Hallelujah!!
It is mid-February and as of today at 1:30 I am officially on Winter Recess and Claire will be on break from the high school as of 2:30. We have all of next week off which is good because we need to visit my dad in the nursing home 2 hours west of here, then take another day and go Prom gown shopping (!!) and also begin the dorm room shopping as she has a gift certificate and we wanna get started.
Meanwhile, we are pausing to find FIVE FAVES from the week...and linking up at Susanne's to share in the blessings of God.
FIVE FAVES
- SAFE TRAVELS: Claire went to a youth group winter retreat in the Berkshires mountains about 2 hours east of us. They left in ok weather on Friday afternoon but came home in a raging snowstorm on Sunday!! Praise God they were all safe. Early Saturday morning, I had to drive Dave to the airport (think 3:30 a.m.) and the roads were NOT cleared at all....another 3 inches fell between midnight Friday and that hour Saturday. But again, the missions team all got there on time, and they landed in Guatemala safely late Saturday afternoon. Praise the Lord for His protection!
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| 2nd major snow storm in 3 days! part of our backyard as seen from the family room deck door |
- MORE SNOW! So last Thursday, before the last FFF, we received about 7 inches of snow here in town. Then very early Saturday morning, like I mentioned above, we had another couple of inches. Some of that melted a bit when the sun came out. THEN on Sunday morning around 8:15 a.m. the heavy snow started falling. It fell until about 7:30 pm and never let up. Courtney and I shoveled the driveway 3 times and kept the cars (hers and Dave's) cleared off. By that evening, I had hired a teen neighbor boy to do the end of the driveway (the heavy stuff that the plows dump!). It was worth paying someone for. We ended up getting about 10 inches so we have a LOT of snow...thankfully on Tuesday it started to melt with a bit of a warm-up. I do confess it was very pretty, looking out at it. What I wasn't thrilled with was having to drive in it to church to pick up Claire from the retreat (see above) as they were running 2 hours late. UGH. The driving was slow but we all made it home!
- MEMBERSHIP CLASS! On Sunday, our oldest daughter Courtney, drove in the snowstorm to our church's sister site in the town north of us (a 20 min drive) to take the membership class that was being held and taught by our senior pastor. Even though the drive was horrible in the storm, she made it safely, meeting her friend there along with about 25 other people. The thing I praise God for is that she wants to become a covenant member of our church!! This makes us so happy. Although we don't expect her to live with us forever, it is fun to still have her at home while she looks for a full time job and see her growing in Christ with her friends who are also still living around here. I thank God that she heard the Lord speak to her and followed His direction!
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| Happy Valentine's (in French) |
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| my message from Claire in French! Can you translate it?? |
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| My message in Russian: I love you. |
- VALENTINE SURPRISE! Tuesday was Valentine's Day and my daughters knew I was kind of bummed that Dave is out of the country on the missions trip. We've never been apart on Valentine's Day in all 26 years of our marriage. I really wasn't expecting anything. But Claire totally surprised me....when I walked in from work, this heart and carnation was on the kitchen counter. She had made Valentines in French 2 class and because she also has taken Russian since 7th grade, and plans on majoring in Russian in college, she wrote part of the message in that language. Of course I could only read and translate the French! And carnations are sold at the high school for the teens to buy and give out so she bought me one! This was so special to me! Courtney, knowing I love chocolate coconut, gave me a small piece of dark chocolate with coconut. Perfect!
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| Early evening from the deck |
- MOONLIGHT! Once the storm subsided, this is what our backyard looked like. LOVE the moon light.
Happy Weekend, everyone!
7 comments:
So glad you all were safe in your various excursions in the snow. That last photo is so pretty! That was sweet of your girls to remember you on Valentine's Day, especially as your husband was away. It's wonderful that Courtney is taking steps to become a member of your church and not waiting until the job opens up.
Lovely snow photos. I know it's hard to drive in, but really is lovely to look at from inside! I'm your newest follower, number 48.
So glad God protected yours while traveling in the snow. I'm a real chicken about driving in the snow. So sweet to have that Valentine surprise.
Goodness, you've had a ton of weather. So good to hear that God has protected each of you as you trudged and shoveled and drove in all that snow. Carnations (one of my favorite flowers) and hearts are so sweet from your girl.
I hear ya on all the shoveling work! We, also, were inundated! And hubby had double the work because he was also doing my mom's place. But it does look lovely when it's all done and settled. Love the moon picture.
So sweet of your girls to do something special for Valentine's for you. And isn't it wonderful when one's adult children take those spiritual steps you long and pray for? Definitely something to rejoice over!
Congrats on your daughter becoming a covenant member of your church! Such a wonderful moment and definitely a sign of spiritual maturity.
I was thinking earlier in the year you said you had not gotten your usual snowfall? Maybe now your catching up. Love the moonlight pic of the snow!
Enjoy your week off - and Dave being home!
I'm so happy to hear that your girl is making the decision to be an official part of the church! And hurray for your hubby being home (by now).
Those Valentines are so sweet!
I know you are enjoying your week off!
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