Christmas Part 1: Home Sweet Home

 

 

I love Christmas tree lights, pretty wrapping paper, curly ribbon and sitting on the floor with the whole family. I love reading our Christmas love notes, watching the kids as they open surprises, and Christmas music in the background. We celebrate at home whenever we're all going to be together and this year it fell on a Saturday, December 22. It was lovely outside and a perfect day for the kids to try out their new mopeds. Richard gave me a Brighton "R" charm...He KNOWS I love letters, and my name. Sheridan got a new handheld game (possibly her first game not a hand me down). My favorite gift that I gave (and received) was a personalized binder filled with our love notes, Christmas pictures and Top Ten lists from the last 10 years. We think it's so funny that Sheridan can't believe we had pictures or Christmas before 2003. It's really bothering her...Lauren says, "You weren't born!" It's been a good exercise for us to realize that if/when we adopt, those children won't have the memories we have, their own ziplock full of personal ornaments, love note binders...or even stockings that match ours. We're thinking on all that, and it made us more thankful and more grounded than ever before.  

 

 

 

Made these on Friday night...on Saturday morning, someone was missing!

Fall on the Lane

 

I took these with my phone on my walk today...I love fall.

 

 

VBS- EVERYTHING is possible with God

There has never been a more true statement we could see in the life of our church than this one as applies to Vacation Bible School. For the first time in the last 15 years we did not have Becky to lead and guide us. We are so blessed that she trained us well and VBS was filled with workers and record numbers of children. Everyone stepped up and took care of things we needed to have done. Students rolled out and were responsible, adults volunteered for lots of things that were out of their comfort zones, and many various folks in our church came out and did whatever needed to be done before, during and after the week. God was there. The songs were sung and scriptures learned. The vans and busses were full of children. The weather was extremely hot and yet there was a breeze most days and shade for the kids. 18 children made decisions about their relationships with Christ. 349 children came through our doors this week, 147 workers helped pull it all together.

Everything is possible with God.

Trust Him.

To God be the glory, great things He has done.

Colorado Christmas

A week covered with so many good things...they could only be from the Lord.

A LITTLE HISTORY: Robert and Richard became friends at the U of A 20 years ago. Robert was a tall, nice, quiet guy. They met at church and then ended up in business classes together. When Richard and I dated, Robert sometimes hung out with us. It wasn't until a few months into the friendship that Richard learned Robert had a sweetheart who went to school at Baylor. After college Richard was a groomsman in Robert and Heidi's wedding and I got to attend too. This is where I first met Heidi as she included me in all the happenings of the Edmond, OK, event. I won't ever forget her kindness to me, an unplanned guest at her wedding.

Robert was a groomsman in our wedding too, in 1992. One year later Richard called Robert when we got pregnant with Ryan. Robert called a few months later with the same news. We both had boys. I called Heidi when I got pregnant the second time. Heidi called back about 6 months later. Lauren and Emily arrived later that year. We had Erin in 1997, they were taking a break. Heidi called a year and a half later and Hallie was born in 1999.


We were sure we were finished having babies for awhile, but they had Tessie three years later (2001). Our Sheridan arrived 2 years later (2003). And, now we were both really done.

Over the years we've kept in touch, exchanged Christmas cards, met at Razorback games, Ryan and Jacob played against each other in baseball, and Emily played volleyball in our town...but we haven't ever had both of our families together until last week.

OH MY! Twelve of us living in the same house.. for 5 days, still liking each other at the end of the trip, now that's amazing. Tonight, two days later, they are skype-ing in the back of the house with their new friends.

Because we left from Grandma's house on the 26th, it was an 18 hour L.O.N.G. trip. We stopped for the night in Dumas, TX, and slept like rocks. We also stopped in New Mexico to stretch and visit a volcano. We finally arrived in South Fork, CO, around 3pm on the 28th.

The rest is history and made the 2010 TOP TEN lists of everyone in our family as one of our favorite things of the year in one of our new favorite places...

The Lane

I love sitting on my porch and seeing the beautiful flowers and trees on our street. It's a thrill for me to see what God has so creatively provided for our enjoyment. Is this what is behind the statement "stop and smell the flowers?" or "Be still and know that I am God?"

How could there be so many varieties, so many colors, so many scents? The Bible says the rocks will cry out in praise if we don't. I think creation also gives God glory and to miss it would be a shame.

Counting my blessings...

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities -
His eternal power and divine nature -
have been clearly seen,
being understood from what has been made,
so that men are without excuse.
Romans 1: 20

A New Look

This weekend we finished the first stage of landscaping our house. Seeing as how we have lived in this house for 11 years and haven't done anything but trim 20 year old bushes and plant some crazy growing monkey grass...it was time for a change.

This is what it looked like:



This was our first attempt at a change:

We had a couple help us with selecting the plants, rock trim and the planting.



On Saturday, Richard tweaked our work and came up with this:



It's exactly like my plans were drawn and I'm very pleased. NOW, I would like to stain the bricks a dark wine color. I'm not even missing the shutters...and the trim all needs repainting. The flower boxes need to be filled and either painted or covered, and I've got to figure out something to do with the bright green hose. OK...it's like the Lowe's commercial, there's always something we can improve!

I'm so thankful for this. It makes me smile when I come home and I'm glad Richard and I got to have our hands in the dirt too. We are blessed to have this home.




Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Psalm 127:1

This is definitely one of my favorite places.