Alice's Birthday Party

Alice wanted to do the same thing she did last year. Invite some friends over, hang out in the basement, eat stuff and hit a pinata. So that's what we/she did. The had pizza, they smacked the pinata, Alice received lovely gifts, they had an ice cream sundae bar and fun was had by all!

Paige

Heather

Leila

Caden

Ade

Noraa

Alice's Birthday - the Family Edition

Another teenager! It is seriously astounding to me sometimes, that these tiny humans become grown-up sized humans, seemingly overnight! I look at them and think, where did you come from? When did you grow up? I'm just a little bit dramatic, but these days when I look at my teenagers I feel the clock counting down until they are gone from my daily life. That song from ABBA "Slipping Through My Fingers" is playing in my head.

Andrew came last night and took the girls for DQ after school and then he stayed for dinner. He bought steaks at the Ajax Keg and cooked them up here, it was awesome. (Extra bonus birthday dinner for Alice)

The birthday table all set up. 

Last night Alice asked what time she needed to be up so that we could do birthday stuff in the morning before I had to leave for work. It's a "walk your kid to school" day today at my school. Last month I was locked out of my staff parking lot. Alice didn't want that to happen to me today so she got up early on her birthday without complaint! 

One of Alice's new YWs leaders is Lynn Yates. She lives around the corner from us and already spoils us with goodies. After school she dropped off a present for Alice.

Alice wanted chicken wings for dinner. Ken made several kinds and mashed potatoes. It was a yummy dinner. After dinner we ate the yummy cake that Ken made - one that was gf/dairy free, and the other that wasn't.

Alice bought the giant pink milk plush for herself with her birthday money. Everything is bigger at Costco!

This was another one of her presents, a green oversized hoodie.

Alice!

Welcome to teenage land. 

Be gentle with yourself.

Be gentle with your family.

Keep being the loving thoughtful human that you are!

Happy Birthday! 

The Birthday Questions - Alice - Age 13

1. What is your favourite color?

            orange

2. What is your favourite toy?

            my phone

3. What is your favourite fruit?

            peaches

4. What is your favourite tv show?

            Wednesday

5. What is your favourite thing to eat for lunch?

            Wendy’s

 6. What is your favourite outfit?

            anything with a big sweater

7. What is your favourite game?

            cards

8. What is your favourite snack?

            banana

9. What is your favourite animal?

            koala

10. What is your favourite song?

            Can’t Hold Us ~Macklemore

11. What is your favourite book?

            The Hunger Games Catching Fire

12. Who is your best friend?

            Lots of people

13. What is your favourite cereal?

            Lucky Charms

14. What is your favourite thing to do outside?

            Trampoline

15. What is your favourite drink?

            Fizzy lemonade

16. What is your favourite holiday?

            Christmas

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night?

            Navy blanket from Lauren and Emily

18. What is your favourite thing to eat for breakfast?

            banana

19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday?

            wings and garlic mashed potatoes with the skin on

20. What do you want to be when you grow up?

            Pharmacist

Ken's 45th Birthday

When you find something that works, why mess with it? We went back to Il Fornello's for Ken's birthday dinner. We tried some new things and had a yummy dinner.

For dessert we went to the D Spot Cafe and everyone had a yummy dessert. I really like their non-dairy chocolate shake - yay for options!

It wasn't a very exciting night, but I hope Ken felt loved and appreciated. I just can't imagine, and I don't want to imagine doing this life thing without my life partner. He is my partner in every way and I'm just so so grateful for him. Happy birthday my sweet Ken.

The Birthday Questions - Kate - Age 15

 

1. What is your favourite color? Yellow

2. What is your favourite toy?  Screaming Goat – a Christmas gift from Fiona this past Christmas

3. What is your favourite fruit?  Apple

4. What is your favourite tv show?  Lord of the Rings movies

5. What is your favourite thing to eat for lunch? Popcorn

6. What is your favourite outfit?  Hoodie and sweatpants

7. What is your favourite game?  Genshin Impact (online video game)

8. What is your favourite snack?  Made Good Cookies (mini soft chocolate chip)

9. What is your favourite animal? Bear

10. What is your favourite song? Bee by GroovyDominoes52

11. What is your favourite book? The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

12. Who is your best friend? Isabelle and Rhian – new friends from High School 

13. What is your favourite cereal? Lucky Charms

14. What is your favourite thing to do outside?  Lie on the trampoline and think about the universe

15. What is your favourite drink?  Root beer

16. What is your favourite holiday?  Christmas

17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night?  Blåhaj(s) – giant shark and baby shark stuffies from Ikea

18. What is your favourite thing to eat for breakfast?  Made Good Cookies

19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday?  Dinner out at Il Fornello – gf pasta with alfredo sauce

20. What do you want to be when you grow up?  A light switch, but also maybe something to do with computer science

(**Note - I actually asked Kate these questions on February 13, 2024. I had completely forgotten about it and no one reminded me. I have been so behind on blogging and everything related, it doesn't surprise me that I forgot, but gosh it hurt my heart a little bit when I realized it! I back posted the questions to be on her birthday though, cause, well, cause!**)

Kate's Birthday Celebration

Watching your children grow and mature is such a gift. Kate has grown so much this past year. She has handled the transition from elementary student to high school student with more confidence than she gives herself credit for. She has worked so so hard this term, and she's joined in. She's been busy - Dungeon's and Dragons Club, Choir, Band, and Steel Pans!

On Sunday afternoon Mom and CJ stopped by for a brief visit to say Happy Birthday to Kate and goodbye. They're heading to South Carolina this week for a couple of months.

We gave Kate her big present on Sunday evening because she needs it for Monday. I sadly didn't get a pic after she opened it - oops. She couldn't fit everything into her backpack, so we bought her a new one, and it is the largest one you can get, that isn't for backpacking across Europe - or you know, wherever you might be traveling! 

I tucked my 14 year old into bed for the last time. I like taking these night before pics. I don't always remember to take them but they make me happy when I do.

Ken started making her cake. Kate didn't know what she wanted, so I told Ken what to make, and it will be a surprise to Kate! He he. This is the in process pic.

I like setting up the table and decorating after the kids go to bed. I started doing this during covid, and it's a fun tradition I've continued.

Half asleep opening presents. Kate was thrilled that she got to go back to school on her birthday. I was glad that she got up before I had to leave for work.

We went out for dinner at Il Fornello. We hadn't been there for years. They have a surprising amount of gluten free options, and vegan options. The menu was fun to peruse! 

Kate got a little gf dessert!

The finished cake! Kate's obsession is a video game called Genshin Impact. One day during the Christmas vacation I walked into Kate's room to say hi and she was fighting, or gathering a bunch of cabbages or something. They were really cute but she was really annoyed by the vast quantity. I thought they were hilarious. She was excited to never see them again! Which made me amused at the thought of Ken topping her cake with the loathsome but adorable cabbage. Kate was very amused!

Fiona desperately wanted to get Kate a present for her birthday, and she wanted it to be a sword. So we went to party city. Fiona wasn't excited about their offerings - she wanted more selection, but Kate seemed to like the sword that Fiona picked out, so Fiona was happy.

On our anniversary, Ken and I went to two cute paper stores downtown. We picked up this really cute paper pop up card of a unicorn and a rainbow for Kate. 

Lots of birthday love for their sister!

A shot with the parents!

And Kate's former (insert sad face emoji) YWs president came by with a present. Nicole and I were both released yesterday. 

KATE!!! 

I hope your birthday made you feel loved and appreciated. 

You are loved and appreciated!

Happy 15th Birthday. 

Here's to another year of becoming more and more awesome!

Relief Society

The last three years and three months I have served as the Relief Society President of the Pickering Ward of the Oshawa Stake. I'm not sure how to explain all of the things that I did in that time. The Relief Society is the Women's organization at church. 

This is from the church website: Relief Society is the women’s organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Its purpose is to help prepare women for the blessings of eternal life as they increase faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and His Atonement; strengthen individuals, families, and homes through ordinances and covenants; and work in unity to help those in need.

All adult women in the Church are members of Relief Society. Through Relief Society, sisters “receive a vision and assurance of their identity as daughters of God” with lives of purpose and direction (Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society [2011], 171). Sisters also increase their self-reliance, enlarge their talents, expand their knowledge, strengthen families, and reach out to those in need. These ministering, leadership, and teaching opportunities strengthen women in their efforts to become disciples of Jesus Christ.

The First Presidency stated, “We testify that the Lord has restored the fulness of the gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith and that Relief Society is an important part of that restoration” (Daughters in My Kingdom, ix).

As president I: took food orders for those experiencing financial difficulty, oversaw the ministering program - a program where women minister to other women, conducted ministering interviews four times a year, participated in ward council meetings every week, helped plan and run activities, held presidency meetings, ensured that lesson schedules were made and shared with our teachers, conducting our relief society lessons, played the piano when we sang hymns, wrote weekly emails updating the sisters about news and lessons snippets, went to leadership meetings on a stake and regional level, made phone calls, wrote emails, sent texts, got to know the sisters - their trials and their joys, and I got to LOVE the sisters in my ward so very much.

I feel a bit of a void today. The new Relief Society President that was called today, she said this is her sixth time being Relief Society President. She said that the spirit is different when you're released because there's a special spirit that comes with the calling. And I think that's the loss I feel today. I (a little bit) feel the loss of leadership - I did enjoy being in that decision making role, I enjoyed knowing what was going on behind the scenes - most of the time anyway. But I feel the loss of the mantle of the calling. I felt overwhelmed by it when I received the call, and many times during the last three years, but I feel a little sad today.

I know I am loved, not just by my Heavenly Parents and my Savior, but also by the sisters in the ward. I have felt more connected to the sisters in my ward than ever before. I know that's going to change, especially since I'm now going to be serving as the song leader in primary. I know that change is good. I know that change is necessary for growth. But I'm letting myself just feel the feelings today.

One last thought, Ken. I don't even know how to begin to count the number of ways that Ken supported me these last three years. I have leaned on him and needed his help so many, many times. He's made food, he's helped me get organized, he's picked up the slack at home and the answer when I thanked him was always the same "I got you". I am so so grateful for this life partner of mine. 

So, here's me feeling all of the feelings. Grateful, sad, nervous, thinking about helping the new president through the transition, loss, and maybe somewhere in there is relief, but mostly I'm just grateful for who I hope I'm becoming on the other side of this experience.