In The Dark of the Night

I don't normally post articles on here, but I sure did love this one that came across my computer...Please, take a moment and read it.  It's worth it, I promise!

 

I love this story for many reasons.  One, it started as a secret thing - no one wanted credit, this group of ladies just wanted to help people.  No accolades, no pats on the back from others....just personal satisfaction.  LOVE that!  I also love that it was a group of mama's.  Mama's, living their lives, wanting to help other people while still taking care of their own families.  Mama's, who saw people's need, and wanted to, in some way, ease the suffering of those they saw around them.

 

I love, love, love it!

 

 

It's Coming....

Well, I felt it this morning.... The "F" word.... it's coming....."Fall" is quickly approaching.

 

I went out for a walk this morning, and it felt chilly, and was soupy outside.  I wasn't sure if I should even go, I was unsure if drivers would be able to see me.  However,  I donned my bright blue jacket, and hoped for the best.  It was eerily quiet, all the noises subdued by the fog.  I couldn't see the surrounding fields, houses, or barely even the trees as I walked on the side of the road.  I was surprised, as I walked, to find droplets of water running down my face, not from rain, but rather, the moisture of the air.  And it was beautiful.  And quiet.  And I felt alone.  And isolated. 

 

 

And I wondered to myself, "How many times, over the years, have I done that to myself?  How many times do I miss seeing the things around me, because I have chosen to isolate myself.  To bury myself in a fog of 'life', and family, and just the fullness of running a household...."

 

However, there is also such beauty in that place, but it's also quiet.  And can be lonely.  On the flip side, if I really stop to smell the flowers, I see the beauty of little things that I would normally miss.  Things that aren't there if the fog has been lifted.  Gifts from God, really. 

 

Tiny details, highlighted by the fog.  Drops of water on spider webs....who'da thought?  Yet it's beautiful.  Stunning, really.

 

Funny how in the isolation, we see the small details, yet when all is clear and sunny and bright, we get to see a bigger picture.  I suppose it's all good, a season for everything. 

 

And I know, the "F" word is coming....

 

To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven

Ecc. 3:1

 

 

Goerzen Family Adventure

So we went to Cochrane to pick up Frank the other day.  It true form, we decided to make the trek down south into a bit of a Goerzen Family Adventure. 

We started out leaving at about 9 am, and headed south.  We ate lunch on the way that I had packed, and arrived in Cochrane around noon-ish.  Art had a little nap in the van while I took the girls out to take a walk around town.  They've never been to Cochrane, and I can't remember the last time I've walked around there as well.  We hit all the cute little shops in town, scoring some great deals at Home Hardware (of course!  I love Home Hardware in small towns!). 

 

I loved the statue that they had in the middle of town of a lady feeding her chickens...

...the Girls thought it was pretty great too!  Everywhere we went, people asked us if we were headed to the Stampede, which I had forgotten was going on this week.

 

After we met the breeder at Tim Horton's, we headed back north to make a stop at one of our favorite stores, Irvine's.  After all, Frank needed a new dog dish and collar!

 

Just as we were leaving Cochrane, some big, nasty looking clouds rolled it, and the sky got really dark, really fast!  As we drove away, we hit the storm, and it was a bad one!  There was probably 2 inches of hail on the road, and the temperature dropped to 1 C.  It was freezing and icy almost winter driving conditions.  Many people pulled over on the side of the road who were hauling RV's, and we even saw a few cyclists and motorcyclists.  Now THAT wouldn't have been very fun!

 

 

We were going 40 kms/hr. with bumper to bumper traffic on Hwy. 2 for a while, so thankfully, the hail was spotty and the storm was fairly short lived, otherwise it would've made for a LONG drive home! 

 

We met up with some friends for dinner in Olds, which was wonderfully fun as well, and then headed back on the road to get home around 9 pm. 

 

It was a wonderfully relaxing Goerzen Family Adventure!

 

Meet Frank.

Meet Frank.

Frank is the newest member of our family.  We planned a little Goerzen Family Adventure on Saturday to pick him up.  Frank's from BC, but we met the breeder in Cochrane to get him.  Frank is an Anatolian Shepherd, who's job will be to guard the Girls and the chickens.  Here's hoping we'll stop losing chickens to the crazy fox(es) who roam our place!

Frank is 11 weeks old, and oh, so cute!  He's was a bit shy when we first met, but has quickly warmed up to our family.  We got lots of love from the Girls on the drive home, and him and Moses are making friends.  Truthfully, I think Moses feels a bit jilted, but he'll be fine. 

They say, with puppies, you're supposed to introduce them to 100 new things in 100 days.  Well, the last 2 days have been chalked full of new things.  Yesterday, we took him into one of our favorite stores, Irvine's, to find him a dish.  Today, we took him for a ride in the ranger.  I think he liked it!

They also say that puppies are like babies.  Hopefully it doesn't take 6 weeks for him to be sleeping through the night, but I'm not gonna lie....last night was a bit rough!  We put him out in the dog run for night, and he howled and howled.  Poor little guy, I think he missed his 9 brothers and sisters!  Art brought him in at about 4 am to sleep inside for a bit, so hopefully our neighbors won't hate us...  He definitely likes it inside better than outside!

 

 

So far, Frank has shown himself to be fairly intelligent.  He knows not to come off the front carpet in the house, and he's learning to walk on a lease, and recognize his name.  The Girls have spent the whole day playing with him, and in true puppy fashion, he's tuckered out. 

 

 

Welcome to the family, Frank.

 

 

 

New Life

I've sure been enjoying my morning walks these days, and have loved watching nature spring alive after a long, cold, winter.  "Winter?!" you may say...."That was so long ago!"

 

Well, not so much, here in the great, white north.  We've really only been frost/snow-less for about a month and a half!  Hard to believe things can change so much, in such a short amount of time!

 

My walks take me down country roads around our home, where there's not too much traffic, and I never tire of things to look at....

 

Nothing like an old mailbox to catch my eye...

 

....especially when I hear some chirping coming from the inside.  For the past few days before I took this picture, I'd often see a mama flying into this mailbox.  I waited a few days before I ventured a peek for myself!  These tiny little things weren't the prettiest, but I knew that eventually, they'd be a bit easier on the eyes.  Poor things, when I opened the mailbox, were chipping like nobodies business, I think they were hoping I was their mama, bringing them some breakfast!  No such luck, just a nosy me, taking a peek!

 

About a week and a half later, I ventured another look...

 

These babies sure are looking nicer now!  I don't think it'll be much longer before they are off!

 

It's amazing how quickly these little ones are growing and changing! 

We're Still Alive!

I got a phone call today from someone who shall remain nameless (MARY!), wondering if we're still alive over here, as it's been a while since I last posted.  Well, I'm happy to report that we're still living...and enjoying the nice weather!

 

I went through my phone to get some up to date pictures to show y'all what we've been up to...

 

The Girls have been hanging out together a lot these days, with outside commitment almost complete for the year.  We've spent a lot of time at the barn, especially since there's a stinky little pony there for the little girls to ride... It's been so nice for all of them to be able to ride at the same time, and they've had a blast!  They're always out helping with chores sometimes too, which they love!

 

They, of course, have also spent many hours playing, "Horse", and "Mom", and "19 Kids" (which I don't really know what that all entails, but they sure look cute!). 

 

On Sunday, to celebrate Father's Day, we went for a little Goerzen Family Adventure.  We headed out early in the morning, stopping for special 'coffee', and then got on the road, and straight to Irvine's.  If you've never heard of Irvine's, it's this amazing western wear and tack store in Crossfield.... and they have EVERYTHING there!  Abby has been needing new boots for a while, so off we went.  After spending some time and (not too much) money there, we popped into their café for lunch.  They have these great stools which the Girls loved sitting in! 

 

After grabbing lunch, we headed out west for an impromptu detour to meet up with some friends.  We spent the afternoon hanging out around the fire, with the Girls playing together with their special little friends.  They played around the creek (and no one even fell in!!), running around a whole lotta open space.  The sun was even shining out there, which was a pleasant change from all the rain we've had here lately.  After a yummy dinner cooked over an open fire, we headed home, but not without seeing some wild horses and a whole lotta cows on the open range.  I didn't take a single picture, because I was so enthralled with the view.  We headed home via Hwy. 22, known as the Cowboy Trail, where the scenery in spectacular!  We arrived home a little later than we had planned, but enjoyed a wonderful day and another adventure.

 

 

Living Outside

Well, it finally feels like we've made it through another winter.  Finally.  This winter seemed to last forever, and it's been great, over the last few weeks, to get our hands dirty in the garden!  The Girls helped me get all my bedding plants into containers, which is one of my most favorite spring things to do!  Art helped me move them all around the house, and it's so nice to look outside and see color instead of brown and white!  My lilacs are starting to bloom, the apple trees are in full bloom and look so pretty, and my garden has many different colors popping up from the ground.  I'm sure I think this way ever year, but it feels so glorious to be outside, with the sun shining on my face... the birds are singing, the girls are giggling....it's a good life.

 

Molly celebrated her birthday a few weeks ago, and we had our first wiener roast of the season.  The chickens have been outside, happy for some fresh air (until the weekend, when the blasted fox made another appearance around here!).  The girls have been riding their bikes, playing horse (nothing new there!), helping me weed the garden, and playing with sidewalk chalk.

 

My morning walks have been so great as well, and the other morning, I heard some rustling in the trees, and there, laying down, about 20 ft. from me, was a moose calf... Wow!  I looked around for it's Mama, and didn't see it, so I thought I'd pick up a jog until I was a little further away (I didn't want an unhappy mama moose running after me!).

 

I've been negligent in my posting, mainly because we've been so enjoying being outside!  Here's hoping that you all are enjoying outside too!