Blessed with Family

Julia and I had a wonderful family day weekend and a much needed rest. We were lucky enough to see all our family that weekend. Always wonderful to spend time with Dad and Mom as well as Carmel and her family, but we got a clinque bonus this weekend as Noreen made a visit home to Sarnia and surprized us at the building site of Carmel's house. Our family tour of SW Ontario was complete as Julia and I stopped in Waterloo on our way back for a sleepover with the cousins there.

All this time with family was a blessing - especially after an argument Julia and I had leading up to the long weekend. The weather had turned mild, snow was gone, but there was lots o'mud to be had at school. Julia was fighting everyday about wearing snowpants and snowboots - each morning heading out the door, I heard heard the age old lament. But the Friday morning took the cake. Here's a coles' notes version of the convo:



"Why do I have to wear yucky snowpants? They're too hot! There's no snow! So-and-so doesn't have to wear snowpants..."


"Well, in our family, blah, blah, blah..."


"Well, we aren't even a real family!"


OUCH! "What do you mean, we aren't a real family?"


"We don't have a dad or a sister, or even a pet!" (I had to smile at the last part!)


Okay -- I took a breath and told my agitated one that we are blessed with lots of "real family", and weren't we lucky to be able to spend lots of time with them this weekend. That seemed to pacify her a bit. And during our weekend away, I heard more about the great time she was having with her family than I did about the yucky old snowpants.




Family day was a day of fun and games for all -- I was in my pjs until it was time to pack up to come home. Lots of fun playing on the Wii - tried the Wii fit skiing, soccer and yoga. Lots of laughs - and I must say many of them were at my expense -- not so coordinated in the virtual wide world of sports. Julia and Maggie were trying their best to help me; glad there's no video to document my pathetic efforts.



I must say as a former "Dancing Queen" that I did better on the dancing thing. My favourite was dancing to the 80s hit, "Safety Dance" by Men Without Hats -- loved it. Here Julia and Maggie do a disco jig!

There was also "real time" soccer to be played with Maggie. Julia's gearing up for the next season.

Post soccer, Julia was treated to a hair makeoever -- lots of curls courtesy of her stylist Maggie.

Thank you to our family for being so real!