Picnic Sisters

The Storey sisters take church picnics very seriously.

Hamster ball racing is also the kind of seriousness one might find at a church picnic!

The Butter Knife Stabbing

It started out a pleasant summer evening in a quiet residential neighbourhood of Abbotsford. The Jr. Youth group had just set out on a "Progressive Dinner", the first stop...buns. But things were about to take a buttery, bloody turn for one youth director and her youth. While standing in line, awaiting her turn for fresh baked delights a disturbance arose from a group of grade 6 boys (which is pretty much a given...when is there not with grade 6 boys!) who began to fight for control of a butter knife. And in the blink of an eye, or perhaps a stab, it had happened. One boy grabbed the knife, thrusting his fist back over his shoulder and into aforementioned youth directors face, leaving an eye full of butter and cut. Onlooking youth began to shout, "Your bleeding!!" Controlling the situation with a bandaid or two the night returned back to its peaceful chaos.I went to the hospital under the advise of some medical professionals who said it would heal better if I got it stitched. Not wanting to look like ol' Al Capone I heeded their advice. Turns out it didn't need it after two hours in emergency. So I guess I'm stuck with "Scarface".

The Bakerview Church Annual Genral Meeting: White Girl Raps

This past Wednesday evening was our church annual general business meeting, well known for it's hefty agenda of reports and formal business-like manner using words more typically heard in parliament and enforcing "Roberts Rule of Order." For this event each pastor is required to write an annual report for their area. So, therefore, I set forth and carried out this task. Then at the meeting those who have written reports get up and speak to their report and then a motion is made to accept the report after further questioning and commenting. So since this was my first AGM report (and could very well be my last!) I took the liberty of writing a rap to speak to my report. Now the demographics of this meeting would suggest that this would not be the prime audience for this format. I would say about 85% were over age 60 and this being a Mennonite church I chose to introduce it as a "light hearted song" as to offend fewer and do it in a slow and articulate manner so it would seem more like a poetry reading than a rap. This could be the "whitest white girl rap" ever! I was aided by my posy of Margie, Dustin, and Jason who "creatively moved" in the back while Margie lay down the beat! Enjoy!

MennoNight!!

In celebration of our rich, yet frugal, cultural heritage I held a Menno-Night with our Jr. Youth group. We all hooked up the ol' horse and buggy, dawned our bonnets and suspenders, communicated in Low German, and of course, ate!

Here we are, a fine looking family!

Here's Jackson with a traditional farming tool, the pool noodle.

We played several games such as "Menno Simon Says" and awarded prizes for best dressed. Here is our best dressed girl, Rachel, winning her prize afhgan, a precious moment!
And what would a Mennonite be without food?! We had two wonderful volunteers, Barb and Marian, come make fresh roll kuken (basically deep fried dough) and watermelon, which really helps the grease of the roll kuken go down quite nicely. Here are our strapping young lads, Curtis (Left), Andrew (Center), and Davis representing our Russian roots!Roll Kuken in all it's greasy glory! Best enjoyed with Rogers Syrup .
Rebecca, our runaway Mennonite on crutches!
Our Sr. Youth will be having a Menno-Night of there own next week...I'm in the process of trying to make huge Dutch Blitz playing cards our of strawberry flat boxes for the event.

The Tsawwassen Twelve

It was just another ordinary day (except for the fact the sun was out) when six grade 12 students and six youth leaders embarked upon an adventure in commemoration of our students academic success in completing high school. We set out from the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal to head towards Pender Island where we would spend three high impact days of fun and merry making. Upon the ferry we made elaborate stories of our ferry sinking into the waters and us becoming, unknowingly to the world, left to fend for ourselves on a near by gulf island, which would only be the beginning of the drama that would ensue. Sound vaguely familiar? We called ourselves the "Tsawwassen Twelve" not to be confused with the "Oceanic 6" and this is our story...

(For all the photos click here)
At the ferry terminal we all got out of the van and wandered. Whilst many of us were quite a ways down the lane I came to the realization that our lane was moving forward. We all started frantically running to the van while screaming "start the van!! start the van!!" to Robert, our driver who was standing near by. It was an intense race but we all made it in the nick of time as the door closed just as we had to go. We drove about two meters and then the line stopped for another 10 minutes.

Our proud little graduates

Julie and the Bikes: Julie proudly posed in front of a variety of two wheeled vehicles!

Even Moses showed up for the grad retreat!

We had a little photo shoot and Trish and I played "Portrait Studio" using our valuable skills learned from our time at the Sears Portrait Studio.

And by "little photo shoot" I mean the weekend was pretty much a grad photo shoot extravaganza! We happened upon these broken cabins and everyone got to be Pender Island's Next Top Model! (Check out the entire album for more and look for Trish's cross eyed shot...it is brilliant!)

The weekend marked some sightings of the ever elusive "Creepy Caitlyn" as seen in all the shots below!

The thrift store on Pender Island just happened to be having a $5 bag day where you could fill a bag with as much as you could fit for five bucks. Oh we filled a few bags. And then of course we had an evening fashion show! It was pretty fierce!

I tried to make an extra couple bucks to finance the snazzy finds from the thrift store

More photo shooting. Our little Caitlyn's all grown up!

The island had this incredible frisbee golf course that ran all through the forest and you basically had to become half mountain goat half amazing disc thrower to play. We got the mountain goat part down okay but it seemed Joel's body somehow took the brunt of many of our disc throws.

Here I am molding the young minds of our future!

They said I was running a "fat camp" because of all the active things we did (ocean canoing, hiking, ultimate frisbee, fribee golf, beach exploration, general walking about) and so we found this place on the map called "Starvation Point". So we thought it only fitting that we eat our lunch there!
So here are Brad and Julie eating at Starvation Point.

We went on a hike and it took three tries to find the right trail to get to this view point, but the third try was indeed the charm!

I'll leave you with this lovely shot of my sweet three inch burn acquired while sitting in a canoe for a couple hours.

And that is our story.
Check out the album for more by clicking here!

As of Late...

After a two month hiatus from posting upon this here blog I am back (with the help of some gentle pressuring) to keep you abreast of the "excitement" that is my life. It's been two and a half months since I began my job as Interim Youth Director at Bakerview Church and although it's been a big adjustment and transition and huge learning curve things are going well. I am responsible for grades 6-12 and running two weekly programs and Sunday school. Wednesday nights is our Jr Youth night from 6:30-8:30 (grades 6-8) and Thursday our Sr. Youth night from 7-10 (grades 9-12).

Here's our crew of Sr. Youth girls at our Neon Bowling Night..."striking" aren't we!

19.05.1982

Some years ago, 1982 to be precise, a new storey was born. This year marked the 26th chapter to be written. And here is a photo self tribute marked by impeccable maturity and grace:

A gaze into the years past and those to come...

Leave no candle untouched!

A real class act

again...

doesn't take much

pretty much just a large "Dora the Explorer" bag will do.

And so another year over and a new one just begun. Thanks to all of you who have been such precious flowers in the garden of my life.

I bet my bottom dollar and there was sun!

Annie promised the sun would come out tomorrow and "tomorrow" finally came for one brilliant weekend. The lack of sunshine here was making me noticeably angry and irritated so when the sun finally came I gave it my all. A little too much. The sun did not treat me kindly, in fact it burnt me, but I won't hold a grudge. Funny how I spent a year in Africa and burned once (which happened to be the first week). I come home and get burned worse in Abbotsford than Africa.

Cancer looks good on me doesn't it!

This season I will be sporting my new $4 "Pam Beasly's". (Those classy whitey white shoes). Stay tuned for my post "Crocs: The Most Controversial Footwear in Town"

This is Madeline...she sits by our front door. On sunny days we sit on the step together.

Dana and Madeline are "besties" reminiscing all the good times.

The Double D Wedding

On May 11th, 2008 my friends Daniel & Deanne were united in that blessed arrangement of marriage. Daniel and I have been buddies ever since that summer Mexico missions trip when he was but a wee 14 and I 19 and pointed out the painfully mundane with great enthusiasm...such as "Look , Daniel, a boat!!!" He started dating Deanne who after several months we realized we are second cousins, who knew! Congratulations Daniel and Deanne!Bride over troubled waters

Daniel"Look, Daniel, you're getting married!"

Nate, my table mate and one of the dear sheep of my youth flock.Nate photographed and posed this shot. My favorite direction was, "Okay, now roll your eyes back in your head...I only wanna see whites". Pure genius.

Putting the Bad in Badminton!

It could just be argued the finest of all competitive racket sports, the mighty game of Badminton. Requiring nothing more than a sleek net, performance raquet (that can double as Bob Barkers microphone when inverted), and a simple shuttlecock these ingredients combine to make an explosive court battle. Since my return from Zambia I have taken to the courts on Monday nights for Ladies Badminton in my church gym, a facility more well known for happy youth games and delicious potlucks, but on Monday nights is transformed into the "courts of badminton battle".

It's important to always be in ready position...and in appropriate attire

Margie in the smash zone

The knee pads in action

The sisters of badminton, Dana and I. We have separate partners on the court...Dana and Jacqueline combine to form "The Perspirations" complete with matching shirts one reading "hot" the other "sweaty" on the backs. I partner with Emily and together we are "The Goodmintons"...we're so bad we're good!

click here for more shots

Tijuana hear about my trip?

This past week during the school spring break I and 11 others went wild, traveling in a 15 passenger van and a trailer we called, Argo, down to Mexico to continue construction on a church down there. Our specific task was to pour the second storey of the church. I of course went along because of my vast knowledge in concrete and construction and to sing popular concrete hits such as: "They tried to make me cut the rebar but I said no, no, no".

Click Here For the Complete Album

Other notable highlights:
- Senior Bano
- Bucket showers
- Falling out of the van at 2:30am
- Eating a brain taco
- Eating a Serrano pepper in one bite...and the pain that ensued
- Trying to figure out who was Jerry and who was Bobby of our host couple Jerry & Bobby (Jerry is the husband, Bobbi is the wife is my conclusion)
- Murder in Room 128 (see the flickr album for more details)