Want some hot cocoa?

Add comment November 13th, 2006 Melodie

Tillaflood 2006 UPDATE!

Well, we made it home in one piece, none the worse for wear.

My poor pumpkin, left all week to face the blustery winds and pounding, sideways rain on the ledge of our balcony, was… not so lucky…

Add comment November 11th, 2006 Chris

Tillaflood 2006!

Well, Anna and I are still in Tillamook, trapped for a week due to excessive flooding that closed all roads out of town.

These photos were taken on Tuesday, when Anna’s grandpa George drove us around town to survey the water and see why we couldn’t leave.

This isn’t a lake! It’s a field where cows usually hang around and eat grass. The campers (as well as all the logs and fallen trees you see) floated down from at least a mile away:

Here’s one way out of town:

And here’s another:

No way through here either:

We could try to get through, of course, but we don’t want end up like this guy:

2 comments November 10th, 2006 Chris

new picture please!

Okay, maybe that pic. works in the family line, but up close like that, I don’t think so…

1 comment November 7th, 2006 Melodie

I’m going to Atlanta!

After my trying to convince myself that I was going to stay in Nipawin for Christmas…I found and bought tickets for 500$ and I decided to close the center for while I am gone.  Yeah!  I’ll get there after 1pm on Christmas day! Yeah!

1 comment November 7th, 2006 Melodie

Chris talks in his sleep.

Early this morning, he turned to me and announced: “I was going to rescue you with dragons! So I called and made a reservation for us, and they have non-smoking rooms.”

“Good.” What else am I supposed to say?

1 comment October 30th, 2006 Anna

Just call me Chris — U.S. Resident!

Well, it only took like…10 months… but I am now officially a U.S. resident. At least, of the nonimmigrant variety, until my actual greencard comes through in a few months. Yay!

Yesterday afternoon, Anna and I crossed back into the U.S. (after a particularly long, holiday-weekend wait) at the Peace Arch, and everything went fairly smoothly. It seemed like they didn’t process very many K3 visas, because we had to wait for a while until a guy finally could be found who knew how to do it. As it turns out, he had some sort of bizarre speech problem that made it sound like he had marbles in his mouth. Made the whole thing a little trickier, but more memorable. He wasn’t able to simply issue me a work permit (dadburnit), as they pretty much can’t do that, and he apparently screwed up the visa he put in my passport since he did it in Anna’s name rather than mine, as we discovered when we went to see the lawyer this morning. So, next time we go to Canada, we’ll need to have them fix that.

Otherwise, no problems!

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving, everyone!

Add comment October 9th, 2006 Chris

Happy Birthday Maia!

Add comment September 1st, 2006 Chris

2005 Christmas Letter

Dear Friends:

How many years in a row can be “a year of new beginnings?”

Christmas ‘04 found all of us in Atlanta . After participating in Northview Community Church ’s “Night Before Christmas,” including 16 performances, Chris flew to Atlanta , to give Dave and Maia ( especially Maia) a hand getting ready for Christmas. After having dinner with Maia’s parents in Kent , Washington , and meeting up with Chris’ girlfriend, Anna, Elsie and Phil flew to Atlanta to join them. Soon, Melodie flew in from St. John’s , and we were together again, just in time for Christmas eve.

Dave (who is now 32) and Maia are now in their 6th year in Sugar Hill, just north of Atlanta . Dave has completed his Master of Counseling degree, and is now doing addiction and substance abuse counseling in the northern suburbs. Maia has continued to work at Egleston Children’s Hospital at Emory University , and has also completed her Master of Counseling. Another brother, Bryce Gray Stewart, joined Bren and Jace, the 4½ year-old twins, and 2½-year old Joel in January. Chris was able to stay with them until after Bryce was born, being what Maia affectionately referred to as her personal slave. We look forward most weekends to a long chat with Bren and Jace, in which we usually hear the events of a couple of very busy little lives, and often, the retelling of a story from a favourite book. So far, it’s still too difficult to carry on much conversation with Joel over the phone, but that will change, and the phone bill will rise accordingly.

For Chris (now 29), the big news of the year is that Anna, whom we referred to earlier in this letter, became his fiancée in July. They are being married in January, at Anna’s church, Illuminate, a ministry of Overlake Christian Church, in Redmond , WA . (www.occ.org/illuminate/index.asp) Chris continues to develop his free-lance career in web design, as Sketchboy Productions (www.thesketchpad.net) but hopes to find a position in the Seattle area after the wedding. Knowing that their marriage was coming up, he moved in with us one last time in July, along with his cat, Sushi. Apparently, when Chris moves out, Sushi is staying. Anna is a wonderful Christian girl, originally from Tillamook , Oregon , who also happens to be brilliant. A couple of years ago, she graduated as a Biomedical Engineer, from Johns Hopkins University in Maryland . Her current position involves research at Syntrix Biosystems. (www.syntrixbio.com) Check out their website to learn more about an incredible couple! (www.routly.com/chrisandanna/index.htm)

Melodie (28) finished her second year at The Salvation Army’s College for Officers Training in St. John’s , Newfoundland , and in June she was commissioned, ordained, and appointed to Nipawin , Saskatchewan . In March, she had been able to spend three weeks in Zambia , renewing her desire to eventually serve overseas. Nipawin has been a challenge, as she is responsible to lead all SA ministries there, including a congregation of 30 or so. But, if you know Melodie, she has never backed down from a challenge! While driving through Winnipeg on her cross-country trek, she met and fell in love with a little fellow by the name of Tornik – a puppy. After visiting us in Aldergrove over Labour Day, Elsie had the privilege of driving back to Nipawin with Melodie, and her cat (since 1993), Callie, so Melodie’s family is complete. At least, for now.

In many ways, this year has been a whirlwind.

New Years Day began in Sugar Hill, at Dave and Maia’s home. Soon, Melodie flew back to Newfoundland , while we returned to BC. Bryce was born on the 15 th , and Chris returned home.

January 31 st , Phil’s Mom, Dorothy Routly, passed away, in her 90 th year, after many years of suffering with Parkinson’s. Have a look at the tribute at www.routly.com. Although the conversations were more laboured as time wore on, we miss the regular phone calls, and knowing she was there.

June was Melodie’s commissioning in St. John’s , so we flew there, literally for the weekend.

July 1 st , we moved from the basement suite, into the main part of the house. We couldn’t have a nicer home to live in!

In August, Elsie concluded her position at Noah’s Ark Day Care. She is now able to be Phil’s “social convener” for his business.

Later that month, our Japanese “surrogate daughter,” Vada, arrived with her husband, Toru, for a visit. We had met Vada when she was studying at the International College in Kamloops , to improve her English skills. She attended our church there, and fell in love with Jesus. For a couple of months she lived with us, before returning to Tokyo . She got married a while back, and they have a beautiful little boy, Daiki, whom we look forward to meeting some day. It was so good to see Vada again, and to meet her husband.

We managed to go camping for three long-weekends this summer, at KOA in Lynden. (www.koakampgrounds.com/where/WA/47157/) Our trailer is stored there whenever we’re not using it, and the campground puts it on the site when we’re ready for a weekend away. Eventually, we’d like to have a larger trailer, and to be able to spend most of the summer there. Except that we have to cross the border, it’s only about 10 minutes from our house.

Thanksgiving was also our 34 th wedding anniversary, and meant a trip to Oregon with Chris and Anna, to visit her parents, and meet other members of her family who live in the Tillamook area. We had a terrific time getting to know this loving, Christian family.
At the end of October, we had the joy of flying to Orlando , where we could meet up with Dave, Maia, Bren, Jace, Joel, and (finally!) Bryce. We had reserved a couple of suites through RCI at Orange Lake Country Club (www.orangelake.com) and had a fantastic week that included four days of Disney World. (disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/index?bhcp=1) It was so wonderful to get to know our four incredible grandsons, who are growing up so fast, and to reconnect with Dave and Maia, who are such fantastic parents.

After returning home from Orlando , Phil wrote his next Professional Financial Planner exam, and the following day (November 9 th ), Elsie’s mother, Dorothy Gray, passed away in her 86 th year. So, it was back to Kingston for a week or two. Dorothy had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s several years ago, and was pretty much confined to bed for the last five years, and incapable of much communication. It had been painful for the entire family to watch what Nanny was going through, but encouraging to see the tremendous love and devotion Vic continued to share with her. Vic misses her as deeply as you would expect. There is also a tribute to Elsie’s mother at www.routly.com

Phil’s business continues to grow. You can go to www.edwardjones.com, go to the bottom of the page, click on “Find a Branch,” type in Routly where it asks you for “Representative’s Last Name,” and it will take you to his web site. It is challenging to basically begin your own business at this stage of life, but it’s also a wonderful opportunity to build a new career serving people by helping them develop plans for retirement, education, etc.

One of our greatest joys has been our involvement with Northview Community Church (www.northview.org). We are in a really special Life Group with some truly wonderful people, who are determined to learn and live out God’s purpose for their lives. In November, we were welcomed into membership, and it looks like we’ll be getting involved in leadership in our church’s Aldergrove neighbourhood congregation.

We continue to travel down a road that had never occurred to us. The Lord has blessed us so deeply, and in such diverse ways, while challenging and stretching us. We are constantly reminded of the truth of Romans 8:28, “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

Have a wonderful Christmas, and a remarkable 2006!

Phil and Elsie Routly

Add comment December 24th, 2005 Phil

2004 Christmas Letter

Dear Friends:

January brought forward what was truly a year of new beginnings!

Christmas ’03 found Elsie, Phil, and Chris in Langley, Melodie in St. John’s, Newfoundland, and Dave and Maia, with their three boys, Bren, Jace and Joel in Atlanta. This year, we all gather in Atlanta, and are we ever looking forward to it!

Dave (who is now 31) and Maia are now in their 5th year in Sugar Hill, just north of Atlanta. Dave has been working his way through his practicum and internship, and will soon have his Master of Counseling degree, with an emphasis on marriage and family counseling. Maia has continued to work at Egleston Children’s Hospital at Emory University, mostly on weekends. Their youngest son, Joel, is 19 months old, the little brother for Bren and Jace, their 3½ year-old twins. And, there’s another one on the way. In January, Bryce Gray Stewart will arrive. They did have their hands full, and now… We haven’t seen them since June ’02, and can’t wait to see them this month.

Chris continues to develop his career in web design, as Sketchboy Productions. (www.thesketchpad.net). He has also expanded his expertise into video production, as animator for “George W. Bushisms,” a DVD focusing on Dubya’s many mispronunciations and flubs. It’s available through Chris’ website. In September, he moved in with some more friends, and was able to take his cat, Sushi, with him. He’s attending Northview Community Church, and once again is one of the featured singers in their annual “Night Before Christmas” event. With 16 productions over a week and a half, it takes a lot out of him, but he really enjoys it. Thanks to Dr. Atkins, he’s been very successful at taking off, and keeping off, the weight.

Melodie is well into her second year at The Salvation Army’s College for Officers Training in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Over the summer, she served in Labrador City – another interesting experience, and in March, she will be going to Zambia for three weeks. In June ’05, she will be ordained as a Salvation Army Officer, and expects to serve somewhere in Canada for a few years – BC’s Lower Mainland would be okay with us! In the future, she’s still hoping to serve overseas once again.

We keep wondering when “tremendous transition” will come to an end! A year ago, Phil was finishing his studies to open an Edward Jones Investment office. He began market research in the Willoughby area of Langley, and opened his business in March. When June rolled around, he was asked to take over an existing office in Aldergrove – just 3 minutes from where we live. Since then, it has been an incredible opportunity to serve people by helping them develop plans for retirement, education, etc.

In January, Elsie began to work at Noah’s Ark Day Care, a Christian ministry in Brookswood. Five days a week, she’s able to get her kid-fix! Since she can’t hug her own grandchildren because of the distance, at least she can hug others! Elsie’s responsibilities are mostly with the infants and toddlers. Noah’s Ark is operated by New Beginnings, a ministry that provides containers filled with donated items for various missions around the world.

Returning to the Langley area was a very difficult decision. We left behind many great friends, but since moving back, we’ve been able to both renew old friendships and begin new ones. We worshipped for our first year here at North Langley Community Church, and were able to participate in a small group there. With Phil taking over an office in Aldergrove, we thought it would be better to get to know more people in this community. Since September, we’re been attending Northview, where Chris goes, and again participate in a care group.

We are now traveling down a road that had never occurred to us. The Lord has blessed us in so many ways, at the same time as He has been challenging and stretching us. In many ways, our inspiration has been the life of Joseph in Exodus, a servant of God in all circumstances, whom God used mightily, serving the needs of those around him, to God’s glory.

May it be with us!

Have a wonderful Christmas, and a remarkable 2005!

Phil and Elsie Routly

Add comment December 12th, 2004 Phil