OK, it is so windy and cccoooollllldd here that I had to start taking drastic measures to keep the warm in and the cold out! This is a very heavy winter blankie hanging over the door that leads to the porch from my kitchen. The wind was pushing so much air through it that when I hung it, it billowed out. Sooooo, there came the need to put something heavy on it at the bottom to keep the air from billowing under and out! Naturally I grabbed the closest thing I could find with weight to it....."Grammies good garden grown green beans". They did the trick and I found another use for farm canned produce besides eating!.....not near as good as eating them, but at least they are being kept nice and COLD and fresh!

As I write this though I am toasty warm sitting in front of my pellet stove.....great idea we had to put it in the Den....this room used to be freezing cold and our computer sits in the northeast corner so we always froze while using it. Now, with the stove right next to it we about sweat-to-death sometimes! Oh well, I am definitely NOT complaining right now!!! I just looked at the temp outside and it is ZERO!!! Which, with the wind, is probably about -20 or more!!!! Well I think I will go make me a cup of hot tea now.....ta ta for now.....

What is it ????

Can you guess what each photo is ?? Please respond with your comment! Have fun!

a.

b.
c.
d.

e.

f.

Pondering................


As I was quietly contemplating in front of my stove the Lord brought this to my mind.........

We as believers are like the glass on my stove. When it was new it was clear and I could see through it clearly, but as we began using it a film of ash built up and it became more difficult to see inside. Now, if we wiped this film off everyday it came off very easily, but the longer we let it go the harder it is to get clean and the quicker it builds up and the less we see.

Our hearts are like this......when we were new in our relationship with Christ or when we have had a defining moment of closeness with Him we can see clearly Christ and His workings in our hearts. But as time goes on and we live life, "ash" called sin, builds up and makes it more difficult to see what Christ has for us. If we deal with our sin right away it is rather easy to get back on track with God and see Him working. But if we let it go, the thicker the "sin wall" gets between us & God and the harder it is to "clean" away and the longer it takes for us to clearly see God again.

So sin is the "ash" that clouds our vision and by spending time with God each day we can clear away any "ash" [sin] that may have accumulated from the day before or week before or......hopefully it's just a film not a layer! :smile

Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Cor. 7:1

~~Alannah's first ever haircut~~
~21 January, 2008~



I trimmed the ends up and took off about a half inch. After I was finished I asked her if she liked her first haircut and she said,"It didn't hurt, mama, not a little bit!" I had never thought about that before, but to a little kid the fact of cutting something on your body would cause them to think that it might hurt, especially when we have always told her that knives and scissors can hurt you.

::: A Christmas Wedding :::

I have been wanting to put these up since the beginning of the year but every time I would go to upload them the vertical ones would upload horizontally......but they are finally loading the correct way now.....
So, these are from my cousin's wedding that took place on the 22nd of December in the middle of a blizzard. Alannah was one of the two flower girls.....
I really liked the whole winter/Christmas wedding....the rich colours and sparkling snowflakes.....the dress she wore was made of white velvet, was her mother's and was made by my grandmother......it was absolutely gorgeous!

what a beauty!

Since we are now living in the frozen tundra of minus 5 degrees as a high these days I felt we needed a little taste of Spring to remind us that it will not be this cold forever. Before we know it we will be complaining it is too hot :smile
Actually I am not minding this cold at all! I am using it as a reason to stay indoors and hibernate and get things done that I have long needed to get done. But for those of you who are complaining about the cold......and you know who you are :smile......here is a little taste of what is to come....



Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! Sing out the honour of His name, make His praise glorious. Say to God, "How awesome are Your works!

Psalm 66:1-3a

Well, we had an eventful afternoon in our town today. The Chamber of Commerce building burnt........it is a complete loss by the looks of it. We walked to the scene and I was able to capture several images. I thought those of you living around here might like to see a few.....

As I was reading my Bible this morning I was reminded of how much God loves us. Philippians 1:6 says, "the One who began a good work in you will keep it growing until it is completed on the Day of the Messiah Yeshua."

How encouraging to know that what God starts He completes because His love for us is so deep. It was a gentle reminder that I need to do the same, whether it be a project for a loved one, a friendship needing a little TLC or keeping my word. If I am to be an example of Christ I need to immulate Christ. So as this new year starts off I challenge you to do the same. And to take the time this year to enjoy the simple beauty that God has designed.

Happy New Year!

Here we are beginning another year! I am excited to see what 2008 brings! Greg & I ushered in the New Year with our annual New Years Eve party in our home. This year our friends Chris & Em and Neil & Anne came. We had a blast laughing, eating, playing games, laughing, eating, laughing..... these 2 couples are always great fun to be with and it was a blessing to be able to spend the last moments of 2007 with them.

the spread

Chris making us laugh!

Queen Anne being Anne

Uno Attack is always a hit with our friends! We have a laughing good time playing it

Emily had a trade hands card and traded with me......funny thing is it ended up being an even trade...we had a good laugh and took a picture

Have a Happy New Year !!