Alabare and an Interesting Affect

As anyone who reads my daughter's blog, Murrayville Mom, would know, on Sunday morning our beautiful grandaughter, Caroline Mae was Baptised at Trinity Lutheran Church in Delta. It was a wonderful, sunny, happy, day. Pastor Terry wowed them with his Homily (but he does that every week as far as we are concerned), he blessed April and Nick's Baby-to-be at the Communion rail, and the family as a whole took up 4 pews! It was a wonderful day. The worshipping community had only seen Dick and I, they had heard rumours of family, and with the exception of Cameron and Claire attending with us, no-one else ever has.

As soon as Dick and I walked into the Sanctuary, little Catie called out Nanny and the fun was about to begin. Holding Catie, we settled into a pew, along with Cameron and Claire. Miss Carly was wandering around like Goldilocks, trying to find just the right place to sit, and as it turned out, she found many! Pastor Terry welcomed us and it became instantly apparent that Catie would not be sitting through worship today! She got down, she lay on the floor, she squeezed her head between my feet (which were planted firmly on the ground as I stood at the end of the pew, trying desperately to block her escape--all to no avail), she was complaining, I had to let her through. As she made her escape up the aisle, I decided I'd better follow her lead and leave. Just as this was happening, our pianist began playing Alabare which is a very peppy, Spanish song which we sing when using Setting 6, from With One Voice.

And this is where the interesting affect comes in...

For all of Catie's strong desire and determination to leave the Sanctuary, she stopped stone-still. I picked her up and began to sing along with the congregation. Catie's eyes scanned the congregation, and she silently watched and listened, she uttered not a peep. She was mesmerized by the fact that this entire body of people were all singing together. She didn't move a muscle, she just took it all in, and as soon as the hymn was over, she resumed her escape for freedom. I can't help but wonder, what was going through that little head of hers during the hymn, and we'll never know, but she sure was fascinated.

Catie in action during one of the pictures.

See Catie Run!

As a postscript, Catie's little Cousin, Matthew, whom his momma had worried over how he was going to be during service, fell fast asleep and didn't awake until the end. He is a good little Lutheran Andrea!

On the Threshold of Motherhood

Today our much beloved middle daughter, April begins her Mat Leave! I don't know who's more excited, her or me. I do know that she is oh so ready for what lies ahead. A new precious little life. A miracle in the making. Labour pangs and pangs of love await. She is ready, and so are we to welcome this new little member of the family.

Enjoy this time April, you are going to be a wonderful mommy!

Who Does This Remind Me Of?

My beautiful niece, Andrea sent me some lovely e-mails today and one of them had this cute little duck with 5 little ducks on her back. Now let me think, who in my family might this represent!

A Breakfast Surprise

Scenario: Last night before we fell asleep Dick and I decided as there wasn't a scrap of bread in the house for morning toast, that we would go out to our favourite breakfast place, The White Spot.

I got up out of bed, picked out my clothes, and took my shower. Happily singing, away drying my hair. Dick raps on the door. "We've got company. Cathy and all the kids are here. We won't be going out to breakfast" he says. "What's the problem?", I asked with great trepidation. "Their power's out."


So you say to yourself, how did they react? No server to wait on them hand and foot, no breakfast treats? They must have been so disappointed.

Nope, only the best darn morning a Nanny and Pappa could hope for. Pappa and Cameron went out to Cobbs and picked up a loaf of bread, which was fresh hot from the oven. The lady even gave them a plastic bag for later storage.

Four little ones all squeezed around a very small table. There was milk in cups to be poured, bread toasted in the oven under the broiler, as it would have taken forever in our little toaster oven. Peanut butter to spread on toast and love enough to make your heart beat extra fast.

We got the most delightful hugs, kisses, laughs and love.

Claire beat Cameron in a game of Tic Tac Toe. Cameron beat Pappa in his first game of Chess. Carly used the Master Key for a game of hers that we store over here. Catie wore her "smart hat" (a rolled up Quaker Oats bag). Baby Caroline, was our smiling little "spit bug" and their hard working Momma got to put her feet up for a little while.

I doubt very much that we would have had any memories of a visit to the White Spot, but I am smiling still thinking of our delightfully unexpected breakfast visitors! And the plastic bag for the cooled down bread? Well, we put it away for another use, as there were only a few lonely slices left. A perfect morning.

All Wrapped Up in Dreams

Today was the nicest Sunday I can remember in a very long time.

My beautiful nieces Andrea and Erika and my sister-in-law, Lilli, held a surprise shower for my beautiful little mommy-to-be, April. And surprise of surprises, April was surprised and right on queue, and as we knew she would, she cried tears of joy.

All of the lovely little things she received, so tiny, so soft, so precious, selected just for this wonderful little baby cradled so tenderly in her womb.

We ate, we laughed, we reminisced. We played games. One game in particular drew each and everyone back to childhood. It was about songs. We were given words of a childhood song, and you had to write down the title of the song. I only got 7 correct. There were 2 that I've never heard before, (I wasn't alone!), which prompted those that knew them to sing them -- it was such fun. By the end of the game, I think everyone sang a few bars of something. And right on queue, Erika asked the girls if they remembered, the peanut butter song, and instantaneous song burst forth from Cathy, April and Amy, actions and all! I was transformed back to days when my girls were the little ones. It is stuff such as this that memories are made of. Thank you Lilli, Erika and Andrea for a wonderful, wonderful afternoon.


April on the quilt we returned to her today. Where did the time go?


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Easter, 1973. Opa with, baby April, along with cousins Erika, Andrea and sister Cathy, in the back of Uncle Richard's new car. Pre-Amy days. I remember the moment this picture was taken as if it were yesterday.

New Beginnings

Even though summer isn't officially over until later on in the month, Labour Day for me has always marked the end of summer, more to the point, the beginning of a new year.

Before my husband Dick retired he was a school teacher. After we had the girls and they were school age, Labour Day really marked an ending of a year.

Summer's gone. No more summer nights of kids playing out on the block with their friends until darkness fell and parents started beckoning them home. Structure must return --in summer there were no routines to speak of except for making your bed and keeping your rooms tidy -- fat chance on that score! No lunches to be packed, no recess snacks to be readied. Who cared how your playclothes looked? No last minute notices, report cards or notes to be signed. No more visits to Playland and the P.N.E. No more camping at Haines Point! Everything that we treasure about summer comes abruptly and rudely to an end on Labour Day. The playhouse with the stained glass window that sits under the shady Bing cherry tree will be abandoned along with the plays in the carport. Summer's gone.

Tomorrow is the start of a brand new year. Our Grandson Cameron begins Grade 2, Kayla begins Grade 1, Claire starts Kindergarten, and Carly goes back to pre-school to become the next graduating class at her pre-school. Tomorrow morning when the alarm goes off, a new year begins. Life becomes an endless round of routine and predictability. A new year begins.