Christmas Day

After Christmas morning stockings, the Christmas story from Luke read by Jesse, prayers of praise and adoration, presents, orange julius, and brunch, we headed home midday, and freshened up for round two! We met Marshal's family for Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa's on the other side of the valley and Christmas dinner at 2:00! Family Picture Time

We are so thankful that two vehicles came through the snow to Grandma's house for a very merry Christmas.

Christmas Eve Concert

I almost left out the best show of the night. Between dinner and Grasshopper Pie, Russian Teacakes, and Lemon Snowdrops, is the Christmas Eve talent show and Christmas song and dance. Jed took some beautiful photos and danced a ballet duet with his lovely wife and choreographer, Becca.

Gabe purchased himself a mic and emceed as well as singing in a trio, Dreaming of a White Christmas.

Zeb performed Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.

Nathanael wowed us with The Tempest.

Thaddeus and Johannes played a Christmas carol.

Naphtali and Lydia played What Child is This.

A Christmas Hymn

Our youngest, Bethel, in the light.

Night before Christmas

Bethel often reminds me of the little girl of Dr. Seuss' Whoville.

Marshal as the eldest uncle, had the honors of reading the Night Before Christmas story to the children in Grandpa's place. Grammy and Grandpa had provided the special night's pajamas, and prereading, there was the scurry of bodies trading their dining finery for the unwrapped soft and cozy pjs.

Rosh plays with Sammo in a box.

Thank you Grammy and Grandpa for snuggly lounge wear.

Christmas Eve Dinner

The children dress up, and dinner is served. Christmas Eve dinner is served of roast beef, horseradish cream, twice stuffed potatoes, wild rice blend, peas, and salad. Seth roasted and slow cooked roasts that Jesse provided. The slow cooked roast, he candied in balsamic and aronia berry to perfection. He also served a cold beverage of his delicious sparkling kombucha.

Janelle and the boys made Christmas "crackers or poppers' for a British festive flare. The children enjoyed their surprises of suckers, pistachios, bell, chocolate, wrist glow sticks, and Christmas jokes!

Taffy Pull Tradition

Cousins pull together with the Christmas Eve traditions. In the afternoon before dinner, Lydia and Naphtali stirred the boiling sugar and molasses until it reached the candy stage, and all pulled the hot mass, even blistering their fingers. It was all wrapped before dinner for stuffing stockings before midnight!

Jed and Becca paired off for taffy pulling as did Mommy and Matthias.

Friday Breakfast

Grandma and Grandpa moved here in 2020. Ever since they have cooked us up a farm breakfast on Friday mornings. Today was Christmas Eve morning. They placed piping hot waffles, poached eggs, sausages, yogurt, pineapple, berries, butter, honey, date syrup, jams and jellies, and juices on the table. That's an ordinary breakfast at Grandma and Grandpa's on Friday, but always a special occasion.

And here is Grandma's new sidekick. Royal Happy Murphy Twitch. You can call him whichever name you want, and he'll come to none. Grandpa correctly diagnosed him as deaf within five minutes of adoption and traveling down the road. It's a whole new world of teaching all of us old dogs new tricks.

Pre-Christmas Sunday Service in Jonah Gym

Pretty girls gathered with maestro Linda before playing a Christmas violin quartet, the Sunday before Christmas. Lydia curled her hair and is wearing her great-grandmother's camel hair coat.

First December Snow Continued

Arrived to the clinic and took a pretty picture. Two doctors at work, as my brother Seth rents a space for his practice, Sanus A Natura. I have the privilege of slipping into work alongside such good men.

Violets in December

Mid-December, 15th to be exact, I snapped these images on my way out the door. I had had a conversation with a woman the day before, speaking of apocalytic changes coming upon the earth. She spoke to me about the pole shift. I did not know the natural laws and scientific basis, but I believed her on the basis of prophetic words. The shaking and changes to our earth will make the kings of the earth run to caves to hide. In Christ, the Heavenly Father is our refuge and strong tower. We need NOT fear the future. Revelation 6:12-16 speaks of the 6th seal being opened in a timeline of the beginning of the time of the end. "Every mountain and island was removed from its place." For such a time, the prophet Isaiah wrote to us of days likened unto the days of Noah with the Father's words of comfort. Isaiah 54:10, "'For the mountains may depart and the hills be removed, but my steadfast love shall not depart from you, and my covenant of peace shall not be removed,' says the Lord, who has compassion on you." These past few years, there has been a foreshadowing of events to come. And as the kings of the earth speak of dark winters and great resets, the violets bloom by my door. The sweet-scented violets are the first blooms of spring and have been a delight every year since childhood for my birthday, even when it is too early for my birth flower, the daffodil. It is peculiar to me to have the violets blooming as we go into winter these past few years. I will receive it as a love letter from the Creator of heaven and earth to look past the winter, the cold, darkness, and struggle, to the springtime promise. Song of Songs 2:10-, "My beloved speaks and says to me: 'Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away, for behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come,.... Arise my love, my beautiful one, and come away." Remember this as the dark season comes. Here is my snapshot the next morning, December 16, coming in from the milking parlor.

"...the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining." 1 John 2:8

Helping Hands

My sisters discovered Helping Hands, a food salvage, with a tip from Mom. Such a blessing for big families in a time of dormant gardens and limited grocery shopping. This ministry has opened such a door for food distribution to the poor and homeless. It has made me aware of so much potential for the body of Christ to love in deed and truth. So far I'm still loving in word and talk. And I received the blessing of food salvaging for my family. Interestingly, a woman came to buy some piglets in the last month, and she has launched her own ministry of food salvage and distribution. She is having a difficult time breaking into the church community to help, but is packing food boxes and having 500 hundred families pick up weekly! So much food goes to waste. She is raising pigs to eat the produce and feed people in the future when meat is scarce. She was such a testimony to me.

My food salvaging treasure tableau, petite daisies in the winter, a bowl of pears, and emmer and salt artisan peasant loaf.

Even a live parsley plant!

Thanksgiving

Ephesians 5:20, "giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

We spent Thanksgiving Day with Marshal's brother and all the family, feasting in the newly renovated daylight basement. On the Saturday of a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend, we feasted at the big house, Seth and Janelle hosting with Meg and Jesse's family and neighboring Davis family included. Marshal and I brought the Langdon home grown turkey that had been stored in the deep freeze for such an occasion. A beautiful spread, and so much thanksgiving!

Bonfire Finale

Lydia finished her Birthday Weekend with a big family bonfire, donuts, and chai. Thank you Uncle Jesse for the spicy sausages for the grill, aunt Janelle for the kraut, and cousin Naphtali for the best ever Maple Donuts! It was a fun finale!

Showing off my pumpkin grain-free baked donuts. We had sourdough apple fritters too! We all had warm bellies and hearts on a cold night!

Reformation Day 1517 Anniversary

October 31st was a special Lord's Day, 1st day, 8th day, and 504th Anniversary day of Luther nailing his 95 Theses to the Wittenbrug Castle Church. Martin Luther's 3 solas are sola scriptura, sola gratia and sola fide, that is, scripture alone, by grace alone, through faith alone. Romans 3:20, "Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. 21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus." My sis, Meg, hosted a Reformation Celebration party with feasting, lawn games, dressing up, hymms, and teaching. The believers gathered around the fire, and Justus read the history of the Reformation and why it is important for us today. Lydia dressed up all pretty in Grammy's hand me downs.

Pretty as a picture. My Lydia name with a a spiritual connotation of Beautiful Light, born 18 years ago, an hour and 59 minutes before the day that also celebrates great darkness. Acts 26:18 "to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me." 2 Corinthians 4:6, "For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ." My kiddos keeping the light in their hearts, childlike faith and fun.

Gabe was himself, the YouTuber, with a chicken shirt. Disappointingly, I didn't take a photo of the gathering around the fire, but I have a parting shot of these two mountain beauties. Grammy went to a girls' school when she was very young in Lausanne, Switzerland, and brought back fitted Austrian smocks, desses, and aprons from the Alps. It was a joy that these two granddaughters could wear Grammy's special fitted garments.

Eighteen Years!

Grandparents celebrated Lydia's 18th Birthday dinner, birthday pie, and presents! Lydia was so thrilled to have them together with her.