Fall is here and so are the clean up chores. Some chores just seem to attract kids and fun, and raking leaves is one of those chores.
Ethan and I went out one day to rake up leaves. We had assembled a large pile of leaves when the girls discovered what we were up to and came outside with their giggles to join us.
It was a very, very busy three and a half weeks!
Naomi and I (along with the kids) are finally settling back into routines after being away for 24 days. Originally, the trip was supposed to be three separate trips, but they all got thrown into one, monster journey. Three different purposes also meant a lot more luggage! Occasionally someone would call it vacation… that always made me laugh.
September 2-12:
We flew to New Brunswick, my old stomping grounds, for my sister’s wedding and to visit family, friends, supporters. I also spoke at three churches. This time was too short to do all we wanted and to visit everyone, but we were thankful for the chance to do what we could in a short period.
September 12-16:
I traveled to Ontario where I met up with some of our other staff to video tape a testimonial video. The video records the salvation story of Michael, who was introduced to his Saviour through a Bible study using The Stranger on the Road to Emmaus.
The video crew
During this time, Naomi and the kids stayed in New Brunswick, taking a bit more time to slow down and visit with family.
September 16-18:
Our family reunited at the Toronto airport and we had a fun weekend of visiting friends in Stouffville, Ontario and a Ratcliff family reunion. We also had a chance to attend a supporting church in the area.
September 18-26:
Off to Owen Sound, Ontario to help teach a worldview evangelism seminar at the Word of Life Bible Institute where Naomi and I used to work. It was a very busy week of teaching, but we also got to visit many friends in the area and give an update at the church we attended when we had lived there.
Some feedback from the students:
“[the evangelism seminar] has taught me some great techniques for sharing the Gospel, and has shown me the importance of laying a good foundation with the Old Testament so people understand why Christ had to die. The visual aids are also a great idea in terms of clarifying things, especially for visual learners.”
“The study helped me connect concepts with a better understanding than I had before. It also gave me a better foundation for my belief by helping me make those connections. I may not be very good at expressing my faith in words, but the study has helped me to give structure to how I share it.”
“This has been very beneficial to me! I have learned a lot that I didn’t know before. I think I could now help answer unbeievers questions about God, life and death, and life after death! With being a fairly new believer, I found this super informative!”
“It has shown me a really good way to share the Gospel with those who doubt the Christian faith.”
September 26: Home!
After all our travels, the kids (and us) were very happy to finally be home. Adelaine went straight to her room and grabbed up some stuffed animals on her bed and just kept saying “I love this place! I love this place!” Ellie said that even though she often wishes she could live in different places, it really was special to come home. Ethan went right for his trains.
Overall the kids did well on the trip, but they were very tired (and so were we!). A big thank you to those who hosted us and helped us along the way. Though it was hectic, it was a blessing to fellowship with other believers and visit friends and family.
Life doesn’t slow down now that we are back. Ellie and Adelaine are now getting going in school, and I have a ton of video to capture and edit!
This past week we had two first days at school. Ellie started grade one with homeschooling and Adelaine had her first day of Kindergarten.
Adelaine has been asking almost every day for the last six months how many days it was until she started school. When the big day arrived she was very excited! Despite the size of her backpack with all her school supplies for the year, she insisted on wearing it. She is so petite that it almost pulled her over backwards a couple of times. After her first week she is still thrilled about going to school and looking forward to her next school day.
Ellie seems to be doing very well with the homeschool and is thriving with the one-to-one attention from her mom.. er.. teacher.
Our family recently celebrated the wedding of Mike and my sister, Stacy. My two daughters were involved in the wedding as Flower Girls and my son, Ethan, walked Stacy down the aisle in lieu of our father who passed away 10 years ago. It was a beautiful day and we wish Stacy and Mike all the best!
Here is a short video shot by one of my aunts of the kids and Stacy coming down the aisle. (Thanks Carole)
I did the photography for the wedding and I have a bunch of photos on my photo blog at: http://troyjohnstone.com/blog/2011/10/mike-and-stacy-wedding-photography/
Ellie has now lost her 3rd tooth. She had been wiggling it around for weeks and we tried to pull it out several times, but it was just not coming out. The tooth was so loose she would often stick it outside her mouth and smile.
Our little Hillbilly.
A few days ago Ellie had a snack and the tooth almost fell out. It was just hanging by a bit, so she asked me to pull it out.
Very excited to have it out.
The new smile.
After an hour, Ellie was sad that the tooth had finally came out. She had been playing with the loose tooth with her tongue so much that she missed it. She was actually crying when she told Naomi that she was sad because “I lost the toy in my mouth.”