Flying

"Mom I need your credit card please"

...a not often heard but not completely unfamiliar request. 

I trust my kids and I usually had it over readily.  For concert tickets, camp registration, online donations etc. 

But I handed it over with a heart-tugging mixture of emotion to Mr David last night.

He needed it to apply for housing at University. 

After a fairly torturous few weeks of weighing options he was 'lucky" to have - he, and we, came to  the same conclusion based on a host of factors and many prayers.  

Our David will be heading to the University of British Columbia -  but at it's Kelowna campus - a 4 hour drive over the mountains to the east of Vancouver.  

Just to remind you our daughter is a 4 hour drive-ferry-drive to the west of us. 

We are very proud of them both and they will be both be getting a first class education at amazing universities but, as is now apparent, neither will be home in the Fall.  

In fact they will only briefly be home for 5 weeks in May/June before David heads to Kelowna to his summer job and then on to University in late August.

I am off on Thursday to move Lindsay out of her apartment and into a rented storage locker (not Lindsay but her stuff) until she secures new housing for her 3rd year - hopefully with a friend or two.  

And so this curious journey of mothering older teens continues - Lindsay turns 20 in May.... How in the actual heck did that happen?  

I am at once so proud of them as they grow into smart, caring adults and wishing they weren't going away so soon.  That whole "roots and wings" saying sounds so lovely until they start to use the wings and fly!!

David will transfer back to Vancouver UBC in his 3rd year if all goes to plan but who really knows what the future holds for them or us. 

So Allan and I face a new kind of Fall.  A new way of being in our house.  I'm finding myself a bit nostalgic about when they were little, all the great vacations we've had, the fun family adventures.  I am sure there are more to come (all fingers and toes crossed) but we are in new territory now.

Such cuties 

A Portland moment - one of many

My achy heart is happy, proud but achy, excited but achy.... I think that's pretty much as it is for mothering at this stage.  

I'm ok. They will be ok.  We are ok.  

Easter Restoration!

Easter hops all over the calendar (see what I did there?) and is sometimes swallowed by Spring Break but it was later this year and I have so enjoyed the break of these 4 days. 

For one, Spring has finally arrived and graced us with 4 mild, sunny, blue sky days.  The thermostat could go a little higher but I am scarcely about to complain as we emerge from grey, rainy days on end!  There is something about the sunlight, blue sky and the touch of warmth on my skin that restores my spirits in an amazing way.

And I had very little on my agenda other than a little slower pace, some workouts, church and Easter dinner for 8. (I should have filed our taxes but all I did was make a half-hearted start to collecting all the paperwork for 4 returns!)  
Allan is capitalising on his couple weeks of break in courses to catch up on fishing so he was on a body of water somewhere for a couple of days and when not fishing it seems tying flies was the order of the day.  It's good to see him relax a little and not be tied to his desk and computer.

Our Lindsay girl is 2 weeks from finishing the Second Year of her degree and so elected to stay in Victoria to study.  She was lovingly hosted for two Easter dinners but she was missed at our table for sure. 

David and I had a little time to hang out but he has a technical glitch with an online course and had to spend many, many hours redoing a lot of work.  It's a french language course so he could be heard muttering away in French for hours recording his answers. 

And so as the weekend draws to a close I have had many hours to myself.  I have spent a couple at the dojo working out (loving how my body is starting to change!), cleaning the house a my own pace, sorting, folding laundry, cleaning out cupboards and doing some baking and cooking and shopping.  Ok maybe I ate some chocolate.

I had the time to go to church on Good Friday for the first time in many years and it was wonderful and then to celebrate Easter Sunday, the pivotal day of our faith, was joyful and affirming.  I'm so grateful for the community of our church.

I loved having the time to slowly set the Easter table and was happy it came together as pretty well as I hoped.  Having family and dear friends around the table, blessed with delicious food, was simply lovely and filled up my heart.  

And so as the rain returns and is falling outside this evening and promises to do so for the next few days - I am feeling content and refreshed - ready for 2 short weeks - this one 4 days and next week only 3 work days before I head to Victoria to pack up Lindsay and her apartment, store things in a storage locker, clean carpets etc.. Looking forward to some Lindsay/Mama time and to meeting a new important person in her life! 

Spring break was amazing - we had such a great trip but I was getting over a nasty illness and I ended up well-travelled but not well-rested.  This Easter break was the what my heart and body needed  - I am really getting better at slowing down and enjoying the moments that come my way. 

Boy Day

Today is owed to some pretty awesome guys I share my life with.

Allan and Fil are best buddies and fishing friends of note.  Fil crabs and Allan is a pretty good second mate.  Until today I was the only person in the clan who had not been out on the boat. 

It is possible I whined a bit about this. Once or twice.

So today I was offered my chance.  

In very overcast, showery conditions ( but no wind!! ) we headed out to the crab traps.  The first part of the journey is through our harbour in Steveston and although I lived here almost 18 years I have never been out on a boat on this part of the river - it was so fascinating to see the view from the water!

Then we  - and by we, I mean Fil - navigated the channels and hit the open water.  

I loved being out on the ocean, wind in my face, lungs full, salt spraying... everything was varying shades of grey - grey, heavy skies, grey water rippling...It was poetic and peaceful.

A needle in a haystack has nothing on a crab trap in the middle of the ocean!  Wow - we stop and boom we haul up the two traps - pure magic -  and lo we found 2 allowable crabs and a couple of little ones we threw back - and by we I mean Allan and Fil.  

The crab traps were cleaned and re-baited and thrown back to their secret spot on the ocean floor.  I doubt they'll ever be found again frankly. 

And we turned for home - seal, sea lions, herons, ducks, seagulls, geese.

It was so much fun!  

And then they made me touch the crab. Yikes! 

Tomorrows dinner is now resting in the fridge :)

A quick shower to thaw out and then I hit the road with my boy David.  

First up, brunch, on the way to Simon Fraser University.

This univeristy is one of David's options for next year.  Great option, affordable as he could live at home but a 2+ hour transit commute each way each day seems daunting.  We are trying to work through all the pros and cons of this and his other choices of UBC in Kelowna (4 hours inland - so more expensive as he'd be in residence but a world class University) or a local community college on a University transfer in Year 3.

We feel sort of surprised to be wrestling with this - we and he really hoped he'd stay home but that may not be the best choice now.  My heart is feeling a bit battered. 

But before we decide we are looking at all the options.  

SFU is at the top of a mountain so we wandered around in the mist at this architecturally unique campus.  It was quite peaceful today and it felt good.  We walked and talked for a while and he graciously posed for photos. 

On our way home we did some shopping for Mr D - getting geared up for his summer - which he will spend in Kelowna anyway at his beloved Green Bay Camp as he did last year. 

He made me a cup of tea when we got home as I attempted a pizza base made with cauliflower instead of flour!  We invited his best bud Erin over and we had a lovely dinner as Fil and Allan returned from fishing all afternoon in the sunshine that finally appeared. 

And now the kids are off - the fishermen are having Pho together and I have the boy dog sleeping at my feet. 

It was a wonderful day.  I'm grateful for these guys and their love and patience with me. 

Now I am going to figure out how to turn on the TV all on my own (maybe) and watch Border Security and not think about the possibilities for September in our house.