Lukas and his Grandpa Spotts

Grandpa had some nice long conversations with me.

He sure knows how to make me laugh.

And sometimes he just puts me to sleep.

Car Washing with Shane, Dad and Grandpa

First we need to fill up the buckets.

How do we get water from my bucket into your bucket? I seem to be wearing a lot of water.

Just checking to make sure there is enough suds.

Keep working guys. I am just checking out things.

All done? Can I use the stick now?

Grandson Shane in India

We loved getting to know our two grandsons when we visited Ben and Libby over Thanksgiving. Shane loves playing his instruments!

He is great help working on those house projects.

As long as he has his ball in hand, he is one happy go lucky little/big boy

Five Wonderful Years

We traded cards today . . . mine made from an envelope (yup there's a story there) and his searched for at the store. The first year we were married, we were out of the country on Valentine's Day and I had remembered to buy some chocolates and tuck into my suitcase for my husband, but I did not remember a card. He had purchased a beautiful card and so after I received the card, I nabbed the red envelope to make a card for him. Now I almost always use his envelope to "make" the card he will get for special occasions.

We enjoyed a dinner out at one of our favorite restaurants. We read our marriage vows to each other and we are ever so thankful to God for bringing us together.

Cross stitch for baby

I was waiting to finish this post till we met our now, 3 month old, youngest grandson. The oh, so cute boy that was prayed for the many hours that it took to finish this piece! Thought I might try to post from India, but that didn't work out. It's December and we have returned safely to Oregon and miss the cute smiles of our grandchildren! Here's the youngest having a great conversation with me. Not sure I quite understood much of it, but it was quite entertaining!

Am I getting old?

Today, a big announcement was made at our church. Our new senior pastor was introduced. He is younger than me. I am thrilled that he will be our new pastor. He has been our associate pastor and his wife is a good friend of mine. He will lead our church well, but I have never had a senior pastor that is younger than me. I think this marks a new crossing over point in my life . . . crossing over to the older group.

I must be careful not to become the old lady at church who frowns and criticizes those younguns in funny clothes or crazy piercings or tatoos. The tats don't seem to bother me, although I have no interest in getting one. Most of the piercings don't bother me either. I almost got a nose stud at a few years ago. A couple of friends at work had them, but about that time I met the man who is now my husband and he didn't really like the idea. I just have to say, the nasal septum piercing, bull ring, is another story! The young girl I know with one has what looks like long thick staple ends hanging out of her nose. I just don't see the beauty in it and maybe that's the point. Maybe this particular bull ring is part of her expression of how she sees herself.

But the bigger point is what I need to learn from this. Am I critical of what is different than me? Have I become more critical of exteriors as I age? God, help me look at the heart as you do!

We Voted . . .

We voted today and we know no matter the outcome, the Lord reigns.

"Say among the nations, 'The Lord reigns.' The world is firmly established, it cannot be moved; he will judge the peoples with equity. Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; they will sing before the Lord, for he comes . . . "
Ps. 96:10-13a

Rejoice, be glad, resound, be jubilant, sing for joy . . . the trees of the forest will sing for joy . . . what a great picture that brings to mind.

The Lord does reign!