Christmas Village

Our Christmas village has grown so large over the years and it is our tradition to set it up every Christmas season. This year much of our village is still in boxes and we debated about setting it up because we still have so much to do and so many unpacked boxes sitting around our home.

Tradition won out and we set up a small portion of the village on a coffee table we placed under living room windows. When I plugged in the lights of the village and the little lighted Christmas tree glowed as the village townspeople twirled around the tree I knew we'd made the right decision.

Yes, when our youngest grandson walked into the living room, spied the village and marveled at the miniature goings on , we knew we'd made the right decision !

May you and yours have a wonderful Christmas and take joy in the message of this season and for all time ~ " And she will bring forth a son , and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins." Matthew 1:21

Our Worker Man

 Seems so many years ago and yet again only yesterday. It is cliché but true... time flies swiftly by. More than 3 decades ago our youngest son was born and he brought great joy to us ( as did his older sister and brother ! ). The picture above was one I snapped when he cut down a tree on the property we were preparing for our new home here on Cedar Pond. Our youngest son was always busy and constantly reminded us he wanted to be a " worker man". By that he meant exactly what he said, he intended to be a hard working man, and he is. On this particular day he kept asking his dad for work, he wanted to help out. Finally, with so much going on and little time to spare my husband gave our son a dull axe and showed him a tree he could chop down. I do not believe my husband expected Daniel to persevere in the work this would require, but about 2 hours later we heard his little boy voice yell "TIMBER ! " and indeed, he felled the tree.

 When he grew up and began working as a farrier ( horse-shoer) he met and married our beloved daughter-in-law Breezy. They had a  delightful cowboy wedding complete with their faithful dogs accompanying the wedding procession.

 13 years after they were married God gave them their miracle baby, a son.

 Happy son with his wife and son. And yes, our son is a "worker man" !

Happy birthday son, we love you soooooooooo much !

" Commit your works unto the Lord, and your plans will be established." Proverbs 16:3

" In all your ways acknowledge him ( God ) and He will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:6

They're Watching You !

They're watching you ! Yes, your children & grandchildren are watching you. The grown-ups in their life are amazing to them , and most important of all is the example of their parents. Everything little children see you do is filed away in their little brains. Little brains that hold an infinite amount of information they "download" throughout their lives to aid them in making decisions about pretty much everything. If the adults they love and want to emulate are good and of godly character, children have an example filed away for all their lives of how to behave and react for good. If little children are taught God's ways by parents who love God and live for Him, they have a blessing & a treasure money cannot buy. This is a treasure they will use all their lives. Even if they might lose it for awhile, it is stored away to be found when needed and sought.

The picture above is of our youngest son shoveling snow while his infant son is watching from indoors. My heart is happy when I see my grandchildren learning from their parents how to work , and that work is not unpleasant, but a blessing & a privilege. I remember many years ago when our youngest son ( shown above shoveling snow ) was a very little boy. I happened to glance out our kitchen window and see him following my husband around and saw my son stop and deliberately rearrange himself to imitate my husband's walk and stance. That memory is forever imprinted in my mind and causes me to be thankful for a godly husband who is also a godly father & grandfather.

Fill your children's lives with men & women of good character & godly influence. Ask God to show you wisdom & discernment regarding the people you allow into your children's lives, and that includes t.v. shows , internet access, teachers and babysitters, video games. Your children count on you, the adults in their lives to love and protect them in a way no one else can or will. Our children are our heritage and our blessing. "train up a child in the way he should go, even when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

Long Prayed For Gift Has Arrived !

 What a month this has been . I entered a new decade of life ( 60 years old now ) and our youngest son and his wife were blessed with their first-born child after many years of marriage, a son ! My husband & I now have another grandchild, a baby long prayed for . God is so good to us , our little grandson and his mommy are healthy and doing very well.



I have been gone most of this month, starting with the state fair to coming home after being there for 5 days & nights, to unloading the animals and travel trailer so my husband & I could drive over the mountains 6 hours away to see our new grandson.( Just holding a newborn baby makes me want to cry for the happiness of a new life. Precious.) Then we came home for a couple of days to catch up with things around here so I could head back over the mountains with our oldest grandson to help out with the new baby . Our daughter-in-law had to have a C-section and needed a little help. She is recovering quite well now and I am getting back into my daily routine around here , with a bit more spring in my step and a happy song in my heart... a new grandson, praise Him ! " Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights ; " James 1:17