Courageous Joy

Season's Surprises?

Cyber Surprises?

I have been blessed with wonderful cyber friends as well as local friends. This has been a season of surprises in the mail. I already shared about my delightful toast rack from England.

Each year SHS holds an ornament exchange. I received this from Bridget this year. It's adorable. Their card made me cry - Bridget, it's our pleasure to serve our country and God in the military. Tell your family thanks for their appreciation.

Bridget made this. The back is a darling teddy bear print. This is a log cabin pattern. The red square in the center represents HOME. Thank you!


My friend Chris, runs a home business called Read it Again Books. I was surprised, though I shouldn't have been as she's done this from time to time, when we received a box this week. I told the eager beavers when they told me it was from Chris B - and we all knew it was a box of books! We were very excited. The FIRST thing they pulled out was THIS....

the little orange tag says "for mom". Never fear, Chris thought of all our reading styles. Chris, we'll think of you throughout the year, thanks. Mostly the little ones are loving Garfield at this point....though I did seem someone try to draw something that may have looked like a wild animal.


Deja is listed here as a cyber friend because we began our friendship through her stalking of me on this blog. ::snort:: Well, I do think we'd been in the same small group at a Mom's Night Out before she found the blog. It was just over a year ago at the Nutcracker that she met our family in the lobby and surprised the kids by knowing their names.....and admitted to being a blog stalker! Yesterday, at produce co-op, she surprised me with THIS.....

Can you believe it? I knew there were a couple of churches selling them this year as they are popping up everywhere, but I'd not tracked it down. I was thinking I'd wait until next year. Now I'm thinking there is no good reason this can't be moved up near our house and left up year round..... THANK YOU Deja, it can be Christmas now that I have my sign again. LOL

Did you know the post office had cute envelopes? I always rush right to the APC.... and so wasn't aware that our USPS has gone stylish.

This arrived yesterday from Trish. Trish was FIRST a local friend that I met when both our husbands were assigned to Elmendorf AFB. Now she's a cyber friend, she helps me with blog issues, she is also an SHS member. This past year she JUMPED into the blog world in a big way and so many of you may know her from her blog, Fruit of the Spirit award, and online presence. I know her from the ceramic shop at EAFB. ::snort:: She once helped me make 60 tea pots/sugars and creamers for a PWOC Tea. When I saw a prayer journal she'd given to Amy, I commented that it was lovely and wondered about the divisions in the journal. Trish sent me an email with the directions on how she made it. It was simple and on my "to do" list for after Christmas.

Yesterday, I wanted to journal. I could NOT find my journal anywhere. After produce co-op, I opened my mail......LOOK at the goodie Trish sent me. Great timing, God. I needed this new prayer journal. Thanks so much,Trish.



Zander has been eagerly prancing behind my chair awaiting the awakening of his queen. They are UP and so I am off.

Thanks to all who have reached out to our family at this season. What a boost to get so many SURPRISES in one season!