2018 Reflections

2018 Reflections was originally a blog post I wrote for my Blogger account, ​I decided that I would prefer all my materials in one place.

​Today is the last day of 2018, and the first day of my new blog; tried blogging in 2009/2010 and an unfortunate situation occurred and discouraged me from continuing on and completely deleting my work. My first blog was about being a stay-at-home mother, DIY projects, crafts, and homeschooling. I did blog about being a Girl Guide leader for a while (mostly during my time as a Sparks leader). My new blog will be different this time around... more journal style and as my title of the blog indicates, that it is "a work in progress" and I am also a work in progress. I thought my first blog would be a reflection of 2018.

2018 had many ups and downs and I wanted to share some of those highlights/low blows:​
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miley

​I adopted Miley on March 29th. She is such a treasure. She has been my therapy dog. She is one of the biggest highlights from my year. I am grateful for her company when times are tough, when I can't sleep through the night, and when I am unwell.

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goodbye adelaide

I was fortunate for the opportunity to work at Camp Adelaide again this summer. My contract started 36 hours after my volunteer gig at Camp Woolsey. I had to rush home, repack, celebrate our wedding anniversary, sleep, and rush to Haliburton. I got to work with the most amazing young women; it was a pleasure to help, assist, and share (my story with) them. One (LOL moment) highlight would defiantly be the day I said during a safety staff Sunday meeting that "I have never seen a bear here in the 6 years I have worked at Adelaide" and then saw a cub on my rounds before the campers arrived for their week. I knew this would possibly be my last summer at Adelaide (I thought last summer was the last one but fate changed that), I took the opportunity to visit sites that I had not had the chance to enjoy on my previous volunteer job or as a camper. I took a few super special photos at camp and I said my goodbye to my camp/my home/my dreams.
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​*Adelaide will be closing in 2019, and will not run summer camping program.

Final Campfire.

resignation

After an internal struggle throughout the summer, I resigned from my positions with GGC on August 27th. I am very sad that I wasn’t able to finish my term, but I am grateful for the training sessions and ​the opportunities being ACL provided me. 
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kirk & cece

​For our 20th anniversary, we drove to the place where we meet and had a few photos taken together in the yard of the wedding hall. We had our first kiss at the fence in the yard, and we posed there for our picture.

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February 4, 2018

When in rome

Sarah is gone to Italy for the school year as a Rotary Student exchange. In November 2017, we found out that she was accepted and February she found out her country. She has worked very hard to earn this opportunity and I am super proud of her. This is one of many favorite photos of her in Italy; she looks she's made for Italy.

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Room #2

Oh, room #2 at my doctor's office I have spent many hours sitting there... so many appointments, so many referrals, so many blood work requisitions, so many x-rays, one CT scan, and one MRI later I finally received my diagnosis on November 27th.

Waiting and testing and visiting doctors/specialists and hospitals, etc. was the hardest part… not knowing what was wrong was agony. Currently in mindfulness therapy and started physiotherapy for my knee… Able to sleep now thanks to the sleep clinic’s diagnosis and trying to live and cope with depression & anxiety and being diagnosed with fibromyalgia.

November 13, 2018