Redeemer Reunion at the Haanstra's

The guys playing Boccee Ball.
Zachary and Stephen in Uncle Ron's tractor! I think it was their favourite place on the farm.
All of our kids getting ready for the hay ride.
Stephen enjoying a popcicle.
Playing on the swings. Who is having more fun?

Latest Family Picture

Our trip to Niagara / Hamilton area

We spent a few days travelling around the Niagara / Hamilton area. We spent some time with Ryan and Hannah Braam. We went swimming at the local pool that was free! The boys had the same swimming/turtle suit. Zachary also read a bedtime story to Stephen before they went to bed.

Stephen's love of tractors

One day Stephen saw a tractor in the field behind Oma and Opa's house. He went up and down the yard following it.

Dave and Evelyn's wedding

Dave and Evelyn got married on the beach. It was a little windy but we were all thankful that the rain held off. Congratulations guys!

Prep for Dave's wedding

Cleaning up the beach for the wedding. Notice that Stephen is walking on sand!!
Our little guy!
Stephen loved to ride on the four wheeler. He loved all the "new" vehicles at the campground!
This is where we got to stay for the weekend. It even had air conditioning which was great at night for sleeping.

The Golfers

Jono, Dan and Dad spent an afternoon golfing. They got quite the workout as it was a long 9 hole course. It was also quite hot so they came home tired! I think they even had fun!

Aunt Becky & Uncle Rod come home

Stephen was quite excited that Rod and Becky came home. They even brought him a Jambae from Japan. The morning after their flight they even played with him on the trampoline. I think they may have missed him!

The Zoo

Opa and Oma took Stephen to the Toronto Zoo on the Saturday of the August long weekend. It seems they were a little surprised that it was busy! Mom and Dad spent the day relaxing and running some errands. Can you read Stephen's shirt? It is from Beppe and says "Opa is the Greatest!"

Birthday pictures

Stephen had a "dirt cake" in a "big truck" for his birthday cake. He loved it and was obviously very excited about some of his presents. We all had a great time celebrating his second birthday.

Trampoline

At Oma and Opa's house Stephen spent hours on the trampoline.

We're Still Alive

Hey look!!! A new post! Yeah, it's true that we haven't updated in a while. We know. It's also true that we have been busier than ever. If you want a quick rundown of what all's been happening with us, read on. Well, July 20 is a long way back and I'll see if I can remember that far.
We left from Pake and Beppe's (Janice's parents) home and moved into Oma and Opa's (Jono's parents) home. When we got here, Dave was here as well, getting things ready for his wedding. Dave and I also spent a lot of time cleaning up around the house for Dad. I also realized that I was about a month behind on my Greek, so I finally started working on Greek II. I am only halfway done right now, and need to get it done before school starts. So, somewhere between now and the west coast I need to find time to complete the final half of the course, write two tests and an exam! That should be fun.
The end of July brought Stephen's second birthday. He had a dirt cake in a dump truck and was quite thrilled with it. He still asks to sing "Happy Birthday" daily and loves all his new toys and movies. Many thanks to all Stephen's aunts and uncles who came for the big party and spoiled him with gifts.
At the beginning of August we also took a whirlwind trip down to the Hamilton and Niagara region to visit friends and family that we hadn't seen much of. We were able to catch up with friends that we hadn't seen in a few years. Stephen behaved himself quite well considering we were visiting three places per day and were spending quite a bit of time in the car. It was actually quite hot in the car because we didn't have air conditioning and Stephen refused to let us put the windows down very far. We were very glad to get back home.
The tail end of this trip to Hamilton and Niagara was a reunion of sorts with people that Janice and I had lived with at Redeemer. We were able to spend some time with more long-lost friends. We went swimming, had a hay-ride, played bocci and ate tons of food.
We gave Stephen a few days to recuperate from that trip and then this week we went up to Grenville Park where my aunt and uncle have a campground. We spent four days there getting ready for my brother Dave's wedding. He had a lovely outdoor ceremony. (We'll post pictures soon.) We also got to see more people who we hadn't seen in a while. Unfortunately for us, Janice, Stephen and I all came down with some nasty colds and sore throats. We were kind enough to pass it on to several other family members, so it was actually quite a tiring weekend.
That brings us to today. We have been doing errands and some running around and cleaning up, getting ready to head west again for my final semester. We are leaving in two days and plan to spend just over a week on the road. We will stop at a few people's places on the way. We plan to be home by September first. Hopefully I will get a chance to write my tests then.
We may have a chance to post some picutures, but if not you'll have to wait another couple weeks before the next update.

Recent events

Matt, Janice's brother, moved into his first home and finally proposed to Steph and she said yes! Congratulations!
This past Monday evening, we hosted an Barnhoorn Information Evening for some people from Palmerston church. We think it was a successful evening. Some new people have expressed interest in being part of our team! We have spent time this week meeting with supporters, going to the doctor and thinking about packing! We have also viewed a few homes and are trying to find a home that we could afford!

We do want to apologize for the poor updating since being in Ontario. Niether set of parents have high speed internet so it is a challenge! Thankfully Matt now has high speed and we are using it tonight!

The Fall

After going to church on Sunday morning and speaking there, we came home and were getting lunch ready. Stephen was outside on the front deck throwing a ball to Titus, the dog. Suddenly we heard him wailing and crying. He had fallen down the stairs and got a rather large, fat and bloody lip!

Camping

The second weekend of July was Drost Camping with my dad's family. Stephen loved camping but wasn't too keen about how dirty he got! He liked the big houses (motorhomes) and the tractor that took him on a wagon ride to see the deer (elk). They also had a very cold swimming pool.

Saugeen Conservation Area

While Jono was busy camping with the boys, Stephen, Dad and I went to the Saugeen Conservation Area. It's a place we used to go to when we were young. It has many animals and trails to hike. It was also shady so it was a great way to get out of the heat.

Since the wedding

It has been a busy/relaxing summer so far. Before the wedding, we were able to spend a few days with Jono's family in Port Perry. Stephen loved playing with Uncle Dan's project. Unfortunately, he did not love the sandbox that Opa (Jono's dad) had spent hours cleaning up for him. Stephen still does not appreciate being dirty! BUT, he has overcome his aversion to grass and will now walk through the grass barefoot!!!

Theresa and Joe's Wedding

I have tried to post pics from the wedding but am running into some trouble. For now, if you want to see pictures, you can go to Theresa and Joe's blog from the link on our page.

It was a great day despite Stephen being sick. We still don't know what he had, but it wasn't nice. Thankfully he woke up Sunday feeling much better but he was also covered in a rash! He was glad to be able to play with his new best friends, Aiden and Ashton, my parent's neighbours.

Getting to Ontario

We flew to Ontario on the 13th of June. We were picked up by a very excited Beppe (Janice's mom). Stephen even recognized her and gave her a hug. He was quickly distracted by the luggage carts and was able to go for a few rides while we waited for our luggage. We drove to Elmira to meet Janice's siblings for dinner. On the way we were able to get Stephen to tell Beppe that there is a baby in Mommy's tummy. My mother was quite excited! We had to tell Pake (Janice's dad) over the phone as he was in a course, stuck in Toronto.
After dinner, we made it to our new home for the next month. Stephen seemed to remember it and adjusted quickly. Janice promptly tried on her bridesmaid dress to affirm the fact that it didn't fit properly! The next day we were able to find a seamstress and have her alter the dress in time for Theresa's wedding.
For those who were wondering, everyone now knows that we are expecting. It was great to tell people our great news!

A free day before flying to Ontario

COPE/WOC was finished late Friday night, so we had 3 days before we flew to Ontario. We slept in Saturday morning and did some running around. On Sunday we stopped at Uncle Jake and Auntie Donna's house for lunch. Stephen loves going there and spending time with them and Auntie Dendra (Kendra). Hopefully we will see them in Ontario later this summer. We went to the water park on Monday to kill some time and have some fun. As it turns out, Stephen loves water and getting wet!
Showing off new gloves from Jake and Donna. They match a head band received earlier (which we were unable to find at the time of this picture).

COPE/WOC

A long time ago, or what seems like a long time ago, we spent two weeks in a course. It was a Wycliffe Orientation Course (WOC) and COPE was about culture and stuff. I can't remember what it stands for.
We spent two weeks learning about culture, Wycliffe, interpersonal issues, life on the field, partnership development, insurance, prayer and other things related to life overseas. It was an intense, but great couple of weeks. Meals were provided so we didn't have to cook or shop for two weeks. They also provided babysitting for Stephen! We also got to meet many cool new friends.