Gorgeous Day But Sad/Glad in a Way

Couldn't believe the colors at sunrise !

Ready to hit the road for GYC

GYC is a Youth led spiritual renewal conference~mentored by an older generation of leaders.  Many families attend this retreat together even though it is geared towards young adults~we parents benefit too. I was glad to send them off on such a beautiful morning~but sad that I wasn't in the car with them.  Maybe next year...

This Christmas

we enjoyed a friends Christmas tree

and worked on a Gingerbread Cottage that wouldn't stand up...

We are having a different kind of Christmas this year. No one took time to put up Christmas decorations~or maybe it is more realistic that we did not feel comfortable pulling down our Christmas boxes from the attic.  With a neutropenic family member our mindset has changed. We tend to be more aware of germs~and we wonder what germs we would bring down from the attic that may affect our family member.

Or maybe the reality that everyone was too busy before Christmas, and that some family members will be gone until the middle of January affected our decision to leave them in the attic~ Whatever the case, we have not forgotten that it is the season to remember the birth of Jesus, and the Gift that was given for us through Him. 

May you all have a Merry Christmas.

Two 5 gallon buckets of mango sauce

26 Quart size bags

Willing helping hands

Ready for freezer in less than half an hour.

We had not purchased mangoes this summer, so when someone offered free mango sauce, we said YES, and we were blessed!

Todays Blessing

When my father in law knocks on the door and asks if we want these, I can't refuse!  Their garden does so much better than ours!  Well, lets see...they do have better soil even tho it is right next door, and they do spend many more hours in their garden....

Blue Santa

was giving out gifts just like red santa does!

Consecration

We were privileged to attend Nitha's pinning ceremony from  nursing school.  Although she had completed   classes and passed the NCLEX~and is already  working as an RN, the ceremony took place with the December graduates. She  received her pin, her ADN certificate and Nightingale lamp.

 My sil graduated also, and they were both honored to have a part in the ceremony.

Describing the pin and its symbolism

Invocation

Garden

From our land, the 'fruit' of extended family labor:

Always has more juice than store bought.

Fresh Organic Broccoli

Water Fall

Droplets on a dead leaf

Droplets on a living leaf

I hear water falling from the sky~uhh I think it is known as rain!?  But since it is hard to catch rain pictures in the dark I can't post any current pictures... The sound of rain hitting the ground wants me to cozy up in front of the fireplace with a good book and surround myself with family.

For Friends up North

Our Winter Has Arrived!
This morning, we awakened to temperatures hovering just above freezing.  By the time i thought of my camera, it had warmed up a little:

It felt a little cool in the house

Hey... we are used to 79*

I turned the stove on to take the chill out of the air. I don't think we have ever used the electric heat, though it is available.  When it is cooler, we turn on the fireplace in the living room.   The oven was on and I was using the stove, so it warmed the house a few degrees to a 'tolerant' level. Once the sun came up, the fire was no longer necessary.

Trust Him!