Long time no speak, er, write...

...I know! It has been a very busy three weeks here, all enjoyable but extremely tiring too. And on my last day we are still visiting! I hope to go with my mom to Oma Vermeer's to visit her, and then Jackie will be at mom's tonight. I look forward to seeing them.

Tomorrow is the big day to leave once again and hopefully fly to Texas. I can't tell you how nervous I am! Maybe you think I'm a bit weird to feel nervous about the border but I can't help it, oh, I'm nervous about flying too, such a worry wart I am. :(

We've had nasty colds (mainly the kids) so I suppose we are tired from that too. The kids should be used to going here and there a bit by now, maybe, but I really look forward to settling down for a bit, if possible.

I should post pictures, but I haven't a camera, and I keep forgetting to borrow my mother's...soo, we'll just have to wait till Texas for Jett's cam. I am so excited about seeing him next week, all the Lord willing! Can you believe I haven't seen him for the entire month of October?! Almost a whole 5 weeks without him, and I am so glad it is nearly over. :)

Hopefully I'll catch up with blogging but we'll have to see, life has taken quite the high speed right now!

For Jett (aka Daddy, Dedaa, and Gaddy)

Just for laughs... :D

Mommy & Aaron

A little too much of me grinning...but cute of Owen :)

Amelia with her lovely box of "treasures" that she got from Aunt Jackie.

Owen playing my piano

Goodbye Scotland...

...and hello Canada (all being well tomorrow). I've been running around the house, packing this and that, weighing bags and then packing the rest of the little bits into boxes. Busy yes, I guess. I think by tonight I will wonder, "what do I do now?" :) But I will be glad to get that far.

I have nothing to announce really. Jett's safely in Singapore, and tomorrow he goes to Auckland via Sydney D.V. Lots of traveling about for this family! Lets hope Jett takes a lot of pictures.... :)

I'm nervous about flying again, I don't like flying. Please remember us tomorrow.

And off we go!

An Tairbeart & Owen's first haircut *sniff*

We are back home (we have been for a couple of days) from Tarbert, and it was a lovely time there. I enjoyed it especially because Flora C took care of the kids many times so I could go to church without them, what a difference it makes!!

Owen had his first haircut after we got back...more on that later...

This is in Uig, Skye while we waited for the ferry to come in.

The Ferry

Owen getting a cuddle from Daddy

After 5 or more hours of driving the kids were *very* ready to play!

Amelia loved being at Hannah's house...and playing with all of her toys!


Already going home! I tried getting some photos of the ladies but Ruth protested and I never ended up getting any! Here is our 3 in the back seat...lol no room for any extra passengers!

Tarbert Harbour

I never thought I would be so sad about Owen's first haircut (I'm just being silly right?) but I was...I think it just marked a bittersweet moment that my baby is more boy now than I realized. Here he is dawning his lovely locks...

How could I cut them?!

But I did...







Ahh!!



Back view. :'(

Next week I have to say goodbye to Jett for 5 weeks! I am not looking forward to that at all. I'm also getting nervous about flying over to Canada, but I hope and pray that things will go well.

an update of sorts

I've been neglecting our blog this week. The only reason I can come up with is that I feel I have nothing interesting to post about or I just don't feel up to posting. I think it is both. :)


We have been doing things though. We always are you know, laundry, washing dishes, cleaning etc. I did accomplish a few extra things... one is Amelia's scrapbook is done! I need an album to put all the pages in but that is easily found in the States! I did from her birth to Feb 2008 and no more. Anything else will be put in a photo album. Whether I do any of the boys is doubtful, they are boys you know and boys tend to like boyish things so perhaps a photobook is more boyish.

So we've been doing a lot of "craft" time, not that the kids really made anything, but they had fun cutting up paper, and gluing it to paper.

This is Amy colouring. The kids do this everyday.


Aaron will colour for a long time, run off to play with cars and then come back and colour again. (Amelia decided to sit next to me and read that above sentence word for word, yes she can read)Owen was putting laundry in that plastic box, he was actually quite successful!

Sleeping babies...aww, I love them!

Last Saturday we went to Glasgow for Amelia's MRI (which didn't go through because she was terrified), we had lunch at the Macleod's which was so lovely! Need I remind everyone that we stayed in their house for a week while Amy had her seizures/hospital stay? That is quite something for any family to do, and we endeavour to be thankful for these mercies.

Mrs. Macleod gave us some educational books for the children which they are enjoying (I enjoy them too!)

Ah, Banana bread and some muffins to the left. Want the recipe? Likely most of us have a good recipe for this loaf. :)


This Sabbath we hope to be in Glasgow, Lord willing. And Wed we go off to Tarbert, Harris (5 hours driving, 1 3/4 hrs ferry) for the communion, I look forward to being there again!

Until next time D.V. :)

schedule. the busy schedule.

Where is the time going? I find it is hard to realize that September starts tomorrow, and I have a month to pack for Canada/Tx. Yes, that is sufficient time to pack for the trip, but it is difficult to know whether or not to pack things in the house, and whether or not I'll need certain things while in Canada/Tx. Oh well.

Yes, time is zooming. July is gone, now August. I get to be with Jett for the next two Sabbaths at least, and perhaps the third if I am brave enough to go to the Tarbert communion. Oh, and then Jett is in Larne I think for the last Sabbath, and then N.Tolsta and New Zealand. I hope I'll manage okay for 5 weeks without J. I know I will be mostly in Canada so that should help, but it does leave one uncomfortable knowing your spouse is far away from you...and this would be the furthest he's been. But, I hope it will be a good experience for him as I'm sure it will be.

In other news this photo makes Jett and I laugh...

Owen likes looking at pictures of real people so his favourite book is this one on the children of the world.

5 days without Daddy means lots and lots of fun when he gets home.
Aaron might just take off with these...

Amy hopefully will sleep well tonight! :)

Aww, and I like baby hands (ok 15months isn't quite "baby" but close enough).

I was really wondering what Owen would do when he saw Daddy once he got back (would he be whiny and cling to him like last time?), little did I know it was going to be in the middle of the night... Thats right, little Owen decided to wake up wanting a bottle so he got to see his Daddy and he was very happy. :) Sooo happy that he had to be with Daddy...thankfully he was still tired and went back to sleep, that is after a bit of cuddling and laughing and being silly. :)

the difficulties of daily life (with many small children)

Sometimes I feel as if I am having one-of those-hard-days every day. Amy continuously takes toys away from the boys or Owen will take toys away from Amy/Aaron causing them to scream frantically and it usually ends up with Owen being pushed or hurt (more crying). And usually those kinds of days are accompanied by much disobedience from the children. Then there are days when Jett needs quiet to study, and to prepare sermons, which is doubly hard when kids are doing the above things. Topped onto that is all the workload of a regular housewife (laundry, dishes, making meals etc) and you end up with quite a tough day, or week!

Many times (or rather every time!) I look forward to the kids bedtime because afterwards I can begin to unwind, regroup, think in silence, and refresh my mind with the Bible, and any good book I might be reading. But then there are the days when one kid (like right now for example) refuses to sleep. Believe me, I am quite hard on my kids when it comes to bedtime, but when a little one really is crying uncontrollably there really isn’t any point in keeping the poor thing wailing in bed and possibly wake up the other two… but, it does mean less quiet time for oneself and sometimes after a particular hard day, it is a trial, perhaps unexpected and unwanted.

I have tried to get up earlier in the morning to get a bit of this quiet time and from experience I know it is extremely helpful, but my children are early risers, even if I were to put them to bed closer to 8:30 or so they would still be up at 7am and then I would have even a harder day dealing with their grouchiness. But, I do manage something in the mornings. One mother had said to me that she looks more to the Lord for strength for the day. And isn’t that nice? I was thinking how getting married, and having children has driven me more to my knees throughout the day because I realize how needy I (we) are of grace and strength when dealing with the children. It is not an easy thing to be training up little ones! Naïve as I was I think I’ve taken quite the crash course in learning that fact. And I have so much more to learn and experience. (Homeschooling here we come…!)

So, what are you learning about childrearing?

Cheddar Ham Soup = so yummy!

Cheddar Ham Soup...

Is very tasty...

And excellent if you have leftover ham, mashed potatoes and corn! :)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups of water
• 2 cups cubed potatoes (or even better use leftover mashed potatoes that have already been seasoned garlic powder/onion powder/ salt and pepper...)
• 1/2 cup sliced carrots
• 1/2 cup sliced celery (well, I tend to never have this on hand so this is optional in my mind!)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp of pepper (but I season to taste with the salt & pepper every time)
• 1/4 cup of margerine (uhm, no. I use butter)
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 cups of milk
• 1 cup of grated cheddar cheese (uhm I use much more than this make that 1 & 1/2 cups. Use full flavoured or close to it as cheese is a huge taste factor in this soup)
• 1 cup of canned corn (whatever you have as long as it has been cooked before)
• 1 & 1/2 cups of cubed ham (give or take...)

In a large saucepan bring water, potatoes (if they are the cubed stuff), carrots, celery, onion, salt and pepper to boil. Reduce heat; cover & simmer until veggies are tender. I usually add the mashed potatoes after the veg are tender and half of the milk and then start on this part: In a medium bowl melt butter in the microwave (or however you melt butter) add flour and whisk till its nice and smooth. Add 1 cup of milk and mix well. Add this to the large saucepan and cook until thickish. Add the lovely cheese you've been snacking on, and melt through, then add corn and ham (also something you've been snacking on) and heat through. Serve and enjoy... I think it mmakes about 4-5 servings maybe 6 but I doubt it...especially if your wanting 2nds. :)

comings and goings

I've been meaning to get around to this post but I keep getting interrupted or distracted or something else!

Anyways, to answer a few questions from FB, and also from here:

Our visas run out (legally speaking) 4 months after Jett finishes his course, leaving us till the middle of October to be out of the country. Some of you initially thought that I might be flying with three children over the Atlantic...uhm, absolutely not! I'm not that crazy! :D It actually happened to be before we knew we had to leave the country that my mother emailed me a wild idea. She thought since Jett would be in NZ in October, that perhaps she could come over to help me come back to Canada to visit her and the family for awhile. So yes sounds lovely but no I doubt that would happen. Little did I know! Anyways, our flights at the very moment are either being booked or are booked (hopefully the latter). My mom hopes to come to help me over (her flights are being booked simultaneously with mine), and that alone is a huge provision for us as Jett wouldn't be able to help me.

I hope to go to Texas (flights are currently being researched in order to find the best price :( ) in late Oct for about 4 months and a half...yes, I'm very nervous about this part...ready for it? *THE BORDER* :D Those good CBP officers hopefully will see that A. I have a return ticket, B. My husband could not be called to take a charge in the States because we don't have a vacant congregation there, C. Uhm...we have a car in the UK? And have been living there for 3 years? Anybody else have some good points to give to the CBP so that they will see I WON'T BE STAYING! :) Sorry for the caps, but I've had problems in the past so I'm trying to cover every last detail. And C is not really a good point I see that.

Now this does cause some problems for Amelia, because she is on regular doses of medication. Anybody know what I'm supposed to do in order to get her meds in the States? Surely all of Amy's letters from the Dr. would be sufficient... oh the stress. :(

But, all of these things are in the Lord's hands which is comforting.

Strength for the day

(by a James Smith 1859) Something I needed today was dropped in my email inbox fro Grace Gems. Thought I would share.

"As your days--so shall your strength be." Deuteronomy 33:25

This promise which ensures us suitable and sufficient strength for all future days--is made by One who loves us dearly. Loves us--but who shall describe, who can suitably represent His love!

It is Infinite love--and cannot be comprehended!
It is Eternal love--and cannot be measured!
It is Unchangeable love--and cannot be diverted from its objects!
It is Sovereign love--and was fixed on them without anything in them to attract or draw it toward them!
It is Divine love--
deeper than a father's love;
more tender than a mother's love;
stronger than a husband's love.

This Divine love is...
a fire that cannot be quenched,
an ocean that cannot be exhausted,
a sun that will never set!

too much stuff

Do you know what it's like going through childrens clothes/stuff and having to throw some away, put some in charity bags, and then what to do about the good stuff...do I ebay it? Do I advertise it on my blog? Hmm...!

So, I'm trying to go through the kids clothes, and my own too, this way hopefully, I'll have less to pack away, and then I'll be keeping only stuff that I would really use in the future.

So, does anybody need a baby bath? I also have a few pairs of girls shoes all Clarks, but I don't know if anybody has little girls 2-3yrs out there that would be willing to buy!

Anyways, it is fun going through stuff and remembering when the kids used to fit baby clothes, and those cute dresses and yes...on and on :)

Ooh I had better start working on that lasagna for tonight before I forget! :)

Our time in Skye...

...consisted of nothing more than figuring out stuff (we will tell you soon what that is) and just trying to keep up with the kids.And allergic reactions in this little man here.

We had two days of ok weather...which as you can see in the below pic the sky was not looking very promising!

And again...

And for all who miss those single-tracked roads and their passing places...

...I actually had fun driving on them today, reminded me of Harris days.

And of all things, we go to see the Mr John & Jesse Campbell, and the Jardines were there...I took my camera I really did, but I never once took it out. :( And theres the phone!

Halkirk & Amy & Annelise's Birthday

But first a photo I forgot to post...(sorry Sharon I didn't take many at all!)

This is John & Jett.

A week ago or so we were in Halkirk, Caithness (which is more or less a farm community so much like home). Annelise (Flora & David's girl) turned 4 on July 23rd, and then Amy turned 4 on July 24th very neat! :)

The kitchen is nice and large, so large little kids can fit neatly in cupboards now they will be not seen but likely heard! ;)

Amelia writing her name (she had to ask me what letters would finish her name but this is her handwriting).

Every little girl needs a nice dolly...so that is what we got her. Meet Baby Anna (rarely called Annabell.)

She took a liking immediately. :)


The cake unfortunately was store bought and was an awful cake in comparison to the cake Annelise's granny made!! I hope I never have to buy store bought again!

Monday, we went to Dunnet where Christina & John Logue live. Had lunch with Christina and the kids lounged around on the rug...

...and read on the fluffy rug...

...and they tried swimming on the rug too.

And that was Halkirk...well, not really I should have taken a whole lot more and I wish I did because you would've loved seeing Yvonne's children, and Granny Elsie. I'll try better now that we are in Skye...no promises though!