SOLD

November 29th 11:23PM - in just a few hours it will be official. Our parents house will be sold and another family will move in and make new memories. It has been a long and exhausting road and tomorrow will be bittersweet. A chapter of our life closes along with the house and a new chapter begins...one of building our lives after the loss of our parents. A journey that will continue for the rest of our lives. Something we will never get over or get used to, something we will have to adjust to. The knowledge of this doesn't make it any easier, really it makes it that much harder knowing that that uneasy feeling that something is wrong or missing, will always be there. Some days more than others. And I guess, so I'm told, as time passes, it will feel less & less. Like all hardships we will wear it like a scar, visible to us & those close to us but oblivious to most.

The New Family

Joshua, Jeff, Heather & Tyler

Important People....

Pictured here with Jeff & I is my Grandmother, looking very beautiful and 2 very special people in my lives my Godparents, Joe and Margaret Verheyen. They have always played an important part of my life and now Jeff's too. The role of a Godparent is more important then you will ever know. It's not to be taken lightly because you never know when you may be called upon and you have to be willing to step up when needed. Margaret & Joe have always been there for me, my sister and my parents and now on behalf of my parents they continue the committment they made. I am very proud to have them in my life. Thank you for being a part of our special day.

Brides' Family

The Longtin's & Boneham's

Marlene, Jeff Heather & Sean

The Groom's Family

Jeff & I with my new "Mom & Dad"

Jeff's brother Brad, Mom L, Jeff, Heather, Dad L and Sister in law Sherry

The twins - the top photo - Jeff's brother Lenny, Pauline, Jeff, Heather Leonard and Gina(Lenny's wife)
In the bottom photo is Sister Lori, twin, her children Justin & Joshua, Pauline Jeff, Heather & Leonard

Presenting....

Mr. & Mrs. Jeff Longtin

And Crew

The Kiss

The long awaited kiss.....

Vows & Exchange of Rings

The Bride's Grand Entry

Joe Verheyen escorts the Bride to her Husband to be

The Bridesmaids

Kimberly Spicer

Melissa Ryan

Pauline Young

Marlene Boneham

The Men

The Bride Before the "I do's"

Arriving at Aunt Marion for a delicious breakfast of tea, scones, bacon, sausage, fruit & chocolate.
Debbie awaits to put the finishing touches on the Bridal party as she has the most important job - making us look beautiful.

The fun begins as we load into the limo en route for the nuptials....

My support group

It takes two to get me dressed and looking this fantastic!!

My Surprise Wedding Shower

The Blushing Bride to be
On July 21, my mother-in-law(to be) and my sisters-in-law(to be) threw me a great wedding shower. It was a lot of fun. Unfortunately I put a wrench in their plans by showing up late. Not entirely my fault. The morning of the shower we went on a chartered fishing boat trip until noon. Then we had to go back to my parent's house get the dog, change and head up for Jeff's parents "anniversary party". As luck would have it there was an accident on the 400...yup you guessed it around hwy89(for those of you not familiar that's where all the accidents take place) and so we were stuck in traffic. But we made it to the shower fine, just late. I do believe a good time was had by all. I really appreciate everyone hanging in there. Thank you to all for the wonderful gifts & spending time with me.

The Surprise....

My arrival at my surprise shower. What a grand entrance...

A Fun Game

Ok girls...heads up...there's a new shower game out there and you had better know your man. How you play: the host of the game asks you questions about your husband to be. Sounds simple enough right?? Well, for every incorrect answer you give you get a strip of gum. Let me tell you these are not the easy questions like what colour are his eyes or how tall is he...they are the childhood questions, the growing up stories etc. So pay attention when he's telling you these stories and make sure he's telling the truth! It turns out I don't know Jeff as well as I thought I did because I ended up with almost a meter of gum in my mouth. If you don't know the answer, pass. If you think you know the answer be darn certain you do because if it's your sister in law running the game, your in trouble.
You have been warned!!

Cake Cutting & Waiting Patiently

Here I am cutting the cake at my shower. Apparently, no crumbs when you pull out the knife means you're having a girl...who would have thought. I'm all for that though. As cute as this little guy is it's time for a girl in the family. Both sides have all boys...I think we're due for a girl.

You're Invited...

The invitations are in the mail. It seems like it has been a long time coming but they are signed, sealed and will be delivered to your door in the next few days...so check your mailbox!! (if you haven't already received it!) I look forward to hearing back from all of you.

Making the News...

Just after my mother passed away I recieved a phone call from a woman at the Toronto star. She had read my mother's obituary & was interested by it. She wondered if there was a story there. We chatted a bit. I told her a few things about my mom and she said she would be in touch. A week or two went by and we met at Peel Memorial Hospital to do an interview. She talked to some of the nurses that looked after Mom at treatment and then her & I chatted away about my mom. The result is the article below. I hope you enjoy it. I think she would be very proud of it.

DORIS BROADBRIDGE
She found inspiration in illness

Doris Broadbridge had been depressed for the past 10 years. Her two girls were grown, she'd taken early retirement from her job at a warehouse and most of all, her marriage to Gord, the love of her life since grade school, had lost its spark.
Then last October she was told she had colon cancer and six to eight months to live without treatment or – maybe –18 months with.
It was as if she had already done all her grieving. Broadbridge couldn't wait to start her treatment. She threw away her antidepressants and two weeks later strode into Brampton's William Osler hospital with a big smile on her face.
"With her cancer diagnosis she did a 360," said daughter Heather Broadbridge. "Many people said she was an inspiration."
"She was a real sweetie, always had a joke going," said Suzanne Lewis, a nurse who Broadbridge teased by calling her Shrek whenever she wore her green uniform.
In February, Broadbridge learned she hadn't responded to her first round of chemo and needed different treatment. And on March 4, her husband died three days after being suddenly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
She was devastated, but fought to stay focused and kept smiling.
There was only one topic she wouldn't discuss. She refused to allow Heather to move up her Sept. 29 wedding to Jeff Longtin. "I'm going to be there," she said.
Raised in Toronto, Doris Procter married Gord Broadbridge a few years after she graduated from George Harvey secondary school. Both loved music – he played in the Toronto Signals, a military band, and in a weekend bar band called the Over the Hill Mob, and they both sang with the Drum Corps Alumni Toronto Chorus.
The young couple lived in Toronto and Aurora before moving to Brampton, where they raised their family.
Broadbridge's daughters took turns staying with her in the family's home while she was ill. Even though she had trouble walking to her mailbox, she now believed the quality of her life was better than it had been before.
She adored her grandchildren – daughter Marlene's kids – and was excited about Heather's wedding. She even saw her daughter in her wedding dress – "she had a huge grin on her face," Heather remembers. But she won't be at the wedding. Broadbridge, 60, died May 11.
Heather is dedicating her wedding to her mother. "Anything my mother knows about – cake, flowers, florist – will not change," she said. "Everything in my wedding is from the heart."
cdunphy@thestar.ca

To you...

Today would have been my Dad's 61st Birthday. Now it's just another day. Some people may remember, some might not. As the years go by most will forget. For those that remembered today was a special day for a special person, Thank you. To you Dad...Happy Birthday.