From MorMor's Journal - April 1987

 Report card time!  I love it!  (Will I always?)

Kirsten - "conscientious worker... high marks... independant worker and reliable student... helpful in the class..."

Rachel - "participates eagerly... with confidence... performs enthusiastically and competently... relates well... sharing and taking turns... quick to help... quiet, yet bubbly..."

I'm so pleased at how well they're both doing.  The only subject Kirsten dislikes is gym - one Rachel thrives on.  Yet she's a good walker and can run fast.  We'll see how she'll do in ball this year.  Rachel will be in t-ball and Kirsten in the farm league.

We only have one month of Awana left.  Both girls have finished required work and most of the optional work as well.  Kirsten wants to start learning Norwegian as soon as Tante Tordis send us some books.

Kirsten getting her Awana award.

On top of the Chief with Gerry & Sue.

Rachel's 6th birthday in March.

From MorMor's Journal - March 1987

At the beginning of this month, Einar and I prayed together for two things - a full-time job for him and an extra $600 this month to pay car insurance.  Halfway through the month I realized I didn't even care about the full-time job anymore.  I love it when he is home and he seems to always get enough work to keep our bills paid.  We haven't really had to struggle at all this year.  I also had convinced myself that the insurance wasn't important - we could go without a car for a month.  Then the Lord provided a job for Einar with Rod - six days/week.  His cheque this month should be enough for insurance and rent!
Sue has quit her job and I no longer have the boys.  Paul is here today (and was on Monday and Tuesday) because Sue is at Outdoor School with Kevin.
The time I've been able to spend with Einar this year hsa been wonderful!   We've talked and shared more than ever before. I'm so blessed! ... He keeps busy with fire department, his new regimen of working out, etc.  We often hike altogether on weekends...  (There's more... but I'll let Einar read it himself if he wants to.  He might get embarrassed by all the praise for him in this entry!!)

From MorMor's Journal - February 1987

The girls love jokes right now.  Rachel gets mixed up though.  She knows a riddle that goes, "What did the hippy say to the invisible man?"  ("Hey man, you're out of sight.")  She gets mixed up, though, and asks, "What did the blind man say to the hippopotamus?"

Kirsten started piano in September and is doing so well.  Sue is pleased with her progress.  Einar has started going through her books as well.

I'm learning to love having Einar home.  I spend a fair bit of time at the church and am at Kindergarten every Tuesday afternoon, but we go out for coffee at least once a week when the kids are all in school.  But it still is a blessing whenever Woodfibre (pulp mill) calls him in.

From MorMor's Journal - A Morning Prayer

Another 'unknown' from my journal:

I am too often
Concerned about
What others think of me.
Myu concern should be
For others, Lord -
Not their opinion of me.
Today as I walk with You
May I simply be
What and Who I am.
May I move onward
With quiet humility.

From MorMor's Journal - Thank You, Lord

From my journal (time unknown):

Thank you, Lord
For gentle words
And tender touches.
For fresh beginnings
And newborn smiles.
Thank you for laughter
And sprinkles of mischief
And hugs that never quit.
Thank you for a home
That spells contentment.
Because You live here with us.

From MorMor's Journal - Playing and Sharing

I'd like to tell you that I have two perfect grandchildren.  They are so different, but to their grandmother, they are perfect.  Both of them.  That they love each other, is no secret.  When these two cousins see each other, one or the other decides they need to hug.  Granted, the hugger enjoys the hug more than the huggee.  But it isn't always initiated by the same one.  They both like to initiate the hug. They both are happy to see the other.

I'm not a child expert and don't really know when children truly learn to play together.  I know that our grands are in the process of learning.

Haley's favorite game is pulling out Josiah's soother, and putting it back. He's very tolerant.  Usually.  Apparently the other day, he wasn't as tolerant and turned his head and wouldn't let her play her game.  She had learned a new word, and used it on Josiah.  "No, no, no, no!"  She was somewhat exasperated.  He was supposed to cooperate better.

It will be fun to watch them grow and learn what cooperation really means. 

They understand a bit about sharing.  Especially about sharing what the other one has!  Haley readily shares her own things as well, as long as she can take them back as freely as she offers them. 

Haley is happy to share Josiah's apple sauce.  He's okay with it too.  Sharing a lap is still fun as well.

Another of Haley's idea of sharing.

From MorMor's Journal - More 1986 Pictures

 I'm sure these pictures with Santa were taken at the mall - either in Squamish or Vancouver.

I know this was one of our 'poorer' years, because the dresses are not new.  We were so thankful for our Squamish Household Assistance Recycle and Exchange (SHARE) in our church, where they could find good second-hand clothing.  I think we started it partly because of the economic situation in our town, and partly because as parents we saw our kids growing out of clothing very quickly, and needed a way to pass it on, as well as to get 'new' clothing for our kids. I was part of the team that started it, and was the one who got to do the initial sorting when stuff came in. 

Einar was a volunteer firefighter the last 7 years that we lived in Squamish, and I think this was at the fireman's Christmas party. 

Puzzles at Christmas were part of our tradition.  Here we are working at it with Auntie Sue and Paul.

Sandland family picture.  Apparently pink was the color of the year... and I'm not wearing it.

From MorMor's Journal - 1986 Christmas Letter

I know I've posted most of this already from my journals.  But I want to add this letter because it may have a few nuggets for my kids that are not in the journals.  So bear with my and my repetition.

1986 Christmas Letter

I thought I would not write a form letter this year, but I’m running out of time.  We’ve had a busy but very happy year.  I guess the highlights were our visitors this summer.  Einar’s Onkel Knut and Tante Tordis came from Norway.  We had a wonderful time getting to know them and trying to communicate.  Tante Tordis speaks excellent English, and according to them, Einar’s Norwegian is still very good, but we had occasional difficulty communicating ideas.

We were also thrilled to have Mom & Dad, Tim & Mabel, and Roy & Diane here as well.  We saw a lot of Expo and I believe our kids will remember this summer for a long time.  We’ve stored away many happy memories.

Last Christmas we had a foster daughter – a teenager.  Unfortunately that situation did not work out as we’d have liked it to.  Since then we’ve had a very sweet 1 ½ year old.  She lived with us for about three months and now she is in a more permanent situation.

Last week my friend was in the hospital so I had her 2 & 4 year olds for a week.  It’s amazing how well kids cope when it is necessary.  Kirsten & Rachel demanded so little attention, and, in fact, took on the kids as if they were the ones babysitting!  That made the situation so much easier.

On November 30, Sue, Kirsten & I were in what could have been a serious accident.  We were broadsided on the highway and rolled several times.  Although both cars were totaled, our injuries were minor.  Sue had small lacerations on her hands and glass in her eyes (only one scratch there.)  That was the worst of it.  We praise the Lord for His protection.

Einar has had a sporadic year as far as work is concerned.  He’s on at Woodfibre Pulp Mill as a casual right now.  Perhaps that will last until the new mill opens in Britannia.

With both girls in school (Rachel is in mornings until February), I’ve taken on another responsibility.  I’m working with Pastor Purdie as an Administrative Assistant.  Besides the mail, bulletin and calendar, I’m supposed to keep Pastor Purdie from doing jobs others could do and find people to do them.  I’m really enjoying it and since this is not only a new job for me, but a new position in our church, we’re still trying to decide what all it involves.   But I did feel I was doing my job recently when the Pastor told me I was “such a nag.”  It was said with a smile.

A Manitoban?

I am watching the arrival of spring, and remembering my childhood.

When we moved here last summer, I was often a wee bit annoyed when my husband would tell people that for me, it was coming home.  I left as a fifteen-year-old and came back as a grandmother.  It didn't feel much like 'coming home.'  Our old house in Kleefeld belongs to someone else, and my closest siblings live over an hour from where I grew up - on the other side of the river.  ("Yant Zied" or 'other side' was a derogatory term in my growing up years.) 

But there were a few things that felt like 'home' and I'm discovering more of those all the time.  I grew up in a Mennonite community so the terms, accents, Low German phrases, etc, all seemed strangely familiar, if you know what I mean. 

Our move, when I was fifteen, took us far from all of our friends and relatives.  Suddenly I'm back in an area where I can actually run into aunts, uncles and cousins in the coffee shops and stores.  What fun!  I'm sure I run into many more than I know... I don't know nearly all of my cousins.   (Those things happen when your grandmother had 21 children and your mother had 13.)  I have had the chance to get reacquainted with some of the few cousins that were my age. 

I have reconnected with one of my childhood friends.  We may have changed and grown - and even grown somewhat in different directions, but we still have so much to talk about, and are slowly catching up. 

But I think what prompted this blog entry was weather.  Yes, the weather.  Manitoba spring.  So different from the springs we experienced both in BC and in Alberta.  Here it starts to melt and then continues to melt.  Even when the temperature doesn't get past 0.  As I was walking to an appointment the other day, there was a chill in the air, but the smell of spring.  It brings me right back to my childhood.  We may not get the chinooks, and regular thaws in the winter... but when it starts, it continues.  We know spring is just around the corner, and eventually the snow will be gone, and summer will come. And I love this about Manitoba.

Spring Thoughts

Okay, so the title isn't really accurate.  This is more about being grateful.  But don't you find it much easier to be grateful when spring is just around the corner?  I sure do. 

I am not far into my day, but it has already been such a good day.  I got up at six in order to see my husband off for the day.  I was a little groggy and a wee bit tempted to go back to bed.  But he would have encouraged that... but I'm stubborn... so I stayed up.  And I'm glad I did. 

After he left, and my breakfast was done, I headed downstairs for something.  I'm not sure what.  I'll remember some time today.  But I stayed downstairs long enough to clean up a bit.  We had an unmade bed in the guestroom and I needed to fix that.  Clean the seldom-used downstairs bathroom.  Straighten the family room.  My girls are reading a book by the Fly Lady (google it if you're interested) and are enthusiastic about cleaning these days.  I haven't picked up the book yet, but still need to do these things.  I wasn't down there long, but got a lot done.  Feels good!

As I entered my kitchen, my plants caught my eye.  The Cineraria, that my husband brought home earlier this year, is trying so hard to stay alive.  Actually the plant looks great, but the flowers are getting droopier and droopier.  I know they won't live forever, but it's determination to stay alive makes me smile  The African Violets that I tried to transport from my sister in Squamish never made it, but the one I picked up from Yahoo Freecycle from a woman in Winnipeg is quite happy these days with the extra sunshine. 

So is my Christmas Cactus.  I love flowers, and having them blooming inside is something I take for granted far too often.  Just imagine, I don't have to go to wherever the Christmas Cactus grows wild, to see it in full bloom.

I have probably had a birdfeeder before - though I'm not sure where.  Now I have several, including two suet feeders.  I have only seen Chickadees, Nuthatches, and Sparrows so far, but even these birds are fun to watch.  Even stress-relieving, I think.  I am thankful for a chance to watch the birds.  Even though they make a mess on my deck.  And I'm thankful that I now have a dry path on my deck to the feeder that needs filling most often.  Spring really is on the way!   

I have several half-finished monkeys sitting on my rocking chair.  I'm thankful that I enjoy doing this.  Maybe when I die, there will be a thousand monkeys to give away, but that's not a bad thing, right?

One of the reasons for finally getting to my basement is that our small group from our church is coming here on Monday for Bible Study.  I think we're using a DVD series, so we will have to meet in the basement.  I'm so thankful for new friends in a new place.  We miss our friends from Calgary, and know that we always will.  But new friends help to take away the loneliness of a move, and this photo - from our women's retreat last weekend, reminds me that there are a lot of new friends to be made here in Manitoba.  And for that, I am grateful. 

From MorMor's Journal - A 1986 Prayer

My children are growing up.

I no longer have the pressures of the toddler years.

Those years were a pleasure too,

But each year seems better –

Less of the pressure and more fun.

I don’t have to worry whether my child is

  being too noisy in a meeting.

I don’t have to watch them constantly to

  be sure they’re not into something.

Now there is the thrill of pride as my

  seven-year-old reads her own composition to a crowd

  and the fond appreciation of the sense of humor

  given to my five-year-old as I watch her silly antics.

Both girls are so precious – and so different.

Kirsten – her serious intensity; wanting always to be the best (and usually achieving just that.)  Her sensitivity with the less fortunate and her corny jokes.  Her meek and quiet spirit – yet with regality.  She’ll be a real lady one day – now she’s my princess.

Rachel – so lovable and affectionate.  Seldom serious but full of energy.  Everyone wants to be her friend (or boyfriend.)  Happy to play alone but adoring her big sister.  Independent, yet vulnerable.  Her names “Innocent little lamb” and “treasure” describe her well – yet not so well.  There’s an innocence in her yet much of a “rascal” in her as well.  She will also be a lovely woman one day.

Lord, make my children strong.  Strong enough to withstand the battles they will one day face.  Keep them pure and lovely.  May they love You above all else.  May we prepare them well to be wise, God-fearing and loving wives, mothers and women.  Thank you Lord for entrusting such precious girls to our care.

From MorMor's Journal - December 1986

Kirsten reading her composition in the mall.

Someone must have prayed for an exciting year for us (was it me?)  If it was nothing else, it was exciting!
First it was the 'excitement' of having a teenager around the ouse.  She left mid-February.  Then Einar's broken arm.  Then of course we had Expo and company.  We had a wonderful tinme with Onkel Knut & Tante Tordis and it made us all long to go to Norway for a long visit.  It was so good to have Mom & Dad and Tim & Mabel here together.  Their kids are a joy!  Then Roy & Diane came with their three kids - or was it four?  The fourth looked like Einar but acted an awful lot like Curtis!  They had fun together!
Then our little foster daughter came.  We all fell in love with her but she left after three months.  The girls still miss her.
Einar kept himself busy with the fire department, at church (chairman of offering stewards and usher) and at work (Forestry mostly - now also Woodfibre.)
I keep busy too.  Besides the usual housework I get a lot of company.  I've sold both Avon and Regal this year as well as my own crafts (barrettes, Christmas corsages, etc.)  My friend Shelly & I talked about going into business doing crafts!
Then Shelly got sick.  I took her kids while she was in the hospital.  That was some weekend.  She had offered to babysit the girls while Einar & I went to the Fireman's Ball.  It's probably good that the girls were there.  Shelly got sick very suddenly and when Kirsten saw how sick she was, she said to her, "Don't worry about the kids, Mrs C, I'll look after them."  (She's 7, Rachel's 5, and Shelly's kids are 4 & 2)  She read them several books until Mrs Purdie came and put them all to bed.  Shirley got ahold of us and we came back.  I stayed there while Einar & Shirley took Shelly to the hospital.  Einar got back around 12:30, and at about 1:00 they had a call to an accident. 
Einar got back around 3:00 a.m. and managed to sleep for a couple of hours.  We took the kids home to our place and Einar went back to bed.  He was sick. I took all the kids to church Sunday morning and Sue & I arranged to run into town after lunch because I needed some groceries and she was going to pay me for babysitting.  Kirsten had been such a help to Shelly and to me that I told her she could come along.  We got our groceries and on the way home we were broadsided by a car heading south on the highway.  Sue's Pony flipped and rolled a few times before it settled in the ditch - right-side up and facing up towards the road.  Sue crawled out of her windows and Kirsten & I crawled out of the windshield (which wasn't there) and we got up onto the road.  Sue's hands were lacerated and bleeding (no big cuts - just lots of little ones) and she had glass all over - including in her eyes.  Kirsten was crying - she had really been scared but she and I were both fine.  The police were concerned that she'd go into shock - she was so gray - so they called an ambulence.  They took their time cleaning Sue up before they took us to the hospital.  Sue only had one scratch in her eye from all that glass.  Evie sings a song: "I have an angel that watches me."  I guess our angels were working overtime!
Kirsten never even had a nightmare because of it.  Though she is an awful passenger right now - always asks us to slow down.
We had Shelly's kids all that week and they were just excellent.  So were Kirsten and Rachel.  Rachel usually tires very quickly of company but I guess she realized she couldn't this time, and so she and Catherine were just buddies.  She wouldn't even go to her friend Tiffany's unless Tiffany invited Catherine.
Rachel just loves Kindergarten.  She had Mrs Bowcock for quite awhile and wasn't sure she liked Mrs Cheal when she wame on the scene.  The teachers say she is self-motivated and independant and quiet.  She's a quick learner, too.
Kirsten is at the top of her class.  Some in her class read at a 1-6 level, but she's at a grade 3-8 level.  She loves French and Mrs Magnolo said to get her into French Immersion as soon as possible.
Just in case I couldn't keep busy doing what I was doing, when the Pastor asked for an Administrative Assistant, I volunteered.  I could work from 5 hours/week to full-time.  I try to get to the church every day (Monday to Friday) to at least see what needs to be done.  My job is to keep Pastor Purdie from doing everyone else's jobs.  I really enjoy that.

Birds Hill Park - Cedar Bog 2

I really wanted to go back to the bird feeding station on the Cedar Bog trail, so my daughter offered to come along with me.

My granddaughter was all bundled up, and perhaps was as overdressed as we were.  It was a beautiful almost-spring day.

I'm not sure that the inability to sit still is as strong in Haley as in her grandma, but since I was holding the camera, and one person is still less intimidating than three... my daughter continued to walk while I tried to get some good shots.  Chickadees are not frightened long - they were willing to feed even with me nearby.

I was pleased to see this white-breasted nuthatch and be able to get some clear shots before he was frightened away.

There were less varieties out today than we saw last time.  One passerby suggested I try another trail - he had even seen woodpeckers at that feeding station. 

As much as I wanted to do this walk to see the birds, any day spent with my daughter and granddaughter is bound to be a great day!

From MorMor's Journal - Training Bestemor

Grandma's are so hard to train!

Josiah has made it very clear that he expects Bestemor to be in the room while he sleeps.  She's not even required to hold him, but surely she has nothing else to do than watch him sleep.  He'd sleep so much better if only she was there every time he opened his eyes briefly. 

Then there's the computer.  Bestemor knows that he needs to learn what each key does, yet she holds him an arms-length away!

And when he's on his tummy, Bestemor puts things just out of his reach!  She must not know how short his arms are... sometimes he can get them, but not every time. 

One day. One day he'll have Bestemor trained...

From MorMor's Journal - March 2011

I've called this blog MorMor's Journal, because eventually I thought I would write about my grandkids in here.  Now we've changed what our grandchildren will call us: we liked the usual Norwegian names for Grandma & Grandpa:  Bestemor & Bestefar, but the blog name needn't change. MorMor just means Mother's mother, and that is what I am to my grandchildren, whatever they choose to call me when they start to speak.

But tonight my grandson is the topic of this blog.  You see, tonight we have him for night for the first time.  He is not quite nine months old, and is not talking yet, but he is very smart.  He knows that I can't listen to him cry for long, and he knows that Bestemor will sing him to sleep if he's persistant enough. 

Having the grandbabies for night is somewhat intimidating... I sleep well.  Very well.  If my kids are here with their children, and they tell me in the morning that their babies cried half the night, it is news to me.  I don't hear it.  But we did okay when our granddaughter spent the night.  When I know that I'm in charge, I sleep lightly.  Just so I can hear her. 

Well, tonight as I rocked our grandson, I had to smile.  He knows about sleeping lightly.  He may have two or three hour naps at home, but here he is so afraid he'll miss anything, that he has half-hour naps.  It was time to put him to sleep for the night, and yes, I was walking him and singing.  If I even shifted him in my arms, his eyes opened immediately.  He held onto my shirt with his tiny fist, so he'd feel it if I put him down.  I sang all the regular favorites, and he still was drifting in and out of sleep. 

So I tried a few tricks of my own.  I just sang the last line of the song over and over, hoping that would get him into a deeper sleep.  When his eyelids finally weren't fluttering open regularly, I put him down in the playpen, continuing to sing the same line over and over.  It seemed to work.  He's asleep.  For now...

From MorMor's Journal - Expo '86

September 2, 1986

Summer's over - Hallelujah! Kirsten, Paul & Kevin started school today - just half a day. They all like their teachers and think they'll enjoy their year. I'm glad - especially since Sue was worried about Kevin.

Rachel starts kindergarten on Friday. Tomorrow we go to Mrs Cheal for her interview.

We have our foster daughter again - she came back August 4, and I don't know how long it will be this time. We sure love her though, and although I thought I was past the baby stage, I'm enjoying it again.

This summer was a busy one - with company & Expo.

First Einar's Onkel Knut & Tante Tordis from Norway came July 23 for two weeks. We had them here for the first weekend.

Company from out-of-country are a great excuse for a family picnic.

This was at Stanley Park in Vancouver.

Mom & Dad, Tim & Mabel, Jennifer and Kelsey came July 29-August 2.

Roy, Diane, Curt, Carrie, & Carman came on the 13th. Sue & Gerry were gone on their holidays so Roy & Diane stayed at their place and came to our place for lunch & dinner.

We spent time at Expo with all of our company.

(Not from my journal...) Rachel hung onto Curt while they were here... or should I say Curt hung onto Rachel??? They went on the Drop of Doom together, and afterwards I thanked Curt for holding Rachel's hand during that ride. He told me he didn't do it for her... he did it cuz he was so scared himself!!

Rachel - either smiling and giggling or whining - there's no in-between. She lost her two bottom teeth this summer and is getting new ones. She has spent much of the summer sleeping overnight at Tiffany's or at Gordie's. She has a lot of friends and always has at least one boyfriend that she is going to marry for sure. She was heartbroken to find out she couldn't marry her cousin Gordie, but finally settled on a few others in her kindergarten class.

Kirsten, on the other hand, is not interested in boys or marriage. If a boy likes her, she can't stand him. She only likes boys (like Kevin) who treat her like another boy. She's a real tomboy. Her favorite pastimes are bike-riding, climbing trees, drawing (inventing with Paul & Kevin) and reading.