Deer, Wolves, Hot springs and Golf

We went to Radium as a family this long weekend. Luc, Rebecca, Emilee, Mom, Dad, Grandma and I. It was a long drive but completely worth it! I absolutely love the mountains, I am always in awe of the beauty and creativity I see in God whenever I am there. The beauty of the wild flowers, the ruggedness of the rocky mountains, and the resilience of nature.

On our drive we passed a stretch that was 'destroyed' by forest fires close to 10 years ago. It is incredible to see how the new growth is coming up and animals are moving back into that area. this particular area is being repopulated by wolves (who aren't aware of the highway I'm guessing) so there were signs out to watch out for wolves on the road. So, as I stood on the side of the highway taking this photo and listening for car horns, my dad sat protectively inside the truck watching for wolves.

My highlight of the whole trip was playing golf (surprised??) saturday afternoon. I have only played one game of golf and that was in high school for Phys Ed class in the pouring rain, I viewed it as more of a walk with some weird hockey-ness to it.


But this time I actually enjoyed the game of golf, I played with Mom and Dad; Emilee, Luc and Rebecca played ahead of us. Dad did some sweet shots, one of his shots skipped twice across the little pond and ended up half way up the hill to the green. Mom skipped her ball off the water once and landed around the same spot. And mine went right into the middle of the pond. But luckily we weren't keeping score (maybe that's why i enjoyed it… i didn't know how bad i was doing) My next attempt at clearing the pond worked, I just put my head down and in my anger I hit that ball so hard…. it went over the water and up the hill !!! Success!


On the 6th hole while mom and I had a bit of a bathroom break; Luc, Rebecca and Emilee tee'd off… Luc hit the side of the washroom (with mom inside). At the same hole, Dad and I were standing at the tee box and we hear 3 distinct FORE!!!!!!'s.  So I whipped around, eyes up and hands by my head expecting to see a little while bullet shooting at me. I didn't… see anything. The golfer came over later and Dad helped him look for his ball, it landed 5 feet behind where I was standing on a little piece of cement at the backside of the tee box. CRAZY!!!

1 more close call was on the last hole, I think we were getting impatient so Mom and I stayed close behind Luc, Rebecca and Emilee; Dad needed to stay a bit further behind because he can send that ball so far. at one point mom was telling dad to shoot, dad hesitated, and then decided that it was an okay thing to do. Emilee and Rebecca… and the golf cart (maybe another reason why i liked this game) were by the sand pit. Dad hit the ball and it headed straight toward my sister and sister-in-law. Mom, Dad and I all shout FORE!!!!, and Emilee sees the ball just in time to take a step back and allow the ball to land inside the sandpit just feet from where she was standing. Rebecca wanted to show dad that she thought it was a bad move, so rebecca stepped on dad's ball and buried it in the sandpit. We all survived the 9 holes and we all had a good time despite the close calls.

The beauty of the mountains this weekend was just incredible. We couldn't have asked for nicer weather or a more comfortable stay. We ate good food, laughed, prayed, golfed, swam and soaked in the hot springs. We had Grandma's brother and sister-in-law over for tea and pie one night and we walked alot! 

I think it was a great August long weekend. ( not so long because i need to work holiday monday…)

Love-Wide and Heaven-High

My world was little and cozy-tight,

Snug and smug in it's dim half-light;

And, though it was too small inside

For me to stretch my arms out wide

Or let me stand up straight and tall,

This annoyed me not at all.

I crouched in my small world each day, 

Content to doze the hours away - 

Till a stray sunbeam, quite lost, I'm sure,

Found it's way through a crack in my door.

A wandering thought it might have been, 

But it shone with a brightness I'd never seen, 

And it lighted my world's dimlit way

And it tempted me forth to a sunbright day.

I opened the door and stepped outside

Into a new world, high and wide!

With outstretched arms to embrace it all, 

I felt my soul stand straight and tall,

And I knew that I could never go back

To that little world with it's pitiful lack

Of all that made life glow and shine, 

Now that this wider world was mine.

So I closed the door and I turned the key

On that little world and that little me, 

And I raised my face to the open sky

In a world love-wide and heaven-high!

~Helen Lowrie Marshall

Take My Hand

Are you troubled, burdened, blue? 

Take my hand. 

I've been troubled, burdened, too,

I understand.

Where you've fallen, once I fell - 

Oh, I know these pitfalls well. 

Let me help the clouds dispel - 

Take my hand. 

Others helped when I was weak,

Took my hand,

Helped me face towards the peak,

Helped me stand.

What they did, now let me do - 

Pass that kindness on to you.

Some day you'll help others, too.

Take my hand. 

~Helen Lowrie Marshall

Summer Weekend.

Monday Morning storm

This photo is how I was woken up Monday morning. Monday was my day off, I was hoping to sleep in at least until 7. The storm hit at 5:55 am.

The thunder boomed until 8 when I finally gave up on trying to sleep and got up.

Then this wonderful day started! It was beautiful, warm, sunny and full of laughs, and good chats.

I went to Gull Lake with Anni, Kara, Isabelle and Amaia. We had a blast! Kara, Anni and I had a wonderful chat, we ate lunch in the sun, played in the park... but nothing was more fun that the mud! especially for Amaia. She loved that mud, more than the park, more than the lake, I'm sure she liked that more than anything.

Anni and I blew up a rubber dingy after Kara and the girls left. Her and I floated for a couple hours just chatting and enjoying the sunshine. Anni went for a swim and I tried to keep up with her paddling the boat... She is a good swimmer! Anni and I also chased a run-away floaty for a little girl. The wind took the floaty so quick... and we almost lost it again when we were giving it back to her. GO Anni Go!... she's a quick thinker.

Isabelle and Amaia remind me of Emilee and I. We are very different as are these two beautiful little girls. It's so neat to see the sisterhood from the outside/Adult side. 

PRAISE

Praise the LORD!!! My friend Alissa, the one diagnosed with cancer, Her report has changed. It is now said to be stage 3 cancer which means it has not spread! Thank you Lord! We keep praying and believing that God is in control and has a plan, and that He can heal her if its in the story of Alissa's life. He is the author and perfecter of our lives.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  



Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally Brothers (and Sisters), Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praise worthy - think about such things. 
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me - put into practice. 


And the God of peace will be with you. 


-The Apostle Paul 
Philippians 4:4-9

Garden July 5!

My Dahlia is starting to bloom

My front shade garden.

mmm Raspberries.

Engelmen Ivy 

Millcreek Nurseries

New Job, Sales staff at Millcreek Nurseries. I love it! I get to sell people trees, shrubs, annuals, and perennials. I get to answer their questions about the trees and shrubs in their yard. I get to drive quads and a 4 wheeled people mover - to take customers out into the fields to look at trees. Very fun!

more to come...

Good Bye Alberta Arborists

Here are some sneak peaks into my life at Alberta Arborists. I was the girl in charge of the combo crew and Drew was my partner in crime... Tree Crime.                         

                                                                                   

We did small pruning jobs, removals and stumps, the odd planting jobs and many customer complaint cases. Meet my dear friend Eddy, He would greet with his same expression every morning and was never absent or late. He loved being at work and I loved seeing him in his element every day. 

Eddy and I became good friends. 

I love Oak trees, Drew and I got to climb and prune this one. We had a good time and the client was very friendly. 

If you have a stump in your yard... maybe I made it into a stump... this is what you can do with it... 

Drew and I saved a baby bird from trees we were cutting down. The last time we saved it, it was hiding among our branches and stump grinder on the trailer. The bird almost got a free trip to the city dump. hopefully the baby bird's luck got a little better after we left.  

Drew went away for a week to BC. so, I got to work with Andrew! We worked some rainy days and had some good laughs, awesome conversations and made a movie. 

The rain clouds the week that it rained every day. 

I have enjoyed working for Alberta Arborists. The guys were great, The work was good, The trucks were fun to drive and I was always challenged (in a good way). But I am ready to move on, ready to challenge my brain rather than my muscles. I am looking forward to the change of pace, hours, and testosterone levels. It will be good to work with women for a change... hopefully there isn't too much drama! :)

God is moving me on and I am thankful, sad to go but excited to arrive. I can't wait to see what happens while I am an employee of Millcreek Nurseries.

Plan B

 (I wrote this while my internet was down June 28.) 

Sometimes our lives take an unexpected swerve to the right or the left. Well, Two friends of mine are experiencing this to the extreme. Alissa and Carey. They are in their early 20’s, they have been married for just over a year and have just recently came back from Africa where they were serving with a missions organization for 3 months (ish). They have been preparing with work out at a bible camp for the summer. Alissa is one of the program directors and Carey was going to work on maintaining the camp facilities. On Monday June 20 their lives changed forever. Alissa was diagnosed with breast cancer. Tonight June 28 they found out that it is stage 4. They believe it has spread to her hip.

Why, How, When, and WHAT THE HECK???

Processing this has been difficult for me, Sometimes I want to Praise and Rejoice because God is good because He holds us and keeps us from deviating from His plan, and in these challenges and aches we see HIM so clearly. Other times I am just in shock and am so saddened by the news and what it means for their lives. But I believe with everything in me that my God is bigger than CANCER. I believe that he can zap those cancer cells to smitherines. The question is will He?

I know that he wants the best for Carey and Alissa, that He loves them and is working everything out for their best. But his has a bigger plan than their comfort; it is to bring HIM GLORY. We can’t see the whole tapestry that he is weaving, we can’t see how this will change lives… not only their lives but everyone they interact with through the connection and commonality of cancer. We can’t see their faith growing… I think I can hear it though, you just need to talk to them for a few minutes and you can hear their hope, faith and peace amongst all the pain, saddeness, shock and suffering. 

My prayers are with them, their families and close friends. My prayers go out to the camp that Alissa was supposed to program direct for the summer, that they would find the right person to take over her position. My prayers are with the doctors as they plan her treatment and schedule  and prepare the chemo. My prayers are with their friends who are separated by distance and are so hurt and shocked. But my 1^st prayer through this whole week of cancer talk is that God is glorified and that HIS beautiful scheme of things is seen eventually. I do not want to be the thread that is fighting being put and twisted into place. I pray and I ask and I express my desires to the Lord but I know that His idea of beautiful and good don’t always line up with what I am dreaming of.

God has also changed my life in the last week. This time last week I handed out resumes to find out what kind of jobs were out there and if I would be interested in any. Well, Monday I start a new job… So quick! God moves swiftly. I dropped of a resume at Millcreek nurseries on Thursday, got a call back the same day, went in for an interview Saturday and Monday I was hired. It is perfect timing for me. God goes ahead of us. He knows the things that we will walk into (both big and small) and the solutions that he has hiding in wait for us.