What Time is it?

Whoa, time sure flies because my last two weeks in Canada are already over. I spent most of my time around Port Dover. Mom and I took my nieces and nephews mini golfing and to the zoo. We also spent a couple of days weeding the gardens. I made some final visits and some final purchases before packing my bags once again. As I flew away from Canada I came up with a list of things I appreciate about visiting Canada.

Mini golfing in Port DoverZachary and Rachel building sandcastles at the beach
Andrew and Charlie petting a baby lionAndrew playing at the splash park

7 Tim Hortons. There was rarely a time when I was out with family that we didn’t stop at Tim Hortons, without fail I always ordered the Sour Cream Glazed Donut. In fact Sara and I stopped there after midnight on our way back from the airport. Mmm!

6 Spicy Gouda (Dutch Cheese). Without fail mom always has some on the table when I’m home, probably when I’m not home too. I think we went through half a wheel while I was home. It’s great on raisin bread, no joke!

5 Hot Water. I think I scared myself a couple times when hot water came out of the faucet, but I did enjoy it. I heard more than once, “Are you done in the shower yet?” It was great to have a warm one. I had a hot bath many times in spite of the fact that it is summer in Canada.

4 No Ants. I couldn’t believe it when my mom would leave food, even sweets, out on the counter and sometimes for long periods of time. My food would have walked away if I left it that long on the counter in Nicaragua. I was taught by a veteran missionary that when cooling a dessert or cake you can set up a bowl with water, put a cup in the center and the dessert on top. It works. The no ant zone.

3 Fruit. I love the fruit in Nicaragua, but there are lots of fruits we don’t get. I sure did enjoy eating pears, cherries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, kiwis, and nectarines.

2 Birkenstocks. Among some Americans in Nicaragua, Birkenstocks are considered ‘out of style’. Well, I was happy to see many people still wearing them in Canada.

1 Family. Definitely the highlight of the trip was family, something I don’t get a big dosage of during the school year. I enjoyed being home for Father’s Day, family camping, Canada Day, coffee times, etc.

What Time Is It?

It's summertime and it’s been a long time since I’ve written, so I thought I would catch you up on what I’ve been doing since my last entry. Not long after our graduation at Nicaragua Christian Academy I was off to Canada. Canada greeted and welcomed me with a cold spell. A large cloud, rain, and cool weather followed me for two weeks from Ontario to British Columbia. That was the first adjustment I had to make. One benefit of the cool weather is that I could drink hot tea without breaking into a sweat. I spent the first couple days with Faye, my sister, Jason, and their two children Annika and Jacob. This was my first peak at Jacob who was born in March. He was at the airport to greet me, but he isn’t so much a baby anymore. Annika was happy to see her Aunt Aimee and was soon telling me all kinds of stories. She had just been toilet trained and found it appropriate to also give me treats when I went to the bathroom. A couple of days later I made my way down to the farm in Port Dover. The first person to greet me was my brother Wayne and not five minutes later he was asking me to help unload wagons of hay. The second person to greet me was Sara and she too asked me to help drive hay wagons. The second option sounded better although both siblings sounded desperate. The next couple hours of being home were spent driving tractor in the field which brought back lots of memories of working at home.

Welcome home BBQ

I also spent a week in Houston, British Columbia where I taught for three years before going to Nicaragua. It was great to visit everyone there and I couldn’t believe how much it felt like I had just left even after four years. Things haven’t changed much when I found my self fishing with Bobby and Clarence, playing Scrabble with Jacky (and winning), hiking with Jack, visiting with former colleagues in the school staffroom, playing games with the Vanderhiede family, taking walks, playing games, and biking with the Kronemeyer kids, and talking the evenings away with Ed and Fran. Flying over the Rocky Mountains and going for a short hike reminded me again of how much I love this part of Canada. I was also in Houston in time to attend their graduation. The graduating class of ’08 was the first class I ever taught. All of the 11 graduates had been former students of mine. It was a privilege to see them all grown up and to hear about their plans for after high school. In reflecting on how much they have grown up, I can see how much their upbringing in a Christian home and school has influenced them. It’s awesome to see that the small kids I had in grade 6 have grown in height, but also spiritually.

Canoeing with Ciara and Mackenzie

Hiking in Dungate Meadows with Jack

Whoa, snow in the meadows in June!

Always an adventure with the Sienens

With Diane, a grad and student from my first class

At graduation with Andrea and Dorene

The Kronemeyers!

The following week I was back in Ontario in time for family camping in Turkey Point. My sister in law Tanya and her four kids, Faye and her family, and Sara and I stayed in the campground for three nights. Mom, Dad, Wayne, Leonard, and William came when they could. We spent most of the time biking, cooking, swinging in hammocks, playing games, or swimming. Bootsma vacations aren’t usually just lazing around; we like to be quite active. The first night I woke up to the sound of raccoons outside our tent and tried to scare them away. In the process I woke Sara up and she looked out and spotted a raccoon and a skunk. The skunk came right up next to our tent! She whispered in her very commanding voice, “Don’t move or say a word!” Needless to say the rest of the night wasn’t very restful.

Sand dinosaur building

Cooking for an army

Here's the armyDad canoeing
Now I’m back in Port Dover again and will see what the next 2 weeks bring before returning to Nicaragua…