Very Good Friday

Despite the ongoing cold weather these brave little beauties have decided to bloom.

I took Mom for a drive and we watched the wind tossed lake as we sat tucked in and cozy drinking coffee in my little red car.

Mom is like the brave little flowers, continuing to bloom in the midst of adversity. Her recovery from influenza has been difficult with her eyesight even worse than it was and her impaired memory making certain important tasks confusing.

So it was very timely that Becci and her kids arrived to cheer up our Easter celebration.

We had a pizza at the Village one evening and had to go on a long journey to find the room that had been assigned to us for our dinner.

We managed to get all 9 of us (including two walkers and my wheelchair) all into the elevator for a comical ride.

Unfortunately I couldn't get everyone into the picture and then my finger was not wanting to cooperate to push the button, so this is a piece of the action.

Little Pupcake was a real hit, as usual, and everyone was taking turns holding him.

Good Friday dinner was held up at the orchard and the kids felt right at home.

What a joy to have them here again, albeit much larger versions of the little ones that lived here not so long ago...

Niko started us out by reading the verse he found on his plate and everyone followed suit.  It was amazing how applicable each verse was for the person reading it.  I love how God's word is alive and how He knew ahead of time who would be sitting in front of the various verses. 

The turkey turned out beautifully and the meal was abundant and delicious, but best of all was the company around the table.

Family from far and near.

Four generations represented.

Even Elsie's dear "wasband" Ron was able to come up from Vancouver to join us.

There was music

drumming

lots of visiting 

and Paska! 

There were also Easter egg hunts inside and outside.

Because that's what we always do here!

The kids are turning into really amazing humans!

They are polite and kind and the two older ones are very interactive.  They look you in the eye and are genuinely interested in having good conversations and connecting.  Luca is still a bright little spark darting here and there!

Becci and Martin have done a fabulous job with these three.

So grateful for Becci's heart for family and desire to stay connected.

She is like the glue holding us close to her kids and that part of the family.

Priceless gifts.

My Portion and My Cup

Since it was still Spring Break and my daughter's birthday I thought it would be fun to head to the Coast for a couple of nights for some family time.

I stopped by A Rocha to drop off a little freezer I had brought along for Patrice and once again was smitten with the beauty of her home.

I believe she lives in the tallest section of the house in the foreground.

It's called the Coach House -apparently there were horses involved back in the day. Pretty impressive to have some historic properties like this in our rather young province.

Of course I can't navigate the stairs and there is no usable washroom for me on the property so I didn't stay too long.

In the evening we connected with Daniel and Nicole for a birthday dinner of delicious authentic Chinese food.

Unfortunately when I got out of the restaurant I accidentally wheeled backwards over a small step and hit my head and neck on a window which was alarming for all involved.

Thankfully neither my head nor the window was broken so we proceeded on to another venue for dessert.

I wasn't ready to let a little fall interfere with my time with the kids!

At church the following morning we had a really lovely Palm Sunday celebration and were invited to make little collages with pictures that were meaningful to us.

This was mine.

Pictures representing Canada and how I feel that my destiny is wrapped up in the Destiny of this nation.

I can't remember exactly how the collage was tied into the message, but it didn't really matter to me. I loved having a table full of crafts just waiting to be put together.

Children, elderly and everyone in between creating together before heading outside for the procession and communion.

The hotel I was staying at had an impressive atrium.

And it had an accessible washroom which was the important part for me.

The bed was a little too low for me to get off of by myself so that was a bit awkward.

Traveling...usually not easy, but often fun.

Joanna popped in for an afternoon visit before Patrice and I headed to the Queen Elizabeth Theatre for a dance performance.

Precious friend to both Patrice and I.

The ride from Surrey to the city was scenic and the city was a bustling metropolis.

There were some things about this visit that were very difficult, but this is how life tends to be.

The painful things are woven together with the beautiful and I always need to come back to the One place that is unchanging and true.

The place is the Person of Christ Jesus.

"Lord you alone are my my portion and my cup. 

You make my lot secure...

The boundary lines have fallen for me In pleasant places.

Surely I have a delightful inheritance.

I will praise the Lord who counsels me

Even at night my heart instructs me.

I will keep my eyes always on the Lord.

Because HE is at my right hand I will not be shaken"

Psalm 16

This is my constant.

This is my truth.

Though everything around me shakes and becomes disorienting He is my hiding place.

He never changes.

His Word endures.

Patrice & I had the privilege of celebrating two more birthdays on this celebratory weekend.

It was my dear friend Marcy's birthday as well as her daughter's so we met in Fort Langley for a lovely brunch and visit.

Marcy is also my son's mother-in-law so we are not only friends but now related through our children.

Nicole was at school so sadly she couldn't join us but the four of us had a fun "mother-daughter" meal and dessert.

We spent a fair bit of time discussing whether I should drive back to Kelowna that afternoon or not due to the unstable weather conditions.

This gave us time to develop an appetite for dessert which we happily consumed.

And then, finally, I decided that I would go home.

I was very eager for my familiar surroundings.

The bed and bathroom that work so well for me.

The drive home  was beautiful and I had such a sweet time of worship and prayer.

My back wasn't very happy due to the many hours of sitting before driving, but I made it.

Angels always around me.

Rainy but Cozy

I know.

This looks like an advertisement...

But seriously - this chicken burger was worth writing home about!

Jennifer and I decided to head over to a nursery on the West Side to check out the possibility of purchasing a peach tree, so of course we had to stop for some sustenance and cheer.

The meal was delicious and the company was excellent.

She likes to do the Philippino pose since she was immersed in that culture for the last 17 years or so.

So glad it has worked out that I am good friends with the woman who is sharing my home and property.

It could have been pretty awkward otherwise...

Her kids are fun too.

Here she is comforting her son - I can't remember what brought this moment on but it made me laugh.

The days have been cool and rainy - hard to see, but there was rain splattering against my window making it feel very cozy to be inside.

Probably with a heat bag.

It may be Spring but it still feels a lot like winter.

Thankfully the rain has helped to melt the fields of snow and soon the lawns will be greening up.

I had another sweet & lovely coffee drink with my friend Dawn.

Such coffee-art compels me to snap a picture before I make it disappear.

Since it's Spring Break and I'm at home, I feel like I'm entitled to make it feel like a holiday!

(Plus, I have COUPONS which I simply must use!)

A Party on Top

It was only fitting that I celebrated my daughter's birthday with one of my favourite things.

According to the barista it was a mocha with "a party on top"! 

It was also fitting that I celebrate with my dear friend Louise who is back from her other home which is now in Serbia (her husband's birth place).

Louise was involved in Patrice's life almost from the beginning; teaching her swimming, hanging out with us at events and praying for and mentoring her over the years. 

Louise has recently retired giving us more time to connect and she's a good one at making sure connections are put on the calendar and actually happen! 

A friend for all seasons.

I also popped by Elsie's place so we could run some errands together with this little sweetheart who is always along for the ride.

I popped in to see Mom and Dad and at the Village where they were celebrating the March birthdays, so I was at a birthday party & eating cake with Mom on Patrice's birthday - also the first day of Spring.

So very much to celebrate.

Patrice put on her own birthday party at A Rocha inviting a variety of friends, staff members and interns.

She made some delicious pizza dough, had others bring toppings and I got Daniel and Nicole to pick up a big cake and some drinks to complete the outdoor party fun.

What a great venue for a birthday party! 

There is a beautiful wood-fire oven to create perfect pizzas! 

Apparently the Mocha Cream Cake was a hit as well.

I'm so grateful my beautiful, smart, fun, thoughtful, hardworking girl has found her tribe and is making a beautiful life, doing valuable work and enjoying sweet friendships at the Coast.

It's amazing how a mother's heart can release her children with joy when they are on a good path and in a good place.

Bonus

Humble beginnings.

Sprouts of green - eagerly poking up through the still cold earth...speaking hope.

These indomitable little tulips are such precious harbingers of Spring.

Thinking back to the awkward looking bulbs that are planted as the winter looms...

Nothing beautiful, 

just bulky big 'seeds" as it were, containing promise of beauty.

And so God puts us here on earth, seeds carrying the hope of glory.

It is not seen as yet, but there is such promise and potential contained in each of our rather awkward, stumbling frames and lives.

 Daniel and Nicole came home this weekend for the baby shower of their neighbours.

I was happy to have bits and pieces of time with them but as I was helping Nicole to prepare for the shower she asked to see if I was coming.

Well!!

Didn't know I was even invited (she had somehow forgotten to tell me) but I quickly decided I would come!

More time with the kids - YES!

And what a treat to be a part of celebrating the soon and coming baby.

To be honest, the food alone was worth coming for!

Daniel and his neighbour - friend Chris have become master chefs when it comes to creating amazing sour dough bread and pizza crusts.

These were breakfast pizza's and they were scrumptious!

Nicole is so very good at throwing parties.

She and a few others put together this lovely "family shower".

On the far right is the mama-to-be, in the middle is Nicole along with two "aunties".

We played some fun games (they really were!) and watched as the mound of gifts were opened and admired.

In the evening I went to church and now that we have swung our clocks forward an hour our evenings are so much brighter.

It was such a treat to worship and share communion with the backdrop of mountains, trees and ducks landing on the marsh just outside.

So important to gather and refocus.

To remember and meditate on what we are all doing here.

To read scriptures together, out loud and pray for one another.

And have snacks.

The table was loaded with goodies.

One of which was the top half of a cake that Daniel had been in charge of bringing to the baby shower.

Unfortunately, only the top half came out of the pan so Daniel abandoned plan A and we bought something instead.

But the short cake turned out to be a delicious blessing for our little church! 

Shadows and Lights

So often as I'm driving up our long hill I look out over the lake, marvelling at the shadows and lights, the hues of the lake and skies.

It's God's never finished, always changing painting.

His artwork so endlessly exquisite and breathtaking.

Again and again, I have to stop and look, 

wondering how to best capture the beauty and often disappointed at the inability of my camera to accurately reproduce what I am seeing.

But now as I look at the pictures I'm happy.

I'm not in the moment comparing reality to a photo - 

just grateful for that memory and the fact that I can revisit the grandeur.

Grateful that I live here in the midst of nature that I can access easily even though I am wheelchair bound.

And on the homefront our little gardener Jennifer has been diligently planting seeds.

She's on a huge learning curve having recently come from growing food in the Philippines where heat is a given and the little seeds sprout so easily.

Here it's hard work to get things growing ahead of the season so that they'll be ready to put in the greenhouse when our weather is warmer.

Especially this year!

I had a fun outing with Matthew after work on a Thursday.

It's a day that works well for both of us and it's always such a pleasure to spend time with my friend.

He was pretty excited about the Shamrock milkshake! 

I had another one of those days where a funeral coincides with a birthday.

My dear friend Dawn had to say farewell to her mom Velma - a long time friend and sister in Christ.

How difficult it is for those who are left behind.

Such longing and sadness.

It's been surreal for Dawn who has been faithfully serving and looking after her mom for the past ten years.

Velma conquered cancer so many times, but finally it was time for her to go home.

Released from her "earthly tent" and clothed in glory.

They released balloons into the incredibly blue sky after the service - a symbol of release and freedom.

Soon and very soon...

Lisa and I went up to Ollie's place to wish him a happy birthday and to have a little visit with him.

He was happy to be celebrated as none of his kids are in town this year on his special day.

Such a kind and gentle man.