Party time - Charlie is 2 today

After the last post with no photos, you will see lots today. It is Charlie's 2nd birthday and I remembered the camera. It was quite a party with lots of kids around. Most of the time they were outside playing on the bouncy structure or in the sandbox or in the water station. There were drinks and snacks and bubbles. Lots of presents for Charlie. And to top it all off hamburgers, hot dogs and chocolate cup cakes for the birthday lunch. I trust Charlie had a great time and now appreciates what a birthday is all about. God bless you Charlie throughout this coming year. I hope to see a lot you this year with Oscar spending all weekdays in school. Here are all the pictures.

Charlie checking out a book present

Mommy helping with unwrapping presents

Charlie checking out Opa with the camera

Cousin Hannah watching the action from the sandbox

Oscar blowing bubbles

Jumping on the Bouncy Structure

Inside for Hot dogs and Hamburgers

Thursday already?

I checked the blog and realized I hadn't posted since last Thursday. What happened in this past week? On Friday I went swimming, did some laundry and was invited over to some close friends to share a meal and play some cards. Saturday morning did the grocery shopping, was surprised by some friends who came to weed the backyard flower beds. In the afternoon headed over to Ryan and Amanda's wedding in Flamborough. It was a beautiful wedding, the ceremony held outside in the sunshine on a farmyard lawn with rustic scenery all around. After photos, the reception was held in a barn converted for wedding events. Lots of family to talk with and plenty of good food and drinks to savour. A good time for all.

On Sunday, went to church. After lunch and a nap, watched the Jays finish the sweep of the Angels and then went for a long evening stroll. Monday morning, walked my whole 5K route at a good clip for the first time. After breakfast, did some weeding in the front flower beds. In the afternoon went to Henry and Melanie's to visit with them and the boys. The basement renovations are almost done. The toilet was installed and it had come in a few big boxes. The boys were allowed to mark up the boxes and then Oscar had the idea to play in the biggest one. Then of course Charlie used the other box and played in it. What a treat; I remember when our kids were young and we had a big box from an appliance. They had a ball playing inside it. Then off to the park with Henry and the boys. Charlie spent most of the time in the sandbox and later in the wading pool playing by himself. Oscar was all over the place. He found some other children he knew and they were chasing each other all over the playground and up and down the play structures. He was pooped by the time it was time to go. We walked home and then they played some more in the boxes before we all enjoyed a pizza supper.

Tuesday morning I went swimming again in the morning. Also did some shopping and some more weeding in the front flower beds. I don't know how Ellie enjoyed all this gardening. On Wednesday morning I walked my route again. I worked in the vegetable garden later on, cleaning and weeding and making it shorter at both ends. Today is Thursday. I continued with the weeding in the front flower beds. Man, you can spend a lot of time out there and it's still not done. I walked to Loblaws in the afternoon to pick up a pie for a treat. I spent part of the afternoon watching the Jays lose to the Rangers. The Jays have been playing very well but did not have it today.

If I look over the week, I am so thankful that I have family and friends to support me. I appreciate all the time and care they provide. I am happy that I can exercise again and am able to take care of myself, the house and the garden. There are a lot of routine items mentioned above and that is life.
Thank you Lord for all your many blessings.

Sorry, without Ellie always taking a camera along wherever we went and taking pictures of everything, there were no photos to show you this week. Photos of the boys with the boxes would have been great. Maybe next time.  

 

Thursday morning visit with Alida and Logan

This morning I was invited to visit Alida  and my youngest grandson Logan. He is 3 months old today and is growing at a fast clip. He is happy, content and smiles a lot. Here he is after he was fed first on the couch and then later exercising on the floor flat on his back. He is in constant motion moving his arms and legs. What a happy kid; at least when I visit. A new occurrence: he has rolled over a few times from his back to the front. Won't be long before he's moving around on his own.    

Happy, content, smiling Logan

Opa playing with Logan - sorry for the bad picture quality 

I promised to show you the later blooming hostas in full bloom. Here is a sample. It is not full yet but I wanted to take a picture before today's storms take away any of the blossoms.

Hosta flowers nearing full bloom

Then I noticed these snapdragons by the sidewalk. We had lost all our snapdragons over the last 2 years so these must have grown from seeds blown over from a neighbour.

Snapdragons by the sidewalk

My health is continuing to improve with fewer trips to the washroom. There are still a few issues to be resolved but quite an improvement since the catheter was removed 2 weeks ago.
Thanks for friends inviting me for coffee yesterday morning and taking me out for dinner last night. I went swimming yesterday morning and hope to go again tomorrow morning. Looking forward to the wedding this weekend.

Hot and Humid weekend

Hot, humid weather this weekend drove most of us inside for the cooler temperatures. Those who like the heat had a great weekend outside. I received another visit from Henry, Oscar and Charlie on Saturday morning. As usual we spent the first part of the morning in the basement playroom. We always have a snack at about 10 that includes coffee for the adults and some chocolate chip penguin-shaped cookies and water for the boys. This week I had some more energy to play with the boys and we built some tower structures with Duplo blocks. The greatest pleasure always comes in knocking the towers down before rebuilding. After playing downstairs we went outside for a short time before lunch. Henry and the boys ended up sitting on the swing in the shade because it was too hot for high activity games like kicking a ball around. Then we had an early lunch together that consisted of jam sandwiches for the boys and cheese and peanut butter and banana sandwiches for the adults. It was time to go home for the boys and this week Oscar took a small cloth rabbit home with him. I'll try to visit them at their home this week if the renovations are all done in their basement. Thank you Henry, Oscar and Charlie for visiting me.

Henry swinging with his boys

After the boys left I laid down for a nap, then watched the end of the Blue Jays game. For supper and the evening I went to our Small Group meeting which turned out to be a BBQ. There were only 5 of us and we socialized around the table for the evening. So a good day except for the Jays' loss to the Yankees.

If I thought yesterday was warm, today was a scorcher. I went for an early morning walk for about 45 minutes; not a speed walk but a good pace. Need to do this more often. After breakfast and a shower spent the morning at church. Good to worship and talk with lots of good friends. Not as emotionally fragile this week, improving every week. Watched part of the baseball game this afternoon. Jays won to avoid being swept by the Yankees; now back to a half-game behind. After supper put this blog together. Probably read and maybe go for a short walk later on after the temperature drops a little more.

As to my health, it seems to be getting better. I can't see any difference from day to day but do notice quite an improvement from last week to this week or even from 3 or 4 days ago. PTL. Please continue to pray that my health continues to improve.
    

August Blooms

I took the camera outside today to see what was new in Ellie's perennial gardens. I was greeted by this beautiful Morning Glory right outside our front door. It was always one of Ellie's favourites.

Morning Glory beside our front door

 Then I took a shot of some Hosta flowers. One set of Hostas bloomed about 5-6 weeks ago and I cut their flower stems off. These are later blooming and are just starting. They have solid green leaves; the earlier ones have quite a bit of white on their leaves. I will post some pictures of the later ones when they are in full bloom.

Hosta flowers

 I have been noticing these colourful flowers at the edge of our sidewalk for a while now. I don't know their name but I think Ellie took a few plants home from a park close to Bloomfield. We were in the area probably to drop Alida off at Camp Trillium (a camp for children who were dealing with cancer) where she was first a camp counsellor and later camp nurse. We stopped at this park at Wellington? for a break and Ellie noticed a few varieties of plants she wanted to experiment with. We dug up a few and planted them at home. These survived.

Pretty flowers growing at the edge of the sidewalk

Again the Morning Glories.

Another shot of the Morning Glories

 Ellie was also fascinated by Chinese Lanterns in the fall. So she planted these from seeds she collected. The balls start off as green then later turn orange. They look a bit scruffy but they are certainly surviving. Will show you them later when they do turn orange.

Chinese Lanterns now green

Now a short update on my health. Yesterday I went to see the urologist for a follow up to removing the catheter. Overall there are no urgent issues. He checked the urine level in my bladder and that was good; I'm cleaning it out properly. He was a little concerned about the frequency of my urination but decided to see what my body will do over the next while; he scheduled me to return in 3 weeks. He also ordered a urine test to check for any infection. I think I am beginning to have a little more control and the frequency is dropping slightly. I was just not prepared for what my body was doing after having a catheter in for 2 months and then letting the body take over again. If this happens to you google "what happens after the catheter is removed", check the mayo clinic website and be prepared. It takes some time for the body to readjust. It makes sense. Think of breaking an arm or a leg and then being in a cast for a while. When the cast is removed, you have to train the muscles all over again. It is the same with this; there are muscles involved.

On a positive note I have been walking more (nice for the cooler temperatures) and this morning I went swimming for the first time since early June. Man, am I out of shape! It's going to take some time for me to swim as long as I did before. 

Saturday Morning visit from the Boys

This morning I got a visit from Henry, Oscar and Charlie. The boys wanted to head straight to the playroom in the basement where they amused themselves for an hour and a half. I love watching them play with the toys and how they interact with each other. They are really growing up. Charlie is almost two and Oscar will be four next month and starting kindergarten. They love the snack I always have for them and Oscar always gets to borrow a toy until he returns it next time. This time he borrowed a small buffalo.

Oscar playing with the toy house

Charlie placing the people in their seats on the airplane

Who is shooting whom

It often gives me a lift to see them enjoying our house and wanting to come and play here. That is what Ellie always wanted. Thank you Lord.

Friday with the Grandchildren

Before I show pictures of Logan and Hannah I need to give you an update of the visit to the urologist yesterday. It was a long day but the catheter is out. I was able to empty my bladder enough to have it stay out. However, the source of the problem is not gone and I am quite sore and bruised from the catheter and the scope. I have an additional drug to take to shrink the prostate in 3-6 months. I also have an appointment next week to check how I am doing. If I run into more problems the catheter may have to go back in and surgery may be required. So I am thankful that the catheter is out but there are still some challenges to face.

On a happier note, I had a great visit with Alida and Logan this morning. However, Logan is in a phase right now in which he will only sleep during the day if Alida is holding him; that does not give her much freedom in which to do chores around the house. He does sleep well in his crib at night.
Here are a few photos:

Logan sleeping in Alida's arms

Logan in a vibrating seat while we had lunch

After an afternoon nap at home I headed down to Mark & Rosemary's place. I got there before Rosemary headed out to pick up Hannah from daycare and Mark from the subway. I amused myself by finishing my book before they all came home. Then I spent some time reading to Hannah and getting reacquainted with the Sesame Street characters. Then we had a tacos supper together and took Hannah out to the school park afterwards. We finished up with coffee and dessert before saying an extended goodbye and good night to Hannah. Here are a few photos:

Opa reading to Hannah

Hannah going down the slide at the park

    

It's great to spend time with the grandkids. Tomorrow Henry and the boys are coming over. I get to see them all within 24 hours. Thank you Lord.

Wedding Day Out West

This afternoon I watched my first long-distance wedding ceremony via the internet. My youngest sister's daughter was married in Langley (a suburb of Vancouver). Julianna McLean married Pieter Jan Ravensbergen in the Willoughby Christian Reformed Church from which the wedding was live streamed. May God bless the wedding and their marriage. It was neat to see the young couple and I managed to see a few of my Duiker relatives there. I obviously saw Julianna and her parents Bill and Marion. I also noticed my sister Ann who was sitting beside my niece and her husband Nancy and Fred and their family. I took some photos but they are of poor quality. Here they are anyways.

Julianna and Pieter Jan with the Pastor

The photo was clearer if I pointed downwards

Tomorrow I go back to see the urologist for some tests. I hope and pray that I will be able to do without a catheter.  

Civic Holiday or Simcoe Day or ...

This holiday morning I went to visit Henry & Melanie's place to see the boys and also the basement as it nears completion of the renovations. Oscar and Charlie got up a little late this morning as they went to bed late last night. However they had too much energy to sit with me for much longer than one book to read. Off we went to the park; first time I saw both boys walking there and back. Oscar was all over the place there: on the climbing apparatus, down the slides and into the splash pool.  
Charlie was not far behind but did play a while quietly in the sandbox and did not wade far into the water at the pool. For lunch Melanie had prepare macaroni and cheese; however this cheese was white and the boys had to be coaxed to try it. They were pleasantly surprised and after adding some ketchup ate three small bowls each. It was good to catch up with the boys but it was not the same as earlier. They had grown: Oscar much more independent and Charlie a real Daddy's boy. I will need to visit more often to see them develop as they grow. Of course, without Ellie, I forgot to take the camera along; so no pictures of the boys. You can see them in some older blogs.

However, I have noticed the blossoming of the phlox lately in the front yard. There are two bunches: one by the roses which have finished blooming and one by the hydrangea whose balls are now turning green. Amazing how Ellie had planted one set of flowers to take over from another after they had finished blooming. Always some colour. What a gardener! I expect she has a garden in heaven and I wonder what she is planting there. I bet the gardens will grow in size as they did here.

Large bunch of Phlox mainly pink but a few whites in the back

Second Bunch of Phlox beside the Hydrangea bush

Yesterday I was invited to Irene's birthday party in Kitchener. She had her birthday while she and Carel were visiting Alexa in PEI and so she had family over yesterday. It was good to see everyone there and feast on the goodies that were provided. Thank you Irene and Carel.

Oh, What a Morning...

This Easter song came to my mind when I got up this morning. It was about 15 outside and crystal clear, no heat or stickiness. I still had the furnace fan and air conditioner running from last night. So I turned all that off and opened the windows to let the cool breeze in. Then I was able to hear the male cardinal singing in the top of the trees. I also saw an hummingbird trying to find a route through our kitchen bay window. Later when I went outside I took our camera so that I could take a few shots of the new developments in and around the garden. Ellie loved the Morning Glories in particular and would have appreciated the climbing vines. Here are some shots from the morning.

Morning Glories climbing the Crabapple tree

Further up the tree

Rose of Sharon in full bloom just outside our bedroom window

Black-eyed Susans add a real splash of colour

Yesterday I visited Alida and Logan. Has he grown! He is up over 10 pounds now and has learned to roll over from his stomach but not from his back yet. He is smiling a lot these days but trying to capture that on a camera can be difficult. It was great to have some Logan time again. He seems to be a very content little boy. I enjoyed the visit very much and will go again soon.

Logan and Opa - who is looking at whom?

Logan exercising on his floor mat

On the way to Jeff & Alida's place there was a new No Left Turn sign where I usually make a left hand turn (maybe for the Pan Am games). So I continued on down to Queen St, made a right, then another right onto Mutual to get to Shuter where I made another right. Then a thought put in my head about the old Mutual Street Arena where they had both roller and ice skating. I took Ellie there on our first "date"; we were actually going out as a foursome with Laura and Ellie and Andy (I think) and me. There was no rhyme or reason for it but Ellie got into the front of the car with me and I spent all evening with her and enjoyed it. Memories come back all the time and the ache that comes with them when you realize she is longer here with me. I guess this is all part of the grieving process.