{California Christmas}

Ready to head to the Airport

Arabella was quite pleased with her new baby & back pack from Grandma & Grandpa Boone

Good as Gold...... OK, this is still in the first 5 minutes of our flight.

My dear friend Ruth in her beautiful store Fleur de Lis

I will share more pictures of her store in it's Christmas finest later along with another adorable shop called Laura Bell's soon.

We got the opportunity to spend the evening with Jeff. Tara. Casey & Kate They are like a second family to me. I started babysitting for this family before Kate was born.

WOW time flies now Casey is in High school!

My dearest friend Genesis from High School with her sweet Baby Julia

Table ready for our Christmas dinner @ my parents

Leah's many talents{beautiful wreath}

Our lively dinner table

Beautiful packages all ready to share

Cousins

Orrin & Jared

Bella & Maria

u.V & a.A.'s gift was a hit with the children

One evening A. Leah was enjoying some tea, Arabella wanted to join her...

yumm

The sun was setting just as we were getting to the bird refuge

Me,Marylis, Amanda,Leah

A. Leah is the best!

Thank you for having us allllllll over your house.

Did you get it all back together!? Hopefully!

We love you!

Beautiful Pacific Coast pictures still to come

Ohio Christmas

We had Christmas @ Thane's parents early, before we left for California.

All of our stockings ready to fill
Finally after a couple of years I got around to making 2 stockings(supposed to be 4 but...) for Arabella & Orrin

The triplets of course were at Grandma's

The boxes are always seem more fun than what is inside!

Sweet Little M

So fun to be with cousins!

The night before we left for California our little family shared our gifts in the kitchen!?......

the carpet and couch were drying in the living room

(the ink came out YAY)
We just gave our children little stocking surprises this year. They receive so much around this time of year that we try not to overload them with so much more.

I was talking to a friend about this once and she shared what her family does. After they have given gifts to one another they then have each child pick out one of their new gifts to then be given to needy children. A hard thing for a child to do yet a wonderful lesson that we need to give our best to God and His people( all people are His people, He is just waiting on them to Choose HIM). I would love to implement this for our little family next year.

Thrilled with her new jump rope

our little cool man

Christmas in our home.

Last year we received this beautiful card.

I loved it and had to save it to use with my Christmas decorations.

The amaryllis is starting to peek out!

A winter bouquet from none other than Trader Joe's

This year it has been especially fun to set up our naivety sets as Arabella is understanding more. One night Thane read Luke 2 and had the children help play out the story of the birth of Christ. Bella is now seeing that it means more than just a play toy.

Arabella showing you her and Orrin's Nativity set .

Orrin loves to just knock them all off the table.

The remnants of black PERMANENT marker on the food. A little girl (no names here!!) wrote on our couch, chair, coffee table, all over her Nativity set and started on the carpet before I interrupted her art work. I don't know what I was more sad about, her disobeying or my reaction of bawling then having loud anger about material things.

How can we change our reactions to responses?

{By the way, Mr. Clean magic eraser works wonders and we have scheduled a carpet/couch cleaning!!}

Baby Jesus is now clean! Are you washed by HIS Blood?

Are you ringing for Christ? Crying out Joyfully!

I like to read these out loud to help sink into my mind then go on read the Scripture to see exactly what the writer is telling us through the word of God!

THE BELL

I KNOW WHO I AM

I am God's child (John 1:12)

I am Christ's friend (John 15:15 )

I am united with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17)

I am bought with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20)

I am a saint (set apart for God). (Eph. 1:1)

I am a personal witness of Christ. (Acts 1:8)

I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt 5:13-14)

I am a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:27)

I am free forever from condemnation ( Rom. 8: 1-2)

I am a citizen of Heaven. I am significant (Phil 3:20)

I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31 -34)

I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Cor 5:17-21)

I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:18)

I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph. 2:6)

I cannot be separated from the love of God (Rom 8:35-39)

I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Cor 1:21-22 )

I am assured all things work together for good (Rom. 8:28 )

I have been chosen and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16 )

I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph. 3: 12 )

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13)

I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15: 1-5)

I am God's temple (1 Cor. 3: 16). I am complete in Christ (Col. 2: 10)

I am hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:3).. I have been justified (Romans 5:1)

I am God's co-worker (1 Cor. 3:9; 2 Cor 6:1). I am God's workmanship (Eph. 2:10)

I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected. (Phil. 1: 5)

I have been redeemed and forgiven (Col 1:14). I have been adopted as God's child (Eph 1:5)

I belong to God

Do you know

Who you are?

Sorry the bell gets messed up a bit by blogger!

{Sweet Things:: Berry Pies & Babies}

Who likes pie and babies? We do!!

Today the pies came first{for caroling tonight} then on to visiting the babies!{second time for me but Arabella & Orrin didn't get to meet them last night as they were still in the nursery}

The berries waiting to doused in Creme sauce

Thought I would share my chicken scratch of recipe card

My Mom & I made this recipe up to imitate the good Boysenberry Sour cream pie of the now closed Vella Farms in Modesto,CA

*** WARNING I am not a recipe follower

I just make what strikes me at the moment so if your pie doesn't look like mine do not despair

Heavy Cream, SUGAR, Creme Fraiche

When ever I get to Trader Joe's{one of my all time fav. stores} I like to pick up this delish Creme Fraiche. I put it in this pie or soups, sauces or whatever strikes me at the time...yummy,yum!

My constant little shadow helping stir






The best part being pour over the berries

I want to enjoy some now with my coffee

Good thing my pies seem to always have extra filling to "try out" some!

Don't mind the smudges on the spoon, little Bella hands and mouth had to have some also


NOW ON TO BABIES--MUCH SWEETER than PIE

For those of you who haven't heard the news

Last evening I became an auntie to not two but THREE babies!

Our God surprised Thane's family { doctors and hospital too!} We had been praying for two babies to come safely into this world but he went ahead and gave an extra blessing of another one!

Three sweet girls

Arabella is Quite pleased to be holding Julie Eileen
6lbs 7oz
2:25pm

Josie Jean

5lbs 15oz
2:16pm

Janie Irene

5lbs 13oz
2:37pm

LOTS of Babies as Bella calls them.

Betsy is the triplets oldest sister