Trip to Maine

We are having a wonderful trip!

We had a bit of a rough start with Evangel being sick, so we just treated her like luggage on the way here. She rode the trolleys right through the airports, and we managed to get here with her feeling better each time she slept. It was tonsillitis; we prayed and gave her antibiotics, and we thank God she's better!

One of our purposes for coming this month was to be here for Dad's 85th birthday. He turns 85 on the 25th, but my sister Wendy had to leave on the 7th, so we had a big party on the 6th. Mom told him on the morning of the party, so Dad ran around all that day telling people, "I'm having a surprise birthday party tonight.''

Dawn thrills me on Square Pond.

Timothy, Josh and I went blueberry picking that first Saturday while there were still many left. They marveled at the "Honor System," where you pick your blueberries, weigh them yourself, and leave the right amount of money, with no one to check up on you. We all laughed at the idea of anyone doing business like that in Cape Town.

It was good picking.

Camp Belle is where we're staying for the month, built by my great-grandfather Walter Earl Campbell, it has been in our family since 1935. The peace and tranquility are supposed to heal Paul's tiredness, while I'm reveling in having lots of family around.

We're buzzing around in this Suburu, thanks to Lynn and Helene Sprague who loaned it to us. It's got EZPass on it which we had never used before, but we really enjoy! It means we get to just buzz through the toll booths without stopping, as the tolls are paid automatically. God bless the Spragues! I know He will because He promised that when someone gives, it will be given to him more "good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over" (Luke 6:38).

I had a neat little answer to prayer on Saturday. Tim was at loose ends, not bored exactly, but I didn't feel like he was using his time well. I sent him jogging a little, then we did a family boat ride using the canoe (Paul and Tim), kayak (Josh), and sailboat (me). Swimming was next, and then I was out of ideas. Somewhere in there I prayed for help in keeping him profitably busy. A little later my Uncle Walter, Aunt Linda, my cousin Ivy and her 2 active boys Calvin, 16, and Ben, 14, arrived, and all boredom was vanquished. The cousins swam and fished and laughed and laughed.

Five cousins: Ariel, Evangel, Josh, Tim, and Kara Ashley.

Mom ran into someone at church who knew her when she was a Meserve.

Quite nice to look down the pew in church on Sunday and see the 5 cousins on my side of the family. A few minutes later the church was packed for the second service of the morning.