Vaca

Lynn and I are currently in Toronto Airport. My sister and brother-in-law are flying us to visit them. We are very excited for the opportunity to spend time with them and our adorable niece and nephew.

It is a little ironic that we are going to the States (Chicago, IL) where we will celebrate American Thanksgiving, when Lynn will be the only American there. It really makes us miss his family. We are already planning ahead for next Christmas in Delaware, and looking forward to some Erskine holiday fun :). There is talk of visitors coming when the baby is born... That would be exciting!

Well, hopefully we'll have some fun stories and pictures to post when we return from this vacation. You won't want to miss them! :)

Natasha

Some Long-Awaited Shots

Okay, folks, these aren't professional, but they'll give you a good start. Natasha is as lovely as ever!!

LE

Ramblings.

Speaking of not posting very much... It feels like forever since I last posted, likley because my mind has been so scrambled I don't know that I have anything of interest to say...

I am currently sitting in our family room on our rather uncomfortable but blessed couch in front of our propane wood stove that has been putting off beautiful heat on this cold day, drinking, not the usual herbal tea with honey, but rather Gatorade. (Gatorade has become my lifeline in recent weeks because of its electrolytes that keep me reasonably hydrated and a little more energetic.)

It was the most wonderful thing to wake up and see snow out my window this morning! I LOVE SNOW!!!! It remnds me of Christmas and hot aple cider, and decorating for Christmas, which reminds me of my birthday when we put up our tree, which then reminds me of our anniversary which happens in the midst of it all... December holds many exciting moments of twinkling lights and sparkling snow... The consumerism is a whole other thing, but I love the special family times, the parties and Christmas gatherings, the delightful presentation of everything, and the way our precious Atlantic provinces get white washed in sparkling snow. I just love it!!!

I think the Lord loves it when we celebrate; however I do think he gets a little lonely at Christmas time. He instituted so many feasts and festivals for the poeple pf Israel and then the Lord's Supper for his disciples... but they were all meant to be celebrations in remembrance of Him. I don't care if the world remembers Him so much because why would they remember and celebrate someone they don't know? I don't blame them for not being al about Jesus just because it's Christmas. But I do think I fall short of remembring Him during the season. It's not so much His birth... if it were all about His birth, then I would much rather celebrate His resurection!!! But I think He wants us, ME, to celebrate His presence, His promises, His Word... that He is among us and will never leave us nor forsake us.

I have been thinking about things like holiday seasons and other "in the world" issues because of our upcoming task of bringing up a child in the way that he/she should go. "As for me and my house, we wil serve the Lord."

Help us, Father to lead and guide our family in all wisdom and understanding by your Holy Spirit. Help us to be grounded in Your Kingdom, not the kingdom of this world with its upside down values and destructive habbits... but may your love radiate in our hearts that they might see you and glorify your name.

Well, in all things, God is at work in us! So here we go, one day at a tine.

(Natasha)

More Time

It seems more time passes between our posts lately. It reminds me of the summer, when we seemingly had so much free time! I remember thinking to myself, "The fall is going to kick in with a vengeance; I hope we're prepared for the adjustment!" It's been a good adjustment, but we're not posting as much. I could get into the philosophical implications behind how we spend our time, or I could whine about not having enough time. Instead, I'll face the fact that we have tons of time and give a brief update:

1) This is an exciting week because of the Symphony Nova Scotia Remembrance Day concert taking place Sunday night. We're performing Brahms' German Requiem, a requiem based on Scripture rather than on the traditional Catholic mass. It's a beautiful piece with some beautiful text! You can buy tickets online through the SNS website.

2) Natasha is no longer participating with the Cantabile Singers in town because she needs to spend more time taking care of herself and our unborn child. We're doing a music theater event, so stay tuned.

3) Post-Tropical Storm Noel (a name I frankly find funny - like "the storm formerly known as a hurricane) was a little scary, but it did little damage to our home. However, my favorite tree was almost destroyed. After a little yard work yesterday, I think it's salvageable. We lost no power, so that was a huge blessing!

4) Natasha's worship leadership at the Convention's pastors' wives retreat apparently went well. She enjoyed the speaker and times of worship. I'm glad she's home. :)

5) Baby seems to be doing well. We're going in for a check-up because we're having some weird pains. Don't panic though; no one else seems to be. Just pray. :)

6) I'm late to give a piano lesson, so that's all for now. :)

LE