Tiny Happy Tuesday V

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TinyHappyTuesday

I’m feeling pretty fired up right now, so I figured I would calm my mammories for a moment and rustle up some tiny happies to remind me of the good things that are going on:

  • Sunshiny days are upon us and there is practically NO SNOW left in my backyard, which means more playtime outside and less cabin fever and better sleep for my little minions.
  • Norah got an entire (baby-sized) ice cream cone to herself on the weekend and I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much joy come from her ever. Sure, she wore half of it, but memories, people. It was worth it.
  • I have a wide variety of family coming to visit all throughout April. Some I haven’t seen in a couple months, others in a couple years, so I’m really looking forward to it!
  • Baseball season is once again upon us and I’m looking forward to all the good times that it brings to our house. The Blue Jays played their first game of the season yesterday, slo-pitch starts for me in a few weeks, and next month Isla starts t-ball.
  • The Easter Bunny has done all of her shopping and is really looking forward to visiting our house. She’s handing out minimal chocolate this year, which *this* mom fully supports ;)

What are your tiny happies for today?

 

 

Right here

Posted in Family, Letters, Memories by

Dear Grandma,

How unbelievable it is that you’ve been gone for 5 years now. I know I’ve said this every year, and I’ll continue to do so until the end of time, but it still seems like it was just yesterday when our hearts were broken as you left this world all too soon.

 

A little less than a year ago, I had the most vivid dream about you. Mind you, it wasn’t the first, but I was at some kind of public place – I don’t remember if it was a mall or an amusement park – and I was searching everywhere for you. I was starting to panic when suddenly, you appeared wearing the same pink dress you were wearing when Kyle and I got married. You simply hugged me and said, “I’m right here.” I woke up after that I honestly haven’t had a dream about you since. I don’t know if that dream was some kind of closure, but I felt a great deal of peace afterwards.

Just because I don’t dream about you anymore doesn’t mean I don’t think about you. I’ll never forget all the wonderful life experiences I was able to have with you (and Grandpa) and every so often something obscure will bring back a flood of memories. A blue lupine flower. Whiskey jacks. Nachos. Palm trees.

The moments come and go, sometimes with a smile and others with a tear, but I cherish every single one of them regardless of how much it hurts sometimes. It makes me remember how important it is to make those memories regardless of how simple or routine the occasion may be. 

I’ll forever be thankful for how unconditional your love was. No matter what kind of personal BS any of your family or friends were going through, you always seemed to stick by them. Whether they needed the biggest hug or room to breathe, you offered it with open arms and an understanding that you’d always be there. 

I like to think that mom is following in your footsteps in being a grandma to Isla and Norah. Many things that I was able to experience with you, such as camping and hot tubbing, Isla has been able to experience with her, and I know Norah will also be just as fortunate. Thank you so much for being such an amazing role model, because I’m so grateful that my girls are able to make memories with their grandma, just as I was able to make them with you.

I love you, Grandma, and even though I no longer dream of you I’ll never stop thinking about you. You’ll always be right here in my heart when I need you.

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Thought Dump Thursday

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Thought Dump Button

  • Why would some people call their kids by their middle names from the get-go? Why not just make it their first name if that’s what they plan on doing? Sure, some families have a longstanding tradition of naming their kids after family members and they’ll use middles names so there’s less confusion, but then why bother with the tradition at all? Surely John Randall Wilson VII could be Randall John Wilson without stepping on his ancestor’s toes… No?
  • At what point do you start calling someone a Blog Friend? When you “friend” them on Facebook? (As in not just Liking their page but friending them as a person.) When you meet in real life? Personally, it’s when I become Facebook friends with them and until then, I just refer to the person as, “so-and-so whose blog I follow.” And of course, once we meet in person we’re IRL friends ;)
  • I often wonder what the previous owners of my house were like. Last week I glanced out my front window because I heard the neighbour’s dogs barking (from inside their house, which is a whole different bullet point), and I saw religious solicitors walking down the sidewalk. They turned to come to my door, but then changed their minds and continued on to my other neighbour. Then I got to thinking, and I realize that they have NEVER knocked on our door before, so I’m wondering if the previous owners told them to stop coming and that our house is on some kind of religious blacklist. I don’t care either way – I like to *think* that I’m pretty courteous to solicitors and not rude, but it still makes me wonder. (And it is rather interesting to read the materials they provide, regardless of their differing beliefs.)
  • I feel as though I’ve said this before, but I really wish that people who are distributors for MLM companies would create a group or page for their business and keep their personal Facebook accounts clear of advertisements. There have been a few times where I’ve friended someone because I genuinely want to be their Facebook friend, only to be bombarded by their constant posts promoting their products.