Road Trip

April 2009 brought something to look forward to: a trip to Toronto by myself! My sister Joanna graduated from Humber last year and she had an evening in which her class was presenting their final thesis designs. I was overjoyed to be able to come and take part as if I lived close by. Ben graciously watched the kids for 2 days for me to make the trip. I rented a car and laughed out loud when I saw the electric blue PT Cruiser. Not exactly the compact I had envisioned, but oh well. I remember the border guard asking me why my trip was so short, to which I replied that I had left my husband alone with the kids and this was all the time I was given! :)

Jo’s project was beautiful, thoughtful and full of great ideas. It was wonderful to meet her teachers and classmates. It was a fun evening! My older sister Alison and my dad were able to make the trip as well so we stayed together at a downtown hotel. In the morning we went out for breakfast with Jo and visited a few familiar streets on the U of T campus before heading our separate ways.

Having that much time in the car alone, visiting my family whom I was missing desperately and coming off of some stressful months caught up to me at a rest stop near Woodstock. I was parked in the parking lot after fueling up and brought to tears by a new version of “Great is Thy Faithfulness”. That song has never been particularly meaningful to me, but the words set to new music spoke right to my heart. I had a good, good cry and then got back on the road again. I finished the trip thankful for the time away and precious moments with my family. Here are my pictures from the trip set to that song by Fernando Ortega.



April seems to be a good month for these excursions as I am about to depart for Vancouver next week alone. I am attending a pastors’ spouses’ conference for my denomination for 3 days. This is my third event like this that I have attended and I really appreciate these times to connect with other spouses who experience the same joys and trials in ministry as I do.

Last Winter

The winter of 2009 was a long, snowy winter. It felt as though it began the day we moved from GR to GP. It was a blizzard, which complicated both the packing of our truck and the drive to Detroit. The day was a blur but I remember the hurry in which we left the house to beat the truck to the new location, as well as leaving Ben behind to stuff the van with whatever he could fit. It didn’t feel like a great end or beginning either way. It was more like ripping a band-aid off. You know it’s going to happen and that it needs to happen, but it still stings badly.

That winter I appreciated the empty calendar and minimal responsibilities. The only event that I was required to show up at was church on Sunday morning. The kids and I explored things in the area but our normal ability to foray on foot was hampered by the snow. I dutifully dragged them out in the bike trailer many times but by mid-February I was, as a friend once said, ready to throw all of the winter stuff in a pile, light it on fire and do a happy dance around it. The days were long.

Isabelle began pre-school at our church in March. It was a reward for potty training and also a good social outlet for her. She had been used to being around a lot of kids in GR and she exhibited signs of really missing people she was attached to. She loved school and had no problems with separation.

I remember that we spent a lot of time listening to music and having dance parties in the living room. We went through a long Elton John and Abba phase, with Isabelle requesting “Yellow Brick Road” over and over again. We would go places and she would recognize any Elton John song in muzak. Ha ha.  I also remember driving around a lot, both to get to know where places were, and also just for something to do. My favorite stretch is along Jefferson which offers a spectacular view of Lake St. Clair. Even on a day when I felt low, driving along there and seeing the lake always gave me a special lift.

March brought our first visit to the Detroit Zoo. We used Christmas gift money to buy a membership and we went A LOT last year. I’m in the process of making a special photo book for Isabelle with all the zoo photos we’ve taken, but here are some from those initial March/April visits.

Resurrection Sunday

After Friday's events, we had some time on Saturday to decompress and do final preparations for Sunday.  Our church has an Easter breakfast at 9am so we had to leave for church around 8 for set-up and choir rehearsal.  The girls were excited to wear matching outfits. 

We were on our own on Sunday so we decided to make it a relaxing day with simple meals.  What the kids were most excited about was the cake we were going to have for supper, so I went easy on the main courses.  Lunch was Barb Banaszak's creamy chicken soup and supper was homemade burgers.  After lunch the kids took naps and then we headed out to Patterson Park, one of our city parks.  Here's one of our top ten things we love about Grosse Pointe:  the parks.  We have access to two waterfront parks with lots of open space and good playgrounds.   One has a splashpad and the other has a pool.  When we're at these parks, we feel like we're on vacation.  :) 

Isabelle spent most of the time tearing around the green space and hunting for sticks and pine cones, while Charlotte ran up and down the big sledding hill.

We finished up with a walk on the board walk.  That's the Windsor area on the right of the horizon.  
A gorgeous day, all in all. 

Jump

Not taken today....but captured earlier in the week by Ben.  

Zoo Boo Boo

I decided that I’d start with the present and fill in 2009 gradually. And today was eventful. So here is today.

We’d been looking forward to spending a day at the zoo with friends. This couple are both med students and about to graduate and leave Detroit so we’d been looking forward to spending a special day together. We started off with a dead battery in our van. Last night we had driven home in darkness after the Maundy Thursday service and cheered our kids with the glow of the interior lights. But then we forgot to turn them off. Blessedly, our friends had jumper cables and we still made it to the zoo by opening time.

Shortly before lunch, we were exiting an exhibit and Charlotte had a bad fall. It was one of those moments where you go back over and over it in your mind, wishing you could change what happened. But there she was, a huge gash on her forehead and needing more treatment than a band-aid. I have to admit when I first looked at it I almost threw up.

Isabelle really wanted to stay at the zoo with our friends so they cheerfully continued their day while Ben and I took Charlotte to the local hospital. She was cheerful by the time we arrived but we were still reeling. She got some beautiful stitches by a plastic surgeon and we hope that there will be minimal permanent scars. She thoughtfully recalled the shot of sedative she was given and the fall itself. She’s okay. 

This was taken before she had her stitches.  She called this her "pirate bandage" - ARRRRRR!  We've now had the dreaded first ER visit with a kid.  But this is the part of parenting that they don’t tell you about. When your kids are hurt, you’ll want to take their place. You’ll wish you could do anything to come between them and their pain. You’ll feel like your insides are on the outside.

And it’s Good Friday. The day that God’s son died to rescue his children from their pain. A small window into God’s suffering at losing his son, and also the motivation behind Jesus wanting to take our pain upon himself. “See how very much the Father loves us, for he calls us his children, and that is what we are!” I John 3:1 NLT

In Quietness and Trust

And then all went quiet…..

About this time last year, I just stopped talking. Stopped calling family and friends. Stopped blogging. Stopped going out much. The move was really setting in by the end of April and depression had once again reared its unfriendly head. I couldn’t talk. The year in itself, in entirety, was a good year. A great one, in fact. But it was a journey. One that I’m now ready to share and record for my own purposes.

I’ve decided to start blogging again for a few reasons. One is to continue to practice of logging memories. Just jotting things down gives me great fodder for stories for the kids later and for journaling and scrapbooking.

The second is to help share our stories with those who don’t live near us or see us regularly. There seem to be quite a few of you out there.

But it’s mostly for me. To declare my gratitude. To reflect on what is going on around me and what has happened in the past. To continue going forward with new ideas and resolutions. To be still and listen.

In quietness and trust.

Pretty in Pink

Matching dresses and shoes. We tried to take their photos. This was the best we could do.

It was a great Easter. We enjoyed good family outings, a wonderful church service and festive food with our neighbors. I haven't felt much like talking this winter. Lots of processing to be done for the move and daily life is busy at home. But spring is here and things are looking up.

How are things?

I haven't had much time on the computer so I'm going to write as much as I can in a short time. It won't be pretty, but it will be informative.

How are things?

WinterFest on "The Hill" - food, sled dogs, cookie decorating, live music

Location: We are really falling in love with our new community. We enjoy all of the good things, but also feel strong burdens for the broader community of Detroit and its current struggles. I feel as though it is no accident that we are here in this place at this time of such uncertainty for people. It has made me so aware of all the blessings that I have and all I have to be thankful for. We really enjoy walking and driving around our area. We live a 5 minute walk from "The Village" which is one of the retail areas for Grosse Pointe. It is a couple of blocks of shops, including a grocery store, hardware store and big book store. One of our new favorites is Trader Joe's. Isabelle loves it because they have kid-sized shopping carts that she gets to push, and a treasure chest full of free suckers. She wants to go every day. The houses are fascinating. They have such history and are all so different. It is also wonderful to live by a body of water again. I often take the kids on an extended drive after being at the library or on an errand simply to drive by the water. It reminds me so much of home in Ontario. Our rental home has been an absolute gift. Although we have had a few challenges baby-proofing the place, there is plenty of storage and living space. And it is nice.


Church: We are getting to know our new church and it is lovely being in the honeymoon stage. Ben's installation was a very joyful day and the church hosted a really nice lunch for us at a community center. People took turns holding Charlotte so I could talk. I find that I am very excited for Sundays and the kids are as well. Isabelle is transitioning to being in the service and she attended Children's Worship for the first time this past week. In the service, she always wants to clap, especially after prayers, choir anthems and songs. This past week we had a guest choir and after their two offerings, she clapped and shouted out "Thank you for helping us worship!". My heart sung. People giggled. Ben is enjoying his work. His rhythm is very different from his last post in that he is alone in the building a lot and gets out to go meet people instead of people dropping by all the time. I am going to be doing some music leading and planning for Children's Worship, as well as helping with connections for children in the morning service. I found it so funny that I was SO excited to get on the nursery list and get involved with Children's Worship. It feels like a privilege because I couldn't do it before.



Home: We are mostly unpacked, but the last 15% has been the hardest bit. My energy and mood has been low since after Christmas and the kids have been squirrels. They don't seem to play by themselves but I am seeing improvements each day. We are all adjusting to being together full-time. I joined a community playgroup on Tuesday mornings and we have been twice. The kids love it and it is a 5 minute walk from here. Isabelle is doing swimming lessons for 8 weeks, and I signed up for a Cardio Circuit class for 8 weeks at the public school across the street. I figured winter was the time to do activities b/c once it is warm we can do so much more on our own.

I think my time is up.

First Day

Today was the beginning of new jobs for Ben and myself. It felt a little like the first day of school as we gathered up his new work bag and travel mug and said goodbye this morning. For Ben, he is officially beginning his work as pastor of First CRC of Detroit. For me, I am officially beginning open-ended tenure as a stay at home parent.

I know that there are days when I will feel frustrated, isolated and very, very tired, but for now I am feeling optimistic about my new position, as well as Ben's. I have been scouring the papers and area for activity ideas and there are lots. I'm hoping that these things will give me opportunities to make connections with people outside of our church community. I continue to be thankful that I have the privilege of parenting these two wonderful girls.

This week Ben will lead and preach his first services as the church's pastor. He will be installed on January 4th with John Rottman as the guest preacher.

Arrival

We are here.

After one of the longest days and weeks and years of our lives, we are here. The move went very well, although it had some interesting moments.

Low points:
-watching the piano be dragged up the hill behind our house in a full out snowstorm
-leaving the house in a less than perfect state, with some of our stuff that did not fit in the truck
-getting stuck in traffic and 30 minutes of crying by Charlotte in transit
-some hard goodbyes

High points:
-arriving at our new house to find it stocked with food from our new church
-realizing that the house and all of its rooms were much larger than I remembered
-a house provided by someone at church for our kids to play and eat while we unloaded
-having my parents with us

We are very relieved to be here with no accidents on the roads and no damage to any of our stuff. We are loving our new house. We'll be spending the next few weeks settling in. Thanks to everyone for all of your prayers and help along the way.

Birthday Bash

We celebrated the girls' birthdays together since they are only two weeks apart. There were balloons, presents, aunties and uncles and most importantly, lots of sprinkles.

Final Days in GR

I'm going to squeeze in a quick post while taking a break from packing. Did I mention the house is being dismantled? At least I've decided not to clean AT ALL this week. No picking up toys. No nothing. Only dishes. It's just going to be one chaotic mess all week. Packing is going okay. The kids have had some terrific play dates with friends while we've worked.

Some recent activities included playing in the first snow, and a visit to Meijer Gardens. The Christmas displays and trains are up so we enjoyed being out and escaping work at home. Did I also mention that Ben's idea of dealing with the move is to avoid it by watching movies and going on outings?????