My blog

A little bit about me and a lot about the things we do.

Sunday 29 May 2016

A This and That Week

We just had a week that included a variety of activities.  Ron worked Monday night and then started a liquid diet on Tuesday in preparation for a colonoscopy on Wednesday.  I think he kind of enjoyed the drugs they gave him or we enjoyed watching him on them.  We were thankful that everything was good and very appreciative to have had our son chauffeur us around.


On Thursday Ron was feeling well enough for a hike.  We met up with our regular hiker companions and drove to Kananaskis in and out of rain.  I picked the hike this time and it was a first one for all of us.  Even though the forecast was for rain, the sun shone down on the trail for us.
This was a 13 km hike and that meant 6.5 of it was winding steadily up the mountain.  When the trees parted along the trail we knew that when we reached the top the view would be spectacular.


When we reached the summit, which was also the fire lookout, we took time to rest and have a little snack.

And celebrate that we had made it!

We then took a few moments to enjoy the view of the Kananaskis Lakes.






We started back down the trail which always proves to be much easier and faster.


On Friday, we got the rain but we were still able to help our son with some yard work.  We worked on his backyard while the dogs watched from inside.

But they did help to water the bushes after they were planted.




On Saturday, we were back home and decided to head out on the motorcycle for a ride around Drumheller.  You can always tell that you are in Drumheller by all the dinosaurs and the moon like landscape.

It might not be as beautiful as the mountains but it was a quiet road and close to home and a nice day.

We stopped for tea/coffee and then checked out the suspension bridge.

This is where we get our water from....kind of makes you feel like buying water!  We saw the hoodoos and stopped to look at the Atlas Gold Mine (from a distance).

We then took the 11 bridge road to the Ghost Town of Wayne.


The population once was 2490 and is now down to 33 with numbers that are easy to change.  When we arrived at the end of the road there was a "Last Chance Saloon" and a little store called "Bee's Knees & Confection."  We were surprised to see so many vehicles and people there.  We don't think any of them were ghosts.

As we headed for home we watched the sky to the west of us as it looked like there might be a storm on the way.
But then again, it could be miles and miles away because you can see so far when you are on the prairies.  Yes, it was a good week, jammed full of this and that.













Saturday 21 May 2016

Lending a Helping Hand ...or Basket!

This Spring my senses have been enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of Three Hills.  It was last year this month that we first came to shop for a house.  I can remember walking the streets with a smile on my face.  Now that I live here, a year later, I know what was making me smile.


The town reminds me a little bit of home with a lot of trees lining the streets.  The fragrance of blossoms make you take in a deep breath as you walk along and encourages you to go out for walks and bike rides.


And usually when I walk....I walk towards Anderson Park.  It is a beautiful little park with manicured trees, walkways, fountains with picnic tables and benches.  Somehow this little park draws me in.
This spring also brought a little extra joy.  A robin was trying, unsuccessfully, to build a nest.  Every time she would bring back a piece of grass it would drop to the porch.
I thought she might give up but she was persistent to continue in her efforts.  It just wasn't going to work so I thought I would see if she would take a little help. 


I searched the house and found a tiny little basket to put in the spot where she had picked for her home and before we knew it she was adding on and building a nest that any bird would envy.
She seemed to get use to Ron and I walking in and out of the house or me constantly checking out the window to see how she was doing. 
Yesterday I got excited as I watched her come back to the nest with "lunch" and sit on the edge leaning down to feed the little mouths that reached up to grab a bite.
So last night when Andrew & Brianne were coming over we made them use the garage door in order not to disturb the nursery located at the front door.
It's pretty exciting to watch new life and to think that we worked together to create that perfect nest for some baby robins.  It's funny how something so small can just make your day.  We will be watching out the window to see what happens next because we do have a birds eye view.

Saturday 14 May 2016

33 Years!

Today Ron and I "celebrated" 33 years of marriage. 


Our day was like any other day.  Ron got in at 2:00 a.m.  We got up around 8:00 a.m.  We watched a little bit of t.v. after we had breakfast.  We sat on the deck for a bit.  We had lunch.  Ron got called out in the afternoon and so had very little sleep to go to work tonight.  So perhaps we didn't really celebrate but it was a day to be thankful for the relationship that we have and it's also a perfect reason to write a blog post.


33 years ago two young kids got married.  Did we know what we were getting into?  Probably not.  We did know that we loved each other and thankfully that love has grown.

Oh the changes that 33 years have brought.  We first moved into an apartment in Napanee, Ontario after our wedding.  I was working for Empire Life Insurance Company in Kingston and Ron was a Breakfast Manager for McDonald's.  Shortly after we were married, he took a real estate course and did this for about 1.5 years until we made the decision for him to go to Bible College.  In order for us to save money we moved in with Ron's parents for about 8 months.


In 1985, we moved to Peterborough, Ontario where Ron attended Eastern Pentecostal Bible College for 4 years.  I worked for Liberty Mutual.  At the end of 4 years, our daughter was born and we moved to Gananoque, Ontario to be assistant pastors for the next two years.  It was during this time that our son was born and our little family was complete.
In 1991, we found ourselves between churches and were welcomed, once again, into Ron's parents home.  This time it was a shorter stay because Sharbot Lake Pentecostal Church invited us to be their pastors.
This was a great time in our life.  We lived and worked on the beach.  I went back to work as the school secretary and an educational assistant.  Ron worked hard in the church and with a blue grass band...Country Church.  The kids flourished.
After 8 years of living on the beach we knew it was time to move on and so we accepted the invitation of Frankford Full Gospel Tabernacle to pastor there.
This was the first time that we needed to buy a home and after shopping hard for the right one we made the plunge and went deep into debt.
The house was perfect for us and we have many happy memories of Frankford.  There was lots of space for dirt biking, a back yard rink, gardens and a big yard to cut! 
25th Anniversary at Frankford Full Gospel
We made lots of friends but like all good things, there comes a time to change. 
Ron's last wedding before joining the RCMP
So after 9 years of ministry here, Ron changed careers.  He gave a little hint on the sign outside the church.
The last Sunday for Ron at the church began the hardest time for us in our marriage.  We were not use to being a part.  The RCMP training was six very long months in Regina.  I continued to work in my job as a school secretary in Ontario until Ron completed his training.  We sold the house.  By this time Jenn had moved out and Stephen had just finished his first year of college.  We were flying out of the nest before it was empty.  Thankfully Grandma Clark stepped in once again and provided a room for our boy so he could finish college.
Graduation came which meant another move.  This time, not just around the province but two provinces away.  It was hard to leave family but so good to be back together as a team.  Ron's first posting was in Swift Current, SK.  We bought a home and settled in for the next four years.  I was able to get a good job as an executive assistant for a credit union.


Ron was looking for different opportunities in the RCMP and I was up for an adventure so when staffing offered a northern, isolated, limited duration post we decided to give it a try.
We lived in Deschambault Lake for two years.  We were able to have our grandchildren visit two summers in a row.  I was a stay at home nanny!  We enjoyed canoeing, cross country skiing and the northern lights.  At the end of two years we were offered a posting in Alberta and we jumped at the chance to be closer to the mountains and our son, who now lived in the area.  We bought our third house.
So perhaps, today wasn't very exciting but our 33 years of marriage has been. 
We now have five grandchildren.
Jacob, Emma, Abbigail and Sarah
Newest addition, Anthony
And two granddogs and one grandkitty.
Tanker and Bentley


Lilly
Yes, 33 years with Ron has been an adventure.  Who knew that those two Napanee kids who had lived in only one house all their single lives would have moved 10 times, lived in 3 provinces, been pastors in 3 churches, had 3 different posts for the RCMP, had 2 great kids and are now old enough to have 5 grandchildren.


Yup, it's okay that today was just a normal day because who knows what tomorrow might bring!