Now That Christmas is Past.

The boxes are all packed for another year. The paper and ribbon and tape have all gone out to the cans at the road. The new year is looming closer and closer. My new calendars are waiting to replace the tired ones of 2017. I didn't know that in 2017 my life would change so radically. I know I say that every year. It was a good year I think. Some of the highlights were these.

Ron started a new job with a commute of of 100 miles each day. Not as bad as some people. It was a change for us. We are up every morning at 4:30. He is on call 24 hours a day. He had to learn how a 200 million dollar water plant works. He is still learning. We became members of a church. That was big. We had not attended a local body of believers in 20 years. We did home church when the kids were all at home. Now we are in a building. I am still going to my Bible Study which I still love, its all so different though.

Ben and Megan are going on their adventure in 2018. I spent a whole lot of 2017 trying to let go and be content with the way God is leading not only us, but each and everyone of our children and their families. Ryan and Kessie ended up relocating to Tucson so he could begin a new job. It has ended up being a huge blessing and I realized that my plans and hopes are not always the best idea so its better for God to be the one who directs their lives and I need to not only keep my mouth shut and my hands open, but to just mind my own business and get out of the way. That was a hard lesson. Still one I will learn the rest of my life.

I think William and Makenzie spent more time in airports and airplanes than they did on the ground in good ole Bakersfield. They did some amazing things this year. They even published a wonderful magazine. I still need to show you pictures of that.

Emilie and Nik are just as busy with Nik being the high school pastor at Church. They are both in full time service. It boggles my mind to see how they have grown as a couple and continue to love their jobs and the place they are at now.

The two young men I still have at home will be flying the coop soon. They both have lovely girl friends that I hope they will become my daughter in laws. Do you know that when the last two get married I will have six sons and six daughters? Isn't that incredible? Hopefully, more grand babies too. Wink, wink. So my plate is full, my blessings overflowing in my lap. I end 2017 feeling so thankful and grateful so in awe of the life Ron and I began in 1980. Ron had a quote for me this morning. "Easy choices: Hard life. Hard choices: Easy life."  As I think about our choices, nothing is easy. But its all been worth it. Every Single One.

Ron was telling me about how he read that people's failings changed their lives the most. I sat there pierced through my soul as he said that. I started crying and I have still never told him why. It was because of the biggest failure of my life. One of the darkest days of my whole life. One that haunts me and dogs my steps every single day. As he said that, I realized, if not for that huge failure, none of my life would be possible today. Not anything. I realized for the first time. My failure was the first step in changing my life for the good. Brokenness became for me the crumbs God could change into something for good.

I think this will be my last post for 2017. It has been a good year. I will still be walking each day and every hour. That has brought the biggest personal change to my life. I will have to give you a final total next week. But it has showed me that a single goal every day can change my life in big ways by the end of the year.
Thank you for staying with me this year. You have been a blessing to my life. I never dreamed I could make such wonderful friends that live in this great world of ours.
I wish you the best 2018

Happy New Year!
Welcome 2018

~Kim~

Not here ever!

  This my song though endless ages,
Jesus led me all the way.
And again they said, Hallelujah!
(Rev. 19:3
He leads us on by paths we did not know;
Upward He leads us, through our steps be slow,
Though oft we faint and falter on the way,
Through storms and darkness oft obscure the day;
Yet when the clouds are gone,
We know He leads us on.

Today's Projects

We have a hard freeze in the forecast so this will be gone by the end of the week.  Finally it will be winter. Snow in the mountains. Maybe some rain. How are you this last week before Christmas? Is everything clicking along. We wrapped our final presents this weekend. I am making jam today.

These berries smell like sunshine. They smell wonderful. I really need some more bare root boysenberries this winter. It will be so nice to have these turn into jam.

I wanted to show you some of my other projects. I hope to finish by the end of December but you know how that goes.

First. This project. Hopefully I have photographed it so you can see the blood.

I bought this lovely pattern from Rose. She has this lovely website called Three Sheep Studio. I admire her work and she had this cute pattern. I thought since I have wanted to get back into punch needle again, I purchased it. She has lovely patterns as well with lovely directions. I am on the other hand a mess. I have stabbed myself repeatedly. That punch needle is sharp. There are somedays, I can't work on it because I have so many holes in my limbs occasionally I even hit my leg. Or I loose the needle threader. Its a good thing I have so many. I had lost my I pod this morning and I pulled my cushion off of my sewing chair, and yes, my I pod was down in the side of the chair as were scissors, needles, needle threaders, pens, and worms from rug hooking projects. I stopped because I was afraid of finding more lost needles. I have continued to work on it and I hope to finish it up.
This is what Rose's Santa looks like.

Its very cute isn't it?

Now my next project is a wool project. Do you know, I never thought freezer paper would work. In fact, I would scorn it well I finally decided I would buy freezer paper to cut out wool. It has changed my life. Gosh, I might even become a quilter again. But here is my latest wool project.

Just Be Claus by Bird brain design

This is fun too. I really do like wool.

I wanted to show you a picture of His Eye is on The Sparrow. I have been working on this and I am pretty happy with my progress for 2017.

Its getting so big, its really hard to find a way to take a picture of it. I have finally got into this wonderful pace with it. I feel like doing a project has really helped me with my cross stitching. I love it so much. Mistakes and all.

I had to get a new phone. Now I am learning how to use this camera. Windows has told me that it won't use my little Cannon point and shoot camera any more.

Its a beautiful cold crisp day today. I need to get to my jam making. I might need to make some bread too so the jam can be put on fresh bread. Just pleasant days.

Have a lovely day,
~Kim~

That kitty was watching me walk. 

“Why does anybody tell a story? It does indeed have something to do with faith. Faith that the universe has meaning, that our little human lives are not irrelevant, that what we choose or say or do matters, matters cosmically.” Madeline L'Engle

December is racing by again

I walked this morning, The trees in the pasture are turning into gold. I thought as I walked that gold now litters my path. Just a week or so and all of the trees will be free of the leaves and then they will sleep.
Some years, I love seeing the reds and golds. This year it has been the orange and the browns. I just can't keep my eyes off of them. Well, except now as the cottonwoods are shimmering and the gold is falling, I just have to be out there.

Are you ready for Christmas? I went to the post office and got the packages to Arizona mailed. I wrapped and put things under the tree yesterday. My next thing is to bake, make mustard and make jam. Very pleasant tasks are ahead of me. You know, I have never considered myself a foodie. I am finding out though, I might just have a thing about cooking and reading recipes and baking. I don't take very good pictures of food that is why I never post pictures of this stuff I make in the kitchen. Last week, I sent a couple of huge pans of cinnamon rolls with Ron to his work. They turned out prettier than any I have ever made before. Did I remember to take a picture? No, not until they were gone.

I have been on a Michael Card kick. I haven't listened to him in years. His music about Christmas is really good to me and I just listen to it over and over. I had to dig though old boxes where I have put my CDs. I had to buy some but now my I Pod is full of music. It makes me really want to walk and walk. I guess I am at that place I was when I was young and watching the kids grow up so much faster than I was ready for and I knew I could only focus my eyes on God and His plan, not mine.
In a way I am there again, I know the last two boys will be leaving for their own homes and families.  I see the signs. Ben and Megan will be leaving in 2018 for their adventure in finding a place of their dreams. Changes all around. I find that I had closed my hands and tried to hold them again. Now, its time to open my hands and let the changes come. So as in the times past, I must rely on God to get me through.

Its all good, but it is always a challenge to give up my will and say, Not my will Lord but thine. Blessings always come in sweet packages.

 Ron and I were in Target and we were waiting behind a little girl in a basket with her Mommy. She stared at me a bit to see if I was safe. Then she told me to see the ribbon that was on the ceiling. I hadn't of course noticed it. I told her so. Then she showed me that she didn't have shoes on, and that her feet were cold. Her Mommy said, it was because her tiny little boots kept falling off. Then as she sat, she stared intently at me and out of the blue she said, " Don't be sad." I was standing there fighting tears, because I missed my grand children and knowing that this Christmas will be the last with Ben's kids. Kessie's are already gone and happily living in Arizona. Well, I almost lost it and I had to turn my attention to my own purchases. I watched as her Mommy put on her tiny socks as they were going out in the cold. She looked at me once more and waved, and said, "Bye, bye. don't be sad anymore."  She couldn't have been three. I thought, that Mommy spends all of her time with that little girl. We were  in our car driving away, and she even waved at me as we left the parking lot.

I am truly blessed and I am very proud that all of these young adults They have done what We trained them to do. To follow God and nothing else. To do what He calls them to be and the direction He continues to take them in life.

These two were in Israel. Life has been so busy that I still haven't got to hear about their trip. Isn't that sad?
I can't figure out how to show you the picture of William getting baptized in the Jordan river with Makenzie by his side. So really, all that God has done in my life, really does take away my breath. I just need to remember to keep my hands open and Let God be God because His plans are always best.

So here is a long post, I have been thinking about it but not knowing how to go about it.

Here is my latest sign, pretty much how I plan on living my life in 2018.

I hope your day is filled with a miracle. Blessings from my heart to yours.

~Kim~

A sign shall be given
A virgin will conceive
A human baby bearing
Undiminished deity
The glory of the nations
A light for all to see
That hope for all who will embrace
His warm reality
Immanuel
Our God is with us
And if God is with us
Who could stand against us
Our God is with us
Immanuel
For all those who live in the shadow of death
A glorious light has dawned
For all those who stumble in the darkness
Behold your light has come

Michael Card---Immanuel, Joy in the Journey, 1994