Moments D699: Milestone birthdays

Today my niece turned 19.  I remember holding her when she was only hours old in this world.  She's grown into such a beautiful, vibrant, loving young woman.  I am one proud aunt.

What an incredible milestone.  I remember mine fondly.  My Big Sis took me out on my 19th birthday.  My first drink, a fuzzy navel. Lame.  I know, but still memorable to this day!

While I'm a proud aunt, but I'm an old aunt.  Twenty-one years separate my sweet niece and I, so as much as I would have loved to join her at a bar for her first drink, starting the evening at 10 pm on a Sunday night really wasn't in the cards for EQ & I.  Instead, we offered to take her out for dinner before her birthday outing with friends and cousins her age began.  Of course, we went to her favourite restaurant: Grazie.  (How could we not?)

Little did my sweet niece know, but my Big Sis, her hubby and her other daughter were going to be there at the restaurant already.  Big Sis & her hubby had the day off and were able to drive into the city for a surprise birthday dinner.

I warned EQ that there would be tears.  We weren't disappointed!  As we walked into the back room, my niece saw her family and instantly sprung tears in her eyes.  Mom, Dad & sister were all teary-eyed.  I love when a moment is so filled with love that you just burst!  This moment, with the first hugs of the night, was just such a moment.

Perfect really for a milestone birthday.

Moments celebrating a milestone birthday.

Moments celebrating family.

Thank you for the round of shots Grazie - a nice touch for the birthday girl.

Moments D688: Gifts Shared

Today was an incredible day.  It was a day poised to be a celebration love.  My younger cousin married the man of her dreams.  What a celebration it was with the perfect Jamaican weather.

But, today wasn't all about young love.  It was about family.  It was about friends.  It was about appreciating life; reflecting on the past and dreaming of the future.

And while I wasn't ready for today's moment, the gift shared with me today was the most beautiful gift I've ever received.  And with the sharing of this gift, a feel a new tradition was born as well!

EQ shared a unique birthday tradition with my family tonight.  He was introduced to it while travelling in Ecuador years ago.  The premise is this:  Instead of sharing physical gifts with the one celebrating a birthday loved one shared stories of what gifts (physical or otherwise) the birthday person has given them that either touched them deeply or inspired them on some level.

And just like that, after dinner, EQ orchestrated a discussion of gifts shared by the birthday girl to each family member at the table.  What an incredible journey that discussion brought!    From the adventure of a lifetime, to ancient stories featuring a Christmas ornament, to lighting up a room and teaching compassion.   What a journey indeed.  It was a tear-inspiring moment, so much so that my dear Big Sis couldn't participate for she was too choked up to do so.  Beautiful.  Simply beautiful.

It was, by far, the most memorable, touching birthday present I've ever received.

I believe this is a new tradition that shall be instituted in my world.  Yes.  That seems fitting to who I am and how I see the world.

A present for the moment today, and a present for moments of celebration to come.  How's that for digging deeper?

Beautiful!

Moments celebrating family, love, and life.

Moments relishing gifts shared...and shared again.

Moments D687: Zip & Drop

Today started much the same as yesterday.  Slow to rise, lazy breakfast and a stroll along the beach.  This afternoon, however, it was a much different story!

Five of us headed to Mystic Mountain.

What an afternoon it was!  We tried a little of everything!  We walked through and read up on some of the local history from the museum at the top.  We ran the bobsled track (a couple of times!) and, all five of us, ran the zip lines!  Yes!  That's right!  All. Five.

So, while I originally thought today's moment would be seeing my Dad dive in dance with the locals at the museum (seriously, what a gut laughing moment we all loved!) the real moment found me while we were out on the zip lines.

Why that moment?  Well, that's because my Big Sis went out on a limb.  Literally.  And she's afraid of heights.

Not only did she survive the 15-20 minute chairlift, but she agreed to ride the bob sled and experience the zip line course.  (Did I mention she's afraid of heights?  Oh.  And she doesn't like rides.  Too fast.  Too scary.  And fast corners?  Yup.  Even scarier for her.  (um. Helllloooo!  A bobsled course? You know that there are corners on those tracks, right?  And....that a bobsled moves pretty fast?)

And yet, she did it.  All of it.

But it wasn't until we were suited up for the zip line course that she realized that there was a free fall drop on the zipline course.  "A WHAT?" she said.

Yes.  That's right.  A freefall drop.  Where they lean you out in your harness, over the edge of the platform and drop you to the one below.  Tethered of course.  Through a pulley system.  Easy!

She went white when we told her.

And then, she bravely followed us to the first zip line.

She screamed through the first line and while I didn't see her before she began the next line (there were too many people between us!), I didn't hear her scream on the second line.  I think she must have enjoyed it on some level!

And then we came to the free fall drop.  EQ and I had officially been separated from my parents and my Big Sis.  I couldn't see how she was doing.  Was she enjoying herself?  Was she scared and just pushing through?  I wasn't close enough to give her a squeeze of encouragement if she needed it. I found myself nervous for her. I hoped it wasn't too scary for her.  I could only send her some energy from the back of the pack of people.

And then I heard her scream.  I knew that in that moment it was over.  She had dropped from one platform to the next.

Phew!

When we finally caught up again, EQ & I pumped her for her thoughts on the experience.  While she wasn't as ghostly white as she was when she found out about the free fall drop, she was pretty shaken.  But, beneath that nervous laugh was a look of accomplishment.  She'd never admit it (stubborn 'ol bird!), but I think she secretly loved it and was proud of herself for taking the leap.

I know I was damn proud of her!  For her joining the family in Jamaica.  That was a big step for her.  For risking possible embarrassing family moments.  For agreeing to step even further outside of her comfort zone and try something extremely new.  Never before had I known her to try something so scary and challenging for her. She's pushing her boundaries.  I'm proud of her for doing so.  On all points, today's moment only highlights how far she's come.  A free fall from a tree.  So incredible!

Moments watching a new experience unfold.

Moments feeling proud for steps taken forward by those you love.

Moments D670: Family Dinners

This afternoon I headed to Welland so that I could watch my nephew in his hockey tournament.  Typically such a visit is quick and I don't have much of a chance to really interact with my brother, SIL or my nephews.  I join them at the arena, spend some time with my SIL and younger nephew and then we all go our separate ways.  As fast as it is, I am always willing to make the drive, when I can, to cheer on my oldest nephew in the sport he loves.

As I sat enthusiastically cheering on my nephew (playing centre these days) I wondered where he would be in 10 years time.  He's only just turn 10, so there are many paths yet before him.  Will he still be playing hockey?  Would he push himself hard to ever make it to the Olympics?  (What can I say?  I have the Olympics on my brain!) Or, will he be more focused on learning?  Of course, I haven't any answers, but there was that moment today where I was pondering where he might go with his love of hockey.  (And boy-oh-boy does he love his hockey!)

While watching my nephew play is best was a heart-warming moment, the real moment today was a surprise family gathering.  The entire family was coming back for dinner after the game.  Not only my brother and his family, but my Big Sis and her family.  There was 11 of us in all.  What an incredible dinner it was.  Our food was simple, but perfect for the occasion and something we "kids" all love.  Spaghetti and meatballs with ceasar salad.  The dinner table was filled with fast moving conversations, silliness with my nephews and silliness with my "nieces".  Lots of laughter.  The only thing missing was my love.  (He's in California right now.)  I think we all missed him tonight.

I was so very happy that my Mom offered to pull this impromptu dinner together for everyone.  I may have only been in Welland for 18 hours, but I managed to see all my peeps.

That was pretty incredible.

Moments appreciating the effort Mom puts in to pull us busy kids together for dinner.

Moments loving and appreciating my family.

Moments D629: Christmas in January

Today it was Christmas all over again.

No, not all the crazy hubbub that comes with Christmas proper.  No, this was an overdue Christmas gathering with my "sister" and her family.  My parents, EQ and I met them at the restaurant they chose.

Shortly after we arrived, and pleasantries were shared, my "sister" explained that dinner was on them.  This was our Christmas present this year because we were so darn hard to shop for.

I watched her as she spoke.  She was a little nervous as she played with the bracelet on her wrist.  I then notices that she was wearing both pieces of jewelry that I gave her for Christmas this year.  (YES! That's right, I managed to have my act together and left presents for her and her family before I went to California for Christmas!)    Too cute.

I was quick to share with her that this was the best Christmas present ever.  I explained that we all have enough STUFF, that for me, it's much more important to spend quality time with those I love.  Add in some delightful food and drink and voilà!  Perfection.

In the end, we all felt that way and the hours spent together are a testament to that point.  How so? We planned on having dinner early so EQ and I could get back into Toronto before it was too late. Four hours later, we were still very much enjoying deep discussions and laughter over a table of food and drink.

Laid back, full of love.  What more do I need?

Maybe one extra hug before getting into the car and heading separate ways.

Yes, it was a perfect Christmas present.

Moments with family celebrating the holidays.

Moments recognizing what's most important.

Moments D588: Screaming tires

Tonight was the long awaited P!nk concert with my BFF, Big Sis and my niece. We had an early dinner at an area favourite, which, surprisingly, ended up being the best part of the night.

Why the best part you ask?  Well, that's really two fold.  Unfortunately P!nk's performance tonight was not stellar.  To P!nk's credit, I think she wasn't feeling well.  Given that likelihood, she performed brilliantly as she actually did all of her acrobatic stunts.  But, there was no encore (which was brilliant back in March when I saw her) and she had her backup singers sing quite a bit for her.  Disappointing.  So that's first reason.  

That said, here's a decent picture from the concert.    See - P!nk is way up in the air!

The second reason?  Well, that's because I had three pretty awesome ladies at the table with me and we had a lot of fun sharing stories over a delightful dinner.  We even talked, at length, about my grandma who had passed away this past weekend.  It was incredible and, at moments, quite deep.  Had we not had tickets to the concert, I think we all would have enjoyed sitting around the table for the rest of the evening, sharing drinks and stories.

So my moment today.  It's not dinner.  After all, I'm trying to be somewhat unique and interesting here!  No, today's moment was when we were leaving the parking garage after the concert.  The four of us tucked into BFF's Volkswagen, curling up the tight corridors of an underground parking garage, with traffic from the concert all around us.  

Cue the crazy girl driving a standard car that wasn't (likely) hers, up a ramp and directly towards us.  

But first:  Why crazy?  Well, we don't think the standard car was hers as it looked like the guy in the passenger seat was out cold and she was one nervous nellie!  As she took her foot off the brake, she immediately began to roll down the ramp.  You could see the panic in her eye.  We watched in horror as she eventually rolled back into the car behind directly her with a crack.  Thank goodness for bumpers!  

She rolled down the window and asked the guy behind her to back up because she wasn't comfortable driving a standard.  Blocked in with a car behind him, there was no where for him to go.

How did we see and hear all this?  Well, we were at the very top of the ramp waiting to go around the next corner.

And then the crazy girl gunned it.  The car comes squealing up the ramp. 

Right. At. Us.

Big Sis screamed.  And then screamed again louder (just in case we didn't hear her the first time) that then prompted my niece to start screaming.  BFF was looking for options, be we too were blocked in with no where to go.

Me.  I stared on at the scene with mild amusement.  I didn't think she was going to hit us, but here she was with the car screaming up the ramp at us.

And just as quickly (and loudly!) as it happened, the crazy girl slammed on her brakes with a squeal and stopped about three feet from us.

The four of us broke out into laughter.  

A second after our laughter erupted, the traffic ahead moved and we turned the corner.  

As traffic continued to merge into the exit lane, we never did see the crazy girl and the standard car again, but we could hear her squealing the tires around every inclined corner.  

The four of us laughed nearly all the way home about the silly moment.  

Sometimes, it's the strangest things that can bring a smile and create a conversation. 

Moments watching someone push outside their comfort zone.

Moments enjoying the silly reactions and conversations that we found ourselves in.

Moments D559: Man Time

Today was one of those afternoons that you grin and bear to get through. A family bridal shower. I've never been a fan of them, and today's gathering was no different. It's just not something that brings me pleasure.  I'm more than happy to spend time with my family, more than happy to give a gift to the new couple, but I really don't want to spend 3+ hours cooped up with all that estrogen.  Why?  Well, most of the time I have very little in common with the women I find myself surrounded by, so it is typically three (or more) hours of trying really hard to find things to talk about.  And yes, because of that, the afternoon felt like it dragged on and on.

My moment, however, came post-shower on the ride home to the big smoke.  The long and short of it, my painful afternoon was a perfect opportunity for EQ, my Dad and Big Sis' husband to hang out for the afternoon.  In the end, this time turned out to be some serious quality man time.

No, that didn't mean they drank beer and watched football.  That being said, there was some Jack going around and football on the TV in the background, but what the men focused on was conversation with each other.  They had the time to have serious man talks, no other distractions, just the three of them.  From discussions of health to diving in much deeper into some of the big life changes they are all facing.  From the sounds of it (though I didn't learn about the specifics), tough questions and realizations were shared. 

As my Mom said, it is a good experience for them, knowing how hard for men to talk about things.  How true.  Especially with their partners around.  They don't want to be seen as so vulnerable in front of their partners.  Today, they were able to dig deep with each other in a safe, loving, supportive environment with one another.  Incredible really.

Knowing the depth of conversation shared and how things were relayed, I'm pretty certain that Big Sis' hubby and my Dad fell a lot more in love with EQ, and he with them.

Definitely well worth the pain of attending a bridal shower to know that this afternoon was a big relationship building day for EQ, my Dad and Big Sis' hubby.

Moments complaining about boredom.

Moments instead realized as quality man time.

Moments D558: Big Sis Digs Deep

After a day of volleyball, EQ and I headed into the Niagara region to spend the rest of the weekend with family.  Tonight was an anticipated evening, one where he would finally be able to spend some extended quality time with my "Big Sis" and her family.  

The first part of our night was spent just the four of us.  Shortly into dinner Big Sis' youngest daughter and her friend joined us.  The atmosphere was light and jubilant with much laughter.

As the evening wore on and the kids disappeared, the adults settled in with another glass of wine and later some Jack.  The conversation, inevitably, dug in a little deeper.  What was incredible, and the moment I want to share, is even though some of the subjects that we dug into were serious and deep, everything was coming from a place of love and support.  Serious questions were asked with a humourous tone.  Family history and secrets were shared with twinkling eyes.  With every turn in the conversation, I could see the relationship between EQ, Big Sis and her husband being built.  At times I found myself simply sitting back and watching it form.

What was most incredible was watching my Big Sis' openness.  She was open enough to go deep tonight and as the evening came to a close, I realized with a certain confidence that Bis Sis and her hubby were really enjoying EQ's company.  Tonight, I watched them fall a little in love with him.    A beautiful moment indeed and one that I can see happening again over the months to come.  A heart warming, soul fulfilling moment.

Moments digging deeper with family.

Moments building new family relationships.