2013~Year in Review

Here is a little bit of our year in review:

 

 My granddaughter married in March and now they are expecting a baby in June of next year.  It will be my first Great-Grandchild.  We are invited to a Gender Party on January 4th, at which time the baby’s gender will be revealed to all the family at the same time, including it’s parents!!  I’m looking forward to that!

 

In March of this year, I finally got my big wish, which was to window-in the veranda!  I have really enjoyed it being closed in so we can use it year round.  This Thanksgiving our family of eighteen  had room to enjoy our meal in the new sun-room.  The picture below was made Christmas Eve.

We experienced a new thing this year.  We presented a slide-show of some of our photography to the Friends of the Library and to groups at two different churches.  We have lots to learn about doing this, but we like to show our pictures almost as much as we like to make them.

Through the year we have been saddened by the death of several of our church members and other friends.  The one that affected me the most was the passing of my life-long friend, Billie.

We became friends and play-mates when we started to school in 1941.  You lose a part of yourself when you lose a friend like that, who loves you unconditionally.

We went to see Jeep’s daughter, Jennifer, and her family in the suburbs of Chicago in late June and ended up going on to see Niagara Falls, which was another hard day’s drive.   We left Niagara on July 4th and got to see lots of celebrations and picnics along the shore of Lake Michigan as we came back to Chicago.  Jeep was not feeling like doing much walking because the problem with his heart was affecting his stamina. As soon as we got home, he got an appointment with a cardiologist.

Jeep continues to serve the three small churches that make up McAdams Charge in Attala County, MS.  This was interrupted when he had open heart surgery August 1st.  They did two by-passes and after a week in the hospital, he spent the next 10 weeks recovering at home.  We were truly blessed when Jeep's son, Jeff, stepped in and served these churches until Jeep was able to preach again!  When thinking of the year in review, it seems like it has mostly consisted of appointments with miscellaneous doctors for both of us!

Jennifer, Bryan and Jackson came and stayed with us a few days at Thanksgiving.   It's always a treat to have our grandson, Jackson, and his Mom and Dad here for a visit.

We are both doing well at this time and are thankful we are able to enjoy so many of God’s blessings.  We look forward to our Sunday drives on the Natchez Trace Parkway as we go to serve Jeep’s three churches.  These are some of the sweetest people we have ever known and they are such a blessing to us.  The hour and 15 minute drive is unhurried and the scenery is beautiful any time of year.

   

The Christmas Season was been filled with special worship services, parties and time with family and friends.  I hope your year has been good and that you will have a blessed and Happy New Year!

♥ ♥ ♥

Dorothy

Merry Christmas!

 

We Hope All of You have a Very Special Christmas!

( This is my 1,000th post! )

Christmas Hallelujah

What Christmas Means to Me

Here are some pictures to show you what Christmas means to me.


Nativity scenes remind us of the birth of Jesus

Silent Communion at our church.....the church is dark except for candlelight.....soft music is playing....families gather, greeting others in hushed whispers....family by family kneels at the altar while the Pastor serves Holy Communion and blesses each one.   It's a very special experience!

Poiensettias

The Advent wreath... each Sunday in the season of Advent a candle is lighted, representing Hope, Joy, Love, and Peace ...then the Christ candle is lighted at Christmas.

Christmas Wreaths

I always enjoy getting and sending Christmas cards.

Selecting that special gift

Live Nativity scenes in the park

Remembering each ornament and where it came from as the tree is decorated

Jeep thinks I'm silly, but birds need a little Christmas, too.

It's greeting family and friends and sharing a meal

 

But this card says it all!

I hope your Christmas will be meaningful and blessed!

My Favorite 'Fruits'

These are some of my favorite fruits of the Spirit!



I asked my granddaughter to paint these word plaques for me.

I placed them over the windows on the sun room.

I will see them every day and be reminded to keep them in my heart.

 

After all, this IS a big part of what Christmas means to me!

Thank you, Kym, for doing this for me!

♥ ♥ ♥

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope your Christmas season is Joyful!

Back in the Swing....

The day after Thanksgiving, we are gradually getting back into the swing of things.


We went for a drive to enjoy the gorgeous weather and just to get out of the house.

We stopped by the Legion Lake and White's Creek Lake to let Jackson play, and we couldn't resist playing a little, too!

I'm so thankful that we still feel like pretending to be kids again!

Jennifer and her Dad

Mr. J coming down the Tube.

Is this kid cute, or what?

Future Heart-breaker

 

Jackson and Jennifer

Jackson had fun raising and lowering Paw-Paw's lift chair.

A little rough-housing before bedtime.

 

Jackson entertaining himself with his iPad.  Jackson and his Mom and Dad will be leaving in the morning and we are really going to miss them,  We only see them a couple of times a year and Jackson is growing up and changing so fast!