Happy Father's Day Dad!

Hi Dad! Sorry we can't be together today but so happy we were able to celebrate together last week! Soon you'll have another granddaughter to add to your day of celebration!!

Love you!!

This morning we're enjoying a slow, leisurely, quiet morning at the Villa da Salsa. I woke early suddenly panicked that I wouldn't have any way to recored 'THE CALL' should it come in the next month, so hopped online and began researching the 'Flip' that I've heard so much about. After reading many reviews, discussing the different model options with M3, and being thankful that they've recently been made available in Canada, I went ahead and ordered a Flip UltraHD Camcorder. I'm excited for it to arrive within the next week or so and get familiar with it! Guess this means I should finally file my taxes for 2008! (In Canada we don't have a filing deadline when receiving a refund so they're technically not late even though I am letting the govn't use my teeny, tiny bit of refund money. Better change that soon!)

While I was doing my research I could hear little girl voices giggling downstairs. With it being Father's Day I let them hang out with mommy as they prepared him breakfast in bed for daddy. You can imagine my surprise when a short time later b'fast was delivered to me too!! Mmmmm.... a happy face made of toast, cheerios and bacon! Served with Cherry Coke to drink. These girls know me well!!

While M3 and I were chatting the little girls decided they needed my comforter to make a bed for themselves so that they could nap on the floor. After explaining to us that they needed us to whisper so that they could 'nap' (which lasted all of 3.2 seconds!!) they were off to hang with daddy once again!

The time difference also allowed me to call my Dad and Grandpa too to wish them a Happy Father's Day! Cool!! Mondern technology rocks!

Now, I'd best finish this post and get myself out of bed before M3 thinks I'm waiting for lunch to be served in bed too! Although, what would be wrong with that??

**Update**
This is what I found when I went downstairs a few minutes ago. Looks like M3 found my chocolate stash while she was was preparing b'fast in bed. (Don't worry Scott, she's only a milk chocolate kinda gal so yours is safe!) Oh well, her eating this ENTIRE chocolate bar for b'fast makes for a good story and this afternoon I'll hit the store and restock before packing tomorrow. All being said, I'm guessing it's a really good thing that I can do my final restock at the airport just prior to flying out as she and I have polished off more chocolate this week than either of us will admit!!!

Praising God!

Some of you may remember this post that I shared with you in June. Earlier this year, my dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer and he went through a series of 20 radiation treatments.

Today we got the initial results and I'm thrilled to share them with you! His original number (not sure what 'number'....PSA sounds familiar but then that could be how you measure the pressure in tires :o) was 13. All things going well he was told that after the radiation his number would drop by half to 6.5. He got the tests from his initial post-radiation blood work todan and was told today that his number is now 2.5!!! Wahoo!!!

Praising God for answered prayers and for dad's health! Love you Dad!

PS - Thanks for your help painting the garage today. Greatly appreciated.

A Special Father's Day

Sunday we celebrated a belated Father’s Day. Dad bought himself a great new grill for Father’s day and he used it to grill up some superb steaks and pork tenderloin. Yumm!

This Father’s day was extra special too as I took time to appreciate dad in a new way. I haven’t shared it here but my dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer this spring and today we’re celebrating nearing the end of his radiation treatments. Only 2 more. Yeah!!! It’s been a bit of a rough go for dad while his immune system has been compromised. He got shingles just before starting his radiation treatments which added mega pain and discomfort. He’s been amazing during this entire journey and we’re all celebrating coming down the home stretch of radiation treatments! Time will tell how well the radiation worked but I tell ya, so many have lifted Dad and our entire family up in prayer and we sure are thankful for that. It’s with the Lord’s strength that we face life…the good, the bad, the ugly….and cancer. Yes, the ‘C’ word has hit close to home and it’s been scary. I’d be lying if I didn’t say there have been times when I’ve been scared. God has comforted when the dark nights are long and it seems that it's then when the fear comes to the surface. God had been there and provided comfort that only He can.

‘Thank you Lord for the comfort you’ve provided over and over again and will continue to supply.’

These days it’s almost inevitable that cancer will strike close to home but trust me when I say we’re never, ever ready for it. But, dad is doing great and unlike some, he’s feeling better as the treatments go on rather than worse. The shingles are almost gone and he’s not quite as tired as he was at the beginning. Still working on getting his strength back but day but day he’s getting stronger. Go Dad!!!

I must say that at least dad has given us lots of opportunities to laugh and have fun…at his expense! :o) He’s a great guy with a wonderful sense of humour! Uncle Tim (dad’s brother) and Aunt Chris were at our place for Easter, shortly after dad’s diagnosis and he kept us in stitches the entire meal with his jokes about dad’s ummmm…condition! We’re coming down the home stretch dad and celebrating! Continuing to pray. Thanking God for the prayers He’s already answered and trusting Him for ALL our tomorrows.

Love ya Dad! You’re almost there and we’re ready to celebrate!

The End of an Era

Sadly my neighbours are going to need to find another source of their spring entertainment. You may remember this post from last year. You know…the annual ‘Stretch as tall as you can to cover the stove vent with Duct Tape’ event which has been happening at my home every spring for ummm…11 years! Yes, you read that right, 11 years. Did I buy a ladder in any of those year? Nope! Did I learn any new techniques to make this job easier? Nope! Did I even for 1 single year think to put the duct tape up prior to hearing wings a flappin in my vent? Ummm…that would be nope again!

So this year I once again gathered my trusty supplies together:
- Duct Tape…check!
- Scissors…check!
- Broom…check!
- Camera…nope…this is last year’s pic

I was ready. I was set. Look out birdies…here I come! Monday evening after teaching I made my way to the backyard to begin the calculated application of adding duct tape to a vent 8+ feet above my head! Uh oh…problem #1. The sun has begun to make the plastic vent very, very brittle so it took a number of tries to get the tape to stick but eventually…success. Ahhh….mission accomplished for one more year!

I thought...

Tuesday I’m teaching and what do I hear? Dem birdie wings a flappin in my vent again! Whaaaaat? Opening the 3 sliding doors and 5 locks the builder installed thinking I wanted to live in Fort Knox, I peek my head out the door and what do I see? Problem #2 - Dem birds have gone to ‘Duct Tape Removal School 101’ and that tape is a flappin in the breeze just like dem dere birdie wings and...listening very carefully...I was sure I could hear dem birds a laughing at me!!! Taking back the control, I flip on the fan above the stove (all the time hoping I don’t have feathers floating down having created birdie fricassee) and decide I’ll deal with it the proper way…the correct way…the way I should have in the first place 11 years ago. Call 911 DAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDD!!!

I pick up the phone and begin with the words I know will get his attention….How long can I leave the stove fan on before it overheats and starts a fire? Fire? Yup, he’s listening and probably thinking to himself, ‘What has she done this time???’

I explain my situation and Dad realizes that since those birds can now remove the duct tape (after 11 years of practice, who couldn’t?) that this year was the year to do something about the situation.

So, soon after I’m finished teaching my own personal cavalry drives up with a ladder (phew!) and plans to rid me of the birdies for good. He scurries up the ladder, measures the vent and promptly exclaims – this vent is huge! Yup….it’s huge…it’s birdie size! No wonder dem birds like it! We measure it and make our way up the street to Canadian Tire. Sure enough it’s not a standard size so we can’t replace the one that is there and need to go with ‘Plan B.’

What is Plan B? This is. It’s a pest cover that is applied over the vent. We head home, I rev up my cordless drill that I received for Christmas and up the ladder goes Dad.

I’ve now learned what it is I don’t like to hear. What is that you ask? It’s ‘Ahhhhhhh’ when Dad is up a ladder. Unfortunately I do hear 'Ahhhhhh' and flip around to see him flying off the ladder heading for the ground about 5 feet below him! Oh noooo! Thankfully he was able to push himself off the ladder when he realized he was losing his balance, land on his feet then roll into a ball. OK – now that we’re both much grayer than 10 seconds earlier and shaking like leaves and contemplating needing 'Depends' I ask him if he’s ok. Yup! Phew!!! Thank you Lord! A bit shaken but all in all, just fine.

The pest box is now up, the vent caulking replaced and with Dad safe and sound with 2 feet on the ground I decide to whine just a bit and see if together we can accomplish another little fix-it job I have up my sleeve.

Part of the main floor redo besides painting is to install a large mirror I’d purchased last week. Surprise, surprise…I’d picked up the drywall hangers needed to hang the mirror while we were at Canadian Tire! Dad and I decided to give it a whirl. After only 2 trips to my neighbour’s place to borrow a level and drill bits we were all set!

Before you knew it the mirror was in place and Dad was striking his ‘Vannah pose’ showing off his handiwork!


Gotta love a man who even does windows! Is it any wonder I’m still single when I want a guy just like my dad? They’re not easy to come by and I’ll wait as long as necessary to meet him.

THANKS DAD!!! Couldn’t have done it without you!

PS - Note to self: Go outside and get scissors off window ledge. You think I’m kidding right? Ummmm nope! I give you Exhibit A! (Discovered at 10:30 last night when I was wanting to open a new bag of milk. Hmmmm…bagged milk. Now that’s a whole new blog entry as I don’t think many places buy there milk in bags. Only in Canada, eh?!!!)