Au revoir April

I just returned from the grocery store and said that perhaps I can finally put away the winter jackets.  I'm hopeful.  We may have seen snow this last week of April but May is almost here.  

I'm pretty sure I have had sick children home some days of every week since March Break.  Lily-Anna was home all this past week with a cold.  Kohen was just home Monday to Wednesday.  

Covid finally caught up with us this month.  Kohen had been feeling unwell for a couple of days but when I felt the first throat tickle I decided to do a test.  It was the first time I had seen two lines show up on the test.  Lily-Anna was next followed by Isaac and Graham a few days later.  Thankfully our symptoms were mild, though Graham and I still feel extra tired.  I'm very thankful for the vaccines.

This meant we had to reschedule our first trip to Great Wolf Lodge.  We had planned to go on what would have been Josiah's 10th birthday, and also as part of a Christmas gift.  The kids took the news well and I think it worked out best that we were here and could focus on our memories of Josiah.

The hardest part of Josiah's birthday for me is picking out a cake.  I usually make a cake or cupcakes for the kids on their birthdays but I buy one on Josiah's birthday.  I look at all the cakes and wonder which one he would want.  A mom should know which cake her son would love.  I usually hold it together but this time I quietly cried and just pointed to the cake I wanted.  I wrote down "orange icing" for the lettering as I couldn't speak.  I welcome tears as they have been few and far between.  

Choosing ice cream was also a challenge ... until I saw 'Heavenly Hash'.  That made me smile.  God has a sense of humor.  We ate McDonalds take-out for supper as it reminds us of the incredible blessing of Ronald McDonald House where we stayed in Toronto and Hamilton when Josiah was in the hospital.  We took flowers to Josiah's grave.  

As Graham and Isaac were still getting over Covid, we celebrated Easter alone.  I'm so thankful we serve the risen Jesus.

Isaac submitted two pre-recorded piano pieces for the KW-ORMTA (Ontario Registered Music Teachers Association) competition.  Last weekend he had his online adjudication.  He will be quick to tell you that there were only two people competing in his category but he played very well and received first place and his first monetary reward.  

One stylin' outfit for peeling carrots

I was excited to sign up the two youngest for swimming lessons starting in May but decided to cancel them the other day as the kids keep getting sick and I don't want to  waste our money.  I hope they'll be able to do lessons in the summer.  Due to Covid, an adult has to be with Kohen and Lily-Anna so it depends on four people being healthy for us all to go.  

Lily-Anna made this house today

I saw the tent that I've been eyeing since last year on sale for 40% off.  Graham and I chatted a few times and decided to get it with some gift money we had saved.  We'll start by trying it out at the two grandparents' homes (in nicer weather) and see where we go from there as we don't know how to camp for real yet.  This tent fits three queen air-mattresses and Graham can stand up inside so it at least has enough space.   

This rabbit visits our backyard

I recently read Everything Sad Is Untrue, an autobiographical novel by Daniel Nayeri, an Iranian refugee in the United States.  It's considered a teen book and is written from the author's perspective in fifth grade.  A fascinating read that I found inspiring, heartbreaking, challenging, and enlightening.     

Graham's last visit at the UW Library

Graham started his new job this month.  He had one week of onboarding to learn about the company and another week of onboarding with his team.  He mainly works from home and is really enjoying this new challenge.   

Most sadly, we learned today that Graham's Aunt Linda passed away this morning.  She was a wonderful aunt and woman of God and she will be greatly missed.      

Until next month, I'm signing off.  

Blessings,

Elizabeth

Zephaniah 3:17

The LORD your God is in your midst, a mighty one to save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.

Hoppy's birthday gift

March

The month began with Welsh cakes and daffodils for St. David's Day.  My mom's dad was from Wales.  I had the kids watch a couple of videos about Wales while enjoying their Welsh cakes.  I was going to have my mom tell them first-hand about Wales but she was out when I called so the kids instead told her what they had learned.  I remember visiting Hay-on-Wye with my family when I was young.  It's a Welsh town famous for its number of bookstores.  

Kohen's last day being 7

Kohen's 8th birthday was next on the agenda.  He was able to celebrate at SkyZone with a few of his friends.  He had a great time.  

Kohen likes Andy Griffith and candy

We've been experiencing typical March weather which means the kids were outside in their shorts and t-shirts playing at the park when it felt like 18 degrees C and more often wrapped up with neck warmers and snow pants when it felt like -18 degrees C or under the umbrellas for the freezing rain.  

I have fond memories of my dad letting me return to school after lunch wearing shorts on one fine March day.  I loved going home for lunch.  My dad made toasted tuna sandwiches to our exact specifications (I liked mayo spread on the toast, one brother liked no mayo and the other liked it mixed in with the tuna).  And by mayo, I mean Miracle Whip.  I enjoyed that toasted tuna sandwich while watching the end of The Andy Griffith Show (if I ran or biked home quickly) as well as Leave it to Beaver.  

It was great to see more family this month.  My brother's family visited during March Break and Graham's brother flew out to Ontario last week.  The kids loved playing with their cousins and also with Ginger, another cousin's hamster which we looked after for a week.  It's nice to watch the kids enjoy the hamster.  She's very cute.  

We visited the Treetop Village just outside of Hamilton during the break.  I wish we had known how muddy it would have been as the kids would have worn their snowpants and been able to slide down the filthy slides but thankfully they had boots on (a last minutes decision - PTL).  They all had a really good time and had lots of exercise and fresh air.

March also means we get to celebrate Grandma Faulkner's birthday.  We enjoyed our visit and some yummy Indian food.

Lily-Anna and I finished our skating lessons this month.  I don't think either of us were sad to end them.  My feet always hurt.  Hopefully Lily-Anna will enjoy it more as she gets older.

After ten years, Graham will end his time at the U of W library doing web development and will become a Software Developer at Geotab in Kitchener.  When he was hired at the library, it was God's perfect provision in so many ways, especially as it related to Josiah who was born a few months after he started there.  While he is thankful for his time there and will miss his coworkers, he is very excited about this new opportunity.       

There were five beautiful blooms!

The mask mandate has lifted as have most other restrictions.  I had wished they would have waited until two weeks after March Break.  I currently know quite a few people with Covid and the last two weeks my kids have been off different days due to symptoms on the assessment list.  I'm thankful my kids aren't the only ones still wearing masks.  It's not just about trying to keep them free of Covid, it's that every time they get a symptom on the list, at least one of them has to stay home and they have missed so much school.  One day at a time.  I enjoyed playing Carcassonne with Kohen today and 'hospital' with Lily-Anna (she "broke" her wrist and needed it x-rayed).  I just this moment realized that she's pretending to be her aunt, though Lily-Anna pretended she fell off her bicycle.  

It's time for some sleep.  Morning shall come when I will finish making their lunches, hoping they each wake up symptom-free and are not tempted to tell me otherwise.

Blessings,

Elizabeth

Psalm 46:10
Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.

I'll miss picking her up at lunch next year

February

I think I must have blinked!  What happened to February?!  

Today is a special day though.  It is the 85th birthday of a wonderful man from our church who used to be part of a Bible study that took place in our home a few years ago.  We serenaded him with the Happy Birthday song on FaceTime and then the kids had a little piano recital for him.  He hadn't realized that Lily-Anna had started playing the piano so that was a nice surprise for him and the boys have both improved since he last heard them play.  He told the kids that they had made an old man very happy.  

Making fresh lemonade

Lily-Anna and I have had four weekly skating lessons and will have three more in March.  We both seem to be slowly improving.  I had my first fall this past week and I am certainly thankful for helmets or I wouldn't have been able to keep skating the way my head hit the ice.   After I fell, my instructor gave me some tips to prevent a backwards fall next time.  When I mentioned the tips to Lily-Anna, she said she already knew what to do as they taught her the first week.  Perhaps I missed those instructions as I do find it hard to hear on the ice as there is a lot of background noise.  

I am attempting to knit a tea cosy with a kit I have had for many years, probably prior to Isaac being born.  It's meant to be knit and then felted by putting it in the washing machine.  It took me three tries to start it without having to undue the stitches but things are going smoothly now.  I just finished the first ball and need to figure out how to attach the next ball.  Thankfully my mother doesn't live far away. 

 

I pre-ordered the new Ann Voskamp book, Waymaker.  I was interested in the goodies that come with the pre-order, especially the videos.  I also quickly read the first three chapters and look forward to reading the rest when it arrives in March.  There are also audio devotionals for all of Lent so I am looking forward to that as well.  

The highlight of February is Valentine's Day.  This is the one time of year that my kids know they will be going on a date with Mommy.  The last few years they have always chosen Starbucks for a hot chocolate and a cake pop.  As you can see, I sat at the same table each time!  Graham blessed me with flowers and the two of us were able to go out for Indian food.  

  

A woman whom I knew when we were girls in elementary school connected with me through FaceBook.  She asked about my parents and said that she always liked my mom as a teacher and said that my dad is a good man.  She remembers playing baseball at our church out in the country.  My dad built a number of baseball diamonds on our church's country property so that there could be a church baseball league in the community.  I have never been good at baseball but I do remember my dad doing lots of work to make it happen.     

I am very sad about what is happening in Ukraine.  This seems to have shaken me more than other events in the past.  It just seems shocking and reading some of the stories, I imagine my own family going through things like getting drafted or begging a stranger to take my kids across the border.  It is encouraging to see so many people praying about the situation, asking for God's intervention.  May God bring real peace.  

Blessings,

Elizabeth

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Happy 2022!

Happy 2022!

Once again, the year started out with ebelskivers ... and more restrictions.  The ebelskivers were yummy!  Favourite fillings were Nutella or cheese with jam or red pepper jelly.

School started online a few days late but thankfully they returned in person on the 17th.  The daily Covid assessment for school has also changed.  I'm amazed that we haven't needed to isolate as all it takes is one runny or stuffy nose to keep all five of us home but we could then use rapid tests I think (I'll look it up when I need to know).

I'm going to blame the restrictions for the lack of excitement this month: buying boots; fixing a dryer, washer, and muffler; picture day for the kids; signing up for bank accounts and skating lessons; seeing the Stratford lights; and going sledding.  I almost forgot that they made an outdoor oven (I think there's a different name) with Grandpa Ray.

In searching for boots, I discovered that CBC Marketplace investigated how well boot soles were able to grip on icy surfaces.  It turns out that most just slip.  The KITE Research Institute in Toronto has the results of all the boots they have tested.  I was able to find a pair that are good on ice and are warm.  They are not beautiful but I am neither a fan of cold feet nor of slipping, both of which have been a problem with my old boots.  They were even on sale.  Thank You Lord!

We were a little late this year!

Our dryer had been making a loud squealing sound.  Unfortunately our regular repairman is not currently working so I found a company that appeared to have an overall good rating online.  First mistake - not enough research and too trusting.  They came to our home for what I thought would be a repair but it was only a diagnosis.  I knew the cost of the service call would be credited to the repair so I wasn't too worried until we received the expensive quotation and dug deeper, finding numerous complaints about the company.  Thankfully my wise husband decided to cut ties before we lost more money or time.  He asked for a recommendation on FaceBook neighbours.  We received a name of a company around the corner from us.  I couldn't find any ratings at all online but we thought we'd support local.  He was wonderful!  He came and fixed the dryer as well as our leaky washer in under an hour for much less money than the other company quoted us for just the dryer.  We will certainly call him for any further repairs.  Thank You Lord!

Excited to have painted nails!

We had a little excitement on the way to church yesterday morning.  A car pulled up beside our van while Graham was driving and honked.  We recognized a family from our church and Graham put his window down.  They told us that our muffler was about to fall off.  We made it to church and then Graham called for a tow truck.  My parents were heading to church but instead they picked up the kids and took them home.  Graham waited for the tow truck and took a bus home.  Today we became the proud owners of a new muffler and whatever holds that muffler on.  

Last week, Lily-Anna had her first picture day at school as they didn't have one last year.  We've never had a picture day during the Winter for good reasons.  I sent a brush with each of the kids.  I'm looking forward to seeing how they turn out.  

Kohen and Lily-Anna finally have bank accounts.  Isaac has had his for a few years.  They were excited to go to the bank and deposit their money and receive their bank card.  

I was able to sign up Lily-Anna and I for skating lessons that start next week.  We'll each have our own class.  Graham fell and bruised his rib when he took lessons a couple of years ago so I am praying that doesn't happen to me.  Lily-Anna is looking forward to it.  

I introduced my kids to Bonkers

Lily-Anna has graduated to a booster seat in the van!  None of us are missing the car seat.  My eleven years of doing up five-point harnesses have ended!

We were able to enjoy some sledding this month with all the snow.  

Most sadly, my Uncle Peter died last week.  He was my only uncle in Canada.  He was kind and generous to me and I miss him.  My prayers are for my aunt and cousin.  

Blessings,

Elizabeth

Psalm 113:3

From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the LORD is to be praised!