Joanna is 1!!

Wow, it is hard to believe it's already been a year since our little darling joined our family. We are so thankful to God for the health and strength He has given her and for blessing us so much with her! Happy Birthday, sweet Joanna! We love you!

Oma & Opa Westendorp came by for a nice visit for her birthday in the morning, so we had a small 'party' for her. Oma gave her some cozy new pajamas and we gave her a big fluffy bunny. She enjoyed all the attention. :)

Here's Joanna walking around like a pro. She's been doing it now for 2 weeks and we can hardly remember the time when she didn't walk around. She even 'runs' around a bit. :)

Horseback riding already! :)

winter scenes

Early one morning I awoke to long, gorgeous rose-colored icicles forming a sheer in front of the kitchen window (the picture doesn't do justice)

I do love the winter - especially when the snow falls thickly from the sky and we can sit snuggly watching it from our warm house!

And then when the sun comes out, I venture out on my skiis - easier than trying to walk thru knee-highdrifts...

Yes, I recently got ski poles again (thanks Maurice!) and got out my old skiis!

I'm a little stiff and rusty, but is it ever nice to do that again! Sure is a good workout!

How dazzling the fresh-fallen snow! Gives us glimpse of God's glory and purity - if snow that He made, that is here today, gone tomorrow, can be so beautiful & white imagine how beautiful and pure He is!

And to think that my sin-stained heart is made so pure and white by Christ's blood. How can it be? What wonderous love!

"Though your sins be as scarlet, They shall be white as snow..." Isaiah 1:18

...To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood...
Revelation 1 : 5

Happy Birthday!

Sledding at Mom and Dad's

January's Special Dates

Near the end of January Daniel turned 3 - tho if you ask him, he'll say 4! and on the same day Heidi turned sweet 16!
Heidi's been blessed with the gift of music and is already quite a talented young pianist. She did her first recording just before my birthday and her artistic sister designed the cover and they presented it to me on my surprise b-day party! The surprise party was contrived by Mom and Chris (which was no small feat) and turned out very enjoyable - thanks sis! and all who braved the deep snow to come out!
I must say I did get spoiled this year! Thanks to Maurice and all my dear family and a few friends who contributed to a much needed laptop to replace my antique :). Thank you everyone!

We also got 3 months free hi-speed from Sympatico so I've fixed up all the previous posts of disappeared photos. So take a look back thru last year and review the Lord's goodness to His children.

December 22

Still catching up here...
wasn't that a fun day?!






sleepy fathers & sons

Pakjes

Top 10 Inspirations from 2007

Some of the books, music, movies worth sharing that were most enjoyable, inspiring or moving this year:

1. Passages from the Bible: Isaiah (especially chapters 61 & 43). They’re so beautiful and strengthening!
   Read the whole chapters. Here’s the beginning of Isaiah chapter 43: "But now, this is what the LORD says – He who created you… ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you…’" (Thank You LORD!!)




2. Choices Changes – book by Joni Eareckson-Tada (thanks Rachel) -hope inspiring




3. Sweet Dreams CD (thanks K&R) and other "Singables" – Scriptures sweetly sung by a homeschooling mom along with a few of her 11 children! - easiest way to learn verses!




4. Jesus First in Everything CD – part of a series on the supremacy of Christ by James MacDonald (“You will never experience the fulness of joy that you were created to know until Jesus Christ has first place in everything”); Humility, the forgotten virtue by Wayne Mack; Idols of the Heart CDs by Elyse Fitzpatrick – all really help keep life in perspective (thanks Liz esp)




5. Summer Range – a riveting Western novel by my friend, Troy Peterson (I have a couple autographed copies left if any of you adventurous guys wants one)




6. Amazing Grace series on the radio and book by that name by David Jeremiah,
   Focus on the Family Radio Theatre’s Amazing Grace audio drama - stories of John Newton, William Wilberforce....




7. Major motion pictures - Amazing Grace (as above); The Nativity Story; Narnia: the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - excellent movies. A prolife movie: Bella. (I haven't seen them all yet but hear they are well worth seeing and supporting. Its amazing to see such clearly Christian messages get into cinema!)




8. Autonomic Response Testing video course; Metabolic Typing online/teleconference course (still in progress - tough but will be very helpful)




9. The Sea is Blue by Marie A. Lawson - not exactly inspirational but enjoyable light reading for a change (thanks Heidi)




10. Praying the Names of Jesus – book by Ann Spangler focuses on one name of Jesus per week and what it shows of His character and dealings with us.
    

And lots more but I’ll stop there!

Hope you all had a Happy, meaningful Christmas

and I wish you a Blessed New Year with the Lord!

November & December's Featured People

Happy Birthday to our dear Sharon who shows no signs of getting older! (Nov.3)

- And to baby William & James who were already posted on!

- and to Maurice on Dec.10 who is steadly getting wiser :)

- Also to Tante Marian and to Sarah (both Dec 30) - Sarah is already 6 and so excited about it- hopefully Betty will post


We also celebrated and grieved the Home-goings of Tante Aat Wybenga (Nov.25) - Mom's father's sister - after 97 years of faithfully sojourning on earth with many trials

(see last year's Dec post to see a picture)

and Tante Tena VanNoort, a dear lady in our church who was a distant relative of Mom's, on the evening of Dec.9. She lived a full (93), happy & healthy life of service until her last year during which she suffered greatly.

Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
in You do we trust, nor find You to fail.
Your mercies, how tender, how firm to the end,
our Maker, Defender,
Redeemer and Friend!

But praise the Lord, they both found Him faithful to the end and now He has removed all pain and wiped every tear from their eyes! I can only imagine the glory and joy they are both experiencing along with all the others gone before (Oma Christina Snel has had 25 years with our Lord now -Nov.4)

O worship the King all-glorious above,
O gratefully sing His power and His love;
Our shield and defender, the Ancient of Days,
Pavilioned in splendor and girded with praise.

This is the last time I visited her this year. We will miss her!

(I finally got Oct's special people posted so check back for that)

Christmas at C&M's more photos

Krista & Chris & kids were the only one's of the relatives who made it this year. Thanks for coming!
(Missed you, Marian & Evert, Tony&Theresa! Hope you are all doing better!)

Got to meet their little "manetje" (he's only 3 months but looks so wise/intelligent for his age! cute!)

Family

Bethany & Joanna posing at Maurice & Christine's (Christmas Dinner). What you can't see in this picture is the large crowd of spectators in a semi-circle around them, calling, clapping, trying to keep their attention and keep Joanna from escaping or playing with the Christmas tree ornaments. :) Precious times. Precious memories.



A couple family pictures taken on Christmas Day:



We thank God for our dear family, both immediate and extended. We have been so blessed to be able to see and spend time with our dear cousins, grandparents, aunts & uncles.

Christmas at M + C's

Thanks so much for hosting us one more time, Christine!

Fun in the Snow

Working together...