"...that in all things he might have the preeminence."
~ Colossians 1:18
In our last tidbits post, I shared some photos
of people and fellowship during our trip.
In this last post of our trip, I wanted to share pics
of us enjoying the abundance of snow we were blessed with!
The day we arrived there was no snow on the ground
but by the end of the evening our van was coated
with the beautiful, cold, fluffy stuff...
Suzie enjoyed the snow as much as the children did...
Here she was in the middle of the road (a cul-de-sac)
with all the fresh, fluffy snow!
Early in the day, the children enjoyed playing in it...
And the days after that...
...Even in the blustery wind...
While everyone else was outside getting frosty,
Ally was inside resting with Frosty... lol
One evening, after washing the van,
father and son explored their car wash mystery...
They saw something laying on the ground
and decided to jump ship (jump van) to see what it was.
It was part of the car wash, actually,
and they were quite satisfied with their discovery,
despite the freezing temperatures.
One of the days, the children worked together with Daddy
to make their first snowman...
(Will had already gone inside before this pic)
This one, actually, got knocked down so they built another
with Daddy and then built a small snow fort with Ally
(though I was taking a nap and no pics were taken).
And this shot seems to be the laugh of the trip...
Daddy was shoveling the driveway and, well,
he didn't quite dispose of all of it properly... lol
(Thanks for the pic, Daddy!) ;o)
Thank you for sharing our trip with us!
Hope you enjoyed seeing our tidbits!
Now that I've shared the beautiful sights
that the Lord blessed us with on our trip,
I wanted to share some pics of people
and the moments we spent together.
Here are a few shots of us on our
almost 950 miles and, roughly, 18 hours trip...
Everyone was cozily situated. Ü
Suzie enjoyed some fresh air along the way.
And I enjoyed a mocha and peppermint twist mocha.
Here are a couple of shots once we got there...
Papa enjoyed listening to Ally play her guitar and sing...
The Saturday after we arrived,
we had a family Christmas party...
my sister, Ally, my mom and dad
Daddy and Ally
My beloved and me
The younger ones sang a couple of Christmas hymns
and Will recited a portion of Luke 2.
Suzie, though she couldn't go to the party,
did receive a gift from an uncle... a ham bone!
And she loved it!
Sunday afternoon, my brother, sister, and their families,
and my grandma came to my mom and dad's house
to open gifts and witness my mom and dad exchange vows.
Here are a few shots from that afternoon...
My "baby" and me
Mama and me
Me and our "lap" dog, Suzie.
Mama and Daddy sitting together as their children
and their grandchildren open gifts.
Mama and Daddy, later, after exchanging vows...
During the week we were able to visit my beloved's dad,
visit the town I grew up in, stop to see my brother's house
that he built, and visit more with Mama and Daddy.
Tuesday's church was cancelled due to the weather
but we were glad we were able to visit our friends
and distant church family at least once during our visit. ;o)
On Christmas Eve, Mama was admitted to the hospital
with extreme difficulty in breathing.
She had pneumonia, congestive heart failure, and copd.
She was there on Christmas Day, too,
so we went to visit with her, especially, since we left the next day.
Daddy was there with her and we brought them
Christmas supper from the house
so they could have it together...
They, also, opened their stockings to each other...
Beth and Carolynne enjoyed looking out the hospital window...
... and sitting on Daddy's lap...
It was such a blessing to be able to go north
and visit with family that we don't get to see often.
We didn't like leaving Mama in the hospital,
especially since Daddy had pneumonia, too,
but we are glad they are home now and doing better.
It was a blessing to be there when we were.
God's timing is so perfect.
Next post, I hope to share a few pictures
of us enjoying the snow!
Since I have so many photos,
I thought it would be best to share them in different posts.
In this post, I wanted to share some of the
beautiful sights the Lord blessed us with...
On our way... through the mountains...
It may just look like rock but what beauty is in it!
The smoke/fog that lay over the mountains was breathtaking!
After getting into the mountains,
we were met with freezing rain...
and with it came a beautiful coat of snow...
A wonderful winter wonderland!
When we got out of the mountains, the snow had stopped
and there was no snow until we reached Michigan.
When we were about half an hour away from our destination,
the snow began, again, and lots of it...
It snowed every day we were there
(except one, which was rain/sleet).
It was such a blessing!!
(This is what we had to tread through to see my brother's house)
A view after my beloved shoveled the driveway.
A sight of icy Lake Huron
And more beautiful snow...
Living in the southeast for many years, snowfall is very rare.
In fact, we've only experienced one and it was last month.
The only time we get to see snow is when we travel
north in the wintertime.
The children and I were praying for snow during our visit
and the Lord, truly, provided above and beyond
what we had asked.
"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly
above all that we ask or think..." ~ Ephesians 3:20
Snow! EVERY day! What a blessing! Ü
Scripture that filled my heart and mind
as I was seeing and loving all that snow...
"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD:
though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;
they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
~ Isaiah 1:18
We arrived safely home from our trip North
early Saturday morning (around 3am).
Thank you all for your prayers! They were a blessing!
I took over 600 photos and can't wait to share a few
(though it's hard to pick only a few from that many!).
We had a wonderful time with family
and the Lord blessed us with LOTS of snow!!
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, too.
I will try to post some photos soon.
Have a great week!
I hope y'all have enjoyed your week!
We've been chuggin' along, keeping busy
as Daddy's been away this week.
We look forward to his return today!
We plan to spend the next couple of days
cleaning, packing, and preparing
for our upcoming trip northward.
We look forward to visiting with family & friends,
participating in our family Christmas party,
and even attending my parent's wedding!
My mom and dad will be reuniting in marriage
a few days after we arrive
and we are looking forward to the happy reunion.
It's been many years since we've spent
the holidays together as a complete family
so this will be a real delight!
We are, also, hopeful that the Lord
will provide us with snow to enjoy!
And it is always a blessing (though a challenge, too)
to be a living testimony for Christ
when we visit our loved ones.
We are excited as we anticipate our visit!
This week we spent most of our time
working on projects, running errands,
visiting with a few friends, and such.
Here a few photos of the children this week...
Beth and Carolynne reading books on the sofa
as Suzie takes a snooze...
Will getting an encyclopedia education...
You can see him snuggled up with one of these often!
Ally crocheting gifts for her sisters...
... and wearing one. ;o)
Here is a photo of the tree skirt that she finished for me,
underneath our tree...
Have a wonderful weekend!
Daddy just walked in
and we look forward to hearing about his trip!
This week I was able to finish a few sewing projects,
which are gifts for the younger ones.
For the lil' girls, I was able to
sew new dresses for their baby dolls.
{click pic to enlarge}
Similar to the kind they wear (collars, gathered skirts, zipper backs).
It's a delight, as a little girl, to wear similar clothes as dolly.
Just as it's a delight for mamas to match their daughters. ;o)
For Will, I made my first project without an actual pattern.
For MONTHS, he has asked me to make him
a frontiersman's shirt like he sees
in one of the history books that he reads so often.
The book explained (vaguely) how to make the pattern & shirt
and I was thrilled to complete such a task! 
I used a thicker muslin and traced one of his larger shirts
on the fabric, adding a little for a seam allowance.
I simply sewed the sides and arms together,
then made the two collars for the neck line,
sewed them on and fringed the edges.
It was a blessing to get a few projects done this week!
I look forward to seeing them gets lots of use.
"She seeketh wool, and flax,
and worketh willingly with her hands."
~ Proverbs 31:13
It seems our bug may have left us.
Thank you for your prayers.
We all seem to be feeling much better now.
I wasn't feeling well on Sunday & Monday
and it was such a blessing that the Lord gave Ally strength
to take care of the household while I was down.
She even did a few loads of laundry, took it to the rooms,
did a couple loads of dishes, cleaned the kitchen counters,
swept (including under furniture), made meals, and so much more.
What a blessing it was!
It's been quite some time since she's been able
to be up so long and work like that!
She and I, also, spent time sewing together this week.
She finished a dress for herself
and I finished two doll dresses for the lil' girls
(their Christmas gifts).
I hope to sew two more this week and other gifts,
including, Will a frontier's man's shirt,
and make 'something' for Ally to get all of our sewing completed
before we leave for our upcoming trip.
The children have enjoyed their days of natural learning
and have been filling their time well...
Hours of Playdough fun!
A precious sight it was to see them all
on the couch reading together!
Suzie, too, has enoyed herself and her new toy...
It claimed to be long lasting but she had it
torn apart within the hour of receiving it. Ü
My beloved brightened my day late last week
and they continue to brighten my days
as he is away for a few days...
I just love "Just because"
Ally arranged a surprise "Just because", too.
This is what I saw as I sat down to sew the other day...
The Lord has blessed me with a house
full of thoughful ones. What a blessing it is!
I hope you are enjoying your week, too.
"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits,
even the God of our salvation. Selah." ~ Psalm 68:19
"They shall abundantly utter
the memory of thy great goodness,
and shall sing of thy righteousness."
~ Psalm 145:7
For Today... December 8, 2008
Outside my window...
the sun is shining in a bright, blue sky
I am thinking...
about our upcoming events this month
From the learning rooms...
continue with more natural learning
and hope to begin a new read aloud
I am thankful for...
our church home and the visitors we had
for our Pig Pickin' yesterday
From the kitchen...
dishes fill the sink from weekend cooking
and a fresh pot of coffee calls my name
I am wearing...
my new red dress with snowflakes
I am reading...
the book of 2 Samuel and John {KJB} ,
Laying Down the Rails (a book on habit training)
I am hoping (praying)...
for our church families,
for my beloved's safety while traveling,
and that this 'bug' will leave our home completely
I am creating...
nothing, yet, but hope to work on our family newsletter
and maybe a couple of sewing projects
I am hearing...
Will and Carolynne talk about chess as they play a game
Around the house...
Ally and Beth are sleeping in,
Mount Washmore awaits more chiseling
and our home needs blessing. ;o)
One of my favorite things...
fellowshipping with other like-minded believers
A few plans for the rest of the week...
go to my dentist appointment,
'extra' bless our home, work on our newsletter
and send out our Christmas cards,
make lists and begin packing for our upcoming trip
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...
This is a photo of my beloved a few years ago
when he and I went to Medieval Times together.
He IS my knight in shining armour!
"I am my beloved's, and my beloved is mine"
Song of Solomon 6:3
... Don't Come Back Another Day
There's a stomach bug visiting our house.
It began with Beth on Friday night and Saturday.
It continued with Will on Monday night and Tuesday.
And it continues today with Ally.
No fever, no sniffles, no ear aches, no coughs...
But lots of reappearing meals!
What a blessing it is when children are well
and it is not necessary to clean vomit
from beds, floors, walls, clothing, toys, and faces.
What a blessing it is when linens are freshly washed,
after spraying the vomit from them with the outside hose.
Better days are coming...
and we look forward to them. ;o)
"Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved,
bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind,
meekness, longsuffering" ~ Colossians 3:12
graphic from allposters.com
Last week was pretty busy for us,
as this upcoming month will be.
Since I don't have a lot of time to post,
I wanted to share some photos from our past week...
The children enjoyed fellowshipping with friends...
UNO fun for more than one! ;o)
Wagon fun with friends and Suzie...
Will was teaching himself how to skate...
(using Dad's skates from MANY years ago!)
Conquering the world... through RISK...
Beth had a little under-the-table reading...
Loving on Suzie...
Just playing around...
Ally sewed poinsettas on the tree skirt she made for me...
Ally was swept off her feet during a fellowship at church...
She and Daddy had a good laugh, too.
After our Thanksgiving supper with friends,
we enjoyed a bonfire...
On Friday, Daddy took Will to the shooting range
along with some menfolk from church...
They had a great father/son time together.
Thank you for sharing our week with us.
I hope y'all enjoyed yours
and that you enjoy this upcoming week, too!
"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits,
even the God of our salvation. Selah." ~ Psalm 68:19
For Today... December 1, 2008
Outside my window...
it's a beautiful 53 degrees,
the sun is brightly shining,
and the wind is blowing
I am thinking...
about what I need to do this week
From the learning rooms...
light, individual work, Will continues to memorize
the portion of Scripture for the children's choir Christmas singing,
continue with more natural learning
as we continue with holiday preparations
I am thankful for...
God's Perfect Word, our church home,
that He hears and answers prayer,
that He loves us when we are unloveable,
He is faithful to us when we are not,
that "Jesus Christ the same yesterday,
and to day, and for ever." {Hebrews 13:8}
From the kitchen...
dishes fill the sink from the weekend
and the fridge is awaiting a new menu
I am wearing...
my light blue, paisley dress with 3/4 sleeves
I am reading...
the book of 2 Samuel and John{KJB} ,
Laying Down the Rails (a book on habit training)
I am hoping (praying)...
for our church families
I am creating...
our matching Christmas clothing for our family pics
I am hearing...
the children playing in the living room
Around the house...
Mount Washmore awaits chiseling
and more blessing of our home is needed ;o)
One of my favorite things...
spending the day together as a family
when Daddy has the day off
A few plans for the rest of the week...
piano lessons that Ally teaches,
dentist appointments for the lil' girls,
finish our Christmas clothing & take family pics,
and work on a few Christmas gifts
Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...
{click to enlarge}
May we be faithful in spreading the Gospel,
to rescue the perishing, and lead them to
a saving faith in Jesus Christ.
"Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. "
~ Mark 9:44
