bags for runners

Another wonderful Christmas has come and gone. This year was a bit different for us, as we had relatives from Toronto come out and celebrate with us. This lovely family includes two little girls roughly the same ages as my two, so it was quite the treat for my kiddos to have other children to play with.

Another tidbit of change was my brother announced he and his girlfriend are engaged! We are so excited and happy for them. Both my brothers now are engaged and it will be a joyous year of weddings!

So yesterday was Boxing Day. As I have mentioned in previous posts, I like shopping. And shopping on boxing day has always been a bit of a tradition. Certainly not a tradition my parents instilled in me, but when I was a teen I would go into the city and wait in lines with my cousin, hoping to find a great "deal." This year as Christmas and Boxing day drew closer, I found myself not the slightest bit interested in going shopping on Boxing Day. I'm not sure if it was the abundance of "stuff" that I don't need that is constantly being advertised and pushed in my face that turned me off. Perhaps it was craving the simplicity of life that did it. After a few crazy, (but fabulous days) I really felt the desire to get out and find some solitude. So I laced up my running shoes, donned my new Lululemon running gear, and headed out on that misty, gray morning. I logged 16kms yesterday morning running through farmlands and enjoying the winter scape that surrounded me.

This week we have evenings planned with family and friends, days of tubing and skiing, but most importantly, we have this week as a family.

I feel so blessed this holiday season for the health, comfort, and loving family that surrounds me.

I am taking a few days away from the computer, so enjoy this week and the remnants of 2010. I'll be back in the new year!

Much love,

larajane

Christmas Love

As I tucked my little guy in tonight I couldn't help but feel his intense excitement over tomorrow being Christmas Eve. He said "I can't believe Christmas is almost here!"

I love Christmas. I have many, many wonderful memories tied with this incredibly special time of year. But it seems the older I get, the more important the real meaning of Christmas becomes. The fact that Jesus was born on this earth in the humblest of settings, just for us amazes me. I'm trying harder this year to focus on the reason we celebrate and less on the commercialism of it all.

It's no big secret that I like shopping. Shopping for my kids I find especially fun, just because I know them so well and I know what they get excited over. A couple of months ago I sat down and created a budget for Christmas. At the time I knew of two or three things each of my children would like, so I kind of budgeted accordingly. But since then, new lists have been made. All of a sudden El is asking for a certain Barbie, and Connor is no longer talking about the Harry Potter Lego set but Mario Cart for the Wii. So I justify myself and say "oh, this little gift can be from the cat" or "maybe this I will just stick in their stocking" and on and on.

So then I feel guilty, like I am super spoiling my kids and I'll end up with so many toys in the house, I'll have to spend 3 days organizing them (which you know will probably never happen!)
So... here I am in deep discussion over the whole spoiling/too many gifts/ what's the right amount etc. with one of my many wonderful sister in laws and she comes up with something brilliant! In keeping with the reason we celebrate Christmas she explained to her boys that this year they were going to get three presents. They were going to be like the Gold, Frankincense, and Muir. The "Gold" gift is something you've really, really wanted and it may be expensive, the Frankincense gift is a gift that is going to help you grow. So it could be a book, art supplies, a class etc., and the Muir is something practical that you need, such as a new winter coat or clothes. So that's what they are doing this year and I think it's fabulous! So come next year, I want to try this.

Anyway, I apologize for the rambling post. It's been a way crazier week than anticipated, ending with me at the dentist today because I have an infection from a tooth that needs filling. T3's here I come!

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas!

Much love,
Larajane

Made it to 500!

Wow, I sure cut that one close. When I decided to challenge myself to running 500 miles in one year, I thought it was going to be easy.So here we are, a few days before 2011 and I did it! I actually passed the 500 mark yesterday while doing a 15k run. I am training for a half marathon that is happening in February, so I've had to run quite a bit more than usual. It feels good though.

So, the kiddos are out of school and I can safely say we have survived day one of winter break. Yay! We did a little bit of shopping for Joel's stocking this morning and then enjoyed some time at Starbucks sipping our drinks and sharing a treat. I've been working around the house while the kids have been busy working on their little projects. Connor has been building lego and Elissa made some pine cone bird feeders this afternoon.

I attempted a new fudge recipe to bring to a baby shower tonight, so we shall see how that turns out. Now off to make some dinner!

Much love,

larajane

the balancing act

My days have always been fairly scheduled. I like schedules. I need schedules! Once I had kids my days were wide open! Except, they weren't. They were actually incredibly scheduled. Feedings, diaper changes, naps, play time, groceries, meal prep. baths etc. My kids became toddlers and I began a business. This was a little crazy. I would be with the kids all day and learning and editing all night. I wasn't sleeping, I wasn't exercising, and I was exhausted. Burned out. As the kids got older and I became more efficient at editing and learned what worked and what didn't on the business end of things, life got easier.

And then September came. Both of my kiddos were in school, all day. I would come home after dropping them off wondering what I was going to do for the next 6 hours? And tomorrow? The possibilities were endless! All of a sudden I really didn't have a schedule. But I needed one.

So now as I write this entry, we are in December, and I think I ave finally found a good balance. I know in my day I need to set aside enough time to work at my business, clean, exercise, cook, and be the kind of friend, wife, mother, and daughter God wants me to be.

Much love,
Larajane

hot chocolate giggles

Isn't it funny how everyone always talks about the weather? Instinctively, I always want to start my blog posts off by talking about what is going on outside. It's either freeeeezing, or so hot, or wet, damp, beautiful, clear, crisp... okay, you get the idea.

So now that the subject of weather is done, I can move on to other topics that no one seems to be discussing, like Christmas! I was trying to explain sarcasm to my 8 year old the other day, and for someone who is a wee bit on the sarcastic side, I couldn't come up with a good example, maybe I will let her read this post.

So, Christmas. I love this time of year. So many wonderful memories growing up. So many fun traditions. I feel so blessed to be creating such traditions for my children right now.

One thing I love is making hot chocolate and treats for my kiddos after they have been outside playing in the cold. I snapped these pics last week when we had snow. I love listening to their conversations and feeling the excitement in the air as they discuss their Christmas wish lists. Ahhh, to be a child again. I have to say though, being a mom to such wonderful children is far more of a blessing than I could have ever dreamed. Hug your kiddos tight tonight and tell them how much you love them, they are never too old or cool to hear it.

Much love,
Larajane

Picture a Day

So I was rummaging around in one if those cupboards that rarely ever gets opened and I came across this super old school cook book. I sat down with Joel and we had a good laugh at some of the suggestions they give for preparing a meal for your husband.

It suggested setting your table and begin preparing your dinner/dessert right after you finish doing the breakfast dishes. Also keep in mind the shape and colour of the food you are preparing, you want to create interest on your dinner plate.

I wonder if my kids would be better eaters if I had complimentary shapes and colours.

Here's the book. Its copyright date is 1964. Thanks mom!




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Night on the town!

So the last Saturday of every November we attend joel's work Christmas party. It's always at the Hollyburn Golf and Country Club in West Vancouver. Truthfully I usually dread it. It's a long drive, a late night, and I am always so cold! Anyway, tonight is different. We dropped the kids off at my parents at noon and spent the afternoon shopping! We are also staying the night at the Pinnacle Hotel on the Quay. It's the perfect little getaway this tome of year!
I found these fabulous shoes today while shopping and had to get them. They are so comfy!



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Hello snow!

I love snow days!

Okay, I should clarify. I love a snow day here and there. Days of being stranded at home because of the snow is no fun at all. But yesterday was a great day! So beautiful! Here are a couple of the kids. Now back to the rain...

Two today!

Oh snowy night...


Dinner for the kids and I, pizza bagels.


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Snow and such

A picture a day is really hard! I do actually take a lot of pictures, almost everyday. It's the dowloading and the uploading and the re-sizing etc. that is rather time consuming. So you may just keep getting stuck with iPhone pics. Anyway, today I was going through some family pictures and found this cutie of Connor playing in our teeny tiny bit of snow.




It sure has been chilly these past few days, and I've been really trying hard to catch up on my running that I missed last week due to being sick. Today I ran a lovely 8km in Bradner in very sub zero temperatures. I have 6 weeks left to run 62 more miles to make it to my 500 mile goal.

One last bit of random information... did you know that if you put Vicks Vapo rub on the bottom of your feet and then put on a pair of socks right before bed you won't cough at night? I know, crazy huh? I was told to try it and since I've been taking a super strong cough medicine with codeine every night for the past 4 nights I would try it. So last night the vapo rub went on. I won't say I didn't cough, but considering I wasn't taking the strong stuff, I think it did work pretty well!

much love
Larajane

A snowy drive

This was actually taken a couple of days ago, but thought it was still appropriate since we still have cold temps and a bit of snow.



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Picture a day

Beautiful boots at Zara. So sad they didn't have my size.



My wonderful shopping sidekick.


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6 years ago today

It was a day much like today. Cool, windy and a little rain.
Connor was 4 months old and Elissa was 2 and a half.
We moved into our house. This house. This house that we love.

I remember coming up to Auguston in the spring of 1998 with Joel. All that was here were the 4 show homes and presentation centre. We toured the homes and thought how wonderful it would be to live here one day. We were just engaged and had plans of moving across the country, so the thought of actually living here was nothing more than a far off dream.

As the years went by we lived in many different places. Neither of us ever thought we would end up back in our home town of Abbotsford, but we did. Just after Connor was born we listed our townhouse for sale and began planning the house we were to build... in Auguston. As we poured over house plans and looked into he cost of upgrades, we began feeling overwhelmed and thought that perhaps we weren't going to be able to pull this off. We actually put an offer on a house here that quickly fell through. As were driving that night we saw a realtor putting up a sign for a house on the park. Immediately we knew that this would be a perfect location and made an appointment to go through the house that night.

The house was less than a year old and right from the entrance we fell in love with it. It was perfect. We moved in a month and a half later and here we are today. I feel so blessed to be where we are.

Here are the kids when we first moved in.

Sick Day

My view today. Lots of reading, knitting, and sleeping.



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Toothpaste

Okay, a friend of mine is doing a picture a day challenge. I thought it would be fun and now that I have this handy dandy little iPhone I can easily take pictures everywhere and anywhere. So here is our crazy cat taking a break from catching mice.



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iPhoned

I did it. I got an iPhone.

I have battled with this for so long. I'll give you some history.

Back in 1995 when I first learned to drive, my wonderful parents gave me a cell phone. As you may recall, cell phones back then weren't the cute little things they are today. They were huge, heavy, and the battery never seemed to last more than two hours. So for someone who was emerging out of the the early 90's grunge era and was not a girly girl who ever carried a purse, this was quite the burden. There were also a couple of other downsides to having a cell phone in 1995. First, my mom expected to be able to get a hold of me whenever, wherever. This kind of cramped my style. The other downside... NONE of my friends had a cell! I couldn't call them, text them, facebook them... nothing! So really, it felt like not much more than a tracking device for my parents. Which, now that I am a parent, I'm beginning to see was not such a bad idea.

Okay, so I grew up, got married, and have kids. In this time I had a little flip phone that I rarely used, it was really for emergencies only. Well, I somehow misplaced that phone and decided I didn't need one. So years went by where I didn't have a phone, all was good. Or was it? 3 years ago, my business was taking off and I felt like I needed to separate my business life and home life a bit. So I bought a cell phone. This was going to be my business phone. I had business cards printed with my new number as well as adding ti to my website. Well, things didn't go quite as planned. I was getting calls all the time. Usually at rather inopportune times, such as unloading groceries onto the conveyor belt at Safeway with a screaming toddler. Trying to set up a shoot was not going to happen.

So, the "business" phone was nixed.

At this time people all around me were getting the these fun Blackberry's and iPhone's. They were checking Facebook, twittering, e-mailing, downloading the "coolest" app and playing games.

I was not going to be one of them. Nope. I was not going to let this tiny piece of technology rule my life.

It was until a recent trip that I discovered how practical these phones are. We were lost and had an iPhone. It guided us back to where we needed to be. We wanted to go to Trader Joe's, where was the closest one? I feel like a grande pumpkin spice latte, how many calories does that have? All of a sudden, the world was at my fingertips. These aren't so bad after all.

It's been three years since I first picked up my "business phone." It wasn't working so well and my plan said I could get a new phone. I went in thinking about picking up the iPhone 3, since it would cost me next to nothing and my plan would only change by a few dollars each month. Well, the iPhone 4 was sitting there and the upgrade wasn't much more. So I did.

I do enjoy being able to pick up e-mails when I have been out all day, and the texting is way easier! The little camera on it is pretty sweet as well. I like being able to snap pics whenever.

much love
larajane

J snapped this one of me and C. with the iPhone

A missed opportunity

Today as I was driving home from a shoot in Langley, I decided to stop at a Starbucks and grab a coffee for Joel and I. I went to the one with the drive through, but noticed the line had about 8 cars in it. So I decided to park and go inside.
As I was walking in, there was a guy sitting by himself at a table outside. I didn't think anything of it until he asked me for some spare change for a coffee. I have to admit, I was a little surprised to hear him ask me that. I know, what a bubble I live in right? It's really more that he didn't look like a homeless man who needed change. As I mumbled sorry and kept walking I thought to myself "how horrible of me to stereotype people like this." Here is an opportunity for me to show God's love and I walked right by. So I opened up my change section of my wallet and began emptying it out into my hand. I didn't have enough for a coffee, but I would give him what I had as I left.
So I ordered and waited for our drinks.
As I was getting ready to walk out and give to this man, a women carrying two drinks stepped in front of me. As she pushed open the door, she walked over to the man and gave him a large cup of coffee.
Wow. Why hadn't I thought of that?
I felt a wave of sadness come over me. Sad for this man, but also sad that i I had missed an opportunity to bless someone.
I need to go into every day with my eyes open and expecting God to give me opportunities to share His love.

Enjoy your weekend,
Much love,
Larajane



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So blessed

Today I ran. I ran 8k in the glorious sun, through the vibrant trees and upon many a beautiul leaf. We are in November and I was able to enjoy this run in nothing more than a tank top and yoga pants.

The air wasn't crisp, it was warm. Wonderfully warm! When I walked out of the house this morning with the kid's to go to school, the sun was just coming up over the mountain. It literally took my breath away. The haze, the leaves, and the light filtering through was incredible.

How blessed I feel to be able to wake up and see this out my front door. And then to have a body that is healthy enough to run in this beauty.

Recently I have been shooting so many wonderful families. But sometimes I feel like I lose my creativeness. I rarely take my camera out and just shoot for me. When I begin to feel this way, it always helps me to look back on past years and see what I was doing. I did just that this morning and found this shot of my dear girl in 2007.

Being still

Every month I receive a wonderful magazine in the mail. I spend days poring over it and slowly soaking in all the wonderful information it has to offer. The magazine is called Whole Living. It is my very favorite magazine out there. There are sections on healthy food, eco friendly and trendy clothing, natural beauty products, different ways to stay active, eco friendly decorating, and of course there are always a couple of great articles on topics that always piqué my interest.

This months issue was no different. One of the articles I have not been able to stop thinking about is an in-depth guide to meditation. As Christians we are told to meditate on God's word, be still, and listen. Oh how challenging I find this simple little task. Why can I not just sit still for 10 minutes? I know why, it's because I have a million things to do everyday and if I sit around not doing them my life will turn to chaos. Or will it? After reading this article I am thinking if I don't spend at least ten minutes alone with God and my own thoughts my life really will turn upside down.

So, here is what I learned.
Breathing is very important. It is important to listen to yourself breath, this calms you down.
You need to sit somewhere comfortable, but where you can sit with a straight back.

The hardest thing for me is my mind wanders. It wanders to the past, it wanders to the future, rarely do i just sit in the present. This writer of this article says it is okay to think these things, just be aware of them and let them go. She says to think of your mind as a clear blue sky. When a thought comes in that bothers you or worries you, breath it away. Think of it as a cloud being blown past.

We spend so much time and energy worrying about our futures and living in our past, that we don't spend enough time just being fully present.

I know this is all mixed up and I am only going on the bits and pieces I got from the article, but it was really good and I am challenging myself to try.

I will keep you posted on my journey.

Much love,
Larajane


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100 miles to go

Yikes! I just realized today that I need to still run another 100 miles to reach my goal of 500 this year. Since being sick this August I've had a hard time getting back up to running 30 kms a week. I went out this morning in the cold rain thinking I was only going to do 5, but when I met up with a friend, I found it much easier to go further.

I've been busy moving into a new office. Last week I painted and moved furniture, as well as purging tons of papers that had piled up. I now have my office in a room in the basement. My studio is still on the main floor with beautiful natural light.

I am feeling rather unmotivated to write today, perhaps it's because I know I should be editing!

Many thoughts and ideas are swirling around, so hopefully I'll be able to word them better later this week.

Enjoy the fall weather,
much love,
larajane

half my life...

It all started while I was away in California.

I began dreaming of my own office space. Not really a studio, but just a space I could go to where I could get my work done and not be interrupted or distracted. I looked into leasing some office space in old Abbotsford. A little pricey and a lot of work and effort to go to, all just so I wouldn't be distracted. I brought up my conundrum with my mother. She always has an opinion, and usually it's pretty good. She suggested I take the spare bedroom in the basement (which is the kid's playroom) and convert that into my office and use my current office/studio to make a full natural light studio (hello, my dream!)

So after some discussion with Joel, and the kiddos of course, we agreed that an office in the basement would be a better place for me to work, since I actually have to go out of my way to get there, and I can shut the door and let the world carry on without me. So, yesterday, between two shoots, editing, a run and dinner out, we managed to do a lot of rearranging, organizing, and cleaning. Ohhh it felt so good! I love this kind of change!

The kiddos now have their own space to play, Joel has his workout area, and I now have an empty room that will soon be filled with my desk, computer, packaging materials, filing cabinets, bookcases etc. Just as soon as I get a fresh coat of paint on those walls, which hopefully will be tomorrow!

Soooo, as we were cleaning, I was creating a pile of clothes that we were to donate to the Salvation Army or MCC. I looked through this closet of old coats with fond memories. There was a jean jacket that I had spilled bleach on, that Joel had bought me when we had been married for about 2 years and just moved back o Vancouver. There was my Taiga fleece vest, Taiga fleece pullover jacket, and of course the Taiga pullover Gore-tex, all from 1997. Oh the memories. My first time snowboarding, living the Trinity Western life, and all those fun adventures Joel and I had as a young couple. Then I came across this navy blue wool parka that I had bought in Fredericton. It was hard core warmth. It helped me get through the -30 temps and the 5 feet of snow. The memories those coats brought back. I haven't worn any of those jackets for years now, and I'm sure I never will. So away they were packed.

As I was packing them away and reminiscing, I began thinking about when Joel and I first started dating. How young I was. I was 16. He drove me home from youth group in his red 1976 Mustang and nervously asked me in parents driveway what I would say if he were to ask me out. I of course squealed "yes!!" not realizing until al few years later that the smart ass answer would have been, "I don't know, why don't you ask me?' Anyway, that was 16 years ago. October 18th, 1994. I have been with Joel for 16 years. Exactly half my life. Crazy! It's been an adventure to say the least. We have had many great times as well as some challenges, I guess all marriages do. I am greatly looking forward to what the next 16 years brings for us, okay maybe not the kids driving and dating, but most everything else!

life

I have been a really bad blogger of late. This blog, my business blog, facebook, twitter... all of it has been severely neglected.

I love that we have the avenues of social media to connect, but sometimes life gets so overwhelming that I feel the need to withdraw and let life go by without me always throwing in my two cents.

Last week was a super hard week. My little guy is really struggling with first grade and I've been called in to talk with the teacher three times now. I am at a loss. Do I pull him and homeschool? Do I try and get him in to a different class? Is the teacher overreacting?

I had to leave for LA on Thursday morning. The night before my son lay in bed sobbing and begging me not to leave. The next morning as I dropped him off at school we were both a mess of tears. Before heading to the airport a group of friends gathered around me and prayed for Connor and I. I drove to the airport with tears flowing. I was sad and worried for Connor, but I was also so touched with the love and compassion my friends shared with me. I felt so truly blessed to have amazing friends who would be willing to walk and pray with me through this trial.

My trip was a blur. It was super warm, sunny, lovely, relaxing, challenging, exciting and fun. It was a great break from reality and in the end, is probably exactly what I needed. I came home last night to my wonderful family. So many hugs and kisses. It turns out they did survive without me, and Connor even had a good few days at school.

Although I missed out this Thanksgiving I have so much to be thankful for.

I'm thankful for my wonderful husband, my beautiful children, my family, and the amazing girlfriends God has brought into my life. God is so good.

I hope you all enjoyed your turkey dinners and pumpkin pies :-)

much love,

larajane

Wants and Needs

Where is the line? I am trying hard this week to figure out just this.

My dishwasher is falling apart. It's rusted inside, the seal is broken, my dishes are covered in white soap after the cycle is finished, and it is leaking onto the floor. I would love a new dishwasher. Do I need a new dishwasher though? I went for a walk with a friend last night and she said years ago when this happened to her she just washed the dishes by hand and used the dishwasher as a drying rack. Brilliant. A lot more work, but it works.

My washer and dryer...nearly dead. Now I realize when these guys bite it, I will need to replace. I found a beautiful pair yetserday on sale. No really, they were beautiful. Front loaders, heavy duty, all computerized with special sani cycles, even a special shoe dryer....I could go on. So even though I will need a net set, do I need these super beautiful ones?

Wants and needs. It's a tough one, especially when I'm trying to convince Joel ;-)

Caffeine

As I was lying awake at 1:00am, 3:00am, 4:30am and 6:15am I was thinking about how much I dislike caffeine. When I finally got up at 7:00 and made myself a super strong cup of coffee, I began rejoicing in the fact that we have such a wonderful little drug.

Last night I went out with a bunch of girls and while they were sipping mochas, espressos and lattes, I had myself a nice little cup of chai tea. I thought,mmm, this will be nice and soothing on this rainy night, And don't get me wrong, it was nice and soothing at the time, but when I couldn't fall asleep, I began to wonder if it had a bit of caffeine in it. And yep, sure enough it does.

I lovemy morning coffee. My parent shave always been coffee drinkers. Not just any coffee drinkers, it always had to be the best and the strongest. So from an early age my mom would drive nto Vancouver and load up on Murchie's coffee, particularily, the Turkish blend. So when I turned 16, maybe 17, I began the morning ritual of a good strong cup of coffee. Now, up until fairly recently I've been able to drink coffee, or caffeinated pop, and most certainly tea, almost right up until I go to bed.

So what happened? My grandfather could never drink coffee after 3:00pm or else he couldn't sleep, and I always thought, "that poor old man, it must be awful to be old and notbe able to drink coffee at 5:00 at night."

Anyway, ths is a truly rambling post and if you've stuck it out his far that you deserve a cup of coffee!

Point is, I'm feeling old! And tired. But I'll stop whining now.

Have a great day!

larajane

I took my position. I found my spot, and I waited. I was among 100 strangers who were also waiting. This was me yesterday. This is part of my job.

We were waiting for the bride to arrive.

The husband-to-be was nervously peeking out the side door checking the parking lot, adjusting his tie, and pacing. We were in a crowded little hall with so much character I could cry. The old hardwood floors, the stained glass windows that had been opened to let in the fresh scent of a warm fall afternoon, the dimmed lights...beautiful. Not exactly a dream for a photographer as the light was really dim and the use of flash was inevitable, but it was nice.

This summer I've shot a fair amount of weddings. It's funny how weddings go, they are all pretty much the same, just different characters acting out the parts. Of course there are many different details, but the order, for the most part, remains.
I stood there looking at all the pretty dresses, at the women who had spent the morning getting their hair done,the guy sneaking a drink from his flask. My senses were being filled with the scents of expensive perfume, mixed with alcohol and stale cigarette smoke when she arrived.

She looked beautiful, the groom sighed a heavy sigh of relief and so my day of work began. I love my job.

Brooke snapped this one of me as we were testing out light in the hall before the ceremony.

Ignorance is Bliss

Where did this week go? And how is it already Sunday afternoon and I am having to think about clean uniforms and school lunches already?

Both my babies are now in school full time and I seem to have no trouble filling my days. It's great. I am loving this time in my life.

With the kiddos in school, my runs can now happen in the morning (which works out great since races all seem to be in the morning) and I can shower and get on with the rest of my day.

Friday night was a typical fall evening (I know tchnically it's stil summer) but the cool crispness of the night was begging for me to come out and play. It was 7:45 when I decided to lace up my runners and go for a run. I wasn't sure how far I was going to go, all I knew was that it was a beautiful night, it had been a crazy week, and I needed to get out there and just be.

In more recent months I haven't been plugged in when I run. No music, just the sounds of nature.. and cars. But on this particular evening I felt like cranking the tunes and zoning out. It was a fabulous run. I felt great, energized and full of life.

So yesterday I'm talking with some fellow Augustonians and apparently there is a cougar in the area, and not the 40 yr old ones looking for younger meat... a real cougar. It was spotted the night before my run on the corner of McKee and Blauson, and then again the day of my run. Ummm hello? Coyotes... fine, bears, make me a wee bit nervous, but a cougar?

Anyway, here I am, in one piece, thanking God for watching over me that night.

So, if you are from around here and you run around here, be careful!

Much love,

larajane

The Shack

I know this book is so 2007 and I am sure I am one of the last people to read it, but quite honestly, the kidnapping/murder scene in the first few chapters really deterred me from reading it all these years. So what changed?

Well, a few weeks ago I was having tea with a great friend and we were chatting about life, relationships, God... and books. She said that The Shack had absolutely changed her life and the way she thought of God. She said it had taken her months to read because it was such an emotional book.

So I asked around, and sure enough pretty much everyone I spoke with had read it. In came the mixed reviews. Some said they didn't like how God was portrayed as a black woman, others thought it was just okay, and others thought it was just not biblical. So, that is when I decided to read it, I needed to form my own opinion. So I went into it very open minded (and fully prepared for the first 3 chapters)

So, my thoughts. I enjoyed the book. It was easy to read and I found it to be a refreshing take on faith and grace. A few things I pulled out of it that I like.

1) Each relationship we are in is unique. I LOVE this! So obvious really, but so special. Whether it be a parent, spouse, child, friend, or colleague... because we are unique our every relationship will be to.

2) God is always with us. Through the good, bad and ugly. His love for us is soooo unconditional... amazing.

3) The power of forgiveness. We need to forgive to be healthy and at peace.

4) We must live in the present. Memories are powerful. They can stir up great joy, or terrible sadness, as well as every other emotion in between. While it is important to remember where we came from and to learn from our past, we must be able to bring ourselves to the present and live in the moment, while looking towards the future. To play the "what if" or "if only I had..." game in our minds over and over is not how God wants us to live.

5) And finally, I really didn't have issue with a big black woman being God in this story. I can't think of a more loving and nurturing kind of person I would feel comfortable with.

Much love,
larajane

on being sick

This week has been kind of icky for me. I don't often get sick, but when I do, it never seems to be a simple cold or flu.

What started off on Tuesday to be a little stomach bug, quickly turned into days of retching and a massive infection that nearly had me in the hospital. Thankfully, my fever is down this morning, and my appetite has somewhat returned.

Solitude. Sometimes being sick can be a blessing in disguise. How often do we give ourselves an excuse to lie in bed all day and just read and sleep? Although I felt like I was knocking on death's door, being sick forced me to slow down and let day to day chores go. And after a whirlwind of a summer, I think this is exactly what I needed.

Unforunatly, J and I had plans to spend the night in Vancouver last night and do some shopping on Robson this morning. He had booked us a night downtown at the Hyatt and we were to go on a dinner cruise last night. Since it was a work related event and J had to go to the India Consulate this morning, he went alone. We had already made arrangements for my parents to take the kids overnight, so I was left to recuperate. It has been nearly 24 hours since I saw my family and I cannot wait to have them all back here.

I am feeling rested, although still very weak, and rejuvinated. I have made a list of all the things I want to get donw in September and I am feeling ready for this new season to begin.

Enjoy your weekend,

much love
larajane

Freedom

In last 24 hours I have run 24 ks. I think that almost totals the # of k's I've run all summer!

Tonight I headed out on a 12k route that I had scouted out a week or so ago. It was a flat run that meandered through a park and endless fields of grain.

I grew up in the country and I have to say that I am a country girl at heart. There are times I lust over the bright lights and the constant buzz of city living, but in the end, it's the peace and solitude of the country that feeds my soul.

I began my 12k at 7:45 tonight. It somehow escaped me that the days have been getting shorter and it is no longer light until 10:00pm. By 8:45 I was in complete darkeness. Surrounded by farmers fields and the mountains I felt such a freedom. The air was so pure and fresh, the full moon was rising, and I felt like I could go forever. I had the company of a good friend and the kms seemed to run themselves.

I've gone back and forth on whether I want to do a half marathon. Yes, I would love to do one, but why? I love running for me. I love how it clears the cobwebs of my mind and how it gives me focus. I love the freedom I feel when I run. So to train or not to train. I am still undecided. All I know is tonight was an awesome night and I feel so blessed to live where I live.

Much love,

larajane

Do you love what you do?

I mean, really, truly, love what you do?

I am not sure how to proceed with this post, as my mind is swirling with thoughts, so forgive me if I am sounding scattered.

A couple of weeks ago I was having a conversation with my SIL Brooke. She is a very wise woman and always offers great insight. We were having a conversation about doing what we love and how even in the workplace, if we are given time to be creative, and come up with our own ideas, the payoff can be huge!

More recently I stumbled upon a friend's blog. She shall remain nameless, but I was so encouraged to read about her thoughts and dreams and how she was actually going to pursue them. It is a scary and daunting thing to go out on your own and take risks. Thoughts like "What if I'm not good enough?" " What if I fail? " " What if I lose my passion and no longer love what I do?" are so common.

These are all thoughts that have continually gone through my mind since I began my business in 2006. I will be honest and say that I have come so close to calling it quits. Times like that have always come in the height of busyness, when I no longer think I can juggle being at home with my kiddos and dealing with clients needs.

So what's gotten me through?
Finally realizing that what I do, is of value to families. Actually believing in myself as a business woman and a photographer. Some may think I charge too much, others think (mainly Joel and other photogs) think I charge too little, but I am happy where I'm at, and I love what I do.

So what do you fall asleep dreaming about doing? God has given us all gifts to use and I believe he really wants us to use them. Wouldn't you be insulted if you gave a gift that was never used or appreciated? I have a friend going back to school to pursue his dreams. Another who was signed up to go to school, but then realized that what she was signed up for was perhaps not what she dreamed of doing.

I know this sounds sooo cliche, but my encouragement for you today is to follow you dreams! Listen to what your heart tells you. Listen to what God tells you.

much love,
larajane

Why do I do such things?

So business has been crazy awesome this summer. God has continually blessed me with fabulous shoots, clients, and new opportunities.

So why, why oh why, did I decide two months ago I needed a new website? I will tell you... Joel had been away on work for at least a week and I was home quietly working away while the kids slept. When Joel goes away I tend to stay up way laer than usual, since I don't want to have to lie in bed and worry about every little sound. I want to fall asleep...fast! Soooo, here I was in the late (or possible early) hours thinking, "I need a change. I need a new look for Red Wagon Photography. I know, I NEED a new website!"

And since we live in a day of instant gratification and we can get anything at anytime we want with a few clicks of the mouse, within 20 minutes I had chosen a new template and did the big switcharoo! I worked on the site for the next two or three nights, thinking all was good, this is nearly done, blah, blah, blah. Well, Joel came home. School was finishing up. Holidays were on the horizon, oh and we had 5 weddings to shoot. Right. So here I am, two months later, with my "new" site almost done (just need a to write little something about myself, which I loathe doing) and then I can go live.

Oh, but wait, since this brainwave I've had other ideas, other thoughts about my business. I've seen that perhaps a website isn't the coolest thing on the block anymore. Websites are so 2002, now Blogsites are all the rage. So do I nix all the work I put into this new site and skip it all together and go straight to the Blogsite? (Which I believe will be a bit of a learning curve for me)

Oh yeah, and my business name. Thinking of changing it. I know, after 5 years and a new $300 sign on order. I have reasons though.. big reasons! I'll save that for another post.

Okay, just my little vent for this inferno of a day.

Peace out and much love to y'all!

Lj

Opportunities and Love

As I wake up every morning and think about the day ahead of me, I usually always pray for strength, guidance, and wisdom for the day. Depending on what lies ahead I pray accordingly. For the last week I have prayed a lot about my business and family life. More specifically, I have prayed for opportunities and health.

As always, God is so faithful and He must know how impatient I am because He usually answers pretty quickly.

The changes and opportunities that have been put in front of me have been absolutely overwhelming and so very encouraging.

Since there are still a few unknowns at this point, I cannot go into detail.

I am so thankful for such a supportive family and group of friends. Their love means the world to me.

Tonight when you see your children, husband, wife, mom, dad, or any loved one; hold them tight and tell them how much you love them. Life is so short.

Much love,
Lara

Bikram Yoga

I found this great article about our local yoga studio.

Fear

We have now been home for three days and I think my children have finally recovered from the trip.

We all had a wonderful time. So much was seen and and experienced, including some super fun rides at the amusement parks. I should clarify... I thought they were super fun rides. Both Connor and Elissa said they wanted to do the Hollywood Tower of Terror at California Adventure. We told them it was kind of scary and they may not like itl The line was super short and they seemed really keen. Well, once we got in there, buckled up and the first "drop" happened they were so freaked out. By the time we got out of there, both the kids were crying and shaking. Their trust in us seemd gone. We then proceeded to do Souring Over California, which is an amazing ride, but neither of the kids wanted to do it. We told them it wasn't scary at all. Elissa was good with it, but Connor again, cried through the whole thing.

I cannot seem to wrap my mind around where this fear comes from. Do they not know that Joel and I would never put them in danger? Don't they trust us as parents to take care of them? Doesn't Conor realize he is in more danger swimming in the big pool than on one of these rides? He doesn't. I know. I guess those kind of things have never scared me, so I don't understand.

Anyway, they did love Disneyland and California Adventure. Their favourite rides were the Tea Cups, Dumbo, the swings, and the Gadget roller coaster. Connor seemed to do really well on all the rides he could see from the outside. Perhaps he has a strong fear of the unknown... don't we all?

L

Here's Connor and I about to go on Peter Pan...even this one he shed a tear.

Day 6 in San Diego

Well our trip is now half over. It has been so good so far, although I honestly haven't been feeling very well. Today was my first day of feeling "normal" until I ended up with sun stroke! I had a killer headache and really felt like puking, but I do feel better now. The meds I am on warn me that I will be sensitive to sun. Aaaaaanyway...

The zoo was so great. I have no desire to go back to the vancouver zoo after this. The animals are so well cared for, they have a ton of room to roam around and everything was so clean! It truly was amazing.

Sea World was also fabulous. We watched a "pet show" that had cats, dogs and pigs doing funny things and then waited 30 mins. For the Shamu whale show. Which was good, but the. Kids both said they like the pets better. Elissa and i went on a super cool roller coaster ride, similar To splash mountain at. Disneyland. I think she was kid of freaked out.

And today... Today we did Disneyland. It was so neat watching the kids take everything in. I think they both found it overwhelming. The lines were super long and it was really hot. We only got in about 6 or 7 rides, but the kids seemed to like them.

Tomorrow we're taking it easy and then for Connor's birthday on friday we'll do Legoland.

I apologize for the spelling and grammar, the iPad only has a touch keyboard and seems to be sensitive to every little touch.

San Diego day 3

I can't believe we've been here for three days already. Well technically just two, but we did arrive friday night. Flight down was great, the kids were awesome. Although we had parked at yvr and taken the shuttle to the airport with 15 mins to spare before we needed to check in, when joel realized we had forgotten the car seats in the car. We had looked into renting them with the rental car, but we were told it would cost us an additional $70 each! Are you kidding me? The car seats aren't even worth that much together! So i waited with the kids as Joel went back to the car to get them. Thankfully he made it back just in time.

Yesterday we lounged by the beautiful pool just steps from the front door of our condo. The pool was empty and the sun was hot. We did some shopping in the afternoon since I forgot to pack connor pjs...ooops.

Okay, the fam is heading out the door to pf changs so I will finish this later!


Much love
Lara

141 and 304

Those numbers probably mean nothing to you, but I just noticed this was my 141st blog post on this blog and I have now run 304 miles so far this year. I am honestly not really a numbers girl, but I do like keeping track of trivial things such as these.

So tomorrow we are leaving for our big trip to San Diego! We are all so excited, especially the kid's. Although holidays are meant be relaxing, I have to say preparing for them is a lot of work! The lists, the packing, the laundry and the cleaning can really tire you out! I've also been working like crazy to get all my work done, e-mails replied to and blogs blogged.

With that said, it should be an amazing holiday with lots of activity and also some down time by the pool and on the beach. Our condo is within walking distnace to a most fabulous mall that we had checked out when we were down in January as well a beautiful pool just our our patio door!

I think I will have WiFi and I'm brining my iPad so hopefully I'll be able to blog a bit while down there, but if not, I will when I return!

Enjoy the sun!

much love,

lara

loves

Okay first of all I just have to say after reading my post from last night I am sure my mind was still a bit fuzzy after such a horribly hot run and I certainly didn't seem to be thinking straight, seeing as how my post really made no sense at all. So I apologize... I do love very much where we live, it is a gret neighbourhood and I feel like in some kind of way we are all "family." Well maybe family is a little close, but definitely a close community willing to help out neighbours at any moment. It's great.

Okay onto my other rambling thoughts for the night.

My loves (or things that make my life nice)
-my new retro orange fan. I really need to take a picture of this. Love. It.
-reeeeal ice tea. No sugar. Just tea bags and fresh lemon (and of course water) so uber refreshing!
-my Toms. Sorry, just had to throw that in again... they are sooo comfy!
-Shootsac. Yep I got one, Actually it was a "birthday gift" that has been on order for months and finally arrived a couple of weeks ago. Can't wait to use it at the wedding this weekend!
-new fabric. went to the States to pick it up today. They are super yummy patterns and it was on sale!! So many ideas as to what to do with it... iPad cover, quilts, maybe even a Shootsac cover!

Okay, need to get back to editing.

much love

lara

Randomness

I am sitting here on my front porch trying to cool off a bit from a run I did in way too much heat. I was convinced I was either going to die or puke... Fortunately neither occurred.
So here i am, sitting with my ice cold Gatorade thinking "what an odd neighbourhood we live in." Not odd bad, but odd different. I know you are probably thinking "she's just figuring tis out now?"
As I am sitting here, I am listening to adults laughing, children crying and dogs barking. There are probably numerous couples sitting on their back porch together enjoying a glass of wine and casually discussing their days. There is a couple walking their two dogs at the park, the same two dogs and the same couple do the same walk at the same time every day. I suppose we are creatures of habit.
Every morning we all get into our cars and head off in different directions. We go on to lead a life that doesn't necessarily involve anyone else in our community. Then at five o clock, we all get into our cars again, this time perhaps stopping at the grocery store to pick some last minute dinner items or to pick up our children from daycare. The "gates" have opened and we are all back where we started.
So what makes us different than other suburban communities? I suppose this is where my thoughts originated. As I was looking around, I felt surrounded by houses and then mountains blanketed in trees. Absolutely beautiful really. The thought of them ever building up on those mountains terrifies me. I literally feel like we've been dropped in this bowl on a random mountain and left to fend for ourselves. Of ourselves i am being extremely dramatic, but really, what happened to our developers? What happened to our supposed community centre, and the stores and the middle school?
Anyway, just the ramblings of a sweaty, dehydrated runner.
Enjoy the heat and the sun.
Much love
Lara





- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Toms

Now they may not be the most beautiful shoe you've ever laid eyes on, but thy are so super comfy and knowing that a child who would normally go without any shoes is receiving a pair makes them pretty darn attractive.

I purchased my first pair last week and they have barely left my feet. After my lame foot injury from running, they sit below the painful pressure point so that makes me love them even more.

PzTOMS.jpg">

When Blake Mycoskie went to visit Argentina he discovered the typical soft shoe calledAlpargata (similar to the Spanish Espadrilles) but also that a lot of children don't have shoes which leads to major health issues. Blake saw an opportunity for a business idea that 'makes life more comfortable' and returned home with exactly that: TOMS Shoes was born.

It's simple: with each pair of TOMS you buy ($38), a pair of shoes is donated to a child in Argentina on your behalf. And what's also comfortable to know is that the shoes are produced in Argentina under strict 'no sweatshop' criterias, made from local materials such as canvas and leather. Women, men and 'tiny' shoes are available (online as well as in stores across the US) in all sorts of colours and patterns as well as a limited hand painted graffiti edition by Tyler Ramsen. For the full TOMS Shoe story check out Blake Mycoskie's video clip here. ::via Springwise ::TOMS Shoes

blog, blog, blog

oh what to blog about?

Summer.

I love the summer time. I love the light evenings and the warmth summer brings. I love the relaxed days.

Connor will be finishing Kindergarten tomorrow and El will be finishing grade two. In a few short weeks (ten to be exact) they will both be in school full time. I blogged a while back about possibly getting a job outside of my photography. It's funny how true the term "careful what you wish for" is so accurate. The opportunity to work part time in two different places came up soon after I began thinking seriously about it. Wow. When I actually thought about it, I decided that working under someone elses schedule is not what I would enjoy. So that idea has now come to pass and I am now looking forward to putting more time into my business. I've thought about leasing a storefront studio, but not sure if I am ready for that big of a leap.

This summer is full of holidays, shooting 5 weddings, and working on projects around the house. The fall will be here before we know it. Enjoy the holidays and hopefully the sun will return and stick around for awhile.

much love,

Larajane

Could it be that summer has finally decided to show up? Today was a beautiful day and tonight was even better!

A dear friend offered to take my kiddos tonight so I could get a run in. It was just the 8.4k to Prince Charles and back but it was so nice. I took it easy on some parts and really pushed myself on others. I am really trying to work on my speed as I seem to get into a decent pace and just stay there.

Last summer I loved getting out there once the sun was going down and enjoy the coolness of the shade along McKee. I enjoyed it again tonight. I had forgotten about all the bugs though and ended up pulling a few out of my mouth. I also, for the second time in the last week, nearly got hit by a flying golf ball.

Anyway, just my ramblings tonight. I feel so blessed to be able to run and enjoy God's creation.

Hope you managed to find some time to enjoy the evening as well.

Much love,

Lara

Church clothes

When I was very young my parents took me to an Anglican church every Sunday. My dad and brothers always wore suits and my mom and I always wore dresses, sometimes even a hat. Being an Anglican church, everything was fairly traditional. Only hymns were sung and I remember everyone taking a sip of wine out of the same cup for communion! Ewww! Anyway, my early memories of church were all about wearing uncomfortable clothes, singing slow songs with fancy words I didn't understand, and watching all the adults drink out of the same cup. When we stopped going, I was probably quite relieved to trade in my fancy clothes for gum boots, jeans, and sweatshirts and spend my Sunday mornings digging streams in the forest.

Fast forward to 1993. My friend told me that she thought I would like going to youth group. I wasn't super excited to go and put it off for a few months. When I finally went, I was surprised at how different her church was. The music was fast and I understood the words, and everyone wore Birkenstocks, woolly socks, flannel shirts and comfy jeans. It was great! So I continued on at the youth group for a couple of years before I actually attended a formal Sunday morning church service. I thought, here we go, back to the formality of church. I remember putting on a skirt, my Doc Marten boots, and my jean jacket. My mom I thing was horrified that that was what I was wearing to church, but really, it was as fancy as I got. Was I ever relieved when I arrived to see all the youth kids and leaders wearing similar attire, if anything I was still more dressed up than others.

I liked it. I liked how laid back this church was. They said it doesn't matter what you look like on the outside, God sees what's on the inside. I liked that too.

So, here I am, some 15 years later, and wondering what God thinks about the way we present ourselves at church. In the Old Testament we see priests going through elaborate purification measures to enter into the Holy of Holies. Even their sacrifices had to be clean and blameless.

I don't think there is a right or wrong way of dressing for church, as every church is different. But I do think it is nice to put some time and thought into what is worn and how we present ourselves when we go to worship God. I struggle with how my kid's are dressed, my daughter especially since she has to wear a uniform all week. She has her own style that I don't want to rob her of, so I let her do her thing, but I do think children should be clean and well mannered at church.

Anyway, these are just my rambling thoughts for the day. Please feel free to comment and throw in your 2 cents!

Larajane

A life worth living

It is in times like this that I truly appreciate my health and life.

This past week was unbelievably crazy. 3 shoots, runs, bootcamps, birthday parties, baseball, and all of the other day to day things. Joel was away for 3 days as well which just added a bit to the chaos, but it is all good!!

This week is looking even crazier. It is wedding and baby week. Graeme and Aimee are getting hitched Friday and rehearsal dinner tomorrow night. Brooke and I are doing some of the photography, but thankfully not the formals. I am shooting 40 women tonight at our wrap up boot camp party as well as a baby and one year this week. My camera is working overtime this week.

We had our 10th annual block party yesterday and despite a few showers, it went pretty well. I managed to sneak out for a great run after and be back in time to see Grant and Isaac. They seemed happy to see Hannah and took her for the night. It was so great to see them home again. We had out HOPE class last night and it was nice seeing some new faces.

Wow, that's making me tired just looking at what's coming up.

Oh yes and the baby!! Amanda is due anytime and I will hopefully be able to be there to document it! So excited for them.

peace out

Lj

I'm in love

Today I got an iPad. I've been on a wait list for weeks and today was yet another day the MacStation did not call. So in my desperation I went to Future Shop. I'm not proud of this, but I really, really wanted it!

I know I should be editing. I know I should be cooking dinner, cleaning the house, laundry, and weeding my garden, but this is so much more fun!

Joel is out of town again tonight and I have big plans of watching Sex in the City (the first one) I know I'm so 2009, but I'm catching up! Connor has a birthday party until 8:30 tonight and then both kiddos are having a sleepover at nana's, as I have two morning ball games tomorrow. Which I am very excited for since the weather is supposed to be epic!

I've had a crazy busy week, but it's been great. I did a 12k run the other day and felt great. I gave my new fuel belt a try, and besides a wee bit of chafing it was all good!

Hope y'all have a super fabulous weekend, it's supposed to be beautiful...finally!

Much love,
Larajane


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

This is hilarious!

New shoes and such

I always know when it's time for a new pair of running shoes. My knees begin to ache. I was doing a 9k run on Tuesday night and I could really feel it in my knees, especially going downhill. So yesterday I went and purchased my old stand by Asics. Yesterday morning I ran with a friend who swears by Mizunos. She told me to try them out, as they are a lighter shoe and conform more to your foot. So I did. I was really tempted, as they did feel much lighter, but in the end the arch support just didn't feel quite right. So here are the new ones. I'm hoping to

give them a try tonight. I also bought...

a Fuel Belt. I hate running with anything attached to me, but I know if I want to do more than 10k, especially in the summer, I'm going to need some hydration. Apparently one can do a lot of damage to ones kidney's if you run a long time without water... go figure? So thus, the belt. I've heard it's the best one out there, and for the price, it better be.

So, with all these new purchases, I have decided to train for a half marathon. I mean really, I've been running pretty regularly for the past year and a half, I should be able to handle a half. Joel and I were talking about things we would like to do in our lifetime, and I said this was one of them. My time doesn't have to be great... I'm okay with that, but I do want to do one. So training starts next week.

On Sunday, Elissa and I did the Run for Water. It was really neat for her to be part of such a big run .

Generation Y

About a week ago I came across this on a different blog and it really got me thinking. We've all been labeled as baby boomers, Generation X, Generation Y, and now our children are Generation Z.

Being born in the late '70's makes me technically a Gen Xer, but after reading over this list, I think I am more Gen. Y. I've added my 2 cents in brackets.

1. I have a Facebook and Twitter account (but not MySpace – that’s old school).
2. I haven’t read the newspaper in over a year ( this isn't true for me, but I do now read most of the news online)
3. I prefer texting to talking on the phone.
4. I think email is on its way out as the primary form of electronic communication (I personally don't believe this).
5. I care deeply about social issues.
6. I believe in grassroots movements and the power of a few people coming together to change the world.
   
7. I am concerned about the future of our planet. I recycle. I buy organic produce and meat. I don’t litter. I have a vegetable garden and compost. I try to buy locally as much as possible.
8. I am unimpressed by titles
9. I strive to give my best to the world.
   
10. When I am at a conference, in a class, or in a church service – I don’t want to be lectured at. I want to INTERACT with the message and the people around me.
    
11. I am skeptical of organized religion and I question “the way things have always been.”
12. BUT I love God (and I do still go to church).
13. I am committed to my marriage and family.
14. I don’t think I should be the only one washing the dishes and watching the kids. (or cooking dinner?)
15. I don’t buy the hard-handed style of discipline that my grandparents and parents used.
16. I know I have a lot to learn from people that are older than I am (including my parents & grandparents). I also feel that I have a lot to learn from those who are younger than me – including kids.
    
17. I don’t want to be labeled. I am not “conservative” or “liberal.” I am not a “tree hugger” or an “attachment parent.” I am not a “baptist” or a “Anglican.” I’m just me and I’m not black-and-white.
18. In fact, even the “GENERATION Y” label gives me pause. Because there are a lot of things that I do that are contrary to my generation.
    

Up to 230 miles run for the year. I thought hitting 500 was going to be easy peasy, but I think I need to get out more. Just did a personal best, although I do feel like puking now.

Elissa and I are running the 5k Run For Water on Sunday morning. I was thinking about doing the 10k this year, but she asked if she could run the 5k with me... how could I say no to a potential running partner?

Happy running!

on death

My grandfather is a very, very sick man. That's all the nurse could tell me when I called Royal Columbian Hospital yesterday. He had been rushed from Abbotsford the night before to have brain surgery. All I wanted to know was a) did he survive? and b) how much longer did he have? Of course she couldn't answer "b" for me, but she did keep repeating that he was a very, very sick man.

Yesterday was a difficult day. My dad was supposed to arrive home from England and then head out to the hospital. But when my mom and I arrived at the airport we soon discovered he wasn't on the plane. His plane from London hd been delayed for 4 hours and he missed his connector. We didn't end up making it to the hospital last night. Today it is doubtful I will be able to make it with so much going on with the kids and work, as with tomorrow.

So, am I okay with possibly not seeing him again? I think so. In my devotional this morning it said "In the end, it's not about the destination but who shares our journey."

My grandfather will not remember me visiting him these past few days. But I did spend a lot of time with him growing up. I believe it is how we treat eachother in our lifetime that is important, not how many times we get in to see them in the hospital when they are dying.

lara