We'll stay at Wycliffe Volunteer Center for a couple of weeks

Traveling to Florida

After spending 2 days in Goodrich, Michigan celebrating Christmas at Mary's sisters' horse farm, we are on the road. It is bitter cold, with temperatures reaching a high of 20F and lows in the single digits. While we were on the farm, we had the luxury of being in the house during the day and only needing to run the furnace to keep us warm at night. We also have 15amp power while we are there to keep the water tanks from freezing. It snowed on December 28 and accumulated 2-3 inches. But by Tuesday, Dec 29, the roads were dry though, it was still very cold.
The trip through Michigan and Ohio was uneventful and we spend the night at a Walmart in Richmond, Kentucky. We had to run the generator most of the night to have enough power to keep our water compartment heater working and were happy to be on the road again in the morning. The next day, it was overcast but dry until we reached Perry, Georgia. That night it rained but we were snug in our RV, again at the Walmart.
On the last day of 2009, we got to Florida. The sun began to shine and the temperatures were warmer than up north but still unseasonably cool - in the low 50s during the day. We arrived at Wycliffe Bible Translators in Orlando by 5pm and were greeted warmly by Jack's brother John and his wife Mary. They arrived a few days ago and will spend 3 months volunteering here. We can stay for about 3 weeks in the RV campground until the volunteeer that will occupy our site arrives.
The old year was sent out at a candlelight chapel service led by Mary - a moving way to send out the old and greet the new year 2010.

Who has the bigger belly?

We are waiting for the birth of our first grandchild

Our son Greg and his wife Tara are expecting their first child about February 2, 2010. They have been married for 13 years so this is a wonderful gift from God for our family. Tara is growing larger - Jack and Tara are comparing bellies and ..... Tara wins!!
We will head to Florida on December 27 with Derek and return home when the new baby arrives.

Our tree is decorated

December - snow and bare trees

Christmas is coming!

We are still home in Brantford and have decorated our tree and put up the decorations. Last year we were in our RV so this is the first Christmas in this new townhouse and we must decide where to put our lights and tinsel. There is a bit of snow on the deck and all the leaves are off the trees. Derek had surgery on December 4 to fix the torn meniscus in his knee. While they were looking in his joint with the arthroscope, they found that he had also completely torn his ACL! This means that he must have another surgery to reconstruct this important ligament that keeps his knee stable. First he must heal from the recent surgery, strengthen the surrounding muscles, get a made to measure brace and book the surgery with another specialized surgeon. This means more weeks of waiting, so we have decided to leave for Florida with the RV right after Christmas and return in mid Feb after Greg and Tara's baby is born, for more followup.