Easter weekend

One of my favorite things to do when I'm on the island is to hang out at my sisters house because I can be pretty much guaranteed one of the boys will stop by. This weekend all the boys were there including Geoff. And with the boys came the kids including Jen and Panda. Each of the littles are really growing into their own!

Notice the score behind the pic of Panda and Charlie? It went into overtime where we lost. But never fear, we took them in OT in game 7 thanks to Burrows! Go Canucks Go!

Last Day Of My 30's!

Someone asked me how I felt about entering my 40's tomorrow. Well let's see... I like the number 40. I like how it sounds. I love how my friends in their 40's look better than they did in their 20's and 30's. I hated my 30's. Not that it was all bad. I took my first big trip on an airplane and got to share that with my mom. I bought my first home and my first car all on my own. I also got my first dog who is my best friend these days. I have also worked my entire 30's at the same job as a social worker and I still like it. I also finally got, not just one, but two great nieces! And my best friend had a little girl who I also adore. Two of my sisters got married and I got my photography certificate.

I won't miss the later part of my 30's. They were the most life altering changes namely losing my mom and almost dying in the hospital when I had my pressure sore. I've spent too much time in the hospital for serious things. Losing my mom was by far the most difficult thing and then not dealing with it well didn't help matters. I felt very alone. My sisters and dad tried to help in their own way but they all had their own families and lives and sometimes I just felt like I was more in the way or more of an obligation. I'm sure they would all disagree but I can't help how I feel.

What am I looking forward to in my 40's? Well it's another year closer to death! Oh that's terrible, seriously it's a mystery. I know what I hope to happen. I hope to go to Vegas with my sister and if that doesn't happen (as she has people to go with) then maybe a friend. I've signed up for Sledge hockey in June so that will be fun. I hope to get more active and maybe lose some weight along the way. I'd also love to take a photography road trip down the Oregon Coast to San Diego and thru Death Valley. I would love to go horseback riding and join basketball. Perhaps i'll look at getting my Masters if i can justify it with a career change. Beyond that I'm really not sure. I just have to believe a lot of good things will happen that will make my 40's the best decade to date!

Challenges

I, like many people, have gone thru my fair share of challenges. It feels like everyone's expectation is that I have to stay strong, never quiver, stay positive and by all means never ask "why me?" I've been told, God does not give us more than we can handle. But why? Why do we have to get pushed to our breaking point so often? Is it to teach us some lesson? To make us into stronger human beings? So others can learn thru our suffering?
Not only do I live with challenges but I see other people go thru them every day. I see a loving mother who's son has a diagnosis that falls under the autism spectrum. Or what about the family who loses a family member to murder, then loses both parents during the trial. Or the parents who have to stand by while their new born baby under goes surgery to save her life.

There must be other ways we can be challenged but not have to endure so much suffering and turmoil. My patience are getting thin. It feels like when something goes right, two things go wrong. How many more challenges will there be before I can rest? Before I can truly be happy? But I can't look at it like that. I have to be strong, happy-go-lucky and not let anyone know how bad things are. No sense in crying over spilt milk after all. This to shall pass... eventually.