Allen and Emily Campbell's Wedding

April 17th

was the big day......

It was gorgeous outside and beautiful inside.

Had alot of problems making a new post........so......didn't add notes of details.

I guess you will need to read between the lines.  :)

This was my "baby"

leaving the nest.

So happy for them.........is awefully quiet here sometmes.......

but family doesn't stay away.

They still warm our home with their presence.

Grandgals fill moments with joy and delight.

I was dissappointed when I realized we didn't get a picture of my siblings

and Craigs as well. 

We were all there except for one of my brothers.

Craig's parents are with us in a picture.

The last picture is my twin sis.

Love having sisters to share joys with!

so long..............it's been long hasn't it!  

A glance thru the past year......

I always know that I can count on a family picture calendar for

my Christmas present.

I LOVE it. 

It becomes part of a scrapbook at the end of the year.....

tear off the bottom (calendar part) 

and add the pages to the scrapbook.

I almost depend on it and find myself not taking pictures.

"....for the joy of human love,

brother, sister, parent, child,

friends on earth, and friends above;

for all gentle thots and mild:

Lord of all, to Thee we raise...this our hymn of grateful praise..."

Belated Christmas Blessings!!!

..............And a wonderful HOPE for the New Year!!!

I love the sentiments of Christmas coming thru the old hymns and the new praise songs.  Tears of joy trickle down my cheeks to know increasingly every year all the GIFTS He is giving.  Eyes need to be open, ears attentive, hearts open...................pride, expectations, sin and ungratefulness laid at the cross..................... because.......

......."How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is giv'n!  So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heav'n.  No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive Him still the dear Christ enters in!"......  alleluia!!!

(Christmas with the family came early. We actually celebrated it with the whole family the first w/e of Dec.  Then we just kept doing lil celebrations.....)

It was fun to put Christmas sentiments in the new room...

filling the corners with the treasured painted Bethlehem village the children painted when they were just lil ones.

........and adding life to the dining room with

our loved ones,

food, fun, fellowship and games....

the little ones were the other center of focus from the younger to the older.

These babes at Christmas time ........

....dearly loved and growing!

A life thot to keep focus and joy is.................

......."O holy Child of Bethlehem! descend to us we pray.  Cast out our sin and enter in, be born in us today.  We hear the Christmas angels the great glad tidings tell....O come to us ...abide with us....our LORD EMMANUEL."

Thanksgiving Day plans changed for us in the last 24 hours because of a death in the family...

traveling tomorrow...

so our lil family

joyfully

was together

for the noon meal and afternoon games,

telephone call and baby picture text from Myrtle Beachy Family,

and will look forward

having the extended family as guests another time.

Those thanksgiving meals don't change a whole lot...

I think that's why we

look forward to them.....

tradition!

This year I had a display in my new kitchen cupboard....

When I think of all the hard times, but positive attitudes and great ambition ....

these people gone on before us have my

admiration.

With so little....and yet they thot they had alot...

they desired to have a week of Thanksgiving....

inviting everyone they could to join them.

Remembering all that God has done for us

we can't help but being grateful.

Remembering......

Cailie Ocean...

pretty as can be, got to come home Friday.

eating so well, sleeping pretty good,

has nice awake times,

doesn't seem to struggle with tummy aches,

got lots of stimulation,

adoration,

rockation, changethediaperation....

Miss Muffet liked Cailie bunches,

and loved playing baby with

all her baby things!

We did give Cailie some alone time with her mommy and daddy...

to enjoy the resort and beach....

I sure enjoyed that hour walk everyday!

Cailie and parents took us to the marsh walk,

ate at a lil restaurant right off the water...

......and then acknowledged some birthdays back home.

Joining us at this table is Grant and Abbie's great friends.

They are sitting to the right middle.

They have a 6 mth old lil girl

lying on the floor in the background

They seem perfect for a friendship.

Really hard to head home.  So good we can trust our kids and grandkids to the Lord!