Paris

We have been enjoying each day in Paris... enjoying amazing food, soaking in the wonderful history and architecture... and getting over jet lag...  the past  few days have been a blur but we are having a wonderful time!

 The Louvre, our first Day in Paris

 The River Seine

 Cathedral Notre Dame

 The Right Bank of Seine 

A Chapel in the Latin Quarter

The Paris Metro... the way we get around town...

La Tour  Eiffel!

 Place Des Vosges

 La Tour Eiffel from Trocadero

 Markets of Rue Cler

 

A Wonderful Suprise

My husband is full of surprises...

He has arranged for he and I to leave for Paris in a little over a week.  I have been running around getting prepared, tweaking schedules and trying to read up on one of my most favorite cities!  It will be fun to linger and allow my mind to wander as we share time as husband and wife inspired by beauty and dreaming together...  A good way to start off the New Year.  What a blessing...

 

What a wonderful surprise...

Tres Bon!

Thoughts on A New Year

A New year has come upon us and I have to admit that I am a bit surprised how time seems to fly by.  It was only a short while ago I was contemplating my 40th Birthday and here I am looking at 41 in just a few days!

I think time is rather sneaky this way... it slowly progresses when we watch the clock in our youth, yet as we diligently begin working out the trials and joys of life, it seems to pick up the pace... Now,  I am always looking for ways to slow time down just a little bit.

This year I want to see in slow motion.  I want to linger in the moment.  I want to savor each and every opportunity to be still... I want to love deeper... listen more... be available... and more thankful in every circumstance.

This is on my heart as I begin this year new:

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!  

Let your gentleness be evident to all. 

The Lord is near.  

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, 

by prayer and petition, 

with thanksgiving, 

present your requests to God.  

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, 

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  

Finally, brothers and sisters, 

whatever is true, 

whatever is noble, 

whatever is right, 

whatever is pure, 

whatever is lovely, 

whatever is admirable

—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—

think about such things. 

Philippians 4:4-8

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..

Big Dreams of Little Boys

This morning we awoke to the beauty of white flakes floating from the sky.

My little "snuggle bug" came down for his morning cuddle.  A daily ritual that I cherish.  We opened the curtains and lazily watched the snow fall while burrowed in a soft haven of warm covers and piles of pillows.  As always, we discussed what was on my little boy's mind.  He always talks with me best in the morning...I just listen.

This morning it was the idea of owning sheep.  He has decided he wants to have sheep... a farm... a dog to herd the sheep... a big RED barn with a big hay loft... a horse for Sissy to ride any time she wants...and a bright brown fence.  He will drive a tractor... his wife will plant the alfalfa....etc.

I smiled and held my little boy with big boy dreams...

Great is My Thankfulness

The past few weeks have been overflowing with goodness.

"The Crab Apple Tree in it's Fall Glory"


Hours have been spent learning about trees.

We had a wonderful time sharing our discoveries with our dear friends (and kindred spirits) who also homeschool:  Check out our day in the park over at the Kronz family blog.

Our Autumn has been warm and lovely.  Entire afternoons have been spent in Nature Study and play...

The Garden has been "put to bed".  Winter is soon to arrive and the cold nights are already here to stay.

Currently, as we prepare our hearts for the celebration of "Thanksgiving", we have been reading all about the history of the Pilgrims and the sacrifices they made to practice their religious convictions in the midst of oppression.

The Children have read of the hardships that many of the Pilgrim's endured,  their passionate journey to America to find a new homeland where they could enjoy both prosperity and religious freedom, and how God worked to guide them through it all.

We have also read a few old classics, like "An Old fashioned Thanksgiving" by Lousia May Alcott  and  "A Cranberry Thanksgiving" by Wende and Harry Devlin.

Thomas insisted on making Grandma's Famous Cranberry Bread recipe from the back of the book, "A Cranberry Thanksgiving"

Today, the wonderful smell of Cranberry breads have been filling the kitchen...

Great is My Thankfulness...