Just an ordinary day.......

Taking my husband to work so I can use the car, sleeping a few hours, then getting ready to run errands ...... like looking for a picture frame for Heather, taking back a parcel for Nancy, picking up a few groceries for us, going to get Ardy's house key so I can water her plants while they are on vacation in Mexico, window-shopping (my favorite thing), having coffee and reading the Sun at MacDonald's.......what a treat to be able to have the time to do that and relax a little, going to one of my favorite stores (Linens and Things) to look at all kinds of things ( I have a very good coupon in my purse) so my head is starting to think Christmas gifts!!
Just an ordinary gal, on an ordinary day, doing some ordinary things........ but the very fact that this ordinary gal is able to breath and walk and work and love and laugh and see and hear (sometimes!!!) and eat (how fun!!) absolutely proves that the day is not just ordinary but extraordinary........

I'm thankful....

Open my heart and you will see
All the blessings that were brought to me;
Golden rays from the sun's bright hue,
Acres of diamonds with the morning dew,
Smiles of my friends whom I hold dear,
Wishes from loved ones far and near,
Happiness is things we take for granted,
Seeds of kindness we may have planted,
Peace of mind that comes from above
Wishing that everyone had more love.

Why do we worry and often fret
For unseen objects we cannot get,
When all we need do is open our eyes
To all the wonders and surprise.....
Tiny seeds growing in the warm earth,
The cozy warm fire aglow on the hearth,
Family ties that mean so much,
A bountiful harvest, a dear one's touch,
A house that's a home on a country lane.....
Then being thankful all over again.

Thanksgiving Day seems to say:
I'm never just another day;
I'm set aside for thanks and prayer,
A special day for folks to share;
A day for joy and gratitude,
For open fires and special food;
Time for thinking about the brave
Who gave their lives this day to save;
A time for faith and hope this day......
That's what thanksgiving seems to say.

In Fergus....

Well, our kids made it back yesterday to Fergus and I think tomorrow Eric has an appointment to see a doctor which is good. They made it to Dickinson the first night, left our house at 9:00 A.M. and had a pretty good trip, Eric driving the whole way. The grandkids enjoyed the pool at the hotel and then drove the rest of the way on Sat. I still don't like the silence of our house, I could have cried and cried Friday morning when they left but as my mom used to say to me, if you are feeling down, just get to work or get out of the house.........so that is what I did, stripped the beds, did about 6 loads of laundry, did the dishes, worked like a madwoman and do you know what? It did make me feel better plus in the end I had a sense of accomplishment!!!! Every once in awhile, I would look at the pictures we took, run my fingers over the many new drawings the kids made us to put on the fridge (I don't have room left), read the lovely note that Mikenna wrote for her grandpa and put in his lunchbox, and of course prayed for them as they travelled. I really don't know how my parents did it when they would say good-bye to my brothers and their wives and grandkids when they left for Africa knowing that they would not see them for 4 years. They did not have email at that time so the letters that were written took alot longer. I am sure they shed many tears.....just another hard thing for them to go through with God's help but it made them stronger. How I admire them!

Empty House........

The house is empty and I am not so sure I like it right now!!!! It has been so wonderful having Eric and Susanne and kids home for almost two weeks and one week with Nancy being here altogether. Then Heather and Duane would come in or we would all go out to Okotoks. Can it be any better than that? What blessings........but also surprising curves in our lives sometimes and that is what happened in the life and times of the Archie household. I told you in my last blog that Eric wasn't feeling well that day at Banff....well, the pain and a low-grade fever continued and finally day before yesterday and after a very miserable night of pain, Susanne took him to Urgent Care and then to Rockyview for tests!!!! It turns out after 15 hours of seeing different doctors, waiting, bloodtests, waiting, catscan, waiting, waiting and more waiting..... that it is a ruptured appendix!!!! The surgeon decided that Eric is to wait a week taking two kinds of antibiotics to fight the infection and then get his doctor in Fergus to drain the area and then three months later have his appendix removed!! So they had to stay two days longer than planned and today they left for Fergus, hopefully making it as far as Bismark tonight. The doctor told him that he could travel, Susanne would help drive. Even if they stayed, the surgeon wouldn't have done anything for a week just because the area was so inflamed and surgery might have caused more problems. So we never know what is around the corner of our lives and perhaps that is just as well. But we do know that we receive strength for the day and our God looks after us no matter what comes......

Joy and Sorrow.......

What a wonderful week........having our family home - Nancy coming by plane last Sat. Oct. 7 as well as Eric and Susanne arriving the same day around 1:00 P.M. by car. We had a very busy week with church, Thanksgiving dinner, going to the mountains on Monday where we had an absolutely beautiful day in Banff (poor Grandpa and Eric didn't have as good a time because both of them were feeling a little under the weather)......getting ready for Nancy's shower on Wed. night at the church.....going up to spend some time with Great-gramma at the Beverly.....just spending time together.......having the little ones come upstairs in the morning all sleepy-eyed and warm dragging their favorite blankets and being cozy on the couch while we had our morning coffee in front of a fire in the fireplace, chatting and laughing with my daughters, doing some shopping. Sat. Oct. 14th came too fast and we had to say good-bye to Nanc for a little while.... til we go down to Fergus for the birth. She looks absolutely radiant and she and Wayne are so looking forward to the little one make his appearance in Jan. Sue and Eric and their family took off again for the Kananaskis on Sat. morning and we took Nanc out for lunch before seeing her off at the airport at 3:15 P.M. Then we (Jim and I) went to the Legacy Five concert at Grace Baptist Church with Rob and Carol on Saturday night. What a blessed, joyous time listening to these fellows sing!!!!! Joy and sorrow often go together and when we arrived home on Sat. night, we had a message from my sister Joyce telling us the Howard (Viv's husband) had passed away that evening. I phoned Viv right away and talked with her. She is so strong and we know God is providing her with strength. So another loved one has gathered on the other side. We will go to Saskatoon for the funeral probably at the end of the week.
Today we spent at Heather and Duane's out in Okotoks.....so fun!!! Eric and Susanne are staying with them tonight and then they don't leave until Wed. morning early so we have a couple more days.......Time just goes too fast......

O.K. so I am getting a mite excited..........

Three more sleeps and we wait in anticipation for the kids.......how exciting is that!!!!!! I got a message on my phone this morning which I could not make out except that there was a quite abit of screaming going on and a few words at the end saying......."and we get to have coffee together too!!!" I think I recognized the voice......it was my second born crazy daughter who can be and always has been quite vocal when she is excited about something especially when she knows she is coming home!!!! Home.....what a warm and friendly word in my memory.....I could hardly wait for the last leg of the journey......I remember the butterflies in my stomach as we would turn the final corner on the country dirt road to the hamlet of Tiger Hills, past the small, general store, past my dad's blacksmith shop and then the last 1/4 of a mile to our 2-story house..... we would drive into the driveway admiring my mom's beautiful flower garden with a fragrant lilac hedge along the road and flowers everywhere.......and then at last to see them standing....... waiting for their children and grandchildren with open arms and love in their eyes.........to end up sitting around the cozy kitchen table catching up on all the news and drinking a steaming cup of good boiled coffee!!!!! Yes it is hard having our daughters and their families live that far away but what a special time it is when they do come home.........

Continuing.......

Continuing on with Saturday..... at 5:30 p.m., we were invited to a surprise 60th birthday party for some dear friends of ours that attend the same church as us. It was such a nice time and yes they were totally surprised!!!! Their two sons and their wives had planned the party and it was wonderful!!!! They had invited family and friends....some who came all the way from Saskatchewan, from Edmonton, from B.C. , Calgary and I don't know where else! Their daughter-in-law has a gift of decorating - weddings, showers, birthday parties, you name it - she does an amazing job. And one of the things that she did that night was to tell the story of this special couple's lives on poster boards - using pictures!!! Very interesting and fun!!! Congratulations to you, Laura and Glen on reaching this milestone!!! You guys will always be young to us and to all the people that know you no matter how many years go by!!! And you know what.....60 is a great age....we know ..... we are there!!!! It is just a number!!!!!

Leaves, leaves and more leaves!!!!!!

Yesterday was the most gorgeous fall day you could ever imagine in the city of Calgary!!! The sun was shining, the sky was so blue and the colors of the leaves on the trees are just at their peak. Guess what my hubby and I did? Raked and raked and raked til we had 12 huge orange garbage bags full of leaves just from our front yard. We got dusty and dirty and today we have sore muscles and guess what - our front lawn now has another layer of leaves on it. But it was fun...even though it is hard work, the day was so wonderful, we loved being outside. Of course, we had to stop for coffee at least two or three times!! We left a pile of leaves in the back yard so our grandchildren could jump and bury themselves and just have a blast when they came for the 2 hours in the afternoon!! I got some great pictures. Then Grandpa decided to give them rides in the wheelbarrow and dump them into the bags of leaves out in the back. They enjoyed that immensely!!!! We were glad our neighbours on either side of us decided to rake as well cause if they don't and if the wind comes up, we all get another probably 12 bags. O the fun of having poplars along the street!!!! I love them, they look so beautiful in the fall and their millions of bright orange and yellow leaves stay on the branches for such a short time then decide to fall gently to the ground and on the lawns and in the shrubs and flowers and eves of the houses and everywhere you can think of!!! The roots of poplars grow very close to the surface too so they can cause havoc with the sidewalks and the cement blocks become uneven!!! Guess what happened? I tripped on one of the uneven blocks and did a sidebody connection with the cement and in the process broke my toe plus I am black and blue down one arm and leg!!!! I am just glad it was in the backyard instead of the front yard for all the neighbourhood to see!!! One always wonders - now how in the world did that happen!!!!! I tell you, my old nature came to the forefront and I felt like screaming or crying or something!!!!!!! I hate swear words or even slang - I don't say them but somehow when something like that happens, they kind of just pop into your mind!!! However, I got up and in a few minutes the pain was pretty much over and I continued working, limping yes but no broken bones for which I thanked the good Lord because you see in another week's time, my grandchildren from the States will be here and I certainly want to be able to pick them up and walk with them and cuddle with them! And we want to go to the mountains, do abit of hiking and of course how can we forget shopping or window-shopping whatever the case may be!!!! And on that note I will sign off for this time.......IT WAS A GLORIOUS DAY!!!!

Company!

Today my brother Lloyd and his wife Betty are coming to our house from Ft.St.John, BC. They are coming for the 50th wedding anniversary celebrations of my other brother Ron and his wife, Delaine on Saturday. Times moves on!!! Lloyd was in their wedding party and it just does not seem possible that 50 yrs.have gone by already. Ron and Delaine have been role models for Jim and I. I remember when Ron would bring Delaine home to mom and dad's when they were courting. I was just at the age where this was soooooo romantic and I thought to myself, I want to have what they have, a love so strong and a friendship which still goes on today. Plus they have a strong Christian faith and it shows. They are simply the best.......They have raised three handsome sons and one beautiful daughter and they have 12 grandchildren. I love them so much and wish them many more happy and wonderful years together. Blessings to a dear couple!

22 days!!!!!!

In exactly 22 days from today, our kids from the States arrive in Calgary and we are just so excited!! Nancy comes from Winnipeg via Westjet on Sat. Oct. 7th and Eric, Sue and family come on Sat. sometime. They are driving. Nanc is staying for a week and the Strom's for a week and a few days!! We just wish Wayne could come as well. It will just be so good to have them here for Canadian Thanksgiving! We will celebrate with the traditional turkey dinner, turkey and all the trimmings!!! And we hope it is going to be nice that following week so we can go out to the mountains. Maybe we will have a wonderful Indian summer. The trees are already turning color and the streets are covered with leaves. I love fall, the crispness in the air and the brilliant colors on the trees. Today I am sitting here at the computer and as I type I look over and on the floor is little Kalle playing with toys, in the family room is Jemma, Siri and Nate writing in their little notebooks and watching Winnie the Pooh. Their parents went out for dinner last night and then today they will maybe get some more boxes unpacked. It is hard to do stuff with 4 little ones around as you know Sue and Eric when you have moved. It is raining out today and they say we might get some snow. Yesterday they had snow in Banff and Canmore and expecting more today. Tomorrow, Sept. 17th is Sue's birthday - Happy Birthday Sue!!! I remember so vividly the day you were born. We were getting ready for church and all of sudden, my water broke and we had to quickly get to the hospital. And at exactly 10:56 A.M. just before church started, you were born!!! What a thrill! You had lots and lots of black hair!! You looked like a little papoose and you weighed in at 10# 5oz. We will celebrate your birthday, Noah's and Heather's when you come!!! So you will have to wait for your birthday gift!! Have a wonderful day and you know we will be thinking about you. Listen real hard and perhaps you will hear your dad and I singing to you!!!!!..........

Overwhelmed!!

I am overwhelmed with emotion tonight as I looked again at Nancy's blog and the ultrasound pictures of our precious little grandson in the womb!! All I can say is this: It is truly a miracle, a miracle that only God in His love can perform. Words cannot adequately express the wonder and the overwhelming feeling of awe and humility when you think how this little person is being formed. I think of the verses in the Psalms where it says:

For you created my inmost being: you knit me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well!

Besides being a miracle, it is a mystery. Know this, little one.... that the God who created the universe is right there beside you, even now, holding you in His tender hands , giving you a mommy and daddy who will love you forever, who will pray for you and teach you that "you are special" and the best news of all, that Jesus loves you........

Fun Weekend!!!

We just got back from a 2-day mini-vacation. Saturday morning we got up early, made a picnic lunch and took off north to O'l MacDonald's Resort and Campground near Stettler, Alberta around 9:00 A.M. We took off on a different highway, went through cute little towns, past cows grazing in the pastures, saw many very nice acreages and farms along the way, drove down into valleys and over rivers. Finally about 11:30 A.M., we reached the campground where Heather and Duane and their friends (their daughter Courtney goes to Trinity and was in the same grade as Jemma) were situated. What a great place for families!! It is right on Buffalo Lake which is shallow so far out, a nice beach,and lots of things for the kids to do. We spent the afternoon with them at the beach, then took off about 4:00 P.M. for Camrose. We didn't tell anyone we were coming, just got a hotel room for the night. It was such a gorgeous evening so we went for a long walk around Mirror Lake right in the middle of Camrose. Camrose reminds us of Fergus so much. Went to Walmart and then came back to the hotel and ate at the restaurant there. We got up this morning, made coffee and I still had blueberries and strawberries in the cooler so we had that for breakfast. Got ready for church and of course seen alot of people there. Joy insisted we come for lunch so we did. They are in the process of selling their house and are building another one which they will live in for perhaps a year and then sell. They think they will be able to get into it in Oct. Their boys and another friend build the houses and Orv and Joy are the general contractors. Alot of work but they are so good at it. The house they are living in now is absolutely beautiful and are hoping to sell it at a very good price. They had just been to Hawaii for 6 days from Aug.11 - 17th to attend their son Kjell's wedding on Lanikai Beach in Oahu. It was Joy and Orv, Kjell's girlfriend's mom and her Gramma and Kjell and Michelle. They showed us pictures. Very nice! We recognized the beach cause we had spent time at the exact same spot. We left their place around 2:00 P.M. and drove to Wetaskwin to the Reynolds Museum where there was a motorcycle display and also a threshing and harvesting demonstration. Jim was in his glory!!!! I sat out in my chair on the lawn, reading and enjoying the sun. I guess it was about 4:30 when we left there and drove to Sylvan Lake for supper. The beaches there were just packed with people, the lake with boats, seadoos, sailboats, waterskiers, rafts, etc., etc.!!! We ate at Joey's Only which was right beside a marina and watched as people came with their boats to go for a ride and then got their boats out of the water and unto their trailers. Very interesting! It was two great days away and tomorrow it is going to be nice again so we are going to our lake to spend a few hours. The last few weeks have been so extremely busy so it is so good to relax!!!!

They have moved!!!

Happy Days.....our kids have moved and are getting settled. This is just a little poem I came across and I thought was so good when we think of our homes. So to my daughters and their hubbies and children.......
A roof to keep out the rain,
Four walls to keep out the wind,
Floors to keep out the cold.....
Yes, but home is more than that:
It is the laugh of a baby,
The song of a mother,
The strength of a father,
Warmth of loving hearts,
Light from happy eyes,
Kindness, loyalty, companionship,
Home is first school
And first church for young ones,
Where they learn what is right,
What is good and what is kind,
Where they go for comfort
When they are hurt or sick:
Where joy is shared
And sorrow eased.
Where fathers and mothers
Are respected and loved,
Where children are wanted,
Where the simplest food
Is good enough for kings
Because it is earned.
Where money is not so important
As loving-kindness;
Where even the teakettle
Sings from happiness.
This is home........
God bless it!
Love you and pray for you all. Mom

I have seven brothers!!!!

Can you believe it? I have seven brothers!!!! They are all unique, fun and some of them are so competitive especially when it comes to golfing!!! I love them all so much and have learned alot from them over the years. One of my brothers is in Heaven and I am looking forward to seeing him again someday. I guess the brother I knew the best growing up was my brother who is two years older than me. We fought, we played. He was a loner but when we reached our teens, we became best friends! Then he left to go to California for college and I missed him but we kept in touch by letter. In fact when I went to Bible School, I met a girl from Wisconsin who became my best friend and who I thought would be a perfect match for my brother. Do you know what? He met her, he fell in love and he married her and this summer they spent almost two weeks with us again and what a wonderful time we had together. We have visited them in their beautiful, cozy home in Colorado and just appreciate them so much. They have 4 beautiful daughters who we love like our own. Isn't family just the best? My brother pastors a church in Fort Collins and his wife is there right beside him and I guess what I so love about them is their enthusiasm and excitement about their faith in Jesus and life in general. No, the road has not always been easy for them but through it all , they have kept the faith and know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God is right there beside them whatever may come. You two are an inspiration!!! We love you, our daughters and their families love you and we continue to pray that God in His great love will surround you each and every day!! Blessings!

Movin'!!!!!!!

Who said movin' was easy? It is a huge job and I am glad that I can still stay in my humble home for a few more years yet!!!! Heather and Duane are in the process of moving out to an older home in Okotoks and with the flooring guys putting hardwood down plus painting the bedrooms plus packing and frustration on the legal end of things plus four kids running around, it is quite a production!!! It will happen however and everyone will survive!!!!! I have kept the kids for the afternoons so they are out of the house and they have been good. Jemma has gone to VBS in the mornings and she plays with Carter in the afternoons. Heather is on the phone many times a day to the lawyer, the real estate agent, etc. etc. Last Sunday night, they were invited to the Kargs, bless their hearts, for a welcome to the neighbourhood party as well as good-bye to the people who are moving out of the house. It was such a good time for them all and they got to meet their neighbours in the cul-de-sac!! What a thoughtful thing for the Kargs to do. But then that is how they are, thoughtful and kind. Jemma got to meet a girl the same age as her. The big stuff will be moved on Friday morning so everything has to be good to go then!!!! I say, it will happen......it always does!!!!!! In the meantime, we pray for patience and good old-fashioned strength plus some good sleeps!!!!!!

Wedding bells!

It was a glorious day for a wedding! Pastor Anthony and Kim were married yesterday - a day that all the congregation had been praying for. They looked so happy and enjoyed the entire day which included the ceremony, a reception with cake and coffee at the church immediately following, pictures out at Kim's parent's farm and then another reception at the Canyon Meadows Golf Club at 6:00 P.M. Kim looked beautiful and Anthony, very dashing!!! Weddings are so fun and it just brings back memories of our own wedding. Their wedding was meaningful and God-honoring and everything went so well. We just congratulate them and pray that God would go with them as they fly out Monday for beautiful Oahu for a 2-week honeymoon. Blessings to a dear couple.

What a blast!!!!

Yes, I can definately say that it was a BLAST being with my sisters who by the way are all over 70 yrs. and two of them are into their 80's!!!!! (I am the youngest sister.) But they don't look it and certainly don't act it!!! My second oldest sister who turned 80 last year drove all the way from California with her husband who just had open heart surgery in April/06!!!! I am truly amazed at that!! We all had more fun talking, laughing, drinking coffee, laughing some more, drinking coffee, going for walks, talking, talking and more talking, doing some crying, sharing our lives with each other, as Gwen says, we can let our hair down when we are together and still know that we are loved unconditionally...... some talked more than others. Viv and I are the quiet ones!!!!!! NOT!!!! We also talked about how good it is to have our Christian heritage, a childhood that was difficult sometimes because of being so poor but so rich in knowing that our parents loved us more than life itself and faithfully prayed for us as we were growing up and prayed for us til their dying day! Not only did they pray for their children but their grandchildren and great-grandchildren and many others! O how we still miss them. Cedar Lodge was the place and the people that work there are so nice. They have a wonderful ministry to the homeless in Saskatoon, providing meals for so many. Christ's love in action. It is a retreat center so they do wedding receptions, conferences, family reunions, etc. The Cadets had been there for the weekend before we came and they were catering to another big group the weekend after. They treated us like VIP's, made us the most wonderful home-cooked healthy meals and one of their cooks, a gal from the Phillipines played in the kitchen (her very words). She made roses and birds out of apples, a mouse out of a lime, a bouquet of flowers out of green onions, carrots and honeydew melon rind. I got pictures of them all. They had soft music playing at every meal and were so glad we liked the Christian music they played. We watched home videos (I had made one of the last three sister reunions) so we watched that, Viv's grandaughter's wedding and "Love's Enduring Promise"!! We swam in the pool, Ida G, Joyce, Auntie Jewel and I and had so much fun. Precious, precious times together. We stayed from Tues. at noon to Thurs. noon. Then I went to the farm with Joyce to help her get ready for everyone coming down on Friday for a big dinner at noon. Do you know what she served? New potatos, new carrots, new peas, tomatos and beans fresh from the garden. Beet and dill pickles that she had done, homemade buns, a pork tenderloin roast with mushroom gravy and for dessert, a raspberry, blueberry and banana trifle......raspberries from her garden of course!!!! One word......Yummy!!!! I guess there was 11 of us around her table in her country kitchen. She makes such a good farmer's wife!! It was so good to have that time together but it was so good to get home too!!! I rested alot today because I woke up with a sore throat and headache this morning (I had been fighting a cold all week) so stayed home from church and slept and slept. My co-worker phoned this afternoon and wanted to work tonight so she could have next Sunday night off. I was so glad so I am going to bed early. This coming week is going to be busy again. Til next time, my family and friends..............

Praying for you Stephen and Julene!

Larry, Irene and I sat today and watched the military ceremony for Jason Warren, Stephen's brother on CBC. He was buried in Ottawa at the military cemetery there. It was almost surreal seeing Stephen, Julene and his sister, his mom and dad standing there, sometimes emotional and sometimes sombre, grieving for their son and brother and brother-in-law, yet knowing that Jason had died doing what he wanted to do and that was serving his country. Irene cried as she watched. It brings it all close to home when a family member is hurting. From all the reports, Jason was a very good soldier and well respected by his colleagues who were also grieving his death. He was known for his wide smile and infectious laugh and oh how much he looked like Stephen. It is so hard to lose a loved one. Stephen and Julene, we just want you to know that we are continually praying for you that God in His great love will be your strength at this time. We love you.

What a weekend!!

What a weekend, Friday night and all day Saturday at the first Calgary Women of Faith Conference! It was wonderful!!!! We had many great speakers, funny, inspirational, ordinary women who through various experiences, sometimes painful experiences have such JOY in their lives, who know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are loved by God and that they CAN reach out and touch someone who needs a friend and needs to know that they are loved. We are unique as women and God has made us special. We sang some wonderful praise songs, heard the group Avalon, laughed til the tears came and cried with the women as they shared what they had learned. Speakers like Luci Swindoll, Patsy Clairmont, Sheila Walsh, Marilyn Meberg and Donna VanLiere. What encouragement to hear what they had to say. And to hear Max Lucado speak on Friday night. I definately want to go again next August when they come back to Calgary. Nanc and Sue, Heather and I can definately see why you spoke so highly of this conference. Wouldn't it be fun to be at one together. Maybe someday..........

Women of Faith!

Yes, we finally get to go to a Women of Faith Conference. There are about 8 of us going from our church and we will meet tonight at 5:30 P.M. at Peace and then take the C-train down to the Saddledome. My two daughters from the states have told me how much they have enjoyed the last I think it is about 3 years that they have attended one and so it will be interesting to hear the speakers and the music. I am excited to hear Max Lucado speak. Patsy Clairmont as well. I have read her book. Will update after the conference.