Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Las Vegas!

David and I spent a week in Las Vegas recently! He had a conference there, and I went along as the pampered wife. The children went to grandparents (two each). They had a great time!

We stayed at the Flamingo, which, with all the hotels on "The Strip", has lots of lights, casinos, and a pretty nifty swimming pool. We kept out of the way of the main Vegas pursuits, and while David was at the conference, I did my share of lounging by the pool, which was not just one pool, but several. At places in the pool complex, there were live flamingos. The biggest pool had waterfalls in a number of spots that emptied into the pool, and that you could swim through. Here is another part of the pool area.




One of the best things we did in Las Vegas was to drive out of the city a bit and go hiking. We went to Mount Charleston, the third highest peak in Nevada! We had a picnic lunch, and hiked up a trail that took us up to the top of a rock formation. When we got to the top we were 8000 feet above sea level! (We started the hike around 6000 feet.) I could sure feel the altitude in my lungs (gasp gasp!). It was a fantastic view from up there, and we weren't at the highest point in the area. Here I am after the hike:

All in all, it was a good trip. David found his conference worthwhile, and I read a lot of books and got some great relaxing in!

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

First Snow!


We woke up yesterday to find snow on the ground!! I feel like I should be out taking newer pictures, because more of it is coming down right now - and hard! We had to find our snow shovels, snow boots and a sled, and the children had a wonderful time rediscovering snow. Their great wish right now is that the snow will continue falling for the rest of the week!



Saturday, November 15, 2008

Canoeing With Daddy - Part Two



Daddy took Tim in October on his canoe trip. You can see how the colours have changed in the month since Ben's trip! David said that this trip made up for all the rain we'd had on canoe trips this summer - it was beautiful! Sunny, and unseasonably warm! This is Tim at their campsite.


David used this trip as a chance to help Tim hone some of his canoe skills. Here he is doing a draw - look at that reach!!




They went on a hike up to the top of a "mountain" and had a fabulous view! The lake in front of Tim is the lake they camped on.


Here are the boys after the trip!

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Canoeing With Daddy - Part One



David took each of the two oldest boys on a canoe trip this fall. It has taken me a while to post the photos, but here is part one! Ben was the first to go, in September. As with our other canoe trips this year, it rained!



They had a great time though. Here Ben is giving his opinion of the trip (two thumbs, and two big toes, up!).

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

That's life - the sweet with the sour

It's been a while - I know! We have been busy, and we had some computer issues, but we're still around!

Today has been one of those days that life gives us - full of blessings and sorrow. We have one family friend who is out of work recently, the fourth friend to have it happen this year. Another friend who I spoke to today is going through a huge transition, she said, "I never thought it would be like this!", and what could I say? I just tried to remind her to hang on to God. Then this evening, my mother told me that a girl I had grown up with has died. She was just a little older than I am. She was the one, when I was 14, that I would have loved to have traded places with - beautiful, popular - she seemed to have it all. And yet she of all people could cry out, "I never thought it would be like this!", with sorrow upon sorrow... and now an early death herself.

On the blessing side, we have four happy and healthy, and very active children. Tim has been pestering me today to get out the Christmas decorations, and I have been steadfastly refusing. Then, as I was putting towels away in the linen closet, I found a Christmas hand-towel, and got it out. A little while later, I noticed he was in the bathroom, and I pointed it out to him. The towel has a polar bear and a penguin in Santa hats on a sled. He looked at it for a moment, then he turned to me and said, "A polar bear and a penguin.... they'd be very unlikely to meet." He thought a moment then added, "If the penguin went north, it would be a very hot trip [through the Equator]." And that was it! Not a word about Christmas! What a crazy little guy!!

So that's a bit of life from here, as the days get shorter and darker, and the light and hope of Advent glows again in our hearts!