50!

COR & JOANNE

This morning we woke up to a "bone chilling", "skin freezing", "teeth chattering" minus 49. Yes, I did say MINUS 49. Not really weather conditions for venturing out on the QE2. But we did need to come home - after all, the party was over. We spent the weekend in Calgary at Cor and Joanne's (Peter's brother and wife). Cor turned the big five-oh this past week so we felt it was important to help him over this hill and prod him up the next one. Besides, who would want to miss the roast! Family and friends were actually quite nice and eased him into the next decade with only a gentle reminder that he is becoming more and more chronologically gifted. Those of us who are not far behind were very careful - our day will come too!


Highlights of the weekend would be:

- Late night visits.

- Picture tours of Cor and Joanne's trips to Holland and the Dominican Republic. The lush green of Holland and the aqua green water and white sands in the D.R. created a longing for warmer days and possibly more "adventure" ideas!

- A good "girl chat" while the guys went to the store of all stores - Lee Valley.

- Seeing mutual friends from our much younger days.

- Second viewing of the fantastic video created by their kids for Cor's birthday.

- Day spent together in Banff. Browsing. Visiting over breakfast, coffeee at Starbucks and an early supper. (We did lots of visiting this weekend!)

- One more evening of visiting (and cake) seeing as the roads were taunting drivers to dare to venture out with the snow blowing across them creating low visability.



40 + 10


Our host graciously had us put our truck in their warm garage last night so with the sun shining and the heated seats turned on we didn't really feel the numming effect of the arctic wind on our delayed drive home. No matter what the weather was - we had a good time with family, friends and especially with Cor and Joanne. We've needed a good visit for a while now and this was an excellent reason to get together! Thanks for the visit Cor and Joanne - the good food - the visiting, sometimes serious and sometimes just plain fun - and sharing with us your home and catching up on news and your travels! Let's not wait so long to do this again. After all - we are all empty nesters now!

I had a fun weekend!

I had a fun weekend - I am assuming Peter did too! Friday night Kev and I started on MY HOUSE! No - we are not building again. No drywall in this house! Thursday night after work we picked up MY HOUSE. Peter found and bought me my own first real Lego kit. I received a little hummer in my stocking - but this is a big kit! I have instructions for 3 houses. So Kev and I made one of them on the weekend. How exciting to receive your own Lego! Saturday morning we finished putting on the roof. I can hardly wait to build the other two houses. I know that means pulling this one all apart - but that's what Lego is for!




Then Saturday afternoon and evening I helped Peter in the shop with Nicole from Crossroads create the pieces for a Sunday School Project for the "Faith Begins at Home" class the next day. I did lots and lots of sanding! But it was so worth all the work when you see a small child and parent walking in the foyer the next morning with their finished "Prayer Roledex". It was good to get back into the shop after a few years of not spending time there! The station took time and effort away from the "fun stuff". Now we can get back at being creative with things like this. A blessing we've been missing for a while now!

Good Morning, Friday!

What better way to start a Friday morning than with a nice big steaming cup of coffee. Now both Peter and I have gargantuan mugs! Mine is bigger! Thank you Brent and Kirstin!

It was good to the last drop! By the way - I almost emptied the coffee pot just filling these mugs once! That's a lot of java!

Birthday Boy!

Saturday morning bright and early we went to Calgary (with Kelsey along) to celebrate Eric's 26th birthday. We had a fun day wandering around doing bits of this and bits of that and then supper together with a bit of visiting time before heading back home to Lacombe. Here are a few candid shots of the evening together.



WAITING FOR SUPPER!



ONE CANDLE FOR HIS SWEETHEART!



DISCUSSING TOOLS OVER CAKE!

Happy birthday - Birthday Boy! We wish you and Becky many more years full of God's best for you!

Road Trip!

This past Saturday we took a "road trip" to Edmonton to IKEA. We really did need to take this trip - for two reasons. One - to get some cabinets for the now cleaned up laundry room at home and bookshelf for here at the office. Two - to try out the "last adventure" of 2007, purchase of a new truck.

Would you prefer to hear about the laundry room cabinets or the new truck? I figured so!

Construction is over! Our pick-up served us very, very well and fulfilled every task we gave it over the last number years while building The Station. It was a blessing over and over again! BUT we are onto a new phase and stage in life. Even though we are empty nesters, when the little birdies come home we go places together. And seeing as the little birdies all have such long legs, we realized the need for a more comfortable vehicle to travel in together. So ..... at the end of 2007 we traded in the red pick up for a steel blue Avalanche. This Papa and Mama bird don't mind the extra little comforts at all! The Papa bird is especially happy to have his command start again. Even though our Alberta weather is deceptively mild for this time of year - it is still winter out there! So to make this long story short - ROAD TRIP!



HAPPY PAPA BIRD!



PAIR OF HAPPY LONG-LEGGED BIRDIES IN THE BACK!

And of course when it is time to leave, as you load up your vehicle with the goodies you found, what else would you shout out but ....



"START THE CAR!"

Christmas!

I told you I would write more when I had a chance!

Christmas this year seemed to spread out over three weeks. That's good though - Christmas is about relationships. God opened the way for close relationship with us so many years ago - so it is appropriate to see Christmas as a time and way to build relationship with Him and others. This year it was certainly that!

It all started before Dec 24/25 in Fairmont - that you already read about! Spending time with Brent and Kirstin and then on our own for a couple of days. No phones - no customers - just one another! Relationships!

Then on the 24th we had all the kids (and pets) home for the afternoon and evening. The only one missing was Kelsey. She was in Saskatchewan with her family visiting BOTH sides of her parent's family in Saskatoon and near Regina. Lots of traveling for them in a short period of time. We missed her (one of us family members the most I am sure!) but she was in our hearts just the same!

We had friends over for turkey dinner before we all went to church then our family came back home and opened presents. The friends were football buddy to Kev - Tyrone and Tyrone's parents Tryg and Gloria. The meal was too quick - but great to have them share it with us! And the kids really chipped in and helped. The only way to make it possible the day after getting home from being away for a week!



GETTING FOOD READY - MR. FUNNY-FACE STIRRING GRAVY!



MORE FOOD DETAILS!



OUR GUESTS - TRYG, GLORIA AND TYRONE (WHITE SHIRT)





CHRISTMAS IS ABOUT FUN GIFTS TOO!

We even had time over a number of days to enjoy Eric and Becky's pets. Rusty (aka Pooks, Pookers, Mr. Pooks) stayed with us and lingered on for a few days after Eric and Becky went home with Keira. They came back to visit friends in the area so they picked him up then. He doesn't mind staying with us - in fact he makes himself quite at home!



PETER CHATTING WITH KEIRA (SHE LOVES HIM!)



RESTING RUSTY!

RUSTY TRYING TO HIDE!

I told you he liked it here - so much so he tried hiding when Eric and Becky stopped by the office with him on their way home the second time. We had to search for him!

Now with the Christmas season over it is time to get things back to normal and get back to work! BUT we are still going to have some adventures even though it is time to get serious about the office and housekeeping duties! In fact, I will blog about the first one of the new year when I get the pictures in the system. Pictures are important - wouldn't you agree!

Fairmont 2007

Looking at our Blog I realize I have so much to enter! We'll start with Fairmont. We went out on Sunday the 16th and came back Sunday the 23rd! Talk about cutting it close to Christmas.

We had a relaxing time though which is the best thing of all! Brent and Kirstin came on the Monday and were able to stay until the Thursday before they needed to leave for Kelowna for Kirstin's Grandma's funeral. We prayed them out and prayed them home to Calgary again. And there they were at the Bouwsema "Christmas" get together Sunday afternoon! So prayer was answered!



MONDAY EVENING MAKING ORNAMENTS FOR THE TREE.



THE FINISHED RESULT!



EVEN TIME TO EXERCISE (WATCHING T.V.!)



YATZEE GAMES!



THEY ARE NOT WORKING!



BEAUTIFUL CLEAR DAY (FRIDAY) TO GO TO GOLDEN!

With games and movie watching and ornament making and visiting the gym and the hot springs and shopping our week came and went much too fast! Before we knew it the time had come to head back to Alberta and finish the last few things before Christmas. But Christmas is another whole blog! Stay tuned!