Notes from Montreal

Birthday Cake!

Howdy, folks! I hope things are peachy, though - from what I've heard - after two weeks of earth shatteringly frigid weather up north, y'all are experiencing some pretty nasty stuff down yonder. Stay warm. And Safe. And healthy (that last one is directed mostly at Charity, but it's for all of you). This week has been pretty packed. And while the temperature is definitely much higher than it has been, the results are less than keen. For example: as a result of the warming, melting, and freezing which has taken place of the last few days, entire parking have turned into sheets of ice. No joke. And the ice is thick. And there's really no way to find spots which aren't slippery - because everything is ice. Everything. It's....and adventure, to be sure. And it is only by the grace of God that I have not fallen on my face - several times. I have no idea how I've managed to stay vertical. It is maybe a not so small miracle. 

So...my companion and I are very blessed right now. We have a lot of people to teach. For missionaries serving in a fairly snobby suburb of Montreal, we feel tremendously fortunate. And our amis are really cool. And loving, and just good people. Occasionally we have a hard time understanding how we balance being friends while still teaching the gospel, but it works out. We also work with a lot of recent converts and less -active or returning members. For the most part, we just love all of the people we see. A lot. But no matter who we're teaching, one of the biggest difficulties we have is controlling time. It's. Just. SO. Hard. Our job would be easier if we had enough time to talk to our amis about everything that's going on their lives, help them with whatever they need help with, AND teach them the gospel, but there's just never enough time for anything.  

Everyone needs different things - Sometimes the goal of our visits is to teach new information, sometimes it's more about reminding people of things they already know. Sometimes the work is really hard, and sometimes - when my days are just so profoundly enriching and rewarding - I feel guilty for ever thinking missionary work was hard. . .

Ok. Time's up. Pour le vrai. I love y'all far too much. It makes my insides squirm when I think about it. You're just the very best. 

Until next week!

A good season

Gadino cellars

It has been one of the hottest summers on record. Some days the heat stole the breath right out of my lungs. The water from the faucet would never run cold, and the pits of my shirts could never stay dry. Still, it has been the best season of my life.

We fared much better than the crops. Growing prodigiously in size and stature and punctuating our lives with exclamation points some might consider trite. We celebrated babies, and brides, and blessings we didn't know we needed. 

But the autumn is here now. The babies are getting fat, and this week I am suddenly one year older. We bid adieu to this best summer and welcomed my new year with festivities lovely enough to make me blush. I am still young, but I know my own mortality. So why not take the time to celebrate, to wonder, and to savor the sweet bits of life we are given? 

There is a cool breeze blowing, and a hard winter may well follow. But tonight my sweet sleeping husband buries his head deep in my side, exhausted from work and celebration alike. I will soon join him with a prayer of gratitude in my heart for those I have gained, and those who I've lost, and the promise of what is to come.

my handsome husband

The main event!

elevated chips and dip 

seven desserts, one plate.

A take-away treat

Word on the street is that we weren't the only ones celebrating there that night.

P.S. We just got all of our wedding photos back from the photographer! So expect some bollywood glam next week!

MERCINA'S BIRTHDAY!!!! (was yesterday)

Four
(sung to the fourshortened (PUN! PUN! PUN!!!!) tune of 'Maria')

Four.
That girl on this blog -- she's called 'Four'.
It seems like such a shame, an unassuming name, for her.
Four.
I hold no ire towards #4.
but she's the sort of chick, no Harry, Tom, nor Dick,* but more!
Oh, Four!
Though her title's monosyllabic,
As a person, she's polysyllabic. . .
Four,
I hope this makes sense to you, Four!
Four!
Four!
Fooooouuuuuur!
Fo-o-our!
Fo-o-our!
Fo-oooo-or!
Four --
This song's late, not great, and not enough to celebrate
FOOOOOOUUUUUUUR!

Wondrous Four, As my sorry attempt at a birthday song illustrates, your countless virtues are not easily abridged.

The truth is, you've got it all -- and it's hard to edit 'all'.

You are truly awesome

(as in 'you inspire awe', not 'duuude, that sweet P2P is totes awes' (<-- I have no idea what that means)).

We love you. 

PS! In case you didn't see her before, check out this stylin 20-year old in the NYT style section!

*there's a non-offensive reason for this star to be there, trust me.

Scrumaging

On Sunday night, I realized that--despite my best efforts--I had been unable to procure any decorations for Five's big 1-8. After scrumaging around our dorm for awhile, I realized I probably wasn't going to find a big bag of brightly colored balloons or a secret stash of rainbow construction paper. But, after a little more digging, I did find several issues of the New York Times, a printer (which was actually just sitting in the middle of our room....), some yarn, and a bit of metallic wrapping paper. Being the reasonable person I am, I decided to make my own decorations...

Word to the wise: for some inexplicable reason, when you start a project at 2am, it takes a lot longer for you to finish than it should normally would. 

Consider the Cheese-Steak

Fact: I was almost named Philadelphia.

Saturday was my birthday (as some of you may have seen), and Dr. P celebrated it by spiriting me away to Philly for a day of phun, phood, and phine art.  I've been to the land of the liberty bell a couple of times now, and I've gotta say, I find it fan-freaking-tastic.

The city itself is much like the sandwich that bears its name.  The cheese-steak:  The heart of the dish is the steak, and steak is pretty classy stuff from what I hear, but then they smother this classy core in the ghetto-delicious that is cheese-wiz before tucking it into a long roll which is delivered for you to adorn with the condiments of your choosing.   Philly for its part has lot of new world elegance to it.  It is the cradle of our nation, and the streets and structures reflect that.  But anyone who has been there can tell you that Philly's also got its own wiz goin on.  The bread is in the location, so convenient to so many places people want to go, whether it be DC, NYC, Baltimore, or even the Jersey Shore.  But the real beauty of the city is not in the parts, you have to accept that it's a cheese-steak, which is to say you have to enjoy it whole.  If you eat a cheese-steak expecting just steak, you'll be disappointed and confused. But if you sink your teeth in--and maybe even add some relish and hot sauce--there's a good chance you'll become addicted.

*I'm currently on a train to NYC, and the internet gods are not cooperating with my attempts to upload pictures, so they'll be coming later. 

Remembered: Goodbye Womb, Hello World!

Three, dearest Three, you have a nice smile [^ see above]

And a comfortable, casual, J.Crew chic style.

Your passion is boundless, your thoughts very deep

(And not all the commandments do you necessarily keep).

Your chapel's the kitchen, and you most every day

Whip up some nice praise, and worship sauté.

Your design sensibilities are truly acute;

I'll skip real rhyming to restate that you're cute.

You really love -- the genuine thing,

And your pronouncements have a perspicacious ring.

We love you too, in that there's no doubt

So the following with saying can go without:

We hope your day is better than best --

Have a super-great-wicked-fun-tastic 24th birthday fest!