Reflections of 2008

I've been reflecting a lot tonight over the past year. What a year it has been! 2008 had it's great moments, and it had it's sad and not so good moments.

It seems our year is ending the way it started-covered in snow. As a matter of fact, I was depressed when I figured out that we only had four months in north Idaho that did NOT have snow! Only four months! Global warming?? I don't think so. Despite the crazy weather, we did enjoy the bounties of my new garden, with the four great raised beds that my husband made for me. We finally got in both our front and back yards, and the paver patio was finished just before the bad weather came along. We look forward to enjoying it come SPRING! We still have a few things to add to our garden project, but it is pretty nice to have accomplished so much this year!

Through my friend Jenny, I met a new friend who has blessed me immensely. Even though we grew up in the same town, we haven't officially met, but our friendship has grown through emails, and her encouragement and prayers mean so much to me. Unfortunately, our friend Jenny is not here to bless us any longer after she lost her fight with cancer. Her family has been heavy on my heart the past couple weeks, as I know they miss her so much. Jenny was an amazing woman who gave strength to so many people, and taught those of us who were willing to listen to grasp every day of life for the most you can get out of it and not to waste any time. Each moment is precious.

Another friend, someone I looked up to as a loving, very kind woman, lost her very, very short battle to cancer almost a year ago. Roberta's first grandchild was born a couple months after her death, and even though her granddaughter will not have her grandma in her life, I know her sons will pass on the loving legacy of their beloved mom, as it lives through them and the spirit of Roberta will go on in her family.

We lost some pets in our family this year, and unless you are an animal person, that seems insignificant, but to those who love their pets, you understand. My sister's family lost their great dog, Cody, to cancer, and we lost a llama to cancer as well. I thought of Cappu a lot at Christmas because he was brown and loved to run and jump so we always called him a reindeer this time of year. Both of them brought a lot of smiles and memories and we are grateful that God put them in our lives.

2008 brought a lot of GREAT moments with my hubby and our families. A cousin who has been out of our lives for ten years, returned to the area and we have reconnected and are growing our relationship on new levels. It's great to have him back in our lives! We had a lot of wonderful memory-making days with our nieces that will be treasured for many years to come-mini golf, times at the park, bowling, the carousel at Riverfront Park, sleep overs and movies, to just name a few. My mom, sister, nieces and myself had a fun day that will live on for a long time at Riverfront and Manito Parks this summer. We had a lot of fun! One of our older niece's who is in the Navy called us on Christmas day to say hi. We lost contact with her over the past couple years as she's been traveling around and advancing her career. She now is an intelligence officer! She lived with us for part of the summers for a number of years, so it was great to connect with her again and we look forward to staying in touch. We had a new great niece born in May and got to visit her and her brother, and our nephew and his wife, in September. We spent some great times with our families on day trips, a week vacation to Whidbey Island, and out camping in the woods. We enjoyed a great family get together on my dad's side, in August. We hadn't all been together for over 20 years! We thank God for our families and for special times spent with each of them.

My hubby was laid off 6 weeks ago, applied for a new job, called for an interview three weeks ago, and was called that he got the job a couple days before Christmas. What a true Christmas blessing that news was to us!! We thank God for the opportunity that will be started next week! It's going to bring a lot of changes to what has been the norm in our lives for 20 years, but I think they will be good changes. There were a lot of tense times for me in that time, but I know that when I trusted in God and started to say I would praise Him if the job came through or I would praise Him if the job did not come through, things sure went better for all of us, and we got to see how God laid this whole thing out for advancement in my husband's career. It's amazing how God can work, if we allow Him!!

Through facebook, I have reconnected with old friends from high school that I lost contact with over the past 20 some years. It's been great to get updates on them, as well. The ministries we volunteered with at church changed some over the year, although we still work with middle schooler's, just a different area. New friendships have come about through those ministries, while other friendships have strengthened over the year. We have some great friends that we are thankful for, as well.

There have been many situations that have revealed new things about God and His power and majesty and how He is in control no matter what the circumstances, over this past year. We continue to strive to grow in our relationship with Him. We have learned that teachable moments pop up everywhere if we look for them. More and more, we learn to rely on Jesus and the plans He has for our lives.

2008 taught us a lot, and we look forward to 2009 with anticipation for new opportunities, new adventures, new relationships, and for a new level of relationships with those already in our lives, and with Christ. We know that the days ahead hold a lot of unknown, but we know that no matter what, God is in control and He still sits on His throne as ruler and King, and He will be right beside us through every day of the new year.

Blessings in the new year!

It Just Keeps Coming

The snow is falling heavily again today. Yesterday brought a bit of a break, but it rained most of the day, causing a large mess all over the area. We went through a couple 'puddles' on the roadways that could be classified as lakes, because I am sure they were deeper than the new Radiant Lake in Rathdrum! When we got home from Christmas at mom and dad's on Friday, which was a sunny day, we had a three foot deep by eight foot wide berm in our driveway, out to the middle of the road, with a six foot berm piled in our mailbox. I felt bad for my hubby as I stood in the middle of our road, looking at the mess. We had just received a check from medical reimbursement for the year, so I suggested we head to town to see if we could find a snow blower. Unfortunately, half of Kootenai County was looking for the same thing. Everyone had just sold out. Most stores weren't reordering either. I wanted to say 'hello!! There's over four feet of snow on the ground and it's only December,' but I didn't. We found a place that is ordering some in but they won't be here until the 9th! Great, two more weeks of shoveling. Fortunately, we have some neighbors who help us out, but they are having a tough time just keeping up with their own snow so there was still plenty of shoveling involved. My hubby spent seven hours straight shoveling snow on Saturday, from the driveway to the roof! He said he's feeling his age. By the time he was done with the roof, we didn't need a ladder to get on the roof. We had a six to seven foot tunnel leading from the front door to the car. As a kid, I would have loved it, but as an adult, I want to see out my windows. Today, we are to receive another seven inches and the way it's coming down right now, I would say we will easily have that much pile up again. Most of the week has a snow forecast, so any snow we lost in the rain yesterday will return soon. My hubby said this morning that he's finding the snow comical. I just looked at him. He asked what other choice there was, he might as well laugh about it. I guess it's either laugh or go insane, so I will laugh as well because the roads are too icy to make a trip to Orofino for a vacation getaway in a padded room.

Scenes from Christmas

Christmas day visitors

Merry Christmas

Happy birthday, Jesus!

Merry Christmas! May you be blessed today, not by presents but by His presence! Praying that His peace and love surround you on this day.

"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us." Matthew 1:23

“For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17

Suddenly

At that time the Roman emperor, Augustus, decreed that a census should be taken throughout the Roman Empire. (This was the first census taken when Quirinius was governor of Syria.) All returned to their own ancestral towns to register for this census. And because Joseph was a descendant of King David, he had to go to Bethlehem in Judea, David’s ancient home. He traveled there from the village of Nazareth in Galilee. He took with him Mary, his fiancée, who was now obviously pregnant.
And while they were there, the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them.
That night there were shepherds staying in the fields nearby, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terrified, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people. The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
Suddenly, the angel was joined by a vast host of others—the armies of heaven—praising God and saying,
“Glory to God in highest heaven, and peace on earth to those with whom God is pleased.”
When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”
They hurried to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. After seeing him, the shepherds told everyone what had happened and what the angel had said to them about this child. All who heard the shepherds’ story were astonished, but Mary kept all these things in her heart and thought about them often. The shepherds went back to their flocks, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen. It was just as the angel had told them. Luke 2:1-20

I am going to bring out a few points that my pastor brought out about this passage today.

God chose to have his angels appear to the shepherds to announce the birth of Jesus, not the kings, the rulers, priests. The shepherds were common people, even looked down on by society because of their 'lowly' jobs. Their entire livelihood was their sheep, yet when the angel said GO they went. These shepherds got to see a glimpse of heaven. Angels aren't the cute little things we have made them to be. They are mighty, God's warriors. I don't know, but if you think of God's warriors, I doubt they are the cute little things we have made them out to be. Can you imagine, you are laying out in the field and then SUDDENLY there is an angel talking to you. Do not be afraid might be a hard one to accomplish at that moment, when the sky is lit up with beings you have never seen before! After the angel talked to the shepherds, they ran to see Jesus, they told everyone they saw about Jesus and how it changed them, they praised God. Their situation was still the same, they were still shepherds, but their perspective had changed. They were different. Are you different because of Jesus? Has your perspective changed because of Him? Do you worship Him no matter what your circumstances?

People were waiting for a Savior to come, and SUDDENLY He was there. Many missed the opportunity to worship and be changed, but for those who found the Savior, their lives were changed, and still are to this day. Just as Jesus SUDDENLY appeared as a baby, He will return as King. It will be a sudden return, will you be ready?

Beauty of the Pure, White Snow

As I sit and write, the wind is beating against our house once again, causing very large and significant drifts out the front door, down the yard, to the street as well as out the back door and across the entire yard. We were in near total white out conditions this afternoon as we trudged along the prairie. The snow continues to fall at this time and we are to get up to another 10 inches, I believe, with a slight break on Tuesday and then another large snow maker coming in on Wednesday. Wow, sounds wild and crazy for Christmas!


This is a picture of downtown Coeur d'Alene on Friday! It was deep, to put it mildly.



Saturday was a gorgeous day! It was sunny and all the new snow sparkled, and made everything look pure and new. It was only 4 degrees, but it was so pretty. We made a trip up north so I snapped a few photos along the way. The first one is to show you how it continues to deepen outside our house!

Lake Pend Oreille

Highway 95!




My husband and I were talking on our drive about how beautiful everything was with the new snow, and how even some of the unsightly things seemed pretty as they were topped off with the beautiful snow and sunshine. My hubby brought up how that is a lot like our relationship with God, and how God must see us before we become a follower of Christ. We are ugly with sin, and God cannot look at us because of our sin, but He sent Jesus to earth to be born as a tiny baby, to live among us, and to die for us and our sins, and then He raised from the dead. He did all this for us, so that we can be made pure and holy in God's sight. This is the reason for Christmas. God sent His son to save us, to make us pure. We just have to believe in Him, humble ourselves and ask Jesus to come into our lives and to forgive us from our past sins, to let Him be our Savior, and to walk with Him as a friend. We are fresh and new and beautiful! We have new life!

Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Psalm 51:7

Cookies and Theft

Last night I made a quick batch of chocolate chunk cookies with peppermint crumbled on the top. It was an easy cookie to make because I used the Craving Place double chocolate cookie mix. These cookies are gluten free, and pretty tasty, especially when adding the crushed peppermint. I also added halved marshmallows to some of them because as a kid, my mom made chocolate cookies with marshmallows. Those cookies were also one of my favorites, so I was looking forward to trying the gluten free version! I included the regular, non-gluten free recipe below if you would like to give them a try. Anyway, back to the cookies I made up. So, my cookies get done baking and I leave them on a couple racks to cool down. One rack was lower, down on my pull out cutting board, so I moved them to the back of the counter so that my dog didn't get in them. The neighbors brought over a plate of cookies for my husband to enjoy so he was happy, especially when he found the fudge! It was about 10 pm and we were sitting in by our Christmas tree, watching some tv and unwinding, when we heard a loud noise in the kitchen. We both looked at each other, then noticed that our constant companion golden retriever was not by us. My husband goes out to the kitchen, turns on the light, and she is half way up on the counter, eating my coookies! Yes, I know dog's aren't supposed to have chocolate. I got that bulletin, she didn't! So, my carrot stealing dog has just increased her record in thefts. I think we may have to send her to juvie! The funny thing is that plate of cookies and candy from the neighbors were right at head level for her, but she didn't bother them so I' thinking maybe my dog has celiac disease, as well, because one other time a few months ago, I made some cookies for myself and they were cooling on the table, and she ate a couple of them. Honestly, she never bothers anything that is left out! There have been loaves of bread left on the table, and she never touches them. The only thing she is suddenly deciding to be a bad dog over is when I make myself cookies! She has never gotten on the counters so her crimes are increasing. I can see that she's headed to a life of crime in her older age, and I'm just not sure how to turn her around from her life of crime!

Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies

1 ¾ cup flour
½ tsp soda
½ cup shortening
1 egg
¼ cup milk
½ tsp salt
½ cup cocoa
1 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
18 marshmallows (cut in half)

Sift together, flour, salt, soda and cocoa. Cream shortening and sugar. Add egg, vanilla and milk. Beat well. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Chill. Drop by teaspoon onto greased baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes. Remove from oven. Press ½ marshmallows (cut side down) on top of each cookie. Bake 2 minutes longer, cool. Option-top with a halved cherry under the marshmallow.

The Storm, Part 2

Well, it snowed hard all night long, and it still is coming down in full force here! We have almost three feet of fresh snow! I wonder what the totals will be at the end of the day? We have some drifts in the backyard that are five feet deep, and outside our front window, the snow is coming off the roof and hanging down while the pile on the ground is rapidly coming up to meet it. There is only about a three to four foot opening between the two piles, at this time. I opened the door to let our dog out and there was a foot of snow up against the back door. She broke through that but then turned around and looked at me like 'help!' My husband put on his snowshoes to go break some trails for her, and even with the snowshoes, there were a couple points where he sunk up to his mid-thigh area. Unbelievable, is all I can say! Almost everything is shut down, and they are saying to stay home and stay off the roads. My aunt compares this to the winter of '68 when the snow was up to the roof lines.

Better go help dig out of this white stuff, because in a couple of hours, we will have to do it all over again!

Storm Rolls In

We had a heat wave on Wednesday! It hit 17 degrees, but we are being hammered by a storm, and have been since early Wednesday morning! The snow is piling up outside. I would guess right now, we probably have a good 18-24 inches of fresh snow, at 12:30 am. It's hard to tell at our house, because the wind likes to move it around quite a bit. I will say it's pretty, but it sure was a slow, and icy drive to and from Coeur d'Alene. I don't know how many times the Interstate was shut down, but I know there were a few times. Not only was there a lot of snow on the roads on the morning commute, but there was a lot of black ice which made drivers think the roads were bare in spots, however they were covered in ice! There were a lot of wrecks and slide offs along the way.

I snapped a few photos while I was downtown, before and after dark.














I couldn't resist taking a few into the street light while I was on my way home. At this point, I was out on the prairie, where the two lane roads had drifted into one lane, and the snow was coming down sideways.

As the snow continued to come down, and the wind swirled large drifts in front of our front door, we thought it was a good night to just stay in and enjoy the trees, both outside and inside!

Unless something really strange happens, I would say we will have a white Christmas!