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Courtney
My granddaughter was born to us March 15th 1999. She is the greatest gift God could give us. Lisa and Courtney lived
with me until Courtney was a little over 4 years old. I had the privilege of watching her grow and develop into the happy
child she is now. Courtney is a very happy child who's laugh is contageous. She takes joy in everything that she does and
seems to take little for granted. For a 4 year old she holds a conversation very well, in fact you barely have to talk. She
talks non stop and if you listen to her, she has important things to say. She is absolutely one of the brightest stars that
shine in my world. But.... I guess all grandmas could say the same thing about their grandchildren.
After my husband died everything seemed so out of place and I had no focus in my world. She
was born a day after his birthday so I know that God was sending me the message that even though there is death,
so too there is life.
Courtney has been going to day care since she was born so that Lisa could continue with her education. Every one I talk
to about her tells me how smart she is. I have the hope that she too, one day, will continue her education and along
her journey make wise choices.
(Update, courtney is now 5 and lets you know when you make a mistake and say that she is 6.
Living next to them has been a great experience for us all. She still talks about the times when she missed me when I lived
in Chilliwack. I guess we had built up a stronger bond while she lived with me than I had thought. She goes to kindergarten
now and is learning to read. She reads everything in sight, which is great to watch. I teach her a lot at home when I babysit
because education is so very important and she is so smart I don't want her to waste any of that gift. She goes to church
with me on Saturday nights and I am glad that she is getting a good foundation from which to build.)
My brother and his grand daughter
| My brother Darold and his grand daughter Chelsey |
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| Out of 6 children, Darold is the only boy |
I moved the poem that I wrote about Darold to my 'Poems of Hope' page. Here I want to write
more about who he is as a person. Darold works in the lumber industry which suits him very well as he has a great appreciation
for the 'great outdoors'. A hunter, camper type person he is not, (lol) but he does like the water and often goes fishing
with my brother in law.
Darold married the love of his life when he was 19 and after over 30 years of marriage they
are still together. When I watch him and Cheryl together I can see that they are more in love now than they were when they
met in high school. Darold has taught me a great many lessons through my lifetime. He also taught me that we all have our
faults and one of his used to be that he forgot when he made a promise. That's ok in my books though because it taught me
how important it is to keep a promise if you make one. He and my dad taught me that being reasonable and having a gentle voice
often times solves more problems than anger and impatience will. By his acceptance of me, even with my faults, I truely
do have a purpose on this earth. Darold has a sparkle in his eye that all dreamers have and I smile affectionately when I
think of the blind faith that he has.
Darold has three children with his wife Cheryl. Shane, Ryan and Tammy are three kids who now
live on their own, but it is obvious that they all respect their parents very much. The lights of his life are his four
grandchildren that his daughter Tammy has.
Children do in fact learn what they live. His children are proof of that they have all turned
out respectful, caring and independant people. He and Cheryl have done a fabulous job and are obviously very proud of their
accomplishments.
Besides the relationship I had with my husband, I feel the safest when I am with Darold and
Cheryl. Besides my friends they are two of the few people who accept me the way I am and in spite of that, love me anyways.
Lisa
My daughter Lisa. One paragraph can not begin to sum up her life so far. Together we have been on an ever changing roller
coaster that is filled surprises around each bend. Her lows have been my lows and her highs have been my highs. Together we
have forged out a life for our family and at different times each has given or taken support when needed. I am very proud
of her and her accomplishments as I am with Chad and Courtney. Without them, who am I?
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My mom and dad
| My mom and dad after their 50th anniversary |
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My mom was born in Sweden in 1919 and came to Canada when she was a child. My father was
born and raised in Saskatewan in 1920 and that's where he met my mother.
My mom now lives with my sister Sharon and brother in law since my dad passed away. They had
a 50th anniversary and a few more after that as well. I don't know a lot of the history since I am the youngest and came to
the family rather late in their relationship.
Family Picture August 2000
| This is a picture of us 6 kids. |
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| Left to right: Me, Lynette, Sharon, mom, Darold, Sandra, Deanna |
Me and my best friend Lisa
| My best friend Lisa for 20 years |
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| The name sake for my daughter |
My best friend, Lisa
I met Lisa when my son Chad was 2 years old. She started as our babysitter but has since went from babysitter to best friend.
She has had 3 boys since we met. We have shared each others lives, the ups and the downs for the past 20 years.
Her children, Kyle, Luke and Kelly are three very active boys. They are in grades 11, 10 and 9 at the moment but she is
coping rather well with the teenage stages of their lives. Her and I spend hours on the phone and I miss her company very
much.
Lisa has numerous talents, in fact, too many to mention them all. She loves Ceramics, drawing, crocheting, scrapbooking,
woodwork, and other hobbies. She is the most diversely talented person that I know. Her husband George has worked in the Mill
in Williams lake for over 25 years and his passion is hunting.
Lisa has helped me through many crisis's over time and I have done the same for her. Murray and I named our daughter after
her and they too have a good relationship. Her kind heart and willingness to help others have sometimes made her an easy target
for being used by her friends, (excluding me), but she has learned very well to stand up for herself now and her confidence
in life has grown considerably in the last few years.
Chad
My son, Chad has A.D.D. but has successfully managed to live on his own since he was 19. He was born January 14, 1981.
He has since moved away from Chilliwack but every one I talk to tells me how insightful and helpful he is. I'm very proud
of all he has done in spite of his deficits.I miss his a lot since he has moved away but talking to him online does help somewhat.
As a mother though I will never stop worrying about him having enough food, or making the right friends, or whether he is
happy and safe.
Chad lives his life one day at a time. He wanders through it with the wonderment of someone who is seeing everything for
the first time. He has the energy and spirit to always look at the Universe with wonder and awe. Chad is a very good worker
even though he is limited in what jobs he could aquire. In spite of that, if you give Chad a job to do, he will do it until
it is done; and with pride in the finished product.
Chad went to school for as many years as his A.D.D. would allow him but his knowledge and understanding of mechanical things
still amazes me. He seems to have a natural knack for anything that is mechanical. His sense of direction is precise
and his love for the outdoors would make him a perfect guide for a hunting/fishing/hiking company.
I miss him every day, but I know he is safe and learning, on faith, the lessons that he needs to learn.
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