And Back Again

As I contemplate the numerous blessings of this whirlwind short and sweet trip 

I'm realizing that I could feel greatly thankful if even just one of them had come true . . .

but there were more.

Maybe I can attempt a small window view into my time
on this thawing prairie land.

A morning visit to my bedroom . . .  all four of us tucked under one big blanket.

Story times on the couch or before bed.

Baking times. 

As I prepared for the class I had two helpers wanting to share the counter with me.

It took some concentration, trying not to forget about what I was doing, 

while watching little hands

 . . . so eager!

The anticipated morning with the moms brought on a shower of blessings 

through Kari, the ladies who planned the morning and the eighty ladies who came.

It was a delight to meet young women behind the scenes 

of the reading of the blog and the cookbooks!

Another blessing was to observe the bonding that took place between the oldest and youngest of our eight.

Teddy could not stand to have 'ehya out of her sight.

A precious moment I think of is when Ben came home from work one day and

Lacey, in a round about way, told him of how he had missed trying one of her buns.

With a big smile of awareness on his face, he asked her where they were?

"I ate them!" she announced with glee.

Just being there gave me a real live view of activities that make up the week, 

such as Lacey's art class and both girls' gymnastics classes. 

Ben showed me some of the homes they've built 

and Kari took me to a favorite bagel place in town.

I've come to realize that as this season of life continues to open up new challenges 

there is joy in following through on them,

be it stepping up to the podium or traveling with a granddaughter -

both an opportunity to meet wonderful people, more than willing to 

encourage or to lend a helping hand.

Tehya, it was so much fun to do this trip with you!

It makes me wish for more!

Tuesday Morning

On Monday evening Kari and I met up with Luanne and Sue to set up and make sure everything,

 such as the worktable, mics and power point were set to go. 

and we left a room ready to welcome the ladies coming the next morning.

I did not run around with a camera in my hand . . . so this is it.

But the pictures in my mind are precious . . .

a fun intro by a daughter-by-love . . .

a yummy breakfast buffet . . .

lots of chatter . . .

and gazing out at a beautiful group of young moms

encouraged to celebrate the season of life they are in right now.

If any of you who were there are reading this,

Thank you for your hospitality!

Great Landing!

Seven years ago . . .

and now.

When our first grandchild was taken across the Pacific, almost ten years ago, to a foreign place and people -

I never expected the kind of experiences that would bring us together.

And now this trip!

From the air Saskatchewan looks like a huge white blanket.

Coming down a little lower, you'd think we were entering a Christmas village

Once in  my Picasa, I had to zoom in and crop . . .  Dickens. . .  in March.

But no matter the lingering winter .  . . the welcome was warm!

The youngest ones, pleased to have the sole attention of an older cousin

while we caught up with life that gets missed on texts. 

Real conversations over delicious homemade soup . . .

all together down time on couches after dinner . . .

goodnight wishes . . .

flowers by the bedside . . .

I believe in the expression . . . I'm rich as a queen!

A Hop and a Skip Over the Mountains

This weekend I'm packing a small suitcase and going on an adventure with Tehya!

Can you tell I'm loving all the firsts with a grandchild in the tween age?

 It began with talk last summer about her going to visit uncle Ben and auntie Kari to help 

 with the kids . . . but the logistics of travelling alone were never really checked out

 and it looked like time was going to run out for her. . . 

until I got an invitation to share at the Mom's Group Kari attends in Saskatoon. 

The possibility of accompanying Grammy brought a huge smile . . . near tears kind of smile!  

And so, plans were set in place. 

It's another one of those do it while you can, things . . . and we will make the most of it.  

While she plays the little nanny part, I'll get in some story time,
 put some treats into the freezer and enjoy a morning with young moms at the church.
We will be talking about true significance
and simple meals from the roaster and the freezer.

 Part of this sounds very surreal to me . . . but I go,

knowing that God has given the opportunity and will provide for each step of the way.

Hope Deferred

With a promise of being blessed with future generations, Abraham and Sarah set out in anticipation to a country God would show them. But as the years went by and there was no child, Sarah resigned herself to the life of one who would never be a mother. Her resignation led her to take things into her own hands by planning a way to raise a family by a surrogate mother or maidservant.

As women we understand how she would lose all hope. As long as we have possible hope, there is an anchor for our desire. We can say that it is easier to hope when there is a good chance (in the way that we understand things) that our need can be fulfilled, but lose hope when there seems to be no chance. Proverbs tells us plainly that “hope deferred makes the heart sick.”

True hope is explained in Romans 8:24 as “hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has?” So the question that we may face is, do we hope in what may be possible or do we put our hope in God’s promise and character, the one who sees the beginning to the end and is able to make all things work together for good.

I don’t know why God did not give Sarah the promised child sooner. That is a question for heaven. I do know, however, that I've also been prone to pray about something and then take matters into my own hands when it did not look like God would come through. A small example from our children’s school days is how I prayed for my child to be in a certain class. It seems so trivial now . . . looking back . . . but it was a big thing on my heart at the time. One particular year, when my “hope” did not come true I talked to the principal, only to find out later that my child would have been changed without my intervention. I was too impatient to wait and see. Sometimes, as moms we may know what a good situation is for our kids, but sometimes we need to trust, and sometimes it is hard to know when to wait and when to do something.

So, as each of us waits for a certain something . . . as we all are always waiting . . .  may we ask God to show us how to pray according to His will, trusting in His goodness toward us and all that concerns us even if we have to wait. 

Birthday Parties Then and Now

This weekend I scrolled back to pictures taken at a Janzen family birthday party 20 years ago. Three cousins had their birthdays within weeks of each other and so we decorated a cake with 20 candles . . . enough for all of them together!

The cousins played . . . dressed up in crazy clothes/accessories . . . 

and we took a silly photo . . .

We've come into another season of birthdays . . .
and although we were celebrating Makenna's Birthday here, I realized that,

again, there are three cousins whose birthdays happen to be within weeks of each other . . .
also adding up to 20 candles!

And I had to take a photo of cousins playing and being silly . . .
in a small house on top of the bunk bed.

We're missing our Prairie girls here
and wishing their dad a Happy Birthday today.