Merry of Christmases...

from....

the J Crew.

Praying this finds you all with joy in the Hope in Christ.

And a little silliness.

Love to all.

*****

"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”  

-Charles Dickens-

Leave'en no room for the Holy Spirit.

Sol {As dad walks in the door from working another long shift}: Dad, sit on that couch with mom and have some love!

Dad: Yes sir!

Mom: Awkward. 

The Ministry of the Night

{Trials and Pain}

For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.

-Psalm 30:5-

But there is a limit to man's ability to live without joy. Even Christ could endure the cross only because of the joy set before Him. The strongest steel breaks if kept too long under unrelieved tension. God knows exactly how much pressure each one of us can take. He knows how long we can endure the night, so He gives the soul relief, first by welcome glimpses of the morning star and then by the fuller light that harbingers the morning.

Slowly you will discover God's love in your suffering. Your heart will begin to approve the whole thing. You will learn from yourself what all the schools in the world could not teach you-the healing action of faith without supporting pleasure. You will feel and understand the ministry of the night; its power to purify, to detach, to humble, to destroy the fear of death and, what is more important to you at the moment, the fear of life. And you will learn that sometimes pain can do what even joy cannot, such as exposing the vanity of earth's trifles and filling your heart with longing for the peace of heaven. 

'That Incredible Christian'
{pp. 122-124}

-A.W. Tozer -

Snow.Day.Fun!

Today? Today! 

Today was the first big snow of the season. 

Three out of four of the crew jumped at the chance to go out and work/play in it.

Big man. All geared out.

 Sol and Nora, hard at work. 

Scooping snow.

"Victory!"

Loving the snow

{Mama? Not so much. All pictures taken from the porch. True. Story}

Good work young lady.

Sam, making snowballs.

{Side note:. Operation 'Unprovoked attack' Terminated}

And this guy?! 

He opted for a little 'Angry Bird' playing.

 Inside. 

Where it's warm.

{A wee bit like his mama}

 My little snow bunny. 

All ready for hot coco.

A fun morning.

Welcome. Welcome. Winter.

*****

Snow provokes responses that reach right back to childhood.  

-Andy Goldsworthy-

The Second Sunday....

of Advent.

****

“Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. 

Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be made low. 

The winding roads shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth..."

A very happy birthday...

to grandma Diane!

Thanks for meeting us for lunch today. 

We hope you feel as special as you are!

Love from us all.

*****

"Being pretty on the inside means you don't hit your brother and you eat all your peas - that's what my grandma taught me."  

-Lord Chesterfield-

Someone's in the Kitchen....

with Nora...

*****

"Some people like to paint pictures, or do gardening, or build a boat in the basement. Other people get a tremendous pleasure out of the kitchen, because cooking is just as creative and imaginative an activity as drawing, or wood carving, or music." 

-Julia Child-

8!?!?

Ohhhhhh our little preemie, how can you be 8 today?!

Just looking through all these pictures....

made me tear up at how fast 8 years have gone.

And yet find so much joy...

in the smart, strong, sweet, stubborn, tender boy...

you've become.

It's hard to believe my baby, the beautiful boy that made me a mother, is 8 today.

But he is.

And we rejoice.

Happy Birthday Samuel Tate!

*****

Birthday Interview

Samuel Tate: Age 8

1. What is your favorite color? Red
2. What is your favorite toy? I'm going to have to say my toy gun and army suit
3. What is your favorite fruit? Pears
4. What is your favorite tv show? 'Looney Tunes' 
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? Fried Chicken {Um, for lunch?}
6. What is your favorite shirt? My red shirt with a basketball on it, that Michael gave to me.
7. What is your favorite game? Basketball
8. What is your favorite snack? Cheezits 
9. What is your favorite animal?  Wilder beast {?, Not sure they're native here.}
10. What is your favorite song? "Don't waste your life" by Lecrae 
11. What is your favorite book? Oh that's easy, "The Chronicles of Narnia."
12. Who is your best friend? Mike, but I really like my other friends. A lot.
13. What is your favorite cereal? Cinnamon Toast Crunch
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? Building clubhouses, feeding the animals, being with my friends, and doing things with my brothers.
15. What is your favorite drink? Ohhh so easy, Dr. Pepper, for sure.
16. What is your favorite holiday? Thanksgiving, because I get to get together with my family. And, well, Christmas.
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Rascal, my stuffed cheetah. 
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? Ham, eggs, pancakes and bacon {my good little farm boy}
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? Breakfast night with eggs, bacon and pancakes...and that's it. {That's it?!} 
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? An archaeologist, because they find cool things like buried bones and  mummies, 

Anything else to add?
I love people. I also like to do school, I mean some days.  I love to be with my family. Most of all, I just want people to love me. {And they do buddy.....ohhhhh.....how they do}

*******

I never pulled over the car just to stare at horses, I never was willing to give someone my last bite, I never planned on handling someone else's boogers, I never listened to a song 50 times in a row, I never found rocks in my dryer, I never had the power to heal a wound with my kiss.... 

.....until you.

National Collection Week!

It's national collection week {November 12-19th} for Operation Christmas Child boxes and we are busily packing our shoe boxes to send!

The crew is making sure to write a note to each of our kids receiving boxes. 

{In hopes to hear back from them!}

Every shoe box matters.

Every.single.one.

Go out and pack those shoe boxes! 

To find a collection site where you live please click here: Collection Sites.

Or ask any questions!

Seriously...get to packing! ;)

****

"Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." 

-Psalm 82:3-4-

Hallow's Eve.

The crew all ready.

Up the road to grandma and grandpa's house to show them the costumes 

We live in the country.

 So we have to borrow a neighborhood to participate in the ritual of trick-or-treating.

Thankfully our good friends allow us to hang with them.

{And borrow their neighborhood}

{Could these little people get any cuter?!?!?}

Snow White, ready for some goods. 

\\\

 A neighborhood? A novel concept. 

A good time.

Mrs. Becky had a cupcake and candles to wish Miss Nora a "Happy Birthday" after the festivities.

She may or may not have almost burnt her hair with the candle. 

Overall?

A great time!

Thank you Meyerkorth family.....yet.....again.

****

A grandmother pretends she doesn't know who you are on Halloween.

 -Erma Bombeck-

4 years.

Remembering Major Hezekiah Rhodes. 

Our nephew. 

At rest four years ago today.

We gathered today.

We sat.

And talked.

And played

And cried.

Holding fast to the truth of seeing you {again} one day.

***

Sunset and evening star, And one clear call for me! 
And may there be no moaning of the bar, When I put out to sea, 
But such a tide as moving seems asleep, Too full for sound and foam,
When that which drew from out the boundless deep Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell, And after that the dark!

And may there be no sadness or farewell, When I embark;

For tho’ from out our bourne of Time and Place The flood may bear me far,

I hope to see my Pilot face to face When I have crossed the bar.

Crossing the Bar
{Alfred Lord Tennyson}

****

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.
Revelation 21:4

The Sparkle in our family....

turns 3 today!

So hard to believe this {this!} was 3 years ago.

{But ohhhhh so thankful}

Since Nora's birthday is on Halloween {side note: don't say you you'd rather not have your babe born on Halloween, because it just might happen} We celebrated her birthday this past Sunday.

She requested a butterfly cake.

As you wish...

We had a great time, celebrating with family.

Birthday girl, ready to party.

 

All smiles

So thankful that this beautiful bunch made the trek to celebrate with us!

And uncle Dave surprised us from his trip to Chicago!

Grandma Diane and the birthday girl!

Miss Marin and mom helping blow out the cake.

A great time with cousins.

Good eats.

Excited about her first American Girl doll.

Cutest American Doll EVER.

 

And this little man? Could you not just melt?

Birthday girl had a great time.

Ohhhh Nora K, it's hard to believe you're 3 and yet it feels that you've been a part of our lives forever. Though the youngest, you mother and take of all of us. Making sure we all have our coats, shoes and matching socks. You are a gift beyond words. Each day is a gift with you. We look forward to watching Christ being formed in you.

We love you so much Nora!

Happy 3rd birthday sweet girl.