12 – Christmas 2012, the first such season away from the old family home meant changes to planning and patterns. For the first time, Christmas day was not in Christine’s and my home, but in our daughter Cari’s and her husband Tim’s home. She baked the turkey this year and made a fantastic dinner. Jeff and Gina and two children were present as well. Boxing Day was spent together attending a matinee pantomime of Robinson Crusoe and then an evening of appies in our carriage home.
11 – LPD Board – I am completing the second year of a two-year term as chair of the Lower Pacific District of the Evangelical Free Church. I work closely with our District Superintendent, Rob Stewart. My involvement with these several men of the Board is a monthly highlight for me as are assorted other duties associated with this responsibility.
10 – Bergen / Orieux / Dobson – This section is shared by three specifics relating to friendship. At Fort Langley Evangelical Free Church we have friends. Christine continues to supervise four teams of bakers on Sundays who created flavourable foods and valuable opportunity for networking. Our new pastor Lorin Bergen is a friend to us all. / My dentist is more than a professional but my friend with whom we share an extraordinary friendship from which we both thrive. / My good friend and former associate pastor Bob Dobson married Denise and I was asked to officiate. I was so happy to serve them in October.
9 – Bodners – Elaine and Eugene Bodner have been the closest of friends for Christine and me. We are together often for a variety of activities, from driving together, sharing meals, roasting hot dogs under the Mission Bridge, sharing life and joy and advice. We specially enjoy specialized French or otherwise fancy several stage dinners that so far the ladies have prepared. Eugene and I are schedule to pull one of these off in the new year.
8 – EFCC Conference – In July Christine and I drove from BC through the mountains in our MX5 Miata convertible with the top down mostly in fine weather all the way to Okotoks Alberta and the site of our Evangelical Free Church of Canada conference. It is the second biennial conference since I retired as president of the EFCC and we renewed acquaintance with so many of our cross-Canada friends.
7 – Decision to Move – Coming to the decision to sell and to buy something smaller was the culmination of a three year process, during which we sporadically looked at varieties of alternate housing and wrestled through the where and when issues. At the end of 2011 we had made the decision, and in January we listed our home. It seemed market early but the right buyers came along for the $ amount we were wanting for 3 bedrooms, den, art studio, family room, living and dining in 2750 sq. ft. on 1/3 acre lot with detached 2 ½ car garage.
6 – New House Purchase – Called a Carriage Home, it is part of the Sunset Grove Estates complex at 194 Ave and 65 St. in Surrey. There is a large condo unit, a ring of townhomes and two rows of carriage homes separated by a pleasant grass garden. This our first downsizing effort. We bought the show home, two bedrooms and a den give us the space we need. There is underground parking and it’s a satisfying home.
5 – Trip to Ontario – We spent three weeks of July in Ontario visiting family and friends. We moved from Ontario to British Columbia in 1991 for my job, pastoring Cloverdale Baptist Church (1991-2001). I had pastored three previous churches in ON (1969-1991). We went back to each of those three locations. More importantly we spent time with both Christine’s and my families with reunions. I loved seeing our brothers and their spouses.
4 – Rome, Santorini, Israel, Egypt, Pompeii – For three weeks in September and October we treated ourselves to another of my 70th year gifts. We spent three days in Rome before boarding the Celebrity Silhouette. Highlights were certainly the Holy Land site visits so central to my faith in Christ, and seeing the pyramids and sphinx, and walking through Pompeii in which I was interested ever since Latin language studies in High School.
3 – House Sale – I don’t even life referring to it as a house but rather as a home, our home for 21 years, a dream home for Christine and me, really. In aesthetics, property space and value and privacy, the best that that we will inhabit. Grandchildren and children miss it as we do. We moved in April. In December the new owners invited us to retrieve something we had left behind and they toured us through the house, with its newly installed $40,000 kitchen and their furniture and we apprehended that it was a ‘house’ to us now, their home. All good. Served us well.
2 – Disneyland – Christine and I took our family eleven to California’s Disneyland for an eight day adventure. Memories supported with great photos fill a book that the children gave to us for Christmas. Grandchildren loved the experience and so did the adults. Well worth while. Our family is means so much to us, occupying our thoughts daily.
1 – My 70th Birthday – the actual day September 13 was purposely spent at home with my family. I took five grandchildren for ice cream cones and a walk at Crescent Beach on the Pacific. Returned for supper at home with the family of eleven. Family members read their blessings to me. We ended the day with me planting a plum tree and a rose bush in my two children’s yards.
No comments:
Post a Comment