This morning we woke up to diamonds everywhere!

Against the backdrop of 1 1/2" of snow we got yesterday, it was beautiful!

It would have been a lot more enjoyable if we hadn't been so busy hauling water from the neighbors in every available container we had, then heating the water to wash and do dishes, however, we lucked out having to carry very many buckets of water from our stock tanks to flush toilets as we've been able to use the outhouse at the building site across the street. Let me tell you that seat is cold!! As you've probably guessed by now, 30 days of below freezing weather got to some of our pipes somewhere. We never could figure out where. We've been without water since Thursday morning in the middle of my shower, just after I got all soaped up!

The good news is that Grandad is here, and he and the boys are attempting to get our water back. Maybe, we'll finally get those coveted showers! Boy am I ever glad we don't live back in the days when this was a way of life. All you get done is take care of the basic necessities of life. And we're all exhausted! So much for all the cookie baking we had to do this week. It's just not near as much fun when you have to stop, go get water, heat it up, and then wash all your baking equipment. I'm holding out for water coming out of my faucet! Hopefully, we'll be able to catch up and get it all done anyway. Thank the Lord for running water!

Finally, this is all of us together!Last night when we got home from our final performance of our Christmas Production at church we posed for that little flashing red light on the camera. (You sure feel like an idiot smiling at nothing but a red light! Can't you tell?) The performance went great. There were even people in the audience! Quite a few in fact who had braved the snow & ice to get there. We were afraid it would only be the cast & crew that showed up. We got down and back up our hill with only a little slipping & sliding. Josiah insisted on driving and did a great job. Yes, in case you were wondering, that is make-up on Dennis! He was (get this) a postman delivering fruitcake for one of our choir songs! "Oh, no, not fruitcake! Anything but fruitcake!" He even wore an old fashioned pith helmet to complete the ensemble!

This picture is for Jesse and his family.

I'm sure our little female Seal Pointe will be loved dearly by his 4 children.

Talking about crowding to the front of the line!

This is the bread line at the FDR Memorial in Washington D.C.

Thank you Lord that you have blessed us with so much!

And especially thank you for a family who all love and serve you!

Merry Christmas and may you also be blessed as you seek the will of Jesus in your lives.

This photo-op at the FDR Memorial in Washington D.C. was Jeremiah's idea, and you know, I think Franklin Roosevelt would have approved. Both with their own special needs, but not wanting those needs to give them excuses or special privilege. Jeremiah is in his last year of Post High and is working a couple hours each day helping the janitor at Lyle School. They're hoping to get him into the Youth Transition Program by the end of this year, which will hopefully help him to find a suitable job for pay!

Since I finally sent out my Christmas cards today and since this blog is a replacement for the dreaded Christmas letter, I figured I better update a little about everyone in the family, not just the cats. Even though they are like my grandchildren... until I get the real thing! (Sorry Jessi & Drew!)

We'll start with Carissa since she's kind of gotten left out of things this past year. First she was going to school to be a "Nail Tech". Then she didn't get to go to Virginia with us because of needing to stay here to build up a clientele. She is working at "Hairs Inn" in Monmouth. She's a great artist and nails are a great pallet! You can check out her artwork by clicking on the link to her blog. The picture to the left was taken at the Summer Fest Auto Show in the Dallas City Park the end of July. Classic cars happen to be a passion with the whole family.
The picture on the right is from our visit 4th of July to Olympia and Black Lake Bible Camp and Uncle Tom & Aunt Sherri's to visit Josiah who has worked there the past two and a half summers. Carissa also worked there one summer. We took along Josiah's good homeschool buddy, Josh Schinn, as a surprise. You can tell he was very pleased!

I'm out of time for today. Got to go get dressed for dress rehearsal for the Christmas Production at our church. Maybe tomorrow I'll have time to tell you what Jeremiah's been up to!

" Life is so hard!

All I get done is eat and sleep!"
Actually they do a lot more than that! They especially love to "help" put the ribbons on the packages, and unwrap a few! But, like any babies they have their sweet moments too; falling asleep on your shoulder, kissing your face and ears, and just being so doggone cute & cuddly!

Hey, you guys move over!

Make room for me!

I even washed!!

Hey, Mom told me to wash up, ok?

By the way, what's for lunch?

"Not a creature was stirring,

not even a mouse."

I hope not since all the cats are sleeping!

"It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!"

Just "Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!"

Look what I found under the tree!!

Are they supposed to be here? I thought this was my territory!
Okay! Okay! They can stay, but only for a couple more weeks!

Actually, Bernard is right. Hopefully, all three little kittens will have new loving homes by

New Years. There are two Seal Pointe Snow Shoe males and one Seal Pointe female

with Mama, Sheba.

Almost done!!

It took Josiah 2 evenings & Saturday morning to get the 3000+ lights on this now 17' Grand Fir!(was 21' before we cut it off about 4 times to get it right!) It looks like from the pictures that Josiah and Bernard are the only ones who worked on the tree. But all 5 of us helped get every ornament we own on the tree. And in a record 6 hours Saturday afternoon (after Josiah finished the lights). We even had time for a Christmas movie, and of course the traditional Spritz Christmas Tree cookies and eggnog!
Can I help? Huh? Can I? Can I?
The finished product!

And for those of you who have been worrying about the hole in the ceiling,

it is all patched and painted, good as new!

All's well that ends well!