Highlights of 2018

2018 was a spectacularly good year. I got to go to Florida twice, to Victoria, to Powell River, on two different weekend retreats, my brother from Thailand visited twice, I got to sing in Good Noise, the kids new K-12 school opened...the list goes on. But really, when I try to sum it all up, it comes down to having a fabulous husband who lets me do all these things. I know feminists would probably take offence at my using the word" lets", but there is no other word. When I went to Florida (alone) in March, he was the one who stayed with the kids. When I went downtown every Monday and on concert weekends, he was the one left behind running things. I know I've blogged about him before, but without him, a lot, if not all, of the list would be impossible. So, I'm super grateful for him; he's a gem.
As for all the details, it's so hard to try to capture all of it succinctly. Since I've already blogged about most of the things on my list, I'm just going to mention other previously unmentioned highlights. I already blogged about Florida in March, so I won't repeat here, but I got to go again in November. This time I took Joonas along (because Emmi refused to come on account of a school field trip...lol). It was the perfect set up because Joonas spent all his days with my dad, golfing and swimming. We did spend time together as well, but Joonas loves my dad and he much preferred hanging out with him over shopping with my mom and I. I'm so grateful that my parents are in fairly good health and able to spend time with my kids. My dad turned 75 this year, so I do often feel like time is running out. But, we spent a fair bit of time with my parents this year and I know this is a wonderful blessing.
The kids new school opened in September. It is brand new and sparkling and all the kids get to attend the same school. But what stands out for me is the sense of community there and the feeling I get when I leave them there. No, the school isn't perfect, but my kids are learning the curriculum through the lens of the bigger story, which is the God story, and I love that! There was an incident in Joonas' class with the so-called mischief makers club, which Joonas was an active part of. I won't go into details, but the grace and the love and wisdom that the teachers used to deal with it all was beautiful.
My brother Henry. He came to Vancouver twice and it was so great!! Powell River in particular was amazing and unforgettable. What stands out to me is morning coffee on the beach and wine on the deck with Ruut. And so much conversation! My family are all big talkers, so conversation isn't surprising, but something about the beach and the fresh air and the whales (!!) and the food made all the conversations take on a golden hue. Also, I love how much my boys love Henry and how he invests time in them.
One of the highlights of both retreats was the personal connections made. I blogged about them before, but in particular the courage it took for me to get to know people. This fits in with my word of the year for 2018 which was STAY. My first instinct when things get uncomfortable or risky or emotional is to run. This year I had to stay. Seems silly and incomprehensible to an extrovert, but true nevertheless.
Speaking of connections, I attended a party for 7 of my Finnish friends who turned 50 this year. It was a huge party at a mansion in Maple Ridge and it was great! Those friends from my childhood who know my family and my grandparents and my whole story, you can't make friends like that at 45 anymore. The bonds are special and unbreakable.
So, on to 2019. I already know some fabulous things in store for the new year and I can't wait!!

Golfing: grandpa, Joonas and one of the MANY Finns

 Our beachfront view in Powell River.

 The 50 yr olds...

WCC ball hockey tournament.

choir retreat

When your weekend starts with singing and dancing in the car all the way to Whistler, you know it's going to be a good weekend! I think I may have shocked my friend Shelle when I started belting out the songs on our road trip playlist. When I added some dancing, I'm not sure that she recognized me anymore, lol. But, she adjusted and joined right in. We were the first to arrive at Whistler and settled into our suite, chilling out, drinking tea and listening to music. When the others arrived, I'm pretty sure they didn't expect to be greeted by blaring All About That Bass, but they didn't seem to mind either...in fact, Dee showed me her moves to the song the next day, lol.
It was such a perfect weekend that my heart is STILL full and it's been almost two weeks. It's hard for me to let people in. I can be very quiet and reserved and stand offish. Even when I am friendly, there are very few people that get to see the real me...the one without makeup, the one who just got outta bed and is still in pajamas, the one who dances around, the one who is so competitive she calls people "sucker" (sorry Dee). But that weekend I was free, and unencumbered and happy. It can't last of course; the walls are firmly back in place, lol. But it was nice to be real and to hang around with people who get me.
Shelle and I even went into the hot tub (gasp). I hate being seen in a swimsuit, but we had decided to do it and I'm glad we did. Originally, I had hoped that no one else would be there. That we could just chill without having to talk or be seen, lol. My wish came true on Friday night. On Saturday night, however, there were lots of people at the pools and we socialized A LOT and who knew, we loved it?? I even changed my mind about some people who I had unfairly decided that I didn't like. It's funny who turns out to be a great person when you actually get to know them (why have I still not learned this lesson?).
My suitemates were the best. We played games, we ate, we watched baseball (what?), we laughed, we snored (lol). My roommate was Dee, one of my favourite people! It's so interesting who God puts into your life and how unexpected and wonderful the friendships that form can be. I did not join the choir expecting to make any "real" friends. Anyway, we had some nice early morning conversations, we went for a walk, we sang, and she made me coffee! Anyone who makes me good coffee in the morning pretty well has my undying devotion, lol, but I already loved her before that.
I was sad when the weekend came to an end and we had to head back home. However, I did feel that for once I was able to stay in the moment and enjoy the weekend for all its worth. I often find that after a vacation or retreat or whatever, I regret not enjoying it fully. But that weekend was different. I loved every minute, while being fully present in every moment. Well, except maybe the baseball...lol

PS. The photo below is from my walk with Dee. I look awful, but in the spirit of authenticity, I'm posting it anyway :)

Maureen

You never know where you'll meet a new friend or which friend will turn out to be a forever friend.
I met Maureen when I was 19. She was the head of HR at Eaton's and I was in my first year at Kwantlen, starting a new job at Eaton's part time. I was a little intimidated by her, but she seemed nice enough. When I noticed a Chuck Swindoll quote on the wall of her office, I realized that she might be a Christian. I asked her about it and as it turned out, she was (is). That knowledge created an immediate bond like no other. We were friendly when I worked at Eaton's, but she was in management and I was just a student. We would talk sometimes and I remember calling her when my youngest brother was hospitalized. She promised to pray for him, although I think she was quite surprised that I phoned her. (He recovered). Over my 7 years at Eaton's we had many opportunities to chat and get to know each other. I used to write her notes in class when I was super bored and leave them in her mail box. I remember us bonding over the death of Princess Diana and both showing up to work wearing black. She would tell me about her grandson Tyler and I would tell her about school and my family and eventually Pentti.
In 1999, Eaton's was closing and Pentti and I got married. Maureen and her husband Bob were at our wedding and Maureen gave a speech about our special friendship. She also revealed that she felt like she knew everyone because of my letters...lol. After Eaton's closed, we kept in contact, mostly through email. Our birthdays are 3 days apart, so we would often meet or at least email in the summer. We actually lost touch for a few years, with her working and my going into education and starting my teaching career. But, we reconnected again when I was home with both boys. We had lunch, we sometimes invited Pat (my former manager) and we emailed. I'm not sure when things changed, but as the years went by, we got closer instead of growing apart. In fact, Maureen has become one of my dearest friends. We've been meeting for coffee or lunch a little more frequently and there never seems to be a shortage of things to talk about. We talk about God, but also about shopping and the royals and books and pretty well whatever topic comes to mind. I always leave our coffee dates feeling grateful and refreshed and a little bit surprised that a few hours just flew by unnoticed, again. A sweet friendship really does refresh the soul (Proverbs 27:9).

Christ City Women's Retreat

It has been three years since we joined Christ City and I find it's still hard to get to know new people in the quick conversations before and after church. Yes, I greet a lot of people on Sundays and in a lot of cases I even know their names. But, I don't feel like I actually KNOW them. I teach Sunday school, so I get to know which parents go with which kids, and I get to chat with whoever is serving with me on a particular Sunday. But it still doesn't come naturally and since I am an introvert, my dislike for small talk doesn't help either.
Anyway, the amazing thing is that I still feel at home at Christ City. I love it and I feel like it's exactly where we belong as a family. But in my effort to get to know people, I attended our women's retreat a couple weeks ago. I'm not going to lie, I was a little sorry that I had signed up when the actual day came around to leave for retreat. But, I had already paid and I truly believe in getting out of my comfort zone, so I made myself go. And of course it was wonderful! Just like two years ago, when I also forced myself to go. Do I never learn?
I drove up to Squamish and roomed with Julie. Julie is an introvert and a brilliant musician and a really knowledgeable, well-rounded person. I loved hanging around with her because we had some great conversations and she is so deep in her thinking. Interestingly, we both had similar things on our hearts and we were able to share and encourage each other. I learned a lot from her even in just three days.
I also got to know some ladies who I had not known previously at all. Since there are three gatherings at Christ City, it is possible to never see some of the people that attend my own church. This is unfortunate, but just the way it is. Anyway, I signed up for a hike on Saturday afternoon with 13 other ladies. It was such a great time of being outside, walking, talking and casually getting to know new people. The great thing about being outdoors is that I find that even extroverts don't mind silence in the woods, lol. Plus, there's always something to talk about if you want to talk, because the beauty all around provides endless fodder for discussion. Anyway, I got to know Julie (another one) and Ruth on that walk and I'm so glad I did!
Of course the retreat also included meals together and worship and games and teaching, but what I really took away from it all was the lovely people that I got to meet and know. It's always great when you get to know the people from your church and you find that you love your church even more as a result!!

Powell River

We just got back from a glorious vacation to Powell River. I had rented a big beach house that fit three families comfortably, so we went up with my brother and his wife and my sister and her family joined us for the weekend. Renting from airbnb you aren't always sure what you'll actually get, but this place was way better than any of the pictures and beyond our expectations. There was a huge kitchen with everything, a hot tub, beach, hammock, rope swing, kayak, huge deck AND the place was sparkling clean! We had morning coffee on the beach listening to the waves of the ocean, we chilled, we relaxed, we read, we played Scrabble, we collected shells, we saw wildlife...it was kind of the dream vacation. I'm not sure what else I can say that adequately describes what a great time we had, so I'll just finish this post with a few pictures.

Feeling Sad And Yet Grateful

I was very lucky to grow up in a Finnish Canadian church. It was a close knit community and a large part of what made it so wonderful was the bonds between the different generations. I was surrounded by peers, but also their parents as well as lots of grandparents. As immigrants, the grandparents weren't always ours, but they were older church people who formed an integral part of the community. Sometimes they were older people who gave us candy, and other times they were older people who scolded us for laughing and passing notes in church. Either way, they were an everpresent part of my childhood and shaped me into the person I am today.
So, what to do when there are less and less of those pillars still standing? Yesterday, I was at the memorial of yet another strong pillar from my Finnish community. I understand that it is part of the cycle of life and that every generation probably worries about what will happen when the older and wiser people are all gone. But really, what are we supposed to do? We have huge shoes to fill. 
I think back to one of the older ladies I knew growing up. She was actually one of the church founders and one of the strongest women I have ever known. I think back to my grandfather who was full of integrity and a zeal for learning. I think back to one of the (many) pastors we had stay at our house who was one of the wisest people I've ever known, but also a wicked Scrabble player with a fabulous sense of humour. I think back to my best friend's dad who was also a force in the world of education and shaped my thinking and education in many ways. All these people and many more are gone. It makes me sad and nostalgic but also tremendously grateful. I got to grow up around these wise, exemplary, generous people and have them shape my life. Hopefully the next generation (including me) steps up and tries to fill some of the gaping holes left behind by these wonderful people.

Team sports

We had our ball hockey team wrap up party last night. It was at coach Joe's house and it lasted more than SIX HOURS! There were lots of kids and lots of parents and it was great fun. We had food, we talked, we laughed. It made me realize that a great sports team is so much more than talented players. A great team really comes together when the kids become friends and the parents have fun together and the coaches find the right balance between being competitive and pushing the kids, and yet being supportive and encouraging. It sounds like a tall order and it is. No team is ever perfect and there is always room for improvement. But, when a team does come together and everyone has a great time, it makes the whole experience from start to finish so much more memorable. I'm going to miss seeing the ball hockey kids and parents...