Getting my Craft On

My mother gave me a job in anticipation of the England family reunion and that was to come up with a craft. Since it was over/around Christmas, I was originally thinking of an ornament we could make together commemorating our time there. But I had been holding onto 5 of these things not knowing what to do with them but not able to throw them away because they're made of wood. 

So what they actually were are the containers the Melissa and Doug wooden magnetic dolls come in.  Zanna has gotten quite a variety of them over the years and they're all a bit different. But they come in really annoying colours like yellow, pink, purple, etc and I was using a few of them as drawer dividers. 

Out went the ornament idea and in came a new one (scary, I know). While the weather was still nice enough (otherwise known as "before the snow flies") I had my hubby spray paint them all dark brown.  Yes, I could have spray painted them myself but I had a willing and able helper and I wasn't going to say no to that. Plus he's better at it than me. Loved the look of the brown and it was starting to come together - memory collages. 
Mom and I picked out scrapbook paper, stickers and all that fun stuff when we were together in the fall and I packed it in my suitcase for the UK. 
Having one for each family, I encouraged everyone while touring around to be collecting ticket stubs, brochures, trinkets whatever to add to their collage along with pictures to be added later when developed. When the appointed craft time came, it took all of about an hour and we each had something to hang on our wall!

It was fun to see everyone's personality show through on their collage. Kind of thinking that the woman would do it while the men smoked cigars outside, I had forgotten that it's my brother who's the crafty one and Brenda (his wife) out smoking a cigar with the guys!

This was Reid and Brenda's collage in the making.

I finished up mine once I got home and got some pictures developed but I'm really happy with how it turned out and love how I have something to hang on the wall to remember our trip. And I'm thrilled I found a use for those things (I don't know what to call them). Here's the one now hanging in our home -

5 Years ago Today

Hosanna's here!

Ok, the moment I'm sure you've all been waiting for I can only describe as unbelievable. We watched as 14 familiies and 15 babies were "delivered". Yes, that's right, someone had twins! Zanna's reaction at first was quiet but as I held her she was shaking. I knew it was a matter of time before the dam burst and when it did it lasted for about 4 hours until she fell asleep about 15min ago. The girl has some lungs on her. She is obviously teething - one little tooth is poking through and she looks for things to chew on. Gave her a bit of Tylenol to help. She seems to be in good health although has a bit a congestion in her sinus and lungs. But it's also obvious she is grieving. She calls for Mama and is quite simply scared. And we were also given an extremely precious gift - pictures from her foster family and a personal letter to "Rou Rou" from her foster mom who is also grieving. It's plainly clear our prayers were answered in that she has been well taken cared for and LOVED. It's also to be expected that it will take some time for her to grieve but we are assured by experts that this is a good thing - if she has bonded with someone before, she will again. For now, she clings to me and checks Wayne out. There was no man in the pictures we were given so this might be new to her. There was an aunt, grandma and older sister as part of the foster family so I know she will enjoy her big brother being around!
She is truly lovely and now we pray for the day she will bond with us and that we will be able to bring a smile to her face. Poor thing, she's so scared and who can blame her?
Tomorrow morning we will complete paperwork to make the adoption final. She is currently in our care for a days duration of what is called a "Harmonious Period" - not too much harmony going on here but we'll keep her nonetheless. Please pray for peace and comfort for her and patience and wisdom for us - and anything else you think of that might come in handy! Love to all. Hugs and kisses for Will!!!

repost from January 15, 2007 in Guangxi, China

Look, kids - Big Ben!

On Boxing Day, our family left for a 10 day trip - courtesy of my parents - to England! We were celebrating 40 years of their wedded bliss and visiting my sister Rebekah and her husband Tom (who's from there). Brother Reid flew in from Texas a few days before we did with his wife Brenda.

Here's the happy couple who brought us all together! Aren't they cute?


So this trip was definitely the gift that kept on giving for 10 whole days. There are so many - God is good - that reminiscent of my summer memories I give you ... drum roll ... our England holiday gifts:


Safe travels (cause, gosh - if that ain't a gift?)    A 6am flight (up at 3)     running through the Toronto airport hearing your flight's last call and still making it on time and hitting duty free right next to our gate     our lovely 2 bedroom flat complete with kitchen right on the English channel    Falling asleep to the crashing of waves 


   Hugs from family seldom seen (unless you count Skype)    double decker buses (Zanna always had to sit on the top, front seat)   hour long train rides to London

  Many, many meals - the Ploughman, Bangers and Mash, Fish and Chips, Fish Pie, curry, pints of beer    wandering up and down the aisles of Marks and Spencer (grocery store)    the towel rack warmer in our flat   Family togetherness

  
   Taking 3 weeks off of school but learning more than you ever could sitting in a desk    London Bridge

Touring London Tower    our Beefeater guide    the detailed description of beheading    watching history come to life    imagining kings and queens   rainy, inside days    hours of hand and foot and beating the guys    Wallace and Grommit    Zanna being "backed up" and miserable and oh, the sweet relief and happy dance    Buckingham palace

Remembering the wedding, the waves, the kisses

One last wistful look

Lunch with Tom's parents    one last family meal    Spongebob cards and playing with Uncle Reid    purchasing little mementos to remember this trip    the London Eye

Lovely - taken by Rebekah

standing in line in the rain     getting under the shelter just as it really comes down    the subway   mind the gap    the Brighton pavilion tour    Crummy soup at the Crypt and Will promising to cherish my soup more in the future     Insults for being an American and then revealing we're Canadian and suddenly we're their best friends ....

realizing that my mother and I bought the same dress in the same colour from the same place to wear for Christmas on 2 different continents     Reading the Help   watching the movie on the plane    the Churchill war museum    reliving what it must have been like

Will's Churchill t-shirt (I should get a picture of that one)    Touring Westminster Abbey   remembering wedding, funerals, coronations        seeing the tombs of kings and queens from history    putting it all together    living  His-story and being amazed 

 watching A Christmas Carol in London   a one man show    New Years with family and watching the fireworks display in London on TV where we had just been the night before    Will getting to sleep over with Auntie and Uncle and play the Wii    tea parties with Opa and Zanna (more like hot chocolate) 

 the countryside   hiking a bit and then a visit to the pub    encouraging a fellow Christ follower on a bus and being encouraged     A family worship (like the Springfield days)  with our own personal pastor    communion with God, communion among each other    laundry all over the place    Bekah and Tom's curry     Hot date night at the Plough    Lamb burger with stilton cheese and burping up that gift all night (sorry - TMI?)     Bisto gravy   M and S soup   a real British tea with the ladies   Mom and me both finding fabulous new coats - half off!    Getting everything back into the suitcases    Tic tack toe, tick tock tack    Our personal chauffeur Tom    The memories we'll always have

A New Year