Change of Plans

We got a phone call this afternoon from our pastor who is taking us to the airport. He wondered if we had heard the weather report of the big snow storm that was headed this way. So one thing lead to another and now we will be leaving tonight in about 15 minutes. We didn't want to wake up tomorrow morning and find out that the roads in and out of town were closed. We would appreciate your prayers for us as we head out. We are hoping the storm will not cause our plane to be delayed or canceled. Please also be praying for our children who are left behind. Thanks!

Laughter is Good Medicine

Last night the first year student and staff ladies got together for a few good laughs. We started the evening with some yummy desserts. Then we all gathered around to hear each others' funny and embarrassing moments. It was a typical cold winter evening and so it was so nice to get together with friends and share in some good laughs.

Packing 101

I have been in the middle of packing. I had one suitcase all packed up just right and then we put it on the scale and it was two pounds too heavy. So I had to revamp things and do some repacking. I always take special care in packing any liquids, food items, and breakables. I have my system down of first gray taping the lid shut. Then I use two different layers of plastic bags and then more gray tape. You might wonder if it is really necessary. Well, remember me telling you about one of our coworkers who ended up with a smashed jar of peanut butter in his suit case, and how the peanut butter stained his clothes. I would rather avoid accidents and spills. It would be nice to think that the airlines are going to take special care with our luggage but it is so much better to prepare for the worse that our suitcases will take a beating.

Snowed In

Last night and today we had quite the storm here with freezing rain, falling and blowing snow, and cold tempatures. Most of the area schools were all closed. And the road Seth takes to work was closed. So today he had a snow day. Since he gets up quite early he enjoyed being able to go back to bed and we were glad he didn't have to be out on the roads in the condition they were in. We'll see if things clear up by tomorrow. We personally have a lot of running around we have to do before our trip on Friday so we are hoping things clear up.

Spring is in the Air

Well, I wish Spring was really in the air but as I sit here writing this we are in the middle of a freezing rain storm. However this month we did have spring arrive at our house a little early. On New Years Vern surprised me with a beautiful basket of flowers. They were so nice and cheery. And a couple of weeks ago, after my "Day at the Spa" Ruth surprised me by buying me an orchid. (I don't really have a green thumb so I am hoping I can keep it alive.) Now in the dead of winter when it is cold and stormy outside, we are feeling a bit of spring inside. Thanks Vern and Ruth for bringing a breath of spring into our house!

D U I... Determined, Unafraid, Independent

Just in case you haven't noticed we love to celebrate any and all our childrens' accomplishments and milestones in life. Today was another one of those days. Ruth went in for her driver's test, and passed with flying colors. Although we as her parents don't like to admit it, our little girl is growing up and she is becoming more and more independent. However, we are very proud of her. We celebrated on the way home with a stop at Tim Horton's. Then this evening we made a toast with some Sparkling Red Grape Juice. We hope she will enjoy many, many years of safe driving. Congratulations Ruth!

A Day To Celebrate

Yesterday we enjoyed a nice day celebrating Ruth's birthday. In the later morning I took Ruth out for a little surprise which was a manicure. She always has very nice nails so I knew she would enjoy a bit of pampering. When we arrived home Vern had a wonderful birthday meal prepared for Ruth. After our lunch I started working on preparing things for the evening. I had invited a bunch of ladies over to help us celebrate Ruth's special day. Once again Vern was in the kitchen doing a great job. As the ladies were arriving Vern was working on putting a bunch of quesadillas together. (yum) We had a fun time talking, laughing, and then watching a movie together. It's hard to believe that we will only have one more birthday to celebrate with our daughter before she is off to college.

Happy Birthday Ruth

17 years ago today the Lord blessed our family with another precious little baby. Unlike Vern who was born on a chilly winter day in January, Ruth was born on a very hot sunny day. That's because she was born in Venezuela. For some reason there were quite a few medical personnel in the the delivery room. They all knew we had three little boys at home so they were all excited for us when our little baby came out and it was announced, "Una Nina". I think I can speak for the whole family in saying how much we have enjoyed having a daughter and our sons having a sister. She has added so much life and laughter into our home. She is a very loving and giving person always wanting to show people they are special. Ruth we love you very much and we feel so blessed that God chose us to give this amazing daughter to. Keep walking with Him and shining His love to those around you. Have a wonderful birthday!

A Peek Inside the Suitcases

Since we had to go to a bigger town to get our typhoid shots it was a good opportunity to get some needed things for our trip to Venezuela. One of the first things we needed to get were some suitcases. We were very fortunate that there was a deal on suitcases for 60% off. We went with a style that we could pull so that it would be a lot easier in airports to maneuver. So what are some items I am packing in my suitcases. Some items I am bringing might seem obvious, but they are things that Vern travels without. One of those items is sun screen. He has darker skin and hardly ever uses the stuff. I on the other hand, like to coat myself with the stuff. Normally when I come back from Venezuela I am quite white. I get headaches easily from the sun so normally I wear a hat and am not out in the sun much. However, a lot of our time will be outside so I want to go with some protection. Thinking of protection from the sun we needed to get some shades for that UV protection. We have gotten some at the dollar store before but we did get a step up from that this time as we want them to last the whole month. The next item is also something my husband never travels with. That's right the anti-diarrhea medicine. Vern usually never has any trouble needing this product, I however do have a sensitive stomach. I hope it is something I won't need to use but I definitely am packing it. Our travel alarm clock is no longer working so we needed to get another one. We have too many important flights we can't miss. And if we didn't pick one up now, there will be no Wal-Marts around the corner. Toilet paper, now why would I pack a roll of that? We will be doing a lot of travel via road and not air, and there are no Tim Horton's along the way. Need I say more. Now why would I be packing peanut butter? That is some thing that is hard to find in Venezuela. If you can buy it the price is outrageous. So it is a HUGE treat when a person can get a hold of a jar of peanut butter. Therefore, we are bringing down several containers to give to some dear families. I will be double bagging it, as one of our coworkers once brought down peanut butter and the container broke and peanut butter got all over his clothes. His clothes were permanently stained. (sigh) But they still enjoyed the peanut butter. (smile) I of course have many, many more things on the list to go into my suitcases. And we will also be bringing down things for the ministry. We are just hoping we will be able to stay within the allotted luggage weight limit. Oh, packing will be so much fun!

Report Cards

Yesterday Titus and Ruth came home with their report cards. The significance of this is, they are officially half way done with the school year. Ruth once again did an excellent job. She works very hard and really pushes herself, sometime too hard. Although Titus does not enjoy studying he has done a great job improving his study habits and did a good job this term. Great job guys and make this second semester a great one.

Needle Point

That's right, we were back within shooting distance again. Today Vern and I went in to get typhoid shots. This will be the last shot we get before our trip. We were thankful that this time we only had to go to a town about 40 minutes away instead of heading into Toronto again. It was a very snowy day and the roads were not in great condition so we were thankful that all went well and we made it home safely.

The Countdown is On

Well, it is 11 days and counting for our departure to Venezuela. Our tickets are bought but there are many things on the "To Do" list before we are ready to leave. We will be taking off February 1st and be gone most of the month. I am pretty excited how things have worked out for both of us to go this time. This is the first time we will be making the trip without our children. Although Ruth and Titus do not enjoy their dad being gone for a month they have experienced it many times before. This is the first time that they will be separated from both their parents for any great length of time. If you think of us, we would appreciate your prayers as we have some busy days as we prepare for our departure and also for our time in Venezuela.

Vern's Birthday Meal

Since I had just made Vern's favorite meal last week we decided to try something new for his birthday meal. Vern loves cheese so we decided to do a cheese fondue meal. We had three different types of vegetables, three different kinds of meat, and then two different types of bread, that we dipped into our cheese fondue. It was nice to try something different. It was good and we all filled up too quickly. Vern received several different phone calls from family members. One phone call was from two of his brother in Australia, so that was sure a treat and made the evening even more special.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VERN

45 years ago on a cold winter day in Sask. my hubby entered the world. And now that he is 45 he can officially enter the "midlife crisis stage" with me. I glad to have you join me. (smile) Happy Birthday Vern! We have celebrated 25 birthdays together and I look forward to celebrating many more together. I love you and are glad that a baby from Sask. and a baby from Chicago grew up to have our paths cross and to see how God brought us together. Have a VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Scratch Week Pot Luck

Last week was our week of demonstrations on cooking from scratch. This week it was our students' turn to take some of the things they learned and cook all their meals from scratch. The students did a great job and made many wonderful meals for their family. To end our week of cooking from scratch we had a pot luck. No one went away disappointed as we were well fed from all the delicious dishes that were cooked.

Stuffed Animal Night

Tonight at Cubbies it was "Stuffed Animal Night". So all the Cubbies brought in their favorite stuffed animal to spend the night with us. Since I was still feeling very out of it from my "Spa Experience" Vern came with us to help out. The Cubbies enjoyed having their stuffed animal friends with them for the night. We played some special games with the stuffed animal and the night was a great success. We'll have to put it on the schedule again for next year. (Thanks again to my leaders and hubby for taking over when I was feeling like going back to bed.)