Where Do You Call Home?

We are back home again after a few days of visiting my home town. This is what we saw leaving the city yesterday. Many people would look at the traffic and sigh, but as I look at the skyline I just had a very contented smile. This is where my roots are, Chicago is my kind of town. I remember when we first got married and we moved to B.C. Oh, it was so far away and so different. We have lived there several times during our missionary life and that was home to us in Canada. When we first moved into the tribe it was a HUGE adjustment for me to live in the middle of no where. We were so remote everything had to be flown in and out on a small airplane. However,we made some wonderful memories there and we certainly didn't want to leave. God then moved us on to here, a town with one stop light. Again it was a time for more adjustments. However, this community has become home for the last number of years. If you ask me where home is? I don't know what I would answer as each place has been a place we have called home and a place of special memories, family, and friends.

Lake Superior State University

We are presently up in the "U.P." (Upper Peninsula) Michigan in Sault Ste. Marie. We are visiting Lake Superior State University. This evening they had a family fun night where we had supper at the school and we walked around getting familiar with the school. Tomorrow is an all day orientation. Here are a few shots of the LSSU. The school is right on the U.S./Canadian border so the picture of Ruth and Zachary with the bridge to Canada in the background is a shot from the campus showing how close the border is.

DANGER!!!!

WARNING WILD TURKEY CROSSING, COULD FLY INTO YOUR WINDSHIELD AT A MOMENTS NOTICE!

Out In The Work Force

With the economic situation of the world, there are lay offs and job losses every where. Our family has felt this like many others. Last summer it took one of our sons three months to get a full time job. Then over the winter two other sons were laid off. We are PRAISING THE LORD that as of Monday all of our adult children are working again. Since the construction industry has been hit hard, Seth might not have steady work through the spring and summer. However, we are thankful for each day that our children are able to work. It is nice to see empty spots in our Dyck parking lot during the day.

Road Closures

Well, like most of you out there reading this, we have been experiencing a lot of VERY snowy weather. For the past several days it seems like we are tuning in either to the radio or Internet to check for road closures. It is not uncommon for the transportation department to close roads. If you decide to travel on a road that is closed you can get a fine and if you get into a car accident your car insurance will not cover you. So traveling on closed roads is not an option. With a couple of sons having a bit of a drive to work, it is always a concern if they will make it there safely. We look forward to things calming down weather wise so that we don't have to check for road closures.

Accepted

Ruth and Zachary have been applying to several colleges and universities. The other day they both got acceptance letters from one of the universities. Getting accepted and having the funds to go to a college, are two very different things. Nevertheless it was quite exciting for Ruth, especially, to get her acceptance letter in the mail. Ruth and Zachary would appreciate your prayers for them as they continue to apply to different colleges and universities. In the new year we will start the paperwork for financial aid and see if they qualify for any loans and scholarships.

Blow Out

On Sunday mornings we usually take a couple of vehicles to church as some of us go early or stay longer then others. Vern and three of the kids were driving home from church yesterday when they all of a sudden felt a crazy pull on the one side of the car. It didn’t take long for Vern to realize that he had a flat tire. He pulled off the road which just happened to be at the Kingdom Hall. Vern tried with no success to get the spare tire from under the van. There was no way that thing was going to come down so he went inside to see if he could use a phone but their service was still going on. Therefore Ruth and Vern went knocking on doors of neighbors trying to see if they could use a phone. They had no luck there and so they headed back to Kingdom Hall. By that time, their service was over and someone helped Vern make some phone calls. He tried to get a hold of me as I was still at church but he had no luck with that. Then he tried to get a hold of his brother but no answer there. Then he called Caleb, and thankfully he was home. Caleb drove out to pick up the family. Then Vern and Caleb picked up an all season tire that was in storage and headed back to the van to change the tire. So it was an eventful morning. Ruth ended up being late for work and she said it took at least 45 minutes to get the chill out of her bones. It just happened to be a VERY cold day yesterday. Vern went to the tire shop and was able to pick up the very last snow tire that they had in stock. So we are up and running again and the family is hoping we don’t get any more flat tires in the dead of winter again.

Having A Heat Wave

For the past couple for weeks I have been having trouble with my oven and being able to regulate the heat. I can set the temperature for 350 degrees and in no time it is at 450 degrees. There are also times when I set the oven for 350 degrees and it won't get up to 150 degrees. Today I baked some mini loaves of banana bread for close to an hour at 150 degrees and just like that the oven shot over 400 degrees. Therefore I was overjoyed when we got a call today saying the part for our oven was in. Thanks Jeff, for helping us by replacing the old regulator with the new one! I will enjoying not having to sit by my oven while baking things. I will also be able to bake my Thanksgiving turkey with a lot less stress.

Sweet Reward

About 15 months ago Ruth and I were walking around the mall and walked into this candy shop. Besides candy they had all sorts of taffy apples. These were no ordinary taffy apples, they were specialty taffy apples. I love taffy apples and would have loved to eat one however I was on my "Biggest Loser Campaign" and so did not allow myself the privilege of eating one. Ruth still had her braces on so she couldn't eat one either. I told Ruth when I lost the weight I wanted to, I would eat one of those specalty taffy apples as a reward. Well, I did get down to where I wanted to on the scale but I had totally forgotten about those taffy apples. (You also can't even find them here, they were at a mall about 1 1/2 hours away. ) Ruth and Kris went out Christmas shopping yesterday and when they came home Ruth told me to close my eyes. While I had my eyes closed she put one of these speciality taffy apples into my hands. It was an awesome surprise especially since I had forgotten all about it. (But let me tell you it was probably about 1000 calories.) I sure enjoyed it though! Thanks Ruth for making my day with that little surprise!

Gripping the Steering Wheel

Vern got our snow tires on just in time as we are well into winter over here. We as a family do quite a bit of winter driving with everyone off to their jobs, many church activities during the week, as well as errands that we need to run. I personally do not enjoy the stress that the winter roads bring. Prayer for safety on the roads seems like some thing that I am praying for many times now during the day and evening.

College Quest

I have been spending any "free time" helping Ruth and Zachary on their quest to make it to college. I have been doing a lot of leg work for them in finding colleges that might be a good fit for them. It might not be possible but right now we are hoping to find a place that they can both go to. Not every college or university has a nursing program so that is the primary thing we are looking for. Then of the ones that have a nursing program, I have been investigating what are the prerequisites to get into the program. Some can be quite competitive and have waiting lists to get in. Also, one of the most major considerations is the cost. Therefore I have also spent a lot of time looking up different scholarships and financial aid information. There are three universities that Ruth and Zachary are in the process of applying for. We would really appreciate your prayers for the Lord's direction in this whole process and that things would indeed work out for them to be able to attend college together.

Ketchup

Since I have gotten back I have been playing "Ketchup" on things over here that were waiting for me here at home.

Airport Run

I will be taking off shortly for Buffalo to go and help out my parents in Chicago. I have to finish packing and then run to the chiropractor and then I will be off. I'd appreciate your prayers for the trip as we have had a bit of snow this morning and they are calling for more. Flying happens to be the number three thing on my list of things I hate doing. It's good to confront these things all in a few days right! I have put some baking in the freezer for Vern and the kids, but I know they would appreciate your prayers as we have a busy household with everyone on the run.

A Taste Of Venezuela

Our family loves eating empanadas. It is something that we were introduced to in Venezuela. There is one important ingredient however, that we had run out of. It is a white corn meal that you can't get in any of the stores around here. Therefore while we were in Chicago I made a point to go to a grocery store that carries a lot of South American food items. Although it was a different brand then what I was used to it did end up tasting the same. Since we were really feeling like a bit of home we also bought a drink called "Malta". It is something that is a common drink in Venezuela. It is kind of like a pop but not really. We should have put some Venezuelan music on, turned the heat way up, and we would have really felt like we were back in Venezuela.

Dickies Discount

Zachary works for a clothing company and once a year they have an awesome sale which is 40% off of everything. Therefore after work we all headed to the factory outlet to check out the sale. Dickies is famous for all the work clothes they make, however they do carry all sorts of clothing that is not work related. Caleb and Seth were able to get themselves some warmer work clothes since it is really getting chilly. The rest got a few good buys as well.

Bundled Up

Yesterday very well could have been our last motor bike ride of the season as we are experiencing some chilly weather. (At this time of the year we know winter is not far away.) It was a clear afternoon but since it was only 56 degrees, and with the wind chill factor on the bike, BRRRR. It almost felt like a snow mobile ride. I came home and made myself a pot of tea to get the chill out of the bones.

Do Not Eat Your Ballet

Today is election day in Canada. While we were driving yesterday we were listening to the news on the up coming election. One thing the news reporter was reminding us is that it is illegal to eat your ballot. I thought the guy was a bit crazy but he said you can even find recipes on line on: "How to Eat Your Ballot", but BEWARE, DO NOT EAT YOUR BALLOT. It still seemed like a bit of a bazaar story. However, I did look it up today and there were indeed people that went to the polling stations and ate their ballots. They were facing up to five years in jail or a $5,000 fine. I personally can not understanding anyone wasting their vote in this way. I sure hope all you Canadians out there have enjoyed going out and voting. It is a great privilege we enjoy as a free country to elect our leaders.

Ladies Weekend Away

The Dyck ladies are hanging in Chicago for the weekend. We left at 6:00 this morning so we are tired but enjoying hanging out.

Happy 60th Birthday Wes!

Did some one say "Party"? You know me, I love an excuse to celebrate. Yesterday was Vern's brother's 60th birthday. This morning we had a bit of a surprise party for him during our break time. We have been working and planning this for several days and we were happy that we were indeed able to surprise him. (It probably helped that we had it a day late.) I bought birthday horns for all the students and staff so we were able to give him a nice "Surprise" blowing our horns when he walked in the door. I scanned a bunch of pictures, and we also got Vern's mom to send us some. Therefore, Vern was able to put a picture slide show together playing it to the hit tune in 1948 of "I'm Looking Over A Four Leaf Clover." We also worked on putting together a "Walk Mate". Which was our fancy name for a cane with all sorts of gadgets on it like: a light up reflector, a horn, a rear view mirror, a water bottle, a headlight, and a "wild life warning system"(deer whistles). It was a lot of fun to help Wes celebrate this big event in his life. HAPPY 60th BIRTHDAY WES! It was so much fun helping you celebrate your birthday. We hope that it will be a LONG time before you actually need your "Walk Mate".

Hanging Out

In the ministry we are in, our children build some good friendships with our students' children that are their ages. Titus and Jake have really clicked and they enjoy spending time with each other. Jake's parents and older brother are away at a mission conference. Titus was so excited that Jake was going to be able to stay here and spend the weekend with us. They have taken over the basement and are having a great time together. I know Titus is going to feel like the weekend went by way to quickly.