Spring

Spring!  Woohoo!  We enjoyed our first day avoiding falling branches due to the weight of the snow.  We found some great places for sledding though!

View outside our window.

We lost power so...here we are melting snow to make sure we have enough water for the day.  It was actually kind of fun cooking over the stove.  I enjoyed the challenge. (For the 2 days)  It also made me very aware of the hard work that many people still do to prepare their food.

My husband's ingenious refrigerator...if our power didn't turn on the next day.

More sledding before the snow melts.

Michael turned 4 years old on Monday!  He asked for spaghetti for his birthday dinner.  Here he's wearing the birthday gift Isaac made for him (his birthday hat).

Three months ago, out of the blue, Michael asked for some "goggles".  I thought he meant goggles for swimming, but he informed me he wanted the kind that pilots wear on "Tora, Tora, Tora" (for those that don't know, Tora, Tora, Tora is a WWII movie...when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor).  So we had to get him an authentic leather pilot helmet as well. :)

Longer Days...Spring's Closer

We always know when spring is close...when we hear those frogs.  This means warmer (a little) nights and longer playtime outside. 

 Laser tag has become a definite family favorite!  Here are some pics of our latest game

Zechariah...attack!

Dad and Michael (getting reloaded) to fend off the enemy...apparently me, the photographer.

Dad is serious about this!

Michael and Isaac escaping my "shot." (Camera shot, that is.)

The war is finally over...

First beautiful day to eat lunch in the tree fort!

Enjoying lunch in the fort.

Sadie enjoying waiting for any leftovers that might come dropping down from the fort.

A walk around "the loop".

A new hiding area.

...and jungle gym.

Our first dinner outside this year!

"Praise the LORD, all nations; laud Him, all peoples! For His lovingkindness is great toward us, and the truth of the LORD is everlasting. Praise the LORD!" Psalm 117:1-2

Hard Week...but Good Week.

Wow!  What a week.  All three boys came down with the flu (oh yeah, the whole deal...fever, throwing up, etc.) last Monday.  By Thursday Zechariah and Michael were getting much better, but Isaac still had a pretty high fever.  On Friday we decided to take Isaac in to see the doctor. We are so thankful we did as it turned out he had pneumonia.  Within an hour of taking his anitbiotics his fever was almost completely gone! So now on day 4 of the anitbiotics he seems to be almost fully recoved.  Everyone is on the mend.

Through this trial, we were able to see more clearly God's lovingkindness, His strength for each day, and a renewed awareness of His sovereignty.  Our life was stirred up a little in order to see our dependency on Him, to strengthen our faith, and to rejoice in all situations.  I was reminded (as I need to be so often) that I need to "keep seeking the things above, where Christ is."

"Therefore if you have been raised up with  Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.  For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory." -Colossias 3:1-4

Rejoicing Always...Even After Christmas

Christmas is now past...ornaments are put away, lights (half of the string didn't work...but nobody new unless they looked at the back of our tree. :) )  have been thrown away, and all the boxes from the different presents have been burned (in the burn pile...that's what we do out in the sticks) as well as our beautiful tree.   Even though December 25th is past and the excitement of the special day is past we as Christians have so much to look forward to.  

I can rejoice in the fact that I have a Savior who has taken upon Himself every drop of God's wrath that justly should have been poured out on me. I can rejoice about this:

 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us, we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 2 Corinthians 5:17-21

As I mentioned in a previous post, (Depths and Riches of the Gospel), I didn't realize for the longest time that I don't just have a "clean slate" but I have Christ's righteousness imputed to me! In other words, I have ALL the righteousness I will ever need in order to be part of God's kingdom. Wow! This then motivates me to do good works! Not because I am trying to be "good enough", but because I love the One who saved me from eternal punishment AND gave me HIS righteousness. What hope and joy I can always experience! I am no longer guilty for my sins...I am  no longer a slave to sin but a slave of righteousness, no longer an enemy of God but a citizen of Heaven,  now that's something to always be rejoicing about...all throughout the year.

Christmas Vacation

Here are some things we were blessed to do during the past week.

We took a vacation to Newport.  Here is an exhibit at the Aquarium.

An anaconda...this was a favorite.

Hands on with the sea creatures.

Shark aquarium.

Braving the winds...and rain!

Back in the warm hotel for some food.

Christmas morning.

Battling tops game. (One Grant remembers as a kid.)

 

I think their faces should be on the front of the game box. :)

Lamplighter Publishing

My friend Jessica turned me on to this website, http://www.lamplighterpublishing.com/ , awhile ago.   I recently recieved a new catalog of their newest books, and I always admire how beautiful they are. They are old books (many written in the 1800s) that have been reprinted. These are books worth collecting, as they are "treasures of truth through stories from days gone by." I hope to begin collecting them for our own family. 

To add to these great books are the audio dramas. I must say, these are better than even watching a movie! It's very professional and the stories are helpful for teaching character. I found this free download of one of the books called "A Peep Behind the Scenes". I have only listened to the first two episodes, but look forward to hearing the rest (on my stationary bike). :) I thought I might share this neat resource with you all too!

http://www.lamplighterpublishing.com/theatre/A-Peep-Behind-the-Scenes.html

Enjoy!

Tree Time and Grandma's Birthday

We found the perfect tree!

Pretty serious about decorating.

It's getting there.

Finishing touches.

Celebrating Great Grandma Ernie's 88th birthday!