Joshua's Ordination

Joshua got ordained at a lovely service at Lemon Cove Community Church.

Pastor Mark led the prayer of ordination and laying on of hands after Joshua's ordination vows.

Then Dave and Gayle gave him his robes.

Joshua consecrated the elements for communion for the first time.

We were blessed by the many pastors involved in Joshua's life who were able to be there and be part of the service as well as all the family and friends who attended and took part.

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Joshua and his mentor, Pastor Ian.

Study Leave at Calvin Crest

Joshua had a week of study leave and spent it at camp. He headed up Sunday, and we joined him Thursday.

Dad and Mom dropped us off and stayed long enough to hike the Gethsemane Trail and have lunch together.

In the afternoon, the kids and I went on a blackberry hunt. There weren't a lot of berries, but we found enough to snack on.

We had a room with a balcony, which we all agreed was great.

Friday morning we enjoyed hot drinks and a quiet morning in front of the lodge.

 We had a picnic breakfast, then the kids and I hiked down to Sherwood before we all packed up and headed home.

Saturday Happenings

Joshua took the kids to watch their cousins play some of the first soccer games of the season while I went to a CPR class.

 Mary got a Lego set and loved following the directions to build a chicken coop.

Nectarine Splurge

WinCo had nectarines on sale for a great price, so I couldn't resist buying a bunch of them.

I canned some,

made cobbler,

and made jam. We also enjoyed a lot fresh and froze some.

Dr. Betre

 Mary was very interested in everything when she and David got to come with me to my prenatal appointment a couple of weeks ago and meet my OB, Dr. Betre. Since then, she frequently pretends she's Dr. Betre. Sometimes she delivers babies, sometimes she checks on patients, but she insists that we call her Dr. Betre when we talk to her.

Beach Day

Photo: Micah

We piled in the van Monday for a day trip to the beach.

After setting up on the sand, we had a picnic lunch.

Photo: Heather

The kids loved putting their feet in the water and running away from the waves.

Snack time.

We tried to check out the tide pools, but the tide was too high. Ezra found a few crabs though.

 We finished the day off with fish and chips for dinner before heading home.

Sunday Happenings

A couple of Sundays ago, we were very surprised when it started raining during dinner. It didn't last long, but it was raining enough for the kids to get wet.

We also celebrated Emery's birthday with a special dinner, root beer floats, and gifts.

Photo: Michelle

 Last Sunday we took out the stitches Dad had in his elbow.

Coconut

We were talking about whole coconuts the other day, so when we saw them at the grocery store, we decided to get one.

It was quite the process to break it down so we could eat it, but the kids were fascinated by each step.

Pillow Time

 Pillows are a favorite thing around the house right now, and the kids find all kinds of creative ways to play with them.