Labour Day Soap Box Derby

Each year, as summer drew to a close, my siblings and I would get excited about the Labour Day Soap Box Derby. This was a yearly event where kids would build and race their own go-carts down a hill (on a winding road). My brothers had built their own go-carts (with the help of my uncle) and each year they would participate too. The go-carts were made with spare parts...the seat of an old chair, green-machine wheels, a rope to turn the wheels...plus a belt to tie the racer to the chair. The Sunday before the races, my dad would drive his car down the coarse to show us the quickest route we should follow...a straight line. Around the age of nine or ten I participated too and won second place using my younger brother's go-cart.

Bedtime Prayers

"C, is there something you would like to pray for tonight?"

"Dear Lord...I'd like the littlest pony ice-cream shop, library, school with books, city, workers..."

"C, how about praying for a friend at school, or someone at church...or for one of your cousins?"

"Oh Yeah! Dear Lord...Please give K (her cousin) all these things too. Amen."

Wordless Wednesday - St Andrews, New Brunswick

For This Sister I Prayed

Around the age of 3 1/2 years old, I desired a baby sister. I thought it was very unfair that the number of boys in our house out numbered the girls (I had 2 brothers)...so I started asking my parents for a baby sister.

"Mommy...daddy...can I have a baby sister?"

I must have asked them a lot because they turned it into a game...whenever I asked my mom, she'd tell me to go ask my dad...whenever I asked my dad, he'd tell me to go ask my mom. Eventually I grew tired of this game and one day, I came out of the living room and said to my mom..."I'm not asking you or daddy anymore for a baby sister. I've asked Jesus and he's sending me one." I was so confident that my prayer would be answered that I told everyone I was getting a baby sister. People at church would come up to my parents and congratulate them and my mom would have to explain that...no...she wasn't pregnant.

But, sure enough, my parents decided to add another child to our family. My mom said there was a loud cheer in the delivery room when my sister Bec was born as all the nurses and doctors knew the story of how I had prayed for a baby sister.

Mother Like Daughter

Rewind about 31 years ago and this is me asleep at the supper table.

Just over a week ago, I posted this picture of my daughter asleep at the table. It wasn't until after that post that I remembered the pictures my parents had taken of me asleep at the table. On my next trip to their house, I hunted these photographs down and returned home with not only them, but 2 boxes of old photographs. I have enjoyed going through these boxes and remembering my childhood...which gave me the idea that I should write some childhood memory posts. I thought these posts would be fun (at least for me) and I hope others will enjoy them too.

Wordless Wednesday

Sometimes God shows himself in interesting ways

This morning we had a flood in the upstairs bathroom...the toilet overflowed. In the anxiety of what was happening, our student didn't think to call us for help and by the time we realized there was a problem, a fair amount of water had come out of the toilet. While I finished cleaning up the water, she explained that the toilet has been finicky in the past. Today when it acted up she told me she said a bad word and that's when the toilet overflowed...and then it wouldn't stop flowing. She said...

"I prayed to God to make the water stop and it did...so I believe there is a God."

This revelation makes up for the water stain on our kitchen ceiling...the one that made us aware that there was a problem upstairs.

Perhaps because Daddy does most of the cooking

"I don't like this meat because it cooks too slow."

"When you are old enough to cook, you can cook it the way you like it."

"I'm not going to do the cooking. Cam is."

Cam is a boy in her JK class that she tells us she's going to marry.

Four plus one more...

...is five. The number of people currently living in our house. Last night, our newest house guest moved in...a 19 year old girl from Ireland. She will be living with us for the next 5 weeks while on a work placement. I know some people think we are crazy...hosting one international young person, let alone two at the same time...but we're not. We enjoy doing this and it's been a great experience for us. We enjoy meeting new people and learning about other cultures. Hubby especially enjoys learning about the cuisine...both eating and cooking. Right after our Korean student arrived, he bought a huge jar of Kimchi cabbage, a jar that was supposed to last 4 or 5 months but has only lasted 2 months. How does he go through it so fast? He's learned how to make Buchimgae (fermented kimchi mixed into a flour-based batter, and then fried in an oiled pan). Not something I'm partial to, I found it too spicy. Recently he made Bulgogi but with his own touch...on the BBQ. Now that was delicious.

Now that we have someone from Ireland staying with us, I wonder what Irish culinary skills he will acquire over the next 5 weeks.

Wordless Wednesday

Is she 4 going on 14?

"C, you can't wear that to school...they aren't play clothes." (she loves to get messy)

"But I want to wear something that my friends haven't seen!"

Portrait of our Family

Here is a picture of our family drawn by my daughter. From left to right, the people are: our student, my daughter, mommy and daddy. Daddy is the most recognizable with his goatee and glasses...the rest of us...not as easy to distinguish (Daddy is actually a cutout that she pasted on the page..probably the reason why he is better proportioned). Our student was quite surprised that she had blond hair in the picture and asked my daughter why. My daughter's response was...I didn't have black. Her marker selection must have been limited, which would explain the other choices of hair colour as well.

Wordless Wednesday

Sharing Jesus...Child-Style

Last night I overheard a conversation between my daughter C and our student.

C:  God made you.
S:  No he didn't.
C:  Yes he did.
S:  No he didn't.
C:  God made everyone.
S:  No
C:  Yes
S:  No
C:  God lives right here (I'm assuming she pointed to her heart).
S:  Why does he live there?
C:  He lives in everyone's heart.
S:  Ahhh (just humouring her now)
C:  God is everywhere.
S:  Is he in Korea?
C:  Yup
S:  So...if I go to Korea I can meet him?

I didn't hear C's response...but it continued...

C:  S....I want you to know God.
S:  Do you like your God? Is he nice?
C:  Yup..and if you are quiet and listen carefully...you can hear his voice.

Then the conversation changed to I Spy.

I was so amazed at what I heard...to hear her confidently sharing what she believes...to hear that she understands what she is being taught...and to hear her desire for others to "know God" too. It was very precious.