Prayers

My friend Amy who just got married last week was on her honeymoon with her husband Jon and received the news that Jon's father passed away. He had been suffering from a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Jon and Amy were on a cruise but are about to board a plane in the Cayman Islands to head back to Newfoundland today. Please pray for the Hilliard Family. It was a blessing that Jon's father was able to be present at Amy and Jon's wedding. The family has known this day would be coming soon but it is still a terrible tragedy that leaves behind hurting loved ones. Pray for peace, comfort and safety for Jon and Amy as they travel back home to Newfoundland today.

Hello Old Friends

Ok, I have been slacking big time in the blogging department. In my defense, life has been non-stop for the past two+ weeks and I am just now finding a moment to sit and type. Feels good.
Our trip to Newfoundland was inexpressibly amazing. The travel day (with the exception of a very slow immigration line in St. John's and Caden's suitcase going MIA for a few days) was as perfect as it good have been. Caden was an angel and remained sweet all day on very little sleep. I have gained a new and refreshed appreciation for my little man. He made me so proud.
Nan and Pop were waiting excitedly at the airport with a giant dinosaur toy in hand. From the moment we landed til the day we left, they poured every ounce of energy into making sure we had a great time, and they succeeded. For months preceding our visit, they prepared for Caden's arrival. He had his own room filled with toys, books, 'Cat in the Hat' bed sheets and little boy themed everything. He had more toys at Nan and Pop's house than he has at his own! Nan and Pop also spent every moment playing hands on with Caden...throwing rocks in the ocean, swimming in the pond...my Dad even put a wheelbarrow full of sawdust in the shed so that if it rained, Caden would have dry sawdust to dig and rake with. Mom made sure Caden had everything he needed, including a warm, fresh-from-the-dryer towel when he got out of the tub. It was the picture of a hospitality and love.
Amy's wedding was fantastic. It was great to see everyone. I miss you all so much. Amy was the most stunning bride I have ever seen in my life...absolutely beautiful. They flew off to a cruise the next day so it was very weird being in Newfoundland while Amy was in Florida. Still, had a blast with her and everybody in good ol' St. John's. That will always be my favourite city on earth.
I won't lie, it's been a difficult transition coming back. I knew it would be...I knew before I went to Newfoundland that I would mourn leaving it all over again. I never use to be this emotional about home until I had Caden. I do miss the beautiful geography of my homeland. The rugged cliffs and salt water air...but now that I have a child, I literally hurt at the thought that my parents and childhood friends don't get to be physically in his life daily. It's hard to raise a child in a foreign country. Some days I don't mind being an immigrant and I know it's only a matter of time before I feel comfortable in the US of A again. As of right now, I feel very out of place. Luckily, my husband and son ease the majority of my homesickness. They are home to me.
It's not out of distaste for America that I feel this way because I have many loved ones here...I just wish my family were more accessible. They are such a positive force in Caden's life...thankfully, they have always made the best of their situation. Daily phone calls to chat with Caden, sending letters and packages to him monthly, even if all the envelopes hold are stickers...he knows Nan and Pop and has a very real relationship with them regardless of the distance because they go above and beyond to make sure he feels remembered, loved and special. It warms my heart to feel that Caden, Jay and I are a priority to them even though we're world's away.
I also miss the culture of Newfoundland. I love how Canadians take off their shoes at the door and are sickeningly polite. I miss Newfoundland dialect and being able to speak the way I speak while being understood by everyone. Jay will often have to nudge me and remind me that something I just said is 'not a word'. In Newfoundland, that doesn't happen ;)
So in a nutshell, I miss the big things and I miss the little things about life in Newfoundland but I will reacclamate to the southern USA. I have a great life here and I have the most amazing husband and son a girl could ever ask for. I am allowed to experience a moment of sadness from time to time but the key is not to wallow in it...today I will wash the floors, play with Caden, prepare for friends to come over tonight, purchase a cheap table off of craigslist and jump head first into my pretty awesome life...a tear might form when I think about how far away I am from my Mama but that's healthy. I'd rather miss them than not miss them at all.
I'll post pics soon. Our computer cord is fried so we're waiting for the new one to arrive in the mail. Thankfully, Ms. Amber's laptop is here ;)

Time Flies...

When you're having fun. And I am having a ridiculous amount of fun.
I'll write more when we get back to the US of A.

Oh Canada

I am getting pretty excited about our trip to Newfoundland on Friday. In less than 48 hours, Caden and I will be well on our way! I must say, I am EXTREMELY nervous after the Christmas episode. We have a wonderful flight schedule...and if everything goes as planned we will make it to Newfoundland in three flights and less than 12 hours...the best flight itinerary I have ever had when traveling home. We're also flying out of Tallahassee instead of driving to Orlando which is a HUGE relief.
I need to solicit some prayer though. Some serious prayer. If you have never prayed before, I beg you, start now and pray for us! Selfish? Maybe..but we could sure use it!
The last three times Jay and I have travelled, things have not gone smoothly. His trip home from CO in the fall left him driving unexpectedly from Atlanta to Tallahassee with a loud, Jewish doctor he had never met before. Long story...
Then our Christmas trip was completely obliterated...don't wanna talk about that one...
THEN, my trip to Charlotte in March was INSANE...it ended up being amazing but I can't lie, it was stressful! That last one was indeed my fault..being late for the flight and everything...a mistake I shall not repeat.
I am trying to remember how God came through for me on the trip to Charlotte...how he put people in my path to help me and what an incredible experience it was watching good people in action. I pray that over our coming journey.
I have not flown alone with Caden since he was 6 months old. His entire 6th month of life was spent travelling. We flew to Charlotte then to Newfoundland then to NY then back home. 28 days of solid travel and I needed about 12 months of chiropractics to fix the damage. Luckily, this time around, I have a big kid who uses the bathroom, understands things, doesn't need a stroller (although he will be on a leash) and watches a portable DVD player. Shouldn't be too bad.
Back to the praying: Obviously, pray for safety...for us and Jay when he joins us next Friday. Pray specifically against the fog. Yes, the fog. The last time I flew straight from America into Newfoundland (back in 2005), it took me 3 days to get there! American pilots need more visibility than Canadian pilots so they cannot land in really foggy conditions. This time of year can be SUPER foggy in Newfoundland. I will be flying an American airline again this time because I wanted to go through immigration at our final destination instead of half way through the trip. It's much easier with a child that way. Pray for a miraculously clear night in St. John's, NL both this Friday and the Friday after. Pray that all of our flights arrive and leave on time. Pray that God will give me peace and calmness and energy (NOT PATIENCE!) to deal with my son and that he has peace and calmness too (NOT ENERGY!)
Thank you to everyone who will whisper these prayers to God on our behalf. We're so excited about getting home and I really don't want to spend a few days in the Newark airport with a three year old boy...I know your prayers will make all the difference, and I'll be able to sleep Thursday night knowing everything will be alright.
Next blog will be written from Green's Harbour, Newfoundland, Canada!

So....

I think I may audition for American Idol this year. They are coming to Orlando from July 7-9. Could be a waste of time...could be life changing...I guess I won't know unless I try.

Could it be?

I've been trying to write something for the last 30 minutes but I keep deleting it and starting over. Perhaps, *GASP* I've run out of things to say!?!
Don't worry, it's not permanent.

Swimming School

Caden began swimming lessons yesterday and is a big fan of them. He calls it, "Swimming school." I was a proud Mama, seeing how well he listened and followed directions. They practiced kicks, jumps, dunks and floating on their backs. We'll be going everyday for the next week and half, right up until our trip to Newfoundland. With Caden being out of school for the summer, this has been a nice activity to break up the days a little. Between swimming school and the apartment complex pool, we've been doing a lot of our living in the water and I must say, we're both rockin a pretty good tan.
Thank God for sunny days with my little merboy.