Gram and Gramp on Christmas day

Today Grandpa visited Grandma at the nursing home. She has continued to decline, but she seems content. This is mainly for memory sake and family.

A child again

I had such a great time visiting my grand kids this week. I played and felt like a child at times--it is so much fun to imagine and play!!

ABove--Rhianwen has a little Cinderella dress she puts on over her clothes. Here she is dancing to Christmas music. Her little brother joined in as well, but I didn't post a pic of him in the dancing.

Above--I love the flamboyant () glove

The kids had two manger scenes that were hands on. These were a lot of fun to talk about and play with. We ended up bringing the figures all over the house. We pretended lots of things with them.

Above--Rhianwen had to do a makeup gymnastic class . Here she is getting ready. The beads didn't go to the gym with her. It was fun watching the little tikes in the gym. It made me want to do it--the trampolines, rope swing, triangular swing and jumps looked like so much fun. They also had a diving type platform to jump down into a pit of play foam type blocks. They had to run after hoola hoops too. Lots of balance beam stuff too!

It was chilly but we enjoyed the backyard. I wish I had boots because it is muddy in places!!

Above--they have a big yard with a partial tree on the ground. It makes fun rides (ie pretend horsie)

The kids made snowmen from socks. Here they are filling the socks with beans.

The great painter at work. The hat is really her Mary Poppin's Burt hat, but it does make a great painter's hat as well, doesn't it?

The finished products. Alden had some help with his, but Rhianwen did most of hers on her own; Can you tell?

Then it was cookie making time.....

And.....making a tree (below) for the doll house.

Alden mainly likes anything that will make a big mess. He is an expert mess maker. EXPERT!!

Below is a clip of Rhi making up a song about Jesus and then she ends up combining it with a real song. Playing with kids is therapeutic!! You have so much fun in pretend land!! I surely did!

Skipper commissioned

Skipper was commissioned on Dec 14 and he also graduated from USC--a very big day.

Princes don't wear pacifiers

The prince?

This is my granddaughter standing in the rain, about to pick out a tree. I love the quote of the week from her. After seeing the Disney movie on Cinderella she said, at some point,

"Princes don't wear pacifiers". She was especially referring to her one year old bro who has been using one to help with some teething issues. I love this quote and please remember to tell all your princes this fashion of the week statement.

Advent season and Christ's glory

Because of the advent season , I have been thinking a lot about Christ's humility. It is so hard to have any comprehension of the degree of his love and humility that would evidence itself in his coming as a baby to the planet earth. This is so incomprehensible to me. As I look at the extent of what we know of the universe , it is just too amazing to think of this act of love and humility.

I like what John Owen says in his book called, "the Glory of Christ":

"Christ is the meat, the bread, the food provided by God for your soul. And there is no higher spiritual nourishment in Christ than his mediatory love, and this you should always desire. In his love, Christ is glorious. No creatures, angels or men could have the least idea of it before it was revealed by Christ. And after it was seen in this world, it is still absolutely incomprehensible."

I like the focus of this time of the year--such a demonstration, such a revealing of Christ's nature.

Precious

I love this picture of my granddaughter. Notice the tea cup and the sippy cup!! I had to laugh. I think it was peppermint tea. She had her special finger toast and granola. The hat she wears every day ever since she watched Marry Poppins---she likes the Character called Burt (not sure how you spell it!!) . She always makes me laugh---I love this kid!! We spent time with them since our plane was leaving from their local airport when we went on our Seattle trip.

You never know

You just never know what you may see in the Seattle area. We just got back to SC. But these jouster type people were at a gaswork type park in Seattle. Apparently they often come here to joust!

Evening walk is beautiful

Last night we took an evening walk. It was a nice 60's temperature and it was quite pretty!

This is the river walk in our town

Notice the azalias are a kind that bloom again in the Fall

This is a cool bridge--you get better pics in the day when the lights are not on--it has a cathedral like effect






On the top of the bridge the Christmas lights are on!



The above home is a Bed and Breakfast at the Marina. There is something peaceful about walking in the evening!

I give thanks for the Beauty of all seasons and times.

thanks more

I am sharing this for Spiritual Sunday . You can click on the link to see what others have shared today.

I am thankful for how the Lord has helped my youngest son. I have written about this on my cottage blog. He didn't graduate from college this past spring because of one required course which he could not pass. He flunked it 3 times (with low 20's). We felt he ,therefore, would not graduate after putting so much time and effort into his college years! It was a very low point for us all! God used it immensely in my son's life to teach him humility, courage, dependency on God and so many other things.

His commander in ROTC told him he needed to make another try. We were against this---it didn't seem to make sence. However since ROTC had paid for much of his schooling ,we needed to follow his commander's advice. The college required him to take this course at their school. So since August he has been commuting 5 hours round trip, 3 times a week. (During the summer we sent him to spend a month with his older brother who works for Microsoft--this made sence since the course he was flunking was a difficult computer course ---his brother tutored him in the off hours. Since his brother is 3,000 miles away he has continued to help him online). We have been so blessed by all of this. He is averaging an A!!! We are all in shock.....but Lord willing, he will get his degree in December and his Second Lieutenant (gold bars).

It is amazing the kinds of lessons we as parents learn from our children. My youngest son has had difficulty all through his school years, but he has always pressed on and worked so diligently and has accomplished so many things that we really thought were impossible. I am thankful for the ways God has always opened doors for him and lead him step by step. All of this has tought me and continued to teach me much. I give thanks for God's patience and direction, His strength, and his provision with us all.

Wondering about Christmas ideas and free trees

This

This is a pic of my tree last year. But this year I hope to do it in red and white. (my hubby is at a local football game with his Dad and my son. I am watching a Clemson game on tv and doing some blogging--it is a gray windy day so I am glad I chose to remain here!!).

Anyways I would like to have a tree in both of my living rooms. But I only have one fake tree. I wish I had snuck (is that a word? ) another fake tree in my closet this year....but my hubby doesn't want all the clutter. I wish there was a free way to have a second tree--I keep thinking , thinking. When we lived up North I could go to the woods and find and cut one for free (in VT). But here there are just not Christmas trees in the wild. I live near the coast and swamps. I have thought of getting bare branches and painting them white and doing a weird thingy. Does anyone have any free ideas for making a tree. (now not many read this blog here of mine so I am not expecting a response!! Perhaps I will have to go ask at other blogs!!)

Thankful again

It is Spiritual Sunday here . Click on the "here" to see what others have shared.

I have been so full of thankfulness lately. I am especially thankful for the eagerness to better know the Lord that has been exhibited by my two sons and daughter . I am so thankful for their love for the Lord and for their desire to study his Word and to engage in this study with fellow believers. It is great to see them excited about God, His Word, and what God is doing in their own lives. This has been so refreshing! It is a blessing because they are in the twenty and early thirty bracket where so many are not attending church etc. I am thankful for the ways God has chosen to work in each of their lives to bring them to this point.

I am so thankful for God's grace, mercy and forgiveness. I am thankful for his intimacy and His presence. I am also thankful for those times where, during the day, I can just stop, slow down a moment and enjoy His good gifts of family, nature, and beauty. His ways are sometimes not what I have expected, but there is always good that he blesses me with in the different situations if I just listen and look for Him.

Thankful again

Finally the mixed nuts have arrived in town!!

Yes , I am being literal here!! I have been waiting and waiting for the nuts!! They finally are here!! I like these for a snack--just a few a day!! I think I will share this for show and tell at

http://romantichome.blogspot.com/ . This nut holder above is made out of aluminum. It has a pretty design when empty...but I am one that like it full! ha!! I found this at an antique shop in the Mountains of NC. I love how it has a place to hold the picks and a nutcracker.....but of course we need more than one cracker!

excellent points on marital intimacy

My poor hubby

The moon is really cool tonight. And it is a humid and kind of lovely evening. But my hubby has a big chore.




My poor hubby is standing outside giving treats to the 200-300 kids we get each year!! He gave up sitting inside!! But it is a balmy night in the 70's!

Faith dancing with her dad

A joyous celebration this weekend. Faith and her Dad dancing on the riverfront. A very joyous celebration!!

Cleaning on the fly!

A fellow blogger told me about flylady.net. NOW it is NOT .com, but .net!! It is here: http://www.flylady.net/ . Any how this little site has helped me a lot this week. I signed up on facebook and to get emails. Some ways she has helped me: She has this thing where you spend 15 minutes cleaning the kitchen, then you stop and go clean the bathroom for 15 minutes, then 15 in another room then a 15 minute break. What I like about this idea is that I would have lots to do for the day ,and I would think...well, I can spend 15 minutes here. And I was really excited to see how much even 5 concentrated minutes could do. When you do this everyday lots gets done. Each month she apparently focuses on something--like this month it was on decluttering paper junk. Then she will have some quickies---like on Fridays you spend 5 minutes cleaning the inside of your car---ie quick wipe down---throw out junk that has accumulated and straighten what is left. She also had a 5 minute thing where any clothes lying around the house get put away. So I have learned it is fun even to spend 5 minutes on something---I straightened my deep freeze in about 5 minutes---now it is organized. .....same with the frig. So I recommend the flylady.net.

procrastinator party

The inspired room is having a procrastinator party today. I happened to run across two bloggers (one was Nancy from Southern Blessings) who were doing this today and I thought I could escape because it was so late in the day. But the challenge was just to0 much. The thing I procrastinate on the most is cleaning cupboards and closets. So I decided to do one. This is a cupboard (with 2 doors) and it was in a 1/2 bathroom. It was stuffed with sheets, tablecloths, place mats, doilies etc. Just a big mess.

It even had some old tapes in it (which I threw out---to my kids--don't worry it was not the old Christmas music).

I decided (below) to bag some items. I bagged the doilies, an extra long fitted twin sheet (college!), and some round tablecloths.

This was such blue work I put on Lady Sings the Blues and got myself some coffee with hersheys chocolate syrup and served it in my new winter cup.

I tied some stuff up too!

The completion is below. I organized the Large tablecloths on top and the smaller ones on the bottom.

On the other side I organized the round tablecloths, and pillow cases on the top, and the place mats on the bottom. Any clothes and other stuff I put where they belong!


I feel much better and now I have room if I need to add!! So thanks gang, for the inspiration to do this!!