So my best friend has a girlfriend...

Anyone who knows me knows that my best friend is a guy named Dave. We worked out last night that we have been friends for 25 years now. Which is insane when you think about, I don't feel 25 years OLD let alone old enough to have a friend for that long...but yeah, thats what it is...I was in Grade 9 and he was in Grade 10 at a different school and it was literally friendship at first sight. Funnily enough I met him the same year I met James...man I hang on to people for a long time don't I?

Trying to define our relationship is awkward. It's more than friendship...its that unmistakeable contentment of being with a person you can trust implicitly and tell all of your secrets too. Someone who is not a lover, nor has ever been...but yet there is an intimacy in our relationship that I have only felt with my husband ('s - sheesh). I can talk to Dave about anything and he does the same with me, even the miles from St. John's to Halifax which separate us now mean nothing. It is incredibly special and I wish everyone could have a friend like him - but not with him...because you know, that guy is mine.

And now a girl has entered his life. No, not just a girl...a girl with POTENTIAL. A girl whose name brings a smile to his voice and a catch in his breath. A girl that makes his voice go soft and happy when he talks about her. And it is not me. It is not me and oh my goodness it is SO sweet. So sweet and I am so happy for him...and her. Because if she is smart (and I think she might be) she will realize what she has and hang on for dear life. And it is just the beginning of this relationship for him and truth be told, like many relationships it may not work out. There have been women in his life before, women he loved and loved him but this is the first time...the FIRST time I have ever seen him positively giddy. And even if it doesn't work out and she ends up breaking his heart (or him hers) I just want to thank her for these moments of absolute joy that I see in him.

So my best friend has a girlfriend. And I am so happy about it that I could squeal. Which I won't do of course but you know what I mean....

Let's compare....

I have to laugh. I found this older picture on my computer today...it is Jennifer and William in London a few years ago...Jennifer must be 16 or so and William is 10:

Jennifer stopped growing...she was done. Will however, was not. IS not....this is them at the wedding in June - Will is 13 and Jennifer is 19:

I wonder how tall he is going to end up being?? LOL!!

On the eve of Jennifer's birthday

What can I say? Seriously...Jennifer is going to be 20 years old tomorrow. 20 years!!! What.The.Hell???

First of all I certainly do not feel like I am old enough to have a 20 year old daughter. Second of all, where did 20 years even go?? It's just...bizarre. I can't even explain it. Excuse me while I wax poetic for a moment....

I am an incredibly lucky woman. I have been blessed with one daughter - just one...and she has surpassed every expectation, grown into an amazing young woman, made me so proud and been such a joy to have in my life. I am actually honored to be her mother.

Really...what more is there to say? Tomorrow I have a 20 year old woman as a daughter but you know, it doesn't matter because she will always be my little girl.

Happy Birthday my Jennifer. I love you more than words could ever say.

Hmmmm...

So I am thinking about merging my 365 blog into this one. Mainly because I can't keep up with the 365 blog. I mean, I CAN I just find it very difficult. God knows I take the pictures well enough...but uploading them just seems to escape me some days. I don't know. I love the idea of the 365 and it does force me to take the pictures and choose the best one etc etc...

What to do, what to do??? I think this one requires a bit more thought.

In other news, my neice Hallie turned one year old last week. A whole year. Incredible really. I have pictures but they are on my laptop so I will bring them over here tonight...

In the meantime, a scrapbook page that I currently love:

It's a scraplift from the July SCrapbooks Etc. Magazine. I fell in love with it as soon as I saw it and viola. Here's my creation based on it. Easy Peasy.

That's OK buddy, you'll like me tomorrow....

Said by my father to my youngest son.

7 little words that made me stop in my tracks and shattered my heart into a gazillion pieces for a split second and then immediately made me feel SO hopeful and happy and loved. All in an instant.

Jacob had a bad evening. He was FINE for the longest while and then something in Walmart set him off and we had to drag him out. I know what it was, I remember now...it was a toy wrestler that we had bought him just minutes before that he opened and was playing with and then all of a sudden he did not want it and wanted something else. Yeah. Like that would happen. So upon refusal he pitched a fit.

And I am PMS'ing bigtime and I am feeling very vulnerable and so it struck me hard. So when we got home he was still screaming and Mom called and heard him and within ohhhh fifteen minutes my Dad was down, and he walked into the Living Room and looked at Jacob and the conversation was:

"Heeeeyyy buddy, whatcha doing?"
"I'm MAAAAAAADDDD!!!"
"What? what are you mad over? you want me to come sit with you?"
"NO!!! You go away!! I don't like you!!!"
"Oh that's ok buddy, you'll like me tomorrow"

And Jacob looked at him and Dad said "you want to come upstairs with me and watch TV?" And Jacob, formally mad as freaking hell said "OK" and went on upstairs like nothing happened.

And my heart broke for a minute. It was so pitiful and sad and heartbreaking - and yet at the same time, that patience! That calmness. That simplicity of thought and action from my father. It was like a lightbulb went off in my brain...and while part of me felt so sorry for myself and so sorry for HIM that his youngest grandson was just so unplesant to be around and so frustrating to be with - the other part of me stopped and listened and thought and stood in amazement as Dad took that child and loved him and listened to him and doted on him in SPITE of Jacob himself.

I guess you really NEVER stop learning from your parents. Especially with ones that are as smart as mine :)

So I am scrapping again!! Yay!! Upon giving up the scrapbooking message boards, I turned into a scrapping FIEND!! LOL!! I am so much more relaxed and happy. So here is a sample of what I have been doing over the past few weeks. More to follow...

This one is my favorite of the lot. It is based on a sketch from the So Scrappy website which I absolutely love now...



William last summer - this is from a Basic Grey sketch...

Again - basic grey...they have some awesome sketches actually,
Another one based on So Sketchy

See what I mean about sketches and scraplifts...I am SO MUCH more comfortable and able to do so much more when I don't kill myself trying to make things work. Sketches and scraplifts are the way to go for me, especially where I have so many pictures and I love to scrap almost all of them. :)

A Weekend of Softball

I am 100% certain that I have never mentioned my love of watching my brothers play softball. Mainly because of the children and schedules and whatnot I rarely get to see them play. Well this weekend was FILLED with family, friends, stadium food, screaming, yelling, cheering...and softball. Friday, Saturday and Sunday - all softball, all the time.

Neil and Corey and my cousin Jamie play on the AFN team (yes, Neil's company). The crowd was large and loud...what a TIME we had!


Jacob decided that he wanted to support the team by spraying his hair the team color.

Neil pitches

And Corey is shortstop.

And they are both just awesome players. Unfortunately the team didn't make the finals this time and we were all pretty disappointed but really, it was SO nice to just be there to cheer them on, spend time with family and friends and just have a fabulous time. Next stop - Provincial championships - 2 weeks from now! WOO!!!