we have a new nephew!!

David Calvin, #7 born yesterday to my dear sister Sharon & her husband Ralph. How adorable he is, a sweet blessing from God. :)

from the rolling hills of Gettysburg...

see more Virginia roadtrip pics here

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=10029620&l=bd0ba66492&id=748065376

photographic contributions from our budding 7 year old photographer

thats right, Ashleigh turned 7 last month!! Happy Birthday darling!! We bought her a digital camera off Kijiji that we are really happy with, and I love that she goes around capturing things since I am so lazy about taking pics lately. It was fun for Kev and I to see what came up when we downloaded them...i was reminded again to be careful what i say and how i look when she is around. she's so sneaky you hardly notice her, for instance I could have posted a video she took when my younger sisters were having what they thought was a private conversation.... :) don't worry girls i am not that mean!! And i am proud to say there was nothing scandelous said anyways. :) She even does interviews!! I've posted an interview with Jaden since there was nothing in it that revealed too much about what life is actually like around here.. (just kidding, we're very normal around here of course :) )

to use or not to use the internet?? (for blogs, facebook, etc)

any insight from you my wise friends?? :) I think balance is the key!! And it goes without saying that i haven't attained a proper balance yet, but I found both of these insights helpful:

from Randy Alcorn, linking an article by John Piper: http://randyalcorn.blogspot.com/2009/10/facebook-and-twitter-are-they-worth-it.html

and from Josh Harris:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzxmMvbBilM

On that note, a while ago I felt convicted that I was wasting too much time on the internet, I found myself having the unhealthy habit of using the computer whenever I was putting off something unpleasant. It was feeding my lazy procrastination. So I decided it would help to rid myself of facebook. I had to laugh when this sentimental message came up -

Kevin will miss me?? we're in trouble, if I connect with my husband through facebook. Sharon will miss me?? Sisters do not need facebook. and of all people, Lynnette, Julianna and (this one takes the cake) Peter!! I'm pretty sure none of them would even notice, especially Pete!! I thought it was funny. :) It must have been convincing though, thanks to Lynnette, Julianna and Pete I am still the procrastinator lurking around facebook :)

I'd better get back to work :) have a great day, all!!

Creation Museum

hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving!! we spent ours in the great USA this year...
we had to do a take 2 of the Creation Museum, since when we first went in March we had sick kids, scared kids, cranky kids, sick husband, and far too much travel packed around our day at the Museum to really appreciate it. So we were happy to chaperone a group of young people on their trip. If you know my mom at all, you know how excited she is about this place. :) I have to admire her determination to make sure other people get out to see it and enjoy it too. So there were 20+ in our group and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. I also had to be amazed by the vision of Ken Ham, who persevered to see this incredible, God-honouring project through to its completion. We praise God for that vision, for the people who worked so hard, for safe travels and for the opportunity we had to revel in His creation. We recommend the experience to you. :) to see pics, click here
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=329285&id=748065376&l=6297acb50e

and more of the boys here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=327089&id=748065376&l=d6ac6903ff

sweet brotherly love :)

joshua.

I posted these pics for Rachel, so she can get used to the sight of two children...for FOUR days straight...eeeek. I'm nervous for her!! Lets hope (i will be praying!!) that they stay so happy all weekend long :) ...Rach, you are the BEST!!

not to worry, i will not be suggesting Rach have him in underwear this weekend. But I couldn't resist snapping a few pics of it, doesn't that look so adorable??

I am also praying (already!!) that he will be easier to potty train than Jadie, who started out looking so promising but is still as UN-potty-trained as ever when it comes to BMs. If you have any wisdom for me on this dreadful topic, PLEASE share!!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=322650&id=748065376&l=44fa578f1a

and here is a link to some of our cottage pics, for those of you not on facebook!!

have a wonderful, blessed thanksgiving weekend everyone!!

Is Christ The Only Way??

You should really watch this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxX3kEJT88g

My mom gave us one of RC Sproul's (http://www.ligonier.org/) cds to listen to, it was a sampler a series by him called "Objections Answered". The message entitled "Christ the Only Way" was SO GOOD!! I would prefer to link only the message audio, but unfortunately I couldn't find it to listen to online for free. But I did find this video that someone made using an excerpt from the message, hopefully you won't find the background music distracting. I highly recommend watching the video or borrowing the cd from my mom or from us (we're buying the series). Let me know if you want it!! Kev's dream is to do a cruise with him, of course John MacArthur would be my preference BUT FYI there is discounted prices for Sproul's Pacific Northwest cruise with Michael Horton Sept 28-Oct 2 if you're interested (from $293USD/person based on double occupancy and plus taxes). http://www.ligonier.org/conferences_seattle2009_pacificcruise_speaker.php
sounds nice eh?? :)

Is Christ My Treasure??

"Oh, how many lives are wasted by people who believe that the Christian life means simply avoiding badness and providing for the family. So there is no adultery, no stealing, no killing, no embezzlement, no fraud - just lots of hard work during the day, and lots of TV and PG-13 videos in the evening (during quality family time), and lots of fun stuff on the weekend - woven around church (mostly). This is life for millions of people. Wasted life. We were created for more, far more.
There is an old saying: "No man ever lamented on his dying bed, 'I wish i had spent more time at the office." The point being made is usually that when you are about to die, money suddenly looks like what it really is, useless for lasting happiness, while relationships become precious. Its true. When my mother was killed in 1974, I wrote to the chairman of my department at Bethel College, where i was teaching, and reversed my request to teach an overload the next semester to make more money. Standing beside your mother's grave with a wife and child makes things look different. Money loses its pull.

But that saying about spending less time at the office can be misleading. We need to add this:
No one will ever want to say to the Lord of the universe five minutes after death, I spent every night playing games and watching clean TV with my family because I loved them so much. I think the Lord will say, "That did not make me look like a treasure in your town. You should have done something besides provide for yourself and your family. And TV, as you should have known, was not a good way to nurture your family or your own soul."

Television is one of the greatest life-wasters of the modern age. And, of course, the Internet is running to catch up, and may have caught up. You can be more selective on the internet, but you can also select worse things with only the Judge of the universe watching. TV still reigns as the great life-waster. The main problem with TV is not how much smut is available, though that is a problem. Just the ads are enough to sow fertile seeds of greed and lust, no matter what program you're watching. The greater problem is banality. A mind fed daily on TV diminishes. Your mind was made to know and love God. Its facility for this great calling is ruined by excessive TV. The content is so trivial and so shallow that the capacity of the mind to think worthy thoughts withers, and the capacity of the heart to feel deep emotions shrivels."

from "Don't Waste Your Life" by John Piper. I love this book!!

There was something special about tamarack '09, perhaps the most spiritually encouraging week of my life!! Kevin and i were so honoured and blessed to be a part of it. We praise God for answering the prayers of His people and for His mighty work in the lives of those who attended. we pray that the things learned at camp this year will not be quickly forgotten but will be applied to our hearts and lives so that we really will be storing up treasures in heaven. To God be the glory!! :)

"do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where theives break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where theives do not break in and steal, for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Matt 6:19-20 aaaah, what good times...really great food all week, amazing friends & rich spiritual encouragement!! the campers were so good we didn't even feel like we were chaperoning. We thank God for such incredible blessings experienced at Camp Tamarack this year!! :)
we are so thankful for these men, our speakers!! God used them in a powerful way and it was amazing to see. To God be the glory! i was really spoiled in terms of cake this year. :) the cooks made me a cake at tamarack, my mom made 5 large cakes for the 200 people at dinner, and Kev brought my favourite mousse cake home to have with the kids the weekend before. A special thanks to my dear mama, how she managed to bake for a wedding the weekend before camp, bake 5 large cakes for camp and cook dinner for 110 on Friday AND watch my 3 kids all week while doing everything else....its like superhuman and its beyond me where she gets the energy!! :)
haha, this was Louise's mascot, kev we trying it out for size :) ..good job Lou!!

any of you not on facebook interested in seeing the rest of my camp pics click http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=311318&id=748065376&l=62451e406c (I think that will work?)

and of Ashleigh's soccer

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=305188&id=748065376&l=7645ca8975

have a great weekend everyone!! :)

self discipline.

i need it. desparately. and i really want my kids to have it...but i know i have to model it first!! i'm hoping this article will help me. you are probably far more self-disciplined than i, but if you need help (probably noone has completely attained) then maybe it will help you, too. :) its very simple and practical. have a good week!!

http://www.gty.org/Resources/Articles/A197

TORNADOES, TENNIS & TRUE GREATNESS!!!

well it seems that the tornado that hit our town last week has been all over the news, if you haven't seen videos of it yet you should look 'em up!! I was downstairs with my brother when the tornado was touching down (it actually hopped right over our house) but we didn't realize it was actually a tornado - my kids were all upstairs so I'm glad that our roof wasn't ripped off, as was the case for others in town! The crazy part was over very quickly. Who knew that Canada was the second most tornado prone country in the world??!??!?! We are very thankful to God that there were no injuries in our town, but there was a lot of damage - 120 homes and buildings destroyed i think. We pray for the people affected - that they would see the awesome power displayed in this storm as the power of the one true almighty God, that they would see their need for salvation from His wrath on them because of their sins, and that they would come to know Christ as the only way to be saved and enjoy eternal peace with God. Pray with us!!