Kathryn Eileen Thibodeau 17 05 1944 - 27 01 1999

Dear Mom:

I can't believe that it has been eight years since I last saw you.

I will never forget how you smelled or how soft your skin was. I miss you a lot, especially on Mother's Day, your birthday, Thanksgiving and Christmas. I miss your cooking (noone cooks as good as you!), I miss your straight forward advice and I miss the way you connected our family together. I still wear some of your great clothes to work, like your burberry skirt and some of your jewelry. It makes me feel close to you.

You wouldn't believe how grown up Jessica and Julian are. Julian graduated from high school last year and Jessica is quite the career oriented woman now! You were so supportive of Jessica in her early teens and you kept reassuring me that everything would work out fine - you knew that because of your own experiences with teenage girls...

My life has changed a lot in the last eight years too. I married a great guy - I think you'd really like him. You'd probably be surprised that I got married again, but I found a great catch and I just couldn't let him get away. He is smart and kind - we have become great life partners. I am still working as a legal assistant and I really love my job. It is interesting work and the people are great. I have some other dreams that I am working to fullfill and your inspiration is always there.

I often wish you were here to share life's moments with. It never gets easier not having a mom but I know that you are right where I need you to be - in my heart!

I love you, mom

M

We even look alike!

Some people even say Jessica and I look alike - ya think!?!

Oh, the guy in the middle? That's Jules graduating from high school!

My Favourite Christmas Present!

I love it when I receive a gift that makes me feel special every time I use it. My fav gift this Christmas was this beautiful wool pumpkin scarf that my amazing daughter Jessica gave to me. Not only was it thoughtful (orange is my favourite colour) and practical, but I think of Jessica everything I wear it. It goes with all of the brown clothing items I own (brown is the new black!). Jessica has given me many of my favourite gifts like opal earrings from Australia and a beautiful pearl necklace she gave me for my birthday. I like getting gifts for her too because we have similar tastes. So I know if I like it, she'll like it!

The Gift of Health

Sometimes I have to choke back tears when I look at these pictures because running is one of the greatest gifts I have given myself EVER! It is spiritual, mental and physical. It is like an old friend that has seen me through times of stress and times of joy. I have travelled to run with girlfriends. I have run up mountains, I have run behind my husband, I have run on cobbled roads, I have run hours and miles around Canyon View trail, I have run the dark streets of Campbell River and Victoria while the world was sleeping, I have run under a scorching sun (hey, Ethel!!!), I have run 1/2 marathons in the driving rain and I have run in other countries.... But the most amazing and incredible experience for me has been sharing this passion with my eighteen year old son, Julian. He started seriously running when he was fifteen. We even celebrated his 16th birthday staying in motel in Nanaimo so we could run the Gutbuster trail run the next day. Not many moms get to share this kind of time with their teenage sons. I am soooooooo blessed! Not that we are ever running together at these events. Julian is a very talented long distance runner and is usually done 20 minutes to a half hour before mom sees the finish line. Often at a tough race, he will double back to find me in the crowd and run to the finish with me. We share post race snacks and battle stories. We have done events such as the Gutbuster series and the Kusam Klimb that are really tough races and relived the milestones kilometer by kilometer on the ride home - if we are awake!

Sometimes I think, I will never, ever do this race again (think Kusam Klimb) and then Julian calls and says "hey, let's do it" and I am off again running down some road or trail.

Sometimes our gifts don't come in boxes with bows but with the experiences we have in our lives with the peeps we love...

Paper is beautiful

After Christmas, I went down to my favourite shop in all of Victoria, The Papery on Fort Street. It is full of beautiful paper items. They have spectacular wrapping paper, journals, date books, notecards, pens, stamps and all sorts of other wonderous paper products. I love paper!

While I was there, I stocked up on all of the cards that I will need throughout the year.

Birthday cards, get well cards, miss you cards, thank you cards and blank cards!

It is always a good idea to keep a stash for unexpected situations - like getting invited to a birthday dinner at the last minute or to send to a friend who's blue. I like going to little specialty shops like The Papery because there is such a great selection of beautiful and unusual cards that you won't find anywhere else.

If you are creative, you can make your own cards. The possibilites are endless - collage cards, photo cards, handpainted cards or hand stamped cards. Scrapbooking websites have tons of inspiration and supplies. Some craft stores even offer classes. Handmade cards are a special gift on their own. The recipient will treasure it because you made it just for them.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Aja and I went out on a wet early morning New Years Day walk today. Taking pictures while walking Aja is a tricky thing because you can never let go of her leash or she might be gone forever! She doesn't quite trust the camera yet either so she doesn't make the greatest subject. But she's sooooo cute that we forgive all of her strange idiosyncrasies!

I am not really one for making New Years resolutions. I try to make "adjustments" in improving my life all through the year in my attempt to live each day as it comes. However, I am making a commitment to stop engaging in gossip. Sometimes, I find myself getting so caught up in it and relishing in the sordid details. Later I feel really crummy and guilty. How horrible to exploit other people's weaknesses and mistakes for one's own pleasure?! (as if I am perfect!) Yuck!

It is going to be a busy and exciting 2007! My adorable husband is going into his most challenging and work intensive term of school yet. I am on the cusp of blowing the doors open on Soul Comfort Care Package Co. I am hoping this will be the year that I bust that 1:54 1/2 marathon time (read: train, train, train). It's always exciting to see what Jessica and Julian are going to do next and watching them grow up is a pleasure even though some days I feel like a childless mother!

Carpe Diem in 2007!