We enjoyed a beautiful and relaxing week at the Lodge with the whole family.

 Not a great shot, but I had to take a pic of this 78 year old doing a back flip off the raft.

 Marike got her face all dinged up on the steps.

 Christine brought supplies for a painting session with the kids.

 Once again, the kids planned and put on a big production at the end of the week.

 There were quite a few violent scenes, in which the actors really warmed to their roles.

I'm not sure I should have let our 4 year old watch such violence....

 He found it highly amusing.

 However, in the end justice was served on the bad guys.

 Kenny is a very convincing bad guy. Doesn't he always play the bad guy in these productions?

Sewing lessons with Oma

In July, Oma gave sewing lessons again - this time for Anneke & Sarah

The girls did a great job with their bunny pillows - completing them in 2 days

 

 

 in between playing outside and Sarah learning to roller skate!

They also found lots of time to take care of 2 little girls they rediscovered who were needing some attention

                                                                                                   Oma got more than she bargained for!

Bed time!

 

In case you haven't figured it out yet, these 2 are dolls!  - so life-like that even Tia was fooled at first! 

On first sight, Tia went eagerly to them waging her tail and reached forward to lick Emma's hand suddenly starting back in confusion when she realized something wasn't right about this! She hid and then cautiously approached again only to jump back again. So funny - we laughed ourselves silly!
In this photo she's finally figured out she could safely come near.


So nice to be able to have our special girls/cousins who are such great friends over for a couple days! (tho I was feeling a little left out they were so busy together!) ;)

 

Wednesday we brought Sarah home and on the way stopped to visit Klaas & Ann in their new place - as we had promised to do - and left Anna there with her grandparents since her mom (Rachel) was coming the next day. 

What a nice place they have so close to the lake!

Sarah & Anna even got in a dip - no bathing suit? no problem!

 

 It was nice to see K&A happily settled in and not so terribly far away!

These parting shots were taken at their last lunch visit to our place before they moved away 

We miss these dear people at church especially!

 

Victoria Day Friends

 A lazy, relaxing, "gezelig" day with my friends:  Rebecca & Emebet

Puppy patiently endured the the posing contortions she was held in! LOL!

 

 

 

A visit to Awesome Blossom to enjoy the flowers...

 

 

 

Easter Get-together

Last Saturday we had a great day with the extended family, although we missed some who couldn't make it. Here is a link to more pictures.

Kid-sitting in March

Ralph and Sharon went on a special trip together to the Middle East tracing Paul’s Missionary Journeys! They got a taste of the “Holy Lands” which they found to be a very enriching, enlightening experience bringing the Bible to life. See their blog for photos….
We were very glad to “aid and abet” their departure so we that could have their kids J and Ralph could get a very much needed break from his busy and stressful work/life.

It was enjoyable having R&S’s well-behaved, well-adjusted, sweet kids living with us over the 2 weeks they were away. All of them except Timmy stayed with us – no, not all 6 at once! – R&S had worked out a complicated, detailed plan of care between both sides of the families!

The first week we got to enjoy Andrew & Daniel

We appreciated Andrew’s unexpected humour and his willing helpfulness. J  Here he’s pumping the pedals to make the sound come out so Daniel can play the old pump organ! There’s team work for you! 

He was also very ready to help Oma in the kitchen – what a fine husband Andrew will make some day!

Andrew's attempts at keeping little brother in line were amusing at times.

LOL! Daniel’s knows how to relax while he works too!  Altho, trying to write in the air while balancing on a 2 separate uneven surfaces – 1 rocking and 1 rolling – uses a lot more energy than writing on a desk!  Maybe it was just that he found his math so easy that he needed make it more challenging!?!

Daniel has great enthusiasm for everything! He especially delighted in playing with & teasing Tia, and feeding her and he was also the self-appointed “official poop-scooper” for one day – which was much appreciated!

“Wave, wave bye-bye!”

 He was also quite eager to help make delicious applesauce - something he obviously had experience in already!

It was a delight to have David and Bethany the 2^ndweek – so cute and relatively easy to care for (if it weren't for sicknesses).  David was really talking now and it was so neat to be able to get to see his sweet character emerging – very intelligent little guy too, he hardly missed a thing!  Sometimes I called him "puppy" by mistake - or sometimes on purpose just to hear his cute "I not puppy! I little guy David!"  Wish I had writen down more of the cute things they said!
David figured 2 years old was not too young to do dishes too! He did a very thorough job - also of soaking his pants and the floor as well!   

(sorry, I can't turn it)

Tia soon learned that her ratings fell drastically when real kids are in the house! And she found out that she had more bosses to obey and perform for – but also more fun and playmates! Thankfully she was very obliging and good with the kids, letting them do what they pleased without protest and not nipping or barking at all! The puppy classes we just finished before this were helpful and just in time!

Bethany was really good at telling Tia what to do - and getting the desired result!

 “Good bow!”“Here’s a treat"

“Shake a paw”

Puppy kisses :)

Cozy, reading time – Tia wasn’t too interested and retired to her proper place warming my feet J

Watching fascinatedly as Tia laps up her food and licks her bowl clean!

Warning: DO NOT let your kids get this close to just any dog while its eating! 
I trained Tia from day 1 to be very polite with her bowl/food and to allow us to take it away mid eating, or to touch her etc so I knew it was safe for these two – but, I still instructed them to keep their hands together and not to touch her or her bowl while she’s eating.

In between, Betty came with her kids, staying at “the M_ _  _ _ Cres hotel” (run beautifully by Tinie in their absence :)) overnight and visiting us and the others during the day and swapping kids everywhere she went! What great cousin time this afforded them!  Worked out really well!

"Betty" & Joanna had fun together - as usual!

Who’s walking who?

Daniel came back again – he couldn’t wait to get back because “Tia will miss me”

So, as you can see Tia puppy is still very cute and delightful but she doesn’t come close to the kiddies!! How much more precious are they, created in God’s image and with a surpassing real capacity to love & obey & communicate and to worship Him with their childlike faith & trusting ways.

Thanks again, Ralph & Sharon, for entrusting your children to all of us while you were away. And we thank the Lord for keeping both you and all of us safe!

Top Ten for 2011

Here are the Top Ten resources that positively influenced me in 2011: (in semi chronological order)

1) Runner from Ravenshead - DVD with kids as actors – very well done and good allegory of our part in helping lost people find their way to freedom in Christ’s kingdom.

2) The Orphans & the Ravens, Julia Francis – incredible account of the Father’s care for His children in communist Romania

3) Wings Like a Dove by Christine Farenhorst – riveting historical novel set in the 1500s during the Reformation struggles. Portrays the courage of Queen Jeanne D’Albert of Navarre in helping to establish a protestant refuge while France & Spain on either side were ruthlessly stamping out the “Huguenots”.

4) Tramp for the Lord by Corrie TenBoom – encouraged my faith & prayer life

5) Lord, Change My Attitude by James MacDonald – very practical excellent book that Liz & I are still working thru

6) Lamplighter Rare Collector books – proof-reading a bunch to find that special one for each of the kids (all 21 eventually plus my sibs)!

7) Which None Can Shut by Reena Goode - a missionary in an Arabic country shares remarkable true stories of God’s miraculous working in the lives of Muslims there. Brought tears to my eyes many times - so amazing and motivating!

8) Making Life Rich Without Money by Phil Callaway –hilarious personal accounts and tidbits to help the reader see just how rich he is! -even if so poor that the cupboards are bare and we don’t know how the next meal will come – which none of us have even remotely experienced!

9) The Very Best of Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan DVD – fascinating and inspiring. Seeing how a dog’s behaviour can be changed and directed helped us feel more confident in getting a dog.

10) Rev. Harry Zekveld’s sermons - very Christ-centered, Christ-exalting, challenging, encouraging, inspiring both contrition & joy, tying the Bible together - particularly in the 2009 Easter series.
* * * * * *
And Regulat – from Dr.N. in Switzerland - a special enzymatically-alive liquid concentrate that played a huge role in my rapid recovery from bacterial pneumonia last year, and in healing Mom’s chronic leg ulcer. It regulates the immune system, balances pH, breaks down pathogens in the blood… therefore promotes healing from many ailments. Ask me for it.