2025 Review

We finally opened up the jar and read out all of our weekly remembrances. It was fun. It's an activity that I enjoy. I love reading them. Sometimes they're big things, but sometimes they aren't, it's just something little, that you'd probably forgot. I think my favourite memory written on one of the little papers is "seeing red Mars with my eyeballs". Thinking of that, standing on the back porch because Kate told me I should, and delighting in the majesty of space. It was a good moment, and one that I had forgotten. I love the writing down of things, so much.

January

Jan 19

Wendy - seeing red Mars with my eyeballs

Kate - the warmth you feel when you hear a song a friend recommends

Alice - I like shopping

Fiona - there's a lot of Sunday school

Ken - trying new yummy curries

Jan 26

Wendy - Kate coming to school with me and helping me so much (Not getting a fever)

Fiona - Having a P.A. Day

Kate - Walking with Milo

Ken - Just because it's your birthday doesn't mean everything will go your way

Alice - learning a dance move with Fiona in the basement

February

Feb 2

Fiona - Alice brushed Coral's hair, sleeping over at Mercedes

Alice - Hanging out with Leila and playing volleyball at the church

Kate - this week can sink back into the depths of HELL!

Ken - I did glass blowing

Wendy - I'm grateful that Ken was well and Kate was off when I was sick. I'm grateful Kate wasn't sick for her exam. That Ken didn't miss glass blowing and my VP Ellie is understanding.

Feb 9

Alice - the first morning rehearsal, not being able to function and babysitting

Ken - Gander, Nfld

Fiona - lane swimming fo the first time

Kate - a long first week of 2nd semester

Wendy - Come From Away was so great!

Feb 17

Ma - Taking Alice/me to my first dance, winning cookies, Sonia

Fiona - snow day

Kate - hanging out with friends

Daddio - cooking and shoveling

ME! - Auschwitz, yummy bread, playing in the snow
(We went to the ROM and saw the Auschwitz exhibit, it was a lot)

 

March

Mar 2
Alice - birthday party, temple helping
Kate - The symphony
Fiona - helping out at the temple open house
Dad - temple open house
Mom - the conductor Thomas Ades holding the silence while conducting The Planets

Mar 24
Fiona - making a craft with Victoria
Kate - getting frozen lemonade after school, driving around the neighbourhood on Sunday
Alice - getting my nails done
Ken - Trident Moon - the play Zorana was in
Wendy - Temple dedication

Mar 30
*Ken fixed the dishwasher*
Kate - got her first job working at the polling station for the federal election
Alice - going to Playdium, going to the temple
Fiona - going to Aubrey's party  and Playdium and going to the temple

Ken - going to the temple for the first time in a long time

Wendy - Angela Hewitt and the aria encore - the resolution and the silence

April

April 13
Kate - There are a lot of people named Mohamed 
Fiona - When you're given a week to study, use the week to study
Alice - Mr. Sell taught us Pythagorean theorem. Wendy's birthday.

Wendy - gf beef patties, pink sweatshirts, chrome pigs at Bergo, walks with everyone, I love my family
Ken - sausage roll Brick street bakery

May

May 4
Alice - Mean Girls
Fiona - So many people from school at Mean Girls
Kate - movie with Dad

Ken - the federal election
Wendy - KB date with Ken, doing SO much prep work for the Spring Concerts

May 11
Kate - "my concert"

Alice - Dad's 360 interpretation of Charlie XCX

Fiona - my first drama class, the Jamboree, Track and Field

Ken - Trail Hub in Uxbridge
Wendy - my Spring Concerts, trail walk for Sheila, dropping a bench on my toes

Mat 18

Fiona - taking care of baby chicks
Alice - Alice in Wonderland and the baby chicks and avocados

Kate - Alice in Wonderland and the baby chicks

Ken - watching hockey

Wendy - Alice the Queen, family and friends, so excited for Alice

May 26
Mom - Going to the temple with Dad
Dad - went to Comfort Food - Zorana's play that she wrote and starred in
Fiona - Mercedes and the Zoo trip
ME!!! - Neb's fun world (Alice wrote this one)

Kate - Recital night/Canada's Wonderland

June

June 1
Kate - Going to see Ryan's play "Something Rotten"

Alice - The temple trip and Ryan's play

Fiona - The temple trip and Ryan's play, my 5km, getting my vanity and the activity

Ken - putting baseboards in the bathroom

Wendy - Sitting with Sheila in Stake Conference

June 15
Fiona - my birthday party and birthday

Alice - Beetlejuice (week before)

Kate - Going to Pride with Isabelle and Leah
Ken - giving a talk on Father's Day and going camping at Presqu'ile

Wendy - Going to Blue Mountain with the gr 8s, Fiona's birthday dinner at the Keg

July

July 20

Fiona - going to the Lim-Anderson cottage

Alice - the start of summer and no more school

Kate - going downtown with my friends, tracking Mom's flights

Ken - the canoe trip of doom and the Powwow

Wendy - finishing another school year, "Badgers are Forever", Cottage week, going to Utah, Marcus home, Seth Leaving, Ken helping Kate with physics, Alice graduating gr 8, feeling so thankful for Ken

July 26

Alice - hanging out with Leila

Fiona - swimming at Grandma's hanging out with Ryleigh and going to Wonderland with Victoria

Kate - the gender reveal party at the beach

Ken - fixing the dishwasher

Wendy - walking with Julie

August

August 3

Fiona - the faith walk at YWs camp
Alice - the faith walk at YWs camp

Kate - playing minecraft with Alice

Ken - Kate getting her wisdom teeth out

Wendy - walking at Greenwood - use the bug spray! Peach df ice cream, bye bye Buddha Belly

August 10

(Bates Time and Marcus too)

Fiona - the cousins coming, swimming in the lake

Alice - the cousins being here

Kate - going downtown

Ben - when Ken threw the ball at me, hanging out with Fiona and Uncle Andrew, and Alice and Kate and Milo and peeing in the lake
Suzanne - family time

Ken - Canada's wonderland

Wendy - Little Canada with my family

August 18

Fiona - hanging out with Victoria and cousins

Alice - FSY, the dances were better

Wendy - saying goodbye to Suzanne, eye doctor appointment, lunch with Mom and CJ

Ken - Andor Season 2!

Kate - hanging out with Isabelle

August 24

Wendy - going to the temple to see Monica, Luis, and Neph being sealed

Kate - Gem's birthday party

Ken - going to the sealing

Fiona - Wonderland, swimming - all with Hazel

Alice - Lauren being here

August 31

Fiona - going to Wonderland with Alice and Uncle Andrew and painting my room and shopping

Alice - Tokarevs, Grandparents, Wonderland

Kenneth - Behemoth, and painting Fiona's room

Wendy - driving so much to see loved ones, going to the temple with Alice and Fiona, fighting with myself, feeling the sadness of time wasted

September

Sep 7

Kate - Isabelle's birthday party (not school)

Ken - walking as a family at Greenwood

Wendy - back to school is good, I like the kids I teach. Goals and planning are good. (Suzanne is 50)

Alice - golfing (not high school)

Fiona - first week of school, Victoria and Aubrey, everything is bun (not diagnostics)

Sep 14

Kate - walking by the lake by myself

Fiona - hanging out with Mercedes today

Ken - meat, golf, swimming, sports and burning stuff

Alice - jerk chicken (started seminary)

Wendy - Charlie Kirk - civility and peacefully disagreeing - we need to see each other's humanity

Sept 29

Fiona - Terry Fox Run

Alice - eating ice cream and pumpkin loaf

Kate - going to the museum

Ken - Hades 2

(Temple Friday night, museum Saturday)
Wendy - Pres. Nelson died on Saturday, and there was a tragic attack - a shooting and fire at a stake centre in Michigan

October

Oct 6

Alice - Halloween Haunt

Fiona - 1st gymnastics class (in a while)

Kate - Awards!!! - FI History, FI Science, FI Careers and Honour Roll

Wendy - General Conference and sadly Grandma broke her arm

Ken - General Conference and Halloween Haunt

Oct 14

Fiona - Thanksgiving - fall colours, visiting family

Alice - seeing our McCartney family

Kate - engineering seminar 

Ken - watching the Blue Jays lose badly

Wendy - speaking in church, train trestle walk, Kian getting baptized, Romelia getting me donuts, visiting my broken Mom, Ken going to a Blue Jays game with Andrew

Oct 20 (Thankful!)

Fiona - cookies

Alice - the ability to record playing tests and not do them in person

Kate - modern medicine, I'm grateful they don't do blood letting

Ken - play off baseball

Wendy - Ken, Kate, Alice, Fiona, Milo, fall trees, the lake and yummy turkey dinner

Oct 27

Alice - symphony trip (EFY)

Wendy - going to London to see Shawn (Alice EFY)
Fiona - Mercedes b-day party and Blue Jays

Kate - symphony trip

Ken - Blue Jays World Series!!

November

Nov 2

Ken - Blue Jays

Fiona - Halloween with friends (and no mom)

Alice - Halloween with friends

Kate - not dying

Wendy - watching Ken watching baseball with the girls, The Blue Jays are amazing!

Nov 9

Ken - Octet Play

Alice - Take your kid to work day

Wendy - Sarah McLachlan and Octet (and Alice coming with me to work!)

Fiona - The first snowfall of the year and hanging out with my friends

Kate - Saturday afternoon, Haydenshore Pavilion  Christmas Market

Nov 16

Ken - sleeping in the hammock at -4 (YM camping trip to Doug's cottage)

Kate - Going to Indigo with Fiona

Alice - Kathy's party

Wendy - Remembrance Day

Fiona - Going to Indigo with Kate and hanging out with Victoria

Nov 23

Fiona - setting up the tree and shots

Alice - Santa Claus Parade

Kate - Steel Pan

Ken - Santa Boxes

Wendy - Primary Presentation

Nov 30

Alice/Fiona - celebrating Uncle Andrew's birthday party

Kate - nothing

Ken - frying things outside with YM

Wendy - staying up until midnight wrecks your life - STOP IT WENDY!

December

Dec 8

Fiona - cookie stake activity

Alice/Kate - the winter concert

Wendy - Sheila's thankful party

Ken - Toronto Star Santa Boxes are done

Dec 28

Wendy - Twenty-three years! An awesome Christmas week

Ken - Everyone opening their presents

Fiona - Wonderland and Christmas. Christmas Eve fun things.

Alice - opening presents

Kate - Christmas, going downtown with friends

A Low-Key 17th Birthday

Someone didn't get to wake up to a decorated birthday table because someone wouldn't go to bed, and someone else was too tired to outlast the 16 year old. So a certain birthday girl someone had to settle for an after school birthday table. Thankfully Fiona, Alice and I got home before Kate and we were able to decorate and organize. I love my girls and how we pull together and support each other.

I'm grateful that I'm a Mama to three amazing young women, but of course this post is about Kate, the first one. I think the thing that most inspires me about Kate these days is her humility. She's like her Grandpa Bacon in that regard. He was always asking how he could be better, do better. Kate wants to be the best version of herself that she can be. She isn't kind enough to herself in this growing process called life, but she is unrelenting in her pursuit of excellence in her school work, and her desire to be a better person.

Happy 17th Birthday my doodle poodle. You are loved.

We had our standard frozen nuggets and fries tonight which Kate was happy with. Alice made rice krispie treats (Fiona finished smoothing them out) and Ken is making a ganache on top. Tonight was a low-key celebration. On Saturday we're going to go to the Aquarium as a family and Isabelle is coming too and we'll have a meal at Boston Pizza - Kate's favourite. Next week at some point Kate and Uncle Andrew will go to a movie - so we're not quite done with birthday celebrations yet. 

Bring on 17!!! Have an amazing year my darling girl. You are amazing, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to. 

The Birthday Questions - Kate - Age 17

1. What is your favourite color? Yellow

2. What is your favourite toy? Computer

3. What is your favourite fruit? Apple

4. What is your favourite tv show? Brooklyn 99

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

6. What is your favourite outfit? Hoodie and sweatpants

7. What is your favourite game? Genshin Impact

8. What is your favourite snack? Microwave popcorn

9. What is your favourite animal? Bear

10. What is your favourite song? Innocent Age (from Genshin)

11. What is your favourite book? The Girl Who Drank the Moon

12. Who is your best friend? Isabelle

13. What is your favourite cereal? Lucky Charms

14. What is your favourite thing to do outside? Collect rocks at the beach

15. What is your favourite drink? Chocolate Milk

16. What is your favourite holiday? Christmas

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

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

19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Chicken nuggets and French fries

20. What do you want to be when you grow up? Chemical engineer, I think, I might change my mind and decide to be a shepherd or cheese.

A Good Year

We have had a good year this year. When I think of this past year I just feel full of gratitude for our good life. I feel so grateful for our good jobs. I feel so grateful for our girls. They are good humans, each trying their best to be good friends and do well in school. I feel so grateful for the community that we live in. I really do love where we live, not just because of the lake, but because of safety, peace, good neighbours, good schools. 

We had a fairly quiet day. I want on two long dog walks, we had the water heater fixed (poor Kate and Fiona had really cold showers last night - we didn't realize the water heater was broken at that point). Ken worked and then made an awesome dinner - mashed potatoes, pulled pork, green beans and asparagus. It was so good. 

After dinner and showers we played Ransom Notes and Drawful, watched the ball drop in New York and went to bed. (Clearly I'm not writing this on New Year's Eve - even though I'm publishing it as such!)

I'm grateful for my family, and for the gospel of Jesus Christ and for my temple covenants - our family is forever. Here's to another year of learning and growing together. Another year of helping each other and loving each other a little more!

(And here's to another year of ridiculous family selfies!!)
 

Eline Vanderlugt Tiesma

When exactly did Shawn became such an important friend? That's a good question. I stayed for an extra year of high school and we became better friends. We kept in touch after high school seeing each other here and there. Then Shawn got pregnant with Cooper, Ken and I went to the baby shower. I told her I was pregnant with Kate, and then three and a half months later we were on mat leave together. That was definitely the beginning of a deeper bond and friendship. At this point in time Shawn was living in Keswick.

Fast forward a few years and Shawn and Sean and Cooper moved to London, Ontario. We went to visit, she popped into Ajax, and then we started a yearly tradition of going to Chudleigh's. But it wasn't until Marco Polo that our friendship really really deepened. Shawn and I Polo each other almost every day. The ridiculous minutiae that we discuss is laughable. We are each others therapists. (The Marco Polo app is an app that allows you to send video messages to each other.)

One of the things that we've discussed a lot lately is Shawn's sweet Mama. "The poor girl". Shawn's Mom had been battling PSP. "Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) is a rare neurodegenerative disease that affects movement, balance, and cognition. Often mistaken for Parkinson’s disease due to similar early symptoms, PSP progresses more rapidly and has distinct features that set it apart. Common symptoms include: eye movement problems, balance and mobility issues, stiffness and slowness, speech and swallowing difficulties and cognitive and emotional changes. Life expectancy after diagnosis is 6-12 years." (From the Coleen Cunningham Foundation Website) 

Shawn's Dad Fred has been Lina's primary caregiver these last many years, but recently more and more and more was asked of and needed of Shawn. Her parents moved to London in 2020. They are about a ten minute walk apart. Shawn has her ECE (early childhood education) and has worked in the school system and doing daycare for years. She did home daycare for several years when she first moved to London. A couple of years ago however, her neighbour asked if she was interested in working in insurance. Shawn did the courses, passed with flying colours and she was off to a new career. One of the huge blessings of this new career path was flexibility. She was able to do her work and be there to help take her Mom to appointments, and then it was to help shower her Mom, and then it was to help whenever and however she was needed. Not to mention the emotional support Fred needed. 

It has been so much. Watching/listening to Shawn's adventures with her sweet Mama have made me just love her more. She has been such a good daughter to her parents. She has been their angel. The extra years they gave their Mama because of the loving care of the whole family (Shawn's whole family - two sisters and two brothers help out as well to varying degrees) have brought them all so much joy. Shawn has seized the moments with her Mama to bring them both joy. Shawn has truly delighted in her Mama, and despite the many, many challenges they've been happy, very happy. 

The last few months however, things slowly began to change. Lina was having a harder and harder time. The pain was worse and worse, and the physical side effects were becoming more and more unmanageable. There have been a number of times that Shawn thought, "this is it". But Lina kept on. Fred kept her keeping on. 

Just before Christmas things really did get real though. Shawn moved in, moved on to the hateful couch Megan (a polo story), waking to administer meds every four hours, then every two hours. She held her Mama's hands, she held her Dad's hands. She cried to her husband Sean. She cried to me. She kept going.

Today, when Ken and I were sitting on the couch in the art gallery I got a Polo from Shawn. I knew what this meant. This meant that her beloved Mama had crossed over. I watched the Polo and quietly wept for my friend in the art gallery. She recounted to me the tender beautiful mercies surrounding her mother's passing. Her husband being there at the right moment to rub her back. The visit from Lilian, her husband and daughter Kristen. How Lina held Kristen as a baby, and how Kristen went to the car (a midwife) to get her stethoscope and confirm (not officially, but tenderly) that Lina had indeed passed. Shawn cradled her mother in her arms and told her how much she was loved. 

I'm so grateful that Lina raised a beautiful daughter named Julie Elisabeth Shawn Tiesma. I'm grateful that I could share in this beautiful family journey. I'm also grateful for my knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I take enormous comfort in the fact that Lina will someday be resurrected and that she and Shawn will hug again - but hopefully not for a very long time!

I treasure the technology that allows me to stay connected with a beautiful friend named Shawn, and allowed me a window into her life, and the life of her mother, Eline Vanderlugt Tiesma, Lina.

March 16, 1950 - December 29, 2025