Take my moments and my days

~let them flow in ceaseless praise.

*Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might ~Ecclesiastes 9:10

*Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. ~Colossians 3:23-24

God bless us everyone.

*Christmas Eve to Christmas morning* and we sadly failed to take pictures for the rest of the busy, full day with my in laws. But it was exceptional. And we are grateful. So many surprises, it was really so much fun.

Joy! Joy to the World! The Lord is come!

I hope that you are all having a special, and meaningful holiday week.

And where there is need, may He bring comfort, provision, restoration and wisdom.

Where there is sadness, may there be new hope.

Where there is doubt, may faith kindle again.

When discouragement occurs, may we look up to the Lord where our help comes from.

Where one is lost, may there be a kind, loving, and firm hand to reach and help the wanderer.

May we be renewed in the wonders of His love.

God bless.

These are a few of my favorite things.

Life is busy. It's not something I can necessarily control, because I have very busy bees in this home. They are alive! which of course means they run, tumble, yell, play. which also means they sometimes spill things, they break things, they bicker.

But they laugh.

And they make up songs that they want to sing for me.

And they draw beautiful pictures. Some with my name on the top printed bold, colored pink. "Mom".

They say funny things.

They say inspiring things.

They pull out board games and make fun happen because they are who they are.

I'm thankful for life.

I'm thankful for the silly ducks that gather by the back door to eat apple peels.

I'm thankful for the way the ducks run in a line from the left to the house and the chickens run in a line from the right to the house, because their Grand Master Jake is running up the front steps.

I'm thankful for Joyce Meyer's "word for someone to just chill out."

I'm thankful for the Book of Psalms.

I'm thankful for Christmas carols. Tim Janis Christmas on Grooveshark. repeat times many* for a loud home.

I'm thankful for sleepy nights and busy days.


Piggy back rides!

"The Taylor Hicks-George Clooney guitar hybrid face" ala Jacob

Juggling, horsing around and laughing

Christmas letters

playing with Mary and baby Jesus

sugar cookies and sprinkles

oh my, the sweetest little kissable chubby face. no, really.

Signs and symbols of life sprinkled throughout the home.

Great. is Thy Faithful*ness

"Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide;
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!" ~ Great is Thy Faithfulness

Faithfulness is

*loving with an everlasting Love

*Eyes that are aware of waking, sleeping, walking, talking

*Ears that listen to needs and cries

*creative workings to accomplish His plan in the earth and in our lives

*patience while we stumble

*firmness to correct us

*keeping promises




^{Psalm 117:1} Praise the Lord, all you nations.
Praise him, all you people of the earth.
² For he loves us with unfailing love;
the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever.

Who needs Hallmark?

When there is just the little bit of snow, the folks around here look for the sleds. We happily, for sledding purposes, live on a hill (now the Driveway is a completely different matter!). Uncle Ben and cousins came with sleds in hand for some Jr. sized sledding.

Every day I peek out the window to watch the kids sleigh-ride. Doing it with family and friends bring smiles aplenty. It will be fun when the Big Snow will fall, and then we'll make jumps and banks.

The real question is which sled is the fastest? or depending on your taste, the slowest?








And Maama prepares the Christmas pot of hot cocoa.

Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So

"The work of the Holy Spirit is, among other things, to rescue the redeemed man's emotions, to restring his harp and open again the wells of sacred joy which have been stopped by sin. That He does this is the unanimous testimony of the saints. And it is not inconsistent with the whole way of God in His creation. Pure pleasure is part of life, such an important part that it is difficult to see how human life could be justified if it were to consist of endless existence devoid of pleasurable feeling.

The Holy Spirit would set an aeolian harp in the window of our souls so that the winds of heaven may play sweet melody for a musical accompaniment to the humblest task we may be called to perform. The spiritual love of Christ will make constant music within our hearts and enable us to rejoice even in our sorrows." AW Tozer, God's Pursuit of Man

Here we are as in olden days, happy golden days.

An early morning grocery trip with the young gang was an adventure. We picked up sister's medicine and packed the cart full of our needed items. An older couple asked the kids if they had seen Santa in the store. They got a kick out of that.

We traveled the baking aisle. We looked over the sprinkles and chose our favorites. We searched the spices for the cream of tartar along with another shopper. We shared our baking plans. She was making shortbread. We had already decided on making sugar cookies with our sprinkles. I told her how good hers sounded. We smiled. I bent to scoop up the large bag of flour and Bannon pipes right out: "Mom, Jesus is happy on his birthday when everyone else is happy too."

I could really go on and on about this. :) But, he said it so right and simply. I don't want to mess it up.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star

^{Psalm 147:4} He counts the stars and calls them all by name.


Sunday dreaming...


Monday beaming.


Boxed popsicle sticks, markers from a grab bag, and Elmer's Glue.




Bella's faces, pronounced with the leftover spaghetti and meatballs.



To add to Andrea's Christmas thrifting:

I found this cute little Nativity for $1.99 at a Good Will.

And this 80's Hummel ornament. $1.99.

And Sophie sings.

*Twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are.


O star of wonder
star of night
star with royal beauty bright
Westward leading,
still proceeding
Guide us to thy Perfect Light.