Christmas Tree from the Mountains

Two Saturdays ago, our family headed to the mountains to find a real Christmas tree.
Jonathan had purchased a tree tag a few days earlier. 

There were so many other people up there for the same reason, too! But we managed to find a spot back away from most everybody to hunt for our tree.
As you can see, we had our work cut out for us to find a tree the right size, with a trunk less than 6 inches in diameter, and one that didn't look too funny!

For me, it was a chance to have a fabulous family time out in God's creation, a time to hike and get fresh air and enjoy trees!
It was so beautiful that morning, just before snow came in.
Jonathan took this surprise photo of me rambling through this aspen grove, nearly knee-deep in snow some places.
I can't remember hugging any tree, but either I did in sheer bliss with the beauty--or maybe I was trying to just keep my balance!

We hiked through woods and valleys, through deep snow and through bare hill sides where the sun had melted the snow.

Carrie led us quite a ways to this tree below, which was perfectly beautiful, but whose trunk was a couple inches too big in diameter for the allowed size to cut.
How would we ever have lugged that tree out of there?

From there, we went on down a path we discovered through the valley.

And I found another tree.
It was very tall and very slender, but the trunk was just the right size, and we'd get to keep the extra length of log for a project Timmy wanted--maybe a hitching post.

Jonathan started the chopping. He had wanted to bring a cordless saw, but the children insisted on doing the job the old fashioned way!
Only an axe!

All the older children took a turn.

I stood there enjoying the beautiful carpet of brown aspen leaves.
Drank in the beauty of the woods.

The tree finally went down!

Then came the trimming part, and cutting it into two pieces so we could manage to drag it back to the truck.
It was too long and heavy to manage otherwise.

We weren't even sure where the truck was after all that hiking around in circles--or how to get back!
We had hiked all over the place and some of us had virtually no idea where we were--except Jonathan, who has a nose for direction.

He thought we should go back by way of a certain direction, and amazingly, within a few hundred feet, he found a path that would take us to the truck.

But it was a good long way up the hill even from there, and this tree was quite heavy, even minus the bottom ten feet, which we hauled up little by little as well.
Carrie and Timmy worked at hauling it up to the path/lane that Jonathan and the younger children had discovered.

I carried the axe and some branches of greenery and helped some with the tree.

Pretty soon  we were winded.

We had to keep taking breaks to catch our breath.

Also we were getting hungry! We should have taken lunch, rather than just a few snacks. This was taking a lot longer than we'd expected.
Jonathan came back down with a strap, and this is how four of us hauled the tree the rest of the way.

We carried the tree to decorate our home for Christmas.
We went to a lot of bother for this.
An artificial one would actually have looked better and been easier to get--simply to bring it down out of the attic.
But--this is about family time and getting out in the mountains,
and finding something real and having a wonderful time.

Christ went to a good deal of bother to come down from heaven on that first Christmas--and it had less to do with the Tree He died on--
as essential as it was to fulfill prophecy--and so much more to do with having a wonderful time with family.
He could have chosen an easier way--like to just dump us all and destroy all the sinners and make a new earth. 
But all His life, He was going through the woods and the fields and the hills--
looking toward a certain tree.
A real one.
A heavy one that He was going to haul
and then hang on.

 All His life He was looking forward--solemnly and obediently--to that Tree-

anticipating that final act of redemption.

It was a heavy tree, and one that He, in His humanity, could not carry alone.

Someone--Simon of Cyrene--had to help Him

(so don't be too distressed if someone has to come to your side this Christmas season to help you with a burden too heavy for you to bear, or with some heavy cross that you must carry). 

But He hung there alone--to pay the price for sin for you and me.

For the joy of family time, and of a real tree set up in our living room with simple country ornaments, we went to the trouble to go to the mountains and spend the day hunting and hauling.

And for the joy set before Christ, the joy of the redemption of the human race, and of being seated in heaven in victory over sin, death and the devil, Christ carried and endured the cross.

It wasn't so much about the Tree, or the Cross, as about Family.

He wanted to bring us into the family of God so we could have a beautiful, wonderful time in heaven with Him.  

Jesus, in this Christmas season, in the middle of our joys and blessings,

in the middle of our heavy loads, our burdens and cares,

we pause to thank You for coming that first Christmas!

Thank You for carrying that tree to Calvary for me!

What I Want for Christmas Can't Be Bought

This is the table that was set up at the family reunion for a fun family auction.

Different ones contributed all sorts of little things that were to be auctioned off, with the proceeds going toward a project.

There was everything from dishtowels to books to yarn to crochet hooks to shoes, home-canned jam or salsa, Christmas items, notebook, quilt strips, shoes, etc.

 Our Hannah had knitted these sets of dish cloths with matching scrubbies--and I couldn't help noticing how the prices were bid up nicely for these--just because a little girl had made them by hand and four different moms happily paid up for them.
I was proud of the way my family valued a little girl's hours of loving labor to make something beautiful and useful all at once.

 One person, we won't say names, kindly bid on anything that wouldn't sell,
to make sure it sold for something and the auction could keep going. He also gave some of the rest of us a run for our money! There was a lot of banter and fun and laughter--especially when Fain was the auctioneer with a corny remark for everything that he was trying to auction off!

 

"I think as you grow older your Christmas list gets shorter, because the things you want can't be bought."
That was a quote I saw on Facebook recently.

Gifts and things are nice, but what can't be gotten for money are what we value most of all. 

Family.

Love.

Forgiveness.

Laughter.

A merry heart.
 Kindness.
 Sharing.
Joy.
The ability to laugh at oneself when others tease or play tricks on you.
A grateful heart.
Appreciation.
Valuing one another.
One way my mom requested we value each other was to stay off any screens while together there for those couple days. It was a blessing to have family willing to cooperate. Everyone helped with the work, and everyone helped with the play!

 AND, of course, everyone helped with the eating!!!
It is always kind of hard to get the food line started because no one really wants to act like they want to be the first one. So Craig, my brother-law,  and I tried to help organize fun ways to start the food line.
Once we asked trivia questions about family history (like what year was the first set of bells gotten, and who was the landlord at a certain place and what was the second name of a certain cousin who was not present) and whoever answered first got to take their turn in the line plus choose a second person to go with them. Otherwise we'd have to wade through 50 different questions!

Another time, everyone with January birthdays were asked to go first, and then ones with February birthdays and so on. This helped things move along, while giving different ones a turn to go sooner rather than later.
**********
We had set up a table with little "sunshine basket" gifts for Mom and Dad.There were jars of homecanned jam or jelly or salsa or pickled beets or applesauce or honey.
There was a bird feeder built by Samuel Morley the week before while he was at our house, and a bag of used cards for my mom to go through to make again into her own delightful homemade greeting cards. She still sends out probably hundreds of cards and letters a year to friends and family.
I decorated this table with another of Carrie's strings of lit up autumn leaves.

We let Mom and Dad open a few of their gifts right away. Elon and Anita had brought Dad a much needed new, warm jacket, and for Mom there was a pillow that said, "Grandmothers give the biggest hugs!" And there were two sets of brand new flannel sheets.  I think my parents were quite overwhelmed with those brand new sets of flannel sheets. (Thanks, Gabriel and Elizabeth for your generous thoughtfulness with those!)
The other gifts were left for Mom and Dad to open one or two a day after everyone was gone back home.

After the auction, Fain had brought the most hilarious book I ever heard, The Wonky Donkey. He said Mom would have to read it to the little ones.
Well, Mom had never heard of this book, but Fain had all the little ones gather around Mom so she could read them the story.
Well, as you can see, more than the little children gathered round!

That simple, funny little story was a winner!
Definitely a highlight of the reunion.
"A merry heart doeth good like a medicine."

Candace got a whole bunch of us, (even Chris Jackman and me of the adults) to play Fishbowl.

Thanksgiving Evening at Reunion--To Be a Pilgrim

My sister Joella had suggested that on Thanksgiving evening all the school age children have a presentation about the First Thanksgiving, which came under the title, "To Be a Pilgrim." Each child shared a little bit of history about his choice of character in the First Thanksgiving story. I had lost my camera along the way somewhere, and only have a few pictures of that most interesting evening. Candace and the other girls made cute white paper Pilgrim caps and capes for the girls, and the boys had various costumes.

Here the boys are getting ready. One was Governor Bradford. Gabey was naughty Francis Billington.  Jonathan Bradford, wearing a coonskin, was the son of Samoset. Danny Morley and Jonathan Bradford were all Indians. My Danny was an Indian brave who chased the turkey for the Thanksgiving feast. (see Jonathan in the feedsack turkey costume below)

Rose represented Rose Standish, who perished from falling into icy water from the Mayflower ship in January of that awful first year in America. Charity Bradford had quite a little history about Priscilla Alden. I was amazed at how much work the other families had put into this lovely presentation.

Then the younsters sang patriotic songs together, "Land of the pilgrim's pride..." and "O beautiful for pilgrim feet...."

Kezia's girls quoted the 100th Psalm. 

My mom and Dad sang a cute little song, "Side by Side."

Then different family groups shared a song or two each. Gabriel's family sang a beautiful rendition based on Psalm 100.

Elon and Fain's family sang a new song they had learned.

Elon led in singing a couple familiar Thanksgiving hymns, and Fain slipped up to try to play Dad's bass fiddle. 

He did a great job!

Strangers and pilgrims we are on this earth. 

Flawed and faulted, not one of us worthy of others looking unto for their salvation.

Ceasing to look to ourselves or to others,

we pilgrims follow the only Perfect Leader, Shepherd, King and Priest. 

And as we journey, we sing.

And the songs we sing have such a way of lifting our spirits,

and lifting our sights above this world of sin and pain 

to Christ, and the City to which we travel.

Thanksgiving Day at Family Reunion

This year most of my family (50 of us) were able to get together for a family reunion in Missouri near my Mom and Dad.
Coming from a thousand miles either direction, most of us arrived within minutes of each other! It was so hilarious! Our crew actually caught up with Elon's big van in which our dear daughter from Penn View was also riding.
It seemed there was no end of hugs going around no matter how blear-eyed some of us were from many long hours of travel. 


It seems that some of the pictures I put on this blog did not come through well, but hopefully these ones will be okay.
Thanksgiving morning Carrie had asked to be in charge of breakfast, and she made a huge batch of cinnamon rolls at the cafeteria while Fain and Susanna made scrambled eggs and sausage.

Each family contributed a tablecloth and centerpieces and/or decor. 

I couldn't help getting a little picture outside this window where the plaque says, "Count Your Blessings."
Outside my mother is hugging her youngest son-in-law upon the arrival of Kezia's family.
My mom has always treated her sons-in-law and daughters-in-law as special blessings.
I have rarely heard a critical word from her lips about any of the in-laws.
This is one of my blessings--having a mother who loves and accepts her in-laws.

We thanked God over and over for the BEAUTIFUL sunny, warm day! The children could play outside most of the daylight hours.

Across from the cafeteria was this lovely stone chapel that was available for our use, and which we made good use of in the evening

A big volleyball game going on.

Girl cousins.

Mom and Dad's second great-grandbaby took center of attention. Nearly everybody had to take a turn holding her, and she did great!

This is Jed (Elon's son) and Rosalie's baby.

Here Joella's Laura is holding her while Kezia's little Josiah is checking his new cousin out. 

Kezia and Joella check food at the stove.

The girls slice pies and pumpkin rolls and other desserts that are beginning to arrive.You can see Carrie's autumn "tree" with twinkly lights behind the fall leaves. She ordered those lights from Amazon to decorate her room, and they were a big hit with us ladies and girls.

Littlest cousins Aaron and Josiah have to share a toy.

It was good to hear the rich singing of many voices in four part harmony singing the meal blessing before Thanksgiving meal.

There was turkey, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, sweet potato casserole, salads and desserts.

We were so thankful for lots of room.

In the afternoon, we ladies took a long walk around the campground, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air, and watching the youngsters playing games. Then we got together and made these Thanksgiving turkey fruit kabobs that Regina had seen on Pinterest.

They turned out soo cute!

More pictures coming!

"Instead Let There Be Thanksgiving!"

 "Instead let there be thanksgiving." Eph. 5:4
It was either Danny or Hannah who asked the question a few days ago as Black Friday shopping was being discussed. Should the boys go to Bass Pro after Thanksgiving in Missouri or not? Would it be worth the long trip, the waits in line, etc?
And then my littlest child asked, "Why do people go shopping right away for more stuff the day after we are supposed to be thankful for what we have?"

Good question! Leave it to the little ones to come up with something like that!
"Instead, let there be thanksgiving."
Instead of covetousness.

Instead of filthiness.

Instead of sexual immorality and impurity.

Instead of foolish talk and crude joking which are out of place for the saints.

Instead let there be thanksgiving.

This is not original with me.

It is from Ephesians 5, and regardless what version you are using, you find that thanksgiving is the antidote to a great many bad things.

It's hard not to covet when you go into Walmart, or Hobby Lobby, or gift shops loaded with all sorts of wonderful things the advertisers and realtors want you to buy.
I really have a hard time at Hobby Lobby, my favorite store. I go in to buy Thanksgiving plates for the reunion, and there are so many delightful, glorious, beautiful, rustic, country, simple, pretty, adorable, oh-I just-love-that kind of things.
Instead, let there be thanksgiving.
Look at all the things I don't need to buy!

It may at times be hard to be content with your own first husband or wife--when you look around and see better, nicer, better-looking, kinder, more understanding, more spiritual, (or less super-spiritual) ones, ones who lead better (or are less controlling), and you are grumpy (or just plain absent and neglectful and silent) about the one you have.
Instead  let there be thanksgiving.
It may be hard to be content with kindness, good humor, leveling, caring, trying to understand the other person instead of dwelling on the shallow and foolish and even crude.

It's hard to speak thankful words when your tendency (in order to protect your fragile self) is to be foolish and silly and brash and brazen and negative and cynical.

But--

instead!

Instead, let us give thanks!

Here is a great article along this line.

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/fill-your-wandering-heart-with-thankfulness

"No trouble is too tangled for God to untie. No path is too twisted for him to straighten. No heart is too shattered for him to gather up and put back together." Scott Hubbard

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/god-is-bigger-than-your-problems

Rosie Loses Her Wallet and Drivers' Permit

Last evening, Rose discovered she was missing her wallet, which contained her driver's permit, a fishing license and some money.

She needed the driver's permit to help drive on the trip to the family reunion in Missouri for Thanksgiving!

The last she remembered having it was when she put it in her jacket pocket on Sunday afternoon when several of the older children and cousin Samuel went walking and exploring on the prairie at Turkey Track Ranch, an area of State Trust Land about half an hour away.

After looking all through the car they had driven and in all coat pockets, she determined that it must have fallen out somewhere in those thousands of acres of prairie.

Danny had been with her and the boys, and he thought he could help me figure out where they had walked.

Danny and Hannah and I set out this morning, hoping to find that wallet with permit and money. 

We even took one dog along, hoping she might nose it out somewhere along the path.

 I could envision finding it along the trail and calling Rose elatedly. 

"We found it! No need to gather info and fill out paper work and stand in line at the DMV office.

Found your money, too!"

But no such thing happened.

Danny said they had set out away from the trail through the prairie toward some cattle watering troughs, and he had no idea exactly where they had gone. We did find a gully they had run down, and a truck path later on that he recognized.

It wasn't long before I realized this search was probably going to be futile. But we kept going till we got to the watering tank and the corrals. We checked all along the fence, all around the trough and well and muddy area. 

Something valuable had been lost but we were completely unable to find it.

 Finally I said we were just going to go on out the truck tracks to the road we could see in the distance.

The faraway distance--probably at least a mile or mile and a half.

Then it would be another mile or two back to the car.

We were tired of the prickers and sharp weed seeds that kept getting stuck in our socks and shoes, so we were going to stay on the path this time.

Somewhere out there was something valuable that had been lost, but we simply couldn't retrieve it.

As we headed toward the faraway road, we could finally lift our eyes from looking downward, hoping to find the lost wallet. 

Finally we were able to look up at the sunny sky and the singing birds and the prairie dogs in the distance,

I couldn't help thinking about how we all have a story of something we've lost.

Something valuable.

A happy childhood. 

Innocence.

 Years spent wandering in some wilderness.

Years spent in rebellion.

Years spent in spiritual anguish.

Virginity.

Important relationships.

A marriage.

A good reputation.

Friends.

Financial security.

The list could go on. 

Maybe we even go to the trouble to try to find it again, to see if God will restore the years the locusts have eaten. 

We may think we see it somewhere up ahead as we scramble along...that shining item up there ahead of us--

only to find it is an empty bullet shell.

There are a lot of things that we simply can't find again.

They won't return to us.

Somewhere out in the wilderness of our past they lie hidden and buried and lost and gone forever.

But that doesn't mean we have to walk around in circles forever, 

wandering through prickly grass and dry sagebrush and cacti where despair and anger and bitterness and silence hang on with prickly clutches.

There comes a time when you have to let go of your fond hope of finding what you've lost,

you have to purposely reject some of the memories that haunt you,

and you must just resolutely start trudging down the plain path set before you.

There is work to be done, places to go, and people to be with and love. 

There is a plain path to walk in,

and a way home to heaven.

It may be narrow, and it may be long, but you can lift your eyes to behold your destination rather than the dirt at your feet.

You can look up and watch one prairie bird after another take wing and soar above you singing their November song. 

You leave behind the little black wallet with the driver's permit and the fishing license and the one hundred dollars.

It was valuable, but you have to leave it behind in some unknown place and go on.

"This one thing I do," the apostle Paul wrote. "Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." 

-Phillippians 3:13

"You will find that it is necessary to let things go, simply for the reason that they are heavy."

--quote I copied in my journal

Shelling Indian Corn--and How a Seed Corn Produced Much Fruit

It's amazing what the children will come up with!

 Rose and Timmy raised a little crop of Indian corn, and now they are shelling the kernels and grinding them and...

 turning that Indian corn into delicious cornmeal muffins to eat alongside chili on a cold day like yesterday!

"Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit."
Rose planted Indian corn this year, and the plants brought forth much fruit.
But the seed corn had to die first.

Sometimes death is death.

Sometimes death is a living sacrifice.

We die daily.

Don't think that you aren't being a martyr just because you aren't being beaten to death

or shot or hung or burned at the stake like some of our brothers and sisters in Christ have been.

If you are presenting yourself a living sacrifice,

if you have forsaken all to follow Christ,

if your own desires and ambitions and plans are on the ash heap

and Christ is your all in all, 

then you are as dead as William Tyndale and John Huss and Lady Jane Grey.

When you look for God's smile of approval before you look for the smile of anyone else,

you might lose some smiles and gain some cold shoulders,

but down the road there will be fruit.

Here is a link to a sweet little devotional by one of my favorite bloggers because she is down to earth.

https://christyfitzwater.com/a-pre-holiday-meditation/