Baseball

More photos from an afternoon last weekend at the JF Cairns Baseball field.

Featured here is pitcher Kyle Sonntag playing for the Saskatoon Cubs. Kyle graduates this year and will head to collage football in the US. There are some photos of his brother Brett as well. I think that is him putting a guy out at 3rd.

Kyle's grad photo is here

Water Park

And what a perfect day it was to frolic in the water.
Eva however was a tad intimidated by the fountains of water.

Unlike yesterday!

 Norah watched from the side lines.

A Day at the Beach

Okay an illegal beach but yes, Saskatoon has a beach. Well, a sand bar really. But the South Saskatchewan is a dangerous river so you should only put your toes in the water.
Eva disagrees with this.

It started innocently with throwing rocks in the water.
But once those feet felt the water there was no stopping her.

Mom is still an arms length away.

She had a blast!
We were both exhausted!
Nora got too hot in her stroller.
We would go back but only if the adults outnumber the babes 2:1

The Heavens Declare

"I am not ashamed to own that I believe that the whole universe, heaven and earth, air and seas, and the divine constitution and history of the holy Scriptures, be full of images of divine things, as full as a language is of words; and that the multitude of those things that I have mentioned are but a very small part of what is really intended to be signified and typified by these things: but that there is room for persons to be learning more and more of this language and seeing more of that which is declared in it to the end of the world without discovering all." Jonathan Edwards

This is a photo above I took in Maui this past February. When the shutter is open for 20 seconds, the camera captures more light then the human eye can and so we get to see a little more of His Devine creation. I am fully confident we are seeing only a fraction of what He has in store for those who know and love Him. 

The Heavens declare the glory of God.... the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Night after night they reveal knowledge. Psalm 19 - worth a read. 

My visit to the girls today...

Just a few shots from today because it was too hard to pick just one for the 365. 

 Getting stronger. Catchin' up to Eva

 Takin' er easy - yesterdays board meetings were gruelling.

Chillin' with the iPad

 Hello neighbour!

 Mama I like your ginger ale. How come you never gave me this before?

 oh the excitement of being able to focus on a human face!

and finally make my hands hit that thing hangin' down there.

Grandma, whats that big black thing in front of your face?

Rain, rain go away Eva is getting tired of the songs on her iPad....

My Grand-girls

had a wonderful time with the girls today.

Golly, I just love photographing these sweethearts!

Satisfied in You

From Brian Eichelberger:

On Sundays, we often come to church thinking we have something to offer to God as we're serving or leading, but really, God wants us to be needy and thirsty for him. "Satisfied in You" is inspired by Psalm 42 and a sermon I heard by John Piper that hits on this theme.I was at a point in my life where I was taking a break from leading worship and God was revealing many of the idols I was finding my identity in. These idols we're good things in my life, but I had turned them into gods, which couldn't satisfy.The song begins by following closely to Psalm 42 singing, "As the deer pants for water so my soul thirsts for you." The second verse then dives more into my personal response to the Psalm. A lot of times my tendency is to go into a depression looking into myself which only spirals me further down.The song is meant to preach to myself and call me to remember the times when I experienced the glory and goodness of God which can help bounce me out of that vicious cycle. It's meant to get my eyes off of me and be satisfied in God alone.

Listen to and buy the album here:

http://marshill.bandcamp.com/album/oh-great-is-our-god

Copenhagen Philharmonic Playing Peer Gynt.

In April 2012 Copenhagen Philharmonic (Sjællands Symfoniorkester) surprised the passengers in the Copenhagen Metro by playing Griegs Peer Gynt.

Victoria Street Bridge

Word on the street is it is coming down any day now so I thought I would get some last photos of it. Sure wish I could go ON the bridge.

 

Take it as it Comes!

Our day at the Toronto Airport.

"Take it as it comes"  has been David's and my slogan ever since we booked a rather undesirable yet expensive B&B on a road trip a couple of years ago. Often when travelling we have expectations and it's hard to pay good money and be so disappointed in a place. But rather then let it get to us, we just grin at each other and say "Take is as it comes" :)

Well, today was one of those days. We were up at 4 am for a 6am flight to beautiful St John's Newfoundland via Toronto. It involves two 3 hr flights. Easy
David had a conference for three days and then we planned 3 days to explore this place we have never been to. Yesterday I booked a whole day of tours of the prominent areas of St Johns while David signed up for the golf tournament (both nonrefundable). The lenses and camera equipment, including the tripod were packed.  I bought good walking shoes yesterday. After a late night packing and a few hours sleep we were on our way to Newfoundland. A photo feast for me!

Saskatoon to Toronto was uneventful, but 20 minutes after boarding our plane in Toronto they emptied the plane. 

The flight was cancelled! Too much fog in St Johns to land.
Really?

Okay, "Take it as it comes"
We rebooked for an 8pm flt - yes we would miss the welcome evening at the Delta and all those fabulous seafood appetizers. But what can you do about weather? We picked up our luggage, stood in line for ever to rebook and then waited with all our luggage because they won't take luggage until 4 hours before departure. 

We wander about the airport the two of us - tired and more tired.
Five pm we get a text from Air Canada - our 8 pm flt is cancelled too! They have rebooked us for Thursday evening! Thats 48 hours from now! The conference ends Friday noon!

"Take it as it comes" arggggg

We knew that getting back in line to try to book an earlier flight would be a waste of time and the internet shows all flights booked.
so......let's just turn around and go home.
We sat on the cell phone for 50 + minutes waiting for Air Canada to book us a flight home tonight. We got the seats in the last row of the plane.
"Take it as it comes" was getting a little difficult. We have been travelling for over 12 hours now.

Once that was decided and booked we set to cancelling a very expensive room in St Johns. And left texts with every conference organizer we could find an email for to cancel and hopefully refund all our conference costs (doubtful).
We still have to 'fight' with Air Canada re any kind of a refund on the $2000.00 we spent on these airline tickets.  Could have flown to Maui for less then this and it wouldn't have been fogged in. And I would be on a beach right now!

"Take it as it comes" 

As I type this we are sitting waiting for our 9 pm flights back home. Talk about a long day. And a LOT of long line ups to book in, book in again and book in a third time!

And I still have to get on the phone when we get home, wait 45 minutes because "we are experiencing high call volumes" to negotiate some sort of refund because the booking agents won't discuss if we get our money back or not. Go figure.

So we watch the sun set in Toronto, not St John's and in an airport, not by the Atlantic ocean.
Another Air Canada experience.... David was trying to get home from Halifax a few months ago when the baggage handlers walked off. He spent a long day and night at the airport and flew home Westjet - we haven't received any refund from AC on that one. sigh....

My photo of the day? Our late afternoon lunch at the Sheraton.

we ordered food too. :)
See that glass of Barefoot Pinot Grigio? Yes, I buy that very bottle at home for $12. 

That 6 oz glass?     $12

Take it as it comes.......

 this added after we arrived home at midnight....

City lights - Saskatoon's city lights not St John's..... feels like we just saw them 19 hours ago...

We had great plans for today and all next week but the Lord has redirected our steps for His perfect reason and I am okay with that. Proverbs 16:9


UPDATE June 12/12 - Just received notice from Air Canada that they will give us a full refund for our tickets. I am thankful. My confidence in air Canada is renewed. I will fly with them again. :)
The tour operator for my $105 tour gave me a full refund. Now waiting for the conference organizers......