Canasta, CSI, Fire Pits, no air conditioning...

Well, it's been a wonderful week of being at home...in our house...in our bed...with our own food. I'm pretty sure Nathan and I have played at least 15 games of Canasta while watching at least that many episodes of CSI (we have recently invested in seasons 1-3). That has been our relaxation of choice this week. We sit on the living room floor - totally sprawled out because of the heat - and we play game after game of Canasta and watch episode after episode of CSI. It's quite relaxing, really. Last night Nathan made a comment to someone that now that it's summer, we feel like we're normal people. It's so true! We can actually ask ourselves, "What do we want to do tonight?" because it's not always decided for us! I could get used to this! (Maybe I shouldn't get TOO used to it though...youth starts again in a month) : )

So here's a quick quiz...what does every house need in their backyard? A trampoline? Good answer, but no. Their own private forest (complete with deer and rabbits)? We're working on it...just need a few more trees and wildlife. An apple tree? No, everyone does not need one - one like ours is good for an entire block of people. Ok, I'll give you the answer: A FIRE PIT!!! A fire pit just makes a yard complete...it's perfect for sitting around and pyro-ing around and everything! A few months ago, we got a fire pit as a house-warming gift and the other night we had a friend come and "install" it for us! Then we had a fire with him and his family. His son really liked water balloons, so we all had pretty wet feet...both his son and his daughter loved to pick apples, so we have a few less apples on the bottom branches. But yeah, we our first fire of the season in our own fire pit! Now we just need to find wood...We were thinking we could just rip the siding off of our lovely green house, but I'm sure we'd never be able to find that same lovely green in plastic, so we'll keep the old siding for a while yet. So yeah, fire pits are wonderful. It makes such a great atmosphere to just sit around with friends. So, if you want a fire with Nathan and I, come on over - and bring some wood!

Someone named Erin left a comment saying that they may be interested in apples...was that Erin Matties or Erin Ginter or Erin Barkman? You can sure have some, if I know who you are! Come by near the end of August or September sometime...they should be ready then.

Chao!

Apples, anyone?

Nathan and I came home last Thursday to our home sweet home!
- a very stuffy house
- two piles of dirt on our front lawn – we’re doing some landscaping…
- weeds in the garden where I’d just weeded for hours before we left
- tons of apples, both on the tree and on the ground
- an empty fridge and cupboards
Despite the work that was waiting for us, Nathan and I were very glad to be home again. We were dying to get away at the beginning of the month, but two and a half weeks later, we were definitely ready for our own bed and our own sleep/eat schedule and our own food. Fast food only appeals to the appetite for so long. So the day after we got home, we went on a massive grocery shopping trip to Winnipeg because we’d emptied our fridge/cupboards for being away. Then, the next day, Nathan borrowed a wheelbarrow and shovel and moved the two piles of dirt from the front yard where it was dumped to the back yard where we wanted it. I got the much easier job of leveling the dirt once it was hauled. I offered to help shovel, but Nathan said he was fine…men, I tell ya…they’re wonderful to have around, aren’t they? I also had quite the job of picking up apples…there are going to be SO many to pick once they’re ripe!!! Does anyone want some apples??? Wow. I never knew so many apples could come from one tree. I shook a few branches the other day, wanting some apples to put in the house for decoration because they’re a lovely bright green right now, and I had close to sixty just fall right off! Unbelievable! Anyway, enough about apples.
Vacation was good. We spent about a week at conference…it was ok. Those things are always eye-opening for me. I think it’s because I get so bored that I have hours and hours in which I’m just forced to think. God showed me some great things in those hours of thought. After conference was a pastor’s retreat. Basically it was a few extra days in the hotel…mostly free time with daily sessions where we fellowshipped and encouraged each other. After pastor’s retreat, Nathan and I went to Niagara Falls. After a few missed turns and some construction that we had to find our way around, we made it and spent the night in a hotel just a ten minute walk from the falls. I wasn’t too impressed with them. I saw them and my first reaction was, “That’s it?” I mean, it’s amazing that God directed all those millions of litres of water to fall over some cliffs, but I think I’ve seen more wondrous specimens of God’s creation. After Niagara Falls, we drove to Nathan’s grandma’s cottage in “northern” Ontario. Really, we were about the same latitude as the northern states, but it’s considered “northern.” Weird…It was beautiful there. I got to meet one whole side of Nathan’s family and they really are wonderful people. I was tired at the end of the weekend, but it was fun to be a part of that family. I also got to go sailing for the first time with Nate and his uncle and aunt. It was a cool experience moving that quickly over the water with no noise of a motor or anything. (maybe even more amazing than Niagara falls…) So yeah, that was our vacation, and now we’re back home and Nathan’s back at work, and I’m enjoying my time at home, trying to figure out what I want to do with my life. Stay tuned to see what I come up with! Oh, one last question… Apples, anyone?

Heading off into the unknown...

Niagara Falls, here I come! Nathan and I have decided that since we're this close, we can't miss out on seeing the falls. I've never seen them before and Nathan hasn't seen them for years and years. I'm excited! After that, we're off to his grandma's cottage. His grandma will be there, along with Nate's parents and brother. We also found out today that two of his uncles and their families will be there too for a couple days, so I'll get to meet some of his family for the first time. Needless to say, I'm a bit nervous (Karis, now's when you need to reassure me...). I don't really know what to expect, but I guess I'll find out in a couple days. I can't really complain, though, because the first time Nathan came to Hudson Bay to meet my immediate family, he also had to meet both my grandma's and about half of one side of all my extended family (which is about as big as one whole side of his family).
So that's my next couple days. I'm already ready to head home and sleep in my own bed again, but I wanted to have a holiday so bad while I was at home, I'd better make use of it now that I have it!
Overall my summer has been fairly good. Not that exciting, but God's been teaching me. How about you guys? Anyone else having a good summer?

Ontario heat and humidity...

Hands up if you've ever been to a church conference convention...? Anyone? I just finished sitting through my first convention as an adult. Sounds funny, but see, I've been to countless conferences and conventions in my life (having grown up as a missionary/pastor's kid) but I've always been sent away to be with the kids during all of the sessions. I never enjoyed the kids sessions because I was always so shy when I was little, but having sat through the adult sessions...well, let's just say I understand why they send all the kids and youth out!
Moving on...this Tuesday I get to meet up with one of my friends from my first year of Bible school who I haven't actually sat down and talked with since, well, my first year of Bible school! She was at my wedding, but anyone who has ever gotten married knows how that goes... A bunch of friends and family come out but unless they come out oh, say, at least two weeks before the wedding, you don't really get to talk to anyone. Sound familiar? She lives near Leamington, where we are right now, so I get to see her while we're down! I'm excited! Friends are wonderful things.

Deserts and an Oasis

So today I was listening to the speaker here at conference, and I got thinking. (What I was thinking doesn't have anything to do with what the speaker was saying, but that happens often, so it wasn't anything out of the ordinary.) I was thinking about how much of the time in the past eight months I have felt like I was in a spirtual desert. It's a lonely time, and one where you just want to jump into a big, cold, deep, clean, refreshing pool of water SO badly (just figurtively...I wasn't having weird cravings for swimming pools). I realized that whenever I find myself feeling like I'm trapped in a desert, I need to create my own Oasis...my own special time with my Lord every day...a sacred time that I honor like nothing else. This could look like me getting up at a certain time every morning and going for a walk on country roads, or sitting outside each afternoon in the sun and worshiping God, or even just setting aside an appointment each evening to curl up with God in my living room and spend a few minutes (or hours) with him. Time when I just soak myself in his goodness/his God-ness/his "moisture". And I need to be deliberate. Water is the only thing that can keep you alive in a desert. Without water, you're dry. Remember that.