Celebrate | HTHS Awards Assembly

I received sweet texts about Eliza from Carolyn who was at the Harrison Trimble Awards Assembly.

Eliza received the Volleyball MVP Award.

She also received the Art Award.

~ Eliza's favorite piece this year ~

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Finding joy in the little and big moments of life!

Celebrate | This & That

The snowy day

We had another snow day on Monday. Being able to slow down, and work on school stuff at home, was a gift.

The missing teacher

On Tuesday, I was at a PD session. My class read Miss Nelson is Missing, and at the end of the day, the supply teacher sent this message to me:

When we were talking about where they thought you were today, someone said maybe you were teaching a new class. H said, "No, she would never leave us. She loves us and we love her. We're her favorite."

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Finding joy in the little and big moments of life!

Celebrate | National Letter of Intent

Eliza signed her National Letter of Intent
to play volleyball at Universite de Moncton.

Thank You, God.

Celebrate | Team of the Year

SportNB hosted the annual Konica Minolta Sports Awards in Saint John this evening. The event celebrates the best in the New Brunswick amateur sports community. Eliza and her Canada Summer Games teammates were named Team of the Year! Monette Boudreau-Carroll was honoured as Female Coach of the Year and Pauline Cormier as Volunteer of the Year. 

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Finding joy in the little and big moments of life!

Celebrate | VNB Banquet

Jim and Eliza

Eliza and Jim went to the VNB banquet in Fredericton this evening. New Brunswick's Women's Volleyball Team was honored for their bronze medal win at the Canada Games. Coach Monette received Coach of the Year, and their lib, Jesse Robichaud, was named Female Athlete of the Year.

Volleyball New Brunswick's Post:
Women's Indoor Team
Bring Home First Ever Canada Games Medal in Volleyball

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Finding joy in the little and big moments of life!

Celebrate | This & That

My Sister

Karrilee went for her last radiation treatment on Thursday. She is now finished chemo and radiation. It amazes me how she pushed through, even continuing to work. She has been strong and courageous!  Thank You, God, for being with her all the time.

Writing

Over the summer, I wrote every day on my little blog. In July, I started out not really wanting to write anything so I decided to write at least one sentence a day. When August arrived, I was reading "Textbook" and I was inspired to share something daily, based on words from Amy Krouse Rosenthal, or about her by daughter, Paris.

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Finding joy in the little and big moments of life!

Celebrate | Ring the Bell

My sister finished chemo treatments yesterday.

She said the first three were horrible and the last three were better. 

But through it all, she was...

gracious and grateful

strong and courageous

...and she remembered to laugh!

Ring! Ring!

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Finding joy in the little and big moments of life!

Celebrate | Visual Arts Class

Eliza recently finished art pieces for her grade 11 Visual Arts class. 

Self Portrait

Watercolor

Vic Vicini

Oil Paint

George Clooney

Pastels

When Eliza was looking at a photo and working on her

Clooney piece, she said, "Ugh! It's so hard to do all his wrinkles!"

I replied, "Eliza, no one notices wrinkles on George Clooney."

Well, no one my age does!

Celebrate | Twenty-three Years Ago

In the spring, we talked about our feelings for each other.

By summer, we were engaged...

...and then married by the end of the year.

December 31, 1993

Celebrate | Washer

Woke in the middle of the night

Checked Kijiji

Noticed a washer (and dryer) for only $175

Emailed seller

Heard back from him when the world woke up

Said there were many requests coming in but I was first


Thankful I woke in the night

Thankful I checked for washers (had not done so in weeks)

Thankful we were first to respond

Thankful we could get it

Thankful Lorne could help us pick it up

Thankful I can hear a washer running downstairs

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Finding joy in the little and big moments of life!

Celebrate | Sole Hope III

Our Third Annual Shoe Cutting Party for Sole Hope

My heart was singing last night. Once again, we gathered together to help make shoes for children in Uganda. One of my favorite things about a Sole Hope evening is how much joy there is in the room. A group of people come together from all over and it doesn't matter if they know each other. They are chatting and laughing as they trace, cut and organize jeans. It's beautiful work!

Thank you, Karrilee, for hosting with me. The Atlantic District office, where you work and serve, was a perfect location for us this year. What a blessing!

Celebrate | Married

On September 22nd, 1956, the day Mom turned 21,
my parents were married in a little country church.

Sixty years later, Dad still talks about her
like they were married yesterday.

Our family has so much to be thankful for.

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Finding joy in the little and big moments of life!

Celebrate | Even Washers & Cars

Our washer broke down in June and I really thought today was the day for us to wash our clothes at home again. Long story short, it wasn't the day. It can't be fixed. In the last three months, our two old cars couldn't be fixed either.

Oh, how I know our problems are first-world problems. But I needed a moment to just be sad after the test run with clothes in the washer failed. The clanging and burning smell returned. With school and fall schedules around the corner, it is a little discouraging to think about the time needed to get laundry done elsewhere and to wait for rides here-and-there with one car. It all equals more time away from home to me.

Later on, I found myself watching a short video clip of my Dad with Annie. He is showing her some tips on the piano and he is singing the lines of Sweet Hour of Prayer. I listened again to the words of this treasured hymn.

Sweet hour of prayer

That calls me from a world of care

And bids me at my Father's throne

Make all my wants and wishes known

God calls us from our world of care and asks us to talk to Him...

...even about washers and cars.

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Finding joy in the little and big moments of life!

Celebrate | Smaller

At a routine eye exam in 2014, a spot was noticed on Jim's eye. For two years, we have traveled to Dr. Lakosha in Halifax every six months. We are thankful for his excellent care and that he sent Jim to Toronto's Princess Margaret for a second opinion. It was ocular melanoma and Jim went through surgery last October.

On Tuesday, we traveled to Halifax again. We were told it can take up to a year to see any changes after radiation. In February, which was three months after the eye plaque surgery in Toronto, the tumor size was the same. We received even better news this week! The tumor is smaller! Originally, it was 4.3 mm and it is now 3.4. Jim was also told there is no sign of radiation damage on the eye. We are beyond grateful!

Thank You, God, for taking care of Jim.

See you in six months, Halifax!

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Finding joy in the little and big moments of life!

Celebrate | Annie's Graduation

On Wednesday evening, family and friends gathered together for Harrison Trimble's graduation ceremony. What a celebration for Annie and her classmates!

Annie graduated as a member of the Trojan Honour Society (honours every year) and she received the official letter saying what she would receive in scholarships from UdeM. Magnetic Hill Home & School gave her a bursary and she will also be receiving an amount for playing volleyball for UdeM. Annie has worked hard in the classroom and on the court. God is her strength. We are so thankful for these blessings for her! For her to have no costs for her first year, and possibly every year, is an answer to prayer.

We are proud of our Annie. More than what she has done, we love who she is. A couple years ago, a Trimble teacher sent the following message to us: 

"...I want you to know what a wonderful person we (your teachers and peers) know you are.  You are both an excellent scholar and an amazing athlete; and that is all great, but the most important thing to me, is the quality of person you are. I've had a number of conversations with your peers and with your teachers about you; and to the person, they said that you are an amazingly kind, honest, and a lovely young woman. I'm proud of you. There is the passage from the Old Testament, the Book of Ruth (3:11), that reminds me of you.  It states, "And now, my daughter, don't be afraid, I will do for you all you ask.  All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character."

Trimble friends who are heading to UdeM in the fall

Photo Source: Sarah Ching

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Slice of Life | Female Athlete of the Year

Celebrate | Final Season

Division 1 | Tier 4 Silver
Edmonton, Alberta
2016

The girls returned from Nationals where Annie played her last matches as a Roofer. Starting at 12, it has been an incredible journey for her! It was wonderful to have Annie and Eliza playing together during for her final season.

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Finding joy in the little and big moments of life!

Celebrate | Partners

I love that Annie and Eliza always warm up together for their high school games!

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Finding joy in the little and big moments of life!

Celebrate | This & That

Reasons to celebrate -

getting to know Maria through the Slice of Life Challenge

a surprise strawberry banana smoothie from Lori

finishing report cards

having parents who help us with drives (and everything else)

laughing around the library table on Friday afternoon

having a sister who pitched in for me as a canteen volunteer so I could watch the girls' high school team play in Fredericton

getting nose nudges from Rozz

drinking milk

being home

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Finding joy in the little and big moments of life!