May
2022

Happy Mother’s Day!

I am so excited – we have our last competition in Ottawa this weekend!

We said

This weekend – well today actually – is all about Mums. About my Mum. About Emelia’s Mum. And about Danielle’s Mum (no longer with us). And, all the impact they have had on all of us. My Mum was my kindergarten teacher and I still to this day have grade school friends that tell me about what an impact she had on them. Which I mean, I know because she was my Mum and my teacher. Emelia’s Mum… aka Danielle, is such a huge force in Emelia’s and my life—and like all Mums—puts her needs last after all others. And, Danielle’s Mum is one hundred percent the reason Danielle is such a remarkable human being and while missing her like crazy, we all live with her impact every day. So, thank you to all the Mothers out there, because without you, there’s no us! ❤️

The great news is through luck with schedule for the first time since both of them became Mothers, Danielle got to spend a bit if this weekend with her sister Chantelle and our nephew Marshall. They were headed back home after visiting some family weekend so we all got spend time with them last night and into today. It was so great so them and spend some time—we’re hopeful that we can get in some time with them and Todd at the trailer this summer as well. As time goes, it’s never long enough, but we absolutely appreciate that we got it!

We’re knee deep for the last few weeks in preparation for Emelia’s last Cheer competition of the season this upcoming weekend in Ottawa. Also, in that realm there has also been the assessments this past week for the upcoming Cheer season to see where Emelia places for next year. This year she was on Level 2 and she is really hoping she has done enough to make it to Level 3 as at two seasons at Level 2 she is really wanting the challenge of new skills. We won’t find out how she did there until after her competition this weekend. The cool news is that Emelia’s daycare besties and Danielle’s former daycare clients Addie and Mason are trying out for CheerStrike as well so Emelia will have two other friends there potentially. Maybe even on the same team—we’ll see!

The other exciting thing about this weekend in Ottawa involves my biking journey. And I know as I dig into this, you’re gonna be thinking, John that is 3 bikes in 3 years! and you wouldn’t be wrong… but… Like camping and trailers a lot of what you find out about your needs for a trailer aren’t clear until you have one. My first bike was just to see if it would even be a thing I would stick to, and we quickly learned it was. The second bike was one that I ordered online completely, and while a great bike for the time, we have learned was probably not the right size for me as indicated by my neck pain I have been working through.

Well, bike number three is a combination of everything I have wanted, and we all hope (well, Danielle mostly) is my forever bike. It is a carbon fibre frame. It is the right size for me. And, it is a GT—the first bike I ever bought was a GT and I had forever until it was stolen off our trailer the night before a camping trip. That bike was hard to find, but thankfully a store in Ottawa had it in stock and as luck would have it, we are going there next weekend! So Friday we will go pick up that bike starting Saturday and in Stittsville staying with our friends, I will christen it on a section of the Trans Canada Trail.

This last part is for Danielle. Today really is about you! It is about the person you’re missing… hell the person that we are all missing. But, it is also about the person, just like her that you have become. She would be so proud of who you are as a wife, mother and a woman, Danielle! And I know she would also be sad she’s missed out on this part. But, your life has been an absolute tribute to carrying on the story she started by carrying you! I am so proud of you, and thankful somehow our paths crossed and we made a family together. And we made Emelia too! Thank you, I love you. Happy Mother’s Day!

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