The Skinny

Has it really been that long since I posted last? And I was doing so well for a while there. These last couple months have been a struggle for me physically. I've been to the doctor four times, been on three different antibiotics and at the end of it all found out I had pneumonia. I've had a very patient husband through it all and children that are flexible. Thankfully there were only a couple weeks out of that time that I really felt sick. The rest of the time I just had absolutely no energy and was tired all the time. Along with that the medication I was on made me feel nauseous and slightly worried that I was pregnant again. I'm not...for all you people that think we should have more children. :)

So what have we been up to during all this? Our school year came to a close and we said goodbye to all the students after another good year of learning and growing. Thankfully the learning and growing was not just something the students did but the faculty...and their wives as well. I feel like God has been teaching me a lot lately which is exciting but not always completely enjoyable.



Following graduation the kids and I headed to Saskatoon to spend the week with my family before my cousin Taylor got married on April 23. It was a busy week with all the wedding preparations but we still managed to have some laughs, lots of coffee and the kids had a blast. Liam and Libby were in the wedding as ring bearer and flower girl. Brad and Rachel were in the wedding party and Lindsay was an usher. It was a beautiful wedding and we were so thankful that we could be there to help and celebrate with Taylor & Kirsten.
















Now that we are back home there is much to do for Lindsay at work as he prepares for the golf tournament and chairs the exec committee as Wes is on sabbatical until the end of September. I'm looking forward to gardening, getting some stuff together for a yard sale at my parents house in May and plan to work on Libby's scrapbook while Lindsay reads his newest books for a MA class he is taking in June.

So that catches you up for the most part and I will do my best to get on here more often...now that I am not coughing up a lung!

The Squat

The squat, not to be confused with the often very helpful birthing technique, is how you can often find Libby beside a toy or in this case a snack. I guess I shouldn't be surprised when I put the bowl of dry cheerios down on the floor like she's was a Saint Bernard chowing down Kibbles and Bits. I finally had the camera ready this time to capture the sheer talent that my 16 month old possesses. It's equally as fun to watch her wander around the house now that she is practically a walking pro. I think she is aided in this by her tummy being about as big as her diapered bottom. They even each other out so well, creating wonderful balance. Good thing I'm talking about a cute little toddler here. If I was describing anyone past the age of two I could get in trouble. :) Come to think of it, if this is still around when Libby is older she might not be impressed with my candid descriptions. What is a mother's role if not to nurture, guide, love and embarrass...right mom? The story behind that will have to be for another post.

Look at my gold medal Mom!!

This year is Liam's first year of organized sports. He showed interest so we signed him up for indoor soccer in the fall. This last weekend was his first ever tournament. Lindsay is one of the four coaches that helps out each week but was away this weekend with the NBC teams. That meant that I got to go and help out. Normally the idea of more than 50 kids in any given space would send me packing but I was actually excited about this because I knew it would be fun to watch Liam. He was indeed fun to watch and it was neat to see his excitement. Especially when he got his medal at the end. Of course everyone got one but to him, it was like he had just won the gold medal game. They had won their last game 3-2 and he was the goalie for some of that time. Here are some pictures from the big day.

The Work of His Hands

Growing up on the prairies I love the feeling of being able to see so much of the sky. I love seeing the crops ready for harvest in the fall. I love the northern lights. And 99% of the time I am completely satisfied with the amount of water I see when I spend time at our lakes and rivers. The other 1% is when I find myself standing at the coast, usually the Oregon Coast and see the expanse of the Pacific Ocean in front of me. We have been blessed to spend at least one night at the coast during each of our visits to Oregon. This time Libby and I and the Peters family stayed in Depoe Bay along the Oregon Coast. Thanks to Alysun's in law's generosity and willingness to give up some timeshare points, we stayed in a great suite. We've never been this close to the ocean before. About 10 feet out our patio door there was a cliff, rocks and ocean. It was magnificent and I could have sat there for hours watching the waves hit the rocks. There was a storm blowing in as we got into Depoe Bay and let me tell you it pushed those waves up against the rocks and it was quite a show. I've never seen the seen the coast that active before and it was very cool. So this prairie girl can be awed by prairie fields, mountains and ocean alike. It reminds of me the Psalm I read today...

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun...

...which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion,like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat. Psalm 19:1-6

Sam Storms in his book "More Precious than Gold" writes, "look up and listen for the sky and all in contains is one continuous chorus singing God's glory (Ps.19:1-2). It pours out praise, not in mere hints or whispers but in deafening shouts of supremacy and splendor. The phrase "pours out" means "to bubble up and over like an irrepressible mountain spring." This psalm focuses on the heavens and the sky but I can't help but think as I stood with the ocean in my view that every crash of the waves was a sweet sound in God's ear. "Crash...thank you for creating me, Crash...you are awesome God, Crash...glory be to your name Lord."

Thank you God for all that you have created for us to enjoy...such a wonderful gift.

Where has Ore gon(e)?

I don't know where Ore has gone but Libby and I flew out of Saskatoon on February 10 to Porland, Oregon to spend 5 days with my friend and roommate from college. Alysun and I met fairly early into our illustrious freshmen year of college. She had traveled three days to get to Briercrest after a very last minute decision to attend "this school in Canada" and I had driven three hours to attend the college my parents had attended and just knew that I would too some day. Saying that I was a bit apprehensive about the whole thing would be an understatement. I was beside myself with nervousness and God knew just want to do. He sent this fun girl named Alysun my way and we began to hang out a lot. The freshmen week still seems like a blur but we began to bond as we became full fledged college students. Here are some of the things I think of when I think of those years...

* late night snacks
* long talks
* hayrides, skating to swing music,
* freshmen worship band try out (who were we kidding)
* choir
* chapels
* racing home from supper one night to put a Christmas tree in our RC's bathtub
* classes
* snow ball fights in the dorm
* laughing until it hurt (thankfully we lived in a dorm with two rooms to every bathroom)
* watching sappy chick flicks and drooling over Mr. Knightly,
* learning all about art and a true to life scale model of the coliseum made out of bristol board
* standing in line for extra gravy because Alysun thought the server was cute
* cleaning our room or just letting the closet come to life because it was full to overflowing

I could go on but it might only be funny for Alysun and I so I'll spare you. All these times were great and I wouldn't trade them but something that stands out above the rest are the lessons that God taught us through our friendship and outside it. I treasure the talks we had and the way that Al just accepts me for who I am and loves me in spite of my quirkiness. She is a blessing and that's why it has been so special to be able to keep up our friendship even though the mile separate us.

So, now that you know a little of our colourful history, I'll tell you about the trip Libby and I just took to visit Alysun and her family.

Alysun and Jeff and their three kids live about a half hour outside Salem, OR in a beautiful valley, on a farm in a great farm house that they have redone. Alysun has far surpassed my limited knowledge of farming as a prairie girl growing up in a Saskatchewan city. They will be heading into their busy farming season soon so I thought I would fly down there when it wasn't so hectic and while Libby could still fly for free. Libby did a great job in the airplane there and back. She loved playing with Emmaleigh, Mandy and Remington and was excited to see cows up close for the first time. I, of course was excited to see our friends again and we had fun. We went to the coast for a night, did some shopping, enjoyed great food, watched some movies and had some great talks. I had a very relaxing time which I think was exactly what I needed after a busy winter. With Alysun, even folding laundry is enjoyable and it was a lot of fun to just live life alongside the Peters family for a few days.

I'm so thankful for Alysun's friendship and the fact that as our families have grown we have been able to reconnect and continue the blessing that God gave to us about 12 years ago. Love you Al.


Libby and I during a sight seeing afternoon at a covered bridge.


Our view from our suite at the coast. A storm was moving in when we got there and the waves were crashing against the rocks. In the four times we've stayed at the coast with them over the years I think this is the closest our place has been to the water. Magnificent view and I was again overwhelmed by the beauty and the creativity of our God.



These pictures at the coast rarely work because of the wind. Poor Libby looks like she's on the back of a Harley.

Bundle Up...It's Cold Outside!

God is very creative. The fact that he created this place called earth for us to live and put so many different things on it. Mountains, prairies, oceans, and so many different climates. It's amazing. You can tell by Libby's attire (if you can tell that it's her) that we are blessed to live in a cold climate. I've always been proud to come from Saskatchewan. I must admit dressing up for the cold is a lot more work now with kids but it's still a sweet place to live...and thankfully we don't have to dress like this all year.

Party Time

Just after Christmas we left Saskatoon and came back home to meet Craig and Jen who were coming to visit from Regina. We were very excited to have them come. Let's just say the typical letdown after Christmas was not present this year because we had such fun times to look forward to. We played games, ate together, played with the kids, made some cards, went shopping in the metropolis of Nipawin, talked and had a surprise birthday party for Jen. When we lived in the city we lived much closer to Craig and Jen and saw them all the time. We miss those days but are confident that God has each of us where he wants us right now. It was so exciting to hear how God is using both of them in Regina. Our time with them was so precious and we they are gifts from God.


Craig and Jen are especially special to Liam because they are his godparents. They pray for him and their example as awesome people who love God is so important.

Elea

Just before Christmas 2008, my grandma Skeldon passed away after a long battle with cancer. I posted about it back then. In June, my grandpa came out to the campus for the annual seniors retreat that he had attended with grandma for several years. It was a hard week week for him as everyone was asking where Irene was and it was something that had enjoyed so much together. Near the beginning of the retreat he sat down in his usual spot and a few women sat down beside him. The one directly beside him could tell that he wasn't doing well and asked if everything was okay. He soon learned that this lady was Eleanora and she was from Prince Albert. She had been a grief and marriage counsellor there. Her husband had passed away suddenly a few years ago from a heart attack. They began to talk more and soon were spending a lot of their free time together. At the end of the week I offered to drive Grandpa back to Melfort to meet up with my parents to take him the rest of the way to Saskatoon. I could tell very quickly that my grandpa was quite taken with Elea. We talked about his week and Elea all the way to Melfort. It was great! They began to talk to each other the phone and visiting each other until one day they grandpa announced that he had asked Elea to marry him and she had said yes! They were married in October 2009 in Prince Albert and have been living there ever since. We were able to spend some time with them at Christmas and the visit was very special. It was so special to see Grandpa so happy and full of thankfulness for the gift of Elea and it was neat to get to know Elea better. I was reminded how thankful I am that God is in control of our lives and that he is the author of each of our stories. He is able to bring beauty from the ashes.

Liam turned 4 on December 20!

So I'm a bit behind on this one but better late than never. Liam invited five of his friends here on campus and we all went bowling. Ever gone bowling with four year old kids before. If not, you really haven't lived until you've done so. The cute little bowling shoes, bowling balls s-l-o-w-l-y going down the lane only to duck into the gutter before hitting the pin on the end, and a large dent in the wood of the lane due to the "rolling" of the ball. Seriously, what is not to love about this. We had a good time and then came back to our house for the rest of the party. Thankfully we planned it this way because while we were at the small bowling alley there were two other birthday parties taking place. We got back here and the Thomas the Tank Engine party commenced. We had decorations up and the kids played Thomas bingo before cutting out the Railway Track cake. I did have two engines on the track too but forgot to take pictures of that. Liam had a blast hanging out with his friends and enjoyed the day.

Bath Time...it just doesn't get old!

I think I've said this before, but I just don't get sick of bath tub pictures. These pictures were taken in between trying to keep Libby in the tub and trying to keep Liam from pouring too much water on Libby's head. The former can be quite difficult at times. She loves to stand up in the tub and once, with Lindsay watching on in the bathroom, she slipped over the side of the tub like a seal. I didn't even know this was possible as Liam was much more willing enjoy the bathing experience from INSIDE the tub.

Tired Out?

Just before we left for Sasktoon for Christmas I was cleaning up the house and noticed that the kids had knocked over one of the snowmen. I ran and got the camera because the sight of this made me laugh. Either this little snowman had sampled too much of the holiday punch or all the preparations had just tired him out. Glad we made it through without falling on our faces. This year actually seemed less stressful than most and for that I am thankful.

Christmas Eve at the Skeldon House

Well Jen, I don't think that's a Christmas carol but if it were it would be an interesting one. Hey, that gives me an idea...

Oh, never mind.

If I had my mother's unique ability to write poetry and little diddies, I would just take a few minutes to write a song about our Christmas eve this year and have you all bursting at the seams with laughter. You should hear the one she wrote about our Christmas tree excursion when we were kids. Maybe it's only funny if you were one of the people in the van driving back from the PA forest that day with Christmas tree branches stuck in your ears...yes, THEY PUT IT IN THE VAN AND NOT ON TOP LIKE MOST FAMILIES WOULD! Either way, she is talented not only as a writer but as a mom and grandma. After the Christmas tree incident it has taken years of therapy for me to be able to say that without smelling pine, having my feet freeze up and needing to stop to go to the bathroom in the bush. Can you tell it's getting late? Someday, I'm just going to have tell you this story. Until then...

Christmas eve was great...here are some pictures...

Christmas time is here...happiness and cheer...

Okay, Christmas has actually come and gone and I'm just getting around to blogging about it but does that really surprise anybody? No? Didn't think so. Wouldn't want to overwhelm you with too many posts from A.L.L.L. in the Family.

Everyone we come in contact with since Christmas has asked us the usual question of how it went. I've been telling everyone that it was relaxing. Not something I usually say about this season. The time before we left for Saskatoon was crazy but once we got there and then back here it was very restful. We had more time on campus than usual and we really enjoyed being able to have extra family time. I actually made supper in my PJs one day...and that wasn't because I was sick or got ready for bed early. That day I was just too preoccupied with my puzzle and book to get dressed! It was wonderful. Now that we are back to real life it's time to share some pictures with you. Here are some pictures that we took on Christmas eve with my family before we opened gifts.




Brad and girlfriend, Rachel. We are really enjoying getting to know Rachel. She is a lot of fun to be with.


Liam really likes Rachel and might even have a bit of a crush on her. Whenever she was around he had to be hanging out with her. Pure girl. I think kids are like cats. They are able to figure out very quickly the people in their world that like kids and are good with them. That, and she is beautiful! As you can see here, when he heard that it was Brad and Rachel's turn for a picture he jumped right in.