On Eagle's Wings

As I worked on my computer I was watching a bald eagle soar outside my window. It gave new meaning to one of my favorite scripture verses, Isaiah 40:31 - Those that wait upon the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles.....he looked so effortless soaring! I want that too Lord! Help me to wait on you so that I too can mount up on eagle's wings!

An Incredible Heritage

Last month I traveled to the funeral of my aunt, the wife of one of my mother's brothers. I knew before I went that it would be a special time of coming together with family that I had not seen in years. But little did I know just what an impact it would have on me. My mother was one of 8 children, the second youngest and second daughter. At the funeral she was able to be in the same room as her sister(the oldest remaining sibling who will be turning 90 years old this May) and 3 of her brothers(unfortunately the youngest wasn't able to make it)

I was so thankful to be there both for my parents and for my Uncle Otto who had just lost the love of his life(they had been married for almost 63 years!) He is a gentle, kind soul who reminded me so much of my grandfather who has been gone for 33 years already.

It was touching to see the special care of each of the siblings for my uncle. This picture brings tears to my eyes as I think of my aunt talking to her younger brother about his loss. She and her husband celebrated their 70th wedding anniversary this past year!!! How amazing is that?

And these two sisters....what joy there is in just being together!! As I have reflected since I got home on this family I am so thankful for an incredible heritage of faith and family.  My mother was only five years old when they lost their home for the first time and left Romania for first Germany and later Poland. After the war they had to flee for their lives again and lost so much! Thankfully only one brother was a casualty of the war and many times I heard my grandmother tell the story of how first one son, and then the next, and the next, and the next, and then her husband and finally her son-in-law were all reunited after the war.

At the funeral one of my uncles reflected on the godly heritage that my grandparents had imparted on their family. God was truly their Shepherd and He had led them through war and peace before they settled here in Canada as immigrants in 1951. Even while we sat at the kitchen table at my aunt's she commented several times how blessed we all were to be living here in Canada where God had given us so very much!

And I have to agree! I have an incredible heritage and I was blessed to have a small reminder of that in the days I spent together with my aging uncles and aunts. The oldest will be 93 and at 75 my mother is the youngest! But oh what a blessed time it was....

Spring on the Pond

We are blessed with the most beautiful park just blocks from our house. In late winter and early spring, there are many different species of migratory birds that stop in for while....like the green-winged teal....

It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful the males are and how plain the females are, all to protect them and their young.

The Common Mergansers are beautiful with their dark green heads, and quite a large duck compared to this little pair of Buffleheads.

The much smaller Hooded Merganser always amazes me with the intricate detail in it's feathers. When they dive down into the water to get food they fold their feathered crest back down flat against their heads....so interesting!

A pair of Ring-necked Ducks enjoy their perch on a log.

When much of the country is still covered with snow, I am blessed to be able to walk around the park three times a week with a great friend....and as we see all the wildlife we are reminded that our Heavenly Father takes care of all of their needs and He will take care of ours too!

Have a great week enjoying your blessings!

Special Visitors

We love it when Heather and Kai come to visit like they did earlier this month. Matt had a course so he was away for the week so they came down to the warm country for a winter get-away!

Who wouldn't like it when this smiley boy comes to visit!

He thought the handle on our wood stove door downstairs made the perfect microphone! We laughed, and laughed and laughed as he stood there and sang into it and then turned around for our applause. I wonder where he learned that?!

One afternoon he decided to entertain us.....with his hat on and his doggie and rabbit in hand, he was ready!!

Hard to get down the stairs with everything in hand.

So a little rest was in order! You can see the twinkle in his eyes as he was smiling behind that thumb in his mouth! Thanks for the visit! Come again real soon!

Cousins

I borrowed this first picture off Megan's blog because it was just so cute I had to share it with those of you that don't make it over there! Heather and Kai were down for a week at the beginning of the month and it was so fun to see the cousins together. Megan took this picture while they were over there and watching some cartoons.....Jaxon and Kai are quite the pair! They are just missing Lexi who would fit right in with her thumb in her mouth!

Kai loves doing everything that his big cousins do, whether reading a book, playing with the ball or running through the house! He and Aidan interact the most together and Aidan is so awesome with Kai.

Just chillin' with Auntie Megan! I look forward to watching these boys grow up together! I'm sure there will be no end to the amount of trouble that they will get into!

Everything Old is New Again

A couple of weeks ago the boys spent the weekend here while Megs went to a Basketball Tournament in Penticton with Jamie and the Grade 8 Teams. I knew that somewhere there were still a couple of boxes of Jamie's old toys so I went on a search through our storage room.

I found them!!! And that got two little boys very excited!!! Who knew that 30 year old toys could be so much fun to play with....

.....everything old really is new again! And I have two more boxes of cars, trucks, little men, airplanes, motorcycles and other boy toys in my Rec Room for them to play with. So much fun!

Some of you reading this might have some memories flooding back as you see these toys! I know I sure did!