Goodbye April

And just like that, we are at the end of the month!

It was an April that seemed to have all four seasons.

It began with snow and ended with a heat wave.

Is there any month more beautiful than April...

...with all the beautiful blossoms?

Let me just share a few of the happenings of the month...

and a lot of beautiful spring scenes from my neighbourhood.

Cheam Wetlands...

a lovely spot to walk in any season.

Maggie's magnolia in full bloom.

We planted a tree for each of our grands after they were born.

What is it about the colour yellow in spring?

Sunshine and happiness!

I've had daffodils on the table for the past six weeks...

and am enjoying the yellow rhodo as it opens.

Even the dandelions are a thing of beauty...

if only they would stay in the field!

Earlier this month we had the privilege of attending the Honours Music Festival at the Cultural Centre. It featured winners of all the different categories of music in the valley...

choirs, strings and piano. 

Ranen played beautifully and received several trophies and bursaries. 

It was so nice to spend some time with extended family earlier this month...

including two of my mother's younger siblings. 

Aunt Marguerite is 93 years old...and doing great. 

Uncle Jake is my mom's youngest brother...and gives the best hugs!

It's hard to believe that my mom has been gone for 23 years already.

  

Easter 2023. 

We were missing Emme...

who is in Berlin until fall.

Easter Sunday was a bit of a washout this year...

so the Easter egg hunt was in the dark basement this year.

With flashlights. 

I have been out on my bike a number of times...

gone for a hike or two...

...with friends or on my own.

It's so nice to be outdoors again.

And so ends April...

when the earth laughs in flowers.

Until next month...

March ~ spring has sprung

March is the month of expectation. 

~Emily Dickinson.

Though March came in like a lion...

we had plenty of 'lamb-like' days as well.

This was how the month began.

We said good-bye to Emme who will be spending the next six months working in Berlin. 

She is loving her time there so far.

When I asked if her on-line German course was proving to be helpful...

she replied that it wasn't necessary, since everyone spoke English.

I'm sure it will be the experience of a lifetime for her!

In other news...

the work on the Trans-Mountain pipeline in our neighbourhood has finally begun.

Sort of.

They have placed a lot of stakes and dug many holes.

The traffic control crew shows up for work every morning...

whether or not there is any other action.

  

Ranen 'played for gold' on her violin at the Chilliwack Music Festival.

She makes it look easy!

We took a quick trip through the mountain passes to visit family in Kelowna.

It's a lovely city...

...whatever the season!

The Canadian Juno Awards are a big deal...'though we never really pay much attention.

But this year we did!

My nephew won the Juno for Electronic Album of the Year.

We were all excited for him and some of his cousins flew to Edmonton to celebrate with him.

My Uncle Jake and Aunt Maggie celebrated their 67th wedding anniversary this month.

We had lunch with them one day...

followed by coffee and dessert at their home.

'There is always room at their table and in their hearts.'

So true!

It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: 

when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.
~ Charles Dickens

I am thankful for those marvelous days of March...

the ones that made me forget winter and look ahead to the new season to come.

Happy spring!

February ~ short and sweet

And that's a wrap.

As this month comes to an end...

...we are wrapped in snow.

We had over 14 inches on Sunday...

much of which disappeared yesterday.  

Then we had snow again today.

Since I was gone at the beginning of the month...

and because February is missing a few days...

the end came rather quickly.

We managed to pack a lot in!

The Bouquet Farm held a Galentine's workshop...

and 'my girls' joined me there.

After a fun evening of playing with flowers...

we each went home with our arrangement.

On Valentine's Day...

I went for a hike with Marg.

Mostly we hiked.

I also did a little sliding.

And I came home to flowers on the table.

He knows I prefer flowers to chocolate.

Last week we had a 'girlfriends' outing across the line.

Crossing the border to the USA seems a bit of a novelty now...

after a few years of mostly staying at home.

We shopped Hobby Lobby...

and had lunch at The Olive Garden.

We celebrated...

birthdays and friendship.

 ‘The better part of one's life consists of his friendships’.  

~Abraham Lincoln

And then there were all the basketball games that we hadn't planned on.

Maggie played basketball for the first time this year...

joining the grade nine team at her school.

They could only muster up a team of six,

but what they lacked in height and numbers...

they made up for in enthusiasm and speed.

We had watched several of their games...

and they did amazingly well but never qualified for the provincial championships.

But wait...they did!

They got in on as a wildcard entry...

at the bottom of the pack in the standings.

We dove to Port Moody to cheer them on...

as they defeated one good team after another.

Who could have ever expected them to make it to the final game?

'They played with heart, class and determination', said their coach...

of his feisty team that came in second in the BC grade 9 provincial basketball final.

Never lose that determination...

or that smile, Maggie!

And then it was on to the ice rink in Aldergrove...

...where Ryder was playing on a Fraser Valley scholarship team in a tournament. 

He scored the first goal...

...and he had a little 'time out' as well.

Ryder is a gentleman on and off the ice...

so this was an unusual occurrence for him.

It was his last game of the season...

so we were thankful we could be in the stands.

On Saturday night we switched gears from basketball to music..

taking in the winter concert of the Abbotsford Youth Orchestra. 

It was an excellent performance...

with Ranen putting down her violin for doing a little Irish dance for us.

(phone photography from a distance in low lighting leaves much to be desired!)

And that brings us to the end of the month.

It may not be Easter yet...

but did I mention that I was at Hobby Lobby last week?

Easter is coming. :)

It's not too early to prepare our hearts and our homes.

Especially our hearts!