The Endless Days of Summer

So the month of July is at its end. Summer is over half the way done. Just now I feel like we can begin to relax and enjoy what is left of it.

Trev is on his time off right now. This week feels more like vacation than our vacation in Yellowknife. I mean Yellowknife meant trying to see people, plan weddings, attend weddings, get in as much time at the lake as possible. It also brought up some of those feelings I had when we lived there. Those feelings that we just weren’t meant to be there anymore. Life there has gone on without us, and life there was moving past us before we had even moved. It was good to go back, good to see old friends, but it was hectic and raw and I was equally happy to say goodbye and look ahead to our life we have begun to make here.

Since we returned to PA, Trev went back to work, the kids and I hung out and I worried about money, and house things and looked ahead to a week in Saskatoon of Ball Tournaments and Goalie School, Hockey School and Figure Skating School all at three different arenas. From the Friday till the Tuesday I managed this on my own. Then on Tuesday night we returned to PA to get Trev and things seemed to lift after that.

Of course the other major distraction of July was the fact that July 29 was my Sunday to lead the worship in church. Not just the singing, or the prayer but the whole thing, except for the actual sermon. This I had never done before and you would think the fact that I was doing it in the church that I had grown up in would not be hard to do. Except this church is not really the church I had known. But it was okay. Thanks to my awesome support group – Dixie, Marc and Steve, who rallied around, made slides played music and just generally gave me the support to know that it would be okay, even if it was not okay. We made it through, a few flubs and a few missteps but nothing major and well the congregation loves us anyway. After the service, I felt like I could really relax and that there was no major things left on our agenda for the summer.

And so we have been relaxing. Sunday afternoon with an impromptu 70th Birthday BBQ out at Murray Point for my aunt. We took the boat out and the neices, nephews and kids enjoyed themselves. Yesterday we went back and my 16 year old nephew tried wakeboarding with little success, Taylors litte friend also tried and after about a dozen goes he was up for short periods of time. The kids also found the fun in jumping off the back of the boat for a swim in the middle of the lake. Noah who usually sticks close to dryland even found the joy and relaxation in the security of his life jacket. He even began swimming laps around the boat. It is definitely something we want to get out and do again this week. Of course with the heat, even Trev and I had to jump in and cool off. I even wore a life jacket so I could relax and not tread water while playing with the kids. It was really quite fun.

With the ease in the hot weather today, the clouds covering the sky and the rain beginning to fall gently outside, we are still at home today. Trev and the kids are finally putting up the trampoline that hasn’t been assembled since we moved in and I have been relaxing trying to finish my second book this week.

Ya summer is good and it is nice to be a stay at home mom at this time. We have a big event happening tomorrow, which will likely be a non event but will blog about tomorrow when it is complete.  Taylor is in a golf tournament on Thursday and I would like to get that back to school shopping started. Taylor will have one more goalie school in Saskatoon in August but with it just being him we are not too stressed about it.

The exhibition is in town this week and while my husband hates things like that I have many wonderful memories of my time as a kid at the PA Ex. We might just have to relive some of those memories this week.

One final note. I am really thankful for my family this week as always. I spoke with my cousin’s wife last night. A little over a week ago the trailer which is parked out at Candle Lake caught fire with her and the their two boys inside. They and the dogs got out and everyone will be fine. No major injuries, thank the Lord. But it is times like this that I say those silent prayers of gratitude for God’s protection over them. We have been so blessed by this family this past year. We are honoured to call them our cousins and feel such a kinship with them. I can’t imagine how things would be for any of us this week if things had turned out differently.

Growing Up is Sometimes Hard to Do

So I finally did what I had been wanting to do for a long time. I went and visited my mother’s doctor. He confirmed all of my suspicions about her diagnosis. I don’t know if he ever clearly has said to her what she is dealing with or if she has just denied what is going on but needless to say the message that has come back from her was not what I heard. I haven’t told my mom that I went to see him. I never even told my dad. At this point I don’t think there is a need to.  The time I spent in his office today was helpful to me and to him and that was really my point in going and hopefully my mom will benefit too.

But I spent the rest of the day going over what we discussed and how that changes my outlook. I am relieved in many ways because although I have been continuously changing how I communicate with my mom over the last several months in preparation for this diagnosis having it confirmed today certainly clarifies somethings in how I make future choices for myself and my family.

As I sat down at the computer I decided to do some research. I had done a bit in the past but now I feel justified. Like I am not trying to self diagnose my mother but can actually go on information given to me by her trusted MD. As I read the info, much of it I have heard before, I became really sad. I can’t say I have ever had a tremendous adult relationship with my mom. She is not an easy person to always trust and get along with but she is my mom and I do remember times when she was healthy. Much healthier than she is now. There were times when she would get down on the floor and really play with the kids. She used to cook at Bible Camp and that wasn’t too long ago. She came back telling stories of how she would go out on the trampoline late at night and giggle like a girl again. I will miss those times that should have and could have been spent with my kids.

When I was with the doctor I suggested he have her office phone her to make an appointment. Since when he checked his computer he had given her sample meds to last a month and then had not done a follow up with her in 7 months. This irritated me but since he is the doctor she trusts I have decided to form a workable relationship with him to benefit my mother. He agreed and within minutes an appointment was set up for this past week.  As an aside, my mother now thinks he still the best doctor in town since he cared enough to phone her  and set up an appointment. Quietly I smile to myself.

We returned home from Saskatoon last night and Mom and Dad stopped by. I casually inquired about her doctors appointment. She informed me that he doctor had in fact given her a diagnosis. She is now on prescription meds and he is still the best doctor in town because he cars so much for her. I think in many ways my mom is relieved to know what is happening to her mind and her body. Of course she is sad and I think still in a bit of shock but she knew something was happening and while I think she will still continue to live in denial I also believe that we are heading in the right direction in terms of her longtime care.

I will continue to stay in contact with her doctor behind the scenes. I will continue to do whatI can to support my mom as she begins to live with what her future will be like. I hope in the next few weeks to get some quality time in with my dad and see how he is doing with all of this new information. My dad has never accompanied my mom to her doctor. My sister went with her last week and I am unsure how her reaction is to everything. But life goes on and as much as we didn’t plan for this to be so much a part of our lives so soon after moving here, I am thankful to be here just the same. It is a growing experience for both my family and for me and in the end no matter how painful I will be thankful to have this time with my mom and dad.

Gateway Covenant…You Made My Dad Cry Today

Today my dad went to church. It is something he does every Sunday. He has gone to the same church for the last 30+ years.  He has cried many tears for that church. Most of those tears have not been for anyone but God to see.

I didn’t go to church with my folks today.  I went elsewhere and when I stopped at their place after church, Dad told me his experience of church today. Today some folks got up and spoke of their experience working in the soup kitchen yesterday. I don’t know everyone who did but what they said brought tears to my dad’s eyes as he recounted to me how those people experienced what he has experienced countless times. Stories of people serving others. Serving those we would normally not associate with, and perhaps some of them if we were walking down the street might cause us to hold our children closer to us or look the other way. But the message my dad heard today was that in serving these people in the soup kitchen members of Gateway Covenant understood that these people were people just like them. People with loves, hurts, desires, fears, joys and sin. People just like us. People that need Jesus…just like us.

It was something my dad has been unable to see in some of his congregation. For many years my dad has felt like others in this church can be focused on themselves or their children, or their jobs, or their houses and yards or the church building or who is getting to make the decisions. It isn’t often that my dad has felt like he has seen the love and compassion he saw in his fellow members like he did today. And that made my dad cry.

And then if that was not enough, Randall spoke today from Job. Again, I wasn’t there I don’t know exactly what was said but Job is a favorite of my dads and today he said Randall gave him a new perspective on Job. Something more for him to think about.

Today I am pretty sure God was there at church with my dad. And for that I am thankful. And I am thankful that in this church that my dad loves so much that he was able to see Him in the faces around him.

Ack…. Look Who Made The Newspaper Today

Prince Albert was a hub of activity throughout the weekend. Top left: Kennedy Burgess, Mykayla Herd and Beth Harper skate to Cats at Ice Show 2007 Hats Off to Broadway held the Art Hauser Centre Sunday afternoon. Top right: Brad Wall rallied his Saskatchewan Party troops at a fundraiser Saturday night at the Art Hauser Centre. Bottom left: Troy Crawler, a Morley, Alta. ,resident, stands with his horse Pokey outside the Red River Roping and Riding Club arena north of Prince Albert. Crawler won first place in the tie-down roping event at the International Indian Finals Rodeo. Bottom right: World PowerSports Association racer Blair Morgan takes a break during the the 2007 Prince Albert National Snowmobile Racing Association snowcross season final Saturday. (For results from the snowcross event, see Wednesday’s Instant Replay.) Herald photos by Jessica Kiunga

From The Prince Albert Daily Herald

Is It Okay…..

to be a little cheesed that my sister-in-law phoned two nights ago and invited my husband to go to Scotland with her and their cousin and didn’t extend the invitation to the rest of us?

Is it okay…..

to be a little confused by my father-in-laws phone call last night suggesting we invite mother-in-law (yet again for about the third time) to come and visit us?

And is it okay…..

to shake my head even more when Trevor calls his mom and begs her to come visit, offers to pay for the flight and she still refuses even though she hasn’t seen her son and grandchildren in over a year?

Saturday Evening

It is Saturday evening here in our little Herd house. We are almost through the last tournament of the year and then hockey is over for another season. The boys will still have some practices as long as the ice is in the rink but the grueling pressure of organizing games and all that is done. Mykayla is winding down in skating as well except that she will have the opportunity to do a few weeks of Spring School.  The boys have a couple hockey schools in Saskatoon lined up and we want to get Myk into Summer Skate in Saskatoon on the weeks that the boys go to hockey school.

Taylor’s team is full of drama again but it did make for some exciting hockey. We won our first game last night 11-4. This afternoon they played a team from Cold Lake (where there is no hitting in this division.) It was a rough game. I stood at the end of the arena watching and saw one goal scored that should have had the whistle blown as the team kept digging the puck out from underneath Taylor.  Then Taylor actually received his first penalty ever. He caught the puck in his pads and one of the players from the other team punched him in the head. The player then got knocked down after the whistle blew but he continued to kick Taylor in the face and chest. Taylor, in what seemed a defensive move to me tried to push his skates away and one of his buddies from his team went after the player. The end result was the Taylor got a 3 minute major for roughing, and the other two boys got 3 minute majors as well. I was told later that the player from the other team should have been ejected as he was kicking but I guess the ref didn’t see it that way just like he didn’t see that what Taylor was doing was protecting himself. Then not even 5 minutes after that one of the players held Taylor down with his stick as another player came up and scored a goal. I guess the ref didn’t see that one either.

Well they placed 2 in their pool of three and went into the play off game tonight. I missed the game as Noah is not feeling well but they were up 3-0 then down 4-3 and then tied 4-4 with 1 minute left in the game. About three minutes into the overtime period they managed a goal and took the game. So now when I thought we would be able to go to church in the morning we will be watching yet another hockey game.

The stresses of the week are coming to a close. They are still there but life moves on and as we go through everyday we begin to plan and rationalize and strategize on how best to handle them. I hate being ruled by finances and that seems to be where our life is at right now. I feel like it just takes away so much from the task of living life and it is such a waste of time to worry about those things. But that is what we do.

And in the midst of it I know God is there somewhere. I struggle finding the words to say to Him. I know He is listening and when words escape me I just hope He has the patience to read between the lines.

On the positive I mentioned briefly that the kids had awesome report cards. And they really did. All three of them had consistent A’s and B’s with Taylor and Myk averaging in the A and Noah somewhere around B+. This has likely been their best report cards yet and so for that we are thankful that they are adjusting and learning and growing.

Well that is about it from here.  To those of you in NWT, Alberta, BC and everywhere else but SK have a Happy Daylight Savings.

Distracted

I should be cleaning the house. I am trying. I have the laundry going and am straightening up here and there. But I am distracted.

It is an incredibly stressful time right now. I hope that I am handling it okay but really all you can do is muddle through and hope you get to the end of it.

We are still trying to decide what to do with the house in Yellowknife. It is becoming more and more a feeling that we should try and sell it again. It was never something we wanted to hold onto for long and after only a few short months I think we are feeling like we definitely do not want to be landlords longterm. It is hard to feel like we do not have much control in that situation but we would be the ones who feel the most impact. We are trying to leave that with God and He will open the door and gives us the direction we should follow.

But all that stress aside my real concern today is with my brother. This is going to be a difficult day for him. And just to kick him when he is down, his soon to be ex-wife is now trying another legal maneuver to get yet more money that he doesn’t have. That will be addressed tomorrow. Because of my involvement with him it adds more work for me as well. I know that it all can be dealt with but it will be emotionally hard work because at the same time I am always worried about his well being. The road ahead of him continues to be long and hard and still alot of unknowns. I know I am being very vague but really it is highly sensitive and I must do what I can to keep it confidential. But I ask for your prayers for him. Myk brought home some homework last night from religion and many of the questions had to deal with God’s peace in conflict. I guess that is my hope for my brother and my family and for me. I hope that we can feel God’s peace now and in the days and months ahead.

So today when I should be excited for the hubster is on his way home and the kids had excellent report cards yesterday, I am just a little distracted.

Shrove Tuesday, Ash Wednesday and the Beginning of Lent

So yesterday was Shrove Tuesday. Been a Christian a long time but I have never celebrated Shrove Tuesday. This year my kids are in Catholic School. The tradition apparently is to have a Pancake Breakfast at school. This year was no different. So at 7:10 my husband dropped me off at the school to help the principal, the vice-principal and several other moms make pancakes and sausages.

With this new experience, I decided to think more about Lent. Yesterday Trev and I decided that this year we would give up something and encourage the kids to give up something as well. I joked with my sister that perhaps I could give up sex but then I didn’t think Trev would agree. To my surprise he did but alas that is not what we chose. I have decided to give up chocolate and Trev will give up Coke (a-cola.) When I talked to the kids about it after school Taylor right away decided he would give up Pop. Mykayla chose candy and Noah chose PSP. Mykayla changed her tune later when she realized that candy included the Happy Feet chews I bought the other day. She has now decided on pop as well. For Taylor and Mykayla this isn’t a huge stretch since they are not allowed alot of pop anyway. Noah on the other hand loves I mean LOVES his PSP and with Taylor’s hockey tournament happening this weekend this will be a bigger sacrifice. We of course are taking Sundays off so we will see how it goes for the next 40 days.

Today being Ash Wednesday I went to Catholic Mass as the kids were going from school. Mykayla’s class was doing the service so not only did she have a small speaking part at the beginning of the service, she also sang right into the microphone and was one of the loudest voices out there (Go Figure.) It was great for the kids to be there to here Father Matthew speak about Lent and why we celebrate it. It has always been something on the church calendar that I just sort of skimmed over and never paid much attention to it. Today it started to click for me.  Forty days of Lent. Forty days of Jesus in the desert. Forty days of giving up one thing of value to me. Forty days of fasting for Jesus. Forty days of being tempted by chocolate. Forty days of being tested. Finally at the end a celebration of overcoming Death.

I am looking forward to learning more about this Season of Lent in the next forty days. I am looking forward to learning with my children. I am looking forward to this journey. I am looking forward to celebrating Easter.

February Break AHHHHH

So it is the time of year that I have missed since I was in 12th grade.  February break. Laura says she doesn’t know why they have it. Well I know why. The history is that for years in Prince Albert there was a week in February that was Winter Festival Week. There were different events from dogsled races, The Country North Show, The Winter Festival Queen Pageant and some weird beard growing contest. Around this time they always had a three day teachers conference so there was no school for the whole week.  For a while when I was young they tried to do away with the whole week off and kept it to just the 3 day teachers conference. After several years of trying to get people to show up for those 2 days of the week I think the school boards gave up and switched it back to the full week off to allow people to take part in the various events around the city.

In Yellowknife, the last two weeks of March are always Spring Break. Every other year one of those weeks is spent in Arctic Winter Games mode. Alot of the kids travel to wherever the games are being held and compete in hockey, figure skating etc. as well as some really bizarre Inuit Games.  I always enjoyed Spring Break but after a life time of having a week off in February and another week at Easter time,  I always liked the split time off.

Now it is my kids turn. The bonus is that this year it works out that it is Trevor’s time off as well. We had planned to travel to BC to see Trev’s mom and dad and to try some downhill skiing.  Unfortunately Minor Hockey decided to start playoffs this week. An idiotic move in my opinion but I don’t get to have a vote. So because we have the only goalie on the team who doesn’t want to miss playoffs we cancelled our plans and decided to stay home this week. It is not a bad decision. We look forward to sleeping in and relaxing with each other. Trev registered the boys in hockey camp this week for 4 days this week in Saskatoon. They headed off this morning and were home by 530. Tomorrow will be a repeat but they will have to be home by about 415 because Taylor has a 5 pm playoff game.  On Wednesday we have decided to all go out and spend some time in the city. We will take the opportunity to spend some time with our friends there and just enjoy more family time.  We will spend the night and come home Thursday if we don’t decide to just keep going and maybe head to Regina for the weekend. It will all depend on if Taylor wins tomorrow night, then he will have a game Thursday.

In some ways it sucks that it is so cold out that we can’t really enjoy some outdoor stuff but at the same time I really love to just snuggle in and spend some time at home too.

Stupid Children

I heard about this on the news yesterday. The announcer said it was from the “Stupid File” 

BUFFALO, Minn. – A teenager who wanted to continue the family tradition of running around the garden barefoot during halftime of the Super Bowl game has learned a painful lesson.

It was 17 below zero at halftime Sunday in this city about 30 miles northwest of Minneapolis, and D.J. Brown’s dad said it was too cold to continue the tradition. But the 18-year-old senior at Buffalo High School ran outside in his T-shirt and jeans, threw off his socks and shoes, and ran around the block.

Brown said he was outside only five minutes, but his feet started swelling and blistering when he got back inside. The pain was excruciating.

Read the rest of the story here

Here’s the thing. When my sister, brother and I were young and we first moved into our house on Sherman Drive there was a huge field across the street from us. Now there sits a strip mall, an apartment building and a community club with an ice arena but I digress. Anyway, when my parents were out for the evening the three of us would have these races. One of us would start by running outside in the snow across the street and into the field. We would run as far as we could in PJ’s and barefeet. When we couldn’t take it anymore we would run back to the house.

In the house waiting for the one child would be the other two of us standing there waiting with a blanket to wrap our fozen toes in. Then it would be the next person’s turn. That person would have to do the same thing only attempting this time to pass the last person’s set of footprints in the snow. And so it would go until we could no longer stand going out into the snow.

I guess we were stupid children.