Decorating the tree

Aaron & Andrew decorated the Christmas tree

& I think they did a good job. Dan helped a bit.

Buying our Christmas Tree

What a different kind of year temperature wise when we bought our Christmas tree. Last year we had quite a bit of snow. This year it was very moderate. My boys were out in their t-shirts. But we enjoyed our annual tradition anyway.

It's always fun trying to find the right tree.
The boys decided on this one.

Volkers has beautiful Poinsettias!
A final shot. Lots of pretty trees!

A Repost

The Christmas Pageant

My husband and I had been happily
married (most of the time)
for five years
but hadn't been blessed with a baby.

I decided to do some serious
praying and promised God
that if he would give us a
child,
I would be a perfect mother,
love it with all my heart
and raise it with His word
as my guide.

God answered my prayers
and blessed us with a son.

The next year God blessed us
with another son.

The following year,
He blessed us with
yet another son.


The year after that we
were blessed with a daughter.

My husband thought we'd
been blessed right into poverty.
We now had four children,
and the oldest was only
four years old.

I learned never to ask God
for anything unless I meant it.
As a minister once told me,
"If you pray for rain,
make sure you carry an umbrella."

I began reading a few verses
of the Bible to the children
each day as they lay in their cribs.

I was off to a good start.
God had entrusted me
with four children and
I didn't want to disappoint Him.

I tried to be patient the day
the children smashed
two dozen eggs on
the kitchen floor searching
for baby chicks.

I tried to be understanding...

when they started a hotel for
homeless frogs in the spare bedroom,

although it took me nearly two hours
to catch all twenty-three frogs.

When my daughter poured
ketchup all over herself and
rolled up in a blanket to see
how it felt to be a hot dog,
I tried to see the humor
rather than the mess.

In spite of changing over
twenty-five thousand diapers,
never eating a hot meal
and never sleeping for more
than thirty minutes at a time,
I still thank God daily for my children.

While I couldn't keep my promise
to be a perfect mother -
I didn't even come close...
I did keep my promise
to raise them in the Word of God.

I knew I was missing the mark
just a little when I told
my daughter we were going
to church to worship God,
and she wanted to bring
a bar of soap along to
"wash up" Jesus, too.

Something was lost
in the translation when
I explained that
God gave us everlasting life,
and my son thought it was
generous of God to give
us his "last wife."

My proudest moment came
during the children's
Christmas pageant.

My daughter was playing Mary,
two of my sons were shepherds
and my youngest son was a wise man.
This was their moment to shine.

My five-year-old shepherd
had practiced his line,
"We found the babe wrapped
in swaddling clothes."

But he was nervous and said,
"The baby was wrapped
in wrinkled clothes."

My four-year-old "Mary" said,
"That's not 'wrinkled clothes,' silly.

That's dirty, rotten clothes."

A wrestling match broke out
between Mary and the shepherd
and was stopped by an angel,
who bent her halo and lost
her left wing.

I slouched a little lower
in my seat when Mary
dropped the doll representing
Baby Jesus, and it bounced
down the aisle crying,
"Mama-mama."

Mary grabbed the doll,
wrapped it back up
and held it tightly as
the wise men arrived.

My other son stepped forward
wearing a bathrobe
and a paper crown,
knelt at the manger
and announced,
"We are the three wise men,
and we are bringing gifts
of gold,
common sense
and fur."

The congregation
dissolved into laughter,
and the pageant
got a standing ovation.

"I've never enjoyed a Christmas
program as much as this one,"
laughed the pastor,
wiping tears from his eyes.

"For the rest of my life,
I'll never hear the
Christmas story without
thinking of
gold,
common sense
and fur."

"My children are my pride
and my joy and my greatest
blessing," I said as I dug
through my purse for an aspirin.

Jesus had no servants,
yet they called Him Master.

Had no degree,
yet they called Him Teacher.

Had no medicines,
yet they called Him Healer.

Had no army,
yet kings feared Him.

He won no military battles,
yet He conquered the world.

He committed no crime,

yet they crucified Him.

He was buried in a tomb,
yet He lives today..

Feel honored
to serve such a Leader
who loves us.

GOD BLESS YOU

Happy Thanksgiving!

Everyone have a blessed Thanksgiving!

Pittsburgh Light-up Night

The Friday night before Thanksgiving, Scott, Dan & I joined Dave & Carissa for Pittsburgh's light-up night.

The city was beautifully lit up as usual!















The fireworks began. They did a marvelous job on them! I remember as a child seeing fireworks go off 1 at a time. Now a-days, they set several off at a clip, which only makes for a wonderful display!

Dave had just gotten a new camera, so he was way ahead of us. He got further up towards the point to get better pictures. Dan & Carissa stayed with us.

I will just put up pictures of that night:
You can see the Horne's Christmas tree.
(Horne's is no longer there.)

PNC Park

Dan, Carissa, & Scott with Parker in the background. Dan moved so his face & right leg are a blur. It was quite cold up there on Mt. Washington!

After the point was done with their fireworks, they set some off of the 6th Street bridge. That display was just as wonderful!!






I was able to take 3 clear pictures & make them into a panorama photo of the city! You will have to click on the picture to get the full effect.

Our Thanksgiving

Because Scott had to work on Thanksgiving & because Dave was on call that day as well, we decided to have our Thanksgiving the Saturday before. We invited Scott's mom & friend Jack & my sister Jacque to join us.
We set the food out on the kitchen counter, & we went buffet style in getting our food.
I made 2 pumpkin pies & 1 apple pie.

Before we eat, we each tell what we are thankful for.

Time to eat! Yum!

We enjoying catching up on how everyone is doing. We had fun conversation! God has truly blessed us!

Parker enjoyed the scraps as the meal was being prepared as well as afterwards.

Happy Veteran's Day!

We want to wish all those veterans who fought & served for this country & others, how proud & grateful we are for your services! We honor you this day - Thank you!

Our September trip to Deep Creek area

Around mid-September, we took the boys & went to Scott's mother's place at Deep Creek. But 1st we had to stop in at the little country store just outside of Grantsville to get our cinnamon rolls & sticky buns. A friend told us that we will enjoy the wonderful fall colors that have begun down there, but we didn't know what she was talking about. Well....she was right!







The Amish were out & about of course.













The country side was so beautiful even if we didn't have the sun that day.













We finally came to Mom's place & unpacked. We relaxed & enjoyed the rest of the day.







The next day when the sun came out we headed down to the lake. The boys played football, skipped rocks, & we hiked a bit.




































We headed down to Swallow Falls State Park & hiked out to the river on the opposite side of the park. The water was so low that we could walk across it, & believe it or not, the water wasn't too cold.
























This is the tree in the center of that picture. It was a brilliant red. When the sun shone on it, it glowed. By the time we came back down 10 days later, it was bare!























The boys had fun climbing down through the falls to the bottom.




















Dan found river goo he called river weed (like sea weed).








The next day, when we got to Swallow Falls, we decided to go into the park. We headed up Muddy Creek 1st before we headed down past the falls. Dan is relaxing over a pool that the boys have played in in the past.














The boys were just relaxing at the top of the waterfall. Normally they couldn't do that because the water would be flowing too hard. Instead it's just trickling over the edge.










We headed down to join the boys at the bottom.















Muddy Creek Falls














Scott & I in front of the falls. We were fiddling with my camera to see what it could do.


















We finally made it around to the main falls again. The guys were climbing all over the lower falls.











Looking up at the upper falls. This really shows how low the water is.

















I don't we have ever seen Tolliver Falls this low before.

















Scott & the boys were hunting crayfish (crawfish - however you say it) since the water was so low.










They found a nice sized one!











The boys were playing cards. I believe Dan was teaching them a new game.












The last night there it was dry enough to have a campfire.

We headed home the next morning.