The year of the photo #366

I've joined up with a group committed to taking a picture each day for the coming year. Some days this has been easy and other days I almost forget. I'm curious to see if this helps me get my focus back for blogging and if this can improve my photography skills! I'm hoping it can! I hope to buy a used camera soon so I can actually grow my skills, rather than just using my iPhone. 

January 1st - Playing is hard work

The slow fade

Christmas Day - Mom couldn't join us for any meals as she can't get in either of our houses (stairs) and only eats pureed meals fed to her anyways. We made the best of it though and spent a couple hours on Christmas walking the seawall - I was dreading this time because I couldn't imagine it would be as lovely as it was. It was a crisp, cool day, with a bright sun. The views were amazing and the company was perfection. It was a Christmas highlight.

Lately life has felt extra poignant. I spend each day with my sweet baby girl who is growing and learning and is just so engaging. I also spend time with my mom, who is fading and shrinking and disengaging. The juxtaposition of these two life stages is not lost on me and at times, is hard to bear. Mom's state has declined greatly - she is wheelchair bound, prone to seizures and is often quite out of it. She has been loosing weight (which is a sign of the end) - we like to tease her that she's finally reaching her pre baby weight. That does get a smile out of her - she always longed to regain that girlish figure. This week her floor is on quarantine because of a G.I. outbreak - and so visitors are kept a minimum and that is hard too - she is quite alone there it feels. She shakes in her chair at times - agitated, wanting to get out. She loves when we walk - Dad pushes her wheelchair daily all around the seawall - even if she sleeps through most of the walk it seems to be a highlight of her day. Each week when I see her she seems to get worse - and each week it seems to me like it should be the end, and yet time marches on.

Minnie Mouse Baby Shower for Hanne

Hanne and the AMAZING planning team. Seriously, these ladies are AMAZING.

As you might have noticed, I LOVE throwing showers for people, and I especially LOVE making them themed and fun. My wonderful, dear friend Hanne has just had a sweet little baby girl, Isabelle. She is 1 month old now. Sometime before her birth we (her 4 best Vancouver friends) threw a shower for Hanne. Hanne loves all things pink and Disney. She loves a bit of cheesyness and she loves mashed potatoes (mash, as she calls it). It was obvious us to us immediately what the theme needed to be: Disney & minnie! With tons of polka dots and pink, of course.