First Children's Book

 April Journaling

1.     Crocheted a large mauve hippo, a yellow reversible octo, and more mushy pops for the kids in Uganda. Prayer meeting.

2.     Bible study, massage. I stepped up to become one of the Sunday school teachers for the older kids beginning in June.

3.     Good Friday service. May I never lose the wonder of the cross.

4.     Bill C-9 has passed. Time will tell how much it will restrict/impact the proclamation of the gospel.

5.     Resurrection Sunday! He is Risen. He is Risen indeed. Checking in online for our cruise and choosing our seats on the airplane.

6.     My husband did my mom’s taxes because they are easy, but mine and his are complicated. He started but now we decided to bring them to a professional because we’re not sure what was claimed the last few years when they were done by someone else. Trying to get in to see my doctor to fill out forms.

7.     Planning for this week’s young adults meeting on Friday.

8.     Prayer meeting. Took my mom out for a haircut.

9.     Bible Study.

10.The young adults’ meeting was great. We had 19 tonight, 20 in our first one.

11. Going for a pedicure with my mom since she needs foot care and we are going on the cruise in two weeks.

12. In spite of missing a few doses of my weight loss medication, I’m still losing; down 29 pounds since July. Although I’m not pleased that it makes me lose muscle instead of fat.

13. Our daughter got a job in Toronto so she’ll be living with us again starting in May. Picking up our taxes from H & R Block.

14. My first children’s story book was published! Bunny’s Excellent Jamaican Adventure, based on our family trip to Jamaica when our granddaughter’s favorite stuffie was lost. The book arrived, I’m most proud of this one.

15. Sent a parcel off to Uganda with toys I made and books I wrote.

16. I’ve been one month without Wegovy waiting on my doctor to fill in the forms for approval from the drug company to cover it. Just got it in time to take it with me on vacation. Still down 29 pounds though.

17. Last Young Adults for Christ meeting before our vacation. We will be away for the next three but one of the other elders is covering.

18. The grandkids are here for the weekend, last visit before our cruise. I showed them the personalized book, they loved it.

19. Church.

20. Getting our winter tires off. Packing and doing so many last minute things for our vacation and the care of my mom while we’re gone. Getting U.S. cash.

21. Finally packed! Or should I say, overpacked. Every time I think I won’t, I still do.

22. Finished my homework for Bible study tomorrow. Cleaning and prepping my mom’s meds for the next three weeks. Prayer meeting tonight.

23. Bible study, then picking up my sister from the airport.

24. Headed to the airport early, our flight leaves for Miami at noon. Will go out for Chinese food for dinner, and get a few more things at a drug store.

25. Boarding the ship for our 15 day Panama Canal Cruise. We have a balcony room on the 11^th deck starboard, aft. Dinner at the Tepanyaki restaurant.

26. I brought my crocheting to make teddy bears for some staff or people we meet. Sea Day.

27. We got the spa package so we spend a lot of time in the sauna. Sea Day. Lots of playing cards.

28. In Cartagena, Colombia. Love cruising.

29. In Colon Panama, transiting through the canal.

30. Sea Day. It’s my birthday. Dinner at Le Bistro, the French restaurant.

Mom is 86

 

March Journaling

1.     Church. I taught the younger kids and was so nervous because the lesson was not a simple Bible story but a doctrinal teaching about Jesus as the lamb of God and how that means we don’t do animal sacrifices anymore. But my helper, Anna Karina was so good, and helped them with the memory verse by drawing pictures of the key words.

2.     The O.T. was here but my mom gets her Finn on and is so stubborn and obstinate, refusing to answer questions. When she doesn’t know something like what is this colour? She will ask, Why? Or say, I don’t want to. It gives her control. But it is very frustrating. But one improvement was she was able to print her name, which she didn’t do before.

3.     A visit from the home care coordinator. Then we are seeing my mom’s family doctor at one o’clock, because she also needs to get bloodwork done.

4.     PSW to shower my mom. I got copies of my latest word search, Obscure Vocabulary Word Search. That’s five word searches now.

5.     Going to Hamilton to look after the youngest granddaughter.

6.     I made two yodas.

7.     Making more mushy pops for the kids in Uganda. My mom is having a bad day language-wise.

8.     Helped at Sunday school, the younger kids. The Paralympics are on in Italy. I got copies of my first coloring book, called My ABC Fruit Coloring Book, but there are also activities in it.

9.     OT here to help with speech therapy. My mom is less difficult now.

10. I have a doctor’s appointment for myself today.

11. Staying overnight in Hamilton to help with the grandkids. I brought my coloring book, which my granddaughter loved.

12. Home again. Made two axolotls and a platypus.

13. The grandkids are coming for a night. There was a bad snowstorm and the drive here was treacherous, but they made it, thank God.

14. Looking through pictures with my mom.

15. Church, then booking our hotel rooms pre and post cruise.

16. O.T. for my mom. We are cancelling the speech therapist twice a week and working with her online instead. Too many appointments, and the O.T. does a good job.

17. Cleaning lady. She does such a good job. I like a clean house, but don’t like cleaning, nor do I have the energy for it. Last day our daughter is here for a while.

18. Our youngest daughter is going to the U.S. to visit her husband, dog, and in-laws for 10 days, then she is moving back to Ottawa to work at her old job with the government, until and unless she gets a job in Toronto, in which case, she’d live with us rent free while she is waiting to reunite with her husband permanently.

19. The PSW we have coming is wonderful. We have her for a year.

20. Trying to adjust our flights pre and post cruise. Successful, now we’re on the same flights as our travel buddies.

21. Women’s ministry meeting. Today my mom’s speech was pretty good, she spoke to my aunt on the phone.

22. Church. Went out for ice cream after evening service.

23. Botox. O.T. speech therapy for my mom. I gave her back her phone because now she can answer calls and texts.

24. Shopping for food for our guests this week.

25. So nice to have family visiting my mom. She was very encouraged by their visit.

26. I made salmon wellington for dinner. They appreciated it.

27. It’s my mom’s 86^th birthday. Glad she’s still with us and her speech is improving all the time. This evening we had our first in person meeting of the newly formed Young Adults for Christ, YA4C. There were 20 of us and it was really nice.

28. Our daughter returned from her visit in the US to see her husband, dog, and in-laws.

29. Our daughter left this morning to return to her job in Ottawa, but she’s hoping to get a job in Toronto and live with us to save money while she awaits her green card. Church. This evening was a different format.

30. O.T. for speech therapy. Meeting online to debrief about the Young Adults meeting on Friday.

31. Pain clinic for back injections.