my FAITHful friend

Yesterday I had my girlfriend over. And while I knew it would be everything and more than I could have ever imagined... it was even better than that!

Chris is my kindred-spirit, Christ-loving, faithful friend... and I was about to hear her life story that would inspire me in ways that only God could have known I needed to hear.

After a delicious lunch that she insisted on bringing, we sat like this for 6 hours. I'm not even kidding you. Ok, so we occasionally ran to the bathroom because of all the lemonade we had consumed. And yes, I actually set the camera timer and ran back for this photo op, so I would remember, and never forget how this moment made me feel.

And just as Chris was leaving she showed me these vintage Valentine postcards she got on Etsy, that she will make into a banner to hang across her mantle. Seriously, some of these postcards are dated at the turn of the century, with one-cent stamps, along with the sweetest personal handwritten notes.

I was going wild with questions about how I could order some myself, when she whips out my very own set wrapped in pink ribbon. I cried again... and then hugged her.

These are the banners we're planning to make, by hanging our vintage postcards on ribbon or string with tiny clothes pins... so as to not compromise the integrity of these precious treasures. 

Oh and if that wasn't enough, Chris gives me this necklace. Oh my gosh.

This will now be my word for 2012 ~ Faith

And on the back of the necklace are the words ~ Courageous Attention

When I googled those three words I found this ~

James 3:2-3 tells us, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 

because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.” 

Through this Scripture, we know that God allows trials and tribulations in our lives to strengthen our faith and to develop perseverance. Think over the trials you have been through lately in your life. Consider the following reasons that God may be taking you through that trial and think about whether you are facing the trial courageously, strengthening your faith, and developing perseverance.

Faith trials draw our attention to Him. Sometimes worldly pursuits coerce us to drift away from Jesus. If we encounter a situation for which we have no solution, our focus comes back to Him as we begin to pray and look for a way out of the trial.

Faith trials teach endurance. We develop the stamina to bear up under heavy loads without discouragement because we trust that God will see us through. He increases our capacity by applying slight pressure. When we prove we can handle a little, He adds more, constantly working on our witness until we shine brightly for Him.

Faith trials train us for higher service. We must endure and keep our attention on Him so that we are prepared to work anywhere in His kingdom. God designs opportunities for every believer, shifting us to more responsible areas of service as we grow in faith.

Faith trials glorify God. The greatest praise we can give to our heavenly Father is to walk hopefully through a dark valley. It is then that we are a living example of His faithfulness and trustworthiness for everyone to see.

Wow, maybe trials aren't so bad :) And get this, we are studying James this semester in our Tuesday morning Bible Study at our church. We're using the Beth Moore video and study materials and I know God is going to use it powerfully in this season of my life... along with FAITHful friends that I let come along side me in my journey.

A Vietnam Welcome Home

The Vietnam War ended in 1975, the year I graduated from high school. But in all honesty, I knew very little about the timeline of that war. Oh I have memories of watching war footage played out on the nightly news and needing to know the nightly body count each night. But as a kid, it just seemed unreal, like watching scenes from The Bridge on the River Kwai. You see, up to that point, no war had ever been televised in realtime before.

So, the other night I watched Vietnam in HD, the six-hour miniseries on the History Channel. This documentary was the result of a nationwide search of home movies taken by soldiers during the Vietnam War. And seriously, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. In fact, my husband watched it in his office and I watched it in our bedroom, and often times we would meet halfway during commercials and just hug... for I knew how painful this was for him to watch. He had two brothers enlist in the Air Force during Vietnam and they saw more than we will ever know. And had the draft not ceased, Randy's number would have been called up next. This could have been his story.

So that got me thinking about another childhood memory... the year my Dad welcomed home two neighboring farm boys from active duty in Vietnam. The year was 1968, and as you will read from the article, my Dad just got the notion to welcome home two young soldiers, similar to what he saw on a hillside at Staten Island, New York when he returned home from World War II.

My Dad chose a slopping 20 acre field on his Dad's farm, and with his tractor and hay mower, he mowed out the words "Welcome Home Don & Larry". The letters were 50 feet high and a single mower swath wide. Please take a moment to read the story (click to enlarge) that was published alongside the aerial photo. I have yet to read it without bringing me to tears. My Dad is truly the most patriotic man I know.

Ok, so there's a funny story to go along with that memorable day. It seems my brothers Ron & Gary had gone along with Dad to their Grandpa's farm that day, and were playing on a nearby hill. Btw, Wisconsin is very hilly. My brother Gary said they began to see that Dad was mowing some sort of message... and from what they could tell at a slant from their hillside, it looked like Dad was sending them the message ~ Walk Home Ron & Gary. So they were going to walk home! How funny is that! But soon Dad had finished mowing the message, loaded the boys back in the tractor and drove them to another hill on the way home so he could show them what he had done. That is when they saw the entire message.

But we sure have laughed over the years imagining those boys wondering why in the heck their Dad would go to so much trouble just to tell them to walk home. ha!

Welcome 2012

Did you know that our fall in Phoenix is in December and January? Yup.

And this year was the first year that Emolyn really got into the whole playing in the leaves.

Her Uncle Tyler could hardly wait to rake up a big pile of leaves for the girls to jump in.

So a few days before Christmas, Emolyn came over and they did just that ~

they raked and raked and raked...

... and then Emolyn jumped in the leaves ~ and she jumped and jumped and jumped!

And then on Christmas Eve day, Elsie joined in on the fun.

Ok, so maybe she did more watching than joining in. But she had fun watching her sister.

Happy New Year to all my favorite blog readers!

So long 2011

Today we will take down the last of Christmas and prepare for a brand new year. I always look forward to a new year, but never more so than this year. I'll be honest, 2011 was a hard year. Lots of changes, uncertainty, loss and sadness. But this much I know... one day I will look back on 2011 and thank God that He allowed it all to happen. But for now, it's daily choosing to trust God, die to self, letting go, trust God, be thankful, forgive and oh yes, trust God. 

I no sooner than published this post when I find this powerful quote on facebook ~ wow!

The decisions you're making today will impact your tomorrows. The way you respond to the interruptions you're facing now will have a bearing on the direction your life takes next. A year from now, a decade from now, a generation from now, you'll know whether or not you've walked with God in a faithful, trusting manner or whether you've left yourself wide open to doubt and bitterness and all the biting regrets of picking and choosing your obedience options. -Priscilla Shirer

So before I go changing my blog banner, I thought I'd give you one more Christmas post ~ the girl's visit the day after Christmas. What a treat to have them both here while their Mamma & Daddy went to a movie. Emolyn immediately had me set up the Fairy House. And that's always followed by armloads of 'pretend' firewood so she can build a 'pretend' fire in the tent. I think she saw that on Pocahontas or something.

And then for the first time, Elsie played dress-up, and let's just say, she didn't like it so much. 

So they eventually settled on a tea party with Pop pop. They love their Pop pop.

Before I sign off I wanted to share something that you might not have thought about ~ the importance of scanning old negatives and slides. I've sort of become a rescuer of old negatives and over the years I have uncovered pictures that no one remembers ever seeing before. I am sure it has to do with only ordering one set of prints. And if they gave that picture to someone, then many never saw the original image. 

It's a lot of work scanning old negatives and slides (for my husband), but so rewarding to discover a treasured photo that no one has seen before. In a way, it's like the thrill-of-the-hunt at a yard sale or a thrift store, you never know when you're about to rescue a piece of history. Only negatives cost you nothing. Just your time.

So the next time you're at a family gathering, spread the word ~ don't throw out old negatives or slides! Or better yet ~ they can throw them your way. Happy scanning. 

And Happy New Year!

Christmas Day '11

Christmas morning at the Thompson's and waiting for Miranda & Tyler to wake up.

Hey, do you see that lighted barn & silo on the TV console? I found that in the basement of an old house in Appleton, WI this past October and hand-carried it on the airplane back to Phoenix. I paid $2.00 and I just adore it! But I just couldn't see putting it in my Church Village. So it has a place of its own. 

 

Check out the gifts my son Tyler gave me for Christmas (and rather nicely coordinated I might add) ~ oh my gosh, "A Camping Spree with Mr. Magee" is so awesome!! Randy & I read it this morning in front of the woodstove and we loved it. And the Lego Snowman gift card from Target was a complete surprise to me. I had no idea they were selling those or I would have bought one for myself, just to get the Lego Snowman! And the mint MnM's ~
well, I've about finished off that whole bag. Thanks Tyler!

I made the kids sit at Mimi's Cafe (that's what I can Emolyn's kitchen) 

and open their stockings. Could they be any cuter or what!

Later in the day we made our way over to Mamaw's in Surprise for dinner.

Along with the usual ham, raisin sauce & potatoes, she made pinto beans and fried okra.

Miranda's boyfriend Aaron was thrilled because he went to school in Georgia after college and loved the good 'ole southern cooking.

Then I asked Miranda & Aaron if I could do a little photo shoot of them outside

and they were more than willing. What a darling couple. Makes my heart so happy!

Christmas Eve '11

We had our family Christmas on Christmas Eve Day...

and it began with a yummy breakfast ~ tons of eggs, bacon and cinnamon rolls!

Our blue-eyed Elsie girl (1) is quite the character. I love how different her and her sister are. Makes me all the more excited to meet their little brothers in April. OH! Didn't I tell you? They found out last week that the twins are IDENTICAL BOYS!! I know!! Can you imagine a year from now?!

Two years ago we drove to Wisconsin on Christmas morning for my Dad's funeral.

We took so many beautiful winter pictures on that trip, that Randy had them put on a slideshow through his iPod onto our TV screen. 

We have them playing every day and I love it so much.

I bought these gloves for the girls through Groopdealz. 

Thank you Heidi for sharing this awesome sight with me!

We got Emolyn (3) her very own microphone and let me tell you, she knew immediately what to do. The girl can sing and perform like nobody's business! She has every Taylor Swift move down pat. She writes all her own songs and the words are pretty hysterical at times.

I could watch her sing all day.

 

We always have the usual spiral ham and raisin sauce (made using our first lemons of the season), potato casserole and Rhodes rolls. Love that meal.

Then we gather around the table and decorate Christmas cookies for dessert. I have the best gingerbread cut out cookie recipe that I've been using since I purchased my large yellow fix-n-mix bowl at a Tupperware party in the early 80's. Feels kind of strange to find out that something I purchased new back int the 80's is now considered vintage. Mmm...

Our dear friends Terry & Nancy came over and helped us decorate cookies too.

Nancy has quite the artistic flare for decorating. Thanks Nancy!

Then it was time for jammies so these two could snuggle down for a long winter's nap.

Cuz guess what girls? Tomorrow's Christmas!
I'm sharing my story here ~
Saturday Nite Special

reflective moments

A couple weeks ago when the whole family was gathered around the firepot in the backyard,

I began asking everyone to share about what's going on in their lives...

it was then that my 3 year old granddaughter Emolyn pipes up and says ~

"Mimi, how 'bout we relax and just look at the fire".

Well, on this day after Christmas, I'm reflecting on those hectic days leading up to Christmas...
and I'm wishing I had heeded my granddaughter's perceptive words...
taking those much-needed moments to relax in front of the woodstove... mindful of the sweet memories that I might be missing in the midst of all the chaos and distractions.

One of those sweet memories ~

spending the day with our dearest friend Ed. What a precious, loving, Godly man.

We had him sit at our dinner table over a bowl of split pea soup and tell us his life story ~ 80 years of success and sadness, joys and heartache, blessings and hope. 

We sat there in tears at times, especially as he retold the story of meeting his beloved wife Nancy over 50 years ago on a blind date... and of her painful passing 5 short years ago. Oh how he misses his dear Nancy.

Ed also came bearing gifts ~ his signature Beef Jerky is legendary among the men of our church! And this year he made 4 kinds of Beef Jerky ~ Cajan, teriyaki, chipotle mesquite and jalapeno! Randy could hardly wait to sample them as soon as Ed left... but had to humbly admit that the cajan proved almost a bit too much for him, and that's saying a lot!
Ed also had a gift for me ~ a vintage wooden Stanley level!! Oh my gosh, does he know me or what! I will cherish it forever and ever!

Our traditional Rice Night means gathering with friends, eating their traditional foods, sipping Tom & Jerry's ~ and the ultimate crowning moment ~ a bowl of Steve's Norwegian rice pudding topped with a pat of butter and a sprinkling of cinnamon. Omg, you have no idea... euphoric.

I could hardly wait for Grace's hotter-than-heck sausage, my swedish meatballs wrapped in Barb's uffda-awesome lefse... and Michelle's mouth-watering Beef Wellington. And that's just naming a few of the many succulent dishes.

our son Shawn, Randy and his brother Don

I'm also thankful for our traditional night of caroling at Mamaw's, my husband's precious Mom. Have I told you that I have the best mother-in-law and that I love her dearly, and feel so deeply blessed to know that she stands in the gap as a faithful prayer warrior on our behalf every. single. day? Well, she is and I do and she does... every single day. She is truly a faithful friend and a steadfast, Godly woman. 

Aww, my favorite two Emolyn's in the whole world! 

I about cried when I saw this picture of the two Emolyn's experiencing the powerful spirit of music. I think it was during Randy's rendition of "Oh Holy Night".

I am half German (my Mom's side) and I have never tasted stollen bread... till this past week.

One of the preschool Mom's gave Kathy and I each a loaf of stollen bread made by her husband who is a head baker here in Phoenix. I'm telling you, this stuff is amazing! Oh, did I mention it's soaked in brandy? And I just may have singlehandedly finished off the entire loaf, after sharing only a few slices with a few select family members.

I hope and pray you had a memorable Merry Christmas and that you will take the time to reflect on moments that may have gotten buried in the chaos of the season. It will warm your heart.

all is calm...

Nothing feels more like winter in Phoenix than rainy, dreary days. And we've had plenty of them this month. And I am very thankful.

So yesterday as the clouds had me convinced that snow flurries were on the way... I put on a pot of ham & split peas soup, set out a pan of Rhodes rolls to rise near the warm wood stove... and I hunkered down.

But, (she sighs) no snow flurries. Ok, so we rarely get them. But a girl can dream...

My husband and I enjoyed a delicious meal, and then we headed over to Scottsdale to check out a possible Christmas gift for our son, that we found on Craig's List.

And along the way we saw beautiful light displays that calmed my heart.

My heart has needed lots of calming these days, as our future seems so uncertain and I'm not handling it as well as I had hoped. I can easily lose hope and fear the worst.

My husband has been looking for work for over 8 months now, and it has triggered my unresolved issues that seem to rear their ugly heads when I'm faced with trusting God and others with me. Instead I choose to clutch and demand and isolate... and the truth of my identity in Christ goes flying out the window. I know that God is at work. I really do. But I fear the suffering that may go along with God's direction for my life.

An amazing young man recently posted this on facebook ~

"We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us, we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be." ~ C.S.Lewis

The young man that posted that quote is 17 and his Dad's memorial service was Monday.

My heart goes out to this young man and his 16 year old brother as they grieve the loss of their father... and choose daily to believe that God is trustworthy and all-knowing. God is using this wise-beyond-his-years young man to remind me to walk by faith and not by sight, and to rest in God's love for me. And to pray.

It's as simple as that. But the journey is not always easy. 

 On a lighter note ~ I love my Waechtersbach Christmas dishes.

And as you can see from the top pic, we use them daily throughout the month of December.

I wrote about them on this Dec. 2007 post ~

I love displaying my Waechtersbach Christmas dishes every year!! They are truly my pride and joy of all my Christmas collections!
Many, many years ago I found six 'irregular' plates at a Christmas liquidation store for $6.00 each. I never dreamed I would ever add to those six plates. But over the years I found 4 complete place settings at an antique store in Pine, Arizona for $25.00! That is like the cost of one single plate! And then I got several more place settings and the matching wine glasses from my cousin Shelly. She brought them back from Germany many years ago. Can you believe it! I am forever grateful.

And then a few years ago my sister Ginny surprised me with "The Star" baking dish!! She had found it for a song. (retails for over $40.00!) And that big serving bowl was a TJ Max find for $5.00! I occasionally still find the mugs at thrift stores, so I have lots of them.

Thanks for visiting my little blog. Means more to me than you could ever know.