The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your love, O Lord, endures forever ~ do not abandon the works of Your hands. Psalms 138:8



Happy Birthday, Jordan!

We celebrated Jordan's 31st birthday with a roast beef dinner, all the trimmings, and ice cream pie (a must-have for birthdays around our house). I had a camera glitch, and lost my photos of that night, so I posted a collage of Jordan with some of the women in his life. Happy birthday, son....may God bless you richly through the coming year.
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::Dirty Dozen Getaway::

Sounds a bit like an old gangster movie!
But it is just our blessed group of friends on a weekend away together. We went to Redmond Town Center....it is a terrific place to stay for a weekend of R&R and shopping.....you can park your car and not move it for the entire time....everything is right there - movie theaters, Starbucks, a spa, restaurants, an open air mall with lots of shops, Macy's, Kohl's, Target, Fred Meyers, even Home Depot for the guys! The Marriott is a great hotel with terrific rates that included a yummy buffet breakfast in a private dining room. It was terrific to get together with no set plans in place, just visiting and enjoying the time together.
(Click on the photos for a closer view)
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Our drive down to Redmond was very relaxing. We met up with Doug and Debbie in Bellingham, and had a terrific Mexican lunch before driving on to the hotel.


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Views of our room, the sunset and some of the gang
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On Friday night we met for dinner at Ruby's Diner....an old soda jerk kinda place....hmmm....
old soda jerk - somehow that seems to fit our gang!
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Although rain was in the forecast, we woke up to glorious sunshine - thank you, Lord! We shopped (some more than others), walked, shared a coffee, chatted, laughed....a good time was had by all.
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Sweet ride with a message
II Cor 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
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So this is a pictory of old verses young....the wee boy wanted to play with the "mature" lady's foot stool....a brass bear in the children's water park. After great discussion, and greater still cold looks from the younger set (and with much laughter from the group) Ethel finally released her foot hold on the bear.
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What began as a nature walk in the sunshine turned out to be a shopper's paradise! We've been here a couple of times now, and never knew that Fred Meyer's, Target and Kohl's were within walking distance. Check out Evie scrambling over the wall to get to Freddie's...good thing I was holding the camera....no one needs to see these short legs trying to climg that wall.
Check out the boys with their cute wee shopping bags!
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So as the fairy tale goes...there is this wonderful land that has a Macy's store that gives 35% discounts off already discounted wallets and shirts to groups of men who are found wandering the store at 9:30 pm on a Saturday night while their wives shop. It was told that this was the "my wife dragged me in shopping on a Saturday night" discount. The fairy tale also tells of the giddy delight that was seen on the faces of the gang of now reformed non-shoppers as they descended the escalator each holding their dramatically discounted bargains in the bright white bags with the big red stars. And they lived happily ever after.
Hot tub talks, wallet discussions, the boys rejoicing over their great bargains....sometimes it's just all about them!
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Driving home on Sunday night, there was another glorious sunset. We had a wonderful time poking our way home via the outlet center shops.
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Most of us were able to stop at the Homestead Restaurant in Lynden for a last feast together before heading home. Who could ask for more....friends to laugh with, friends with a common bond in Christ, friends with whom we can be really real with and they still love us. Friends we can pray with....there is a particular and special need in our dozen right now, and we spent time together over breakfast Sunday morning to commit it to the Lord. We will continue to pray for God's grace and mercy to prevail over this matter.
We had a delightful time together with our dear friends...I'm hoping that they enjoy the time as much as my honey and I did. Take time for friends....it is time well spent.
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Oceanside walk

A week ago last Thursday, after taking Bob's Mom back to her home, we went for a walk at Crescent Beach.


Signs of spring are popping up all over. So many reminders of God's plan of renewal and rebirth. His mercies are new every morning.



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We live in a beautiful part of the world....I never tire of being awed by the beauty of God's creation. I pray I will never take it for granted.


I love this one! My Hubby and his faithful friend, Tucker

I could almost hear this tree working on it's new spring growth as the sun shone on it.
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From the rising of the sun...


To the going down of the same - the Lord's name is to be praised. This was the night of the gorgeous eclipse. We were able to see it clearly although, I wasn't able to get a good photo of it but I caught this sunset from my lonely sick-tower. Thankfully I am finally over all of my multi-sick, and I am mindful of God's provision of good health for our family.

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::Running away::

Hello, dear friends and family....sorry I haven't been updating my blog. Since Valentine's Day Bob's Mom has been to emerg, then has been staying at our home for a few days...she's back home and feeling better...in between all that....I got a new set of sick....wretched sick...blah, blah, blah. So we are now jumping in the car (I'm feeling MUCH better) and going away to Seattle with the Six-pak and their husbands...which makes us the Dirty Dozen. Soooo looking forward to R&R with great friends. I will catch you up when I return.

Blessings to you....have a terrific weekend!

Valentine's Day

Yesterday was a wonderful string of delightful events....Jacob knocked on our door bearing gifts of homemade Valentine cookies tied up with pretty ribbon. The excited look on his face was priceless...I think he might just be gettting the "better to give than receive" thing. But then again.....he found and fell in love with the candy jar....mmmm...jelly-belly hearts and ju-jube hearts!


Jacob helped me ice a lemon cake for Grampy. Jacob loves the smell of things....he kept smelling the lemon....I guess it smelled good enough to eat!


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Wee Chief.....almost ready for bed
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With the boys all tucked in bed, my Honey and I had a quiet dinner together and watched
Father of the Bride II....a gentle reminder that we really like being Grammie and Grampy at this time in our lives
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God sees....is that enough?

I was blog surfing and found this article.....I do remember seeing it before, but it is worth repeating.....We all wonder at times if our life is worthwhile, if we are contributing anything that will last.

Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Be encouraged to know that everything you do as unto Him is part of the mosaic of God's purposes and is important to Him who is the master builder!! I Corinthians 10:31

I'm Invisible.
It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all.

I'm invisible.
The invisible Mom.
Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more: Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.' I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude - but now they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!

One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England. Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself as I looked down at my out-of-style dress; it was the only thing I could find that was clean. My unwashed hair was pulled up in a hair clip and I was afraid I could actually smell peanut butter in it.

I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this. ' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe. I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it to me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.' In the days ahead I would read - no, devour – the book.


And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work:
1. No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names.
2.These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished.
3.They made great sacrifices and expected no credit.
4.The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything.

A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof? No one will ever see it.' And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.'

I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become.'


At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on.

The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime, because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree. When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for three hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.' As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

This struck a cord within my mother's heart....I hope it strikes a cord within you. I pray for God to give all the special Moms (young and old, family and friends) in my life His richest blessings today, on this day of love.

St. Valentine has arrived

and none too soon....we have had a crazy, sickly couple of weeks, glad to report I am definitely on the mend. So with a quick trip to Walmart, and a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies we will be celebrating as best we can this year.

My hubby and I will be babysitting the boys this evening so P&S can go out to the church for a dessert night.....we will be going out with dear friends on Friday night for our Valentine's dinner. I am truly thankful....we are blessed by the love of our God, our family and friends.

Enjoy this day of love, my friends!

Posted by PicasaBob won this jar filled with Hershey kisses about 25 years ago when he was working in school liason.....Shawna nudged me yesterday about it....traditions...gotta luv em!!

Moving targets

Friends in motion...I just love this pic....no further explanation required
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