Winter's Wonder

We've been experiencing some pretty and cold weather recently. I've been staying close to the home fires. Today I ventured out, the beauty was drawing me. I had to capture the whiteness and experience the cold crisp air while we lay in wait of another snow storm.

The land was quiet except for a gust of wind that blew snow off the trees, not one cheep from a bird. I know they are near because Tom keeps a path to the feeder and they frequent it all day.

I marvel at what the trees endure, how they hold on to their little pine cones.


The snow on the pine trees look like frosting, it brings a serene beauty with the graceful lines it accents. Again, our land gives back to us by just being here. This truly is a gift that I often take for granted in the busyness of life.

And yet on these frosty days, its minus 5 degrees F as I write this and it will get colder before the night is done, I'm thankful for a cozy home.

Tomorrow it will be too cold for Conley to play outdoors so she will have to be satisfied to play with an indoor snowman.

Christmas Memories

I still have my Christmas tree up, it seems when you take it down, you are leaving behind the fun, the celebration, the season of thoughtful giving, the praises of thankfulness to God for Jesus, the wonderful music and decorations and meals prepared with love. So to drag out my nostalgia into the new year, here are some sweet pictures of our Michigan Christmas.


Conley likes to visit our old neighbor and friend, Toni who turned
92 this past December.
Did I mention that Jack came to visit ... with his dad and mom? We couldn't keep our hands off his cuteness.

When the word got out that there were cute babies at our house, Aunt Di and Uncle Steve came for a visit. So did Aunt Donna and cousin Carrie but I totally forgot to get out the camera. The camera came out to capture Conley and daddy singing
"Deck the Halls" with the Christmas duck. Conley enjoyed the tree and carefully touched the ornaments and beads.

Steamboat Christmas

How fun for us this year to fly out to Steamboat and enjoy an early Christmas. Of course I want to share the beauty of Steamboat and the sweet and innocent faces of grandchildren. Our first day, Dan and Angie took us to Strawberry Hot Springs with Hudson and Claire. Now that was amazing with the air temperature at 6F and water temperature 109F!

Angie manages to get in some last minute Christmas shopping with all the children.

And then...it's (early) Christmas morning!

To get a skier's view of Steamboat, we took Hudson and Claire to the top of the mountain on the gondola.

Let it Snow!

Today is one of the beautiful snowy days in southwest Michigan. My little helper, Conley, helped me decorate an outside tree and put together a winter planter for the front entrance. She enjoyed making "snow cakes" in the gently falling snow. Tom loves getting some fresh air and keeping his customers supplied with firewood.
Fran just loves being outside with the beauty of fresh fallen snow and spending time with Conley.

Thanksgiving

We celebrated Thanksgiving in Tennessee with Angie's family and enjoyed genuine southern hospitality.
The days passed quickly but that Lions/Titans game just wouldn't end. Even our Lions cheerleaders lost heart.












Our hostesses were great but when you mixed up those Titans and Lions fans, it was a free for all!




















Aunt Nancy and Emily were tireless in providing for our every need. They fed us like royalty and provided "Loving Arms Childcare."


Then the behind the scenes workers, the stage manager Gary and his assistant, Scott.

The weekend began with a flying start that became a busy time of wonderful meals, praising God in prayer and song, visiting a Civil War battle field and attending the Grand Ole Opry. The peaceful landscape and friendly folks warmed our hearts with memories that will last.

Workplace

Many ask if I am still working, the answer is yes.

I work in the Education Department of a small rural hospital that is about a 16 mile drive from home. I love this drive through the countryside past a tree farm a cattle farm, a golf course, a small village then around a beautiful lake. I never tire of it because I only work two days a week and am able to work on days that accommodate my other responsibilities and appointments.

I sometimes miss the patient care in the operating room that I left 3 years ago but I enjoy the people I work with and my projects. This is a picture of my boss and my office mate. We really
have a good time, lots of laughs.


The above two pictures are my lunch buddy, regulatory affairs and another sweet grandma friend in the quality department.

When I'm not talking about my adorable grandchildren, I work on education programs for all hospital employees. This includes self-learning modules, computer based programs, presenting inservice education and applying for continuing education credits for nursing programs. Much of my time is spent writing and revising forms that are used to document employee performance. Healthcare is not static, changes due to new technology, equipment, treatments and medication keep this department in constant flux. There, now maybe even my sons have an idea about what their mother does at work these days.