A D-lighful Day

September 11

Today was Diana's eighth birthday. After she went to bed last night, Kenzie hung streamers, Bronwyn made clues for a treasure hunt, and we all wrote cards and drew pictures and compiled them into 'Diana's Birthday Book.' Diana was the last one to get up so we had lots of time to get our surprises together. Even Evangeline drew a picture for Diana.

We had her favorite 'boxed cereal'( a real novelty for our family) for breakfast-Corn Pops. I didn't even know she had ever tried them before. She didn't ask for them, but I thought I would surprise her, because she wouldn't expect to get junk food like that from me. I always let the kids choose their meals for their birthday so they usually take advantage of the opportunity to eat foods that make me shudder.

She read her birthday book, and followed Bronwyn's clues to find presents from her two big sisters. Then I took her alone to the Tent and Canvas Shop. She had no idea where we were going. She picked out her own tote bag, chose an embroidery pattern and the font for her monogram, and then watched Calvin personalize her bag. She really enjoyed it, and I must say she made good choices. It looks amazing!



Judah ran over to say Kurt was on the phone. Diana and I ran to the Hanthorns but we missed the call. At least Paul got to talk to Kurt for 15 minutes of so. We called Kurt back, and Diana did get a chance to receive birthday wishes from her daddy.

To add to her day, Diana received two birthday presents in the mail. Grandpa sent his traditional card and money, which the kids always enjoy receiving. Diana made a nice pose for you.



She also received some cake decorating supplies in the mail. (Thanks, Tim and Lori!) It was such a timely gift. I had made an extra cake, so we decided to let the kids personalize their own piece of cake. Judah, Jesse, and Esther joined in the fun, as did the neighbors, Rayden and Kylynn. Then they played in the yard, ate some more and we finished off her special day with a movie.

I love my little 'D.' Happy Birthday, Diana. I love you.

News from Here AND Home

September 8-10

Looks like it was my turn to get some news.I have a new nephew- Jedidiah James Branson!! Congratulations Keith and Merryl, Jessie, Jacob, Rebekah, Gabrielle, and Maria! Can't wait to see your little baby boy! Are you trying to get us to come home or something?

Anyways..

Lynn and I started meeting in the mornings before the kids wake up to read the bible and pray together. It’s a nice quiet time, and a good way to start the day. I see the sun rise as I walk over to her house.

With the cooler fall weather, the bugs have dissipated, so we take our walks down in the river valley. It’s beautiful. One of these times, I’m going to remember my camera! There are lots of trails cut in the trees and along the water. It reminds me a lot of the River Farm at home. The kids run ahead, looking for the next great discovery. Unless, of course, they fall behind because they have found, yet again, the perfect walking stick. With Josiah, Judah, and Jesse along, you can be sure there is lots of ‘bush-whacking’ going on. Two sticks (one of them Josiah’s) made contact with Esther’s head on one outing, and that put an end to the stick-toting.

Lynn invited the kids over to do an autumn activity. We gathered leaves outside until everyone’s paper bag was full. We ironed the leaves flat, the kids glued them down and –VOILA- they each had their own placemat. They were all very proud of their creations. Keegan and Bronwyn also enjoyed the weather by running with Annah and Ruth.

Mackenzie stayed at the house because she was determined to finish reading The Lord of the Rings. And she did. She read the third book, The Return of the King in one day! I love The Lord of the Rings. Good is good, evil is evil, and good wins in the end. And LOTR has made readers out of Keegan, and now Mackenzie, and as a homeschooling mother, that is worth its weight in gold. Before summer, Mackenzie didn’t like to read a book unless she could finish it in one sitting. I think it’s safe to say she’s converted!

After their run, Keegan and Bronwyn wanted to bike, so they went to ask Lynn if her girls could go. Lynn asked, “Well, how hard are you going to go?” Bronwyn, from past experience, knew that when the Hanthorns train, Lynn likes them to push themselves. So to increase her chances of a positive response, Bronwyn replied, “Really hard.”

Lynn said, “Are you sure? Really hard?”

“Yes,” Bronwyn confirmed.

What Bronwyn didn’t realize was Lynn asked the question because Ruth did NOT want to go if they were going to go hard. The girls were on a juice cleanse and were not feeling too energetic. Plus, they’d already done their training with their run. Biking was just extra.

“Oh, well if you’re going hard, I don’t think Ruth wants to go then.”

Of course, Bronwyn was more than willing to have a more leisurely ride, “Well, Lynn, if it’s okay with you, we could go at a slower pace.”

So they went. And to top it off, Keegan went biking again with Joel when they got back.

In other news, Estelle is on the move. She gets on her hands and knees now, and can move herself along the floor. Having all the space, and some carpet, at the RCMP house, has made it easier for her, I think. She can sit herself up from lying down, and for the first time, she pulled herself up to stand at the windowsill on my bed.



Today, Bronwyn, Keegan, Mackenzie, Josiah, and Diana went to an assembly at the school. The 2008 Canadian female Olympic gold medalist for wrestling did a presentation. She used Joel as her guinea pig to demonstrate her wrestling moves. They really enjoyed it. It’s amazing to be so far away from home, in such a little hamlet, and we’ve had so many opportunities to experience so many things. I am so thankful.

Road Trip

September 6-7

Bronwyn and Keegan have had some new opportunities to work on their fitness. On Saturday, they went for a run with the HB4 (Hanthorn Big 4), led by Leonard, who is married to Carol, one of the nurses here in town. Leonard is a serious runner. He lives in New York, and has done Olympic time trials. He was raring to take the kids out and he had a route all planned out in his head, involving interval training. They ran for one hour and fifteen minutes. Keegan said it was the most tired he has ever been, and Bronwyn’s quads were so sore, she was walking like a duck to relieve her discomfort. But I’m so proud of them. It has been such a blessing for them to take part in the Hanthorns’ training schedule (They are preparing for the Arctic Winter Games in March).

They had their ‘day of rest’ on Sunday and it was a good thing because on Monday, they went on another excursion. That morning,we woke up to a cool day. It was just above freezing. Bronwyn and Keegan went for a bike ride with Sarah, Joel, Annah, and Ruth. They put on layers, hats on their heads, and gloves on their hands(or in Bronwyn's case, socks). They biked all the way to Tsiigehtchic, a 60 km trip.

Josiah, Diana, Naomi, and Ezra did not want to come along to pick up the cyclists. Our new ‘home’ is a novelty and they wanted to stay and play. Mackenzie jumped at the opportunity to babysit. With two older siblings, she doesn’t get as many chances as she’d like to be in charge. I warned her. “ I’ll be gone about 3 hours. I have no phone. What would you do if you had a problem?” She replied, “Mom we’re living with the police. I’ll be fine.”

I took Estelle and Evangeline in the van and they both slept the whole way. We stopped once so Lynn could pick up Judah and Jesse. They had gone on a shorter bike ride. Then,Lynn and I checked on the other cyclists, en route, and then drove ahead to meet them at Tsiigehtchic. When we arrived,the Mackenzie ferry was docked on our side, ready to load vehicles. The sight made me want to laugh. I’ve reached the river crossing countless times, and the ferry has NEVER been docked on my side ready to take me aboard. Not even once. The wait can be anywhere from 30 minutes to over an hour. Today, the only day I wasn’t crossing the river, I could have driven on board with no wait at all. It would have been-dare I say-exhilarating. Well, at least, very satisfying.

When we got to Tsiigehtchic,, Evangeline woke up, looked around with sleepy eyes and asked, ”Mom, are we at the ferry? Are we going on the ferry?” We’ve now been here long enough for even our two-year old to be familiar with the surroundings.




The cyclists did great and reached their destination in three hours. They were still all smiles as they rode up to the ferry dock. After biking to Midway earlier this summer on the hills in the rain, they found the distance much easier, even though it was longer. We had a snack, and headed back, with Bronwyn in the driver's seat. When we returned, Mackenzie asked why we were back so soon. So a good day was had by all.

New Neighbours

September 4-5

First, the church update. The plumbers left after installing remaining fixtures and stalls in the bathrooms. They are fully functional now. They did tremendous work on the heating system, but they think they punctured a pipe with a nail somewhere. Trying to find the hole will be like trying to find a needle in a haystack, so please pray for their situation. Dan has been mudding in the apartment and painting can probably begin there on Monday. Paul painted the sanctuary just in time to officiate Saturday afternoon at the first wedding to be held in the church. It was a public wedding, we found out later. We missed it. Lynn, Heather, and I had gone for a walk with our kids.

Judah did a good turn for us the other day. I was in the trailer when I heard him say, “Hey, where are you going with that wheel?”

I went out the door and there were three young boys on bikes, one with our buggy wheel tucked under his arm.

The boy with the wheel said, “It’s mine.”

Judah: “Then where is the wheel that was under the Kure’s trailer a minute ago.”

Wheel-holder: “ I don’t know.”

Judah: “Well, it’s not yours. Give it back.”

Wheel-holder: “ But it’ll fit my sister’s bike”.

I interjected: “That doesn’t mean you should take something that does not belong to you. Can I please have my wheel back.”

Now, I have assumed that when a guilty party is caught red-handed, their next course of action is usually escape. You know, drop the incriminating item and make a run for it. (Like that bunch of guys caught at the ferry). However, that was not the case in this instance. The boy looked me in the eye and said, “Well, then , how much will you sell it to me for?”

Needless to say, it was not for sale, and the boys went home wheel-less. And I thanked Judah for interceding for us.

In seemingly unrelated news, we moved out of the Hanthorns yard. We all loved being so close to the Hanthorns, but I do believe we were a strain on their water supply . And with us, the Sachs mission men, and the plumbers, the Hanthorns had 17(?) extra people coming in and out of their house for a whole week. They were so gracious. Our trailer is still parked beside their house, locked up with the buggy wheel INSIDE. We moved all our belongings to-can you guess?-a house in the RCMP compound.

Last month, while we were still at the daycare, Chris, police sergeant and friend of the Hanthorns, told us one of their houses would be available on September 5. He offered it to us then, before we even mentioned our coming need. I happily accepted. I am so thankful and amazed by God’s provision. We trust God to meet our needs, and He answers us exceedingly and abundantly greater than we can even imagine. The house has three bedrooms, WITH furniture. The kids thought it was as big as our house. And like the other administrative buildings in McPhoo, the RCMP houses are connected to the utilidor, which means we have an unlimited water supply. Oh, happy day!



I can be content in plenty or in want, but it sure was nice to have a shower. I hadn’t had one in 6 days. Should I be admitting that? Anyways, our first night in, everyone had a bath, and I did three loads of laundry. Water MUST be one of God’s most glorious creations.

There is even another unexpected benefit of living in an RCMP compound. With a chain-link fence around the compound, and police vehicles and uniformed officers about, methinks there will be no more ‘borrowing’ of wheels or any other Kure belongings anymore. Just a guess….

Pining

September 3-4

The kids had their last day of swimming for the season. Lynn said the pool is often closed by mid-August. We are so thankful we enjoyed it for so long. The wonderful weather is supposed to hold out for a week , at most. Lynn and I have been longing to get outside, but cooking meals for ourselves and the plumbers, cleaning, and organizing children, and attempting school, have taken the lion's share of our time. Nothing out of the ordinary I suppose! But we did get out for a short walk and it was so refreshing to be in the sunshine and the breeze.

The kids are still having a wonderful time, but there have been hints of a desire to see home again. Naomi and Diana really want to see their cat and Naomi is missing her blanket of all things. Diana said,"Mom, I'm getting homesick. I'm having fun here, but I want to be home too." Ezra was swinging on the swing Lynn has in her house, and he said, "Mom, I want to swing in the hammock at home with you." And Evangeline keeps saying, "My daddy's gone. I miss my daddy." How hard for a toddler. She has object permanence but no concept of time.

The older kids are faring far better; their days are so full of activity. It's all quite a change from our last Arctic summer when Keegan was the one pining for home. This time we are going to be dragging Keegan home by his heels. However, when he saw Joel wrestling with his friend, James, Keegan thought, "I wish I could be doing that with Dillon." Bronwyn said, "You know what I miss about home, Mom? Going in the kitchen and just making whatever we want with no limitations and lots of space." She added that home is nice because you know everyone you see. Kenzie misses having a routine. Josiah is anxious to play with the toys he left behind. And it goes without saying, there's so many people they can't wait to see again.

Lest you think only the kids are thinking of home, I can hardly help myself, either. When I hear what you all are doing, I wish I could be there too. Don't you know when I'm having an adventure, you're all supposed to sit and wait until I come home to have fun? I am looking forward to a good sleep on a bed that I don't have to crawl into,(I'm sure glad you're enjoying mine, Mom!) and I think after living in a trailer, my house will be bigger than I remember. And that is always a good thing!

When we receive a letter from home, it always brighten our day. A special package of clothes for the little ones this week was such a treat. (Thanks, Tanya!) When I told Lynn about the parcel, she said, "Now you know what it's like to be a missionary getting care packages in the mail!" And when I'm blogging, somehow you don't seem quite so far away. It's like I'm talking to you over tea ( or should I say a cappuccino!--Oh I know Kurt is missing that!), except I am definitely monopolizing the conversation.

I'll tell you another tale tomorrow.

On the Job

September 1-2

The plumbers arrived on Monday and have been working hard at the church. The four workers are staying for the week at the Hanthorns. Wayne said he was in the same boat as everyone else now- he’s going to have to leave before the church is finished. But they sure are doing all they can.

Kurt made it to PIN-B, also known as Clifton Point. It’s a site he’s never been to before, unlike the others he has visited year after year. He’s starting from scratch and can only hope to get a good start on the job before the cold weather sets in. He said the weather is beautiful, 11 degrees and no wind. He couldn’t ask for better weather in September. It got plenty warm here too-17 degrees- an Arctic heat wave! However, there is visible snow in the mountains, so we better enjoy the warmth while we can.

Naomi is in a drawing frenzy. We have paper stashed , crammed, and stored in every nook and cranny in the trailer as she cannot part with any of her creations. Bronwyn took matters into her own hands and gave Naomi a drawing lesson from the book I used when she was Naomi’s age. Naomi was thrilled and can’t wait for some more instruction.

Josiah, on the other hand, has baking fever. He has been making chocolate chip cookies and wacky cake like nobody’s business. At least his creations are consumable, and he is really enjoying the fruits of his labor.

Bronwyn has a running ‘gig’ now. There is an older fellow with Down’s Syndrome, Martin, who stops by the Hanthorns ‘ frequently. He sits down on the couch, points to the violin sitting in the corner, and says, “I know how” as he makes bowing gestures. That’s Bronwyn’s cue to play him a few songs. Martin loves it, and Bronwyn said “It’s kind of like having a job.”

And she should know. Bronwyn got her first real paycheck on Monday from her job at the Tent and Canvas Shop. She was ecstatic. I don’t think she had even considered that she would be paid for her time there. She was just happy to fill in for Sarah, so she could go to Whitehorse with the rest of her family. Bronwyn is continuing to work there this week so Sarah can do her month-end accounting.




Bronwyn and Mackenzie, along with Ruth and Annah, got their swim team jackets. They look very sharp and their names are going to be embroidered on them. The Tent and Canvas Shop will personalize the jackets. They will make nice souvenirs from McPhoo, and from the very shop where Bronwyn worked. Isn’t that perfect?

Take Off and Pull Over

August 30-31



The ferry was on the move late Sunday morning. Kurt led music at church again and Heather helped me make a very late lunch for our families, Wayne, and the missionary crew of Ed, Ben, and Al. Estelle kept Kurt and I awake until 4 am that night. She's teething and that terrible cough she had is back, though not as severe.

As a result, we slept late Monday morning, even though I was brought to my senses twice, once by the sewage truck and once by the water truck. The water truck comes every morning at 8:30 AM to refill the Hanthorns' tank and it parks right beside our trailer to do so. A pretty reliable alarm system, except for the odd time when it doesn't show up until 11 am. It has made us very conscious of our water consumption. Paul and Lynn have run out of their daily water supply a few times since we've been here, and one time it was our fault, from flushing the toilet too often. The sewage truck is not that regular. But I digress.....

Kurt checked his email and he found out his plane for his next job was at 2:30 PM. With a 2 and a half hour drive, that didn't give us a whole lot of time for packing, refueling, and the like. But we got the kids settled with some instructions, and then Kurt, Estelle, and I headed for Inuvik. We saw a hint of snow on the way up. Kurt made his flight for Yellowknife with enough time to spare for us to grab lunch at the airport. He'll be gone for 2-3 weeks but it's his last stint.

I took advantage of being in a 'booming metropolis.' I loaded up on groceries, fueled up, went to the bank, picked up our propane tanks (YAY!), and went on an unsuccessful hunt for Diana's birthday present. Then I headed back for McPhoo. I was barely out of town when I was pulled over by the police. While I was waiting for the officer to approach my window, I wracked my brain, trying to figure out what law I had broken. Speeding. No. Unfastened seatbelt. No. Baby unbuckled. No. License too muddy. Maybe.

The mountie came to my window. “What’s your name?”

I answered him, even though, I was surprised by the less-than-standard question. Whatever happened to, “License and registration please.” Or at least, “Do you know why you were stopped, ma’am?”

Then he said, “Can you verify that with some ID?” I showed him my driver’s license.

“Thank you ,” he said. “You are not who we are looking for,. But your vehicle matches the description of a suspect heading for McPherson. Which way are you headed?”

“McPherson.”

“Well, you’re free to go. Have a nice day.”



The drive back was beautiful. The fall colors were out and I tried to capture them on my camera but somehow a picture never seems to do them justice. I got back an hour before the Hanthorns returned from Whitehorse. They came home to an uninhabited house and if we hadn’t told them, they never would have known their house had been a temporary ‘bed and breakfast’ for the week. Sarah and Annah gave Mackenzie $50 for watching their dogs, and Joel offered money to Keegan, but he declined. And we were all happy to see our friends again. But isn't it ironic, Kurt arrived the day the Hanthorns left, and he left when they returned. They didn't even cross paths. Kurt joked,"Tell Paul and Lynn I'm not trying to avoid them. Honest!"