An adventure nearby

On New Years' Day, the kids left for their homes.  

Jill's family had woken up early.  My alarm was accidently set for 6:30 PM, instead of AM!  Luckily I woke up!  I shot out of bed thinking they might have left without saying goodbye.  They wouldn't do that surely!!  They were already getting ready to leave.  

I gave lots of kisses!

Good-bye, Wisconsin kids!!  Leaving when it's still dark and getting home after dark too.

 Staci helped me strip beds.  She is just sweet that way!

They were ready to leave by 9 am.  Good-bye Arkansas kids!  Mindy and Jason had left a couple of days earlier since Jason had to get back to work.

As I was cleaning the house afterwards, I accidently hit my little toe and broke it.  OUCH!  At first I just taped it to the toe next to it, but then I've reinjured it so now I wear this cute little shoe.

Several of us girls from church went to see this movie 

in the afternoon.  Tears!

Adam sent this picture of the travel back to their home.  It went ok, although Claire suffered with travel sickness.  She wears these magnetic bracelets that usually help, but didn't seem to do much  good on this trip.  Music and stories help pass time.

We went to celebrate Christmas with Allen's siblings and a few nieces and nephews the following weekend.  When Saturday came, I asked Al if there were any roads maybe we hadn't been on going to Pretty Prairie.  We did happen to find a couple of roads we hadn't ever tried before - turning south at Burrton and heading over to the north side of Cheney Lake.

 Pelicans!

The Ninnescah River was dammed up creating Cheney Lake for Wichita's water supply back in the 1960's.  Several roads and much land were flooded, including Al's uncle and aunt's farm land.

 Wonder what made these tracks?  Could be pelican?

We also saw a bald eagle and a deer hopped across the road.  Speaking of roads, we came across a road named Graber!  Our last name!  Staci, your road is named after your first name and now there's one after your last name!!

 We got to the farm as the sun was setting.

 Always good to see the family!

Lots of food as usual.  If your New Year's resolution was to diet - well FORGET IT!

We played a dice game we saw on Pinterest, but we made up some of it too.  I made the dice using a box I had, cardstock paper, cut-out circles and tape.  For the gits, everyone brought a food item that they wrapped up.  There were various things - a big box of popcorn.  A pie.  Beef jerkey.  A pan of homemade cinnamon rolls (Al ended up with that! YUM!!)  Oreos.  Pickeled brussel sprouts.  We debated buying Spam or anchovies!

 Looks like we are bowing our heads and praying, but in actuality, we are doing that game we learned from Jill's family.  Everyone puts their heads down, then on the count of  3, everyone looks up.  If you happen to look at the same person, you both are out.

 Here you see that Hannah and Allen are looking at eachother, so they were out of the game.  It continues until 1 or 2 are left (depends on if there are an even or odd number playing).

2020

Now we are in a new year - a new decade!  I began doing a new app this year.  I am reading through the Bible.  I had started last year, working my way through it not only reading but studying the passages.  I was in Joshua.  A young mom in my Bible study invited me to do the Bible Recap app.  I didn't want to start all over in Genesis and I found out I don't have to.  I can listen to it right where I am!  I am really loving it!  If you don't have a Bible reading plan and would like to, this is something you can get for free!  It enriches my reading!

"O Lord, lead me in Your righteousness... make Your way straight before me."  Psalm 5:8

Family pictures

Our family pictures for Christmas 2019

Our family lives in 4 different states - it is SO GOOD when we can all get together!  

The Lord has set us each in our own places.  We have watched God lead each of us to our perspective homes.  It would be easy to be jealous of families that all live in the same town, who get together regularly.  Sometimes I admit to crying about it.  But God has chosen for each of us to live here and there, and I choose to trust His will in it.  His goodness in it.  His purposes and His leading in each of our stories.  To God be the glory!

"From one man He made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and He marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.  God did this so that they would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from any one of us."  Acts 17:26-27