September Trip- 2019

For a while today a heavy ocean fog swept inland, sending fingerings of white clouds streaming over roofs and palm trees towards us. Michael grabbed his camera and took an opportunity for a study break, while I looked on from my workspace thinking about fall. For a moment it felt a bit fall-ish, even though the temperatures here are only rising this week, while dry SoCal winds are picking up and fires are raging. But for that moment I let the imagined feelings of autumn linger. 

Crisp temps, colors, scents, sweaters, apples, lakes and rivers, cool city streets, rain.

Of course, I began to miss my family, my native land, and my mother tongue. 

When I uploaded pictures to my computer yesterday, I came across this file from a visit to my sister's one year ago this month. Jacob and I had traveled home for my youngest brother's wedding. I had the distinct pleasure of helping prepare for the ceremony and reception with my sister. Working like this with her was an experience I relished, one I've not had opportunity to experience much with family because of geographical distance. 

Jacob, on the other hand, loved being the oldest cousin for once among a small gang of boys.

My camera lay largely packed away because it was a busy week of work and visit, and the fact that Jacob and I lost a full day stranded in Michigan meant the work was extra focused. (It was yet another tale of travel mishaps that no longer surprise me... lightning storm and flooding, missed connection, lost luggage, no vacancies, seedy motel, stolen credit card, little sleep. Still worth it, though, hands down.)

I did capture a few moments anyway. Below, the old airplane tire swing that was ours when I was little.

Obviously, Tante Katherine needed to swing with the boys, too!

I enjoyed catching up with extended family as well, even meeting many new family members, like spouses of cousins. I think the last time we saw each other would have been at my grandmother's funeral, nearly 10 years ago. (Images of that trip HERE.)

It was a simple and beautiful wedding for these two in our town's covered bridge over the Gatineau River. The funny reality is that I met my brother's wife for the first time only after the ceremony! Things like that are definitely not perks to living far away!

(Image not mine)

There was a smaller, more intimate reception for family the following morning. Here is my mom with four girls now. (Left to right: My sister, Melissa; my newest SIL, Dale; my mom, my Maman; my SIL, Melanie; and me)

And the gang of boy cousins... My two older boys were missing, obviously, and now we have a brand new baby boy born this summer. I couldn't decide between the two pictures: the one above was their own pose, and the one below was how they repositioned when someone suggested moving in close. Both show a group of really wonderful guys!

A short hike in the Gatineau Park was a real treat for me. My old stomping ground...

Lookout and, er, old make-out point!

And then, once again and far too soon, homebound. We've long been accustomed to lengthy airport wait times and layovers, but how wonderful it was just to flash a passport at customs instead of a visa with an alien number. I do feel like a real lucky girl to have two homes I love!

It's been nearly three years since Jon and my older boys have flown home, and Covid regulations don't make it very hopeful that we'll get there anytime soon. Nonetheless, a trip back through pictures did me some good today. 

And as a bonus, this little blog lives on for another post...

~Katherine

Family and Snow

{As is often the case, I've worked at assembling this post over the course of a few days.}

We are wrapping up the first two weeks since returning from our trip to Canada, and it's a good feeling. Wow. I was expecting these couple of weeks to be heavy-duty, and they certainly were. Through it all, though, God was greater still. 

I stand amazed at how the Lord went before me and paved our way, answering prayer in ways that were beyond "best case scenario." I'm so thankful, yet I have to remind myself daily to depend upon the Lord as I tackle one issue after the next. Tomorrow will have its troubles too-- there is no question there-- but God will be faithful to provide grace for this day. Then he'll provide again for tomorrow, then the day after that.

So that is how I've faced the last two weeks: one day at a time, or one issue at a time, even just focusing moment by moment. Diligent and bold work pays off, yes, but not always. In every case, I have to learned (and continue to learn) to work hard, pray harder, and then be at peace with the results God intends for us.

But TGIF! Truly.

The prayers that were answered these last few weeks are "small" in comparison to the big things of life, but they were a gift to me. Not only are some immediate needs met, but I have all the more reason to believe that the Lord hears my prayers and supplications... in the big things and the small.

>:<

Scenes from the Quebec side of our trip~

The indoor lighting at my sister's house lends itself to more indoor pictures than at my mother-in-law's. I still would have liked more documentation and preservation of memories and moments. The weather outside was harsh on most days, and biting cold temps from a weather system dubbed the Bomb Cyclone kept the outdoor photography to a minimum.

Boy cousins. There are seven boys in all, and just my one Olivia-girl. She is used to the boy-ish atmosphere, including the non-stop wrestling and physicality, comedy, and, well, their frequent farting. 

Fact of life: Boys think farting is funny. 

You can expect manners, but you can't change the way they feel about it.

Games of all kinds are a must to survive Canadian winters. The kids played enough Uno and Battleship to last the whole of 2018.

"Being with family" and "the snow" were voted the best parts of our trip...

My SIL, sister and mom...

Melanie, Melissa, Marielle (aka Maman)

All names beginning with M, also all nurses...

Ha! I am the odd one out in more ways than these! 😉

A little egg from the coop, and the littlest member of the crew...

Endless wrestling, especially with the "big guy" Michael.

Me, 'cause I was there too. 

La cabane à sucre at my sister's, where bottles of maple syrup will emerge this spring.

For boys who don't play hours of video games normally, my brother's phone was evidently an attraction.

All the cousins January 1, 2018

For the sake of comparison, I added the picture we took four years ago. 

Caleb was still being waited for... ❤

The entire family January 1, 2018

On the "mildest" day (relatively speaking), my dad treated us to skiing/snowboarding. Unfortunately, I didn't take pictures with my dslr like I did last winter visit because of the temps. Occasionally, I did force myself to endure frozen solid fingers to use my iPhone for pictures and video. It was so cold my phone kept shutting down! I have a few pictures and video I'll probably post to Facebook, but they are limited.

My kids loved the slopes! It was their second time ever, but they did amazing. Olivia tried skiing for the first time, and the boys seemed to have retained all the snowboarding instruction my brother gave several years back. Jon even enjoyed himself, and he is definitely not one who typically enjoys anything with cold and snow! Me? I love skiing. I was a team player and stayed on the same slopes as everyone else, but I was sure tempted to take off in another direction and feel the thrill of speed. (I can closing my eyes right now and imagining the feel of speed as my body leans side to side, descending powdery slopes, with the wind pressing against my chest!)

The spa was a fun experience for my kids, too. It's a different experience when you have to wear a hat and when you get to do a Polar bear run!

I was fumbling in the dark with my camera settings. I hardly ever shoot with flash. I wanted to reduce the intensity of the flash, but in all the action I accidentally left my aperture wide open. The result was unintentional, but I like the effect it produced...

They would run past the hockey net, up the hill and back.

There's no shame in being a little nutty, or encouraging behavior that could be considered questionable. To me, this is part of embracing life!

More games... All the kids know that if you win when playing against Dad/Uncle Jon, then you win fair and square. He doesn't let anyone win on purpose.

Crokinole Tournament

I think this is a Canadian game? I've never known an American to be familiar with the game.

I'd like to get one for our family eventually. They are less affordable in the US, and too big to fit in my suitcase to cross the border!

Morning snow shot through the window the morning we departed...

It's not easy for us to travel over the Christmas break for a number of reasons, and it took a lot of preparation from our extended family to gather head-to-toe winter gear for us to use. They sacrificed in arranging their holidays plans to coincide with ours, and planned family gatherings that would enable us to see the people that are precious to us. We are thankful. I hope we don't wait another four years to play in the snow, nor do I wish for the crazy harsh weather patterns that seem to make travel plans in conjunction with ours!


~Katherine