Xanga

With all my heart I praise the LORD! I will never forget how kind he has been.

Psalm 103:2 (Contemporary English Version)

~~~

O my soul, bless God, don’t forget a single blessing!

Psalm 103:2 (The Message)

Christmas Supper With Cerwin’s Family

Sunday Evening

I tried to have some festive table decorations since we did little decorating this year.

Jordan taking the first cup of mocha punch.

Velda (Cerwin’s sister) and her husband, Mel, brought Cerwin’s mother (back center). She is talking to our oldest son Jeff. Our son-in-law Roy is on the right. Mel is in a brace – to stabilize his neck due to a fracture that occurred from a fall several weeks ago.

Getting everyone together for prayer before the meal. There were thirty-seven of us.

Grandma always gets to go first when our family has a buffet dinner. We had sandwiches, baked beans, macaroni salad, ribbon salad, and a variety of other foods that go with an evening buffet.

Getting ready for playing Now-You-Have-It-Now-You-Don’t.

Everyone who wanted to participate brought a $10.00 gift card – most unwrapped.

Mother choosing two numbers from the basket.

I had some small open gifts for the four youngest. They each chose a gift they wanted – starting with the youngest (Peyton) who chose a bag of gummies.

She is trying to convince Ian to also take a bag of gummies.

Actually Ian wanted the Mentos. (I’m not sure where the chocolate bar came from.) Jared chose a six-pack of orange soda.

Jesse chose Pop Tarts. As you can see, he is already eating one.

Megan (our niece) with her friend, Eric. She came directly from her job as a chef.

Haley and Justin

They recently became engaged, and will be married next fall.

I love being with family and learning more about what is happening in each of their lives. It was an exhausting, but enjoyable day for me.

Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions.

Psalm 119:18 (New Living Translation)

~~~

Uncover my eyes so that I may see the miraculous things in your teachings.

Psalm 119:18 (GOD’S WORD Translation)

Today We Met Bailey Ella

For the First Time

One of my favorite photos from today. She is the granddaughter of Cerwin’s brother, Elvin, and his wife, Patti, and daughter of Jakey and Crystal. Isn’t she a cutie?

Because I need to get to bed and rest my weary body, I am only posting one photo from our Christmas supper – more to come later.

They will name him Immanuel (Hebrew for “God is with us“).

Matthew 1:23 (The Message)

~~~

The God Who Came

Still Comes

Countdown to Christmas

Monday – Inge invited TFC’s International Office staff to her house for lunch.

It was also a good time for us to see her new house.

Dessert

A few of her Christmas decorations.

Each of the office girls was able to attend: Susan, Jane, Chris, Connie, Inge, and Lynn.

This is what they look like after a long day at work.

Depending on the day, they may look like this.

Everyone who was at the meal: Jay, Susan, Chris, Jane, Connie, Inge, Peg, Lynn, Bunny, Cerwin. (Scott and Mike were not able to attend.)

They added me to the mix while Inge took the photo. I work for the International Office – but out of our home.

On the way home, I had to wait in our town square while a Christmas light was changed.

Tuesday we labeled and mailed the January issue of Highway News and Good News.

Helpers this month were Harold & Lois Keller and Arlene & John Heisey.

During coffee break we enjoyed Christmas cookies from Lois Keller. They were delicious. Thanks, Lois.

~~~

Wednesday was overtaken with my car accident.

Thursday was a day of recovery and rest.

~~~

I posted a bit about Friday in the previous post. In the evening Roy and Deb helped us prepare the garage for Christmas supper on Sunday and lunch on Monday.

They had to take some things to Jere and Kristen’s house before coming here, so brought Jana along to help.

Deb brought cookies for dessert.

That means all I had to do today was make several batches of mocha punch mix, do laundry, and finish some light cleaning.

~~~

It will be more laid-back on my part – people may find dust and there are fewer decorations in the garage – but I’m ready for Christmas Day!

I guess that’s a good thing, because it will be here in two hours and a few minutes – whether I am ready or not.

~~~

Physically there are not a lot of changes from yesterday – except that my black and blue bruises are turning yellow, and I sense a bit more strength and healing. Your prayers encourage me.

Another Day of Improvement

I went through a variety of stages of pain and improvement yesterday (Friday).

When I got home from the hospital on Wednesday, my body was craving a neck and shoulder treatment from the whiplash. Carla (my massage therapist) suggested that I wait until Friday – after my body healed a bit.

Cerwin went along to help me on and off the bed. That was quite a process! (I have to kind of roll into and out of bed.) By the time Carla was finished, my neck and shoulders had loosened significantly.

We had a lot of stops to make in preparation for two Christmas meals at our house (Sunday and Monday), and decided to get them done on this outing. I stayed in the van at most stops, because getting in and out of a vehicle is one of the most difficult things for me to do these days.  

I did get out at the paper supply store, because Cerwin didn’t know where to locate the things I needed. When getting back in the van, I made an incorrect move that caused incredible pain in my sternum for awhile. By the time we stopped at our friend’s house (Gene and Rose Gehman) for pumpkin rolls I ordered – I was exhausted.

It was about then that Cerwin reminded me I was about an hour beyond my pain medication time.

 No wonder I was feeling so bad! I took two ibuprofen that were in my purse, and stayed in the car for the next few stops. It took about half an hour until I got on top of the pain.

Note to self: Don’t forget to take pain medication.

The afternoon went well, and I was able to get a mailing to the post office – with Cerwin’s help on the heavy lifting. At one point in the early evening I forgot about my pain and plopped down into my La-Z-Boy the way I usually do. The pain took me right up off the chair!  

I’ll try not to do that again for a few days.

Roy and Deb brought supper (Subway roast beef sub) and helped us set up the garage for the two Christmas meals that will be here. They had to take some things to Jere and Kristen’s, so brought Jana along to help. It is nice to have that out of the way.

After they left, I took my nighttime dose of two Tylenol with Codeine, and was ready to sleep by the time I finished posting my blog.

The phone woke me at 10:50 p.m.

 When the man on the other end said this is Officer John…, my first thought was that something happened to someone in our family. However, it was the officer who came to the accident site. He apologized for calling so late, but said he was on night shift. He just wanted my side of the accident story. He closed by saying, “You know you will be sited for this accident.” I said, “I am sure.”

I slept well after that, and feel much better this morning. The neck and shoulder massage did loosen my neck and shoulders. I was even able to put on my own socks and raise the foot rest on my recliner. When Cerwin came to the living room a short time ago, he commented on my socks and foot rest. 

I told him that he will soon be out of a job.

God is certainly answering your prayers for me.

I will praise you every day; yes, I will praise you forever.

Psalm 145:2 (New Living Translation)

~~~

Every day I will thank you; I will praise you forever and ever.

Psalm 145:2 (Good News Translation)

More Photos From Saturday

December 17

We were following this car for awhile in Ephrata and liked their bumper stickers.

That afternoon I took time to look at the pretty feather pattern and coloring of this finch.

We heard that it might snow that evening, but were surprised when it did.

Snow beautifies everything!

Your caring words and prayers have been part of my healing

I feel a definite change in my body this morning. The pain is not gone, but I feel healing in my bones and muscles. I slept well with the help of two Tylenol with Codeine.

Yesterday when Cerwin was helping me to get dressed, and was putting on my socks, I teased him that this is part of his vow “for better or worse – in sickness and in health.”

He went to a local dealer yesterday afternoon to look for another car, and when he got home, wanted me to go along to look at one he liked – a Toyota Rav4. (We are expecting that our car will be totaled – and since we need a second car, Cerwin wants to have a plan in place.) If it is not totaled we will rent a car until our CRV is repaired.

I told Cerwin this is my Christmas present to him – a new car!

I was surprised at how unsettled I was at approaching cars – especially from side roads.