Happy Holidays

8th Birthday and Christmas decorating

Grams Trimble's Memorial Service

Stapleton Christmas-roasting marshmallows, not chestnuts
Dix Christmas-feel the love
New Year's Day sledding party

Still More Themes of 2010

THEME 5: Sarah. She stuck with us through freezing corn, moving, teaching school, sickness and so much more. And she's engaged! Congratulations!

THEME 6: School Days.

THEME 7: Pools and Pets.

THEMES 8 - 10: Unpublished Extended Family and Church Family names. There were many intercessions, weeping with those who wept. There were also many days of rejoicing.

More top Themes of 2010

THEME 4: First Rental

THEME 3: Sovereign Grace Album Come Weary Saints

Themes of 2010

THEME 2: Decision-Making. Every choice for something is also a choice against something. Disappointment, Waiting on the Lord, then Peace. (This is a view from our front porch.)

THEME 1: Getting Rural

Year

A few weeks ago I wrote a stand-up comedy post about "Adult Pen Pals." Somehow by trying to enter it through iGoogle, the post disappeared. I was really bummed cuz it was really funny. But maybe it was deleted because it had a titch of meanness.

So on a serious-er note, this has been another great time of year to look back and trace God's hand in our lives. A year ago I would never have thought we'd be where we are today. We did know a change was coming because we're both at an age and stage of life that begs movement. Not only did we have the itch, we had the familial (no baby on the way), financial (no debt), social (no roots),and spiritual ("If the Lord wills we will do such and such")freedom to make some sort of move. We have prayed over our list of desires year after year and sent out loads of feelers. We have knocked on doors; many slammed.

The one that opened was staying in the same jobs and moving just an hour out into the country. Not so romantic as a few other ideas, but a "desire of our heart" nonetheless. We feel like complete woosses compared to missionaries and military who move constantly. We had sort of got into a routine, the disrupting of which has made us realize we'd lost some flexibility. In other words, moving is not easy! Kudos to those for whom moving is a lifestyle. My prayer journal from Spring 2010 includes "I'm scared of moving and I'm scared to death we might never move!"

OK, sister, now for some pictures.

Miscellaneous

1. MONDAY Even though Monday was the day that the Lord had made, it went poorly for me. I woke up on the wrong side of bed, had sore muscles (Sarah!:) and felt overwhelmed and behind and inadequate for any of my responsibilities. I don't know why; it was just bad. I cried a lot. I moped a little. I still managed an Ephesians 6:18 for a certain family who asked me to. I vented to Jason (God bless him). The only point I have in sharing this in a post is that loads of blogs I read tell all about their latest super creative creation or cutest kid moments or could be published as a devotional book (Jon!:). I realize that a blog's purpose should be for edification. I'm wondering if anyone would be edified to know that a daughter of the King sometimes feels lost or buried. And how to get through it. Before the sun went down I apologized to Jason. I listened to Revelation song loudly several times in a row and wrote some lyrics on the message board. I told my kids it was because I wanted to start the next day in a better frame of mind and attitude. We prayed together. I wrote out ANOTHER general flow of the day plan to try. I went ahead and worked on my jobs and spent some time in the sun. Jason prayed "that we would be able to find a rhythm by Friday." :) Tomorrow was another day.

2. THE WEATHER It's November in Nebraska. We wore tank tops and barefeet for a bike ride up and down our sandy road. We got sweaty. The dog and cat are finally getting along and don't need babysitting. Can I just say, Hallelujah?! ( a little Hebrew lingo )

3. NPR I heard this great story the other day. They reported that a sweeping new survey had been done of religious people. Research has found that the deeply religious are overwhelmingly more satisfied with life, healthy, peaceful and secure. Here is the commentator's interpretation: she noticed that a lot of the deeply religious people are also better off financially. She concluded that the "rich" people were probably already more at peace in life because of their riches; their religion was just a side note. I think she forgot to go back and read that sweeping survey of how satisfying riches are(n't) to their owners.

4. And . . . we've moved! We are so blessed to have found a home in the country. Y'know, maybe I should blog about all the earthy, back-to-nature things we'll be doing now that we live here. But that would be too perfect.

Pictures for Lizzy