cousin time

I have seen the quote that 'cousins are life's first friends'.....so true!  I have fond, fond memories of my cousins in Fort McMurray and our family reunions with everyone were epic.  When I look at our little ladies and their cousins on both sides it makes my heart happy.

 

Making Memories

When we head north it is often crazy busy and fun at every turn.  I know that we are blessed to have all of our family so close.  They love being together and so do we!

~ Mrs. P

that bus stop

I read an article years ago and may have already referenced it on this blog but it talks about knowing your family stories.  I am a softie, sentimental, a romantic, emotional, all of those type of descriptors apply to the kind of person I am.  I have luckily married a man who understands that about me and goes along with me, he is a good one. 

I LOVE OUR STORY

We try to tell our kids family stories, this story.

Who still has parents living in their childhood home? I do. They moved there in 1986 just before I turned 5 and started school, they are still there.  Graham's parents built houses and moved a few times, one house at the end of the street and then just three doors down from my parents, that very same street.  He spent the bulk of his childhood, adolescence there and then bought the house from his mom as a young 20 year old guy (the house three doors down from my childhood home).

Whenever we go up to visit our family in Fort McMurray we talk about our neighborhood, acknowledge the changes and tell our girls stories of where the forts were in the surrounding forest, we point out the 'love' rock and show them our old elementary schools, sometimes playing at the parks.  There is absolutely a feeling of nostalgia when we visit!

It is rather crazy that we didn't meet until we did.  We are only two years apart in age and know lots of the same people, hung out at some of the same places.  Had we met any earlier though I don't think things would have transpired as they did.  Why is the bus stop so special?  It is there we really 'met' for the first time.  Graham was working at Syncrude and I had been hired as a summer student laborer (I know, even saying laborer in relation to me is a laugh).  I was mostly painting and Graham was, well working on his trade.  We both kind of recognized one another from our 'hood but at the time Graham was getting a ride to work, while I took the diversified buses into the plant.  A week or so into my summer job stating, he walked around the corner at the end of our street with the purpose of taking the bus.  It was raining that morning and I asked if he wanted to come under my umbrella at the bus stop.  I really think that was the beginning of our story.  Everyday for the remainder of the summer we went in and out to work together, sometimes taking the bus and sometimes in his Chevy truck.  We learned a lot about one another on those 45 min drives in and back.  That didn't even count our dates in the evening.  What a whirlwind!

I was off to university in the fall, that was my plan.  One of my life's goals was to become a teacher and no dude was derailing that, I knew it was important for me to finish my education.   Into the fall we continued to date long distance while I attended the UofA and Graham came down, crashing at his mom's in Saint Albert or sometimes I went up.  It was in November when I came up for a concert that the bus stop was part of the next step in our lives, Graham proposed there after our concert. No wonder we love going to concerts together still?!?!?!

We always tell the girls stories, their birth stories, our bus stop story and stories about our dogs, stories about their grandparents.  This weekend in Fort McMurray was special because it was almost 15 years to the day that we got engaged at the bus stop, that important story location.  We had been out and as we drove back to Gramma and Grampa Hinko's Graham pointed out the bus stop and then we quickly calculated that it had been 15 years!!!  My sweet, sweet Mr. P whipped around so we could savor the moment and remember.  Amelia kindly took some photos and gosh do I love it, him and them - our little ladies!

It is crazy what becomes special, what things become iconic in our stories.  That bus stop, the old lamp post marking the diversified bus stop is important to us!  It is special to Graham and I, that bus stop.

~ Mr. & Mrs. P

Remember oh Remember

I always have these words from the John Lennon song in my head around Remembrance Day,  it resonates with my soul.  The ladies are very aware of why we have great respect for November 11th. This year we even learned that Charlie Brown has a 'Memorial Day' (American Remembrance Day) video so we found that and watched it - super great!  The school has done a fantastic job of putting together an assembly that teaches and touches hearts.  Students walk in and exit to a bag pipe player and then in a student lead assembly they introduced two different military men, both parents of students.  Both spoke so well and one shared a power point of his family is France this past summer visiting Normandy and taught about the roll Canadian soldiers had in WWI and WWII.  The senior choir sang a Bob Dhillon song and then for the moment of silence they had a trumpet playing TAPS, it gave me goose bumps.   From start to finish the students were taught and reminded that this wonderful life we are living is because others sacrificed theirs.  Around the world soldiers sacrifice so that other children can live in safety and have opportunity.  I was incredibly impressed by the respect shown from the students.  I am usually attend most assemblies and this is one that luckily I have been able to get to since Amelia was in Kindergarten.  It absolutely helps me remember!

We made felt poppies this year because we kept loosing the ones we had picked up.   I stashed them away so we can use them again next year.  I also like having a visual reminder in our home and so earlier in the week we decorated the mantle and I pulled out the few books I have about Remembrance Day and Canada.

So grateful.

Lest we forget.

~ Mrs. P

FHE with GnG Hudkins

I feel rather blessed to live close to my Grandparents, we are actually close to them all. We have my Hudkins Granparents, Grandma Hinko and then also Grandma Lorincz.  The girls have a relationship with each of them and now that they are older I know they will have memories of their Great Grandparents.  What a great thing it is to know your family, to know generations of people love you and are cheering you on!  Gramma taught the lesson for FHE on the importance of families.  Each shared a story from their childhoods.  Grampa talked about listening to the radio with his parents, he would often listen to boxing with his dad.  Gramma talked about playing card grames with her family and friends, she even showed everyone a picture of her as a little girl.  She then went on to teach us the card game Donkey and we will definitely be playing it again.  It was such a lovely evening together with them, I just didn't want it to end. I came away feeling particularly grateful for the example they set. For their devotion to the Lord and their family!  There is no question of their love for us and no question about why they live their life the way they do.  They have given so much of their life in service.  Even still at the ages they are they give of their time and resources, bringing meals or driving people.  They show kindness to those with no family and are thoughtful neighbors to those in their apartment. To know them is to feel loved. To know them is to know they love the Lord.  They are fantastic people to pattern our lives after.

"One of the greatest blessings we can offer to the world is the power of a Christ-centered home where the gospel is taught, covenants are kept, and love abounds."
-Richard G Scott

~ Mrs. P 

the BIRTHday BOY

Mr. P came home November 4th and told us shutdown was done for him - YIPPEE!!!!! We were absolutely thrilled. This also meant that we would be able to celebrate his birthday together.   About a month ago the girls and I took in the Farwell game tickets and program from REXALL, and then the first Home Opener tickets and program for ROGERS PLACE.  We took them to get framed up to add to Graham's sports wall.  He was able to come when we picked it all up and drool over the amazing sports art there.  He was smiling so big!!!!

Graham also suggested we hit up Telus World of Science because we love going there as a family.   Even though it was his special day he wanted to do something we all would enjoy, bless that guy's kind heart.

We love the IMAX movies and it is always fun to pick a snack, find our seats and put on the 3D glasses.  Both of the girls will still reach out to see if they can touch the screen, hilarious and darling all at the same time. 

 Graham said he wanted pork chops for dinner so we made up some of his favourite things and had dinner with him.....something we hadn't really done in 70 days!!!! Family dinners are great and so glad that the dude gets to be around for dinners again.

He yielded some phone calls full of birthday wishes. Makes a guy feel special!

We hope he felt special because he IS!!!!!!  He is the best guy we know, we are thankful for him and all he does for our whole family.  Really glad we could spend the day with him and really glad we are able to have him around more. 

~ Mrs. P

let them be little

We had doctors appointments in the city (the girls get their muscles checked every year and they get their hearts checked every 3 years - thankful for such great health services).  Usually when we are going into the city I consider what we can knock off the list when we go in.  Fort Saskatchewan isn't really far out but especially with the girls in school we don't head into 'the city' very much. On the todo list was hitting up Chapters and we ended up having the most fantastic time.  I wanted to get in/get out and grab what I needed but the kids corner really is so great, we ended up spending nearly an hour there.  We read and checked out the toys of course.  The neatest was that they have kid recommendations on some books and as we sat in an isle, like literally the three of us sat on the floor reading one of the employees asked if we had any recommendations.  Amelia is a fan of Mo Williams and Stella had fallen in love with a book about Sloths, so we filled out a bunch of stickers with their names and the employee stuck them on the books we recommended.  As we finally left Chapters like an hour later I was filled with such joy, I think each of us were.  We love books!!!  It was one of those parenting choices where I could have pushed us to keep hustling through our to do list or pause and let them be little, enjoy the bookstore for heaven sake!!! So glad we chose the later.

This little woman is a perfect fit for our family!  She reminds me to slow down, literally she will ask if we can go home from playdates or when we are running errands.  When I give her choices for what we can do for her after kinder she will usually ask to craft or play in her room, or snuggle and read. She waits patiently for sister to come home from school and then they play together, bicker a little bit too but likes when we are all together! Stella girl has been a strong little woman since birth, she knows what she likes and wants.  She absolutely contributes to the feeling in our home and helps us to slow down, chill. 

 Love this little gal!

~ Momma P

mother & father

 As we roll along in shutdown mode I am reminded daily of the important roles of both mother and father.  I have more gratitude for the place Mr. P has in our lives.  While his long hours and diligence at work take him away from us, I know it is necessary and we have much gratitude for his good job. 
We continually choose to look at the positives.  One of which is that night shift allows him to see the girls more then when he works days on a shutdown.  He can join the gals for breakfast and they get to wake him up before he heads off at night. We miss him terribly though, miss him terribly.

 

Lots of love for these ladies! Surviving shutdown has become easier in someways now that they are older.  There is a definitely hole in our family when Dad isn't around, definitely meant to be the other leading half.  I try to take the little moments that come to snuggle them and tell them how much I love them. Some days are challenging and I regret how I handle the sass talk or stubbornness but being a mother is the greatest job.  

Being a parent is truly the best! 

 "Do we teach our sons and daughters there is no greater honor, more more elevated title, and no more important role in this life than that of mother or father?" ~ Bonnie L. Oscarson

~ Mrs. P