This Sunday was the Grand Opening Celebration for our new church building. We've been in the building since August (or so) but it was this weekend that the building was officially dedicated.
The building is a magnificent blessing to our community. A tool to reach out to those who are looking for a place to make connections, find rest, and be fed spiritually. It truly is a sanctuary. The land was donated by a widow who owns the adjacent property. She is elderly and Praise God was able to see her dream come true. That is, having a church placed on the land she so dearly loves and so selflessly donated to God's Kingdom.
It was a great day of celebration indeed. And we had many new faces come to worship. What a joy! A few shots from the days fun events...
Our Beautiful Church
Funny Sherry, BB's Favorite Confirmation Teacher
Our Directory Photo, hope we don't scare anyone off!
On Tuesday I received a call from Dr. Tim, a dear friend of ours. He actually is the son of my prior bosses, Pastor Ed and his wife Lori. Who (Lori) was also Boll Weevil's day care provider way back in 1992. So, you see their family and ours go back a long way. We have a lot of shared moments; potty training BW (who's now 18!) working together, watching Tim graduate from medical school two years ago, weddings, babies, and so on. There have been joys, there have been tears, and I wouldn't trade one second of this time we have shared. Pastor Ed and Lori (Dr. Tim's parents) have been mentors to Daddybug and I more times than I dare count. And I know that we too have been there for them. Though, I am SURE that if anyone were counting, they have been on the giving side far more than the receiving. That's just the kind of folks they are.
So, anyway, Dr. Tim was home for a two week hiatus from his residency in Tulsa and stopped by for a shared dinner and dessert. It was such a pleasure to catch up with him as he was just in Vietnam on a mission trip. He also has only met LL once since she came home. As with all children, he made quick friends with LL. He also happens to speak fluent Chinese. So it was interesting to see how she responded to his Chinese words he tried out on her. A few she recognized and others she did not. It is clear though, she has maintained her receptive language to some degree.
After dinner, we enjoyed seeing the photos from Vietnam and learning about their culture. Before we knew it, it was past midnight and the fun had to end. So we sadly said "Good-bye" til our next visit. God Bless you Dr. Tim as you embark on the wonderful calling that God has in store for you. You are truly a man of God and we are better for knowing you.
On Sunday after church and nap time we all decided to go sleigh riding at "The Bowl", a really neat geographical formation just down the road from our house. Every weekday after school you can find a slew of red-cheeked children and breathless parents making their way up and down the steep hills. Considering the obvious common ending point that all riders share, there is surprisingly few collisions. Simply put, it's a blast for kids.
When the boys were younger I used to drive them there, sleigh ride a bit, then go to the car and read while listening to the radio. It was win-win. They stayed until they got tired, while I had some extended (but chilly!) peace and quiet. Then they got older and snowboards took the place of sleds. And mountains took the place of "The Bowl". And our budget shrunk as a result, LOL!
Well now we are on Round Two of our visits to The Bowl, this time with LL. This was her first visit and she loved it! She giggled and laughed each trip down. Well, except the one time that BW took her on the fast sled which sprays snow in your face. Need I say more? Perhaps she'll appreciate that sled in a few more years.
Once she got tired we all headed home for some hot cocoa and mini-marshmallows. It was so nice to get some exercise and breathe the cool, fresh air. Winter is hard for me to endure but days like this really help. Thanks guys and LL for the fun memories!
Last weekend as we were taking down our tree I realized that we didn't take a photo of LL in one of my favorite dresses we bought her. So, I decided she needed to dress up in it so I could snap a few quick shots, even if it was after the fact.
Uh-hmmm...have I mentioned how hard this child is to "make" smile for a photo? If not, clearly you missed the post titled, "Just Cuz", October 20th, LOL!
Here are the results of my efforts. I give SUCH credit to the pros who make every child look like an angel...
Cheesy Smile #1
BIG Squeeze for Santa, let him breathe Honey!
Mom, what's that smell?
OK, good enough, the Toothy Smile will have to do!
My friend Deb who lives "Down the Garden Path" has shared she has a similar issue with LL's Bengbu Sister, Little E!. I sure hope one day we each can get some nice photos of our little sweeties...before they are teenagers!
On another note, our LL has hit another big milestone over the past week or so. Can you guess what it is?
She's gonna HATE me for this later I know!!!
Yup! She's almost potty-trained!!!!!! It has been a long, drawn-out affair indeed. But I feel we finally are on the home stretch! Good-bye diapers, Hello Dora undies!!!! What would we do without Dora, LOL!!
For the past two days we enjoyed a little getaway to one of our favorite spots, tucked away in the beautiful Adirondack Mountains. BW decided to stay home and have some "quality time" with friends and see a concert. We decided it was OK, and posted some trusted spy's to check on things. BB asked his best buddy Grasshopper to come and of course we said yes. Grasshoppers parents claim our BB as their 4th child and we happily claim Grasshopper as our 4th as well, LOL!
It was a nice, but windy trip up north. With winds as high as 45 mph, we didn't spend a lot of time outside. We did manage a little shopping, some photo taking and certainly sightseeing. On Monday we wrapped up our trip to a wonderful new museum that we've been so excited to visit. It was a wonderful day for all. My favorite part was the otters. For anyone who knows me well, they know I ADORE otters. They are just so frisky, playful, spontaneous and cute. What is not to love? The kids all enjoyed themselves immensely and can't wait to go back soon.
Roaring Brook Falls
BW and GH doing some shopping
Breakfast at one of our favorite eateries
Otter Carousel
Ohhhh!!!!
Doing a backflip, these little guys are hard to photograph!
Me and my Buddy
LL making a bird feeder
One grouchy fish, I feel like this some days too!
LL really wanted to take this stuffed Moose home, can you blame her?
This Saturday we got together with DB's family to celebrate Christmas at Uncle Fix-it and Aunty Ess's house. This is my favorite place to spend Christmas personally. Aunty Ess just has a way of making her home feel "so Christmasy".
After dinner, we exchanged gifts among the children. This is my favorite part, watching the anticipation on the giver and receivers faces. As usual we adults have continued to sponsor a child overseas. Our joy is made complete knowing we have been a blessing to a little one in need.
In addition to Christmas we also celebrated Uncle Fix-it and BB's birthdays. It sure is fun having two holiday birthdays! So many reasons to celebrate, so many reasons to be thankful.
Being Silly with Uncle Fix-It
Mommy and LL's Matching Outfits, We Love to Match!!
Christmas morning started as usual in our house. We, DB and I, were up first. The kids slept on. I'd like to say that our first thoughts were of sugarplums, gingerbread men and Santa Claus. But it was not so. Instead, we arose to wrestle with "the bird" that I was to cook that day. To my concern, he was not quite unfrozen and required some extra attention. Shortly after the laughter as I chased the bird around the sink, slipping and sliding, it was time to start the festivities.
LL was the first one to arise, naturally. This is the first year that she has a clue what Christmas is all about and it was SO much fun for us all. My joy would have been complete had Papa still been here with us. There is a sad spot that permeated the day without him here. But we know he celebrated with Jesus this year. For this I find joy and peace. Once LL was awake we gave her the job of waking her brothers, always a pleasure to delegate that one!
Sleepy-headed big guys mumbled down the stairs, pausing a moment by the tree, then flopped on the couches. Once the fog cleared the paper began to fly. LL was the biggest helper, finding as much (or more) joy in seeing everyone open their gifts as she did in opening hers. How did we ever live without her I ask myself everyday.
The big surprise this year was for BB who got his long awaited new computer. Since he is an aspiring movie director, we purchased equipment for him to use both practically and for fun. Along with that Uncle Fix-it and Auntie Ess provided some professional software to set his "act in motion". He was a very happy boy, to say the least. Move over Mr. Speilberg, there's a new kid in town!
BW's focus this year has been on his car. So we provided some nice necessities for him as he prepares to hit the road.
DB and I, as always, exchanged meaningful and practical gifts mostly. His favorite being a new GPS (he gave me his during the year!) and mine a mp3 player (motivation to begin jogging!)
The highlight of our day was the blessing of shared time with extended family, my boss and his wife who visited us for some shared dessert. DB's boss also stopped by briefly yesterday to bring us a lovely handmade ornament. We are very fortunate to work for people who see us not just as employees but as friends.
I pray that all our family and friends find peace, joy, rest and rejuvination during this special holiday season. I pray too that we keep our focus on Jesus, Yahweh. For He is love, the most precious gift of all. Merry Christmas and a Blessed, Healthy New Year to all!
