When I moved to Swift Current at the end of August, I took most all of the furniture. Then on the September long weekend Doug and I selected some furniture. The problem was that it needed to be ordered. Then there was a delay because they had run out of the fabric and had to wait for the fabric to be delivered. A six week wait turned into a 14 week wait.
The furniture arrived at our home in mid-December. Then I had to wait until I came back to Regina after Christmas to see how it looked in our house! Patience is not my strong suit.
As you can see we have a matching sofa and side chair. We also got this lovely accent chair and it is so comfortable! It feels like your sitting in a little bucket as it wraps around you. It has a variety of colours but it is very muted.
You can also see that we have a new TV stand. Doug has moved his computer into a spare bedroom and him plan it to move the TV in there as well. This would make the living room his “music and reading room.” The quotes are intentional, and slightly mocking … but he is the one who lives there and he can set the house up in the manner that works best for him.
The walls are still quite bare and we will also need to select some end tables and lamps … but we are trying to settle into this new look first.
Our dogs are strickly forbidden from jumping up on the furniture.
But Phoenix especially loves being up in the chair and looking out the window. And Doug comes home to Flame lounging on the sofa! We taken to cover our new furniture with old sheets and giving up on any further obedience training.
I also have to admit that I “staged” these photos … I dusted, vacumed and washed the floors before I took the shots!
On December 31, 2009, it was my honour to officiate at my nephew, Stephen’s, wedding to Annamarie. The wedding took place at a local hotel in Regina. They had it decorated beautifully. As you can see by the cake, their theme was a stylized tree with red berries on the trees. This motif was on their invitation, and they carried the theme through using willow branches, ceramic cranberries and holly berries. They laid strings of small white lights on down the aisle and covered them with netting. They carried this same effect through in the other room where we ate.
The wedding also served as a family reunion as my three brothers, and most all of our children (nephews and nieces) and great nephews and nieces were there.
A quick follow-up to Mary’s assertion that I look like my brother Leslie. In the picture above you see my three brothers and I. This photo was taken on July 16/09 at my ordination. From left to right is Leslie (10 years older than me), Gordon (8 years older), Kristin, Martin (3 years older). 
Emily, Doug and I went over to my brother’s (Les & Barb) for Christmas Day supper. Leslie’s eldest son pointed out that Leslie and I were wearing matching colours. Then everyone began commenting on how much we looked alike. I don’t see it. Do you see it?? I want to point out that Leslie is ten years older than I am!!
As you can see … Doug is pretty happy with this gift! His very own SK Roughrider jacket! Some people are really spoiled. There is no “Poor Doug” here.
I love this photo of Leah … she is ripping into a present which won’t surrender to her fingernails. Eventually she did make her way through the layers of tape and wrap.
As you can see, Rhett can’t control his excitement! I’m actually afraid for his life … but he can’t wait for spring so that he can fire up this puppy and take down a few trees. You know how the story goes … first it is a chain saw … then it is a truck to haul the stuff away. 
Emily got just what she was hoping for – a new pair of mukluks. Emily has always loved mukluks and moccasins since she was a young girl. 
Rhett & Leah got a new dog about two months ago. Duke is a three year old Standard Poodle/Giant Schanauzzer cross. The introduction of Duke to Flame and Phoenix went surprisingly well. Duke is about 70 pounds to Flame and Phoenix 58 pounds.
St. Paul, Herbert – is the congregation where I travel a half hour east of Swift Current (on the Trans Canada divided highway) one day each week. I feel especially close with these folks as I have gotten to know them a bit better through visits to their homes, plus our weekly bible study. 
I wanted to highlight the altar which is lovely. This is how the altar was decorated for Christmas Eve, where I led a “Lessons & Carols” service. You’ll see numerous votives on the altar. We had so many candles lit – gradually – throughout the service that there was so much light … the True Light coming into the world!
I love the nativity set and Advent log which they used. Below is a manger which will have a baby Jesus processed to it during the service. 
I have a number of photos of St. Olaf’s. In this photo you get a sense of the size of the church – it can seat about 225 people. I find the “ceiling ribs” to be one of the church’s outstanding features. In one of my classes that focused on church architecture, these “ribs” are to remind us of the hull of Noah’s ark.
In this photo you can the rear view of the sanctuary. The attendance drops off as the winter grows more intense, after Christmas. They would like to say there is an average of 250 people attending over two services on a Sunday. My experience would suggest about 80 and 140 … but possibly the balance would be the Sunday School attendance which can be as high 30 children. Sunday School is between services. There is only a small number of children who attend the 11:00 service in terms of coming forward for the weekly children’s sermon.
Here is a photo of part of the narthex. You’ll see a room – this is the library. 
For as much as there is lots of room in the narthex, the actual fellowship hall is downstairs. If you check out the photos you will see you enter on one level, go a full flight upstairs to the sanctuary or a full flight downstairs to the Sunday School rooms, youth room, storage rooms and fellowship hall and kitchen. There is an elevator.
This isn’t a very good photo, but it is the only one that begins to show you the size of the kitchen. It is three rooms big. It is so fantastic that I can’t believe a church council listened so carefully to go to the expense of creating a highly functioning space. It is a fully commercial kitchen … and it is used a lot! Check out the photos to see the design. 
My Ontario friends might find this post a little humorous … but a significant landmark as you drive north from Swift Current on #4 Highway (towards Kyle & 2.5 hours latter- Saskatoon) … is a tree …… a lone tree ……. a tree all by its lonesome … THE Lone Tree.
Zion is the country church which is about six miles south and eight miles west of Kyle. I remember living at the country church when I was on internship in southern Ontario. There is something about country churches … atleast they seem an “oddity” for me to come over a hill and see a church in the middle of nowhere.
Zion has lovely woodwork as well. For me, seeing this large picture of Jesus reminds me of the tile mosiac of Hanover ON’s church. Their altar rail is curved and that must have challenged a very talented carpenter. 
I find Zion’s pulpit very intimidating. First it is a very slim fit … I’m not sure anyone larger than me could slide their hips into the pulpit. It also feels very high up. Comparatively speaking, St. Peter’s is much higher but Zion is a much smaller church so even if people are sitting a few rows away, I still feel like I’m towering over them. 
Zion has a cemetary directly across the road. The community area is called “White Bear” but the cemetary is called “Horse Butte.” I’m gradually learning the stories behind the names in the community. These two points have pastor-led worship services every week.