Never a Dull Moment!!

One minute I was enjoying a walk through the hospital halls with Grandpa and the next we returned to his room to hear my cell ringing. I picked it up to hear my brother encouraging me to head home as quickly as possible as there were terrible storms in the area and funnel clouds reported in cities not too far from us. The original plan had been for my brother Dave and his wife Trish and I to meet at the Marble Slab for ice cream about an hour later. If Dave and Trish were cancelling our ice cream date I knew this was serious! :o) Grandpa encouraged me to go to avoid the 'rain' (as all I'd told him was that there was quite a rain storm coming so as not to worry him about Grandma) and I made my way to the car.

Within moments of turning on the radio I quickly realized that just as Dave had said, this was no common storm!! The music radio stations had been preempted by weather stations and all were warning to take immediate cover and head to the basement as quickly as possible. Uh oh! I was still 20 mins from home. I called my parents as well as Sharon and Larry to make sure they had heard the news. We quickly decided that I'd head to Grandma's house and hang out with her in her basement so that she was not alone. All the time this is happening I'm realizing that Hannah day could be TOMORROW!! Was it really too much to ask the stork to fly through a tornado? Truly I don't think so!!

It was quite the storm I tell you! For the most part I enjoy a good thunderstorm but this wasn't normal. When the people at the radio station say this is the worst storm that they've ever encountered and are currently under their desks for safety, you know you're in for a doozie!! I was now 10 mins from Grandma's, funnel clouds were reported less than 10kms away and oh yah...the Flip was rolling capturing my drive just in case anything exciting happened! :o)

Very quickly many areas lost power, the sky turned a dark, slightly brownish/green colour, rain came down in droves and I knew I had to get to Grandma quickly!

I arrived and joined her in the basement. She knew there was a storm but wasn't aware of the severity of it and I wasn't telling her! We shared a wonderful hour in the basement sharing stories, reading sale flyers from the newspaper via flashlight and basically just pretending nothing much was happening. The basement was really quite quiet and we didn't know the severity of the storm and it was a wonderful haven for us.

Once things rolled over we went upstairs and she decided it would be a good night to take Sharon up on her offer and spend the night there. We all felt better knowing she wouldn't be home alone without electricity. As she was packing for the night she commented, 'oh, those poor women in labour right now.' I jokingly tossed back...'That's me!!' THE CALL could come tomorrow and I had no power (along with 70,000 other homes), my cell was down to 2 bars and **GASP!!!** I had NO WAY to check Rumor Queen to find out the status of referrals!!! That was the worst part! Whatever was I going to do??

I took Grandma to Sharon and Larry's and they invited me to stay too. Why not? Let's make this a party! I ran home, grabbed a few things and hunkered down here for the night. Sleep was not to come easily as you can well imagine. All I could think about was how far would I have to drive in the wee hours of the morning for an Internet connection to get my RQ fix? Or, would it really be wrong to call M3 at 3:00am her time to ask her to check RQ for me??? Truly, I think not! Heh...thanks friend!!

As I'm pretty sure you've guessed by now, my alternate plans will not be needed as power came back on around 12:30am. Phew!! That was an answer to prayers for so many reasons!! Guess I can cancel my 'What if they cancel work tomorrow?'plans!! Oh well, it was fun to dream while it lasted.

So....
1. The cell is charging
2. 'THE CALL' list is in my purse, in the car, on my desk and often in my hands too
3. The 'Flip' is charged and ready to go
4. RQ is being refreshed at an alarming rate considering how many people are doing as they should...sleeping!!
5. My heart is being lifted in prayer for Hannah over and over
6. My mind is saying, 'Go to Bed!' and my body is saying, 'Yah, right! For what??' You're in labour chickie and your baby could quite possibly arrive later TODAY!!!

Who's up for an all-nighter???

The Finished Product

Sharon picked up our fired ceramic pasta bowls last week and we're thrilled with the results!! A little treat for Hannah to use in the future! I still get goosebumps seeing her name in print...even when I've printed it! :o)

Rejuvenating Mini Vacay!

After missing our trip to BC earlier in the month, Sharon and I were able to head north for a few days of rest, relaxation, spiritual replenishment, fun and laughter! Ahhhh....just what the doctor ordered! Her hubby Larry was volunteering in the kitchen at nearby Camp Mini-Yo-We that made it's mark on the map when it was used to film the 1995 movie, 'It Takes Two' starring Mary K*te and Ashley 0lsen. I'm guessing Larry's glad he wasn't there during the taping of the food fight scene although I'm thinking it would have been a blast!!

We left home Sunday afternoon on a high as Grandpa had been able to come home last weekend for his very first overnight! He did SO well and we're looking forward to bringing him home again tomorrow. He is doing really well and we're taking things one day at a time, seeking God's guidance and leadership as to what His plans are for Grandpa's care.

The weather was forecasted to rain all 4 days that we were at the trailer but that didn't matter to us. In the end it was a wonderful combination of sun, rain and everything in between! Our Pastor was one of the guest pastors this week and we were blessed to learn much from him. He was teaching from the book of Ruth and one of the messages that spoke to my heart was seeking God during the waiting times of our lives and not sitting idle during the waiting. Yes...that one I have covered!

It was a wonderful reminder that God has plans for our lives right now, and we are to seek Him now even as we wait for our little ones. We are to be 'Traffickers of Hope' to those around us. I thought that was a neat term. I pray that during this time of waiting God is using me as a 'Trafficker of Hope' to other families whose hearts also long, and arms ache, for their little ones to be home. Hannah is so close and she is never far from my heart and I dare say an hour goes by without my heart and mind wandering to thoughts of her. Thank you Lord for being with me during this waiting time and for all that You are teaching me.

Tuesday afternoon started off rainy so after chapel we headed to Bracebridge and went to a little ceramics store. We'd wanted to do this last summer but had not been able to so it was on this years wish list of things to do. What a wonderful, relaxing afternoon we shared together! We both chose the same piece but the end product (at least the mid products as they're still away being fired) were oh so different and unique. It will be exciting to see what they look like after being fired! We're already planning our next pieces and hoping that we have another opportunity either there or at a place close to home to paint another piece. It would also be a fun afternoon to share with Rebecca and Victoria.

Wednesday was Canada Day and we took advantage of the times that the sun shone to be out of the deck reading and sharing time together.

Thanks for a wonderful mini vacay Sharon! Love you friend. So thankful for the friendship that God has blessed us with!

Niagara Falls - How Beautiful!!!

I have lived within a few hours of Ni*gara F*lls for most of my life but until last week had never seen them in the winter. Oh my!! They're GORGEOUS! The pics don't do them justice but you can catch a glimpse of what they're like.

American Falls

Canadian Falls (a little harder to see with all the mist that rises from them)

This is the beauty that the mist of the Falls creates!! (The picture above shows how the ice is layered on the railing I'm leaning on.) Isn't it GORGEOUS?!! In the summer there is always a fine mist near the falls and in the winter the wind catches it and creates beautiful snow and ice creations from it!

Ice crystals just beginning on the railing

I love how the wind captured the movement of the ice as it froze!

A lone lamp post...

...with a beautiful backdrop of trees, snow and more ice. Breathtaking!!

One of the things I love about the falls is the unique roar that they make as they flow over the top and crash below. Around the 18 sec point of this video (when I turn out of the wind) you'll be able to hear this wonderful sound. I am so thankful to live near such an amazing creation of God!!


It's been asked if it was as cold out as the pictures look and in one word I'd say, YES!! It was freezing but I wasn't going to miss this opportunity! It was about -20oC/-4oF and after walking around enjoying the beauty for a little more than an hour and a half I was ready for lunch with a friend in a fun little Italian Restaurant. Thanks Shirley! It was so good to see you!

Things That Go 'Crash' in the Night! **Updated**

Oh my!!! Sharon and I were sound asleep in our hotel room last night when suddenly there was a loud 'crash/bang'! We both sat bolt upright and our hearts were beating so fast and we were shaking! It quickly became obvious to us that someone had tried to break into our room and had got so far as to actually open the door a bit! Thankfully we had put the slide lock on the door so that had stopped them because the deadbolt had been unlocked from the outside!! When we realized what was happening I quickly ran to the door to look out the peek hole but the hallway was empty. We could tell someone had almost made it in though as the piece of the lock that is nomally flush against the door was now out at a 45o angle. Talk about scary!!

We didn't call the front desk figuring it had just been a mistake and we attempted to go back to sleep. Deciding to reinforce the door a bit more (purely for comfort sake as opposed to safety) we discussed what we might be able to put in front of it. We teased that our bag of snacks might weigh enough to keep it closed but then thought that might only entice them to come back. We also talked about putting our luggage in front of it; as any of you know who have been here for long, we don't travel light!! In the end, we double checked the slide lock, the deadbolt and moved the closet door over the door and put a chair in front of it, purely for a little bit of peace of mind. It took us over an hour to settle down and fall back to sleep and as an answer to prayer, we both slept well.

Fast forward to 6:30 this morning and IT HAPPENED AGAIN!!! Can you believe it?? Once again we were both woken from out of a dead sleep by someone opening our door! Even though the deadbolt and slider were on they were part way into the room again! Sharon was on her feet first and suddenly yelled out in a loud, low voice 'HEY!!!' It took me a moment longer to wake and by the time I did she was already half way to the door, yelling at whomever was out there! She looked out the peek hole in time to see a young guy in a maintenance uniform standing back from our door with a surprised look on his face. (He was probably wondering who was yelling at him!)

We immediately got on the phone and called the front desk to let them know what was happening and have them send someone up. After a couple of questions he figured out that they had our room recorded wrong in the computer and so in their system we were in a vacant room. Umm nope - we're in here!! (When we first checked in yesterday our keys didn't work in the door of the room they sent us to. Sharon went back down and the girl at the front desk said she'd written down the wrong room # and sent us to a new one. Guess she wrote the wrong one in the computer too!)

In the end it was all a big mistake but it sure was a scary one!! Now we just laugh about it and suddenly yell out 'HEY!' to one another! I can see how the first problem happened but really cannot understand why they would have sent someone up with a master key at 6:30am when there was a question if the room was empty or not! That's what phones are for! Don't know why they didn't wait for a normal hour to call the room and check before using a master key to unlock the deadbolt a second time!!

All in all it's fine and, a story to tell. One of the many adventures we have shared together over the years of travelling together for her business! We laugh at her running to the door and yelling out 'HEY!' because if you knew our personalities I'd normally be the one doing that but nope...Sharon to the rescue!! I teased and said that when I heard her loud, low 'Hey' that I woke to think 'ooo, there's a guy in my room?!' only to see 'him' running across the room in a pink nightgown! :o)

The hotel apologized profusely and offered to give us tonight's stay as a complimentary one but we're seeing what they can do to give Sharon a credit for another time as tonight's night is being paid for by her business. It would be so much nicer if she could have an opportunity to come back with her hubby another time rather than 'the kid!' **UPDATE** Sharon has been given a credit to come back for a complimentary night later this year and breakfast is also on them tomorrow morning. It's good when a company stands behind their errors and does what they can to correct the situation.

Lesson learned: ALWAYS put the deadbolt and slider on hotel room doors! I know that's a lesson we'll remember for a long, long time!

Only In Canada, Eh?

Sharon and I are off on our January adventure. This year's work has her close to home in the Niagara Falls area so we headed here yesterday. We woke to a snowy morning which made for a bit of a slower drive but oh what a pretty one! Check out some of the beautiful pics from today's travels.

Winter Wonderland


Beautiful!


And, the reason for the title of this post. As we were getting ready to leave Tim Horton's yesterday with our hot chocolates in hand, a couple pulled up on snowmobiles. It struck me as funny so I needed to take a pic. Sharon was just thankful I waited until they went into the store to snap this memorable pic!

Tomorrow it will be icy, snowy Niagara Falls. Even though I live less than 2 hours from the Falls I've never seen them in the winter. Quite excited to see God's handiwork displayed!!

A Christmas Classic ~ The Nutcracker

Sunday afternoon we enjoyed a wonderful Christmas Classic ~ The Nutcracker Ballet. Sharon and Larry treated her parents and I to this beautiful ballet performed by the National Ballet of Canada in Toronto. It was an afternoon of awe and wonder as the dancers leapt across the stage and Tchaikovsky's beautiful music floated throughout the theatre encompassing all who were there. It is such familiar music and so moving!

It was such a treat to realize that there is still a place where people dress up...the ballet! There were so many children there and they thoroughly enjoyed it. It was amazing to see how the performance grasped the attention of even the little ones that were there. Many appeared to be as young as 4 or 5 years old yet there was so much happening that they watched in awe. What a treat to see the wonder in these little one's eyes! I'm looking forward to the day when Hannah and I will attend this beautiful Christmas Classic together!

It's easy to see how this beautiful performance can become an annual event for many!

Christmas House Tour

For years friends have attended a Christmas House Tour that is a fund raiser for a local Christan School but until this year I was unable to attend. All that changed today when Sharon and I enjoyed a wonderful day together touring 8 homes in our area. Beautiful!! For a few hours it felt like we'd slipped into another world as we enjoyed seeing how the 'other half' lives. As much as I had anticipated seeing some wonderful Christmas decorating, it was the homes themselves that caused gasps, oooos and ahhhhhs. If you have an opportunity to go on a house tour in your area I'd highly recommend it! What a great way to spend a day with a friend!

Saskatchewan Trip Wrap-Up

I've been home for a week but wanted to write a final post sharing some of the last bits of our trip to Saskatchewan.

On Saturday the 20th we were in a small town for the day and while Sharon was at work I headed 'downtown' (and I use the term loosely! :o) and guess what? There was a parade!

Now, most of the parade was tractors but I tell you it was such fun and I was totally impressed by this puppy! Take a look at this bad boy! It's bigger than most houses in that little town and worth more than double my home and they can't keep them in stock! I had to ask to find out that it was a combine. I think the dentists in town were in cahoots with the parade too as every single float and piece of farm equipment threw out candy. It was better than Halloween for the kids!

After our tour of little towns were moved to Saskatoon where we were excited to stay at the beautiful Delta Bessborough Hotel. It was located right along the shores of the South Saskatchewan River and had a beautiful park that stretched out along the river on either side of the hotel.

What better place to have my devotions in the morning than sitting in the sun on a bench overlooking this?

I thought of K1 as this kayaker silently went past.

Each morning Sharon and I would have breakfast in the hotel before I took her to work and one morning there was this obnoxious guy in there. You know the one...Mr Loud Cell Phone Talker - I Am SO Important. Ugh!! Once he left, this was my impression of him!

Also, in my books you can't beat a hotel that has a bus parked across the street that sells ice cream. Oh yah! On our friend Carol's birthday we celebrated with ice cream. Happy belated Birthday Carol!!

The final day before we headed home I went to visit Lorraine and Adia in their home and we had a great visit!

It was so neat to see Adia's nursery and the amazing mural that is on her wall. The neat thing is that it's painted on removable canvas and if they ever move they can bring it with them. It's beautiful!! I was also treated to seeing and touching the clothes that Adia was wearing the day they received her. That was absolutely amazing! What an emotional journey.

We dined on Chinese food in the back yard and all too soon it was time to say goodbye although from this pic you can see that Adia was ready to let me go!

She was having a rough day so it was mommy she wanted and that was that. Glad you're feeling better now sweetie!

Adia...sweetness exemplified!

Thank you Sharon for another amazing trip together. I always love the time we spend together! I wonder where January will find us for our swan song???

PS - Happy 4th to my friends to the South!!

Smalltown, SK

Yesterday Sharon and I moved to a new little town in western Saskatchewan. It was a big step up as they have a Wal-Mart, Mall, McDonald's, DQ and Tim Horton's! Most of which we frequented within the first 2 hours of hitting town! :o)

We're on the move again tomorrow but have had fun here the past couple of days. It's so neat to visit these little towns! My lifestyle is busy, busy and I can't see myself living in a small town but, they sure are fun to visit. Today I walked across the street to Wal-Mart and 3 different people waved at me...just because. (Oh yah, and maybe because they're not used to seeing a silly girl walking and reading a novel at the same time...one of my favourite things to do while walking.)

This morning I also treated myself to a pedicure. The neat thing is that yesterday when I asked around town where I could get a pedicure there wasn't anything available. This morning after dropping Sharon off at work I noticed a sign advertising pedicures and wrote down the number. I called, we booked it and I showed up later in the morning for a little pampering. Wanna know the neat thing? The gal that did it just opened her shop last week and her sign went up at 6:00 last night! I found it at 8:30 this morning. Guess advertising really worked this time!

Sharon had the afternoon off today so after lunch we decided to take our books and enjoy some time in the beautiful sunshine. We toured the town and found the only place we could that had places to sit in the sun...here's a pic of Sharon reading


....and this is where we were sitting!
Yep, yep, yep...the only place we could find to read on a bench that wasn't on the side of the road was at a McDonald's! Once again people stopped by to chat just because we were sitting there. One of which was a nice old guy who works at McDonald's and was outside tearing down some boxes. He chatted to us for quite a bit and his favourite saying was, 'yep, yep...yep, yep, yep.' :o) He told us that the prairies are so flat that your dog can run away and you don't loose sight of him for days!! LOL!

For those of you who may not be familiar with the Prairies, they are famous for a few things. 2 of which we were lucky to have right inside our motel! Horses...

and Trains

Something else they have here that's not common at home is a place to scrape the dirt and ummmm....cow patties off your boots before entering the hotel.

Signs like this are also a common occurance.

We're thinking that Sharon's heels don't need to be scraped or removed before entering the hotel.

We'll be on our way to Saskatoon tomorrow night after Sharon finishes work. We'll be there until next week and are really looking forward to visiting this beautiful city. Sunday is a day to ourselves so we'll check out some of the local sights together. We're also staying at a beautiful hotel that's located on the Saskatoon River. Sounds very pretty and with the weather showing nothing but sun for the next week it's going to be wonderful!

Monday I'm headed 2 hours south to visit a great bloggy friend Kim and her sweetie Channing! SO looking forward to finally meeting them! We've talked on the phone a couple of times and it's always wonderful. Her little one is totally adorable and I cannot wait to spend time with them!! More fun ahead next week.

I am so thankful for the friendship that God has given Sharon and I! We enjoy hanging out together and have 8 years of these trips that we've shared together. It was on one of these trips that God layed it on my heart to adopt Hannah! What a precious friendship we share. Thank you Lord for the wonderful gift of frienship.