Taking a Chance

I love Christmas cards. I enjoy sending them. I enjoy receiving them. I love picking out which ones I'm going to send every year. I marvel at the gorgeous designs I receive each year. I enjoy sending them so much that I will keep you on my list long after you stop sending them out. This year I took a chance and mailed Christmas cards to some blog friends. These are women I've never met. I have their addresses because I've won giveaways on their blogs. In one case, a blog friend sent me her address when I wrote about cards on my Christmas blog.

I hope they don't think I'm odd...

(If you like Christmas cards like I do, send me your address and I'll send you a card!)

2011 Family Christmas

What a night! Christmas with three grandkids was everything I imagined and more. Lots of noise. Lots of laughter. Lots of oohs and aahs. Lots of wrapping paper. Lots of memories!

Skye and Sunny - all dressed up

Gramps, Skye, Thunder, Sunny, Papa

Grammy with the grands

Papa and Zach

Buster came along to be introduced to everyone

Ashley, Zach, Skye

JoAnne and Carl (Gigi and Papa)

me and Dan

Katie and Gabe

Adam and Jessica

"I saw Gigi kissing Thunder..."

Skye and Papa

SSMT #24 - the Final Verse

Wow. I can't tell you what a humbling, yet exhilarating experience this has been. Picking a Bible verse every two weeks during 2011 to memorize has been challenging. Encouraging. Easy. (OK, that was the week I picked John 3:16 which I already know!) Thought-provoking. Convicting.

Some of the verses I memorized in a snap. Some of them I still need work on. I am so glad I chose to participate. I hope this experience has made me more determined to hide the word of the Lord in my heart.

For this year's final verse I've picked:

I desire to do your will, my God;
   your law is within my heart.
Psalm 40:8 NIV

Thanks for the encouragement you've provided this year, blog friends!

Duke and Rascal, Sunny and Thunder

Duke and Rascal have adjusted to Sunny as she's grown older. When she was a baby, they would hover around her when she came over. Never leaving her side. When she went down for a nap, they would lay outside the door until she woke up.

They became fierce protectors when she started walking. Rascal especially would patiently stand or lay still as Sunny used him as leverage to stand up.

As she began talking, they would faithfully come when she called "doggie". She learned to say "Duke" early on, but Rascal remained "doggie" for months.

When she left our house, they would lay down and nap for hours. Making up for all the hours they were standing watch while she was here.

Gradually they came to realize that she was a person, although a small one. They stopped hovering. They learned to take short naps while she was here. They began to trust her not to pull their ears. To not pull their tails. To not pry their mouths open to look at their teeth.

Then along came Thunder. Once more they are on full alert. When he's here they pace nervously around him. The constantly walk up to him to give him kisses. They lay outside his door as he's napping.

Their job is more difficult now because they still have Sunny to play with. Sometimes they split the duty. One of them guards Thunder while the other plays with Sunny.

They are good dogs.

Rascal supervising at feeding time.

Duke catching a quick nap... or maybe he's saving Thunder's place!

Sister and Brother

I have Thunder and Sunny today. Here's some of what they're up to:

playing together

watching Caillou

holding his own bottle

multi-tasking: feeding brother while they both watch Nemo

Duke is supervising

Brrrr. It's Cold!

We are having winter here for a few days. Our temps have dropped to the high 50s for the high and the low 40s - upper 30s for the low. It is dang cold. We had to run an errand today around lunch time and both Dan and I were whining about the cold weather. Then I looked at him and at myself. We are so spoiled. He's in a long-sleeve shirt and I'm in a sweater and we're freezing! We don't even need coats, but it's too cold for us.

All of you people in the midwest and east have my permission to shake your heads over how spoiled we are. It's supposed to be cold all week, warming back into the 70s by next weekend. We turned the heater on two days ago in preparation for the cold weather and it hasn't kicked on yet. Not even at night. It's set at 68 degrees and every morning when I get up I look at the thermostat (because I'm shivering) and it's been 70 or 71 both mornings.

It's great weather for putting the Christmas lights on the house which Dan is doing right now. Then I guess we'll have something hot to drink and try to warm up...

SSMT #23

When I read this verse I knew I wanted to commit it to memory. For me it represents serenity, calm, joy, and obedience. That's the great thing about the Bible. Because it is the living, breathing Word of God each verse can touch each life in a different way. Actually, a verse can mean one thing to you in a season of your life and then something different in another season of your life. The same verse. God is so awesome.

I thought it might be fun to see this verse in different translations, so I've included a few below. What's amazing to me is that in each translation the freedom of salvation shines through. I encourage you to find a verse or a few verses that speak to you and memorize them. It can be difficult (ok, it IS difficult as I get older) but well worth the reward!

Restore to me the joy of your salvation
   and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Psalm 51:12 NIV

Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
      and make me willing to obey you. NLT

Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God,
      and I'll sing anthems to your life-giving ways.
   Unbutton my lips, dear God;
      I'll let loose with your praise. The Message

Give me again the joy that comes from your salvation,
      and make me willing to obey you. Good News Translation

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. King James Version