A Special Snow Day

Mt. Rainier Snow Day! 

The drive up to the mountain was spectacular!

The road to the snow park hadn't been plowed for 2 days.. we followed the snowplow up the hill to the park. It was snowing hard.. all of the sled runs were deep fluffy snow and took a long time to smooth down into slick fun runs. It was snowing SOOO hard! Brrr.. and Fun... :)

Grant and Grace

Mandy, Ryan and Grant head to the top of the hill

Now it's Gracie's turn. We were interested to see how she liked it. Grace does not usually do well with fast motions or feeling like she is out of control. Having Mama up there helped her get the courage to sled down the hill.

'Ready Gracie?'

Wheee! She loved it!

There goes Amanda!

 

'Faster Ashley!'

I think Grant could have stayed there ALL day!

Grady and Rye watch the children come down the hill

Children line up for the sled run

Ryan joins the line

 

Laura, age 2 1/2

 

Grace, age 4 (almost 5!)

 

Grant, age 11

 

Ryan, age 14

 

Amanda, age 18

 

Ashley, age 21

 

The snow was so thick that it was hard to see across the field

 

Aunt Katie, Ashley and I *think* Amanda wore this snowsuit!

 

 

 

 

 

This is how deep the snow was!

After a while, we all headed down the hill back to the parking lot. The sledding was more exciting there because the snow was already packed down, not fluffy. Grant was such a sweetie, pulling Laura (who was STILL enjoying lying on her back and eating snow) all around the parking lot

Grant's turn!

 

Grace needs a little pick-me-up!

 

Cocoa will do the trick!

 

Mmmmmm!

 

 

Laura is still lying on her back in the sled, eating snowflakes

There's a smile! She musta just needed a warm up!

 

Wheee!

 

 

Laura, still lying on her back, enjoying the ride!

And eating snowflakes!

 

 

Waiting while her sisters use the restroom before heading back down the mountain and head home..

 

 

 

 

 

Our Precious Treasures

December 27, 2012

 

 

Christmas Stuff

As a family we do not really purchase gifts, decorate a tree or stuff stockings but we do try and take part in  things of the season which focus on the Lord.  For instance this year our family thoroughly enjoyed attending a beautiful performance of Handel's Messiah. That is always a family favorite tradition. One thing we often notice during this season is that people seem to be more open to the gospel.. So we do not ignore Christmas.. rather pray and ask that the Lord gently lead us through the season .. doing things which glorify him. We pray that we are honoring of Him in that. This year we were invited by Papa Ben and Nana to come to their home for their Christmas dinner. They promised only to purchase the children books and not go crazy. :) We had such a blessed day, thanks Nana and Papa!

 One thing that does grieve us during the season is just how much money we as Americans spend on trinkets and gifts.. while many across the globe go hungry. (click on this link to view a tract that a friend of Jeremy King's recently wrote) https://dl.dropbox.com/u/5453094/Black%20Friday%20Tract.pdf
We know how Jesus views this.. He is not silent on the matter.

We are blessed by organizations who offer alternatives and thank those in our family who gifted us this year by gifting others. Both Grandpa and Nonnie's share of a heifer and Nana and Papa's share of a goat herd came from Heifer International https://secure1.heifer.org/gift-catalog/?msource=KIK1K122942&gclid=CLXHoa69vLQCFeGDQgodYn0A5w
By purchasing from this gift catalog you can provide a necessary item for a needy family and also bless those on your gift list.

Christian Aid Ministries is another wonderful organization who provides relief around the world http://www.christianaidministries.org/

All of that said, we want to also say that we appreciate those family members of ours who took this season to bless our family with practical gifts that they knew we needed.. coats, jackets, children's books and school books as well as money to pay our bill. We are so touched by the practical things which others have shared with us.. We in no means want to stand by and judge how others spend their money or celebrate the season. Our family needs to grow in the area of giving for sure..we just want to be asking  the question of ourselves and of you.. what is necessary? Are we feeding the poor? Especially those of us who are followers of Jesus Christ?.? Are we fulfulling what the Lord has required of us?

⁸ He has shown you, O man, what is good;
And what does the Lord require of you
But to do justly,
To love mercy,
And to walk humbly with your God? Micah 6;8 NKJV

¹⁷ But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?¹⁸ My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth. ¹⁹ And by this we know^[a] that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before Him. 1 John 3:17-19 (NKJV)

May the Spirit of truth guide us into all truth! And may we be the hands and feet of Jesus daily.. both in our own homes and around the world. ♥

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Family Tradition and a Blessing

Since 2006 we have made cookies to take to a local women's shelter on Christmas Eve. Although we do not celebrate Christmas ourselves per se, we know that people tend to be more sensitive about things of the Lord during this time of year.  In the past we have enjoyed showing this small gesture of love toward these hurting and precious women. The chance to bless them, pray for them and share things of the Lord with them is always such a highlight of the season for us. It most likely blesses us much more than it blessed them! This year our family had the flu the whole week before Christmas. SO, we were very behind on baking by the time we all recovered! On Christmas Eve day we were so busy finishing up the cookies! Sometime around mid afternoon, our very sweet neighbor whom we have known for many years now, came over and blessed us with a huge dinner! A pot roast, carrots, twice baked potatoes and fruit. What a perfect day for this. I mean, the kitchen was trashed with nothing planned for dinner! Thank you so much K for blessing us like that. It enabled us to go deliver the cookies, take some time at the shelter and come home to a beautiful dinner. It makes me think of the verse in Luke:

³⁸ Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”  Luke 6:38 NKJV

 

Amanda's crinkle cookies (you can see the pot roast cooking too!)

"Were you helping or sampling, Laura?"

 

 

Wonderful job girls!

 

The women's shelter

 

A view of the kitchen and all the cookie mess!

What a blessing to come home to this wonderful meal! Thank you dear neighbors!