Happy Days

Last weekend the four kids and I got on a nonstop plane to Detroit, picked up our rentacar and headed to Windsor for a very full and fun weekend. It was Marnie's daughter, Kristen's wedding to Martin Callaghan, a young man she met in Regina. Since the two of them are outdoorsy types, the ceremony was held in a park by a nature center.

Though the weather had been stormy for a month, the sun broke through and God gave us clear blue autumn skies and 70's temperature. It was idyllic, and especially so because two of our daughters, Steph and Em and their husbands and two grandbabies were there, my mom-in-law, and parents, several aunts and uncles and cousins with their spouses and several children each, some of whom were internationally adopted and are now in their teens and balls of energy and fun. There were kids everywhere. The guys got a football game going. So it all made for a very interesting wedding!

Back home Sunday, we were just in time to prepare for a busy week with a cross country track meet for Peter. He beat his former time even though the track was hilly! Then today James had a reginal swim meet which was held in our brand new YMCA.

Here is Mississippi the Y is Christian and there are big banners with Bible verses and a commitment to the public that this establishment is for the glory of God. As with all sporting events here in the Bible Belt, the swim meet was opened with prayer giving honor to Him and in Jesus' name. All this makes for a wholesome and pleasant environment to bring up children.

We also are well aware of the difference prayer for our school has made as we had a very happy group of kids and parents. We got 3rd place out of 19 schools and this is only our team's second year! We DO give God the glory. We also got extra points because our parents screamed louder and our children hugged each other more than any other team. Not really extra points... but we should have. :)

The deep South continues to be for me a complex mix of big-hearted Southern hospitality (Yes sir! Yes, ma'am!)and sideways glances. I still get such a kick out of the country humor. There is laughter when I admit to being a Canadian ferregner but I know what they are thinking. At LEAST, I say, I am not a Yankee! More laughter. It takes time for outsiders to get past being that to being a real friend, but it is coming.