Under the Crabapple Blossoms

Thanks to Kelsey Anne for the photos below. Kelsey is a photographer in Jonathan's business network group. Jonathan did a little remodel work for her, and she took some photos for our family in exchange.  We chose an outdoor scene near a house Jonathan is remodeling.

Jonathan and Anna

                        Our three wonderful sons, gifts from God                                                          

                    Our four precious, beautiful daughters that God blessed us with.

                                       
                                                    
                                    Crystal, my sweet oldest daughter           

                                 Sammy--graduating from 8th grade this year

                           Our creative, very special Carrie

                                        Our prairie Rose

                                                
                                                   Our go-getter Timmy

            A not-so-familiar stance of Danny. His hands are almost always busy!

               Our windblown  baby Hannah--almost three!

                  Does crabapple have a sweet scent?

Blizzard in February

Below are some snaps we took of the snow that got dumped on us in the the last two days of Colorado blizzard.

Some drifts are several feet high. You can only see the tip top of Timmy's head over this one.

More drifts piled up by anything that was sitting in the yard.

Time to get the snowblower out. Jonathan ran it and then Sam learned how.

Danny shoveling the steps with a snow shovel.

Sammy and Carrie and Rose dug a big cave in this drift, with an entrance on each side.

 Timmy and Danny inside the cave

Entrance to the snow cave in the pasture..

Sammy snowblowing the drive.

Danny wanted to take a picture. So here am I near Jonathan's trailer loaded skyhigh with trash!

Timmy more than kneedeep in snow.

Danny likes to taste that crystal cold, white snow.

During the blizzard, Jonathan mixed up vinyl underlayment stuff...

And laid new vinyl in one bathroom.

When we all have to stay inside, I have to find things for children to do! Hannah is filling a gallon jar with buckwheat flour for pancakes. She loves to dip into the flour and pour it into the jar.

Unfortunately, several children got sick this week. Carrie was the first.

Hannah enjoying the new little goat.

Rose diligently practicing her piano lesson.If it looks like cardboard beside the piano, it is. Jonathan brought home big pieces of cardboard from his work, which the little ones were making houses out of. All they need is cardboard boxes and scraps of wood or vinyl and they will play happily!

Danny and Hannah watching while the children sledride outside.

Hannah salting popcorn for a snack.

I read recently about how a lady who was struggling with chronic anger immersed herself in the Psalms, keeping a journal and writing down everything she learned about God. Instead of focusing on what or who she was angry with, or on what was wrong with herself, she worked at focusing on God.  Within a few months, her life had turned around, (and consequently her relationships) because her concept of God had been so changed by finding the truth about Him in His Word. No longer was fear, resulting in anger,  keeping her life crippled. She knew that God cared for her, loved her, and was all things to her.

I guess so many extra stresses in my life lately, which seems to be one cause of the weakness that keeps flaring up, are making me turn to God extra. I decided to follow that lady's example, last week and this week. I am trying to focus on something from what I read in Scripture in my devotions that day, something about God. It has really helped me to focus on Him instead of on the thoughts that cause me so much agony.

The first day's focus was: God is my strength, my fortress, and my shield.  When those agonizing thoughts would come, I would remember, "God is my shield!" and the thoughts would stay at bay. Just as the castle Crystal and I went to last week is a strong shelter from the elements, so God is a shelter for us from the trials that want to bring us down.
   

The second day's focus was: God is enough. I read in Psalm 119 about turning from covetousness, and what does that teach us about God? He is enough! We don't have to covet or be jealous of the things other people have because God is enough. I am not usually tempted to be jealous of other people's things, but I am tempted to be envious of vacations, babysitting, and help for moms. Things like that. Especially when I have just talked to my husband about needing a vacation, and he decides to paint our house the next week! The long vacations you have just recently seen or heard your friends and relatives having are suddenly staring you in the face as well as the week of your house torn up being painted while you are minding seven children and making meals for twelve people--possibly without a stove. I am human, too, and I am not saying I don't need a vacation. I do! But when circumstances prevent it for the time being, God is enough.

Another day's focus, based on Revelation 21, was God is rich! How can we think we are poor if we have God, who is so rich, whose streets are gold? How can Danny be poor when he has a banana and is allowed to eat it on top of the entertainment center in the middle of the livingroom while we get ready to paint? It is all about attitude!

      
The third day's focus was: God is my sunshine! That was the day I had a mother-daughter time with Crystal at Glen Eyrie. Truly, it was a day of sunshine.

Today, I opened to Psalm 28, and God is my Rock stood out to me. Just like those mountain sheep above, which we saw at Glen Eyrie, are safe when they hide in the rocks behind and above them, so we have God as our refuge. I wrote a poem of praise to Him in response to the words of Scripture and thoughts I had about that.

       God is My Rock!

               by Anna

God is my Rock, a living stone,
Hearing my prayers before His throne.
Before all hope within me dies,
This Rock has ears; this rock has eyes!
This Rock supports my flailing soul,
When o'er my heart the high waves roll.
A fortress from the devil's darts,
Hiding the treasure of my heart.
Yet is this Rock alive and feels
The pain that makes my heart to reel.
A Rock that feels, one that can touch,
A living Rock--this is too much
To understand, and yet I know
Beyond a doubt, beyond my woe,
This living Rock, this living stone
Is God my Saviour, all my own!
Rock of my heart, I do, I must
Place upon You all my hope and trust!
            

Mother-Daughter Tea

Friday was such a beautiful day! I was surprised to wake up feeling much better than I expected, so decided this was the day to take Crystal for a special mother-daughter time. A young friend who has noticed how much of a help Crystal is suggested we do something like this, and gave me money toward it. After the busy week of painting, this was so very special. May God bless the person who made it possible.

Crystal wanted to go to tea at Glen Eyrie Castle, and we took the tour as well. The weather was sunny and warm for January!

Just after we parked, we spotted those mountain sheep up the road. Can you spot them?

A closer shot.

Couldn't resist getting this cute picture of five white hinies!

In front of the carriage house, with red rocks in the background.

More of the mountain sheep. It was so very special to get to see these. This is the third time I've been at Glen Eyrie, and it gets better every time! What a lovely place, dedicated to the Lord, and surely He blesses when honor goes to Him. 

The builder of the castle and founder of Colorado Springs, William Palmer, wanted this castle to be ivy-grown like the castles in Europe, but he didn't take into consideration the dry Colorado weather! So this is one of the few bits of ivy still existing!

This room with the wonderful stone fireplace used to be Palmer's den. A man in the tour group is holding up a mountain sheep ram's horn from the top of the fireplace.

The tea room.

Here is our little table set for tea for two!

Crystal loved the pretty quilted covers for the tea pots to keep them hot. There were fresh fruit, quiches, little cheeses with bits of apricot on top, heart-shaped crackers, and candies from Patsy's Candies, after the first serving of cinnamon and cranberry scones.

Out the window behind me was this scene. Can you spot the four mountain sheep on the mountainside? It was so special to get to watch those as we sipped tea!

Afterward, we did a little exploring around the castle, and discovered a robin singing!

Then we realized there was a whole flock! They gave us a serenade just for us! There were hundreds of robins, I felt sure, and it seemed like God sent them just for us, singing like crazy, till they flew off down the valley. It was so, so special and cheering. I have never seen such a large flock of robins that I can remember.

To top it off, just before we left, a flock of wild turkeys showed up across the way.

Crystal wanted a picture beside this buggy. Goodbye!