Special Siblings

Joelle and Robynn are honorary siblings. Given that their mothers – Lynda and I – are best of friends, the girls have been in each other’s company since birth. And just like siblings, they play together (usually), share their toys (sometimes), and love each other (always).

Lynda is expecting the arrival of Baby Lew, any day now, and Russ and I offered to have Joelle spend a night. We wanted Lynda and Dustin to have a little time alone, as it’s not likely to happen for some time to come, and we wanted Joelle to feel comfortable staying with us for a night on the chance that she may be doing so in the future when her brother or sister arrives.

One of Joelle and Robynn’s favourite songs, Wish for a Fish by Bobs & Lolo, is about the “great white sturgeon of the mighty Fraser River.” Since we live so close to the Fraser, we took Joelle for a walk to see if we could spot one of these “prehistoric fish.” No fish, but we did jump and clap a lot!

The girls each took a dolly on our walk, and had a blast racing them on the pier near our home. And the big grassy area was a great place to run around, chase, and be chased by Russ.

Joelle brought along a great book called Prince William, and Russ had cuddle time with the girls while reading and doing Bible devotionals.

Two is definitely a handful, as both Lynda and I are looking forward to discovering, but oh so rewarding.

Shhh, It's a Surprise!

This past July 25th marked the 35th birthday of my amazing husband, Russ. I wanted to do something extra special to show him how much he was loved – not just by Robynn and me, but by all of his friends and family. So, I embarked on the journey every spouse must undertake, at least once in their marriage, and I arranged for a SURPRISE party to celebrate the occasion.

Food, fun, and fish? The food was great – no party is complete without a banquet of appetisers and munchies, followed by a feast of burgers, dogs, and salads. Fun was had by all – especially the grandparents and parents as we watched our children run and play together. And well, no fish, but all of the kids sure did act like it, large and small kids alike. The pool was a great big hit, and we had ALL of the cousins in the pool with their Daddies and Uncles.

Was Russ surprised, not really – especially after he asked for my work login and password and received a fierce “NO!” After all, how was I supposed to keep this secret from an IT guy, unless I used my work email? But he was a good sport and played along that he didn’t know what was happening. Russ was surprised, however, by the wonderful people that showed up: all of his family and mine, friends from as far away as Vancouver Island, even a school buddy that Russ hadn’t seen in months – and don’t forget our HA representative! So I guess Russ was surprised after all. He certainly enjoyed himself and felt very loved. Thank you to all of our friends and family for making this such a memorable 35th birthday.

The story of Robynn and Kai

Back in the spring, I went with Robynn when she began her first day at her new preschool/daycare. Robynn was very uncomfortable and shy all through welcomes and circle time. I was worried that Robynn was going to have a hard time adjusting to this new space, when a beautiful little girl came up to Robynn. It was Kai. Kai introduced herself and invited Robynn to play with her. My heart was so warmed by the compassion and empathy shown by this little angel. From that day forward Robynn and Kai became fast friends at the preschool.



At the end of the year, I had the chance to meet Kai's Mom, Tammy. I told her the story of Robynn's first day, and Tammy told me Kai's version. Apparently, on coming home that evening, Kai told her parents that she had met a new friend named Robynn who had red hair just like the "red-bwested bird." How sweet!

Today, Tammy and I met at the park with our girls for a play date. The girls were so excited to see each other again that they had been counting the sleeps and hours before seeing each other again. We had a beautiful time playing in the park and later in the water area. The girls are kindred spirits - both a little hesitant and cautious, but both caring and loving. I know that Robynn will be counting the sleeps until she can get together with Kai again!