Church Camp Weekend

Silas and his buddy enjoying camp treats while sharing a lawn chair.
A highlight of this past weekend was definitely the rock climbing wall. Guess who has been obsessing about this wall for the past year? Roman couldn't wait to get geared up and scurry his way to the top.
Silas ...not so much. Actually he was too terrified of the young man with the shaggy hair and black hat to go any where near the harnesses or wall. He watched from a safe distance. Could two boys be any more different?

Aili surprised us all by decided she would give it a try. She swore off climbing after trying it last year. I was proud of her for getting up there again.
Roman went up all the routes he thought were the hardest...even the one with the "lumps". Of course he made it to the top each time without even a moment of hesitation. Scurried would definitely describe how he climbed.

We joined a whole big group of our friends for a weekend of camping at a local kids camp. It is the same camp that my kids will go to for days of parentless fun this summer.

It has been a VERY wet summer. In fact I don't think I've seen this much rain in this usually dry part of the world since the year I got married (1996). The campground has had 18 inches of in the last couple months. It dumped the day before we arrived so it was nice and muddy. The facilities and the main cafeteria/lodge are great though and we spent loads of time sitting, visiting and drinking coffee while the little ones entertained themselves for hours in the nearby beach volley ball pit...turned giant muddy sand box. It was fascinating how one rubber made tote filled with sand toys and trucks kept an army of little ones happy. The sun did come out on Sunday and made for a lovely warm day to enjoy the swimming pool and all the other activities.

The kids went through A LOT of clothing in one weekend. I thought I had over packed but we ended up running out of some essential items. The kids had a blast getting dirty, muddy, wet and running around with all the other kids. Our church group is largely made up of young families. There was quite a big group of us that made it out this year despite the weather... and I think children made up half of the population.



I had a really good weekend despite the mud and the mountains of laundry waiting to be washed when we arrived home. So often our church family is just a bunch of faces we see on Sunday mornings, we shake hands, greet each other and go our separate ways. This weekend is one more way that we make an effort to form deep lasting friendships, share our lives, and offer support and encouragement.

It was even kind of fun to be back in our trailer again. I was a little apprehensive about packing ourselves back into it after living in it for 6 months this past winter. It felt like home in a way though. Silas even asked me part way through the weekend if this was where we lived now. Poor displaced little boy assumes that anywhere we park our trailer is our new home :) I make good gypsy children.

Miss Cece did fantastic sleeping in the trailer too. It was fun to take her on her first camping trip. She is teething though (started at 2 months and has many bottom teeth almost through at 3 months!) and has been a bit fussy lately. She did great all weekend other than one gassy fussy evening....which I'm totally used to by now.

We are loving her to bits though and she is rewarding us with lots of smiles and even some giggles.

The Fathers in my life

We spent this Fathers Day weekend camping with our church family. I'll post more about what a fun weekend we had later. Right now I want to honor the Father's in my life, a day late. :)

I am so proud of my Dad. He has always been a quiet force of strength and stability in the life of his family. I love his strength of character, integrity and the love he has for his children and grandchildren.

I am have been especially proud to call him my dad this year as he has worked tirelessly in Haiti before and after the devastating earthquake. He has also been working hard to bring home their 5th daughter and 6th child....my new Haitian sister. We are all hoping to welcome her to Canada and to our family soon. She is currently living in an orphanage but has known my parents for years, has spent time living with them in Haiti and calls them mama and papa.

In a world where too many men sacrifice their children out of convenience , or personal gain....he has spent his life sacrificing FOR his family. At the same time he has provided an inspiring example of someone who lives life to the full as he strives to grow stronger spiritually, relationally and physically. His "grey hair years" have found him running marathons, competing in canoe races way up north( that last for days or weeks) , adventure races, and triathlons. He can be found running the hill behind his farm in Canada or hiking the mountains of Haiti. He is not afraid of discomfort and is always ready to do what it takes no matter how daunting the task might seem. That holds true both in recreation and in his life.

This picture is my Dad holding his 4th grandson Silas. Your Grandkids love you Dad!

I'm thankful that for (almost) 33 years I've experienced my father's unconditional love and unwavering protection. In the early years I learned the value of firm boundaries, self discipline and perseverance. I am thankful that my father has also been a example of solid faith, authentic integrity, and a life lived genuinely.

His legacy will live on for generations after him.

WE LOVE YOU DAD!

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Happy Fathers Day to my husband. The other Father in my life.

You have a fathers heart and compassion that extends beyond your own children and includes others in need of a fathers love. You have been a dedicated father to your own children as well as a father to the fatherless. You are a combination of playful childlike qualities, firm boundaries and and open approachable relationship with your children. Our children love you and so do I.

You teach our daughter what it means to be loved, respected and valued. A healthy father daughter relationship is so important in the life of a girl. As you encourage and nurture, challenge and guide her ,you help call out in her who God created her to be. You help her discover who she is. With you she learns that she has a voice, how men in her life should treat her, and that she has unlimited potential as a child of God.

You are our kids best playmate. I love how you challenge them to do things that they think they can't do, take them on adventures, laugh with them and have such open communication with them. With you they feel protected and valued.

I took this picture this weekend. I thought it was cute how my hubby was walking Roman back to change out of his soaking wet clothes so they could go to the climbing wall. They had fun playing in the lake. It was cool and rainy so we didn't get out the swimsuits but spontaneity makes life more fun. :)

You encourage our boys to be the best that they can be, to push past barriers of fear and conformity to discover the unique individuals God made them to be. You provide freedom within boundaries, consequences wrapped in grace, and a whole lot of fun along the way. Together our goal is to nurture them into men of strong character, bold integrity and an unquenchable spirit.

HAPPY FATHERS DAY MY LOVE!

Another important aspect of fathering is how a father builds the framework through which a child will later view God. If a father is domineering, impatient and controlling....a child will often grow to view God that same way. A child will emotionally and sometimes physically flinch and twitch around their domineering father and will respond to God the same way. If a father is critical and demeaning...a child will learn that they will need to strive for perfection in order to be loved by God. If a father is manipulative, abusive, and disrespectful.... a child will have a hard time learning to trust...people as well as God. If a father is physically or emotionally disconnected, absent or uninterested....they may grow to see God the same way. The way we parent our kids should represent how God parents us. Grace, truth, unconditional love, firm boundaries, uninhibited joy, enduring patience, freedom to grow and make mistakes, trust, sacrifice and hope should define our parenting. We may have our good days and bad days....but at the end of the day these things (and more) should be a part of the framework of what we strive for.

just for fun

Let me explain why posting pictures of myself is fun. My blog chum Lynnette asked us to post pictures that represent ourselves (and actually are ourselves). Just for kicks.

So here goes. I realized by doing this how often I'm the one behind the camera instead of in front of it.

This is me with my three kidlets and two others that I sponsored in Mexico. I love Mexico and I love kids (at least sometimes)

Another mommy picture. There seems to be a theme.
Yikes! Now thats a mommy picture! I was annoyed that my husband was taking a picture of me in my early morning, severely sleep deprived state. You can't tell by the look on my face can you? I think this picture is funny because it's so real...and because my coffee and laptop made it into the photo. I live a glamorous life.
My family and I looking a little more prepared for a picture.
um..ok. I don't know who that is.

Happy Place. Last spring my husband and I took a very spontaneous (booked on Friday, left on Monday) trip to Puerto Vallarta Mexico. You can see some more pictures here and here. It was the best trip we've ever taken together, childless...not that there have been very many of those. Relaxing all day by the pool....by the beach...eating at taco stands. mmmm. Happy me.

Summer is here!!

Finally...after what seems like endless days of clouds, cold and rain.

Summer arrived.

What better way to celebrate than bringing out the sprinkler.

Really, nothing strikes more hilarity into a child than ice cold water shooting up the backside.

We are loving this weather!

Back yard construction

After many years of begging, our kids finally have an outside play fort! We put up the posts for it a couple summers ago but it wasn't completed until this past weekend. The rainy weather has given the hubby a little extra time for things like building tree houses.

Its really high...well high for a kids play structure anyway (the crows nest floor is 14 feet from the ground!).

In case you are wondering ...that is indeed my sexy sweat pant clad legs and couture foot wear.

The minute the structure was complete they ran to the house to grab some costumes and props.
Roman has a toy guitar slug over one shoulder, a wooden rifle over the other and is wearing some sort of vest. Silas is ready to catch minows or something.

Since my carpenter husband designed and built it I have no doubts as to it's strength and attention to safety (within reasonable limits of still being thrilling and fun)

Aili and Roman spent many hours helping dad on the project. In this picture they are almost finished with the railing. Next came the main ladder and then the crows nest ladder, which covers the lower ladder hole (to keep kids from accidentally falling out.)
I think I'm just as happy about it as the kids are. Probably for different reasons. My happy thoughts tend to wander to countless hours spent with the children entertaining themselves (and probably half the neighborhood) outside. When they whine that they're bored, or want to spend summer vacation lounging in front of the tv I can point to the play fort. As long as they get their imaginations involved there really is no limits to what adventures they will have in this tree-less treehouse.

The cause of the fatherless.

This is borrowed from another blog. Such great insight into God's heart for the orphan and the parentless child.

"Caring for orphans reflects the heart of God. From Isaiah’s call to “defend the cause of the fatherless” (1:17) to James’ placement of orphan care at the heart of “pure and undefiled religion” (1:27), the biblical mandate is clear. But this is not merely God’s expectation of us; it is a mirroring of His own character. “He defends the fatherless,” declares Deuteronomy 10:18. Describes the Psalmist, “He places the lonely in families.” To be like our heavenly Father, we’re invited to do the same.


Caring for orphans makes the Gospel visible. At the heart of the Christian story is the God who pursued us when we were destitute and alone. He adopted us as His children, and invites us to live as His sons and daughters. Perhaps nothing makes this truth more tangible than when Christians follow in their Father’s footsteps, opening heart and home in unconditional affection to the child that has no claim upon them but love.


Caring for orphans defies the gods of our age. Darwinism’s sole ethical imperative is to ensure one’s own genetic material carries forward. So like Gideon tearing down his father’s idols (Judges 6), we assault this dictate when we seek to ensure the survival, and thriving, of a child that does not share our genes. Meanwhile, the purposeful sacrifices required to love this child flout the demands of other gods also, from materialism to self-actualization to comfort. The cost must be counted. But—compared to the depth and richness found along the path of caring for orphans—these false gods are shown to be as lifeless and unsatisfying as statues of bronze or wood.


Caring for orphans invites a journey of discipleship. “I see these kids changed,” explained a woman who helps Christians get involved with foster care, “But I think the parents are changed even more.” It’s true. Every family I know that’s opened themselves to parentless children has not gone unaltered. And though the road can be hard, even painful, virtually always it leads closer to Jesus. Expressed one adoptive mom recently, “People have said, ‘Oh, aren’t they lucky, you rescued them from whatever.’ And I think, Are you kidding? I’m the lucky one. I get to be their mom. And I get to be daily rescued from my selfishness, and my impatience, and things that are just as disease-ridden in my soul.”

Amen to that!!

Celebrating 100 years of Hickville!

What better way to celebrate than a parade? If you have never been to a small town parade then this will give you a glimpse of what you're missing. If you have been to a small town parade...this is even smaller. We live in a teeny tiny village with dirt streets and a population of about 100.

The population increased exponentially this weekend as a large centennial celebration/homecoming weekend was planned in conjunction with our annual "sports day".

Hoards of Hickville ex-patriots came to reminisce, reconnect, and honor 100 years of this little farming community. On the Canadian prairie our little village now is a rare one. Most communities like this have become ghost towns and have virtually disappeared over the past few decades. For some reason the population here has stayed steady. Our village and the surrounding farms are made up of many young families. The community is active, thriving and everybody knows everybody. That in itself is a great benefit of small town life....it is also a down side of small town life :)

Whats a parade without a John Deere high clearance sprayer?

The RCMP from the next town came for an appearance. Always impressive to watch them march in their uniforms....even if there are only 2 of them.
Aili (in the green bonnet) rode on the Happy 100th Birthday pioneer float.

Proof that anyone can be in a parade....even skunk people.

???

My husband helping Silas...I mean Spider boy...through the gravel streets.

Judging by the fuel tanker driving behind him in the parade, probably a good thing.

Local Mennonite Church VBS.

A summer tradition here in Hickville.

A local passion....Roughriders.

Farming equipment...old school.

The bike gang. Roman and Silas and a bunch of their friends road their creatively decorated bikes down the parade route. Roman is a knight on a horse.

After the parade we made our way to the village "Sports Grounds". This is the train that entertained the kids after the parade. It is an annual favorite of both the kids and parents! Otherwise known as the free babysitting service. Plop your kid in this baby and they will be happily entertained for most of the day. As you can see our tiny village is very fertile in more ways than just agriculture.

Back at the parade.....

Silas making sure that none of the candy being thrown goes to waste.

Look out for the stubby floating grain bin girls!

Another sure thing at a small town sports day is food. Home made pie, hamburgers, hotdogs, coffee.....

The day also included horse shows, ball games, various musical events, viewing of a documentary done about our town by NewYork film makers (no joke), meals, and of course the dance (which I was too cheap to get a sitter to attend....also after a day like this the thought of staying up late wasn't that appealing).

Well that was just a taste of our small prairie town culture.