Chuck Colson Quote

Chuck Colson died this past Saturday, April 21st.  I have been a subscriber to his daily email for quite some time and today one came out about the legacy of Mr. Colson.  I thought this quote from his Christian political book, Kingdoms in Conflict, was good.

"Christians are to do their duty as best they can . . . success is not the criteria. Faithfulness is. For in the end, Christians have the assurance that even the most difficult political situations are in the hands of a sovereign God."

Lenten Roses

Bonnie Shuping game me these lenten roses from her yard a few years back and they have grown each year. They are looking great this year but unfortunately are behind my shed where they could get full shade, so I don't see them much. They actually bloom for quite awhile as these pictures were taken at the beginning of March and I just saw them yesterday, April 14th, and they still look beautiful. I guess I should plant some more another place in my yard where I would see them more often!

Shed Addition

We were able to have an addition built on to our shed this winter. It has added much needed space for Mark to put his tools and have a small workshop, especially since we don't have a garage. It has already been a big blessing!

Gabriel's In Heaven

Gabriel Montgomery Stephens went to be with his Lord and Savior on Saturday, February 4th. Below are just a few pictures that I took during the visitation and at the gravesite a couple days after the funeral. "May he rest in peace" sounds so empty when you see it on television because the world doesn't understand the reality of it. To live in perfect, uninterrupted peace is beyond comprehension but that is what Gabriel is experiencing right now, along with many, many other capabilities that he did not possess in this broken world. We all, along with his parent's Glen and Emily, look forward to seeing him run and jump someday soon!

First Shots with My iPhone

Mostly of the puppies of course! I got the iPhone the day after my birthday in January. Our first stop after purchasing it was to eat supper at Panera Bread, as you can see from the first two pics. Definitely enjoying the phone and all of its versatility!

A Joyful Christmas 2011

This was a wonderful Christmas just because of the fact that it was the first time my dad and mom were at our house for Christmas. It was definitely a joyful season!




Dad had the honor of grilling the steaks and lobster. Probably a little warmer down in the South rather than up grilling them in Minnesota!


Everything turned out delicious! We had steak, lobster, asparagus, twice baked potatoes and Mom's homemade rolls (that I successfully made:-)). The dogs were wishing they had a seat at the table!



Then came the opening of the gifts. Major and Molly were both excited about their new toys. They go crazy when they get new toys actually which always makes us laugh.




After opening gifts we watched "White Christmas," with Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye. Not a lot to do on a Christmas evening when you don't have any little children running around so you have to find other ways to entertain yourself. Of course, TV is always the fallback!


Then came Christmas morning and the opening of stockings. Once again, the puppies were anxiously awaiting their gifts. This time it was some yummy treats!




Dad and Mom had special stockings waiting for them that were filled with goodies - but of the human variety since we didn't think they would appreciate any dog treats!




Merry Christmas 2011! Hope yours was special too!