No. 19, December 2013 English Edition

Dear Family and Friends,

Its that time of year again. In February of 2012 a letter (for 2011 :-( was written and pictures printed but they never got sent out. Thus we are sending the picture from last year along with this letter. Our apologies for this, but if you would still like to read last years letter it will be on our website as printable PDF file and ebook! Please check http://www.inhpubl.net/ntanhome.htm .

The year has been a busy one, with a lot of travelling and visits. Since last years letter wasn't sent out I'll have to go back a while. As some of you may know, in October, 2012 Paulina went to help the Friz family in Indiana, U.S.A. who were blessed with the birth of 3 healthy babies. That made their family go from 6 to 9 children. Paulina was there for 3 months cleaning the house, schooling the children and helping in whatever other way she could while also keeping busy with home duties. Since I had to take over her work in the shop, I was thankful I could e-mail or call her for any questions I had :-) In December Roelf Kars and I went to visit close friends in Telkwa, B.C. We were there for a little over 2 weeks. When we came back it was time to prepare for the children's choir/family concert. Paulina came home the end of January and was immediately involved so much I doubt she really had time to settle in. Thankfully she can cope with a lot and got most of the concert organized, despite her music (stored on her laptop) being lost instead of returned to her at the airport. A 24 hour return promise turned into a week. Two days after the concert Roelf Kars and I were on the road again, but this time heading south east to Indiana. It was my turn to spend 3 months at the Friz'. Roelf Kars brought me since we couldn't book a ticket online for me to fly because I was only 16. I didn't mind him coming along since I was nervous about flying across the border and meeting strangers at the other end. We spent 3 days travelling and finally made it to Indiana. It was a good experience and wonderful to have 3 babies, although busy at times! During the 3 months we exhibited at 2 homeschool conferences as well. A week before I left in May, Roelf Kars left to begin his 3rd U.S. conference tour.

Lodewyk, Mommy, and Michael

Two weeks earlier my parents, together with Juliana, Maria, Michael, Lodewyk, Hannah, and Marnix, left to go on tour as well. While Roelf Kars took the more eastern part they took the western part. I was picked up by Pake and Oma who offered to drive the 10 hours to pick me up. I spent 3 weeks at their place in Ontario and was able to celebrate Oma's birthday with her. Then I flew home. Wow, it was good to be home, even though it was hardly a home coming to an empty house with only Paulina and Hinne there. But it was home. We spent a week and a half at home and then Paulina and I left to go to southern B.C. for a homeschool conference. Hinne stayed with his friend Ian Van Assen and between biking home to do chores and the help of Uncle Peter & Aunty Margaret they kept the business and animals alive. After the B.C. homeschool conference, Paulina and I went to a conference in Puyallup, WA. Then we went to Telkwa to visit the Wikkerinks for a week. In the week that we were there my parents and the 6 youngest children came home. On the 22nd of June, while we were still gone and about an hour after they came home our local Coop's Home and Hardware store burnt to the ground due to electrical problems caused by a thunder storm. It was quite a shock and there is a new building in the process of being built. About a week later Roelf Kars came home from his U.S. conference tour. The whole family was finally back together. But not for long. A week later Paulina, Roelf Kars, Hinne, and Juliana left for the Reformed String Camp held in the Fraser Valley, B.C. They were gone for almost two weeks. During that time our cow calved. A beautiful heifer calf. Everyone was so excited. The morning after our string players came home I left to go visit the Wikkerinks again. My Mom says I have to tell you there is a special attraction there! (pictures on the web!) I was gone for just over a week, and finally we were all home for a while. But Fall came which meant harvest. Roelf Kars was soon in full swing combining, swathing, and hauling wheat, canola, etc. for Uncle Peter Van Assen. Paulina and I took turns babysitting a 4 year old boy while his parents were harvesting.

Juliana, our goatgirl

Our home harvest was also in full swing as I was making jam and apple sauce. We had already canned the saskatoons and some rhubarb. Two of the elements quit on the stove which did slow us down, but thankfully we were pretty much done and not just starting with the canning! We finished up and soon school and music lessons were rapidly approaching. In September we had a wonderful visit with Pake and Oma and two cousins from Ontario. In October Paulina had a holiday trip to Indiana, to visit the Friz family for the triplets first birthday. Two and a half weeks after she came back she left again, this time for a trip to the Netherlands.

Paulina at the Oude Kerk, Amsterdam

She is there for six weeks taking organ and piano lessons, playing big church organs, attending multiple concerts, visiting family and friends, and meeting more along the way. She is really enjoying the oppurtunity. Last week Roelf Kars and Hinne left on a four week trip to Brazil.

Our cousin Jonathan Chase is getting married there on December 20th, D.V., and they are two of the few Canadian or American family members that will be there. We don't hear much but the way they were carrying on before they left . . . Well, I'd say they are probably having a great time. They were slowed down by a 10 inch snowfall and storm though. The one motor on their plane wouldn't start so they were re-planed and re-routed and got to Brazil a day late. Better that then not at all. The Lord willing everyone will be home for New Years eve as Paulina will be coming home on December 27th and the boys on the 31st. That will be one new years eve we will never forget!

With ourlove.

Roelof & Theresa Janssen

Paulina, Roelf Kars, Katriena, Hinne, Juliana, Maria, Michael, Lodewyk, Hannah, & Marnix.

Lodewyk: 1 fact + 1 fact = imagination.

Fact 1 = we have about 2 feet of snow on the shop roof

Fact 2 = we watched the National dream on which surveyors crossed the mountains to map out the railroad route.

With a big long stick in each hand Lodewyk went tramping up and over the roof to the other side, back and forth - climbing mountains and surveying the land.