Blessed Beyond Mesure!!

My children (& their cousins-all of them) have grandparents that LOVE spending time w/ their grandkids!  Papa took them on a walk yesterday......

 And Grammie read them stories......

And kept them enterained all day....w/ art projects, & games as well. 

Merry Christmas-from our family to yours!

 Please tell me that *at least one* of your pics turned out as goofy as this one of the cousins eating Christmas Dinner together!

The first fancy dinner in our new home-last night!

Well, here I am-apologizing yet again.

I can't believe, w/ how much I love to blog-how terrible I have been about keeping up w/ it lately!  Anyone else feel as swamped as I do?



Our two ballerinas......

A chef in the making.....

⁴ But when the set time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,

⁵ to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.

~Galatians 4:4 & 5

I am so thankful for God....ordering all time (including these busy days leading up to the celebration of the birth of His Son!)

Spent some time w/ a friend that lost her baby......

& it was ok. 
You know, sometimes it's nice the Lord allows glimpses of "why."

Why did He allow such suffering in our lives? 

At my friend's house on Sunday afternoon, I finally got a glimpse of what it means to "weep with those who weep."  My friend & her husband lost their baby girl last month.  She had horrible birth defects, & was stillborn after 3 days of labor at 7 months gestational age.

I was invited to a jewelry party at her house, & realized about 1/2 way through the party that she had pics of the baby-w/ their family & their older two girls waiting to be put up on the wall.

& I wanted to see them.  "How strange", you might think.  (I know I did).

But, in that moment, I knew that I could see the pics, & that she would have few people that would *want* to see them.

I have learned a few things from my pain:
1.  Each life (no matter how short) is precious in the eyes of God.
2.  Other peoples' pain is not something to shy away from.  They need the comfort of friends who have BEEN THERE.
3.  God really is able to take my pain & use it for good-in so many ways, but in this case....I saw the practical workings out of this verse: 

^"He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others.

When they are troubled,

we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us."

2 Corinthians 1:4 NLT



Lord, may You continue to use my/our pain to be an encouragement/comfort to others.

One of my favorites so far this Christmas Season

Christmas Program at Church......

 Yes, Nat was *supposed* to be singing "Away in a Manger."

 Ruthie, waiting her turn to sing.

Ana (on right) was an angel-dancing to "Angels We Have Heard on High."

A little picture time in front of the tree this morning......

Finally Taking a Breath!!

The baby of our family got married two weeks ago!  Many congratulations to Matthew & his new bride-Cece!  We had so much fun at the wedding.....& even enjoyed our drive there & back (25 hours each way!)

(Above-all of us, in birth order-Me, Jeremiah, Shannon, Rebekah & Matthew)

Matthew.....w/ the flower girls

All the "Harvey" clan, except Jeremiah's wife & 5 kids, who couldn't make it to the wedding.

The girls w/ their new Aunt Cece!

P.S. I plan on updating more later this week!