the cowboys are coming

Hi. Not much has changed circumstancially for me, but much has changed in my mind, for which I'm thankful.
"It's an interesting thing, the human mind, "say authors Bill and Kahty Peel in their book Discover Your Destiny, "It can only focus on a couple of things at a time. When we're preoccupied with a problem and focus on our own indadquacy to handle it, there's really no room to add God to the picture. The ability to think rationally returns only when we refocus on God's adequacy." -Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World - Joanna Weaver.
I wrote this on Sunday (what is above)..
It's now Thurs. night and I have enjoyed this week sharing my testimony with people at the campfire and being prayed for (very encouraging), a few swims in the lake (including one morning swim with the loons - took awhile to warm up - not going in that early again) and one swim with dragonflies, having pancake breakfast with people at camp (brought our own whole wheaters). Things have been vroom-vroomish and Andy is working lots. We have been skipping the evening campfire lately as we are needing more time at home. Campers come on Sunday, I believe they are the youngest ones ages 9-11 or something.
We still could use a first aid person and a cook in the kitchen. If you think of anyone, pass on the info www.camptulahead.com. These are paid positions.
Did some 'extra' work as filming was taking place for camp video. Sarah and I are in the background of one scene smelling flowers. Very hot and sunny here.
Oh, yes, Sarah and I went on a motorboat ride...ok, the highlight was seeing my friend Cherise who was helping out in the kitchen at the other camp near Princeton - RockRidge CAnyon (Young Life Camp). She went 'sea biscuiting' and Sarah and I got to be spotters - a wild ride. Very hot day...20 min. walk/hike out to the lake out there, amazing canyon place, windy (think mild dust storm in parking lot), our sunscreen worked good and boy were we lathered up.
Yeah. We get a post office box VERY SOON! We have to buy a pad lock to put on it first (small town eh?).
Written on Fri.:
There is a new stove and a DISHWASHER in our carport. Our stove is fine but camp was donated another one, so we're to install it at some point. And the dishwasher was a total shock...a midsized KitchenAid one. Wow. Part of me is like, "Oh, it's going to wreck our dishes." We don't know if our house is all equipped with the pipes etc. for the dishwasher, but we'll see...and Andy will have to have some time to install it at some point.
Today is "Princeton Racing Days" - horse racing with bets and all...we'll miss it as it's near nap time - 2 pm.
Now we're into town to go to the post office etc!!

in checking

uff-da liebra...still quite exhausted...had a 'breakdown' the day Andy came home. Wonderful niceness that Dad A. could come the other day and give Andy and I a date alone - our first in 2 months! Staff arrived yesterday and we are involved (needing to attend) in that (staff training) some too. The kitchen is accomodating for my diet choices which is cool. Sarah been going to bed at 10 pm or later last two nights and waking same time she usually does in the morn. I have trouble sleeping during naps - insomnia. Erg. The sun helps - to lift a 'mood' some. Just a quick note for now. Andy's course went well and he had some good photos, perhaps some will get up here eventually. Our backyard is covered in daisys - they are our grass.

Delightful!

Cracking into the activity books and stickers Grandma K sent up.

These are your new cousins...I told her this and she shrugged her shoulder and smiled.

"Meeting" Elijah and Eva via pica on the computer...these are my bro-in law and sister's newborn son and daugter (twins, born June 6).

The two of us.

My beautiful gardening Mom A. Thanks for your help Mom.

Is Your Mama a Llama is the book on the table - picked up at the grocery store "share a book" bin. And Sarah is making a horse move. She enjoyed this figurine cat they had in the restaurant too.

Went out for sushi with Brandon and Holly after church a week and a half ago. Sarah liked the deep fried tofu - me too.

Group skate date shot - boy, I'm pysched (sp?) eh?

Brandon and Holly invited us (well me, but I brought Sarah) to go skating one evening. I thought of it as a 'skate-date.'

Us at the lake side. You can see one of our neighbor's house in the background (seasonal).

dump.

Huh Ma.

Dig.

Waiting for beach-time.

Cracked into the 'supply closet' (as I call it) one day for some games on the field. The best one was me being a tiger under a towel and Sarah leading me around with the hula-hoop.

Outdoor snack time.

Indoor picnic we did a while back.

la da la da da

hello...quick note before bed. Yesterday had breakfast on the dock while mosquitos tried to feast on us. Then playing on the beach...much better mosquito-wise. Vaccummed yesterday. I felt pretty 'normal' yesterday - more energy yeah.
Today, Sarah didn't nap. Invited people for tea and when I did Holly said she'd come over and watch Sarah so I laid down for 1/2 hr. Yeah. Then at 7 pm people came for tea and cookies...Karla, Brandon and Holly. Sarah and I had made Snickerdoodles and Oatmeal Choc. Chip cookies.
Been enjoying some foods Andy doesn't as much...Mushrooms (made mushroom soup), will make something with an eggplant tomorrow...can't remember what else. My mom flew out to see Aimee, Lance and Elijah and EVa today. I need to call Aimee soon. Got a call from Andy again and they may fly to a hiking location tomorrow weather-permitting.
Holly is sleeping over tomorrow because everyone else is going to 'the coast' (Abbotsford - a bit jealous, I am) for the weekend. That should be fun. We'll do dinner together too.

Whose home now...the two of us...taken awhile back (2 weeks maybe?) - but thought you'd like a new pic. More to come one day.

thunder showers, power outages and hope

Ha. Good question Denise. Husbandlessness would probably be going better if I hadn't entered it exhausted. About 3 weeks or 4 (don't know) ago the intenseness began getting Andy ready for his course. He was no longer able to give me breaks (can't remember my last run alone - anything alone - not being 'on duty'). The last day getting him out the door was nutsy. Sarah and I did one of our 3 hour town trips - library, groceries, pharmasave etc. and then helped pack food for him and he was gone. Just before he left he hugged and kissed Sarah goodbye and then hugged me and wandered around a little saying, 'I hope I'm not forgetting anything,' to which I said, 'We forgot to kiss.' Then we fixed that.
So, I've been telling myself I need to pretend I'm wise because I really am not when I'm tired...want time alone doing something enjoyable other than sleep, but that time doesn't really exsist right now, so I steal from sleep time and the cycle continues. Anyway, Sat. eve. people here at camp invited me for a movie which I said yes to because I don't want to say no to people time. Earlier that day Sarah and I visited the 'Spinners and Weavers' group at camp. It was fascinating watching them spin fibre and make thread. I bought a spool knitter and some knitting needles - say it's easier (on the hands, easier in general?) than crocheting, which I've tried. With my tiredness has come impatience toward Sarah which I don't like and I apologize to her and ask Jesus for help. Pounding my bed one evening was a good release too. Got some good ideas re: anger management from "The Disciple Book" by Dr. Sears. Great book. Grabbed a last min. ride into church yesterday. Had been offered a car but I was too tired to think of operating one, but got a call that the Skinners (Carol, director's parents) where going to church, so Sarah and I went. Saw/met Bethany (age 16) who works at Pharmasave. She was up there leading singing at church, with her guitar, with the team...very 'in sync' with the other guitarist too. cool. Home. lunch. Spent an hour or so trying to get so-sleepy-Sarah to sleep - no avail. Went out for a walk...then she slept, snuck her into bed. Another power outage (also had one 2 days ago) for 3 hours. Picnic dinner on main street enjoying a bright rainbow (2 actually) and being protected by the rain under the porch. It's been raining lots since Andy left which is nice for me cause of the garden watering and it seems to go with my mood (or maybe contributes to it) - Andy leaves, the sky cries. The sky seems to be darkening again over my laundry on the line. Erg. Did my physio excerises for the first time in a month...felt good. Excersice (hate spelling the word - how do you spell it?) has been super hard to think about/get motivated to do lately.
Time's up. To bed I go. Yah, I'd appreciate prayers. Missed both of Andy's calls, but he seems to be doing good by what I can tell from the messages.
What you just read was written at 2pm and now it's nine and it's amazing how different I feel now. After taking down the laundry in the rain and having a frustrating nap (did I sleep?) got a call from Beth - friend in Abb. - asking for my address and that helped change perspective - I dunno. Anyway, cleaned the bathroom with Sarah, baked Cara version of Hermits (packed all the baked goods for Andy), and some terrific shaped molasses-brown rice syrup and nut butter cookies for Sarah (and me, I like em too. I was glad to see she liked them too).
Then a short call from Tanya tonight too. Nice.
Things we've been doing/have happened lately I didn't mention:
-our squash plants outside are whilting cause of the tremendous rain
-a large deer walked through our garden (squash the squash eh?)
-I am battling for my flowers out front (they are doing quite actually, even the one the cats dug out completely in order to poop in the hole it left behind). The cats like to use the bed as a litter box. I scoop the poop and have put sticks in between the flowers to keep the cats out. Added more today. I think that should do it...we'll see.
-Battling mosquitos too...
Got a call from Andy this evening. Things going well. Tomorrow they are in groups of 4 (the students) and they lead a guide (acting as a client) on a hike (something like that). After tomorrow the whole thing gets more 'evaluative' Andy said. They went on a guided hike today.

the race

Aloha. Oh, that word sounds like a great vacation in Hawaii. Anyway, just a brief note to say that things are fairly intense here gearing up for Andy's course. I'm typing with eyes closed cause they'd reather be sleeping. I've been fighting tiredness...went down with Sarah at naptime but couldn't sleep...got some writing and reading in after an hour of laying in bed...maybe some sleep. Anyway, today held a lot. Canning beans, making Andy's fav. recipe for his trip (Hermit cookies), laundry,and making dinner...homemade tortillas with cabbage green pepper fried up thing, quinoa, and beans (wraps). Trying training pants with Sarah. I think she doesn't mind being wet. She's been enjoying using the new stools in the bathrooms that my mom sent up. I'm feeling long winded, but wanted to ask for prayer for Andy as he drives and participates tin this course (Day Hiking Guide Course in Canmore AB). They are watching his every move and even 'grade' him on his gear. It's quite an intense course and the skills they are looking for are those one could develop for years. Andy's done awesome reading to prepare, I think, and pray for confidence as he participates. How's that?
Had fun 'going crazy' for 15 min. outside with Sarah before dinner - run around on the grass out front...I'd run, then she'd run under my legs.
Lance and Aimee (my sister) had their twin babies. So exciting - they've been on my mind a lot. Actually, Dad and Mom Abrahams were here Mon. evening till Tues evening and we got the call of the twins arrival Tues morning (5:30 am), so got to share that with the Abrahams'. So, I had known Aimee was in labor that day, so my sleep that night was not the greatest to say the least. At 3:15 am I woke up to use the bathroom and thinking and I remember thinking, "What's happening, did they all die? God, I really need to sleep to enjoy the Abrahams' visit." Anyway, I was up for about an hour after breakfast I think, then back to bed. Good times with the Abrahams' - two highlights were planting flowers with Mom and having Dad point out constalations (faint, summer sky - not so dark, you know) from our back porch...and seeing them interact with Sarah of course.
Ok, dishes await and packing some food stuffs for Andy.

Helmet time.

Hey-ya.

Andy belaying. We all got one climb in before it started raining.

After the Maylong weekend we went to Skaha bluffs (Penticton) with Holly (pictured here) and Brandon to go rock climbing. Great fun. Rock tower time for Sarah and Holly.

The watching crowd at the ball game. Sarah, Erin, her kids Nic, can barely see Maddy's head, Austin. We were coloring pictures of the ball game.

The yearly baseball game on the vacation. Rosy swings.

At the beach one morning.

Uncle Steve and sleepy Sarah.

Grandma Kathy and Sarah mid-bun chew.

From left: Reg in front, then Gwen, Joy, Merv...little babe on right is Maddox (Maddy) with his Dad Brian (my cousin Erin is Maddy's Mom).

May long weekend at Casa Loma Resort in Kelowna. Every year my Dad's side of the family vacations together this weekend. This is where we ate some meals. Jacqueline and 8 week old Malachi in front.

Am I sleeping?

it was cloudy now it's sunny

I don't blog it seems when there is a lot going on. It's an intense season as Andy preps for his hiking course June 10-17 in Canmore (reading, practicing skills). I feel like a zombie currently...Sarah's been waking at 6 or 6:30 am the last few days. Scroll down for some 'new' pics (new to you, but the events happened a bit ago).
Here's an entry I started on May 16th...
Hello. A lot has been going on. Last night we had Karla, Brandon, (Leadership training people) Carol (director) and Holly (programming person) over for dinner and some games. It was great - our first entertaining while being up here. They were all great with Sarah which was fun. Here are some more point form happenings of late.
-Sarah has been saying "yeah" now outloud. You ask her if she wants to do something or liked something and she'll say yee-ah-a with this expressive inflection which I recognize in myself.
-Sarah went on her first hike
-Mother' Day pancakes, park lunch, kayak ride.
-swimming in lake yesterday.
-clothesline and rhubarb

Dad, do you need a 'new' book rack for the story - this one's in the shop at camp and not currently being used. :)

I've got a rock, I'm lookin' at something.

Sarah when we visited daddy at work in the last pic.

Andy at work...he's working on some supports for the bridge.

Good day. New clothesline Andy put up (it's been up now for 3 weeks, these are old pics) and first rhubarb...note the smallness of it compared to that on the coast.

First batch of rhubarb from our neighbor Mary.

Mother's Day...no pic of me in the kayak but here's Andy and Sarah coming in. She's on a ridgerest sleeping mat in the bottom of the boat.

Oh Yes, Mother's Day. Up early with Sarah, then back to bed while Andy and Sarah made pancakes and a card. Church, then out to a park in town for lunch. Then a lovely kayak around the lake for me while Andy and Sarah fished in the rowboat.

Tree time. This was a fun hike. We took off from our house, up some game trails...Sarah's height helped her during the bushwhacking. Then after about 20 min she was tired and she came up with me for the rest of the hike. Her first hike this was I believe.

On our hike up to 'Twin Pines' taking off from our house.