Christmas Memories

A very Merry Christmas was had by all...

 Christmas Eve

We braved the winter weather...

Driving through Donner Pass on New Year's Eve

...and drove miles south to enjoy celebrating Christmas in Palm Springs with

Pop Pop Jake, Grandma Linda and Great Grandma Joan...

Decorating Christmas Cookies with Grandma Linda...

Pop Pop Jake helping taste the cookies...

These two ladies spoiled us... 

they are truly a blessing to our family.

Christmas Day was filled with love and the sharing of gifts...

 

Treasures made with little hands...

 

 

A gift for the engineer ...

...and the budding Scientist 

 

She got a Wii!

 

"Surprise love, we are going to Paris!"

Sarah and Thomas sharing a hug with Great Grandma

The joy of the memories are full in our hearts...

 Lighting our "Christ" candle and listening to the 

History of one night long ago on which 
our Emmanuel was born into the world...

A Time of Waiting

We have been counting the days until Christmas at our house... It is a long month of waiting.  Every night over the advent season, we have stopped at the end of our day to read a Jesse Tree Devotional and to pray as a family... to remember God's plan for salvation and to rest in the Hope of  His eternal Glory!

The children have enjoyed placing our hand made ornaments on the tree...
The Jesse Tree Devotional we used was written by Ann Voskamp.  If you care to download your own copy, just click on this link.

As we read together the history and linage of Christ, I feel the day's stress and burden lifted... and I sit in awe at the beauty of life... the warm glow my children have in the darkened room... as we sit by candle and the light of an evergreen tree...

I feel loved as my husband leads us and encourages us to unwrap up yet another gift of love for the following day to share with others.

The loss of my Grandma several years ago around this time still stings deep...she loved this season most of all.  Now we feel the loss of our Lucky boy.  The absence of our dear ones right near this Joy filled season has brought to mind the reality of death...my heart aches. I am reminded  that Christmas is not always a happy occasion.  For some, it can be a reminder of painful memories or the stark realities of expectations not met, or simply the pain of current circumstance of life itself.

 

Yet, through pain and trial... we learn to trust and look up to our Heavenly Father for Hope...Christmas is a reminder of the Hope that has already come... the Hope that we look forward to... life without pain, without sorrow, without poverty and without death.

It is a reminder of who we are waiting for... and who we all long for to fill the emptiness of death...JESUS.

One day He will come in all His Glory... and gather His own... those who have loved Him with their whole hearts... who have had faith and put their trust in Him... but for now we wait with Joy in our hearts knowing that God is sovereign and faithful and always good.

Oh come, Oh Come Emmanuel!

Lucky

This week we had to say good-bye to our dear and faithful dog, Lucky.

Anyone who knows our family, knows that Lucky was a very "lucky" dog.  We adopted him fourteen years ago, a foundling in a park on the streets of Philadelphia... Life has been a little bit richer with him as a part of it.

 I am so thankful God determined to bring him into our home. 

We will miss our Lucky boy...

Sarah shared our sentiments on the day of his death:

In loving memory of Lucky.

The faithful companion who loved till the end.  

We give our gratitude.

October 31, 1996 - December 7, 2010

A House Filled with Thanksgiving!

This year we had the privilege of hosting 

Thanksgiving dinner for both of our families...

My sister and her sweet family drove the many miles from Seattle...

My brother came from Baton Rouge, Louisiana... a surprise for my parents...

they had all of their children together.

My husband's family was able to join us as well...

John and Ruth

Happy Birthday Mom!

 

 

 

Sarah and Abby playing the fiddle together...

The house was filled to the brim with Thanksgiving and cheer!

Is there anything more beautiful than a man cleaning the Thanksgiving dishes???

Happy Grandma and her grand-babies...

Thomas and Josh having fun together...

My Daddy counting his blessings..