Relay for Life 2016

The 2016 Pontiac Relay for Life was held this past Saturday night at the fairgrounds in Shawville, and I was pleased to take part once again, walking with my Slipper Sisters.  Last year, I had to take a hiatus, as my cousin Kayla's wedding was the same day - and I am not a powerhouse trooper like my friend Brenda, who is somehow able to go all day, then go all night (and then continue going all day the next day!!) But I was happy to be able to return this year, and walk all night alongside many others.  We each walk for different reasons, in memory or in honour of different people, but all with the same goal:  we walk in hopes that one day, a cure for cancer will be found, and we won't have to walk anymore.

I admit, it took me a while to get psyched up for Relay this year.  I had committed to the Relay team before I found out the Canada Day Committee's annual golf tournament and steak dinner was the same day, and then I was torn.  I have stepped down from the Canada Day Committee, but I still really wanted to support the cause, as the legendary Canada Day celebrations in our little town are very near and dear to my heart.  I knew I couldn't golf and party all day, then walk all night - like I said, I'm not Brenda!  I'd literally turn into a zombie!!  Both are important causes to me, so I struggled with what to do.

In the end, I chose Relay, and opted to swing by the golf course during the day to drop off a donation from my mom and I.  Otherwise, I spent Saturday resting and relaxing, doing odd little jobs around the house in the morning, and attempting to nap in the afternoon.  Despite a miscommunication about what time we were leaving, Lolly, Sharon, and I managed to get ourselves collected and out the door in good time and headed up to Shawville to settle in to our camp site, grab a bite to eat at the Lions Club BBQ on the grounds, and get ourselves geared up to walk!

It was a ridiculously warm evening - the warmest Relay I've ever been part of, with the night time temperature not going much lower than 18 degrees.  I didn't look for a sweater until long after midnight, never changed out of my capris, and didn't find myself dying for the soup at midnight or a cup of coffee to warm myself up.  It was a fairly easy night to walk through, only one small shower of rain, and the lightening and rumbling thunder that rolled around at times never came near us (thank God - I don't do thunderstorms!!).  Seriously, the biggest battle of the night was with the june bugs, which seemed to come out in droves for the event!

As you probably all know, I started taking part in Relay for Life after my dad passed away following a brief but hard-fought battle with cancer in February 2012.  With the exception of last year, I have walked that track countless times over the past four years, sometimes surrounded by friends, sometimes alone; sometimes laughing til my sides hurt, sometimes with silent tears in my eyes.  Sometimes I've walked fast, marching along with determined purpose in my heart.  Sometimes I've hobbled like an little old lady.  Sometimes I've danced.  Once during the night, I've even run.    Sometimes in dusk, sometimes in the early light of dawn, sometimes lit only by the luminaries along the track in memory or in honour of our loved ones.

But with each step, no matter what the mood or temperature or time of night, I've thought of him.

This year, cancer seems to have touched my family and friends even more than any year before.  This year, I wasn't just thinking of Dad.  I was thinking of friends who are facing, or have faced, the horror of cancer in their lives; of a cousin who passed just days before; of uncles who are currently battling.  I walked holding too many people in my heart this year.

The Slipper Sisters were a small but mighty team this year.  We consisted of only 6 members - our captain Lolly, Sharon and I; event organizer Jaime and one of her volunteers Kim, who were busy most of the night keeping the show rolling; and Brenda, who, as I mentioned, had been working at the golf tournament and steak supper all day and well into the night.  She joined us in the wee hours of the morning to finish it off with us.  And yet, despite being one of the smallest teams present, we managed to achieve "Silver" status with our fundraising, reaching over $6,000 raised for the Canadian Cancer Society.

Jaime and her team of volunteers deserve all the accolades, cheers and rounds of applause they get.  This is no small event - it takes a lot of planning, organizing, and efficiency to pull it off each year, and I am seriously amazed at how smoothly everything goes (and how calm Jaime stays!)  Congratulations once again to ALL of them for their tireless efforts in the days leading up to Relay for Life, and during that long and sometimes seemingly endless night.  And this year, when the final tally came in, they had raised over $120,000.  Simply amazing!!!

I know I've said thank you to those who support us countless times over the past days and weeks, but I need to give them all one more big shout-out.  On a personal level, I was able to raise over $900 myself, and that is 100% thanks to the amazingly supportive family and friends I have surrounding me.  I know it's cheesey, but they truly are "the wind beneath my wings" as I circle that track.

And of course, thanks to my teammates for hanging in there with me during the night.  It's not always easy to stay friends when exhaustion creeps in, and I'm known to get a little nasty and short in the grain when I get tired.  So I appreciate their patience and I'm thankful that, no matter what, we'll be "#stillfriends" when the sun comes up the next day.

Relay for Life 2016 is the books.  Another night filled with memories: some poignant, some special, some hilarious, some not so fond, some sad.

 And with that, one more little prayer that a day will come when we will not have to walk any more.

What I {Heart} This Wednesday!

Wednesday has rolled around again!  I still have my Relay for Life recap to come, but I'm back-burnering it for one more day... I just have to list what I'm LOVING this Wednesday.

I love that it is JUNE!!!  We made it through the crazy days of May!!  I know there's no sign of things slowing down anytime soon, but I always feel like if I can survive the month of May, I can survive anything.  WE DID IT!!!

I'm loving that it is a gorgeous day out there.  The sun is shining, and after a few stifling-hot days over the past week, today is just to be seasonably nice.  I'm already looking forward to my walk at lunch time, and another one this evening!

I love that every where I look this morning, something is catching my photographer eye.  Some days I feel like I look and look, but there's nothing out there worth taking a picture of.  Today is not one of those days.  I feel like I'm surrounded by beautiful potential photos today!

I'm loving The Tragically Hip.  I was devastated by last week's news that lead singer Gord Downie has been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, and I've had him on my mind ever since.  I was in Grade 7 when I "discovered" The Hip.  They instantly became my favourite band, I developed a bit of a crush on drummer Johnny Fay, and I made it a personal mission to buy every single album they had made.  When I first picked up the guitar, "Wheat Kings" was one of the very first songs I learned to play, and it is still my favourite "go to" when someone asks me to play something.  I have been lucky enough to see them live in concert 3 times, and I'm hoping for one more chance this summer when they go on tour for what will likely be the last time.  I hadn't listened to any of my Hip CD's in quite a while, so I dug them out last week and have been re-immersing myself in their music.  My God, there are some gems in their vast and amazing songbook.  Fingers crossed that I get my hands on some tickets this Friday.

I love that my friend Stacy's blog post inspired me this morning to order some new bathing suits!  I'm in a sad state right now, as the bathing suits I wore in the olden days are still way too big on me, but the cute size 8 tankinis I've worn over the past 2 summers are no longer even close to fitting me.  (boooo!)  I'm honestly not even sure what the heck size I am anymore, but I took a guess, and I'm praying at least one of the suits I ordered from Sears this morning will fit.  Only a few weeks until the Sunday School picnic and pool party at Lindsay and Ryan's, and I don't want to be off on the sidelines in a muumuu! ;)

Loving that we got to take in a few innings of my niece Danica's first ball game last night in Wolf Lake!  Mom, Aunt Mona, and I were highly entertained watching the Aylmer Angels play their first game of the season.  Dan was all smiles, skipping to the plate when it was her turn to bat and seemingly having a blast.  We, on the other hand, were sitting in a very cold wind (where did that come from?!) and battling a million black flies (they are BRUTAL this year!!) so we didn't stay for the whole game.  But I got a few pictures so I was happy.

I love that I have positive energy and happiness flowing through my veins again.  I've felt like I've been on a bit of a downer lately, and over the past few days, I've felt that seeping away.  It feels good to just be in a good mood!

I'm so loving that I won the Budweiser e-fridge at the Canada Day golf tournament on Saturday!  I didn't get to take part this year because I was already committed to Relay for Life, but I did swing by the course for a little visit, and while I was there, I bought a couple of squares in the square game.  Later that night, when I was walking laps around the Relay for Life track, my phone started blowing up with texts from friends letting me know I'd won the e-fridge! hahaha!  I don't like beer, and I really have no place for a beer fridge, so I think it will be finding a new home, but it just made me feel good to win something.  I never win anything!!!

I love that summer plans are starting to take shape.  I believe we will have family in town visiting for Canada Day, and I'm so excited to see them.  Then of course there's the annual vacation to the camp to look forward to, and as I mentioned, hopefully a special concert to go to in August.  This summer will likely be more quiet than the last one, but I'm looking forward to that.  Can't wait to soak it up and relax!!

Happy Wednesday, friends!! :)

All You Need Is Love!

I missed "What I'm Loving Wednesday", but hey, who says it can't be "What I'm Loving Thursday", am I right?  We all need a little extra lovin' from time to time! ;)

I'm loving the video of The Lonely Island and Jimmy Fallon performing their song "I'm On A Boat" with classroom instruments.  I had never heard of The Lonely Island or this song before, but it totally made my day.  It's been stuck in my head ever since.  Andy Samberg is awesome, and we all know how I feel about Jimmy... ;)

I love my new favourite non-swear word, also courtesy of The Lonely Island and "I'm On A Boat" - Mickeyfickey is a great way to vent some anger without saying the "real" word.  I've been "mickeyfickey'ing" a lot since I learned that one!!

I'm so loving the Netflix show Bloodline.  I was debating on the weekend what show I should start next.  I am into The Office, and quite enjoying it, but I felt there was room for another show in my life at the same time.  I was debating between Bloodline and House of Cards.  The deciding factor was Kyle Chandler's sexiness.  He trumps Kevin Spacey, BIG time.

And I'm loving Kyle Chander as John Rayburn in Bloodline JUST as much as I loved him as Coach Taylor in Friday Night Lights.  There is just something so irresistible about that man!

Back to The Office... Yes, I do love it as well!  And I am also quickly falling for John Krasinksi, who plays Jim.  I remember loving him in the movie "Something Borrowed", but he hasn't really been on my radar otherwise.  He is now!!!

Have I mentioned lately that I love Netflix?  Oh, how I love my Netflix.  Especially now that it seems to work on a semi-regular basis.

I LOVE that Relay for Life is on Saturday, and with each passing day, I grow more excited.  As that night grows longer, the silliness in our camp can get a little ridiculous, and those are the moments at Relay for Life that I love most.  We shed tears that night, to be sure... and it's nice that many of them come from laughter!

On a more somber note, I have to mention my love for the people surrounding me - the family and friends who are supporting me in my Relay for Life efforts.  I'm sure I'll have more to say on that subject in coming days, but today I couldn't talk about the things I love most without mentioning those who have sponsored me and helped boost me well past my goal of raising $500 for the Canadian Cancer Society.  Cancer is an evil and nasty disease, and it's hard to find someone who hasn't been touched by it.  I walk in memory of Dad, but there are just too many people in my life who have battled, are battling, or have lost their fight.  Just this week, a cousin of mine lost his battle, and of course I was devastated by the news that The Tragically Hip's lead singer, Gord Downie, has been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.  It hurts terribly to think of all of those who have been effected.  I will be holding them all in my heart as I walk on Saturday night. <3 div="">

Can I get an Amen for short weeks?!

You know what is awesome about this Wednesday?  In my brain, it is Tuesday.  I have had to remind myself about 6 times already this morning that it is Wednesday, not Tuesday.  God bless short weeks.

This past weekend was a much-needed pause; a chance to slow the pace, relax, and re-charge the batteries.

I started things off right Friday by leaving work a little early.  When I got home, I prepped a few snacks, did some last-minute tidying up around the house, made a big bowl of "party punch" with a splash of rum, then settled back with an ice-cold glass to wait for my friends to arrive.

The ladies started rolling in shortly before 7 PM, and then the long weekend felt like it had officially begun!  My dining room table was loaded down with a ton of yummy snack foods, and the girls also came with their drinks.  We sat around the dining room table and spent the evening chatting, laughing, eating, and just un-winding.  It was EXACTLY what I needed after a particularly draining week last week.  I noticed at one point that someone had left the lights on over in the church basement next door, so I went over to shut them off, and while I was outside, all I could hear were the laughs and shouts coming from the open windows of my house.  I was that neighbour.  And it made me smile.  I'm lucky to have such a great group of friends!  I'm already thinking about when to plan the next "Girls Nite In".

After the girls had left and I had cleaned up the kitchen and dining room, I went upstairs to put on jammies, and discovered a MASSIVE spider.  Oh, y'know, just hanging out on the carpet in the middle of the hallway.  I have only seen a spider that size in my home once before, and Brenda was there to kill it for me.  This time, it was 1 AM, and Brenda had left quite a while before, so I had to kill this sucker on my own.  Still gives me the heebie-jeebies thinking about it, especially since it almost got away!  The last time a spider that big was in my house, it was after the bridal shower I had for Lindsay four years ago... so apparently spiders like to attend parties at my house?! eeep! (there was no time to get a picture of it, so of course, no eveidence.  But I needed a THICK wad of Kleenex to go at this sucker.  he crunched.)

Saturday morning I slept in a bit, and when I rolled out of bed, I decided to take advantage of the beautiful morning and go for a walk outside with my camera.  Got some nice early-morning shots around town, and down by the water... Of course, not uploaded yet! Sorry!

I went up to Mom's in the afternoon to sit outside and read, but the bugs were WHACKO.  Black flies were feasting on me, and I don't react well to black fly bites.  So I went in to watch the Jays game and nap for the afternoon.  When I woke up, we went down to my sister's place for a barbeque and hung out with them.  After supper, I came home and settled in on the couch to watch the movie Blended on Netflix... I'm a sucker for a good Adam Sandler/Drew Barrymore movie, but I have to say, this one wasn't all that great. LOL  The Wedding Singer and 50 First Dates definitely trump this one, no matter how cute they are together! But aside from that, it was a perfectly relaxing, lazy day!

Sunday we went to church and out for brunch, as per usual, and then we all hung out at Mom's for the rest of the day.  Mom dug out my cousin's old toy wrestling ring and wrestlers that hand been handed down to us years ago.  She cleaned it all up, and Caden played with it all afternoon.  We also watched the finals of World Hockey Championship.

On Friday evening, Sheena taught me how to do all those funny things on Snapchat - like become a dog, or have rainbows puking out of your mouth, and it made me ridiculously happy to play around with it.  I was showing Caden and Danica how to do it on Sunday, and Danica thought it was a lot of fun to turn herself into Lindsay. LOL!

By evening, it was time to head to my friend Sharon's for her and husband's 10th anniversary party.  A big group of friends gathered to enjoy a delicious meal prepared by Sharon, and then, once the sun went down and bugs weren't so bad, we moved outside to play Texas Horseshoes.  I opted out of playing, insisting I need to be the photographer to document the event, but right near the end, Wayne talked me into playing a game with him, against Lolly and Sharon.  I played the best game of Texas Horseshoes I have ever played in my LIFE.  Everything was going in.  It was dumbfounding.  I think the game lasted about two minutes, and Wayne and I won 21-zip.  It was kind of a May long weekend miracle.

Monday was yet another wonderfully lazy day.  I did laundry, watched episodes of The Office and Bloodline on Netflix, and spent a lot of time out on my back deck reading.  The black flies seemed to take a chill pill and I was able to sit out there and not get attacked for once.  Mom and I had chip stand food for supper, and then went for ice cream afterwards too.  The best way to end a perfect long weekend!!

And now, it is already Wednesday... I'm excited for this upcoming weekend too, as I will be walking on Saturday night with my Slipper Sisters (recently re-named the Sleezy Sisters, thanks for that Uncle Elson!) in the Relay for Life.  So I'll be spending the day Saturday resting and napping to get ready, and then likely sleeping all day Sunday to catch up afterwards.  We always have a lot of fun amidst the somber moments, so I'm very much looking forward to it. :)

Hope you're all having a great week!!