Good evening! I realize I haven't been online and posted the photos of our trip that I promised, so I thought I'd just do a quick update before I head to bed this evening.

Our past week was much different than we ever dreamed. Garry's cousin, Darrell Braun, collapsed near the end of a marathon last Sunday. Darrell and his wife Jolyn (who is a cousin on the Barkman side) have four children.On Monday we had the privilege of having their son Dustin, who's Kevin's age, come to our house for the afternoon. One day turned to another as we walked through days at the hospital and here at home with Dustin, hoping and praying, wondering what God's plan was. On Friday God's plan was clear as Darrell breathed his last here on earth. We have shared a small part of the family's pain over this week and have been privileged to be a small part of their support group. We've marvelled at the grace God's given them. We mourn, but not as those that have no hope.

Wow, I hardly know where to start! I'll be posting more photos over the next few days, but first let me update you a bit on our last month or so...

Our trip out east was amazing! We had a wonderful time visiting family and friends. We were amazed and humbled at the generosity of friends. We were blessed by hearing what God is doing in different parts of the country. We were encouraged by our interaction with so many people. Thanks so each of you who made this trip amazing!

We were only home a week before we left again, this time for a few days at a camp to celebrate Garry's parents' 50th anniversary. We enjoyed seeing everyone, though we missed the family that couldn't be there. It was a great time to relax, canoe, jump on a trampoline with the kids, play some table games, and sit by the fire.

Throughout our trip I was struck again and again by the rich heritage we have from our parents. Garry and I were blessed to grow up in great families and to enjoy our time with them!

I'll be posting some different photos and a bit more commentary on our trip divided by dates. For today, though, here are a few photos of our time with family...

And here are some photos of Jonathan and Jenny and their family when we got to see them!