who I argue with sometimes.
Without the house, with the comfy furniture.
& the table that occasionally has a meal that almost everyone would rather not eat.
Without the bed that I have tossed & turned in and sometimes curse at how uncomfortable the pillow is, or loud the snoring is.
Without the mounds of food waiting for me to cook, even when I second guess my abilities.
There are more than a million things, or acts we can be thankful for.
When our neighbors are waking up from earthquakes, tsunamis, landslides, floods: They are praising the Lord for life.
Soldiers are not returning, leaving hearts aching.
Children are being stolen, tearing apart the consciousness & causing insanity that no parent should ever have to fathom.
Homes are being repossessed, leaving families homeless. Domestic violence is continuing, creating memories that torment children for a lifetime.
Stories being told of hidden lives, burning histories & daily grace.
What if we just woke up everyday..

7!

Dear Kai ::
Love you to the universe & back!
7 years has gone by too quickly. Celebrating you in your spunky, & even quiet ways is what made your day a treasure to remember. Happy Birthday!

Red 'Elvis' Cupcakes & Moments

A Cakery road trip.


Delicioso!


Big brother Puppet show
-5 little Monkey's


First day of School.
Who's more excited?!


Last days of Camping, sun & rafting.


Bubbling the afternoon away.


New friends


Favorite tea time


Making our own.








A walk to remember


The best days are now.
& I am thankful for sweet friends who pray, love truly & see us near or far with gifts to give away.


All content smiles, of knowing this life is well loved.

August Journeys

She had been suffering UTI's
& a kidney infection for months. We travelled to the Alberta Childrens Hospital a few times & were waiting for results..
all Summer.

The events of Summer included many road trips, & late nights. We laughed a lot, lived for the days & loved well into the nights.

As the month of August moved on; Azaelea began to show signs
of weakness in her legs, lethargy, dehydration
& the bubbly personality waned as she chose to be quiet, cuddled, rocked & sang to.


Then the fevers began to be consistent. Every night we would hear her cries as she woke to a fever of 104-107.
Always subsiding by morning, without any drugs.
One morning after many over the phone consults, we opted to not
give her the maintenance low dose antibiotics.
& the fever lasted 12 hours..
As worried parents we decided to band together along with teamwork from the nursing staff, we admitted her for 2 days in our local General Hospital.
They took urine, cultures, blood, (all twice) & she stayed on a IV the entire time.
After 54 hours on her IV, we waited for the approval to discharge her.
Choosing the better route (for us) to wait for further signs at
Home.
Our interim Dr. Agreed that if there were any worse
Symptoms to follow up at the ACH.


Today after 3 whole
Days of September.
No accidents or
Fevers.


She is back to her dancing, giddy, doll carrying, friend loving, singing self.
Azaelea is going through the motions everyday & growing stronger. We're moved by our community of praying family.
Though we have absolutely no clues as of yet, your support speaks volumes to us.

Thank you All, with Love!

Only you know

Before you read this: I can tell you this is for you.. but only you know this for sure.

Behind her eyes she found a safe place.
Longing deep
striving quick.
Promising to keep the many vows of a little girls heart
forever.
Gasp now.
The dive down deep has hurt your heart.

This time

..too many times..
you have not reached the floor bed of the water.
Engulfing your true being.
Catching a glimpse of the young you.

There waiting.

For the letter you wrote her.
The vows you kept long ago.
She is waiting for confirmation.
In the long last draws of breath.
Within the water.
Where we breath fresh, in the air.
There you catch a glimpse of the look
in her eyes.

Only you knew.

Who Knew
how long?

When the ice would start to melt.
The years where you skated over the dreams,
that lay frozen in an ice capped memory.
In the sky there were no limits.
The happy endings always came true.

Along the starry nights
when the lines were drawn
& the cracks began to show.
A decade
or 2
have seeped through.
A year here
a reoccurring dream there.

How does it write deep on your soul?

She knew.
You knew.
Who knew?
Only you.

Little truths,
simple & catching,
drew on the strength of bigger truths.
Building a strong foundation.
These bigger truths that consumed took apart into shattered remnants.
What was left
is all the simplicity of knowing the next steps, will be built.
In writing.

A Wednesday treasure.

A new ring to celebrate:
the many years remembered, behind us now.
& the many more ahead
.... to be continued.

Wandering moments on Wednesday

Break the rain

Waiting for the rain to break
& the sun to shine.
When it's best to grasp the positive joys of the days.
If we can still laugh
when the hours are long
& the sanity is thrown out the window, then it's less of a funk
& more of a double rainbow.




What is dead may be dormant, and what is barren may be about to bear, and wild things can somehow find a way to bloom. ~Ann Voskamp

Summer craft wishes

When I looked through our craft closet this week it was very evident that we have had more focus on yarns and paper this year. So many trinkets and soon to be crafts are waiting to be made. So with the help of pinterest, I will share some ideas!



Painting. & this one was found hiding away with lost treasures.



Earrings made from upcycled leather. The middles could be a soft crochet line or beaded.




Crochet rings. The backs could be soft leather.




Too fun & cute. I can just imagine the kids ideas with these.




Just the leather scraps with a few beads mixed in.




Necklace made with little rocks, a charm & soft feathers.




I had my first spontaneous lake swim of the Summer today! Exhilarating.