September End

We closed off September with a wonderful campfire/potluck evening with the same dear friends that we started the month with.

The newlyweds and their parents gathered here to bask in the "afterglow" of this wonderful month that started with their beautiful backyard wedding here.  

I was so grateful Ken and Barb could join us and we're happy to keep our tradition alive with all sorts of wonderful friends. 

New beginnings and widening circles. 

I'm incredibly thankful for this space and for friends that come and help me to celebrate the beauty of everyday life.

So nice to be outside enjoying the crisp fall air and the star studded sky as we shared a meal around a gorgeous crackling fire. 

There was also a 30th birthday celebration in September for dear Sara. 

What a precious young woman.

I am grateful for the years I got to spend with her in my home, sharing life, praying together and appreciating the depth of relationship that happens when you see someone almost every day for five years. 

And these two room mates of mine are creating perfect photo ops pretty much every time I turn around. 

They are so pathetic when I leave the house though.

Those little disappointed faces gazing at me as I apologize, close the door and head off to work..

And I'm back to School!

This week I started back to teaching and it's been really wonderful to see the eager little faces, hear their sweet voices and to be in the familiar noisy atmosphere of learning in community.

This school I am privileged to be part of is truly something exceptional and I'm grateful for the opportunity to be part of the lives of these students.  The staff is also phenomenal and I have finally been here enough years (10) that it feels comfortable and homey. The unfortunate part of the equation is they have added a third class of students to my roster and I barely had time to do two classes last year. The need for educational support and reading support is monumental.  May God strengthen me for the year ahead so that I can do justice to these dear ones who are falling behind and struggling with figuring out the sounds the letters make...

Before I headed back to school I took Mom and Tante Hilda on a nice prayer drive.  We hadn't done that in a long while and it felt good to be together, seeing the lovely sights and bringing our requests before our Great and Awesome God. 

I've also been taking Mom to a smaller church which is a little slower paced with a choir and a more familiar atmosphere. She's trying to figure out if this might be a better fit for her since her old church has felt overwhelmingly huge and kind of unfamiliar as there are so many services and endless new people. 

Last weekend I went to a wonderful 50th birthday party for a friend of mine.  Here she is with her parents and brother.  Her own family consists of a fabulous husband and seven beautiful kids who put on this party and gave the most honouring tributes to their dear mama.  It was fun to connect with the friends who were there and to enjoy the delicious spread of snacks! 

And meanwhile, "back on the ranch", the apples have been picked!

Suddenly the orchard was full of Mexicans speaking and singing in Spanish and in the blink of an eye the apples were picked, loaded into the big red bins and carted away. 

The familiar rhythms of orchard life...

I'm so glad that the trees are still covered with leaves and that the lawn is still  a rich green.  

There are trees turning all sorts of beautiful colours in town and on my drives to town, so I'm enjoying the show.  I'm so glad God gives us the seasons and changing colours to admire.  

The puppies were showing off their socks to Celia one evening so I had to snap yet another photo of these cuties. 

And then there's the bird who provides entertainment and sound effects. I caught him admiring an old photo of Daniel and Patrice the other day...

September is finishing well.  I dropped in on Nicole yesterday at work.  It was her birthday so I brought her a balloon, lunch, a pie and a card to celebrate her 30th.  Wish I would have snapped a picture when she ran out to grab her goodies, but it all went to quickly for me. We will be doing more celebrating as a family, but I'm glad I was able to pop in and wish her well in the middle of her 12 hour shift!

Here's a little snapshot of what I get to see as I drive up and down the hill into town.  The lake looks much bigger in real life, but when I take pictures it shrinks down into a tiny blue strip.  I don't understand this phenomenon, but trust me, in real time it's really gorgeous! 

I am blessed beyond measure to live here and to have eyes that see, ears that hear and a heart that gets to experience the glory and kindness that is God everywhere I am. 

Ladies Luncheon

I can hardly stand the sweetness of this little bunch of ladies on my back patio!  

God gave me the unction to invite these precious ones over and to whip up a  some nachos for a delicious little feast.

It was a bit of a stretch for some of them as Nachos are not standard "Mennonite fare", but I know Mom and Tante Hilda love them and since we haven't made it out to Peachland for our annual Nacho feast it was as good a time as any.

The weather was fine and there was a festive feel to the occasion.

Moose photobombed that picture quite nicely.  

He's an elder now so he figured he would blend in without a problem.

Except he's a man.  

Ahem.

The sun was bright and hot so Annie donned a hat.

The chocolate cream pie was a big hit.

I felt such gratitude to have these ones grace my patio.

I think Jesus loves these parties and I'm so thankful when I have the energy and wherewithal to pull them off! 

Amazingly enough, Moose finally weaselled his way into Martha's heart.  She generally doesn't like dogs much as she was bitten as a child and also they mess with her whole "clean' philosophy.

In a big way.

However, I think she finally caved when he just gently laid his head on her lap. 

Note her hand resting on his back!!

And the smile on her face!

Wonders truly never cease.

Since I had nachos fixings happening in my fridge I just invited Ken & Barb over for supper on the patio and we finished the evening by trying out the amazing little gas fire pit that my sweet friend Gayle gave me as a thank you for hosting the wedding on the property. 

So easy and so fun! 

Last Whispers of Summer

The day was so fine that I had to head into town to enjoy these last whispers of summer.

After grocery shopping I checked in with the kids to see if I could buy them pizza but they were busy so I took myself on a wee date.

After buying a little burger and hot chocolate I parked myself at the lakeside to enjoy the sunset.

The day had been wonderfully warm so I watched people swimming, paddle boarding and canoeing as the evening wound up.

The sun went down with a golden splash of light and I was there to see it.

I'm not often at the beach in the evening but what a great idea to take myself on a personal date to capture these kind of sights.

I'm drinking in every last bit of this sweet summer that I can.   As I drove towards home I noticed a gigantic moon hanging low over the horizon.

My little camera phone didn't do any justice to the size and splendour of that moon but I had to pull over more than once to admire it and take pictures.

Seriously...

This is where I get to live, just right of where that moon is peeking over the hill.

And how am supposed to pick just one picture?  

It's not possible, so here they all are...

Also stopped above the golf course to look out over the valley since I was doing everything else amazing all on the same night.

The sprinklers were on making it look like there were beluga whales jumping out of the green manicured lawns. 

Apples to Zee

Heaven kisses earth with sunshine and the sweet scent of apples is carried on the wind as the delicious fruit grow fat and ripe. 

There's something so amazing and outrageous about this whole fruit growing on trees thing.  

God's handiwork is delightfully fun, creative and imaginative and downright delicious.

The crunch, color, and variety of flavour of this one sort of fruit is indicative of His penchant for diversity and uniqueness.

The dogs and I took a little gander around the orchard the other day and delighted in the richness of the season.

The harvest is ripe, pray for labourers...

Speaking of labourers, the Lord surprised me with a wonderful day with this sweet woman who has made it her life mission to preach the good news to people! She has been persecuted for her faith but has not let that hold her back, she is definitely working in the harvest fields and making the most of every opportunity! 

We met one other time about 5 years ago and there was a divine spark that was re-ignited as we spent a day sharing our hearts and speaking of the goodness of our Gracious Amazing Wonderful God!

At first it was only going to be a "coffee date", but before we knew it the hours flew by and we decided to head up to the orchard to make it a day!

We spent hours interceding for our loved ones, stopping to refresh ourselves with food and drink and then headed out to a prayer meeting together in the evening.

Can't get enough of a good thing! 

We are sister's from another mother but we definitely have the same Father!

Apples and Sunshine for the Win!

This was a really fun wedding to have in the backyard!

I love both of the families and the mother of the bride is a very dear friend so it was a pleasure to see everything come together so beautifully after months of planning. 

I've watched this couple grow from teenaged high-schoolers (when they began dating) into wonderful, mature, kind adults who honoured God throughout the entire process.   

These lovely ladies had lots of fun getting ready and since I live here I got to be a first hand witness of the festivities and beautifying.

Once all the make up was applied and dresses were donned the girls toasted with Mimosa's.

The weather was a huge concern as we moved towards the date as there were forecasts of rain and cold, but God surprised us all with beautiful sunshine for the ceremony and we only got a few sprinkles of rain after the reception.

The day was absolutely lovely and my yard was filled with beautiful people.

My sweet Patrice was home for the occasion and we got to sit with Joey and Christine which was a bonus. 

I just love having parties in my yard where I don't have to feed anyone or mow the lawn or send out invites.

It just "happens" and I get to enjoy a spectacular event with my bed and bathroom at ready access should I need them.

The bride was stunning and she only noticed after the reception that she had forgotten to wear her veil. Clearly, when you are that gorgeous no veil is necessary!

Thankfully, despite the apples having ripened very early this year, they were still on the tree for the wedding and made such an amazing backdrop for this sacred occasion.

Kinda reminiscent of the Song of Songs...

The ceremony was just perfect with a good message, meaningful vows, shared communion and a lovely hymn sung under the hot September sun.

********

Here is Hailey taking a peek at the guest book.  There were polaroid cameras available so you could post a photo with your greeting.

Since I couldn't find Patrice, Joey was happy to pose with me for the polaroid shot.  When did he turn into such a fine, kind, handsome man?!  I remember being down by the plum trees with him on this very property about 14 years ago or so when he was just a little boy and we were pledging to be good friends forever.  

So far so good.

The meal was over the top delicious...

With scrumptious donuts for dessert instead of wedding cake.

I got to sit with this fun bunch!  Sadly I missed getting Deborah in the picture who was sitting next to me. It was taking a long time for every table to go through the buffet as we had to answer some tricky questions to win that honour.  I had mentioned that perhaps we should use my "condition" as an excuse to go more quickly and before I knew it, the guy across from me had arranged for this to happen.  He stood up almost before the question was asked, knew the answer immediately and off we went to the buffet table to get our dinner. I didn't realize he would take me seriously (being a pastor and all).

I snuck this photo below from the mother of the groom because I can't run around getting the good shots due to the bumpy grass and wheelchair situation, but thankfully there are plenty of others who can get them.

Introducing Hailey & Zander Lamb.

Now Mr. and Mrs. 

The head table was so lovely with the hills and trees as the backdrop.  

The weather turned cool around supper time so I missed out on most of the speeches but I popped back out to enjoy the dancing after laying down and warming up.

And the two became one and disappeared while the rest of them danced the night away...