The year started and ended with the miracle of birth! Jan 18 the 1st of our 4th generation in Canada! We praise God for His faithfulness through the generations! And Nov 25 the 23rd grandchild!
Mom - Christina - Heidi - Lydia Hope
Tim & Heidi Vogel with their first covenant child at her baptism.
Lydia is wearing the "doopjurk" that baby Elly was baptized 74 years ago!
So cute! Nathan born Nov 14, 2014 is already so much bigger!
The nursing circle - our church was blessed with new life late last year
March break - Anneke's 13th Birthday Tea Party
For more, see Mach post
Special Sunday visitors
The boys engrossed in The Giant Killer with Auntie
The girls enjoying a stroll on the path (after reading The Three Weavers together)
Regular visitors of Hope
Melanie and Nathon - enjoyed a story and a walk with Tia too :)
Old friends - Adriana & Clarence Veld. He preached for us a number of times. They are soon moving to Oklahoma where a church is eagerly awaiting for their new pastor.
May Maurice & Rachel and kids last visit before moving away from the area and Hope URC :(
Taking care of the younger 3 during moving week was a delightful time of building memories and relationships!
Willy & Marike played well together tho they preferred to do whatever we were doing and Marike's most posed question to me was: “Can you read me a story?” Tho Marike has a bit of a reputation, we were pleased to discover her very helpful & sweet side.
Ladies Bible Study - in the pleasant setting of the tent
special group of ladies and lots of encouragement and prayer
June 25 Esther's Fine Fifteen Natural Beauty Party
For more, see July post below
Canada Day
July During the olympics PanAm games here in Caledon, many horse ranches were open to the public! I thought it'd make a fun outing for a "horsey" teen and since it was Maria's birthday, we took her to Rustic Meadow's Stables (except I ended up not being able to go so Bethany & David subbed for me and Rachel stayed to do her housecleaning job)
Aug reunion with long time friends, Lori & Kara. We grieved with them the loss of their dad in Feb and dear family friend, church member who is greatly missed.
September cottage with the whole clan - always a highlight! See posts below.
When we arrived for our annual Fall camping trip, we were welcomed by friends from church
Jason & Andrea,
and Mark & Trish!
We were spoiled with the summer weather our gracious Father gave us for most of the month! I swam a record number of times - it was wonderful!
Heidi & Tim along with Lydia, enjoyed a beautiful day with us and Christine - who stayed for a few days! So nice to spend extra time with my big sister, and we even got to watch Lunar Eclipse and see Blood Moon! Quite something!!
October We celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving's Day with a wonderful service at Maurice & Christine's church.
The other things that characterized this month were Ralph & Sharon's buying & selling a house...
visitors from Holland
and preparing for and celebrating
Dad & Mom's Golden Anniversary
see previous posts
November we had Ralph & Sharon's younger 2 kids
staying over a lot, so I got to enjoy being teacher and mommy again! And
of course we also found time for music and singing - such a delight to hear
Bethany singing through the hymnbook while Opa played the organ!
David and I enjoyed lots of cozy teaching times and he progressed muchly in his reading!
Bedtime was a special time as well and so precious to hear their amusing and trusting musings...
We even had Nathan a couple days (not overnight – he still really needs his mommy)
and Tia & him got along quite well by keeping a respectful distance of each other :)
December’s grand family Christmas celebration and
Pakjes was really enjoyable! So nice to
see everyone there - except for John – missed you! Thankful for a nice place to do it at and
willing hosts! Thanks M&C!
Our youngest little one, Isaiah (Maurice & Rachel's), at 3
weeks, still had the precious newborn smell and feel!
Lydia looks quite huge beside him! And isn’t she a dolly in that little outfit
that Mom (Oma) crocheted for baby Christine (Lydia’s Grandmother!)
We praise God that He sent His Son in the form of a helpless baby boy to live a perfect life. suffer and die, and rise again - for helpless people like us who rebelled against our Maker and owe Him a great debt that we can't pay - so He paid it for us through His Son, Jesus Christ!
Praise God that
The LORD Our RIGHTEOUSNESS has come
and has brought us new Life, peace with
God, purpose, hope, joy, love...
Praise God that He will come again to do away with all sin & evil, all pain
& sickness,
all sorrow & crying...! And so we look forward to His 2nd coming!
“Behold, the days are coming”, says the LORD,
“That I will raise to David a branch of Righteousness
A King shall reign and prosper...
In His days Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell safely.
Now this is His name by which He will be called:
THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS”
Jeremiah 23: 5, 6
