soul care

this is the blog entry that started out as a personal journal entry but throughout writing it it transformed into a blog post.

Here I am sitting at the Dwight Beach dock. 

listening to the wind rustling the harvest stalks decorating the shelter, 

the waves lapping the rocks and the dock, 

feeling the wind brushing my cheek and the sun kissing my face.

What a gorgeous autumn day.

Big fluffy clouds in a bright blue sky, 

bright colored leaves adorning the trees in the distance, 

and quiet...

peace.

Even the people i have encountered both at Ragged Falls
and now here at the beach are not loud and chatty cathies.

they are whispering and silent as they take in the beauty that is Muskoka/Algonquin in the fall.

maybe there's a sadness on their hearts, 

perhaps hope and joy.

maybe they are in an invisible pain, 

or their bodies aren't what they used to be.

perhaps they have reached a time in life that they are good - life is good.

maybe there are stresses they have never shared.

i pray that in the silent moment as they take in the beauty, 

the solitude of nature...

i pray that they will hear the whisper of the Creator

"i love you, precious one."

i know that is what i heard as i took it all in.

Gertie and Norbert 

Norbert is my new iphone 6

came with me on this adventure.

i walked barefoot 

(should have left my birks in the van)

along the Ragged Falls trail and loved the feeling of the mud squishing through my toes.

the best feeling ever.

This was not a planned adventure.

When i got up this morning i was just going to get ready for family coming to visit this weekend.

but as the kids and i waited for the bus i had this pull to grab Gertie and Norbert, 

get into Meatlug 

(the van)

and go somewhere to be surrounded by the creation that refreshes my soul.

so i did it.

i didn't have a destination until i let myself drive past my beloved Limberlost trails.

Sometimes our souls need a time of refreshing, 

so that the Lord can speak to us.

it is so important to take those times 

- when possible - 

i will admit a little something.

i skipped my ladies Bible study to do this.

i needed this time with me, God and the beauty He has blessed us with.

Take time this Thanksgiving weekend to refresh your soul.

Let God speak to you.

this can be a crazy weekend and for some it's a time of stress, 

others sadness, 

and other's laughter.

At some point take some time by yourself.

sit, 

walk, 

run, 

hike, 

lie down,

skip,

cuddle a sleeping baby

and thank God that He loves you and calls you precious.

Thank you Lord.

How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
how vast is the sum of them!

Psalm 139:17

photos taken by me with Gertie and Norbert

the Christmas Letter...

Merry Christmas from the D. Quigg Family

It’s December, 2013. 

I haven’t written a Christmas letter in quite a few years, but I decided that today was as good a day as any to write one. 

Dan has been working at the same company for about 6 years now.  He does welding, carpentry, tree work… yes, he is quite versatile.  He’s out there on this chilly day welding at a lake for a dock job.  Cold and not too fun I’m sure.  He always has something around the house that he wants to get done, and is so full of creativity.  He has discovered that his thyroid is not working well so has been on meds for that.  In June he ran a half marathon, held here in town, and did very well. 

the boy turned six this year.  In January he began his year by asking Jesus if He’d come live in his heart.  And since then he has been quite excited that Jesus is with him always.  His latest prayer request has been to have wisdom, like Solomon.   He is in grade one and is doing very well.  He loves his teacher and is making friends.  He loves math.  He also enjoys helping out in his sister’s class at lunch times.  He is a determined kid with lots of creative energy.  He has been waiting for snow so daddy can teach him to snowboard some more this winter.  He has just finished swimming lessons, that he had requested, and did so well in them. 

the girl, our little 4 year old.  She also began her 2013 by asking Jesus to come live in her heart.  She has been asking a lot of questions about what that means.  She is excited to see great grandpa Quigg in heaven one day, now that she gets to go there.  She (and her brother) love memorizing verses for Sunday school and their mid-week programs.  Her favorite verse is 'When I am Afraid I will Trust in You'. Psalm 56:3.  She is in Junior Kindergarten.  She goes three days a week, and loves the days she’s there.  She has a wonderful teacher and is making some good friends as well.  She loves going on the bus with her brother.  She just finished 14 weeks of gymnastics lessons and had a blast, loving everything about it.

Michelle is still at home with the kids.  She loves being at home to see them on the bus, off the bus and to be home if needed to take care of a sick little one, or to help out in one of the classes.  Every Monday she volunteers in the school library and loves it.  Seeing the kids when they come in, and having lunch with the boy every Monday.  Monday has definitely been a hi-light of her weeks.  She has been able to take some of her time to work on her photography, with the desire to improve on her passion. She is currently in drama rehearsals for the Church Christmas Play (dinner theater) that will be performed the weekend before Christmas.  She also completed her first ever 10K run in June.

In the summer we took a family trip out to British Columbia.  To Summerland, in the Okanagan Valley.  We were there for a Quigg family reunion.  What a wonderful trip it was.  The kids had their first airplane ride, and enjoyed everything about it.  We had the opportunity to see so many family members and for the kids to meet people they had only heard existed.  We are so glad we took that trip.  We also stayed after for another week and had a chance to visit Dan’s sisters and families at their homes – homes we had never been to.  And to spend time with the nieces and nephews we really didn’t know well at all.  The kids loved their cousins, and can’t wait to see them all again. 

When we got home we had Dan’s parents staying with us before they moved out to BC.  It was nice to have them stay with us, and we miss them lots.  The kids want to go visit about every other day.  Not so easy.  But they are now getting to see their other grandkids and enjoying being in their lives as much as they have been in our kids’ lives all these past years. 

In September we, as a family, participated in the Terry Fox run.  Dan and the boy biked the 10K, Michelle ran the 10K and the girl and her papa did the 5K.  Later that month Dan and Michelle participated in Tough Mudder.  It is an obstacle course challenge.  About 17Km in distance.  We had a team of 5.  What an amazingly fun day it was.  Tough? yes.  Sore at the end of the day? Yes.  We are registered to do it again August 2014. 

So…now it’s December.    At the end of this month we will be celebrating our 11^th Anniversary.  We are also preparing for Christmas…  ok, not really yet.  This is the start.  Each morning Michelle reads a little of the Christmas story out of Luke for the kids, and they have been enjoying listening to it. 

Christmastime will only be as busy as we allow it to be.  But no matter how busy we allow it to be I hope that you remember to take some time remembering that Christmas is a time to celebrate Christ’s birth. 

Love Dan, Michelle, the boy (& bear) & the girl (& Lammie)

2012 in review

at the end of 2011...beginning of 2012  this is what was going on: see here

2012 in review

January: 

went to my parent's for Christmas and my dad started with radiation and chemo treatments.

elijah headed back to school and began enjoying it.

saw Mary Poppins on stage!

February:

dan and i spent valentines eve crazy carpeting around town.

March:

our little girl has a 'dog party' for her 3rd birthday.  thankfully the weather was nice and we were able to be outside.  

our boy makes a best friend at school

my dad is done chemo and radiation

April:

my parents come up for Easter.  

dan's aunt and uncle come to h'ville for a visit.  so good to see them.

May:

jack comes for a visit.  lots of fun as the kids get to know their cousin.

family road trip down to North Carolina for dan's cousin's wedding.  

my dad is cleared of cancer

June:

back home from NC

school ends, with a little boy having fond memories of school.

dan turns 32.

July:

kids have 5 nights at papa & grammas while elijah's loft bed is created

i turn 37.

our boy has his first friends birthday party...space theme.

August:

our boy turns 5

ride the Ontario Northland, down to Toronto, for the long weekend...kids first train trip.

another 4 nights (for the kids) at papa and gramma's after a day at the African Lion Safari.

September:

our boy heads back to school excited for the new year.  while his little sister longs for the day she gets to go.

we run the Terry Fox Run, with a cancer free papa.  

dan and i to Cirque du Soleil

October:

our first experience with lice.

Thanksgiving

halloween - kota a lion, elijah a power ranger

November:

go to elijah's class observation...so thoroughly encouraged.

remembrance day.  we attended the service at the legion and parade.

american thanksgiving 

December:

the world didn't end.. silly Mayans

my first dec. in a few years that i don't have a play i'm practicing for.  

we have my parents up for Christmas.  

over to dan's parents on Christmas day to visit with his aunt, uncle, cousins, and grandma.

friends over to sled on new years eve.

skype with dan's sister and kids, gpa and gma..

and then skype with papa and gramma  at 10pm.

Happy New Year.

*2013*

i plan to focus more on my family. less on the computer.

* my kids are only young once.

'kota starts school in sept.  

they won't be little for much longer, 

and i plan to enjoy this stage as much as i can.

* my husband is my best friend.

we are together for life.

i plan to enjoy life with him.  

when the kids are grown and moved out, i'll still have dan.

i want to still have things to talk about, things to laugh at... i want him to still be my best friend.

* i also plan to train to do Tough Mudder in September.  

warmth

our house is warmed by a furnace.

we have vents in the floor that warm up really nice when the furnace is blowing.

sometimes i like to stand on them in my bare feet.

when the furnace starts up it is chilly.. 

then... 

the hot air comes.

oh so nice to be near the vent when that happens.

our little girl has become obsessed with the vents.

specifically one vent.

the bathroom vent.

it is beside the toilet, 

under the window.

one morning we heard a kid go to the bathroom.

when dan got up he began his morning routine, 

then looked into the dark bathroom.

there was our little girl and her animals sitting quietly on the vent.

another day i was in the shower.

when i opened the door to grab my towel i was quite startled by my little girl..

sitting on the vent with her animals.

the other night dakota had been in bed for..

oh...

about twenty minutes-half an hour.

when i heard her door open and out she walked.

arms full of her animals.

"i just need to go to the vent"

pardon me?

"i need to go to the vent"

then i heard the furnace kick in.

and into the bathroom she walked 

and sat herself on the vent.

i had to get the camera for that.

a picture is worth...

I have a plan to write here every other day (from mon to fri)

and the other days i post on my other blog (see here)

some days, however, i just don't have anything to say here.

i always have photos to post on the other one...

but this one is to mainly share about life.. 

today i think i'll just share 2 pics.

if a picture is worth 1000 words than think of this post as being worth 2080.

(yes i counted the ones i had already written....2089)

Memories captured thru my camera's eye.

Can't believe school begins in just a few days.

since our summer is winding down i decided to look back at some memories made.

Happy Birthday Canada.

Lots of playing at parks..

Huntsville, 

Utterson,

Bracebridge, 

Toronto...

Beach Days.

Beautiful Sunshine,

cool water,

lots of sand...

Slurpees.

mmmmm.

Walks,

with Grandma & Grandpa, 

with mom & dad, 

with Papa & gramma,

picking raspberries along the way...

Bubbles...

birthdays...

haircuts...

Train trips..

Toronto stays...

RibFest, Scarborough...

Lion Safari..

(some lion safari pics - click HERE)

Grandma & Grandpa got a new boat..

tubing, 

skiing, 

wakeboarding..

Tree Climbing...

Soccer...

What a great summer.

The kids go camping with Grandpa & Grandma this weekend

then it's back to the school year routine for all of us.

Hope your summer was full of memories, 

smiles, 

laughter,

lessons learned, 

joy, 

family.

happy birthday little one

My baby is turning 3.

what a beauty she is.

i wanted to share a look at her over this past year

on her 2nd birthday.. enjoying the spoils of the pinata.

Snow is melted in gpa and gma's backyard..lovin' the puddle (as always)

my beautiful girl, enjoying the summer weather.

Smiling for gramma

You can't see me!  sleeping out in the tent.

Haha mommy, look what i can do and you can't!

look at the caterpillar i was playing with - why isn't he moving?

Sleepy head - she passed out during quiet play.  oh so tired from growing up.

My jumpin' queen!

Lovin' the chocolate.

haha, look what i did when you weren't looking.

my beautiful puppy.

Happy Birthday to my fun-lovin', crazy beautiful girl.