Happy Mother's Day to me!

So yes, this post is a bit late.  There's a reason for it, though.  Call me selfish, but by the time we go to church and then have lunch with my family so that we can honour my mom and my grandma on Mother's Day as well, there's not much time left for me!  So for years and years we have celebrated my Mother's Day on a different day...usually the Saturday before.  This year Arvid had meetings on the Saturday so we decided to celebrate my Mother's Day the following weekend, which so happened to coincide with a trip to Banff that we had planned for the long weekend.


We had a wonderful time in Banff! We stayed at our favourite hotel (when we have the kids) - the Douglas Fir resort.  We had lots of time in the pool and playpace, relaxed in our hotel room, shopped in Banff (a highlight for the girls...we've come so far!) and ate out.  My favourite part, though?  Mother's Day! 

The day started out with yummy waffles and fresh fruit put together mostly by Arvid with a bit of help from the girls.  I then got to open my present (2 running magazines, a candle, air freshener, chocolate and...ahem...some Pomegranate Lemonade coolers).  Next we went swimming and I got to stay in the hot tub the whole time!  After some lunch we went for a beautiful hike up Tunnel Mountain.  I don't remember having done that one in absolutely ages, and never with the kids so it was super fun.  Of course when we were done the girls deserved some ice cream (and I deserved some coffee), and then after relaxing in our room for a bit we went to Earl's for supper.  And to finish the night off, we finished watching The Sound of Music.  It's so fun to have girls!  :-)

Here are some pictures - first of Mother's Day celebrations at home and then of our wonderful weekend away...

The Kindergarten class put on a Mother's Day Tea.  They sang for us, served us cake and tea and gave us presents that they had made!

My Mother's Day gift from Mebira

The four mothers on Mother's Day. I'm blessed with amazing sister-in-laws on both sides, and with the world's best mother (no really! It's true!), and such an amazing heritage from my Oma!

Four generations!  Oma (Grandma) in her 90s and I still can't keep up with her, my mom, me and the girls

A silly picture just for the girls...

Just spending some time doing nail art - flowers, stripes and patterns

My Mother's Day breakfast...in our pj's.  :-)

It's so nice the girls can actually take pictures now...and our heads aren't even cut off!

This is E's and my favourite mountain

The girls!

Yup, this is pretty much it...the four of us bunched up together, fighting over who gets to hold Mom's hand...and Dad off in the distance somewhere.  It feels good to be loved!  :-)

Our second hike - Grassi Lakes in Canmore

So happy to be married to such an amazing man!

Happy Family!  :-)

One year

I bet a lot of you were thinking I was going to post that we have been home for one year with Mebira now.  Well, that post is yet to come...a few more weeks away.

Unfortunately, today is the day, one year ago, that we received a terrible phone call.  I had just returned late at night from a girl's weekend in Phoenix and could hardly contain my excitement as we had just received the visa to pick up Mebira.  I just had to finish up some things at work and was going to spend the next few days packing for Ethiopia and doing a last bit of organizing at home.  But those plans changed in an instant when Arvid called to tell me that his dad had had a brain aneurysm.

Those next few days were tough.  Every minute was agonizing and I remember waiting anxiously at the hospital to hear from the doctors on how he was doing.  Ten days later we left him in ICU, stable but not responding, and went to Ethiopia.  It was so hard to leave...our hearts were so torn between wanting to stay with him and mourning what had happened, but yet anxious to pick up our daughter and full of joy that we could finally do so.

I don't know how we made it through that summer.  Arvid was super busy at work...so stressed...he visited the hospital so much and yet felt the pressure to be home and bond with his new daughter.  I am amazed at how well he handled everything...pressure at work...pressure to be at the hospital...pressure to be home.  His dad had moments of alertness but spent most of his days sleeping.  Thankfully, Arvid was able to have a few visits with him where he was alert.  Unfortunately, that July his dad passed away.  And a lot has happened since then.  Death changes families and it has left its mark on ours.  But by God's grace we have made it through this first year.

Today, I remember Arvid's dad and celebrate the man he was:
- I miss how supportive he was - he was so positive when we shared our plans with him.
- I miss his easy going personality and servant heart - he was always willing to lend a hand to anyone.
- I miss family dinners together with him
- I miss his love for our kids and that he was a good grandpa.
- I miss his outlook on life - he went through so much hardship and yet picked himself up each time.
- I miss not being able to share Mebira with him, and I am sad that she missed out on knowing him.


It is so sad to sit down and remember what was and could have been.  But I cling to the hope that we will be reunited again one day.  There will be a day with no more tears!!  And while I don't understand why it happened or what has happened since then, I will continue to find refuge, hope and peace in my Lord.

There are so many more things I should write and would like to write...but my procrastination really has to come to an end and I need to start on my work!!

Happy Hair Day!!

Life has been pretty busy lately with going back to work and just managing life in general.   Plus, I started back at GE on contract again and have over 80 dwgs to modify by Friday.  Needless to say, I've been putting in some late nights working once the kids are in bed and tonight will be the same.

The highlight of my week so far was this afternoon.  I took Mebi to a lady who put extensions in her hair.  She charged $70 and did an AMAZING job.  Now, to some of you, spending $70 on hair for a just about six year old may seem like a lot.  It was actually my Mother's Day present to myself and you'll see why soon.  :-)

My weekly hair routine for her takes me anywhere from 1.5-3 hours.  It is taking longer and longer to detangle, and she usually needs a new style every week or she turns into the fuzzy wuzzy bear.  If I put yarn braids in her hair it can take me anywhere from 6-8 hours until I am totally done, whereas this only took the hair stylist 3.5 hours.  (I actually tried to include the video I took but I think the file is too large...I can't believe how fast she can braid.  Arvid thought it was on fast forward when I showed him and then he said her hands look like little spiders!)

The biggest bonus is that I won't have to do hair for at least 2 months now which is perfect timing...especially in this busy season.  And when I figure out that I worked on my drawings the whole time Mebi got her hair done it just seems like a no brainer.

Well, without further delay I will include some pictures...

A "before" picture...she's holding a beautiful painting she painted for me for Mother's Day

During...she sat and watched movies and was happy as could be for over 3 hours.  The scalp is more obvious on her head with the flash on...it's not this noticeable in person.

This picture scares me a bit.  Doesn't she look old?  It feels like a flash to the future.

So cute from the back, too.

What a gorgeous girl!  :-)

Thoughts on three

Now that I've been almost a full calendar year as a mother of three I've been reflecting on how things were before, and how they've changed since Mebira has come into our lives.  I was often told how going from one to two isn't hard, but going from two to three is way more difficult.  Granted, we didn't start from the newborn phase as Mebira came to us when she was almost 5, but I was always skeptical about how difficult it could be going from two to three.  I often had the girls' friends over and would end up with anywhere from three to seven kids in our house so I thought it wouldn't be much harder than that.  However, there is definitely a difference between a playdate and 24 hour-a-day life.

Things I find harder about three:

• Honestly, just getting used to it is hard.  I am finally, (FINALLY!) remembering to set the table for five instead of four, but still mess up sometimes if we're having other families over.  I often do the math really quick in my head...we have two, they have two, that's four kids.  Whoops! Thankfully no one has caught on to this yet and I can usually slide another plate on without too much attention.  :-)
• Shopping, walking, being out...I am blessed to have three girls who love me and always want to hold my hand/sit by me, etc.  Unfortunately, as I only have two hands someone usually gets left out.  When we're sitting on the couch watching our latest favourite show together (Canada's Got Talent) we have a simple solution - one on my left, one on my right and one on my lap and they rotate each commercial break.  :-)
• More relationships...no longer can I just separate the two girls or have them work it out. Now if there is an issue there are so many more dynamics involved...this girl feels left out, etc.  Instead of there being 12 relationship dynamics to keep track of (my relationship with each member of my family and each of their relationships to the other members in the family) there are now 20 relationship dynamics to keep track of. And if you include the dynamics of doubling up (G&M vs. E), it gets even more complicated!
• Traveling, eating out...the world really is made for a family of four.  Tables in fast food restaurants, hotels, etc. are so much easier to find when there are only four!
• Keeping track of field trips, permission slips, who needs to practice what.  There have been a few times this year that I was positive I had already filled out a form for one of my girls because it felt like I had filled a million of them out already for the other two...but nope, I found that blank form, unsigned, in my kitchen.

Things I find easier about three:

• Decisions are WAY easier.  No more "I want to watch this movie (or play this) but she wants to watch that movie (or play that)".  Now there is ALWAYS a tiebreaker!
• The girls play sooo much better than before.  A few years ago we got them a great, springfree trampoline.  They played on it a bit, but not much just the two of them and usually only when their friends came over.  I don't know what it is, but when you have three or more, the games are way more fun on the trampoline.  They have invented a ton of games and are out there for hours each day. 
• If one girl is away at a birthday party or playdate or something, the other one doesn't feel as left out and still has someone fun at home to play with.  The same goes if someone wants to play on the trampoline and her sister doesn't.  In the past, it would die right there.  But now there's one more person for her to ask to join in...and more often than not one of the two is willing to go.

I may just add more to the list as the time goes by.  For now, we are in a great phase.  Our house is peaceful and full of laughter and fun and I am LOVING it!!

Still chugging

Thanks to those of you who still check out this blog.  I'm amazed at some of my other on-line friends who can think of something wise or witty to share almost every day.  I feel like my well has run dry!!  :-)

Life has been going well but it is feeling full.  I'm thankfully still feeling pretty balanced (work is going great!) and am enjoying checking things off the list (AWANA is done, piano will be next and then...aah...no more school).  But between school, work, volunteering, various appointments and meetings, family get togethers, working out, and Arvid being extraordinarily busy at work, the days just fly by.

I don't know if it's because of the snow (yes, it snowed AGAIN this morning) or if it's because of the numerous issues going on in so many lives of people around me (mental issues, marital issues, death of a loved one) but I just have this feeling of heaviness.  (Does anyone have any good news they feel like sharing with me?)  I'm loving life right now in my own little bubble but realize that there is such hurt out there...and it just makes me want to treasure and cocoon and soak up this day for I just don't know what is around the corner.  Thankfully, as reminded by a friend this week, although sometimes it feels like God takes a lunch break, He IS in control and is sovereign. 

Whew - that was getting deep...and to think I just planned on writing to say we're still alive.  :-)  We are having a home date tonight - I fed the kids first and then they got to watch a movie while Arvid and I ate some Thai food he brought home (YUM!).  Now they're in bed so we will continue our deep conversation about what has gone wrong in the world around us!  Or maybe we'll just watch a recorded American Idol.  :-)

Costco

OK, so I LOVE Costco. Like anyone else who has a Costco membership, I find that I can go in for one item and come out having spent $150. It happens every time. This particular week I went in for a few items and came out having spent $900. Granted, $650 of that was for a computer, etc. but still! My mom tends to go to Costco every week so if I only need one thing I will often just get her to pick it up for me so I don't end up buying extra things. She has gone the past few times for me so it was really time for me to go and stock up on a few things, hence the large bill.

Some people have asked me if I've noticed people staring at our family now that we are multicultural. I know several adoptive friends who often get approached and are asked inappropriate/rude/probing questions. To be honest, that has almost never happened to us...it has happened but is not a usual occurrence. I don't know if it's because I usually have G and E along with Mebira when I'm out and about and if people just assume she's a friend...or if I just don't look very approachable, but generally people just look at us once or twice and go on with their business.

Anyway, as much as I love Costco, there is one issue that I keep having. Mebira and I will often go to Costco without G and E, and Mebira generally likes to walk and not sit in the cart. A highlight for the kids (and, well, me) is eating the samples. I picked up a yummy jalepeno yogurt dip yesterday...but I digress. As you may know, Costco has a rule that the parent needs to be there in order for the child to have a sample. I have a pet peeve about people stopping in the middle of the aisle, oblivious to everyone else around them and enjoying their sample while causing a huge traffic jam of carts behind them. I, conscientious person that I am, will pull my cart to the side out of the way, however, I am always still within touching distance of Mebira. Often I will even say, "Mebira, would you like to try this sample?" And twice now, people have stopped Mebira from taking her sample and said, "Where is your mom?"

Really? Just because we don't look the same, could the fact that I have just given her permission, am hovering over her and watching her every move to make sure she doesn't fish through a million samples to take the best one, could that not be a bit of a clue that if I may not be her biological mother, that I could be her adoptive mother, or guardian or babysitter at the very least? I know policies are policies, but it has put us in an awkward position a few times and frankly, I'm a bit snarly when it happens.

Obviously, I will need to make it really clear in the future. Perhaps I should hug and kiss her and hold her hand while we walk up to the table and then say, "Mebira, loving daughter, would you like to try that sample? Mommy says it's OK"

Sorry...just had to vent. :-)

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to everyone! We had a great weekend - fun times with the family and some introspective and meaningful times as well.

A few highlights before I attach some pictures:

- I've already mentioned the Easter play and Jesus movie in previous posts. These were awesome events for us to do as a family. It really made the Easter story hit home and we had some great conversations with our kids. Mebira, who just loves life and lives in the moment, even had some good questions about the Easter story and what happens to you after you die. As we don't know what or how much she was taught about Jesus in the past we were thrilled to share more with her and see her enthusiasm in learning.

- Resurrection Eggs. A few other friends have posted about these, too - we bought ours at Blessings last year and it's always fun to do together as a family. The kids love to guess at what the item in the egg has to do with the Easter story and I like to read the Scripture verses that come with each egg to tie it all together.

- My brother, Ron, who lives on the Sunshine Coast came home to visit. He is a really cool guy - very fun and hilarious, yet he is extremely deep and we always have some great conversations with him as well. The girls enjoyed having some crazy time with Uncle Ron and we enjoyed catching up with him once they were in bed.

- Easter dinner. We made our own Easter dinner this year. Ham, twice baked potatoes, salad and cheesecake. Ron joined us and we took turns asking questions around the table. I felt old putting on my own Easter dinner but it was nice to have a low key Easter and I will cherish the memories made. We spent the afternoon at my mom's with the rest of the family yesterday and it was nice to get together with everyone there. We especially enjoyed having my two brothers and sister-in-law and two nephews over for a few hours in the evening - we have such an awesome family and are truly blessed.

- Easter Service at GPC. What a great morning! A great message of hope, awesome worship time. It was truly uplifting and was wonderful to celebrate that Christ has risen indeed with so many others in the packed house!

-Easter egg hunt. The girls got to take part in two Easter egg hunts. Although the one we did today wasn't very elaborate it is still a fun tradition - and Mebira's first official Easter egg hunt (although my mom does Easter egg hunts for them year round at her house).

OK, now to some pics...I hope your Easter was fun and meaningful as well!

(Below) A Schimke family picture
(Below) Since Ron was in town my mom wanted to get some pictures taken. Here is the whole family (on my side) together.
(Below) Resurrection Eggs

(Below) Easter egg hunt! We let the girls pick out their own Easter presents. They each got $20 to spend at Blessings. M and E shared 2 music CDs and a Veggie Tale movie, G got a Soul Surfer devotional and music CD.
(Below) The sugar is starting to kick in for E!
(Below) G having fun looking for Easter eggs.
(Below) Our beautiful GEMs.
(Below) Uncle Ron with his three nieces.