The Fun Never Stops!

It is hard to believe that it is almost May...with each passing day we can be thankful for the hand of God in our lives. With the warmer weather we have been able to be outside more....one of the first days we played in the backyard Kaelyn found this beautiful rock in the shape of a heart. What a joy and a blessing to see God's awesome works right in our own backyard!




Ivan has been working hard out back and has transformed the "hill of mud" into a nice spot for the kids to hang out and play. What more could you ask for....a playhouse, slide, sandbox, and trampoline!

Kaelyn and Jacob were right back into their trampoline tricks....jumping, twirling, bucking and flipping!

Unfortunately, the fun has to be postponed a little for Kaelyn. This week she was able to get her lovely pink cast off, however, she is now in a splint. The object is to try get some range of motion going but this means she must be very very careful not to fall on it....that means no trampoline, biking, climbing etc. The prognosis..."it looks a little crooked, but let's see if nature will heal itself"...ie. we are this far, lets see what the bone growth will do in the next three weeks and if it still is crooked we will have to take care of it...
And so we will have to leave it in God's hands (not nature's) and in the mean time God is giving Kaelyn the opportunity to learn the virtue of patience, Jacob the opportunity to learn kindness and goodness (in not doing things Kaelyn can't participate in....like jumping of the trampoline)and mommy and daddy the opportunity to practice trust in His healing hand!



We continue to live in "the middle of a big mud puddle" but in the evening when all the big machines and trucks are done for the day we have a nice dirty and dusty road to bike on! Hmmmm...it looks like it is going to be a close race!



And finally, there was great rejoicing in our house when the UPS man rang our doorbell....the camera, that I had worked so hard to get had arrived! Yes, begging, pleading, groaning and moaning is very very hard work! Kaelyn and Jacob told me the other day that it sounded like I had a "bad case of the gimmies". And last night I was informed that I had to share my camera with daddy. Can you tell we just went to the library and stocked up on Berenstien Bears books? Good thing we also got the "Count Your Blessings" edition....so that is what I will do!

Now, having a camera has lots of benefits...one of them being that you operate it and therefore are not in the pictures....most of the time! Here is the challenge....how many "melissa holding the camera"'s can you find in this picture!



And I guess it wouldn't be right to finish without one picture from my new camera...so here it is folks....my very first picture with my new dSLR Canon Rebel XT....

I think the picture is self-explanatory!

A Little Bit of This.....

......and a little bit of that!

Ok...so spring has sprung, as Jacob reminds us every time he sees a robin! And well, around here so has the mud! We've resigned ourselves to the fact that we will be doing a lot of muddy laundry around here! You can't very well send the kids outside and say don't go in the mud!

Kaelyn is in the full swing of things at school. She has been doing lots of exciting things; class trips, dress up days and apparantly she is learning how to read. One evening she came over to us and showed us this tag...."look mommy and daddy, I can read! This dog's name is FRANK!" Hmmmm.....I think we have to have a little chat with Mrs. Poort!

Jacob is our little sweetheart...(if Kaelyn isn't around!). And he especially loves to have cousins and friends come to visit. It had been a long time since we had seen Adrianna and Zach! Notice: Kaelyn is NOT in the picture...she likes to conserve her sweetness! LOL

Both Kaelyn and Jacob are mischevious! If I hear the two of them giggling I can be sure that they have something cooking. The other day they were painting downstairs, the giggling began and my concern grew....when they came upstairs I just had to laugh too....and then I got my face painted! Ohhhh, it was so much fun....not so easy to get off though!

The countdown was on....How many more sleeps until the "BIG DAY"? Kaelyn had her class come to her (or is it daddy's?) clinic for a class trip! Ivan did a fantastic job with the kids...and next on the list is the 24 hyper-active busy beavers.....Ha Ha!

This is one of the x-rays the class got to see. It is Kaelyn's broken arm!!! It seems to healing well except for the fact that it is still in this position....so the doctors are hoping that the bone will remodel itself and we can be done....but if not, we are off to surgery.

And finally, what greater way to spend a Saturday morning than at the sugar bush! It was chilly....but very educating and filling (you had to eat pancakes once the tour was done)! I had the privilege of using one of Tobi's camera's so that was excitement enough for me!

The Color Purple

Well, life is always full of surprises...

It was a quiet and sunny day...evening was approaching.
A rumble in the park seemed like the perfect thing to do before settling in for bed.

Laughter and joy were ringing through the air....

and then....a thud, total silence and finally a piercing scream
.....the quiet was no longer.

What started as a persistent and courageous swing
on the monkey bars ended in a tragic accident.

The incident occured around 6:00pm on Sunday.
One look at the arm confirmed the worst....there was definately something wrong....when an arm goes in two different directions it is a sure sign that there is a problem.

The calm and collected mother picked up dear daughter, smiled, and said
"It will be ok, honey bunches".
Dear daughter was quick to give her opinion on that....
"NOOOOO, it is not ok....look at my arm!"
Ok, dear daughter was right...time to panic!

And so they began the longest journey of their life.

Dear son was a little put out and therefore was lagging behind 20 or so meters behind screaming "I want to stay at the park! I am NOT done playing!"

Dear daughter was yelling in pain
"I am so dumb....I am going to die!"

Upon arrival to the room the responsible mother exudes an aura of calm
(ok...maybe that is a stretch)
and once all participants have stopped hyperventilating, makes some frantic calls.

Dear mother realizes that she is not getting anywhere and that all that was left to do was use her virtue of patience (while awaiting the return of dear dad, grandma and grandpa from church).

She attempts to settle the lovely children. Of course, dear daughter wants nothing to do with this procedure and screams in excrutiating pain that she wants her "daddy"!

Finally, dear dad arrives and whisks them off to the hospital
where they sat...and sat....and sat....
It only took 8 hours to confirm that dear daughter had broken her ulna and radius!

A further visit to the orthopeadic surgeon confirmed the diagnosis.
The broken bones were snapped into proper position.
Dear daughter was extremely brave and took the pain like a trooper.

The reward.....a cast the color of her choice....
of course dear daughter picked
PURPLE.

And so the epic ends.....except.....
dear daughter wishes she picked
PINK....

SURPRISE! SURPRISE!

Then, Now and Forever

My Precious Strand of Pearls

Then, Now and Forever

Melissa Bos

My Precious Strand of Pearls - Then

Around my neck I wear a strand of pearls,
A necklace made of memories.
Each pearl represents a moment, a stage in my life,
The loved ones whom I cherish,
The good times and those filled with strife.

The pearls of my necklace are a gift,
Given to me by my Heavenly Father.
There are those that shine bright,
But also scattered on my strand
Are some that are dark as night.

The strand that holds my pearls together
Is the part that represents me.
The ins and outs of my being,
My thoughts, my emotions
And all that I am feeling.

My strand of pearls usually,
Sits nicely at the base of my neck.
But lately it has become unbearable tight.
I feel like I’m being choked, by my own being.
I grab and pull at it to make if feel right.

Now I sit amongst my fallen pearls,
Tears streaming down my face.
The strand that held my pearls together
Hangs from my shaking hand,
Torn, broken and weathered.

There seems to be no reason for me
To gather up my precious pearls.
My broken thread, my being, has no hope.
It cannot hold my pearls together
I feel at the end of my rope.

As I sit and wonder what to do,
Two pearls catch my eye.
One gives a steady gleam of light.
The other shines steadily,
Not even changing in the dark of night.

It seems like such a shame,
For these beautiful precious pearls
To be strewn across the floor.
They are much to bright and vibrant,
They deserve so much more.

So, I bow my head in prayer to ask,
For the help that I will need.
To weave together me, a broken strand,
And to gather all these fallen pearls
And place them in my hand.

My prayer is answered by the Lord.
He sends me Courage and Strength.
They dry up all my fallen tears,
and get me down on my knees
to pick up these two precious pearls.

They don’t package them up,
Or place them in a dark dreary drawer,
But they hold them in perfect sight.
These pearls are meant to be held
Close to your heart, day and night.

And then they encourage me to weave my strand,
To begin picking up all the scattered pearls.
Some are broken, some are dirty as night,
But the saints whisper in my ear ‘Not to worry’,
The two precious pearls will always shine bright.

So with Courage and Strength from above
I slowly weave my thread, strong.
For I know this is the only way
To add the two shining pearls
Hope and Grace, forever to stay.

* * * *

My Precious Strand of Pearls - Now

It has been said to me
That my life of many years
Can be compared and likened
To a strand of beautiful pearls

Each pearl on my necklace,
Is a person or memory
A time, place, a moment
Things I do and things I see

My strand is always growing
As I go along my way,
Through the joys and the trials
Of my life, of my day

If you were to look closely,
At my pearls in the light,
You would very quickly realize,
Some are dirty, but most are white

The darkened pearls on my necklace
Are the times in my life,
That I’ve endured hardships,
The moments filled with strife.

They represent the darkness
That I feel in my soul,
When the trials are too much,
When the burdens take their toll.

But if you were to take a glance,
You would notice very quickly
It’s not the dark ones that you notice
It’s the white ones that you see

For around each dark pearl,
Each burden that I carry
Are many many little pearls
That shine very brightly.

These pearls that catch your eye
Are the ones in which I delight.
The good things that have happened,
The memories that feel right.

But if you look even closer
At my lovely pearly strand,
On some of these white ones
Are names, written by hand.

These are my favorite pearls,
They make my strand long.
For they are the loved ones
Who stand by me strong

Some of them have surrounded
My dark and gloomy pearls,
For many of my trials,
Endured through the years

These pearls are the ones
Who have always stood by me
They’ve carried me through tough times,
And held onto me closely

But not all of these pearls
Have been added long ago
My strand is still growing
With new pearls for me to show

A broken one is very dark
Filled with sorrow and gloom
A pearl that has hurt me;
It takes up too much room

But just like all the others
This pearl is not strung alone.
It is surrounded by the white ones,
They are crowding in, allowing no more room.

These pearls are so special
They keep my necklace shining.
My darkest, dullest pearl
Is no longer overcoming.

And so, my dear and special friends,
Each and every one of you,
O lift to God my daily prayers,
My thanks and praises too.


I thank Him for love
That each of you share .
For acceptance and understanding,
Showing how much you care.

I thank Him for the strength,
The courage He’s providing,
Through you, my beloved
So important to my healing

And I will always cherish you
In the many days and years.
Each and every one of you
Are my white pearly pearls.

* * * *

My Precious Strand of Pearls - Forever


It is early in the morning
The sun is about to rise
I lay quietly in my bed
Slowly opening my eyes

The sun begins to filter through
As I say my morning prayers
I glance to my bedside
To see my shining pearls

There are too startling pearls
That are gleaming in the light
The are my pearls of Hope and Grace
Shining, oh so bright

They remind me to say a prayer
of unlimited thanksgiving
For the joy and peace
These pearls are providing

And as the sun grows brighter
I reach for my strand
I hold it close to my heart
Softly in my hand

Each pearl is so precious
a chapter in my life
the joys and the trials
the laughter and the strife

They are the friends and family
That have stood by my side
In the valleys and the shadows
With me they abide

There still are some pearls
Dark, dull and broken.
In God's unfailing grace,
To me, they have been given

I look once more at my strand
before I put in on
I wonder at the woven thread
That holds my pearls strong

Once tattered, worn and broken
through God’s everlasting grace
The thread has become strengthened
yet is delicate, as lace

I take each end of my strand
and reach behind my head
I feel for the golden clasp,
My God, my hope, my strength

Once the clasp is fastened
It holds my strand together
I put all of my faith and trust
In it’s holding power

I do not know what tomorrow brings
What God may have in store
Will my thread ever be tattered,
Worn thin and broken once more?

Will I ever need to gather
spilt and scattered pearls again?
Will I have to bend on weary knees
and put them in my hand?

These questions I cannot answer
But there is one thing that I know
the precious pearls of grace and hope
will forever and always glow

* * * *

Thank you Lord, for each and every pearl on my strand.
For the joys, the trials, family and friends.
For the strength and courage that are woven in my being.
For my precious pearls of hope and grace
For Your enduring love and everlasting peace.

Living the Lessons

"If you can try to think what a day--or an hour--feels like from your kids perspective, it may change yours"

Our day started in one of awe, delight and laughter. At 7:30 we were outside enjoying the lovely snow...shovelling the driveway, sledding and making snow tracks. What is better than having fun in God's creation and wondering at the uniqueness of every little snowflake. Our early morning lesson: "a vital piece of the Christian home is the serious business of laughter"

The day could not have started any better....and then....our daily dose of patience wore thin! Kaelyn (once again) pushed the wrong buttons one to many times leaving Jacob very frustrated...and mommy upset (ie. a teenie weenie bit angry)! What came next... a frantic prayer for calm, a discussion, an apology and sweet forgiveness which was the lesson we learned from Jacob : "Applying repentance and forgiveness in our home is tough and sweaty work....but when there's genuine repentance, forgiveness follows like a healing salve on a scraped knee."* (A picture of me kicking and screaming wouldn't be such a great sight)

While getting some kleenex to wipe the tears....things got a little more complicated. Cookie escapes (which is somewhat normal)....but this time he went under the big wall and towards the train track...out of sight but not quite out of mind....Kaelyn spent lots of time calling him...but eventually we left a trail of kibbles from the hole to the house and hoped he would find his way home.

And so we trudge inside...our spirits that were only moments ago so high are now low. But life goes on and so does a parent's work. So it was an admonition...a trip to the bedroom and some of that discipline that we have to do from time to time...some tears and the best part of all a big hug. A lesson for mommy to remember: "When we discipline our children, we're not interrupting our committment to love them. We're actually demonstrating it."*

And while the hug was good the discussion was better...an admittion....straight from the mouth of babes. "Mom, sometimes I just have a big mouth." Yes, Kaelyn, sometimes we all have a big mouth! Kaelyn's Lesson: "Mouths are loaded guns, and the words they speak are very powerful...Words are never blanks. They're actual bullets, and their impact is absolute. Every time....Words need to be carried about with utmost care. They are precious. And they are formidable."

And where is Daddy in all of this? Well, he is the lucky one who gets to come home and pick up the pieces! A gentle reminder for one last lesson: "This parenting thing is a serious business!"* I think it is safe to say that that is an understatement.

And so, at the end of the day we can look back and be thankful for our daily lessons and God's grace that help's us through just another day.

P.S. Cookie did show up on our front porch two or three hours later.

* quotes from The most important place on earth by Robert Wolgemuth

Keeping busy...doing nothing!

hmmm....what have we been busy with the last couple of weeks! Good question. The answer....not much! As recovery continues we are laying low....while the kids have been out and about for sleepovers and visits to Grandma and Grandpa, Nana and Papa, Uncle Bryan and Aunt Tobi's, Uncle Mike and Aunt Bren's, the Bakkers, Uncle Grant and Aunt Shelley (and hopefully Uncle Dave and Aunt Ger)....mommy has taken up a new hobby...sitting on her bumb!

Thank you to everyone that has helped out over the last three weeks.

In my spare time (:P) I did manage to get some photos! I have been learning how to use my camera in manual mode...lots of trial and mostly error! There is so much information and tutorials to look through on the web...but best of all I have been able to pick the brains of two experts...

(Thank you to Tobi and Mike for your time!)

Kaelyn is now the proud owner of her very own lab coat.

...she is on her way to help daddy at the clinic for a afternoon.

Ohhh....the eyes of innocence

A Hug For Daddy

Jacob's feet....yes he desparately needs a nail trim!

Doesn't Cookie look thrilled to be a part of this picture

Oh don't want to just kiss that little nose!

Snowed in....

....yup, that's what we were. Ivan went to leave for work and I don't think he got much further than opening the garage door! So, to work he went....along with the kids! What is more fun than being out in the snow in the early morning hours! I unfortunately couldn't join in the fun of shoveling the driveway so I did the next best thing....take pictures of the kids having fun!