Happy New Year!

May you be blessed beyond belief!

May you seek to know Jesus more each day!

Be kinder, love more and laugh a whole lot!!

Happy New Year!!

Baking Cookies!!

Baking today and tomorrow and these are my favorite cookies!  I've only missed one year in 33 years without them!!  It wouldn't be Christmas if I didn't have some frosted sugar cookies.  We have such great memories of our family sitting down to frost these cookies.  Good Times!!  5 days until Christmas!!!!

Life Is Short....Love More!!!

Praying for my mom this morning as her husband, Garnett is clinging to life.  

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas....Finally!

I put the ornaments on my tree, shipped gifts to my son's precious family in Colorado and bought  a couple more presents....I'm getting there!!

Precious Moments!

Love, Love this!!!  Mason with his great-grandma looking at his new dog book!  He was telling her all about the dogs and the ones that look like ones all the family members have!  He was so excited that she got to spend the afternoon with us.  This was so special to me!

Another Birthday!!

Oh my, how the time flies!

How can it be, that I am 53??

Oh me, oh my!!

What a great birthday it's been!!

Christmas is Coming!!

...and the snowmen and women are coming out at my house!  I just love them!!  It's beginning to feel a little bit like Christmas!!!

Thankfulness #27

Thankful for the Tuesday morning women who come to pray the names of Jesus!   What a blessing it is for all of us!

Thankfulness #26

Thankful for family photos to treasure forever! This was taken after our Thanksgiving brunch with Dwight's mom who is 88 and still going strong!

Thankfulness #25

Thankful for my favorite time of year!  I love Christmas!  I love the true meaning of Christmas ~ Jesus birth!  I love the lights!  I love decorated trees!  I love Christmas carols! I love a Snowman decoration! ( I have a small collection!) I love Christmas cookies!  I love fudge and egg nog at Christmas!  I love my home with all the Christmas decorations!  It's so warm and pretty!   Time to start the decorating!!

Thankfulness #24

Thankful for food, family and fun as we celebrate Thanksgiving this year!  Enjoy your day!  Happy Thanksgiving!!

Thankfulness #23

The farm where my mom grew up in North Dakota!

I am so thankful for my heritage!  My great, great Grandfather built this farm that my mom grew up on.  He was of German descent and first settled in Ohio.  After two tornados and many failed crops, they moved to North Dakota.  He built the buildings, made their shoes, grew crops for food and he loved Jesus.  So did my grandmother who shared that love with my mom (who was one of nine children), who shared her love of Jesus with me.  My grandmother was a wonderful cook and baker.  That has been passed along as well.  


 I am so thankful for the prayers of my grandparents.  I am now a grandparent and it is my privilege to carry on our Christian heritage to my grandchildren.   It's grandma day with Mason.  Time to do a little sharing and show some love to a precious 3 year old!

Thankfulness #22

Fall Leaves at RSM Lake

Spring flowers in my backyard

SNow in Colorado

Summer ~surfing with dolphins

Thankful for my love of photography!  I love taking photos and looking at photos.  I love that I can take photos and share them with others.  These photos show the 4 seasons that I don't get to see naturally nearby.  I had to go to Colorado for some snow!  And to see my precious grandchildren!!

Thankfulness #21

Thankful for the beautiful day after the rain!!  Looking at this scene today as I do laundry and clean my little place!  Thank you God for beautiful days!!

Thankfulness #20

Thankful for my brother!  He's the baby of the family with three sisters!  I have always had a close relationship with my brother.  He cried at my wedding when he knew I was leaving home (I also moved an hour away!).  I cried when my mom buzzed his hair when he was little!!    He is a wonderful brother, son, husband and father to three girls!  I guess he was destined to be around women from birth!!  He is an avid golfer and has a HOLE in ONE to his name!  He takes care of my mom's affairs now that she isn't able to and checks in on her daily.  I enjoy visiting his family and being his girls Fairy God Mother! He gives great HUGS too!!  I love you Tim and Happy Birthday!!

Thankfulness #19

Thankful for my oldest son, the middle child and the life of our home!!  He is funny, smart, loving, crazy and gives great hugs!!  I was so thrilled when he came into our lives and it's been FUN with a capital "F" ever since.  He and I have a bond like no other and I love him so very much!  He is my biggest cheerleader and friend!  


Life hasn't been easy on the personal side. He has gone through some tough times with his relationship with his wife...they got pregnant, got married, had Miss B, divorced 10 months later (something he never wanted!), he moved back home with us, graduated college and worked full-time, that next year was tough with shared custody and trying to get his ex-wife stable to support a baby on her own, they became pregnant again a year later, he worked on their relationship, Mr. D was born, they became a couple and a family of 4 and learned to love each other unconditionally, they planned their wedding, it was a beautiful day in December up in the mountains, they moved to Colorado because of a job (away from family and grandparents :() they are now a family of 5 who own a house and serve the Lord together in their church. Praise God for answered prayer and grace!!  I am so thankful for my son and his family!  I love them so much!!

Thankfulness #18

SO very thankful for my daughter and my friend!  When I was ready to have children, I told everyone I wanted boys because I had sisters and we didn't get along all that well growing up (I love them to death and beyond!).  God saw it differently and blessed me with a beautiful daughter inside and out!  She was an easy, happy child who loved to sing and just be with me.  She was obedient and loved her brothers unconditionally.  I missed her terribly when she went off to college and basically never came back home.  We kept our relationship strong by me allowing her to have her freedom and by getting together for lunch as often as we could.  We enjoyed going to different spas when I closed a sale and we booked our hair appointments with her friend so we could catch up and have lunch!  We love being together no matter what....even if we don't say much!  She loves Jesus, is a good wife and mother and friend!  I love her like no other and am so glad God blessed me with a daughter!!

Thankfulness #17

Thankful for the love of my youth!  We met when I was 17.  Married him when I was 19.  We've grown up together and are still learning about each other everyday!  He loves Jesus and encourages me in my walk and in life.  We are in another stage of life where we started.  It's just the two of us (basically)!  We are looking forward to the adventures of growing old together!  Love him!

Thankfulness #16

Thankful for smiles!!  A smile from someone I know or don't know makes me feel good.  I always try to look at those around me and give them a smile!  Sometimes I get a smile back and sometimes I don't.  I feel good giving a smile or receiving one!  It's a small thing but I think a SMILE can be a BIG thing in life....you never know what someone is going through and your smile might just make their day and allow them to forget for a minute what they are going through!  So now go and give someone a smile!!   It's gift that is easy to give and receive!

Thankfulness #15

Thankful for food, shelter and clothing.  All the basics God provides.  

Thankfulness #14

My dad with my daughter, Danielle and little Mason!

Thankful for my dad and the time he spent with me growing up.  I loved watching baseball with him, looking at his baseball cards with him, tinkering in the garage with him and just being with him.   I loved my dad and he loved me.  Today I am celebrating one year that he's been gone.  It's been the hardest thing not to call him and say "Hi Dad!  Whatcha up to today?"  I'm glad he's in heaven today.  He prayed for Jesus to come into his heart before he died!  I am so thankful that he did.  I look forward to seeing him in Heaven one day soon!


Don't let any of your loved ones leave this earth without sharing Jesus with them.  It's the only way that they will be there in heaven when you get there!

Thankfulness #13

Thankful for our church and Pastor Barry and all the other pastors for living and preaching God's word each day!  What a blessing to have a wonderful church family who prays for you and wants you to live a life of praise to God.  I pray you have a church family that you are a part of!

Thankfulness #12

Hiking in Colorado!

Driving with my mom in North Dakota...sunflower fields!!

Sunset at the beach!

A cove on Whidbey Island!

My favorite!!  Newport Beach in California!

Today I am thankful for God's beauty!  It's all around us...above are photos I've taken while enjoying the outdoors.  Enjoy your surroundings and thank God today!  I do!

Thankfulness #11

I am thankful today for good health.  I am very fortunate to not get sick very often or feel bad at all.  I have a few aches here and there but nothing chronic.  I am thankful for that!  I just wish I could get in the habit of regular exercise.  I want to walk or do something each day but just can't get in the habit.  I need a buddy...so that's my prayer today for an exercise buddy!  I really have no excuse!

Thankfulness #10

Thankful for my Aunt Doris and the love she shared with her family and friends.  Mom and I were able to visit with her this August.  She was so thrilled to have us visit and continually apologized for not being the hostess she used to be.  I didn't care...it was just good to be with her once again.  She went to be Jesus last week.  She joined her mother, her father, her husband, her brother and many more however we will miss her terribly.  She was the cornerstone of our extended family and always welcomed anyone who wanted to come and stay at her home and she fed us wonderful food!  Today I am in Washington celebrating her life with her family, my mom and my sister, Dawn.  A sad but happy day!!

Thankfulness #9

My cousin, Nancy & my sister Pat!

My cousins, Bruce, Candy and Joanne

My cousins, Wes & Jason

My mom was one of 9 children so needless to say, I have 38 first cousins!  Today I am thankful for large families and for cousins who are so much fun to visit.  We just have a bond that is so special.  My cousins live all over the United States (North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, Indiana, North Carolina, California, Washington, Idaho and Colorado) and I love visiting each and every one!  I've been fortunate over the years to have met and spent time with my cousins when I was a child through adulthood.  We had wonderful family reunions and my mom made sure we were there!  Even if it meant a couple days drive!  Family was important.  It is now up to us cousins to keep the family in touch because most of our parents are not able to travel.  
We are now talking about a family gathering every 5 years....I will be one of the ones making it happen.  Family and extended family is important to me too!