The Gift Of Today

Hello.  I woke up today in reflection of a year gone by.  It is coming upon a year since Tat and I returned from our North America adventure.  I am very greatful that we made that trip.

I have been ill pretty much since the day we arrived home.  In December we moved to a bungalo just down the street.  It is home.  January started a downward spiral of illness with the last few weeks being quite serious.  I am happy to report that I am slowly on the mend.

Thank you for the many prayers that have been made on our behalf.  God has perfect timing.  Our new home has been a real blessing to us as I am currently using a walker and I have plenty of room to get around.  Please continue to pray for us as we overcome challenges ahead.

To all the singles out there.  Choose your partner wisely.  Life is not all kittens and rainbows.  Marry your best friend.  You may have to trust this person with your life one day.  If you are in a relationship with someone whom you don’t trust….pack your bags….it is not worth it.  I am very blessed to have an amazing partner.

Please pray for our medical professionals.  They are only human and make mistakes like the rest of us.  They need us to pray for them.

We have upgraded our teardrop trailer to a pop-up A-frame.  The adventures will continue in the near future just maybe a little closer to home.

Enjoy and be greatful for each day.  Don’t sweat the small stuff and be kind to one another.

 

Weekend Getaway

While the good weather is still here, we decided to take off in our trailer for the weekend.  We headed to a small town just outside Bathurst, NB.

Meet cousin Rosemarie and her boyfriend Don.  We had a great weekend with this couple.

We camped completely of the grid next to this piece of paradise hidden in the woods.

Meet Charlotte.

We found this painted rock.  We have hidden it somewhere in our hometown of Chipman for someone else to find.  Good luck.

Psalm 29:11  The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace.

By The Atlantic

 

 

We took off with our trailer for a few days and headed north.

We spent 5 days at the Val Comeau campground in Val Comeau, New Brunswick. This is a fantastic campground.  Our original site was too open and windy but the staff was very accomodating about moving us to a different site.  Bath houses are kept extremely clean and the grounds very well maintained.  Located on a peninsula.  Dig for clams right off shore, fish for bass or take a boat out a bit for fresh oysters and mussels.  Live entertainment provided every Saturday night.  If you are travelling through New Brunswick with a trailer, this location is a must.  We highly recommend it.

 

 

The small town of Tracedie Sheila is located near by to the campground.  We highly recommend the restaurant L’ Entracte.  The food and service were excellent.  We had the most amazing poutine with clams.

 

This little town has some incredible churches.

We saw quite a few residences with their own lighthouses.

Meet Aunt Roberta and her boyfriend Ivan.  We had a great visit with them…they don’t live far from the campground.

We popped in to see our friends Hal and Janet on the way home.  They own Salmon River Bend Outfitters.  If you are looking to bear hunt or rent a cabin…this is the place to go.

School is starting back which means the summer is over.  We are hoping to get some more time out with our trailer before the bad weather comes.

Colossians 3:15  Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  And be thankful.

 

Boler-ama

We spent a few weeks at home.  Our journey has made us rethink what we really need to live so we are downsizing and uncluttering our home.  We took off in our trailer for a few days.  We went to a boler/vintage trailer rally in PEI.  We met some fantastic people and saw alot of unique trailers.  We were one of approximately 100 trailers.

Meet friends James and Kathy…they joined us at the rally.  What a great weekend we had complete with fresh lobster, Acadian food, Acadian music and lots of great people.

We stayed at the campground at Abrams Village, PEI.  This campground is pretty basic but clean and well maintained.  We recommend this place.

Ecclesiastes 8:15  So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink and enjoy life.  That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun.

Homeward Bound

 

We left Brighton, Ontario and continued heading East.  The scenery was so beautiful and green.

 

All signs and store fronts in Quebec are written in French.

We spent the night at a truck stop and continued on in the morning.

We have made it home.  We will spend a couple weeks getting some things in order and then the adventures will continue.  We will also continue with our homeless project.

Spreading The Love

We spent a week at the Milton Heights campground in Milton, Ontario.  Great location with all the amenities.  We recommend this place.

We then spent a few days in Darlington Provincial Park in Courtice, Ontario.  Located right on the lake with fabulous surroundings.  Staff are very attentive and the grounds well maintained.  We recommend this place.

Meet Tianna.  This beautiful young lady is our grandaughter.  We are extremely proud of the fine young person she has become.  We got to have a great visit with her and her mom Michelle.

Meet Tat’s son Ryan.  We had a wonderful visit with him and his family.

Meet friends Mark and Karen.  Had a great visit with this wonderful couple.

Meet Tat’s long time friend Mickey, his wife Wendy and their son Dylan.  We are spending a few days with them in Brighton, Ontario.

1 Thessalonians 5:11  Therefore encourage one another and build eachother up, just as in fact you are doing.

My Big Fat Greek/Phillipino Party

Meet Nina.  Nina and I have been friends my entire life.  We had a great visit.

Our good friends Louie and Dena invited us to their nephew’s one year birthday party.  We have been adopted into a Greek/Phillipino family.  Boy what a great combination…they know how to throw a party.

Meet Jane.  We have been friends for many years.

Meet June and Mandy.  They work at theteardroptrailer.com…they made our trailer.  We own the original “diamond in the rough”.  We had opportunity to pop in for a visit.  Sorry we missed you Steve!

Mandy gave us this great idea to put a canopy right over our trailer.  We added a solid panel and a couple tarps which created a changing area.  Thanks Mandy.

We are camping at Darlington Provincial Park for a few days.  Slowly making our way home.

Proverbs 27:17  As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

The Fun Continues

We spent some time camping in Frank and Carolyn’s driveway in Milton, Ontario.  Then we moved to a campground.

Korey and Akita joined us for a night.  Oh what fun!

 

 

Meet good friends Mike and Karen.  We were so blessed to spend some time with them.

 

Charlie and Sam joined the fun as well.

Meet Cheryl and her staff at the Lunch Box Cafe in Milton.  This restaurant provides job opportunities for those with developmental disabilities.  The food and service were both excellent.

Meet Joan and Carol.  Had a great time catching up with these long time friends.

Meet Dan.  He is homeless.  We had opportunity to spend some time with him and bless him with a few things.  Turns out that Dan and Tat had matching rings.

Proverbs 13:20  Walk with the wise and become wise,  for a companion of fools suffers harm.

Answered Prayer

 

Crosstowne Church in Milton donated the use of their church to us and we had opportunity to share some of our testimony and music with friends and family.

 

 

Meet Cameron.  Cameron is my youngest child.  On September 22, 2012 Cameron closed his eyes and went to be with Jesus.  He was 18.

A few months after Cameron’s death I came across his toy box that my brother made him.  In the bottom of the toy box was his baby blanket.  My stepmother made it for him when he was born.  It was made and given to me in Ontario.

God has a plan for our lives.  He sets us in a path for our life but it’s up to us to be listening, paying attention and following the directions.  When God calls us to do something we don’t see the big picture.  We don’t always understand why he’s instructing us to do something.  The same is true with our earthly parents.  They make decisions for us to guide us in a certain direction.  We don’t always understand why but we should listen and trust.

In February 2013, 5 months after Cameron’s death.  I was struggling with these such decisions I had made as a parent.  I needed to know that Cameron had forgiven me for decisions I had made that maybe he didn’t understand.  I knew I wouldn’t be able to move forward until I let this go.  I was driving myself crazy obsessing over this.  I started begging God to please help me to let this go.  For three days leading up to a day in church I was relentless in prayer…please God, help me, I need to let this go.

We were attending a church in Minto, New Brunswick.  In the middle of the service a three year old girl came running up from Sunday school.  She was screaming “daddy, daddy, daddy”  Of course I turned around to discover her wearing this.

I couldn’t breath.  I felt a huge jolt in my chest.  I knew this moment was for me.

When we pray, the answer to our prayers will never be in the form we think it should be.  God knows exactly what we need and when we need it.

To put this into perspective for you.  The blanket was made in Ontario 18 years prior to this event.  The dress was newly handmade 18 years later in New Brunswick. During Cameron’s lifetime and since, I have never encountered anything else made out of this fabric.  I have peace.

1 John 5:15  And if we know that he hears us -whatever we ask-we know that we have what we asked of Him

F Is For Friendship

Meet friends Frank and Carolyn.  We spent some time visiting with them in Milton while camping in their driveway.

Meet our very good friend Betty.  God is keeping Betty very busy.  She reaches out to the unvisited in her senior’s complex.  We had a great visit.

Meet our good friends Wayne and Christine.  We spent some time with them in Port Dover, Ontario.  Tat and Wayne were a musical duo called BFAM….Brothers From Another Mother.

Meet their daughter Kirsten,  her husband Shane, their son Pearce and Wayne’s mom Lucille.

Meet another daughter Shannon, her partner Kelly and some of their gang…Noah, Elisha and Bobby.  Never a dull moment in this family.

Let’s not forget Heidi and Bella.

Meet Don and Lisa…there was plenty of jamming going on during our visit.  Tat and Wayne even recorded a few songs.

We have thoroughly enjoyed our visit here.  We are heading back to Milton for a couple weeks.

Proverbs 18:24   One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.