S E V E N T E E N

Seventeen years together. Levi and I have lived so many different iterations of life in that time, and grown and changed as people that in many ways it feels like we're just getting our bearings for the rest of forever. I feel very lucky to have Levi by my side as we do life together. We both feel like we are at the absolute limits of  our capacity right now, four young children, a property and animals to care for and manage and very busy work lives, especially for Levi. But through it all we really are as we have always been - each others favourite people, building a life together that we love and still loving each other all along the way. 

Goodbyes are Such Sweet Sorrow

 

“A little town of no consequence to anyone, except those fortunate enough to have lived in it.”

  - Pride and Prejudice

March for Justice

 

It's not often that you have the opportunity to make a public stand for something you believe in. The violence against women scourge on this country reached boiling point this year with historic rape allegations against Christian Porter, Brittany Higgins stepping coming forward to tell her story and Grace Tame's brave campaign. It all just brought to the the public eye what is raging in every day Australia - violence, perpetrated predominately by men against women and children. The March for Justice was a chance to add my voice, my heartbreak, my anger to the chorus of other Australian women and men who believe enough is enough. 

Our Home Among the Gumtrees

When Levi told me the golden ticket home had come and he had been offered a position back in Australia - Where?, was always going to be the first question. I knew that Adelaide was very likely so when he said Canberra, I was surprised and a little hesitant. I'd lived in Canberra before of course when I was at uni, it's where Levi and I met, where we left on our missions from ... and where I said I didn't want to live again.

Forever Friends

Finding fast friends is one of the true highlights of moving. It reminds you that your people exist the world over and that wonderful people truly are everywhere. I can't help feeling though that some relationships are meant to be. That there are just some people that are meant to come into your life. I felt that time and time again in Canada and it was such a beautiful experience.

Unexpected Treasure

Canada afforded me so many incredible opportunities. Who can forget my lifelong dream to be Anne of Green Gables? Then there I found myself in Halifax, where Anne attends University and not to mention my three wonderful trips to Prince Edward Island it’self. There really was so many details to life there that were dreams come true. I've written about so many of them but there are a few left that I can’t leave unrecorded.

Little Doll

This treasure of ours. Primrose is 15 months now and is on the go! She has almost mastered walking this past week. She has been cruising since before she was 1, but a pigeon toed foot has been tripping her up and she has just figured her way around it. Her crawl is impressively fast so she also hasn't seen the need. My affinity for putting dresses on her made her develop a spider crawl on hands and toes as to avoid getting caught up and she can move fast! Like everything else in her little life she exhibits impressive perseverance. She has a will of iron and it can take some tricky resourcefulness to distract her from anything she has set her mind on, be in taking bows out of her hair or climbing anything and everything. 

Elder Renlund in New Brunswick

      

             

We had a wonderful opportunity last Sunday to travel from Halifax, Nova Scotia to Sackville, New Brunswick to hear the newly called apostle Elder Renlund and the President of the Quorum of the Seventy, Elder Gong and their wives speak. I had only ever heard an apostle speak in person when Elder Oaks came to Sydney when I was 8 and at a Christmas devotional when I visited Utah when I was 18. Both felt like very distant memories and I was excited to be in the presence of an Apostle of the Lord again and gain all I could from the experience. 

It's Fun to be One

Our sweet Rose turned one yesterday. She was none the wiser to the occasion but she did love the singing, balloons and extra attention that we all showered on her. We started the day with one of her favourites, pancakes and strawberries and then went for a walk to check out if we can swim in our lake yet – a yes from Finley, who went straight in but a no from the rest of us who sat and watched on. It was an absolutely gorgeous day with temperatures rising to 27 degrees (which feels really hot to us now that we are Canadians). It was a great day to be outside and Primrose spent lots of it practising her stair skills on the deck, digging in the dirt, playing on the trampoline and eating flowers – a new favourite activity of hers. If this girl is free to explore and can take breaks for snacks, she is very content.

Fit for a Prim

 

I love creating my childrens' bedrooms. I remember when I was a little girl how much pride I took in my little space, I loved to line up my favourite things, stick things on the walls and sketch out how I would move furniture and make my perfect room. I took so much joy from glow in the dark stars on the roof, getting to have my own fish in my room and I can very clearly remember when my parents painted my room blue for me and hung up a princess canopy over my bed. I really loved my room! I even got to live in there with my husband for 18 months, but that's a story for another post! So maybe it is the nostalgia of my own childhood room that gives me to the desire to create beautiful spaces for my own children. To give them a little of the magic that I felt.

Keeping in the Tradition

Levi and I recently had our seven year wedding anniversary. A lot has happened these past seven years. It seems every year could tell it's own story.  Babies, houses, international moves, I have loved being on the adventure of life with my darling husband.  If I had to use one word to describe our marriage I would use - TEAM. Our strength has definitely been embarking on each project, goal, month and year as a unified pair.

Since that very first year we have given each other a 'traditional' gift. This was a clever long game approach on my part - I think once we hit 30 years the 'jewels' begin - he he! For the record this is the list this far:

Year - Category - Jade to Levi - Levi to Jade

1st - Paper - A  L&J Wax Seal - Custom Jade requests notebook

2nd - Cotton - Sail Boat PJ Pants - Leona Edminson dress

3rd - Leather - Wallet - Leather trimmed sewing boxes

4th - Fruits and Flowers - Macadamia cracker - dwarf avocado tree

5th - Wood - Jenga - Cake stand

6th - Candy - Puffin Sail Boat - Dresses (We diverted that year)

7th - Wool -  Scarf - Scarf and Muluks * Post written this year

8th - Tin - Star
9th - Pottery - New Plates and a trip to Italy
10th - Aluminium - New Cars

We had a quiet anniversary this year. With the hype of our big Canadian move it was nice to just stay in and share in each others company. We were too excited to wait to give our gifts on the day so we opened them the night before and talked together of life and love and our big to do list.

The Magic of Beginnings

 I have to admit since arriving in Canada I have had the odd daydream about doing this childless... my mind turns over the thoughts, 'wouldn't I be having such a fun time! Eating out, sleeping late, exploring further than the nearest corner before hearing, I need to go to the toilet!'. It's a bit of a rough gig for the kids too. Most of our focus has been on buying cars, a house and warm clothing so that we don't all die over the winter - literally. Finley started having pretend play dates with his buddies back home and Primrose has developed a longing look that can't mean anything else but 'pick me up!'.

We are just at the start I keep reminding myself. And the start has lots of the magic in it.

When we arrived we were met with the peak of Autumn. Wow. Everywhere we looked the leaves were changing and falling, creating a magic wonderland of colour and beauty. I've really never seen anything like it before. It's breath taking. The air is crisp and in Halifax, everywhere you look there is water, so the air and the leaves and the water combine for the picture perfect 'fall' that I've only ever seen in pictures. Halloween suddenly makes sense too since by that point half the trees are bare and everything feels a little spooky! Really experiencing the seasons is something as an Australian I know I am going to really love.

The fun and frustration of difference gives Levi and I lots to talk about. Whether it's shock at pedestrians having right of way and therefore stepping out in front of your car at every opportunity, or joy at discovering they have my shampoo here, everyday is sure to bring something new.

Some awesome discoveries have been:

Bulk Barn - honestly we will live there. It's a store that has 100's of barrels of nuts, dried fruit, flours, seeds, chocolate covered pretzels (my favourite), anything you could think of really and you scoop up how much you want in a bag. It sounds mundane, it's not, it's fantastic.

Pete's is another amazing food gathering place. Think boutique grocery store of your dreams with an old timer playing rag on the piano. Best shopping experience of my life.

This is all starting to revolve around food but I have to add that Canadians do baked goods really well. How many times in Australia do you go to a bakery with great expectations and end up with a weird tasting custard tart? I don't think we will have that problem here, I'm not sure they even make custard tarts but that's beside the point : )

The shops are open til 9pm every night - what?! Perfect.

Water is delicious here and my hair feels amazing after I wash it.

Canadians talk as much, if not more than I do. They use a LOT of words to convey their point, so I kind of feel like I've found my people.

I think I may have to dedicate an entire post to this topic but for now let me say my love of scarves can finally be realised, because they are no longer an accessory, they are necessity. So basically the possibilities are endless for fall and winter combinations. I knew I was holding on to 40 scarves for a reason!

The frustrations mainly revolve around learning how to do things a different way, like drive, go grocery shopping, get car rego and insurance or figure out how the preschool system works. Probably the most difficult thing I've done is try to take the kids swimming. There was no; park your pram on the side of the pool, strip off and jump in. The weather is also very deceiving. I'm use to assuming it is fairly warm out if I can see the sun shining, um not in Canada, ha ha.

Church has been wonderful. We have been wholeheartedly embraced. We had three separate invites to dinner on the one night! It's the most beautiful thing to be a part of a world wide gospel family that really takes you in. I know that we will never feel alone here.

Overall Halifax gets the thumbs up from me. I can see we are going to have an amazing time here. I'm looking forward to the initial admin being out of the way and settling into life. We are pretty close to making an offer on a house we love and we just bought a second car today. Slowly but surely it's all coming together.

Everyone loves Aunty Courtney

My sister Courtney. The ying to my yang. Her strengths are my weakness and her weaknesses are my strengths. It's perfect really, just being with her makes me want to be better.

Courtney recently returned from serving an 18 month mission for the church in Hamilton, New Zealand. It was no easy thing for her to make the decision to go and I feel so proud of what she has accomplished and how she has grown. It was amazing to watch her progress as she grew to love the people she served and the message she taught. Miracles truly happened every where she went. I have rarely heard of a missionary who had so many people to teach and baptisms to organise.

You can't help but be changed by serving a mission and I can recognise some really profound changes in Courtney. She is open. Open to people, opportunities and direction. She has a testimony and it is evident in her very being. She is fearless in overcoming fear. She is hopeful. She is still Courtney! Loved by all who meet her. Favourite Aunty and prized sister.

Canada Eh?!

We are moving to Canada! And soon... the end of September. I can hardly believe myself when I write that. I want to jump up and down, dance and cry all at the same time. It is really happening. We are trading sunny Nelson Bay, New South Wales for snowy Halifax, Nova Scotia. And I'm pretty sure we have no idea what we are in for!

Truth be told we had to leave The Bay in September anyway. I was in pretty deep denial so I mainly kept that information to myself. Levi's work wraps up here then and with no real work for him in this area we were planning to move with the company to Adelaide. I wasn't particularly excited about Adelaide, especially considering how much I love Nelson Bay, how happy I've been in Nelson Bay, the amazing people in Nelson bay - you get the idea. This place is amazing and you'd be crazy to want to live anywhere else...unless the anywhere else is somewhere you have been dreaming of living your whole life.

Dreams really do come true - us moving to Canada is proof. To fully understand you have to go back 20 years to 10 year old Jade watching, daydreaming, play acting her life as Anne of Green Gables. Anne (who I do realise is fictional, despite what you may be thinking) lives on Prince Edward Island. We are moving to Halifax, Nova Scotia, a mere 3 hours away! Not only are a little girl's dreams being realised but the very real career aspirations of one talented Naval Architect are too.

Levi and I have always wanted to work overseas. We knew that different shipbuilding projects around the world would likely afford us that opportunity at some point in the future, We never expected that Levi would be approached for his dream position and that the timing would work out so perfectly with work closing out where we are. Levi is thrilled. He is coming in at the early definition stages of a huge ship building project and will have an influential and exciting position. It is undeniable that the hand of the Lord is at work here. He knows our hearts and can orchestrate life more perfectly than even we could imagine.

Finley is excited. Mainly about going on the plane and dressing up in 'jacket, scarf, gloves, hat and ice skates'. We are all over the moon to live a short flight away from our dear Canadian doubles Jen, Stew and their little boy Emerson. Telling them we were coming was a highlight of my life - Jen screamed, cried and starting writing lists! It was wonderful. Knowing we have them so close and to show us the ropes is hugely comforting.

I am excited about living in a new country, exploring the country and culture, the travel opportunities and snow. I am nervous about not having a clue regarding basic life skills, driving on the opposite side of the road, settling Finley in and snow. I am sad to be leaving a place and people that I love but very happy that planes, skype and unbreakable friendships make the world that bit smaller.

brrrrr...

She is the ... what?

I love the name of this blog for lots of reasons, none more than that my husband thinks I am funny for choosing it. That fact alone brings a smile to my face because when we first became engaged I would make a 'meow' sound whenever my soon to be last name - Catton, was said! I think this was my random way of coming to terms with losing my maiden name Ryan which I was particularly attached to at the time, having just come back from a full-time mission where I was known as 'Sister Ryan' for 18 months. I suppose I was trying in my own way to get excited about the name Catton. Anyway Levi didn't find this particularly funny, our sense of humours hadn't quite converged yet, but I continued on irregardless and I think he eventually found it slightly amusing. It died off, I don't still go around meowing (he he), but it makes me laugh to think of it.

So Cats - Catton, Mother - Me. 

I also just love the reprimand. When I was growing up my mum was firm but kind in her correction of my speech and it gave me a real love and interest in the intricacies and rules of the English language. Having said that I make errors all the time! So be kind dear reader. 

Don't you just love Sylvania Families?!

Let's Begin ...

Wow, I'm here writing a blog...finally! I've been thinking about doing this for a LONG time and it feels good to be putting fingers to keyboard and beginning what I hope will be a record of the happenings of our family and a place for me to muse. Life, love, children, marriage, adventures, happiness, memories, books - all on the agenda.

My mum often remarks that I have a book in me, I'd like to think so too but shopping and to-do lists do not a writer make. As many an author has counselled 'to be a writer you need to write'. This is me writing and no better place to start than with what I know.

It has taken awhile but we stand on the brink of big change as a family and it feels right and timely to have a place to share and connect with family and friends. Not to mention that I am instructed in my Patriarchal Blessing to keep a journal and told how precious this will become to me in the years ahead. I've sporadically attempted to follow this counsel over the years but let's face facts - here I am at 30 with many beautifully bound journals about the place, each with only a few entries...shame! Time to get my act together and keep a record of this amazing life I am blessed to live. Here we go...