My Trip out West

My niece Julie and I during our Saturday hike.

Karen with Charity. "Do self" was her favourite phrase.

A beautiful cascade of water and a less than perfect photo.

Ethan enjoyed this police car at a mall in Calgary

Imagine living out here in the foothills!

I went out on a hike one day towards the mountains! Never made it there.

Julie posing near a culvert.

Ethan is very adventurous!

Here are a sampling of pictures from my time out West. I wish I had got some photos of Clint doing his studying, as he was working on three papers during my time there, plus attending tutoring, holding down two part-time jobs, and volunteering his time at a church plant. It was wonderful to see Karen and Clint in their relationship to each other and their parenting! I was so impressed by how they handled their many responsibilities with grace and love. I also enjoyed the church they belong to and was inspired to read the entire book they were studying after their Sunday morning Bible study. I would definitely read it again. It is called The Wild Goose and I highly recommend it. I wished I could have spent more time at the library, because there were so many books there I would love to study. Not sure if I could ever study for the time required to become a professor or even to get my Masters, but parts of it would be fun. Maybe I will pursue it more as an engrossing hobby than a career for now.

Staying at the Guest House was great for getting away from all the noise and bustle of a household of six including a two year old, four year old, and two school age children. Owen has matured into a thoughtful boy who is an excellent artist and enjoys playing outdoors. Julie is a delight with such enthusiasm for life, friends, school, and arts and crafts. Ethan is a rambunctious kid who is basically fearless and so affectionate to his Aunt Suzanne. He is also a sensitive child who responds readily to discipline. He enjoyed many shoulder rides and exhausted me with his energy. Charity is so sweet and a little bossy... she tries to keep up with the others and does many things independently at her own insistence.

Karen has a job cleaning houses and also manages her household and children, with assistance from Clint while also troubleshooting and doing computer and editing work for Clint's many papers and assignments. She does not have a dishwasher and so spends much time cleaning up in the kitchen. I was able to cook one meal for her and relieve her of some of her dishes duties. We watched a great movie together Friday night, that was wholesome and funny. It was a faith-based movie, but the production values were excellent. We also enjoyed some time at a shopping mall in Calgary Karen had never been to shortly after I arrived. I bought a couple things at Ricki's and finally have high rise casual pants, which I consider a triumph. The sweater I got is less practical, but in a beautiful colour.

The beautiful surroundings and the time with family made it a perfect get-away. Five days was long enough to get a sense of their life in Alberta, but short enough to hopefully not wear out my welcome. I look forward to sharing Christmas and Linda's wedding with them in December and January. It was lovely getting reacquainted with the Langelaar family!