Merry Christmas!

 

Christmas Scrapbooking

Scrapbook pages I’ve done from our Christmas gathering last weekend, and another miscellaneous one. 

The following layouts were done for challenges at Just Art Scrapbooking.  The challenge forum is here:  https://forum.justartscrapbooking.com/forums/december-2021-challenges.137348/

I used the O’Scraps Collab, Home for the Holidays, which is not in the store yet.  It was the daily download through the 12 Days of December event earlier this month.

 

This layout was done using the following items from 52 Inspirations 2021:

52 Inspirations 2021 No 02 New Hope Scrapbook Kit by Vicki Stegall
52 Inspirations 2021 No 45 Bootiful Halloween Clipping Masks by et designs
52 Inspirations 2021 No 51 Tis the Season Add-on Happy Holiday Alphas by Vicki Robinson Designs
52 Inspirations 2021 No 52 So Merry Papers by Joyful Heart Design

 

This layout was done using the following items from the Fab Friday Color Play (mini O’s) by emeto designs:

Snow Bears word art
Snow Bears papers
Snow Bears elements
Snow Bears clusters part 2

Snow Bears clusters part 1 

Family Weekend

I posted the Family Photo yesterday.  Today I will break down the happenings from the weekend.

Friday, December 17, 2021

We had one less day to be together this year since this was not the holiday weekend.  Jessica's kids were still in school so she couldn't leave Ohio until 4 pm.  So, they got in after 10 p.m. and dropped Jennifer (my forever sister-in-law) off, staying for a few minutes before heading over to Ilene's for the night.  

Michael and family had to leave Alabama later because of a veterinary appointment, so that put them arriving a bit later, too.  They were still able to come to the house for a little while before bedtime, however.  

Elisabeth and family came over and brought Ryan's dirt bike and the family 4-wheeler.  And Hannah's friend, Catherine, came. 

We gathered at the pit area of our woods and roasted hot dogs over the fire and marshmallows for s'mores.  The kids played on the dirt bike and 4-wheeler.

After Elisabeth and family headed home, Michael and family stayed and we came back to the house to visit for awhile.  They left before Jessica and kids and Jennifer got here.

It had rained a little during the day, but the temperature was pretty warm......70, I believe!

We had a herd of curious, onlookers!

Up close and personal!

A big THANK YOU to my man for working so hard to provide the family a place of enjoyment at the pits! 😘😍

A beautiful, hazy full moon night.

Saturday, December 18, 2021

It rained off and on most of the day which kept us at Liz and Brad's all day.  But we had plenty of food and enjoyed just relaxing and talking and eating!

The menu was smoked pork butt (thanks to Brad!  It was YUMMY!), chicken, cheesy potato casserole, baked beans, roasted veggies, deviled eggs, cole slaw, Hawaiian sweet rolls, chips, cookies, brownies, muffins and an ice cream cake for Ryan's birthday!

After we took the group picture, the kids and adults (women.....not me) played a bit of hide-n-scare in the Palmer woods.....

I heard a few screams from the house!  This "homeless" person went home with us!  😁😁

Sunday, December 19, 2021

Usually when Jessica and family are here visiting, Elisabeth and family come to our church to be able to spend more time together.  After church we go to lunch together and then Jessica heads back to Ohio.  Today was no exception.  

I also like to get pictures of everyone at church.

And that ends (too quickly) another great weekend with family!  Thank You, LORD, for the wonderful blessing called FAMILY!

Christmas Gathering 2021

It IS the most wonderful time of the year.......whenever the family can gather!  Everyone was able to come except the youngest one, Nathanael.  Tim's sister was able to come and be with us, too, this year.  We missed her mom who died just over 2 months ago.  Another empty chair!

Love your parents

And treat them with loving care

For you will only know their value

When you see their empty chair!

We didn't get to spend as much time together this year because of everyone arriving a bit later on Friday than usual due to this or that.  But we were able to spend the whole day together today, Saturday.  Michael and his family will leave for home tomorrow morning while the rest of us will attend church together at Hillcrest.  Then we will go out to lunch and then part ways.  

And since today was Ryan's 15th birthday, we celebrated that, too.  This picture is of Tim holding Ryan in the hospital.  Ryan and Tim were "birthday buddies" since they shared birth dates.

We didn't do a lot today, but we enjoyed just chilling and talking around the dining room table.  Tonight before the kids headed to the woods (at Liz and Brad's) we got our family photo.  The kids have learned to make the first one a good one so they don't have to keep hanging around for dozens of photos until they get it right.  Even Hank got in on the action.  Look at those beautiful faces!

Yes, it's a MOST wonderful time of the year!  I love you all dearly!  Thank You, LORD, for such a wonderful group of people that I am privileged to call FAMILY!

Precious Memories

We had a journaling challenge at O'Scraps today.  We had to include at least 4 lines of journaling about a holiday memory.  Here's what I came up with:

Journaling reads: Christmas 1979 holds a precious memory in my heart of a time when mom and dad were still with us. Also I was due to have my first child on December 27th of that year. I was huge! Our family joked with my dad about who would have a baby first, him or me. I don’t know who had the idea of getting this picture but I’m thankful to have it for the sweet memory. Jessica did not arrive until January 2nd. Many years later she had a picture of herself and her dad taken like this when she was pregnant.

Credits list

Home for the Holidays Daily Download on the Oscraps Blog.

  

Time Flies

It is hard to believe that Mark and I will share our 4th Christmas together this year.  How time flies!

We celebrated 3 years of marriage in July.

Jessica and Terry celebrated 13 years of marriage in November.

Michael and Jessica celebrated 19 years of marriage in November.

Elisabeth and Brad celebrate 19 years of marriage today!

Nathanael and Sam celebrated 1 year of marriage in October.

It is hard to keep up with all of the dates and all of the years that pass by!

One of these days, time as we know it will no longer be!   Eternity will begin and we won't have to think about the time passing!  Eternity.  It is incomprehensible to our finite minds!  It is hard to imagine a world where time does not exist.  A place where sin will not exist.  A place where sickness will not exist.  A place where there will be no need for tears.  A place where joy will be the norm.  Spending eternity in a place where our Savior will always be present.  Praise, thanks and worship on our lips for what He has done for us!  Our faith will finally become sight!  I can only imagine!  I am so ready!  Are you ready?  If not, what are you waiting for?  Come!  Come unto Him.....Mt 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.  For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Revelation 22:1-21 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever. And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God. And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.