Don't Let the Devil Steal Your Song

Wow! What a title! "Don't Let the Devil Steal Your Song!" I can't take credit for it though. I heard as a sermon title the first night at Music Camp this past summer. As soon as Bro. Jeff Saunders said it, I was overwhelmed and tears welled up in my eyes. Just those words alone were enough to encourage me and heal some of the hurt I had experienced recently. I begin to feel God speaking to my heart as Bro. Saunders begin to minister to the campers and staff. I knew his message was God-given and it was for me. The timing just couldn't be better and God touched me deeply that night. I determined that no matter what, I wasn't going to let the devil steal my song.

Just before camp started, I had gotten extremely hurt by someone very dear to me. I truly believe that this individual has no clue just how deeply they hurt me because I tried to brush it off and not give them any indication that it bothered me. I decided I was going to just give it to God and go on, not changing how I treated this person. I forgave them and left it in God's hands. However, I did vow that I would never sing again, something I had been doing my whole life. Isn't it just amazing how God works? He had plans for me and my music ministry, the enemy knew it and tried to discourage me so much so that it almost worked! For this to be the first sermon preached just after this happened, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt God wanted me to know that he had given me a song and I needed not to allow the enemy to steal it. All the scriptures spoken with Bro. Saunders sermon, the story he told about how the canary who had a beautiful voice and sang every day got sucked up in a vacuum cleaner. It wouldn't sing anymore but through love and care of it's owner it finally broke out into a song again. Everything he said, spoke volumes to my soul! I am so thankful that he was sensitive to what God wanted for that service. I thank God every day for Music Camp because I believe it was the launching pad to my singing ministry. I am still overwhelmed at all that has happened since then! To God be ALL the glory!

In the middle of the week of Music Camp one of our local gospel radio stations, CJRI sent a DJ up to record a promotion for the camp. This DJ requested that someone record a song, a piano solo, etc to showcase some of what we had learned. I was asked to record a song and I immediately said no! I was extremely hesitant and even though God had touched me greatly on Sunday night I felt I just needed more time before I sang again; let alone have it recorded. Truthfully, I was scared to 'put myself' out there. It's always been one of my dreams and goals to record a gospel CD and normally I would have jumped at the chance to record a song but after getting hurt like I did, I felt that I wasn't ready. Surely they could find a better singer than I to record a song for the promotion. God reprimanded me saying, "It's time to stop burying your talent in the sand, I want to turn your misery into a ministry!" With the persistence of the Music Director at camp and others I reluctantly recorded a Joel Hemphill song called, "Consider the Lilies" Camp went on with some great services and since I was staying there as Staff for the full month of July, I quickly forgot about the song I recorded.

In August, I found out that the station was still playing the song I recorded. Apparently, after the first time it played over the airwaves calls came pouring in to request it to be played over and over. I was shocked! I couldn't believe it! What was even more unbelievable to me, was the fact that it was the number one most requested song of a local artist for 14 weeks breaking a record at the station! It wasn't long before family and friends who live far away heard about this and they wanted to hear it. Again, I was reluctant to share it with anyone but they insisted so I made it into a video and posted it on Facebook. The comments and e-mails came pouring in non-stop to me.

There is one story I want to share here. It's about a lady who had walked away from God years ago, she heard my song when it was posted on facebook. While listening to it she could feel God's presence, it made her cry and she relized that God still cares for her. She made the decision to turn her life around and serve God after all those years of being away from him. She thanked me over and over for posting my song. I was so humbled and it made everything I had gone through so very worth it! To God be ALL the glory as to what he has done with that song. I often joke with people who thank me, telling me they were ministered to after hearing me sing that I just want to be a vessel for God's presence to flow through even though I am slightly cracked! In all seriousness though, it's ALL because of God and his anointing he has placed on my life.

I was even hesitant to blog about this because I don't want to appear to be promoting myself or bragging. I am just so excited about the blessings that God has poured in my life about it that I want to share it in hopes that it will encourage a reader who is struggling with what God wants them to do with their life. When God opens a door wide, hold your head high and walk through it. You won't regret it. Sure people will criticize and point fingers but if your heart is right and your doing it for the Lord; you will be able to forgive them and not allow it to ruin your relationship with them. I never dreamed that the song would even be played on the radio again! The purpose of it was only to promote the camp. Recently, it was voted as part of the Top 20 songs of the year 2010. In January, I was the recipient of an award for it placing #2 runner up song of the year in the Top 20 by popular vote of the listeners of CJRI Faithway Radio Network. To God be ALL the glory for that!

Unbelievable! To top it all off on new years day, I was given a free one year membership to the Maritime Gospel Music Association (MGMA) http://www.mgma.ca/ They promoted me as artist of the month for January! Again, I have to say, To God be ALL the glory! People are disappointed when they realize I haven't recorded a CD yet but that is in the works and will be released in God's time. I've already had a consult at a recording studio and are weighing all my options. I have been traveling around locally taking part in different gospel concerts throughout our area. To me, this is a ministry. I take it very seriously want to stay in tune with what God wants for me in this area of my life. I don't do it for awards or promotion and definitly not for entertainment. I do it for God! I truly believe there are lost and hurting people who need to be ministered to. Music is such a universal language that it can reach into the depths of a persons heart, soothing the emotional pain they are in. Everyone loves music of some genre but music that comes from God is the most powerful of all! I thank God everyday for all these blessings he's given me. I feel so undeserving of it all and I'm very humbled that He would even use me.

To everyone who has supported me and encouraged me so far through out this journey I am on, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I couldn't have done it without you. Your prayers and your sound advice have kept me grounded. To the staff and the listeners of the CJRI stationhttp://www.cjri.fm/ and to those who voted for me, I thank you! To the staff of MGMA and all the local artists, thank you for everything! I sure do appreciate the support and encouragement you've given me as a new artist. To my family and close friends, I love you more than anything. Thank you for being there for me through the laughter and tears! You guys are my rock and I appreciate you so very much! Don't stop praying for me! Above all, I want to thank God who is my Saviour, my Healer, my Redeemer, my Provider and Best Friend. All the praises, all the glory belong to Him! He is so good and as long as he is on my side, I don't need to worry about the devil stealing my song!

To God Alone be the Glory

To God Alone be the Praise
Everything I say and Do

Let it be All for you

The Glory is yours Alone

Yours Alone

~Aaron Shust

Psalm 13: 6

"I will sing unto the Lord because

He hath delt bountifully with me!

Storeyland News

Yay! Alex finally lost his tooth!

Anyone that's been following my blog knows

that the Twins were in a competition as to who

would be the first one to loose their FIRST TOOTH!

Emily was the winner, she lost hers in November

much to Alex's dismay. He tried everything he could

to loose his tooth first, from tying a string on it and yanking

to eating apples nonstop and finally, a couple of days after

Christmas his hard work payed off. He was so excited that

he had to call as many people as he could think of

to let them know!

Christmas 2010

Dear Family and Friends:

Christmas 2010 was the most unusual Christmas The 7 Storey's have ever encountered. In the hustle and bustle of Chrismas programs, shopping and preparing for the holidays, our province experienced an unusual rain storm! When we should have been dumped upon by huge piles of snow here in the North, we were instead being soaked with torrents of rain all over the Maritimes. There was flash flooding in several different area's and unfortunately it hit home, literally. I had actually started a blog post right before Christmas, but never got the chance to finish it so I decided to just post a new one.

We had gotten so much rain that our basement flooded badly. It destroyed our furnace, hot water tank, our Tristar vacuum cleaner among other house hold items. Some things were sentimental and just can't be replaced. It was difficult mourning the loss of those things but that's exactly what they were, things. Due to the mild temperatures, we were ok at home for a few days. We only had a couple of small heaters as a source of heat. We huddled around them in the living room but as the temperatures dropped lower, we were forced to move out and live in a hotel for a few days until a furnace arrived. Through it all, despite the fact things were in chaos and it was so close to Christmas, I was so thankful that we were safe and alive. It could have been so much worse. My cousins who live about an hour away ended up with over 5 ft of water in their homes and now are homeless as the flood destroyed all of their things. Currently, as I write this, my brother is still living in a hotel waiting for repairs on his home due to flood damage that was discovered after Christmas. My cousins are still dealing with the uncertainty of their situations as well. I ask that you keep these flood victims among many more in your thoughts and payers because a lot of people lost everything during what should have been the most joyous holiday of the year. We were fortunate to get home 2 days before Christmas and were scrambling at the last minute to get things prepared for our 5 children. I have to say, that it never ceased to amaze me how God provided and took care of my family through this disaster.

When funds were low and we only had one gift to give to each child as Christmas Day drew closer, God provided. When I wasn't sure if I'd get any baking done for company, God provided. When we weren't sure how the children were going to get from the little town we were staying in, to the country where their school was due to one vehicle, God provided. When we didn't know where our next meal would come from or snacks for the children's lunch, God provided! When we thought we'd have to take care of all the damages all on our own, God provided. I could list many examples of how God came through for us as we were tossed to and fro from all of this. He definitely is our JEHOVAH JIRAH... OUR PROVIDER! I want to say again to all of our Angels who helped us during this difficult time of our life a huge THANK YOU! We love and appreciate you all. Our prayer is that God blesses you abundantly for your giving. I love how we can depend on God to move in any given situation and lean on his word. We certainly held on to these scriptures:

Psalms 37: 23-26

23. The steps of a man are established by the Lord when he delights in his way

24. Though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, the Lord upholds his hand

25. I have been young and now I am old yet I have not seen his righteous forsaken nor his children begging for bread.

26. He is ever lending generously and his children become a blessing.

If you are currently facing a disaster of your own, I encourage you to lean on these promises. God will provide and he does have a plan. He cares! One of my favorite quotes is "Sometimes He calms the storm and other times he calms his child. You can have peace but it only comes when you begin to be thankful for your situation and start trusting that he is going to work it all out for the greater good.

When the children told us this was the best Christmas ever, all I could do is weep. It touched my heart deeply to see them wrapping up some of their toys for other young flood victims who lost everything! We truly saw the spirit of giving this Christmas Season every where we went and our lives were changed because of it.

I remember one particular day, I had the girls with me at the mall. I had some pocket change so I told them I'd get them a hot chocolate and treat myself to a coffee. We were standing in line behind a sweet little lady that has taken a shine to our family. She lives in a seniors complex and has no family here. They all live over sea's. She was using a Tim Horton's Gift Card to pay for her coffee. The girl waiting on her informed her that there was nothing left on it. My daughter looked at me and said exactly what I was thinking, "Mommy, lets buy her drink" I smiled and took the last $10 out of my wallet. I believe that God compelled me to reload her gift card. My girls eyes got huge because they were aware of our flood situation and that funds were extremely tight, however I didn't hesitate. Not only did I want to obey God but I wanted to show them that it is more blessed to give than to receive. I used it as a teachable moment. You should have seen them a couple of day's later when I opened a Christmas card and inside more than double the amount I gave this dear lady plus a Tim's Card with the exact amount I gave her on it! To them it was a complete miracle and greatly increased their faith in God. So, I encourage you... give if you can and trust God because he will see you through. If he did it for us, he'll do it for you because He is no respecter of persons. He treats us all the same and loves us beyond what we could ever imagine.

GOD IS ALWAYS ON TIME AND HE IS GOOD!!!

We got to visit with family and spent the rest of our holidays, doing some flood aftermath clean up. We also got to spend some time with my precious Mother who was really missing Dad this Christmas. Dad was out west due to work and wasn't able to come home. As I mentioned earlier, it was the most unusual Christmas ever but I echo what my children said... It was also the BEST one ever!!

Love and Prayers;

The 7 Storeys

A Time to Mourn

Have you ever said "Enough Already! I can't handle any more!" I'm sure that there have been times in every ones life when we feel like we are at the end of our rope and don't even want to pick up the phone for fear that it will be more bad news. It's been like that for Hubby and I pretty much ever since December 2009. Since then, we have had 7 deaths in our family, either on my side or Hubby's. Some were very unexpected and a shock, others we saw coming as we watched our dear family members fight a courageous battle with that terrible disease known as Cancer. Being called to mourn so many times, one tends to get a little numb and weary. Daily reflecting on the value of life. Don't get me wrong, we need to reflect on the value of life more often than what we normally do, however we can't be so consumed with it that we are afraid to live. All of this combined with other non-related issues made for a crazy roller coaster ride for the first few months of 2010 in Storeyland. It seemed at times that there was more tears than laughter. It was truly a sad time for all of us.

As each person was taken away within weeks or months of each other, my mind was plagued with fear that I was going to loose one of my children or my husband. I went through a rough patch where I allowed this fear to control my life. I couldn't sleep at night, and if I did I payed the price by dreaming horrible dreams about my family. I was restless and overprotective of the children. I would obsessively check on them when they were sleeping to make sure they were ok. I just wanted to hold them close to me in hopes that I could somehow protect them from anything that could potentially harm them. No one wants to loose what is most precious to you, no one ever wants to walk willingly down that road even if we are assured that Heaven will be our home. We are human, and we thrive off of being connected to our loved ones. Seeing their smiles, talking to them, hearing their laughter, wiping their tears away and just being with them. There is a certain loneliness that can come when we loose those who matter most to us. A void is created in us and if we aren't careful, depression and fear can take a hold of us. I know because I've faced both. It took a while for me to realize that I needed to allow God to fill that space and take away the loneliness I felt for my family that's gone on to be with the Lord. Through prayer and daily bible reading, God touched me taking away those horrible feelings and dreams. He gave me back my joy and peace of mind.

Just when I thought, I was going to be ok, something else happened to rock our world. On September 15th, I went to my cousins funeral with my parents. My husband stayed at Mom's house with the children because we couldn't find a babysitter for him to go. As soon as we got home from the funeral, Hubby said that our 6 year old daughter Emily wasn't feeling well. She was sleeping so I went to check on her. She wouldn't wake up and was having difficulty breathing. We rushed her to the hospital. She was admitted right away and put on oxygen, and other monitors. Her oxygen level was extremely low and her heart rate was very high. That fear I had suddenly came back as I tried desperately to force thoughts of loosing her out of my head. As the night wore on, she would go from bad to worse then be ok for a bit. Needless today, we were up the entire night. However, God came through and we know a lot of people were offering up prayers for her. We are so thankful for those prayers. Despite the rough night, she had a somewhat better day but we still didn't have a diagnosis. She was even able to eat a little bit of toast and visit the playroom in the hospital for a bit. Her oxygen levels continued to climb and become closer to the levels they wanted to see in her. The next morning, the Doctor came to see her and she was doing so much better. Finally, we had a diagnosis which was she has Reactive Airway Disease. A better way of explaining it is that she has allergy induced asthma. After being on meds for a few of days and very careful follow up care at home after her hospital stay, we are happy to report that she is back to her normal self. One of the things that set off her allergy attack was the goldenrod flower that is in full bloom here right now, as seen in the above photo I took yesterday. The day of the funeral, she had picked a bouquet of them for my mother which Mom put in a vase. Not only was she around it outside but inside as well. We are so grateful that this is a childhood disease that she will eventually grow out of and she will only have symptoms during the spring and fall seasons. Now that we know the signs and symptoms to look for and what is wrong with her, we can be more vigilant when it comes to caring for her during those seasons of severe allergies. We serve a great big wonderful God who touched her mightly and helped her bounce back so quickly from this ordeal. Our hearts go out to parents who live with terminal illness in their children or that experience scares like this more frequently. We pray the God will comfort you and strengthen you as you go about your daily routine and our prayers go up for all the sick children in our world. To those that have walked through the 'valley of the shadow of death' we pray for God to minister to you in a great and mighty way. You will get through your situation and come out on the other side a more stronger, thankful person. You are not alone, you have a God who is there walking beside you and even carrying you at times just like the famous Footprints poem talks about. You need not to fear or be driven by negative emotions because if you trust God he will replace your fears with peace and your negative emotions with hope for the future. He is an on time God and he loves you more than anything. I leave with you the following scriptures that have ministered to me as we faced one situation after another in the last few months. I am so thankful that 'God is my refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble!'(Psalm 46:1) I'd think of that passage of scripture daily. Here are a few more that gave me encouragement. I pray as you read these you will feel Gods word come alive and speak to your heart.

Jeremiah 29:11 ~ "For I know the thoughts I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil to give you an expected end."

~1 John 4:18 ~ "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love."

~Romans 15:3 ~ "Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing that ye may abound in hope. through the power of the Holy Ghost."

~2 Corinthians 13:11 ~ "Finally bretheren, Farewell. Be perfect, be of good comfort, be of one mind, live in peace and the God of love and peace shall be with you."

~Philippians 4:7 ~ "And the peace of God which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and mind through Christ Jesus."

~Isaiah 26:3 ~ "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."

There are so many more that I could add to this post but I encourage you to find some of your own, ask God to speak to you through his word. Start in the book of Psalms. God knows exactly what you need to hear from him to help you in your situation.

God Bless!

Storeyland Update for July & August

Hi Folks:

I'm back for an other summer update. I may just catch up before September ends, eh? July was so much fun! We stayed the entire month at a Bible Camp where I worked on Staff as a Teacher for 4 consecutive weeks. The children had so much fun during this month. On the weeks they were a camper they stayed in the dorms and cabins but when it wasn't their week they stayed with me in our cabin. The theme this year was The Christmas Experience. So we celebrated Christmas for the full month of July as a family. We can't wait to go back next year. Here are a few memories of Bible Camp.

Reuben and His Buddy Chris, from USA

Camp was a great place to form new friendships!

During Teen Week We put on A Drama
Hubby was one of the Main Actors in it an was also a Teacher that week.

Hannah during Bible class doing her workbook.

Alex with his stocking at the end of Children's Week Each Child went home with a Christmas Sock and Present


Emily was our sheep during the Drama at Teen Week.


My Class During Teen Week, just missing 2 who had to leave camp early This was one of my biggest classes during my 4 week stay.


Our Daughter, Emily and Nephew Isaiah got the Directors Award
during Children's Camp!

Rachael and Reuben Memorized the most verses in their class
during Junior Week. They memorized over 30 Bible Verses in one week
We were very proud of them for their hard work and dedication!


Rachael was the Recipient of the Directors Award at Music Camp
She learned basic chords on the piano and how to play Amazing Grace.
Also, during Music Camp, I recorded a song for the promotion of the camp
on our local gospel radio station and was shocked to hear that it is currently
in the top 5 of the most requested song of a Local Artist. To God Alone be the Glory!

During the Month of August, we got some projects done around the house and visited friends and family. We also took the children on a few day trips. It was nice to get back into a bit of a routine after Bible camp and the children really enjoyed their new swimming pool. August was very hot with record breaking temperatures, so a lot of time was spent in the water cooling off. We also had our Albright tradition of celebrating Christmas in the Summer. It was usually held in July but due to the fact that a lot of us had other plans that month we moved it to August. We had a blast with our family, exchanging gifts, playing games and eating great food. August was a sad month as well, due to the fact that my Sister and her boys moved out west so we won't see them as often. Guess, it's time for me to buy that plane ticket!!! We miss them a lot!

All of our nieces and nephews on my side of our family
just missing 3 girls, Shanelle & Jasmine in AB and Alice who couldn't make it.

We had a great time at our Family Christmas party and celebrating for the full month of July, but I have to say... I won't be in any hurry to get my decorations out again this year! As much as I love Christmas, it's my favorite holiday I'm sure I'll be able to resist the urge to put my tree up until I start seeing the displays in the store. Then I might just be tempted to decorate... you never know. ;-)

Storeyland Update for June 2010

Dear Family & Friends:

Well, it only took me 4 months to come back... ((LOL)) Sorry for the delay, I was so sure I'd be back right after my last post in May! We had a fun but very busy summer so instead of writing about it all in detail, I thought I'd share it in photo's of some important events during the month of June. The children got great report cards from school. The twins are going into grade 1, Hannah in grade 4, Rachael grade 6 and Reuben is going into grade 8. Reuben also graduated out of the Navey League Cadets with a lot of awards.

Reuben with one of his Cadet awards

Our Daughter, Hannah waiting for the ceremony to start!

Reuben did an amazing job on his drum solo at the ACR Awards Ceremony

Reuben on the quarterdeck, lowering the flag at the ACR Ceremonies

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMILY & ALEX!!

The Twins turned 6 on the 24th of June, time goes so fast!

June was definitely a busy month in Storeyland it's hard to believe that Rachael graduated from Elementary School to Middle School. She was given the royal treatment and was the belle of the ball. The theme was Hollywood and one of her closest friends Logan picked her up, chauffeur and all. We're not sure how we will top that for her grade 12 graduation!! The following photo's were taken by yours truly... I've gotten more into photography over the summer and have actually come up with a name to copyright my photo's by.

Rachael was the recipient of the Best Artist Award

and the Mitchell Carr Memorial Award

The theme for her gr. 5 grad was Hollywood 2010, she played the part well.

We are so proud of ALL our children and all the hard work they put in to school and their extra curricular activities. God had truly blessed us with 5 beautiful children and we are so thankful. God is good!

As soon as I get another free moment, and it's not 2am like it is right now... I'll be back to post updates for July and August. May God richly bless you all, we miss you very much especially those of you that are oversea's and my sisters who moved a few provinces away. We love you and pray for you daily.

Love and Prayers:

The 7 Storey's

Fall Has Arrived!

Isn't it amazing how fast the seasons can change? It just seems like yesterday we were relaxing on the beach in the hot summer sun and now we are in the middle of Fall! I love this time of year. The air is crisp and the vibrant colors fall brings to us never cease to amaze me. The photo that you see here was taken by myself at the first of this month. It was such a gorgeous fall day that I couldn't resist taking a picture! I am privileged to see such beauty on a daily basis for this is the field beside our house. God paints such stunning masterpieces on his canvass we call Earth! There are times I stand in awe and literally drop what I am doing to bask in the glorious wonder of the natural beauty that surrounds us.

It's been a while since I've updated and I sincerely apologize to those of you who read my blog consistently. You've probably been wondering what's been going on in Storeyland, eh? We've been busy. The children have gone back to school. Reuben is in Grade 7 and loving it. Rachael is in her last year at GECS... grade 5! Hannah is enjoying grade 3 and the Twins have started Kindergarten! They absolutely LOVE school! They were so excited the first day that they couldn't sleep the night before. You can see from their smiles that they were happy to be going back to school!

The twins on the first day of Kindergarten

The first day of School

The children are growing up so fast. There are moments I wish time would stand still! It won't be long and they will be looking down on me! ((LOL)) I am 5'2 and already, Reuben, Rachael and Hannah are close to my height! They get that gene from their Dad that's for sure! They have adjusted well to the routine of things. Reuben just recently celebrated his 12th birthday and it just so happened on the day of his birthday, his Uncle Doug (Hubby's Brother) got married. They had a beautiful fall wedding. Emily and Alex were the flower girl and ring bearer. They looked so cute all dressed up in their formal clothes!

The Storey Wedding Oct 3rd, 2009

Emily & Alex

Well, it's late and I could add a lot more updates to this post but I'll save it for another time. To all my Family and Friends.... I am so thankful for you! I'll be doing another update shortly but for now I need to get some sleep! : )

Have a Fantastic weekend!!!

Summer, Where Art Thou?

If you are a Maritimer, you've probably had that thought in your head a few times... Where is Summer? Those beautiful, hazy and hot days of relaxing in the pool, laying on the grass staring at the clouds or barbecuing on your back deck. Those sticky, humid hot summer nights being serenaded to sleep by mosquito's or maybe cooling off in front of a fan with a glass of ice water in hand. We could probably still count on one hand how many gorgeous summer day's we've had so far this year. Believe it or not, the weather has been on the chilly side and we had enough rain to make us think we should build an ark! Here we are almost at the end of July and still waiting for the Summer weather to arrive. However, I'm not complaining. I am so thankful that God has given us another day, no matter what the weather is like. Despite the chilly weather, our family hasn't allowed it to dampen our spirits or ruin our family fun. We've had a blast going on different adventures in Storeyland and take full advantage of those few and far between hot summer days.

At the end of June we had a big birthday bash for the Twins. They turned 5 on June 24th. I was going to put a separate post for them, reflecting on how far they've come but time got away on me and I've been so busy having fun with the kids that I put blogging on a lower priority list. My apologies to those of you who've been waiting for me to up date. The following are a few pics of the Twins 5th Birthday:

The Twins Birthday Supper At Greco

Their Favorite Restaurant!!

(For the sake of our relatives who are still in the dark ages with dial up we've put the pics into a collage so they will upload faster LOL ...Enjoy)

Their Backyard 5th Birthday BBQ Bash

(We planned this on the spur of

the moment in 2 days and had over

30+ adults and children in attendance after

many days of rain we were sure we'd have

to have this inside, but Mr. Sun made an

appearance and the children enjoyed a lot

of outdoor games and fun!!)

Happy Canada Day.. July 1st, 2009

We had the privilege of attending both parades one

in our little town and one in the capital city! Reuben

was a part of the parade in our community

with the Navy League Cadets!! We had a

blast hanging out with my sis and her family

who were visiting from Alberta!!

Canada Day Fireworks

We were fortunate to have great weather for all these events and were so excited to see my lil sis... Michelle, her fiancee, Jackson and their 2 girls. They came home to get married on July 4th and were able to attend the Canada Day festivities. They flew in at mid-night on the day before and my nieces stayed the night at our house. Our children had a great time catching up on the last 10 months with their adorable cousins, Shanelle and Jasmine. It was great to see them all together again and so awesome to get to spend the week with one of my bestest friends. (There will be a separate blog about their wedding)

Reuben recently attended the "Play on Our River" Camp at the Salmon Museum and had lots of fun canoeing, fishing, swimming and doing other educational activities. He also had the opportunity to meet in person a well known, avid fisher woman, Joan Wolfe. He and his cousin Jonathan spent the entire week at this day camp and enjoyed every minute of it.

On one of our rare hot summer days the children enjoy swimming in the pool or cooling off at the Water Park. We have no complaints and are thankful for every day we are alive and well. Every day is the day that the "Lord hath made so we will rejoice and be glad in it...." no matter the weather. We all know that storms never last and after the rain comes the rainbow. So, if your getting frustrated with this bi-polar weather we've been getting, cheer up... put on a smile and be thankful your alive to enjoy the weather, no matter what it may be!!

The Merry Month of May

As the end of the school year approaches, a certain restlessness fills the atmosphere at our house. The days are getting longer and summer is well on it's way. The children would rather stay outside and play instead of going through the whole bed time routine. During the school year, we try our best to have the children in bed by 7:30- 8pm. This time of year however, there's still lots of day light left as we tuck them in and bid them goodnight. Despite the fact that they days seem longer, they are flying by so quickly that it's hard to remember what happened yesterday. I still can't believe how fast the month of May went. Here are a few highlights:



Mother's day fell on the second Sunday of the month this year. It was a beautiful day for me. The children and hubby showered me with lots of gifts and after the morning service we headed over Doaktown to see Hubby's Mother. She was hosting a big dinner for the family. We had a fantastic time visiting with his family. It was nice also to see his brother who was visiting home from Alberta. I am so thankful for a Mother, Mother in law and Grandmother's who love God and know how to pray. We love you all dearly! Thank you for your guidance and prayers down over the year. The song Prayer Warrior comes to mind when thinking of these precious ladies. I hope you all had a fantastic Mothers Day!

The second highlight of May was our annual Atlantic District Youth Convention. For the first time we went as a 'partial' family. (The twins who are 4 stayed with their grandparents and we took our 3 oldest children.) In previous years we had gone as Youth Leaders and had chaperoned several youth groups over the years. We have some very fond memories of Youth Convention especially the one in 2007 when Rachael, our now 10 year old received the precious gift of the Holy Spirit in accordance to Acts 2:38. We have always left each convention with a passion for a closer walk with God and revived in our spirits but this year was by far the most phenominal Convention we had ever attended. We were stirred, changed, inspired and determined that we were going to reach the lost no matter the cost! God certainly used the special speaker, Bro. Matt Maddix to challenge us to become Soul Winners and Prayers Warriors. It was amazing to see the response of the youth of this District as walls were broken down and they received a tremendous touch from Almighty God. The last night of the convention, 90 people received the Holy Ghost!!! What a power packed, anointed service that was!

This pic was taken just after our daughter Hannah, age 8 received this precious gift and she has been excited about it ever since. She tells everyone she meets!! We are so excited about what God is doing and what he is going to do with the Atlantic District Youth!

On Saturday of the Convention, I got to spend some time with my best friend Amanda who is home from the Mission Field. She and her Hubby are expecting their long awaited first baby!! It was so nice to see them and spend some time catching up on things. We are keeping them daily in our prayers and are so happy for them. We don't see them often enough and are thankful for any opportunity God provides for us to fellowship with them. We are so thankful for true friends who are there no matter how many miles may separate us.

Just as April was busy, the calender filled up quickly for this month as well. Last weekend, our son Reuben had his Navey League Cadet Reward Ceremony. He has completed his first year in the NLC and we are very proud of him for sticking it out even when he wore a hole through his sock during a 2hour drill! (LOL) He has learned a lot of great skills and has had fun at the various camps and functions he was able to attend. He is looking forward to attending Camp Barnacle this summer. Way to go Reuben!

As the saying goes, "April showers bring May flowers" I wonder... What do May Flowers bring? Only time will tell!

Have a great week ;-)

Bloom Where You Are Planted

I have a confession to make and it might shock you!!! I do not have a green thumb, actually its rather fleshly colored. (Tee hee) Anyhow, it is the truth though. I am not a good gardener. I tend to get impatient waiting for things to bloom and grow and half the time I don't have a clue if I am yanking up weeds or gorgeous flowers. I have decided I should stick to planting tree's and creating rock gardens. The less maintenance the better. All though, part of this problem is due to the fact I am so thinly spread that I don't have a great amount a time to devote to tending to a garden, the other issue I have is lack of knowledge. Every spring I get the urge to plant and create a beautiful flower garden but I seem to have a problem not knowing where to start. I always find it amazing how fast the tree's and peoples gardens bloom out with all the spring blossoms. We have already mowed the lawn a few times this month and have had some awesome weather. I've got a start on a tan already and summer hasn't arrived yet LOL. I love being kissed by the warm rays of the sun especially those first warm days after a cold and dreary winter! I am sure those little blossoms asleep under the blanket of snow feel the same way!

We planted some trees this month. The children had a blast helping Hubby and I make our yard look more beautiful and do something positive for the environment. They also create a nice hedge and once the fencing is done between them, our property will be more visible to potential future buyers. While they were busy planting, I was busy doing something I really enjoyed -taking pictures of it all!

~Hubby getting ready to dig another hole!



~Reuben mowed the grass while Daddy dug

the holes!

~The Twins helped Daddy put the tree in the hole!

~Time to spread the mulch!

~Alex & Emily carefully water the trees!

~The almost finished result!

*You can see our neighbours garage in the background of this pic.The tree's help to section off our properties. Our plan is to put fancy fencing in between each tree. We opted for that instead of just a fence. We can't wait until it's finished!*

As I stated earlier, I personally do not have a green thumb and even plastic plants don't survive me! HAHA.....Well actually, it's more like they don't survive my rambunctious children. I'll never forget the time I bought a real, gorgeous tropical plant for the house. I was diligent in watering it and caring for it. To my surprise despite my ungreen (is that a word LOL) thumb it was growing so beautifully, until one day Alex decided to give it a 'haircut and use the stems as a microphone! I was so sad to see all the lovely green leaves on the floor and determined in my heart I'd never pay over $60 for a plant like that again! Even though, I got a little upset, it was hard to stay angry and discipline him for it because he was so cute at explaining why he did it. I did manage to capture a picture of him singing into the limbs of the plant. :-)

~Alex singing into his new "microphone"

after he gave the plant a "haircut"!!! Kids are so creative eh?

Even though I don't have the coveted green thumb, I do love flowers, plants and tree's. When we bought our house a few years back, there was a gorgeous flower garden in the front of the house. Needless, to say I tried my best to weed it but unfortunately, I don't think it was just weeds I was pulling out of it. I tried googling gardening tips and pictures of the difference between weeds and actual plants but I didn't have much luck. So, I just pulled everything out with the intention of replanting. The only plant that survived my antics was a beautiful flowering bush in the middle of the garden. It's a small tree that blooms out vibrant red blossoms and I have no clue what it is. I love it though. It's so pretty. My decision this year about that garden is to turn it into a rock garden around this beautiful tree so that the tree can stand out and not be cluttered. It has grown a lot over the past 3 years and is taking up a lot of room in the flower box. One thing I have learned though through this experience is that most plants do bloom where they are planted.

You know, our life is often like a garden. Sometimes, we allow weeds such as sin, anger, bitterness and hatred to grow choking out the beautiful person that we really are. We can often get to a place where we are not content with what we have and long to be planted in someone else's garden. However, keep in mind that you and I are right where God wants us. He has planted us in these specific spots for a reason. Every day as his plan for our lives unfolds, he desires us to bloom so that we can touch the lives of others and lead them to Christ. He wants us to bloom where we are planted and if we allow that to happen, we will live a life of joy, peace and happiness.

~Jeremiah 29:11- "I know what I'm doing. I have it all planned out--plans to take care of you, not abandon you, plans to give you the future you hope for." ( The MSG Bible)