40th Anniversary of Mom and Dad Kattenberg

We celebrated my parents 40th anniversary at Sun Peaks Resort in Kamloops, BC from July 8th-13th. My parents rented a chalet which could house all of the kids, in laws and grandchildren. There were 23 of us in total: 6 children, 4 in laws, 11 grandchildren and my parents. Since 3 of us live abroad being together as a family is difficult and when it happens it is special. The last time we were all together was in 2005 when we were in Holland for the wedding of my brother Martyn and a week later in Spain for the wedding of my brother Peter. It was a special time for all of us and we all regretted having to say goodbye and return to our respective countries.

We spent the week doing different activities around the resort area. We hiked, played at the playground, fished (one of my favorite hobbies) and hung out. We saw lots of wildlife including fox, deer and bear. Some of the girls had a close encounter with a bear in a tree that they surprised as they were hiking. Thankfully the bear was more afraid of them and in its hurry to climb out of the tree it fell with a crash and high-tailed it into the bush. However, it was a close call as it was only a couple of meters away from them. The brothers and some of the kids spent much of their time fishing in a small lake close to the resort. Although it was quite cold on the lake, the fishing was excellent and we hauled out some 25-30 good sized and tasty rainbow trout. Each weighed between 1.5-3 pounds and we had enough fish to feed all 23 of us twice. For the rest we spent time chatting and enjoying each others company. It was a very special time and we are thankful that we could have this opportunity. We are grateful to God for our parents and the example they have been to us. Although they had their weaknesses and faults (like we all do) they were godly and pointed us to Christ. For me the reunion was an emotional one as it brought back a lot of memories. Many were good memories, but there were also some sad ones as we remembered how God had taken our brother Arjen to be with Him some 30 years ago. Although many years have passed it is not something that is forgotten and there is a void that can not be filled. This trip however, was another opportunity to make memories of all of us together not only as immediate family, but also now with our own children and spouses.
It was a huge blessing to be together and we hope to do this a little more often and not let 8 years go by. It was not only good for us as adults but also for our children who had the chance to get to know each other personally and not simply via skype. What a blessing family is and what a blessing godly parents are! Thanks Mom and Dad! and thank you Lord for your faithfulness and mercy!