Saying goodbye...

On Saturday we had a farewell bbq for a family in our church that is moving to Saskatoon. It was a wonderful time as long as we didn't focus on the fact that they were leaving soon. As I'm writing this, they're spending one last night in their house before heading out. It's been a blessing getting to know them over the past year and we're really going to miss them. Scott had the joy of baptizing one of the girls and Elyssia really enjoyed spending time with both of the girls. We're hoping to get together with them at least a couple times a year and pray that the Lord blesses them with a wonderful church family in Saskatoon!

A Great Appreciation...

for my husband!

During Scott's 3 and a half day absence I gained a greater appreciation for all that he does around here. I haven't had to deal with mice bonking or disposal for quite awhile. It was a necessity during his absence.

The oven quit working the day after he left... Not a pretty picture when you have hungry little ones. Thankfully I had some bread in the freezer and a couple loaves of quick bread that my mother in law had brought a couple days earlier. We managed to make it through fairly well, but the children were definitely disappointed when the cupcakes they'd put together didn't cook, which made them inedible. It still isn't fixed, as we're waiting for a visit from the repairman, but we're managing fairly well. We attempted a skillet dessert and failed miserably. So, we'll stick to crockpot meals and desserts, which we are more comfortable with after the past several years of practicing at potluck!

My cell phone was having trouble keeping a charge and texting, but people at The Source were able to fix the first issue. The second issue was just a lack of technological savvy on my part. So thankful we didn't have any trouble with the landline while Scott was away.

We had the blessing of one sunny day during his absence, which made outside play a wonderful boost. It took the kids minds off missing Daddy...

Some chickens escaped!!! There were 5 that made a run for it sometime between breakfast and lunch on Friday afternoon. Thankfully Elyssia caught 2, Caleb caught 2 and after praying Caleb and I were able to recover the 5th one:). I'm really thankful for the net that was brought out by the in laws. It made catching them so much easier than last year when they were all in the bushes!

Last, but not least, I had to make a run in the dark with Elyssia and Skye to close up the greenhouse and turn on the heat. It completely slipped my mind after finding the chickens, feeding the kids supper, doing devotions and putting them all to bed. So thankful for Elyssia's helpful attitude when I woke her up and also for Skye, who made us feel a lot safer whenever we heard noises:). She went off barking one point and we thought it was probably a coyote. The rest of the time she stayed right next to us.

Thankful that Scott and Garrison were able to have this time away and come back refreshed by the preaching! Thankful for the 2 friends that Garrison made in Prince Albert. Thankful for their safe trip there and back through rain going and snow coming back.

Thankful to God for His many blessings!

Just one more soul...

Last Wednesday I had the joy of leading Kiersten to the Lord! We've clearly seen the Lord working in her life, convicting her of her sin and need of salvation. It wasn't something that we kept bringing up or tried to convince her of. She's bring it up almost every week and sometimes several times a week! It wasn't that we wanted to put her off and keep her from getting saved, but we wanted to make sure that she understood as much as she could at this age about sin and true repentance leading to salvation. She was the one that insisted she was a sinner and that she needed to get saved. She wanted to make sure that she was heading to Heaven. She wondered why we wouldn't let her pray and get saved. She became quite persistent about it:). So, last Wednesday Kiersten told the Lord that she was sorry for her sin, asked him to forgive her, let him know that she believed he died on the cross for her sins and asked him to come into her heart. It's not like there was an overnight transformation, but we can definitely see some little changes. A brightness and cheeriness, where before she could be a bit more melancholy. A tenderness when she doesn't treat others the way she should. This past week she's been quicker to apologize when she wrongs someone and a desire to pray for the salvation of Addy and Samuel. There truly is no greater joy than seeing our little ones come to have a personal relationship with the Lord!

Resurrection Sunday

I'll admit that this isn't going to be the happiest post you've ever read. The in-laws arrived after we'd battled several different flu bugs. We were excited to see them again and prayed that no more flu bugs would hit. We'd sanitized the place and washed all the laundry several times. Kiersten had the last bug and we thought we might be okay. Lo and behold, Kirk came down with the flu on Sat night. He stayed home, while the rest of us went to church. We were having potluck after church and enjoyed visiting with those that were able to come. Kirk and Darlene headed home that afternoon, still not feeling that great. The next 3 to go down were Scott's parents and Garrison. Garrison's was very short lived though and he blamed it on eating too much at potluck:). Nana and Grandad headed home on Monday and we proceeded to wash the bedding from downstairs and try to get back into a routine. It all seemed good until Scott and Garrison headed to Prince Albert for a Preaching Conference. We were good all that day, but that night it hit me like a train wreck! I have to say that the first one was pretty mild in comparison. I'll spare you the details, but I was very thankful to have Elyssia here to help with the other little ones. She was a wonderful blessing to this very sick mama. She took care of Samuel in between his feedings and thankfully none of them got this 3rd strain of the flu. I still believe that our blessings from Easter weekend outweigh these experiences though and thank the Lord for being with us through it all. Here's a family picture from church:

Sleepless in Saskatchewan

How's that for a title:). My sleep has been off the past month with our family going through all the different flu bugs and colds. Elyssia's cough was keeping me awake and after praying a bit and still not sleeping I thought it might be a good idea to update my much neglected blog. I find it hard to think coherently and write a halfway decent post when the kids are awake and needing my attention. I do treasure my sleep though, so staying up late isn't usually on my agenda. Samuel has been sleeping through the night for several months now, with an occasional evening that he's growing and wants to eat more often through the night. He's a happy little guy and is quite content to fill up during the day and sleep at night. An amazing blessing to this busy mama! I'll end this post with a 3 month old pic of the little guy, then add additional posts to catch up with all the news.

3 months old and kissable as ever:).

5 Amazing Years!

I can hardly believe that it's been over 5 years since we moved here to Saskatchewan and held our first church service! So thankful for the Lord's blessings and protection over the years. Also thankful for our 3 B.C. blessings and our 3 Saskatchewan blessings!

An Amazing Journey

So thankful for the opportunity to take the trip to Georgia to see my family!