Oh happy day!

Happy 32nd anniversary to my wonderful parents, Eldon and Brenda LiaBraaten!  Thanks for being what you are to each other.  I wish you many more years of wedded bliss.  :-)

A pleasant stay in Pleasant Plains

A new variation of Dominos

Puzzling

Baylee, the artist, is ready to get to work.

Nice butterfly!

Thought for the day

☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺

If you see someone without a smile, give them yours.

☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺☺

What a day may bring forth...

9:30 am

51° F

I-72 W between Decatur and Springfield

We couldn't capture the complete rainbow, but it was the most brilliant one I've ever seen.  It made a perfect arc, and the seven colors were very distinct.  Beautiful!

3:30 pm

31° F

Pleasant Plains

There is a blizzard warning in effect until midnight tonight.  3-5 inches are expected by late evening.  Wind gusts of 50 mph or higher predicted from 3-9 pm.  Low visibility.  If you have to travel, make sure you have a winter survival kit with you.

One of my homes

Bennett

He's sitting up now!

Gwendolyn displays her artwork

Looks like one Barbie has a bit of a sunburn!

Working on another one

I love cuddle bugs!

Let's try an actual posed one.

Lynae and Gwendolyn puzzle

And Bennett conks out on Ardith's ultra-comfortable lap

A rousing game of Pictionary

Homemade play dough

Look familiar?  I'm sure every one of us has made a house that looks like this at some point or another.  I even got invited inside this one.  It was quite a squeeze, but I made it.  No pictures of that particular feat.  :-)  

On Wednesday morning, we went to the local elementary school for Pre-K arts and crafts.

Mommy paints Gwendolyn's hands to print up an apron.

This is as close to a "completed" picture as I was able to get.  Little Miss G was not interested in modeling her finished apron.  There was too much to do!

Ripping up bread to add to the "Reindeer Food"

Bennett "helps"

It doesn't get much more fun than stickers and confetti!

Making a jingle bell wreath

Santa's face is about to get connected to his body.

Much concentration is required to lace up this bell.

Being goofy back at home

Thanks again Klepzigs for a fun time!  We look forward to coming back.

Hymn Illustration Answers - Part 3

#13

#243 - "Upon a Lonely Mount"

#14

#1 - "Tell Me the Story of Jesus"

(Write on my heart every word, Tell me the story most precious, Sweetest that ever was heard.)

#15

#128 - "We are Building"

#16

#228 - "Rich are the Moments of Blessing"

#17

#103 - "Time is Passing"

#18

#6 - "When I Survey"

Are you guessing correctly?

Peoria Or Bust!

David and Laura Hoots and their boys, very good buddies of mine, will be relocating to the Peoria area sometime in the next couple of weeks.  I returned to the field just in time to join in on their going away party in Oreana.  

Amazing decorations

Adrian

The art table

Sam

Paxton

Anya & Gwendolyn

Playmates

Bennett shows how much he loves Grandpa Doyle by trying to poke his eye out.

Plenty of food

The dessert table

Good-bye Hoots (or should that be Hootses?).  We'll miss you!

I'm home!

Where is home?

Everywhere I leave, I leave home.
Everywhere I go, I go home.

I leave home to go home.

I have no home,
And yet everywhere I am is home.

Home is where I am when I'm where I'm supposed to be.

Right now home is central Illinois in my field with my co-workers,
And I'm delighted to be home!

It's not easy to say good-bye

On Friday, December 14, I waved good-bye to Aunt Becki and Lacie as I drove away from 338 Goff Creek Road in Spokane, Missouri.  I had bid farewell to Uncle Elliott the night before.  Parker and I met up in Springfield for our last hurrah.  I will confess that the parting caused wetness in a few eyes.  I hadn't planned on being there so long, but I appreciated my stay immensely.  We made lots of memories, and it was wonderful to get better acquainted with these LiaBraaten relatives of mine.  I'll get to go back at the end of January, so we'll have another chance to be together...and another good-bye to weather.

Reflecting

Tears and Heroes

Maybe it’s because most of the victims were children

Maybe it’s because I was a teacher

Maybe it’s simply because I’m human

What happened at Sandy Hook Elementary makes my heart weep

Lives were taken

Dreams were shattered

Innocence was lost

Tears have fallen

And many more tears will be shed in the days and weeks and years to come

But let us not lose sight of the good that is in our fellow man

There are heroes among us

Teachers who shielded their students from harm

Some who gave their lives to protect others

Emergency workers who rushed to help

Friends who comfort broken families

Neighbors who bring food just because it’s a little something they can do

Strangers who pray from afar

May we remember those that mourn

May we cherish those beside us

May we live for what is eternal

Hymn Illustration Answers - Part 2

 #7

#108 - "It Pays to Serve Jesus"

#8

#246 - "All My Springs Arise in Jesus"

#9

#303 - "Close to Thee"

#10

#309 - "How Fresh and Green"

 #11

#70 - "Send Thy Light"

#12

#288 - "Lead Me to the Rock"

There are still more to guess.  If you haven't played yet, all the hymn illustrations can be found in the blog entry titled, "Not only do we invent handy dandy serving utensils...".