"Your Love is Like a Waterfall"

I'm starting with this video of Chris Tomlin so that you can listen to it

while you look through the pictures.

Since they're about waterfalls.

(Smile)

 

Last weekend, DH and I celebrated our 21st anniversary by doing some Daytripping Adventures.

These pictures are from our second day

Have you ever grew up or lived somewhere for a long time

and completely missed some of the most beautiful scenery that was so nearby?

 Well I did.

I'll show you on a map.

1. Is where I live now. Windsor, Ontario

(don't know why it's not on there, it's bigger than the towns they have there)

2. Is where I was born and grew up and lived until I moved to Windsor

(Guelph is so central to a lot of beautiful little places)

3. Hamilton, Dundas, Ancaster are on the Niagara Escarpment so there are many waterfalls.

How I missed this I'll never know.

 Now this waterfall is not one of them.

It is part of the mill which is where I thought the start of the trail was.

I was wrong, but I took pictures and we enjoyed the area.

This is a popular place for weddings. 

They have banquet rooms here and a dining room. 

There was a wedding the day we were strolling the area. 

Trying to find a trail.

So beautiful. 

 We managed to find the trail.

Had to get back in the car though.

Good thing my DH can figure out a map better than I can.

This wasn't a long walk to get to.

There's something that happens to my soul 

as I approach a waterfall.

I love the sight and sound and smell of the whole experience.

It doesn't compare to Niagara Falls,

but they are beautiful none the less.

 Now that I know Chris Tomlin's song, it comes to my mind and I sing it in my head.

(I'm kind that way)

 The words that Chris Tomlin used to write the song was from Psalm 42.

There is the DH.

The Mrs. 

It was like being in another world.

The trees overhead and all around.

Everything else seemed so far away. 

It was nice to read up on the history of the Mills around the area.

Most of them are not being used for their original purpose anymore.

There was a bikini girl having her pictures taken at the base of the falls.

So glad for the crop feature.

We've been married for 21 years.

It's been a journey.

A journey well worth the twists and turns and having to turn around to go in another direction.

To get to the place of pure enjoyment and a sense of awe at the goodness of God.

I hope you enjoyed this little trip.

I have more to show later.

 

Blessings to you!

 

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Three Generations of Mothers

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

 

 

I hope you're having or had a wonderful day today.

My day was quiet and nice.

Beautiful flowers from my son.

 

I chose to go to an outdoor burger and ice cream place.

Nothing fancy for me. I love sitting outside.

The open sky, grass, flowers, birds beat any restaurant.

It was the perfect day.

 

A lovely phone call to my Mother.

I live three hours away.

I'm glad to be able to still call.

I'm dreading the day when I won't be able to anymore.

I'm sure that for some of you that is the case already.

That's when we draw on those cherished memories we have stored in our hearts.

 

I'm working on a project for my Mom.

While working on it, I thought to create a collage of  three generations on their wedding day.

Genealogies and family history fascinate me.

Our genetic make up.

Who we get our looks from.

These three photos were cropped.

I tried to find pictures where my Mom wasn't smiling or myself but couldn't find any!

It's hard to imagine that they did not smile when getting their pictures taken back then.

These are about all the pictures I have of my grandmother

Doetje Zondervan -Veenstra

They lived in a small town called Nijland in Friesland, Netherlands.

Here she is with seven children and she is pregnant with the second set of twins.

My mom is the only girl in the picture (kind of obvious)

The twins born were two girls so she was blessed with sisters after all those boys!

She had nine children.

 My Mom and uncle were the first set of twins.

My grandmother died three weeks after giving birth to my aunts.

She was 35 years young.

This is the only picture I have of just my Mom and Grandmother together.

Here Mom is already learning about work.

Her hands were never idle.

Here is the next generation in the bassinette (me!)

And this is my one and only child, my son, Joshua.

 (So no fourth picture in the collage)

 

I am honoured to be his mother.

Such a gift from God.

 

Blessings,

 

Sharing this post at these parties:

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Happy Mother's Day!

 

This is a free card from Little Birdie Blessings.

I think it is so pretty.

I am very grateful for my mother.

She is a woman who fears God.

 She has taught me much in so many ways.

 She is devoted to God,

 her husband,

and her family.

This picture of  Mom and I was taken a "few" years ago.

 

Have a very blessed Mother's Day!

 

 

25 Days of Christmas Day 24

Embracing the Unexpected

 

This is my family in October 2010 when my parents celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary.

Me, Mom, my husband Doug, Dad, Bruce (brother), Renita (sister) and  Paul (brother-in-law), Kristine (sister-in-law) and  Harry (brother).

 

We live three hours away from family and every year we travel on Christmas Eve day to spend a few days on our old "home turf" and visit with various family members.

 

This past weekend there was an ice storm that caused power to be disrupted to many homes in Southern Ontario. We got rain, they got freezing rain, and people north of them got lots of snow.

My parents still have no power so we are waiting.

I didn't buy anything in the way of groceries because we wouldn't be here, so we stopped and bought some steak and had a lovely steak dinner.

After dinner, hubby and I went and saw The Hobbit.

 

In the grand scheme of things, this little bump is just that...a little bump.

It's just another day, really.

December 25 was a day picked by someone to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

 

I'm just happy to spend any day with my family. My parents are still here and I am very grateful.

If we don't get together tomorrow, then hopefully the next day.

It's all OK and God knows all.

 

There was a lot of "unexpected" occurrences surrounding the birth of Jesus.

A young virgin is called to be his mother, to be conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Her cousin Elizabeth who is much older and had never had children was pregnant.

Elizabeth's husband John had a visitation of an angel but because he didn't believe what he was told he became mute.

The place of  Christ's birth was not where a King should be born.

A star unlike any other shone so bright that night.

A heavenly host of angels appeared to shepherds with a message.

 

Those are a few. I'm sure we could list many more.

 

How do you handle the "unexpected"?

 

Do you embrace the "unexpected"?

 

Because if you are able to embrace the unexpected, expect God show up.

 

 

Blessings, Diane

 

 

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is Mom's birthday. She is 78 years old.

 My father had his birthday three days ago on October 17 and he turned 84.

They have some health issues but overall they are doing well. They still go to church every Sunday together and that blesses me. That is really the only place that Dad goes except to my sister's when she is cooking dinner for a special occasion.

Their anniversary is on Oct 29 and they will be married for 53 years.

 Needless to say October is a busy month in our family and these aren't the only special days! 

 I thought I would share some early photographs of Mom in honour of her today.

This is my Mom and my uncle, her twin brother.

This is Mom and me. We are approximately the same age. Striking resemblance don't you think?

 

.

This is Mom with three of her brothers in school.

This is all of Mom's brothers and sisters plus an extra. There were 9 siblings.

Mom was born in Holland. This photograph was taken during WW2. You can see the wooden shoes they're all wearing.

Here she is as a very young lady. Not sure how old she is here. (20, 21?)

Mom trained as a nurse in Holland. I love the picture of her.

Here is Mom with her best friend who was also my Godmother. She passed away quite awhile ago from breast cancer leaving behind a husband and four young boys.

I think she is beautiful!

This is my grandmother. Mom's mother. She passed away four days after giving birth to twins and Mom was four years old.

 

Sometimes when a young girl grows up without a mother she can struggle in that role of "mother". All I can say is that I am very grateful that I grew up with a mother who loved me, sacrificed, worked hard always, loved her husband, and her Heavenly Father.

Mom was a mom and all that that embodies.

You would never have known that she grew up without a mother. I have learned so much from her.

 I find myself doing a lot of the same things for my son that she did for me, and I do them simply because I am his Mom.

I live three hours away from my parents and every time I get home Mom wants me to call to let her know I got home safe. I'm glad that I have a Mom that I can call to tell her so.

August 1961

This is Mom and I a few years ago. I love this picture and I love my mother.

Happy Birthday Mom!

 

Blessings, Diane