Caroling

The morning carried us away and out to visit Gram. We gathered with family, met many friends, hugged Gram, and sang and sang and sang.

Played games in unusual ways.

Made someone very happy.

And smiles leaped from face to face.

More "follow the leader" but in the wrong direction.

Little ones create lots of opportunities to stifle laughter.

It's sharing what we are that matters. Makes it real, genuine.

Hand to hand

Heart to heart

Thankful Hearts

most pictures by Hannah

Thanksgiving started days beforehand where we cleaned, prepared the home, prepared the cupboards, prepared our hearts.

Thoughtful Jeremy came up with the idea of stringing white lights out by the trees and we've been enjoying them with the early darkness that sets in. Jeremy worked hard on the football viewing area, a kiddie table, and a downsstairs fire. The big kids and little ones staightened shoes, brought in firewood, peeled potatoes, swept the floors, put away toys. Many contributed to the Gratitude Jar.


My niece Maddie munches on crackers. Well many crackers actually ;)

The captive audience watching Polar Express.

Maama, nephew Benny, niece Adriana checking out the science books.

Bellie's curls

The fire, burning hot


The buffet

Hannah and Poppy

Grady's sampling

Chance and Grandpa M.

Ben and Keila

The Gratitude Jar held thankful thoughts expressed in words like...

family, pizza, home, music, friends (the B. family was mentioned more than once ;), and freedom

Everone pitched in with the foods like the Turkey, pies, cheesecake and my sweet mother in law tackled most of the dishes to wash. Thank you again Mom!

And then most of the big people later settled down to watch While You Were Sleeping.

Then we slept.

With thankful hearts to the One who has counted all the hairs on our heads.

Blessed Be Your Name

Blessed Be Your Name
In the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

Blessed Be Your name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your name

Every blessing You pour out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in, Lord
Still I will say

Blessed be the
name of the Lord

Abraham counted the stars. I count His wonders. The Name above all names. The Source of all that is good, and right, and true. I can't help but sing His praise when I turn my heart's gaze to His throne, which is one of a Father whose love never fails.

• A God who is for me, hears my prayers, is ready to give wisdom when I ask, and He's working all things out for good
• He is in control
• Peace that protects the heart

• Moments that fill up a day in which we share. Slow and patient time, understanding, love, compassion, these qualities of Him I ask for, set my sights on, pray for God to work in me.

• November evening cool air
• soul rest
• heart to hearts with kindred spirits
• Playing horses with a little one
• Andrea's home
• a friend's healing
  
  
  

Ephesians 1:3 All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.

Old Fashioned Thanksgiving by Louisa May Alcott

I don't suppose anyone would be surprised to be told of the draw I have to yesteryear. : o ) I reread Louisa May Alcott's Old Fashioned Thanksgiving and was pulled in by the images and story. While I was tempted to copy and paste almost the entire story *wink* I realize that would take all the fun out of the story. So I limited myself to two of my favorite portions and linked the story below. If you enjoy cozy cottage scenes and family play, you'll probably enjoy it like me!


"Eph kept up a glorious fire, and superintended the small boys, who popped corn and whittled boats on the hearth; while Roxy and Rhody dressed corncob dolls in the settle corner, and Bose, the brindled mastiff, lay on the braided mat, luxuriously warming his old legs. Thus employed, they made a pretty picture, these rosy boys and girls, in their homespun suits, with the rustic toys or tasks which most children nowadays would find very poor or tiresome."
************************************************************************************

Eph took his fiddle and scraped away to his heart`s content in the parlor, while the girls, after a short rest, set the table and made all ready to dish up the dinner when that exciting moment came. It was not at all the sort of table we see now, but would look very plain and countrified to us, with its green-handled knives, and two-pronged steel forks, its red-and-white china, and pewter platters, scoured till they shone, with mugs and spoons to match, and a brown jug for the cider. The cloth was coarse, but white as snow, and the little maids had seen the blue-eyed flax grow, out of which their mother wove the linen; they had watched and watched while it bleached in the green meadow. They had no napkins and little silver; but the best tankard and Ma`s few wedding spoons were set forth in state. Nuts and apples at the corners gave an air, and the place of honor was left in the middle for the oranges yet to come.

"Don`t it look beautiful?" said Prue, when they paused to admire the general effect.

The story is here

Psalm 90:12 Teach us to realize the brevity of life,
so that we may grow in wisdom.

I cleaned and the house got messy again, and then I cleaned again. We went outside and I enjoyed the air, the sights, the laughter. We worked on not screaming, and not pushing each other's buttons to purposely hurt another's feelings.



There is a piliated woodpecker in this tree eating the grapes. The leaves are gone, and November skies are still pretty.





Lots of hula hoop games.

Loving the domestic and the wild animals.

Trying new things. Growing into men. What a priviledge to be a part.

Walking slowly, chasing quickly, hugging, smelling the freshly bathed hair, teaching the meaning of "no" again and again.

The beginning: Finding God's unfailing love in the morning, accompanied through the day.

The end: Thanking God for His faithfulness at night.

My homemaking quote discovery this week in Bannon's science lesson book:

"No, answered the Queen-Mother, "I don't. You see, I have so much to think about, and happy thoughts that make the tasks light. And then, you know it is not always the same egg, and that makes a pleasant change for me. I will give you a motto to remember: 'As long as a Bee is well, work is pleasant when done faithfully.' " Among the Forest People written in 1898

He Crowns the Year with a Bountiful Harvest

The latest bouquet

Psalm 65:6 You formed the mountains by your power
and armed yourself with mighty strength.

7 You quieted the raging oceans
with their pounding waves
and silenced the shouting of the nations.

8 Those who live at the ends of the earth
stand in awe of your wonders.
From where the sun rises to where it sets,
you inspire shouts of joy.

9 You take care of the earth and water it,
making it rich and fertile.
The river of God has plenty of water;
it provides a bountiful harvest of grain,
for you have ordered it so.

10 You drench the plowed ground with rain,
melting the clods and leveling the ridges.
You soften the earth with showers
and bless its abundant crops.

11 You crown the year with a bountiful harvest;
even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.

12 The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture,
and the hillsides blossom with joy.

13 The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep,
and the valleys are carpeted with grain.
They all shout and sing for joy!

Sophie bakes a cake.

Maama and Poppy gave Sophie her own set of baking pans and cake mix. It was Monday, and Maama was coming up at 3 for tea. Sophie used new pans.

We set them on a cookie sheet.

She poured in the mix.

She cracked the eggs.

Added the oil and water,

and Bella poured water over herself while she played at the sink.

The cakes were ready to go into the oven!

Out and cooled, Sophie then decorated the cakes with white frosting. They were delicious!

And Bella later climbed on the foosball table.

The End

Heart's Business, Giving Thanks

The business that ended officially years ago still follows us with bills we pay. Fairness is a matter of perception at this point. And this is the one life we live.

So while the pull of money stress are clouds that infect the skies, I remind my soul that God is my provider. Life is not the bank account, life is not the merchandise in the malls, life is not having a feast every night on the table.

Proverbs 10:16 The earnings of the godly enhance their lives ...

Life is
knowing God, knowing Love, worshiping Him, loving and serving my family, loving and serving my neighbor.

So we do what we can and ask in prayer for needs to be met.

I ask Him to help my eyes be opened to His care. Especially when I'm struggling.

Because there are people to love

their hearts need loving and attention, and listening

and their clothes need washing and ironing and folding

and there are peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to make

pictures to admire

stories to read

instructions and discipline to be given

and some things are too heavy for a mom's shoulders to bear

and it's so very, very, very good to be His.

Today I'm thankful for:

• long Sunday afternoon walk through the nearby Stone Fort's grounds
• children rolling, tumbling down the steep hill
• opportunities to read a good book
• my Mom, a fellow pilgrim whom I keep growing closer in heart to
• my daughter who sees the hearts' cries and speaks it loud
• Thanksgiving
• a tiny little note made in a Sunday School class that says "Thank you for taking care of me when I'm sick."
• Honesty, integrity, difficult conversations, seasoned with Grace
• a big ham in the fridge that will make the house smell all sorts of wonderful today
• a gentleman's hand that I love to hold.

Everlasting God

"But for all our fears we are not alone. Our trouble is that we think of ourselves as being alone. Let us correct the error by thinking of ourselves as standing by the bank of a full flowing river; then let us think of that river as being none else but God Himself. We glance to our left and see the river coming full out of our past; we look to the right and see it flowing full into our future. But we see also that it is flowing through our present. And in our today it is the same as it was in our yesterday, not less than, nor different from, but the very same river, one unbroken continuum, undiminished, active and strong as it moves sovereignly into our tomorrow."

AW Tozer, God's Pursuit of Man

Just Because

*we love Friday Night pizza

*and happy babies