ready for winter??

We've spent a couple of Saturdays, and I attempted a couple of sunny weekdays, to get "ready" for winter outdoors:
The garden is cleaned up and covered with leaves, but the rhodos still need to be wrapped. I discovered that the leaves, where the branches were covered up last winter, resisted the freeze-drying much better. The toys have been put away. The chairs are in the basement, but the bench and double-rocker will have to stay out. The birdbaths are empty, cleaned and resting on their edges against a tree. The bulbs are in the ground, but a squirrel may have dug some up already, hence the bone meal being spread on top. I've attempted to pick up most of the extra stuff lying around. And the recycling bins are full enough to take to the dump again. But the garden hoses still need to be put somewhere, and there's a scooter out in the back yard. And the pails with the peonies that got dug up and never re-planted need to be deposited somewhere.
There's always a lot to do before freeze-up, and around here, there's always a lot more that can be done. During warmer days, there's a lot of activity with a lot of stuff left to be picked up "later", resulting in junk waiting for the ride to the dump.
However, this place is looking a lot tidier than it has in a long time! (a large part due to the efforts of our boys this past summer!)
BUT- are we ready for winter? With a major item of cutting wood for the outdoor furnace, NO, we're not ready. And I looked for my snow brush and ice-scraper unsuccessfully, and the snow shovels still have to come out of hiding.
BUT- ready to cocoon with indoor and Christmas projects, YES -bring on winter!!

Anneke's Special Day

We were in Barrie this past weekend for Anneke's baptism. Stevin and Katrina and the girls made a long weekend out of it, too, visiting old friends as well as meeting Anneke. Naomi showed her expertise at holding a baby - she's had a lot of practice! Petra shows confidence too, but is quickly distracted. But both were SO excited to meet their newest cousin!

What's time with Opa without a book at some point? The oldest of Opa's Girls love to climb onto his lap!

Anneke - you're destined to become an Opa's Girl, too! It's something that just happens!

The service on Sunday was very nice, and Anneke and the other baby, Ryan, 'cooperated' very well - neither one of them cried, or fussed too much!
Stephanie is enjoying herself as a new mom; I can see that she's gained a lot of confidence! She's just beaming in this photo! Should have gotten one with David, too, but didn't. Next time. But I do find it amazing to watch another one of my sons being a Daddy!

and here we are: Opa and Oma and Daddy and Mommy and Baby Anneke.

There are pictures of other family members with Anneke, but you'll have to check David and Steph's blog. I used their camera more often than my own, yesterday!

Anneke, you're a blessing to all of us, as little as you are. To look at you is to praise God who created you so intricately and so wonderfully. Our prayer is that He will continue to grow you into the person He created you to be!

How Much Love Can A Heart Hold?

I enjoyed my weekend in Barrie - I had lots of cuddle-time with Anneke! She listens and looks intently at whoever is holding her, until she falls asleep or wants something else of course. I rocked her to sleep a few times, which is something I've always enjoyed doing, and I gave her a bath, and simply gazed at her...

Anneke looks very much like Stephanie; there's a great resemblance when you see Steph's baby pictures! Although David and Stephanie say she has a nose like Naomi's, I couldn't see it! This Oma could not see any Geertsema in this baby! Until I saw the picture below - I see a lot of my babies in this photo... but I'll have to get out the albums to check which one!

But all of that doesn't matter - what does matter is that Anneke is a special creation of God with her own uniqueness. I love her lots already, and I miss her now that I'm home again.

I love all of my little ones, and I find it truly amazing how God gives more/extra/additional love with each child that He gives. If our hearts can hold this much with each new member, it is truly awesome how much love HIS heart holds!

NUMBER SIX!

God has a sense of humour, no doubt about it! Imagine SIX grand-daughters! But yes, that's what we have now---and I love it. I'm already thinking about the toy box....
I cried when David said everyone was doing well, and then cried some more when he said the baby is a girl, and then cried some more at hearing her name. Tears of JOY, that is!
It feels very special to have a baby named after oneself. Yes, her full first name is Anneke- but what you don't know is that as a youngster I was often called Maryanneke. Something else most of you don't know is that as a youngster I named one of my dolls "Shirley" because I really liked that name. And now little Anneke has a derivative of her Grandma Shirley's name. Leigh is a beautiful spelling (and meaning!).
How wonderful that the two grandmothers can be remembered in such a lovely way. Anneke Leigh - may God bless you as the blessing you already are to us.

Fall Fun

After my friend told me about the quilts that were to be displayed at Upper Canada Village for the Fall Fair, I thought I would see if my Williamsburg girls wanted to come with me for a day. Well, of course they did!

The weather this past Saturday was absolutely perfect for a day at the Fall Fair - sunny and not cold nor too warm.

We had a wonderful time going through several of the homes and buildings, had lunch on the grass outside the cheese factory, had a barge ride and a carriage ride, the girls played games and Naomi won the sack race, looked at the items and animals entered in the fair, had some really creamy, delicious, to die for, yummy fudge, came home with brooms and unspun wool, played in the telegraph tower, and, yes, we looked at the quilts. We saw one with horses on it, one with Dora, one that was all shades of purple, one with pictures of Snoopy, and many more. This Oma is wanting to get set up for quilting!!

We also came home with Village bread, of course. But I wasted an hour waiting for it to arrive in the store from the bakery. It was supposed to arrive any time after 2:30, but didn't arrive until 3:30. Lesson learned: no bread available, buy the flour instead!

Here are the photos that were captured (and I remembered why I didn't like the little camera when the batteries died after the 3rd photo!).

Naomi and Petra had fun using the pump for the water trough at the Louck Farm, but Rachel was more interested in getting her hands wet!At the schoolhouse, the girls learned about school days and how much it would cost to go to school, where to find a quill for writing (in the barnyard!), and how important it was to have a pocket knife with you (to sharpen the quill!). Writing letters and numbers wasn't easy, as the girls discovered. Both the chalk and the slateboards were quite different than today's chalk and chalkboards. Naomi managed well enough, but Petra showed frustration. Rachel, on the other hand, was quite pleased to be able to make a few marks on her slate!

All in all, we had a great day, and when I asked Naomi what her favourite part was, she replied "It was ALL good!" Petra simply nodded her head at everything we mentioned, so I guess it was all good for her, too.

Since the Village is one of my favourite places, I think we'll have to go more often - because it's ALL GOOD!

how time blows by....

It isn't often anymore that this mom gets to bake a cake for one of her children, but today was such a day! Michael's been home since Tuesday morning, and is planning to return Sunday evening. And today was his birthday! Another reason for pancakes for breakfast, and cake for supper's dessert!

But wait -

Wasn't it just yesterday that we had that unexpected early birth?

Wasn't it just yesterday that he was learning and exploring his world?

Yes, truly, time does blow by quickly.

However - this grown child of mine in his late 20's still does the unexpected, and is still exploring his world!

Trust God to help you seize the day, Michael, because time does blow by....

Trip Out East...

Nova Scotia. Ocean breezes laden with salt. Roses and rhododendren bushes everywhere. The down-home feeling. Tides and beaches. Gentle waterways. Unique and colourful homes. Fish and chips. Let's go!
We arrived with little incident, um, er, that is, well yes, there was a miscalculation regarding timing of fuel fill-up. You see, John usually got fuel just past Riviere du Loup when he delivered RV's, but we didn't take into account that the trailer was loaded this time, and that we were travelling through heavy rainstorms. However, it became an opportunity to veer off the beaten path for a bit and we enjoyed a meal in a nice restaurant. (Check Katrina's blog)
We arrived in Dartmouth just before supper on Saturday, the 10th, and we set up camp at Shubie Park. The original plan was for John and I to use the camper as our bedroom in Martin's and Emily's driveway, but somehow that got changed to Shubie Park. Threw me for a loop, because I wasn't prepared at all for camping! Oh well.
Shubie Park is a municipal campground in the city, along a portion of the Shubenacadie Canal. It's a nice place with a nice beach and nice trails, but it cost .50 for a 3.5 minute shower! During the first week, we were also able to enjoy viewing many antique cars - part of an antique car tour across Canada.
Below is a picture I took from a bridge on one of the trails just outside the campground.
The trails are wide and covered with a fine gravel - making it easy to push strollers and walk with childrenI really like this picture of our cute little Nicole!!What's a visit to Nova Scotia without checking out Peggy's Cove. Yes, the village gets overrun with people, but away from the lighthouse, it's a spashing-good experience!
On one side of the cove is a peaceful village with homes dotting the treeless hills. The cove is lined with fishing boats and lobster traps.I asked the girls to look at me across the water, but we still got an interesting shot! On the ocean side, it's a very different scene: huge rocks which are great for climbing and clambering around on (with better footwear than sandals!); and huge waves spashing on the rocks as the tide comes in. Maria enjoys the splashing waves. It's as if God puts on a special show just for her - she clapped and cheered for every big SPLASH. On one of the rainy days, we took the bus across to Halifax to enjoy the Science Discovery Centre. The girls enjoyed playing and experimenting with blocks and sand and the turning chair and lego and bubbles and balls and .....

We took in a Farmers Market in Wolfville where we bought our bread and cheese for our lunch at Blomidon Park. We also enjoyed a short visit that day to the Grand Pre Winery. Naomi asked to have a picture of her with these beautiful flowers, and this is the result. Nice picture of you, Naomi!

We celebrated three birthdays, too! Katrina's wish was for a ferry ride across the harbour so we could have filled beavertails for lunch. Of course, we added fruit and yogurt to help make our meal healthy!

Petra's birthday was the day we went to Blomidon Provincial Park. We had our lunch after we made the trek out to the water. Below you see Opa and Petra watching something in the water as the tide rises.

Rachel's first birthday was spent on the beach at Rainbow Haven Provincial Park on the ocean side of the province. We had great fun jumping over the waves and digging in the mud. Blueberry pancakes and icecream were on the birthday dinner menu back at Shubie.

A special thing happened during birthday week: Rachel discovered that her two feet take her places!

Other things we enjoyed were the Maritime Museum, a walk along the Halifax harbour Boardwalk (where we got the rum cake David and Stephanie ordered from the Rum Runners Store), campfires, ants on the campsite, reading and crafts, the Dartmouth library, and seeing Martin's and Emily's new home on Moira Street. They're making a gradual move this month to this larger home, but Russell Street will be missed. Lynn, their backyard neighbour, especially, is disappointed that they're moving, but as Emily pointed out, Moira Street is only a couple of blocks away!

The time eventually came for us to leave, and so around noon on Friday we headed down the highway again. In the vicinity of the airport, John and I heard a fluttering under the hood, but didn't stop to look because the noise went away without further incident. Not. Turned out the fluttering was a strip of the fan-belt which let go - and - gashed a hole in the upper rad hose - which we didn't notice until navigating the 6-10% grades to Fundy National Park. On a Friday evening, we felt stranded with a vehicle not going anywhere! John and Stevin found the parts needed to repair in Moncton, tested the truck and its thermometer, and we were declared fit to leave first thing in the morning. We celebrated with another hike out into the Bay of Fundy. After dinner however, truck stalled on the way back to our campsite - this time the security system didn't like the key in the ignition. Too late to do anything that night anymore, but Sunday morning, we were despairing! It was suggested by a mechanic friend of ours back in Ontario (via phone) that the truck would have to be towed to a dealer - an hour away - to be reprogrammed! Eventually, wiring was checked and voila! it started!! Hurray!

The remainder of the trip was almost anticlimactic - well, we did have a lunch at St. Hubert's in St Hyancinthe, QC. And of course, cleaning up and getting back to normal routines is a natural conclusion to all trips!

We were all quite ready to arrive home, but the time that we had together will always be a special memory that I, for one, hope we can do again!
I think, though, that one of my/our next trips out east, we should take in some more touring. Falling in love with Nova Scotia means we need to discover more about her!

Summertime!!

The heat and a bit of dry weather has finally arrived; it's really summer out there! Hurray!
Not sure what to write about, because life goes on whether it's summer or not!
The girls' flower-girl dresses turned out very lovely, even if I say so myself. In fact, another princess would really like to have one, too! I was hoping to get to the sewing machine again before we leave for Dartmouth, but I'm not sure that's going to happen. My list of things to do seems to have doubled in the last two weeks. I'll have to take fabric along and maybe use Emily's machine....
And yesterday, the list grew longer when I had to give John a helping hand with the brakes for the pick-up, and he also asked for the inside of the truck to get cleaned up for the trip. Ok. Afterward, while he napped, I went around with the trimmer and wondered if there would be time to weed the flower beds.
John's done battle with pneumonia the last few weeks. The round of antibiotic is completed, and the cough isn't as bad, so we're hoping he's on top of it. It's taken its toll on him, though.
I was asked to pull the decorating scheme together for VBS as I can't help this year during that week; the painting of the bright and bold pictures were begun this past week. Even though it's another thing to do, it's kind of fun to paint like you're in grade school! Next week, I hope to put in a few more hours with it, especially in trying to mix colours to get the right shades and amounts of green and brown.
Gardening and lawn care, baking, laundry, house-cleaning, all these jobs don't go away just 'cause it's summer. They just take longer now when breaks include time on the patio!
David and Stephanie are coming here this weekend, instead of us going there, and I hope it's nice enough for a relaxing breakfast on the patio! Other meals, too, of course. But we know it's truly summer when you can step outdoors for breakfast already!

Going into Summer

Just a little on the latest ---
Naomi's flower-girl dress will be finished tonight, at long last! I've had to do a bit of taking out and re-stitching as I go along - today it seemed everything was done twice. Today's goal is a perfect princess dress! I hope Petra's princess flower-girl dress will go quicker. :)
My Mom is moving on Monday - to Maple View Lodge in Athens. We were hoping that she could come live with us (because I now have the time!), but we'll have to see how she likes the nursing home situation. My guess is that it's going to be a really huge adjustment on her part - she's going from a home into an institution. But - she will be only 10 minutes away from us, and she'll spend a lot of time here anyway!
My flower gardens are enjoying the rain we've been getting - but so do the weeds! This evening we'll see our second "moon-flower" open up. I'm going to start referring to it as a "sundrop" though - that seems to be its botanical family.
We participated in a yard sale at church last week - I've been steadily removing un-used and unneccessary items from the house during the last year and adding them to the "yard sale" boxes. We would have come out on the plus side, but John purchased a couple of things in the silent auction, and so we broke even. Oh, well!
Maria spent a couple of days at Opa's and Oma's last week, and had a good time with - - Oma! It's interesting how she's quite alright with Opa at her house, but it takes a while for her to warm up to him here! She did allow him to help her with food, but it was spending time with him at the church on Saturday that truly helped the relationship. And Opa sure appreciated getting hugs instead of tears! Unfortuately for us, she's staying at her Grandpa's and Grandma's this month, and we're not sure when she'll see Opa again! Let's hope she'll be quicker to give him hugs next time she does see him. She does know who he is though; she calls him either 'pa or papa. And she does blow kisses when he turns to go out the door.
A couple of weeks ago, I took the great-grands to grandparent's day at Naomi's school. I think Naomi should have received an award for having the most grandparents there!
And last week, the girls had a tea-party luncheon in honour of Oma's birthday. The lunch was delicious and the decorating was really nice and the playing was fun!
And last week, as well, there was an ultrasound of our next grandbaby! How blessed we are!
So that's the latest - life is full!

Blue Perfume

As I was cultivating around the patch of blue iris, my senses were assailed by a lovely and delicate fragrance. Lo and behold, it was the blue iris! My white irises are fragrant, but not too many others are, so this was a surprise. It truly smells like it could be a perfume. Here is the patch of blue iris. Behind it you see the pink bleeding heart, then the blue Jacob's ladder, then a purple iris and behind the hosta is more Jacob's ladder.