POST-CHRISTMAS

The days before Christmas were busy, and I didn't take the time to say MERRY CHRISTMAS on my blog. Hope you all had a joyous celebration of our Savior's birth! I then went on a road trip for a week and am just home now. We had a fun holiday weekend with family in North Dakota, and then saw more friends in Grand Rapids and the rest of the family in Duluth, where my brother and two of his daughters live. My 2-yr-old great-nephew Hendy in Duluth is just starting to talk and I thoroughly enjoyed spending time getting to "talk" to him and play with him....he is adorable.

I think I need to tell myself to "grow up" when I reacted to seeing "our" house in Duluth re-painted and looking very junk-yardish, with paint peeling all over the steps and garage. We had taken loving care of our 5-bedroom Victorian when we lived in Duluth. It was painted a cream color with a burnt-copperish trim. The current owners have painted it ugly (and that is not subjective) gray with seafoam green trim. And the backyard looked like a salvage dump. I know.....it's utterly silly to still feel connected to a house, but it was where we brought Sam home to when he was born, and we have precious memories of all the years we lived there.

Ugh.

Here are some pics from Christmas weekend....



Nanny in her new "slanket"




Baby Jack (my great-nephew) checking out the guys' big catch from ice-fishing




Jack and his Mimi (My sis-in-law Margie)




Sam and cousin Billy talking what else.....sports.....

 I spent 2 days in Grand Rapids, and decided to head up to check the cabin right away since it was over 40 degrees when Sam and I got there. It was the best 50 minutes I have spent outside since we left the lake in August. There is almost no snow, and the pine needles and leaves were crunching underfoot. Sun shining for most of the time. I checked the cabin, walked our deer trail through our back woods, did some yard work (tops of tall dead trees had fallen and I hauled them into the woods), sat on the deck and prayed, and it was just the best time. The only thing that could have made it better would have been Dick with me.

On a more somber note, my cousin Joe was diagnosed with cancer over Christmas weekend. Our family would appreciate any prayers you would pray for him and his whole family. I remember only too well what these first weeks and months feel like. Bathing him in prayer in the most we can do. God and the physicians will handle the rest. Thanks.



Happy New Year to you all. May it be 12 months of good health ahead for you all!! That is everything.