Childhood Memories

I remember it.

mom went out.

maybe dad was at work, or he was out with mom.

some furniture was moved out of the way.

the heavy, grey, exercise mats were pulled out.

not so we could put on the Richard Simmons record, and exercise... not this time.

we... my brother (i'll call him The Instigator) and i, rolled the mats up.

they don't roll up so small, and as i have already mentioned, they are heavy.

does anyone remember those types of mats?... heavy!

we couldn't hold them in our hands very well, 

too awkward, 

so we held them with our arms wrapped around.

then the battle would begin.

that's right... battle.

we would go at each other swinging our mats... our weapons.

trying to hit each other.

i remember the fun. 

this secret battle.

i don't remember anyone getting hurt.

how could we - we couldn't really hit eachother so well - 

but maybe one of us did and due to a head trauma, i don't remember it.

i don't remember anything being broken, 

but i have this feeling in my gut that something probably did.

i don't even know if this awesome battle happened more than once, 

but i always think on it as a regular occurrence.

i just remember it being hilarious.  

fun.  

a wonderful memory in my childhood.

i remember them.

The Instigator and i having our own World Wrestling Federation matches out on the front lawn.

the stairs were the top rope.

i do remember people getting hurt... 

our wrestling was pretty real at times.

but nothing too bad, or we wouldn't have done it more than once.

i remember 

The Instigator and i trying to get other kids at our elementary school to sign the petition:

to ban Cabbage Patch Kids.

those things were ugly.

we didn't want to see them at our school.

the petition didn't work.

i remember 

The Instigator being disappointed in his little sister as i bought myself a Cabbage Patch Preemie

-those things were cute.

the original ones were still ugly.

it didn't matter.

i had gone to the dark side.

i remember

Christmas morning.

sneaking down to the Christmas tree.

The Instigator and i trying to guess what each of our gifts were.

there was one that we couldn't figure out at all.

we grabbed a pencil and some paper.

by feeling the wrapped gift we tried to draw what it could be.

still no idea.

it ended up being a wooden ornament that looked nothing like our drawings, 

but even if we had drawn it right - it wouldn't have helped.

i remember 

my mom did home daycare.

at lunch hour i would walk home with the school-aged kids.

we'd have lunch.

then it was time for the dance party.

in the living room, with the toddlers.

then back to school.

what are some of your fun, silly, crazy childhood memories?

were you usually the instigator or was there someone else?

do you still do crazy, fun things like this sometimes?

i still have dance parties.. usually with my kids.

sometimes by myself...  i can't help it. 

the music makes me.

The Instigator and his baby sister.

i think he's already thinking up ideas to get her to do.

we match and my dad matches the chair - 

look, where does his shirt end and the chair begin?

Fort York.  

i was 8.  Instigator was 10.

i believe this was the trip where we also made it look like he was shot by a cannon.

You can check out my brother, The Instigator, at www.upstandingcomedy.ca

J@de

I have 5 nephews and 3 nieces. (i hope I counted right)

Today my oldest niece turns 17.

me and J@de

I first met Jade (she prefers to write it J@de) when she was a baby.

I know that sounds like that is the most expected thing, but Jade is in no way blood-related.  

although I think she is.  

Her mom and my brother dated when Jade was a baby and I wanted her to be my niece back then. 

it took a few years but Jade is my niece.  

and I am so glad she is.

Jade is a beautiful young woman with a huge heart.  

She loves everyone.

family is so very important to her.  

friends are the world.  

God is crucial to living. 

I am proud of the young woman she has become.

She is extremely gifted in the arts - drawing, photography, and drama is in her scope too.

She loves music - music is her soul. 

I think she is overlooked too often because she is so willing to give of herself to her family and friends (and as a teen I know it doesn't come across so obviously sometimes)

She is quiet, but funny.

She adores her step-dad, my brother, and loves to go to his comedy shows.  

What a support and encouragement I know she's been to him as he starts off his comedy career.

She loves serving God - even though it is a thankless job a lot of the time.  

(on mission trips, and at camp)

I have a gorgeous niece and i pray often for her.  

I see myself in this girl who joined our family at a young age.  

i adore her.  

She is wise - but doesn't realize it.  

She is absolutely beautiful, but doesn't realize it. 

I am blessed to have her in my life.  

She is an encouragement to me in many ways. 

I pray this next year of her life is full of many unexpected blessings, many friendships strengthening and forming, many dreams accomplished and dreamt. 

Love you J@de. 

My dad's having a birthday.

My dad is having a birthday this weekend.

Hope I remember to call.

I forgot my parent's anniversary - well not completely, I remembered the day before and the day after.

My dad was born in Ireland.  

I am proud to have his Irish heritage.

He is an amazing man. 

He is a man of few words, and when he speaks you listen.  

Partly because you don't want to miss it, and also because he is so quiet spoken.

I don't know if I've ever heard my dad yell.  he is not a loud man, but he doesn't need to be.

I love my dad.

He shows love.

He cares for others.

He respects.

He works hard, and has shown me a great work ethic.

He genuinely cares for and cherishes his wife, kids, grandkids, brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews, his in-laws, and his parents, who have passed on now.

He is always right where someone needs him to be when he is needed.

He has wise advice, all i have to do is ask.

He is funny.

He is selfless.

I thank my dad for the great man he is.  

I love my dad whole-heartedly, and am blessed to have a man like that as my father.

He is always willing to take the babies in the family and walk them around, whistling quietly until they fall asleep - or at least calm down, if upset.

My dad set an amazing example for me, he showed me how a man should be and what I should desire when finding my husband.  

I feel my husband is a lot like my dad, and I am so blessed to have 2 men like that in my life.

I can only ask that my son can see the example set for him by his Papa.

Happy Birthday Dad, I love you.

 check out my brother's blog entry about our dad - 

i think he describes my dad so much better than I do.

a love of mine.

Back in July my husband and brother ran a marathon.

This marathon was because my brother, Timmy Boyle, was dreaming and dreaming big. 
One of his dreams to accomplish by the time he turned 37 was to run a marathon. 
Dan never had a dream to run one but he trained anyway and ran it with Tim.

While there my sister-in-law and myself wandered around the 1/2 way point/finish line..
and the arena where there was a pancake breakfast. 
There were a couple women selling photographs. 

Local women who loved photography
- did it as a hobby -
and had been encouraged by friends and family to try selling some of their work. 

They were doing something I loved to do. 
I love taking pictures. 
i don't know if anyone else would want them but I love the photos I take.

Recently Dan has encouraged me to take more pictures... do photo shop stuff to ones I want to...
and who knows, maybe frame and sell some at some point.   
I'd love to get better at photography, and maybe one day get a nice camera..
but i have to get out there and start taking some now...
if I take them enough, and bring some of my work to a farmers market or craft show -
maybe I'll see if there's a point to purchase a better camera...

but a hobby it will be, whether or not anyone else wants the pictures. 

i love it...

i enjoy doing it...

for those reasons I will take photos wherever I see something i want to capture.