Christmas Eve…

Arrived right on time after the Christmas Eve service where Granny sang out wonder at the new King, all 12 stockings filling the fireplace…

the table was already set and the snacks awaited snacking…

Family talk and cousins everywhere, the famous dill dip by Granny devoured and thinking that there was more food to come?

Giggles and shouts of THANK YOU as gifts erupted from their boxes making everyone smile

R, sleepy and behaving so well, finds a warm Grandpa lap to climb onto to watch the happenings and I wonder at this family built by relation and adoption.

One gift made the most giggles…

the Elvis ornament for Uncle Doug as it hung on Granny and Grandpa’s gold trimmed tree, fitting in perfect and squinting to find it.

Desserts came and went to stomachs happy.

We hug and wish Merry Christmas! as we swing full force of us six out the door.

The van chugs home and R sleeps in his pajamas next to me, the rest sing Christmas carols and the glory of the night fills the car.

Christmas Eve Eve…

at this family of ours, we hold a little feast, films, and frosting…

color cookies with bright flashes of color and lick sticky fingers

from perfect trees…

to smily snowmen…

we decorated them all…

Merry Christmas Eve Eve~

Peace

Peace sinks slowly down to us all three lined up.

One on a white twirly bed, one with a mattress dragged downstairs to the floor, and one on the simple day bed.

“It seems quiet tonight.”

“Yeah… stiller… quieter than earlier.”

“A snow like quiet.”

A Christmas quiet, where all the world hushes in expectancy, where winds don’t blow and snow falls soft and birds and animals sit waiting…

waiting for the King to come…

waiting to see that first glimmer of a great star in the sky, a sign for the searching…

Peace comes slowly down.

The clock ticks twelve.

Christmas Eve…

Joy!

Joy!

That fruit of the spirit that makes hearts soar and spirits fill with the sheer wonder of it all…

Joy!

that awe filled expectant jubilance at this…

this baby…

joy of all man’s desiring.

Joy!

laughter and whispers and shouts with arms high up to heaven

thankful for this joy sent to us

Joy come down to us…

And we are thankful.

Oh What Fun…

Yesterday was a blast as we hung up stockings, tried on Santa hats and antlers, and just laughed at the silliness of it all.

Christmas music rang loud through the background.

Then every night we gather all awe and read one more part of the amazing story as Mary finds her way round the wreath…

learning and singing songs to the One who wrote and continues to write out His Son’s story in the world…

Mom made her amazing chocolate chip banana muffins that had the whole house wandering towards the kitchen.

I’m pretty sure we only have a few left…

Then this morning we went to Dad’s school and helped make a pancake breakfast for the kids.

It was so much fun!

The kids were funny, syrup fingers and happy faces,

we gave away answers to the math worksheets,

gave them extra points when my Dad wasn’t looking

(or even when he was)

so they could have a longer party later that afternoon.

Mom got them giggling and R was too cute.

Just fun. They showed us their daily routine and we talked about ours.

They guessed our ages and we guessed their names.

Oh what fun!

May this Christmas season bring you closer to Christ!

Kaye

S-O-L-D

YES!

You read it right!

SOLD!

THE HOUSE IS SOLD!

Mrs. B was here yesterday to give us the SOLD sign… and up it went!

We, of course, were so excited that we just had to hang it up right away.

So our M and L tromped to go place our SOLD sign on the big one in the yard.

And we realized today that since you couldn’t see it from the road, we had to shovel out the 20 some inches around the sign…

So now if you drive by, there it is!

YEAH!

God is so good!

Kaye

A Christmas Story

For your smiles and laughter and the true meaning of Christmas… this video cracked me up!

If you can’t see the video, click here.

 

Blessings!

Kaye

Blessings

Only a few days now, and we will sing carols, praise to the one come down to us in the small form of a child.

And I wonder at the thought.

God’s plan- to send His Son? The Word? The Creator? The Redeemer? Not in a kingly robe, a chariot of fire. No, 2000 years ago, He came to seek and save what was lost by coming as a baby- the lowliest of lowly, in a manger in a little town of Bethlehem.

It baffles and I shake my head with the big thought of it all.

This God made man coming out of totally selfless love so that I may come and seek and speak with Him who created me, so that I might be saved from the sin that entangles and spend eternity with Him?

I wonder at it all.

And I thank the Lord daily for His saving love, grace, mercy on me, the worst of sinners.

blessings 5 days from Christmas…

#521-530

singing hymns with family

selling the house

laughter with friends at a coffee shop

like minded young ladies striving to serve the Lord in their years at home

talking and laughing and crying with Mom at 11:15 pm

the peace of knowing that I know that I know that I know that I’m His

crazy loads of prayers for Him to find us a house

the L family and their understanding and laughter and friendship… thank you…

driving around for a few hours, eating pizza, dreaming big with family

relying on His strength at all times, seasons

Summer Photo

Looking out at all the snow and remembering that summer is coming…

maybe…

as snow falls on the first of may over here… :)

Blessings to you this Sunday!

Kaye

Building Blocks

This week I’ve been blessed to spend some good time with my little brother. Lately, his favorite toys are building blocks, a Kemps bucket, and a wooden spoon.

So yesterday, we marched around the house, singing made-up funny songs at the top of our lungs. He on the drums, me on the electric guitar.

We’re thinking of starting a band- The Wooden Spoon.

Auditions to come soon.

After our voices had gone hoarse, we decided to build public transportation for those who are wanting to join our band.

We built helicopters…

And trains…

We talked about what he wants to drive when he gets older.

It was decided on that while he is driving his blue helicopter,

Grandpa W would the drive yellow train,

and Grandpapa could pilot the green airplane with blue polka dots.

Dad was in a race car,

I was driving a purple tractor.

L was also in a race car,

while Mom followed in her school bus.

M was driving a pink tractor, bring up the end of our caravan.

We traveled everywhere.

Our family drove to Lisa’s house,

Mamo’s house,

and “Granny’s cool basement with the toys!!!”

I think we even made it to Mars.

But after Mars, we were worn out and had to take a break for lunch-

Mac and Cheese.

thinking back

I took this picture a little over a year ago.

He had just come to stay- forever ours.

I remember joy and happiness and hard moments and love for this little boy broken already by the darkness in the world.

How he waits now for Daddy and jumps up at the sight of the door opening.

How he sits warm in my lap playing legos, looks up at us all in unexpected moments, runs up, grabs legs,

“I love you.”

And I think of how this little boy now snoozes happy in a house full of love. Of him reciting the Lord’s prayer, saying,

“For thine is da kingdom, and da power, and da glory glory glory glory!! Forever and ever, Amen!”

hands waving glory to the one who place him here, with us.

Thank you Lord! Yes! To You be all glory glory glory for putting together our family! Thank you for this wonder- this little beautiful stinker of a boy.

In your name- and all for your glory,

Amen.

Chemistry…

My last lab for chemistry was the worst of them all.

I had to use a very fun chemical- hydrochloric acid- which came with lots of those wonderful skulls and WARNINGs on the bottle.

Also… boiling cabbage to use as a pH strip… that’s all I can smell even a half hour after the experiment.

But I figured that if I was going to have to do this hard, nasty, hazardous lab, I might as well go all out.

So off I went to my (mua-ha-ha-ha!) laboratory…

which looks pretty normal until you realize…

that it’s just a wagon with a board over it sitting in my garage.

(Why was I outdoors on this chilling day? the fumes from the acid are toxic!)

I slipped on my gloves, grabbed my hazardous chemicals and went out into the garage.

The door was open, and I waved at our neighbors… what a sight I must’ve been. I looked like a crazy scientist!

I’m out there, and I try to slide on my nice green anti-hazards gloves. I pick them up and come to realize that they’ve frozen.

Yes.

You heard me right.

Frozen.

Solid.

So I go back in to warm them up so I can get them on. M takes the first picture of me, and off I go.

Mom was in stiches at this point, me walking in and out in my coat, boots, and gorgeous goggles.

The experiment went fine. The green liquid turned pink with the acid,

I measured the resistance with my handy dandy multimeter,

I stepped on a glass pipet tube (and sighed with relief that I wouldn’t have to use it after breaking it),

and went in to clean up my mess.

So today I celebrate.

Why?

because the beloved chemistry is almost over!

And I now know that my calling in life is not to be a chemist.

All that’s left to finish off the course-

a two-part, 3 hour final.

Joy to the world.

Pray for me.

Kaye