House Progress...

I won't bore you with photos every day, but here are just a few to show where we are in the building process of our new home.
This will be basement level, the round room will be our media room, and the large square structure on the left of that is our water tank.




I hope I have finally figured out how to make these pictures small enough.

A New Year

It's coming. New Year's Eve.
Do you celebrate by going to a raucous party and waking up the next day with a head as heavy as a bowling ball?
Or do you attend a church service and ring in the New Year praising God for what He's done this past year, and looking forward to what He'll do in the coming one?
These past few years, we've done neither.
Stephen is usually on call, so we stay home.
Thus it will be this year.
I do thank God for this past year. It's been an interesting one, and not without challenge.
But I look forward to facing the coming year with greater knowledge and strength, and I think it's going to be a good one.
I don't make resolutions because I always break them.
I do however, have hopes and dreams.
But I've learned to give them over to God and let Him work them out.
Whatever the New Year means to you, I pray you will be blessed.

Getting Through the Hard Stuff.

Christmas always seems to bring some kind of trauma.
I'm not sure why this is. Bad things happen around Christmas.
Things I don't understand.
I'm not good at dealing with events I cannot get my head around.
On Christmas morning, a friend of ours died.
We knew he and his wife for years when they lived here.
Within a few months of their move back to the US, he was diagnosed with
a brain tumor and underwent numerous surgeries and treatments.
And finally God took him home.
He leaves behind a wonderful wife and four boys.
I don't get that.
It's hard. Harder still for them.
I cannot even begin to imagine.
I'm reminded of a particular verse I can't put my finger on just now, that says 'lean not on your own understanding...'
I'd better not. My own understanding right now makes me want to throw things.
I am relieved he is no longer suffering. Comforted by the fact we know he is with the Lord.
But my heart is grieved for this family. For my friend, who has lost her husband.
For her four sons, who no longer have their Dad.
Oh, God, help them. Love them. Be with them.
And remind me You're still in control.

Christmas Day, 2006.

A Wonderful Christmas!

How was your Christmas? We had a great day. We actually managed to sleep in until 7:45! That's one good thing about the kids being older, no more 5am wake up calls on Christmas morning!
We had a quiet time opening gifts. I was spoiled and got a brand new chair for my computer desk! It has all sorts of options and levers on it and I'm sure will take me a year to figure out how to use it, however, I know my back will enjoy it! I also received some clothes and a new ceramic planter to replace the one that was broken in the last hurricane we had.
We ate like pigs over at my Dad's house. Today is his birthday, so we'll be hosting lunch for him soon.
I must go.
I have a photo of us, but I will have to post it later when I have time to figure out how to make it smaller.

Merry Christmas!

May I take this opportunity to wish you and your families a very blessed Christmas,
and God's richest blessings in the New Year!
Enjoy the day tomorrow!
We're ready. Countdown has begun...

Happy Birthday, Sarah!

Our beautiful daughter is seventeen years old today!!
That's her on the right, last summer on the lake, with her friend Andrea.



Sarah (aka The Princess) is the best daughter in the world.
Like any teenager, she has her moments, but they are mostly good!
We are so proud of all she's accomplished, and so excited to see what God has for her in the future.
Happy Birthday, Sarah!
We love you!

Woe is Me!

I am sick.
It started with a stuffy nose, sometime last week. By Saturday I was running a low grade temperature.
Yesterday I got up, showered, ate, and went back to bed. So much for attempting church.
I slept most of the day and went out to a friend's house for dinner, which may have been pushing it.
I had to function normally today and do last minute shopping. We have a church council dinner tonight.
I was feeling better until about ten minutes ago. Maybe a hot shower will do the trick.
I hate being sick when you can't just lie in bed and sleep.

Bathroom update.
I have no update.
We're still all schlepping downstairs to the bathroom.
If you hear a roar coming from our direction, it's my husband.

Final plans for the house?
Don't have those either.

Is it too late to start over?

Praying for our property

Tomorrow, we're going to go pray on our property.
At first, I thought this was kind of a weird idea. I can pray anywhere, right?
We don't need to go stand there looking at a hole in the ground...
But really, the more I think about it, the more sense it make.
We're asking for God's favor on this land, on the building process, why not be standing
on it while we're asking?
Ultimately, this house belongs to Him. So basically all we're doing is acknowledging that, and
symbolically putting it into His hands.
So if you want to join us with some cyber prayers, we'll be there at 11am tomorrow morning!

Announcing...

Olivia Alexandra!
My great neice. She was born on Sunday. She is very cute, but I think that is because she looks like me!
Ha.
This is my great nephew Blake, her cousin, holding her.
So there, now you have your smile for the day.

TSUNAMI!!

Not.
Or should I title this, "The Wave that Wasn't." ?
All right, here's the scivvy.
I haven't been washed away by a tsunami.
However, there was a reported tidal wave heading for Bermuda
on Saturday.
I knew nothing about it. I would have been long gone and none the wiser.
Apparently somebody got a call about it, the police were informed, and next thing you
know Dockyard and Somerset are being evacuated!
People rushing down the streets screaming, gathering up valuables, pets and small children.
Cars speeding along the bridge...
Did anybody bother to verify this freak wave with somebody who might actually know
whether it was true or not? The National Hurricane Center? CNN? Dan Rather?
Na.
Bermudians just like to instill mass panic at the drop of a hat.
Another accolade to add to our growing list of Bermuda's most embarrassing moments...

Weird Weather...

Is it just me, or has anyone else noticed the weather is not behaving, well, normally?
Last night we were driving home from dinner and we were surrounded by lightening.
I've never seen anything like it here before. It lit up the whole sky.
Usually we get flash lightening, a flicker here and there.
But this was like some weird flourescent light, as though God was playing around
with the heavenly switch, turning it on and off, then on again.
Thunder and rain did not follow immediately, but they did make an appearance eventually.
And now it's pouring again.

I heard there was a Tornado that ripped through London, England yesterday.
How weird is that?
Makes me wonder why we're bothering to build a new home, really.
I think we might be headed off to our heavenly mansion sooner than we think!!
Of course my daughter liked that idea, saying,
"If Jesus is coming back soon, could He come get us before my IB exams?"
Yeah.

We don't know the day or the hour, and we're not supposed to,
but everything going on around us does give one oause to go
"Hmmm..."

Focus on the Good...

This is our land. I don't know if I've posted this picture before. I'm trying to focus on the good while preventing myself from pulling my hair out because our bathrooms here at the house are still not done. Nobody showed up today. Second day in a row now. So I'm moving on. I've screamed and yelled and sent nasty emails.
Now it's time to focus on the good.
So imagine the view once those trees are cut! Won't it be great?
They have started to build, which is very exciting. The tank and basement are being dug, and they've started to pour concrete.
I've taken some pictures already, so no doubt you'll be treated to many pictures as we go along.
I will have an album full once we're finished, I'm sure!!

So that's the good. I'm trying to remember that in a year and a half or so, when we're in our new home,
the way I feel right now will be but a distant memory.
However, today I could use your prayers.
So could the tiler if he decides to show up.

Writing Contests

Do you like to enter contests?
I don't.
In the writing world, there are many contests one could enter, should one choose to do so.
I've been thinking about it.
The benefits to entering a contest would be naturally, winning, or just getting your name out there, whether you win or place well, or just enter. Somebody will have read your work.
Apparently the judges feedback can be very helpful as well.
The downside is the hassle and the expense.
The hassle has been taken care of. A lot of contests now accept electronic entries.
I can do it all from the comfort of my desk!
This also cuts down on the expense, since I don't have to print out multiple copies of the chapters I'm sending, or pay for postage to send them!

So did I just run out of excuses?

Okay, I admit it.
I'm chicken.

But I'm going to do it anyway.
I think.

Christmas!

It's December 1st! Do you know where YOUR Christmas presents are?
I admit, I was a terrible little kid. I used to hunt through closets looking for presents.
I think Mom got wise to me though, because I never ever found anything.
All the items on my Christmas list would magically appear under the tree on Christmas Day,
proving that "Yes, Cathy, there really is a Santa Claus."
Well of course there is! I knew that.
For many of us, Christmas has been reduced to a whirlwind of activity, rushing hither and yon (no, I don't really talk like this!), checking off this list and that, burning cookies and throwing turkeys...
What happened to relaxing by the fire with a hot toddy?

Okay people, I'm taking a stand! This year, we're going to enjoy Christmas, even if it kills us!
With that in mind, I'm making a list of Ten Things I Love About Christmas.
I'd love it if you'd make one too! Either post it on the comments section, or your blog, or both!
Let's get that Christmas Spirit going, shall we?

Ten Things I Love About Christmas.

1. Jesus came to earth as a baby! Celebrate Him!
2. Putting up my Christmas tree, then turning out all the lights in the house and looking at the colored lights on the tree.
3. When I'm in Canada, I love to watch the snow fall.
4. Listening to Christmas music.
5. Writing Christmas cards. Yes, you read correctly. I do love this.
6. Seeing Hamilton all lit up with Christmas lights across the streets and in the trees.
7. Watching those corny kids Christmas shows, like Rudolph and Frosty.
8. Seeing the magic and wonder of the season through the eyes of a child.
9. Spending time with friends and family.
10. Eating Christmas dinner, (after we read about Jesus' birth from the Bible) - turkey, ham, cassava pie, brussel sprouts, candied carrots, mashed potatoes...and don't forget the Christmas pudding for dessert!!

Okay, I could go on and on here, which makes me realize just how special this time of year is.
Think about it.
Yes, I know. We've commercialized it and made it into some big loud festivity - far removed from the silence of a manger on a Holy Night in Bethlehem. But if you stop, take a seat, open your heart and listen...I think you might hear that Baby's cry.
And for me, that's the best part of Christmas.