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Happy Birthday

 

 

To Our Favorite Diane

~ Our oldest daughter ~

We Love You!

 

 

 

 

It’s A Cold, Windy Evening

 

 

The howling wind and evening sky tell me it’s cold outside – without even looking at the thermometer.

  

The waxing crescent moon and Venus (bottom left of moon) are bright in tonight’s dark, cold sky.

 

 

It’s a good evening to have a cup of soup in my new, very large cup.

 

 

While waiting for my soup to heat, I assembled my newest reed diffuser.  I had never seen these – and received two for Christmas.  The smaller one is peppermint-scented and came from our “adopted” grandsons (David and Zachary).  

I acquired the other one during our Christmas night game of Now-You-Have-It-Now-You-Don’t.  It is pumpkin pie-scented and was brought to our family gathering by our sister-in-law Pat.

It seems that the pumpkin pie scent belongs in the kitchen, and I will place the peppermint one in the living room.

 

~~~

Wishing You A New Year

Filled With Joy and Peace

~~~

 

We are enjoying a quiet evening – my favorite way to celebrate the close of a year.

 

 

 

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord, 

the all-powerful God,

who was and is and is coming!

Revelation 4:8 (Contemporary English Version)

 

 

 

The Result of a Drunk Driver

 

This is what the TFC entrance sign looks like after a young man hit it last week.

 

 

 The teenager was blessed to have only a broken leg – and maybe a good lesson on why it is not wise to drink and drive.

 

 

Ask the Lord to show Himself powerful in this young man’s life, and to make this experience a life-changing event.

 

 

This is what the sign used to look like.

 

 

 

I have told you these things,

so that in Me you may have [perfect] peace and confidence.

John 16:33 (Amplified Bible)

 

 

 

I’m Not Available for Blogging Tonight

 

…because I’m trying to win just one online Golf Solitaire game. 

(I didn’t win one – not one!)

 

 

 

Jesus answered,

If a person [really] loves Me, he will keep My word [obey My teaching];

and My Father will love him,

and We will come to him and make Our home (abode, special dwelling place) with him.

John 14:23 (Amplified Bible)

 

 

 

Another Christmas Celebration!

 

This time it was our own family – local children, grandchildren, and a few friends.

 

 

But first, I must show you two photos of our pretty, foggy morning.  The farm buildings are where we were last night to celebrate my family’s Christmas.  The house is to the left of the silos.

 

 

There were wisps of fog everywhere, creating a springlike scene.

 

 

My lunch buffet

 

 

We were pleased to have our niece Juanita (second from right) join us for lunch.  She is the one who had car problems on the way from Michigan to Pennsylvania the other night.  She brought Cerwin’s mother today, so we invited her to stay.

 

 

What do you think Roy, Gloria, and Diane are reading?

 

 

Juanita, Chris, and Jeff are looking at something as well.

 

 

What could be capturing everyone’s attention?

 

 

It was this puzzle which Jere and Kristen brought.  If you want to try to look for the numbers, I’ll give you one hint.  Can you see the “number two” in the forehead and nose of “H” (bottom center)?  See if you can find any others. 

 

 

Then Kristen read from a cookbook given to her by their kindergarten student, Ian.

 

 

Notice Kristen standing (left) and reading a few recipes from the cookbook.

 

 

Don’t miss the PS.

 

 

 I love Ian’s recipe for making hot dogs.  I wonder what would happen if you microwaved a hot dog for thirty minutes!

 

 

Then it was time to open gifts.  First was the grandchildren’s gift exchange.  Apparently Diana had Jesse’s name.

 

 

Jared, Diana, and Jesse.  Jesse wanted to help open everyone’s gift.

 

 

 

 

Ian

 

 

Gloria and Jesse

 

 

Jesse and Gloria

 

 

Zachary and Jesse

 

 

David

 

 

Jana

 

 

Diana and Josh.  When she was finished opening the package, I missed the cutest photo op when she reached over and gave Josh a shoulder hug for the gift.

 

 

Jenna

 

 

Josh

 

 

Abigail

I’m not sure how or why I missed getting photos of Nathan and Jordan opening their gifts.

 

 

Then we gave our gifts to the children and grandchildren.   We give them money – along with a small token gift. 

 

 

Then Cerwin and I received gifts.

 

 

Cerwin received a gift card from Cabela’s in this neat box.

I received a variety of flash deflectors for my camera.  I am going to really like them, because they can be stored flat, yet do a good job of deflecting the flash in the direction I wish.

 

 

Mary Jane (Jeff and Chris’ adopted mother), Cerwin’s mother, and my stepmother. 

 

 

While some were watching a football game, a few of us played a card game called Golf.

 

 

 This is a favorite of our mothers, and we continued playing after the others went home.

 

  

 Would you believe that we have one more Christmas dinner. 

That will be in Maine, when we go there next weekend to celebrate Christmas with our daughter Diane and her family.

 

Postscript:

  

 The three guys in the background of Jenna’s gift photo (Nathan, Jordan, and Josh), decided to use one of their “days” and stay overnight.  It is so much fun that they like to hang out together.  I think they wanted to play GameCube or Xbox, eat, play computer games, eat, watch a game, eat, and watch a movie. 

While Cerwin and I relaxed and watched a “Herbie” movie, we could hear them laughing (very loudly) and checked to see what was going on in the next room.  They were watching some funny movie.  Their laughter was a beautiful sound.

 

 

 

Do you see what we’ve got?

An unshakable kingdom!

And do you see how thankful we must be?

Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God.

Hebrews 12:28 (The Message)

 

 

 

Christmas at the Farm

Saturday evening with my siblings and their families

 

 

 This is an hors d’oeuvres  meal.

 

 

 Bacon-wrapped water chestnuts

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Dessert table

 

 

 This gathering is held at the farmhouse where my siblings and I grew up.  My oldest and youngest brothers and their wives share this large house, and I think it is the only time of year that the door between the two is opened – so this “gang of sixty-four” can have the run of the house. 

 

 

 Molly (a niece’s daughter) and our granddaughter Jenna

 

 

 Caleb and his daddy, David.  David is married to our niece, Laura.

 

 

 Those who know our family, know that this would be the foot of our daughter Deb.

 

 

 Our twin nephews, Kevin and Neil

 

 

 I asked them to look “cool” – and this is what I got.

 

 

Our niece Sarah and her husband Mike.  I think that is the back of their son Jacob’s head – Andrew’s hair is a bit darker.

 

 

 The kitchen of my youngest brother, and his wife, Brenda

 

 

 Becca and Kevin (Neil is behind Kevin)

 

 

 My brother Clair.  I am not the only photographer in the family.

 

 

My favorite photo opportunity of the evening

 

 

Cousins Caleb and Molly

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The kitchen of my oldest brother Dale (back to camera) and his wife, Dot.

 

 

 Dale and Dot’s living room.

 

 

 The basement room where the younger set visited.

 

 

 Small gifts for the children

 

 

 I put a small soda and snack in a baggie and gave each child a number, then Diana called the numbers and the child whose number was called choose the snack pack they wanted.  This was held in the living room of my youngest brother.

 

 

 Emma with her choice

 

 

 Neil trying to convince Jana that he would like to taste her snack

 

 

 Nathan and Jere testing their strength

 

 

 Kelci – my sister, Nancy’s, granddaughter

 

 

 This mask shows up every Christmas.

 

 

 Ashlea is really cuter without the mask. 

 

 

 Jason and Larry – two of my sister’s son-in-laws

 

 

 Visiting in the kitchen

 

 

Two of my nieces – Andi (holding her daughter, Molly) and Jessica

 

 

 Caleb

 

 

 Kurt – looking cool

 

 

 A good picture of Becca

 

 

 Molly getting sleepy

 

 

 Molly fell asleep in grandma Brenda’s arms.

 

 

 It looks like there will be a new baby by next Christmas.  The reason for Baby “Roar” – their last name is Rohrer (pronounced “roar”). 

Kevin and Amy could not be there due to a Rohrer Christmas celebration.  They did stop in as we were preparing to leave, but I did not think about taking a picture.

 

 

 It was an evening of great food and memories.

 

 

 Family is a great treasure.