mardi, juillet 28, 2009

Concert Fun!!





Jer and I had been given two tickets for the Steven Curtis Chapman and Michael W Smith concert this past weekend. What a treat!! I haven't seen SCC in concert since I was a youth, and I don't know if I've ever seen MWS live.

It was a beautiful location- outdoors, overlooking the valley and mountains- at a ranch called Heartland.
Just two hours before the doors opened we had had the BIGGEST storm I can ever remember!! Torrential downpour, lightening and thunder like crazy, giant wind-gusts... Not too hopeful for an outdoor concert in a field.
Jeremy was ready to make a plan B for our date, since we already had a sitter lined up. I was NOT ready to miss a concert which I was so much looking forward to, and was nearly in tears. We waited and checked the status of the situation up until the gates opened.

"THE SHOW IS ON!"

Once there, the ground was not as muddy as we had expected it to be. The air was chilly, but we came prepared with a blanket and raincoats. The seats were all full; everyone else was expecting the night to go on as planned!

Due to water getting into the sound equipment and instruments which were already set up on the stage, the concert was delayed for nearly TWO HOURS!!













But finally, at around nine o'clock in the evening, Stevie came on stage and shared with us his life, his lessons and his gifts of worship in song. He is so down to earth for a big-name musician. I really appreciate how he wears his heart on his sleeve for all to see, hear, and learn from.

And then there was Smitty. You wouldn't know it from looking at him (even from 10 feet away, as I was in the dance pit) that he is over 50 years old!! He has quite the stage presence and knows how to work the crowd with all his enthusiasm and energy. But his heart is intent of worshiping his God.

Speaking of worship, it was next to impossible not to stand in awe of our amazing Creator in the setting we sang in. As the evening sky overtook the landscape, the stars above far outnumbered those of us in attendance at the concert. The powerful thunder clouds were held at bay, with wondrous lightening striking the hills in the distance. I knew that we were, in fact, witnesses of much more than just the two bands which performed on the stage. The circle of clear, starry sky above the field we were in was as a stage for the Host of Heaven Himself; the Author of music and worship; the Giver of all gifts and talents; the real STAR of the show! (And, in fact, He was/is even closer to me than ten feet away!) It was such a blessing to be able to attend His concert!


Posted by Jeremy J Harnett :: 12:11 p.m. :: 1 comments

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mercredi, juillet 01, 2009

Our home is coming together- with help from the community!!!

This new neighborhood is anything but boring! Our kids have had such an exciting Spring watching all the work going on outside our windows.

Our Solar panel (a promotional piece donated to us by Solar-tech Kelowna) has been up and running now (heating our water), after months of having workers climb into our attic and plumb into our laundry room, as well as manipulate machine lifts and equipment to install the panels on our south-facing side of our top floor!








We've had work crews come around to pave our parking area, build our fences, and landscape our surroundings.
We, including the kids, have joined right in for as much of the sweat-work we could!




This is the view to our common area, which will most likely be paved into a basketball/street hockey court.







































We've had our share of media with all this too. Of course, being a "Habitat Family", we are considered as sort of a "project". It's humbling, but we do feel blessed.
At our Ribbon cutting ceremony last weekend, we had the Mayor, the MP and our MLA all here- as well as many other people- to celebrate that this nine year project is now complete. Being the unique unit with the solar panel, we were also asked if we wouldn't mind allowing all the guests to take a tour of our home. I was interviewed three times: once by a newspaper reporter, once for the CHBC tv news , and once over the phone for the Vernon Morning Star. (What's with the poparatzi?? I'm not much for being famous! ha ha)



































































This is a view of the front side of unit 107 and 108. We live in 108; the final unit in this project.
We have a bit of painting left to do on the outside railings and, as well as (eventually... if I get to the dreaded task) some colors indoors (we moved in to white walls!). Anybody love painting and want to come over to inspire me to this??? ;)












Our back yard was our own responsibility, and Jer and I worked hours to dig up rocks and discarded concrete, and level in order to spread out topsoil and roll our sod.

Once our new grass was in we really began smiling!! ha ha

It is not a large yard; in fact, after setting up our much loved trampoline, there is enough room only for our picnic table! But, what else does a family need? he he
Actually, I find that having the trampoline gives us twice the play space: under the trampoline is a cool, shady play/read space, and on top of the trampoline is a wild and energy-spending romp-zone!

We have yet to mow, but we'll figure that out once we actually buy a mini-mower!! ha!



























































This is a view of the back-side of our unit which faces the road and the mountains! It's a tall and narrow home; only 15 feet wide. But it's home!

Posted by Jeremy J Harnett :: 9:19 p.m. :: 1 comments

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---------------oOo--------------- Happy Birthday to my SIX YEAR OLD!!! (wow)

Dear Zachariah,

There is so much a could say to you...

I'll keep it short and sweet here in Blogger-land, and keep telling you/showing you with my life just how much I love you!!

You are growing up in so many ways little man.
Mommy is so proud of you!

Happy Birthday!











Zach had a superhero party (of course) and invited all the boys from his school class, as well as a half dozen from church.
I had decided that a "low-budget" birthday didn't have to mean "cheap"! I absolutely LOVE getting creative for my kids; it's part of my birthday gift to them!










So, I bought some bright blue fabric at the thrift store, and sewed/painted (each boys' initial in a circle on the back) more than a dozen capes for the goody bags. Along with the cape was a shiny mask, a glow-stick "sword" and a sucker. The cake was not my fanciest design, nor my best icing job; it just would not cooperate with me, so I let it be. (Did they care?? NOT!)

With 16 five/six year olds invited, I decided to host the event at our near-by waterpark playground.





The rain began about an hour before the party.





I was preparing the food (four dozen hotdogs, veggie sticks, chips and juice boxes) at home as I looked out at the darkened sky. Four or five phone calls from well-intentioned parents were given the reply: "Oh yes we're still on! I have no back-up plan. Our place is too small to host this many, and besides, the plan was to get wet anyway! ha ha"

Half an hour before the party the kids and I got into a circle on our knees in the living room. We held hands and prayed together that Jesus would blow the clouds away and bring out the sunshine for the party. (I, Mommy, was battling lack of faith with the eagerness to see my little boys' prayers answered. Being a bit conservative in such matters, I explained to the kids that God can do anything, but he sometimes chooses not to give us what we ask for.)

So, we drove to the park in the rain. And by the time I pulled to picnic basket out of the van, the rain had stopped. By the time our first guest arrived the sun was breaking out between the clouds, and by the time we sang HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Zach, we were audience to a clear blue sky and the warm embrace of the sunshine: aka God's huge gift to us!! ;)

Posted by Jeremy J Harnett :: 8:43 p.m. :: 2 comments

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