Time Flies! - Happy Birthday Janelle

Yes, time flies when you're having fun and before you know it you've entered a new decade in life. This morning I'll be making coffee and breakfast for my 40 year old wife!

I know on the calendar you're just one day older but you are entering the 4th decade of your life. I welcome you to the club! Looking at our engagement picture (1996) reminds me of how in love we were way back then. We didn't really have a care in the world and made the most of our time together: hiking, biking, camping, and rock climbing and late night visits after we finished work @ 11:00. In some ways it seems like just yesterday but time flies when you're having fun.

Thank you for being my dreamer (and woman of my dreams). We've had lots of fun fixing up old homes and while I've done most of the work, the vision has come from you. Your mind is always in motion; thinking of different and better ways to get things done at home and at work. And our lives are richer for it.

Thank you for being a my wonderful wife and friend for all these years. I'm looking forward to making many more memories over the next ten years when I get to welcome you into a new club, the 50's. Yes, time flies when you're having fun and before you know it the girls will be finished school and ? ? ?

Enough with the future, let's just enjoy your birthday today ! The Facebook birthday wishes from your friends say it all and are a tribute to the wonderful friend you are and I can only say, "I concur, Happy Birthday Janelle!"

Stillwood

So here I am on the Eve of my last day at Still wood camp. I have to say "fitting in" has not been very easy. I missed all the bonding moments during camp training and walked into a camp that has over 150 work crew, counsellors in training and senior staff. Even the married couples have not reached out to me. I am not sure what it is but I just have not felt a warm reception. The oldest out of the crew are 24 years of age; one of them being my partner in crime (believe me we have committed many already). Shawna, a recent nursing student grad and she has been wonderful and open to suggestion. She has been stuck with me for the week. Stillwood camp is tightly run and it is easy to break rules even when you don't even know you are breaking them. Shawna and I were tattled on because we took food out of a certain area and we got a talking to. Our supervisor is a lady with the camp name, Lovey. She is quite the drill Sergeant but has this camp running in tip top shape. I don't think she likes me very much since I came up with some new ideas for medication administration (which has been very efficient).

However, I do love the children. Nothing is better than having a crying little child come to you with a sore head or tummy and giving them a freezie to making them feel better. I love hearing the chatter at dinner, and the children singing songs around the campfire. I get a kick out of the children that I have watched grown up being away from their parents and waving to me just to let me know they are OK. The best was having my own children come to the camp and being a part of this community of 320 campers. Kourtney watched me take slivers out, and learned to drive the golf cart around the camp. We never laughed so hard when she forgot a golf cart is not like her wheelchair. The golf cart has a brake and you continue to go even when your foot is off the pedal! We also sat and just chatted without interruption while Todd and Shae were off on a hike.

I miss my family so much. The homesickness I feel is overwhelming; I just want them to be a part of activities. My heart aches for Kourtney that she has not grown up being a part of camp. I want her to be a part of this community. Shaelyn is coming next week, and I am looking forward to seeing her enjoy the energy that defines camp. If the weather cools down a bit then Kourtney will come hang and sleep out here with me. I love my family even more.

I know it is the small things in life that amuse me but the funniest thing I have seen is one the counsellors that can't swallow pills. He is probably over 300 pounds, so when he came in for pain meds for his back, he asked if we had children's Tylenol or else he would just chew them. I decided not to put him through the agony of chewing the pills so I dosed out the children's Tylenol. The package insert was thrown away but if I did it according to the weight chart the poor guy would have needed 20 chewable Tylenol. I gave him 5 and told him to come back if he needed more. Tonight he came in and needed more drugs. He said he would just chew them, so I asked him if it would be OK if we threw an Advil in also, just so we could see him do it. We of course promised him a freezie. He chewed them like they were candy and not even a face was made. I was very impressed.

I am getting a lot of reading done, my tan is now back as we have a portable nurse's station set up by the pool. I have been hiking up Teapot Hill everyday and enjoying God's wonderful creations! I do love the surroundings, I just need to find an in with the people.

July is here!

The month of July is here! We have used our pool about 3 times, the air conditioner has not been on in the house, the skies are overcast and I am the whitest I have ever have been this time of year. All in all we don't complain too much because we have managed to have 3 successful end of the school year parties without rain and Kourtney has remained very comfortable in this weather with her hands all bandaged up.

The 4 of us went into Vancouver for Canada Day. We stayed at a luxurious downtown hotel, went to the Canada Day Parade and then watched the fireworks. We once again were faced with the challenge of maneuvering Kourtney and her wheelchair through the crowds of people. We sought refuge in our favourite stores, Lush and Lululemon and enjoyed seeing what they had to offer. At one point in the hotel we all crashed on our respective beds and rested. I don't think we realize how our family goes into autopilot to organize surgeries, have parties, maintain the house and yard so when we crash, we crash.

The next day we went to Children's Hospital for Kourtney's thumbs reveal. Dr Courtemanche was his chipper self and talked Kourtney through the first bandage change. Her first thumb was stuck to the bandages, raw and sore. Her other thumb and wrist was completely healed and almost ready for use next week. She did very well. She stuck her head into my shoulder so she couldn't see what was happening. To the untrained eye her little thumbs were a bit of a sorry sight. Shaelyn was a little weak-kneed by the sight and put off by the stench of the 10 day old bandages coming off. We actually thought she was in the waiting room but she did sneak into the room and decided to watch. (That kid has seen so much I am wondering what is in store for her life?) But to the rest of us, seeing Kourtney's thumbs were a monumental sign of Independence for Kourtney. We did not take pictures as they were covered back up very quickly.

We got home at noon and once again all of crashed on our bed at home. We ended up going for a long walk. Kourtney even walked for quite a while on her own while the rest of us took turns driving her wheelchair. We took Lexi off her leash through one of Abbotsford's many wooded trails and she did not hesitate running through the streams and through the moss. Our cute little pet is a hiking dog which made Todd happy.

Once again I am almost astonished how far Kourtney has come since last summer. She wouldn't even walk down the street without fighting us and now her goal is to do a 2.5 km walk in the fall. The more she walks during the day, the straighter she becomes. It has been a long haul, caused a lot of tears but through the struggles endurance has been built into our character. We as a family have learned what it means to rise above the challenges. We need to crash when we need to so that the autopilot can be refreshed when it needs to be used.

I am turning 40 next week, nope I didn't run my half marathon but I think my last year has been a full marathon, and I believe I crossed the finish line when I saw Kourtney's thumbs. There have been many reasons to stop but I believed all the way through that God has a lot more planned for Kourtney's life then we know. I knew that by running this marathon it would be hard on my body and soul, but I knew in the end that fighting the fight would bring my Kourtney back from a sick little girl to a strong and happy child.

I also have started my blog but just need some time to tweak it. Hopefully at camp I will be able to find some time to work on it.