Postponed Mother's Day

This year, Sunday, May 8th, 2016, 

was a busy time of the year for 

our family.

It was in between two birthdays and

 a mother that was 

9 months pregnant.

Best thing to do was, push it out so everyone 

could enjoy spending time together.

So we postponed it until

JULY!

Last weekend, it was the time!

We all piled into the 14 seater van and headed to

the town of Horseshoe Bend.

There, along the side of the road,

 was a perfect spot for a picnic.

It was a short hike to a sandy beach, 

right on the Payette River.

There were hundreds of rafters

that floated down the river.

We had plenty of time to sit, relax, talk, eat, and 

enjoy each other.

Happy Mother's Day Kimmy!

We even had homemade cards,

 special crowns and presents.

Lots of photo opportunities!

And plenty of time to watch

the boaters.

It was so exciting.

Some boats would stop right in front of us to

use the rope swing!

Happy Mother's Day
2016

Preaching = Pie

"And He said to them, " Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation."

~Mark 16:15

This past Sunday,

our regular Pastor was away. 

 Mark, our son-in-law, 

was asked to do the honors and preach.

This was his first time to share the message.

Mark worked long and hard for days.

On top of all this,

 he  runs his own family business,

from home.

To celebrate his wonderful accomplishment,

the family came over after church 

to have some relaxing, family time.

I surprised Mark with a homemade

Blackberry pie.

 We have a thorn-less, Blackberry bush in our backyard.

It is just now, showing ripe berries.

With just enough for two pies!

 This all, who we could wrangle up,

 for the pie picture.

Baby Isaac, Kimmy, Ila May, Mark and Levi.

(missing is Lulu and Silas & Papa)

Well done Mark!!

click here to listen to his sermon on Personal Holiness 

"Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serve is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen"

~1 Peter 4:11~

Penny Love #3

"Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and truth."

1 John 3:18

For several years now, I have been making

a Penny Love Jar for 

each grandchild.

A few years ago,

I found the book Penny Love  by Lisa Sours Hale.

While in the store, I read the whole book

and was in 

tears before I finished it.

Now, every time and each time,

I read this story, I cry!

I'm always asked by one of the grand kids 

before I read it to them,

"Are you going to cry?"

I say "NO", but then I do.

Click here to read more about this

charming book and why I cry when I read it.

Lulu has had, her jar for awhile.

Levi has his jar.

 Now, it's time 

for Ila May to get her 

Penny Love Jar.

The fun part is

they get to decorate their jar with stickers.

Ila May with her finished jar.

She even has some pennies!

"I love you too Grandma!"

I love you too,  Ila May!

~~~***~~~

Toes and Pine Cones

"But someone will say, 'You have faith and I have works', Show me your faith apart from your works and I will show you my faith by my works,"

James 2:18

Today, I have a mani/pedi from some 

special Spa Helpers,

Ila May and Lulu!

Their family has been learning what, 

why and how to serve others.

Lulu and Ila May came up with this ideas all by themselves,

To Serve Grammie-goo

What a special privileged to be the one chosen. 

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

John 13:34-35

I was pampered with iced water, 

flowers, a decorated 

bathroom, fresh towels,

and

 a spritz of perfume, 

by two of the cutest aestheticism, 

this side of the Mississippi!

I now have the most colorful fingers and toes.

And now for the Cones...

 We've been having troubles with
 our neighborhood cats,

using the front garden!

Not a pleasant way to greet guests.

 I read somewhere that pine cones will stop

the cats from walking in the garden.
I paid our grandchildren, a penny-a-cone.
Look how much they picked up.

When I came home the other day,
 this huge bag of pine cones

 was waiting at our door.

Our Mail Delivery Lady
 brought these to me.
A few weeks ago she asked me about
why I had cones in the garden.
She said she had pine trees and lots of cones
and would drop off some. 

Today, she did.

She left us a cute note in our mailbox.

***

I thanked Monica with a bouquet of roses and told her

that she will be "famous" because of her thoughtfulness.

 will go on my blog.

I let her know that I was going to blog about her.

She asked for the name of my blog.

So... Hi Monica!

 My garden is beautiful and the cones are working.

I love living in a small town. 

People like to help/serve others.

"So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially those who are of the household of faith."

Galatians 6:10

Abundance

"The thief comes to only steal, kill and destroy.

I came that they may have life and have it 

abundantly."

John 10:10 

 Mark, Kimmy and family went on a vacation for about a week.

While they were gone, Tom and I

were in charge of their animals,

two rabbits and a cat,

The swing set really missed the kids!

It looks very lonely and neglected.

  

Apricots anyone?

Date Night in Nampa

Since we have retired from working,

Date Nights have become

Date Days or Date Outings. 

But this time is was a real

Date Night.

This is Still Water Hallow

(click here for more info.)

A beautiful venue, where we were about
 to be entertained by a
comedy improv group.

But first... a tour of this fabulous place.

 This chapel was built in 1899.

Still Water Hallow hosts about
 100 weddings a year.

 These two building (chapel and old barn) 

face each other.

Impeccable gardens with old,
relocated, cabins and houses.

The show we were about to see
was in the brand new, air conditioned, barn.

(below, right)

Recycled Minds, is a two man show that interacts 

with the audience.

I haven't laugh so hard in a really long time!

We even won two tickets for an upcoming show.

After the show, the sun was setting on this
fairy tale setting.
People were paddling around in boats on the lake.
Very romantic and memorable,

The end of a great evening.

~~~***~~~

"Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with action and in truth."

1 John 3:18

Bandanna Picnic Blanket

"I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives

I like to see a man so that his place will be proud of him,"

~Abraham Lincoln~

Happy 4th of July!

This is a bandanna picnic blanket that I made 

for my daughter-in-law's birthday.

click here for instructions

Enjoy getting together with 

family and friends

 on this Holiday!

~~~***~~~

"How good and pleasant it is when God's people live together in unity,"

Psalm 133:1