He is my portion forever

Fun Times @ the Splash Pad!

...On a gorgeous summer day!

Louis and I had the fun of taking Ashleigh and Jaden to the splash pad! I can say Louise and Ashleigh had a blast but had to laugh at Jaden who started saying "No, no." the moment the splash pad was in sight. Heehee. Carole warned me Jaden would probably not overly enjoy the water aspect of this park! Shovels, trucks and slides are more his thing. :) I agree, Jades, the water was a little cold!

it is nice to have this park so close by!

Bathing beauty trying to warm up!

we tried to get jades to co-operate for this pic but it wasn't working so well :)

so this was the best we could do. :) thanks for the treat of taking your kids out, Carole! we shall have to go with all the kids (ralph & sharon's too!) before summer is out!

Ralph & Sharon's House Renos

Ralph & Sharon (& Kids? :)) are hard at work renovating their living room and kitchen!

... quite the challenge among six kids, two rabbits, one bird and a guest dog for two weeks!!! You guys are doing a superb job (poor Sharon - no kitchen! :( )!

Tim had quite the group of admirers (and no wonder :) )

Ralph working hard on the vent system!

Thanks for the great visit, Ralph & Sharon, and the lunch! It was fun to be with you guys again - hopefully we can return the favour soon come November!

the special treatment!

A day of sweet fellowship, godly encouragement, many laughs, unexpected treasures, a surprise makeover and a pedicure! With whom, you ask? None other than my bosom friend, Michele (a.k.a Max ;)) - a friend who has sharpened me "as iron sharpens iron", encouraged me by her deep love for the Lord and others, and directed me to the promises of His word so very often.

at the salon

and the finished work of the expertise artist

Cutting the birthday cake. :)

Thank you, Michele, for your friendship and the fun birthday gift! The nails still look great. :) I look forward to seeing how the Lord will use you, especially in light of your upcoming nursing!

Just a few random pics :)

Starting in March! :)

spring!

the willing victim of my hair cutting tools

FFF

eek! heehee

good byes (and soon "hello's! we are looking forward to your return home next Thursday, dear Louise and Ruth!)

the newly engaged couple. congrats, Scott & Jen!

the intelligent thinker

a sweet goodbye from my old work

at the fire station with a handsome firefighter

a birthday celebration with Mom, Carole, Ashleigh, Jaden, Joshua, Tim and me! Thank you for the sweet birthday visit and treating us to lunch, Mom!

-----Insert-----

jade's look alike :) heehee

--------------

church picnic 2008!

thank you for all your hard work, Kev & Carole, Brian & Liz!

monstrous amounts of delicious food as always! yum!

Josiah the Tiger

caught on camera! ;)

my beautiful hard working sister Carole - the "watermelon lady" :)

lookin' tough, boys

To be continued!

Until later, everyone! :)

Our new home in progress!

The Lord has blessed us with a great little condo which we are more than happy with! With enthusiasm & rolled up sleeves, we have begun to make "our house into a home" (to steal a quote from Joyce :))!

The view from outside...

Proud & excited owners :)

The view from our living room

Dining room (the living room to the left) yet to be painted

Our elegant stairway with its lovely array of drop sheets

Upstairs hallway - painting in progress

Master bedroom (great paint job, Tim! :))

Door to the spare bedroom

spare bedroom/office

hallway from the spare bedroom

our cute little bathroom

the living room area

the front hall & stairway

kitchen on the left

and our downstairs all together :)

Psalm 127:1
Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; Unless the LORD guards the city, The watchman keeps awake in vain.

Birthday Bliss!

Another year has arrived - and my 24th at that! (Somehow it seems just when I'm catching up to feeling 23, I turn another year older! :)) When I look back over this past year and see our Creator's sovereign design over all things, I cannot help but be amazed at how great and excellent is He. Though I have only given Him filthy rags, from this King's hand I have received the richest of all gifts - His everlasting grace!

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10

From His hand I have received abundant riches and I thank Him for the dear family (and family-to-be!), friends, and my beloved husband-to-be!

After my morning orientation at my new job, I was whisked off for a picnic date with prince charming himself. :)

A very sweet afternoon!
----------
Catching a bit of nature in the countryside...
On my way to Amanda's surprise shower, there was a sight to behold: a family of beautiful swans (with what looked like 10 young!)!

Amanda was almost surprised with her *surprise* shower! :)

The brides in their beautiful toilet paper array!

And their ladies-in-waiting to assist with any last-minute tucks and bows

"O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good: for his mercy endures for ever." Psalm 107:1

What a sweet guy. :)

They are beautiful, Tim! Thank you for the surprise. :)

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen... Romans 1:20

Two weeks ago today...

My dear little sister and cuzzy left for the eastern world of Bulgaria! Excited for their great adventure indeed while sweet Mama in the background is a little apprehensive but trusting in the Lord to hold them in the palm of His hand.

In order to backpack around Europe for the latter part of June, all of their luggage had to fit into a total of two backpacks.... Needless to say, it was a tight squeeze!

And carrying them was another matter!!!

But they managed :)

And after one last round of raiding the fridge for Mom's home cooked foods, they were off!

We look forward to hearing from you guys! Loving you and missing you!

"The Foundation of Hope for Desperate Sinners"

..."Draw near in prayer to the throne of grace, bow down before its majestic authority, and on your knees drink from the river of the water of life that flows from the throne of God (Revelation 22:1)."

"...God has no needs that I could ever be required to satisfy. God has no deficiencies that I might be required to supply. He is complete in himself. He is overflowing with happiness in the fellowship of the Trinity. The upshot of this is that God is a mountain spring, not a watering trough. A mountain spring is self-replenishing. It constantly overflows and supplies. A watering trough needs to be filled with a pump or bucket brigade. So you glorify a spring by drinking not by hauling water up the hill and dumping it in the spring. And since that is the way God is, we're not surprised to learn from Scripture—and our faith is strengthened to hold fast—that the way to please God is to come to him to get and not to give, to drink and not to water.

My hope as a desperate sinner who lives in a desert of unrighteousness hangs on this biblical truth: that God is the kind of God who will be pleased with the one thing I have to offer—my thirst. That is why the sovereign freedom and self-sufficiency of God are so precious to me: they are the foundation of my hope that God is delighted not by the resourcefulness of bucket brigades, but by the bending down of broken sinners to drink at the fountain of grace.

Or as we said last week,

"His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
nor his pleasure in the legs of a man;
but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love."

In other words, this unspeakably good news for helpless sinners—that God delights not when we offer him our strength but when we hope in his..."

John Piper