The Meaning of the Season

I have been remiss in my blogging.  I will "blame" it on the holidays. I wasn't going to put up decorations this year. My daughter is still at home but is often out and about and the house is a resting place :-)  Well, I changed my mind (as I am entitled to do).  Our little home looks even more cozy with the tree and decorations.  I got a pleasant surprise the other day - SEE:

Jeanine (a wonderful friend and my dad's wife) has recreated a gingerbread house (or stable, in this case) that she had made for our family a few years ago.  Unfortunately, the original was tossed away by my ex...

I am thrilled to have this specially-made piece in my home.  It smells wonderful and is a sweet reminder of the reason for the season.

I am so blessed to have a caring, smart and lovely daughter,an extended family that is so supportive and friends that have helped carry me through this past year.  The holidays are a wonderful time to remember those who are important to us; a time to begin showing them how important they are and hopefully to continue through the year with the attitude of thankfulness.

Thanks

I have so much to be thankful for that I wanted to put "pen to paper" so to speak.  I have a wonderful daughter who is thoughtful, caring and helpful. My parents (both sets) are supportive - each in their special way.  I have two sisters - one in Alaska and the other in town (for the last few years) with her husband and two girls.  We are there for each other; even across the distances as years go by.  I have recently forged some friendships at the office I work in - Generous, caring ladies.  The one stronghold that has carried me through rough times, sad times, happy times and glad times is the Lord my God.  He is unchanging and steady.  How thankful I am that He cares for me.  Many things change in life, but the love of Christ is not one of them.  I am blessed beyond all measure in my reasons for being thankful this year!

Winter is upon us

The winter weather has hit the Pacific Northwest.  Over here in eastern Washington, we are looking at lows of below zero.  BBBBrrrrr.  I am glad to have some new windows in our little home along with our remodeled bathroom.  We are being efficient with the thermostat and using a space heater in our living room area when we are there.  I love the feel of the extra weight as I added another blanket to my bed last night (-10◦F).  Now I just need to brave the roads and drive my ‘new to snow’ vehicle.

Blindside series

We are finishing up a 6 week series at church.  I have been in a small group with other women on Wednesday evenings.  We have a packet each week that we go through using the Bible and verses to examine questions about family, commitment, relationships, team... Our church is on a mission to take back our city :-)  We have the option of continuing on with a small group.  I have enjoyed the camaraderie, sharing of knowledge and accountability that comes with being part of a small group. 

Remodel Complete

What excitement!  We are thrilled with our new bathroom.  If you have been keeping track, it has been over a month since we had a usable bathroom.

What a different look we have.  It used to be cramped, dark and not a good use of space.  Now we have light, open and a beautiful space.

I am so thankful to my sister and brother-in-law. They were such troopers and did a fabulous job.

Yahoo!

Ode to Cinnamon

You stole our hearts as a young cat of 6 months.

Through fences and fields you wandered by day,

Snuggled with sissy through the night.

A loss of a leg didn’t keep you down

Our mouser, our bird hunter – what a life!

We’ve missed you for over a year now

Sad news we received last week.

You used up your 9 lives and lived to be 10,

Our memories are dear – thank you, Cinnamon!

Remodel Update 10/17/10

Wow, what a difference 2 days makes.  My new phone's camera isn't that great, but as you can see we do have a toilet again :-)  I am amazed at how different this looks from when we started.  The changes really make the room look larger.

So the paint, tile, flooring, tub and toilet are done.  Baseboards, trim, shower rod, tile sealing, sink, light fixtures and other hardware are on the to be done list.

I will be so bold to say that I believe we will be showering in our own bathroom sometime next weekend ;-)