One of my goals for today was to upload some of my pictures to Flikr and get some sets of my vacation and on my newest granddaughter. This stuff seems to take a lot of time but some of the pictures are up and can be seen here (Kadyn) 
and here (vacation).
The vacation set will see some additions as the week goes on. I have a lot of pictures to go through.
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Filed under grandchildren, Photos, Travels
We spent the day up at Waskesiu with our good friends the Kents yesterday. The weather was perfect – hot and sunny – perfect lake weather.
Waskesiu has become quite the vacation hot spot in this area. A few years ago there was little development. Now new and very expensive cabins are going up where there used to be tiny little cabins and shack tents. In fact there is a “historical” display of these old structures by the administrative centre. It is indicative of my age, I guess, that this is history I remember – like yesterday.
Anyway, pictures are worth more than words so here are a couple of shots from our day. There are more over at Flikr.
Filed under Family, grandchildren, Photos, Travels
It is my hubby and best friend’s birthday today. He joins me now in my old age.
Sixty years suits him well I think. He gets to become a doting grandfather and having lost well over 100 lbs in the last year, he has more energy to invest in life. In fact, he was off to play golf at 6 am today to begin his birthday celebrations.
Looking forward to the next batch of years we have together.
Filed under Day to Day, Family, grandchildren, Photos
That this was one of the best Mother’s Days ever for me. I think I may have said that before. Maybe it just keeps getting better each year.
I was preaching in the morning service at church and so of course what other topic was there that made more sense to speak on than women and how we are created in the image of God. God has used brave and intelligent women in his story throughout history and he wants us to experience the fullness of who he created us to be.
And I got to preach to my children. What mother can pass that up? 🙂
Then home to a good family barbeque.
Eric was in command on the barbeque cooking up his bacon wrapped venison filet mignon, corn on the cob and a lake trout that Sara caught last summer. Delicious! I even splurged in celebration of the day and had some of the dessert provided by Grace. Plus ice cream.
The kids got me some lovely gifts too. A garden rake – and then Patrick raked the back yard. A hanging basket of flowers that it is still too cold to put outside. And a gift certificate so I can buy some more books.
The afternoon was beautiful and we spent a lot of time out on the back deck in the sun. Kimia was toddling around and got her exercise going up and down the stairs – both inside and out. Then she ran into a wall and got a big goose egg! But that was after these cute pictures.
Perhaps what made the day so great was just having my family around. And that includes the two Conngolese guys that we welcome as part of us. And the kids farther away called and it was so good to chat with them.
I am so blessed.
Filed under church, Family, grandchildren, Photos
I have a deep longing that sends me searching for the presence of God and there are many days when I would love to be a hermit or something with nothing but time to seek God’s presence. But, down deep I don’t think that is exactly what God wants most for me. I know that God’s gift of life to me requires that I live daily in conformity with his principles, loving him with all my heart and loving others as Christ himself demonstrated, by being willing to give away everything I am to serve others.
I struggle with the tension of longing to spend time in God’s house, in God’s presence, on one hand, and, on the other hand know that God is present in the lives I touch with my work, with my mothering and grandmothering and as a friend. I will perhaps find evidence of God’s presence best in the people I am willing to be a servant to, even if they are family. The latter is the hardest task somedays (and so “common” – no glamour to be found) but likely the work that is most faithful to the way of Christ.
So, tonight I’m babysitting. Although he is hardly a baby any more. And he is fun and calls out the child in me as we stomp in puddles on the path. And his mom will be out enjoying an evening on the town – because I love her and have to let her go and enjoy life.
Still …. becoming a hermitess has its appeal.
Filed under Dealing with stuff, grandchildren
when it seemed terribly important to post all sorts of events here in this space.
Somehow it does not seem so urgent anymore. Maybe that means it is time to give this a rest, but I don’t know. Maybe it just means that I need more time to think through the events of the day and reflect on them. It is hard to do that when I am tired or when there are a billion other things I should be doing.
Today was good.
It didn’t start out feeling very good. This was my Sunday to speak and I felt a bit at loose ends with what I had to say. Quite frankly I didn’t feel terribly inspired and, although I know this whole preaching thing involves more than just me being inspired, I felt rather ill prepared and ill fit to speak about anything. Today’s scripture passages were great, not obscure or unrelated so I don’t think it was about not having good resources to draw from. Maybe what I most felt was just plain old inadequate; inadequate to tie things together as I would have liked to and certainly inadequate to say anything challenging or deeply spiritual.
So I guess it was not about me. Which it should not be anyway. The fact that God could use me on a rather mediocre day is frankly a miracle enough for me. I probably ended up being more encouraged than my audience by the end of the morning when Y came up to me and thanked me. He said that what I said was clear – and his English is limited.
Then E and M invited us up for lunch. I brought the yams and green beans and they supplied the deer sausage and wine and did the cooking. It is always fun to get together at their place and a chance to be gifted with one of Kimia’s carefully guarded little smiles.
This afternoon I completed another quiz in Greek so that made me feel good. And tonight I met with my women friends to read another chapter in Scot McKnight’s book.
Today was good.
Now I guess we’ll see what the freezing rain does to my day tomorrow.
Filed under church, Day to Day, Family, grandchildren
Last night I had supper with Dave and Annette and the kids before returning home. Kieran said grace.
He announced that he wanted to say a special prayer, not the usual one. I’m not sure what the usual one is but this one was certainly not the usual. Kieran is a pretty special kid with a very creative spirit. In other words, you never know just what he is thinking up.
This prayer would be special, he said, because it was going to be about Valentines Day.
Yep, it was about Valentines Day. He must have really enjoyed the day. He went on at length about how good the day was.
I think the food on the table was just an excuse to give us a piece of his imagination. But, hey – God has to take responsibility for instilling in us that desire to be loved and our enjoyment of being loved by the people closest to us, our family. So, I think he made God smile. The words didn’t come straight out of his “God book” but they sure came from his heart. And I thanked God for the wonder of grandchildren once again.
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Filed under Family, grandchildren
Some days I just wish I could stay at home. I think I need time to let parts of me (that are always busy and rushing to something coming up next) settle down and let me catch up with myself.
My heart does not always seem to be where my body is required to be for reasons of work or home needs. It leaves me feeling weirdly disjointed and unsettled.
There are days – like today – when it would be fun to have no demands, when it would be fun to invite Zaka over so we could watch Treehouse or look at a book or go for a walk in the cold and snow. I’d like to pull him in our improvised sleigh and swing him around and watch his eyes sparkle. Or play a game of hockey on my kitchen floor or crash cars with him for awhile.
With no unfinished quizzes to be concerned about, no bills to pay, no deadlines for anything, just the day to spend enjoying him.
Filed under Day to Day, Family, grandchildren, Reflections
Sickness has been making the rounds around here. Over Christmas first Annette, then David then Kieran – then Kimia and Zaka. Today Ronin threw up. I’m hoping my headache is not something fluish. Most weird is that Leo has broken out in a bright red rash and has no clue what it is from.
Hoping Ronin is well by tomorrow when we drive down to Saskatoon. He and Rachelle fly away early on Tuesday. It is hard to believe that their three week visit is coming to an end.
Filed under Christmas, Family, grandchildren
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