12/31/10

I am reflecting today.... in pictures and in words.

I cannot believe it is the last day of 2010.

This year has gone by quickly, yet has been filled with much!

First of all, I must love going out of 2010 with a bang because yesterday, early, early morning I went to the ER and through tests had emergency surgery to have my appendix removed! Thankful for how the Lord helps us to know when things just aren't right. :) On the mend, now, but can't do much. Going to be laying low on this New Year's Eve.

I can honestly look back on this year and see so much growth in myself in many ways.

I see growth in the Lord. That is what I reflect most upon at the end of each year.

I grew in understanding His grace, love and mercy in ways this year I had never thought possible. It became more real to me through different life circumstances and I am so thankful HE is always there and loves me unconditionally.

I see a marriage that became stronger.

Through adversity comes a closeness or can drive others apart. Through our tough times this year Steve and I drew so much closer... and we were already pretty close, I thought! He truly is my best friend and I am so blessed to have him. I love him dearly.

I see Wesley and Mikayla grow so much in so many ways - physically, mentally, spiritually.

Wow, this year has been one of maturing for the kiddos. I still can't believe they hit the "decade" mark. They have been learning the value of hard work in different ways, learning how to be more thankful for what they do have, learning how to love the Lord and see Him as their Heavenly Father.

I see how our parenting has changed to fit where they are in their lives now.

Our desire is to help Wesley and Mikayla see how much they need the Lord every day. Yes, there are still times when discipline occurs just because there were those consequences, but learning the lesson behind it and why GOD wants something different from them is where we are now concentrating. What a blessing to have our Heavenly Father guiding us as we lead our children into a closer relationship with Him. I know it isn't a perfect parenting, because we aren't perfect, but He is there helping each step of the way.

I see dear friends and family who have been there through this year.

We are so blessed with many friends and family who have walked with us through different paths of our year. I, for one, know of two very special friends who have walked quite closely to me in some areas of life and I am so blessed to have them. There is nothing like a true friend. I love them dearly.

Finally, I see the new year approaching and I want to give you something to reflect upon. Start off the New Year with this thought I read from a Francine Rivers book about Caleb from the Bible. (He is the one who went into the Promised Land with Joshua.) It was Caleb's prayer as the Children of Israel were about to enter the Promised Land after their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.

Lord, don't let us become complacent. Don't let us become so used to miracles that we fail to recognize and give thanks and praise for what You do for us. Sometimes, You are so vast. Your ways so incomprehensible, that we fail to see You at all.

And You are here.

You are over us and behind us. You go before us and are our rear guard.

You breathe life into us.

Let us not forget that we are but dust without You, only chaff to be blown away by the lightest breeze that may come against us.

Thank you for reading my blog for another year. :)

Happy New Year, everyone! I pray that 2011 will bring much blessings to you from the Lord.

12/30/10

You may wonder why I have photographed bullets for a 22 rifle.

It is because Wesley got a 22 rifle for Christmas. He is following in his daddy's footsteps of wanting to hunt. Steve sold his 22 rifle to buy my engagement ring. Now he can have the fun of having one again... sortof. lol

Steve is teaching Wes how to load the bullets.

Now Wes is trying.

Shooting practice at the barn.

Wesley got used to loading the bullets pretty quickly!

He did well hitting the target. Steve shot a few of these, but most of them are Wes'.

Shooting at the homemade target. :)

Will I say that having a gun around makes me a bit nervous?

Well, yes, if I were completely honest I guess I would.

However, I know that Wesley is being taught very well how to handle the gun and himself with the gun to be safe. The rest of the worry is where I just put all of that in the Lord's hands. Wesley is so excited and I am excited for him, too. :)

12/29/10

Our first snow of winter... officially. We had around 8 inches of snow here. It has been great looking out at the beauty of it all. This is our backyard.

Molly had the BEST time in the snow. She was a hoot to watch!

Check out all of the snowballs attached to her fur.

Sweet Molly

Trying to chew off Mikayla's glove

Now pushing her down....

Mikayla gets a hold of her and wrestles her down. lol

"Can I play with a snowball?"

Wesley fixing his sledding area and Molly watches.

Molly pounces on Mikayla while she is trying to sled. lol

Silly girl

Wes

I was out there along with Steve.... in all our glory. Steve had to work night shift for the plows and salt trucks for the Town. We didn't see him very much. He didn't get a lot of sleep, either.

Mikayla falls off her sled... lol

Goin' down the hill!

Fell off the sled, too....

Molly kept trying to grab Mikayla's hat. She had already taken it one time and ran with it. lol

Don't you throw that snowball at me!

Molly - Queen of the sledders

Wesley loved sledding!

Mikayla trying to keep Molly still enough so she could build something.

Wes throws a snowball.

Getting another one ready

Steve even got to sled!

Molly dominates again.

This was me on top of the tractor yesterday as I was photographing icicles. Not a great picture, but you get the point! You gotta do what you gotta do to capture a photograph!

12/28/10

We've been:

playing in the snow

watching movies

cleaning up some Christmas

sleeping in later than we should

playing the Wii

photographing

LOVING BEING ON BREAK!!!!!!

12/26/10

Isaiah 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

12/25/10

From our house to yours.....

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Luke 2:11
For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

12/24/10

Happy Christmas Eve!

We have cookies/goodies to get ready for Santa.

We have reindeer food to make.

While this is not our main focus at Christmas we do have fun preparing and making memories!

I have been reading in Luke 2 all week in my devotions. I had read this from my Institute for Creation Research Defender's Study Bible before, but it was quite interesting to read it again regarding the shepherds abiding in the field and the heavenly hosts that came to announce the Savior was born. Enjoy these study notes!

Luke 2:8 - Abiding in the field.
It is unlikely that shepherds would be abiding in their fields in late December. Furthermore, the 70-mile journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem would probably have been too difficult for Mary in the winter. A more probably time would be late September, the time of the annual Feast of Tabernacles, when such travel was commonly accepted. Thus, it is rather commonly believed (though not certain) that Jesus' birth was around the last of September. The conception of Christ, however, may have taken place in late December of the previous year. Our Christmas celebration may well be recognized as an honored observation of the incarnation of "the Word made flesh" (John 1:14).

Luke 2:13 - Heavenly host.
The probability is that this mighty angel, leading the heavenly host in their praises, was Michael the archangel; this occasion was later commemorated by the early church as Michaelmas ("Michael sent"), on September 29, the same as the date of the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles. It would have at least been appropriate for Christ to have been born on such a date, for it was at His birth that "the Word was made flesh and dwelt (literally tabernacled) among us"(John 1:14). This would mean, then, that His conception took place in late December. Thus, it might well be that when we today celebrate Christ's birth at what we call Christmas (i.e., "Christ sent"), we are actually celebrating His miraculous conception, the time when the Father sent the Son into the world, in the virgin's womb. This darkest time of the year - the time of the pagan Saturnalia, and the time when the sun (the physical "light of the world") is at its greatest distance from the Holy Land - would surely be an appropriate time for God to send the spiritual "light of the world" into the world as the "Savior, which is Christ the Lord" (Luke 2:11).

12/23/10

My sweet Steve loves this Christmas song and hasn't been able to hear it much, if at all, this year. I decided to look it up on YouTube and put it on my blog in honor of HIM. He now just needs to read my blog and hear it. lol :)

"Christmas in Dixie" by Alabama:

12/22/10

I just had to show the projects the kids finished the weekend we did all of that baking. These are Biography Bottles and they did these instead of writing a book report. There was A LOT of hot glue involved, therefore, I had to help with a lot of these projects. Let's just say that me and the hot glue didn't get along. I burnt myself a lot... and it wasn't just a slight burn, either!

Wesley did Daniel Boone.

I made his coon skin hat and it is stinkin' good. Thankyouverymuch.

Mikayla made Laura Ingalls Wilder.

She was lookin' snazzy with her eyelashes and holding her book.

School projects are also parent projects sometimes. Just sayin'.