Long Over Due

Well this post should have come a long time ago but here goes. I am going to let the pictures tell most of the story here in this post. My oldest brother Tim and his wife Steph and there kids came up from Mexico just over two weeks ago. We got together at Mark & Rebekah's place and the next few pictures are from when we were there and we went to the park up the street.

Tim, Kyla and Shealyn enjoying the nice soft green grass that they don't get in Mexico.

There was an Acorn Tree at the park and I thought these looked nice.

Kyla climbing.

Just chillin.

A week ago last Saturday Dad, Mom, Rob, Ada, and I drove about 9 hours north of where we live to a cottage for the week. Mark, Rebekah, Tim, Steph and the girls joined us on Monday. We had an excellent week together and this is where almost all of the rest of the pictures are from.

Nicky wasn't to sure that she wanted to go in the boat the first time Dad took her out but she soon began to enjoy it and made it up to Dad with a few kisses.

Dad, Rob, Ada and Nicky

Keeping an eye out on the port side.

One of the many nice sunsets over the lake.

This waterfall was 6km down the other end of the lake from where our cottage was. We made the trip done there a couple of times.

A log jamb on a different lake.

Nicky was enjoying climbing all through the logs.

Best friends.

Doesn't get much better then that.

Dad, Mark, Mika and Shealyn

A little down time.

Tim was giving a report on the work in Mexico in Engelhart on Thursday night and that is where this was taken.

Me, Dad, Mom, Kyla, Tim, Mika, Steph, Vivian, Shealyn, Rob, Ada, Mark and Rebekah.

We had Christmas at the cottage again this years since we won't all be together in December.

Christmas morning I made Cinnamon Rolls.

Here Mark is making us all some home made Ice Cream.

I am not sure what these are but they were little miniature bushes ground in the forest.

Tim good thing Mika was holding your hand are you might have fallen.

I know, kind of random but a picture of the forest floor.

The water temperature wasn't too bad considering the weather was quite cool most of the time we were there.

Dad and I enjoyed playing together a few times. If you don't know Dad is playing the saw.

We all got glow sticks in our stockings for Christmas so we had a little fun with them.

None of the rest of these pictures have been edited this is what the camera capture, believe it or not, it is true.

How many Mika's are there???

I was beside myself.

These two guys wanted there picture taken with me so for a small fee I accomidated them.

Now you see him ......... and you still see him!!

Early morning fog over the lake.

The girls enjoying their lollipopes which also came in the stockings

Us bros.

Baby Vivian.

The ducks seemed quite friendly and would come very close to shore until Nicky decide to go and chase them but she couldn't swim as fast a they could so they would always get away.

Hooked on Coke.

The girls pyrimid, I think there was a better picture of this but I don't have one.

The guys pyrimid plus Mika.

On the way back from the cottage Rob, Ada and I stopped in to see Grandpa and Grandma. Grandpa took us out to Swiss Chalet for supper.

I have been working on redoing this room in our house I started it before we went to the cottage and I finished it when we got back. The window needed to be replaced so we decided to do a little more work while we were at it and replace some of the drywall on the walls and put new drywall on the ceiling.

Sorry I forgot to take a picture of the finished room before I left home I will have to get when when I get back.

Well this just about brings you up to date. I have a few videos I will maybe post but I can't right now because the internet is to slow here in the airport in Mexico City. I just flew in here this afternoon and I am on my way over to Puerto Vallart and then up to Santiago to spend two weeks with James and Nelly and the kids. I think I should be arriving in Santiago around 10pm Central time.

Well my battery is almost dead and I should go through security so I am going to post this and I will update you again soon.

I am sorry I am not doing well lately at keeping this up to date. Better late then never I guess. On Monday July 27th I drove back from DC with my sister Joia and here two children Keenan and Moriah. It was a ten hour trip but all things considered it went well.

Tuesday evening Rob & Ada and Mark & Rebekah came to our place and we celebrated Rebekah's Birthday.

All of us around the table enjoying a wonderful meal.

Mark and Rebekah

Friday of last week we drove over to Port Huron for a bit of a family reunion with some of our relatives on Mom's side of the family.

We were waiting in the parking lot for everyone to show up and Moriah was just sitting there looking cute.

Don't ask!!

This is all of us after we were finished eating at the Golden Corral.

After we had eaten all we could at the Corral, we went to a near by park. Part of the reason for us getting together was to celebrate my cousin's birthday and saying good bye to her because she is going back to Congo where she is a missionary.

Keenan loved the swing and I pushed him for a long time on there. Even after falling off he still wanted to keep swinging.

He loved it when I would catch him while he was swinging.

Best buds.

A nice flower in the park.

Renee is getting old.

The day after we were in Port Huron my Aunt and Uncle on my Dad's side of the family had us all out to their cottage. While Joia was home we had a lot of family get togethers because many people hadn't seen here in several months.

While driving to the cottage I just had to take a few pictures of the nice fields.

Grandpa, Grandma and Aunt Nora enjoying Moriah.

As you can see there was a lot going on while Joia was home. It was a great time we are always glad when they can make it up here. On Wednesday I drove with Joia back down to DC. The trip was a little longer then on our way up but it went well.

Here we are crossing the boundary line on bridge between Canada and the US.

While we were driving we passed these two guys riding these bikes. We were wondering how they get up on or off of these.

Thursday after Philip got finished work we all went down town DC and went to the Old Post Office.

Looking up at the bell and clock tower.

This is inside the post office sorry it is blurry.

We went up in the clock tower and from there you can get a good view of the city. Notice the grass and trees on top of many of the buildings.

The Washington Monument.

More roof top gardens.

On the building in the center of this picture there is a pool on the roof.

Inside the clock tower looking out over the city.

All these bells were given to the United States by Brittan for their Bicentennial Anniversary. These bells are in the clock tower of the Post Office.

We got to see the official bell ringers ringing the bells. All the bells you saw in the last picture are right above the ceiling if this room.

Looking from the tenth floor down to the first in the Post Office. We went up thirteen floors to get into the clock tower.

Friday morning Philip took me to the airport there in DC and I flew to Detroit and got a shuttle back to Woodstock.

This morning I went over to Rob and Ada's place and helped Rob do some work on his deck. I had planned to go and help him a couple of weeks ago but it was raining so we canceled. Today the weather man had forecasted that it was supposed to be very hot and sunny, so we were going to go ahead with it.

This what the deck looked like when I arrived.

We put a few new support beams underneath it and just as we were getting ready to start making some of the pieces for the railing it started to rain. We went in the shed and cut a bunch of pieces hoping that the rain might be finished when we came out. Well it didn't stop and we weren't going to be rained out twice so we kept on working. I didn't want to get my shoes all soaked so I went around in my bare feet and it was so mud and but it made me feel a bit like I was back in Africa working in my bare feet. After working for several hours in the rain it finally stopped just before we finished the deck.

The finished product.

Rob & I

Picture R Ready

Hello,

I am so thankful to be able to announce that my pictures from Mozambique and Malawi and finally ready to show.  It has been a trying time getting to this point but I made it.  For those who would like to see the pictures and here some stories you can come to our place on Friday the 14th of August at 7:30pm.  If there are too many people for one night we will book another night as well.  If you would like to have me come to your house to show them I would be more then happy to do that as well you can call me and we can arrange a time. I can show them to just your family or if you have other friends who would be interested invite them along as well.  If you would like to come here on the 14th please email me or call 519 863-3871 and let me know please.  Our living room can only hold so many people at once.

Your Brother in Christ,

Andrew