2011 brought many first time experiences including running the half marathon with my husband. I was impressed with my time of 2:12 and his time of 1:39 was remarkable. In 2011 Winnipeg welcomed the Jets back. The hype and the noise rock the True North Centre.
We celebrated 2011 in Washington DC a spectacular mini holiday. I believe we visited approximately 12-15 museums and art galleries. Highlights of the trip included viewing the Smithsonian Museum and the Holocaust Museum. No trip is complete unless one window shops or shops in the boutiques of Georgetown. The restaurants and cafes were intriguing and of course Starbucks was outside our Kimpton Hotel near DuPont Circle.
Dad took ill the weekend of the Super Bowl. Finally the so called flu that he had was not going away. Dad was hospitalized and then a decision was made by the doctor that he needed nursing care. He went to the ABH. This was a difficult decision for all of us but mom could not look after him. I took 4 days off work and went home to visit mom and dad in mid March. This trip was a life changing experience for us as a family. It truly reminded us that we need to enrich our lives with love, rich rewarding experiences and travel.
The next major health issue was that mom needed a hip replacement. As a result mom could not look after herself so a family decision was made that mom be placed in the same nursing facility as dad. Finally the last major hurdle was selling mom and dad’s home. This was a shattering experience for us all. Through all the turmoil the home was sold October 21. Once the deal was signed I ran Assiniboine Park and truly said, “I am like a bird… Feeling free and wanting to have happy conversations with mom and dad.”
One of the happiest moments for us as a Murray family was the celebration of cousin Stewart and Florence’s wedding at their PEI cottage. Darryl and I photographed their three day wedding. Mom and I were up dancing…6 weeks after mom’s hip surgery.
Our travel continued on to a four day trip to old Montreal. We stayed at L’Hotel and here we were surrounded by Andy Warhol and Roy Leichenstein’ s art work. Shopping and walking into art galleries were highlights of this trip.
Another milestone for the Murray family was Dad’s 80th birthday. Darryl created a photo storybook of our 2010 PEI holiday and we presented it to Dad at The Dunes where we enjoyed birthday cake and a walk through the gardens. We also arranged a surprised birthday for him at ABH. Some of their friends dropped by for coffee, cake and conversation. However, Dad really wanted to spend the afternoon at the horse races.
October and November were special first birthdays for neice Amelia here in Winnipeg and grand nephew Conner in Woodstock, Ontario.
December was extremely mild and we celebrated New Year’s Eve with friends Duncan and Natascha. We cheered on our Jets and World Hockey team.
Looking forward to our continued family and friends conversations and enduring rich, meaningful experiences through work, and travel.
Uncommon Beauty in Writing 