Friday, October 25, 2013

Our Major 1,902.2-mile Move

What a drastic CHANGE has come about in our life! We left our home of 30 years in IL and moved to Brewster, WA, on 10/2/13!
I've seen God's "fingerprints" all over each step of the way and I'm grateful that HE is in control!
I'm very thankful that we have a son and his family living 1 mile away from us now (this includes a 9-month old precious granddaughter)!
And we have a beautiful view from our picture window overlooking the Columbia River and some mountains.  (This particular photo was taken up higher from a friend's home, overlooking Brewster.)





















It has been a very "bitter-sweet" experience. Now to see what God has in store for us next, as well as to see how HE will complete things and bring closure to our life in IL.

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Wild Weather in January 2013

The Romans Project - Bible Memory Group

That which I copied and pasted above... is suppose to show up as the picture that goes along with The Romans Project in which I'm participating, encouraged by Ann Voskamp. I'm not sure yet how to get it to post on my blog the way it is suppose to... well, as always with computer stuff, I try and try until I hit upon whatever works.  ;)  Hey, Hey!  It works!  :)
I am working on memorizing the first chapter of Romans, then plan on tackling chapters 8 and 12 so that by the end of this year, I'll be able to recite those 3 chapters from memory. I've always wanted to memorize chapter 8 and 12... so imagine how glad I was to see Ann Voskamp (Author of One Thousand Gifts) announce The Romans Project to memorize chapters 1, 8, & 12 of Romans! Her project last year was to memorize 3 chapters in Matthew covering The Sermon on the Mount. I did not participate in that one... wish I would have... but now I know how wonderful it will be to get "chunks" of God's Word "hidden" in my heart!  :) 

We've had some interesting days with a wide variety of weather this past week! The temperatures rose to the upper 50's but it was rainy and sloppy out there. Then the temperatures plummeted into the teens so that today it's 15 degrees and windy with light snow flurries, with zero degrees predicted to be the low.   Brrrrrr!
As long as it is warm inside our house, I dress in layers because I'd get too warm if I was wearing a pull-over sweater or sweatshirt all day. I need to be able to shed that top layer, even to being comfortable in a short-sleeved shirt and jeans.  :)  I keep our thermostat set at 66, so usually I have a jacket I can easily put on or take off.  However, if my DD {Darling Daughter} and I are going out for a walk, we bundle up in snow pants, winter coats, hats, head band warmers, scarves, gloves/mittens, and winter boots!  :)  We did go on a walk on a 5-degree day; we didn't even make it around the pond once before we realized we needed more warm clothes to wear. So we stopped back at home and grabbed scarves and she got her ski goggles to wear.  :)  I'm sure we were quite the sight out there walking around Pioneer Park!  :D
Well, in more important news, I have a new granddaughter who was born 2 1/2 weeks ago! So now I have THREE wonderful granddaughters who are all "the apple of my eye!" God's Word is true: "Children are a treasure from the Lord!" I am extremely grateful for the technology we have to "video chat" with them so I have a way to see them "in action" and watch them grow and develop and change. It's not as great as being with them in person, but it's the next best thing and sure does help to span the miles.
My youngest DD who lives here at home with us is doing a Bible study with me and I am really enjoying it! I had previously made an attempt to go through this study, Living Beyond Yourself (written by Beth Moore), the first time in 2003; then I tried in 2004; then in 2009! In all those attempts, I never got past Week 4! So I was delighted when DD agreed to do it with me this time around and I have now reached Week 4 (again!) and I have high expectations of making it all the way through Week 10 THIS TIME!  :D



Thursday, January 3, 2013

Yet another New Year... 2013!

Let's see, what can I "muse" about tonight?
I don't land on this e-blog too often.
I did spend way too much time working on editing and touching up a photo for a new profile picture here... only to discover this evening how quickly I COULD have gotten it done.
Well, now I know more about "touching up" photos anyway.
I wonder if anyone else besides me just doesn't like the sound of "2013." I think it has a hollow ring to it. Maybe it's just because it's an odd-numbered year, and I like even numbers...even though my husband and all of my children were born in odd-numbered years.

We took our lovely Christmas tree down this afternoon. It was a very nice tree that we had purchased from Sunny Acres Farm in West Chicago, IL; I had considered leaving it up until next week's garbage pick-up day... but it was getting rather dry an brittle, so today was the day to take it down and put it by the curb for garbage pick up tomorrow. Good-bye pretty tree!

Now I just need to get all the boxes of Christmas things put back up on the top shelf in the garage to be stored until next Christmas.... IF we need them... IF the Lord Jesus Christ has not yet returned for His Bride, The Church. That would be so wonderful if He would return sometime this year.... maybe even tonight!  "This could be The Day!"
  
I am now a grandmother of two darling girls and another one due on January 20, 2013! I sure do love those little people! I look forward to all the things they have in store to teach me!  :)
"Thank Heaven for little girls!"  :)

Summer 2007 Collage

Summer 2007 Collage
Brittany mails her deposit for puppy; Piano recital with supporting "fans"; making music in our home; Family get togethers; baseball; new fence.

Family dinner in Chicago, 9JUL07

Family dinner in Chicago, 9JUL07
Brittany, Nan, Jim, Jenelle, Derek, Grant, & Evan celebrating Jenelle and Derek's 3rd anniversary (early) at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Chicago. Yummy!!!

Jenelle and Derek

Jenelle and Derek
It's always fun to have them come home for a visit! They got to spend a week with us over the 4th of July holiday. We celebrated their 3rd anniversary early by going to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in Chicago.

New Patio Furniture to enjoy

New Patio Furniture to enjoy
Brittany, Evan, Claire, Jenelle, Derek, Grant, & Jim trying out our new patio furniture. Sadly, the new umbrella got destroyed in our Aug. 24 tornado!!! :-(

Coach Jim (and nephew Austin)

Coach Jim (and nephew Austin)
Jim coached our boys' baseball team, the Chicago Titans, in the Skyscraper League, Chicago. This was a lot of work, but Jim and the boys had some fun with it.

Chicago Skyline

Chicago Skyline
This was the baseball field near UIC where the boys played all their games this summer. It was quite a spectacular backdrop to view!

Our cute puppy, Sadie

Our cute puppy, Sadie
Grant liked this little puppy! Jim, Brittany, Grant, and Nan drove up to northern WI to get her (Golden Retriever) on July 22. She was fantastic for the 6 hour trip home!

Evan and "Sadie"

Evan and "Sadie"
This golden retriever puppy was such a cute 6 1/2 week old puppy. Evan worked at a private golf resort all summer, so he did not have too much free time, but in his few spare moments he would enjoy playing with Sadie.

Brittany and "Sadie"

Brittany and "Sadie"
And of course, Brittany loved Sadie! It was HER puppy. She had counted the days after Sadie was born in June until the day we could go pick her up! Nan loved Sadie, too, but caring for such a young pup combined with all the kids soon heading back to full-time at schools...was too much for Nan...and the decision was made to take Sadie back to her home in WI...where she was placed in a very good home with folks who raised golden retrievers! We had fun with Sadie for 6 days and we miss her! (You can see the new fence we put up in our back yard...for our doggie.)

Jim and "Sadie"

Jim and "Sadie"
Jim and Brittany drove Sadie back to WI after we had her 6 days. Sadly, Nan was the one who could not "cope" with all that would be involved in raising a dog. It has been one of the hardest things in Nan's life...to bring to an end the dream of her daughter to have a dog!

Grandpa turned 80!

Grandpa turned 80!
Grandkids: Brittany, Brandon, Grant, Austin, Jalen, Connor, LeAnn, Ethan, Garrett~think "Grandpa Wonderful"...

Grandma's turn was coming...

Grandma's turn was coming...
she also would turn 80 this year, so her grandkids helped her celebrate early. LeAnn, Brittany, Austin, Brandon, Grant Ethan, Connor, Jalen, Garrett

Happy 80th Birthday, Mom!

Happy 80th Birthday, Mom!
Randy(50), Nan (52), Mom(80), Anne (44), poolside in Morenci

Angelina, Grant, Evan, Claire

Angelina, Grant, Evan, Claire
Making summer memories...ready to drive to Cleveland, OH for a Kenny Chesney concert, with a stop in Morenci to introduce the girls to G'ma & G'pa; and enjoy the Randy Porter Family and their 4-wheelers! :-)

Grant-man leaving for Biola

Grant-man leaving for Biola
It was an early morning departure for Grant as he and Jim would drive the Ford Pickup Truck back to La Mirada, CA, where Grant began his 3rd year.

Sunrise Departure

Sunrise Departure
Nan and Grant take a "self-portrait"...photo booth style! Grant and Jim were leaving early in the morning to drive cross-country to California! Nan is smiling, but she is NEVER happy to see her boys leave home...again!

Evan-man heading back to Biola, 20OCT07

Evan-man heading back to Biola, 20OCT07
Mom says yet another "good bye" :-( We brought Evan home for a "mini fall break" so he could surprise Claire with an in-between-visit before Thanksgiving.

My Girls 9Sep07

My Girls 9Sep07
Jenelle (25 in photo, now 26) and Brittany (15 here, but now she's "sweet 16") are pure delights to my heart! They are truly "treasures" from the Lord! We enjoyed a Labor Day week visit from Jenelle and Derek. We LOVE having them visit!!!

Hello, Snow!

Hello, Snow!
First snow of December, day 1

Busy, Hungry Squirrel

Busy, Hungry Squirrel
Here's one of many squirrels we enjoy watching as they scamper and play in the snow. This one found a cob of corn and seemed to enjoy nibbling at it!

Squirrel eating his lunch...

Squirrel eating his lunch...
This squirrel was a lot of fun to watch as he dragged this cob of corn around our yard! I wonder if he carried it up into his hole in the tree!

One more squirrel photo

One more squirrel photo
I enjoyed looking out my kitchen window to watch this busy squirrel as he ate his corn. It is so marvelous how the Lord cares for meeting the needs of the wild animals! How much more He cares for us!!!