Walking on Water

Kyle and Tamzin had a new experience this week - they got to walk on water!

This last week the weather turned 'nasty' - it got down to -17, but with the wind chill factor it was down at -29. This sort of weather isn't normal here, it is usually around - 5. The pond froze overnight! I was a bit nervous about them walking on it cause I didn't think it could freeze that quickly - but it did.




Kyle doing a bit of skating (he ended up on his backside). Missey wasn't too sure about it at first, she thought it was water, but once she realized it was hard she was away, running all over the show sliding around on it - it was quite funny to watch.



Some ice Tamzin found on a puddle.


Kyle testing the ice to see if it will hold. Check out how thick the ice from the pond is.




The mountains around us look lovely with snow on them. We have only had a very light dusting of snow here on campus, but we had terrible winds as well, so it blew most of the snow away - much to Tamzin's disgust!

On Sabbath we had some students over for lunch. Allison, Moses and Eddy. They are all in grade 11 - a grade higher than Kyle. We had a great time getting to know them all a little better. Moses was trying to teach Kyle how to give a massage - Eddy was waiting in line to get one too!



On Tuesday Tamzin and I went down to the 'lower mainland' - Chilliwack. She had an appointment to see about getting braces on her teeth. Looks like we will be starting that lark in a few weeks.
We had a good trip down. I was worried with -17 C that the roads might be slippery, but they were as dry as a bone - which was nice.
We went to a new Walmart which had just opened - the biggest in Western Canada. We managed to do most of our shopping in there - it was nice.

Yesterday (Wed) the orchestra and choir did 2 concerts - both in Lillooet. One was at the high school during the day and the other was at a church in the evening. They both went well. After the evening concert when we came out - it was snowing lightly.
It really felt quite magical with the christmas lights around town and the snow drifting down. I love a northern hemisphere christmas.
All the decorations and lights are in the stops - it is nice seeing all the stuff, and how cheap it is. I haven't bought any yet, as I can't decide what to buy! I think we will just get a really nice reath to go on the door this year.
It hardly seems worth decorating the place up when we will be gone in California from the 7 Dec-20 Dec, then we are thinking of going up north for Christmas. So we won't be home much to enjoy looking at them.

Tomorrow the school is off on a 'mini' tour to Enderby, Kelowna and Penticton. Alistair and I will go too (in our own vehicle). They have another 'mini' tour the following weekend, the on the tuesday after that we are off to California on a 'big' tour. I can't believe how fast this year is going!

We are looking forward to our first Kiwi visitor arriving next week. Cassidy (my neice) is coming to spend a few weeks with us. I think she is in for a bit of a shock with the weather! It will be nice to see her.

Well we are off to have American Thanksgiving lunch in the cafe.............

I have done it

Well I have finally done it - after 4 months I have changed the date and time on my laptop!

It's a funny thing really - I didn't want to change it to Canadian time cause it kind of felt like I was being a traitor! But now it has gotten to the point where I am getting confused as to when emails have arrived cause it is telling me NZ time. So the time has come to make the switch!

Speaking of time - it is 4.30pm and it is already dark! Tamzin doesn't like it at all - Kyle doesn't really care cause he is inside most of the day anyway.

They are both busy with the recording orchestra & choir. Tamzin is playing for about 4.5 hours a day - her shoulder is giving her a bit of trouble - good old anti-flam is coming in handy.
The music director is trying to get Kyle into the recording choir. It is a difficult situation as the recording choir (and orchestra) happen in the mornings - this is when grade 10's have classes. So Kyle has to miss class to be in it - hence there are no grade 10's in the recording orchestra or choir. They are trialling having Kyle in the recording choir and then instead of working in the afternoon he has to sit and do his school work. If it works out I think it will be quite a good thing, it means he gets one on one help from his teachers - something that will be very good for him - specially in Math.

I have been very busy with the fund-raising stuff. They have asked if I would book the tickets - all 98 of them. Have to hunt around for the best price (which is proving a challenge). But it's all good (as Tamzin put's it).

The snow crept down the mountain further today - not long now till it reaches us - Tamzin is waiting...............waiting................. waiting.....................
I'm not - it's already cold enough!

Our First Visitors

On Thursday last week we had our first visitors come and stay.
Lynne, Lyndon, Devon and Alyssa came to stay till Sunday. Lynne and I were friends growing up while I lived here in Canada - many moons ago. It was great to see them.
I hope they aren't put off coming to visit us again by the deflating airbed and lack of decent blankets (had to use sleeping bags that kept sliding off the bed - at least that is what Lyndon says, Lynne thinks he just stole them)! We couldn't find our blankets in the boxes - very frustrating!
On Saturday after church, Kyle went to Kamloops. One of the cooks here at F/V, her husband has cancer and wasn't doing very well. Things aren't looking very bright for him, so they thought they would take a group of the students over to sing for him. It was great that these kids could use the talents that the Lord has given them to brighten someones day - someone they all know. They left at 1.30pm and didn't return home till 9.30pm (it is a 5 hour drive round trip).
Sounds like Kyle had a great time - they had patients from other rooms in the hospital coming to listen to them sing - which was nice.
After singing they went out for supper (tea), which was a highlight as most of them don't get anything but cafe food here. On the way home seems they practiced a few 'chinese fire drills' at the stop lights - which Kyle thought was great fun!

We had a pretty relaxed sabbath afternoon, which was nice. Went down to the river, which I hadn't done before. We hoped to take a nice family picture down there but that didn't work out when Kyle had to go to Kamloops - so we took one without him!
We will have to do another one with him sometime.






On Sunday Lynne and family headed home round 11.

We finally finished putting up our 'garage in a box'. Boy, one almost needs to be a 'master builder' to put one of these things up!
But we finally got there - without too many domestic's even.
So now the van is tucked up in there so it won't get frosty.
Missey thinks its great fun zipping in and out under the edges.



Sunday night was the beginning of week of prayer. They have gotten in the speaker Justin Kim. Not sure if you have heard of GYC - Generation of Youth for Christ - well this guys was the founder of GYC. He is a great speaker for the students.
I am hoping that they are recording his talks and that I can get a copy and send them to some of you to listen to. Last nights talk was on relationships - which had the students attention!

Well I better go get tea sorted. Kids will only have half an hour to eat between orchestra/choir practice and the meeting - so I better run..........

The 'Beater' Car

Well another week has just flown past - I am not sure where it went! I am sure they are speeding up the closer we get to Christmas!

This last week we purchased a 'beater' car. This cars primary use is for driving around campus. All the roads on campus are gravel, and aren't very smooth! So instead of having our nice van rattle to pieces, we thought we would get an old 'beater' car to rattle to pieces instead!
It is a Plymouth Acclaim - better known as a boat! We got it from the ex-mayor of Lillooet. They had owned it since new, and his wife still drove it to Kamloops regularly (a 5 hour round trip journey). We paid $800 for it. Probably could have found something cheaper down round vancouver, but by the time you drive 6 hours and pay for gas and have to register it to get it home, it isn't worth the time, money or effort.
This car has a few 'quirks' - like the front windows won't go down if it's wet! This was an issue for me, but Alistair doesn't have a problem with yelling through the glass at people that he meets while driving round the place!!!
The speedo only goes when it feels so inclined - haven't worked out what it's problem is yet.

The boys in the dorm aren't too pleased that we have bought it either as we can't fit as manyof them in this as we could the van. There is a mad scramble now to see who gets in it (or the boot/trunk) first! The first day we had it 4 climbed in the back seat and 4 got in the boot - the poor car couldn't handle all the weight and was dragging it's backend along the ground. In the end I had to make 4 of them get out!
Anyway, it has been good to have since now Tamzin is buzzing up and down to cello recording each day and then back down for orchestra practice in the evening. It's a bit hard for her to walk and carry her cello, so we really did need something 'beaterish' for that.

For lunch on Sabbath we invited the guys from the quartet over. They loved the sheepskin rug - I think Joel feel asleep on it! I think they enjoy getting out of the 'dorm' environment and eating food that isn't cafe food. We had a great afternoon with them. Missey took a liking to them, I didn't have the heart to tell them she isn't allowed up on the couch!



Saturday evening the students had singing/playing training with Dr. Blaylock from Oregon. He is the gentlemen that they went down to see in September - the one who trained Charlotte Church.


They had training ALL day sunday with him too - 8am till 9pm then again today from 8-12. Sunday was a really long day for all the kids. I guess I would find it pretty hard going to sing and play for 13 hours! But they all did really well.
Their first Christmas concert is this friday night, so there was pressure to get that all 'ship shape'. Then in about 3 weeks we are off to California for 2 weeks on tour where they will perform 22 concerts!

Since both Tamzin and Kyle were involved with this training, Alistair and I decided to have a day out together. So we headed over to Kamloops for the day. We hadn't been shopping there before so thought we would check the place out. It was a nice day - didn't get all we hoped done though, oh well, I guess I will have to go again.



Alistair has always wanted one of the 'coon' hats as he calls them. Lucky for me I managed to talk him out of it!!! Someone might mistake him for a coon or a possum and shoot him!

On Thursday I went down into the states and got winter tires put on the car. It was $300 cheaper by going and getting them down there. I also did a spot of shopping at Costco while down there. Food is quite a lot cheaper in the states. It was a long day though - Tamzin ditched me and decided to stay home, so I went on my own.

Well I think that about brings you up to date with us.
Remember that at anytime you can email or call us and let us know what you have been up too!

International Supper (Tea)

Last night was International Supper............What an event!



Once a year the students get together in groups and choose a country which they would like to represent. They then plan food to cook from that country - and all has to be vegan. They have to prepare 400 portions of each thing they make! They only do small portions as there were 19 booths with 3-5 dishes at each booth, so by the time you got round them all, and tried some of each, your plate was pretty full! (unlike some church lunches!)
They invite a large number of people from the community so hence so much food.

It was well supported by the community which was nice. They were concerned that they may not get so many this year as it was Halloween last night so thought people might stay home for that - but it didn't appear so. There were heaps of people.

The students have spent days planning, cooking and decorating. They did a fantastic job - the work that went into their food and booths was amazing. We had the Denmark group cooking in our kitchen on Saturday night and all day sunday getting their food ready. They made gluten (instead of meat), rice pudding, berry sauce, apple cake and are you ready for this - potatoes fried in sugar and butter - like a toffee! They tasted really good. The girls worked long and hard to get it all ready.

We decided not to do a NZ booth this year, we wanted to check out what went on and enjoy this years one. We will do one next year - I need ideas on themes, docorations and NZ food that I can make vegan! That is the challenge.

Kyle didn't make it into a group (not sure why he didn't put his name down in a group) but anyway they put him on the carrot juicing table. So he was busy making lovely organic carrot juice all evening - it tasted yummy. All the food was yummy. The pizza from Greece was fantastic - and it was vegan, no cheese!

After everyone had eaten their fill, the students could do items. The quartet sung a song in Icelantic - which was a challenge for the 3 in the group who aren't from Iceland! But it sounded good. Tamzin played in the orchestra and Kyle sang 3 songs in all with the quartet.

It was a great event. Far better than I expected - not that I know what I expected! the students just blew me away with what they cooked and their decorations. not sure how they fitted all this in with their already extremely busy schedules, but they did.



Antarctica made these cute penguins with olives and carrots!



The greek goddess' serve devine pizza!



Canada went with a lumberjack theme - made apple pies and maple walnut ice cream. It was yum. Here is the Denmark group who cooked at our place (they are all grade 10 - Kyle's year)



Tamzin helped out where ever they needed help. Kyle - juicing the 'king of root vegies'!