Nova Scotia Days Part Two . . .

The best part of my trip home this time was that I got to see all of my children and all of my grandchildren, including one very cute grandson that I had not ever seen at all.   Good times!  On the Saturday of the long weekend in May my youngest daughter Amanda arranged to have a family picnic for us all and so that's what we did.    Unfortunately my eldest son and his family did not arrive in time for it, but we had it anyways, and it was so much fun!

 

Even Baxter got in on all of the "fun-ness!"  WE all just adore Baxter.   He's such a good puppy and loves to give us all puppy dog nibbles, but in the nicest way of course!   You can tell Bruce is a doting papa!



This is Joshua (4) posing for me here.  He is our little red headed grandson and my middle son's second oldest.   He is such an engaging little boy and so charming!   I could sit and listen to his stories forever.    He is the one who told me about Jesus brother Gordon who juggles . . . and he had another story too, which I thought was really good.     He picks them up at Sunday School and puts his own twist on them.   Of course all of the stories have elements of the truth in them . . . . combined with his understanding of them.   They make for really interesting tales!



This little one, Maryn (2) never stopped the whole day.  It was really hard to get her picture as she was moving the whole time.   She so enjoyed being at the park with her cousins and all the grown ups.   She is my youngest daughter's little girl and the only Grand daughter in our family.   Her mom is about to have another baby any day now so she will soon be joined by a little brother or sister and let me tell you . . . she can't wait!  I just know she will be a really good big sister.



This is Jonathan (7) my middle son's oldest boy.   He is such a handsome boy and also very engaging.   A tiny bit shy, but you can tell he has a huge heart, just like his dad.   He's very smart too.  Of course I am the Grammy and so I am a bit biased, but . . . thinking your grandchildren are all the best  IS all a part and parcel of being a Grammy I think!  I do believe it's right there in the job description underneath the clause about spoiling them rotten whenever you can!



This big green slide was lots of fun for all the kids, even the BIG ones!  Yes that is our Eileen's husband Tim (38) sliding down it.   They are the ones who got married last year.   He just had so much fun with all of us that day and we had lots of fun with him too.

 

Tim loves to take pictures himself.  That is one of his favourite things to do and he has albums filled with lots of pictures that he has taken.   Its like a hobby for him.   I did manage to get him to pose for me on this alligator for me though.   He is a really fun guy!



I did manage to get them all to pose for me near the big blue dragon.   That is (from left to right)  Kayla (Doug's wife)  Eileen (my eldest daughter), Eileen's husband Tim, Doug (Just to the back of Tim) my middle son, Amanda in the red pullover (my youngest daughter), the blue dragon with Jacob sitting on it's head (my youngest grandson and Doug's youngest age 2), Bruce with Baxter (my youngest son), and finally Tom (Amanda's husband and Maryn's daddy)!



They insisted I pose with the Blue Dragon as well.   That's me making Todd jealous by kissing a fiery other man!   All in good fun of course!




Try as I might, I just could not get this one to stand still.  She was going, going, going the whole time!   Just full of energy.   It was so much fun!



Doug (31) and Eileen (35) talking.  It is so much fun getting your children together like this as adults.   You never know what you are going to learn about them.  All the secrets come out . . . like Bruce being held down by his older brother so the dog could lick cheese whiz off his face amongst other things.   Kids . . . I think if we even  knew half of what they got up to when they were growing up, when they were growing up and getting up to it, our hair would turn white overnight!



The reward is seeing them being good parents themselves though, don't you think?  When you see that you just know you must have done something right along the way.



Even if the baby is only a furry one.   Furry babies are great practice for real ones doncha know!

 

The best part of any picnic is digging in to the food of course!   Amanda had made lots of really tasty sandwiches and there were cookies and other goodies, plus fruit as well, which everyone enjoyed . . .



Have you ever seen such a beautiful pair of boys?   I know . . . gorgeous.   What a fun day that was, even though it was really windy and quite cool . . . we still had lots of fun.

Picnics should be fun and this was fun in abundance.  Thanks so much to Amanda for organizing it!

 

My oldest boy and his family arrived later on that same day.  They popped by to have a quick visit with grammy and great grammy the next morning.   This is Luke (4) playing with the cat toys.  I have discovered that Grandsons really love cat toys, especially the ones which have tails and scoot across the floor.   You can pile them up and make mountains of them and sometimes you can even play with the cat with them!



It was really hard getting Luke to stand still for a picture as well!   He was on the go!  I think my Anthony is so handsome though . . . but that's a mother!   All of our sons are handsome!  Anthony just turned 38 on the 29th of May.  It is hard to believe that I have a son that is 38 already.  How did that happen???



He's a real fun dad.   He loves his little boys so very much.   Being a good dad is important to him.  Probably because he had a mom who was married twice when he was growing up and so he had two dads in his life during his growing up years.   I think its better if you only have one, but . . . I guess you just have to make the best of what you are given, and he has.   Love him to bits.  He is a good son.

 

This is Anthony's Anne, with Gabriel (7).   You don't get to run around in Great Grammy's house and have a lot of fun.  It's not as much fun as being in a park and getting to climb all over stuff.  If you climb all over stuff in Great Grammy's house . . . you get yelled at.  haha

Nevertheless you have as much fun as you can have without getting yelled at.  Lemons and lemonade.

Gabriel is such a smart little boy and such a good reader, but then . . . you already knew that because I am always telling you that!

I had so much fun seeing all of my babies and all of their babies when I was home this time.   I was so very grateful that they all made the effort and went to the expense of coming to see me.   I really truly appreciated it.   I hope they know how much I treasure those special moments in my heart. 



A family is one of the greatest gifts our Heavenly Father can give to us.   It may be big, or it may be small . . . it may even only be you and a dog or a cat or a bird, or even a rock.    The size of it doesn't really matter . . . only the love matters.

 “I sustain myself with the love of family.” 
~Maya Angelou


 

Cooking in The English Kitchen today . . . Pulled Pork Sandwiches.   A la Marie, of course!

Hope your day is a good one.   The sun is shining here and I think . . . it's going to shine all week!

Days in Nova Scotia . . . part one

It looks to be a gorgeous day out there today . . . the sun is shining brightly into my window.   One just cannot beat a glorious day in June for beauty.  I have often said there is no more beautiful thing on earth than a sunny day in England, and a sunny June day in England has to be the best thing of all!

I was so pleased this time I was back to Canada that I was able to see ALL of my children and spend some precious time with them, and ALL of my grandchildren . . . all except the one who is about to make his/her appearance any day now that is . . . but . . . at least I saw all of the rest.

I had a horrendous trip over . . . with one missed flight after another.    I should have gotten into Halifax at 1:45 pm on the Thursday, but with all of the mix ups I didn't arrive until about 1:00 am on Friday morning. I had requested help at Heathrow, thinking it would speed things up a bit, but instead it took longer.   My helper was a friendly sort who liked to pass the time of day with everyone he met!  As there is only one flight direct to Halifax a day, and missed it . . . I got slated onto a flight to Toronto.

I missed my connecting flight from Toronto to Halifax as well . . . my plane was an hour late leaving Heathrow, and I only had an hour and a half connection time from Toronto to Halifax . . . so I ended up having to get another reschedule in Toronto.  I think I spent more time waiting around in Airports than I did flying and, needless to say, I was exhausted when I arrived at my mothers at 3:00 am Friday morning!  Not to mention my son was waiting at the airport for me all that time!

Nevermind, I got there in the end!



It was really nice to meet Bruce's new girlfriend, Sara.  What a lovely girl she is and they make ever such a cute couple don't you think?  We got along like a house on fire!   Bruce had me over to their place for supper a few times, and he's a pretty good cook!  The first time he did his special pulled pork, which was gorgeous and the  second time he did us some steaks on the barbeque, which were also fabulous!  And of course I got to meet  . . .



Baxter!   Who is just the cutest puppy ever . . . next to Mitzie of course!   He was seriously sweet, and so engaging.  He's part Dachshund and part Maltese.  Cute, cute . . . CUTE!



I got to spend lots of time with my brother as well.  He arrived on the Saturday.  He is the one who took my mother in to Halifax for her operation.   We had two days together as a family before that happened, and then of course about four days together afterwards.   It was such a blessing to have him there.   I hadn't realized how very much we look like each other until I saw this picture . . . but it's very clear we have fallen from the same tree, don't you think?

He was a great support to mom when she was in the hospital for her first operation, and of course he was able to drive her into Halifax and back.  He stayed right with her the whole time.   She had the operation on the Monday and was back home on the Friday.  They were able to get all of the cancer out.  We both thought my mother was wonder-woman on Friday, as she was just as if nothing had ever happened.  Her breathing was pretty much back to normal and she was a going concern.   That was all short lived however.
She had a heart attack sometime between four and six on the Saturday morning . . . thankfully only a minor one.  We had no idea . . . we only knew that she had deteriorated a great deal from the night before and by Saturday evening we felt compelled to call in the Emergency people.  Praise God for my brothers powers of discernment in doing so.  She was back in the hospital for a further five days in Kentville, which was close to home and easy to travel back and forth to . . . but on the Tuesday they decided they wanted to put a chest tube in and so it was back to Halifax.   My brother flew home to Ottawa on Tuesday.

Twenty four hours later all hell broke loose as my mother developed a clot in her leg and her leg began to necrify . . . they felt that they  might have to amputate her leg.  Thank goodness they didn't have to and were able to get the clot out.  Her big toe is a goner though . . . that has turned black and they say it will just dry up and fall off.   I know . . . sounds weird doesn't it?  I thought my mother was imagining it when she told me what the Doctor had said, but she wasn't.  It's true.

My mother was in the hospital altogether for four weeks, and I would be lying if I said all was peachy rosy now.  It isn't, and it will be a long time before she is back to her old self, if ever . . . but she is still with us and that is a blessing I am grateful for every day.



This is a picture I took of my mother's picture!  I know . . . I am an odd duck, but I have always loved this photograph of my mother and so I took a picture of it so that I could have one.   She was such a beautiful young woman.  This is the colourized one . . .

 

This is the black and white one.   I think she was just beautiful.   I was never that beautiful I don't think . . . she never thought she was either . . . but she clearly was . . . and is.



My good friend Marjorie was home from Alberta as well and so I got to spent an afternoon with her, which was an unexpected pleasure!   She moved out to Alberta just a few months before I moved over here and we had not seen each other since.   We had been very good friends, sharing lots with each other.  It was so good to see her!

 

Of course Spring sprung whilst I was there.  I took photos of my mother's beautiful flowers to show her in the hospital.  She missed it all . . . the hyacinths, tulips and forsythia . . . all were blooming profusely!  She did get home to see the lilacs however, so that was good.



I got to spend time with my Doug and his lovely family . . . wife Kayla and from left to right, Jacob (2), Joshua (4) and Jonathan (7).  Delightful little boys and a joy.

 

There were watermelon smiles . . .



Stories shared about Jesus' brother Gordon who juggles . . .



And chunky monkeys enjoying fruit snacks.   All in all a very special and wonderful visit!

But that is not all . . . no, no . . . that is not all.   Running out of time here today so I will share more of my visit with you tomorrow.  I have a lot of artwork to share as well!

A thought to carry with you through today . . .

"Every life has its dark and cheerful hours . . . happiness comes from choosing which ones to remember."
~Unknown

 

Cooking in The English Kitchen today  . . . . a delicious Strawberry and Poppy Seed Cake!

Have a wonderful Sunday!

I'm home!

 Well, I am home safe and sound. It was a long and tiring journey, as it always is, but it was oh so good to touch down in Manchester and see Blighty again, and I guess I must have brought the sun with me because it was shining when I landed and shining to beat the band again this morning!

I didn't go to bed when I got home.  It was far too late in the day, but I was in bed early last night (about 8:30) and slept right through until 6:30 this morning and here I am.  I have lots to write and tell you about, lots of photos to share, but I will have to sort through them all later today or tomorrow, and then we'll sit down and have a nice natter and cuppa.  In the meantime, just let me say I'm glad to be home.   Todd and Mitzie both practically turned themselves inside out to see me . . . and I thank each of you very much for your special prayers, hugs and love.  

Be back soon.

Final Update Before My Return to the UK

Just,a quick update on mom.  I am not very fond of using the iPad for this.  I can't add pictures like I want to,  and it won't let me make changes and all, but here we go!

The time is running down now and I will soon begin the journey back to the UK on Thursday.  Mom continues to improve, but it will be a while before she is back to normal, and it may never be the same again, but like I told her...different is good too, and we can work with that.  The important thing is she is still here.

This will be a busy week for us as we get things in place for her care in between my leaving and my sister arriving.  Please keep them both in your prayers as it means a big adjustment for each of them and change always comes hard, especially if you are a bit stubborn!  But, as I say to mom, her stubbornness and determination is probably a good part of why we are still blessed to have her with us!

And so, mom continues to slowly improve and your prayers and cards have surely helped, both in healing and encouragement.  She has plans to respond to each one who has written at some point, but it may take a while.  In the meantime, we both thank you from the bottom of our hearts!

Y'all are the best..  God bless each and every one of you

Love and hugs,


 

Another Mom Update

Another update on my mother. She was taken back into Halifax on Tuesday afternoon from Kentville. Her thoracic cavity was filling with fluid and the felt she needed a chest tube put in. The Doctors in Kentville were not comfortable doing it. In the meantime my brother had to go back to Ottawa.

They took her into Halifax and put in the chest tube.  I called yesterday morning and they said she was in a bit of pain, but otherwise ok.   Things went very pear shaped from there.  I was contacted late in the afternoon to say that she had complained of a sore leg.  Her leg had turned black, which they felt was caused by a blood clot and there was concern that necrosis had set in.  They needed to do some tests, ie cat scan, and determine the extent of it and then would be operating to remove the clot, and possibly her leg.  Scary times.

My brother called me at about 1 am to say she had had a successful operation, they had removed the clot and she was back in her room, chatting to the nurses. No amputation needed.  They will be keeping her in there for a few days before sending her back to Kentville.

I am going into the city to see her this afternoon. Thank you all so much for your continued prayers and happy thoughts.  I am hoping now that she has turned a corner and real healing can begin!



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