Back from the West

We thoroughly enjoyed our time in the west to see family. It was great to get together and just enjoy each other's company. For those who did not know, this trip also included our girl moving out. We stopped in Manitoba on the way back, to visit friends and get her settled. She starts her first day at the bakery today.
Our trip home from Manitoba, was the least enjoyable part. We faced horrible weather delays, to start. This had us arriving home a full 24 hours later than planned. There was one poor girl who was sick the whole time, and we had the unfortunate circumstance of having to hear her in the bathroom for 24 hours.
All of that being said, we are happy to be home, and returning to our regular routines. I just received a bolt of wool to start sewing coats again, Hubby is back to the hectic pace of two jobs, and the boy is back to school. (We all took yesterday to sleep, and recuperate. Two nights on a bus do not amount to a good rest.) We are also starting now to put a little money aside, to allow us to FLY out again. We hope to come in the summer.

Happiness

I have some wonderful news to share with you! Zac has been doing an immense amount of growing over the past few months. He went out to Winnipeg, and has settled into life on the base. On his weekends, he has been traveling South to visit our Friends the Kelleys, who moved to Glenboro a year and a half ago. He has been doing a lot of pondering, and spends a lot of time talking to Dave. Zac has come to the conclusion that he really does want the gospel in his life, and all that it brings. It took him some time to come to this conclusion, but he has made the first steps. He went to church this Sunday, and met with the bishop. He is determined to come back to full activity, and set his life in order. We are so happy, and amazed at the change in his desires. Already we notice a difference in him, and look forward to seeing the great things the gospel will bring into his life. We only ask that you keep him in your prayers, as he travels the somewhat difficult road back.

Happy Turkey Day!! (minus the turkey)

Hey family! Happy Thanksgiving! We just finished having the family over today. We did not have turkey though. On Wednesday I got a call from an old acquaintance, and he had two geese for us. I went to pick them up, but there was a catch. I had to clean the geese myself. (I actually knew this from when he gave us a couple ducks years ago). I had never cooked a goose before, and wild geese are another story altogether. We weren't certain it would turn out, or that anyone would like it, so we had a ham, too. The geese did turn out, so needless to say, we had a lot of food. It was great to get together, but I look forward to getting together with family out there again. Hope you all have a great Thanksgiving!

Highway of Heroes

I heard this song on the radio the other day, and it just brought me to tears. The first thing it brought to mind was the powerpoint I got in my email, I think from dad. (It was a year or so ago)



I don't know if it would have affected me so much a year ago, but now I understand it. Earlier this year we were heading to Kitchener to spend time with family, and to go to the temple. Car trouble caused us to have to pull off and get repairs. When we finally did get back on the road, we had the privilege of getting caught at the end of the traffic delay of one of our heroes coming home. Had it not been for that email, we might not have known exactly what it was. It was amazing to see the fire trucks, police cars, and thankful people lining every overpass from Trenton to Downtown Toronto. It is so humbling to witness. For those who don't know what I am referring to, let me explain what the Highway of Heroes is.

When one of our soldiers is killed while serving over seas, they are flown into Trenton. They are driven from there to the Coroners office in Toronto. Their remains are sent on to their families from there. The Stretch of the 401 Highway from Trenton to that exit in Toronto was renamed The Highway of Heroes. As the video showed the people line the overpasses, and the lights on the fire trucks and police cars flashing. This is true of every overpass on that stretch of road.

John heard this song a couple days after I did, and he found that it affects him stronger now with a son in the Air Force. All I know is that I find it sad that we do not always see as much support for our troops while they are still alive. I am so thankful for the sacrifice they make, and the families who sacrifice to allow them to serve.

Nostalgia

This past weekend has been one of remembering. Hubby had his 25 year high school reunion. It was interesting to watch as some of the old groups formed again, almost immediately. Then there were those who have drifted from their old friends, and looked for new relationships. There were those who had kept in touch, and those who were reunited with the group after so many years. There was even time taken to remember those who had passed on since high school. It was an interesting experience as old feelings of hurt were put to rest by some, and rekindled by others. New bonds were formed, as life had taken them all down its various paths. We never know how our connections made now will change in the future.

Military Family?

It has been awhile since I wrote, I know. I have been busy sewing like a crazy woman, and still have a lot to do. The sewing is good, as long as I take breaks and sew something different, I don't get tired of it (yet). It also helps to bring in some extra money, to help pay down some debts.
We have found though that we may be turning into a military family. The girl informed us a couple of weeks ago, that she is going to enlist. She is not absolutely certain which branch she will join, but she knows which bases she would prefer. We have a recruiting officer in our reenactment group, and he is working with her to determine what to do. It looks like we will have two military kids, and the third thinks he wants to join when he grows up, too. Do you count as a military family when the parents are the ones not enlisted?
We have also had some stress here. Around the time mom went to Calgary, our instructor car died. We managed to get a new one, and it is wonderful. We thought things were going to settle down, but now we have to find a new classroom. This came as quite a surprise to us, but our landlord has decided not to renew our lease. This might not be too big an issue, if we were in another industry, but driving schools have to be inspected by the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, to change locations. That can take awhile, and really is the stressful part of this change. I guess we will just keep going and see how they work out, it can be hard though.

ZAC

Here is an update on Zac. He left boot camp and went to Borden. After waiting around for a couple of weeks, his next round of training finally began. He has been learning to drive all the different types of vehicles, and getting the various licenses. When this part of his course is finished, he will have the equivalent of a class 1 in Alberta. He will also have extra licenses for other equipment, too. He just found out where he is going from there. When his course is finished in mid to end of July, Zac will then be posted to Winnipeg. If I recall what he said previously, he will have three postings during his service (if he does not reenlist). There you have it. That is what is happening in his life.