Musings from me

Friday's Favorite Five

2012-01-26T21:11:00.000-07:00

The last Friday of the month - already! This has been a month of sickness and breakdowns, spring-like weather and some of the deepest cold we ever get.

I can't say I will be sorry to see January slip away.

The lovely Susanne hosts a group of ladies each week who stop to enumerate five things that have given joy, tickled our fancy, blessed us, or just generally given us pleasure over the past seven days.

This week, the following things have blessed me......

ONE

I totally forget how I stumbled on this website this week, but if you like photography, and specifically candid photographs of people during a happy occassion, then Moment Junkie is totally worth checking out!

The daily posts are wedding photographs - sent in by photographers from around the world (mostly the US) - that capture unique moments.

This is one of my favorites, so far.

TWO

L'OREAL Nutri-Sleek Anti-Frizz Serum

I have curly hair. The older I get, the curlier my hair gets.

Curly = Dry.

Dry = Frizzy.

For the last several years I've been frustrated with my 'curls'. Sure, it looked OK the day I washed my hair, but the next day it would be nothing but frizz. I tried several products with little results until I tried this one.

Basically an oil that I apply to my wet hair, it is a miracle! My hair remains curly and UNfrizzy for 2 or 3 days after washing!

Hallelujah!

THREE

Dan and Krystal - Dan understands the potential for lonliness when living out here, all alone. He lived alone here for 5 months while Jim and I lived in Louisianna. He also lived here by himself while we took a 30 day road trip in 2006 when he was just 17. His experience has made him sensitive to the fact that sometimes it's hard on me to live alone - especially when I have no vehicle (as was the case last week).

So, with this sensitivity in mind, Dan and Krystal came out to spend the evening with me twice this past week.

Thanks, guys!

FOUR

The Waltons...

Jim and I have been watching this series for the past couple months - not all the time, we change it up once in awhile with something else, but it has been the Waltons for our most consistent TV fare lately.

This is probably my all-time favorite TV series of all time - and sharing it with my man makes it even better.

FIVE

A well stocked First Aid kit and the training/practice to know how to use much of what is in it.

Especially the Steri-Strips.

(Sorry for the slightly unfocused photo - hard to do a good job when you only have one hand)

For the story behind this Favorite, go to this post. (If you haven't already read it)

Of course, my very favorite thing this week, is that 'the worst' did not happen.

(I realized yesterday that every other time I've tried to loosen a window, I've had my hand palm toward the window, and hit the glass with the 'heel' of my hand. I feel sick when I think where the cut would likely be had I followed my 'usual' behavior)

God is so good to protect me from myself!

Who'da Thunk?

2012-01-25T10:15:00.000-07:00

When my kids were small, some of their favorite story books were the 'Adam Racoon' series.

These are stories about a little Racoon (like you couldn't have figured that out, right?) living in "Master's Wood" which is ruled by a loving King - a Lion named King Aren. Adam is always getting into trouble and Aren is always there to rescue and forgive.

The stories are parables - each teaches a principle from God's Word. For example, in "Adam Racoon and the Circus Master", Adam breaks open his piggy bank and runs off to join the circus. The Circus Master takes all his money and makes him a 'star' in the circus.

Everything is wonderful - the crowds love Adam.

Until one day, his act is usurped by a seal who can juggle balls while balancing on a ball.

Adam is given a mop and a bucket and put to work washing the circus elephants. When his chores are done, he's locked in a cage with the monkeys, with only banana peels to eat.

He looks around at his miserable condition and remembers the wonderful meals King Aren always provided in his nice warm house and decides to escape and go back.

As he approaches his old home, he sees that the King is standing at the edge of the wood, watching for Adam. When he sees him coming, King Aren runs toward Adam, sweeping him into a loving embrace.

The story ends with a huge party being thrown in Adam's honor because King Aren is so happy to have him back.

I'm sure you recognize this as a retelling of the parable of the 'Prodigal Son'.

Not only are the stories entertaining and teach good Biblical principles, but the illustrations are wonderful! The author/illustrator is Glen Keane, son of Bill Keane, the creator of "Family Circus" comics. (That dates me, doesn't it?)

Glen Keane is also a head animator for Disney.

We have 4 of these books in our house, although they are all more than a little 'used'. In fact, 2 of them have been put up, waiting for me to re-attach the covers.

My grandkids also love these stories - when Gramma says 'go get some books' they almost always include at least one Adam Racoon story.

So......

When I was preparing for Christmas this year, I thought "I should get each of the toddlers an Adam Racoon book for themselves".

Imagine my surprise, when I checked Amazon and found that I would have to pay over $100 for some of these stories!

Are you serious?

I guess they are collectibles now.

"Lost Woods" is 20.00 for a used copy, $79.26 for new.
"Victory Mountain" is $129.99 for new, $46.99 for used.

Just a couple examples. There are 7 books in this series and new books sell for anywhere from 19.00 (for paperback) to the 130.00 one. PLUS Shipping and Handling because they don't actually come from Amazon, but from affiliates so the Free Shipping option never applies.

I was SHOCKED!

At that time, I found ONE book that was priced at about $13.00 for a paperback. Since we don't have this one, I bought it. With S & H it came in at about $25.

That's a pretty hefty price for a child's bedtime story book, and I kept it in "Gramma's Library" rather than choose ONE child to recieve it.

I looked again when I was writing this post and actually found another I don't have - a used copy for $2.45. Since this is obviously too good a deal to pass up, I've ordered it. S & H is only $6.00 so it is in range of a 'non-collectible' children's book - if it is hardcover. And if it was brand new.

(I'm actually looking forward to reading about Adam's adventure in this story.)

But really, who would have believed that those books I purchased 20 plus years ago for probably $6.00 each would increase so much in value?

Of course, to re-sell them at the collectible prices, we'd have to have NOT read them so much they fell apart - and then we'd have missed their REAL value.

I'll just keep checking back from time to time to see if I can find another deal.

AND I'll get my packing tape out and repair the valuable books I have already.

No PJHAA.......Serious Consequences

2012-01-24T21:02:00.000-07:00

My husband is a 'Safety Consultant'. Even when he was not working professionally in this capacity, he is always thinking about identifying and preventing loss of any kind. Living with a man who, for the last 26 or so years has had this mindset has trained me to spot potential dangers as well.

At least, you'd think it would.

And to be fair, I probably do think more in these terms than your average person, but I've proven to myself that I do not think 'safety' and 'hazard ID' enough.

This past weekend, I was living alone on my property a half hour from town, without a vehicle. Yet, when I decided I needed some fresh air in the back entry to dispell some of the 'doggie odors' that had accumulated after letting my 3 dogs live there during our recent cold snap, I failed to STOP and THINK.

When the window did not just slide open, I 'tapped' on it, hoping to dislodge some of the ice that was holding it closed.

The ancient, paper thin glass broke under my fist, cutting a 2 inch gash in the side of my hand.

Stupid, Stupid, Stupid.

A 'Pre-Job Hazard Awareness Assessment' would have had me at least pulling my sleeve down over my hand - or pulling on a pair of gloves.

Either action would have saved me.

As it was, I rushed upstairs to the sink, intent on stopping the bleeding. Once I was sure that had been accomplished, I hauled our huge first aid bag up onto a table top and wrestled one-handed (left handed) with the sticky zippers, pulled out steri strips, sterile pad, and a 'wrap'.

Actually, I was rather impressed with my left-handed steri-strip job - and even the wrap job!   I decided that although the cut was obviously quite deep and would need stitches, it could wait until morning. Vinj would have come for me, I know that, but by the time I was taken care of and brought home again, it would have been well after midnight before Vinj was home - and I knew he had an early day in the morning.

Instead, he came for me first thing in the morning and I went to the ER then. (Tenth ER visit in 2 months for this family).   The doctor complimented me on my steri-strip job (having 4 boys and 1 girl intent on keeping up with her brothers has its long-range benefits). Then he proceded to torture me......sticking 3 needles into the cut first, then after the freezing took affect, he took a scrub brush to it! It didn't hurt, but just the thought of what he was doing kind of freaked me out!

Three deep stitches later, and some serious instructions regarding the antibiotic he was putting me on, the doc turned me over to a nurse to 'dress' the wound.

So, now I'm at home with one hand nearly useless for a time. I can't even get it wet until Thursday!

Thankfully, my hubby came home yesterday so I'm no longer without a vehicle and I'm not completely reliant on my left hand.

I'm also so very thankful the cut was not an inch or two further down......THAT would have been an ugly, sad mess for one of my loved ones to discover.   Kind of hammers home the reality that I really need to 'think twice, act once' when I am alone out here.

Photos will be on my "week in photos" post (Or whatever I decide to call that weekly post)   Yes, I have photos - but only post-stitches photos - taken by Jim.

Week 3 in photos

2012-01-22T09:00:00.001-07:00

January 15 - 21

I'm wondering if I shouldn't rename these posts. I haven't been taking a photo every day so there aren't always photos for each day (as you'd have noticed on the last Photo post).

Any suggestions? Keep the 'title' or come up with something new and more true?

While you think on that, here are the photos and notes from the third week of 2012.....

Sunday, January 15

We took the luxury of sleeping in this morning. Well, at least I did.

Jim's 'party' with this flu bug was pretty minor - aches and fever, but no cough and stuffy nose.

Me, on the other hand.......I threw a big party and invited all the flu bug's friends!

Yuck. I don't feel good at all.

Since Jim is leaving in the morning, it is 'laundry, pack, get the truck ready' day.

Oh, and did I mention that the temperature ~~dropped~~ plunged since yesterday?

Winter has finally arrived. (Not that we were whining about its being late.) I'm talking -30 or more below freezing. (I didn't write the temps down this week and cannot find a place on the net that will give them to me)

So.....no photos. A quiet, being sick kind of day.

Monday, January 16

"Baby it's COLD out there!"

When I went to check the dogs, I found the power out for some reason and the temp down to 0C. Brought the dogs in, flipped the breaker, and went to deal with the body shop where my truck will be taken to deal with the damage the deer cause when he ran into me. By noon, the temp was back up to +10 in the doghouse so back they went, to their own home. And I went to get the mail and to the bank. Since I was already half way to town, I went to the grocery store and the pharmacy (need some cough meds here).

No photos.

Tuesday, January 17

I woke up feeling pretty good this morning. Finally, on the mend.

I drove into Wetaskiwin in order to take Seth to Leduc where Mike would meet us and Seth would transfer to Mike's car so he could 'have an overnight' with Kaden. Mike and Tor had a whole day of activities planned for the boys in celebration of their birthdays.

Vinj could not take Seth because the timing was 'off'....he had to catch a plane this morning for Vancouver where he was going to buy a 'new' car. Go to Kathryn's blog to find out all about that

Here's a sure sign that the temperatures have taken a free-fall.....cords snaking across front lawns and public sidewalks to the cars parked on the street....

Seth was excited to be spending the day and night with his cousin.....

(These photos are all taken on my 'little' camera.....I forgot my new one)

After depositing Seth with Mike, I went back to spend some time with Kath, Taliah, and Chawezi.

Except for his coloring, Wezi looks very much like his uncles, aunts, and mommy did when they were babies.
Deffinately a Hutchy gene goin' there.

I stayed until we noticed that Taliah's eyes were closed while she was watching 'Dora'. She was sitting straight up, face toward the TV, but she was sound asleep. LOL

I took her up to bed, put a diaper on her, and she never opened her eyes. She did smile, though, so maybe she wasn't as sound asleep as she wanted to appear.

Since Kathryn had been up very late the night before, I left so that she could nap at the same time as Taliah.

As I said, I felt pretty good this morning, so I decided to continue my quest for winter boots. I soon found that I was not as well as I'd first thought - but I did get some boots.

Wednesday, January 18

A l-o-n-g day, written about in this post. so I won't repeat myself.

Eventful, to say the least, but no photos of the excitment.

Back at home, I spent about an hour talking to Jim on the phone and while I was doing that, I busied my hands by putting photos given to us by Rob and Lana into the frame I purchased the night before - when I had to go back to town for an extension cord so I could plug my truck in....because when I went to plug it in to my existing cord, I found the end was BLACK and the prongs on the plug for my block heater were coated in burned plastic. Didn't think I should use that cord again. So, back to town for an extension cord - and look for a frame with 5 openings for 4X6 photos. (not real common)

The extension cord saga doesn't end there, though..........try though I might, I could NOT get that cord to plug into the outlet in the garage! I'd say it was a mystery, but I think I figured it out.....the plastic outlet was freezing cold. Cold causes things to shrink. The holes for the prongs on the plug had tightened up just enough that the plug would not go in. Wish I'd thought of that then, though.

Anyway......my photo today is of the collection of photos in the frame I bought....

I realized after I went to put the photos in that some were horizontal and some vertical (I'd been so focused on finding FIVE openings for 4X6 photos, I forgot to think about that). But, someone was looking out for me and the orientation of the frames matched the orientation of the photos.

WHEW!

Everytime I look at this frame and read the words, I hear Brad Paisley singing this song.

Wonder what important things these 4 little people will do?

Now to find a wall on which to hang all the wonderful photos we recieved for Christmas.

Thursday, January 19

A bit warmer today, I think.

If you can call -20 warm.

Guess it's all relative.

No photos today - spent a day alone, working on my blog and then on my 'books'.

Also made a pot of turkey taco soup. It remains to be seen if it tastes good.

Friday, January 20

Stuck at home.

My car is broke down too. Another evening sitting at the side of the road in -30 temps waiting for a tow truck (last night). So, today it's just me at home.

Which is just fine because this flu has morphed into something that is plugging my ears and setting my throat on fire.

Saturday, January 21

My throat feels more normal today and I can again hear out of my left ear. (Thankfully)   But still feeling quite lethargic and tired. I did get some laundry done and the garbage out, so that's something, isn't it?

Dan called to say they were going to come out later on and did I need anything from town?

Yes, I replied...."Riley is ready to come home".   (Probably not quite what they had had in mind, but ......)

They arrived around 5:30.  Daniel gave Riley the chance to run around for a bit while he shoveled off my deck (it was snowing a little today).  Riley seemed happy to be 'free'.

After settling Riley in the dog house, we chatted for awhile and spoiled Lady by bringing her into the living room to share the 'doggie limelight' with Sal.

This is Sal, BTW.

We had a bite of the soup I cooked a couple nights ago then we taught Krystal to play Rummy.

She won.

I think she hustled us.

When they left at about 9 pm, it was snowing - the beautiful big flakes floating down against the black night sky. The temperature has come up significantly. Even now, at 10:30 it is a mere -16C. Unfortunately, snow often accompanies the rise in temps.

And so ends Week 3 of 2012. A week of breakdowns - mechanical as well as health. Not to mention the breakdown of the weather at the beginning of the week.

Let me restate the question at the beginning of this post......

I'm wondering if I shouldn't rename these posts. I haven't been taking a photo every day so there aren't always photos for each day (as you'd have noticed on the last Photo post).

Any suggestions? Keep the 'title' (A Week in Photos) or come up with something new and more true?

What do you think?

What do you think?

2012-01-21T14:17:00.000-07:00

So, I decided to "clean up" my 'favorites' on my internet browser - or whatever you call this window. You know, delete sites that are no longer relevant to my life or blogs that haven't posted for 3 years....things like that.

In doing so, I came across Scrappin Blogs , a website that provides free backgrounds for blogs.

Naturally, I was inspired to change the look of my blog.

What does everyone think?

Because if you don't like it, I can change it again.

Friday's Favorites

2012-01-20T01:04:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe it is Friday already.   It's been a full week and I've been trying to get over being sick. Isn't working too good. Maybe I should get into bed and stay there for a day or so. In the interest of improving my health I will try to make this short and sweet so I can go to bed.

I know what you're thinking......yeah right, Karyn - you couldn't make it short if you were getting a million dollars for doing so.

Well, I can try, can't I?

Thanks to Susanne for hosting this weekly exercise!

In no particular order, these are my favorite things from this week:

NUMBER ONE

We found out our #12 grandbaby is a BOY!   Parents are Robert and Lana who are already blessed with 3 girls and 1 boy. So exciting to know Titus will not be the only boy in the family!   No decision on a name yet, and I do not have permission anyway, to advertise the choices.

NUMBER TWO

EPOHZambia.   This is the name my daughter and Son in law are using on YouTube.   They spent one night last week (when they were both sick with colds) videoing themselves singing some of their songs (all original music) and posting them on YouTube.

This is one of my favorite of their songs

And here is the song Vinj wrote that won "Song of the Year" at the Gospel Music Association's Canada wide talent search 3 years ago. This one is professionally recorded and is available on iTunes under the name "Weeping" by Another Way (Must use the artist name, too)

Fun to go on the internet and watch my kids sing their own songs.

NUMBER THREE

In spite of the bitterly cold temperatures this week, I've been so thankful there has been virtually no wind. Makes -30C and colder (-22F) seem just a little less brutal.

NUMBER FOUR

Kind and helpful people - especially my brother (in law) on whom I often rely.   Ken came to my rescue Wednesday night when my truck broke down on the grid roads.   The very cold temps make it dangerous to be sitting at the side of the road without heat and he got there very quickly. So did the tow truck.

Then tonight, if you can believe it, my car quit out on the highway.  I'm still in shock that the same thing could happen to me twice in a row! It took less time for my car to get cold than it did the truck so I was getting pretty cold when a truck stopped on the other side of the road and a gentleman got out, came across the road to see if I was all right. I told him there was a tow truck on the way and he offered to let me sit in his truck to wait. I hesitated, but he insisted that it was much too cold (-30 again) to sit in an unheated car.  Such an act of kindness on behalf of a stranger is always a blessing.

NUMBER FIVE

Our Vet, who has become very familiar to us over the past 2 1/2 years of caring for our old pets.   When I took Riley in yesterday because he just wasn't acting 'right', she took over an hour to explain to me what she thought was going on. Then, today, she called twice to give me updates. The first call, she took another 20 minutes with me.   I so appreciate her willingness to give extra time to help us to understand and to make decisions.   Even more than that, she treats our pets as if they were hers, making us confident that they will be recieving not only medical attention, but affection and tenderness as well.

The word today, BTW, is that Riley is 'rallying'.   Doctor T calls him our 'energizer bunny' because he just keeps on going - even when she is sure he is not going to make it when he first comes in.

That was pretty short, wasn't it? : D

I'm off to bed to try and sleep away this cold - can't go anywhere tomorrow (today) anyway, so I guess I'll have a day to stay in bed if I want (after I finish my work, that is).

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Week in Photos January 8 - 14

2012-01-19T12:38:00.000-07:00

Week 2 of 2012 began with some stress.....

January 8 (Sunday)

I thought I was going to have a day 'off' to recuperate from a long, busy week and a slight touch of something that gave me a bit of a fever.

But it was not to be.

Just after lunch, Vinjelu called and informed me that they were at the hospital - they had brought Taliah in with a high fever and soon after they'd arrived, she had had a seizure - related to the fever. He sounded pretty scared. Who wouldn't be?

Of course, I couldn't sit around when one of my babies was so sick, and it was no more than 45 minutes before I was in the room with our sick little girl - and MY worried kids.

Poor baby, she was sleeping when I arrived and her fever had come down, quite a bit.

I stayed with Chawezi while Vinj and Kath accompanied Taliah to X-Ray where they checked for pneumonia.

Some time later, the doctor came in to say that the X-Ray was clear, and the white blood cell count was normal, indicating a lack of bacterial infection. She said she was going to release Taliah with a perscription for an inhaler.

Knowing Seth was home with Vinj and Kath's houseguests (whom he really didn't know well) and that he wasn't feeling 100% himself, I left as soon as I heard Taliah was going to be released.

Seth was very happy to see me and we had a good long cuddle while we waited for his parents and sister.

Taliah was feeling somewhat better - her temperature was at least temporarily back to normal.

"I'm not sick anymore" she rasped as she struggled to get enough oxygen into her very 'tight' lungs.    She tried to act normal, but just had no energy (no surprise, there).

Once I saw everyone settled in, I left for home. I would have stayed longer, but Vinj and Kath did still have company who were planning on sticking around for several more hours.

On my drive home, I was struck by the rising full moon. (Unfortunately, I had only my 'little' camera, but I made do)

'Tis the season for Snowy Owls.

I've seen several on top of power poles, where they are hard to capture in a photo. When I saw one ahead of me, sitting on a fence post, I grabbed my camera and attempted a shot before he realized I was stopped beside him and flew off. Unfortunately, he turned his head just as I snapped.

He landed on a post across the road and I tried again. This time, he flew off to a group of trees in the middle of the field.

Monday, January 9

Well, Vinj and Kath had a rough night. Neither of them got much sleep since Taliah's fever kept spiking in spite of Tylenol and Advil. It took an awake parent to keep tabs on it - providing sponge baths and even full emersion baths to keep the high, seizure-provoking temps at bay. Seth was also needing to have his temp monitored, although it was not going as high as Taliah's.

I went in later in the morning to give them a chance to get some sleep.

Actually, Taliah and Vinj went together to have a sleep and then later on, Kath and Chawezi went to bed, leaving me with Seth.

I watched him conquer a couple levels of Super Mario Brothers on the Wii .......

Later, we went upstairs and read some books. Seth was getting noticably warmer and more subdued. Eventually, he just cuddled into my arms and fell asleep. Obviously, he was being attacked by the same bug that 'had' his sister in its grip.

Jim had called before noon to say it was pouring rain up north and he was going to come home - provided the rainy weather did not reach all the way home......he wanted to be out of it before the sun went down and it started to freeze onto the highway. I looked at the radar for him and told him I thought he'd be out of it before sundown. But I don't often look at the radar map so I wasn't sure.

The Muyaba family woke up and I headed home to get supper ready and make my bed before my hubby came home.

I recieved a phone call around 8 p.m. - Vinj was at the hospital with Seth....his temperature had gone up to almost 40C - even higher than Taliah's had been when she convulsed. Through texting, I kept in touch with Vinj. They got Seth's temp down to 37.5C before the doctor saw him. Fortunately, the doctor on call was their family doctor. He diagnosed a throat infection for Seth, perscribing amoxil and requesting to see Chawezi and Taliah as well. So, Vinj took Seth home and returned with the 2 younger kids. Taliah also had infection and was perscribed amoxil. Chawezi, not yet, at least.

Another night of constant temperature monitoring for Vinj and Kath.

Tuesday, January 10

Seth's 4th birthday.

Seth was excited and called me well before noon, telling me it was his birthday and he would be getting presents and Gramma would be coming over!

Jim had to work at his computer for the afternoon (we was charging for the day, after all) so I went in by myself at first.

Vinj and Kath had to go out to do some shopping for Seth's birthday so it was just me and the kiddos for the afternoon. Taliah wanted to watch a movie on Daddy's computer in the 'office' so she was settled in there on a mat, with a blanket and a sippy cup.

Seth and I went to play Mario on the Wii.

Do you know what it is like to be slaughtered at a game by a FOUR YEAR OLD?! I mean, it is not as if I've never played a video game before.....although it HAS been a long time for one like this. He kept on 'eating' me in order to 'keep me safe' so I would just be along for the ride, so to speak. When he got tired of that, he started to eat me then spit me out at the 'bad guys'. His delight at making his Gramma lose was rather disturbing, to say the least. Finally, he started to help me out - he'd 'eat' me and then spit me out onto my own horse-thingy that allowed me to 'eat' the 'bad guys' and he would point out to me where to get my 'flyer'.

Finally, just as I was starting to get the hang of it, and he got tired of it.

I couldn't take photos while I was trying desperately to run, jump, and avoid the bad guys.

Seth seemed to be feeling not too bad, although I could feel his temp beginning to rise again. Vinj called to say it was time for Seth to have some more Tylenol just about then.

This is what a 4 year old that hates taking medicine does when he hears that news:

The non-refigerated medicines, before Vinj and Kath arrived with replenishments of the tylenol and advil:

Is this a sick little girl, or what?

The medicine 'ordeal' over with, Seth decided he wanted 'noodles' (Lipton Chicken Soup - the dry stuff). There was some soup on the stove so I heated it up for him.

He ate about 5 bites and said he was full.

I have to say that in spite of being quite sick, Seth managed to maintain a good disposition for most of the time.

Vinj and Kath returned home, laden with more tylenol/advil, presents for Seth, and Flintstone Vitamins. Chawezi made quick use of the box they were packaged in.

Mommy and Daddy brought Taliah a coloring book, which caused her to 'perk up' a bit....

Papa arrived, the gifts were wrapped, and FINALLY, Seth was able to open his presents..... beginning with a big bag of Doritos (which he shared with Taliah) and a box of LUCKY CHARMS (a candy/cereal that would not normally be purchased in that house). He's quite happy with these things.

(BTW.....Seth is the one who found the 'birthday boy' badge/ribbon that morning and insisted he needed to wear it again)

Here, a 'Ker-Plunk' game........

Almost as soon as he opened this big truck, he settled in to play with it.....

Her mouth colored with the Doritos Seth shared with her, Taliah looks happy, if not actually healthy......

The race cars came with the big truck.....

Soon, we went downstairs so Seth could try out the game system we gave him. Not as sophisticated as Mario, but it actually has some educational goals to it.

While we were helping him learn to manipulate 'Wall-E', Daniel and Krystal arrived with packages of mercy......

Krystal made supper for the Muyabas AND a birthday cake for Seth (She rightly figured that Kath, with 3 sick kids would not have time or energy for these things). They also brought a big box of oranges (vitamin C) and a bag of grapes to help with the healing of everyone, as well as some Macintosh Toffee and a boquet of flowers for the tired Mommy of the house. What a blessing!

We left about the same time as Dan and Krystal.

The kids' temperatures stayed around 101F this night. (If you're wondering at the switch between Celcius and Farenhiet all the time - it depends on which thermometer is being used) (normal is either 98.6F or 37F. Danger is 103F or 39C)

Wednesday, January 11

Kaden's 4th birthday.

I called to say happy birthday to Kaden and had a nice little conversation with him - he was having pancakes for breakfast because it was his birthday. I asked if it would be OK for us to bring Kaden his birthday gift this afternoon - and of course, Victoria was happy for us to come by - but Mike was working in Wetaskiwin today and wasn't expected home until supper time. We wanted Mike to be there too, so decided to just wait until Kaden's party on Saturday.

We did go into Edmonton, however - a story I've already told...... here.

On our way home, as we turned off Hwy 2 onto 2A at Leduc, Jim's phone rang.

It was Mike.

He said "Sounds like you're driving past Leduc"

Hahahaha.....he obviously had just passed us going toward Edmonton but wanted us to think he was psycic or something.

He asked us about possibly taking the kids on Monday while he and Victoria celebrated their 7th Anniversary. (Well, it would actually be a continuation of the celebration since Tor's mom was taking the kids Saturday night and Sunday)

I told him I'd be taking the truck in to the shop that day (I think). His response.....

"You should get a different hobby, Mom. Taking your truck to the shop all the time is a pretty expensive one."

Ha ha. Ha ha. Ha ha.

I took no photos today and our evening was a quiet one, ending with finishing up Season 3 of Fraiser.

Report from the Muyabas....... they'd been to the doctor again today. The doc wants Seth to have an XRay, he figures Taliah is getting better, and Chawezi's ears are both infected now. Vinjelu's illness does not appear to be bacterial. Yet.

Thursday, January 12

I'm sick.

Not horribly sick, but definitely not well.

Jim also is not feeling well.

We spent a quiet day, reading, studying, blogging, praying, and making turkey dinner.

That's right - turkey dinner for just the two of us. (Dan and Krystal had been invited, but then were warned that to come visit could result in their getting sick. They stayed away)

Anyway - Jim felt gypped at Christmas because the turkey was a little on the dry side so Tuesday when we were in town, he stopped at the grocery store to buy a turkey. (Just a small one)

I used a recipie from a magazine for the 'coating' or whatever you call what you brush the skin with - there was mustard, brown sugar, garlic, and I forget what else in it. Delicious! Oh, the recipie called for burbon, too, but ....what do you know? there is no burbon in the house. Go figure. (I don't even really know what burbon is - some kind of whiskey?)

I always forget to take a photo of the turkey fresh out of the oven - it seems all my turkey photos are after they've been de-stuffed and begun to be carved. Today was no different.

That shadow in the photo? That's my finger - I'm still getting used to the new camera and sometimes I forget to let go of the lens before I press the shutter.

Over breakfast, I picked up my 'prayer journal' which I haven't used in a few years. After flipping through it, I was inspired to begin to use it again - at least every once in awhile. So, today, I'd periodically come sit at the journal and pray/write for one member of my family.

It was kind of fun to have what is normally considered a 'company meal' all to ourselves.

Afterward, Jim told me to sit down and he'd do the dishes - but he'd let me put the food away, of course.

Friday, January 13

(I didn't even notice the ominous date until now when I typed it out.)

Really sick today.

Read, listen to sermons, read some more.

I also played with the settings on my camera, using two of the homemade Christmas gifts we were given.....

That one was 'auto' setting.

BTW....the oatmeal muffin mix is from Krystal. The home made strawberry jam is from Victoria (for dad)

Unfortunately, I did not have the foresight to make notes on what settings I was using so I'd have no idea how to duplicate this look if I wanted to.

I kind of like the softer, warmer light.

Saturday, Januray 14

Kaden's Birthday party.

We weren't going to go to the party, not wanting to bring our disease with us, but Mike told us to come for awhile, at least. I was very glad - I had been disappointed at missing my little boy's birthday party.

Kaden was so excited. Before we even got out of the car, he was jumping up and down inside the house, shouting "Welcome to my Birthday Party!". LOL

We hung around long enough to visit with our kids and the Ritchies for a bit, but we left before the 'real' party got going. (That is, when the other children arrived......only Victoria's little brothers since Kaden's cousins were either too sick or had not planned to come)

I say that to preface the following by saying these are actually 'pre-party' photos. (Hopefully someone else took photos of the pirates that would be showing up.)

Victoria in her 'Suzy Homemaker Apron' (That's what she calls it)

Kaden, trying not to smile I think.

Litttle girls must look pretty for their big brother's party....

A quiet moment for Papa and Kaden....

Hmmm....Kaden was 'making the rounds', I see.

Great Uncle Ken and Ava (mostly Ava) ate about half the crackers and cream cheese.....

No wine was served at the 4 year old's party....that's sparkling apple juice on the counter.

Just sayin'

Blowin' kisses at Gramma.....

Michael is the cake decorator in this family.....

Even though we were leaving before the 'main events', Kaden opened his gift from us before we went home.

I Really Don't Know What to Call This Post and I Can't Think Because There is A Dog Barking at Me to Go Let Her Outside

2012-01-18T23:22:00.003-07:00

I should be working on my 'week in photos' post if I'm going to be blogging, but ...... instead, I'm going to ramble a bit about my last couple days.

One of the good things about being one of the few fools who venture out in -30C weather is that the parking lots are almost empty. I mean, yesterday and today I was able to park my big truck in a pull-through space quite near the door of the various stores I was shopping at.

Unheard of - I mean, that's normally how I get my exercise, walking from the far end of all the parking lots.

Another thing about being one of the only people who leave the comfort of their home to brave the frigid temperatures....... no line ups at the tills.   YAY!
________________

Note to self: Next time you buy a new extension cord for your truck and it is -35C, take the temperature into consideration before you think you have a defective cord because it won't slide into the outlet in the garage.   Maybe next time use a cord that is already plugged in to power your hair dryer to warm up the outlet a bit.   Might just work and then you wouldn't have to leave your truck run all night - you could plug it in!
__________

Attempting to keep my poor old dogs from freezing in this Arctic blast has been a challenge. Jim set the dog house up pretty well before he left for work, but with 3 heat lamps going 24/7 the temp was only coming up to about 8C during the day. Not too comfy for the elderly.  (They've been coming into the back entry at night - which is the coldest place in the house, but much warmer than 8C.) Today, after being told the temp in the dog house was barely above 0C, Jim suggested, I purchase another heat lamp.  In less than 1/2 an hour after I 'riggied it up', the temp was up about 4 degrees. By evening, though, it was still only about 12C.

____________

Which brings me to the sad news that Riley is in the 'hospital'.

When I was in the dog house adding the lamp, I noticed he was not acting 'right' so called the vet and asked if I could bring him in.   Blood tests show his diabetes is out of control (37) and also shows other problems that could be a symptom of the high blood sugar or could be something else altogether - Addison's Disease.

Our vet talked with me for at least an hour, explaining the situation, talking about options, the future, Riley's personality, etc.   Bottom line - They want to keep him for 48 hours to see if his glucose count can be brought under control and if doing that will bring some of the other 'counts' down to normal.    Right now, we are in a 'wait and see' stage but we do not want to prolong his life if he is going to be feeling unwell all the time.

______________

I left the Vet in her office and went to my truck to call Jim and give him the news. I put my phone away about a half hour later and began my journey home.   I was about 20 minutes down the road when my truck started 'acting up'......it would lose power and 'chug', running real rough and soon not going forward at all. I stopped and let it idle for a minute or two and went forward again. It would go, slowly for awhile, making me think that I might just be able to limp the rest of the way home..... and then it would die again. After 3 of these cycles, it just died and would not start again - just below the crest of a hill.

Great.

It is 30 below freezing and I'm stuck at the side of a gravel road, in a spot that is anything but safe considering the way folks will come flying over the hills on this road.

First call - the towing company in Wetaskiwin. They were great! She dispatched the driver while I was still on the phone. No 'estimated time', just 'he's on the way'. So glad for that.

Wait.......Stop for just a second and consider that.......It is very cold outside. Anyone needing a tow truck is in danger because of the temperatures. Cold weather usually keeps tow truck drivers working around the clock, getting frozen vehicles started. Yet, a truck was available for me RIGHT AT THAT MOMENT!

Thank you, Jesus!

Second call - my ever patient, ever available, brother Ken.   He put his supper aside and got in his car immediately.   (Well, as immediately as you can in this weather - the car would have had to 'warm up' for a few minutes)

I guess -30 weather and 'my truck won't run' are reasons enough to make people move quickly to your rescue.

Thankfully.

They were both there quickly enough that I was only just beginning to feel cold.

The tow truck driver cracked a joke or two about "I know this truck......I pick you up at least once every winter".

Hardy Har Har Har.

And he doesn't even know the half of it.

Like I just used a tow truck - what......2 weeks ago? (A different company, though, so he couldn't know.)

As he walked around the truck after writing down the license plate number, he said "This is an '03, isn't it?"

I looked over my glasses at him and said "You do NOT remember that!"

He laughed and admitted it was just a guess.

Ken and I only had to stand outside long enough for him to fill in the AMA paper work - he offered me the 'customer copy' saying "Do you want this to add to your collection?"

A real comedien.

As soon as I'd signed my name ("You know the drill...." he said), he told us we could be on our way - we did not have to wait around to watch him get my truck up on the flatbed.

Thankfully.

My diagnosis as to what is wrong with my truck - an oil hose blew off again.     I guess we'll see.

The guys at the dealership are going to groan when they see the big Ex sitting in their back yard tomorrow morning.

________

Ken plugged my car in for me when he dropped me off. Hope overnight plugged in will warm it up enough to start tomorrow. (It doesn't actually have a block heater - Jim has a couple things rigged up under the hood that does the job - usually)

If my car doesn't start, I'm hoping the dealership can give me a loaner and my wonderful son-in-law will have to come get me in his new SUV to take me to pick it up.

"Vinj got a new SUV?" You ask    Visit Kathryn's blog for that story - it is their's to tell, after all.

__________

On the other hand, it wouldn't hurt my feelings too much to have to stay home all day.

Except that I don't like the feeling of being stranded, and I don't think it is too wise to be in the middle of nowhere without some kind of transportation - especially in dangerous weather.

_________________

Oh! One more thing.....I got some boots!   If you read my post from last week about my quest for boots, you know what I'm talking about. I gave up on the 'FitFlop' brand and decided to just go to the shoe store that we frequent and get a pair of good boots - comfort being my prime criteria.

I thought I was feeling pretty good yesterday (Oh, have I mentioned that I've been sick for a week plus? Same bug that put the Muyaba's down, I guess) But after trying on 3 pairs of different boots, I realized I'd been decieved - I was not feeling as good as I thought.

But I pressed on.......I don't know how many boots I put on, walked around in, took off..........I finally decided on a pair - not at all what I was looking for, but I kind of re-thought my objectives.   (I'll post a photo either on my Friday's Favorite post or on the Week in Photos for this week)

After wearing said boots literally all day today - and being in and out of stores, my truck, the house, working outside getting the dog house warmed up and my truck cord working........I can say that my feet stayed warm (even while waiting for Ken to rescue me) and there was nothing about the feel of the boot that brought my attention to the state of my feet.

This is a very good thing, since both my other pairs of boots begin to be very uncomfortable within an hour or so of this kind of activity. Plus, neither of them would have kept my feet warm while I was outside so much.

So, to end on a positive note, I'll leave you with my warm and comfy boots.

(Updates on the truck and Riley will be along sooner or later)

Enough?

2012-01-18T03:11:00.000-07:00

Listening to another sermon this morning.

Another challenge.

Do you (I) have enough of God?

Now, before you answer that with what you percieve to be the obvious answer, really be honest with yourself.

Do your actions, thoughtlife, daily focus, what you do with your spare time, line up with your answer?
If you (at least initially) answered, as I expect most Christians would answer, "Of course not, no one can ever have enough of God", then what are you willing to do in order to have 'more' of God?

Jesus tells a short story (parable) of a man who discovers a treasure.....

Matthew 13:44

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

Are you willing to 'sell out'?   Give everything up in order to have the treasure that is God?

Or do you look at Jesus then look at your 'stuff' and think......"I'm OK, I have enough of Jesus"? (Well, maybe not in those words, but....)

BTW...."selling out" is not about what you DO, not about 'works'. It is not "I go to church instead of watching football" or "I get up early to go to prayer meeting".

What IS it about?

I don't pretend to know for sure, because MY actions are very often those of a person who has 'enough' of God in my life.

Here is another question.......Are you lukewarm? (Christianese vernacular here) Most Christians are familiar with the letter to the church of Laodacia recorded in Revelation chapter 3 in which God says that He is going to puke (OK, spit or spew) these Christians out of his mouth because they are neither hot nor cold. And what made them that way? Vs 17 says "You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’     I know most of us can think of 10 things that we 'need'....but really, here in North America we don't NEED anything that we don't have. Our needs are met - if not by our personal income, then by the social net that protects us. We are rich.   We don't see our need for God.

Yet, many of us (and I have been one, if I'm honest) are content to be lukewarm.

In fact, we prefer to be lukewarm.

Especially in Canadian culture - after all, who wants to be percieved as a 'fanatic'?

(Sidenote: A preacher that came to our church once years and years ago offered this deffinition of a 'fanatic' that has stuck with me and convicted me a thousand times since then......"A fanatic is: someone who loves Jesus more than you do"

Ouch.)

Back on track to 'wanting to be lukewarm'......of course, we'd never put it that way, but I've been thinking..... as long as I prefer to watch certain movies or shows over steering away from them, I am choosing to be lukewarm.

The end of the letter to Laodacia, however, is FULL of promise........those that overcome (live a 'sold out', fanatical, HOT life) will sit with God on His throne. The same throne before which the 24 elders constantly sing "Holy, Holy, Holy" The same throne surrounded by a hundred million angels worshipping before the throne.

I've kind of rambled here, and most of what I've said is just 'regurgated' from the sermon by Francis Chan - which you can watch/listen to at this link.

Let me close with this song which I was reminded of as I listened to the sermon.......

I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold;
I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands;
I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand

Refrain:
Than to be the king of a vast domain
And be held in sin’s dread sway;
I’d rather have Jesus than anything
This world affords today.

I’d rather have Jesus than men’s applause;
I’d rather be faithful to His dear cause;
I’d rather have Jesus than worldwide fame;
I’d rather be true to His holy name

He’s fairer than lilies of rarest bloom;
He’s sweeter than honey from out the comb;
He’s all that my hungering spirit needs;
I’d rather have Jesus and let Him lead

You can listen to this song performed by Sheri Easter and Ann Downing at this link

Everything I Need

2012-01-14T08:23:00.002-07:00

We were listening to Pastor Ray Stedman preach from 2 Peter last night. Something he said in relation to chapter 1 verses 3 and 4 struck me.

First the verses.....

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these (our knowledge of him, his glory and goodness) he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them (his promises) you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."

(parentheses and emphasis all mine)

Think about that!

Pastor Ray shared a quote in relation to this that blew me away but is backed up by the above scripture....

"Even the weakest believer holds in his hands all that the mightiest saint ever possessed"

Ever think you could never measure up to Peter? or Paul? or Mother Teresa?

Who could, right?

But......Everything they had, that inspired them, strengthened them, enabled them to do become the inspiring believers they were........I have all that available to me in the same measure.

All I have to do is live it.

Friday's Favorite Five - First of 2012 Because I did not notice it was Friday last week.

2012-01-13T06:35:00.000-07:00

If you look down at my "Busy Week in Photos" post, you will see how it was that I forgot what day it was 7 days ago.

This week, being a little quieter, I have actually looked at the calendar a few times.

Each Friday, a group of ladies link up on Susanne's Blog to list 5 things that made us smile or blessed us in the past 7 days.   Why not click on over to her blog for instructions on 'how to join' and make this exercise part of your weekly habits this year?

For me, since I missed posting last Friday, some of my blessings come from the first week of 2012 and some will come from the second week.

1.   I recieved an email from an old friend awhile back. The subject line said "Thank you for the gift". I wondered at that, because we had certainly not sent this friend a gift - at least, not in the last 20 years or so. The email proceded to recount that when he became a grandfather he was at first uncomfortable with being alone with his grandbabies.

Then, one of them had to remain in hospital for a couple months. Since his job was the most flexible of any in the family, he was able to spend hours every day or so with the baby.

Here is what our friend writes. . . . . "I probably wouldn't have bothered visiting [the baby] in the hospital so much, after all there are people at [the hospital] whose job it is to hold babies, and I wasn't that good with kids anyway. But I remembered you guys getting me to hold Jennifer and how important it was that she have contact with people that loved her during her short life so I thought the least I could do was hold my own grandchildren. Now I spend as much time as I can with the kids and enjoy every minute of it.

So following through with the principle of giving love to little ones 25 years later has immensely enriched my life. So thanks for the gift of giving love."

I was so touched when I read this note. I cried - and I cried again just now, re-reading it.

He did not have to share with us that our experience in 1988 with our baby girl had anything at all to do with his own experiences in the last few years, yet he did.

And we were blessed.

2. Seeing my son be interested in and participate in his wife's hobby and seeing her take interest in and participate in his hobby.   Such a joy to see them share these things with each other.

3. When Kaden and Ava were getting their boots on to leave last week, after being here for 2 days, Kaden turned to me and said "I'm going to miss you, Gramma".   Not to be left out, Ava called up "I'm going to miss you, Gramma".

How could that NOT make my week?

4. My hubby is home this week.

5. I had reason last weekend to be SO thankful for the way my children raise/discipline my grandchildren. I was exposed to a child who made being around him very unpleasant.   I'm so thankful that my kids are not afraid to train their children so that they are polite, well behaved, obedient little people who are fun to have around.

Since I missed last week, I'm using that as an excuse to continue on, past the 'suggested' five .......

6. The blessing of my DIL, Krystal.

Last week, when I made an unexpected trip to Killam to visit my #1 son who had been admitted to hospital, she stayed at my house longer than planned in order to take care of Kaden and Ava (whom I was 'babysitting' at the time). Then, she came back the next morning to look after them again so that I could go to town for an appointment.

This week, after Kathryn and Vinj had endured 2 nearly sleepless nights due to children with very high fevers and at least 3 trips to the ER, Krystal called Kath and said "Don't worry about supper tonight, I'm bringing it over for you". Not only did she bring supper, she brought a birthday cake for Seth, a box of oranges, a bag of grapes, a boquet of flowers, and some Mackintosh Toffee. (Daniel had something to do with some of those things, as well)

Such a blessing to see my kids taking care of each other.

7. My "Salt and Pepper Twins", Seth and Kaden turned 4 years old this week.

Here they are, at one week old - their first meeting. (Kaden was born 24 hours after Seth - almost to the minute, but in a different city. They also weighed in exactly the same at birth.)

They shared a party for their second birthdays......

And here they are at Seth's party this past Saturday.

They look so grown up!

These two boys have been SUCH a blessing in our family and I thank God for both of them.

8. Seth called me last night, just to talk. And boy, did he talk! All about the animals we should have on our 'farm' - horses, cows, pigs, sheep. . . . . It wasn't much of a 'conversation' because I didn't have to say much, but such a blessing that he wants to call and talk to me.

9. The best blessing this week - In spite of the fact that we are obviously not done with hospitals yet (you'd have to be a regular to know all about that comment), I am so very thankful for God's hand upon my family.

Although Robert was hospitalized for a potentially serious condition last weekend, he seems to have recovered. You never get past that heart-squeezing moment when someone tells you your child (even if he is over 30 and a father himself) is in the hospital.

Under this same heading. . . . . So thankful Taliah did not suffer any lasting effects from the seizure she had last Sunday due to high fever.

These two incidents brought our hospital/ER experiences in the last 7 weeks up to 7 (unless I missed something). Two more trips to ER for the Muyabas in the past few days bring the count to 9.

God is good to us - in the midst of all these emergencies, He has sustained and healed, filling us with peace in the midst of this storm.

A Fruitless Search for Winter Comfort

2012-01-12T14:41:00.000-07:00

I mentioned in a recent Week in Photos post that I have been searching for 'the perfect pair of boots'..... ones that I could wear to shop all day. The ones I currently wear result in sore feet and fatige after only about an hour.

A full day of shopping results in extreme pain and exhaustion.

Since I can wear my FitFlop sandals to walk literally ALL DAY (and I've proved it more than a couple times), I began last week to search online to see if this company made boots with the same sole.

They do.

These are the ones I began to look for.....

I could buy them online, but that is not the best option, and no one in Red Deer had even heard of the company.

The store in Camrose where I have purchased the sandals sold the boots last year but were not carrying them this year.

Finally, I found 2 stores in Edmonton who carried the boots - but neither had the particular style I wanted.

No biggie.   As long as they were short top boots, I could adapt. They were.

One of the stores is way on the west end but the other is right on the south edge of the city - plus, the boot they carried is very similar to the one above.

So, we started off for the city.   I knew there was a chance the boot set aside for me would not fit, so I had another errand to take care of - one that I was sure would result in a positive outcome....... I wanted to buy a set of cutlery from a particular kitchen store which offers products at quite a lot lower prices than other stores. (I'm tired of having mismatched cutlerey when everyone is here - with most of it being very poor quality) (the cutlery, not the company) (just to clarify)

We found the shoe store with little problem.

I walked in and was immediately assaulted (yes, assaulted) by a horrid noise blasting through the store's speaker system. I think some folks call it 'music', but I sure wouldn't.    I did not listen to the lyrics, the noise was unsettling enough. In fact, it seriously disturbed me.

A girl brought me the boots I'd had put aside and I found a place to sit down and try them on, even while my emotions jumped around inside me in response to the ampliphied noise.

My first concern was the fact that there was not even one tiny bit of lining in the boot - just the inside of the leather. Not a good first impression.

I don't know if the boot fit or not - I could not get my foot into the 'shoe' part because the top of the boot, although a 'short top', was too narrow to allow my foot to 'turn' into the 'shoe'.    What a poor design!

This store had hundreds of boots on display, but I didn't look around - the 'music' was making me so agitated, I couldn't get out of there fast enough!

Instead, Jim convinced me to try 'Sketchers'.

Same problem. (with the boots, not the music)

The salesgirl there said it was because I have a high instep.

Excuse me?

I have a high instep?

Why have I never noticed this before?

You would think I'd have had problems with this in the past, if that was true.

I tried a different boot - a lace up style. I got my foot into it, no problem, and as I walked around the room, I felt immediately that this 'sole' would be much more comfortable than my current boots.

Except for one thing.

As I walked around, it felt like my foot was sliding off the inside of the sole.

Using technical sounding words, the sales girl (who looked and sounded about 12 years old) told me it was because I walk on the inside of my foot.

Excuse me?

I walk on the inside of my foot?

Why aren't all my shoes worn out on the inside of the sole then?

I gave up.

But, remember, I had thought that no matter what happened with the boots, at least I'd come away with some new cutlery for the house.

No. Such. Luck.

We went to the store, all right, but even the 'nice' cutlery in fancy presentation boxes was all thin, cheap, and felt like it had been punched out of tin.

Not worth the money - even the 80% off price.

Guess it will be Costco for Oneida or Lagostina -and pay just a bit more, but actually LIKE the knives and forks in our hands.

And so we headed home - with nothing to show for our trip to Edmonton except for a few hours alone together.

Maybe it wasn't a wasted trip after all.

From David Wilkerson's Blog

2012-01-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

I am thankful that even though Pastor David has gone HOME, his son continues to post thoughts from David's files.

Here is today's thought....

"THE CRUCIFIED MILITANT"

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He opened not His mouth;

He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,

And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

So He opened not His mouth” (Isaiah 53:7).

Christ was a true militant—

Fighting for other men’s rights,

Driving money changers from God’s church

And letting the oppressed go free;

Yet He Himself was oppressed . . .

And afflicted,

Misunderstood and rejected.

His own rights were denied Him:

A jury perjured Him.

Priests aroused the silent majority

With lies and half truths.

He was brought as a lamb to the slaughter.

They plucked His beard

And spit on His face.

The highest court in the land

Was prejudiced against Him;

Yet this mighty militant

Opened not His mouth

And in his sorrow claimed no rights.

He poured out His life

As an offering

To justify the rights of all men."

To read Pastor Wilkerson's blog or subscribe to the daily devotionals, go here.

A (Busy) Week in Photos - Week 1 of the New Year

2012-01-11T12:33:00.000-07:00

January 1 - 7

Sunday, January 1, 2012

This day was spent mostly getting my husband ready to go back to work after being off for about 6 weeks (except for a few days just before Christmas). Not only was he going back to work after an extended time off (because of surgery and then Christmas) but he was going up north for the first time in a long while, which necessitates a whole different wardrobe.

Not that he needed his winter under wear, the temperatures being so warm the ice roads were becoming trecherous

I texted Melanie and Ken that if they had not yet left for their visit to Red Deer, they should stop over and pick up their Christmas gift that Rob and Lana had left for them. The stopped for a very quick, but welcome visit.

I couldn't resist posting this photo of Ken telling a story of some sort......

Guess it's a funny (or at least, happy) story....

Monday, January 2

Jim left for work - if it wasn't for the weather, we'd be sure he was going to be gone for 3 weeks or so. But, if it stays as warm as it is (above 0 most days), they may not be able to work.

I have no photos for this day since it was just me after Jim left.   I planned my week then went to town to cross off the first errands on my 'to do list'.   Unfortunately, I failed to take into consideration that New Year's Day fell on Sunday and so many places were closed today 'in lieu of'.   I'd have to move some of my errands around and come back later in the week.

One thing I did was to pick up a gift for my mom from Andrew and Candice. I was touched when I walked into their living room to find BOTH of them preparing to paint a picture, Candice's paints and brushes spread out around them.   Andrew was not starting with a blank canvas, but he was participating in his wife's hobby - something she loves.   A few days before, I'd noticed Candice's fb status was "Learned to play Smoke on the Water" which told me she was participating in the hobby Andrew loves (guitar/music).    This made me very happy.

Tuesday, January 3

My plan for this day was to leave the house early, stop in Ponoka at the body shop that had been recommended to us, go to Red Deer to pick up some items at a store that emails me when they have sales, and shop around for the boots that I want. Then, the plan was to go to Sylvan Lake to visit my mom for awhile then pop over to my brother and sister-in-law's home for a visit there.

I arose on time, took care of my dogs, got myself ready, and was in the truck no more than 15 minutes past my planned time of departure. I turned the key in the ignition.

Nothing. No click, no turning over. Nothing.

Except ........ the heater and all the dash lights were coming on normally.   Can't be the BRAND NEW batteries, can it?

I hooked up the trickle charger, just in case.

Still nothing.

Jim is working deep into the bush - no cell service - so no use calling him. Ken did not answer his phone, for some reason. So....I called the dealership and asked to speak to the head diesel mechanic. He kindly did some troubleshooting over the phone and came to the conclusion that it was likely the starter. He suggested that a tap on the starter while turning the ignition could get it started and I could just drive in to the dealership.

I know that - no matter how many times we changed the starter in my F150 (after a certain point) it would often need that 'loving touch' to get it going. HOWEVER......I usually had a boy around to crawl under the truck at that point and when I didn't (which was actually more often than I care to remember) and I had to crawl under, that truck had an automatic starter so I could start the truck at the same time as banging on the starter. (I kept a hammer in the truck at all times for that purpose).

My Excursion does not have an automatic starter.    I could not bang on the starter and turn the ignition key by myself.   Ken still was not anwering his phone - and anyway, by now he'd be in Camrose, hard at work. So, I called AMA, emphasising that although I live in the county of Camrose, I would be taking my truck to Wetaskiwin and I would need a flat bed to take my truck that distance as opposed to a 'winch/dolly' truck.

Half an hour later, dispatch called to say they were sending a flat bed from SPRUCE GROVE!!!! That's at least an hour away. She assured me he was already on the way.   I had already called the body shop in Ponoka to let them know I would not be in this day and then my mom to let her know what was going on. I figured I could still get to Sylvan - I might just be a little later than originally planned.

An hour and a half later, dispatch called, saying "Just to let you know, the driver has gotten un stuck and is on the way again".

?????

The story I got from the driver later on was that he had 'driven into the ditch' and had to get a truck out to pull him out.

!!!!!!

Half an hour later, I got a call from the driver....."I'm on RR 000 but it says 'dead end'. Are you at the dead end?"   I asked him where he was, he told me the TWP road he was on......."I don't even know where you are!" I exclaimed. He said he'd turned off of HWY 13 onto the RR.    I told him he was on the wrong side of the river and he should head west on the TWP road until he got to the secondary highway, go south to TWP 000, east to RR 000, then south to our place.   He said OK.   (Later, I found out he'd called dispatch and they found him on Google then directed him to my house)

Why didn't they ask for directions when they called in the first place?   They asked only for my 'fire address'. I assumed they had GPS in the truck and did not need directions. (UPS never needs directions). Well, they have GPS in the truck, alright - AND the driver had his own private GPS. But........neither one showed the grid roads!

Anyway.......by this time I'd called Mom back and told her I'd come tomorrow and do tomorrow's errands today instead.

Finally, at nearly 1 pm, I was standing at the counter at the dealership, signing the paper that would allow me to take one of their 'loaner vehicles' for the afternoon while they checked out the problems on my truck.

Turned out to be the starter.

Took less time to diagnose and change out the starter than it did for the tow truck to get to me.

I was back in my truck before the shop closed, errands completed.

Wednesday, January 4

Try again.......

I arrived at the body shop in Ponoka at the appropriate time, leaving an hour later with an estimate in my hand.

The night before I had decided that rather than walk all over the place to try find boots that did not hurt my feet (as my current boots do) I would find the phone numbers of the shoe stores in Red Deer and CALL them to see if they sold the type of boot I am looking for.

My current fairly expensive, brand name boots give me very sore feet and back within half an hour of walking in them.   I can walk all day in my FitFlop sandals with NO extra tiredness at all. So, I decided to find a pair of boots made by these people.

So, I stopped at the side of the street in Ponoka and began calling all the numbers I'd written down.

No one had even heard of them. At least in Camrose they could say "We carried them last year".

So, one stop only in Red Deer then off to Sylvan to visit Mom and then Angela and the boys.

I had a nice visit with Mom, beginning with having her open her Christmas gifts....

A few hours later, Mom's husband, Maurice came out to the kitchen looking gray and, well.....clammy. He could not move his right arm and was obviously in much distress.

Before I arrived, he had slipped and fallen on the ice in their driveway, landing on his right shoulder. He could not get up. The neighbor across the street saw him laying there and came to help him up. He was in pain at that time, but thought that he'd be OK and just went to his room to rest. That's where he had been since I arrived.

He was in so much pain and is such a large-framed man (over 6') we decided to call an ambulance rather than try to get him into Mom's smaller sized car and transport him the 1/2 hour to the hospital. The paramedics arrived, gave him a shot of morphine to make the trip more comfortable, and took him to Red Deer. I left shortly after that for Angela's house.

After 2 sets of Xrays and several hours later, Maurice's injury was diagnosed as bruised ligaments. He was sent home in a sling.

I enjoyed my visit with my SIL and her twin boys, with her 11 yr old son making intermittent appearances. Kevin came home after work - a little late, since he'd spent some time at the hospital checking on Maurice.

Joey is an affectionate little guy........

And when Titus (known as 'T') saw me taking pictures of his brother kissing Mommy, he wanted in on the action as well.....

Joey was not interested in wearing clothes this day - and T had put his PJs on for his nap. (This fact helped me to keep them identified all day. And unless I've mixed them up in my mind since then, (a possibility) is the only reason I can tell which is which in the photos)

Here's Titus peeking over the counter top at me.....

I tried to get a photo of the two boys together, but.......

I give up. LOL

Joey gives his daddy a big welcome home hug and kiss....

I didn't see alot of Noah, so only got this one surreptitious photo of the handsome young man.....

I came home to find nothing left of my ice lanterns but a row of tealights on the ground.

(Here are some of the ice lanterns just after I put them out......)

Thursday, January 5

Morning - First thing I noticed when I went through the back door.....our snowman is dead. Between the warm temperatures and the very strong winds last night, he lays in shrinking pieces on the ground. So sad. I had expected him to bring cheer to my backyard right till spring.

After taking care of my dogs and mourning the snowman, it was off to Camrose to get new tires on my truck. I probably forgot to mention that on our last trip to Red Deer after Christmas, a tire blew on us. Fortunately, it was a back tire. Since this is the THIRD tire to blow from the 'set' we bought only a year and a half ago, Jim asked the tire shop to please replace all the tires. He didn't want one of the front tires to blow on me - a back tire is bad enough. ANYWAY.....I waited around for the tires to be replaced, reading my book or talking to Melanie on the phone. All the while, I was aware that Mike and his kids were on their way out to my house - Mike to work on the garage, and the kids to hang out with me.

What I forgot was that 'the water guy' was also coming to my house for service to our 'iron eating' and RO water systems. I had made the appointment for when I thought I'd be back home - based on what the tire guy told me. That meant that Mike was already here when the water guy showed up so he was able to come in and do what needed doing.

So.....morning in the tire shop. Afternoon hanging with my grandkids - and Krystal. Daniel came out after his work day to help Mike in the garage. Krystal undecorated the Christmas tree while I packed the ornaments away then she entertained the kidlettes while I made supper.

There are several photos of Michael's newest 'toy'......a hunting rifle which he has purchased completely outside of their working budget.....finding things to sell or odd jobs to do in order to finance it. BUT, I'm not going to post any of THOSE photos on the internet!

Today, Mike and Dan put 'strapping' under the floor joists and laid the insulation - or most of it, anyway.

Reading stories with Auntie 'Trysal'....

Trying a different setting on my camera.....wish I could remember which it was:

Just before supper, I received the news that Son #1, Robert, was in the hospital with Pancreatitis.   We discussed this news at supper and I indicated I wanted to go see him, even though it is an hour and a half drive one way. Daniel and Krystal offered to stay until it was time for the kids to go to bed so I could leave. Krystal cleaned up the dishes as well and I headed off, hoping the melting snow had not turned to ice on the highways, forcing my return. (The roads were dry, thankfully)

After a 2 hour visit with my son, hearing his story and just enjoying his company, I stopped off at his house for Lana's 'take' on the situation before heading back home.

Friday, January 6

When Mike told me he was coming out for Thursday and Friday, I informed him that I had an appointment for my nails on Friday morning. He assured me that he could put a movie on for the kids, work on the garage, and come in the house to check on them every 15 minutes or so. That didn't sound like the best solution, so I asked Krystal if she'd be willing to come back Friday morning to watch Kaden and Ava.

So, with my helpful DIL at my home watching my grandkids, I headed to town for the first installment of my Christmas prestent from my Sister, Melanie.    (3 months of 'Shellac') (Thanks again, Melanie!!! Love this gift....."It's the gift that keeps on giving")

Robert was being brought to Camrose this morning for a CT scan to try to determine the cause of his illness. I was prepared to stay in town if he required anything more than the scan or if they were going to keep him here. But....they sent him back to Killam as soon as the scan was complete. So, I didn't see him today. The ride in the ambulance, though, 'stirred things up' and the pain came back. He also was still not able to eat.

Back at home, Andrew had come out to help Mike with the work today and Krystal left to pick Daniel up from work as soon as I returned.

Progress on the garage was to finish laying insulation, put on the vapor barrier, and begin laying the floor boards.

After all Mike's hard work that no one could really see things really seem to be 'coming together' in a hurry.

Mike's 'foundation' work may not be visible, but when you walk out on this floor, it sure FEELS solid.

They couldn't finish the floor today, Mike had to get home to make some deliveries. He suggested the kiddos stay with me and he'd come back to stay overnight again. That would have been great - if I didn't have a fever and feel like I couldn't stand up for long. He took the kids with him on his deliveries.

(Forgot to mention.....Victoria had been away at a funeral, that is why Mike had the kids on his own)

I actually didn't get much time with the children today. Ava needed a nap soon after I came home, and Kaden was watching a movie. (I layed down for a nap at the same time as Ava, so it was OK that Kaden wanted to watch the Incredibles.)

Such a busy day, I'd completely forgotten that it was Friday - and didn't post my usual FFF post.

Saturday, January 7

I took it easy this morning, still not feeling well, and then headed into Wetaskiwin for Seth's birthday party. (His actual birthday is the 10th, but it is hard for folks to come midweek)

Vinj and Kath had company this weekend, including their friend Ek from Thailand, who is a skilled illusionist. He put on a 'magic show' for the party guests. (Many of whom were children aged 10 and under)

This particular trick amazed me.....and, by the look of it, Kaden too.

After the 'magic show', it was time for PRESENTS! What 4 year old boy doesn't love presents?

And, after presents, we went upstairs for cake and ice cream....

My Salt and Pepper Twins......

For now, the youngest grandbaby......

But it won't be long before Chawzi is 4th youngest.

Victoria and Candice are due one day apart......

And Lana is due 3 months later....

I will end the photo part of this post with photos of my two littlest girls....

It was a fun day, celebrating Seth.

Unfortunately, Rob could not be there since he was still in the hospital. He was feeling better, though, and was actually eating this day. (He was sent home the next day).

AND......by the end of the day, both Seth and Taliah had temperatures.....but that is a story for another post.

Highlights of 2011

2011-12-31T13:02:00.000-07:00

2011 was an eventful year for our family and included:

4 new jobs.........Beginning with Jim - In January, he picked up the career he left 10 years before. The HSE dept. is a temporary 'transition' - he expects to be working again as a completions foreman sometime in the next 2 years. His current position has him working either in Fort MacMurray, Alberta or in the office in Calgary. Something new this year - all summer/fall, Jim worked in Calgary Monday - Friday and was home every weekend.

Andrew also recently returned to his former career in construction. He re-entered this industry after working for a time on a service rig crew. Good move, meaning he is home every night.

After 2 years on night shift, Daniel was more than happy to switch employers in order to work day shift (6:30 am - 2:30 pm).

Vinjelu has undertaken Construction, Pipe inspection, and Associate Pastoring in the last 6 months. The first two jobs were temporary positions. He is now Associate Pastor at the Wetaskiwin Pentacostal church part time and studying for his Pastoral degree full time.

Not a 'new job' exactly, so not counted but deserving of mention......Michael began to work more at home on their own business and less at his job 'outside' the home.

3 new grandbaby announcements.......Andrew and Candice will be welcoming their firstborn (a son) Mid March, 2012.

Michael and Victoria's 3rd baby will be making his/her appearance about the same time. (another set of 'Twin cousins').

AND Robert and Lana are providing a little brother or sister for Titus, bringing their family up to 5 children. This little one will be born mid June.

Alright....I was going to do this as a countdown.....4 new jobs, 3 new grandbaby announcements....2 something else....etc. But there were too many big events this year. Forget the 'order'........

2 Trips to the other side of the world........In April, Jim and I travelled to Zambia to visit Vinjelu and Kathryn at the Lusaka Youth With A Mission base. This was my second visit to Zambia, my third trip across the Atlantic ocean - but it was Jim's first trip outside of North America. We had a wonderful visit with Vinj and Kath, (who had been gone for almost a year by then) including a week at a resort beside Victoria Falls in southern Zambia. We were thankful to be able to spend time in Vinj's homeland and in the area our kids were working. The experience of living in a developing nation among the poor was one I would not exchange for any vacation to a 5 star resort with a sandy beach.

On the way home from Zambia, Jim and I stayed for a day in London where we enjoyed the uniqueness of Central London. We look forward to a return visit some day.

The other trip to the other side of the world was Vinjelu and Kathryn (and Seth and Taliah) travelling from Zambia back to Canada. Originally, their stay was to be 4 months long ........but that is another story.

2 major moves..........Robert was transferred from the Wetaskiwin branch of 'his' bank (30 minutes from us) to the Killam branch (1 1/2 hours from us). Although they are farther away from our family, they are very happy with the move. Killam is a beautiful little town - a 'Mayberry' kind of place where everyone knows everyone else and it is safe for little girls to ride their bikes down town. They were also able to 'upgrade' their home somewhat. This move also made it possible for Lana to quit her Dayhome job and still 'make ends meet'. She can now focus on homeschooling her kids and being a mom to her own children.

The other major move was Vinj and Kath not just visiting Canada, but moving back home. You can imagine what it takes to move a household from one country to another - even when you have a year or more to plan for it (as was the case when they moved to Zambia) but this move was decided in Mid May and they arrived in Canada barely 3 weeks later. BIG move. They lived in our home from June - November when they moved into Wetaskiwin.

This move can also come under the heading of 1 major life re-direction. Vinjelu and Kathryn had planned to be working with YWAM in Lusaka for the next several years, at least. Events over the year they were there forced them to reconsider their commitment - which resulted in their leaving Zambia and YWAM - at least for the foreseeable future.

1 birth.........Chawezi McKay Muyaba was born to Vinjelu and Kathryn on July 28, 2011. Chawezi (pronounce cha-WAY-zee) means 'gift from God'. McKay is Andrew's middle name.

2 hospital stays for Jim......first, in the interest of getting the 'whole African experience', Jim contracted Dysentery while staying at the 4 star resort at Victoria Falls in Zambia. He did not begin to be sick until we were back home in Lusaka, fortunately. He was in hospital for about 4 and a half days. The facility we took him to is considered the best in the city - and the medical staff certainly knew what they were about - but the beds, the equipment, the building.....that's another story. He was released on a diet of rice, yogurt, and bananas and antibiotics for the next several weeks.

His second stay ties in with the next heading......

4 surgeries..........Beginning with Kathryn - Chawezi was born via Caesarean Section because he was in full breech position. Major surgery for a mom of three. I was so glad she was living with me at the time - much easier for me to help her out.

The other 3 surgeries all happened within 2 weeks.....First, Jim had a scheduled surgery to remove his gall bladder on Nov 24.

6 days later, his dad had a quadruple bypass (after suffering a heart attack 2 days before Jim's surgery) ......

.....and less than a week after that, our 2 year old granddaughter had surgery to lance a nasty infection that was making her VERY sick (and necessitating a 3 day stay at the Stollery Children's Hospital in Edmonton). Ava has completely recovered.

Jim and his dad are still in the process of recovering.

2 weddings....... Andrew and Candice were married in a private ceremony May 22 in Millet, Alberta.

Daniel and Krystal celebrated their marriage vows at our farm on August 13.

Two very happy occasions, two new daughters for Jim and myself.

1 major renovation begun........September 10/11 our whole family gathered to get a start on turning our attached single garage into part of our living area. As with many renovations, what begins as a 'simple' job of replacing drywall and tearing out a wall, this project has turned into a MAJOR restoration/renovation job. Michael is spearheading this project and has been chipping away at the repairs. He guarantees that by next Christmas we will have LOTS more room in which to gather.

2 deer came in contact with our family this year.........Michael went hunting for the first time. He came home with his first kill and transformed it into a freezer full of meat.

I hit a deer with my truck - first time I've hit a deer in more than 18 years of living in the country. (Not a bad record) The only thing I came away with was damage to my truck and the opportunity to deal with insurance and body shops.

So, a very eventful year for the Hutchinson family - lots of GOOD things, several stressful events, but God works His good through it all.

2012 will hold 3 new babies and a new living area in our home but only our Father in heaven knows what else is in store for us.

Friday's Favorite Five - Last One this Year

2011-12-30T10:50:00.000-07:00

Happy New Year!

Enumerating my favorites of this week is the best way to end 2011. Thanks to Susanne for providing this forum!

It's been a great week - beginning, of course with Christmas.   Since then, we've had quiet days with just the two of us and we've had busy days filled with loved ones.

My favorites this week all have to do with Christmas (no big surprise there, right?)

1. Obviously, having my whole family crammed into my little house is my first favorite. This was the first Christmas in 3 where ALL my kids were home for Christmas and it felt SO good.   We now number 21 with just Jim, myself, our kids and our grandkids.   Which means we sit close to each other all day. LOL

This was also the first Christmas I can remember that we didn't have some of our extended family with us.   We missed you guys! (Parents times 2, aunt & uncle, Sister and Brother, Niece and Nephews)   Next year our 'living area' will be WAY bigger! (Michael promises)

2. The Snowman some of the grandkids and their uncles (and one aunt) built in the backyard. We do not often get snowman making weather/snow so this is kind special - the fact that it is well over 6 ft tall and built by so many makes it VERY special. (Post about the snowman here) (Lots of photos there, too)

3. All the homemade and photo gifts given at Christmas. It warms my heart to see my kids find a way to give each other gifts - even when finances are such that buying for so many is out of the question. From 'muffin mix' to heartfelt notes to homemade soaps to homemade Christmas tree ornaments......homemade gifts ROCK! Also, I think everyone gave some kind of photo gift - I know Jim and I recieved photos from each of our kids (some gave several photos).

And let me not forget to mention the swords Uncle Daniel made for the big girls (very impressive)....

4. My new Camera. (I wrote all about my camera(s) on this post which also contains several photos from our Christmas day) My hubby bought me a Nikon D5000 SLR camera. A little more of a camera than I'm used to for carrying around, but OH the improvement in the quality of photos is SO worth it !

5. Silly Karaoke ...... Jim discovered a feature on our electric piano. (Or I should say, several features.)
The piano serves as a karaoke machine, if you can believe it! (I guess we knew that, but we'd never explored it....the piano is the one Vinjelu won at the Gospel Music Talent Search where he won for best song - when they were moving to Zambia, we bought it from them and they purchased as smaller, more portable keyboard) (check out the link if you want that story)

Anyway, back to the present and the karaoke feature. One of the fun things about this feature is that you can change your voice with the touch of a button. Boxing Day morning, when Rob and his family were still here (they stayed overnight) Jim demonstrated. The girls thought it was so funny to hear a BIG DEEP voice coming from their Grampa. When Emma took the mike and instead of her pretty little girl voice, a man's voice ensued, they (and we) thought it HILARIOUS. Even funnier - when Jim spoke into the mike and a little girl's voice came out!

Lots of fun and laughter!

(I am still learning how to use my camera....I took several photos where the flash did not go off, resulting in the darker pictures - but these are the ones where the girls were laughing the hardest)

6. (I'm going to keep going to make it Friday's Favorite Six or Seven) Westminster Chimes marking every quarter hour.

I gave my hubby a mantle clock for Christmas. I knew the Chimes would remind him of his Grandparents. I love the sound of the chimes every fifteen minutes.

7. The Santa Hat worn by my man all day Christmas Day.

AND the silly 'Whoville style' tie he made from one of the package ribbons....

8. Finally (yes, I will stop here), my silver and red decorations - especially the beautiful 'balls' hanging in various places in my home. I posted photos of all the decorations on this post , but I will include ONE here...

I pray that you, my reader, will be abundantly blessed in 2012 !

Christmas Decor

2011-12-29T12:07:00.001-07:00

A few posts back I 'promised' some photos of the decorations I created this year.

So, here you are.....

Jim's mom made a donation to the CNIB in our name and we got a wreath made of REAL branches. It came with pine cones and berries with which to decorate it. I prettied up the pine cones, used my own ribbon, and voila! a real wreath for the back door.....

The bathroom.....

The Hall Table.....

A 'refurbished' wreath on the spare bedroom door....

Piano Top....

My new 'nativity'..........

In the entry to the living room......some of the gorgeous red and silver balls I found at Costco....

There are also 5 of these balls hanging off the curtain rod in the front window but the photo would be basically the same as the one above.

The small shelf near the kitchen table....

China Cabinet top:

I nearly froze my hands cutting these branches of crab apples off the tree in my front yard.

One of the decorations on top of the TV

One of the plants I used for decorating the dining room table.....

A candlelight photo.....

The plants on my table.....

This year, I took the decor to the table as well, buying these clear glass/red mugs for all the coffee and hot chocolate that is drunk on Christmas Day.....

My new place settings for Christmas (minus the cutlery)

I had fun creating decorattion in a particular color scheme and theme.

Jim Rescues Me

2011-12-28T13:49:00.004-07:00

If you know me, or even if you just read my blog, you know I take alot of photos. I generally have a camera with me at all times and try to take at least one photo every day on 'ordinary' days. Put a couple kids around me and I'm likely to take 20 - 50 photos.

As of Dec 24, I owned 2 working cameras -

First, a 4 year old Canon PowerShot S51S 8 mp camera. This is a full sized digital camera with about a 10X optical zoom. I've always been very happy with the photos from this camera and carried it all over London and Woverhampton when Kath and I visited England in 2008.   But, I got to where I wanted a pocket camera again so I could always have a camera with me so this camera took a 'backseat' for the most part.

I took it with me to Zambia, though, for two reasons - first, because it really does take good photos and second, just in case something happened to my smaller camera, I'd still have a camera.   I purposely took this S5IS with me on the game drive when we were at Victoria Falls because of the optical zoom. I got some great photos! HOWEVER, during that outing, the viewing screen quit working. Fortunately, the camera has a viewfinder so I could still frame up my photos, but not being able to use the rear screen was a drawback. Sometime after that, the 'powering up' sequence started to act up. So, I've used it even less over the past few months.

Recently, I replaced my 'pocket camera' because the flash quit working. I had been relatively happy with the photos from the Canon 'compact sized' camera that I'd been using, so that is what I got again - only the new model had changed somewhat.   The model I got was the Canon Power Shot ELPH 300 HS. 12 mp (not that megapixels are that important). It has a 5X optical zoom which is not bad for a compact camera.

HOWEVER.....I have not been very happy with the photo quality and even worse, within 3 weeks, the front of the camera bent, preventing the lens cover from closing. (And no, I'd not abused it in any way) This means that I have to use my fingers to push it closed, which inevitably results in a dirty lens. I took the camera back to the store I purchased it from but was told that because I did not have the original packaging, I could not take advantage of the 30 day in-store warranty. (I was living in an RV at the time - no room to keep a box I had no intention of using again)

My only option - take or send the camera to Canon and hope for the best.

In the meantime, I just kept pushing the lens cover closed and wishing my photos were of a better quality. My PowerShot was coming out of retirement in spite of its problems.

My husband decided to take matters into his own hands and get me a new camera for Christmas.

Just look at the UNEDITED photos produced from each of my cameras:

First, the ELPH300 (the pocket camera)

This is one of the 'good quality' photos taken on this camera.

Most of the photos look like this:

Pretty disappointing for a $300 camera that is barely 3 months old.

Now, the PowerShot (the 4 year old camera)

Not bad, right? Actually, pretty good. Not all the photos are this good, but most are.

Now, my new camera.

A Nikon D5000 SLR digital camera using a 18-55 mm lens, set on AUTO:

The next day, I played around with my new camera a little and tried a '3D' setting. I don't see any 3D effect, but I do see a difference.

These are all UNedited, remember.

Here are a few more random photos from my Nikon, set on AUTO...

It may take some getting used to, carrying around a larger camera with a big lens, but I think it will be well worth it!

BTW....did I mention there are 2 lenses with the camera? I have yet to try changing it, but the other one is a Zoom lens. I expect it will take me some time to get well acquainted with this new friend of mine.

Thanks, Jim, for rescuing me from poor quality photos.

Now, to send in the ELPH and see what Canon will do about the lens not closing - it is under warranty, after all. Doubt they'll do anything about the fact that more photos than not come out poorly, but at least the lens could close!

PS.....In case you are interested, the photos in the last post (the snowman) were taken on the 'pocket camera' before I opened up the Nikon. So, you see the variety in the quality of photos on that camera.

A Fun Christmas Day Activity

2011-12-27T13:30:00.000-07:00

On the warmest Christmas Day I can remember (about 6C), the children headed outside (still in their PJ's) as soon as they had opened their gifts. By the time the little boys had their coats on, Elizabeth had a good sized snowball made.

She informed us that she was making a snowman but already the big snowball was too heavy for her to manage on her own so Grandpa sent Uncle Dan out to help.

(Proof that the weather was 'balmy'.....our Caribean daughter took part in the outside fun)

The big snowball was getting very heavy.

The smaller kids started to make the torso and head....

Soon, Auntie Krystal was helping with the growing snowballs....

Reinforcements were called to help lift the torso onto the base.....

By now, the enterprise had attracted spectators....

Uncle Dan begins to shape and smooth the middle section. He would also add snow between the two 'balls' to ensure the second one does not topple off, squashing a toddler or two.

After an impromptu (and short) snowball 'fight', Dan and Andrew lifted the head onto the torso.

Robert had gone to the barn and found a bin of BBQ charcoal for giving their creation a face.

Elizabeth, as the instigator of this project, did the honors of providing a face to our new friend....

A cowboy hat was found instead of the white hard hat that was originally intended for his 'chapeau'.

Rob got some of my 'decorative sticks' from out of their container on the deck for arms but Liz and the little boys came running up from the other side of the house with thicker, more 'unique' sticks for the rather spindly arms. My blue scarf, and "the best snowman we've ever built" was ready for a 'group photo'.

....and a shot of the 'big man' himself.

What a fun way to spend the 'intermission' between the kids opening gifts and the adults beginning exchange gifts. The kids stayed outside for at least another 45 minutes, following Lizzie around and coming in with rosy pink cheeks.

Lest my American readers think this is a common occurance here, let me assure you that not only is this the BEST snowman ever built in my yard, it is one of only about 4 snowmen ever built in my yard - we seldom have the 'right' kind of snow (or enough of it) to roll into a big ball.

(Unfortunately, the warm temperatures had the snowman's face and buttons on the ground by late afternoon, but nothing we couldn't fix.)

Friday's Favorite Five

2011-12-23T08:50:00.001-07:00

Two days till Chirstmas.

Well, actually, today is my last day to 'be ready' since tomorrow we will be spending most of the day at my daughter's house - baking, visiting, going to church, eating, playing games.....and watching the littles open a few gifts.

Today, I focus on groceries, wrapping the few gifts left unwrapped, and cleaning my house.

But before I go make my grocery list, I will stop to be thankful for some of my blessings from the past week....

1. Costco Wrapping Paper is the best. The best deal and the best quality. Not to mention, beautiful.

This paper does not rip when you tug on it a bit to make your corners tight.

The roll is enormous and usually wraps ALL my gifts for two years, at least. Since the paper is double sided, I actually have 2 patterns to choose from.

Just to give perspective on how much paper that really is, this year I will have wrapped 180 gifts - with at least 4 gifts being oversized - two of them would have used a complete roll of conventional paper.

This huge roll of top quality paper is only $10.00

Did I mention the patterns and colors are beautiful?

2. Costco Ribbon.   Again, excellent quality, huge amount, cheap price. Aesthetically pleasing.

I'm talking 50 YARDS of ribbon for $5.00.   I have one roll of gold ribbon that I used for 3 years - and still have some left.

This year I am working with a lovely soft silver ribbon or a sparkly red ribbon. I like making a ribbon bow rather than using the store bought rosette type bows. The ribbon bows don't get so flattened when gifts are stacked.

3. Paper cutter.

With 180 gifts to wrap, this little tool makes the job so much quicker. Much faster and more accurate than scissors, for sure.

4. Giving Gifts.....This is one of my favorite things to do - especially at Christmas time. I love the privilege of gathering just the right gifts for each of my loved ones. Granted, some folks are harder to 'buy for' than others, but that just makes finding or thinking of the right thing that much more satisfying.

If only I could make myself get started early in the year MAKING gifts, that is my very favorite kind of gift to give (and recieve)......however I cannot, in good conscience, begin to make anyone a gift until I've finished the 3 gifts that I gave (unfinished) 2 Christmases ago.

5. Shopping with my Hubby. For the first time since Kath was 16 (10 years ago), Jim got to go shopping with me (and not just via telephone, either). Most years, he is working when I am shopping. This year, a combination of his being done work earlier than usual, and my shopping about a week later than usual, happily conspired to have traipsing around the city together for the bulk of our 'big' gifts. (Most stocking stuffers were already purchased).

This is not to say he is not always involved in the shopping (at least, for the 'main' gift for each of our kids). The day(s) I do my shopping, I am in close contact with him - he is always involved in the final decisions.  But that method does not give him much opportunity for 'creativity'.

6. Christmas in General......It's a most wonderful time of year! I know, there are financial pressures for many, time pressures for most, and family pressures for lots of folks - my family faces all these things in varying degrees from year to year, but there is something about Christmas that makes it all worthwhile.   I love the anticipation, the advance preparations (putting up a tree, decorating the house, listening to special music, watching special movies....) and the privelege of 'making' Christmas for my children and grandchildren. I know that in each of their homes, they are building memories and traditions unique to each home, but just as important is the continuity of Christmas in OUR home - at least for a few more years. I love to find ways to make the day(s) extra special for my husband and children.

7. It's a Wonderful Life.   One of the best movies of all time, IMHO.  The message that just an 'ordinary, common' person can make such a difference in the lives of so many......like a stone thrown into a pond, the initial splash is small, but the ripples coming from that little stone get ever larger the farther out they go - eventually reaching the shores of the pond.

Besides, Jimmy Stewart looks alot like my dad.

_________________

Have a wonderful Christmas Dear Friends........enjoy your families and your traditions.......Take time to reflect on the most wonderful gift of all - that God Himself would come to live among His creation as one of us. To limit Himself to a human body in order to take upon Himself the punishment Justice demands so that WE could be redeemed. THIS is what Christmas is all about. That baby in the manger is God Himself, loving us.

__________________

Thanks to Susanne, our faithful hostess of this FFF party. God bless you, my friend!

Guest 'Post' from my Hubby

2011-12-21T21:29:00.000-07:00

Following is an email my husband sent out today to his 'friends and family' list. (Some of you have already read this) I thought it was worth posting in this format......

Gang,

I was downstairs in our library looking for the old microphone when my eyes were draw to our archived copies of "School Days" newsletters. I lifted the coiled booklets from their place on the shelf and took them upstairs. I sat myself down and began to reminisce about our first years of home schooling our children in Edmonton.

That was 20 years ago.

What a joy it was to see Karyn and the children living, loving and learning together. The booklet that we put together, "School Days", was intended to give our family members an idea as to what was going on with us and our children, seeing as we were going against the status quo and pulled them out of the government run schools. In our own way, we attempted to alleviate fears of our relatives, showing them that our children were learning (being schooled) but more importantly, they were learning to become knowledgeable about who their Father in Heaven is.

As of the writing of this letter, all of our children continue to acknowledge that Jesus is Lord and seek to serve God on a daily and continuing basis. It is by God's grace that we all continue to accept that we are but sinners who have been saved by God's grace.

I would like to type out for you the letter that I enclosed at the end of the Sep-Oct 1991 "School Days" newsletter that Karyn, all the children and I put together 20 years ago. (The beginning of our second year of homeshooling)

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Let's go back 20 years and see what I was thinking about...... November 1991.

"From Jim (Daddy),

Our God is sovereign and he reigns over all humans on the earth. Even though the entire world seems to be in upheaval, the Lord gives peace to those who seek Him. It is an honor for me to see these children that belong to our God grow in the understanding of how great He is. Every day they start with a time of worship (singing), learning more about Him and praying for each of you, our family and friends. How precious are these days that we have with these Little Ones. God demands that we protect them and direct them towards him. It is only by His strength that we can do this. He is Jehovah Jireh.

Watching Robert, Michael, Andrew, Kathryn and Daniel working, learning, playing, praying, reading and discovering together as a Team has been very fulfilling. At first I obviously had my reservations about our move towards home schooling, but after the first year and into the next now, I know that God had this in mind for these kids from the start. There is something special that happens to children who are around their Mother each organized day as she leads and guides them through faith-based studies and through the development of life skills. Their ability to work and relate to other children whether it be in the neighborhood, in the community (basketball, archery, winter baseball) or at church has taken on a new face of love and a gospel-based concern. This ability comes from ironing our “one-on-one” and group social problems each day with the Bible as the guiding tool. Karyn’s and my input into the children through academics, love, caring, practical skills, team work can never be replaced by even the most loving teacher, for that teacher is not their Mom and Dad. The children are not perfect, but everyday their schooling leads them to have Faith in God.

Anyways I don’t want to get preachy, I am just excited about the wonderful changes and direction that each of our children are taking. Little Daniel I’m sure will learn to read and count on his own. He is surrounded by learning all the time and has made himself a part of that process. The Art Training has produced excellent results and given the children great self-confidence. Kathryn and all the boys are doing very well in Math, even Robert who has been struggling through the Grade 10 math book. Daniel has learned to count by two’s (2,4..), but he has only gotten to 4 so far. I can’t say enough about the fact that Robert has re-learned how to print, write and spell properly. We, including him, can now read all of his work.

Each of these children are ARROWS that God has put in my Quiver. It is my responsibility to groom and mould them, put them into my bow and shoot them at the target of life. With training, as with an arrow, you only get one shot. Once the arrow is released you can’t bring it back. What we put into our children will stay with them for the rest of their lives. “Train up a child in the way he should go, and he will not depart from it”. I call upon the Name of the Lord each day for strength and wisdom to uphold my end of the deal in preparing these children for a happy, prosperous, successful Adult life based on an unwavering Faith in our God. When that Arrow (Adult child) hits the target, God wants it to hit the Bull’s Eye.

We all look forward to hearing from you about your lives so that we have a greater understanding of how to pray for you. Please write soon.

Jim

November 1991

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Thank you for walking down memory lane with me. You can view this copy of "School Days" here in our home. Stop in and we will greet you with the love of God, a hug, warm beverage and maybe a piece of sweet-cake (Louisiana influence).

Those of you who will be here at Christmas, we are going to have these newsletters out for those who would like to have a look at the school work done by Robert, Michael, Andrew, Kathryn and Daniel.

God be with You,

Dad / Jim / Uncle Jim

Recommended for a reason

2011-12-20T08:46:00.000-07:00

Every 'Recommended Reading" list I've ever seen includes the book "Life of Pi" but I've always thought the summaries of the book makes it sound pretty 'lame'....... They always say something about a boy lost at sea in a lifeboat accompanied by an adult Bengal Tiger. Still, it must have something going for it, right?
Well, when Audible.com announced a $5 sale on selected books, I decided to buy 'Life of Pi' just to see why it was always recommended.   I did not look forward to listening to it, mind - it was more out of obligation to literature that I even bought it.

What a pleasant surprise!

The book is awesome!

Of course, being an audible book, the narrator deserves MUCH credit for my enjoyment of the story - he is excellent, bringing enough of an Indian accent to give authenticity but not so much as to make it difficult to listen to.

One of the main themes of the book would make Rob Bell quite happy - it is all about 'universalism', for sure!   (I just realized I did NOT write a review on Rob Bell's book 'Love Wins' which I read and meant to review.   Here's my opinion in a nutshell...... don't bother reading it.)

Besides the universalism theme, which is more an amusing facet of Pi's life and not presented as 'normal' , the book informs the reader on zoos and the habits of several different animals - AND makes these 'informative' sections interesting - even fascinating - whether you are a budding zoologist or not. And all this information coming from the boy lays a foundation for the second half of the book.

But the biggest surprise -

I'd always assumed the 'adult Bengal Tiger' that traveled in the lifeboat with the boy was a pet.   This is why I thought it would be a 'lame' story.

Well, I was wrong.

Fully half the book is the tale of the 16 year old Pi, stuck in a lifeboat with a 450 lb adult, UNtame tiger.

The plot may be completely unbelievable, but it is written in such a way as to make that fact irrelevant. The author is a genius in this respect.   I won't give any details as to how the boy and the tiger co-existed in such a small space, but I will say you should read it to find out how it was done.

I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book, I just had to tell you about it.

A Rant

2011-12-18T09:37:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I wonder at the stupidity of the American Government - and by extension, the American public that supports said government.

I am going to rant a little about the decision to put a stop to the pipeline that has been 'in the works' for years - the pipeline that was to bring oil from the Alberta Oilsands to refineries (yet to be built) in the US.

First of all.....why put a stop to it?   The reason given is that the Oilsands produce 'dirty oil' - in other words, in removing the oil from the bitumen, CO2 is emmitted.   This is true, although not in nearly the amounts that the enviromental alarmists make it out to be.

Point in fact.....a famous Hollywood director with a huge audience was making all kinds of 'noise' about the terrible amounts of CO2 being produced in the Alberta bush. He was given an invitation to come see for himself. He had enough integrigty (or was it arrogance?) to travel to the Fort McMurray area and tour the mines and production pads.   He humbly told his hosts he was wrong. Unfortunately, he did not have enough integrity (or is it courage?) to publically take back the things he had said - it would not be 'politically correct' and could cost him a few tickets at his next blockbuster movie. (As if the American or Canadian public would ever give up going to an anticipated movie for political reasons....we value our entertainment more than that!)

And why make such a big deal out of the tiny bit of CO2 that is emmitted in northern Canada? China or India emmit a million times more CO2 than the oilsands. (OK, I just came up with a 'million times' because I am not actually going to go do the research to find out what the amount actually is - but it is LOTS)

So, now, instead of buying oil from a friendly neighbor, the President of the US will be buying oil from the very nations that attacked the US just a few years ago.   The oil from the friendly neighbor would be far less expensive coming through a pipline than the oil from the UNfriendlies being shipped across the ocean. How does that make any sense?

Not only will the oil being used by the US citizens cost more because of the source, but the US citizens will be missing out on jobs - countless jobs. The pipeline itself would employ tens of thousands of workers. Each refinery being built to recieve the oil would emply tens of thouands of Americans. And that is not even considering the periferal services that would employ even more people.

So, Mr. Obama's decision is costing HIS PEOPLE countless amounts of money in terms of cost of obtaining the oil that we obviously still need, and in terms of jobs for people in an economy that is struggling.

Now, let's look at what is happening in Canada......

It is not likely that all this oil will go unsold just because the Americans are dumb enough to let it go, so although a few people may not work as much for awhile, it won't be the end of the oilsands. (In other words, the CO2 being emmitted will not stop) HOWEVER......

The company my husband works for has announced they will sell HALF of their interest in the oilsands. This is an All-American company that holds half the land in the oilsands area. That means 25% of the oilsands is going to be sold.

Who has that kind cash or the motivation to purchase interest in one of the largest sources of oil in the world?

It's a good bet that CHINA will be buying the property.

Now let's get back to those pesky CO2 emissions......

The company selling their interest is well known for spending as much as necessary in the interest of the health and safety of its employees and the residents nearby their holdings. They are also known to spend whatever is necessary to make their imprint on the environment as small as possible. That means that the emissions from their productions is as minimal as possible. But they spend a pile of money to make sure of that!

Even if another American company buys the land, there are none who have as high standards as C______. Therefore, it goes to reason that the CO2 emissions are likely to go UP.

If China is the buyer, there are many reasons to believe that safety and environment standards will not only go down, they will PLUNGE.   China is not known for having a high regard for human life or for environmental health.   It is likely that not only will CO2 emissions go up, but water conservation will go down, the 'footprint' of production pads will be larger, and safety standards will drop, making injuries and deaths go up.

In fact, given the HSE record of the company that is selling, it won't matter who buys the land - the health and safety of the workers and the conservation of the environment will suffer.

Point of fact - in the removal of oil from the bitumen, steam is used.   A full 90% of the water used in this process is recycled. The pictures of oil floating on water is natural. The whole area is soaked in oil - and not because someone spilled it! That is why there is so much focus on recovering the oil - the amount of hydrocarbons in the area is mind boggling. Of course there is oil floating on water.

The pictures of trees stripped off the area in favor of a mine is old school. There are five mines in the area. No one goes after the oil like that any more - it is too hard on the environment. The 'production pads' now are so small you cannot even see them from the air (I know - we flew over the area on our way home from Africa this past fall - we looked and could see a plant or two, giving Jim landmarks, but we could not see the many production pads he knew were right there)

I am going to remake the point then I'm done.......

The president of the US has just killed tens of thousands of jobs and put up the cost of oil for his countrymen - in a struggling economy. As well, his decision has the domino effect of likely making worse the very things he is shaking his finger at the oilsands for!

And the American public apparently supports this stupid decision. I mean, he reads the polls, I'm sure. He would not make this decision if he didn't have the support of the voters - especially just before an election year.

My conclusion - the American public is stupid. (With my apologies to those Americans who acutally think things through - I know you exist!....but you must be in the minority or at least, you must not have much voting power)

I am not worried about my husband's job, BTW...... GOD is our source, not our job.

Rant done.

Friday's Favorite Five

2011-12-16T01:34:00.001-07:00

Jumping right in.....

1.   My granddaughter, Ava, has recovered from her mysterious infection. See last week's FFF post for the beginning of her ordeal.

2. As posted below , I hit a deer this week. No, that's not something I am thankful for. But I AM thankful for several things related to that incident.....First, it was a deer (a big buck) and not a moose. Second, I was driving my large truck, not a car.   Third, I did not lose control of the vehicle. Fourth, no one was hurt (other than the buck - and I'm not even sure how badly he was hurt). Fifth, the little ones in the back seat did not even seem to notice. Sixth, the deer guard on the front of the truck protected my grill, lights, and hood meaning my truck is still very driveable (although the driver's door does not open as far as I'd like) and Seventh, we have only a $250 deductible on our comprehension insurance (the repairs will be quite substantial). All in all, in spite of the shock of the collision and the inconvenience of having my truck in the body shop sometime in the future.....quite alot to be thankful for.

3. My 4 month old grandson has pneumonia and reacted to the penicillin he was given. Again, not something for which I am thankful.   Again, though, there are blessings even in the midst of problems..... First of all, his mom had a "Mom moment" Sunday night. She was unaccountably unable to sleep for worry over her baby. When she got up to check on him, she found he was sick so she took him to the ER. Because of this early 'warning', the pneumonia was 'caught' very early and he did not have to be admitted to hospital. The next day, he started to have an allergic reaction to the penicillin. (Again, not something to be happy about) but I'm so very glad the symptom was hives all over his head and not respiratory distress as some people have.    He is still a sick little boy, but is responding to the new antibiotic he was given and now we know he is allergic to penicillin.

BTW....a "mom moment" can only be attributed to God.

Now for a couple of "non-stress related" favorites, because there are a few of those, too......

4. Greek Yogurt with Honey.   Delicious the way it is, even more so with some raspberries added.

5.   Christmas decorating done.......My Christmas preparations were delayed a bit with all the 'extras' that we were handed in the last few weeks.   I had planned to change up my usual displays this year and go with a red and silver 'theme'.   This meant that I've been making some purchases - some to be used 'as is', but most required some 'craftiness' on my part.   I had fun creating and planning as I went along - and my hands are still stained with spray paint. LOL.

My tree stands naked, except for the 'wired in' lights which makes it pretty in that state, but I do like the end result of my two evenings of 'creativity' and I'm sure the decorations will make it onto the tree sometime in the next week.

Hopefully, I'll find time next week to post some photos of my creative adventure - but don't hold your breath, my shopping was delayed as well (although I'm making progress on that front, too....thanks in part to online shopping done at midnight after being at the hospital for the day)

6. (I can't seem to stop at 5, can I?) An enormous orange moon took me by surprise this evening as I was driving home from town. I turned a corner and there it was, hanging just above the horizon, looking close enough to reach out and touch it.   Within a minute, it had risen enough that the size was no longer so imposing. I was blessed to have caught it at just the right moment.

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With barely a week until Christmas, is anyone actually 'ready' for the holiday, as far as preparations go? Do you stress about what isn't done yet? Or do you enjoy the pressure to get your shopping done, your house decorated and clean, your baking in the freezer?

Almost every clerk in every store asks the same question "So, are you ready for Christmas yet?" My answer....."No, but I'm on track".   And no, I don't really get stressed.....if I have to stay up late on the 24th to finish wrapping, that's all part of it. (Although I try not to do that, I don't usually succeed). LOL.

Have a fun, stress-free last week of preparing for the celebration of Jesus' birth!

Thanks to our hostess, Susanne, for giving us this forum for counting our blessings!

First Kill - Maybe

2011-12-13T11:31:00.001-07:00

After living in this rural area for almost 18 years, last night I hit my first deer.

A big buck, too. Huge rack and all.

My passengers and I were not affected, physically.

I did not lose control of my vehicle and at the word of my hubby, I just kept driving.

The 'drivability' of my truck did not seem to be affected, although one of my 'spotlights' was suddenly shining up into the sky.

I wasn't worried about the buck - was it dead? or lame? Frankly, all I cared about was how much damage did he do to my truck when he tried to commit suicide?

Although it doesn't look REAL bad, it will be costly:

This is the worst damage, affecting the way the door opens:

It will also be quite costly since it is both the fender and the door that are damaged.

Jim figures the deer guard took the most force of the hit, yet it only sustained one small dent as damage:

All those times when this piece of equipment made opening the hood a little difficult has paid off - in spades!

The bumper sustained only a small dent, as well....

I am now waiting on the insurance company to get back to me.    Then, it will be waiting to get into a body shop.

I'm so glad I was driving my truck!

Now here's my confession.....I was driving faster than I normally drive on the grid roads. Had I been driving my normal speed of 60 - 70 kms instead of just over 80 klicks, I would not have hit him.    I also was not paying close enough attention to where I was - that spot is 'perfect' for hitting deer -a place where I would normally have slowed down even more.

But (and here's my excuse).....I was somewhat distracted and worried about Baby Chawezi who was back in the emergency room for the second time in 24 hours. The night before, he'd been diagnosed with pneumonia. Tonight, he had broken out in hives as a reaction to the penicillin they'd given him.   We were, in fact, driving home after picking up Seth and Taliah because no one knew how long their parents and brother would be at the ER or if they'd have to return again later in the night.

Although I said none of us were injured, I must confess that I am quite stiff today - I must have really tensed up when I saw him just as we collided.

Still, 18 years and only one hit is not too bad, I'd say.

Friday's Favorite Five - after a very emotional week.

2011-12-09T00:07:00.000-07:00

Has it only been a week?

What a week!

There's been stress, worry, prayers, rejoicing, caring, love, change, sleep deprivation, more concern, more prayers, more prayers, and more concern.......

Also, LOTS of travel - to and from the university hospital (about an hour and 45 minutes each way)...first for my FIL, then for our granddaughter.

But, this is not the forum to tell you all the details of our life - let's just say it has been a FULL week - both draining emotionally and uplifting emotionally.   And in the midst of this roller coaster ride, here are the things I've been thankful for:

1.    Hours and hours spent with my husband, my mother (in law), my sister (in law), and our aunt.   If you have to sit in a hospital waiting room for 14 hours, you might as well do it with people you love to be with.    That 14 hours was was only Friday last week (and early Saturday morning).   We spent 3 more days in the waiting room, taking turns going in and out of Dad's room, with these precious ladies.

Lots of shared prayers, tears, and PLENTY of laughter.

2. Overwhelming prayer support for our 2 year old granddaughter, Ava who ended up in the same hospital complex as her great grandfather on Tuesday night. SO many people praying. As of this writing, I am expecting to hear that she is out of surgery and resting normally. I am very thankful to know that there are so many who are willing to pray and keep on praying.

3. Tim Horton's - open 24 hours, right across from the hospital. They serve great soup, sandwiches, chili, and lasagne.....hot food that 'hits the spot' when you are drained, emotionally. (Of course, getting back into the hospital after 9 pm can require some creativity.....but we managed.)

4. God's love. His grace. His redemptive power. The truth in this little song:

"I'm a new creation,

I'm a brand new man.

Old things are passed away,

I've been born again.

More than a conqueror,

That's what I am.

I'm a new creation,

I'm a brand new man

Born again! There's really been a change in me.

Born again, just like Jesus said

Born again, and all because of Calvary

I'm glad, so glad that I've been born again"

5. I've said it before in the last 2 weeks......I'm so thankful for state of the art medical care. Not only the wonderful medical staff, the incredible technology, and the amazing procedures and drugs available, but also for the beauty built into the medical centers.......it may seem extravegant, but the windows, the art, the glass, the gardens, and the lovely 'quiet rooms' provided for families are an integral part of not only the healing process of the patient, but the peace and comfort of the family.

Especially the quiet rooms outside the ICU....what would we have done without those?

(This is a wall decoration in the 'quiet room')

6. The best thing this week......Dad is recovering quickly and well. I'm so thankful for this, I have no words.

We brought him home today - just 6 days after his surgery.

As you read this, please say a prayer for our little Ava Grace.........she is fighting a very serious infection.

Thanks.

From Oldest to Youngest

2011-12-07T17:22:00.000-07:00

Before I begin this post, let me remind you of some background information......

For the last 10 years or so, December has been a month of vehicle repairs or problems of some sort. Sometimes 'December' begins during the last week of November or ends during the first week of January. Sometimes the problems are major....sometimes, they are minor. But these 6 or so weeks at the end of the year are when our problems seem to crop up.

THIS year, we had problems all right - but they began in September? October? Running into November, but winding up with new batteries before Dec 1 rolled around.

.......So, as my friend Arlene asked me a couple months ago, when my truck blew an oil hose, what was going on, it wasn't December yet!!

In fact, It was about Nov 20 or so that my truck finally began to run good - with no unclosable doors, no dust leaks, and no problems starting.

Well, last night, as we were travelling the very familiar road from the University Hospital to our home for the 8th or 9th time in 6 days, I realized how very glad I was that our truck problems were OVER before December. (Knock on wood) My thought was "Thank you, Lord, for getting that all out of the way so that all these trips to the U of A are not marred by oil hoses blowing off.....or batteries not working....or......any of the other little things that my truck was in the shop for over the last couple months.

Dad (the oldest member of the family) is doing great, BTW......he will be released to his home tomorrow, just 6 days after surgery.

But we were in Edmonton for someone else last night........

Our little Ava Grace (second youngest of the family) was taken to the local ER because of a 'pimple' on her leg that had suddenly 'grown' to be the size of about half of a 5 dollar bill - and an angry red color. It was obviously also very painful to her.

As of this morning (Wednesday), she has been admitted to the Stollery Children's Hospital and is in isolation. The infection is septic - either cellulitis or MRSA (one of the superbugs). Either diagnosis carries some pretty grave dangers.

Also as of this morning, she seemed to be responding to the antibiotics.

So.....I'm very thankful that on top of all the other 'unplanned' activities, my truck did its 'breakdown routine' a couple months early this year.

And......we are trusting God to keep His hand on our baby girl.

Quick Update....

2011-12-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

Just a very quick update on Dad, for those of you who are not on our 'texting list'.....

Dad's surgery went very well and he is recovering nicely. (Although, we had a bit of a scare when we were informed that he had to go back to the OR Friday night......that was a L-O-N-G day/night) We are thankful for such diligent, knowledgeable, and capable medical staff here at this Cardiac hospital.

Yesterday (Sunday) was a tough day because he was nauseous all day, but that is not unexpected.   In spite of this, his spirits have been high and he is determined to do everything required to be able to go home this week. (Amazing how quickly these patients are able to be released).

Thank you for your prayers, we appreciate them!

Friday's Favorite Five

2011-12-01T23:25:00.000-07:00

Posting early, folks.......we're leaving early in the a.m. to go to the Heart Institute at the University Hospital in the city. Dad is having bypass surgery tomorrow afternoon. (We'd appreciate your prayers, FFF friends!)

It has been a quiet week around here - my hubby has been recovering from his own surgery (not bypass) a week ago so we've been 'laying low' to help him recover as quickly as possible.   Still, blessings abound when you stop to notice them....

1. I got out of my truck the other night (after leaving my man in the hospital) and was overwhelmed with the beauty of the night sky.   It is not as if this was the first time I"ve ever noticed it, in fact I often stop to look up and be amazed by the majesty of the stars, but this night, I stopped to say a little thank you to the creator of it all.

I feel priveleged to live where there are no competing lights (except for those rare occassions when our yard light 'decides' to work) and we can see the Milky Way beneath countless layers of stars. I recognize only 2 constellations - the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper - but just because I don't know their names doesn't take away from the awe and splendor of the night lights.

Of course, the mild temperature of the night made it easier to stand and 'star gaze'.

2. Something totally different......We've been working on a plan to be debt free. As one loan was paid off, we applied that payment to the next loan, and when that was paid off, the whole amount began to be applied to the last loan (the RV/trailer). I did some calculating this week and realized that instead of 31 more months of payments, with the 'extra' payment, the loan will be paid off in only 8 months!!!   Less than a year and we will be out of debt (well, except for the house).

3. I was blessed when I found this status on facebook today......(posted by a 25 year old friend whom I've known since she was about 8 years old)......

   • "I had an overwhelming urge to challenge myself and every other wife I know on here to speak with love and respect of the man that we have said our vows to. He may not be perfect , but neither are we . We desire for them to love us unconditionally , why should we not love them in that way too. Everyday our guys get up and diligently provide for whole families, do we provide for them in our own ways with the same diligence? Respect him, show him love for our children to see and most of all trust GOD that he has always had his hand over our relationships. "Who can find a virtuous and capable wife? She is worth more than precious rubies. Her husband can trust her and she will greatly enrich his life. She will not hinder him but help him all her life" Prov 31: 10-12"

Isn't that awesome?   It's so fun to see the children in our lives grow into men and women of God.

Added to this blessing, my DIL's comment on the 'status'.....

"

Great word N___..something God spoke to me this morning had to do with how most women are in a struggle with a healthy view of men - the way God intended. We are usually in a type of 'power strugge' of sorts and our worship to God in our marraiges has so much to do with healthy submission. The power struggle is not new - it started in Gen 3...but we don't have to live in that - we can choose to submit to our husbands - and GOD. It's honoring to both of them when we turn to God to seek our identity, fill our hearts with love, reassure our insecurities - don't get me wrong, those things are wonderful and a blessing when coming from our husband, but who do WE RELY ON for those things. God knows us well...and is never overwhelmed by us in any state (hormonal or not) when we turn to Him - and our husbands in turn can be blessed with a wife that is a partner in life and an uplifting spouse."

Both mini sermons challenged me at the same time as they blessed me.

4. As I was reading in my Bible the other day, this portion of scripture jumped out and made my heart sing.....

Ps 28:6&7

"Praise the Lord! For He has heard my cry for mercy!

The Lord is my strength and my shield. I trust Him with all my heart. He helps me and I am filled with joy. I burst into songs of thanksgiving."

Since I had just challenged myself to begin making scripture memorization a part of my daily routine, I decided to memorize it. It especially blesses me when I say it out loud to myself.

5. Another blessing having to do with where I live.......going to the bank is like going to have coffee with a friend.

Except for the coffee part, I mean that literally.

There is an 'agency' or 'satellite bank' in a corner of the general store/post office/liquor store/gas station in the nearby village. We've been doing most of our banking there for about 12 years - maybe more (technically, 'our' bank is the Camrose branch, but we do all the 'teller' transactions at the agency)

"C" knows all about my kids and grandkids and often asks about them by name - knowing which ones are at crossroads in their lives, etc.....I know quite a bit about her grandson and a little about her boys (I talk more than she does)...... she shared with me when she went through a tough time a few years ago..... She knows when Jim is working too much and when work is scarce.....

Even after my business is transacted, we will stand and visit - as long as no one else is waiting for her (which is often). Sometimes, the woman who used to work there part time comes in and we all visit together. (That's when we really should have a pot of tea sitting there!)

It is interesting that someone that I never see or socialize with outside of this little corner knows so much about me - and holds my trust. AND I consider it a blessing to have this unique friendship.

Makes going to the bank a social event.

Thanks to Susanne at Living To Tell the Story for hosting the FFF group!

A Week in Photos - Nov 13 - 19

2011-11-28T14:17:00.000-07:00

Sunday, November 13

Vinjelu preached for the first time as Associate Pastor at the local Pentacostal church this morning. Of course, we were there for this momentous occassion!

Chawezi, on Papa's lap, just before the service. (Although this is currently a rather small congregation, those empty seats you see in the photo would not all remain empty)

Vinj is a great preacher! He challenged us on whether we run to God or to 'Baal' for answers to our issues. Using the story of Elijah's challenge to the prophets of Baal as his text, he pointed out that the Isrealites had not completely turned their backs on God. The acknowledged Him, they worshipped Him, but when it came to things like their finances (crops, etc) and families (fertility) for example, they went to Baal.

Where do we turn for answers for our financial problems? Mastercard?
For family problems? Dr Phil?
For stress issues? Shopping?
When we are lonley? Internet? TV?

A challenging sermon, for sure, and well delivered.

Sunday has been designated 'Family Day at the Farm'. Everyone has an open invitation to come out and spend the afternoon with us.

This day, only Andrew and Candice were able to make it out.

Their little dog, 'Bear Bear' looks out the window....

It was a quiet 'family day', but we very much enjoyed our private visit with Andrew and Candice.

Monday, November 14

Jim left for work, as usual. What would be UNusual is that he came home again this evening.

I had an errand in Wetaskiwin and stopped in at the Muyaba's for a short visit.

Seth discovered a new use for his 'mega blocks'.....he made them into 'skates'.

How does he know about skates?

A second version of the 'skates'.....

Tuesday, November 15

Jim had pre-op appointments at the hospital this morning and I had promised to babysit while Vinj and Kath went across the street to the church to do some recording (they are hoping to have a CD completed by the new year). My original plan was that Jim would meet me at Kathryn's and leave for work from there, but he needed to go home again before heading up to Fort Mac for a week, so it ended up that I did not get to see him again before he headed north. So sad.

At the Muyaba's......

Seth was entertaining himself on the iPhone while his parents got ready to walk across the street....

The Christmast tree is already up and decorated.

Taliah gives her brother a look....

Another Way lead singer and keyboard player....

Still playing with the iPhone

Watching Mom and Dad leave.....

We read stories and played games using the stuffed animals from the play room. Here, Taliah shows the monkey the snowy world we were still getting accustomed to......

Seth and his bear and lion......

Taliah switched to a doll....

Then Chawezi woke up - he is better than a doll or stuffed animals any day!

The Muyaba Boys......(next generation)

After a bit, we put Chawezi on the floor - the better to play with him....

"Tickle, tickle"....

Seth decided he wanted to hold Wezi....

And, as she does a couple dozen times a day, Taliah gives him a kiss....

Kath came home once to feed Chawezi, then the kids and I made some lunch......

The small bin makes a good seat for Wezi - as long as someone is watching him at all times.

Vinj and Kath returned in time for me to get home to meet Mike and the kids there. (It was a Grandbaby - filled Day.....the best kind)

Mike was coming out to work on the garage, Victoria had appointments, and the kidlettes were going to keep me company.

First order of business.....a movie.....

Ava doesn't make it through a whole movie, yet. She soon moved her attention to the toys.....

Kaden discovered some mini boxes of Smarties on my hall table, (Do NOT ask me where they came from! I have no idea) so they sat at the table and indulged in some candy coated chocolate......

Then, they wanted to go outside. The temperature wasn't condusive to a long time outside, but it wasn't too bad, either. Besides, I wanted to see what Mike was up to.....

He was placing the supports under the newly installed center beam of the floor.....

Ava, wearing Seth's old coat, traipsed across the yard, a bright red spot on the white landscape.....

Mike helps Kaden to get his mitts back on.....

OK, outside was fun for a short while, but it didn't last long.

Inside, Kaden plays with my 52 year old doll, giving him an 'airplane ride'.....

More fun and games.....

Mike and the kids stayed until about 8 p.m., filling my whole day with children.

Wednesdsay, November 16

It's Wednesday, which means the Alpha Course is running tonight. Which means I babysat at the Muyaba's.

First, I gave the kids supper.....

Then, the three of us hung up a basket of the kids laundry.

This shows what a little ingenuity and minimal cash will do when faced with the 'no dresser, no money' problem. A couple extra rods, some kid sized hangers, a couple small baskets underneath for socks and undies, and voila! Better than a dresser!

The kids and I played games, read stories, and then they watched a movie before their bath - putting bedtime a little later than usual. (Like, after their parents came home).

Thursday, November 17

Well, our lovely weather has been blown away - a blizzard howled in this morning. This is the beginning of the storm.....

Since I was still driving the (loaner) car because my truck was still in the shop, awaiting parts to fix the heater, I was worried.about not being able to get 'out' in just the car. So was Jim. Therefore, I called the shop and informed them that heater parts in or not, I was picking up my truck right away - before the roads were drifted over. "Please have it running and around the front of the shop" I requested.

I've already written about this display of incompetence on the part of the service dept., so let me just remind you - I spent the entire afternoon waiting for new batteries to be installed into my truck while the snow continued to fall and the wind continued to drive it into drifts.

And next day? In reviewing the invoice, I discovered that the heater HAD been fixed - but instead of calling me to pick up my truck, the front desk was still 'waiting' for parts. Oh well, all things work together for good, after all because had I taken the truck home when the weather was still above 0 I'd have been stuck in a blizzard with a dead battery. (The cold makes the battery work harder).

When I finally arrived home, just before the sun went down, the driveway had enough snow blown across it that I would not have gotten in with the car and the deck had a knee high drift for me to plow through in order to get to the door.

I took this photo after I'd been in the house for about 20 minutes....

Friday, November 18

Ooops, no photos. In defference to the snowy road conditions, I stayed home. Saw nobody. Brought loads of office 'stuff' from the trailer to the house.

Saturday, November 19

Another quiet day all by myself. (Jim did not come home this weekend.....he was working in Ft Mac)

I decided to take a photo to share this twice a day, every day aspect of my life.......my dogs' medicines:

Can't quite see all of the bottles, but you get the idea.

Oh, and by the way......the temperatures dropped to about -27 C with the blizzard. Brrrrrrrrr

Friday Favorite Five

2011-11-25T00:03:00.000-07:00

Happy Thanksgiving to my American friends!!! Hope you had a wonderful holdiay!

It is late Thursday night. I am very tired, but I want to make my list of blessings from this past week. I won't be taking time tomorrow morning to be at my computer so tonight is the time to do this.   BTW.....even though I may not get to reading your FFF posts tomorrow, I'll get there as soon as possible - I promise!

It has been a l-o-n-g week and an emotional one but there are always gifts of joy in life and this exercise serves to highlight those moments. Thanks to Susanne for hosting this party!

1. My week (Friday to Thursday week) began with a blizzard and dramatic drops in the temperature.....all the way down to -27C. No, I do not count that as a blessing - I'm Canadian, but I don't like cold or blowing snow - the blessing comes in the fact that the cold temperatures only lasted a few days. In fact, since Monday, temperatures have been steadily rising so that there have even been a couple days of melting snow.   Oh, I love a good chinook!!!!

2. Last weekend, after the blizzard howled through, I told Kath that I might be snowed in (I hadn't gone out to look at either my driveway or the road). She called back so Seth could talk to me....."You are stuck in the snow?! I'm getting my mitts and I'm going to come move the snow for you!" LOL.   He was so concerned.

3. Same phone call......Seth says "Now don't cry......" then proceeded to sing "You are my shunshine, my only shunshine........" He sang the whole song all the way through - pretty accurately, too.   (I did cry - just a little) This has been the song I've sung to Seth from the time he was tiny. When his mom asked him how he knew that song, he said "Gramma sings it to us".    *sniff*

4. The reason this has been a long week has to do with my appreciation for good hospitals, modern equipment, and great doctors and nurses - my FIL has been in hospital (ICU) since Tuesday and I am so thankful for the state of the art care he has been getting!   Although I would not call our health care 'free' by any means, I am so thankful we don't have to worry about money out of pocket or insurance forms when our loved ones are in need of medical attention.

As well, my hubby had surgery (scheduled) today. Even though the hospital he is in is an older, smaller hospital in a small town, the quality of care is still top notch - the bed is comfortable and moves a dozen different ways (including getting longer or shorter), the food is delicious, and even in post op there are enough machines and gizzmos hooked up to him to give his inquisitive mind much to think about (when he was awake).

Our experience in Zambia emphasized to us that we are so blessed in this country - so much of the world's population does not have access to good health care!

5. Related to both medical situations mentioned in #4........I am very thankful for cell phones and texting.   We have 5 children and their spouses who needed to be kept informed on what was going on with their Grandfather and today, with their Dad. Not to mention......some extended family, including an uncle and my mom.   Then there are the reports from the city where my FIL is being cared for.......all these 'reports' are made so much easier when you can text the same message to a group of people - or even sit down with your cell phone and call everyone. I can remember sitting in a phone booth at the hospital, plugging it with quarters so I could call two or three contact people with news from the hospital. Cell phones work SO much better!

6. Bonus ......... Victoria and the kids came to visit Jim this afternoon. She had spent the morning at her 'Ladies Bible Study' where they are going through a Beth Moore study on the book of Esther.   Of course, it was a blessing to spend a bit of time with her and Kaden and Ava, but the part of the visit that is 'making' this list is this:
In the study, Ms Moore quoted Ray C Stedman. Knowing her FIL is a 'student' of Pastor Stedman, Victoria copied the quote so she could bring it to 'Dad'.   This alone was a blessing, but the quote! Classic Stedman.......
and so worth sharing....

"When, because of your faith, your life becomes perceptibly different; when your reactions are quite opposite to what the situation seems to call for and your activities can no longer be explained in terms of your personality; that is when your neighborhood will sit up and take notice. In the eyes of the world, it is not our relationship with Jesus Christ that counts; it is our resemblance to HIM!"

Good night, Dear Readers......I will be catching up to the rest of the FFF gang over the next couple days - unless the situation with either of the 'patients' develops negatively.

A Week in Photos - November 6 - 12

2011-11-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

Sunday, Nov 6

In case I haven't mentioned it, Vinj has been hired as Associate Pastor (part time) at the local PAOC church. This Sunday, he was being officially 'set in' as such.

As many of us as could attended the service to show our support. Then, we gathered at their home for a 'housewarming' potluck. All the immediate family attended plus a few of their friends from their 'previous' church.

It was a noisy, fun afternoon that 'warmed the house up'.

This young lady will be a doctor before you know it! (friend, Holly)

More dear friends.....

Miss Ava poses for me....

Margot is a good friend from South Africa. She and Kath became very close when Kath was doing her PCYM school with YWAM in CapeTown. Margot is now living and working in Wetaskiwin.

This photo makes me smile.....

Where these boys got the idea to carry Ava by her hands and feet, I don't know. It worked better after Victoria told Seth to hold her legs instead of her pants.

Wezi sleeps with his Uncle Rob, in spite of all the talking, laughing, and playing going on around him. (One of the activities of the afternoon was to slide toddlers across the floor. LOL)

Monday, Nov 7

Jim did not go to work this morning - he has an appointment tomorrow for which he has to prepare.

I left him at home to begin his 'fast' and I took my truck to the dealership for ANOTHER go at fixing the dust problem.......and fixing the latch on the back door........check the batteries and alternator........clean/detail the interior........and fix the heater which only blows really HOT air or COLD air, no in between.

Instead of the usual old 'loaner' vehicles that I'm usually given - ones that smell kinda bad or the cruise doesn't work or the windows and locks are manual (imagine!) - I was given an almost new Fusion (2009).

If I can't drive my truck or my own car (which also has issues) then this is ~~pretty~~ very nice. (I do like my own vehicles - both of them).

Back home, JIm and I spent a very quiet day, reading. He finished the book he'd borrowed from one of his supervisors - "The History of Almost Everything" or something like that. Except for the heavy bias toward the theory of evolution, he said it was interesting.

This is the book I read.....

Gotta say - not one of Whitlow's better stories.....but he has set himself a pretty high standard in his earlier works so even saying that is not a negative review.

Tuesday, Nov 8

Was my little brother's birthday this day.

Just saying.

I had lots of 'juggling' going on today.....take Jim to the hospital for his tests, stopping at Muyaba's on the way, then come back home and 'wait' for the internet technician to come fix our internet. (We'd been without for 8 days.....See this post for the story behind that) (If you haven't already read it, that is).....The tech didn't show up before I had to go back to get my hubby (He'd had to have anesthetic so couldn't drive himself) so Vinjelu and Seth came out to represent us.

I forget why we left early enough to stop at Vinj and Kath's before Jim's appointment, but there was a reason.

Taliah wanted me to take a picture of her looking between her legs, then ran to 'see' (of course).

Not sure what she's doing here....

I dropped Jim off then went home to wait for the internet guy. When he still had not arrived an hour before I needed to get Jim, I called Vinj. He and Seth arrived just as I was leaving.

Jim was feeling surprisingly well, considering he'd had general anesthetic and was nearly ready to come home.

The service guy was still at the house. He was telling Vinj that the cord was at fault and it was our cost. I informed him that our internet provider had said that unless the cord was cut, or something was just unplugged, it would NOT be our cost.

He believed me.

The cord was not the only problem, however. The modem was also not working. But that story has already been told, hasn't it?

Seth concerned himself not at all with all the activity in his former bedroom - he just got busy playing with 'his' big trucks.

Wednesday, Nov 9

It was my older little brother's birthday today.

Just sayin' (again)

Jim headed off to work early in the morning and I soon left as well. I was on a mission to find myself a jacket that would keep me warm (but not too warm) on these fall days (and the majority of our winter days as well). I have a coat that is too warm most of the time, but no 'in between' jacket. So, for the last few years I've been wearing one of Jim's lined jean jackets most of the time. I got tired of looking like a hick, hence my mission.

I'd already determined that Camrose could not help me so I headed to Red Deer.

Happily, I found a nice, feminine jacket that is not too heavy - and for a price that I was happy with.

I then headed to Costco. There are a few 'staples' that I do not like to buy anywhere else. I got everything on my list - and then some. As well as getting Christmas and birthday gifts for all the toddlers in my life, I picked up some wrapping paper (Costco has the BEST paper - and the roll usually lasts me 2 - 3 years) and some decorations - including these rich looking 'balls' in red and also a set in silver. Not sure how I'm going to use them, but they are SO pretty!

I had to hurry home to unpack my car so that I could be in Wetaskiwin for my weekly 'date' with the Muyaba children. (Vinj and Kath are leaders at the Alpha Course that is running in town).

Seth wanted to do some of his school work, but after only one page he started being silly so I put it away.

Thursday, Nov 10

I left early to run to town for some errands and some groceries.

Except this is what I found when I went outside:

( I took the photo a couple days later, after the first snow)

Well, there wasn't much I could do about that! So, I took my VW to town - in spite of the fact that it has a bad vibration and the brakes are not sounding too good. (At least, since it is a manual tranny, I can slow down using the engine more than the brakes). I took the gravel so I could drive slow.

I made it home shortly before Rob arrived to drop off his kids for an overnight. He was working in Red Deer today and tomorrow and Lana had planned to go with him until she realized that she would have to check out of the hotel at 8 a.m. and hang out at a mall or whatever until after lunch. Since mornings are not kind to her lately, she opted out. (Who wants to be puking into a public toilet?) Instead, she had a couple days all to herself.

Liz had put stickers onto a page of heavy paper. As soon as she arrived, she set about cutting them out so she'd have 'paper dolls'.

Ty was quite friendly toward me today and gladly posed for a photo....

The paper dolls all cut out, the girls gathered around to take turns picking which ones they would have to play with (at least, I think that is what they were doing). They had to choose with the 'dolls' turned face down.

Sophie takes her turn.....

An hour or two later, Mike and Victoria dropped off Kaden and Ava. Victoria had given Mike tickets to a comedy show for his birthday. It was tonight and since it started late, they offered to bring the kids to me rather than have me come to Edmonton and have to stay overnight or drive home late.

We started off with a treat - cups of pudding.

Supper time. Ty sat on the cupboard to watch me cook and Kaden wanted to sit up there too. My little ones used to like to sit on the cupboard, too.

I went to take a photo and Kaden decided he should make a funny face. I love Ty's expression as he looks at his cousin's antics.

Liz always spends much time with the little ones - and they love her!

The elliptical machine that (temporarily) resides in the spare room provided an indoor playground.....

Jim arrived home around supper time (and after the kids had eaten). He brought a gift he'd recieved for coming in third in a poker tourney last week. (This was an activity planned for the drilling department's 'orientation week' for the consultants. Jim had been part of the planning.)

I said "I thought you came in fourth".

"The guy who came in first failed his drug test", he replied.

Too bad for him.

The knives were tested out right away since I was serving steaks for supper.

Bed time for little boys (and Ava).....

The little ones slept on the matress, brought down to the floor, in the spare room. The big girls had a 'party' in the trailer. Grampa took them in and gave them each a bag of chips, a bag of popcorn, and 3 chocolates then showed them how to use the DVD player in the living room.

I think they had a good time, judging by the mess they left behind! LOL.

Friday, Nov 11

Remembrance Day (which is why Jim was home Thursday night instead of Friday)

Vinj and Kath came out for 'breakfast' and to spend the day so all the cousins (grandkids) were here for most of the day, which means.....lots of photos today.

There was a package waiting here for Seth, Taliah and Chawezi from their auntie in London. Seth's gift was an encyclopedia of Animals. He and Kath poured over it right away.

Ty poses for a photo. I think he was wondering where his sisters were - they stayed in the trailer ALL morning! Long enough for 2 more movies.

The toddlers play with potatoe head....

Miss Ava Grace....

Wezi Mac......

The little ones get a movie, too....

The big girls finally showed up - their growling stomachs over-rode their desire for toddler free movie watching.

Vinj was actually feeling quite sick so he went to bed for most of the day.

Jim spent the day outside, puttering around, tidying everything up in preparation for the snow that is bound to come. He made a fire to dispose of the wood piled around the fire pit then sat to enjoy it.

Kathryn and I went out to join him once the little ones bundled up to play outside. It wasn't really cold, but the breeze was rather nippy. A winter coat was not absolutely neccessary, but it also wasn't too warm - especially for one who has lived near the equator for a year.

Since Chawezi cannot move around to keep warm, he got all bundled up.....

The girls (actually, Elizabeth) had the kids scouring the yard and the field for pieces of wood with which to build this 'house'. The dog bed came from the junk pile, the tea kettle from our 'little trailer'.

It was so fun to watch Liz leading the kids all over the place. At one point, Seth and Kaden came trotting across the driveway, one on each end of a 4' long plank. It wasn't quite as much fun to clean it all up before they went home - especially since they 'built' it quite a distance from where it could be stored. LOL

Off they go, on another 'adventure'. Liz found a way to include the little girls without having to carry them or wait for them to keep up....

Jim had been about to put the stroller in the garbage bin because the front wheel doesn't turn well, but he said if the girls wanted to use it around the yard, he'd let them have it.

The girls have been working lately to 'furnish' their play house - and sweep it up.....

A sign inside the 'clubhouse'.....

I called Jim over to see the 'makeover' in the clubhouse and he took the opportunity to climb up on top to look around.

I told the kids they were allowed to use the 'little trailer' for a playhouse, if they wanted. This is the small trailer we purchased for $500 to take with us to baseball tournaments. It more than paid for itself in one season - buying food at tournaments for 7 people is expensive (and not always tasty). Just the stove itself made the investment worth it, but it was also nice to have a place to sit out of the sun (or rain) between games. It hasn't been used since I don't know when.

I went in with the kids to make sure their wasn't anything in there that would present a safety hazard - and left with two shopping bags full of outdates medications (tylenol, cold meds, etc.), lighter, matches, candles, knives, and a tray full of cutlery. Oh yeah - cleaners, too.

Liz wasted no time in getting the broom out of the closet to knock down cobwebs and begin sweeping the floor. She asked me to leave the cleaners so she could wash down the flat surfaces.

Rob arrived to pick his kids up before they were 'done' in the trailer, and we had a visit around the fire while they cleaned up the 'house' in the front yard.

(Darn camera strap....gets in the way all the time)

Our beautiful oldest granddaughter is getting so tall! The fact that she is taller than me didn't hit me as much as seeing that she is past her Grampa's shoulder!

Vinj got up later in the day, feeling a bit better. Here, he is giving Taliah a little 'talking to' by the look of it.

A fun way to spend Rememberance Day!

Saturday, Nov 12

We decided to go to Red Deer this afternoon. Besides visiting Jim's folks, we had a couple errands to run which we invited Mom and Dad to accompany us on.

But first, we presented Dad with the Tshirt Jim and Dan had bought him at the 'Red Green' show they went to a month or so ago......

(Don't be fooled - Dad liked it.....but I can probably count on one hand the number of photos I've seen of him where he is smiling.)

After our errands, we went to Applebees for early supper.....

I love these kinds of lampshades.....

We had a nice visit and returned home on time to medicate our 'patients', Riley and Lady.

Oh, and BTW.....we got our first 'real' snow last night! (As in, the first snow that stuck to the ground for more than a few hours.)

Looks like winter has arrived - blessedly a little late.

Friday's Favorites

2011-11-18T01:43:00.000-07:00

In spite of a blizzard that threatens to snow me in, in spite of the fact my hubby will not be home this weekend, in spite of having to put 2 new batteries in my truck today, I have been abundantly blessed this week. I join an awesome group of ladies who stop each Friday to take note of 5 things that made them smile over the past week. The lovely Susanne is our hostess with the mostess. Check out her blog and join us!

1. The week began in church, listening to my favorite son-in-law preach his first sermon as Associate Pastor. He taught out of 1 Kings 18 - the story of Elijah's 'contest' with the prophets of Baal. I've heard many teachings on this portion of scripture. Not surprisingly, Vinj had a fresh perspective... It's not that the Isrealites had stopped believing in God altogether, but they were turning to Baal with their 'issues'. Where do we turn with our marriage issues? with our parenting issues? our financial issues? lonliness? The prophet asked them "How long will you go between two opinions?"   How long will we turn anywhere but God with our life's issues?   And of course, the dramatic conclusion to the 'contest'......God proves Himself to be the ONLY one with any power.

As a bonus, our #3 son and daughter (in law) joined us at church.

2. I recieved a note from Candice which ended "Good night, Mom and Dad".   It made me so happy to have her call us Mom and Dad instead of Jim and Karyn.

3. Mike and the kids came out on Tuesday afternoon so Mike could work on the garage. I walked in to the house and suddenly a little boy came out of nowhere to throw himself at my leg, hugging it tight. "Hi Gramma!"    It is such a blessing to be loved by little boys.

4. Daniel and Krystal's wedding photos have been edited and sent to them - Krystal posted them on facebook and they are gorgeous!   I loved looking through them, not only for the happy memories, but because the young man who took them is very creative and many photos are truly unique. What a beautiful way for them to remember a happy, perfect day.

Here are some of my favorites.........(they are not in any kind of order)

One of the things Daniel really wanted was photos taken against the sunset. He got his heart's desire.

Can you see the mosquitos buzzing around them? They were nasty once the sun started to set. Fortunately, it was too hot for the bloodsuckers during the day.

I was glad to see several poses on my dad's old tow truck. It was in great condition when we brought it to our place, but a grass fire destroyed it. Still, It sits in the middle of our field, reminding Jim and I of Dad.

Everyone who wanted to gathered around after the vows, etc. to pray for the new couple.

And of course, at least one photo of some of the grandkids (all of whom were a part of the wedding party) (Except for 2 wk old Chawezi)

Sorry, I got a little carried away - There are so many others that I love it was hard to keep it at this many!

5. I came home from looking after Seth and Taliah on Wednesday night to find a note laying on my computer. Michael had been out after work and before his hockey game to work on the garage and left me this message:

"Dear Mom

I just wanted to say thank you Mom. Thank you for all the years you put your family first. Thank you for my childhood. The older I get the more I realize how lucky I was to get the parents I had and the life you provided.

I just thought I would leave you this note cause I love you Mom and I don't say it enough. I hope you have a great day. See you soon.

Michael."

and he couldn't help making excuses to his 'teacher'....."PS sorry for the messy writing, I'm late for hockey"

Talk about a 'pick me upper'!!!

More on My Truck - and the Weather

2011-11-17T17:42:00.000-07:00

So, Jim called this morning to wake me up and tell me a blizzard was headed my way and to ask if I knew the status on my truck.

He was a little late - the blizzard was in full swing.

Since a car is not the preferred mode of transportation on snow covered and drifted roads, I called the shop to check on my truck - they've been waiting on parts to fix the heater which has only 2 temperatures, hot or cold.

After 3 phone calls, I finally got the answer that the parts are not yet in so I asked that the truck be started and brought around to the front of the dealership - I was coming in now (11:00 a.m.) to switch from the loaner car to my 4X4 truck. I can deal with super hot air blowing on me better than I can deal with drifts that hit the bumper of a car.

I arrived to find my truck out front, but not running. (mumble, mumble)

The customer service rep said there was a 'check engine light' on and he wanted someone to check it before I took it home. When I told him I didn't want to wait till everyone got back from lunch, he checked it himself - the only 'code' that showed up was 'low battery'. He tried to start the truck.

The battery was dead.

He boosted it to no avail.

So......I sat at the shop ALL AFTERNOON while I waited for them to do a draw test and then come tell me that I needed 2 new batteries.

The most frustrating thing.......checking the batteries had been on the list of things I wanted done! So, while the snow fell and blew and swirled, making more and more drifts on the roads I would have to travel to get home, they took someone off a different job to switch out my batteries. (Sorry to whose ever vehicle got put on hold)

I stopped to fill my truck's fuel tank before leaving town (it was half full). The gas jockey told me I was lucky - they are almost out of diesel. Several stations do not have diesel - and won't for awhile, either. This is not good for me, since ALL our vehicles run on diesel - including the tractor. Too bad I didn't have a jerry can with me.

I made it home barely before the sun went down. (Driving through drifts in the dark is no fun.)

I arrived home to find the driveway quite drifted in - guess the wind is not coming from the north where the snow fence would stop them. I probably would not have made it in the car I'd been driving.

There is also a knee deep drift across the deck, in front of the door.

not the best photo, I know....but the sun has gone down.

Thankfully, the snow is dry and light - I should be able to shovel a path through it, at least. However, I haven't had to clear the deck myself before....Dan or Jim has always taken care of that.

Glad I thought to pick the snow shovel up off the ground before I left.

I may even get the tractor going to clear the driveway, at least a little. But I've never done that, either.

Steep learning curve here.