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Saturday, August 06, 2011

Imagine

I've known her for eleven years. She's the first and last kid I truly loved and would have adopted. Her behaviors have frustrated me, worried me and at times made me question "what the hell was I doing?" She has amazed me and awed me with her strength and determination. I try not to, but I tend to hold every other kid in comparison to her.

She was only fifteen years old when she gave birth to her first child. And at fifteen years old she wanted to move out of her foster home and do it all herself. Of course I wouldn't let her but just one year later, she wore me down. Was it the right thing to? Was I setting her up for failure? How was she to cope being a single parent with no adult role model living with her? God knows she had no example of what a loving, nurturing, responsible parent was like.

But there was something about her.

I saw a bit of me in her.

She graduated from high school a year early. She went on to have three more births. Sadly her first daughter was taken too early. We mourned together.

That's when things changed for me.

It was too hard. Loving a child who wasn't mine. To see her heartache and knowing there was nothing I could do to change it.

But she survived.

She has grown into the most beautiful woman. The most amazing mother. Still.. She faces more heartache. It is not the life of her child but her own that she must fight for. The survival rate is high with modern medicine.

But it's the fear of the unknown.

How much more does she have to go thru? Why can't she be given the break she is so deserving of? Her life hasn't been easy. And now there is another mountain she must climb.

It makes me so angry.

As I write this and try to make sense of something that makes no sense at all I'm listening to a song called "I can only Imagine"... That's all any of us can do. Is imagine what the future holds. Speculate. Hope. But not one of us can control tomorrow. We can plan and then in a flash everything can change.

One day at a time. When that's too much, one hour at a time. And when that's too much... One minute at a time. And if that doesn't work, imagine the good. Imagine the possibilities. Imagine a life with no loss, no pain, no heartache.. One day, we will all have that.



Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Ahoy Mateys!

Well pirate Raeya celebrated her 3rd birthday! The whole day was perfect! Tor did an amazing job with the pirate ship cake and all the wonderful decorations!! Check out those incredible party invitations!! And Raeya's Nana made her pirate costume and sent it.. all the way from Nova Scotia!! That must be where the real pirates are from! lol

Rob, Tor, Lindsey and Jesse were all in fine form as head pirates but the show stoppers were Raeya, Kelly, Jarrod, and Jen! They looked so AWESOME!! Kelly and Jarrod both wore the shirts that my mom made for them when they graduated.. they make great pirate shirts.. not sure the look they were going for in grad.. however, it was almost like Mom was part of Raeya's birthday... Oh how she would have LOVED Raeya.. and if Rob and Tor think I spoil her.. Mom would have spoiled her ten fold!!! Sigh...




What do Pirates eat?? Cucumbers, of course!!

Here comes the Pirates!






And even a Pirate needs a hand, once in a while! And then some fun sliding down the slide! Weeeee!



Is it time for presents.. NOW?!



A Pirate puppet!!




Even Pirates need to take time for a swing!



Kelly.. you are wearing make-up to go along with the costume... right?!?






Charlotte is getting so BIG!!




The cutest Pirate in town!



All in all.. everyone had a swash buckling good time at the Pirate party!
Happy 3rd Birthday Raeya! I love you to the moon!



Panda Time part 2!!

The reason I go to Victoria is to see my BFF, sisters, nephews and nieces!!! This trip included them all! How lucky was I?! Panda is getting sooo BIG and so FUNNY! I seriously could do without her glass piercing shrieks and tried incessantly to show her how to do a quiet low voice, which Jen said sounded evil and she would prefer the shrieks... me however.. not so much.. but, I have to admit.. she is HILARIOUS when she's doing it!

What I think is so cool is that she totally responds when I call her Panda.. she even started imitating me! I hope she will always let me call her Panda.. it's our special nick name and strangely enough.. I've never had one for the boys.. not one that I used all the time anyway.

So, besides having a BBQ, we went for a lovely walk/bike ride up the street.. and she was really showing her independence!!







So when we got home and were waiting for Mom and Dad to get dinner ready, we took in a little Elmo.. and then Panda decided it would be better to watch Elmo on the coffee table.. this is her reaction to me asking her not to climb on the table.. clearly she runs the show.. and I totally don't mind!!!



Seriously.. could this kid get any cuter or sweeter?? I think NOT! Oh Panda bear.. stay as innocent as you are today.. I hope the worse thing you ever have to deal with is that terrible face washing!! I love you to the moon!