October 2, 2012

Wow, time passes quickly, here we are now into October and the last time I wrote was in August!  Brian and I were out for a long walk with Timmie exploring the trails in our new neighborhood yesterday. The trail system in Westminster Woods subdivision is really something to experience. It is very extensive and has trails branching off going different directions and depending on which trail you take, will take you out to a different street and you have to orient yourself as to where you are in order to get home again.  Brian and I were reflecting on that walk that just a year ago at this time, he was diagnosed with his NHL cancer and how he looks today compared to what he looked last year is like night and day. Even though he is still having his chemo every three months, he looks and feels well and we are so grateful for where modern medicine and the power of prayer has taken us in this journey. We try not to take anything for granted now and we both feel we can tackle any obstacle that comes our way and still enjoy life to the fullest. We have accomplished much in the last year and I can say now we both feel a lot more settled and joyful in all that we do.  Life is very good at the moment!

We have been working on getting the condo in order and that is now coming together too.  We have totally organized the long hallway in our garage and Brian bought and put together a nice Mastercraft bench and tall storage with doors on it, and everything that we need to store is now stored away in that hallway and our garage is free and clear for our cars.  I’m still waiting for the rest of our furniture for the living room and hopefully within the next month it is ready to be delivered.  Now we are working on the basement which is actually looking pretty clear now and so I told Brian I can go out and spend yet more money on getting furniture and we are setting that room up as a theatre room with theater-type seats and Brian is now looking for his 60” TV he wants down there. He is “waiting” for sales he says!  I wish he would just find a good one and get the TV. 

A lot of our neighbors are now getting landscaping/interlocking brick patios done in our private inclusive back yards and with one person starting it now as everyone sees how nice it looks, we are all now getting quotes from this same company – Meadowvale Landscaping.  What a goldmine this is going to turn out for Meadowvale!  We now have the patio done and I am including some pictures below of the before and after.

Otherwise, our family is doing well.  David and Jenn are now happily in their new home in Cambridge; Jenn got a full-time LTO, teaching grade 2 for the entire school year, Breanne and James are busy with their businesses and the kids, Annika started JK and is loving it, and Selena is a real going concern now, she certainly has a mind of her own and is already starting to speak – copying every word you say.  Annika and Selena’s birthdays are coming up, Annika’s birthday is this Sunday and Selena on November 19; they will be 4 and 2 respectively.  As I said at the beginning of this blog – time just flies by way too quickly!   My dad is doing well and even helped Brian put together his garage storage cabinet and then because he hasn’t used those muscles in a while, suffered with shoulder pain for the next few days from using a screwdriver!  He seems to be on the mend now though. 

We all have a lot to be thankful for and I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Our private inclusive backyard before.

After the work was done

This Blue Haven Junipers will grow to give us privacy when we are sitting out the back

This leads into our garage hallway at the back.

We left the existing patio there, that is why it is white and the other is grey. The bush at the end is our Hibiscus tree that we plant every spring and bring inside every fall.  This was a small potted plant that my Aunt Joan gave my mom many years ago and since mom was not the best at keeping plants going, she gave it to Brian to take care of and every year it gets bigger and bigger and has beautiful red Hibiscus flowers when it is in full bloom.  This year the only time the blooms came out was on David & Jenn’s wedding day which I take as a sign from my mom that she was with us that day and after those blooms fell off, it did not bloom again this year which was really unusual BUT is it is definitely healthy with lush green leaves.  When we bring it in this year, it will have to stay in our garage so we are hoping that it survives the winter as in our other house we brought it into the basement which was obviously much warmer.

Timmie just loves to lay in the grass and roll which drive me crazy as he gets smelly and dirty!

Timmie’s new haircut!  Now he smells lovely and I will have to keep him away from the grass!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!