a wee bit of bloggage

i really cannot believe how very long it takes to catch up on reading blogs when it's been one week since i have. it takes TOO LONG! i must say, though that it has been a rather relaxing morning with only two things on my to do list before i leave for work 1. laundry 2. blog. oliver is sleeping contentedly in my lap as the rain patters against the window. it is quite chilly in this house. so chilly, in fact, that i dragged the space heater from our room and it is now beside my chair, filling the office up with warmth. now it really feels like fall. not so just a few days ago. happily, the sun was out the entire time that andy and cara and sarah were visiting! i felt a little braggish that we could still wear shorts and t-shirts, while coats and umbrellas are a necessity right now in abbotsford. it was neat seeing where i live through a new-comer's eyes. i remembered how odd all of the dinosaur-egg-rocks sitting on the hills looked to me when i first saw them. i found new appreciation for all of the exotic looking shrubs and flowers that andy kept snapping pictures of. it's a different kind of beauty down here from what i've grown up with, but i love it.

even though i had to work pretty much all day saturday, i enjoyed every moment spent with my family. sarah was a delight to get to know and both josh and i fell in love with her all over again. her smile first appeared to us after we arrived home from the airport. i picked up oliver to introduce him and sarah's face, in josh's words, "lit up the entire room". she loved chasing him around the house and burying her hands in his fur. he, on the other hand, wasn't too sure about the little giggling creature and did his best to avoid her. it was fun to just hang out with my big brother andy, talking about this and that, and "remember when's". cara amazed me with her ability to do the million little things it takes to care for a 1 year old, and yet still find time for walks and chats. when you talk to cara, she is all there, really listening. i love that about her.

sunday was lovely, aside from the fact that josh wasn't feeling too well. after church, a few of us took naps, and then had a big old lunch at nuevo grill. (that "big old" was for you, cara) we stopped at albertsons to pick up the ingredients for a vegan dish that cara wanted us to try called babaganouche. (i'm pretty sure i spelled that wrong). then, cara and sarah and i went for a little walk around our place, cara and andy had a paddle in the canoe, and we all watched the magnificent sunset. after sarah went to sleep, the 4 of us watched "finding neverland" while snacking on the babaganouche. it tasted really good, even though peanut butter was substituted for sesame seed paste.

it always takes sarah awhile to wave goodbye to someone. often, she'll wave after the door has closed and the person has vanished. so, as i drove away to work on monday morning, waving madly out of my window, it thrilled my heart so see sarah's fantastic smile and her little hand waving away just before i lost sight of her. i cried a little, but smiled while i was doing it. i sure love those folks.