Happy New Year!

New Year

written on
January 1, 2003

by
Sharri

Today it begins
like a clean white sheet
without blemish
no mistakes to repeat

Anything is possible
Nothing bars our way
A new year blossoming
Bringing new blessings our way

What will it hold for us?
How will we fare?
What new ventures
To attempt will we dare?

The possibilities are endless
A promise is in the air
And the One who made us
Will mete out New Year blessings with care.

May God bless you and your family in this New Year! Happy 2008!

Sharri

White As Snow-Reminder of a blessing

Wonderful New Year Reminder.... If you've accepted the gift of salvation that Jesus offers... You have been washed as white as snow.
Happy New Year!


The above used from a "sister-site": http://the160acrewoods.wordpress.com/2007/12/26/

Christmas Day! It finally came! :0)

All of the prep, all of the wrapping, waiting and anticipating all culminated on Christmas morning!

Here are my two kids, and of course our little Maddie--coming down the stairs to let the unwrapping begin! LOL

This is the stage where everything is still all wrapped and pretty. :0)

Briana opens some goodies that make her smile. :0)

Brad opens a couple that make him grin too. :0)

Brad can fit in Daddy's new toy! (And he's 5"9+!) I'm sure that wheelbarrow will get some use.

Even the cat gets into the festivities! Here he is under the tree. :0)

Here we are getting ready to enjoy our traditional Christmas breakfast of homemade waffles w/strawberries and whipped cream, and sausage. :0)
Yum!

Christmas Eve

We had a wonderful Christmas, and I hope you did too!

We spent Christmas Eve at my brother Dickie's house. He lives about 50 min from here in a lovely rural area. They have a beautiful home, and we had such a nice time.

This is a picture of my brother and I.

Below is my daughter, Briana. If there is a cat w/in 100 miles--she'll find it! Here she is with Knickers.

We had food, played games, and just chatted and relaxed. Oh, we also opened presents!

My brother's dog Skye is pictured below trying to bury her present under the tree! She is only about a year old, and doesn't understand why this tree is in the house anyway! LOL

You can see by the picture below she is a lovely dog.

The picture below is of my brother, Dickie, and his wife Natalie. They were our hosts for the evening. Along with their younger son, Mike and daughter, Kelsey.... And his older son,Richie, pictured below. (My brother's oldest daughter, Aspyn wasn't there--but we missed her!)

The picture below is of my sister, Laurie, me, my brother, Dickie, and my Mom. My mother in the middle of all the grandkids--except my missing niece! This is my mom's favorite place to be-in the midst of the grandkids!
( See-we missed you Aspyn!) It was a very nice Christmas Eve! And we spent the ride home looking at the lovely homes decorated with lights. We even saw some fireworks!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

I know that this isn't really the day that Christ was born...but love the fact that we do have a date set aside to celebrate His birthday!

The sermon we had in church on Sunday was so good, and I am thinking of it tonight. You hear alot of preaching on the birth of Christ, and you also hear a lot on the death of Christ on the cross. But the message Sunday was on what happened in between.

In between those events, Jesus was walking in our shoes. He was dealing with the struggles we deal with. He was facing the challenges, disappointments, and hardships that we face. He was facing trials, He was grappling with betrayals, and He was handling discouragement. In living through all of those things, He can now truly know our hearts. He can empathize with us because He lived it.

And so tonight I am really thankful for the birth of Christ. And, I am deeply thankful for the sacrifice of death that He made on the cross to cover my sin. But I am also very thankful to know that Jesus knows - He really knows - and understands- the things that I face in my life. That He can truly empathize with me, and when I ask for grace and mercy-He understands, and gives it. I can rest in that!

Have a Merry Christmas!

More of the Big Apple....

Everyone keeps asking me about the Window Displays that the big department stores had in NYC. The one above is from Lord and Taylors. It is a little hard to view some of them because of the window reflections. But they were really lovely! I think I liked the little miniatures they had the best. :0)

You don't have a lot of time to fool around with your camera. There is a little corral that you walk through--there are many people viewing them at the same time. They don't want you blocking the crowded sidewalk-thus the corrals. I will post some of the easiest ones to see. :0)

The arch pictured above is in front of the famous Tiffany's!

I just couldn't resist having my picture taken in front of the Tiffany's sign!

This is me in front of one of the less elaborate Macy's displays.

Here is the Miracle on 34th Street Macy's Display.

Just the whole outside of Lord and Taylor is decorated. It is all framed in tiny white lights, which is hard to see here...

Our trip wouldn't have been complete without a trip to Rockefeller Center to see the lovely tree.

The skaters were fun to watch too!

Here are my kids enjoying this big "field trip". Isn't homeschooling great!?

Here's me and my honey at Rockefeller.

Betcha didn't know that there were angels heralding the birth of Christ at Rockefeller Center! They are shown down both sides of the greenery above. This was a very pretty display, and you can see snowflakes hanging on the building across the street too.

I still have more pics to post... I will do it soon!

We Survived the Big Apple!

Yes, my family is officially insane! We hopped on a train at 7 am yesterday morning and set out for New York City!The weather cooperated beautifully as we did NYC by foot.

Armed with information I dredged up from the internet, we set out to tour the Empire State Bldg., Rockefeller Ctr., Central Park, Times Square, and the Christmas Window Displays...

We made the Empire State Bldg our #1 stop. It was a good move, because there was no one there yet and we went straight up (at times the wait can be 2 hrs.).

If you have never been in the Empire State Bldg. then you should know that we only went to the 86th floor Observatory - not the top of the building. (It is another $14. to go the the 102nd floor.)

This is a picture of the Chrysler Bldg as viewed from the Empire State Bldg.

A lovely view of the Hudson River. :0)

If you look in the middle of these buildings, you will see the ice skating rink those tiny dots are skaters!
Look past these buildings and you can see Central Park! It looks small from the Empire State Building, but it is actually huge! (I'll show more pictures of Central Park in another post.)

We found a kind lady from England to snap this shot of our whole family.

My daughter snapped this neat picture of this pigeon with a bird's eye view of NYC! LOL

Ok, in this last shot from the Empire State Building, I have to tell you I love it because of it's shadow--do you see it?

I will post more later on our NYC trip!

We Have A Merry Bloggy Winner!

I had my daughter Briana randomly pick a winner for the Vision Forum Giveaway...

And the winner is DANA! :0) Wooo hoooo!

Thank to those who entered, and may you have a blessed Christmas!

Merry Bloggy Giveaway of Vision Forum Item

I am so excited about this--big time! Most of you know that I am a Vision Forum Affiliate-which basically means that I offer a link off my blog so that you can order products from my site.
Well, Vision Forum is allowing me to offer a contest for you to enter to try and win a free item!

The item I have chosen is: The League of Grateful Sons DVD-pictured above.

Here's the description from the Vision Forum Site:
The League of Grateful Sons (DVD)
Shot on location on Iwo Jima, Guam, Hawaii, and in Texas, and directed by veteran filmmaker, Geoff Botkin, The League of Grateful Sons will leave you grateful for America’s heroic fathers and motivated to surpass their legacy.

How to Enter:
If you have a blog:
Make a post telling about the contest, and link to my blog. Then, make a comment on this post letting me know that you did it! Include the link to your site.

If you DON'T have a blog:
Send an email copy of this contest, complete with the link on how to get here-to at least 5 people. Then post a comment here letting me know that you did it, and tell me how many people you sent it to.

Please don't forget to comment--that is where I will randomly be drawing the names from!

Hurry! This contest ends on Wednesday, December 19, 2007 at 12 NOON Eastern Time-one week from today!

You can't win if you don't enter! :0)

And thanks to all of you who have been doing your ordering off of my links above, I greatly appreciate it!

Merry Blogging!

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A smooth Christmas finish is in sight, with shipping and shopping deals from Christianbook.com!
Get Started by Clicking the Christian Book link on the right-hand column of my blog!

Terms and Conditions:
This offer may be used multiple times.
To qualify for this promotion, orders must be placed by 12:00 noon Eastern Time, December 20, 2007.
Orders placed using this offer will ship on the following business day; same day shipping is not available.
To take advantage of this upgrade you will need to ship your order to a street address (sorry, no P.O. Boxes) and to an address within the 48 contiguous states (sorry, this offer is not valid outside of the US, or to Alaska, Hawaii or Puerto Rico).

Offer valid on in-stock items only. Items that are out of stock or on backorder at the time of shipment will be shipped by our Standard shipping method.
This offer cannot be used on prior orders or on items you have already purchased that are currently on backorder.
Although in almost all cases you will receive your order within 2-3 business days of submission, we cannot be responsible for delays due to unforeseen or holiday shipping delivery problems.
Shipping time frames stated are estimates based on our experiences.
This offer cannot be combined with any other offer.

Happy Shopping! Remember to place your order by linking through my blog! Thanks. :0)

The Christmas Story

No Room For Them In The Inn by Tom DuBois The Christmas Story -kjv
Luke 2
2:1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.
2:2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)
2:3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

2:4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:)

2:5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child.
2:6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.
2:7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
2:8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.
2:9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
2:10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.
2:11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
2:12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
2:14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
2:15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.
2:16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
2:17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
2:18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
2:19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.
2:20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.
2:21 And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

feel free to copy and use on your own blog. :0)
Merry Christmas!

My Contest Entry to the 12 Blogs of Christmas...

How many children do you have / homeschool? Two

How long have you been homeschooling? 12 Years

Have they always been homeschooled, or did they ever go to public/private school? My oldest started out in a Christian preschool, and continued through to 1/2 way through 1st Grade, then we took her out. My youngest did 1/2 year of Preschool.

Do you plan on homeschooling until graduation? Yes--first one graduates this year!

Do you belong to a co-op? No.

Do you school all year long, or use some other schedule? I've done both. :0)

Do you use textbooks only, or do you like to supplement with other materials? Both.

Are field trips included in your school plans, or are they just family time? Yes.

Do you and your kids do crafty stuff together for school time? Sometimes, not as much now as when they were younger.

Would you consider everyday household life stuff ‘home ec’? YES!

Do you have any advice for new homeschoolers? Don't get chained to the textbooks! Let the Lord help you and guide you in what needs to be taught--and when.

Do you have advice for homeschoolers with little ones under foot? I used to have a box of things that were only for "school time". I would rotate them, and let the younger one play with them for awhile during a time when I really needed to teach.
I also let him play with trucks or legos while we read and did oral questions, at age 3, he was popping up from his play and answering the questions--he was really listening!

This is my entry to the http://tnmomwith3kids.wordpress.com/ 12 blogs of Christmas contest!

Give Christmas Real Meaning!

Christmas has become extremely commercialized. Everywhere we look we see Christmas trees, lights, presents, signs enticing us to buy this or that for the people on our lists. But let's try to keep our thoughts focused on the real meaning of the season.

When we see a wreath,

let's remember that God's love is never ending.

When we see the lights,

let's remember that Jesus is the light of the world.

When we see candles,

let's remember that our lights, however small, shine brightly enough to spread to those around us.

When we see presents,

let's remember that God gave us the greatest gift of all in His Son, Jesus Christ.

When we see a Christmas tree,

let's remember a tree on top of a hill called Calvary.

When we see snow,

let's remember the One who cleanses our sins in a way that makes them pure white.

When we sing carols,

let's remember the importance of making a joyful noise unto the Lord.

When we sit down to Christmas dinner,

let's remember that Jesus is the bread of life.

When we see all those around us in need, whether physically, financially, emotionally, or spiritually,

let's remember that Christmas really shouldn't be limited to one season of the year.

God's gift was for all seasons. And, every time we share that gift, it's Christmas

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

2 Corinthians 9:15

This post is thanks to Marlene and Wilma!

The Great Adventure!

My 14 yo son bought his first truck today! :0) He wanted a "project truck" to practice his mechanics etc... The Lord opened the door through a dear friend of his to buy this one off of ebay. He is thrilled! The catch--we had to go to 4 hours to New York to get it. :0)

We left our house at 5:15 am today and went to my father-in-law's so that he could drive us to the train station. We took a train from Wilmington to Penn Station, changed trains and went to Poughkeepsie to pick up the truck.

The kind couple we bought it from picked us up at the station, delivered the truck to us, and took us to the interstate so that we were ready to start our trip home.

Believe it or not, we drove home, picked up our van at my father in law's and were home by 4:15! We thank God for the opportunity to buy it, and the traveling mercies too!

Let it SNOW!

Anyone who really knows me, knows that I LOVE SNOW! And today we're getting our first one! The flakes that were coming down were the big, fluffy ones too! :0)

Above is the view out my living room window.

Above is the view out my kitchen window-my daughter tried to take this one so you could see the big flakes.

The picture below is taken from the same window, facing the other way. :0) Isn't it gorgeous!