Taking down Christmas

Every year I dread taking down the tree.  Not so with my sister Lena and friend Loretta.  Loretta told me she took down her tree before her girls woke up one Christmas Day! I hear that Christmas decorations are not to be taken down until epiphany.  Well, that puts it way into January.  Fine with me.  Mine are staying up.

 Great memory of making gingerbread cookies with Miles & Lilian

 Mom's old ornaments:

Sophie & her new camera

Sophie seems to be a little obsessed with her new camera. She especially loves the special effects. Lili is already sick of having her picture taken and screams when Sophie comes near with the thing. I will post some of her first pictures she took--

Miles singing the ABC song

I'll put this on my blog. I have a feeling if I post ONE more picture or video of my grandkids on Facebook, my friends are going to start de-friending me. I just happen to love this kid to pieces and I think everything he does is darn cute!

Phos Hilaron (O Gladsome/Joyous Light)

Melanie--

I could not facebook or email you these pictures for some reason, but I was able to upload them to my blog. This is the perfect room for a home for your painting...

**This slipper chair is the softest leather. It is like sitting on a marshmallow. Michael thinks it looks like Angelina Jolie's lips!

Scrambled Henfruit: Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies

Do these cookies ever sound good: (Katie Busenitz posted the recipe on Facebook)

Scrambled Henfruit: Caramel Stuffed Apple Cider Cookies: I am not a bossy person by nature. I pretty much go with the flow- I'm a middle child for heaven's sake. But I'm going to tell you to do ...

The Grandkids' school pictures 2011~2012

While we wait for her re-take (I guess she was not happy with her first school pic try):

Mason~5th grade

Sophie~Kindergarten
Chloe~waiting on a retake

Quotes by Seneca

“Begin at once to live, and count each separate day as a separate life.” ~ Seneca

The greatest loss of time is delay and expectation, which depend upon the future. We let go the present, which we have in our power, and look forward to that which depends upon chance, and so relinquish a certainty for an uncertainty.

Lucius Annaeus Seneca, (4 BC - 65) Roman Philosopher & Playwright

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Bike ride stuff

I love to look at all the beautiful front doors on my bike rides in the morning. I always wondered why I could see chaise lounge chairs and sunlite through these windowed doors. I looked it up on Google earth.

Amazing--there is a pool right inside those front doors. How fun would that be?

All is Grace - a new book by Brennan Manning

A link to a story...

http://www.marinerschurch.org/theshack/av/tuesday-video.html

This is the marvelous behind-the-scenes story of The Shack. If you want to hear about the soul (the shack) of the author, William P. Young, then take time out to listen to this 73 minute story. It will bless your soul (your own shack).

My bird nest

//melanie-eagspot.com/2011/07/now-that-hot-month-of-june-is-over.html

It was fun to read about the meaning of colors after I drew this bird nest. These are some things about the colors of my eggs and birds in my nests:

yellow & pink: (Michele)
intellectual energy
pure, bright and sunny
energy of a bright, sunny day
active and alert mind
sharp memory and concentration skills
ability to express themselves
(Pink wings: neutralize disorder; lover of beauty)

green: (KT)
learning, growth and harmony
symbolizes money
desire to expand or increase
ability to sustain changes
(purple wings: imagination and inspiration)

red (JT)
passionate love
color of blood: symbolizes life and survival
focus on the essence of life
(turquoise wings: confidence & strength)

silver & black (Cody)
black (wings)--threatening unknown; mysterious; power, strength and depth
silver--witty; "mirror of the soul"

blue & brown (Matt)
brown (wings)--connection with the natural earth; stay in the background; stability
blue--calming; truth; new information; solitude and peace

gold & orange (Melanie)
orange (wings)--curiosity and exploration of new things; creativity; adjusts to changes
gold--has warmth that silver does not have; extravagance; bright & cheerful; valuable; favored person

Sophie: green, especially the love of nature
Lili: pink, especially the lover of beauty
Miles: yellow, especially the energy of a bright, sunny day
Chloe: turquoise (combines the light blue of the sky with the invigorating green of the seas)

"more to do with feeling and creative expression than with rational thought"
Mason: blue & orange (peace and exploration)

Look who I found in my closet:

Lili-Belle!

RV trip to Dr. Brooks' Lake--June 2011

Dr. Brooks & Matt

(Click to enlarge)

CLYDE!!

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Darin Unruh's Amazing Story!

Darin is KT's cousin's son--Dave & Betty Unruh. He is such an inspiration!

A few more pictures from the Vista Farm

I'm pretty sure this tree has been growing in this car for a pretty long time:

This one, too:

I love peonies

The wild roses were in full bloom at the Vista Farm--they were just beautiful!

Peonies from the little Oliver Farm:

Peonies on Cody's Grandfather's Vista, MO farm

The 3 little Thiessens visit the Prewitt farm

(Click on picture to enlarge)

My Brother, Butch

April 28, 1946 - February 4, 1974

Myrle would be 65 now. It is so strange when someone dies at a young age. You can't imagine them being any older. He will always be 27 years old.

Chloe & her snowman

I ran across this picture of Chloe today and it reminded me of the ski trip picture...

Favorite thing to do at Great-Grandma's...

Happy Resurrection Day!

We were out at the farm today and it was fun walking around seeing all of the surprises coming up out of the dirt--irises, peonies, lilacs, daffodils, etc.

Chloe went with me to the Stations of the Cross on Good Friday at the Spiritual Life Center. She whispered that she knew a way to get through this a lot quicker. I tried to tell her that "slow" is the point when you are doing a guided, Catholic meditation labyrinth. I'll try to get a picture of the 15th station (newly added). It is a huge hunk of granite-split down the middle with water running out of it, signifying the resurrection.

The Last Supper

I heard T.D. Jakes talking about communion yesterday. He was explaining the part about Jesus offering up the bread as His body. Jesus told His disciples to eat the bread. This was going to be the last time they would eat this way in a while, but He told them that after Pentecost, He would still be with them--just in a new form. He would be dwelling inside of them.

I think that is the most creative thing that the God of the Universe ever came up with.

Lili having fun with photo booth