Music and lyrics, A pretty new home, Burgers

1. The music at church always inspires me. One of my favorites from today:

Blessed be Your name in the land that is plentiful,

Where Your streams of abundance flow.
Blessed be Your name.
And blessed be Your name when I'm found in the desert place.
Though I walk through the wilderness,
Blessed be your name.
Every blessing You pour out, I'll turn back to praise.
And when the darkness closes in, Lord still I will say...
Blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be Your glorious name.
Blessed be Your name when the sun's shining down on me,
When the world's "all as it should be."
Blessed be Your name.
And blessed be Your name on the road marked with suffering.
Though there's pain in the offering,
Blessed be Your name.
You give and take away, You give and take away.
My heart will choose to say,
Lord, blessed be Your name.

* Listen to the Newsboys version here.

2. Burgers on the grill. Not as good as Chad's, but summertime-good anyway!
3. We visited our old neighbors who have moved into their new house. Their home is lovely and I enjoyed catching up.

Everyone does this, Dawdling outside, Tonight's dessert

1. Bringing in the new year with a burst of cleaning and organizing.
2. Mother nature has given us a wonderful hint of spring. Mild temperatures and the scent of wet earth give me urges to dig in the dirt : ) I can be patient...
3. The top of a Pineapple Upside Down Cake. The circles of pineapple centered with red cherries and the brown sugar caramel, crisping to chewiness around the edges.

Restocked, Refreshed. Renewed

1. I went grocery shopping to restock our very bare cupboards. I like the feeling of filling the shelves and bringing home taste-tempting things to offer the family like a perfectly ripened, sweet pineapple with honey Greek yogurt.
1.a. Bought four more little glasses that are perfectly weighted and shaped to fit the hand.
2. Went through the automatic car wash and transformed the car from grubby to shiny new.
3. Considering the past year, I'm glad it fades behind me and a new adventure stretches out ahead. May I handle whatever it brings with faith, love, and grace.

Possibilities, FUN!, A good kind of tired

1. Waiting for daughter at a new hair salon, one of the stylists stops to chat with the receptionist. She's beautifully tall and willowy. I hear her tell the receptionist that she's 5'7" and I think, "That's my height! With 3" heels and 20 pounds less, I could look like that!" It won't happen, but it's nice to know that it's a possibility : )
2. We attend the annual Vintage Ball where 280 dancers sashay, weave and twirl to music of the 1700's. The dresses and hoop skirts are beautiful, the dances are done in unison and we thoroughly enjoy the evening. Dancers clap their hands in double time and the occasional "Whoop!" livens up the room even more.
3. We fall into bed at 1 a.m. and my last, comforting thought is that no one has to get up by the alarm in the morning.

After dark, Something different, Attic room

1. It was the first opportunity we've had to drive through our little town of Fincastle after dark. Strings of Christmas lights crisscross the streets, lighted Christmas trees shine in bay windows and shrubs are covered in white lights. It was a beautiful sight to behold.
2. Friends cooked a delicious feast of Indian cuisine for us. We visited for hours, telling stories and laughing at ourselves and one another.
3. A light shines way up high in a third story attic window.

A few of my favorite images- Christmas Weekend

Feeding Time

Mine and Hers

Grandpa Steve

Tess on Steve's homemade sled.

Buche de Noel

Claire and her baby

Notice how someone only takes the peanut butter part of the fudge? : )

Chelsea and Marian

Christmas morning, Magic snow, New love

1. One by one, we wake up and gather by the Christmas tree. The first arrivals chat quietly, sip coffee and patiently wait for the others to come down.
2. Receiving a gift is a wonderful thing, but it really is the thought behind it that touches hearts.
3. A gentle, new snow falls throughout the day. In the evening, we are drawn outside to its silence, peace and beauty.
4. A new family member is with us this year! Marian fills our hearts with love and we marvel how one day, Poof! there is a baby among us : )