Fun Times & New Traditions

We love this new life.  We love the day to day, all the animals, all the works, all of it.  But we love it even more when we are able to share what we love with those we love.

 

 

Robert’s brother, Brian and his wife Lisa and our nephews and niece spent the day with us today.  We played, we crafted and we celebrated!!

We had so much fun watching the chickens and playing with them!!

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We had a bonfire too – with a few marshmallows, some chocolate and yes, graham crackers!!  Can you say – messy??

 

We celebrated Christmas together too – we have a yummy brunch (quiche, fruit salad, hashbrown casserole, apple cake and pop-overs!!)

After that we headed to the school room to make some cards.  The cards were part of our celebrating.  This year we decided to start a new tradition.  I love traditions, I especially love those that happen somewhat naturally, or make sense.  Both of our families are ministry minded and mission focused.  So it made sense that we would do something like this.

Instead of Lisa and I hunting around frazzled, shopping for more stuff – we decided this year to give away – give to someone else that has less than we do.  We involved the kids – we talked about what we wanted to do as a family and I think it was great!! 

The cards we made are for a group (or tribe) of people from Burma – they are living in Dallas right now with almost nothing.  The Karens people are religious refuges – they were under extreme persecution from the Muslim’s in their home-country.  So they are currently living in poor conditions in Dallas (poor = no furniture, little clothing, no jobs (or few), really POOR).  So Lisa’s getting involved with their school who is partnering with nearby churches to reach out and help these people.  So we made many cards for these people to be delivered with all the items they will also be receiving.  This was the ministry that they gave to for our Christmas present.

 

We chose to donate to a ministry Brian is starting up – to raise money for some children in West Dallas (also very poor) to have money for college some day.  They mentor 2 children from there and felt a tugging on their heart to do something long-term for them.

We also poured over the Gospel for Asia catalogs to pick out a couple sets of chickens and a couple sets of rabbits – to send to some of the poorest families of India.  Our children picked out what they wanted to get – and it was great to hear them talk it out and realize how a pair of chickens can mean life and death to someone.

It was so much fun to share these ministries with each other, and to bless others through all that we have been blessed with.  When it was all over, and they were on their way home, I realized no one asked, what about presents….  No one missed them.  They delighted in being together, having fun, playing, and even giving.  No one was thinking, “Hey – what am I getting?” – Loved that!!

 

Here are some more fun pics from today:

 

My country girl – I am starting to wonder if she was born out here – and I just missed it?  She loves it!

Here is my sweet niece with Aravis – our kitty.

 

 

And here she is doing one of my favorite things to watch – little ones – playing with our Little People nativity!!  Love to see this!!

 

 

We did enjoy our bonfire too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a great day – lots of fun.  It is such a blessing to share values with our family – and to really know what matters – and to try and make a difference in this world one celebration at a time!!