Still A New Year

Christmas is packed up and put away.  Now it's as if it never happened except for the chocolates lurking in the cupboards and the toys that still haven't found a place to belong. 

I wonder where our next Christmas will be...

"Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed,

for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning;

great is your faithfulness."

Lamentations 3:22-23

I'm glad every day is a fresh start.

Most every night, on my way to dream land I say to myself, and God,

tomorrow is a fresh start, and I'll do better.

I'm not all that much into New Year's resolutions.  Why wait until Jan. 1 to resolve to do something that I'm not already doing, but should be.  I make resolutions all year long.    Not that they always stay.  But even if I do or don't do something a few times, atleast I'm better off  than had I never tried at all.

This year, I'm asking God to make a resolution to me.  I want to be satisfied with Him alone.  He says He is ENOUGH.  I want to really *get that*.    Sure, at times I get it.  But I want more of Him.  See, I'm not satisfied ;)     I just know that when He is enough for me, I'm not looking to other places.  I'm not putting that demand/expectation on my husband, or family, or people around me.  I'm not even looking to the ministry for fulfillment.  None of those things will ever be enough for me.  But God says HE IS.  (Must I always have to re-visit this "lesson" in my life!?!)

So, I am going to make a habit of bringing my every need to Him.  Yes, I pray.  I pray hard.  Like when I am facing a serious temptation- when my heart is racing and I have to will my flesh (mouth and mind) to behave! -that kind of temptation- I plead hard.  But what about the subtle little temptations that God brings to my attention that I just dismiss as -well that's just the way I am- or -just the way I've always done it- I am going to pray about those too.  And when I am feeling needy, lonely, mis-understood, I don't always want to tell God, because I know he'll deal with me- I am going to pray about that.  When I am praying for others, I will pray about their details.  Because God is enough for them too.   When I am dealing with my children, who I plead and pray for daily, I am going to pray about the "little" things too.  Like- God please help me when the little girls are making me crazy trying to keep them quiet in church.   And my unspoken needs will go before His throne of grace too.  I know I have them because I was listening to the Scripture the other day "ask and it will be given" and I am still stuck- what should I ask?  What are my needs really?

~Enough is Enough~

~Christmas Eve~

(all photos courtesy of my DSL, Brandy)

                                                                        Ann

I had all the hot food lined up on the table to eat.  Paul opened the kitchen window and the veggie bowl broke.  First the boys said to me "This means we don't have to eat any vegetables. Yay!"  Then about 10 minutes later, my dad walks through the kitchen and says "Oh goodie, we don't have to eat our vegetables"

                        "The Twins"
                        Jacob and Rachel.
                        15 years since our last Christmas together. 

Ann   Mary  Hannah

                                Paul and Elijah

                                    David

        Mary tearing off her clothes to get her new jammies from Grandma and Grandpa on.

                                         Paul and his girls.

      Me, opening a super-soft-pink bathrobe from my parents.  I sleep in it, it's so cozy on my skin.

      Elijah and David opening their marshmellow guns that Uncle Jacob made them.  They love them    and we don't mind getting pelted with marshmellows as long as we can pick them up fast enough to eat them.

                                Hannah and her whistle. 
                                Yes, feel sorry for me.

                     Ann and her recorder.
                     Feel even more sorry for me.  LOL!
          

                    My Dad. Grandpa, playing with the boys' gift.

Auntie and Uncle gave Mary this super cool bear that hiccups and sings and talks and everything. 

         My parents started with 2 and now they have 4 ;)

                                                     My Mom.  Grandma.

Balloon toys that Grandpa brought and made.

Lots of food and cooking.

A walk through "the forest park". (My favorite part of the day was taking a walk with my family. 

My dad always took Jacob and I for all kinds of interesting "exploring" walks when we were kids.  It's in my blood)

Laughter

Conversation

Three Stooges episodes

Present opening.

a wonderful day!!

and later

making Cinnamin Rolls,

Cookie decorating,

putting cookies out for Santa

Staying up half the night to put those finishing touches on the stockings and presents.

Our First ARC Christmas

What I'd rather share are the faces and stories of our men and women, staff, volunteers and Comrads.

But, I only tell our own story.  Theirs is theirs ;)

                     Chouinard's *first* ARC Christmas. 
                          We figure 20+ more. Smile.

                                                   Ann.

                                                   David.

                                                    Hannah.

                                                   Elijah.

A very scared Mary with a very brave Daddy.

 fellowship, gifts, fun, singing,

food, laughter, serving

Blessed

for sure

Simple Christmas Pleasure

"Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred,

and we are better throughout the year for having,

in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time."    ~Laura Ingalls Wilder

"Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas." ~ Peg Bracken.

"God loves each of us as if there were only one of us." ~St. Augustine

Merry Christmas!

Christmas at Home

Dining Room

We added a short and stocky nutcracker to our collection this year,

but he didn't make it in time for the picture. 

Many of our Christmas decorations were gifts throughout the years.  It makes them all more meaningful as I reflect and tell the children where things like my Alaskan Nativity came from.  It's hard to see here, but it's up high, away from little hands.

The star of the show this year.  Our Olive Wood Nativity all the way from Bethlehem!  

It seems like ages since we were in Israel and Jordon, but it was only 9 months ago.  We are filled with so many good memories, pictures and a few souvenirs though.  

The star up top winds up to play music.

We've squeezed in a few Christmas activities too.  The siblings shopped for each other at a trip to Toys R Us after a (looong) store inspection and A&W for lunch,  we've lit the Advent candle and done the readings at church, we drove around and looked at some amazing Christmas lights, we've wrapped gifts for our people, and we will spend this week christmasing our way through the ARC and preparing for our Christmas at home too- we have menu's to plan, presents to wrap, cookies to bake and bathrooms to scrub!

We are very much looking forward to having Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt and Uncle for Christmas Eve and Grandma for Christmas morning.  I feel SO blessed to have Christmas with family.  It's been many, many years.  God keeps showing His unmerited favor.  I should do a post all unto it's own about that ;)

Merry Christmas!

Boxes

Boxes =  Hours of fun

Science Around Here

Science around here is big.  How's?  and Why's?  and Why not's?  are explored and observed.

Not always, but most usually.

We probably average a "science" project a week. 

A big one for us was working on David's school science project with him in September/October.  He did well, but it was a lot of work because his ideas kept getting bigger and bigger.  Bottom line was "what military vehicle is most efficient, hovercraft or water-to-land vehicle?" (I'm sure I explained that wrong!)  Of which he researched, built working models, and tested.  Paul and him really got into it!!

In the meantime, the girls and I learned all about the sun and made raisins with grapes, well tried too.  We made (almost) daily observations, drawing pictures and writing descriptive words.  The sun became less strong, and after 2 weeks, they ended up shriveled and moldy.  But that's okay, it was still an experiment.

And some more....

I bet we can get a whole hard boiled egg inside a narrow mouthed bottle.

Light a match in the bottle. Let it burn to suck out all the oxygen, which creates a vacuum to suck the egg right in.

I bet we can hold a full bucket of water up and over our head without getting wet. 

Swing it around real fast.

I bet we can drop an egg from a second story window without it breaking.

                             Tape, cotton balls, boxes, foil, bags, etc.   
                             and creative, clever minds!   
                             and a big mess ;)

 

Hannah

                                                                    Elijah

                                                                              Ann

                                                              David

"Self-education is the only possible education;

the rest is mere veneer laid on the surface of a child's nature."

                                                                     -Charlotte Mason

"Thought breeds thought; children familiar with great thoughts take as naturally to thinking for themselves as the well-nourished body takes to growing; and we must bear in mind that growth, physical, intellectual, moral, spiritual, is the sole end of education."

-Charlotte Mason