We're Back Home From the Love the Church Conference!

We're back from the Love the Church Conference. We arrived home on Sunday evening. I have notes on some of the sessions that I want to post. My family and I were convicted in many areas of our lives and are grateful that we were able to attend. I'll be posting a few pictures too. Unfortunately, my camera started to die at the end of the conference and I was unable to take any more photos. Looking forward to sharing soon.
Blessings.

Love The Church Conference 2010

We will be attending this conference this week, Lord willing.

Information from the NCFIC website:

At this conference we will cast a vision for church life that is presented in scripture. Our prayer is for a rising number of churches dedicated to the glory of God alone. We will communicate the biblical doctrine of the church, explain her importance, her calling and her destiny. We will show how you and your family fit in to the church of Jesus Christ and how He has called you to love and serve her. We will bring messages on evangelism, missions, church planting, and discipleship through local churches. We will be explaining particularly important church practices such as singing, scripture reading, the Lord’s table, baptism, Sabbath keeping and church discipline. We will explain the importance of the sufficiency of scripture for the government of the church and how to apply the “regulative principle” in church life. We will even bring messages regarding the way that churches should treat their elders and whether or not they should pay them.

We live in a day and age where people seem to be confused about the practices, structure and importance of the church. Christian nomadism, church hopping, neglect, and broken relationships are legendary in the modern church. People often leave their churches without even notifying the leaders or their brothers and sisters. They just disappear and never return. Sometimes this confusion is seen in the neglect of the discipleship program of the church, and the meetings of the church. Is it that we don’t understand the nature of the church? Is it that we don’t understand Christ’s love for the church or His sacrifice? Is it that our love for Christ is low so our love for the church is low? Is it possible that some even despise the church by their nonchalance?

Ultimately, we are praying for an outpouring of love for the bride of Christ and for faithful obedience to scripture in all areas of church life.

Speakers

Other speakers include:

Jeff Pollard Andy Davis Bill Einwechter

Don Hart Boyd Dellinger Craig Houston

Joe Morecraft Dan Horn Jason Dohm

The Love the Church conference will be held in the Ridgecrest Conference Center in Asheville, NC.

For more information visit NCFIC.org

The Touch

"If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole."
Mark 5:28
Faith, hope, belief...just one touch of the hem of His garment.

Planning

I'm a planner. I love to plan. I love to make lists. I love to make Excel charts. I love to check off completed tasks on my lists. Howerver, as we all know life happens and I don't always follow through on my plans and I don't always cross off everything on my list. Some tasks are perpetually being added to my new lists and I hope to one day cross them off...ever have one or two of those tasks?!

Planning makes me feel secure and grounded. More so, planning declutters my mind and helps me be organized and disciplined. I love being organized and I need to be disciplined, but I recognize I have a loooooong way to go to better myself in this area. This however is the beauty in being a Keeper at Home. It is actually my "job" to become a better wife, helper to my husband, mother and housekeeper. Planning helps me in this area.

I've learned of course, to be flexible, knowing that the Lord is the only one who is truly in control of my life. He often sends situations that interrupt my plans all for my sanctification and I am in constant need of being sanctified!

If you have any tips or advice in this area I would love to hear from you. I'd also love to know of any websites, blogs or books that have helped you in the area of planning or organization.

Thanksgiving 2010

My pretty baker making her pie crust.

She loves baking.

Another little baker happy in the kitchen.

Mixing dough.

The finished product...what a pretty pie!

Organic golden Yukons with loads of organic butter, sour cream, milk, celtic sea salt & garlic pepper.....yum!

Me, Monica & Angela & Selah.

Outside fun.

Roasting marshmellows....cinder stained smile!

Lovely young ladies enjoying each other's company.

Both girls love to draw.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family or friends or both! This is our second Thanksgiving that we have spent with dear friends since both my family and my husband's family live more than 2,000 miles away. It's heartwarming to be able to spend holidays with your family, but if you can't, it's a blessing to be able to celebrate special days with family in Christ. I'm grateful that we have many friends in the Lord within our church body.

We spent the afternoon and evening with our friends, the Fernandez family. I baked a turkey, made our famous mashed potatoes, and my daughter made a coconut pie and we bought a pumpkin pie. Our friends provided the rest of the Thanksgiving "fixin's." It was a very pleasant, peaceful evening of food and fellowship. After dinner more friends came over and the children roasted marshmellows outside at a fire pit in the backyard. I completely forgot to take photos. I did take a few and my daughter took a few also, but I don't have a single family shot, a group shot or any pictures at the dinner table. :( Here are the few we did take. Enjoy!

Give Thanks!

"O give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good:
for his mercy endureth for ever."
Psalm 107:1

He is good! How wonderful it is to know that His mercy endureth FOREVER! As a sinner in constant need of the Lord's mercy, this is truly something marvelous that I am thankful for!

Today while we prepare to celebrate the official Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow my children and I are challenging ourselves to spend the day contemplating the goodness of the Lord and thanking Him for all His many blessings.

May your day be blessed!

Bridal Shower Wisdom

Early last month I attended a bridal shower for our elder's second daughter, Blair. It was a joyful time of fellowship. After the last gift was unwrapped and oooed and awed over, a time was opened up for the ladies to share some words of wisdom in regards to marriage. Much of the advice given was truly valuable and I should have taken notes. I don't remember everyone's exact words, but I'll try, nonetheless to share as much as my memory holds.

1. Encourage your husband when he is feeling down or fearful by loving on him.

2. One dear lady whom I admire just said one word, "RESPECT."

3. No matter how busy your day, get the things done that please him, such as having the living room clean (if this is what he wants) so he can have some orderly place to sit and relax when he returns home from work. Prioritize and make important those things which are important to him.

4. Don't over analyze his words towards you. Don't try to think there are hidden motives and thoughts behind his words. You don't want to go there.

5. Be free with your love with no thoughts of restraint.

6. Pray to the Lord to give your husband insight into the areas of vision in which he should be leading. Sometimes upon presentation of certain ideas of vision your husband may not always capture it, but do not be dismayed. Instead of nagging, take it to the Lord in diligent prayer. The Lord will help your husband to understand the vision he needs to have and the vision or idea you presented will become his "own" idea!

7. Be merciful and forgiving with your husband. He is not perfect, just as you are not perfect. If you are generous with mercy, when the time comes when you need to be shown mercy, your husband will be free to be merciful and gracious with you.

I'm sure there was more advice given but this is all I can remember. Since the invitation to the shower asked everyone to come prepared to share some advice or encouragement to the new bride, I was prepared to share a tiny nugget or two, however, I was too shy to do so and thought it best to just gleam the wisdom from the more experienced wives!

I asked my husband beforehand what things I have done throughout our marriage that have been a blessing or encouragement to him. This is what he shared with me and what I had thought of sharing should the sharing have been mandatory and not by volunteering:

1. My husband loves coming home. The warm welcome we give him is the highlight of his day. I have trained the children to view his coming home as the best and most exciting part of our day. When the children see his car coming up the driveway, they all yell, "Dad's home! Dad's home!" We all run to greet him and hug him. I always freshen up and make sure my hair and clothing are in order when I know he will be home shortly. And I always give him a big kiss at the door! "Make your husband's arrival from work the highlight of your day. Greet him as if you hadn't seen him all week." (I'm not sure how this would work out if he works from home!)

2. He appreciates that I have always been kind and loving to his family. "Love his family."

3. He appreciates and is blessed by how I manage his money by being frugal, always striving to buy what we need at the best possible price. "Manage his money well. Be frugal and appreciate how hard he works to provide money for his family."

Anyone care to share a "nugget" or two of their own? I'd love to hear from you! Ask your husband to let you know how you have blessed him. You may be pleasantly surprised at what he mentions. I was so pleased to hear the things my husband mentioned and encouraged to seek out new ways to bless him.

My Neglected Blog

I must admit, dear readers, that I have been neglecting my blog. In fact, all of my family has neglected their blogs. Looking back, I don't even know where we found the time to blog the entries we posted. We've been so busy these past few months, with school in general. However, blogging is important to us and I will take time this month to rearrange our schedule and set aside time for myself and my fellow bloggers here at home to post.

It's hard to believe that we're in the month of October and I didn't even blog much about our summer and some important events that took place. I'll be posting some photos and small posts about those events since one of the reasons I started my blog was to maintain a type of journal of our lives. Hopefully, I can catch up this month and start blogging on a more regular basis.

Until my next post...May you be blessed!

Our 14th Anniversary

Ready to spend the day with my love.

Lunch with a beautiful ocean view. I had a bowl of lusciously creamy lobster soup, a fresh garden salad, and of all things, fried fish and chips. ( I should have had grilled fish with veggies, but the fish and chips called my name!) The fish was very tasty and I enjoyed my delicious lunch immensely. Food tastes so good when you are happy!

MeMy husband of 14 years.

In front of the lovely restaurant where we had lunch.

Last month my dear husband and I celebrated 0ur 14th anniversary! We spent the day at the beach. We had a WONDERFUL time together. We walked up and down the beach, sat in the warm sand together to watch the waves, and then had a late lunch at a restaurant with an ocean view. Lovely, lovely, lovely! After lunch we took a walk through the quaint downtown. Before getting out of the car my husband surprised me by asking me to stay seated. He then went to the back of our car and brought me a gift! After I opened it, he then went back and brought me another one and after I opened that gift, he brought me the final gift! I delighted in the surprise gifts and appreciated my husband plans to surprise me. I also loved my gifts! One of the gifts was a beautiful silver purse. Receiving a purse as part of my anniversary gift has now become a tradition. Six years ago my husband started giving me a purse as part of my anniversary gifts. I love using and wearing the purses that he chose especially for me...he has good taste too!

A trip to an old fashioned candy and ice cream shop was in order after the gift giving and receiving. I had a small piece of walnut chocolate fudge and my husband opted for ice cream.

We walked around quite a bit talking and looking at the interesting shops and restaurants. We saw a restaurant that we would like to try on our next day out together. Too soon it became time for us to leave for home. It was a lovely romantic day, a special celebration of our love. Te Amo, mi Amor.

31 Qualities of a Godly Woman

By Luke Otterstad

1. She handles herself gracefully (Proverbs 11:16)

2. She loves and embraces children (Psalm 113:9, Titus 2:4)

3. She speaks with wisdom (Proverbs 31:26)

4. She has discretion (Proverbs 11:22)

5. She is able to be fully trusted by her husband (Proverbs 31:11)

6. She desires to be her husband’s most faithful companion and closest confidant (Malachi 2:14)

7. She joyfully embraces being a woman and abhors feminism (Psalm 113:9, Romans 12:9)

8. She can manage her home well (Proverbs 31:27, Titus 2:5, 1 Tim 5:14)

9. She is diligent to accomplish anything entrusted to her care (Proverbs 31:13, 1 Tim 5:10)

10. She is firm in her convictions and desires to teach younger women the virtues of godly womanhood through her example and instruction. (Titus 2:4)

11. She desires for, and encourages men to be leaders in their families, churches and society. (Isaiah 3:12, Eph. 5:23, Titus 1:5-6)

12. She desires to build up and strengthen her home (Proverbs 14:1)

13. She desires to raise and train the next president, not BE the next president (Proverbs 31:1, Isaiah 3:12)

14. She believes children are a blessing from God, not a burden (Deut. 7:14, 33:24, 127:3)

15. She has a humble spirit (1 Peter 3:4)

16. She looks up to, follows, and respects her husband as the leader of the home (1 Cor. 14:35, Eph. 5:33)

17. She has a quiet spirit, and influences others through godly conduct (1 Peter 3:1-2, 4, 1 Tim. 2:12)

18. She desires to be a mother of nations, not a leader of nations (Genesis 24:60)

19. She has a heart to open her home to hospitality and service to others (1 Tim. 5:10)

20. She cares for the saints (1 Tim. 5:10)

21. She is capable and skilled to clothe her family and decorate her home (Prov. 31:21-22)

22. She desires to model the examples of holy women in Scripture (1 Peter 3:5)

23. She has skills to prepare meals for her family and bless others through hospitality (Prov. 31:15)

24. She is able to teach her children with practical, life instruction (Proverbs 31:1, 26, 6:20)

25. She desires to please her husband and do him good all his life (Prov. 31:12, 1 Cor. 7:34)

26. She is able to manage a business from her home (Prov. 31:18)

27. She can be trusted with wise discretion in spending (Prov. 31:16)

28. She cares for the poor and the needy (Prov. 31:20)

29. She clothes herself in modesty and good works and does not desire to attract or distract men’s eyes (1 Peter 3:3-4, 1 Tim. 2:9-10)

30. She has a kind and helpful attitude (Prov. 31:26-27)

31. She is prudent: intelligent, productive, skillful, wise and has understanding (Prov. 19:14)

A woman such as this is priceless: her value is far above rubies. Her husband will exalt her, praise her, love her, give up his life for her, and her children will call her blessed. The man that finds such a woman, is truly undeserving of such an honor, as God has bestowed upon him a blessing only few will find.

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I read this list and decided that I had to post it. It is an inspirational reminder of the qualities, character and deeds of a Godly woman set forth by Scripture that I fervently desire to emulate and call my own.

This was written by a young man, Luke Otterstad, to describe what a Godly woman looks like to his friends. Wow!

Nourishing Choices - Part 2

In Part 1 of my mini series, Nourishing Choices, I wrote about sweeteners and the new choices I've made in that area. For part 2 of this series I think it is fitting to now write about salt, just because salty is the opposite of sweet :).

Our new choice for salt in our home is Celtic Sea Salt. After reading about the many benefits that Celtic Sea Salt offers I made the big purchase. And yes, it is a big purchase, as compared to what I usually purchased before, Morton Salt (26 oz.), which costs around $0.80. Celtic Sea salt (8 oz.) at Whole Foods costs around $10.00. Despite the huge difference in price, I am very happy with our new choice as the salt is nutritious as well as delicious and really brings out the flavor in the foods to which it is added.

There are many brands of Celtic Sea Salt available including certified organic brands. I buy the brand pictured above and I'm satisfied with it.

Here are some of the benefits of Celtic Sea salt as listed upon healthfree.com:

• Celtic Sea Salts are a prime condiment that stimulates salivation, helps to balance and replenishes all of the body's electrolytes.
• It provides renewed energy
• It gives you a high resistance to infections and bacterial diseases
• It supplies all 82 vital trace minerals to promote optimum biological function and cellular maintenance.
• It balances alkaline/acid levels
• It restores good digestion
• The natural iodine in these salts protects against radiation, atomic fallout and many other pollutants.
• It can aid in relieving allergies and skin diseases
• And overall greatly reduces toxins and to help prevent ill-health
• Properly stored, salt keeps virtually indefinitely.

Tea With My Daughter

The Olde English Tea Room.

At our lovely table.

A hat is a must for tea, darling.

Let's take pictures!

Sweet One.

Lovely.

Just the two of us.

This hat was my favorite. I love it!

Time to go.

A few weeks ago I decided to take an afternoon off with my daughter (I only have one) and visit a Tea Room that we had been wanting to visit. We had a lovely time together, talking, sipping our tea and eating our delicious lunch. This was the first Tea Room that we visited that served actual plates, or platters, as they were called on the menu. I ordered a chicken salad sandwich with fruit and my daughter chose a Chicken Divan platter which included Chickan Divan (of course), fruit and a croisant. For tea, my daughter chose vanilla and I chose a flower/herb tea (I forgot the actual name itself.)

After tea we tried on the large selection of hats that were displayed and available for use. We had so much fun taking pictures of each other and laughing at how we looked with some of the hats.

After taking pictures we headed on over to a shopping plaza that we passed by on our way home. We had fun browsing and bought a few items.

All in all, it was a wonderful afternoon, just the two of us enjoying each others company.

She Loves Horses

Nourishing Choices - Part 1

This is the continuation of my post, "Called To Nourish." This continuation will be a mini series entitled "Nourishing Choices." I will be sharing the changes I have made in our home in regards to the food I choose, buy and prepare for my family.

Sweetners

Over the years I've purchased and experimented with many forms of sweetners. These sweetners have included, white pure cane sugar, honey, Splenda, molasses, organic unprocessed cane sugar, brown sugar, aguave, maple syrup and stevia. I've now made the choice to not purchase white sugar and I've chosen honey to be our primary sweetner. (Please note that if you offered me a moist piece of chocolate cake or a fresh slice of lemon meringue pie, both made with white sugar, I would not refuse it!) My decision, however, is a conscious effort to assure that the majority of sweetners my family consumes be as natural as possible and not be detrimental to their health. Of course, also natural sweetners must not be consumed in excess for that wouldn't be healthy or good for us either.

Raw, unprocessed local honey is my absolute first choice for a sweetner, but it is VERY expensive. I've reconciled myself to the reality that I cannot make raw local honey the primary source of sweetner in my home until I find a more affordable source. For now I make do with processed honey for baking and everyday use. I do buy small quantities of raw honey at our local farmers market which I use for medicinal purposes in cases of colds and allergies.

Secondary sweetners in my kitchen include, organic maple syrup for pancakes and stevia once in a while for baked goods. I have a small bottle in my pantry that I've had for two years now and it's halfway full! This tells you how much I like it! Stevia has a light licorice taste that can interfere with the overall taste of the food you are preparing. However, it is still a good choice and I use it occasionally.

Now, we all know how bad processed white sugar is especially in regards to tooth decay, but I was really convicted after reading over and over in different books and website the detrimental effects of sugar in our bodies.

Consider these facts:

Sugar suppresses the immune system by causing the pancreas to secrete abnormally large quantities of insulin, which is required to break it down.

Insulin remains in circulation in the bloodstream long after sugar has been metabolized, and one of its main side effects is to suppress the release of growth hormone in the pituitary gland.

Growth hormone is a primary regulator of the immune system, so anyone who eats a lot of sugar every day is going to experience critical growth hormone deficiency and consequent immune deficiency caused by the constant presence of insulin in the bloodstream.

Furthermore, refined white sugar is treated as a toxic foreign agent by the immune system, owing to its unnatural chemical structure as well as the industrial contaminants it retains from the refining process.

Sugar thus triggers an unnecessary immune response while simultaneously suppressing immune function, thereby debilitating the immune system with a double edged sword.

Sugar is the chief culprit in many diseases and degenerative conditions.

It can easily cause diabetes and is a major factor in candidacies, both of which are epidemic in the industrialized Western world.

Since sugar is 'nutritionally naked', the body must 'borrow' the missing vitamins, minerals and other synergistic nutrients required to metabolize sugar from its own tissues.

Heavy sugar consumption therefore causes a constant siphoning of nutrients from the body. Recent evidence suggests that sugar causes dental problems not so much by contact with the teeth but rather by leaching the teeth of calcium from within.

Sugar also depletes the body of potassium and magnesium, which are required for proper cardiac function, and is therefore a major factor in heart disease. (To learn more click: Sugar )

View this informative chart of natural sweetners to learn more about sweetners and help you in your own nourishing choices: Natural Sweetners

Laura at Heavenly Homemakers has a wonderful post about the most nutritious sweetners. Read her post by clicking HERE. At the bottom of her post Laura lists other sites to further educate ourselves on sweetners.

Mother's Day Tribute

The following Mother's Day tribute was posted by
Doug Philips on his blog on May 8.

It is beautiful Truth and tremendously inspiring.
Please read and be encouraged!
I pray your Mother's Day was full of blessings. :)

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Your High Calling

Mother, whoever you may be,
You may think long and earnestly
Of your high calling. Pondering
The undreamed honour of the thing;
Learning how God, through you, would plan
To be well-known to every man.
And through your arms would gather fast
The whole world to His heart at last.

Fay Inchfawn

Mamas: the Shapers of Eternal Souls

The most underrated job in America is that of being a mother. The entire world seems to conspire to mock and minimize the true blessings of motherhood. This is why we appreciate the words of J.R. Miller, who once wrote:

Oh, mothers of young children, I bow before you in reverence. Your work is most holy. You are fashioning the destinies of immortal souls. The powers folded up in the little ones that you hushed to sleep in your bosoms last night, are powers that shall exist forever. You are preparing them for their immortal destiny and influence. Be faithful. Take up your sacred burden reverently. Be sure that your heart is pure and that your life is sweet and clean. —J.R. Miller, The Family, pg. 106

The Cost of Motherhood

Once a lady went to visit her friend. During the visit the children of the friend entered the room and began to play with each other. As the lady and her friend visited, the lady turned to her friend and said eagerly and yet with evidently no thought of the meaning of her words: “Oh, I’d give my life to have such children.” The mother replied with a subdued earnestness whose quiet told of the depth of experience out of which her words came: “That’s exactly what it costs.”

There is a cost of motherhood. And the price is no small sum. And if you are not willing to pay this price, no amount of encouragement about the joys of motherhood will satisfy. But the price of motherhood is not fundamentally different from the price of being a disciple of Jesus Christ. In fact, Christian mothers see their duty as mothers flowing from their calling to Jesus Christ. And what is this cost?

Christian motherhood means dedicating your entire life in service of others. It means standing beside your husband, following him, and investing in the lives of children whom you hope will both survive you and surpass you. It means forgoing present satisfaction for eternal rewards. It means investing in the lives of others who may never fully appreciate your sacrifice or comprehend the depth of your love. And it means doing all these things, not because you will receive the praise of man — for you will not — but because God made you to be a woman and a mother, and there is great contentment in that biblical calling.

In other words, Motherhood requires vision. It requires living by faith and not by sight.

These are some of the reasons why Motherhood is both the most biblically noble and the most socially unappreciated role to which a young woman can aspire. There are many people who ask the question: Does my life matter? But a mother that fears the Lord need never ask such a question. Upon her faithful obedience hinges the future of the church and the hope of the nation.

In 1950, the great Scottish American preacher Peter Marshall stood before the United States Senate and he explained it this way:

The modern challenge to motherhood is the eternal challenge — that of being a godly woman. The very phrase sounds strange in our ears. We never hear it now. We hear about every other kind of women — beautiful women, smart women, sophisticated women, career woman, talented women, divorced women, but so seldom do we hear of a godly woman — or of a godly man either, for that matter.

I believe women come nearer fulfilling their God-given function in the home than anywhere else. It is a much nobler thing to be a good wife than to be Miss America. It is a greater achievement to establish a Christian home than it is to produce a second-rate novel filled with filth. It is a far, far better thing in the realm of morals to be old-fashioned than to be ultramodern. The world has enough women who know how to hold their cocktails, who have lost all their illusions and their faith. The world has enough women who know how to be smart.

It needs women who are willing to be simple. The world has enough women who know how to be brilliant. It needs some who will be brave. The world has enough women who are popular. It needs more who are pure. We need women, and men, too, who would rather be morally right that socially correct.

As we approach America’s national Mother’s Day celebration, let’s remember that we are fighting for the Lord, and it is He who prioritizes motherhood and home as the highest calling and domain of womanhood “that the word of God be not blasphemed” (Titus 2:5). May the Lord fill our churches with faithful mothers!

Called To Nourish

As a Keeper at Home I have the blessed opportunity to provide wonderfully nourishing foods to my family. Foods that promote healing, that strengthen the immune system, provide energy and important vitamins and minerals to growing bodies.

I’ve been interested in nutrition on and off throughout my life as a wife and a mother. My interest in nutrition once again has been sparked due to health situations in my own life and that of my youngest son. The Lord has impressed upon me the importance of taking responsibility for my “temple”, and the “temples” of my husband and children.

Several years ago, due to chronic sinus infections, I embarked on a semi-vegetarian diet with mostly all organic whole food for myself and my family. Although I benefited greatly from that diet, I quit after one year because it became very expensive. For several other periods I bought only organic meats and dairy and grocery shopped at only natural food stores, but also quit again due to the expense. I came to the conclusion that in order for this change to be permanent I needed to take time to research, plan, comparison shop and budget to be able to provide the highest quality whole foods to my family. I have found that with a lot of planning and creativity I can provide a mostly organic whole food diet for my loved ones and stay within reasonable boundaries in our food budget.

To be continued…

Hello Friends!

Hello There!

It's been two months since I've blogged. (I can't believe it's been that long!) Our faithful computer had a nervous breakdown, she crashed and therefore my family and I were offline for several weeks. Before that we had a lot going on and blogging just didn't make it to my list of priorities. I'm now happy to announce that I am now online again and good to go! :)

These past few months we have been making a lot of changes in our home, mainly in the area of health, nutrition and in our schooling. We've also been evaluating our homeschool, reorganizing ourselves and changing and making new goals for our family. We've asking the Lord to lead us and He has been faithful. It's been exciting and I hope to share some changes we've made in the next few weeks.

It's good to be back! Check back soon for new posts!

My Snow Princess

Yesterday, my daughter and I were in a rush to execute my plans for a photo shoot in the snow before sunset. Even though the sun did set on us, we had alot of fun taking these photos.

Play our Smilebox below to view more photos from our photo shoot. Our slide show turned out lovely.

Winter Smilebox

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Let It Snow!

Hmmm... I wonder what they're going to do with a wheelbarrow of snow?

The most darling snowbaby in the world!

Sledding down the driveway.

Having fun with Daddy.

Dad and his firstborn.

Aren't these the cutest snow boys?!

Our "Little House in the Big Woods."

Going for a winter walk.

We awoke to a winter wonderland this morning! My husband had announced to us earlier this week that snow was forecast for today, Saturday. When I pulled up my shades this morning I was surprised to see the amount of snow! Wow! It really snowed. Everything is covered in white snow and it looks very beautiful.

The children awoke a little after 6 am, were ready and all bundled up in their snow clothes and boots by 7 am. They spent a blissful afternoon in the snow. They had lots of FUN! I enjoyed watching them from the safety of my front porch, far away from the flying snowballs. Later I came inside and watched them from the window. This Mamma doesn't like the cold very much, although I love the feeling of being all cozy, snug and warm inside our home.

Isn't the Lord good to give us four lovely seasons, a variety of weather, which we can enjoy and in so doing remember His greatness and power.