~ 2007 ~

I can't believe that it is gone! It seems as if it just started yesterday! I don't like the fact that the older I get the more time seems to fly by. It is sad and exhilarating at the same time. It reminds me all the more to take the time to cherish each and every moment. It is hard to sum up the year in just a short paragraph, but I will share with you one thing that comes to mind. One of the things the Lord impressed upon my heart this past year has been...relationships. Taking the time to invest in others' lives for the purpose of encouraging and edifying the body of Christ. And for sharing His love to those that do not know Him.

But the greatest thing I remember about 2007 is how God showed me, through a series of events, that He really is a God who cares about every little detail of our lives. I learned to pray with a faith and boldness that I had never had before and I saw big answers to those prayers. He showed me that I needed to pray as He instructed in Matthew 21:22, " And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive."

So, as 2007 ends and I sit back and reflect, I am encouraged by what great works I have seen God do in my life and the lives of those around me.

Our God truly is an awesome God!!

** Merry Christmas! **

I hope you all are having a wonderful Christmas! We have unwrapped gifts, played with a few and are now settling in for afternoon naps......gaining energy for all of the people that are coming over here this late afternoon and evening to eat, play games and fellowship.

oh, I had better go.....my sister bought a new game and we are about to learn how to play.......

Blessings from our house to yours this wonderful holiday season.

Let us not forget, amidst all the wrapping paper and gifts, what the real and true reason for this season is.....

the birth of our Saviour and Lord...

Jesus Christ!

Take time today to rejoice in thankfulness for God's glorious plan of salvation.

"...then the angel said to them, Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you tidings of great joy which will be to all people..." Luke 2:10

** Snowed In **

I can't post any photos because my parents only have dial-up and it took forever just to get this page up so that I could post! But if I could post photos I would have some of rippled snow drifts, looking like crystal in the sun.
Yesterday was my cousins wedding, held in a beautiful old church in a little farming town, in the middle of a Midwest snowstorm. It was quite a day! We got our van stuck in ice and blowing, blizzarding snow trying to get out of my parents drive. Once we were freed from that we had to drive 25 mph in white-outs for 6-8 miles to get to the church. I was the wedding coordinator/personal attendant and Alannah was one of 2 flower girls. So we get to the church and I have to wade through snow drifts and raging, blowing snow from the church to the reception hall, which was located about a block away. My dear husband went with me to be my body guard against all of that snow! :)
The wedding went off well with the handful of people that attended, which was mostly my aunts and uncles and those in the wedding party. Thank goodness all were living or staying nearby and didn't have to drive very far in the blizzard.
They shut the interstate down here, due to a 30 car pile-up. It was plain crazy out there! But when we left the reception hall and headed for home at 9:30 last night the snow had stopped and everything was bright and clear. Although we still had to brave the snow drifts getting home....mainly my parents drive! It always drifts shut so they said they would go first and plow through it with their van because it is taller than ours. Well, we were within site of their house when I spotted their flashing tail lights and said to Greg, "so much for plowing through". The story is that the snow was about 3-4 feet deep and Dad was out there moving the drift with a shovel!! Now that is a ton of shoveling! He was done with a large enough portion of it shortly after we arrived.....yes, we were sitting on the road too waiting to get in! Not a very safe situation being that they live on a narrow blacktop road on a curve! Anyway, after 2 tries Mom was able to push her way through it and I, now in the drivers seat, plowed us through it and at last we were safe at home! Whew, what a day! We all fell into bed exhausted and looking forward to sleeping in....for we knew we would not be able to get out of the drive to attend church this morning. But I was up early enough to go out and shoot some photos of the beautiful sunny snow covered world!
Now that the hustle and bustle of the wedding is over with we are chilling out and spending time with family. The cousin who was married yesterday, Heather, she and her husband are coming over here soon to play games and hang out for the evening. Tomorrow is Christmas with my brother, his wife and kids....here at my parents. Then on Christmas day we have a houseful of family and friends coming. So it is going to be a busy next 2 days!
I will have lots of photos to share once we return home and I can post them.
Happy Holidays!!

* windows *

When I was in Charleston photographing the gorgeous architecture I decided to make a collection of window photos. I have always liked the simplicity of an old window....to me they have so much character and tell a story. I wonder who has looked out these windows.... what did they look out upon....how much has that which they looked upon changed?

So I share with you my collection......enjoy.....

" textures and lines "

on our way home from the south we stopped in Indianapolis at the Speedway Museum. this had more to do with Greg wanting to than me. i thought i would be very bored, but was pleasantly surprised to find that with my camera in hand i found tons to photograph. there was a ton of texture and colour in there so the following are some of them......

what do you think this is? [in above photo]

i even stumped my car enthusiast huband with this one! Ha! and that is hard to do, for he is almost a walking encyclopedia when it comes to old car parts!

i really enjoy capturing different textures and materials on film. i want these to be something that someone looks at and says,"what is that"? i know i have a long way to go in capturing these things so that they are considered "art", but that is what i am striving for....the art effect.

* ice beauties *

We have finally arrived back in wintry Iowa. We arrived home this past Mon. evening to a very cold and somewhat icy world. It had been 3 weeks since we had been home and a lot has changed in the weather since then. We left 70 degree weather for this...........



but I wouldn't change a thing about it. I like the 4 definite seasons that I get living here in Iowa. I think it is so beautiful and I enjoy looking out any window and seeing such beauty! This is the time of year that I like to cocoon inside my house and do winter projects. I have specific things that I do only during the winter months. One of these days I will share with you some of them but for today I will share some of the beautiful ice I have been enjoying all week.

I know.....you all are thinking," when is she ever going to put anything new on her blog!" Well, hold on because I am putting a whole lot of photos on this post!

We are still in South Carolina, having a blast and getting to know and bond with family. We have been to the zoo twice....once to see the Christmas lights of an evening and the other during the day to see the animals. We have been to a swamp park, been walking in the outdoor mall to see all of the beautiful Christmas lights and gone shopping at a variety of different stores. And Greg, Alannah and I spent 2 days this past week in Charleston. We spent most of our time walking the historic district, photographing and discussing the different types of architecture, and browsing the art galleries and shops. We ended our time there with a visit to the beach at Isle of the Palms. It was a relaxing time! Now we are back in Columbia with Greg's sister and boys and are planning to take the boys shopping for their mother's Christmas gifts tomorrow and doing some more sightseeing the next few days. It is gorgeous weather here.....in the mid to upper 60s during the day and down to the upper 30s and lower 40s at night. The autumn leaves are gorgeous, the Christmas lights are shining on the houses and the pansies, snapdragons and other flowering shrubs are blooming! It is like having 3 different seasons all at once! It is awesome and I like it lots!!! No ice, snow or freezing temperatures! And there is still green everywhere due to all of the pine trees. The lawns are brown though due to the drought they have and are still in.

So please enjoy the photos below and know that there are many, many more coming as soon as I can get them loaded and posted.

these were taken at the beach

crossing from Charleston to the Isle of Palms

some of the architecture of Charleston

I really enjoyed all of the decorative iron work that is such a part of this town!
Take a close look at the reflection in this one