JewelzRamblings
• Dec. 18, 2009 - Blessings...
Friends of ours recently lost all of their material possessions in a house fire that consumed everything, except them and their pets. It was devastating. I was blown away by the complete destructive power of fire. My heart has been so heavy for my dear friend. Nothing I could do but pray, offer clothes, and gift cards. Prayer, of course, has been most important. But my heart still breaks for them and their loss.
It's been so hard to watch them grieve but so wonderful to watch people reach out and help them. Some haven't even known them. Some have been good friends. But all have been "Jesus with feet" to my dear friend and her family.
Yesterday they got to pick up their children from their grandmother's house. I am so humbled by God working to bring this family back together for Christmas. It seems like all of life is okay just because they are now together.
I know there will be times when certain material possessions are missed, making them sad. But I also know Jesus is there to rebuild what no man can.....a family.
Join me in prayer and praise for this beautiful family God is rebuilding.
What a Christmas!
I praise you Lord Jesus!
IN HIM.... |
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• Dec. 17, 2009 - Many Exciting Things Coming a Little Too Fast
Posted By Suzy Scribbles
It looks like Ryan is going to join the Air Force. That moves up our relocation to our 14- acre homestead by about two years! We'd planned to stay on the West side until Ryan was settled and older (he's only 18), but if the Air Force "adopts" him, then our house will be empty. In the meantime, our oldest son Chad and his wife want to buy our house . . . and soon (to get that $8,000 first-time buyer tax credit), so all of a sudden I'm having to think about moving away much sooner than I planned!
So we had somebody over to officially appraise the house so we can present a fair price to our son. And all of this has to happen around the first of the year! Ryan still has to go to the METS (Military Entrance Testing Site), but after that, he'll know for sure if he's "in" and then will wait until the job he wants and qualifies for comes up--5-6 months. Then *sniff* good-bye Ryan, good-bye Enumclaw, and hello homestead.
Too much . . . too soon!
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• Dec. 16, 2009 - A Gingerbread House and Missing Teeth
Posted By Michelle
As part of our Christmas study we also had a little fun reading the gingerbread story. I read them a few gingerbread stories and the kid had to write a summary of what they heard. They also got to decorate a gingerbread house. We had not done that before and so it was lots of fun. I did however learn that putting down newspaper would have saved me a lot of time trying to get the island clean. The more I washed the stickier it seemed to get. After several washes I think I got all the icing off.  I also have gingerbread boy and girl cookies for the decorating this week.
Here are the kids working on their house.
 Notice Carter... The kid wouldn't just smile. I think he was sampling the candy a little too much. 
And if you are wondering about the red cheeks?? Their Dad was playing monster and chasing them through our house before they came to the kitchen.
And finally here is how it turned out.
Kiley had a big day in our house this week. She lost 2 teeth on the same day, one on top and one on bottom. They had both been loose for a while. She looks so cute and is making her voice adorable. Those words just don't sound the same without your two top teeth. She was so excited to put them under her pillow and wait for her surprise.
Here she is smiling with pride.
 She sure is going to look grown up when the new teeth grow in.
And finally, since Brayden wasn't in any pictures I will include a couple of his little smiling face.
:>Michelle |
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• Dec. 14, 2009 - BOYS!
• Dec. 13, 2009 - Our Count Down to the Birth of our King!
Posted By Michelle
A few years back I decided to make a fun way for the kids to count down to Christmas. I had more time and less kids back then. haha It was much fancier and started the first day of December. The kids have been asking me to do it again this year. We were not able to start at the beginning of the month, since I didn't get the cards done, and we will only be counting down the last 12. I figure, hey something is better than nothing. Here is a picture of what I did this year with an explanation.
In each of the 12 envelopes is a card. On each card is written 3 things.
The first is something to remind them how blessed they are or to remember something about God. For example: favorite vacation memory, Bible story, someone you love and why, a scripture you know, etc...
The second thing listed is a way in which they can serve, since Jesus came to serve and paid the ultimate price for us. So I listed things like, dust the living room, vacuum under the couch cushions, fold 20 pieces of laundry, etc...
The third thing listed is a special treat, since Jesus came as a gift for us and was given gifts by the wisemen. I included sitting in Dad's chair at dinner, going to the store with Mom, being the dinner helper, eating off a glass plate rather than their kid ones, etc...
For school we are working on our Christmas lapbook and reading Christmas stories and the passages in the Bible that help us remember the real reason we celebrate.
Merry Christmas!
:>Michelle
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• Dec. 10, 2009 - The Youngest Graduates . . . sniff, sniff
Posted By Suzy Scribbles
The last one out of the gate! Ryan earned his AAS degree in Drafting, finished up his final classes this week. So, in honor of his h.s. and CC graduation, we took him to dinner at the Space Needle. A gorgeous, COLD night, but the view was worth it! Ryan feels led to join the Air Force, and so we pray God can use him there. May he see the power of God in his life through this next "door" in his life. Here are pics of our evening:
Puget Sound and the Olympics in the background
Mt. Rainier and the Seattle skyline in the background
Fancy place, fancy food, fancy price, but worth it. We had a great time! |
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• Dec. 10, 2009 - Christmas of a Different Sort
I don't know how many of you watched the Hallmark Special A Dog Named Christmas ...it was on a few weeks ago. We taped it and watched it as a family. The jest of the story is that a family adopts a dog for Christmas and then the boy asks the entire community to adopt a dog for the Holidays.
We had just recently found a stray kitty and gave her to a dear friend.
We missed her terribly. All of the sudden there was a hole in our family. See?
There's Fred, the now 20 lb cat. And Cruiser, another stray who found his way into our home about a year ago.
After contacting PetFinder unsuccessfully we decided to visit our local shelter to see what they had available.
We found a very sweet loving 7 month old cat. We really had hoped for a younger kitten but, hey, everyone needs a home. So we adopted her with the help of a dear friend from Bible Study. She paid for the adoption fee. Thanks so much!!!
Here she is being held captive by my youngest in the school room.
Oh that's better, now she's relaxed!
Needless to say she gets lots of love!
So can anyone guess her name?
Yep.
"Christmas"
So now the unfilled sofa cushion can have a nice warm kitty on it too....
...once we let her outside. |
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• Dec. 9, 2009 - Christmas and Relationship
This year I think Christmas is going to be different for a lot of people. Just like us.
It took a good friend to show me that the other day.
I know the economy is tough everywhere. And I'm guessing a lot of folks are bypassing buying presents for fellowship.
And I'm thinking that sounds kinda nice.
Fellowship.
Here's Webster's version:
1 : companionship, company
2 a : community of interest, activity, feeling, or experience b : the state of being a fellow or associate
3 : a company of equals or friends : association
4 : the quality or state of being comradely
5 obsolete : membership, partnership
I think we could all use some more fellowship (company, community, association, partnership) don't you?
Christmas really isn't about the presents.
And I tell myself that every year but this year I think God is helping us all to understand it's about relationship, not gifts. And I find myself relieved, in a way, that we can't buy, buy, buy for Christmas. Because it makes me stop and think. What really is important to me at Christmas?
Is it that I want to have enough gifts under the tree for my kids?
Or is it teaching them about love, and fellowship, and togetherness?
What do I really want my kids to learn?
I'm sure, in my heart, that it's about relationship.
Now, if I can only get my brain to follow my heart I'll be in good shape.
IN HIM ALWAYS...
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• Dec. 8, 2009 - Where We Have Been :)
Posted By Michelle
Well life is moving along and Christmas is going to be here before I know it. I am pretty much done with my Christmas shopping. We have 3 birthdays this month too, so I have to double up on their gifts. I am looking forward too celebrating the birth of our King and intentionally focusing on Jesus and not the hoopla of it all. Like that word hoopla...haha. I am reading the kids the accounts of Jesus' birth and the OT passages that prophecy His birth too. We are also putting together a lapbook. The kids and I love to do unit studies, especially when they are about Jesus.
We are all also enjoying Brayden and love him like crazy. He has started smiling and cooing at us. The kids are still loving on him and I think he likes it :) He is sleeping good at night and many nights I have to wake him to eat. I think all my late nights up when I was pregnant are coming back to get me. Brayden goes to bed between 11 and midnight. My little night owl. I am so exhausted by then.
Here are some recent pics.
The kids were also in our church Christmas play this year. They loved it. Carter had us all laughing and was so funny in the play. His antics included running around, requesting gum, flips, getting eskimo kisses from a little girl, and singing...he was so cute. Bailey read a scripture (which for Bailey is a big thing) and was part of the choir. The others also sang in the choir. I was really proud of all their hard work.
 Kiley
 Carter being silly
And finally a group shot.
Merry Christmas!
:>Michelle |
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• Dec. 7, 2009 - A Blast from the Past
In my effort to find things to blog about, I decided to dig out this old picture of me. I'm 7 years old and my sister and I were part of the Wilson High School Christmas program in 1960. My dad taught math at the new Tacoma high school and was also senior class adviser. I guess they needed a couple of little kids to be in the manger scene. My sister Alana was an angel and I was Mary. I just had to sit real still in a prayerful pose all during the program, which consisted of a REAL Christmas program with REAL Christmas carols and blatant real meaning of Christmas! It's real scary to see how quickly things have changed.
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