The Great Christmas Tree 2009

Once again, we have a large tree. Yes, 14 ft. tall to be exact. My hubby had to cut a good foot from the top AFTER it was in the house and in the stand. Yes, he left a large green streak across the living room ceiling as he put the tree up. There are 1200 lights on that tree! We could not put the beautiful blue ribbon garland on the tree, as it would have only covered the bottom quarter of the tree. So, it's loaded with our ornaments, which are full of memories, as they have been given to us by loved ones. My parents and grandparents gave us ornaments every year as we grew up, so we had a lot of ornaments when we left home to start our own homes. The tradition continues within family members so we do not have a shortage of ornaments around here, which is why my hubby thinks we always need a gigantic tree.

Our tree gathering involved us, my sister and her family, my cousin, and my parents. We all found our trees that day, enjoyed walking through the woods, and of course, playing in the snow. A number of snowball fights broke out throughout the afternoon. There wasn't much snow on the ground, but it was enough for making a mini snowman, snow angels, and snowballs. We had a great day and enjoyed a lot of laughs.

Guess who is about to get this snowball, even though she's holding an expensive camera?? Six year olds don't seem to care when it comes to pelting an aunt with a snow ball. haha

Making a snow angel

Weekend Recap

This will be a short post, as I have a spotty connection this morning. I am typing from my laptop, as our power has been off for some time now. It's at or below 0 outside, to top things off. My hubby was supposed to be in Spokane by 7 am this morning, but since the power was off, and we did not set alarms on our cell phones, his alarm clock did not go off at 6, but his internal alarm went off at 6:30, so it was a very rushed morning for him. I was out collecting wood from the wood pile, and thankful we have wood heat to stay warm, before it was even light out this morning. It's painfully cold out there today.

The show I did over the weekend went ok. I didn't sell much, I don't think too many did, but got to see a lot of old friends and catch up so that made it worth it. The night before the show, I got to spend some time with my sis and really enjoyed that time. We don't get much sister time now that I am an hour away, so those couple hours were precious moments of time for just the two of us. I also enjoyed a rice crust pizza at Second Avenue, which is always a tasty treat!!

Yesterday we braved the cold and ventured to Spokane to meet up with my hubby's brother and his wife. They live in central Washington, so we only see them a couple times a year. We met yesterday to exchange gifts and catch up a bit.

It was a very cold, busy weekend, but it was a good one, with time spent with people who matter and are important to me. I am thankful for precious moments of time with family and friends. Now, I need to go check that fire and make sure it's still going as the house is getting quite chilly!! Happy Monday.

Nieces, Lights, and Pictures

My nieces are here today. They spent the night last night with great anticipation of going to see the house that dances with lights to music in Post Falls. The anticipation quickly turned to sadness as two little girls were deeply disappointed that the house was dark. I would say one adult was disappointed as well. I love Christmas lights, and since discovering that house two years ago in Post Falls, we look forward to going over, tuning in the radio station, and enjoying the show. The next fifteen minutes were filled with why's from a five and six year old in the backseat. We ventured to the Resort, where I had only planned to look at the lights from the car since it was 21 degrees, but since the pleas from the backseat were to go walk out and see the lights, I agreed. The girls were met with warm hugs from Frosty and Rudolph who were handing out candy canes out on the dock. The three of us did not go far, as it got so cold none of us could move our faces!! The lights were beautiful, as always, and helped to ease the broken-heartedness of the dancing lights house. We did find one on the way home in Hayden that plays music and the lights go with the music, just a scaled down version of the big show in Post Falls. They enjoyed it, so that helped! We came home, curled up on the couch, looked at the lights around our neighborhood through the window, and enjoyed popcorn and tea that the uncle waiting at home made for all of us. Now, I am getting ready to head to Sandpoint where I will be at a show at the fairgrounds tomorrow with some of my pictures. I am a bit nervous, as my pictures are very personal to me, but when my parents brought it up, I figured I would give it a try. I have a lot to do before tonight's set up time, so better gather up the girls and head north!

Friends

Last night I was blessed to spend almost four hours with a special group of friends. In September, I was the common link to all but one gal. The others had never met, or had only met a couple times. We came together to do the Captivating study by John and Stasi Eldredge, a book and study which I highly recommend all women get, read, and really chew on what she talks about in the book. It's a great study and even better when you go through it with other women. Our group did not meet last week because of Thanksgiving, so we were all happy to be back together and catch up with each other. Our group has become a close knit bunch of friends, who support each other, pray for and with one another, and encourage each other. I missed last week when we were not together, and something in my week definitely seemed to be missing.

It's important to have others in our lives, who can help us out when we are struggling, who can celebrate with us when good things happen, who can hold us accountable when we go off the path we were on, and who are there to laugh and cry with us through good times and the tough times. I have had a hard time in the past letting others in to my life because of past experiences of betrayal and backstabbing. However, when you seek out true friends and use discernment, you can be richly blessed by letting others into your life, to see the real you. I am grateful for a group of diverse woman on Tuesday's who have all become good, trusted friends. I am thankful that God brought a group of woman together, who through other circumstances would not be a group of woman who would have just become friends easily, but HE knew what we all needed and HE brought this group together, for love, support, encouragement, and friendship. I needed that. I think others in the group did as well. Before this group, I really only let a couple people in to the deep depths of my life. One lives in Moscow, my dearest and closest friend, and one is in this group. I am thankful for Godly women in my life. I am thankful for friendship.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up!
Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, 12

Overwhelmed

It's that time of year where I start to have panic attacks, especially this week after Thanksgiving. I think of all that needs done for Christmas, how I don't have the house decorated, the cards that need written and sent, the packages that need wrapped and sent. I feel overwhelmed that I have so much to do, and all I want to do is have the house decorated and sit back and enjoy, and focus on true meaning of Christmas, a babe in a manger, Jesus. I don't know why I put myself through this every year, but I do. I don't know why I get overwhelmed, but I do. I want things to be 'perfect' in my home as we celebrate our Savior's birth. It's quite dumb on ny part, actually. It's self-inflicted hysteria that I bring upon myself. All my Savior wants from me is me. He doesn't care how big the tree is and if all the ornaments are perfect, he doesn't care if I have everything perfect in my home with all the decorations, or if the outside of the house is lit up better than or equal to the neighbors. He just wants me, my full heart, to focus on Him. He wants all of me. As this week moves on, I am going to try to bring that focus daily, sometimes, minute by minute to be on Him and the real, the true reason for this time of year, which is CHRISTMAS, Christ's birth. I pray that your hearts are calm as well, and not overwhelmed by what WE have made this season. Come before Him as we celebrate his birth with peace, and focus on His gift for all of us, His birth which led to His death for each of our sins.

Peace-Filled Drive

Today I am thankful that my computer is finally working, again. I got up to a computer that was not working correctly, so I went off to my appointment, then went for a drive. Most of the area was socked in with fog, but our area, and an area lake were not, so I decided to take in the sunshine, and runaway to do for a bit from the Thanksgiving prep and house cleaning that I need to finish . I'm glad I did. The temperature hit 50 while I was at the lake. Like I have stated before, I relax at the lake and seem to forget about all the stuff going on in life while I take in the beauty of the water, the wildlife, and all God's creation, along with the quiet. Today's drive reminded me to be thankful for the little things, and to see beauty in all things. I was reminded that God is in the small stuff, as well as the big stuff going on in my life, and the lives of those I care about, and that He never leaves our sides. I was reminded how I need those quiet times, as well.



I had my faithful companion, my dog, with me, and she enjoyed the drive as much as I did.





I am thankful for the pocket of sunshine, amidst the fog today. I am thankful for the quiet time I had at the lake. I am thankful for the beauty in all I saw. I am thankful I have a car to take on a drive. I am thankful for times to rejuvenate my soul. I am thankful for the ducks and geese I saw. I am thankful for the houseful of company we are going to have tomorrow.


















I thought these turkeys were pretty brave to be running around in the open the day before Thanksgiving! There was a total of 16 in this bunch.

Gratitude and Thanks

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. ~ Melody Beattie

Thankful list:

Photo albums filled with memories. Memories of my grandparents who are not on this earth any longer. Memories of childhood laughter with my sister. Memories of neighborhood friends. Memories of simpler times when all I needed was mom & dad, my dog, and a bike or a Barbie and life seemed complete. Memories of my early married life, where we didn't have much in the way of material things, but we had a lot of happiness and love, and we grew in love with each other each day, and continue to do so to this day.

Cards, emails, texts or facebook postings from friends. Their words and thoughts bless my heart.

Listening to my 5 & 6 year old nieces sing. God has given them amazing talent already at their age, and I pray they keep growing that talent.

Going for a walk with my hubby and my dog, especially when we walk along Coeur d'Alene Lake drive. It's such a beautiful spot, and we all love to walk there.

Christmas, which celebrates the birth of Jesus! Christmas lights, that to me, show light and hope to the world because of a Savior's birth.

Journals where I can freely pour out my thoughts. There is a lot of 'therapy' in writing for me.

Popcorn, air popped, with a light sprinkling of sea salt...one of my favorite snacks!

Movie and Rude Ladies

Yesterday we went to see the movie The Blind Side. It was a great movie, based on the life of football player Michael Ohre. I highly recommend the movie! There are a lot of great life lessons throughout the movie, and it leaves you with some hope. What did not leave me feeling good were two ladies in their late 60's who were just rude. One came into the row we were sitting in. The theater was packed at this showing. She wanted our seats, and was very loud about it. She says in a very loud voice, 'if these people would just move down, we could all sit together. I don't understand why you come in and take a seat in the middle of the aisle." I wanted to say because it's where we choose to sit, because we got here early enough to pick our seats, but I didn't. She continued ranting and raving, never talking directly to us, but kept going on about how we should move down to accommodate her and her loud self. The row was full, so there was only one seat that we could have moved down by the time she finished her rant. Again, she never asked just thought half the row of seated people should move because she was throwing a fit and scowling at everyone around her.

We went through the movie, which is around two and a half hours long. Enjoyed it, and were getting ready to leave. I had to stop by the ladies room, since I had three glasses of iced tea before we went to the movie (note to self, don't do that again!) and there was along line waiting. I had two ladies step in line behind me. A girl, probably around 12, walked past our line into the restroom. You could tell by looking at her she was a nice girl, probably very quiet and shy. I figured she was waiting for her mom, which turned out to be right. The lady behind my starts yelling in my ear in a snotty tone, "Excuse me, excuse me little girl. Oh little girl, HEY LITTLE GIRL, excuse me! We are all in line. See this line, yes you little girl, this is the line, and you can't just walk by us and think you are going to cut in line ahead of us. We were all here before you, little girl." The poor girl was so embarrassed once she figured out the mean lady was talking to her. In a couple seconds time, that mean lady brought down the self esteem of that preteen in a heart beat, made her turn ten shades of red, and feel like hiding. I could tell when her momma emerged because, although she looked sweet and kind, she had a fire in her eyes as she scanned the line of ladies waiting. As I was leaving the restroom, this same loud lady was mad and cussing because she had to dry her hands using an air dryer. She was going on to her friend about how she paid $9 to see a movie and now had to use an air dryer on her hands. I just rolled my eyes and wanted to tell her if she wants the ritzy lifestyle she was portraying from her snobbery, North Idaho probably isn't where she should live and she should probably move back to where she came from. Instead, I left shaking my head and grateful that I am not like either one of those woman, both of which seem to have a deep root of anger and bitterness in their hearts and they take it out on all around them, and for all to hear. It seems they are the type that put others down to make themselves feel better. I felt sorry for the girl who was assaulted in her heart by the mean lady in line. I hope her mom helped to heal those wounds. Heart wounds are the worst, and that girl was embarrassed in front of a group of 10-20 woman, for no reason.

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Continuing on with my Thankful list:

Canadian Geese, I love to watch them and listen to them

Hummingbirds, so small, delicate, and beautiful

The four seasons, even if winter does get a bit long where I live

New buds on plants that emerge in Spring and bring with them hope

Snow-covered mountains that sparkle as the sun hits them

I am thankful for teachers such as Max Lucado, Beth Moore, and John & Stasi Eldridge, and for my youth pastor when I was in high school who taught me so much and never gave up hope in me

A hot bath on a cold night

God's Word which is filled with promises to fill me with hope in the dark times of life, the hard time of life. God's Word which fills me with hope in the good times of life, the times filled with joy.

Knowing that JOY is in the heart, not based on circumstances of things that make us happy or make us feel good, but deep JOY always helps our hearts to feel peace and contentment in knowing the love our Heavenly Father

For my husband's job, which provides for our needs. A year ago, he was without a job, and times were a bit stressful in our home. Although we had a deep peace that God would provide, it was just a matter of when. I am thankful HE provided a better job for my husband than what he had to start with, and that we only had to go about eight weeks without a paycheck. I am thankful for the great job he has now, and for the company he works for who takes great care of their employees.

I have a house full of family visiting, so today's post will be quick. I just want to continue with my thankful list.

Today I am thankful for:

The safe return of Allie to her home! All who banded together and prayed for her, and searched for her.

Hot tea that warms a cold body on a very cold night last night

Bright, shiny, twinkling stars

Looking at life through the wonder of a 5 & 6 year olds eyes

Missing Girl, Please Help!

UPDATE: She was found this afternoon! She is safe.








This is our friend's daughter. Her name is Allie. She is thirteen. She ran away from home on Sunday afternoon, on her bike, in the Post Falls area. She has not made any contact with anyone since Sunday night.

Please look at her picture. If you see her call 911 and report it. Please feel free to spread the word - especially the Post Falls middle school. She is an 8th grader at PFMS.

Please pray for her and for their family! There is a reward for information leading to her return home, so if you know anything, please contact the police or sheriff immediately.

Health Soapbox

I read an article last night that still has me upset this morning. The government is now recommending the woman do not need mammograms or an MRI for breast cancer exams, until age 50, and that "the task force recommends against instructing women how to do self-exams." What??? This same group also says "cancer is rare in younger women." Really, because I have three cousins who were diagnosed with breast cancer in their early 30's, and one friend who got breast cancer in her 20's and died from the disease in her early 30's. I know of several other woman who have breast cancer in their 30's. Am I a proponent of radiation being put in your body, no! However, MRI's supposedly don't put radiation in our bodies, and more than any of that, WHAT IS WRONG WITH SELF EXAMS? On the other hand, this same government is the same one filling the shelves of grocery stores with genetically modified foods, filled with hormones, antibiotics, pesticides, preservatives, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners which all are detrimental to our health. The government pushes foods that give us cancer but don't want us to be screened for cancer. The food that the FDA approves is not the pure, organic food that was made as God intended food to be. I have been saying for the past couple years that our government is trying to kill us off. I stand beside that comment. I am not trying to be an extremist, but how can a government tell woman not to do self breast exams?? How can they say to not get checked for cancer, whether it be through MRI or mammogram? WE need to be in charge of our health! The government is obviously trying to take that away, through the foods that contaminate our stores, the prescription drugs that have been made for everything, and through their 'health care' plan. Yes, I know that some prescription drugs are needed and help people and I am not against that. I am against the 'take a pill for everything, and here's another pill to take to counteract the pill you are taking' mentality. All you have to do is watch commercials to see the evidence of pill pushing. We as American people need to stand up and say enough is enough and be in charge of our own health and the decisions made. We need to tell the government that we are in charge of the decisions we make for our bodies, not them. We need to eat better as well, and think of the ingredients we are putting in our body. Stand up for your health, and do it now!



Thankful list today:

I am thankful that three years ago I started to understand the dangers of genetically modified foods, high fructose corn syrups, and artificial sweeteners and have taken them out of my diet, and now eat whole foods, and organic whenever I can, food the way God created it be! I feel much better eating this way, and as a benefit, have lost 65 pounds.

For my friend over at Simple Raw Health who has helped me along the way, although I am not a raw foodist like she is, I love her ideas and her advice, and she has taught me a lot.

For my medical doctor and my naturalpath, who both have taught me a lot about eating healthy and the dangers in our foods.

For Pilgrim's Market, Fred Meyer, and Huckleberries Market, where I buy whole foods.