A Merry Photo Shoot

As I said, Kayte and I had a photo shoot, here are some of the results.

Hope you enjoyed.

Family Christmas

Well first we decorated the tree. But that was weeks ago...

And then we dug in for a feast, but that was two days ago...

And well Ben's always been tall...

So Kayte and I had a photo shoot, and there's more to come...

And brothers were never supposed to be normal...

But sisters get to be pretty...

And occasionally an elf visits.

Merry Christmas!

Ben had to head back to Edmonton early, so we celebrated Christmas on the Eve. We had a nice little Christmas, with gifts more meaningful, and less abundant. For which I'm grateful. It was good to enjoy Christmas dinner on the 23rd, with Liz and Emmy and the whole family. And Kayte and I got to be a part of the Christmas Eve service. Well actually, Kayte, Barry and God planned it. And I got to read the Christmas story, light the advent candles and tell the kids, that the answer "Jesus" was coming, but not yet. And today the rest of the continent is on pause, and we are finished and already scattered about. Ben heading back to Edmonton with D, Kayte at work, Lisa with her mom. So I wish you all a Merry Christmas. And the awareness that Christ IS Come. The wait is over. Don't miss the fact that our giving gifts is only a mimic of the great gift Giver, One we can not surpass. And must not shove out. Blessed Christmas to all of you.

Loss

Last week my cell phone was mostly stolen, and yesterday morning in the -30C my car would not start, and as I have been alone at my place, and have no cell phone or internet connection right now, I was totally stuck. I wondered to myself how long it would be until someone would come looking for me. Not to mention that I needed to be at church, it's kind of my job.
The solution I came to was to bundle in many extra layers, and venture out into the cold, and walk in the direction of the rest of the church staff's homes. Since we almost all live within a 10 block radius of each other. I walked in the direction of the tightest gathering of homes, thinking if someone wasn't home, I could go to the next, and so on. I was lucky enough to get a ride from the first home I tried, which was good, because I was beginning to think that in that cold, I might not make it back home, if all my pursuits failed me. It was a great start to the day.
I arrived at church in time for the second service, which was 2 hours late, for "work", but just in time to catch my parents coming in. My dad pulled my sister and I aside and told us the news we had been waiting day-to-day to hear. My Granddad had passed away in the night. Mostly my heart breaks for my dad, I think I'm better at empathy, than at feeling for myself. I feel the emptiness in this loss. For someone raised and firmly certain of the salvation of those whose trust is in Jesus, the loss of a family member who did not choose that trust, is decidedly empty. And somewhat surprising, I've always couched death in terms of "going home." What do I say now?
So now my task is trying to figure out how to support my dad, how to think and speak about this, how to pray.