Christmas Letter

I haven't done a Christmas letter this year. I always do one! But this has been a busy year, and I wasn't sure what to write. I traveled this year. For me, 5 trips to the US and 2 to Europe is a LOT of travel. There was a busyness that was sometimes hard to deal with. Four of those trips were for my work, 1 was for a week of volunteering with Mennonite Disaster Service, 1 was my husband's convention, and the other was visiting family.
That list doesn't include trips to Manitoba to visit family, a trip to BC (ditto), and many trips to Edmonton and Lethbridge for work.
A busy year. But a very fulfilling one. I love my job. I love my family. And I have the best husband in the world (for me, that is.)
Sounds "Pollyanna-ish" I know. But it's true.
We have our issues, but I think we've learned to deal with them.
Not everyone around us is perfect yet, but we're working on that. Just kidding - I think God is working on us through them. I like to believe that when the Lord allows me to deal with tough situations, it is to make me grow. And I want to do that with a thankful heart. I don't always deal well with these situations. But I hope I'm learning. And I pray that I will continually do better in my quest to become more like Christ.
Thankfulness is something I learned at my mother's knee (as she did from her mother, I believe). It is something that, when I practice it, makes the world a much better place. When I enter a mall with a smile in my heart and it shows through, it is amazing how friendly clerks become. Even Christmas shopping can be fun.
So we are planning to have a wonderful Christmas - not because we're getting all the presents we want... or maybe we are. Our kids will all be here and we'll be together. Who could want more than that.
Well, maybe I can think of 1 thing... a grandchild, possibly?? Sigh... One day! (If my kids ever read this, they know I'm kidding. I promised them I'd be willing to wait until THEY are ready!)

Autumn

Autumn has always been my favorite time of year. (Okay, except in the spring - then spring is often my favorite - especially after a harsh winter.)

I love the colors of autumn, the crunch of the leaves, the smell of autumn... Autumn has a wild beauty that no other season can offer.

So when we happened to be in Edmonton for a Saturday night, we couldn't resist a drive through Jasper Park on our way home. Of course it made our trip about three times as long as it would have been otherwise. But it was worth it. The colors this year were spectacular! It was a gorgeous day for the drive. And it gave Einar and I a much-needed day together.

We try to get to the mountains several times each year, but it never seems to be enough. If we ever move away from here, we'll wonder what kept us so busy that we couldn't spend more time appreciating God's creation. Thankfully, there are also places right here in the city that are beautiful at this time of the year.

But it won't last long... autumn has a way of showing up and then quickly disappearing. And so we enjoy the glimpses we catch, and then wait for the next season to bring it's own beauty.

Simplicity

Life is so complicated sometimes. I guess we make it complicated.

I'm often struck by the simplicity of life elsewhere when I travel. Take Norway, for instance. Everyone seemed to take the time to pick wild flowers. All indoor and outdoor tables at the places we visited were adorned with boquets of wild flowers.

When we sat to eat, there were candles burning. Here, we always seem to be eating and running. When you light candles, the message is 'stay awhile.' It is an invitation to relax and enjoy.

Norway doesn't have many freeways. When we traveled, we often were on what we North Americans would consider a one-lane hightway. But they were intended for two-way traffic. Some roads we shared with the sheep. They didn't blink an eye when we had to manouver around them sleeping on the road. Someone asked if they moved when we honked. I don't think it occurred to us to honk. It was their road, and we were the intruders. When we exclaimed about the narrow roads, we would see a sign telling us that the road narrows ahead!

There are a lot more restaurants now than we saw 18 years ago on our last trip. But it still isn't anything like here. I can't speak for all of Norway, but our experience suggested they still prefer to eat at home most of the time. Eating out was expensive and seemed to be considered a treat.

Fresh food is important in Norway. We didn't see many large farms - the land there is very rocky, so they have to use whatever is available to grow what they need. Many people had a little garden as well as fruit trees. But the wild fruit was also commonly used for desserts and making jam.

I love to see people doing things with their hands. One of Einar's aunts has a loom and has woven all the rugs in her house. Most of them have embroidered their own bunad (customary Norwegian clothing) and that of their daughters. Some of them do hardanger, or knit, or sew. But they all seem to have a craft for the long winter evenings. And their homes reflect that. I think we are losing that custom here in North America, and it would be a great thing to revive. If only we could get away from the TV and computers long enough to complete a project!!

Now if only I would introduce some of this into my own life. I think it's time to turn off the computer!

A Norwegian View

I love moving.

This was a concept Einar's Norwegian family did not understand. They don't move. They settle and stay.

Granted, many of his family are settled on their homestead. Or their mother's homestead. Or their husband's homestead.

And the views... The views from many of the homes were nothing short of spectacular.

Would I want to move from a view like this?

Would I be more settled at the old homestead?

They tried to understand why we move so much. Liv has moved more than we have, and so many of the questions were directed at her. But we really didn't know how to answer.

Why do I like moving? I don't like surface cleaning. When I clean (the way I enjoy cleaning), I clean a small area but clean it thoroughly. Moving gives me a chance to do that to my whole house. It lets me sort and organize.

How much of it has to do with 'unsettledness' - the feeling that I belong elsewhere? I'm not sure. Einar doesn't like moving, and he'd have a greater reason to be unsettled. After all, his first home was not only a different house, but a different country.

My first move was when I was 15. (I still dream about someday purchasing that house.) After that, I have moved frequently. I think our longest stay in one place is our current house which we have had just over 7 years now. I like the house. But not the yard. And certainly not the view!

I think I'll have to settle for less of a view than we saw there... but maybe when we move to our next place, we'll pay a bit more for the view...

Koop Family Gathering 2008

Pinawa, Manitoba was the location of our family gathering for the third time. We have found Wilderness Edge to be accomodating, not overly expensive, with good food and good activities.

There were over 50 of us this year - less than last time, but still more than half of the family. Ages ranged from newborn Keanna to Dad who is 92.

In spite of the fact that I fail miserably when it comes to contacting and keeping in touch with my family much of the time, family is terribly important to me, and so I love this time of reconnecting and getting to know one another again. It is impossible to have meaningful conversations with everyone, but each time there are new surprises when I chat with my nephews and nieces, brothers and sisters.

Of course, it is also a time to spend with my own kids who live far away. We were sorry Paul couldn't make it this time, but hopefully those who couldn't get there this time will be able to make it to the next one in two years.

So - to my family - see you in July 2010 in Pinawa!

MCC Relief Sale

I remember thinking once that when our children were gone, life would slow down. Maybe it has. Maybe we have a few more free evenings together. But we both have jobs that we love (most of the time, at least) and it seems that has kept us very busy this year. Maybe we're just busy with our own things for a change - instead of just running to all our kids events.


One of the biggest fundraisers we have in MCC is our annual Relief Sale. In Alberta it moves around and last year it was in the south in Coaldale, and this year it was in Sherwood Park near Edmonton. Next year it will be in the Calgary/Didsbury area.


I was able to spend almost 3 days up there helping with set-up, taking pictures, etc. I find the quilt auction mesmerizing. Not only quilts are sold, but also other handwork including furniture. I want it all (okay, most of it) but bids often go way off the scale. The people know that if it becomes a 'donation' (meaning if they bid way more than it's worth), they will get a receipt for the access, so they are willing to spend.

Maybe next year I'll get my quilt...

Washington DC

Einar's company's convention was in Washington DC this year, so that is where we were from June 11-17.

As usual, we were in a wonderful Marriott Hotel, and had great meals and were able to connect with people Einar knew and people we'd both met previously.

Mostly, though, it was a good time for Einar & I to reconnect and have time together after my Ukraine Trip.

While he was in sessions the first day, I drove up to the Material Resource warehouse in Ephrata, Pennsylvania for 2 reasons. I needed to get my pic's from the Ukraine trip (I didn't have nearly all of them since my disks were blank when I got home) and I really wanted to take the opportunity to reconnect with Rudi and Mary, who were both in Ukraine as well. I also managed to see Lucinda - who I'd met in Mississippi on our MDS trip earlier. So it was a very worthwhile trip.

The rest of the weekend, whenever Einar was in sessions, I was able to work on my pictures and get them sorted.

We had 2 meals supplied each day, but there were wonderful restaurants nearby and we had great Mediteranean food, Thai food, and on Father's Day, we went out for Afghan food. That was a new experience for us, and well worth it.