Sunday, March 31, 2019

March ~ memories and moments

Another month has come and gone..
and I will start my re-cap with the last photo I took in March.


On this beautiful spring day we enjoyed a drive through the Chilliwack River valley.

March may not have had 'great beginnings'...
but it definitely ended well!
 

It's been many years since we had as much snow in March as we did this year.


With Elmer recovering from wrist surgery...
and hanging around the house much more than he was accustomed to...
we went for a drive to Hope one Saturday afternoon.


Who knew there was still so much snow in the hills?

I had somehow thought the roads would be bare... 
and decided this was as good a spot as any to turn back!


Mid-March and Cheam Lake was still mostly frozen.
I don't recall that ever happening before.



 On a sunny day earlier this month...
I had a lovely walk in my neighbourhood with Sharon Gaetz.
 Sharon served as our mayor for 10 years...from 2008 to 2018.
Now that she is 'footloose and fancy-free'...
she has decided to walk every street in Chilliwack in 2019. 
Since she was walking my neighbourhood, I joined her.
It took us three hours to walk to walk six or seven miles.
I think I will walk with Sharon more often...
it's a great way to connect with my neighbours.
Sharon knows everyone and stops to talk to them all...
even the animals along the way got a talking to!
BTW...As of yesterday, she has walked 1,000 kilometers so far this year.
How amazing is that?

 

On March 16th, I boarded a plane and flew over the Rocky Mountains...
and then on to  Fort Lauderdale, Florida where I joined the rest of my siblings and spouses for our 
'10 year anniversary cruise'.


 Oh, and my niece Kiley joined us as well.
(We needed a selfie taker along!)

Since we had 5 adjoining cabins...
we had our steward open all the partitions between our decks and had one long patio.
That was great!

As much as Elmer would have liked to be there...
he obeyed his surgeon's instructions and stayed home.


Trunk Bay
Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands 

Twenty years ago...
 we sailed this same area...
and snorkelled in these very same waters.
It is such a beautiful spot.


Another port of call was St. Maartin (Kingdom of the Netherlands)...
where we opted to spend the day on the beautiful beach. 

We also stopped at Princess Cays...
a private island in the Bahamas.



Once again, we had a wonderful week together at sea...
five sisters and one brother from the west coast, the Canadian prairies, the US Midwest and Texas.
Dad would have liked to join us, but that just isn't possible anymore.
We brought him this photo instead. :)

In 1999, my parents took us all on a family cruise through the Panama Canal.
We decided then that would would try to do a 'repeat' every ten years.
Little did we know that one year later, my mom would no longer be with us.  

In 2009, we did a Texaribbean cruise from Galveston.



We parted ways in Fort Lauderdale...
until next time. 

We have no idea what the next decade will bring...but we will plan to be together somewhere again. 

The family is link to our past, bridge to our future.—Alex Haley

While I was away... 
Elmer was holding down the fort.
With one arm.
Apparently it was a very long week!


He spent a lot of time in his shop working on cars.
By the time I returned home...
he had the 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle completed.

That is quite a feat...
for someone who has never done a jigsaw puzzle before.

He also had lunch with dad several times...
lunch with friends...
dinner with the kids. 
 Even so...
he was quite ready for me to come home!


I came home in time for our annual spring break wiener roast with the grands.
It was a little chilly that night...
so we pulled out the hoodies and blankets.

Emme and Spencer just returned from a school trip to Thailand and had lots of stories to share.
What a great experience for them!

God painted a beautiful sky for us that night!



Today we hiked up to Bosumarne Falls, near Chilliwack Lake.


It is such a beautiful spot and not far from home!

And so ends March 2019...
'the lion and the lamb' and everything in between.


I will treasure the memories!


7 comments:

  1. No one wraps up a month just like you do, Judy. It was full as your life always is. How wonderful that the twins did some traveling as well. I’d be shocked if the entire family were not inveterate travelers. As always, beautiful photos to illustrate your doings. Here’s to warm, springy days ahead! (Elmer, I really am impressed with your puzzle skills!)

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  2. A lot of memories to treasure! So special that as six siblings you could take the time to get away together. I love that you could get rooms side by side! The puzzle will likely get a special place in your home - I'm sure a lot of time alone was put into that and that Elmer was so happy to get it done for your homecoming! Sharing around the campfire and finding beauty in your back yard - no better way to end the month of March!

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  3. Your month was certainly packed with family and fun times. I'm glad Elmer is recovering well - doing that puzzle is quite a feat!

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  4. Your March memories are incredible. I love the idea of a sibling cruise - such fun! Elmer's puzzle turned out great - quite a feat! Hope his wrist heals quickly. Your corner of this world is so beautiful and I love how you embrace and enjoy its offerings and stay so active. Your mountains and water ways are stunning. Happy April to you and yours!

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  5. What a blessing to be able to take a sibling cruise. Love the balconies opened up! That's a fun puzzle Elmer put together. A school trip to Thailand...that's amazing! Hope your first weekend in April is wonderful!

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  6. Wow, what an awesome month of March. Judy, I may possibly be a tad biased, but if you ever published a book of your photos, I would be the first person to buy it! You have such a great eye and your pictures definitely tell a story. I look forward to your blog every month!

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  7. Oh, Judy!! I love your posts! What an amazing month! I love your life and the way you live it! Your siblings trip is such a celebration. I still think you live in one of the most scenic spots in the world!
    So many highlights in your month of March! Can’t wait to hear about April!!

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'The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.'
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson