What a Weekend

This weekend has been full of activity, and that's an understatement. I've taken this day to recover from all the excitement, and what a great day to do so – we're snowed in! Don't you love being snowed in? It brings back the good ol' days of school cancellations, sleeping in and making tunnels in the snow. Anyway, back to the weekend: Jonathan & Alicia and their kids, Afton, Jack & Ivy; and Josh, Natalie and Aiden; and Doug and Deb – all living and sleeping in this little house. Once again, I felt like the old woman in the shoe who had so many children she didn't know what to do. Toys underfoot in every room, food and dishes everywhere, blankets, babies crawling, trucks roaring, colouring books, childrens' books, gifts under the tree, tree twinkling, furniture moved out of place on a constant basis, people sleeping everywhere – complete mayhem, and I love it. And friends visiting. Who could ask for anything more? It feels like Christmas, and I forgot my situation several times again this weekend. Oh, how I wish this process could just be over now, and that when the new year begins that I could go back to my normal life. Big sigh….stay in the moment, Deb… I had many good moments this weekend.

Saturday:

• Went to Mens' breakfast at church with Doug (wives were invited). This was my first appearance at the church. It was good to be there and be with our church friends, who are so kind to us. We are still overwhelmed and grateful that God placed us there to be loved. I had the energy to play a few Christmas carols on the piano while Marilyn played the organ. Felt good; I surprised myself that I could focus on the notes.
  
• Ch. and K. (Ch's daughter) came from Saint John. Taught K. how to make a 3-D snowflake; she took it home. K. treated me to a piano recital and we sang together. Ch. presented me with my own red tam to wear and throw in the air like Mary Tyler Moore. I wear it every day. Natalie wore it all last evening, and Aiden wore it for a photo shoot today.
  
• The OT director arrived with a project for Doug – "Plug in the outdoor tree lights on the tree that has been moved SIX times since I brought it here three weeks ago OR I will put it up for auction on the blog, complete with a block of ice for it to stand in." Plug it in, plug it in. Doug plugged it in, and I finally get to enjoy its lit-up beauty outside my window. Good job, Doug – kudos for you; you're getting a high mark on your Christmas spirit test this year.
  
• Made supper for the grandchildren while J & A, J & N got dressed up for an 80's party they were going to. I've attached a picture. Enough said.

  
  
   

• We kept Afton, Jack & Aiden while they went to the party (took Ivy with them). No problem to keep three kids. "That was easy," is our theme these days. We even have an easy button to push when we accomplish things. Keeping children is easy, considering what we've gone through lately. I push the easy button a lot, especially after hard things, to remind me that I got through them, and have a quick laugh. The Lord helps me and can make things easy.
  
• While reading to Afton and Jack up in the bedroom, the doorbell rang. I came down to find the living room filled with the "Dig It" girls (the teen Sunday School class I teach with Debby P.) and Patrick, our pastor. They came bearing a huge basket of gifts for me. I was so surprised. And the gifts. Wow. You shouldn't have, really. Of course, I invited the Dig It girls to join me in dancing to ABBA's "Dancing Queen," and we got it on video. Sorry, Patrick, please bear with me. I love to dance, have I said that? Then we did some improv drama. I'm a drama queen, too, just like Reb., who had a Drama Queen sweatshirt on for the occasion.
  
  During all this hullaballoo, Afton crept downstairs and I discovered her peeking through the glass doors; she wanted to join the party. "Ok, come on in," I relented. I have a soft heart for my babies. She's a girl, too, albeit a bit younger, and she loves to dance and act like her Gram Deb. She really thinks she is a princess. Actually, she is, just like her Princess Mac grandmother.
  
• The DIG IT girls presented me with a prayer shawl made by Judy Q., made especially for me, and donated by the "Tea and Talk" ladies at the church. Thank you, Judy and Tea & Talk women. It is beautiful and I absolutely love it. We draped ourselves with it and the OT director took a picture. It is blue, white and purple, my colours. I draped the shawl around me and they prayed for me. I'll take all the prayer I can get. Once again, I felt blessed and so thankful. The DIG IT class capped off the day.
  
  I was so excited that I couldn't go to bed and stayed up until the 80's crowd came home.
  

Sunday's Events:

• Only Doug could actually get up to go to church. The rest of us stayed home and spent the morning playing with the children in the topsy turvy house.
  
• My children worked on a secret project on the computer most of the day, trying to keep it from me, but I know what they're doing – making me a calendar of our precious grandchildren. I wasn't born yesterday, you know.
  
• RCMP man broke the lazy brown healing chair this morning. Well, he was the camel that broke the chair's back, so to speak. And according to Doug, it's not an old chair, it's only 30 years old. Now Josh is not heavy, he's just long. He got up from the chair and a spring sprung underneath. He turned the chair over and it is definitely in serious shape. Doug, of course, thinks it's fine and is now sitting in it, because no longer is it a healing chair for Deb, but a break-her-back chair.
  
• I made two dozen muffins and warmed up Isabel M.'s soup for lunch to feed the hungry crowd. Felt good to prepare food; I love to cook and bake and serve. And putter around in the kitchen being creative.
  
• Famous Quote #1: Afton (3) said, "Papa (Doug), Gram Deb told me that you're blind because you can't see anything when you open the cuvards. Hee hee." (cupboards). Oops! I didn't know she was going to tell Doug this secret.
  
• Famous Quote #2: Jack (2) said: "Gram Deb, I'm waiting for my food," after sitting in his high chair for about ½ hour while waiting for me to finish preparing his meal. He said it like Charlie Brown would say it – very calm and without any expression. I always loved Charlie Brown, and now I have my own Charlie Brown.
  
• A. & A. & Joey (7) came to visit. Joey bonded with Jack and he pushed him 'round and 'round the house on his little car.
  
• L. & M. came to see us. Brought us the movie, Rudy, a football movie. I love football, or have I mentioned this? Pushing through the enemy line to score a touchdown, a team effort. Can't play football all by yourself.
  
• The Chiasson-Budaker girls came, accompanied by mother M. I teach K. the guitar, but her sisters like to come with her sometimes. I told K. that she has until June to write me a song, perform it for me, and sister O. will do Tae-Kwon Do moves to it, and sister G. will do gymnastic moves. Mother M. will be the videographer. I nicknamed them the "Flick-Flack" girls. The Flick Flacks then performed Silent Night for me in our two official languages. Beautiful – keep singing, girls, and I look forward to seeing what you perform for me in the new year.
  
• A. M. came as our last visitor of the day. She bonded with baby Aiden and was a blessing to us in more ways than one.
  
• The snow started falling on pines again, and I sat and watched it coming down the whole evening while watching a funny Christmas movie. Oh, it feels so good to laugh. I hope I can always laugh and make others laugh. Doug and Natalie are not nighthawks like me and RCMP man, so they went up to their respective beds. Me and police man watched a few episodes of our favorite sitcom on DVD and laughed hilariously.
  

Today:

A quiet day – no school today; no work, either. Natalie vacuumed the house; we did laundry. I basically recovered from the weekend, read and played with Aiden, and enjoyed being snowed in. Els sent me this quote from Max Lucado, which I took to heart:

When you are confused about the future, go to your Jehovah-raah, your caring shepherd. When you are anxious about provision, talk to Jehovah-jireh, the Lord who provides. Are your challenges too great? Seek the help of Jehovah-shalom, the Lord is peace. Is your body sick? Are your emotions weak? Jehovah-rophe, the Lord who heals you, will see you now. Do you feel like a soldier stranded behind enemy lines? Take refuge in Jehovah-nissi, the Lord my banner.

I can identify with all these things, Max. Isn't it great that God is our ALL in ALL?

There you have it – three great days. Thanks be to God.