So Many Blessings

I really appreciated this post: http://youngkeepersofthehome.wordpress.com/2014/02/21/a-homemakers-heart/. It encouraged me to realize just how much I've been blessed with. For starters, I got to help my five-year-old sister write various birthday cards and letters. In a letter to Grandma she said about her nephew, "He was really small; he was like a gigantic tortilla." Whatever that's supposed to mean. : )

Thawing Out (Still)

Well, the roads are still bad so we might not being going to town yet.
The kind snowplow operator offered to scrape the end of our driveway when
he noticed Dad trying to free the van. Just a few minutes ago, the
mailman (he's a trooper I want you to know!) arrived with the mail and
pulled out his knife so he could cut back the blackberry bushes around
the mailbox. (I wonder if he has wanted to improve its appearance for a
while.) I'm thankful for the many people who help each other along when
the weather is challenging. (Like the neighbors who have given us movies,
eggs, and maybe even toilet paper.)

God's Country

What has been a cold, dry winter has suddenly turned into about one foot
and a half of snow. So far we've only had a two minute power outage, and
the water lines haven't frozen. Yesterday, we had the privilege of going
sledding at our friend's house even though the half-mile of road was
pretty snowy. : )

Picture captions...
1. The daring duo together again.
2. That's the view out of our windows!
3. This is actually the woodpile (tarped, of course). I'm so glad Mom had
us move more wood indoors when she knew the storm was coming. : )
4. That just goes to show how deep it is...
5. Do these remind anyone of trashcan cupcakes?
6. This was just pretty.
7. Well, I guess we aren't going anywhere until it thaws. : )

And just a sidenote--my parents are undercover superheroes. They have the
power outage routine down pat--Mom is washing everything possible and
cooking everything possible just in case we are left with zero water or
power, and Dad is the "fire king" who keeps us very warm indeed. I'm so
grateful that this storm has been enjoyable and safe.

Godly Womanhood

"Godly womanhood ... the very phrase sounds strange in our ears. We never hear it now. We hear about every other type of women: beautiful women, smart women, sophisticated women, career women, talented women, divorced women. But so seldom do we hear of a godly woman - or of a godly man either, for that matter. We believe women come nearer to fulfilling their God-given function in the home than anywhere else. It is a much nobler thing to be a good wife, than to be Miss America. It is a greater achievement to establish a Christian home than it is to produce a second-rate novel filled with filth. It is a far, far better thing in the realms of morals to be old-fashioned, than to be ultra-modern. The world has enough women who know how to be smart. It needs women who are willing to be simple. The world has enough women who know how to be brilliant. It needs some who will be brave. The world has enough women who are popular. It needs more who are pure. We need women, and men, too, who would rather be morally right than socially correct."
― Peter Marshall

A Nephew and Enthusiasm

I am listening to the sound of a Fisher Price "popcorn popper" toy as my
nephew pushes it around the living room. Earlier he was "helping" Uncle
Paul use the weight set and was very proud of his efforts. Thanking God
for a nephew and enthusiasm...they go together! : ) My 93-year-old friend
is right in thinking that people are an event.

Laughter and Siblings

We invented a new meaning for the term "stock market crash" when we
knocked over the bank for our board game. It actually did delay business
a little while we cleaned it up. Thanking God for laughter and
siblings... they go together. : )