Christmas With The Gang!

We arrived in Kansas early enough to be able to go and watch Sophie play basketball, which was a first for us and we were so pleased to be there for that.  She is a superb athlete.

And she's so tall and so pretty!

And then the next day we got to go watch Josh play basketball with his school's team.  What a treat for us.

Caleb was quite entranced by the Christmas tree.

And of course, there was the traditional decorating of the gingerbread house.  A fun project for all!

We did quite a lot of dog walking and occasionally one of the kids would go with us - Matthew was pretty good at giving Chico some exercise!

Allie went with us out to the arboretum so she could do a photo for us.  She's a wonderful photographer and did a great job.  Very casual, but that's what we wanted.  And it was cold and none of us wanted to be out there very long!

And one night we all bundled up super warm and climbed in Zack's trailer and went through several neighborhoods enjoying the lights and decorations and singing Christmas carols.  A good time was had by all!

It was so cute seeing Noah reading the Christmas story to Jacob.

And Noah helped out with Caleb checking out the tree and everything under it.

It was a beautiful tree, Jenny.  You did a great job.

And here's Noah again snuggled up with Chico!

And then there's alway the cookie decorating.  Emily really gets into this project!  Very serious business.

Everybody loves it.  Jacob looks pretty serious about it also.

And then there's Sophie and Jenny!  They're really serious!  And the job got done in record time - seeing as how we were on our way to church that was a good thing.

Beautiful.

Caleb was so cute during the family tradition of new jammies on Christmas Eve.  He was giving his package lots of hugs! 

And here's a shot of all the guys in their new jammies.  Oh, that was fun!  Caleb wanted nothing to do with that part of it!

He's not laughing in this picture!  Well maybe, cause Josh was tickling him at this point.

Jenny and her little Caleb.

Jenny and her guys.  This was a fun shot to get, too!

Looks like Santa has come and gone!

And this was the scene in the living room on Christmas afternoon!  But then, life happens and the Gang was on their way to Atlanta and had to have the house undecorated and back to "normal" before they left so their realtor could show the house while they were gone.

It was a great Christmas.  So loved spending time with the kids and celebrating Christmas with the Gang.  Nothing better than family at Christmas. 

Winter Has Arrived in the Grasshopper Valley

And I'm so glad Walt is home to do the driveway and the shoveling!

And the ski hill opens tomorrow!  Happy New Year to all!

Solar Eclipse in the Grasshopper Valley

WOW. How amazing it was this morning to capture this total eclipse of the moon over Maverick Mountain Ski Hill. Not sure when we will have another one of these, and of course, this one was even more of an event because of the fact that out on the plains one was able to see the sun rising at the same time of the solar eclipse. Impossible! So thankful Walt saw it! I totally forgot about it. Love these images. Not great, but good enough!

Breakfast in Ecuador

Walt and I went out this morning and did our 3 1/2 mile walk and on our way back passed a little produce tienda (shop) just down the street that had a big bin of ripe mangoes.  So we came back to the apartment and got some money and went back to buy breakfast!  November is Mango Month in Ecuador - I remember from when we lived here.  And I love the small Hawaiian papaya.

All of this for $2.  Unbelievable and so delicious.  Food of the gods!  My diet till we go back home!  Fresh fruit.

Children Are A Gift From God

I think I was a little surprised when Jenny and I saw this morning that the Duggars are expecting child #20 in the spring.  I mean after all, they already have 19 children AND 2 grandchildren!!!  Isn't it time for them to stop?  I mean, really, she's at least 45 - isn't it time to call it quits?

Well, I've sort of been thinking about it all day and here's what I really think.  Children are a gift from God.  It truly is my belief as a Christian that there is not a child born that is an accident - every child is from God and meant to be.  And as I really think about it, it is certainly interesting that for the most part the families that are choosing to have large families (instead of using birth control, they are allowing God to "control" how many children they have) - these families are Christian families, raising their children as strong believers to impact the culture they will live in.  Many, if not most, of these families are also homeschooling their children in order to protect them from the perverse and destructive attitudes and beliefs being purveyed in the public school systems across this nation.

So I say, "God bless you Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar and may God bless all those beautiful children He has given you and you are raising up to love and honor Him."