Forty and Fab!! Weekend Away!

So what can I say to my dear LP friends!? Thanks for so many things??!! Yes I could begin there, at the beginning - grade six actually. That is where this group began! We have so many treasured memories and this weekend we shared together recently to celebrate our friendship is yet another wonderful memory we have together. I could write about so many things...but I will let the camera tell parts of our hilarious weekend!

Glorious weather, wonderful friends, fabulous food and drink, amazing location and fellowship and conversation that changes us for the better....

The hostess of our fab forty weekend!

Arrivals....

Glorious sunsets to soak in

Yes, I was in charge of softening the butter. I guess I heard melt the butter!!! Oops! Nice one Mudge!

Aah, the chair that offered a spot to fellowship, read and enjoy cool drinks

  So, MK thank you for creating these shirts and hats for all of us to wear and remember this weekend! Love your creativity and thought behind this plan! NICE!

We had friends visit, furry ones thanks to our generosity! So this reminds us of the wee little critters that enjoyed an appy on us!

Beautiful Vendy!!

Lovely Bridger!

 OOH LA LA! Deep in coversation about the next really tough activity of our day!

Serve it up girl!

Who needs a smore? We had what we needed!

 

Cheers ladies to a feast with friends!

Oh, another one please said adorable Amy!

Love the shots with double chins, had to put that one in there anyway!

The opening of the fab shirts and hats! Who needed any other clothing all weekend!?

Just some of the beauty around your cottage MK

Our night lights for wonderful conversation!

Dock time

Breakfast was full of goodies thanks of some heavenly baking by Mrs. B! Loved it all!!!!

No, there were no vegetarians available, only carnivores present! The perfect steak night, mmmmm.....

Another animal friend surprised us with a visit, later brought two fawns! WOW!

Food editors watch out, we had elegant cuisine!!!

What a weekend to enjoy and remember for years to come. We have already made plans for 2013. Ladies, I am so thankful for you. You bring me joy in precious ways that only friends can do! Thanking God for giving me time with you, uninterrupted by the way!!!? That is part of what made this weekend a unique time. Love ya all!

Love Note

                 She wrote me a love note. Beautifully crafted for me!

           Squiggly lines full of meaning that touched my heart.  So well taped I had to tear some of the

                                                                 page to open it!

                                                          "Mommy, I love you."

                                                             I needed that today!

I lift my eyes up

Little ones look up simply because physically mom is way up there! This has reminded me of my need a a childlike faith, to look up, seek Him first.

I was able to share this verse today with some young ladies here

Psalm 121

I life my eyes up to the hills, where does my help come from. My help comes from the maker of heaven and earth.

I am thankful to share this verse, reminding others to life their eyes up enhances my need to do the same thing! I can't very well tell someone to do something I am not!

Lord use my here in your good and perfect timing.....

North in the Woods

Spending time at a place up north that I met Duncan has been wild to say the least. Many memories come back. It seems not that long ago. Now our kids are here enjoying what we enjoyed, although there are a few additions now!! The boys are in camp (first time ever!) and me and the girls are together and they enjoy activities during the day perfect for them. I have hardly taken my camera out! I have not been able to carry it with me easily and at a beach yikes! Watching Katie and taking a picture do not work well. I am going to maximize my photography when Duncan arrives tomorrow for the rest of the week to help out on the dock! Yup, old guy on the dock and in the boats! Jack has wakeboarding first period so he will be with his Daddy! How fun is that!?

We are blessed to be here and soak in these moments. Lots of friends here and new ones to meet. I am enjoying my time here. Very blessed.

The staff here love the Lord and are serving so well. The campers come into a place where they hear about a God that loves them and has a plan. How it is done is unique and my prayer is that the campers leave with Jesus in their heart, mind and soul and that a journey begins of drawing closer to a relationship with Him.

They miss the boys! We see them in passing and that is hard because they want more! Look at this pic, she ran to him and hugged him. Jack said I miss Katie so much! Very sweet.

Jack is here in the am

View of one part of beach

more to come when I have my camera!

Happy Fifth Birthday Sara!

Cousin hugs

Yes, I am five!

Thank you Sue for creataing truly amazing cookies. The designs were beautiful and colourful and of course they tasted delicious!

Friends sharing the day

more hopping and jumping with excitement!

Thank you Jack for caring for Katie during busy parties!

Her ant discovery! Any closer she would have kissed the pavement, ouch

Uncle B and Halcyon shooting pop cans on a special visit!

Well, she still has her special pink "balankie" she calls it, but soon that will become a distant memory. "Oh, I remember the pink blanket my Auntie Paula made me when I was born!" I don't know, maybe it is just the heart strings in me but I am always saddened by the gradual movement toward a new era of kidhoodd! She is now five and in SK. I honestly get so excited about curriculum for her this Septemeber! I have so many fond memories of teaching that age group and now I have my own for the fourth time to teach all the SK goodness. For that reason I celebrate her moving toward a new era. I do love to watch them grow.

 A reminder of just how little time we have to lavishly love them and lead them toward Christ.

So Sara, I want to love you even more today than I did yesterday. Happy 5th Birthday! What a wonderful celebration with friends and family. Cupcakes, cookie decorating, swimming and just plain fun! The best kind of birthday. Daddy and I love you so much!!!

 

 

The Way of Love

I have been searching and praying for just the right bible verse for our summer and I found one, well it is a chapter that we are going to memorize. 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. We have all summer and we are all going to soak it in! Our summer theme is the sub heading, 'The Way of Love' found  at the beginning of the chapter.

The essence of my children showing love is in this picture. Loving one another. It really can be that simple. They learn to love here and I trust therefore can embrace all beyond our home....

Chris serves by loving Katie, simple yet profound! He loves her and gives of himself unselfishly.

He acts love out for others to see. Not for recognition, but because he is a big brother with a heart for his sister!

This is one way to love!