For Brock and Lucretia... with love

So let's get this first part over with... I haven't blogged in like... forever. I know. Blogging fell off my plate and just like the meatball in "On Top Of Spaghetti" it rolled off the table, out the door and under a bush where it was on the verge of becoming mush until...

Brock and Lucretia. They, in effect, have gone out, picked up the damn meatball and have put it back on my plate and Lucretia has basically threatened to force feed me if I don't start working on it! Brock nags me through his mom, my sister Dawn. Whenever I see her she reminds me that Brock is waiting for me to write. And not complying with a request from my eldest nephew is like kicking a really, really sweet and endearing puppy. I may be a hard hearted bag from time to time, but come on, a puppy!?!

And Lucretia? Well she's a dear friend of my sister Janette who I totally love. She's beautiful, inside and out, pee your pants funny and well, frankly, I'm scared of her. So when she likes reading my blog and lets me know in no uncertain terms to get my ass in gear I feel a little like a mob boss is leaning forward and in a low menacing voice is saying, "I like your blog, if you know what I mean..." My life hangs in the balance folks!

So here I am. And kidding aside, glad to be here. I do enjoy the process of writing and it is a great way to keep ya'll updated.

After I last wrote in ummm... December... we packed up house and moved into a place just a few streets over from where we were. The teacher's housing came open and we just couldn't pass it up. Fenced yard for Wags (our dog), big basement the kids can play soccer in and potentially cheaper to heat (don't get me started on how much it costs to stay warm up here if you're not using wood!). And yes this move happened over Christmas! Overall it worked out and we're happily settled in. One of Brenna's good buddies lives across the street and so that's been a nice bonus.

Hockey has kept the kids busy. It's hard to believe that the boys only started skating when we came here. They are doing sooo well. We were in Whitehorse this weekend and spent some time at the Canada Games Centre with my sister Laura, my nephew Tyler and my niece Abby. Laura and I sipped good coffee and watched the kids on the leisure ice, what fun to watch them! Will's been inspired by the Olympics and so as he went speeding around the corners trying for his best time he would put his hand down on the inside curve just like the speed skaters do. Jay of course spent most of his time entertaining us with his crazy antics and Brenna was doing some pretty amazing spins and dance choreography. So we decided that Will may end up in the Olympics speed skating, Brenna doing ice dancing and Jay, well, he may be Elmo in the Ice Capades!

Other highlights of the last few months...

Christmas in the Junction
- The Christmas Concert went well which was a big deal for Ken as he had a big role in it. His bands played throughout the evening and was really the first time people heard them. It was a great evening!
- Santa visited! At one point as the holidays approached Will looked at me and asked where we were going to see Santa because, "Mom, they don't have malls here!" The kids were not disappointed. Santa flew in and landed right on the highway in front of Madley's General Store! We had sooo much fun! Apparently last year he arrived on dogsled. How cool is that.

Watson Lake
- Will had a tournament there so we went with his buddy Joah, and his mom (my buddy) for the weekend. It was a HOOT! I finally learned what "off side" and "icing" is and I lost my voice from cheering so much. The kids did really well and brought home bronze which was the first medal they'd had in the Junction for quite awhile. AND WILL SCORED TWO GOALS! Needless to say I'm a little proud...
- And I had some much needed girlfriend time with Linda on the drive to and fro (Haines Junction to Watson Lake is 7 hrs). Of all the things I miss most about Winnipeg it's my girlfriends...

Wednesday in Whitehorse
- every second Wed. I head into "town" to get groceries. I used to say to folks out here that I was running into the "city" but they laughed their asses off at me and taught me the lingo. Whitehorse is going into "town". Going to the "city" means you're heading out to Vancouver or Edmonton. Anyway, I hop in the car, enjoy 1 1/2 hours of driving through beautiful scenery listening to CBC Radio, go to the good ol' Super Zoo, do my banking and then I have lunch with MY MOM AND MY SISTERS! I love that! It's such a treat for me to have that on a consistent basis.

Cross Country Skiing
- is pretty big here. As am I. So when Ken suggested we borrow some skis and go out as a family on some of the great trails around here I didn't say much but thought, "how the hell..." But we did it! All of us. Even me. The kids were off and away like they were born with skis on, Ken pretended to struggle for my sake but is doing really well and me... well I look hilarious I think. I didn't know how "the ol' girl" (my ankle) would do and I HATE falling (try carrying an extra hundred pounds around and then fall down!) so I was a little nervous. I felt like a fat, little hobbit shuffling along (I probably walk faster) and I'm going to make little hairy covers to put over my ski boots to finish the look but I did it and really enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to going more!

Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous
- the annual celebration in Whitehorse of the 1898 Gold Rush. And my sister Janette and her partner Clint from Victoria made it up here to celebrate with us! A fun time was had by all. It's a little different from when I was here as a teen but fun none the less. Dogsled races, flour packing contests, the Sugar Shack (where they pour hot maple syrup in the snow and roll it up on a stick for a sugary maple lolly), Rendezvous Queen competition, ice sculptures, musical entertainment, fireworks, the list goes on. We didn't see it all but we loved what we did.
- We saw Lana Rae! She's a musician that as well as singing Country also does children's music. She's from here and the kids have grown up with her music courtesy of Yukon Grandma. Clever lyrics, catchy tunes! She performed and we got to hear all our favorite tunes! "I've Been Looking at Bums" (written from the perspective of a little one who wanders around at bum level), "Cows Want to be Pretty Too", and "The Trikers Song" (the tricycles version of the Hell's Angels).
- the time spent with Janette and Clint was great. We always laugh lots and drink good wine. Although Janette was hellbent on spilling most of it... Carolans in Mom's car, red wine in Dad's truck. Janette and Clint went dog sledding just out of town while they were here and after seeing some of the video they took we just have to do it! Maybe this spring break... (spring break starts next week and we have TWO weeks).

Enough newsy bits...

On the spiritual, gutsy, deep in the recesses of my contorted soul side of things... I'm doing o.k. I have my days and even weeks that I've come face to face with the big ol' bogey man of winter blues. By the way, he plays dirty. Just when you think you've got a good perspective on yourself and life in general he throws a curve ball that can knock you on your ass if you're not careful. Most of those curve balls for me have to do with parenting and my health. I can let myself get pretty knocked down. I'll spare you the gory details. Let's just say I've been sucking air at the bottom of the HOPE'O'METER.

Three weeks ago I sat down and did some journalling and basically gave myself a good kick in the ass. Basically I reminded myself that if the same power that ROSE Jesus FROM THE DEAD is living in me (and it does) THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE. Even for me. No one is a lost cause. Nothing is too difficult... It's a kick in the ass that I needed and so I've had the strength/motivation to take some positive steps out of the funk that I've been in. One has been getting back into O.A. (Overeaters Anonymous). There is no group here but there are meetings online all the time. Dealing with my addiction to food with God's help has always been better than a diet for me. I feel hopeful and I have more clarity than I've had in a while. Thanks be to God.

As for the parenting... I get glimpses that my kids will survive my parenting. I'm not perfect but I apologize when I need to and genuinely love them and think they're pretty neat. The sibling crap sends me to the funny farm some days but then once in a while they have these sweet moments of togetherness that pulls me (and them) back from the brink of solitary confinement.

All in all life is good and I am an incredibly blessed woman. But enough of my blabbing.

Lucretia, can I stop looking over my shoulder now?

Jesus,

You are at every turn. Thank you that when I feel lost you remind me that you have me tattooed on the palm of your hand. You don't forget about me and I can't forget about you. I love you.

'til next time,

Dianna