Classic Car Show

Visiting Opa, Oma and Marguerite

J + B stayed with us for a few days, and M took off early on his birthday to meet us at a park.

Relatives from Edmonton in June

June 14, Dad's youngest sister Gonnie & husband Jack flew in from Edmonton and spent a wonderful 9 days between his family and ours.

We so enjoyed their visit! It worked out really well with them staying at Jack’s cousins close by and making visits from there – they got to see lots of this beautiful area too that way, as well as the trips we took them on…

With Christine on the tourboat at the Toronto Lakeshore
as part of a sightseeing bus tour

Uncle Jack with Betty's kids at their farmhouse

Dad and his "susje"

You can really see the family resemblance - Tante Gonnie really reminds me of their mother (Great) Oma- so many of the same expressions and mannerisms - Dad has some of them too - interesting to observe.

Chris has their eyes & nose, eh?

Jack & Gonnie lived here years ago. They met at the Weston Church Youth Circle. It was love at first sight for Jack (he was primed by Dad he claims) and he was at her doorstep 6 o’clock the next morning to drive her to work! And he persisted till he won her heart! Wow! They got married 2 weeks after Dad & Mom, lived here for a couple years and then moved with their baby, Jack Jr to Staphort close to (Great) Oma. 14 years and 3 more kids later, they moved to Edmonton where Jack’s family was where some of us were able to met up with them.

They came back once 23 years ago for Christine’s wedding! Since then our family has grown tremendously! But no one was completely unknown to them since Tante Gonnie & Uncle Jack have been following our blog! Neat how quickly we reconnected and were able to have fellowship also – even got to hear Maurice preach (he did our Sunday morning service and Lord’s Supper! How special!)

We managed to arrange a little reunion for them with the group they hung around with who also got married around the same time. They hadn’t seen each other for years also. You should have heard the shouts and laughter when they each arrived! What a racket!! and what a hoot! (Wish I had been up to capture it on video, however, I was closeted in my room having just gotten over “the flu” & still very tired - I actually slept through the whole party! Sad to have missed it but glad they all had such fun!)

And Gonnie & Jack were here for the family celebration of Mom’s b-day – which made it really special. (Posts on that coming)

Mom's 70th guests

So nice that some of Mom's cousins could come to the family's celebration of Mom's birthday at Chris & Maurice's. We missed the others!

Adrie & Gerrit

Jack, Wim (Bill), Ralph

Mom's 70th Birthday!

“Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations….
Oh, satisfy (her) early with Your mercy, that (she) may rejoice and be glad all (her) days!
Make (her) glad according to the days in which You have afflicted (her)… let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon (her) and establish the work of her hands..”

Psalm 90:1, 14, 15

Our dear Mom, wife, Oma, friend has reached another milestone in her life: her 70th birthday!

To celebrate this milestone we had a number of parties throughout this month, and relatives from Edmonton! over

– and a bunch of church ladies (with kids in tow) came to make all the windows and kitchen squeaky clean the Monday before – what great birthday present!

Dad, Maria & I - and Daniel - tried to keep the kids occupied and out of the ladies’ way

– often unsuccessfully! haha!

- actually Matthew was quite happy most of the time - especially when Daniel was pulling him around in the wagon! Thanks Daniel!
Too bad I didn’t get more photos. Thanks Jo for coming & organizing this! Thanks also to Ann, Liz, Sharon, Andrea, Rachel for your help! And Tinie for trying! (her van broke down en route! :( ) and Heidi for the final cleaning after the cleaning crew :).

* * *
On Sat, Ralph & Sharon’s kids helped us tame the weeds and rediscover the flowers! So cute the way Bethany and Daniel worked together so diligently collecting the stuff and delilvering it to the compost pile.

* * *

On Mom's birthday, June 9, some senior lady friends (& not-so-senior) came over to help us make her special day more special.

Thanks Dad & Maria for your help! Maria was our pretty waitress and Dad wasted not the opportunity afforded being the only male.

Thanks ladies for coming – Mom quite enjoyed it (& so did we) - really nice to have Mrs VM there too -especially for the singing :) -she's still conducting!
Regrettably absent were: Ann, Gerda, Tinie, and the HCH ladies, and Kienie (came to the next one).

Looking young at 70!

Maria's Graduation

Last Friday evening, we celebrated Maria's Grade 8 graduation at our homeschool co-op's year-end program.  Thanks for all your hard work, Maria! :)  We praise God for bringing you to this point!

 

Graduates - June 3

Maria graduated from grade 8.

Mark & Elizabeth graduated from grade 12.

Congratulations, all 3 of you!

More from Easter Weekend