Showcase, Camping, Track an Field, Brian's Grandma's celebration of Life - Marian Stock, Soccer and Jump Rope for Heart
Easton recently had his showcase drama presentation week at his school. They began practicing for it back in November and this past week he performed it 5 times. I was lucky to see it three times. Once with Brian and Shaye during the day on Monday, once with Hadley at night on Tuesday while Brian picked up Lisa from the airport, and again on Thursday at the close of the show with Lisa and Brian again! So lucky to have these opportunities. It was a great show entitled The Show Must Go On! Music, singing, dancing and a lot of fun with lights and microphones and even light sabres! Easton was in many of the scenes and you could tell that this was a real bonding experience for the grade 8's to hold onto as they head off to high school next year. Easton has enjoyed dancing around the house to these songs for months so it was fun to see them in the performance.
Lisa came early for their grandma's funeral because her flights made sense to do so, and she spent most of the week working in the basement but there were things that also happened during the day, like a trip to the mall to get her a funeral outfit, and a trip to Costco to get food for the weekend, and of course Showcase, but also it was nice that she could come out on the first night of Easton's soccer. They won 8-7. He is the green team this year. Team #1.
Ping pong was also played as well as good conversation to get caught up. Lisa was really good about getting up early in fact she went for an hour walk before anyone woke up each morning that she was here. She is doing a challenge and didn't want to get off track while in Ontario. Good for her!
Friday we packed everything up and went camping to Cyprus Lake at Bruce Peninsula National Park. Lisa has been with us since Tuesday since her flights made more sense to be here early for the celebration of life for their grandma on May 22, 2024. So we decided to do a nostalgic tour of places near the family cottage that their grandma owned. Friday night the drive was long but the sunset was stunning! We arrived late, like gates closed late, but only by a few minutes so they let us in and we registered in the morning. Good thing Brian and I are well practiced at setting up the tent trailer. We did it quickly in the dark and soon we were all ready for bed.
Brian's dad drove up the next morning to join us for the weekend and brought fresh donuts for us to enjoy before our big hike of the day. We went to the biggest tourist spot, the Grotto on Georgian Bay. We saw a rattlesnake on our adventures which was quite interesting. We gave it lots of space! When we finally got to the Grotto and cave, it was stunning! The water was the colour you dream about in far away vacation land and the scenery was beautiful! It was busy but the beauty made up for that.
Hadley and I opted for the easy route back while the others went on a more adventurous rocky road back.
When we were all settled back at the campsite we decided that a game of Yahtzee was in order. This is a game that was often played at the cottage. We played three rounds to determine a winner, of which I played well enough to claim this title. After breakfast on Sunday we headed to Tobermory where we wandered around the shops, for lunch we went to a fish and chip place, and enjoyed seeing the ships with some ice cream of course. Later that evening we played charades by the campfire for hours. We packed up Monday and headed for the cottage by Old Women's River to do a drive by and then to Sandy beach. Brian and Lisa were tempted to jump in while the rest of us were happy to walk by the water or play in the sand. From here we stopped to have lunch in Hanover at McDonalds and then we headed to Listowel to drop Lisa off at her mom's house and the trailer to Brian's uncle Pauls to borrow as he was going to take it to the Indy 500 for the weekend.
On Tuesday, that's right, the next day, Easton's school had scheduled their track and field. This is a big deal as it was basically his first real track and field. In grade 4 when it usually starts, it was cancelled for Covid, and then he did grade 5 and 6 online, and then for grade 7 the principal was more about making it a fun day outside, so there were drum circles, bubbles and other events that were not track related and no ribbons to win. This year, we had a new principal and new vice principal and we are back to actually having a track and field day! Easton cleaned up, earning first place in triple jump and 100m, second place in 400m, long jump, and 800m. Third place in 1500m. Fifth place in javelin. Eighth place in shot put and 200m. I am so glad he got to experience a real track and field before heading off to highschool.
Wednesday was the celebration of life for Brian's grandma. Marian Stock. We got up at 5:30 am in order to be at the church for 9:30am in Dublin as Brian was a Paul Bearer with his boy cousins. The day would have been her 101'st birthday and I was amazed at how many people came to celebrate her life. I saw and met so many family and friends. It was amazing that because of this one person, so many were connected. While the event was of course a sad moment, it had been months since her actual death on February 8th. The event was postponed until the internment and flights of family members could be arranged and what better day than to celebrate her on her birthday. While it was a long day, it was so nice to send her off in such a way that would have made her so happy. A mass in the same church she had received all the sacraments and a burial out back with her loving husband. It was so nice to see Brian with all his cousins as they live all over Canada and so nice to see Brian's mom with her cousins, friends and other family members including Verkley's who were there to support as well. Tom Verkley even did some of the music for the service.
Thursday was a regular day with soccer in the evening and then Friday was Jump Rope for Heart. I was lucky enough to be giving out freezies at this event and track and field earlier in the week. Sometimes I can't believe both of my kids will be in highschool next year. Elementary school went so fast!
Life has busy moments but I am so glad for each and every one of them.