My Word for 2013

It's hard to believe that 2012 has come to end.  So much happened that tested my Faith, my word for 2012. I saw miracles happen, and had to rely on faith to get through at other times.  I saw what the faith of hundreds could do when they joined together in prayer for a little boy named Zavier, who was cured of cancer.  Praise God!  I saw what faith could do when my Mother, who went through several surgeries, mostly major, came through though the odds were against her.  Faith saw me through personal experiences where I thought I had no hope.  It has been a year of blessings, and triumphs, answered prayers, though some not the way I wanted.  Faith. It seems it was the perfect choice in words. 
So now, with the new year upon us, I have chosen a new word to lead me through the next 12 months. And the word is FORGIVENESS.  There are so many times that past hurts literally want to eat me alive. And though I say in my heart I Forgive, letting go and truly feeling that forgiveness in my soul is difficult.  So this is what I will be working on this year.  Have you chosen a word for the new year?  If so, what would it be?

Christmas Eve Eve

Greetings to all of you! 

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas,

I have to say, this one was the best ever.

On Christmas Eve Eve, as we call it,

our family gets together at Wendy's house

for the pre-Christmas celebration.  

The work she puts into this, and the traditions

that have been created over the years,

make this such a special evening.

My grand niece celebrated her first Christmas, with Mom Rachel!

My triplet grand nephews, now 10, joined in the picture of my

nephew Dave and Preston.

It was such a special surprise when my cousin Carol, whom I haven't seen in several years,

came in with her awesome fiance' Tim!

And my nephew Jeff, whom I haven't seen in forever!, showed up with my sister Kathy!!

My Grand daughters, Tara and Kiley, were adored by my nieces, Jenna, Claire, and Kayla.

My sister Wendy puts so much into this evening, and one of the crafts she gave the kids

was a Nativity sticker page. I helped Jenna put hers together.

I love this picture!!  Wendy's kitten was in the back room, 

and came up to the door. Kayla

played with her through the window.

I was really unhappy when it came time to take the family 

pictures, my camera battery went dead!

But all in all, this Christmas was fantastic.

I hope yours was as special!

Merry Christmas!

To all of you!

Marwood Bags

It's hard to believe it's been a year already since we did the Christmas bags for the nursing home. Because the weather was so bad today, Ken and I did them up, I didn't want anyone out in this.
But we did it, and here are 40 bags ready for delivery tomorrow morning, with little stuffed Teddy's peeking out!  I know it seems odd, (the bears) but the residents really love to receive them.

Owl and Cat Are Still Best Friends (2012)

Owl and Cat Are Still Best Friends (2012)

I think we all need a smile and an awwwwww moment.  This fits the bill, enjoy!

My Prayer

 My niece Jenna, 5, in kindergarten.

My niece Kayla, 8, in second grade.

My prayer for all mothers today:

That you hold your children closer,

that they never leave your door

without a hug and being told

you love them,

when they come home, 

that you welcome them
with open arms.

Talk kindly,

love deeply,

and never let them fall asleep

without knowing they

are truly loved.

And with their bedtime prayers,

that they know God.

And to all mothers everywhere,

God Bless You.

Today my heart is so heavy with the tragedy in Connecticut. I urge all of you to please pray for the families, children, administrators and officials who are so traumatized by the events.  I pray the white light of the Holy Spirit wrap them in His love, and peace. 

Christmas

I can't believe it's been over a week since I last posted. 

It's been a very busy time, preparing for Christmas!

I also can't believe this Santa mug is fifty years old! 

I received this at a friends birthday party when I was 8.

It was brought out every year at Christmas,

and after Mom moved, it came home with me.

My little white tree was redone this year with all new lights, 

and set up with my nativity set.

I've always wanted a ceramic Christmas tree, 

they bring back childhood memories.

So when I found this one at our yearly

Pawzaar for five dollars, it had no choice

but to come home with me. 

I ordered up the lights, Ken got the angel,

and it looks so pretty! Now to find its spot

and enjoy!

Back now to catch up with all of you

my dear blog friends.

Chillin'

 Andy and Tyler warming on the receiver, their favorite spot.

Just relaxing with my boys!

A New Tradition

Today was the first of many sister and friends get together to create ginger bread houses. Wendy spent several days baking the parts, and then we gathered to put our creations together.  

We started with a table full of candies and treats. Everyone contributed, and when layed out,

 it was quite the spread. Wendy spent hours making the house walls and roofs.
We all had the same pattern.  It was so fun to see
each persons individual interpretation of there house.

We all worked diligently for several hours. Rachel and her and ours family friend Ariel were very engrossed in the project. (Congratulations Ariel on graduating with your Bachelor's!)

Nancy moved right along with hers, being the
first to finish!

My sister Kathy, works on the roof of hers. I'll get a finished
picture of her when she has it set up at home!

Nancy's completed!  Isn't that the cutest?  She even used

cotton for smoke coming out of the chimney.

Sister Wendy, made this white an blue masterpiece! 

The details are amazing!!

This is Rachel's finished Candy Land theme. Adorable!

I thinks she nailed it!!

Ariel, who worked the longest, came up with

this masterpiece!  We were all amazed,

as she kept adding more detail, I mean look at the roof,

and the adorable little mailbox!

And this is mine. I melted down hard candies for the widows, which

really light up when a battery candle is 

placed inside. Wendy and Ariel also put the windows

in theirs. 

I think, for being the first time we have done this,

they all turned out fantastic!

We have decided this will be a yearly tradition.

Preparing for Christmas

 As the Canadian geese continue to fly over, my niece 

Robyn stays busy decorating for Christmas.

Her nature tree is one of my favorite theme trees.

 She has six, plus her main tree.

 Preston followed me and my camera,

and kept looking up at me. "Say Cheese"

he'd say, and I just kept clicking! 

I love this kid!

 He was fascinated with Santa.

My sister bought her this  mushroom ornament.

It's beautiful.

My triplet nephew Jake, also gets in the spirit.

Oh. All these were taken the day

after Halloween! You should see it now!

I'll just have to show you!

Cancer Free!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!  My blog friend Lola, whose grandson Zavier has been struggling with cancer, is now cancer free!  God is so good.  So many prayers went up for this little boy, from family, friends, and blog family.  Lola, I'm so grateful to God for giving Zavier back his life.  Praise God from whom All Blessings Flow!  I'm so happy for you, Zavier, and your family.  God Bless All of You!

Thanksgiving

I want to wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving.  

Family, friends, and food. 

And of course thanks to God for his many blessings.

She's Got the Blues!

My little great niece Rainey is the sweetest little girl! She smiles all the time

 and is so happy go lucky!

However, I guess everyone has to have the "blues"!

For the Love of Books

 I have two nieces who love to read.  Kayla, above, is in second grade and reads at a fifth grade level.  She's into chapter books, and one of her favorite things to do is curl up with a good read.

If my niece Claire gets a book for any occasion, all other gifts go by the wayside

 and she's in book heaven. 

Good for both of you my little ladies!

A Shadow on My Curtain

Next Time You're Told To Keep Your Fork.....

Woman and a Fork
There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things 'in order,' she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.

She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in.

Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.

'There's one more thing,' she said excitedly.. 'What's that?' came the Pastor's reply.
'This is very important,' the young woman continued. 'I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.'

The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say. That surprises you, doesn't it?' the young woman asked. 'Well, to be honest, I'm puzzled by the request,' said the Pastor.

The young woman explained. 'My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone Would inevitably lean over and say, 'Keep your fork.' It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming...like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!'

So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder 'What's with the fork?' Then I want you to tell them: 'Keep your fork ..the best is yet to come.'

The Pastor's eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman good-bye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She KNEW that something better was coming.

At the funeral people were walking by the young woman's casket and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, 'What's with the fork?' And over and over he smiled.

During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation He had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either.

He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork let it remind you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come. Friends are a very rare jewel, indeed. They make you smile and encourage you to succeed. Cherish the time you have, and the memories you share. Being friends with someone is not an opportunity, but a sweet responsibility.

And just remember...keep your fork!

The BEST is yet to come!

 

Witches and Scattergories!

Each October, my sisters and I go to our friend and adopted sisters home for a small Halloween get together. For every year, Nancy picks a different theme. This time our theme was Witches Hats. We each had to decorate a hat, and would be judged on the best. This time though, there was no judging as they all turned out so well.

Wendy, doning her hat, holds our friend Carrie's hat. She was unable to attend, but had bought a hat for the occasion! It sang "I Always Feel Like Somebody's Watching Me' while the eyes twirled!

 

Nancy created this hat in purples. It turned out awesome!

This is a picture of her hat from the back. It was adorned with feathers and spiders.

My sister Kathy crazy quilted her hat, "wow" describes her hat best!

A close up shows the spiders she created from beads and wire! They were awesome!

This is the hat I made, I wanted to make it like a fall harvest that I could also use on the table as a fall 

centerpiece. Some things were bought at the dollar store, others were gathered from my yard.

We played Scattergories, Nancy always makes up her own catagories depending on the occasion. As always, another great time! Next years theme? You'll just have to wait a year to find out! Let's just say it's going to be mounds of fun!

Sphyx Sphacts

Hello ladies Kathy works with!

Now I know you think I'm a little on the homely side, 

but let me tell you a little bit about me! 

I am a  sphyx cat, a french breed.

I've been described as the "part monkey, part dog,

part child, and part cat, breed, as we have traits of each!

We are a very mischievous breed, very loyal to our humans as we follow them around and even wag our tales. Just ask my human, she'll totally agree!  We are highly intelligent and very trainable.

I am a heterozygous sphyx, as I possess only one copy of the hairless gene, which means 

I do have more hair than the homozygous sphyx which has two.

We aren't more wrinkled than any other cat, you just can't see them because they have fur!

Since we are the only breed that perspires through our skin,

we require regular baths, unless you want to your clothes

to be colored in a brilliant shade of orange!

Our breed has a fine down that feels like a soft suede.

Yes, we aren't the cat for everyone, I mean we do have a face that only a mother could love

I've heard.  But as far as cats go, I'd have to say that our breed is not only

the most unique in appearance, but in my Mom's opinion, 

I'm the most lovable and intelligent cat there is!