Fashion and Family

JULY 18

We had another swim day. First, we went with the kids and then by ourselves. Trying to get everyone some exercise is an all day affair. It’s no wonder I can’t seem to find the time when we’re at home. Between eating, cleaning up, and swimming, there was not much time for anything else. We did manage to squeeze in a trip to the ice cream stand, however, after our swim. A little counterproductive, I know.

We went to the Arts Festival Fashion Show in the evening. It was not your typical pretentious fashion show. The local people dressed in traditional Inuvialuit, Gwich’in, and Metis dress. Animal lovers beware! They wore coats of muskrat, wolf, beaver, seal, and some had bear fur trim. Bronwyn loved the capes. There was some very interesting jewellery. One necklace was two antlers intertwined. Kurt thought it was hideous. “How can you were that much bone around your neck without looking like a caveman?” Kurt’s favorite item was a muskrat coat with a Delta braid (woven colored fabric). There were lots of ‘Ooh’s and ‘Aah’s when the little kids came out wearing their garb. One little girl came out and we could barely see her face through all the fur!








JULY 19
We walked to church. Ezra and Naomi have been asking all week, “Is it Sunday yet? Are we going to church? Is there Sunday School today?” They REALLY liked the snacks there and couldn’t wait to go back. I wish I could say their desire was because of a more spiritual hunger! Kate, the Sunday School teacher, is a sweetheart, and she actually called my children ‘splendid.” How could I not like a young lady like that?
We zipped back to the trailer, grabbed our swimsuits and some food on the run, and Bronwyn drove us to the pool. Kurt had Estelle floating in the hot pool. He was supporting her just by the neck, and she laid right back with her ears in the water, and by the way she relaxed, I’d say she enjoyed the tranquility. Josiah and Mackenzie swam lengths the past two days, and they both did over 20 lengths. I’d say that’s pretty good for a first try. And if you’ve seen their streamlined bodies, those two were made for swimming.

It was a beautiful sunny day but the mosquitoes must have invited their friends-sandflies. They are such tiny little bugs, but ,boy, do they bite. We don’t even notice we’re being bitten until we find the hunks of coagulated blood, usually around our hairline and behind our ears. And the welts they leave behind are huge. Evangeline had blood streaming from the outer corner of one of her eyes. Ezra panicked when his finger was copiously bleeding; he thought he had injured himself. We’ve been picking bugs out of each other’s hair. It reminded me of watching gorillas, who do the same. However, unlike the apes, we don’t eat the sandflies when we find them! My friend, Lynn, gave me a cute Gwich’in baby bonnet last time we were here. It is very frilly with three layers of lace and I always wondered why the trim was so ostentatious. I think it must be to attract and trap the bugs-not a bad idea. Estelle has been wearing it to protect her vulnerable scalp.

After some coaxing by Kurt, Michele and Ike decided to come back and stay a couple of days. They drove in with their fifth wheel in the afternoon. Keegan is back! He had a busy week, helping out at the job site and hanging out with the Hanthorns in the evening. Michele said he was grinning from ear to ear the entire time. Keegan has decided, emphatically, that he does not like dry walling and working with insulation. He swallowed some fiberglass. He did like helping with the in-floor heating. One night, the local kids built a smudge fire to keep the bugs at bay, and Michele said Keegan was veritably smoked. He played it cool when he got here, and made a beeline for his bed, trying to avoid the exuberance of his siblings. It wasn’t long before he was out, asking for an adjustment and telling us about his week. He can’t wait to go back to McPherson.


Ike and Michele told us about their stint in Fort McPherson. I'm sure glad there were some able-bodied men like Ike, Les, and Elbert to help with the building. Of note,they said Lynn's dad, Wayne, and brother, Todd were exceptional people. At one point, there were more than 60 people there, including a youth ministry team from Okotoks, some Mennonites from La Crete, and others from Edmonton, Ontario, Ohio, and elsewhere. Elbert and Les had an interesting ride up with lots of 'God-incidences', so make sure you ask them about it, if you get the chance. Michele was working in the kitchen, and she wrote a Scripture in calligraphy on a backdrop of fireweed for the Hanthorns. A worship service was held in the new building on Sunday, with a roof overhead, amidst the framed walls.












We ate dinner with Ike and Michele. Ike went fishing on the Nakina River in Northern BC on their way north and we ate one of his salmon. Michele showed us their Dempster Highway pictures and some photos of the church construction in Fort McPherson. Estelle clapped her hands for the first time, spurred on by Michele. Bronwyn and Mackenzie’s beds got rained on last night, so they decided to have a sleepover in Ike and Michele’s fifth wheel. When the little Scottish girl, Kate, had stayed with Ike and Michele, she drew pictures and a note for our kids on their window. That was a nice surprise for them. Estelle has been having a rough time with her cough, sometimes gasping for breath, and she didn’t settle down until 3:30 am.

A note to all of those writing us letters up here Thanks so much. The kids love going to the post office to see if there's any mail for them. We are leaving for Fort McPherson on Tuesday so for any of you still so inclined, please direct any mail there. As a side note, my wonderful sister-in-law, Tanya, sent me a package of books with Michele. A girl after my own heart!