Hi Morgan, it's me, your Auntie Lisa. You haven't met me yet as I live a ways away from you and I have this ridiculous cold that has gotten the best of me today, April 22, 2013 - also now known as your birthday! I can tell you that I am so excited to be your Auntie and I can't wait to give you your first Auntie Lisa squish. I was lucky enough to be there when your cousins, Ella and Sam were born and as I'm unable to be there with you today, I thought I'd tell you a little about the Fenyedi family that you have been ever so lucky to be born into and my promises to you.
First off, you have hit the parental jackpot! I have known your Daddy my whole life and he has been the best big brother to me that a girl could ask for. Yes, he's crazy and will make you roll your eyes at him on a regular basis but he will also make you laugh, challenge you and sweep you up in those big arms of his when you're in need of a hug and a shoulder to cry on. He is super athletic and will teach you how to ski, ride bikes, and hike and will probably try his best to keep up with you well into his later years so make sure to go easy on him and let him win sometimes. He also gives some pretty darned good advice when you're in need, it may not always be what you want to hear but trust me, his advice is some of the best around!
Your Daddy met and married your Mommy nine months and two days ago. Talk about timing! I don't know your Mommy very well but here's what I've come to realize in the short while that I've known her. She is a strong, loving and beautiful woman. She will always have your best interest at heart and will fight for you when you need her at your back. She is a planner, so much like arriving a day late like you've done on your birthday, don't go messing with the schedule! Your Mommy is also one of the best bakers I know. You will never suffer from a lack of cookies, cake, cinnamon buns or any other baked treat you could imagine. Believe me - you're going to love them! Your Mommy is a huge fan of the colour pink and you are so lucky that the ultrasound technician was right and that you are in fact a girl. If she was wrong, you would have been living out your first couple of days or weeks as a baby boy clad in pink - not that there's anything wrong with that! Your parents are fun, athletic people and they will keep you moving, laughing and probably guessing what's next through your life. Enjoy them, as much as you'll groan and roll your eyes at them through your teen years, trust me, they're pretty cool parents.
Your Daddy's parents, your Gramma and Grampa Fenyedi already love you to bits. Grampa Fenyedi is the one with the crazy white hair on his face. That's his goatee. He will stroke his goatee or run his hand through his white hair when he's thinking. He'll try to tell you that his hair is blond. As I don't want you to start out your life colour blind or mixing up your hair colours, I'll let you in on a little secret - Grampa Fenyedi's hair is actually white. Shh! Don't let him know that you now know his secret. Your Gramma Fenyedi is the one with the crazy curly brown hair and freckles everywhere. If you're really lucky, you'll get some of those freckles someday too like your cousin Ella did. Your Gramma and Grampa Fenyedi will shower you with love. They'll give you lots of hugs, kisses and of course Gramma will always have a never ending supply of fruits and veggies to give to you when you're hungry. Go easy on your Gramma and Grampa Fenyedi though, they sometimes need to take their time doing things as they're not quite as young as you. Feel free to walk in a zig zag line so they can keep up with you when you're on the go!
Next up is your Great Grampa Hunter. He is 92 years young and is one of the toughest men I know. You will need to thank him someday for his great Scottish stock! He has been through so much medically and at 92 years old, he's still alive and kicking and has many a story to tell. Your Great Grampa Hunter taught me to never give up. Not on life, not on love and not on anyone that you care about. His love for your Great Gramma Hunter was a love that I searched for my whole life and have finally found. I hope that I can share some stories with you of the lessons both your Great Gramma and your Great Grampa have taught me. They have given me so much and I hope that I am able to properly convey the special people that they are to you when you're old enough to hear it.
Your crazy Auntie Breanne and Uncle Jim are the next group of people I'd like to tell you about. Your Auntie Breanne and I decided earlier today that you are in need of two crazy Aunties so we will both fulfill that role for you you lucky girl! I've known your Auntie Breanne her whole life and though we had our ups and downs as sisters, since the day we finally got our own separate rooms, she has been and still is one of my best friends and you are so lucky to have her as an Auntie. Though she is anti-pink, she has some practice with baby girls as she has two of her own and she is the kind of Mom that any kid would love to call their own. She is kind, caring, loving, funny, and yes, she also has a touch of crazy in her. Her husband, your Uncle Jim will probably buy you your first pink riding jersey. That is if he beats your Daddy to it! Your Uncle Jim will take you for walks on the beach at Hopkins and let you throw rocks in the water and get all dirty and muddy and bring you home for your Mommy or Gramma Fenyedi to clean up. He has a heart of gold and will always be there to back you up when and if you need it.
Auntie Breanne and Uncle Jim have two daughters, your cousins Ella and Sam. These two are full of energy! You'll probably get tired just watching them for the first little while. They are very busy little girls and I'm sure you'll be keeping up with them in no time. Ella is your older cousin and she, much to her mommy's chagrin, loves all things girly and pink! Her younger sister Sam is never too far behind Ella. They make a pretty good team and they share really well so I'm sure they'll welcome you with open arms! Ella and Sam are going to read you stories, draw for you and most importantly they will want to swim with you. Make sure your Mommy and Daddy put you in swimming lessons so you can keep up to these two fishies!
Last but not least, your crazy Auntie Lisa (me!) and your Uncle Rob. We don't live quite as close to you as the rest of the Fenyedi family does but that, by no means, means we love you any less. We are so excited that you have decided to join our family and are looking forward to finally meeting you once we're over this cold. Your Uncle Rob is one of the most giving, kind and fun people I know. He wears his heart on his sleeve and if he has his way, he will spoil you with candy and gifts when your Mommy's not looking. And if you're really lucky, one day he might even give you a ride on the back of his Harley! Your Auntie Lisa (me!) is not very good at describing myself so instead I will let you in on a couple of promises that I would like to make to you.
I promise that you will always have a special place in my heart. I will always have plenty of hugs and kisses for you even when you don't want them. I promise to tell you the stories that make up the Fenyedi family and to answer any and all questions you may have. I will read to you, play with you, tickle you, dance with you, cuddle with you and always take the time to listen to you. You will always be welcome to come and visit me whenever you like and there will always be a place for you here. I promise to keep your secrets and give you advice when you need or want it. I will share with you my love for life and my want to help others where I can. I will share with you my love for skiing, running and hiking. I will do my best to impart a bit of my crazy sense of humour in you and promise to share many laughs along the way. I will kiss your bumps and bruises better and wipe away your tears. I will share in your successes and be your fiercest supporter. I will also be there for your miststeps and heartbreak to help pick up the pieces and build you back up. Morgan Susan Jane Fenyedi, I am your Auntie Lisa and you already hold a piece of my heart in your tiny little hands. I can't wait to meet you!
Love and happiness,
Auntie Lisa
Monday, April 22, 2013
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Our Engagement Story - Easter Weekend Shakedown Trip 2013
Easter weekend 2013 was perfect. We went out to Allouette Lake in Maple Ridge for our annual shakedown boating and camping trip to make sure the boats and trailers were up to snuff after being in storage for the winter. This year was the maiden voyage of our new boat, Land Allergy, and she is everything that we had hoped she would be and more! We also couldn't have lucked out more with the weather - it was AMAZING!!! We all ended up with a May-esque looking tan after spending four days in the sunshine at the beach, two of those days we had 20 degree weather. It did cool down significantly at night but as usual we kept our fire starters hard at work up at the campsite at night keeping us (OK, me) warm. We did this trip last year with the same core group of friends (Ken, Cali, Mikey, Ashleigh, Justin and Nicole) and had a huge potluck Easter feast on the Saturday night, deep fried turkey and all! This year we had the same plan but we had more friends join us on Saturday evening for the sole purpose of partaking in our incredible Easter potluck dinner - or so I was led to believe...
After spending the day at the beach on Saturday, we all made the hike up to the campsite from the boats and beach at about 4pm for dinner prep and to greet those who would be joining us for dinner. What a dinner it was... We had an even bigger feast this year than last - the picnic table was chalk full of food; ham, turkey, salads, twice baked potatoes, fire roasted peppers, the list goes on. This was not a normal campfire dinner of wieners and marshmallows, we went all out. After dinner Cali and Ashleigh asked me if I wanted to join them to take the dogs for a walk and to hit up the ladies room. Not thinking anything abnormal I jumped at the chance to walk off some of my turkey dinner. We took the long route to the washrooms but I thought it was just to give the dogs a chance to stretch their legs, apparently we stalled a bit until the girls heard "the signal" to return to the campsite.
Upon our return, Ken told me that Rob had needed to go back down to the boat to grab something that he had forgotten and wanted me to meet him down there. I didn't think anything of it as I remembered seeing Rob's runners on the swim grid as we headed up to the campsite, knew he was only in sandals and thought that's what he went down to get. Ken and Cali offered to walk down with me. Again, nothing unusual. We walked a bit down the trail when I saw some tiki torches all lit up along the bluff. I thought, "nice, some one's doing something really cool over there." I walked a bit further and saw our friend Darren standing behind a tripod in front of the tiki torches. I again didn't think anything was up, my first thought was "how nice, Darren's doing something romantic for his wife." I called Darren's name a couple of times as I was walking and this guy who is usually super happy and full of hugs ignored me... Strange. We got a bit closer to where Darren was and I saw a red carpet laid out with rose petals scattered on the ground around it. Then Darren said to me in a very stern voice, "Lisa, step on the mat please." I'm pretty sure my heart beat doubled at this point.
So there I was in my camping grubbies, dirty jeans, red wine stained fleece and vest with my hair a giant frizz ball after 3 days of camping and not washing it, standing on a red carpet covered in rose petals on a bluff lit up with tiki torches overlooking the lake. And then I saw Rob. He stepped out from behind a tree wearing the suit we had just bought for him 2 weeks before, looking absolutely incredible. I immediately had tears in my eyes and my mind was racing as I watched my ridiculously handsome boyfriend casually stroll towards me with his hands in his pockets like nothing strange was happening at all. I also had no idea that all 30-ish of our friends had very quietly followed me down to the bluff and were all standing behind me to watch. Rob started talking and I immediately interrupted to tell him that "I look like shit" - classy, I know. He told me I looked perfect, that's when I really knew what was happening. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I think I was crying to much to get any words out so I nodded yes. Rob got up and gave me a huge hug and said, "I didn't hear your answer". To which I replied, "I think I just got snot on your new suit." He told me that wasn't the answer he was hoping for and I replied, "yes, I said yes."
The Ring!
A big cheer went up from our friends and after a round of hugs and congrats, Rob announced that he had one more surprise back up at the campsite. We all made our way up to the campsite and shared a round of champagne as the guys set up a white tarp and projector. We then watched an 18 minute video that Rob had put together of our lives from the night we met through to that very night. There were photos of the two of us, of the things we loved, of our family and friends and of many, many memories we have shared all set to some of our favorite songs. It was by far the sweetest, most romantic and heartfelt proposal I have ever imagined and it is ours! As my friend Katherine asked when I told her the story, "are you telling me about a movie or is this actually real life?" This was real life, and it is my life - I have never felt more special and loved by not only Rob but by everyone who had a part in pulling the whole event off. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart - it was perfect.
So here we are, five days later and I still can't get this silly grin off my face. Reflecting on how we got to this point, I can honestly say though it wasn't always easy, I wouldn't change a thing. We have had our ups and downs, mostly surrounding the five hours that separated us when we first met and the lack of support from many of my friends when I made the decision to move. Rob has been my rock and his friends have absolutely welcomed me with open arms, for which I am ever so thankful. Through it all, he has become my best friend, partner in crime and now I couldn't be happier to be his fiance.
Health and happiness,
Lisa
After spending the day at the beach on Saturday, we all made the hike up to the campsite from the boats and beach at about 4pm for dinner prep and to greet those who would be joining us for dinner. What a dinner it was... We had an even bigger feast this year than last - the picnic table was chalk full of food; ham, turkey, salads, twice baked potatoes, fire roasted peppers, the list goes on. This was not a normal campfire dinner of wieners and marshmallows, we went all out. After dinner Cali and Ashleigh asked me if I wanted to join them to take the dogs for a walk and to hit up the ladies room. Not thinking anything abnormal I jumped at the chance to walk off some of my turkey dinner. We took the long route to the washrooms but I thought it was just to give the dogs a chance to stretch their legs, apparently we stalled a bit until the girls heard "the signal" to return to the campsite.
Upon our return, Ken told me that Rob had needed to go back down to the boat to grab something that he had forgotten and wanted me to meet him down there. I didn't think anything of it as I remembered seeing Rob's runners on the swim grid as we headed up to the campsite, knew he was only in sandals and thought that's what he went down to get. Ken and Cali offered to walk down with me. Again, nothing unusual. We walked a bit down the trail when I saw some tiki torches all lit up along the bluff. I thought, "nice, some one's doing something really cool over there." I walked a bit further and saw our friend Darren standing behind a tripod in front of the tiki torches. I again didn't think anything was up, my first thought was "how nice, Darren's doing something romantic for his wife." I called Darren's name a couple of times as I was walking and this guy who is usually super happy and full of hugs ignored me... Strange. We got a bit closer to where Darren was and I saw a red carpet laid out with rose petals scattered on the ground around it. Then Darren said to me in a very stern voice, "Lisa, step on the mat please." I'm pretty sure my heart beat doubled at this point.
So there I was in my camping grubbies, dirty jeans, red wine stained fleece and vest with my hair a giant frizz ball after 3 days of camping and not washing it, standing on a red carpet covered in rose petals on a bluff lit up with tiki torches overlooking the lake. And then I saw Rob. He stepped out from behind a tree wearing the suit we had just bought for him 2 weeks before, looking absolutely incredible. I immediately had tears in my eyes and my mind was racing as I watched my ridiculously handsome boyfriend casually stroll towards me with his hands in his pockets like nothing strange was happening at all. I also had no idea that all 30-ish of our friends had very quietly followed me down to the bluff and were all standing behind me to watch. Rob started talking and I immediately interrupted to tell him that "I look like shit" - classy, I know. He told me I looked perfect, that's when I really knew what was happening. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I think I was crying to much to get any words out so I nodded yes. Rob got up and gave me a huge hug and said, "I didn't hear your answer". To which I replied, "I think I just got snot on your new suit." He told me that wasn't the answer he was hoping for and I replied, "yes, I said yes."
A big cheer went up from our friends and after a round of hugs and congrats, Rob announced that he had one more surprise back up at the campsite. We all made our way up to the campsite and shared a round of champagne as the guys set up a white tarp and projector. We then watched an 18 minute video that Rob had put together of our lives from the night we met through to that very night. There were photos of the two of us, of the things we loved, of our family and friends and of many, many memories we have shared all set to some of our favorite songs. It was by far the sweetest, most romantic and heartfelt proposal I have ever imagined and it is ours! As my friend Katherine asked when I told her the story, "are you telling me about a movie or is this actually real life?" This was real life, and it is my life - I have never felt more special and loved by not only Rob but by everyone who had a part in pulling the whole event off. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart - it was perfect.
So here we are, five days later and I still can't get this silly grin off my face. Reflecting on how we got to this point, I can honestly say though it wasn't always easy, I wouldn't change a thing. We have had our ups and downs, mostly surrounding the five hours that separated us when we first met and the lack of support from many of my friends when I made the decision to move. Rob has been my rock and his friends have absolutely welcomed me with open arms, for which I am ever so thankful. Through it all, he has become my best friend, partner in crime and now I couldn't be happier to be his fiance.
Health and happiness,
Lisa
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