The 100-page mark

I must admit I am quite behind on my catch-up-on-memories scrapbooking goal.

However, I have made some progress. Since my last update in early July (thanks to the retreat!), I've made 46 pages, landing me within two layouts of completing September 2007. If I were in line with my goal, I would have made at least 60 pages and/or be wrapping up pages that featured photos taken in April 2008.

Still, I try to comfort myself with the overall good news: Since I set my goal this past April, I've scrapped through about 13 months of memories in 100 pages (or 50 layouts).

There's also renewed incentive: I want to be caught up before our little one is born at the beginning of May so I don't fall behind on some of the most precious memories in our lives. (Plus I imagine nurturing my tiny bundle—and sleep for me—will be more of a priority than hours of catch-up scrapbooking at that point. :-) In order to do this, I'll need to complete September and scrap October this weekend, and then create three months worth of pages per month through April 2009.

So, getting caught up is a little muddy, but being caught up will be pure sunshine!

A summer 2007 trip my husband and I took to visit some friends
in Washington State, including the Little Nuggets.

A tale of crazy women

This past weekend I innocently attended a scrapbooking retreat with two friends, thinking there would be a couple dozen mothers lovingly pasting down photos of their children and adding precious little embellishments.

I was so wrong.

About 50 people filled the log chapel, cutting, arranging, and gluing. These were no cute little mothers. These were die-hard women (and even one man). A few seemed desperate. Now, I can't say that everyone fit into the crazy-for-scrapbooking category. But several did, clad in pajamas and greasy hair protruding from under baseball caps, obviously forgetting personal hygiene and common courtesy for the sake of their beloved books of memories. Others stayed up until the middle of the night, reluctantly put aside their adhesive and paper cutters for a few winks, and were back to work in the morning. One older lady told us that she laid on the couch in the chapel (not sure why she bothered to pay for accommodations) for just an hour each night, determined not to miss a moment of opportunity.

The most classic example was a woman who followed me into the restroom when I woke up to use it in the accommodations area at about 6:45 a.m. For some reason, her desperation led her to believe that 1)It was OK to harass a complete stranger while she was using the bathroom, and 2)I was the fount of retreat knowledge. Keep in mind that I was in the stall the whole time, so I never even saw her face. Our conversation:

Her: "Do you know how I can get into the scrapbooking room?"

Me (sleepily): "No, I'm sorry, I don't."

Her (slightly wailing): "I can't get in and all my stuff is in there!"

Me (thinking she's had a family emergency): "Oh, dear. Do you need to go home?"

Her (higher pitched wailing): "No! I want to scrapbook!"

Me: "Well, you could try walking around the camp and see if any staff members are up."

Her: "I did! I've been walking around for an hour. Do you know how I can reach the director?"

Me (thinking: Let the poor man sleep!): "Hmmm...maybe there's a sign posted on the office with a number you could call."

Her: "I tried that already; I couldn't get any answer. Do you know what time the room opens?"

Me: "I think at 7."

Her (reluctantly): "Well, OK."

An entertaining weekend to say the least. And I got 20 pages done and spent some great time with my friends.

Sometimes sunshine comes to life in, er, rather unexpected ways.

And then there were three...

I'm delighted to announce that our family is growing to three. Our little new little miracle, straight from God, will arrive in the beginning of May.

What inexpressible joy! I can't wait to hold our baby in my arms, caress little fingers, touch a precious nose, and softly tickle tiny toes. I can hardly believe the precious bundle will be ours.

Yesterday, I heard his or her heartbeat, which made the whole pregnancy seem a great deal more real. It made a gentle swooshing sound; I caught my husband's eye as we both grinned widely.

Now that's real delight.

One of our baby's first portraits, taken September 18

A day for thanksgiving

On days such as Canadian Thanksgiving, it's easy to miss my far-away family: parents, two brothers, a sister-in-law, and two nieces. But there is no shortage of friends, and they make celebrating the holiday a great deal more enjoyable.

Each Saturday before Thanksgiving, my husband and I welcome numerous guests (mostly Americans :-) for a big, potluck dinner. This year, 36 people warmed our home, including some children and a couple adorable babies. They brought sweet potatoes, fresh-baked bread, scrumptious pumpkin pie, and many more delectable dishes. They also brought laughter, cheer, and friendly conversation—so much for which to be thankful to God!

My favorite moment: One little girl, upon taking a bite of her dinner, exclaimed, "I love this place!"

Happy Thanksgiving!