Two wheels vs. Four

So in the last week or so Manda has been saying that she wants to learn to ride a two wheel bike like Benji. She is old enough to learn, but I wanted to make sure she was going to stick with it. Well, she’s been talking about it every day & asking if Ben could please make her bike a two wheel bike (ie: take the training wheels off). It’s been pretty cute how much she has wanted it. So…we decided tonight for family night we’d let the kids do some riding in the cul-de-sac & see how it went. She did it! We need to keep working on corners & leaning her bike over, but she’s definitely well on her way! I’m so proud of herJ.

When Manda decided she wanted to, we thought we may as well try to get Kirby off his training wheels too. He loves every sport there is & is good at pretty much every one of them, so we thought he’d almost certainly pick it up right away. Well, apparently he wasn’t quite so sure. He did great…he started on his own & could ride in a straight line great…but despite all our encouragement he ended up bursting into tears saying, “I want four wheels!” I felt so bad. Contrary to what it might seem though…it’s not that he didn’t want to ride a two wheeler…but it bugged him that he couldn’t do it by himself right away. I think that’s something we’ll deal with all through life with him. He knows how to reach for the stars…but doesn’t like it if he can’t get there right awayJ. Ben put the training wheels back on so he could ride around on his own.

Tonight when I was tucking the boys in Kirby said that he changed his mind & that he did want to try some more to ride with two wheels. Benjamin overheard him & nearly jumped off the bed with excitement, “My prayer was answered!!!” I asked him what he meant. He said that when we had been riding outside he had stopped & prayed that Kirby wouldn’t give up & that he would keep trying. When Benjamin said that, Kirby added, “Like perseverance!”

I’m so proud of our kidsJ. Benjamin is learning that he can talk to Jesus whenever & wherever he wants…and that He listens! Manda is gaining so much confidence & is determined to learn to ride that bike! Kirby has not forgotten a homeschool lesson we did back in the fall about perseverance…and he’s applying it! Thank you Lord for these 3 precious gifts you’ve given us…and for allowing me to peek into their hearts so that I don’t take these things for granted…and to encourage me to persevere even on the tough days!!!

Special night (with Daddy) pictures

These are pictures from Ben's special nights with the kids in May...(http://bhwerdalfamily.blogspot.com/2009/06/flood-alarms-horses-rocks_10.html)

Benjamin: (I was sure I took pictures of the finished project but can't find them anywhere...)

Amanda:

Kirby:

The best special night ever

Well, I’ve been trying to figure out how to write about the kids’ special nights…I want to write about each of them, but when Ben does the special nights with them I have less to write because I’m not there for the whole thing…I just hear about it. Anyways…I’ve decided that on Ben’s months with them I’ll just do one blog at the end of the month summarizing all 3 of their dates with Daddy. When it’s my turn, I’ll blog about each one because I usually have more to share…things we talked about, etc. Hope you enjoyJ

On Tuesday I finally did Benjamin’s overdue special night with him. Sometimes he asks if we can just stay home & I can play Worms with him or help him get to the next level on his computer game, etc…but I had told him we weren’t doing that. I said we needed to go somewhere & do something fun. He didn’t complain, but had a bit of a hard time figuring out what he wanted to do. He decided on a bike ride to the park…or to JOKOs to buy a treat. I of course was fine with that…just wasn’t sure how I’d make it last…we usually try to spend at least a couple of hours with them.

We headed off on our bikes & made the first stop at the school park. At first Benjamin asked me to play tag…I told him it’s kind of tough with just 2 people…hide & seek?...no hiding places…I told him I could just play on the park with him…”you mean get on the park & play!!??” (I guess that means I don’t do it enough). He decided he wanted to see if I could do everything he did on the park. Before we left home when Ben was taking a picture of us on our bikes, Benjamin asked if he could take pictures later. At the park we decided to take pictures of each other doing each part of the park. I’d take a picture of him & then he’d take one of me doing the same thing. I managed to do pretty much everything he did…failed miserably at the monkey bars though…hung there just long enough for him to snap a pictureJ. It was fun to play together & do something we both enjoy…take pictures.

From the park we headed to JOKOs to get an ice cream treat & a drink. When I asked him where he wanted to eat it, Benjamin asked if there was a picnic table anywhere nearby. We jumped on our bikes & rode to some picnic tables beside the creek. As we ate our ice cream, Benjamin told me how glad he was that the whole world wasn’t just all blue, or all green…because he like all the different colors. “Do you know what my favorite colors are to look at Mommy?” My first instinct was to say red because that’s his favorite color…but I asked him what they were. “Yellow…and orange…because those are the colors in a sunset.” He pointed out some clouds that looked like that (just the sun shining on them…the sunset was the opposite way). “I wish I could watch a sunset sometime.” I suggested we finish our ice cream while we watched the sunset & he was shocked that we’d be able to watch it right thenJ.

We jumped on our bikes & rode down the path along the creek. At the end of the path is a dike where Ben & I used to ride to when we were dating. The path to the dike was fenced off, but there was a giant rock there, so we sat on that & enjoyed the sunset. Somewhere in that time Benjamin said, “Mommy, I’m glad we didn’t stay home & play video games, this is the best special night ever!!” Nothing like melting a mommy’s heartJ. We were able to walk closer to the dike by going along the creek. Benjamin loves inspecting things & seeing how they work…and asking lots of questions! Whenever I have this one on one time with Benjamin it hits me how big he’s getting…we have real conversations…and he seems so grown up! I thoroughly enjoy being able to get to know him better!

A Tuesday with Heidi

I'm thankful for…WORK!!! It looks like we’re going to have 4 jobs in a row!!!

I'm listening to…Ben playing Xbox & chatting with his brothers.

What's for supper tonight…Mish mash of odds & ends.

Highlights from last week…Swimming lessons…Manda’s last soccer practice (Benjamin’s was cancelled due to thunderstorm)…had some friends over Tuesday morning while their mom went to an appointment…kids had fun playing. I think the most exciting for me was getting all the grad pictures done & dropping them off…feels really good to have that off my to do list!

On Friday, after a morning that saw plans changing every hour it seemed, we headed to Calgary to go to a gymnastics class with my friend Kim. The kids had a lot of fun…they just wanted to stay longerJ. From there we raced home to set up a VBS table at the Farmer’s Market. On my way home…at about 5:00…I got a call about the possibility of dressing as a pirate in the parade for VBS. I didn’t want to do it cause it’s not my thing…but I knew it was an excellent way to advertise VBS…and I knew I was the logical one to do it. After I got home from the Farmer’s Market we did a bit of a makeshift family night with the kids & I started scrambling to try & put together a costume for the parade at 10:00 the next morning. Thanks to some key items from a couple of people I managed to pull it off. My sister Trina agreed to join me for which I was soooo grateful. It was much better than being all by myself…& it allowed us to cover both sides of the road. As unsure as both of us were going in, we had a lot of fun. Every now & then I even loosened up & said, “Ahoy me hearties!”J The kids always smiled when I did…not sure if it was cause I sounded funny…but either way they enjoyed it.

Trina came back to our house on Saturday a few hours after the parade to babysit the kids for us. Ben was given gift cards for dinner & a movie (thanks Darren & Tara!!) for his birthday & we needed a date! We try to get out on our own at least once a month, but it’s been a good 2 months. Unfortunately this time we had to do a little shopping first so I didn’t have to go back to the city to get groceries…but once that was done we thoroughly enjoyed a relaxing supper…a great movie…and a good talk on the way home.

Sunday morning I was up bright & early to head to our annual pancake breakfast at the rodeo grounds. Our church has put this on for 6 years now. Serving people is one of my favorite things to do so I’ve always gone to help out. I think it’s been 4 years now since I started bringing Benjamin along with me to help as well…this is the first year where he served on his own & I did a separate job without having to help him the whole time. This is the second year that Manda came along. She doesn’t last as long as Benjamin, but enjoys herself none-the-less. Next year Kirby will come tooJ.

After our late date night & early Sunday morning neither Ben or I were feeling up to doing much Sunday afternoon. We had a wonderful nap…and I woke up to realize he was gone…the kids told me he was mowing the lawn! I got after him for doing that on Father’s Day, but he didn’t mind. I made him steak (well, actually he BBQ’d it so it would be cooked rightJ) & baked potatoes for supper & the kids all had a gift for him (he got mine on Saturday when we had our date). All in all it was a relaxing, enjoyable afternoon…which is what he enjoys, so I guess we still did OK making it special for himJ.

What's happening this week… Last swimming lesson for the kids…Benjamin’s last soccer practice with a game against the parents…VBS…VBS…and more VBS prep…hopefully special nights for all 3 kids…I’m behind…1^st birthday party for our nephew Max…dress up as a pirate at the Farmer’s Market on Friday…maybe even another pirate surprise appearanceJ…really need to get the pool cleaned out & some yard work done…

I am missing…Can’t think of anything right now…

I am praying for…people to step forward to help with VBS. It’s only 2 ½ weeks away & I’m feeling the crunch…trying not to stress.

A Tuesday with Heidi

I'm thankful for…WORK!!! This is the first time all year that Ben has had 2 jobs in a row…thank you Lord!!!

I'm listening to…kids…we just came inside from riding bikes…the boys are playing hockey in the hallway & Manda’s just fiddlingJ

What's for supper tonight…Curried Chicken Salad

Highlights from last week…Swimming & soccer…cleaned house…met with Pastor Kent about VBS…2 doctor’s appointments to try & figure out Benjamin’s rash. The 2 highlights were Tuesday & Saturday. Tuesday Benjamin spent a day at school! Most kids get used to how school works in Kindergarten or grade 1…and they’re all learning together. In order to help Benjamin adjust more easily & know what’s coming, we decided to have him go for a day this year. He LOVED it! When I picked him up & asked him if he had fun he said, “Yes, I just wish I could go again tomorrow!” I’m so glad he had fun so that he can look forward to September. On Saturday Benjamin & Amanda had their soccer tournament. Benjamin had a blast & loved every moment (except being hot). Manda ended up having fun too I think…although it was a bit more of a struggle. A week & a half ago she got hit with the ball in the face & passed out (she’s been doing this since she was 9 months old, but has slowly outgrown it). She has no control when she passes out & wet her pants. That really bothered her…I think it’s the first time I’ve seen her embarrassed & it was hard to see her upset like that. We headed home right away. Last week she just didn’t want to play. She’s been struggling a bit all year & I think maybe that incident tipped the scales. I wasn’t sure whether she would play on Saturday or not, but knowing that she had 2 sets of grandparents cheering for her changed her mind. The first game was pretty iffy, but the second 2 she did amazingly well. I do think she enjoyed herself, but she says she doesn’t like soccer (she wants to be on Benji’s team). Only 2 more practices to go…and then we’ll re-evaluate next year… On Sunday we enjoyed hanging out at the church for our church picnic. The kids loved the games. When the HUGE thunderstorm got close & we had to go inside…Manda freaked & wouldn’t leave my side…Kirby was distraught & wanted to play more games…and Benjamin stuck it out till the last minute with the older kidsJ.

What's happening this week… This week I’m working at finishing editing the grad pictures I took a week & a half ago. The kids have soccer & swimming. On Friday we’re joining a friend of mine with her dayhome kids to go do some gymnastics in Calgary. We’ll rush home from there to set up at the Farmer’s Market. I’m putting up a table so that parents can register their kids for VBS. Sometime this week I need to do Benjamin’s special night with him…and Manda’s this weekend. Sunday morning Benjamin, Amanda, & I will help serve at our church’s annual pancake breakfast at the rodeo grounds. I started doing this with Benjamin 3 years ago now I think. Last year was the first year Manda came & Kirby will come next year. We have a lot of fun & it’s a great way for the kids to learn to serve!

I am missing…Can’t think of anything right now…

I am praying for…VBS…wisdom in planning…leaders…that God would use us to touch kids & families lives…

Family Update

Dear Friends & Family, May 26, 2009

Well, this was supposed to be a Christmas letter...and then a New Year’s Letter...but as I’m sure you’re well aware, it’s now nearly half way through 2009! As the kids have gotten older I’ve found it tougher to do numerous updates through the year like I did when the kids were little. I have, however been able to keep in touch through facebook & my new blog-Walking with the Werdals (which is basically an online journal). For those of you who are interested in hearing what we’re up to I would love it if you would check out the blog (http://bhwerdalfamily.blogspot.com) or add me as a friend on facebook. If you’d like to find out when I post a new entry on the blog (which is usually once or twice a week), just click the feeds button & subscribe to the feed. I love using this feature so that I don’t have to waste time checking to see if my friends have written anything. Since I only started the blog in October, I’ll give you a quick recap of the year & then I’m going to let the kids write the rest of this updateJ.

Ë We had an exciting start to the year with the arrival of our first niece on New Year’s Day! Kaitlyn (daughter of Nathanael & Brandy) was the New Years baby in Olds!

Ë We started the year with no senior pastor at our church. I had been asked to be on the search committee in the spring of 2007...shortly after Pastor Charlie passed away. It was a huge honor to be a part of that process. January consisted of a lot of meetings for me as we came closer to meeting the pastor God was preparing for our church. After meeting them in February we were thrilled in April to welcome our new senior pastor Kent Janz & his family! When the congregation voted to ask them to come here, it was unanimous! It was so fun, after being on the search committee for nearly a year, to see him come!!! We have really enjoyed getting to know Pastor Kent & Jodi.

Ë For a few years now I’ve been eyeing an event...Day Out with Thomas...but wanted to wait till all the kids were old enough to enjoy it. We decided 2008 was the year. Unfortunately that morning Ben was sick...sicker than I’ve ever seen him. He really didn’t want to miss this & decided to go anyways, but by the time we got there he could barely walk. He ended up laying in the grass while I took the kids from one station to another...running back to show Ben after each one. The kids had a blast...and Ben ended up quite enjoying it too...memories of a lifetime!

Ë Another May highlight was going on a ladies weekend away with my sister-in-laws & mother-in-law...a wonderful time away!

Ë Although I don’t keep in touch with a lot of people from high school anymore, there are a number that I do & it was a lot of fun to touch base with them in June at our 10 year reunion...makes me feel old!

Ë June also brought a new nephew to our family. Max was born to James & Cheri on June 22 (we now have 3 family birthdays on that day!).

Ë In July Benjamin thoroughly enjoyed his first experiences with camp! At the beginning of July he went to a father/son camp with Ben (Camp Teepee Pole), followed by 3 nights on his own at Camp Caroline. He absolutely loved it, & is extremely excited to go to Camp Teepee Pole again this year.

Ë Through the summer we thoroughly enjoyed having the Elliotts living less than a block away. Hopefully you know who they are from my blog...because it’s too long to write hereJ. We created many wonderful memories together that we will hang onto until we see them again in 2 or 3 years. Very dear friends who we miss very much!

Ë In September I started a mid-week kids program at our church called Kid Connection. It was a challenge to start with...nothing like that had been done in our church before...but I really enjoyed it & was thrilled to build relationships with kids in our community & church.

Ë Something very exciting for me last fall was creating my own photography business. I am not a professional & do not claim to be one. I LOVE taking pictures & my goal is to be able to provide affordable pictures to people who wouldn’t otherwise have had a chance to get pictures done. My favourite is family & kids pictures, but I also had the privilege of photographing 2 weddings & doing school pictures. My business name is Family Reflections Photography...and if you’re interested you can check out my website: www.FamilyReflectionsPhotography.ca.

Ë Ben & I celebrated our 8^th wedding anniversary in September & enjoyed taking part in a marriage retreat put on by our dear friends, Nathan & Jane. They were my dorm parents for the year that I went to boarding school when we lived in Africa & are now counsellors in the US. We treasure the opportunity to see them again & learn from all they have to share!

Ë The hardest part of the year for me was having to say goodbye to 2 of my very best friends...Ben’s sister Cheri (& James & Max) moved to Oslo, Norway in October...and in December Lane & Sheri Elliott & their kids left for Mexico as missionaries. It has been absolutely wonderful to have James, Cheri, & Max home for a surprise visit the last month though!!!

Ë Ben has had an interesting year as far as work goes. We were doing great & thought we’d have work right through February...then around the middle of December, jobs started getting postponed. Ben was able to get hourly work with a friend of ours from January to March to help us through the winter, but even in April, jobs were still getting pushed off. We’ve had a few jobs here & there, but it’s definitely tight. We would appreciate your prayers that work would pick up again soon. This has stretched us as we strive to have faith from one day to the next. We also have a website for the business now: www.SCWFoundations.ca.

Well, that’s all I have for an update...here’s what the kids have to sayJ...

Benjamin AKA Benji, Benj, Booji
My big news…I’m going to be done grade 2 in 2 days!!! AND... I taught myself to ride a 2-wheeler in 1 day this spring!!!
My favorite foods are…curry, homemade pizza, sweet & sour chicken, Polynesian chicken, spaghetti & taco salad.
My favorite songs are…Alive, Alive; He Lives; Seek Ye First; Stand on the Rock (song we did at Kid Connection); As the Deer; & Philippians 4:13.
My favorite toys are…remote control truck, small lego, & mini hockey sticks to play with Kirby.
My favorite things to do are…play hockey & soccer, go swimming, ride bikes, play Kung Fu Panda on Xbox, play on the computer, & read.
At Kid Connection I learned…to listen to my parents.
Lately I’ve been learning…not to be scared of thunderstorms at night.
In school I’ve been learning…big addition & subtraction problems.
Right now I’m excited about…being done grade 2 and that I get to go to the public school for grade 3!!
My latest “funnies”…

v “My lips are glued shut” (My lips are sealed)

v Talking to Grandma B. about a book about the writer & his parents & their parents: “Well I hope he has a mother—he can’t be a grown-up if he doesn’t have a mother!”

v When Manda got ahold of one of Mommy’s bras, Benjamin informed her: “Manda when you grown up & get those big things on your tummy, then you’ll get to wear one of those. Those are for covering those big bumps.”

Amanda AKA Manda, Princess, Manda Lou
My big news…I can read my first Dick & Jane book all by myself!!
My favorite foods are…soup & biscuits, pizza with pineapple, peanut butter, nuts, hot carrots, spaghetti & chicken.
My favorite songs are…Only a Boy Named David; Rock, Rock the Baby (Kid Connection song); & Stand on the Rock.
My favorite toys are…Kaitlyn (my doll), high chair, crib, & baby clothes.
My favorite things to do are…dress up, jump on the trampoline, ride bikes, play in the sandbox, play with my baby, go swimming, play on the computer, & movies.
At Kid Connection I learned…Rock, Rock the Baby (song about rocking baby Jesus).
Lately I’ve been learning…to stay dry at night.
In school I’ve been learning…to print neatly (I like writing words in my word book that has animals on the cover).
Right now I’m excited about…starting program again, earning baby (doll) clothes, & seeing our caterpillars change to butterflies.
My latest “funnies”…

v “Wib” (instead of bib)...she wanted a bib for her baby & I was having a horrible time figuring out what she wantedJ.

v I had a bad cold & my nose was very raw, so I had smeared some penaton (zinc cream) on it after supper. I casually walked over to the kids to see what their reactions would be about my very white nose. Manda: “What happened to your nose?!?”

v Manda’s special night with Mommy. I asked her what she’d like for a snack while we watched our “girl movie”. Mommy: “Do you want popcorn?” Manda: “No, let me look.” (Looks in fridge & pantry)...”OK, let’s do popcorn.” We started getting the popcorn & popper out when Manda suddenly got really excited: “I KNOW!!! Popcorn & hot carrots!!!”

Kirby AKA Kirbsy, Kirbs, Kirbrick
My big news…I asked Jesus to live in my heart last Easter!!!
My favorite foods are…nuts, pizza, veggies, peanut butter, hot carrots, soup & biscuits, taco salad, & burgers.
My favorite songs are…Climb, Climb Up Sunshine Mountain; Stand on the Rock; & Only a Boy Named David.
My favorite toys are…mini hockey sticks to play with Benji, remote control Lightening McQueen, & toy NHL hockey players.
My favorite things to do are…play air hockey at Grandma B’s, play hockey, soccer, basketball, baseball, go swimming, play outside, & play with Fudge.
At Kid Connection I learned…Stand on the Rock (Jesus is the Rock, obeying God’s Word).
Lately I’ve been learning…to kick all my attitudes out the door (We made a joke out of this one day & told one of the kids to go & kick their bad attitude out the door & they’ve been using it ever since. The other day Kirby was in his room with a bad attitude. A few minutes later he came out & informed me that he had kicked ALL his attitudes out the door!).
In “school” I’ve been learning…to write my name.
Right now I’m excited about…swimming lessons & going to the park with Auntie Cheri.
My latest “funnies”…

v Excited about his lunch: “Ohhhh!! I’m so impressed!!! I like this!!!”

v “Ugly & the Beast” (instead of “Beauty & the Beast”)—no clue where he came up with itJ

v “Hup colder” (instead of cup holder...this ones been going on for a long time...he just can’t seem to figure it outJ)

v At Heritage Park last year for “Day out with Thomas” we were on a wagon ride, sitting right at the front behind the horses. Completely out of the blue, Kirby pointed at one of the horses: “That butt has a tail”. A couple minutes later after conversation had switched: “I don’t want to eat that butt”! (No I don’t feed my kids horse...have no idea where these thoughts came fromJ)

v It’s a tradition in my family to wait for the server (or birthday girl/boy) to take their first bite before anyone else starts eating. We were at my parents celebrating my sister, Jodi’s birthday. Kirby waited for a while with his cake, then when Jodi sat down he was watching her fairly intently to take her bite. She was hamming it up a bit & stalling. I asked Kirby if he knew what was going to happen when she took the first bite. “Then I’ll take lots of bites!”

v Praying with Kirby before bed, talking about where Jesus lives. Kirby: “He lives in my heart!...but not Benji or Manda or Mommy or Daddy’s hearts, cause there’s only one God!”

Well, that gives you a little window into what we’ve been up to...and you have lots of ways to keep in touch with usJ...so now it’s your turn! We would love to hear from you via email, snail mail, phone or a visit!

Ben & Heidi; Benjamin, Amanda, & Kirby

Box 1774 Sundre, AB T0M 1X0 403-638-3243
bhwerdal@telus.net http://bhwerdalfamily.blogspot.com
www.FamilyReflectionsPhotography.ca www.SCWFoundations.ca

Power surges & vacuum cleaners

Wow, it’s been a long week already & it’s only just started! We’ve had a lot of thunderstorms in the last few days. The kids know the drill well…as soon as we hear thunder we shut down the computer & unplug it. It’s on a surge protector power bar, but I’ve never trusted those fully. Anyway, yesterday afternoon we heard another rumble…Benjamin shut the computer down & I unplugged it. Later on after the kids were in bed & the storm had passed I came to check email…but the computer wouldn’t turn on…click the button, nothing. We tried all sorts of stuff to no avail. I was sick…but grateful. I store all my documents & pictures on my external hard drive so I still had those which took a lot of pressure off…but today is payday & our bookwork is on this computer. I finally got ahold of the computer shop in town & found out it could actually be an easy fix. I am sooooo relieved!!! It cost $88, but that’s a whole lot less than a new computer & having to worry about retrieving files!!!

I didn’t have much time to enjoy that though…got home & started plugging the computer back in…noticed a lot of dust bunnies back there & thought I’d vacuum it while it was all pulled out. Manda got the vacuum for me & plugged it in…nothing. Apparently after nearly 3 years, the cord is toast. I should be able to get it fixed on Friday as I’ll be in Calgary anyway, but it’s another $150!!!

I am choosing to be thankful though…a month ago we didn’t have money to get any of it fixed. Thankfully, Ben is finishing up a job right now & is starting another one tomorrow or Thursday…it’ll still be tight, but at least we can get them fixed.

One proud Mommy:)

Yup...that’s meJ. I was tucking Benjamin into bed tonight...as I finished & was about to leave he said he had one more thing to tell me. Benjamin has a tendancy to do that a lot & stall bedtime...so I nearly told him no, that he could tell me tomorrow. I bit my tongue though (led by the Holy Spirit I’m sure...Thank you Lord!!!) & asked him what he wanted to tell me. “Mommy, you know how I used to get up & tell you that I was hurting?” (For about 2 weeks he kept getting up every night...about a half hour after we put him to bed...saying his ears were hurting or his tummy was hurting.) “That wasn’t true, I just liked the taste of the medicine.” (I gave him Tylenol a couple of times for his ears & tums for his tummy.) “When Daddy told me that having too much medicine could make my stomach bleed & make me sick, then I didn’t want to do it anymore, so that’s why I stopped.” (We suspected what was going on so Ben had talked with him & explained how it wasn’t good for us to have medicine all the time...resistance...ulcers...not healthy...) “I’ve been thinking about it a lot since then...should I apologize to Mommy or should I keep it to myself? I decided that tonight was a good time to tell you.” (Written as close as I can remember to how he said it.)

I nearly started bawling...how proud can a mom get?! I told him 3 or 4 times how proud I was of him for telling me...and how happy it made Jesus...and how good it was for his own heart...it felt so good to see the relief in his eyes...that he didn’t have to hold it inside anymore...definitely a good reminder for me too!

Flood alarms, horses, & rocks!

I promised a while back to write about Amanda’s special night with Ben…so here it is, along with Benjamin & Kirby’s special night excitementJ

I mentioned in one of my “Mondays” posts that Benjamin loves science projects. He got a book out of the library with a bunch of ideas & was begging me to do one. I don’t do enough of them with him, I know that, but the one he wanted was also more up Ben’s alley…so I suggested that he could do it with Daddy on his special night. He was very excitedJ. They had fun together building a flood alarm & then played some xbox together.

At first we were stumped about what Ben should do with Manda…but quickly decided that it didn’t need to be complicated. She loves going to the park & riding her bike…as well as going on picnics. So…I packed them a picnic supper & they rode their bikes to the park. The park by our house is right across from the rodeo grounds & Manda was very excited to see horses there. She told Ben that she should go ride one so that she could come home & tell me that she rode a horse! (Funny part about this…about a week later we were at a friends house who has a horse & she offered that the kids could ride if they wanted. I looked at Manda & her face was GLOWING!!! She was absolutely tickled pink & didn’t want to stop! Instead of coming home & telling Mommy, she got to tell Daddy that night that she had gotten to ride a horseJ!) Once they finished at the park they dropped their bikes off & home & went out for ice cream cones. Manda was thrilled to have Daddy all to herself!

Kirby just had his special night with Ben tonight. They picked up some A&W & headed down to the river to throw rocks. He had a hootJ. Kirby has always loved throwing rocks in the river & it seems we spend enough time on bridges for him, so he was thrilled. Ben taught him what it meant to skip a rock & Kirby was soooo proud to tell me he got his rock to bounce up & down 3 times! J They got home just as we were leaving for soccer. Kirby had the choice to go with us or stay home & help Ben shovel dirt for the garden…he chose to stay home. He helped for a bit, but had tons of fun playing “house”. He LOVES to talk about his pretend Mama and how they went to the city that was over there…and he had to ride his bike to do such & such…etc. He had each part of the yard labeled as a different place. When we got back from soccer he was explaining it to me…so cute! J He had my gardening gloves on & told me very solemnly that he had to wear them or his Mama wouldn’t be happy that his hands got dirty! No that didn’t come from meJ.

Anyways, Ben & I have really been enjoying doing these special times with the kids. It’s been really good to have one on one time with them!

A Wednesday with Heidi

Well, I realized at the end of the day yesterday that I hadn’t done a blog entry on Monday…oh well, I guess my days are just sporadicJ

I'm thankful for…phone calls. We have been getting calls to quote jobs nearly every day lately. At some point, one of them has to start, right!?

I'm listening to…silence. Ben just left with Kirby to do his special night. Manda’s playing in the living room & Benjamin is reading…

What's for supper tonight…don’t know what we’re going to do…going to Red Deer, so we’ll find something cheap.

Highlights from last week…It was actually a pretty slow week. I spent a lot of time doing catch up stuff like bookwork…Benjamin & Manda had soccer…all 3 had swimming lessons…

On Friday we went to Calgary to watch my brother Andrew run the 800m in provincials. He placed 8^th in Alberta!!! We’re so proud of himJ…and other than the fact that we FROZE!...we had a blastJ.

Saturday I took pictures for grad ceremonies & banquet for Olds Koinonia Christian School. Although inside pictures really aren’t my favorite…it was fun to get out & take pictures again.

What's happening this week… This week has been exciting already…but you don’t get to find out about it till next weekJ…swimming lessons & soccer…only 2 more weeks after this week. Yesterday Benjamin went to school for a day so that he knows what to expect come September. Today I enjoyed a couple of long walks (one way with Manda) to drop off & pick up the van from the mechanic. Tomorrow we’re cleaning house & I’m meeting with Pastor Kent to talk about VBS. Friday is wide open & I plan to keep it that way…I need to do a bunch of VBS stuff! Saturday Benjamin & Manda have their year end soccer tournament which they’re both super excited about. Once that’s done we’ll head to a birthday party. Sunday is our Sunday School picnic after church which should be fun! At some point I need to be working on editing the grad pictures too! I think that’s it for this weekJ.

I am missing…the pull out tray for my keyboard. It broke the other day so my keyboard has to be up on top of the desk, which isn’t very good for typingL

I am praying for…a friend of mine who was just diagnosed with breast cancer.

A Tuesday with Heidi

I'm thankful for…family. It was so good to see a lot of family on the weekend & have a chance to catch up a bit.

I'm listening to…kids…a little bit ago they were all sitting around the butterflies talking to them…it was so cuteJ

What's for supper tonight…don’t know what we’re going to do…going to Red Deer, so we’ll find something cheap.

Highlights from last week…2 warm soccer practices in a row!!! The kids were thrilled to be able to ride their bikes to soccer finally & I thoroughly enjoyed the warmth! We also had a blast going to the park with Ben’s sister Cheri & her little guy, Max. We haven’t spent nearly enough time with them since they’re home & it was wonderful to be able to chat. I think the most exciting part of the week was Thursday…Benjamin finished Grade 2!!! It feels very good to be doneJ.

On Saturday we headed to Cochrane for a family reunion on my dad’s side of the family. We spent the day visiting, going to the park (which included a game of tag for the adults…I was soooo sore the next day!), & hanging out in the yard. The day ended with a talent show. Benjamin read a couple of things that he has written for school through the year. Then all 3 of our kids sang & did actions for 2 songs they learned at Kid Connection. It was a long, but fun day!

On Sunday we got up bright & early & headed out again…this time to the zoo in Calgary. A bunch of the family was meeting there for a few hours before they headed home. It was especially nice to hang out with my cousin Beckie a bit more. We didn’t really get to talk, but it was so nice just to hang out & have fun together.

What's happening this week… Swimming & soccer. On Friday we might head to Calgary to watch my brother run for track & field. It’s the provincials…he got 2^nd place in countys!!! I really want to go…just have to see if we can swing the gas money. On Saturday I’m taking pictures for the grad ceremony at Olds Koinonia Christian School. I’m excited, but nervous at the same timeJ. Other than that…we’re really enjoying just hanging around home…going for bike rides, to the park, playing outside…just doing summer stuff! I’ve also been catching up a lot of things that have been on the to do list for months & months…which feels just wonderful! Oh one more thing…we were able to borrow a rototiller from a friend to do our garden…and we found out that my dad has a bunch of dirt he has to get rid of at a job…so we get free dirt! I’m very excited to build raised beds for my garden…hopefully this weekend. I know it’s going to be a super late garden…but we’re going to give it a goJ

I am missing…Elliots…this time last year…just a bit later I guess…was when Elliots came back from Paraguay. It was soooo nice to have friends close by to do these summer things with. We miss going to the park, riding bikes, & hanging out with them!

I am praying for…wisdom & very clear direction as we make decisions about work.