Friendship Community Church retreat

Well, on this rainy weekend, I decided to join the Friendship community churches women's retreat. I helped out with some of their activities last year and felt so welcome, that I offered to help them again this year as well.

I lead 20 women up the mountain, including encouraging their Director (named Sharon Baerg) to come along as well because she had never been.

I always love it when I can bring somebody who has never been up to the top of the mountain. It's just fun to see somebody else's fresh eyes.  Sharon and I had to rush back down to the main camp so we left another leader in charge to bring the group back down. I had a coffee shift and she had to prepare for her message so we pretty much ran down the entire mountain, which was fun!!!  But it's always such a kick to meet interesting women who talk about real stuff with you. We seemed to have a lot in common and she had insight I found fascinating.

Heidi is another woman who I met years ago at the WOA retreat ... since then she has volunteered in the kitchen and the craft hut during summertime and her kids now come, and now she helps to run this weekend retreat with her church.  She is also 40, has a 12 and 10 year old son, loves to be healthy, and is just a real happy light.... we were able to carve out a few conversations through the weekend!

I don't often put myself in situations like these types of retreats. I prefer, probably a little bit like Chris, to set up situations for other people to have experiences.  But the weekend had a handful of conversations with a few Godly women that I really respect and came away with a lot more to think about about my own life. I find that I feel quite starved for a mentor type relationship of my own.  So I think this weekend was wonderful timing. You really do get what you need, when you need it and God knows it.  I was able to go home to take various breaks. To check in with my kids and Chris, sleep in my own bed, skip out on the evening chapel but go back down for the dessert buffet. I dragged Rachel down with me for the dessert buffet last night and we arrived to a room full of puffy eyed tear stained women's faces. I silently thought I was glad I went home. 

 

I am glad I was invited to come along on this retreat ... it was nice to see how other retreats run, and how thankful I am to be involved in a retreat like WOA, because church retreats, like this one, are often a little 'too much' for many women .... myself included! ;-)

Another round of kittens!

Took these guys for Pho on Friday (ProD) .... They keep me laughing the entire time.  It's fun being the only adult with this mass of boys!!  

Max somehow talked me into taking them for chocolate .....

We were heading to the SPCA to pick up our foster kittens who needed some socializing!!  And the SPCA know now that there are 5 boys who are loving and take good care of kittens. And these kittens were dropped off in a box and abandoned. Very hissy and skittish ... We've had them now for 24 hours and they are purring and no longer hissing but still pretty skittish ... They will be even better by next week!!

This kid is a bit of a kitten whisperer!

They've named all the kittens: Shadow, Buttons, HissyMissy, and JoJo....

Happy birthday Cristin!!

Cristins birthday was last Tuesday and so the boys and I headed over right after piano to bring her a cake and have a quick dinner before Meg had to go to soccer and we had to head home. 

Was able to snag a couple pics without Elliot jumping around trying to ruin the picture. 

Highlight of the night was looking through old pictures of our babies!!

I hate the nights ....

Since isaacs episodes 3 years ago, the nights scare me. Like the 'I am 5 years old and the shadows scare me' kind. 

Just up from a dream (nightmare).... Doctors found a mole on my neck and said it was a tumor attached to my brain. I woke up thinking it was real and you don't really get more scary than brain tumor.  But then I started thinking of our new foster kittens and thinking how sweet it was that they were sleeping at the very top of the scratching post in their too and waking now, realizing it gets them to the safest position if something was to come in through the open cat door (it's propped open so they can get to the litter box)... I didn't even think of that last night. The litterbox is secure to the house but a raccoon could push it off and get in?  Could it?  And no mama to protect them.  It just made me sad and wondered what happened to them. They were scared and hissy when we got them, but we've held them all afternoon and when I just went to check on them, I just saw 4 scared eyes looking at me, but no hissing. So I just petted them, checked the cat door (no predators), and came back to bed. Still unnerved though.  The nights are awful .... Scary thoughts come.  

But issac has this magic touch where he'll just choose a kitty to sit with him, and they just relax. He's very calming. 

They've all gotten names through the day since they were just in an abandoned box and then came to us: Buttons, JoJo, MissyHissy, and can't remember the 4th ...

Piano lessons ....

Malea is teaching Elliot as Isaac and I hang out in her kitchen waiting for the next lesson. She's a great teacher .....

And while issac goes, Elliot races to finish his homework so he can be closer to screen time tonight!!

Learning multiplication. 

Sleeping bags and midnight sleepovers ...

Please remember Sharon that you still have boys who love to pull their sleeping bags and pillows out and put them down beside your bed when they are scared in the middle of the night.  I love having kids. Especially these ones. 

Power's down ....

I don't mind the power outs.  It encourages you to slow down and if I can have a fire, everything is all good. 

 This weekend the power went out on Friday around 2pm but came back on in time to power the carnival for the retreat..... And it stayed on until 7:30 Saturday night.... Then transformers blew as the wind howled snd snapped trees around us. 

The boys and I went down to say hi but didn't stay too long. We've all been pretty happy to hermit and eat in front of the fire and play games (they play chess-Thank you Mount Prevost chess club :-)

Chris and Jon had a pretty good time, I think, with all the storm excitement tonight. Glad everyone was safe. 

It's 2am on Sunday morning and the power just came on!  So I just went around and turned all the lights off and now Chris and I are wide awake.  But happy to have power again. 

Hiding from the storm ....

It's been the best day of fires and relaxing together.  Chris is out in this crazy weather running a retreat for 130 campers and seems to be happy (when he pops in anyways....)

We've made smoothies and soups and apple turnovers!!!  Isaac isn't a fan of the smoothies anymore but I still make him drink them (he's learned that bobby pins help him not to taste things! Lol

9 years ago today ... Hovercraft incident 2009

So Facebook memories threw this one up on my wall this morning. I still remember that day very clearly when Chris came into the kitchen, and looked me in the eye and said "don't panic, I'm OK." And then he turned around and showed me how the blades on his homemade hovercraft had chopped a chunk of his back out when he increased the throttle.

It was a crazy day racing him to the hospital. I still remember him asking me if he should change his shirt and sweatshirt, and I said "No way! Those triage nurses will rush you right in when they hear it's a hovercraft blade accident and they see your torn up sweatshirt"!!

And they did .... Rushed him right in!!

Stairs with Boys .....

Tuesday today ... feels like Monday because yesterday was a holiday .... we all hit the ground running this morning ... boys went to school, Chris walked out to work, I drove to Nanaimo.  Back to town by 2:30 to grab the boys for piano lessons and afterwards I asked if they would help me run stairs because I didn't feel like doing it.  Elliot is a wonderful coach .. so encouraging, even running the first part of them with me....

 I didn't even change our of my work clothes ....

He is a fun kid ....

 With crazy faces!!!

 Isaac read a book mid-way while waiting for me to finish ...

 HIIT #1 of the week ... stairs! DONE!!!!  (HIIT: high intensity interval training)- need to do 2 a week.

Thanksgiving at the Burdges 2016! Just in time for dinner!!!

The end of a very long drive and Laura had texted saying she was going to miss us at dinner that night.  We didn't realize the Burdges were having their dinner that night, and we were on track to be catching an early afternoon ferry.  So, enstead of using our reservation for Nanaimo, we went via Victoria and were in Cobble Hill by 4 ... enough time for a bath and a quick nap before dinner!!

 Marg's big dinners are always full of really good food and lots of veggies .... she does it all up pretty great.  Her and Gordon work super hard getting it all prepped.....

 Brenna, our Auxano student scored an invite because she was getting a ride back to the camp house from Vancouver with us ... lucky girl hey?

 Oh yes...my classy gentleman, with the pinky up....

 Time for dessert .....

 My best friend ....

 My grown up niece....

 There were so many good ones, it was hard to choose ...

 Oh the chaos of it all ... it started as just my kids with their grandparents, but then everyone slowly trickled in!! 

 Even Maisey wanted in on the action!

 Can you believe he is taller than his great grandpa?!

 Aw ....