Montana Bound...

This past weekend we went down to Montana for Camp Bighorn's annual work weekend. We worked along side staff and volunteers in the rain (man do I love the smell of rain in the woods, I can't help but just breath in the beauty of it) doing odd jobs here and there that needed tended to before the busy summer season. I was a part of the clean up of both the small and large ponds. We shoveled dirt (which quickly became mud), moved rocks, stacked rocks, cleared paths and streams and filled up the large pond to capacity. It was tiring work and it was cold and wet, but the spirits of the people there were warm and friendly, and I'll admit, it felt good to work hard like that. I had my almost 11 month old on my back most of the time while I was working, and if she wasn't there, she was on my front. So that added an extra 20 lbs!!! But she loves being close to mommy most of the time, and when she felt like she needed to burn some energy, we went into the lodge to let her crawl around. And boy can she move!!! She is walking some too, but usually chooses to crawl as she knows that is still fastest.

Eva looks a little dopey here! If I remember right, she fell asleep not long after this photo was snapped.

While we were down there; working in the rain and warming up with hot chocolate and friends; we took care of some logistical stuff too. Our dear friends J&S helped to get our page on the Camp Bighorn website set up. If you take a look under staff and click our names we have our very own staff page!!! However there is still nothing on it, as I have yet to upload a family picture and such. But, I hope to do so soon!!! For all your viewing pleasure! We also learned some more about raising support and downloaded a program which will help me (the organized one) to keep track of people from both Canada and the U.S. who are supporting us and/or receiving our newsletters. We are all set up to receive support from U.S. donors and are on our way to having stuff set up for our Canadian donors as well. The next big thing on my list is to compose and mail out our first newsletter. After, that is, I create a list of people we wish to have on our correspondence list.

So, our visit was both fun and profitable. And hopefully of some help to Camp. They were definitely of help to us. Our next trip down will be in early July for Camp's 25th anniversary. We will also use that trip to hopefully find a place to rent when we do in fact move. By July we should definitely have received word of our interview date for immigration, Lord willing. We both realized, as we drove further north and further away from the mountains, trees and rivers that is "big sky country", that each time we leave to head back for Alberta, the more we are aching to be down there permanently. I am tired of Three Hills. The town is great, but the scenery is nauseating! I need trees and water and mountains! And it will be nice to no longer be in flux. To no longer know we are moving but not know when. To no longer be living with half our stuff in boxes, waiting for our next home. But it will be bittersweet. We have made some great friends here over the years, and though many have themselves moved on, my dearest and closest friend is here and I despair to leave her. what will I do without dear H? She is the best friend I have ever had. She is the friend I've cried out to God for my entire life. And I've only known her less than a year. I will miss her dearly. But there are also friends we have made in Montana who we eagerly wait to be in closer commune with. And so, as I've said, it is bittersweet. But we are ready to move.