Christmas

We have just finished the busy Christmas season.  You may say…well it isn’t even Christmas yet and you would be right!

Let’s step back and get caught up.  I started working (temporarily) as the church secretary at the end of September.  That has kept me very busy.  I probably started at the busiest time of the year with Christmas right around the corner.

It was a learning curve of new programs, deadlines and due dates but so far I’m doing it with mostly a smile on my face.

Then came the Christmas banquet.  Pam and I were in charge of the entertainment and there were lots of other administrative duties behind the scenes.  I had been so tired by the time that it was over that I got sick with a cold.  It seemed to linger on as I continued to work.  Unfortunately I also shared it with Ron and Sarah.

Next came our 50 Plus Christmas event with Gary and Denise singing.  It was a nice event but enough to make me have a relapse of the sickness.  I kept going.

Sarah recovered just in time to be a part of our church drama.  She did such a great job.  She is a talented girl.

Last Sunday, was another enjoyable Christmas program held at the little church in Tamworth.  It was nice to just walk behind the house and enjoy a presentation from the Wesleyan church.  We could just sit and enjoy the music.

This week I worked hard to get things done at the church.  Sarah got caught up at school.  Wednesday night we enjoyed another Christmas program by the Cornerstone Christian Academy.  They did an amazing job.

And now…Saturday morning and we are packed and in the car.  We are off to Toronto to begin our Christmas holiday.  Stay tuned…

Scary and Thankful

To round out my birthday week, Ron and I went on the motorcycle to Algonquin Park on Friday.  The forecast looked good but the skies were pretty cloudy.  Along the way the leaves were looking pretty nice and the temperature was good for an end of September ride.  

We arrived at the park and went to the visitor Center.  There was a new hike that we had never done and so off we went.  They had built a wooden highway through the woods with even one way signs.  

We climbed the stairs up the hill.  It was a pretty good workout for me.  My mountain climbing days have been in the history awhile.

The path was pretty with the fallen leaves making a beautiful carpet.  

When we got about half way…in the middle of the woods on a hill looking over a lake, my phone rang.

It was the school, Sarah wasn’t feeling well and they needed me to come and get her.  I was surprised that we had service and I explained that I was about three hours away.  I called a few people and it went to voicemail.  I then pressed in the number for Pam.  She dropped everything at the school and headed down to pick Sarah up.  I received another call from the school, Sarah was shaking, she had an elevated heart rate had had passed out. The response team felt an ambulance should be called.  My heart was racing now.  We stumbled through the rest of the hike and back to the motorcycle.  

We agreed that we would be careful going home because getting there safe was better than trying to get home fast.  She was in good hands with Pam.  I received texts along the way.   She was doing better and was even hungry.  We drove through heavy rain and then the skies cleared.  

Sitting on the back of the bike, I prayed for safety for us as we travelled and prayed that our girl would be okay.  I checked often to see how many more kilometres and appreciated getting updates of how things were going at the hospital.  We arrived home, changed out of wet clothes and jumped in the car to head to the hospital.  Pam came out and told us that she had never seen anyone shake so bad.  Sarah couldn’t remember some of the things that had happened.  I went in to sit with Sarah and slowly her colour started to return.  They had already done a couple ECGs and they were okay.  They did bloodwork and it seemed normal.  After about 6 hours at the hospital, they released her with instructions not to drive until her doctor’s appointment next week.  It was pretty scary.  Today, she slept a good portion of the day but was feeling better.  

We are thankful she is doing better and thankful for good friends that drop everything to help.

My Heart is Full ❤️

Today was a full day.  We left for church early in the morning.  Ron was leading in worship for the first time in quite awhile.  Sarah was helping out.  My heart felt full watching them.

I was in the foyer at the church before and after helping people to sign up for our 50 Plus.  During the service, Sarah went out to help with the children’s ministry.  They announced during the service that the church secretary had resigned and also added that I would be helping in the office during the transition.  We have found lots to do in our church and are enjoying it.

After church Sarah went home with a young family.  The two little boys love to have Sarah around.  She took gifts for both boys, a birthday gift for one and an unbirthday for the other one.

Ron and I came home and rested before we headed out for a walk.  A good friend told us about this trail and it was a beautiful, warm day to enjoy a stroll to the lake.

Tomorrow, Sarah will be off to school and then have a basketball practice.

Ron will be working on 50 Plus plans and I will be doing some training in the church office.

Retirement is interesting!  It’s a new kind of busy.

Tonight, we stepped out on the back to catch some norther lights.  A beautiful day and a gorgeous night!

A Church Picnic

Today Ron and I went our separate ways.  He had to sing in Wilton and Sarah and I went to church in Napanee.  A church lunch was planned for after the service so I spent my morning in the kitchen helping with some preparations. It was nice working alongside some old and new friends.

After the final amen, the congregation flooded out the back door to the awaiting barbequed hamburgers and hot dogs.

The older crew set up their lawn chairs under the shade of a tree.  

The younger generation barely ate as they headed towards the bouncy castles.  Sarah watched along the sidelines as her three little companions raced from one toy to the next.  Finally she was called out.  Emerson challenged her to a race on the climbing wall.  They were harnessed in and given the count down and the race was on.  It was a close finish but Sarah won.

They then moved to another obstacle course where they had to climb up one side and slide down the other.  Sarah was an easy win the first time through.  On the second go she decided to go head first which ended more like first and Emerson pulled off the W.  

Before long the last call was made for the toys and the boys stood by with long faces until they watched in anticipation of the crumbling on the castles.  It is amazing watching how quickly disappointment can change to interest with the right persuasion of parents.

It was a nice way to spend the afternoon.

Birthday Celebrations

Today was a full day.  We separated and conquered the tasks.  Ron and Sarah left for Kingston first thing in the morning.  They picked up Ariana, the birthday cake and shopped a little bit at Lululemon.

Cheryl and I worked at organizing the house for the birthday celebration.  We straightened, decorated and prepped for the party.  I was so thankful that Cheryl had agreed to come.  She helped in so many ways.

Lunch was served and then Ron took the girls to Gary and Denise’s to see the sheep and The Soap Shack.  Cheryl and I worked on the final touches.  We were ready!

The Bruyere’s were the first to arrive.  We were now a party of 11.  Next mom and dad arrived and found their chairs.  The last to arrive was Sarah’s grandma Lynn, her Aunts Christina and Liz.  The party was ready to start.

The table was set with food and everyone served themselves and found a place to eat.  

People chatted across the table and around the room.  

Downstairs, the kids were doing more laughing than eating.

Cake and icecream was served after the meal.  

Sarah opened her gifts and thanked everyone for their thoughtfulness.  She made her rounds to give everyone a hug.

The kids drifted off downstairs.  The Wii was given a work out with each one taking their turn. The pool table got a little attention too.

We made sure to take pictures as everyone was leaving.

We also took pics of those staying…

It was a good day.