CHRISTMAS AT THE WHITE HOUSE

BEFORE ^

AFTER v

(those are Courtney's new 'slipper socks' that Hannah
stole and won't give up!)

Now Hannah has her own kitchen!

...and, of course, a cell phone came with the kitchen!
What would a kitchen be without a cell phone??
She calls "the boys" (Tiffany's boys) on her cell phone
and jabbers away!
Perfect contentment!

...the most handsome guy on the block!
We gathered at Courtney's mom's house for
Christmas dinner!

Courtney, Nathan, Clay (Courtney's grandfather), Chandler
....and ME (behind the camera, as usual!).
Teresa & Jeff with friends, Lori & Lauren.

Jeff gave Courtney & Nathan
a "gift certificate" for some remodeling work
to be done in their dining room!

Christmas FUN!!!

Merry Christmas
from Tiffany's family:
Presley, Kellen, Josiah,
Laz, Ethan, Tiffany & Tarin!

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve activities included having
Hannah "paint" a reindeer on kitchen towels
for gifts! Her foot was the reindeer face,
her hands were the antlers, then Courtney
filled-in the eyes, nose and lettering!
What a fun project (that keeps on giving
year after year!)

Painting her hand so she could paint the
reindeer face!

Tuesday night my birthday group had
dinner together at Jan's.
What a wonderful time we had
'catching-up'----but we missed
our Sheila who couldn't make it!

Nathan, Courtney and the "new baby"!!!
(due at the end of March)

Linda (center) had Pat & I over for
afternoon tea!
It's been such a blessing visiting with so many friends!

OUR CHRISTMAS ADVENTURE

Our first stop on our 2008 Christmas Adventure...
is in Texas for
MEXICAN FOOD!!!
Here we are at El Fenix with Mom & Dad,
Johnny, Marilyn & Joel.
Yummmmmmm!!!!

Christmas is here!

Since Chandler & I are traveling to Texas
and then to Georgia to spend Christmas
with Nathan, Courtney & Hannah,
we decided to open presents here with
Tiffany, Josiah & the boys tonight.
We started the evening by taking the boys
to "A Walk Thru Behtlehem" at a local church
where they got to experience what it might have
been like as Mary & Joseph traveled to Bethlehem
many years ago.....
Then we came home and had a wonderful Mexican dinner
prepared by Tiffany!
Finally, it was time to open gifts....

Kellen, Presley, Josiah, Tarin, Ethan, Tiffany, & Laz
(who will be One Year Old on Christmas Day!).

Their first gifts were "snuggle blankets" they can
use when watching TV.

Presley got a Batman Cave!

Tarin got "Transformers".

Kellen got a Nerf gun!

Ethan got a ski helmet and a "circuit
board project" (which he LOVES working with!).

....the aftermath!

We wish you all a wonderful, healthy and worshipful
Christmas season~
Love, Chandler & Ann

A Homecoming Celebration!

There was an unseen Celebration today~
the Homecoming of our
Margie
as she slipped quietly through those
celestial gates
into the presence of our
Lord Jesus Christ!

We will forever miss your glowing smile,
your warm southern charm,
your encouragement and generosity,
and your wonderful laughter!

Whenever Margie saw you she would say, "Hey, Dar-lin!"
...as she smothered you with hugs
and celebrated YOU

as if you were the person who just made her day!

"Precious in the sight of the Lord
is the death of His saints."
Psalm 116:15
....precious, indeed.

Tis the Season

Our outdoor tree in last weekend's snow!

My parents came for Thanksgiving....here is Mom
with Laz and Tarin.
We are planning to go to Atlanta to have Christmas
with Nathan, Courtney & Hannah!

Laz in Grammy's new chair!

Fall Fell

So...today was "let's take our Fall group pictures outside
in the piles of leaves on the deck!"
Well...it doesn't always go so easily as you can see!

Kellen

Presley

Let's just EAT the leaves!!!!

October 30....."Daily Readings from the Life of Christ"....by John MacArthur

John the Baptist and His Doubt

“Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, ‘Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?’”

That John the Baptist sent some of his disciples to Jesus testifies to his genuine faith. John was not seeking more information about Christ but confirmation. In essence, he asked, “Even though I firmly believed You are the Messiah, could I have been wrong?” It was the same attitude as the father of the boy the Lord had cleansed of an evil spirit----“I do believe; help my unbelief” (Mark 9:24).

After being in prison for months, unable to minister and interact with the outside world except through periodic visits by his disciples, John had many doubts and uncertainties about Jesus. Those misgivings settled on his mind even though he had announced, baptized, and declared Jesus to be the Messiah.

……There was no mistaking the fact that John wanted to know for sure if Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah.

October 31st.

John the Baptist was a true saint and prophet of God, unreserved in His divine service. He had ministered precisely according to God’s will, but now he couldn’t help wondering why he was imprisoned and enduring other hardships.

He knew the Old Testament and maybe asked where the God of comfort (Ps. 119:50, Isa. 51:12) was at that time. Where was the promise that Messiah would “bind up the brokenhearted…proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners” (Isa. 61:1)?

Paul was also imprisoned, likely in Rome, when he wrote, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let you gently spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:4-7).

John knew where to find answers, even in the midst of doubt. That’s why he sent his disciples to Jesus to plead, “Lord, please help me!” And Christ was glad to respond, performing miracles for John’s sake and promising spiritual blessing if he remained steady.

Difficult circumstances can be stressful and painful, but our attitude and response should be like John’s---and Paul’s---trusting in the Lord to calm our doubts, anxieties, and fears (James 1:2-12).

Ask Yourself……
What causes some to be secure and steadfast no matter their circumstances, while others really struggle to keep their faith front and center? How are you preparing you heart to stay strong in the inevitable seasons of conflict to come??

Difficut Days

Below is an email I received from Lavan...Wanda's husband. She was in the middle of Round #2 of Radiation....when it caused her throat to swell shut. She could neither eat nor drink...and became dehydrated. She was hospitalized for 4 days and grew weaker and weaker. After being released to go home, she took herself off the morphine and for 3+ weeks she did much better. She went to a grandaughter's birthday "tea", to the beauty salon, and enjoyed having good days. Gradually, the pain in her back returned and she is now back on morphine. I want to go visit her...just have not been able to at this time. Read below:

Wanda is sleeping right now, Ann. The mornings are quite painful and the
nausea is lasting longer. We had to get back on morphine Saturday. Her home
health nurse is concerned about her getting anemic so they will draw blood
and check that out. We need to get iron into her somehow.

She has been doing so good up until late last week. We have no other avenue
for her but to walk the path of trust that the Lord does all things well,
that she is cared for by Him who knows all things. We are trusting and
claiming her healing until the Lord says stop. A friend of ours made the
statement that we will beat the door of heaven down until we get an answer.
Sounds good but I do want to be careful. There is a parable about being
insistent and getting what we came for. We are trying to do that.

Please ask the Lord on Wanda's behalf to restore her strength, remove the
nausea and remove the cancer. Our faith gets thin more often than I like to
admit these days. The Lord seems to be silent on these bigger issues of
healing. He is faithful to get us through the little things one at a time. I
just don't want to fail her in this hour or bring shame on the Name of the
Lord by getting weak kneed. The answer is somewhere. We must wait for it.

Breckenridge Break

My dear friend of 30 years (can you believe it?), Dianne,
invited me to join her and her sister for a few days
in Breckenridge.
We stayed in her Valdoro timeshare and it was lovely!!

Allison & I huddled under the umbrella while eating
lunch at an outside cafe!
(it was just a few sprinkles!)

Dianne & Allison

Here comes the rain....and the COLD FRONT!
BURRRRrrrrrr....the temp dropped 20 degrees!

We went to Vail for the day on Friday and it
was sunny, then rainy, then sunny....

Hats off to Annieeeeeee!
Buenos Dias!

My favorite...a Colorado stream!
(brings back memories from my childhood of
wadding in the ice cold Colorado streams on vacation!)

We had lunch at Fatty's on Saturday.
The owner grows the flowers in a hothouse out back.

Some of the beautiful scenery.

More of the beautiful scenery!!!!
:)

Okay....I hate to torture those of you in Texas and Georgia...
but this is what the Lord gave us today!!!

SNOW, SNOW, SNOW!!!!!!!