I Need A Bigger Jewelry Box !

"Enjoy the blessings of the day...and the evils bear patiently, for this day only is ours; we are dead to yesterday, and not born to tomorrow." Jeremy Taylor

"Happiness is a by-product of an effort to make someone else happy." Gretta Palmer

"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those he has." Epictetus

We were away this past weekend enjoying time with our sons and their families. Above is a photo of our youngest son leading his horses bearing two precious fair maidens.We had a wonderful time and I am constantly reminded of the blessings God has showered upon us.The true riches and treasures of my life are the loved ones who delight in spending time and sharing their lives with us.I think I need a bigger jewelry box!  "Rejoice always." I Thessalonians 5:16

Best Birthday Present Ever!

My birthday always falls on Labor Day weekend. Usually we go camping, but this year I requested a very big present. I asked my family to give up their time and energy to help my husband & I rebuild and repair our sheep fences. No presents but their presence. Some dear friends volunteered to come help too. (above from left to right, friends Paul Fryer, Mike Ritter, and our youngest son Daniel )

 My husband & youngest son. Guess some men are always boys at heart.

Paul & his brother-in-law, Mike. They added a LOT of muscle and worked hard all day. Thank-you Mike & Paul !Thank-you to Carol & Katie, their wives, for allowing them to spend a weekend day here.I truly appreciate this gift of your time.

 New fence posts for the new and improved fence-line,makes my heart sing.

Old fence on the left, repaired and restructured fence, the right.

Goth, prior to being confined while the men worked.He seems to glory in his pen of destruction. Maybe he loves to see what his power & horns can do, but now, gone are the ugly tarps he ripped, the bent and mangled fences he destroyed.

Our son's dogs Ruger 

and Mongo supervised the work,

while Goth, confined to a small area for the safety of all, played with his rubber balls,and napped.

I cannot express the gratitude I feel for the actions of my family & friends that show their love in a very tangible way. Their presence was present enough, and more.My husband & I could not have done this without them.In a soon coming  post I'll show more of the work in progress. But again I say to all who were here, " thank-you!"."Present:anything presented, a gift." Webster Dictionary

Simply Thankful

Our first-born, our daughter, and me. Her birth made me a mother , and for that precious gift I am thankful.She is now married and  a mother with 4 children of her own.

Our 2 sons ( shown with me ) were born very soon after our daughter and I can honestly say the years I spent at home raising our children were some of the very best years of my life. Don't get me wrong, I am still enjoying life and consider these years wonderful too, but I thoroughly enjoyed being with my children in all stages of their lives, and still do. The amazing thing is I am enjoying their children too !

I don't have anything witty & wise to say this year about Mother's Day because I feel simply thankful. This year it will be a quiet day, and that is very nice. My children have their own children to celebrate the occasion with them, but they have remembered to call me. I am fortunate to be able to be with my children and grandchildren frequently and have a lot of fun with them. But today I will enjoy my front porch. I will leisurely sip coffee as I sit in the rocking chair, watching the birds and my lambs.My husband & I will read the Sunday paper together, and later barbecue some chicken.I also plan on working around our pond, because I like doing that. I will think of my children and their children, I will pray for them all. ( How can I not?) I will again praise God for allowing me the privilege of being a mother and a grandmother, something never to take for granted.I am thankful that today I know my children are all healthy and safe, as are my grandchildren. I am thankful to know that my children & their spouses call Jesus their Savior, that the 7 oldest grandchildren do too. What else can possibly be better than that except for the youngest grandchild to come to Him too? "This is the day that the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

Spring Time ~ Storm Clean-Up Time

Last week there were two beautiful sunny days that just made it impossible to justify staying indoors even though I have so much to get done inside. The birds at the feeders were busy and their whistles, warbles and chirping were a pleasant sound to hear through my open windows.Above you can see a pair of Pine Siskins. My dogs accompanied me to our road on the other side of our pond while I worked for a few hours cleaning up storm debris from the ice storm of February. The dogs are sitting in front of just one of the 5 piles of sticks, branches & limbs I pulled from our pond area.There is still a great deal of work to do before the pond is cleared of the fallen tree debris, but most of the work remaining will require hip waders, our small dinghy, a chain-saw, and more muscle than I can offer.

Doesn't look like much was accomplished, but ...

...here is how bad it looked before I started pulling stuff out.

At least you can tell we have a pond there now and not just a massive brush pile .

The best part of this weekend was the surprise visit from our oldest son. He just drove up the driveway all the way from the other side of the mountains, a 6 hour drive away, and said he was here to help , and he brought me flowers too! Here he is with my husband, they went right to work, beginning the repairs to my sheep shelter.First they had to move temporary fencing to keep my sheep in while they tore down the old structure.

You can see what falling trees and huge falling tree limbs did to the shelter. There was a ram confined here and it is a blessing he was not crushed by so much weight on the tin roof. I was just humming with joy to have 3 of the important men in my life repairing the shelter for my sheep ~ my husband, my oldest grandson, and my oldest son. My youngest son & his wife were having a great time watching our oldest son's daughters, thank-you! Thank-you daughter for allowing us to have your oldest son for the weekend too. With all the storm destruction around here, and lots of work to be done just to repair the damage, at least we can smile as we enjoy the antics and cuteness of lambs while we work. Lots of cuteness, lots of work, life is good ~ thank-you God. "Out of the south comes the storm, and out of the north the cold. From the breath of God ice is made, and the expanse of the waters is frozen. Also with moisture He loads the thick cloud; He disperses the cloud of His lightning. And it changes direction, turning around by His guidance, that it may do whatever He commands it on the face of the inhabited earth. Whether for correction, or for His world, or for lovingkindness, He causes it to happen." Job 37 : 9-13

Welcome Home!

This post contains pictures I think will not be as photogenic as I would like, but these are pictures that make my heart sing with joy. Our two sons and their families are here this weekend for a quick visit. We try to cram a lot into these visits and with so many children there is always a lot of commotion , clutter, and fun! One of my great pleasures is sitting at the table with the children with only Christmas tree lights and candles glowing, and talking with them as they sip hot cocoa, or eat ice cream. ( This makes them very happy and more prone to sharing their childhood joys.) Our oldest son holding his youngest daughter while the oldest daughter sleeps next to him on our sofa.His other two daughters are playing with the big doll-house in the study. The wood-stove has a nice fire within and the house is warm and cozy. We are all full and drowsy from dinner and snacks. I found these words in a very old book on our book-shelf. The book was published in 1909 and translated from Norwegian. The book is titled 'Our Homes and Our Children', by O.Klykken. ~ "A wonderful power is in the word home: the home of mother, our childhood home. This holds good of the child, the youth, the man. Nay, even in old age the word home is able to call up a world of memories and sensations." ..."And God bless your coming and going every time that you really return to take your parents by the hand and hear the familiar and precious : "Welcome home." I say, welcome home sons, welcome home granddaughters, welcome home !

The Easter Bunny Brought You?

~Oldest son with his four daughters in front of new home.~

~Another birthday for you oldest son! Oldest , but NOT old. Three decades plus do not make you old, but definitely mean you are an adult..and able to do very well for yourself. Well for yourself in spite of what life might have brought others to despair. You are blessed beyond imagination! You have four very lovely and loving daughters. You have the love and respect of your family. You have the knowledge that you have served your country well and loved your brothers in arms well and love your Savior well. You have the knowledge of the Word, that has enabled you to persevere through trials and tribulations that could have brought you so low you would not survive...but you have! Happy Birthday son!!!

~David, our oldest son ( left )~

~You were born on Easter weekend, I spent Easter in the hospital cradling my newborn son in my arms. I remember thinking how very much I loved you and for the first time the beginning of comprehension of the love one has for a son , and the knowledge that God sacrificed His own, PERFECT and BLAMELESS Son for me was truly a sacrifice...I do not think I would sacrifice you for a just man, let alone sinful and undeserving men. Yet, He did. I know I would give my life in an instant to save you, your brother and sister, but to give you up for others? No! ~I remember thinking too , that there was a chance you or your brother would be called to fight in a war...how could I ever cope with that?To have a son who is a warrior..like my father? And then I thought about Mary, the mother of Jesus? She watched her own son, the Son of God, be crucified...what anguish and grief she must have endured. Her son was perfect and blameless...yet I know I love you and your brother and sister so much I would rather die than have such an awful thing happen...And here you were, a Marine, called to battle and war. Your father and I prayed for you and you came home from the battlefield in Iraq to another battle and war. One to save your daughters...and you have remained steadfast for them. Steadfast in your love. Do not ever, EVER minimize your importance in their lives, or the lives of your family. Do not forget Who has spared you and kept you safe. Do not ever cease praising Him who has made you and called you to Him!

~Happy Birthday son ! We love you!~

Blessings: sons, daughters, God's Son, birthdays

Oh Joy ....Thanksgiving and Fun!

O~The guest room is ready ! Most precious and special company for Thanksgiving !~~Our oldest son and his 4 daughters will be staying with us. ~

~Our youngest son, his wife, and dogs will be staying with our daughter and her family. We are having a big Thanksgiving meal together, along with special friends ! A feast of food and friendship, love and fellowship ! Games, fun ! Food....lots of food. We have things to do to get ready....

~The kids beds are ready in the guest room. There are bins of toys, a toy barn....... ~Lots of empty drawers for all the things 4 little girls need to put away for a weekend. Books to read, bottles of water and snacks on the dresser. The guest bathroom is clean and there are nice , fluffy towels and children's bubble bath.( little girls, and big ones too..like bubble baths) ~I hear a commotion downstairs, Hubby and I are preparing the dressing to go with daughter's turkey, I am bringing deviled eggs and dessert.I left the cats and dogs alone in the kitchen. I better check and see what's going on. We are trying to get the decorating done before our family comes and we are so excited ! But what's that noise , I really need to get downstairs and check ! Have a blessed Thanksgiving......!""Enter into His gates with Thanksgiving, And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him;bless His name." Psalm. 100:4