Family Complete.

He's Back!!!!

For 1 and a 1/2 fun filled weeks our family count is 9 again, a very wonderful number in my humble opinion. One of the MANY things we are doing in this very short time is taking a complete family picture. Something that does not happen very often. Sooooo, you will be seeing a new and improved Family picture on the blog. Stay tuned!

~Chs

Josh is Home!!

The long awaited for day finally arrived. Josh was coming home!!!! We all packed into the van with high excitement, and traveled down to the airport.

There he is!!

We are so thankful for God for bringing Josh home safe!


We were also blessed to be able to meet Aunt Carmen at the Airport as she was flying down to Florida.

Welcome home Josh!!!!!!!

~Chs

Let it Snow, Let it Snow!

As the weather turned colder the last few weeks and a few snowflakes started to fall, Josiah and I decided it was high time they started to descend in the house as well as outside.

This tradition started many years ago, when Charity found someone on the internet who created patterns for paper snowflakes. Every year after that we have printed them off cut them out, and fixed them to the ceiling to create our own winter wonder land. It was only a day or so after we started "gathering snowflakes" indoors, that it began to snow with a purpose outside that evening. The flakes were coming down thick and furiously, but when Josiah looked at the weather report, he was devastated to find that the snow was supposed to turn into rain in the early morning! :(


So at 6:25 the next morning (yes, 6:25 AM) I was woken by a boy already dressed in overalls, and rearing to go outside and make a snowman before the snow all melted. It was already raining when I dragged myself outside following the over eager boy, and wondering whether a snow man was really worth it all.


Despite the cold and dark, Josiah and I had a blast rolling the ball of wet snow around the yard and trying to figure out some way to get the huge bottom ball onto the picnic table. Well we tried about 3 different ways (I won't go into all the details now;) nearly breaking our backs in the process before we finally managed to get it to the top. The other balls were quickly assembled, and piled on to created this charming young snowman!

Josiah had pure genius when it came to it's facial features. Acorns for eyes, the normal carrot for a nose and a banana peal for the mouth.

I am so thankful for Gods creativity when it comes to the weather. Snowflakes, are one of the many things that never cease to amaze me. One slightly funny but very true quote that I came across the other day, went like this; "A snowflake is one of God's most fragile creations, but look what they can do when they stick together! "

~Chs

A Limerick

There was once a young seamstress named Flo,
Who's impatience while stitching would show.
All her seams turned out wrong,
And she learned ere too long,
In the end you will rip what you sew.

THE MESSIAH!

This Saturday and Sunday, we were very blessed to be able to participate in the 9th annual presentation of George Fredric Handel's Messiah, in Marlette.

Messiah is a wonderful masterpiece of choral music, dealing with the most wonderful and awesome subject; The prophecies, coming, life, death and reigning of our blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ the Messiah!


Before the choral itself the audience was entertained by Rachel McEwan, a talented harpist.


Five sweet sisters, led us in singing "Joy to the World" as the choir filed in.


"Joy to the world! the Lord is come; Let earth receive her King!

Mrs. Wagner and Lindy played one of the most beuatiful duets I have ever heard. It was a combination of Pachelbel Canon and Still, Still, Still.

Mr. Brier our wonderful conductor worked a lot with us this year, on how to really make the words come alive through the music.


"Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God"

"And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together:

For the mouth of the LORD has spoken it."


"Thus Saith the LORD of Hosts: Yet once a little while and I will shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land;....... But who may abide the day of His coming? and who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiners fire."


"And He shall purify the sons of Levi, that they may offer unto the LORD an offering in righteousness."

"O Thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain;... Say unto the cities of Judah Behold your God!


"For behold, darkness will cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the LORD shall rise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee,...

The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light ; and they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined."

"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, COUNSELOR, THE MIGHTY GOD, THE EVERLASTING FATHER, THE PRINCE OF PEACE."!!


"There were Shepherds, abiding in the fields, keeping watch over their flock at night,"


"And lo! the angel of the LORD came upon them, and the glory of the LORD shone round about a them, and they were sore afraid,"

"And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying; glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth, good will towards men."

"Come unto Him all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and He will give you rest. ... His yoke is easy and His burthen is light!"

"Hallelujah, for the LORD God Omnipotent reigneth. The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and HE shall reign forever and ever.

KINGS OF KINGS, and LORD OF LORDS. Hallelujah!!!"


"I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though worms destroy my body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. For now is Christ risen from the dead, the first fruits of them that sleep."

"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by His blood, to receive power and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing."

"Blessing an honor, glory and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever. "
"AMEN and AMEN!!!"

~ Chs

The first snow fall!!!!

We were all (or most of us anyways) thrilled the other day when it snowed!!

Josiah has been waiting since October for a good snow, and was in ecstasy when the snow actually stayed on the deck.

The first thing he did when we got home that evening from some friends house, was to rush down to the Ivy room lean out the door (without a coat on) and begin to make a snow man=)

Ta Da!! Here is the first snowman of the year!! (sorry about the blurry picture, the snowman wouldn't stay still;)
Hope you all are enjoying the nice cold weather as much as we are. Chs

A very late Thanksgiving post and an Invitation to todays performance!

Dear Blog readers, I apologize profusely for the lack of posts recently, especially after Thanksgiving. My only excuse is that Faith and I were working frantically to complete some dresses for today's and tomorrow's Messiah concert, Dec 5th and 6th. (this year they decided the ladies would wear all black instead of the normal black and white, so Faith and I, who have no black outfits, had to make ourselves dresses). Anyone that is somewhat close (of course if you want to spend the money to fly or drive all the way just to see us, we won't stop you;) is invited to the Marlette Community Chorus - 9th annual presentation of George Frideric Handel's Messiah. It is at 3:00 PM this Saturday and Sunday at the Marlette United Methodist Church, 3155 Main St. Marlette, MI. Admission is free and there will be refreshments afterward;), so please do come. Now back to last weeks celebration.

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Thanksgiving morning dawned bright and busy, almost everyone was running around the house doing something. At a tiny little bit after 11:30 we were able to make it out of the house and into Gingers open doors, and down the driveway!

Down the road and over the freeway to Aunt Carmen's house we go.


We arrived a little bit before our other relatives and us girls helped out in the kitchen.


Aunt Carmen tried something new this year, a duck!


Of course we had our usual piles of pie! Pumpkin and Apple, Pecan, Chocolate Pecan, and a Cherry. (sigh;)




Aunt Carmen did the most fabulous job decorating the table, everything looked marvelous.


As did the food. Yummy!


Uncle Paul demolished, otherwise known as carved the second turkey, and did a good job too.



We were very glad that Al, Eldita (Aunt Carmen's "Adopted daughter") and their boys were able to join us.

After we finished stuffing ourselves, we relaxed while Dad read and expounded on some bible passages about giving thanks.

After that we had a wonderful time of singing in Spanish,


Hausa and English.

Josiah and I, had come up with some games and activities for all the children (young and old) to play. The first one we did was pin (or in this case tape) the tail on the Turkey! Benji and Levi loved this game and got most of the Adults to do it as well. The only problem was that Benji loved to help guide the hands of the participants to the "right"places.

Oh my, poor Turkey, he's starting to look like a porcupine!

The boys were able to get Uncle Paul to play, and almost had him putting his feather on the turkey's foot!

Another game we made from a thanksgiving craft book, was feed the turkey.

The object of the game was to get the "pieces of corn" (little flannel bean sacks that Mumsy made) into the gaping mouth of the turkey. The boys just whaled it at him, sometimes knocking him backwards with their efforts.

We are very thankful to God for our loving family He has given us, and for the wonderful time he allowed us to spend with them!

~Chs