Dad missed his weekly chess games with Jim and so roped in whoever he could find. Sometimes that happened to me - who am no match! tho I DID WIN ONCE!!:) Ok, so he gave back a stupid move of mine!






Look at that nice clear view we had from the trailer.

Aawe!!!

Sandbanks May 9-31

Camping in the beginning of May was a new experience! A little risky, yes, but part of the never-ending quest for fresh air! And that we got, as often there was "not even a chicken in sight" according to Dad.

It looked quite different with the trees still in bud or just breaking out in to lacy leaves. So pretty tho!

I (& Mom) loved the peace and quiet with all the time to really rest, relax, read... :) And Dad did manage to find enough people to talk to still.

We had our own private dinning area on the beach just in front of our spot (that white thing you can just see in the back is my trailer). From here we watched many a gorgeous sunset! Our God is the most amazing artist!
(Aah, what's that at the water's edge? Could be some chickens, Dad? ;))

Ok, Marguerite, here's a belated announcement for Bethany's birth. :)


We thank the Lord for our sixth child!
Bethany Marguerite was born at 8:13 p.m. on May 17,
weighing 8 pounds, 9 ounces.

Catch-up time

Hello everyone!
We're back from our vacation!

I see there's been nothing happening in our extended family since the 3 of us have been away!?! Huh!! (Wake up all you fellow Contributors!)

In truth, we have been greatly blessed as a family - nucleus and extended. Most notable of course has been the blessing of a new daughter for Ralph & Sharon: Bethany Marguerite (I love the name! :) & feel honoured - Tx!).

Others have been blessed with another year of life:

Betty

Mark - turned 13!!! yikes! ;)

Josiah - turned 3!! (Sorry we missed it)

Arianna - turned 2!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY all of you!!!!

Chris & Maurice another year of marriage - Congratulations!!

Another notable Anniversary for our church was May 26 with the ordination of our dear pastor 7 years ago! We thank the Lord and Pastor Rich for his faithful ministry in our midst! May He bless and prosper the church through it for many more years.

~

"Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!

For His mercy endures forever." Psalm 136:1

~

So that's a few items of praise. Also that we had a good vacation and many safe travellings. Check back often over the next week or so for continuing coverage :)

Tante Tena

We finally got coordinated enough to take Emebet along with us from downtown to visit dear Tante Tena!

Tante Tena has become like Dad's own aunt over the many years that he's been visiting and helping her. She is actually related - to Mom - Mom's father is her 2nd-cousin!

We were priviledged to witness the sign & seal of God's gracious covenant upon our little niece on Sunday, at Living Waters URC.

"Therefore know that the LORD your God, He is God,
the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy
for a thousand generations
with those who love Him and keep His commandments."
Deuteronomy 7:9

"For the promise is to you and to your children,
and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
Acts 2:39

Daniel & Josiah get along just great --
it was suddenly their idea to start hugging!

New Zealand

Check Bill & Rita's blog for many beautiful pictures of New Zealand,
where they are biking across the country with a team of friends.
(Just click on "Flickr Photos,"
at the top right-hand corner of their blog.)

He is Risen!

…as the first day of the week began to dawn, …there was a great earthquake for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat on it...and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said."


He Lives

I serve a risen Savior, He’s in the world today;
I know that He is living, whatever men may say;
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,
And just the time I need Him He’s always near.

In all the world around me I see His loving care,
And tho’ my heart grows weary I never will despair;
I know that He is leading, thro’ all the stormy blast,
The day of His appearing will come at last.

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing
Eternal halleluahs to Jesus Christ the King!
The Hope of all who seek Him, the help of all who find,
None other is so loving, so good and kind.

Chorus: He Lives, He Lives, Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along life’s narrow way.
He lives, salvation to impart! You ask me how I know He lives?
He lives within my heart.

Hymn by A.H.Ackley, 1933

There are many historical proofs and witnesses* to the truth of Jesus’ Resurrection. However, all the proofs and facts in the world won’t prove it to those who don’t want to believe – only the change it makes in the heart and life, and the Holy Spirit within testifying of adoption into His family will be evidence enough.
May He work that faith, resurrection life and assurance in the hearts of all of our loved ones!
Christ is Risen!
*1 Corinthians 15:3-8

Good Friday

See, My Servant will prosper; He will be highly exalted....
My Servant grew up in the LORD'S presence like a tender green shoot, sprouting from a root in dry and sterile ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about His appearance, nothing to attract us to Him. He was despised and rejected - a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on Him and looked the other way when He went by.

He was despised, and we did not care.

Yet it was our weakness He carried; it was our sorrows that weighed Him down. And we thought His troubles were a punishment from God for His own sins! But He was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed!

Isaiah 52:13, 53:2-5 NLT (pronouns referring to Christ I capitalized for respect)

*

It was a blessing to be able to worship with God's people on Good Friday.
Pastor preached on Christ's words on the cross just before He gave up his life: "It is finished!"
He completed the work His Father sent Him to do! Perfectly! Out of love for His Father & His lost sheep!
This is the greatest moment of His Passion, of His life thus far.
And this should be our focus, not His physical suffering - great as it was.
It offends God when we try to re-enact His Son's suffering - as if we could even fathom it, let alone correctly portray it! (aside from the command not to make images of Him)
And Scripture is sufficient. God ordained preaching as the main means of grace.

However, I find that after hearing the wonderous story so often, it doesn't always move me as it should.
Thankfully, God also ordained singing and I think that is one of the best ways to involve our senses and emotions -singing it or listening to the gospels set to great, soul-stirring music - as in Handel's Messiah - "He was Despised, Rejected"..., or the great Passion Oratorios by J.S. Bach... These are beautiful, rich, Scripture-based, God-honouring musical recountings of the Gospel Passion story which stirs up our affections for Him. I'd recommend it! - don't forget to have tissues handy esp'ly if you're watching it... (Thanks R&S for lending your St.John Passion DVD - excellent!)

So glad it didn't end there! Sunday's coming!

Hosanna

"Hosanna to the Son of David!

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!

Hosanna in the highest!"

Matthew 21:9

*

Its Palm Sunday!

The day we remember Christ's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem.

The masses welcomed Him as their promised King

- King of Isreal

But not for long...

Where are the masses today?

Where is the praise He is due

as THE Exalted KING!?

- Not just of the Jews

but of every People, Tribe, and Nation!

May each one of us praise and worship Him

- Not just today when its popular

but also when the masses turn against Him...

Hosanna to the King of Kings!

Birthdays

Several of our extended family celebrated their birthdays this month:

Ralph - congrats!

&

Joseph and Anneke - who came over with their family

to our place on Saturday so we could celebrate with them.

Joe turned 3 years old!!

He's proudly showing off his Bob-the-Builder slippers

(sorry they didn't quite make it on the photo!)

*

Anna turned 5 years old!!

She's really getting to be a big girl!

I was treated to her very good reading skills as she read story books

to Joe and I with minimal help!

Here she is wearing her very own apron lovingly made by Oma. :)

*

Another special birthday was celebrated this month

Pastor Harry Bout turned 65 and is now officially retired (in theory only :))

Congratulations and the Lord's continued blessings on him & his wife.

Congratulations, John & Betty!

The lady who used to live at John & Betty's house is quite an artist...
this beautiful mural covers one wall of the basement...

and an upstairs bedroom is painted to look like the ocean.

Happy Reunion

The family, complete with new addition, Joanna. Mom says she looks like Betty - I can't wait to see her!

Sarah gets to hold the real baby Joanna at last!
After she heard the news of her baby sister, she promptly renamed her baby doll and carried it around for the rest of the evening, rocking it and showing us "Baby Joanna". The next morning, she prayed for breakfast and added 2 new requests: "Please help baby Joanna to have a good time and please forgive Joanna's sins." (so cute - especially b/c she forgot to ask forgiveness for her own sins). Photo by Oma -great shot!

Proud grandparents & grandkids

"Ooh my bea-uu-tiful quilt!!! that matches Esther's" (Sarah)
Oma finally finished it after many months (years?).

Cozy time

"All that cold fresh air and exercise makes us want to snuggle up...

... in "Anc-a-Geet's spot! Hee hee!"

That's okay, we can all fit

So comfy.....

In fact this is how we spent many a cozy times- not sleeping usually, but reading (when I couldn't, Esther would), and listening to young chattering... drilling Sarah on her AlphaPhonics - she's learning to read too! She also made herself a "desk" beside my couch so she could get my help for some of her other school subjects without being distracted by her sis in the kitchen.

Thanks Betty and John for letting us take care of them for a week for you :). Neat to see how they're developing and learning under your training and by God's grace. Tho I had hoped to be feeling better, it was still enjoyable and somehow (thru His grace) we all survived the extra work, early mornings, toy-strewn floors, dirty diapers, endless questions/chatter... Thanks also to Rachel who had them over 2x so I could have some recupe time! We so love all our sweeties (all 17 of them). Love to have them here - and love to see them go after a while - and miss them when they're gone!

More Snow!!

It snowed so much this week! Now Sarah's even getting stuck!

And the snow pile in front of our house is even bigger!!!
That's Esther way up there...

We're the Queens of the castle....

Feb 26 We're having fun with the kids as Mommy recuperates

(this post is supposed to come before the Wheee one - I had to redo it b/c the photos weren't working anymore.)

Ooops! 'Siah's boots come off! The snows so deep!

Since R&S left their sleds (thanks!) we were able to do a bunch of sledding with these kids too. When it was kindof icy, I went down with the girls and we went sooo fast! Almost too fast for Esther & I, but not for Sarah!

Even Opa went sledding!! Look out! Right in to the bullrushes he went!

More daring yet, now he's on the saucer ! - just missed the ramp! - this time!

OUCH! That time he didn't fare too well! "Opa, aren't you too old for this?"

Wheeeee!

This was after the wet snow, so the girls could go down on their own

after a couple runs with Auntie
Esther learned to steer well enough to avoid the ramp, the trees and the swamp area.

Here's she was actually running down the hill pulling Sarah behind her!

Sarah loved it!

Josiah preferred to watch with Opa

Opa didn't try any more sledding after the other day when he went flying and landed with such a smacker! (said it gave his neck a good adjustment tho :Z)



Getting ready for take-off