If only the walls could talk

If only the walls could talk

We have been inspired by a few things this summer and encouraged to do a tour of local museums with our family.  We are a military family who have been posted all over the country and we are learning so much about our country as we travel.  This year we are learning more about our history from the locals!  We wanted to let you all know about it too in case you would like to take part.

This is our schedule that suits us for the summer, feel free to join in with us on all or some of the visits, or just take the list and go on an adventure of your own!  Happy exploring!

Also, we found out while we were planning that there is an event happening over the next 2.5 years that goes along side this perfectly.  Check it out, there are also prizes to be won.  

http://www.interlaketourism.com/index.php?pag=cms&id=153&p=unlocked:-the-stories-of-the-interlake.html

June 27 
Teulon and District Museum
http://www.teulon.ca/TeulonandDistrictMuseum.cfm
A BBQ will be happening from 11-1 to support the museum.
Cost - Adults:$5 Students $2
Here are our pictures:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.681236368623377&type=1

July 4 
Woodlands Pioneer Museum
http://www.rmwoodlands.info/page.php?id=55
Cost - donation

July 9 
Ridgeway Heritage House (to be confirmed, also please RSVP if you would like to come with us to this site in order to let our hosts plan for us)
http://www.interlaketoday.ca/2011/07/13/heritage-home-open
Cost - donation

July 17
Lower Fort Garry
http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/lhn-nhs/mb/fortgarry/activ/activ3.aspx
Cost -  Adult $ 7.80
Senior $ 6.55
Youth $ 3.90
Family/Group $19.60

July 23
Arborg Heritage Village
http://www.arborgheritagevillage.ca/
Cost - $5.00 - Adults
$3.00 - Children 2-12
Under 2 FREE

July 24
Warren Grain Elevator (to be confirmed)
http://www.westinterlaketradingcompany.com/?page_id=47
Cost - TBA

V. Gross Doll Museum (possibly)
http://vgross.webs.com/
Cost - $5 per person

July 30
Maple Grove Tea Room
http://maplegrove.weebly.com/

Marine Museum of Manitoba (if you are interested in coming, please RSVP so we can book a tour for a reduced rate!)
http://www.marinemuseum.ca/
Cost -CASH ONLY Adult:   $6.50
Seniors ( 65+ ):   $5.00
Child (6-16):   $3.50
Family (2 adults, 2 kids):   $18.00
      Children 5 & Under:   Free       

Lock and Dam
http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/standrewslockanddam.shtml
Cost - Free

August 6
Langtry Fox Farm Tower (we need a group of 20 to have a tour, sign up now!)
http://www.boonstrafarms.com/tours.asp
Cost - TBA

Stonewall Quarry Park
http://stonewallquarrypark.ca/
Cost - please check website

August 16
Eriksdale Creamery (the town will be celebrating Creamery Days this day!)
http://www.eriksdale.com/residents/events.asp?ID=202
Cost - $5

Moggey's Cabin (possibly)
http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM45FQ_Moggeys_Cabin_near_Eriksdale_MB
Cost - free

August 20
Pioneer Quest Cabin (to be confirmed)
http://www.westinterlaketradingcompany.com/?page_id=75
Cost - unknown

August 29
Hecla Historic Village
http://www.heclatourism.mb.ca/index_files/heclatourismvillagetour.htm
Cost - unknown

September 3
Ashern Pioneer Museum
http://www.ashern.ca/bus_detail.asp?ID=496
Cost - unknown


Here are the names of some other sited that others have mentioned to us that are of interest.  Maybe you would like to take an adventure here.  

Grants Old Mill
Mennonite Heritage Village in Stienbach
Aviation Museum
Living Prairie Museum

If you have any questions or concerns, please email us or call us at 204-322-5121.
We hope to post pictures as we go along.  Pray that this is possible.

Have a great summer everyone!
Love from the Vail family

The table continued

I have told my story about the table to a few, and felt compelled to write it on here.  Since then I had a friend come and add another part to the story.  Actually I need to go further back, the story of building the table isn't finished... I got stuck.  I have to admit, I couldn't finish the table in a way that would have been safe for children climbing on it.  I don't allow climbing on the table in our house, but it happens... and usually when I'm not looking..... that said, safety was key.  This table needed to be sturdy!
That's where our friends came along, a gentleman from our church stepped up to the plate and flat out told me that I didn't have the tools to finish it and I needed to come to his home to finish it up.  He was right, I didn't even know what I was getting into or where I was headed.  He didn't share my vision of using discarded wood, but went with it anyway and made sure that our kids would be safe even when disobedient.  :S

Isn't that like our walk too.  Sometimes I need someone to tell me I'm in over my head and give gentle advice and direction when I myself don't have the tools for this part of the journey.

The last friend to add to the table story at this point is my friend Tina.  I asked her to write her part of the story.  This is what she said...
"As for the shelf, I don't know what to add. I was just so inspired by your story, that I wanted to try making something for (my son)'s room - something special that he would like. So I started looking around for supplies and came up with the idea to build him a plane shelf. It was wonderful to transform basic wood into something functional and seeing it all come together was so exciting. It was amazing to see something old and worn be refurbished into something new and beautiful -not unlike salvation, huh?! That's it..."

She is very humble as she writes this. Earlier she mentioned that she was avoided working with wood despite the fact that her dad works with wood. When she heard the story of the table that's when she went to her dad and worked with him to make the shelf.... This is funny for me because she has been an inspiration in my life, as have others. She has helped spur me on, inspiring me to take a look at different areas of my spiritual life and change things that are weak. Thank you Tina for inspiring me.

The table

I have been in the process of making a table for our home.  I looked around us and had a couple of challenges.
1) We wanted to not have to pay for a new table.
2) We were getting close to the 20 000 lbs limit for our move to Winnipeg coming up and I didn't want to make my table with things that we didn't already have, so as to increase the weight of our belongings.

3) I saw a broken fence close to where we live and wanted to give it an extended life rather than know that it went to a landfill.  Yuck.

So that was the challenge.  I have been compelled to write about it because I have seen Jesus (figuratively) in this table over and over again as I continue to labor at it.  I saw it in just the fact that he was likely a carpenter and here I am, a housewife, getting closer to knowing Jesus by doing some of the things he may have done with wood.  

I saw Jesus as I looked at the rough dirty boards leaning against my fence being transformed into a new being, a sanded table for a family to use.  In the Bible in 2 Corinthians 5:17 it says

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

I saw myself in the boards that way.  I am a new creation.  The dirt has been washed away and I am in the process of being sanded into something more and more beautiful each day.  In that I also saw myself.  In some of the pictures I put on my facebook page (I hope to also have on here for you to see) I got frustrated with the table tonight.  I just couldn't get the table to do what I wanted it to do.  I have a vision for it, a vision of usefulness and beauty and I felt that it wasn't working with me.  How many times do I do that with God.  

That's the point where I didn't see God in the table.  I, the human that I am, walked away from the table.  I needed to get it out of my sight and forget about it.  I was contemplating giving up, despite all the work I put into it.... God NEVER does this.  He is always there.  ALWAYS gently guiding, although sometimes the sander hurts it is always for his final vision of beauty.  

I love this table.

New website for us!

You can now purchase our products online.  Please take a minute to visit www.frombackthen.weebly.com to check out our products.  Thanks.

The exciting news is here!

It has been a really long time coming but here I am posting the "NEW" information.  We are now selling soap!  Yay!  Our business name is "From Back Then".  Here is our logo!

If you would like to buy some soap please contact us or stop by Titanium Crossfit to purchase during their regular hours. 

We will be selling many different types of soaps with many different scents.  We have a shea butter soap, a goat's milk base, as well as our main base which is a blend of coconut oil, olive oil and tallow.  

Our scents include, rose, eucalyptus, tangerine bergamot, fennel anise and many more to come.  

If you prefer unscented we have those too.  Our bar named Mr.Vail is unscented with oatmeal, and coming soon is a charcoal bar and our coconut milk based soap.

Our etsy shop is now open.  Keep watching for new products. 
Check it out here.

We are passionate about this and we hope that you are happy with your products.

Soap news

I am now making soap!  I need a name for my "business" if I get serious.  Any suggestions.  I will give you a few bars as a thank you if I chose the name you suggested! (No matter where you live)

For all you homeschoolers out there...

Check out this giveaway, $350 value!

http://homeschoolgiveaways.com/2012/04/giveaway-switched-on-schoolhouse%C2%AE-complete-5-subject-set-350-value/