Thursday, November 30, 2017

November Remembered


 November...
with its parade of pacific storms in our part of the country...
has come and gone.



We honestly never know what to expect in November..
though rain is a guarantee.


Snow on November 2nd was not expected.
By nightfall, it was almost impossible to get to Heidi's place on the hill.


The coolish temperatures left us with beautiful mountain views for the next week or so...
until the clouds and rain arrived.


We had three birthdays to celebrate this month...
so we decided to start off the celebrations with a family bowling night.
What fun!
Bowling with such little balls was foreign to Pauline...
the Swiss student who is spending the winter with Tim and Heidi.

Apparently five-pin bowling is a Canadian thing.
Is that true? 

The kids all had a great time.

Brynja suddenly realized she missed out on the group photo...
so this shot was just for her.



Micah is eight...
a charming, delightful grandson.
He loves Lego, jungle animals, science and is good at Monopoly too!
Where have the years gone?


Emme and Spencer are now sweet sixteen!
I think they have been celebrating all month.

A cousin party was a good way to start!
But they had another big party in the planning for months in advance.
They wanted the whole family to join them in cheering on their good friend, Jordyn Huitema at the Canada vs. USA women's soccer match at BC Place Stadium on November 9th.



What a fun time we had! 

We all wore our red  #23 Huitema hoodies and made a lot of noise for Canada.

Jordyn got to play...which is quite something for a 16 year-old from Chilliwack...
and the game ended in a 1-1 tie.

That was definitely a 16th birthday celebration to remember.


Oh yes...and then there was this!

They went out bright and early on the morning of their 16th birthday to write their driver's exam.
The computers were down and it was not meant to be.
The computers were still not working at the end of the day...
and then the offices were closed for the long weekend.
Can you imagine having to wait four extra days to get your L? 
That is the first step (of many) toward a full driver's license in British Columbia. 

They have now graduated from driving tractors and ATV's to driving a Mini Cooper.

I am looking forward to having them take me for my first ride!



We had a lot of rain this month...
but my photos are mostly from the 'good days'...
the ones I want to remember!


In the middle of a very wet week we had an appointment in downtown Vancouver...
and the rains held off during our time there.

It was quite lovely on the waterfront.


Back at home I have had a good view of the birds on our fields all month.

Though the trumpeter swans are beautiful huge birds...
once nearly extinct...
they have taken to wintering in our area and are not appreciated on the farm.


We chase them away daily...
often many times each day. 
It does not take long for them to clean off an entire field of winter wheat!



Besides the trumpeter swans,
the ducks and geese have also taken a liking to our farm.
Several hunters have been out there...
encouraging them to move along. :)


As the month neared the end...
all things Christmas were beginning.

Maggie and I visited the annual Christmas display at the local greenhouse last weekend...
and went out for lunch.
Her pick?
IHOP for pancakes. :)

November brought a lot of wet, grey and dreary days...
and also memories of evenings around the cozy fire.


A storm blew through last Sunday, leaving us without power...
but we made our way to the home of friends...
where the lights were on and the food and fellowship was good!
It brought back memories of Sunday afternoons from yesteryear...
where we always gathered around the Faspa table in one home or another.

Faspa is the low-German term used for the Sunday evening meal served in most Mennonite homes at one time...fresh buns, cheeses, meats, preserves, and cakes.


There is no mountain view today...
but I'll leave you with a picture of a brighter November day.
The leaves have for the most part 'gone with the wind'...
and we look forward to December. 

I wish you all a wonderful 'month before Christmas'
...as your prepare your hearts and your homes.



10 comments:

  1. I always look forward to these summimg up a month posts. I think they must be a family journal of sorts, of course. Must say that I could use more posts, but who am I to say such a thing?! I am sorry for the pests that the Trumpeter Swans have become. Too much of a good thing is never good. I am so glad that my pests (turkey vultures) have migrated south. Now I can tell when the eagles are soaring.

    Your family is beautiful and close wanting to do special things together. Not all families are this way. 😉

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  2. Wonderful review of your November - even though it was mostly a wet one! Your family is so lovely and you have documented some wonderful times together! I think Faspa is such a wonderful tradition - one I would love to adopt. Here's to sunshiny days in December.
    BTW your mantel is absolutely beautiful!

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  3. What lovely, warm and bright family times you enjoyed during this month of grey and rain. Faspa - we used to eat that way every Sunday evening. A good tradition. May your month of December be merry and bright.

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  4. I love the family celebrations you could have this month. It's always a gift to realize the family wants to celebrate together and I love how your grands love being together even with age differences. I think those older ones are setting a good example. We love Faspas here too!

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  5. Well I do know we have 10 pin bowling down here and the bowling balls are the a little smaller than a volleyball. I always have to search out a bowling ball that is lighter in weight. You had a good full month with lots of special birthdays to enjoy.

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  6. What a special month! I always enjoy your family updates, and the photos of your farm are beautiful. Wow, those Swans were quite large, I can just imagine the havoc they can cause. We have 10-pin bowling down here, I hadn't heard of 5-pin bowling before... See you in December!

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  7. What lovely photos of happy occasions.

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  8. I love these end of month posts of yours! You have such a rich full life and such a wonderful family. Not to mention you live in such a beautiful area! Thank you for taking the time to share this with us!

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  9. November was a very Happy Birthday month for your beautiful family! Our November was the warmest on record. i'm kind of happy that more normal weather has arrived with December.
    It's rough being in a migrating path of such large birds as the swans and geese. Hope they've moved along.

    I love your new natural hair color, Judy! It looks very pretty on you. I am lightening my hair as I get older in anticipation of letting my natural grey grow out someday soon.

    Have a very blessed and happy Christmas season!

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  10. Wonderful family times. I like the photo of the girls and their Learner's license - very exciting for them.
    Helen

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'The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.'
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson