Celebrating 75 Years!

Maurice and Christine hosted a big birthday bash for Opa's 75th. Happy Birthday, Opa!

June Camping

The Spring was nice and long this year - I really enjoyed the cool, fresh weather! But the warmer weather was very welcome in June especially since we were camping!

Since our digital camera is "kaput", you'll have to settle for a photo-less post (you could always go back to look at a previous post from June - it looks pretty much the same each Spring except not as much beach/dunes were washed away this year).

And hopefully Chris will post some of her photos.
Yes, she came up with Josh & Kenny half way thru for 4 days! and Maurice joined us for Friday. Lots of fun! I'll let her tell you more about it.

Another highlight was a visit from our Pastor (what dedication!) and his 2 sons. Actually he takes them there for father-son time every year when it's not busy - it is one of their favourite vacation spots too. We had a good time with them on Friday (and our first hot day too).

We enjoyed renewing some previous acquaintances and developing friendships with Dan & Maria & their kids (also thanks to Kenny) and Julianna & Darryl and their adorable Carrie-Ann.

Some of Dad's unique highlights:
- campers coming up to him and saying they remember us from other years...
- reading a big fat thrilling book - a true story about exploration of the South Pole - the first week "
- playing chess with Dan
- being admired by the ladies at the pump who were juggling little pans and bowls of water while he biked away with his big water jug in the front-carrier-basket of my bike
- the hot showers and shaving facilities every day
- waving and talking to our Maintaince buddies: Scott the boss, Elliot the big guy, LaVerne (Smiley), Dave the water tester (Mom's favourite)
- frequent trips to town, meeting Melrose and Michelle, going to Walker's garage, or campstore
- celebrating Father's Day with special breakfast, dinner, and a fancy delicious strawberry/pinapple/chocolate shortcake-camping version - at an exclusive beach-side "restaurant"
- getting home in time for his birthday - 75th! - and for the church picnic

Some of Mom's unique highlights:
- celebrating her 68th birthday and being treated for dinner at above mentioned exclusive beach-side "restaurant" and getting 2 birthday phone messages
- Josh & Christine taking Mom and Kenny for a canoe ride along the river to East Lake
- visiting an Art Gallery with Christine et al and painting with her (attempted - rain cut it short)
- a visit with her friend Pat on Sunday evening, and other local friends who came to visit twice (Paul & Grace)
- morning & evening beach walks with hubby, watching the antics of the cliff swallows
- actually having time to lay around and read!!
- going to bed earlier (not only her)
- ending with a visit at Bill & Rita's gorgeous place on the lake and chatting with all the cousins who were camping there for the weekend

Marguerite's
- the sunsets and windy/wavy days & nights (and rainy nights too) when I slept good
- picking organic strawberries with Joan
- no computer, no phones = no stress (well, not always - there were times when it would've been helpful)
- 1-on-1 time with Kenny and watching Kenny & Sasha playing together
- canoeing along the cottage coast with my sis

This year the best part of Sundays here was going to the little white church! Yes, I'd actually rather be there than on the beach on the Lord's Day - for part of the day anyway.... Phil had a really good sermon series on the Glory of God. He's been listening to John Piper's sermons and it shows! Good to have life put into perspective over again: Its not all about us! Its all about HIM! Our purpose/job is to glorify Him - i.e. to see, appreciate, enjoy, and express God's quality and worth.

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV)

That's easier in a way to do that when you're surrounded by nature, yet its hard too as there's lots of temptation around here also and many worldviews encountered that completely disregard God - subtly, if not blatently.

Listening to speakers such as Ravi Zacharias, Michael Ramsay, John Piper throughout the weeks was really helpful too. We especially appreciated "Conversational apologetics" which we listened to repeatedly - you'll know why if you've ever heard him speak!

So, although I had some very difficult times with my health, yet it was a real blessed time in many ways.

To sum it up in Dad's words: "We had a wonderful time... Its never boring, there's always something to do, someone to talk to."... :) (remind Dad before our next camping trip)

Visiting Opa and Oma and Auntie Marguerite

Thanks for having us!

Ballad of the Unborn

Read & Weep:

.

Ballad of the Unborn

My shining feet will never run
On early morning lawn;
My feet were crushed before they had
A chance to greet the dawn.

My fingers now will never stretch
To touch the winning tape;
My race was done before I learned
The smallest steps to take.

My growing height will never be
recorded on the wall;
My growth was stopped when I was still
Unseen, and very small.

My lips and tongue will never taste
The good fruits of the earth;
For I myself was judged to be
A fruit of little worth.

My eyes will never scan the sky
For my high-flying kite;
For when still blind, destroyed were they
In the black womb of night.

I’ll never stand upon a hill,
Spring’s winds in my hair,
Aborted winds of thought closed in
On motherhood’s despair.

I’ll never walk the shores of life
Or know the tides of time;
For I was coming but unloved,
And that my only crime.

Nameless am I, a grain of sand;
One of the countless dead,
But the deed that made me ashen grey
Floats on seas of red.

- Fay Clayton

* * *

We remember with grief May 14, 1969,

the day that protection was removed from Canada's most helpless citizens; the day that the commandment "You shall not murder" was redefined and limited by a person's location, size, independance/usefulness, and "wantedness".

Our society is still (increasingly) suffering with the consequences now 40 years later with the increasing immorality and cheapening of all human life that this mentality has encouraged.

Let us plead for mercy from our Creator God, and not forget (or get too busy) to help those in trouble, protect & speak out for life in our everyday spheres of influence/contacts, as well as with our government representatives as the Lord still gives us freedom to - for the Name sake of His Son who gave His life for us.

Good Friday Hike

We met at Maurice & Christine's for our traditional spring hike, and though some of the family couldn't make it, we did have the pleasure of Kevin's company this year. :) Thanks be to God for His goodness! :)

More Kittens

Tiger's kittens are doing well - here they are on day 5. The kids all love them very much, going out early in the morning to check on them and throughout the day, and eagerly hoping for a chance to touch one or hold it.

And, tada! we got some more kittens today. This time the proud Mama is Shadow, our grey cat. Interestingly, she had 2 orange kittens (though not so interesting if you saw the father - an orange ginger cat). Before they were born, Shadow, who up to this point has not been quite as much of a people cat, was meowing constantly and trying to get in the house numerous times. She was begging for attention. I figured it must be her time so I led her out to a box I had prepared for her in the shed and stayed with her until they were both born - once I left just to let the kids know where I was and she followed me back to the house, mewing the whole time. It amazed me again, how they 'figure everything out' so well, the mother and the babies. As soon as the first one was born, it started on its quest for food. :) Cute little guys, eh?

p.s. Sorry to those of you who got the wrong impression - someone else's baby? Sorry, nope. :)

Our Tiger has kittens!

Today between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm, our cat, Tiger, had 4 beautiful, adorable, little kittens. And one is the spitting image of her. The other 3 appear to be black. (We haven't actually picked them up and examined them too close yet - didn't want to alarm mama.)

At this point they all seem to be thriving. I wanted to post a couple pictures, taken very shortly after the 4th made its appearance - I just happened to be right there, stroking our hard-working, tired-out mama, when it happened! Hope you can get a little glimpse of how tiny and adorable they are. What little miracles! Even in the way God made animals with the instinct to care for their young and provide for their survival. Tiger, being a first time mama, had a little trouble figuring out what to do with the first one, but after a little direction and help, she caught on and has been taking good care of them since then.

Great viewing for Good Friday and Anytime

Recently we watched these 2 presentations by Louie Giglio put on YouTube in 5 parts each.

WOW! What an awesome, Indescribable God we have!
And what a wonder that He cares about us: little teeny, weeny specks of dust in this vast, enormous, incomprehensible Universe!
And, that He has stamped reminders of Himself and His Redemptive work all over creation and even inside our very bodies! How Great is our God !

I won't say anymore - you'll have to just watch the presentations (Indescribable one comes first - click on the hyperlink above) and be moved to worship and encouraged!

Each complete presentation takes about 45 minutes - well worth every moment.
Get your spouse, teens, friends, neighbours...to join you.

Blessed Good Friday and Easter to you all!

Spring

This lovely sunny Saturday called for a picnic!

Opa and Oma joined us afterward for a little hike. Here come the two adventurers:

Thanks for joining us, Mom and Dad!