slacklining, archery and trail running

Easter Sunday was a beautiful sunshiny day.

we went to church in the morning.

a friend asked if the trails at Limberlost would be good for running, or still too snow covered.

that got us thinking about possibly checking them out.

i had been fighting a fever, sore throat, headache all weekend so my wonderful husband decided that to make lunch easier (and less cleanup) he'd make it over a campfire.

he got the fire going and found a grill to put over it.

i sliced the ham, and potatoes, and opened the canned corn.  

we headed outside to enjoy the afternoon.

he had the slackline set up, 

an archery target,

our little girl bought this with her Easter money from her Papa

and the gt was also available - which my boy was taking full advantage of it in his shorts and t-shirt.

while the meal cooked we enjoyed the sunshine, campfire, and the activities listed above.

my boy bought this multi-tool with his easter money

it was a beautiful day.

even with snow in the yard it was so nice to be out there.

i had barefeet in my winter boots - - as i do most of the winter - - but that day it was specifically so i could enjoy the slackline.

we were talking about checking out the Limberlost trails, later in the afternoon.

we began to get excited about going... hopefully the kids would feel the same.

waiting for lunch to be ready

about an hour before going we told the kids that we were going to go for a hike.

the girl was excited.

the boy not so much.

until he heard where we were going.

off we went.

running shoes - not boots.

we were going, hopeful about the conditions.

we headed out on the trail, 

walking and talking.

then it became short runs here and there.

then longer runs.

the kids just wanted to run!

i wanted to run (no matter how lousy i felt)- - i know, without a doubt, my husband wanted to run.

our plan had been to do just under half the trail and then turn around..

we ran and hiked the whole trail.

and had so much fun.
*the guide estimates about 13km for the whole trail.  we're pretty sure it's actually about 7.5-8km*

the kids took turns leading the way, setting the pace.

i asked my boy if he'd missed running on trails.

he said he had.

boy: "know what i love about running trails?

us: "what?"

boy: "running on trails.  know what i don't like about running on trails?"

us: no time to respond

boy: "nothing.  i like the trees, the hills, i like it all.  what would you rather... race on a trail or road?"

all four of us were unanimous with our answer of racing on a trail.

my girl told me that she wanted to do a trail race around a lake, then she could see the water the whole time.

as we were running i began thinking about my childhood.

i was thinking about my brother and i running ahead of our parents.

running and playing, imagining.  

it also got me thinking about my trip to Arkansas one year with 3 good friends.

my one friend and i ran a trail - we were Last of the Mohicans.. we were pretending we were riding horses like Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  but we were running it to Ponca!

when we are children we ran trails.  

we would run and jump and hide and laugh and imagine.

we go for hikes often...
but i love that i have the ability to run when the kids want to run..

i loved running that trail with my kids.

we weren't going too fast to enjoy it.

we walked when we wanted, but we ran and laughed, and slipped, and got wet feet.

we ran all downhills 

(i walked a couple, i'll be honest - - i didn't want to fall)

we had a blast.

no complaining, no arguing.

we stopped to enjoy the beauty.
we stopped on a bench barely uncovered from the snow for a photo op.

we stopped for some fruit snacks.

we chewed on wintergreen.

i love hiking with the kids.

and i love trail running with the kids.

sunshine, warmth, campfire, slacklining, archery,  GTing, trail running and cereal for dinner.

it was a perfect way to end our long weekend before dan went back to work on monday.

*all photos taken by me

with Gertie.

except for the one of my barefoot on the slackline.

that was taken with Chester.

Good Friday service

this past friday my little family went to the Good Friday service at church.

our church, being one of the largest for space in the community, hosts the Community Good Friday Service.

The churches in the area get together to remember Christ's sacrifice on the cross.

*Then on the sunday we are all at our separate buildings celebrating the resurrection!*

When the kids were littler we didn't go to the service because there's no child care during it.

and, honestly, with little ones we wouldn't really be focusing on the service.

we were there this year.

i love seeing all the pastors sitting up front.

I love seeing faces from the community that i don't normally see in our church, but now connect them to a church.

i love hearing the variety of pastors as they either pray, or read the Scritpures.

i love seeing the pastors i look to as a friend - people i don't see in the pastoral role otherwise. 

but what brings tears to my eyes...

what gets me choked up...

what stirs my heart...

when the whole auditorium is standing, 

singing about the cross, and the resurrection.

singing praise to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

when i see the hands being raised, 

the smiles, 

some eyes closed as the singer is focused on God and blocking out all around them,

when i hear the voices blending.

no one caring if they're off key, or in perfect pitch.

the volume that comes..

the emotions that come into the singing as the words hit home...

what a teeny tiny glimpse of heaven.

that is why i love the Good Friday service.

to hear I Need You on Good Friday morning...

goosebumps.

*i don't really care for the video of this but it's all about the words of the song.*

catch our church services: 

On Demand 

or 

YouTube

Thinking about Easter.

The yard is beautiful as the sun brightly shines on the beautiful white snow covered yard.

snow?

it's spring... isn't it?

it is.  

it's the beginning of spring in Canada.

sometimes we get more snow.

This snow has me thinking about Christmas.

the season we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

without Christmas we would not have Easter.

Easter the season we remember the death and celebrate the resurrection of that same babe we remember at Christmas.

without Easter we would not have any reason to celebrate Christmas.

they are tied together and i always think about one when i think about the other.

It's Wednesday today.

Good Friday is in a couple days.

i was thinking about Christ dying on the cross for me.

and wanted to share a small portion of a book i read years ago.

The Book was Basic Christianity by John R.W. Stott

chapter 3: The Character of Christ

He was misunderstood and misrepresented, and became the victim of men's prejudices and vested interests.  He was despised and rejected by his own people, and deserted by his own friends.  He gave his back to be flogged, his face to be spat upon, his head to be crowned with thorns, his hands and feet to be nailed to a common Roman gallows.  And as the cruel spikes were driven home, he kept praying for his tormentors, 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.' 

imagine the loneliness he was feeling at that time.

He was dying on that cross for those people... 

for the ones who were convicting him. 

for the ones just doing their job and crucifying him.

for the ones who enjoyed their job of crucifying him.

for the ones who had followed him up until that point, then scattered.

for the ones who watched with sadness and tears, feeling their hope fading.

for the ones who jeered, who spat, who mocked.

for the ones who walked by seeing another criminal on the cross, maybe thinking he got what he deserved.

for the people in the generations to come.

he was dying on the cross for all, whether they loved him or not.

and he forgave each of them.

they didn't understand back then.

they hadn't read the ending.

they thought their hope was gone.

their king!  

their saviour!

they didn't understand he was going to actually rise again.

The Romans knew what they were doing.

They didn't make mistakes with the cross.

no one came back after.

except one.