Thursday, April 30, 2009


While sitting across from "someone" this morning at that "someone's" desk I heard "Hmm, I wonder if anyone has updated our blog yet?" After a brief pause I then heard "Humph, no!". Is that a hint or what to do another blog. So here is our corporate blog!
Seventy six hours from now we are so out of here and on a jet to California! Move over Mickey - Lorraine is on her way! We are going to enjoy one very full week with all the kids in Southern California. Swine flu you say? Wash your hands and wash them again! Take all the usual precautions during any flu season. Watching the news lately you'd think anyplace with a border touching Mexico had become enemy country. When is this news and when is it a newsmaker to divert our minds from the economy? Not that we can be careless - we will be careful and yes we are going!
It's hard to say who is ready for this more. Work weary Eric and Becky? Winter worn Brent and Kirstin? Holiday anxious Kevin? Can't wait to get to Disneyland again Kelsey? Or Peter and Lorraine who are basically all of the above!
Watch for new posts coming of our days in the warmth and "there had better be" sun!

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Weekend Pics



GEOCACHE #1



GEOCACHE #2



GEOCACHE #3



GROUP PIC



GROUP FEET!



FRIENDLY DEXTER!



GETTING THE PLANE TO RUN - SATURDAY



FIREPIT CONVERSATIONS



RUNNING THE PLANE (MINUS WINGS) - SUNDAY

Monday, April 13, 2009

Easter Weekend 2009

He is risen!

We've been blessed with three wonderful church services during this Easter celebration season. Palm Sunday with 133 baptisms, Good Friday with a rejoicing in the "goodness" of Christ's redeeming power at the cross also testified in the personal lives of some of the church leadership, and yesterday's illustrations of guarantees in our lives because of God's guarantee in the resurrection.

He is risen, indeed!

We also were blessed with family time on the weekend. Friday morning after church we went to Calgary to spend the day with our children. We hiked up on Nose Hill in search of geocaches. We found three out of the four - not bad! And two were still buried in snow. The third was deep in some trees! It is more beautiful up there than I ever imagined. All those years living in Calgary, then visiting we never went up there! Not all the way to the top anyway! We will have to make more treks to this preserved small oasis of remaining prairie in the middle of a chaotic mass of rushing humankind! We actually could leave behind the noise and enjoy the peaceful quietness while looking west towards the still snow blanketed mountains! I loved it, even with the steady upward climb to reach the solitude!

After making our way back down to the truck we went over to Eric and Becky's so I could meet the new kittens. Dexter was more than happy to make my acquaintance, but shy little Piper only came upstairs long enough to peer at me with his large hesitant eyes. That's OK - I'm patient! And well Keira puppy had stories to tell and couldn't get enough scratches or petting, which is not that unusual. We'll just have to visit them more this summer.

We all went out for supper and then over to Starbucks for coffee and visiting and discussing California. It is going to come so quickly, and I'm afraid go by just as fast! I think all the plans are in place that can be for now. I just need to find a pair of fuzzy ugly brown socks and hopefully not need to pull them out while down there! Kev came back with us and all the way home he and Peter watched the north sky for flashes of lightening that kept reoccurring over our destination! But we were too tired to listen to the thunder long once our heads hit the pillow!

Saturday back home in Lacombe it was time for some of the kids to come see us. Brent and Kirstin arrived in the morning and after visiting and tea the three guys came over to the office while Kirstin and I took the longer on foot. Us girls did a bit of shopping since we knew they would be a while going over a drawing. Once back home we sat outside in the sun and watched Kev get his RC plane up and running. Unless he opened it up, it sounded no louder than a lawn mower so we weren't concerned at all for a noise problem in our backyard and neighbor complaints. We had our unique Easter dinner and spent the early evening playing Settlers of Catan. I think I was getting the hang of it by the time most of the others were close to the final push to win! I need more practice time! Then it was time for Brent and Kirstin to head to her family's place and Kev, Kels and Peter and I sat around the freshly brought out fire pit and spent some time talking money things. The decision had been to go to the first service the next morning so we didn't make it too late.

Sunday afternoon and evening was quiet with Kev watching Flyboys - a good WW I movie - and doing not much of anything. Brent and Kirstin picked up Kev to take him back to Calgary late evening and it was soon time to think about starting the new work week again! And that brings me to now. A quiet "Easter Monday" in town with schools closed and major offices following suit. Being a small office, the "employees" haven't pushed for an "in lieu of day" for yesterday. But the door is still locked and the answering machine is serving it's purpose.

Stay tuned for pictures to follow. Need to do a few other things yet today first!

Thursday, April 2, 2009

GOTTA HAVE SOME FUN!!



Like was said before, when life gives you lemons, make lemonade!! With this new cast on my right hand, and being red, why not make a statement as well. I wanted to have red this time to show appreciation for the Calgary Stampeders football club! Since Lorraine is a decorative tole painter, what a perfect match to have her paint on the logo for our favorite sports team! My cast makes a great conversation starter now!

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Sweeter yet again!

The lemonade just got sweeter! The visit to the specialist was good. The bone chip has rotated but NO SURGERY! Hallelujah! Best news of all!

April 15 the cast comes off, the RED cast this time! What other color would a Stamps fan choose? AND the thumb and finger now meet so writing will once again be possible! Off came the cardboard modifications to the mouse and the recycled supports have been set aside!

We are much happier campers around here now! Both of us!

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

When life gives you lemons ...

When life gives you lemons ... make lemonade! At least take the unexpected and inconveniences thrown at you and do your best with them. Especially if you know they won't go away for a while. Peter finally made a visit to the doctor after his skiing tumble, not revealed a few blogs ago. The thumb, with a bone chip, now needs to be immobilized to allow the ligaments to heal. The visit to the specialist tomorrow will tell what further action needs to happen. In the meantime he has a bright blue cast that is a pain in the butt! Since the thumb and finger don't meet very well (not well at all actually) his mouse needed some modifications! So with a few small pieces of cardboard strapped on with some tape he can at least grip the mouse and keep working. He also needs a temporary support for his now heavy arm, so a couple of sturdy cardboard tubes were put in place! How ingenious! He took those lemons and made lemonade!



MODIFIED MOUSE



RECYCLED ARM REST

Monday, March 9, 2009

Book Review - The Shack


Recently I finished reading this book, The Shack. It was recommended to me by my brother in law and so I went ahead and purchased it online through Amazon.ca. It took me a bit to open it up and get reading since I am not a prolific reader. When I did start it, I had a hard time putting it down! I normally read before I go to sleep, so it was necessary to let it go for another night and day!

This book is OFF THE WALL! This is my opinion. Great reading for sure! But to imagine God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit etc as humans doing fairly normal human things was really stretching me. I know I really enjoyed the book to open up my horizons and my understanding about God. They did do some fantastic things that only could be done by diety. The love that was there for the main character was also so good to read. I know that the book is fiction but it does have a good story line and I enjoyed how it ended as well.

So if you want to expand your horizons of understanding of who God is, read the book. If you are looking for sound theology, then don't read the book.