Pretty much Miraculous

Something fairly significant happened on 07/07...

We managed to talk Dad into coming to a family BBQ - something he hasn't done in over a year!

Daniel & Nicole were down from the coast visiting Oma & Opa in the afternoon, planning to bring them up to the orchard later.  Suddenly Daniel called and informed me that it was "now or never".  Opa was beginning to pull his absentee card - something he is fairly famous for doing.  So I ended my afternoon rest early, leaping out of bed and springing into action. 

I texted everyone that they needed to come NOW and I started to get the food ready for the Patriarch's imminent arrival. 

I'm telling you - this family can move when necessary! 

Daniel arrived bearing the precious cargo of Oma & Opa and we got them settled comfortably on the patio.

Opa seemed very pleased with his reclining chair and the warm summer air and we fed him cherries as he waited for the crowd.

The other cars rolled up in record time and the party was ON!

It was such a delight to have Daniel & Nicole & Christine join us and we had a fabulous time visiting while munching on steak and potatoes & salads and sipping cold drinks.

It felt surreal to have Mom and Dad here and we catered to their every whim.

The day couldn't have been nicer.

Cousins reconnected and stories were shared.

Pure pleasure.

So much gratitude.

The legacy of love continues.

The family stripes were donned and pictures were taken to mark the occasion.

Mom's smile pretty much says it all.

Surrounded by her beloved family, her heart was full.

As she always says, "what matters is that we are together'.

Indeed.

Mom and Dad were taken home on command but the rest of us stayed on the patio to enjoy the balmy summer evening.

I brought out a pile of the photos from the box I had packed up at Mom and Dad's last year when we were moving them into the Village.

We had lots of fun looking back over the years to when Mom & Dad first came over to Canada.  The picture above was of Mom, taken in the Thiessen's car.  They were the family who sponsored mom and lovingly treated her like family.

This was Dad's first truck.

Such a treasure to share these moments and to make more memories.

We were texting Becci in Calgary who was almost in tears, wishing so much she could be with us. We were finding pictures of her Dad as a little boy who looked an awful lot like Becci's middle son Niko.

My heart was full too.

Fathers and daughters, mothers and sons, aunties and uncles and so much love.