"Seven Posts in Seven Days" 3 of 7

Did you get the hint?

It was a beautiful evening in early August. I was working outside in the garage using power tools. Tired and sweaty from a long day’s work, I paused to enjoy the subtle smell of campfire emanating from the neighbors fireplace. As I contemplated bringing my work to a close for the night and making my way to the shower, I heard that familiar squeak of the back screen door opening. “…you’ve been workin’ so hard sugar…how ‘bout you come on in for a nice cool glass of lemonade?”

As I undid my tool belt, I slowly wiped my brow and replied, “…sure, darlin’, that sounds great…let me just unplug my power tools first…you can never be too safe with your power tools you know…”

Anyway… Nicola and I are proud to share some wonderful and surprising news; we are expecting a little brother or sister for Maggie! We’re not sure how or when it happened but the Doc. says that we’re about 13 weeks along and due sometime around the 1st of May. It’s a miracle!

Last Thursday we had our first appointment at the low-risk maternity clinic and got to hear baby’s heartbeat for the first time. The baby’s heart rate was a steady 150 bpm. What an incredible and humbling sound. God truly is awesome. It made my tummy flip. Maggie may just get her wish after all.

Please keep Nicola and baby in your prayers over the days, weeks and months ahead.

JRM 10/30/2008


And now... here are a few random pictures of Maggie for your enjoyment.... because, really, that's what people go to blogs for right!?! Pictures...







Goodnight all... tomorrow is Halloween! We are so excited as Maggie is now old enough to take around to get us some candy... The cuter we make her, the more candy we get... pictures to come. J

“Seven Posts in Seven Days” 2 of 7

I was trying to decide what to cover in this 7 day blog marathon which, by the way, is an insane commitment considering I’ve never done this before. In my logical way, I made a list of chronological events that have occurred over the summer, crossed referenced them with our library of photographs and then, naturally, I built a spreadsheet to analyze the relevance of the material relative to a statistical cross section of our viewers. (what? isn’t that the way you do it?) :)

For chronological reasons, the day 7 post would have been about my brother Justin and his wife Jen who are currently pregnant with triplets. As Jen is now almost 36 weeks and about ready to burst, I thought it prudent to bump the news up to day 2 of the blog marathon just in case the boys decide it’s time to party sometime in the next week.

A couple of weekends ago, Nicola, Maggie and I hopped in the car for a 2-day turn around road trip to Regina to visit Justin, Jen and Caden. Calgary to Regina is a 6 ½ to 9 hour drive each way depending on who’s in the car. Since Maggie was in the car it was a little closer to 9 hours including a hotel stay in Moose Jaw along the way (don’t ask). Given Maggie’s go-go-go nature, being strapped in a 5-point harness for hours on end was pure torture to her and, well, she let us hear all about it. I’m just glad my navigator was able to sleep through it all. :)

The following are a few pictures from our visit:

Auntie Jen, cousin Caden, Maggie & Mommy chillin' on the couch. You really have to see Jen's belly in person to appreciate how big it really is. (I know girls don't like to hear that but guys marvel at this kind of thing... sorry Jen.)

Caden and Maggie playing together on the couch. Caden is Justin & Jen's 2 1/2 year old son. He knows that his mommy has babies in her tummy but I don't think he realizes how cool it will be to have 3 little brothers to teach the way of the Mooney.

Caden & Maggie watching Diego together on Caden's 'lil Spider-man love seat. I love little people furniture. When I was a kid we had to lay on the cold basement floor to watch TV... AND we had to walk to school in waist-deep snow up hill both ways in our bare feet.

Uncle Justin proudly wearing his Alberta colors in the city of green. Way to keep the faith brother!

"hhhhmmmhhh... Caden sure is lucky to be getting 3 little brothers to play with. I wonder if he would let me have one of them... I mean really... OR... maybe I'll ask Mommy and Daddy to order me one of my very own.... brother... or sister... I don't care... but it has to be here by the first week of May..." Maggie ; )



To read more about Justin, Jen, Caden & the triplets, I encourage you to visit their family blog.

Their Blog address is: http://www.themooneyclan.blogspot.com/

We are so excited to meet the boys. Please keep the whole family in your prayers in the weeks to come.


JRM 10/29/2008

"Seven Posts in Seven Days" 1 of 7

Greetings friends and loved-ones. Hello. Hello?

Not so long ago, American television went through a writer’s strike. Initially, North-American viewers tolerated the re-runs with the full expectation that the differences between the respective parties would quickly be settled and the programs they so looked forward to each week would soon return. Days became weeks, weeks became months and still there were no new shows to be seen. By the time the strike was resolved, the season was almost over, summer was on the doorstep and much of the viewing public really didn’t care anymore. Shows that did return suffered significant rating declines and some even ended up cancelled all together. We still miss watching Las Vegas together on Friday nights.

Nicola and I have never been accused of being reliable bloggers but our, most recent, two-month hiatus from posting has us wondering whether anyone still thinks to even check. No, Nicola has not been on strike…well… perhaps in the kitchen she has (jk) but not as our family’s cyber-journalist.

It is hard to know where to begin with an “update”. Part of the reason we haven’t been posting is that we just haven’t felt much like sharing the details of our lives recently. Our milestones, our changes and joys have just seemed so irrelevant to us over the past two months. Many of you already know why but for those of you who don’t; our one-year-old nephew Drew, son of Jordan (Nicola’s Brother) & Kari Clark, passed away in the Alberta Children’s Hospital on September 28th after a courageous and unforgettable battle with mitochondrial disease. Though I would love to elaborate on Drew’s story, I just cannot do it justice in a paragraph or two. I do encourage you to visit Jordan & Kari’s Blog to bare witness to his amazing life and to share your thoughts with them.

Their Blog address is: http://www.jkpdclark.blogspot.com/

Since the funeral, we have been in a bit of a daze. It seems strange not to be going up to the hospital as we drive by it everyday on our way to work. Drew rarely drifts far from our thoughts and, well, the idea of things getting “back to normal” seems anything but possible. I guess, as a family, we’re working towards determining what the “new normal” will actually be. Life must go on… and… so we’ll try.

We love you Kari, we love you Jordan, we love you Peyton and we’ll always love you dear sweet little Drew.

JRM 10/28/2008

Grandma & Papa Clark had a new deck and cement patio built in August and the grandkids were invited over to leave their permanent mark in the wet cement. Below Maggie and Drew are seen leaving their impression.

Thanks Grandma and Papa for this lasting memory!