Double the Fun!

Kaleelah finally grabbing a few zzzz's in Granda's arms

With great anticipation, Graham and I awaited the twins' first visit to the Cariboo.The trip from the Island took a long while, what with Kimeesha feeding two voracious, growing babies and having to stop each time. The trip took twice as long...and must have seemed as if it would never end.

But finally, in the waning hours of the day, the family arrived, safe and sound and hungry once again...

Someone turn the page!

I'd been looking forward to walks in the garden with the babies; with Rain and Mosquitoes the order of our days for the last two months, my wish was not granted. But I'm not sure the twins minded in the least...they were kept busy, with either Graham or myself holding one or the other. 

Kaleelah in green and Keauni in yellow

Both of them are such sturdy, little bundles. Both smile and chuckle freely, at almost five months...it was a bonus for me when I was able to make both of them laugh at the same time. Double the fun! 


In these photos, I find it easier to tell the differences between them, but in the flesh it is not so simple. The only way I can tell which of the twins I have in my arms is because Kaleelah has only one pointed ear, while Keauni has two...an inheritance from their maternal grandmother. 

A very busy Keauni

I'm told Kaleelah is more demanding, while Keauni is calmer and more accepting. I was amazed...Kaleelah sleeps very little, preferring to remain awake rather than enjoy her naptime. I believe she thought there was just too much going on...she did not want to miss a thing!

I love those baby grins...their whole bodies curl, their shoulders rise...they put everything they've got into those wonderful, crooked smiles...

Time to change positions...

It was the best gift...to see this young family doing so well, after a bit of a rocky start...nobody expected twins. It took a bit of time to become accustomed to the thought of double everything.


I'm so pleased with both of their parents...calm, quiet and sure, they do what is required without complaint or fuss. I know quite well that I could not do as well as they, especially if both babes cried at once. That would rattle me, but Kimeesha takes it one step at a time.

Time to change positions NOW!

It was not too difficult this time, to say goodbye. We are travelling to the Coast this week, and will have more time with the babes then...

I'll be visiting with my granddaughter Brianna, who along with her soccer team is off to an event in Manchester, England next week. Her Dad will go along as one of the chaperones. And of course, my daughter and I will have much to catch up on. Graydon has been counting the number of sleeps before we arrive...

And so have I!

Peonies blooming despite the monsoon-like downpours!

Poppies love this climate and are in full bloom...

Flowers on this Black Elder are usually quite pink...it almost looks as if Rain has faded them!

I hope everyone, despite the weather, be it Rain or Heat Waves, has a very happy week, just as I surely will!

A Weekend of Awakenings

Both of us were consumed with excitement as we drove to the Island from our  home in the Cariboo. Two babies were waiting to meet us, two very small girl babies. And there were all the rest of the family, as well...we hadn't seen any of them since before Christmas.


Far too long...


Our first stop, after leaving the Island ferry, was the hospital. It was so great to see Kimeesha and Scott, both wearing wide, proud grins. The babies were in the ICU neonatal unit, attached to feeding tubes, in order to bring their weight up.


Oh! How lovely the two of them were, curled up together in the incubator...one with a yellow hat and one with a pink.

They looked completely identical to me, both with black hair delicately framing tiny shell-like ears. How feather light they each were in my arms! It was such a blessing to wrap my arms around each one of them. I was privy to that wonderful newborn baby scent, as I held them close.


We battled a Snow Storm the next morning on our way to see the twins...one of those sudden Coastal Storms that can blanket the Island with a foot or two of Snow in a matter of hours. We were caught up in a traffic jam, only just escaping the closure of the highway by taking an alternate route, which was also closed soon after we detoured.

It was one of those days where I was extremely grateful that we both knew the area well enough to take that detour, otherwise we may not have spent as much time as we did with the babies.

Kimeesha was sent home from hospital before the babies were ready to leave. It was difficult for her to leave the twins behind; she goes in each day to feed and bathe and love...


And then we travelled to Port Alberni, where the rest of our family lives. We spent a whole day with Brianna, who caught us up on her life...her soccer, school, and her friends. And we had an evening spent baby sitting Graydon...he managed to get his Granda to read four books before bedtime, rather than just the usual one.

We had the most amazing birthday party!  My dear family gave me a truly creative gift. There were little notes decorating each individually wrapped present, all held in a dark brown wicker basket that contained so much love. 

And then, my daughter Heidi was sent off to have lunch and a pedicure, while my son-in-law and his brother cooked all of us a scrumptious barbecued Roast of Beef, with all the trimmings, as a surprise for Heidi. 


It was a day filled with good energy and much laughter. It was a day to remember, that day when I turned the corner to sixty and my daughter embraced her fortieth decade.

I have to say the beginning of a new decade feels full of anticipation for me. In my quieter moments, I wonder what the next ten years will hold...

I know with each passing day I awaken a little more.


The quote on my family's birthday card that was given to me states..."I'll do my dreaming with my eyes wide open, and I'll do my looking back with my eyes closed."...Clay Walker


It's a perfect reminder for me! Let me tell you, the quote quite made me gulp.

It really is time to dream forwards...

The twins will be home with Scott and Kimeesha on Saturday. I know they have already changed, from the delicate preemie newborns I had the greatest of privileges to meet.

Just as Graydon and Brianna change, from one visit to another, so shall these two.


It is the way of things. Heh.


It truly was a weekend of many awakenings...

Kaleelah and Keauni!

We received the call at six AM. on Sunday morning. The twin babes were not going to wait any longer...they were on their way!

I wish we had arrived in time; we are on our way to the Island on Tuesday. But those two little girls were tired of waiting for Grandpa and Grandma...they're letting us know in no uncertain terms that patience may not be their long suit.


In my Cosmic horoscope from Astrology.com this morning, the writer had this to say:

"Today's psychic thunderstorm includes Mercury uniting with Mars (2:45PM PST) and Neptune (5:08PM PST) while Mars also unites with Neptune (8:18PM PST) - all of this happening at 29 degrees of Aquarius. Some of you may recall that on December 13, 2010, we had a triple union of Mercury, Mars and Pluto in early Capricorn. That was quite a handful.

There's no telling how a Mercury, Mars and Neptune trinity will influence each person - let alone humanity. And then consider all the souls being born around the globe having this union of three primary planets at the same degree of the zodiac in their birthcharts. Any one of these three alignments is an enormous powerhouse for potential illumination."  

So. It seems these two may be "enormous powerhouses" with Mercury, Mars and Neptune in their charts!

UPDATE:



Some time has passed since I began this post. The babies were born at 8 AM, both weighing 5 lbs 11 oz, by Cesarean section. Both are well, as is Kimeesha, their mother. And Scott...our Scottie is now a father! Of twins, for goodness sake!


This has truly been a miraculous morning. 


Speaking of miracles, there were an awe-inspiring lot of them sent from the Universe last week.


With the arrival of the twins, it is way too difficult to decipher them all...my mind is scrambled. I want to list them here; in all ways, they were simply extraordinary.

The weather has been very cold again...another Arctic front has slid upon us once more...and this makes some of the sightings rather strange.

The first was a huge Daddy Longlegs Spider who decided to visit, just as I came out of the shower. This felt right in one way...her message is courage. But where did she come from? She most certainly was not there when I went into the shower!


I placed her in the garage, where she might at least have a chance of surviving until Spring. Had I put her directly outside, she would have frozen in a mere minutes.

The next was the Moth. She visited in the dark of night, when dreams hold sway. She batted at my face until I woke up...or at least I thought I woke up...rather irritated and swatting at the Moth. I recall seeing what looked like white feathers falling to the floor as I batted the quite large white Moth away, wondering where all these Insects were coming from in the middle of a very cold Winter.
 
But there were no white feathers on the floor the next morning and certainly, no sign of the Moth. I had been dreaming.


Then there were the lights, in the middle of the day, in the Sky. I was out on the deck on a sunny afternoon...still very cold, but almost cozy in the warmth of the Sun, dreaming about one thing or another when coloured lights, beautifully coloured streaming lights, danced across the Sky.


I stared, open-mouthed. What was it? I have seen Aurora Borealis lights, when I've visited friends in Saskatchewan, but never in the brightness of an afternoon. Those lights were similar to what I was seeing, but oh! these were so much brighter than my memory of them.


I was mesmerized. I wanted my camera, but I didn't want to leave the colours in the Sky, not even for a moment. And then, oh wow! an Eagle flew across the colours. So close he was, so very close to me...I stared into his eyes, just as he locked eyes with me.


I could not believe it. With the cold temperatures, I have not seen a Bird anywhere, let alone a Bald Eagle. In the Summer, Eagles will circle above our home, and it is not unusual to see him then.


But this big Bird appeared from nowhere, looking at me, and then flying directly into the lights, until he was only a tiny pinprick in the distance.


It sounds delusional, when I talk about it. It is such a cliche. An Eagle flying across Northern Lights? In the Winter? Even I might ask for a break on that one. But it is true.


There were others who saw the lights; I was not the only one by any means. But no one saw the Eagle fly past...


Eagle was my mother's Totem.

It is enough, right now, that I am aware of all the special occurrences. And that I have remembered them here.


And now it is time to pack for the trip to the Island. It is time to gather myself for meeting two new souls who have arrived. Kaleelah and Keauni...twin Pisces babies, with a Life Path number of 8.


The same as me.


I think that's quite miraculous, all on its own!

The Dinner Table

When I was a youngster, there were many long Summer days that were spent with a large family who owned a dairy farm.

I don't  remember now how many children there were. But I do recall how I felt there was nothing in the World better than being in the company of so many children in such a warm family.

And so, when I was asked what I wanted to do when I grew up, my pat answer was to have as many children as I could. When I was asked why on Earth I would want a lot of kids, I always said I thought it would be such a lot of fun.


And it would have been. But the Universe had other plans. I was fortunate in that I had two children and yes, they were a lot of fun. I still yearned for more children, though, even when I myself couldn't have them. That's when foster children entered my life.


We did have a  huge lot of enjoyment then...sometimes there were not enough chairs around the dinner table to hold my family and the foster kids. But we managed...

And then life changed again. A marriage broke up, and I moved on with my two children, further along on the path of life. I remarried. My new husband wasn't all that fond of fostering kids...and so, I encouraged my two daughters to bring their friends home, possibly just so I could once again have a full complement of folks around the dinner table.


Again, life's path took a turn. My youngest daughter, Katrina, had a child, Brianna. It was a tumultuous time in the life of a family, even though Bree was the warmest, brightest light we had. Unmarried, Katrina found life difficult...too difficult. And even as I gained a grandchild, I lost a daughter...

Heidi and her husband took Bree and adopted her when, if memory serves, she was around five or six. My second marriage had gone the way of the first by then. And the deeply rooted thought of many children around the dinner table loosened. For a long while, it seemed Bree was the only grandchild I would have.

I met Graham, who also had two children. His son, Scott, lived with us. He was fifteen when I met him, a teenager full of  hormonal angst. Most of my foster kids were boys so I was not totally male ignorant. Coming from a family of girls, having only girls myself, it was still a revelation to me...Scott was very different from my daughters. But he bore out my notion that children brought a lot of fun. 

And then, wonder of wonders!! My daughter and her husband decided to have a baby...and Graydon entered our World. It began to appear, even if my dinner table did not hold only very young children, it was certainly always very entertaining.


Brianna is sixteen now.  Graydon will be turning four. Two children...a girl and a boy...now further graced my family tree. It was enough...it had to be, I thought. Graham and I are too old to have more children, even if I could.


But oh! Once again, the Universe thought it would shake up our now fairly complacent existence. Scott, now almost 25, and his girlfriend Kimeesha announced they were having a baby. Another child to bring fun and joy to our family dinners! How could anything be better than this?


Twins. Twins could be better.


Sometimes...sometimes our wishes and dreams and goals are derailed, along that long and winding road of Life.

All in good time, the Universe told me, all in good time. Having held the dream of being surrounded by children for so long, and for so long, having the dream denied...I had lost hope. I did not hold on to my faith which told me dreams can come true, if one holds onto them tightly enough.

Who would have thought, years ago, of the number of grandchildren...here and on their way...who I now have to nurture and teach, to love and laugh with, to enjoy? I certainly did not. My realization, so many years ago, that my main goal was to be a mother to many children...well, it didn't happen quite the way I thought it would.


But the proverbial dinner table will soon require another leaf. And more chairs.


And in the wings, there is another leaf, another chair. Just waiting. Just in case.

Who knows how many children and adults will find their place around that table in the end?


All I know is...


It's already a lot of fun. With twin girls, the merriment will only grow.


My dream from so long ago is in the process of being filled.