Christmas and Beyond

We had a White Christmas!

Tom and I spent the day, enjoying every minutes of the celebration.

Christmas Eve candle light service in a barn. It was very moving!

Christmas morning, kids running to their gifts

Down on the floor, playing with the new toys

Papa was asked to "babysit and feed", Ila May's new doll

Family picture

 That's right!

It's COLD!!

Beautiful and cold.

For some, it's not so great.

Lucy, our dog, couldn't find

 a spot to do her "business"

Tom shoveled some snow and

now she is happy.

~~~***~~~

"For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection and brotherly affection with love.

For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

2 Peter 1: 5-8

It's Christmas time

and I'm all ready.

I'm sitting back with my 

Christmas socks on.

Presents are wrapped (and some sent).

Cookies are made.

I'm just relaxing and enjoying

this time of year.

I want to show you what's been going

 on around here this passed week.

 

I love this picture!
Lulu helped make this candies.

Here she is reading while watching

 the candies, so they aren't over done.

Pretzels and Hersey Kisses.

Yummy!

 Our first snow!

Tom got into the swing of things and

made sure our sidewalks were clear.

 If you look closely, you can see

him across the street
doing our neighbors sidewalks, also.

What a guy!

Merry Christmas!

Peace and Joy!

I'll be back next year!

~~~***~~~

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Emmanuel."

Isaiah 7:14

Another Birthday For Me

Yup, it snuck up on me!

But not Kimmy and family!

Breakfast with presents.

Homemade birthday cards!

Lulu sewed this heart pillow for me!

(with out any help)

Levi painted this heart box.

He knows blue is my favorite color and 

that I like polkadots

(the ring inside is one Levi gave me a few years ago)

Ila May, Kimmy and Mark

gave me a make-up bag that lays out flat,

then closes up.

Great for traveling!

Tom gave me a Selfie Stick!

Below is our first attempt at practicing

how to use it.

We laughed so hard.
HELP!
We need a 3rd grader to show us how to use it!


~~~***~~~

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing, it is a gift of God, not a results of works, so that no one can boast."
Ephesians 2:8-9

Post Thanksgiving

 We all went to the airport to pick up 

Todd, Steph, Trey and Scarlett.

They were welcomed in style with a
 colorful, homemade sign.

The cousins meeting
 Scarlett for the first time.
I was one very happy
 Grammie-goo / Ommie!

 Dinner was perfect.
Tom and I had our family together again!
The food was good, too!

Snow and sunshine.
Great weather!

The cousins played inside and

 outside with each other.
Oh...there's Todd wrestling
 with Trey and Levi.

These are all our grandchildren.

ONE IS MISSING!

HE/SHE will make an appearance sometime

in June!

(Kimmy is pregnant)

We miss these guys very much!
The weekend was way to short.
Memories were made and will be treasured.


~~~***~~~

"But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children - with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts."

Psalm 103: 17-18

December Already!

Celebrating the 40th

********

Our Son-In-Law, Mark

turned 40 and 

we had a small but fun surprise

birthday party for him.

Tom and I baked this cake.

It's called an Anti-Gravity Cake.

They had just come back from a vacation

and Mark didn't have a clue.

Tom and I went over earlier to set up and

 decorated before they arrived

SURPRISE! 

Happy Birthday Mark!

Around Town Finds

Some of you know that I love to

 find clouds that look like animals or sometimes,

 a Jet flying into a tornado.

Yes, this is an actual street name.

Oh, the fun I'd have if this was our street name!

This....well, I'd like to understand.

~~~**~~~

Yesterday morning,

 Tom and I were drinking our coffees in bed, while reading.

 Lucy was sleeping in between us. 

The mornings are getting 

really cold over here (26 degrees burr).

It was a cozy, warm and start to our day.

Until, I spilled my hot coffee on Lucy, who jumped up and

 looked at me like, WHAT?

My coffee cup was totally

 upside down and empty.

Tom and I both jumped out of the warm but wet bed.

We flew into action.

Tom gave Lucy a bath.

I stripped the whole bed.

I knew it was going to be a all day long,

 process of cleaning up this mess.

Mattress pad was washed first.

I took off the duvet cover and washed the down comforter.

The sheets. pillow cases and duvet

 were next to be washed.

Then all were dried!

This was just step one!

Have you ever fought with a mattress pad?

You think one corner is on and it pops off?

This went on for awhile.

My next fight was the

 fitted bottom sheet. 

Sweat was running down my face!

But the biggest battle was still to come.

Getting the duvet back on the comforter!

It was about 4:00 PM when I finished

 making our bed.

There is something special about getting into a freshly clean bed. 

I appreciate my bed and the smell of 

clean sheets,

 mattress pad,

 duvet cover

 down comforter, 

pillow cases

and dog.

~~~***~~~

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Romans 8:28

To Seattle and Back

Can't keep away from our 

newest grandchild.

Scarlett is coming into her own.

While holding her,

 getting some great pictures,

she gave me a huge and very loud surprise.

Rule is;

if a grandchild needs their diaper changed

 and you are holding or

 the one closest them, 

YOU change the diaper.

I changed her diaper.

I surprised Trey while he was still at school.

It's fun to watch children from a distance,

when they don't know you are looking.

***********

The top picture is of Trey when he was a week old.
Cooper snuggled up to him
for the picture.

This bottom picture is of Scarlett.

Cooper is quite the lover.

Cooper you are a special dog.

~~~***~~~

I brought home these Maple leaves

 from our visit to  Seattle. 

Love the colors.

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid'

John 14:27

Harvest Festival, Nampa Style

This was Tom's first time to our church's

Harvest Festival.

He had plenty of escorts to show him

ALL fun activities.

Kimmy and me

The Harvest Festival was held

 on a huge farm.

Plenty of room for so many activities.

Food:

Carmel apples

Carmel corn

Hot cider

(and after all the activities

we had a Chili Feed.)

Kimmy helping Ila May

Art Activities:

Paper pumpkin decorating

Headbands

Ila May and Levi

Horse Rides

For some, it was a pretend cow

but Silas didn't care!

Individual  Activities:

Bow and Arrows

Lassoing

Stilts

Slides

 And then there were the

Relay Races

 (for ALL ages)

Wheelbarrow races

Sack Relay

That's Lulu on the right!

Go Lulu Go!

Baton Relay

Go Levi Go!

The last and BIGGEST contest was the

Tug of  War!

Above,Girls vs Girls

The younger and smaller girls were waiting their turn, while the older girls were pulling hard.

Everyone had a turn because

 the categories were vast. 

Dads vs. Dad

Dads vs Boys

Boys vs. Boys

But the most anticipated was the "famous"

Mom's vs. Sons

The above picture is the mom's 

working hard, to show their strength.

Everyone was yelling & cheering them on!

Mom's won!

So much FUN!

Kids gave kids wagon rides.

Later, there were Hayrides.

~~~**~~~

Every year there is a Pie Contest.

Only Apple or Pumpkin!

Lulu entered last year and decided to try again.

Here are the judges, taste testing all the pies.

Guess who won 1st Place 

for her Apple Pie?

Lulu did!!

We all had so much fun, 

kicking up our heels!

Looks like someone went a little over board. 

~~~~***~~~~