He thinks it`s ghetto, I think it`s brilliant!

We're driving to Myrtle Beach for our family vacation.

  It's supposed to take us 15 hours of driving time.

It'll likely take us more than that...seeing as there are four female bladders in our car which equals many many bathroom stops.

But that's ok with me...it's part of the adventure of a road trip.

And plus...with today`s modern gadgets

we have the option of having a tv in the car.

Mazda wanted us to pay an extra $8000 to add the built-in dvd.

Ok...maybe not $8000...Tim`s at work right now so I can`t verify the exact price...

but, believe me, it was not worth the high price they were asking.

So Tim, with his ability to make anything, gave us our very own built-in dvd system.



It attaches to my headrest.




It both pivots AND swivels.




Seriously,  look at the craftsmanship on this thing.



When I told the girls this morning about the marvel that is their dad,

Alison replies:  ìt`s a good thing you married him, mom.

I totally agree.

And then I started thinking about how maybe we were making life too easy for our children.

When I was a kid we went on long long road trips every year.

I didn`t have a t.v. strapped to the back of my mother`s head.

We read books and played license plate games.

But we also sat without booster seats or seatbelts

and lay flat on the floor of the minivan to sleep.

And of course there was the heavy usage of gravol

...which I may or may not also do...we`ll see.  :)

Either way...my kids will get to travel in style...

even if it is a bit ghetto.

New Player in the House

Emily turned 5 years old last weekend. 

Tim bought her a ukelele.

I've always said she's a daddy's girl.

She was so pleased to be singing with him.

Now she lounges on the couch,

in exactly the same position her dad takes,

and strums her uke.

Love..or Something

If you follow my blog you'll know that Tim and I have been together for a very long time

 and have celebrated Valentine's Day together many many times.  Last night being the 20th. 

 We both got it quite wrong with our cards to one another. 

I appreciate the romantic flowery card with gushy words inside.  Tim appreciates humourous cards with gushy words inside. 

I'm not sure what I was thinking when I created this for him:

And here's the beauty he chose for me:

Fierce

Last year, out of the blue,

Emily - the girl who will not smile or sit for a family photo,

decided to turn into a child model for roughly 7 minutes.

She did it again this week while I was out for the evening. 

 She informed Tim she wanted to "do some poses". 

So Tim took the camera out...and here's a small sampling of her "session":

I don't know where she gets these ideas.

I think Tyra Banks would say she's Fierce.

I say it's ridiculously cute...

and slighty scary.

Better than Ever!

Nineteen and a half years ago I joined AYF at Rexdale Alliance Church (youth group for Grades 9-OAC).  I was 15 years old and in grade 10.  It didn't take me long to meet Tim Repetski.  He wore Oakley Frogskin sunglasses and he was so cute.  My crush started in October 1991.  Being a 16 year old guy he didn't really notice my advances....I always tried to sit beside him at church and during youth group - so aggresive, right? 

I remember having a conversation with one of my guy friends, Andrew P, and he told me that Tim was definetly interested in me.  Well...finally, I thought, now I just have to turn 16 and I'll be officially (according to Tony and Brigitte Peron) allowed to date.

On January 25, 1992 it was a day with no school.  I had just finished my first semester exams and we had the day off before semester 2 started.  I was hanging out at Vijay Krishnan's house with Tim, Andrew, and Terrence.  Don't ask me where all of the other girls were...I was so pleased that there were no other girls vying for Tim's attention.  I knew that there was a group of people going rollerskating on the Thursday of that week - one day after I turned 16!  So while Tim and I were sitting on the floor of the living room  of the Krishnan's home I asked him if he wanted to go with me...he hesitated and so I said it would be my treat.  So embarassing....but he had never had a girl pay for him before and so he thought that was pretty cool. 

Two days later I was 16 years +1 day old and now officially allowed to date.  I think Tim and I drove with a few other people to the roller rink.  We skated and talked and he bought me a drink and somewhere near the end of the evening we held hands as we made our way around the rink. BTW, we didn't have our first kiss until a few months later.



April 1992 - our very first picture together





May 1992 - at the Bijl Wedding. 
For all of you who want this dress - it was made from a Laura Ashley pattern
by my Oma for my grade 8 graduation. 



 Tim and I attended separate high schools and I believe that is why we were able to have such a healthy dating relationship.  We only saw each other at youth group on Wednesday nights, one date on Friday or Saturday night, and at church on Sundays.  We always kept our own circle of friends other than the church friends that we shared. 

We took driver's ed together and both failed our first road test within half an hour of each other.

When I shared with him that I had decided to be baptized at 18 years old he said that he had also decided to take that step of obedience.  We were baptized on the same Sunday evening.

In August 1997 Tim proposed to me at Killbear Provincial Park by having a Park Ranger pull me over and issue me a ticket.  When I was given the ticket the officer had written in large letters:  "Will you marry me?"  I was totally confused and wondered why this guy was asking me out?!?  I turned to Tim sitting beside me and now ready with the ring.  He then asked me himself "Will you marry me" and I of course burst into tears and then said yes!!

 10 months later...on July 4, 1998 I married my best friend.

Six and half years of dating.
Twelve and half years of marriage.
And each new day I love him more.

Favorites Moments from today.

I am 35 years old today.
I have been so loved today - all week really.  Starting last Friday my friends and sisters threw me a surprise party.  I was so very very shocked - believe me .  I had no idea that they were doing this for me which was evident in the way I looked.  No make-up.  Three-day old hair which means overly large and frizzy.  But, I loved every minute of the party.



I'm pretty sure I stayed in this position for too long....and I couldn't quit smiling.


Sunday afternoon my mother-in-law prepared a feast for me.  Yum.
And Monday evening my mom called me up and had me meet her at the mall.  She took me for dinner and then over to MEXX to buy me a church outfit.  Honestly, it felt like I was 15 years old all over again.  A skirt and blouse were on her mind for me.  And it would have made her quite happy to have me choose a matching blazer.  :)  Too bad there were no skirts that I liked...wink wink.

Today - my actual birthday - began with the girls giving me tulips.  I love tulips during the winter...they make me think Spring is just around the corner.  My dad brought me coffee and flowers mid-morning and my very good friend brought me a delicious lunch from Szechuan Szechuan.  (plus a beautiful new purse.  I love purses and it takes a good friend to be brave enough to know what kind of a purse a girl will like.  She was right on). 

I asked for "breakfast for dinner" for my birthday dinner.  In my mind all I needed was crispy bacon and eggs.  But Tim prepared an absolute "breakfast for dinner feast" including french toast, sausage, homemade hashbrowns, orange juice with pulp (!!), malt bread (blast from our cottage days with our friends before kids past), bacon, eggs, and coffee.

Tim sent me to my crafting space to make cards while he cleaned up the kitchen and got the children ready for bed.  If you know me well then you'll understand that this was a huge gift too. 

I am so thankful for my wonderful husband who knows exactly my language of love
 for my girls who all made me handmade cards,
for my family (my sister is hosting a family party this coming weekend)
and for my friends.

favorite moment from the day: receiving a card from ALison with a poem that she wrote which reads:

"Once there was a catrpiler [caterpillar] so they say

 a 34 lady turend [turned] 35 today!"

[re] learned today: my husband knows me so very well

frivolous thing i'm most thankful for right now:  the chocolate birthday cake waiting for me to eat a 2nd piece with a glass of red wine 

song i'm listening to right now: Tim singing with his uke

[okay....now it's your turn! you answer these 4 things.]
(idea used with permission from Love)

My Bubbling Heart

I really like to sing. I like to sing in my car - really loud. I like singing in church. I really love to sing in a choir. I'm not microphone worthy - but I am a good solid member to have in a group of singers. I remember fondly my grade eight year. Our teacher, Mr. Van Meggelan, was a very accomplished pianist. There were 16 girls in my class (and only 2 boys). Most of the girls enjoyed singing so we managed to convince Mr. V to let us sing almost every day. The songs that were my favourites were the ones that I could sing harmonies with by reading the music. Since then I have always chosen to sing harmony with any music.



One of my favourite memories of high school was being part of the choir and attending MusicFest each spring. Over 600 high school students from other Christian high schools would practice for months on their own and then gather together for one day to rehearse for a mass choir concert in the evening. It was such a beautiful sound. I loved it!



So recently I bought Tim a ukelele for his birthday. If you know Tim, then you know that he has an amazing singing voice. One of my friends says that "if Tim was my husband I would make him only sing to me. No talking". But it's not often that I and my kids hear Tim sing at home. But now he has this new instrument - and he's singing all. of. the time. And ask me how happy that makes me? So happy.



And yesterday - you will never believe what he asked me. "Honey, can you sing with me while I play?" Now, I have never told anyone this but I think it's really romantic when a guy and a girl sing together; just the two of them. Not like when it's done in church. Because Tim has sang duets with lots of other girls and it was never a romantic thing. But if the guy and girl are a couple and singing together I think that is romantic. I have always secretly wished that Tim and I would sing together. So cheesy, right? But that's me: Cheesy. So he asks me to sing with him while we're sitting at the kitchen table. And he has no idea how much my heart is bubbling up inside and I'm trying not to smile too much. And you know what we're singing? Christmas songs, and some gospel songs, and some kid songs. Good times.