Happy Birthday Alyssa!

Alyssa celebrated 10 years


of life on February 21, 2010.


We celebrated at Happy Joes


where kids can play games,


earn tickets and get prizes!

Alyssa is trying to blow out

all 10 of those candles in

her very cool

D Q  Ice Cream Cake!

Here she is with her sibs.

Lindsey, Carly, Eddy and Nolan.

Alyssa likes softball...

just like her mom!

She has a gentle

way of putting babies

to sleep.  Selah can often 

be found sound asleep

in Alyssa's arms.

(She's like her dad in this way!)

Here she is holding

Amy Bahtiraj and Selah.

Both Lindsey and Alyssa

have  been crocheting

and knitting....

girls after gramma's own heart!

I pray, Alyssa, that you will

always have a desire to

love, obey, honor and serve,

WITH JOY,

the One who paid for your sins!

I love you .....

A Double Celebration

This year we celebrated
Lindsey  and  Lydia 's 
Birthdays
Together.

 

Lydia turned 5

on February 8, 2012.

She had a 

 BEAUTIFUL  FLOWER  CAKE !

Lydia is often so full of 

hugs and love

that it just comes bubbling 

out of her!

She loves playing dress up, 


playing games

and all things "girly".

She loves, loves, loves

to color and often colors me

some beautiful pages!


I pray that this is the year


                                                                   that Lydia trusts .... 


            "He who did not spare His own Son,


but gave Him up for us all ...."


Romans 8:32


I love you Lydia, with all my heart ! !

Lindsey turned 12 on Feburary 6, 2012.

I remember very clearly the day she was born.  


I became a gramma 


for the very first time!

Lindsey has the distinction 


of being the oldest of all our grandchildren.

Here are the birthday girls with some of their cousins.

I will never tell our secret about this picture, Lindsey!

That is not an easy spot ....

That means  she is the

"oldest cousin".  

That means that the other kids

look up to her.


That means she has a 


very big responsibility ! !


Lindsey had some great desserts


at her party.


 She is turning into a good cook, 

a good volley ball player,


a good helper to her mom ....


and a lovely young lady


who I love with all my heart!

I pray Proverbs 4:23 for Lindsey.


"Keep your heart with all  diligence
for from it flow the springs of life."

BRIANN'S GOLDEN BIRTHDAY

On Jan 10th 

Briann celebrated her

GOLDEN  BIRTHDAY!

That is a pretty

special 

Birthday!

 Just take a look at 

these cakes ! ! !

 YUMMMMMM

nothing like a

D  Q   Cake

to celebrate a

Golden Birthday ! !

Here's Briann

with her mom and dad.

AND

HER

GOLDEN

BIRTHDAY

 CAKE!

 And here she is.....

just trying to decide how best

to blow out 

ALL THOSE CANDLES!

Whew.... she did it!




Since her last birthday, Briann has
been baptized.  proclaiming to
all the world her desire to
love, obey and follow
the LORD Jesus Christ.

I pray she always will do just that!

As a gramma,
3 John 1:4,
is a verse I think of often.  It says,

"I have no greater joy
than to hear
that my children (and grandchildren)
 are walking in the truth."

Briann likes to read,

play soccer, sing, act ....

and play Word Feud with

her gramma!


I  love you


Briann


with all my heart !

Our Journey to Israel begins !

We are waiting at JFK for our 8:55 pm flight to Tel Aviv.  Airport prices are outrageous but we sure enjoyed the Starbucks Smoothie.  (and I didn't even remind Myron about his diabetis)!   We'll stay Tue night somewhere near the airport and go in the afternoon back to the airport to meet up with our group.

CHRISTMAS SONGS .... NEW AND OLD

I know Christmas is over.  

But I didn't get to post about some Christmas songs 

I have been thinking about.

This year I have enjoyed so many of the

"new" Christmas songs.

"How Many Kings?"
'Downhere'


Follow the star to a place unexpected
Would you believe, after all we've projected,
A child in a manger?
Lowly and small, the weakest of all
Unlikeliest hero, wrapped in his mother's shawl -
Just a child -
Is this who we've waited for? 'cause...

How many kings step down from their thrones?
How many lords have abandoned their homes?
How many greats have become the least for me?
And how many gods have poured out their hearts
To romance a world that is torn all apart
How many fathers gave up their sons for me?

Bringing our gifts for the newborn Savior
All that we have, whether costly or meek
Because we believe.
Gold for his honor, and frankincense for his pleasure
And myrrh for the cross he will suffer
Do you believe?
Is this who we've waited for?  

All for me...
All for you...

The words that are such a blessing to me are,

"How many kings step down from their thrones?"

and 

"How many fathers gave up their sons for me?"

As I think on these words .... I think of the amazing, awesome

LOVE

the Father has for me.  

He, as a King, stepped down from His throne and came to earth  .... for me.

and the Father

gave up His Son ... for me.

You can listen to this song here.
Enjoy it and think about the great love,
the great sacrifice and the great redemption that started in
Bethlehem and was completed at the cross.

SYDNEY ELIZABETH -- turns 5

This little lady turned a whopping 5 years old

on December 14th.

She had a BEAUTIFUL snowflake cake.

Complete with snowflake rings

for all of her cousins!

We celebrated together and her choice

for the meal was

home made sub sandwiches ....

and boy were they good!!!

Here she is with her mom ... so happy about all those candles to light!

And here is the  whole family.

Jalon, Katie, Sydney, Cody & Briann!

Sydney loves all things "girlie" and I hope she ALWAYS will.

My prayer for her is that she would come to know and trust

the LORD Jesus as her Savior and that she would desire

to obey, honor and serve Him with all of her life.

Mark 12:30

"And you shall love the Lord your God 

with all your heart 

and with all your soul 

and with all your mind 

and with all your strength.’

                                                 I sure do love you ~~~~~

  Sydney Elisabeth

with all my heart ~~~