APRIL 12

I went for a walk on Tuesday afternoon and had to stop and listen to the sound of running water.  It must be spring!  I had to take a picture of this sure sign of spring but I couldn't add the video to my blog so you'll just have to imagine the sound of water running through a culvert under the road into the ditch on the other side.  Such are the views that excite us in spring on the prairie!

This has been quite a week in Saskatchewan.  Last Friday a bus carrying a hockey team from Humboldt was on its way to an SJHL game in Nipawin when it collided with a semi hauling bales of peat moss.  Of the twenty-nine on board the bus, fifteen were killed and fourteen injured. It was such a tragedy.  Ten hockey players ages 16 to 21 were among the dead.  The boys were from various towns and cities in Alberta, Saskatchewan and one from Manitoba.  During hockey season they stay with billets in Humboldt.  Playoffs were taking place and soon these boys would be heading home for the summer.  But that was not to be and now their families are arranging for funerals for their young sons.  The cause of the crash is still under investigation.  Did the semi go through the stop sign?

Broncos team ready for a game

Grandson Dawson played Bantam hockey with Prairie Storm in 2016-17 with one of the boys, Adam Herold from Montmartre, SK.  Adam would have been 17 on April 12. His birthday present, a new surfboard, was wrapped and waiting for him in his room at home.  His funeral is on Friday in Montmartre.  Greg, Dawson and perhaps Eric, will be there.

Todd went to Briercrest Bible College with Darcy Haugan, the  coach of the Humbolt Broncos who also died.  

Any family with boys who have been hockey players can relate to this hockey life.  Most of the hockey players in the NHL grew up playing in similar situations, often leaving home at age 16 or even younger to play with these junior hockey teams.  Support has come in from far and wide to assist these families and the many who are injured.  It was announced that a 16th victim has died, the female trainer of the team, Dayna Brons.

Now back to our Johnson family.  We enjoyed having Laurel and Ashley with us for a couple days over Easter. Clare joined us on Easter Sunday for morning worship and a turkey dinner.  Ashley and Jodi were in Las Vegas for a "hot holiday" where they also met Jodi's sister from Edmonton for a few days together.  They took in a curling game of the Mens World championships.  Canada made it to the final but lost out to the team from Sweden who were also Olympic champions.

There are two anniversaries and two birthdays in our family this week.  Kirk and Shauna celebrated their 18th wedding anniversary last Sunday, April 8.  They just got back from a week long family trip to Mexico.  Here are some pictures.

Shauna (Fornwald) and Kirk's wedding day at
Salem Lutheran Church, 2 miles from our farm

Enjoying sunny, warm Mexico with Carter, Lindsay and Jamie

Greg and Laurel will celebrate their  21st anniversary on Thursday.  They were married in Regina at Our Savior's Lutheran Church on April 12, 1997.

Here they are with their family, Eric, Dawson and Ashley at our Erickson Family reunion last July.

Alan's son Derek turned 47 on April 11.  Here's a picture of him and his family in Calgary - Jackie, JJ and Ben.  Jackie will catch up to Derek on April 16 so Happy Birthday to both of you!

Todd will celebrate his 41st birthday on Sunday.  The day he was born in 1977 Howard and Grandpa Horace were "over east" on the land we farm six miles east of here.  They weren't seeding yet, but doing some pre working. No one will be out on the land this year on the 15th, still some snow on the ground and muddy.  Have a very Happy Birthday, Todd.  We'll Facetime you!

Alan with Elly Clara and Todd at Cypress Park

This weekend Abbey and Lindsay will both be in Edmonton as part of their school band trips from Weyburn and Lampman.  Safe travels girls and enjoy!

We plan to go to Milestone on Sunday for two special events.  Ashley has a dance recital in the afternoon and we have tickets for the dinner theatre in the evening - "The Old People are Revolting".  We will spend the night at Laurel and Greg's.

Today was my morning at Torquay Library, reading a story to the preschool group and checking out books for them.  Many of them were wearing jerseys in memory of the Humboldt players.

It's been a cloudy, dreary day which goes well with how people are feeling these days after that horrific bus crash last Friday.  Flags are flying at half mast in Canada, a day for each one who died.  An ordinary day last Friday, April 6, but at five o'clock that afternoon  it turned into an infamous one that will live long in our memories. Heartfelt sympathies to all who lost loved ones that day.  Only a loving heavenly Father can bring comfort in such a loss and he depends on you and me to help in this task.  There is something that each one of us can do, starting with prayer and God will lead us from there.  Love to all readers, family and friends.