These things make me smile.

Paper piles are a constant challenge in our house. It can be single sheets, lined or colourfully printed, envelopes that magically appear at our house daily often along with newspapers, printed items off the computer or paper bound in book form. No matter the form it can be found in every room of our house. It is my constant nemesis.

I love to read, and I have a hobby that is very heavily paper themed that given with the fact that I have issues when it comes to tossing out things the girls have created over the years you get the picture. It is everywhere. So this past week I started to tackle the problem, I figured if I take one box or pile a day for a bit I will get a grip by the end of the summer. At least it is a good plan. So far a little progress has been made and the recycling truck was heavier after this past pick up.

The fun thing about sorting paper, is you come across things that make you smile.



Like this gem, circa 1998.
Teryn drew this picture of her and I. Makes me smile big. Love that my ears stick out from my hair and we are both smiling. Check out the arms and legs, at least we seem to have clothes on. But my feet are huge. Too funny! I guess that is the perspective of a 4 year old. Love it.

This one is going to get a frame and will be hanning in my creative space providing inspiration for years to come.!

Then there is this. Shanna's math sheet from this year. When Ashlynn and I returned from Europe Shanna had us all in stitches on the ride home from the airport telling the story of this math assignment. I will chuckle for years and years.


Check out the instructions... Draw the missing line, measure and label the angles... done!
Then the instructions say Name it....
"Names" inside the bubbles..... Oh, my I laugh as I type! Billy, Bob, Joe..... She did just what the instructions said and named each quadrilateral. Too too funny.

The best part is that she told us the story and was killing herself laughing at it the whole time. Shows great self assurance. Man I love this kid.

Back on the wagon...

I updated my Facebook status a few days ago to say I was back on the blogging wagon, so I guess I better stay true to my word.

I confess I am a total blog surfer, and though I have lots of ideas of what to post, I do not get to it as often as I need to. This past year as I have been recovering, resting and following doctors orders I admit I have been very entertained by reading blogs. Much cheaper than a trip to the local book store, you can find pretty much anything you want, travel, recipes, self help, support, creativity, inspiration, humor it is all there. There are blogs that I visit regularly, those of family, friends and business associates, creative souls & even strangers. I look forward to updates and posts, and feel disconnected when they go for long periods of time without doing so. I enjoy seeing photos, reading snippets of their lives. Yet I go for weeks and months without posting - how unfair of me.

Today while surfing, another phenomenon hit me... how is it that someone living 1000's of miles away, we have met, but doubt they would remember me writes something that mirrors my own thoughts so clearly. Things that I have been thinking, but yet have not voiced, for fear that if I put them out there I would have to be accountable. Yikes. That is what happened this morning while surfing and stopping here at Cathy Z's blog. Scary! Yup sitting on the couch following doctors orders has taken it's tole, and it is one that will take allot of hard work to work off. As soon as I have the o.k. I will be doing something to shake the chub! In the very short mean time, it shakes on me! Yuck!

I have asked myself why I blog, simply put, I like to write, always have. I have countless journals filled with bits and snip its of my life, thoughts on God, the world around me, quotes, clippings from the news paper. Blogging is simply and extension of the journals I keep. There are days I prefer pen and paper, others that I like to sit and type (which can happen faster than writing for me). I think that deep inside all of us is the desire to know that we were on this earth for a purpose, and that it will be remembered. Much the same way as scrapbooking records snip its of life, so can blogging. Who reads? I'm not sure, I know there are a few that check in every once in awhile, do I have a following, nope, do I think I ever will - who knows. Would I like to, sure, easier than having a book published. However if I can connect with someone, encourage or just make them smile that's great, if it is simply providing a place where family comes to get an update on the 5 of us then great. I will be here and I will be writing simply because I enjoy the process.

Bitter Sweet Week....

Bitter sweet....

For 13 years there has been a Hilstad child at our local elementary school. For 13 years I have walked in and out of class rooms, interacted with teachers, driven for field trips, attended assemblies, talent shows, student led conferences and grade 7 leaving ceremonies. 3 of those for my own children. As a family we have sat around the dinner table, talked and often laughed about what has happened at school, discussing homework, class antics, and little buddies. All that changes, this past week marked the last day of Hilstad attendance at Forest Grove as Shanna completed grade 7. My baby is growing up, parts of me are ready to give her wings, the other part wants to hold on forever. I imagine this is the plight of mothers everywhere as our children grow up. Next year all 3 girls will be in the same school for the last time in there public school lives. And so begins another chapter in the story of our lives....

Bitter Sweet. . .

For 25ish years, my sisterfriend Lisa and I have had a solid on and off again relationship. We met when she came from Invermere to Burnaby to attend SFU in the early 80's - she showed up at church one Sunday and we have been dear friends ever since, it was and is a connection that God intended to be. For the past 25ish years she has come and gone, home to Inveremere, to Regina, to Quebec, Pennsylvania, Benin, with visits in between here at the coast. She currently lives and works in Niger, West Africa, one of the poorest countries in the world. We share one of those rare friendships that picks up where we left off and go on from there, sure we keep in touch in between, but those times when we are face to face are special treasures. When she is in town, our door is always open, she comes she stays, she fits right in to our crazy lives. This past week we talked on the phone for likely the last time in 4 years, she is as I type on the journey back to Niger for her next 4 year term. Each moment we can spend talking or visiting face to face is a gift that neither of us take for granted. It is hard to hang up when you know it will be at least 4 years until the next conversation. It is bitter sweet.. I know that she is living out her passion, working where she does, but she takes a small part of my heart with her this sisterfriend of mine.

Life is full of bitter sweet moments, those things that we know must happen, but bring both joy and sadness. Things that come into our lives to strengthen character, build us up, teach or challenge us to be better people. The key is to keep our eyes and hearts open so that we can be taught.

Some people come into our lives and quickly go.

Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts,

and we are never, ever the same.

~Flavia Weedn,

Long overdue!

This post is overdue

Far too much time has passed since I was last here ready to type!

The much talked about

Transit / photo adventure was long overdue.

What is a Transit / Photo adventure you ask?

Well it all started a few years ago at Remember Me with a conversation, between Nichole, Natasha & myself, wondering how far you could travel in one day on a public transit pass. The idea, get an all day transit pass (which by the way is quite affordable at $9.00 for 24 hours.) and go.... just see where or how far you can get. Nichole and Natasha decided that they were going to do it... just get on the sky train or bus and go... see where the road lead, one day!

The conversation evolved into me making a list of photo challenges to meet along the way. A way to make the day more interesting. Which eventually led to, not just writing the list but being included in the adventure. One day arrived this Saturday.

The first ever Transit Photo adventure.....

Saturday May 31, 2009

After lots of... We should really do this

We need to make this happen

It is a really good idea

(I think a few travels to far away may have happened)

Who: Di, Nic and Nat

Where: Lougheed Sky train Station

When: 7:30 am

(Right Nichole? You did say 7:30AM??? that was YOUR idea???)

Back packs packed, camera's ready, snacks packed, water & we are ready to go.

Well except that Nichole was not there! (oops, crazy alarm) She would eventually catch up around 10:30am.... still in plenty of time for lots of fun and adventuring

So begins the adventure

2 girls

2 back packs

5 photo taking devices

1 tri-pod

2 full day transit passes

1 list of 50 photo challenges

(one phone call from Nic, to join up later)

And we were off....

The goal.. to travel via public transportation and take photos...
I am happy to say that all goals were met!

49 of the 50 photo challenges were met.

I am sure that between the 3 of us we took a few hundred photos!

We rode the Sky train, Sea Bus (well 2 of us made that) Bus, Aqua bus, Stanley park Train (o.k not part of the public transit system, but still a fun mode of transportation and Nic could not recall being on it before so we HAD to do that!) and lots of walking. The weather was great, a tad bit warm in the middle of the day, resulting in a bit of sun burn. All in all it was a fabulous day, even the "dip" in the fountain! (yup I sort of fell in.. slipped. Must say that it was very refreshing on a hot day!) We walked, we talked, we ate, we laughed and we made memories that we will each recall for many years to come. Thanks gals for a great day!

Ripple affect...

Time flies in the blogging world just as it does in real life. You blink and months pass in what seem like seconds. I am continually amazed at how lives are intertwined, how one thing leads to the next and before you know it things snowball. I started to think about this on April 1st, yes April fools day. I was in bed and Royd came in and said that I HAD to get out of bed and come and watch the news, there was a clip that I had to see and it was all my fault that this was happening on the other side of the world. I obliged and went and waited, thinking what could possibly be my fault on the other side of the world....

You see, some 19 or so years ago a friend and I went on a late night neighbourhood romp with several rolls of Saran Wrap (Toilet paper was passe) and did 3 different cars, one being our pastors. It was great, no one expected us at first... Jump forward 4 or 5 years and said pastor was now living in Australia teaching at a Bible College and we decided that he needed to be "initiated" down under. So we wrote a letter addressed to the college - Attention: youth leader or something like that. Included in that letter was some $$$ and an explanation of "Saran Wrapping Cars" could you please go and do this pastor's car one day.... And they did. Now in 2009 this is what it has become.... WHO KNEW!





Who knows if it could be directly linked back to a simple letter written over a decade ago. But like a rock tossed into a still pond, the ripples reach far and wide. Maybe one friend told 2 people and those 2 people told 2 more... and so on and so on.... then someone who had heard about the crazy fun, thinks hey that would be a great April fools joke, they go ahead and low and behold the original letter writers 1000's of Kilometers away see the news clip. Full circle.... ripples reaching far and wide. Interesting to think how the ripples we make today could come back and affect us years down the road.

Was I kind today? Did I say or do something that made someone laugh, cry, feel loved, cared for? Did I send out good ripples? I sure hope so, I had some very intense, meaningful conversations today, about some life situations that are very very hard, health issues that have to be faced head on despite the deer in the headlight feeling of total shock and fog like reality of the moment. I pray that my words, were able to be a balm to the hurting, that I could ease the burden just a little by telling someone I care and that I will be praying. Even for just a moment in time - give hope.... I hope that I can sit down a decade from now and say remember when and share in the victory of healing and strength, rejoicing, celebrating - that would be a great return on my ripples (and the tears I shed today!)

A series of unfortunate events....

I started this post 2 weeks ago, life got in the way and now that I am going to post it now it seems sort of ironic. Today being Friday the 13th! I think the whole Friday the 13th thing is whooie, and for me it is just a sunny Friday in Feb. BUT if the date did hold any significant meaning for us our Friday the 13th happened a few weeks back, o.k. and it was a Sunday. But it was the sort of day that some would associate with the 13th....



The events that you are about to read are TRUE.... and happened over the course of a few days, however the bulk of them happened within a couple of hours... It was truly a series of unfortunate events..... or just another day in my life as crazy and random as it can be at times.

Jan 29 - We are out for dinner celebrating Shanna's 13th birthday (Yes that makes 3 teens in the house - but that is a post for another time and space) as is the birthday tradition in our home. The birthday girl gets to pick where we go (within reason) Pizza Hut it was this night. We had a great time, lots of laughs and fairly good food. Then we go to leave, we slide open the door of the van and we hear this clink, clink sound... something hit the ground..



Teryn says, Oh that might have been a pen that has been rolling around back here. Quite plausible, seeings as when the van got cleaned out one time there were 23 pens of various sorts rolling around. No wonder there is never one by the phone when I need one. Sidetrack aside... back to the clink clink... not a pen, but a nut like looking piece of metal from the van door.... OH OH....

The van door will not latch, meaning that it will not close. Did I mention that it is dark, and we did not have the foresight to park by the light in the parking lot that would shine on that side of the car. Trying to figure out where the "nut like thing" fit on the door was going to be a challenge. Thankfully we have 2 door entry on the van and there was light shining on the other side and my dear husband was able to figure it out - and insert the errant object and managed to get the door to close and lock. However it is in that position permanently, or at least until we find the $$$$ to get it fixed it will look like this...

Fast forward to Sunday.... Royd had been away on the island visiting a friend and I was headed to pick him up at the ferry terminal. It was late, it was dark, and it was snotting out (raining and snowing at the same time) plain miserable night. Visibility was a challenge at best! I am driving along and change lanes at the terminal to go into the pick up / drop off zone and hear this very very loud BANG! Then the tell tail sound of a flat.... pffts, ssss, pffst... Shoot! I had no idea what I hit, but I knew I did a good job of it. (figured out later on the way up the hill, that there is a low curb between lanes - I must have hit that!) No where to pull over until the parking lot at the terminal, over a block down the road. So there I was, riding on the rim, KNOWING that the tire was flat, if not total obliterated, knowing that the longer I drove the higher the possibility of greater damage. Thinking about the van door & the cost of that looming over our head. Praying that this would not add to that too too much! I managed to pull into the pick up area, this time I DID park by the best light available thinking ahead to the job at hand. Oh, so not the way to say welcome home dear.

Now I am not a slouch when it comes to knowing how to change a tire, it has happened before and I managed fine, but remember that I am at this point 3 weeks post surgery, not supposed to exercises or lift anything too heavy. So I sit and wait for the ferry to come in, I did manage to pull out the jack, tire iron and un hook (not remove) the spare and "set things up" for Royd.

I walked to meet him at the terminal and said ...

"I am really glad you are home"

His response, "oh do you need gas in the van" Funny funny guy - or either that He knows me well. The later is certainly true - I hate putting fuel in the van, the smell of gas gags me!

"ah no the gas is fine.... but, well, you are going to have to change the flat tire I just got!"

"oh....." He is a great guy.. that is about all he said.

Remember it is truly a miserable night... thankfully there was a huge golf umbrella in the van along with an old baseball mitt - which was great for kneeling on, not only for padding, but it also kept the knees dry! So it was not as bad as it could have been. However upon inspection we realize that I not only blew the tire but managed to dent the rim. OUCH -it looks like we will need a new rim and tire! $$$$ What can you do! On with the job at hand, 45 minutes to change the tire, pack things up and off we go.

Travelling down the road, catching up on each others weekends, traffic is good, due to the fact that we avoided all ferry traffic. Then we hit the Iron workers memorial bridge.. Accident. Bridge is closed, both lanes. This could be serious! Great I wonder how long we will have to sit in this traffic, it is around 10:30pm at this point. I phone home and tell the girls not to worry, we are going to be late, there is an accident on the bridge we are o.k. see you when we get home.

Sid accident had just happened, it is about 12 - 15 cars ahead of us, emergency vehicles were just arriving on the scene, we have no choice but to sit and wait for the bridge to re-open. We could be sitting here for awhile. Good thing we have lots to catch up on.....

Just a few minutes into our wait we notice that cars are sailing past us to take the last exit and managing to get back on the bridge just past the accident... should we, should we not... we debate, we wonder, we then hear the ambulance coming. We stay put, the only path for the Ambulance is to our right. Ambulance comes sailing past and cuts in about 4 cars in front of us thinking that they will be able to get to the scene, however there is no where for the cars to go to let them past, they sit there for about 5 minutes...

In the mean time Royd decides that he is going to take the exit, and pulls out to do that. Unfortunately at that exact moment the ambulance decides that he is going to do the same thing. We are just past as he pulls out and hear the grinding of metal and metal as the front end of the ambulance meets with the rear quarter panel of our van... Great! We are on an off ramp, there is no where to pullover, no where to stop and we just connected with an emergency vehicle oh his way to an accident. We got to a spot where we could pull and the ambulance could pull by and go. They roll down the window and tell us to pull into the bus loop to wait for their return. So we do... and we wait, and wait, and wait. On the up side while we were waiting, we were able to give a jump start to a lady and her son who were waiting in an unlit parking lot in a car that was not functioning trying to figure out what to do. We were more than happy to pull out our jumper cables and lend a hand.

About an hour later an RCMP officer pulls into the loop looking for us. 45 minutes of statements, discussion with the RCMP officer the Ambulance supervisor. Both who were surprised that we stuck around and waited, they said mentioned that most would have gone off. We figured that the ambulance driver was sure to have taken our licence plate number so they could still find us. Likely charge us with leaving the scene of an accident etc. Right now we are praying that there is no ticket coming in the mail. Turns out that all emergency vehicles under siren are protected by the law in an accident - they are faultless. We were told that if this was any other vehicle it would have been there fault given the area we were hit. The ambulance supervisor was pushing for charges, the RCMP officer was saying that because we stuck around and were co-operative that he was not going to issue anything. However they have a year to do so.. so if the supervisor pushes he may have no choice. We are keeping our fingers crossed.

Irony... I am forever yelling at idiots that do not pull over when the emergency vehicles drive by under siren. It is one of my biggest pet peeves. Not to mention it is dangerous. My kids tease me that the drives in other cars can not hear me. I will always pull over, I have been honked at, and had the bird flipped more than once in my direction. And we get clipped! Somewhere there is humor in that right?

On the up side of the whole thing, the tire was not blown. The rim was toast, however it was less $$$ to replace the rim than it would have been to get a new tire. I guess there is a little humor there. And if for no other reason we were in the right place at the right time to jump start that ladies car - get her on her way safely home. She was so thankful for our help. Or maybe the delay of the flat tire was just the right amount of time for us to avoid being victim in the accident. Why things happen when they do sometimes is a mystery - I am glad that despite all the unfortunate events these few days, we are able to look at them and see that in this world we are not alone, we are part of a bigger picture, a puzzle of sorts that piece by piece are placed together to form that bigger picture.

Coveting prayer...

My day tomorrow is fairly well planned. Actually that would be my day today, as the day officially starts when the clock strikes midnight, and the clock struck about a half hour ago. Which means as of this moment I am not allowed to eat or drink ANYTHING! NOTHING, not a sip not a nibble nada! The nurse at my intake appointment was VERY adamant about this.

Why is it when you can NOT eat anything all you think about is how hungry or how thirsty you are. I know I know if I were to go to bed at a regular time then I would not be sitting here at 12:45 thinking about what I can not have. Oh well, I have done it before I can do it this time. Easy as pie. mmmm pie.. geesh!

So here is how my day TODAY should play out...

Leave home at 9:30 (ride not yet procured - but I have several options open!)

10:00 am arrive at hospital for surgery #2 of 3

10:05 I will be ushered into the secret chamber - where unless you are having surgery or are with a child who is having surgery you are not allowed to follow! I am special I get to go there AGAIN! And to think there are many who have never been!

10:10 - I will be presented with the most lovely of gowns to change into... actually 2! One to close at the back and the other with the opening at the front - all modesty preserved! Ha! The best part by far is the lovely foot ware they offer.... Lovely elf stockings that go to your knees - a fashion plate I will be for sure! Whoot Whoot!

10:20 - a nurse will come visit with me ask me my name over and over, as well as the procedure I am having done (which by the way is a Unilateral reduction and lift of the left breast - a follow up to the mastectomy in September and the precursor to the implant coming in March! - Basically this is so I will have a matched set, and will not sag at an alarmingly uneven pace!) Once they have confirmed that I know who I am and what is being done. Said nurse will begin to poke and prod, insert an IV line, take my temperature, and blood pressure.

By 11:30 I will be escorted down the hall to the operating room - where I will spent approx the next 90 minutes in a drug induced sleep - The doctors and nurses will do their thing and in the end it will all be hunky dory! After my stay in the OR I will then be wheeled to a lovely suite where I will be allowed to nap for a little bit. Then the nurses will come and force me to wake up, take all sorts of vital information....including ask me my name AGAIN, and then I will be allowed to rest peacefully however just when I drift off to sleep they will come again, and wake me up to offer me some ginger ale and crackers when all a truly wish to do is sleep. Nope soda and crackers gotta get me up and moving... I have been told that I should be released to go home in time for dinner! Good thing there is pizza in the freezer and the girls are very good at fending for themselves because I am pretty sure that the only thing I will want to do is rest without interruption.
Whew it will be a busy day - of which most of it I will not be able to recall as I will have been knocked out!

For those of you who are inclined to pray I am coveting your prayers if you happen to think of me today. Please pray for the nurses and doctors as they do their job. Pray that I will be a patient that is grateful for their care. Please pray that the procedure will go smoothly and that there will be no complications. Thank you in advance for your prayers and well wishes. I had better get to bed! God bless!