'Tis the season!

The Christmas program at church. The children were just darling!!
They sang "Away in the Manger"
and "Christmas Day".

Lunch with a dear friend,Debbie.
We like to garage sale together
and go out to eat.

When you eat at Panera, they ask for your first name. When your meal is ready they call it out. We had to laugh one day when we ate there. They called my name "Debby". Then Debbie's name. Following that there happened to be another Debbie. And finally, they called out "Seriously, another Debbie!" We had a good chuckle. In the 50's, Deborah/Debra was a very popular name, much like Ellie or Emma is today.

This will be a hard year for Mike and Debbie as she begins chemo treatments in January. We'll be there for you, Debbie!

In between the parties and get-togethers, I still get to have grandchildren over to play.

Hannah enjoyed our real stethoscope and listened to our heart beats. She took my blood pressure. As she was pumping the bulb, she said, "Nana, I'm going to pump all the blood out of your body." Yikes!

Hannah is in Berean's pre-school this year. They had a program at school with the K-4th graders. Her very first program in the school system! Hannah did great! Except for when she picked her nose!

Last night was the hospital pharmacy party. I cooked all day. Allen was such a great help to me. He wrapped bacon around little smokies and even arranged the fruit tray! The tiramisu pie was scrumptious!

We had an ugly sweater contest. What fun!
Harry won the t-shirt - "Original mistletoe tester"
Allen sure has some fun, crazy workers!

We have something every night until Christmas - young couple's leadership party, Graber family Christmas, a party at the Prairie Sunset Home where Allen's Dad is living, Al and Adam are going to a KU game and caroling. Then there is Christmas Eve and then Christmas. Our family will actually be celebrating after the holidays when Josh's family and my brother and wife can come down. How's that for keeping busy this wonderful Christmas Season!! What a special time to celebrate Jesus' birth with others!

"The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

It is the Season!

Back from Arkansas!

I haven't blogged for a long time. I have been going down to Arkansas to help my son and wife with their children. Poor sweet baby Elijah has been having some tummy troubles and Josh and Staci have been exhausted from lack of sleep. We are thinking that perhaps Staci will probably need to stay off any dairy products and hopefully that will help.

They haven't had time to do any Christmas decorating.
Pumpkins still on the porch -
I thought it would be fun to make a
pumpkin snowman!

Here are the 2 little reasons I've been gone from home.

I took a little Christmas tree to them - just for the children.
Emeri was delighted to decorate (and un-decorate and decorate again!)
her own little Christmas tree.

Each year I buy an ornament for each grandchild.
I found a Little People ornament on-line for Emeri.
She LOVES Little People!

So we made a Little People Christmas tree.

I am home now.

Several parties this week to get ready for!

Shopping still needs to get done.

Wouldn't trade the time with Emeri, Elijah, Josh and Staci though!

Fathers and Sons

I thought it was so funny that Josh and Eli are posing so similarly.

Like father, like son.
My prayer, Father God, to be like You.

Josh and Elijah - Oct. 09
Allen and Josh - '79

Do you see the love of the fathers for their sons?

"The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as He did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son..." Deut. 1:30-31

"This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4:9-10

How deep is our Father's love for us!

Thanksgiving

This whole month Today in the Word has reflected on being thankful. I have really enjoyed reading all the Scriptures that speak on that.

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,
continue to live in Him,
rooted and built up in Him,
strengthened in the faith as you were taught,
and overflowing with thankfulness." Col. 2:7

It isn't always easy to be thankful - when getting a flat tire (right, Mindy???) or in the face of cancer, like my dear friend Debbie. Or facing the holidays without a toddler.

But - "since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe" Hebrews 12:28

God IS good, He IS kind, He IS just. He IS in control. And He is ALWAYS present and there to help us during those hard times. I have to trust Him. This world can be a hard place to live, but we can rejoice in Him and also we look forward to the Kingdom to come that He is preparing! I just read that when we go to that heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God we will "come upon thousands and thousands of angels in joyful assembly". (Hebrews 12:22) You usually don't envision angels laughing and being joyful. But that is what it says! It will be such a wonderful place!!

In 1863, Abraham Lincoln stated: "The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come....They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God...I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States...to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens." (He declared this holiday while the civil war was going on!)

So we celebrate!

Here is my mom's famous, fabulously decorated turkey that she makes every year.


And pies! Jill made apple and I made the pecan and pumpkin.

Mom, Dad and Aunt Millie.

We had Jill and Adam's friends, the Petersons too. They are going to France as missionaries with Avant. They have 4 kids and 1 on the way! The house was brimming with happy sounds of children last night!

The kids enjoyed playing together!

Today I tear down Fall decorations. Ready for a new season. The grateful heart continues as we celebrate His greatest gift to us!! His Son, Jesus!

Emeri and Eli

I went down Tuesday to Arkansas to see my kiddos - Josh and Staci

and Emeri

and new baby Elijah!

Emeri loves to read books! So I enjoy going shopping and getting her some of the oldies - Eloise Wilkin's books, the nursery story book series by Katherine Royer, Herald Press published in 1947, Pattibooks from the '50's. The latest book I found for Emeri was a children's Christmas songbook that was published in 1948. I found it in an antique store. Josh likes to play these for Emeri on the piano and Emeri loves to sing them!

We made a bracelet and necklace for both her and for her bunny, made a crown out of construction paper and also an Indian headdress (since Thanksgiving is coming up), we colored lots of pictures, played games and had so much fun!

You can tell that Emeri loves to wear her "jammies". She says they are "comfy cozy."

I got to hold Eli a lot!!

They would bring him to my room in the wee hours of the morning so they could sleep a couple more hours.
Can you spoil a baby too much??

I wish we lived closer! I cried a lot on the way home.

"Children's children are a crown to the aged" Proverbs 17:6

Happy Birthday, Adam!!

30 candles! Adam turns 30 on November 18.

We had an early party.

Hannah wrapped her gift in a heart package.
She said all the hearts show all her love.
And the bow on top for extra love.

We love you, Adam! You love Christ so much and love to tell others about Him - how Jesus can change their lives! You are faithful, so funny, your spirit is gentle and peaceable, you are a great Daddy!! and love our daughter sooo much! You are a gifted teacher and leader. Love your sermons! Love how you lead worship!!!

Happy Birthday!

Have a fun time at the Switchfoot concert!

Teletubbies invation!

Ever watch the British children's television show, the Teletubbies? They came to visit tonight! Dipsy and Laa-Laa, I think.