Christmas 2018

 Hello!!!

Today, most of us started returning to a normal schedule, although I am not doing a lot because of a nasty cold. So here are some pictures from the last week.

On Christmas morning, we always open our stockings when Dad gets in from chores so we can have our orange for breakfast.

 Our Christmas morning breakfast always includes hot chocolate, oranges, eggnog, and German Sour Cream Twists, with eggs usually added and sometime bacon or sausage.

 After we clean up from breakfast, we read the Christmas story, usually from Luke, but we read from Matthew this year, and sing some Christmas hymns.

 Then we open gifts. We draw names every year, and take turns giving our person their gifts.

 I had Simeon and this is a picture of him when he opened the note saying he would get a new bike. This was right before he attacked me with a hug. 😊

 Micah had Lydia and he made her this hope chest. He did a really good job!

He made one for Esther a few years ago.

 Lydia painted all of us pictures that were kind of like us. (I really like birds, so mine is birds, Sarah likes Winnie the Pooh, so she got one of him, Simeon likes the Cleveland Indians, so he got a picture of Chief Wahoo, etc.)

 Christmas lunch, round 1.

 Esther and the Seawrights bought us Ticket to Ride.

 Playing with filters on my phone.

We had all the married sibling who live in the area in on Wednesday.

 These two boys have a lot of fun together! They were just missing the other two boy cousins.

 Christmas food, round 2.

 Giving Grandpa and Grandma their gifts.

Jonah got to ride in the sled to help throw away the wrapping paper.

 My brother-in-law, Dan, and I took the littles on a walk to the bridge and we tried to get a nice picture before this silly one, but I like the silly one better. 😊

 Jonah loves bawk bawks (aka, chickens)

 They all love Grandma's bucha. (Mom brews her own kombucha)

On the 27th, Sarah and I went to the Creation Museum with some of our friends. We spent some time in the museum during the day, then enjoyed the lights after dark.

 The wise man talking about his trip to see Jesus.

 It was really pretty, just wet. It rained the whole time we walked around outside.

 Sarah!!

Then, on New Year's Eve...

 We went our for supper. We almost never all go out to eat, so it was fun to do something different and "special." I think most of us want it to be a New Year's Eve tradition from now on.

Afterwards, we all invaded a Dollar General because we needed toilet paper and chips. The poor workers probably had a heart attack when all of us walked in the doors, and breathed a sigh of relief when we left. 😊

I hope you all were able to spend time with family the last week or so.

I am thankful for all those who have to work on holidays, even when they wish they could be with their family!

Have a great 2019!!

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this."

Isaiah 9:6-7

Snow Again!!!

"Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red as crimson, they shall be as wool." Isaiah 1:18

"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow." Psalm 51:7

These are 2 verses I always think about when it snows.

I am thankful for my Savior who shed His blood so that I can be clean, so that I can be whiter than snow!

Have you been washed by the blood?

Camp 2018- Part 2

Teen 1...

Teen camps are harder because

1. They eat more

2. Evening chapel ends later, so we are up later. 

But they are also great because the messages are deeper than Junior camps.

(Again, most of these pictures are from camp's Facebook page)

(Part 1 can be found here)

 This was week 4 for both Katie and I and we were both exhausted. But we had fun making grilled cheese and tomato soup!

 A note Katie left me one day and the response from another friend. 😊

 Cooks' Devotion time each morning. We read through Psalm 119 during Teen 1.

 The staff for Teen 1 introducing a new song Pastor Hamilton wrote.

 Fun memories...

The nurse had "stolen" the director's golf cart and needed to be punished, but at the last second they got her son instead. 

 Helping with cards one evening. We use a "debit card" system. They turn in their money on Monday and we keep track of it on cards. We also keep their cards until they need them, then take them back after they buy something so that they don't lose them. Doing the cards is a good way to learn the kids' names.

 Busy baking rolls and cooking for dinner.

 Scooping 100 bowls of ice cream for dessert.

 Simeon having his Face to Face Time (devotions).

Teen 1 Health Department Staff.

 Teen 2

We had a good group this year. I think we ended up having 23 seniors this year!

 Taking the teens' money and mobile devices. 😊😊

 The speaker brought his family with him and they were really cute to watch. They were a good example of a family for the teens to see.

Ichabod VanderHoot visited camp and thought Sarah was a good person to pick on. 😊

Making a few pizzas. Only 32 that day. 😊

We had a "breakfast in bed" morning where the staff split up and went to different cabins and took them breakfast. I really enjoyed being able to get to know my cabin of girls better.

 Camp fires are one of the best parts of camp! I love singing with everyone and hearing the testimonies of how God has worked in their lives through the week. Also, being able to look up at the stars and hear all the night sounds while singing songs about God is awesome!

 Teen 2 Health Department Staff

Funny story from Teen 2:

I had to take some stuff to the craft cabin on Friday night after campfire, and when I was coming back, I saw a paddle boat in the lake where it wasn't supposed to be. So I went back to my cabin, got one of my cooks, and we took another paddle boat out, hooked it up to the stray one and pulled it back to the dock. We got back to our cabin just after midnight. 😊  Not something on my "bucket list" but a fun memory!

And the last camp for the summer was Pastors' Conference.

Here are a few random pictures from my phone...

 The hostas outside the kitchen.

 Flowers from a lady. They made our cabin smell so good!

 The flowers in front of the rec hall.

 Good morning at camp!

 Foggy mornings are so pretty!

 Another morning at camp!

 Once in a while, I find notes like this in the freezer, cooler, or pantry. My cooks are the best!

 Last french toast of the summer.

 My friend, the mushroom, in front of my cabin.

And eating lunch while working on end-of-summer paperwork the day after everyone left. I stayed a couple extra days to get some stuff done and so that I could got to the Ark Encounter and Creation Museum with a friend that Friday.

I hope you enjoyed seeing a little bit of my summer!