Happy New Year!

From our Family to Yours!  

End Of The Year

Well, it's the end of the year.  In many ways it has been a tough one, and in others a wonderful, joyous year.

I am so thankful to the Lord for His love and grace and mercy!

Here are some photos of the last few days.  I have switched from Internet Explorer to Google Chrome which is mostly great, but there are some things that are different on Google Chrome - my font for example and the way my photos load onto my blog..... I will adjust, I am sure :)

We took the gang ice skating the other night!  It was fun and they all did really well, even Kyle!

My girlie will be 17 tomorrow - we all went to lunch at Cracker Barrel today to celebrate.  
Emily and Kyle out on the ice...

They were going so fast they are just a blur! :)

They had a great time!  I have a feeling we will be going again soon!

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY (Tuesday, December 30, 2009)...

Outside my window...

The sun is shining brightly, the sky blue, the wind is blowing and it is colder than it looks!

I am thinking...

That I need to get the kids moving to be ready for bowling this afternoon!

I am thankful for...

My family - God has blessed me so greatly.

From the learning rooms...

I am enjoying my knitting still - it is delightful to make things for my family to wear.

From the kitchen...

I have no idea what I will make for dinner yet - last night Lindsay and I made Chicken and Pasta Alfredo, Italian Bread and a large green salad.  It was yummy!

I am wearing...

A white t-shirt, navy blue Land's End knit skirt, and navy blue socks.

I am creating...

A knit hat with my circular bamboo needles.

I am going...

To take the kids bowling this afternoon.

I am reading...

Persuasion by Jane Austen

I am hoping...

For another year of good health for our family!

I am hearing...

My 6 year old sing along with her shuffle - she has headphones on! So cute!  The other girls and Evan are playing Uno Attack at the kitchen table!

Around the house...

We still have our Christmas things up, I may take a few things down later today...

One of my favorite things...

Having my nephew Evan visiting us - it has been really fun!

A few plans for the rest of the week:

Tomorrow we are going to my parents for New Year's Eve and New Year's day, which is my daughter's birthday!

Friday I am going out with my husband for the whole day!  It is our 21st anniversary!  I can't wait!

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

 http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

This and That

Good Morning!

Did you all have a great Christmas? We really have had a great Christmas season, my husband had 3 days off plus the weekend so it was like a vacation! I have lots of photos to show you, but I keep getting an error message on my camera - I will try again later - this has happened before so hopefully I will be able to download them later.

I have been working at eating healthier, and using non toxic cleaners etc...we live on 4 1/4 acres of land and would like to see the land not used for the horses only but to plant fruit trees, have larger garden - make the land work for us! Part of it is a desire to spend less at the grocery store - with 8 people in our family, fruit doesn't last long. It's okay, as we want them to eat an apple (locally grown) rather than a "fruit" roll-up. But the real thing is more expensive than than the fake.

Another part of our desire to use our land is for self-sufficiency. When we grew strawberries this year, and tomatoes and green beans it was so neat to go outside and get an ingredient for our meal.

My husband has a hip that needs to be replaced this year, he has had arthritis since he was a kid. We will be living at 60% of his income, while he is recovering. This is going to be a challenge - but I know God will see us through. We always desire to be good stewards of our income - we have felt stretched this year - with gas prices so high for most of the year, food costs all went up...we still have been able to pay extra on our mortgage every month to pay down the principle, we tithe, we support several missionaries...

My husband is wondering whether he will be able to go back to the kind of work he has been doing. He is a machinist and repairing printing presses requires that he squat, bend, get into tight spaces...maybe not doable for someone with an artificial hip. So there is the possibility that income wise we may need to head down a different path....it has exciting possibilities, but at the same time, I have come to "depend" on my husbands paycheck, rather than the Lord. In this economy many people have seen that their paycheck can be gone in an instant as companies layoff employees, or the company closes. I think this will be a good time for me to get my eyes off a "paycheck" and onto the Lord.

In all things we must look to the Lord to meet our needs, He is ABLE!

I guess I am just thinking out loud today...Some of the ways we save money are by not eating out very often, cooking from scratch, making our own salad dressings, I have even made our own laundry detergent before!

What steps have you taken or are you taking to save money by not spending money? Do you have any tips for me? I'd love to hear them!

Just An Ordinary Day

www.allposters.com - Thomas Kinkade

After all the festivities, it is good to have an "ordinary day." Of course experience tells me that nothing ever goes exactly as planned, but as far as it is in our power this is what we are up to today:

Tim is going to a viewing for a co-workers wife.

Tim and I are going to hang a heavy painting for a friend from church. We will pick up the hardware needed and then help hang it. She has recently moved from a house to an apartment and is trying to get settled into her new space.

There are a few errands that won't take long...

There will be the usual daily cleaning and tidying...my little girls need some help with organizing their belongings...

We are going to attempt some free skate time at the ice rink this evening....should be fun!

I sometimes prefer the ordinary days...a chance to walk with the Lord in the day to day activities....

Looking Ahead To New Year's Day

Merry Christmas!

I trust you are all having a wonderful Christmas!

We have Tim's nieces with us today, it has become a tradition and they are playing games. Evan gave Sarah Uno Attack - which is a fun game - and right now they are playing Set.

Here are photos from yesterday at glow bowling;

These are from last night after our candle-light service at church...

Scenes from this morning...

Kyle is a Thomas fan and loved getting a few more trains!

Evan loved the gifts Rachel and Sarah bought him - a bow and arrow set and a fly shooter! These have been a big hit with everyone this afternoon!

Emily knit Evan this hat....

Sarah modeling her apron I made her...

She loved her "camp set" that Lindsay bought her...

Rachel got a box of baking items, cake mixes, measuring cups and spoons, spatulas, a great cookbook for kids and an apron made by me...

Here are the girls modeling the shawls that we made - I knit Emily and Lindsay's and Emily knit Rachel and Sarah's.

Lindsay received a used English saddle, a new girth and stirrups! It is partly a birthday gift as well, as her birthday is in a week from today!

That is all for now! Enjoy your day!

Thank God for His Unspeakable Gift!

Christmas Eve, Happy Birthday

The gifts are wrapped...

The stockings are hung...

We are ready for Christmas, but first we will be celebrating a birthday here at Creekside Cottage! Today is my husbands' birthday! I always make a point of celebrating it separate from Christmas, as those whose birthdays are near Christmas often complain that their birthdays get overlooked.

As a special birthday gift, my husband has 5 days off from work! What a treat for all of us! So, today we are going glow bowling, to pick up a last minute food item of two, dinner at my mom's, Christmas Eve Candlelight service at church, dessert, come back to the cottage to watch "The Nativity Story", open stockings! Somewhere in there we will squeeze birthday gifts...maybe before dinner...

My hope is that you and your families share special time together, remembering the Reason for the Season!

We Have Been Having Fun!

Chivalry is not dead - Kyle made a wall for Rachel.

Many games of "Set" have been played!

Little girls have enjoyed their cousin Evan....

Evan keeping watch over our "young driver", while I purchase a gift for a young girlie at Costco.

I finished my regular knitting projects and started a last minute gift for Sarah - a doll shawl, like the one Emily made for her but in a different color! So fun!

I have to run Emily to babysit this afternoon, and pick up a last bit of gifting...

I will try to stay warm - Baby, it's cold outside!

Gloating

A certain someone (Evan) was in a fine mood last night, even though his beloved Eagles lost. Seems his fantasy team did better than his Dad's....Miss Paula said that she didn't have gloating over at her house! Good thing they had a Christmas party to go to right away!

Young Driver

Where would you like to go?

Ok, let's go!

Look at that skill - it sure makes Christmas shopping much more pleasant to have someone drive you.

Morning Glow

What do you get when you take a bowl of melted beeswax...




and dip a waterballoon into it 5-6 times?


Glow pots in the morning!

Sorrow In The Midst Of Joy

I am so thankful for the hope that is in Christ Jesus.

This time of year can be so difficult for those who have lost loved ones, it is especially hard when the anniversary of the loss is in December or near it.

I know Tim's dear Aunt and Uncle are missing their son....

I know my dear friend Becky is missing her Daddy.

I know that the Skees are missing sweet Ellie.

I know that my family is missing their beloved "Papa Gene".

Papa Gene is Miss Paula's Daddy - her kids "Papa". He was my pastor for practically my whole life until I went to Bible College. He was such a wonderful example of a pastor - he loved his "flock"; in fact he started the church from a Bible study and pastored it for over 50 years. He sang in the choir, where he sometimes got in trouble for goofing off - He would play a "pope" like character every year in the Lack of Talent show...he didn't like being on a pedestal at all - he just liked being called Gene, he even moved the pulpit down from the stage area to the floor, because he was just one of us.
I know that he is having a ball in heaven with all those who have gone before us...

My nephew Evan, who is visiting us for Christmas has posted a beautiful video he did of his Papa Gene - if you would like to watch it you can see it here.

Tim, myself and the kids went to a memorial service today for an old friend. The pastor's wife from the first church we attended here in PA. Her family is missing her, too....

If you think about it in the midst of the fun of this season, will you remember to pray for those you know who are grieving a loss?

It makes this time of year, more dear and special....

Tagged, Again

Alicia tagged me for this fun meme:

"Here are the rules:

*Go to the 6th picture folder in your documents.

*Find the 6th picture in your 6th folder.

*Pray that you remember what it is about.

*Blog about it.

*Tag 6 people to do the same."

So here is my photo:

This is a photo of Rachel last December, on the night of our Regency Ball. You can read all about it here.

Now I will tag the following people;

Evan

Lady Jane

Karen

Kelly

Tracy

Melissa

I know everyone is busy - so don't worry if you don't do this one! Just have fun!

20 Little Things

Melissa, at The Inspired Room, did a post of 20 Little Things to Treasure at Christmas. She "inspired" me to do my own list, so here goes!

1. I am so thankful for my precious Jesus, who came, and yet did not stay a baby!

2. I treasure my family all year long!

3. I am thankful for celebrating Advent and focusing on His Coming.

4. I am thankful for my nephew Evan who is visiting us for Christmas this year! We are having so much fun!

5. I love to buy gifts for my family that I know they will love.

6. I am so pleased with my 9 year old's Christmas list - She wanted someone to put music on her iPod Shuffle (a gift from Evan to her last year), 4-5 cake mixes as she loves to bake.

7. I love the joy with which my children buy gifts for one another! Most of the time they come from the Dollar Tree, but they are given from the heart!

8. I am treasuring simplicity of decor and time spent this year. I feel very relaxed, even though I have to do a bit more shopping and I normally and done by now!

9. I am thankful for our church family. They are dear to us.

10. I am thankful for today, never knowing what tomorrow brings.

11. I am treasuring hand made gifts. This has been a delight to me, this year!

12. I am thankful for our break from schooling which starts tomorrow!

13. I treasure my husbands heart toward our family.

14. I love celebrating his birthday which is Christmas Eve!

15. I love gathering all together on Christmas Eve to watch "The Nativity Story" and to open stockings!

16. I am treasuring my 3 year old son's enjoyment of Christmas, now that he "gets it!"

17. I am so thankful that my parents live nearby and are so involved in our lives! I love the relationships that they have with my children.

18. I am looking forward to my husband having a few days off at Christmas time.

19. I am looking forward to January 1st which is my daughter's 17th birthday.

20. I am looking forward to January 2nd which is my 21st wedding anniversary!

A Warm Pennsylvania Welcome!

The weather was cold and snowy, the traffic slow moving, the flight early but the luggage very delayed getting to the passengers, but the welcome was so very warm and loving!



Here are Kyle and Evan is their Anaheim Ducks jerseys!

I think the girls had subjected him to "Ace of Cakes". See how intently they all follow the cake making adventures of Duff and gang...

They couldn't get enough of Evan last night! I don't think he minded one bit!

He is staying warm and is receiving lots of love and attention, Miss Paula! More fun to come!

Strangeness

Today, when I went to sign into blogger, it wouldn't accept my password. I had to go through the process of changing it.

It seems strange to me, so just in case if you see anything weird on the web from Mrs. Rabe will you let me know? Just wanting to be careful and protect my reputation!

Thanks friends!

Christmas Open House - Come On In!

Kimba at "A Soft Place To Land" is hosting an open house - I have wanted to participate in one, and I finally found time to get the photos!

As you come up to my house you would see the lights and garlands on the picket fence, lamppost and arch!

In the living room is our tree -

Here is a close up...

The top of the piano is one of my favorites...

On top of my Great Grandmother's China Hutch...

Our chandelier....

I love our Nativity...I placed it up on top of the kitchen cabinets a few years ago, and we liked it there so well, we place it there every year now.

This garland is over the door that goes out onto our deck...

This shelf is in the bathroom...

This year I hung a garland across our headboard, from post to post. It adds romance, and makes the room cozy.


Merry Christmas from our home to yours!