Our Mini Grads, Our Babies.. Emily & Alex

The Twins have GRADUATED from Preschool!!!

Wow, that is so hard to believe... it seems like
yesterday they were newborn, being tube fed
and constantly monitored as they were born
premature. We never thought we'd ever see this
day arrive but we are so thankful it has! God is good!!

Congratulations Emily and Alex

We are so PROUD of you and
all you've accomplished this past year!
We love you very much!
Thank you Bonnie and Suzanne for
all the hard work you do with these precious 4 year
olds to ensure they have a successful entry
into Kindergarten. We appreciate you immensely!

~*~Beyond the Sunset~*~

Have you ever seen a sunset that compelled you to stop what you were doing and stand as if in awe and disbelief of how such beauty could be created? This happened to us recently while out for a family drive near the airport. I couldn't help but get my husband to stop the van so I could make a pathetic attempt to capture it on film. The camera I have isn't the greatest and even though I can't seem to capture the beauty of the moment, I'm still determined to try. On this particular evening, I didn't notice the little white cross right away. The sunset had my full and undivided attention.

After snapping a few pictures, I turned to get into the van and that's when I noticed the little white cross. It is common knowledge that these crosses are placed in loving memory of a loved one lost in that particular spot. I was moved with compassion for the family and friends of this girl that had died. She was so young! According to the years written on the cross, she was just 18 or 19 depending on where her birthday fell. Tears welled up in my eyes as I thought about this young girl who had her whole life ahead of her and was taken so suddenly. I stood there for a moment feeling so thankful and blessed that I was alive to see such a gorgeous sunset. Blessed that I had all my children and husband waiting for me to get back in the van. I didn't know this young girl but I said a little prayer for her loved ones as we drove away.

All evening, I couldn't help but think of a song I heard often as a little girl when riding in the truck with my grandfather entitled "Beyond the Sunset" He is a big Hank Williams fan and every so often while riding along a country road we'd hear this song that offers so much comfort during the loss of a loved one. The following are the lyrics to this song:

Beyond the Sunset

Should you go first and I remain
To walk the road alone
I'll live in memory's garden, dear
When happy days we've known.
In spring I'll watch for roses red
And shades of lilac blue
In early fall when the brown leaves fall
Then I'll catch a glimpse of you.
Should you go first and I remain
To finish with the scroll
No lenghtening shadows shall creep in
To make this life seem droll.
We've known so much of happiness
Yes, we've had our cup of joy
And memory is one gift of God
That death cannot destroy.
Should you go first and I remain
There's one thing I'd have you do
Walk slowly down that long road
For soon I'll follow you.
I want you to know each step I take
So that you may walk the same
For someday down that lonely road
I'll hear you calling my name.

Beyond the sunset, oh glad reunion
With our dear loved ones who've gone before
In that fair homeland we'll know no parting
Beyond the sunset for evermore...

Recently, we unexpectedly lost one of our dear brothers in Christ. Our church family, the community and of course his loved ones will feel this loss immensely. To the Mitchell family, we extend our deepest sympathies and are keeping you daily in our thoughts and prayers. May God bring you comfort and peace which surpasses all understanding during this difficult time. Our hearts go out to you! We esteemed this dear brother very highly and Hubby thought the world of him. We will miss his singing and playing the guitar. We have some precious memories of which we'll cherish for the rest of our lives. What a joy it is to know that we'll see Mac again.... just beyond the sunset!

* This pic was taken during a charades game at
Mac and Lena's. We shared a lot of laughs that night!

Where Did the Summer Go?

One morning, I woke up to the sound of chirping birds and the bright sun stretching it's golden rays towards our window. It was the last day of school for the children and now here they are going back again. Where did those summer months go? It seems like only yesterday we were celebrating Reuben's grade 5 graduation and making plans for summer vacation. Our summer turned out to be a lot busier than what we had planned. There were weddings, funerals, reunions, parties and our annual summer Albright Christmas tradition. Every summer my side of the family gets together and celebrates Christmas rather than doing it in December. Our family is so large and live a few miles from each other that it is easier for us to do this in the warmer months where we can fire up the BBQ, meet at a park or at each others houses. We do countless fun activities with the children and swap gifts. We always have a blast.



My mother has 19 grandchildren and she isn't even 50 yet. I have one brother and 4 sisters and between the six of us we have given all these grandchildren to our Parents. Family functions are filled with laughter and a lot of noise as all these children except one are ages 11 and under! We have come to realize that time spent together is precious and that it goes very fast. I wish we would have had more time to do what we wanted to do this summer. In August it rained nonstop for well over 17 days straight. This put a damper on any outside activities but I am thankful that I got to see a lot of my family that I haven't seen in years and happy that we were able to take the children on vacation to Nova Scotia where they had the time of their lives :)



Isn't it funny how when we were children time seemed to stand still? Now, as adults we don't have enough hours in the run of the day to do all we want to do. Many times I lay my head down at night disappointed that I didn't accomplish all I wanted to however more importantly I realized I am blessed because I took the time to spend quality time with my children. We may have gone on a hike or explored nature in a local park. Or maybe we baked cookies and watched a movie together. It is those little moments where the child feels more important than housework that matter. We had a lot of projects planned for this summer and not even half of them got done and it left us wondering...where did the summer go? I know where it went...it drifted off down memory lane like all of our yesterdays!

Summer 2008 in Nova Scotia