New Braces, and Construction, and Thankfulness

Could this smile be any bigger? Janelle is thrilled with her new braces, which she got a week ago Monday. There is no complaining at all, even when we have to turn the expander to stretch them every day. She loves them, especially the bright pink elastics she chose herself. After two weeks, we will go see the orthodontist again, and if he feels her jaw has expanded enough, he will apply the wire to hold her new smile in place. I was completely terrified of this as a child! I'm so proud of my brave girl!

As you can see in the above picture, Janelle played the "foreman" on the weekend. Chris took advantage of our summer-like Thanksgiving weather to build shelves for the shed. Yes, it took time away from work on the basement, but this had to be done before winter weather set in. And what better way to spend a weekend of 25C heat in October! Connor was a super helper, and I gave a hand now and then when I could pry myself out of my lounge chair. I had to soak up every bit of those last rays of sun before Autumn decides to stay!

I am thankful for so many things this year. Thankful for the shelves Chris built for the shed so our garage won't be such a tight squeeze this winter. Thankful that we enjoyed such gorgeous weather on Thanksgiving weekend. Thankful that Janelle is happy about her braces and not hurting and whining. Thankful that Connor made the competitive basketball team and is happily out practicing his shots daily. Thankful that my basement is getting closer to finished every day. Thankful that we were able to have a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner in Burlington with family whom we are now able to see on a somewhat regular basis. Thankful that the MacPhees will be here in just over a week to share another turkey with us, and make lots of precious new memories. Thankful that my Mom and Dad are able to leave today to embark on their long awaited train trip across Canada. Thankful for friends, old and new, that are only a phone call away, or just down around the corner. Thankful that London is finally feeling like home.

Why are you thankful this beautiful autumn?

My birthday gift from Lori, which she gave me on Sunday.
I love it so much I just had to post it here!

Thanksgiving in Indy

Living a single day's drive from our friends, Peter and Ellen Moore, and their three awesome daughters, Mallory, Julia and Shorey, has been one of the greatest perks of living in Southwestern Ontario. This past weekend was our third visit with them since moving here. We shared the Fourth of July celebrations with them there; they came here for Labour Day weekend; we celebrated American Thanksgiving with them. It has become a bit of a pattern, and one that I am happy to see emerging. Before we left the discussion had already begun about when they would be coming to London next. Long weekends are a necessity, since it is a six to seven (plus, if you don't pay attention) hour drive. Looks like we'll see them again sometime between February and April. I can hardly wait!


Shorey (not a good representation of her always beautiful
smiling face!), Mallory, Janelle, Julia and Connor.


This weekend included so much it has to be a list:

• Thanksgiving morning started at 4:30 a.m., when I got up to get in line at a department store with Peter and Ellen to check the most important items off their "to buy" list.
• We returned home at 7:30 to sleep.
• Thanksgiving turkey dinner.
• After-turkey nap in preparation for marathon shopping beginning at 10 p.m.
• Ellen and I left the house at 9:00 Thursday night to go in search of "shopper-sustaining" coffee and head to Toys R Us. When we arrived and saw the line of at least 1000 people we decided there was nothing in that store that was worth standing in line for. We headed home for warmer clothes and a game of cards with our husbands.
• We headed out again at 11:00, and stayed out until 5:30 a.m., with a break for "lunch" in the middle. It was definitely like nothing I had ever seen! Line-ups galore, some great deals, and some crazy people. An education. Not my favourite way to shop, though.
• Friday, Ellen and I slept while Chris and Peter took the kids to the Indianapolis Children's Museum.
• That evening, we met them in downtown Indianapolis for the lighting of Monument Circle. Sandi Patti sang to open the evening, which was a treat for me, and a trip down memory lane.
• Saturday we didn't have to do anything! But Ellen and I headed back to Kohl's to shop without a thousand other people. A much more enjoyable experience! And I am nearly finished my Christmas shopping.

And now to finish my "cliff-hanger" from yesterday. We left the Moore's home at 10:00 a.m. Sunday morning, and I drove the first leg of the journey, stopping at 1:00 p.m. an hour inside Michigan at McDonald's. We were pretty happy with our progress, figuring we were halfway home, not counting the inevitable line-up at the border. We let the kids play in the play place for a while, and then we got gas and were on the road, this time with Chris behind the wheel. Our children were happily occupied with movies in the back seat and I started the People magazine crossword puzzle. We had unplugged the GPS in favour of charging Chris's cell phone, but were sure we wouldn't need it since I-69 goes all the way from Indiana to the border at Port Huron/Sarnia. Neither Chris or I were paying much attention to the road signs, and he was helping me with my puzzle as we travelled. However, about an hour into our drive Chris said "Leanne, I don't see any signs that say I-69 anymore". Sure enough, I dug out the GPS and plugged it in. We were in Grand Rapids, Michegan, about 45 minutes from where I-96 branches off from I-69. It added about 1.5 hours to our trip, and the border added another 1.5 hours. We arrived home just after 8 p.m., where we all fell happily into our beds after a LONG day of family togetherness.

So it was on another trip to Peter and Ellen's, on the way home this time, at Thanksgiving, this time in November, with our long-ago-named children in the backseat, that we learned that history does repeat itself. I assured Chris that he'll laugh about it someday, but I've decided that today is a good day to start!

Over the River and Through the Woods...

I'm celebrating American Thanksgiving today, and I am so thankful for the very special friends with whom we are sharing it. This is my silly version of a celebratory song that I taught the kids in the car yesterday:

Over the border and through Michigan,

To Pete and Ellen's house we drive;

GPS knows the way

To pilot the van
Down highway 69.

Over the border to Indiana—

The kids can hardly wait!

To see their friends

And stay a while,

Thanksgiving in USA!

Adapted from the poem by L. Maria Child.

Giving Thanks

I know it's a few days late, but really, it's never to late to be thankful, is it? We enjoyed a lovely Thanksgiving Dinner at Karen and John's home in Toronto. The weather was gorgeous, much more like summer than mid-October, at least in my experience. 23C Saturday and Sunday! It was a first visit for myself and the kids, and it was so nice to see Karen in her element, cooking for us! Lori and Ben came, too, and we travelled to Burlington late that night to crash in their guest bedrooms. We realized later in the evening that it was the first time Lori, Karen and Chris have all been together for Thanksgiving in over 20 years. That put my thoughts of missing my brother and sister on this one Thanksgiving into perspective!

Which brings me to my Gratitude list! Janelle was composing her own for homework today, and while I was giving her some ideas I began to form mine. Here goes:

• My amazing husband and two awesome kids!
• Good health for all of us.
• Faraway family who love me.
• Telephones and internet that keep that connection alive.
• Friends, both in London and elsewhere.
• Facebook, which keeps that connection alive!
• A school that has become a safe place for my children in this unfamiliar city.
• A wonderful church that has the potential to someday feel as much like "home" as my beloved church in Fredericton.
• A beautiful house, that is feeling more like "home" every day.
• Chris's job, which provides for all our needs daily.
• And finally, to quote Karen Kingbury, my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, who has, for now, blessed me with these.

I hope everyone reading this celebrated a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends. I pray we'll all remember daily to be thankful for all the blessings showered upon us in this part of the world. We are truly unaware of how very fortunate we are.