lows ... and highers

Sigh... this week's news has been very mixed bag - there's been good and there's been bad and then there's been better, after the bad. So, where to start? I guess I'll start with the heavy hitter and finish with the its and bits of goodness that have filled in the rest of our week.

We left the cottage on Monday night and on our way home were delivered some very upsetting news: my mom had a stroke on Monday morning. (Emotional) Pause... and big big sigh. I called my sister right away and then my dad, and seeing as how it had only been six hours or so since it had happened, there wasn't much information other than the fact that my mom and dad had made it from Thetis to Victoria General in time to get my mom a CT scan and clot-busters within the crucial first four hours. And that was the biggest news in terms of something positive. And now, here we are four days - wait, three days - later and she is doing incredibly well; she has full movement on both sides, and sounds almost like her regular self on the phone thank goodness. I could go into more detail I suppose, but I won't. I wish I were able to fly out there and I know Karin (due today) feels the same way; thankfully Claire was able to fly to Victoria almost right away, and Sarah is on her way some time today or tomorrow. That's some heavy hitter, no? Mom and dad have been in our thoughts almost constantly, and it's made a huge difference having been able to talk to both of them and get updates on a regular basis. So, the glass - near empty on Monday - has been filling up all week... may it continue that way. I love love love my mom and love love love my family... love.

How do I follow that? Hmm maybe I should have started with the details of our week, but really, for sanity's sake we've had to continue on as if everything were normal with all of our loved ones... and so we have - but with thoughts and prayers (instead of worries and anxieties) being the focus of our attention.

We were kind of wondering how we'd fill all of our in B-ville time this week, but we've had no trouble finding things to do. Steve, Marg and Hendrik and I went blueberry picking on Tuesday morning and our eyeballs just about popped out of our heads when we saw how laden the blue-blue bushes were at Wilmot Orchards... it was crazy! And visions of blueberries danced in our heads... and then in out tummies, yum. We've spent some time around here, playing washers and running around the back yard, and tripped over to Pam and Bob's to beat the heat in their backyard pool yesterday; and this afternoon we took Hendrik for his first non-chop hair job (ie fait by mom and dad) at the barber shop. And despite all of the fabulous pictures I got in the bah-ber shop, I failed to get one in front of the barber's pole outside - signficant only because it was also where Steve got his first haircut when he was a little one. Cute!

he wasn't so sure at the beginning, but was very very well-behaved and mellow throughout... bravo!

a special treat and a walk down the street... love!

And we have been watching some of the Olympics, but let's get real here; my most favourite Olympic moment happened last Sunday... check it:



Hopefuls for Rio 2016? I think so.

Lastly, I'm 36 weeks today - just four weeks (give or take?) to go... eeeh!

And may the glass continue to fill...