A Winter's Day

We're hitting our stride again. 

Quiet hours with Jesus, school, a couple of mentoring calls, a few emails, orthodontist, dinner in the oven.

Arielle and I tried to find a Christmas Wreath for our door....we weren't totally successful....

If we could find materials, we'd try to make one. We're going to try the base's Arts and Crafts shop "tomorrow."

We SCORED on New Year's Prep....

Michael should be home within the hour (???), we'll have dinner, try to contact our boys, search for the best connections for Josiah's upcoming trip to see us...maybe read another chapter from one of the books we're working on....and it may even snow some more tonight. Winter isn't so bad.....it will be downright wonderful if I can find the gloves, hats and scarves. LOL

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Is That a Pet?

We were sitting around the table, when I looked over and saw....

It transported us back 14 years ago when we used to find wisps of Barbie Doll's hair in the jaws of Jared's alligators. It reminded us of how this dino use to torment, Beatrix, our wonder dog. Stacia topped it all by cuddling it in her arms and telling us it was her new pet. 

Zander and I both slept in until 5:00 and 5:30 this morning. I think we've got this jet lag thing whipped. Arielle, Stacia and I headed in this a.m. for PWOC. So WONDERFUL to be back home with "my gals".  Jared and Arielle had drama and Human Video practice this afternoon. The rest of us ran to the commissary and then COOKED another real dinner. This could become a habit. Viva la menu planners. 

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

We Gotta Eat???###?!!!???

In an effort to subdue our schedule and make it submit to our eating lifestyle.....I will be using menu plans again for a few weeks. (These fit in nicely with the newly instituted, weekly, G Family Staff Meetings). ::snort::  Assume that all dinners are complimented by fresh salad, cut up veggie sticks and fruit. 


Monday - Are you KIDDING ME?  Mentor meetings, Human Vid Practice, youth group and teaching a PWOC seminar tonight - we'll eat at the Food Court. 


Tuesday - Oven Baked Chicken (PWOC Seminar/Drama Team Practice for both Jared & Arielle)


Wednesday - Shepherd's Pie (Orthodontist), Cornbread 


Thursday - Beef Strogonoff, Biscuits


Friday - Pizza?  (Nursing Home visit)


Saturday  - Chicken Divan (Play practice 1 - 3:30)
                   Bake for tomorrow


Sunday - Roast, Popovers (Chapel, Play practice 5:00, Christmas Play)


For more recipes, click the tab above. 


Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Few Shots

Sharing a few shots this early December morn.... There is nothing better than being the first one up or the last one to bed, and sitting in front of the tree for a bit of Christmas Peace. (Personally 3 a.m. is a bit much - but that's o.k. too! ::snort:: God knows I need LOTS of Christmas Peace this year). 

Children were SO excited to see this unpacked! The playing has begun!

This wise-man was separated from his peers and spent the year in a kitchen cupboard, he's happy to be reunited with the rest of the gang! ::snort:: 

These early a.m. quiet hours really ARE precious. I've decided not to fight it....today I have a mentor meeting at 9 a.m., we'll do school, and I teach a seminar at PWOC this evening.....as well as get the children to various activities throughout the day....I will quit worrying about waking up early and accept the extra hours as a gift of solitude. 

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I've previously shared on the blog my thoughts about "home". As we decorated our Christmas Tree (yes, the elliptical was spared), I was glad we had all these photo ornaments from past Christmas' to bring our older ones home.  The tree is decorated solely with photos of the nine children and a few special ornaments from places we've lived. Unfortunately, the tree photos are blurry. I'll take some more tomorrow. 

Happy to see the Christmas books and movies again!

We followed our decorating spree with our traditional debut showing of The Muppet's Christmas Carol. It wouldn't be Christmas without the movie. ::snort:: 

Michael has decided we'll start having weekly "G Family Staff Meetings." Tonight was the first. I showed one of the Gospel for Asia video clips. I shared the two jobs that I'd like to see become a priority around here. We coordinated calendars.  Then......we had ice cream.

Mike will end the night by hiding the "Christmas Pickle"  in our tree - a German tradition (or so we were told, though there is controversy about this on the Internet. Surprised? ::snort:: ). Do your families do this? Last names in old Germany tell your family's occupation. Mike's family - the G's - were pickle makers. Many German families have a tradition of hiding a pickle ornament and the child who finds it in the tree on Christmas Morn is said to be blessed for the upcoming year and receives a  prize. Sort of like the Afikomen at Passover. I've seen sites that say this is a myth, sites that say it was a custom started by German Americans, and sites still claiming it is an "old German tradition". I can say without a doubt it is a G Family Tradition. ::snort::

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Christmas Shopping - Bring it On

Yes, we love Advent....the four weeks before 25 Dec when we celebrate the advent of God into history, into our daily lives, and into our future.  IF you're interested in our Christmas saga, feel free to click All Things Advent in the sidebar (btw this is listed year round on the "musings" page under holiday musings"). Here you will find all sorts of activities, traditions, curriculum ideas..... We shamelessly use every bit of this season to point our children to Christ.

A friend posted this on FB - and it sums up what we experienced last year: "When old traditions have run their course, find joy in the new." 

Last year we dedicated December 25th, Christmas Day, as Jesus' Day. We celebrated ONLY His birthday that day. We ate a birthday cake, sang songs, played pin the star on the stable and "opened"  His gifts. It was a blessed day.

We had a family gift exchange on 1 January. This worked great for us as all our children were home on 1 Jan. It allowed our focus to be where we wanted it on 25 Dec, and it also puts us in rhythm with our host country - which celebrates New Year's in a big way with gift giving and fireworks. LOL  We liked this. It was the "next step" in our Christmas Celebration Odyssey. Psssttt....some of the men types around here note it also allows them to shopping the day after Christmas for family gifts. ::snort::

When I mentioned being "behind" in Christmas Preps due to our recent travels, many encouraged me it's not about the decorations etc...but that isn't what I was thinking.

Last year we printed four catalogs and gave the children a daily shopping budget. They poured over the catalogs to find the BEST deals for their shopping $. These were special catalogs....catalogs to buy rabbits, chickens, cows, bikes, lights, water, food, Bibles, tracts for those in poverty stricken countries. These are some of the gifts we gave to Jesus on Christmas Day. I felt bad that I didn't' have those ready to go 2 weeks ago.....but yesterday.....I chose to print one catalog. We went with Gospel For Asia because 100% of our gift budget will go to gifts - no money saved for admin or publicity at all. We like that. You can check out the video in the sidebar if you are interested or here for many more videos. We plan to watch these as a family throughout the rest of Advent.

Catalog printed and ready for family shopping....We all mark what we want to buy and put in one big order on 25 Dec. 

I'm sure some decorations will go up....we are American after all. ::snort:: We like the excitement, lights and nativities.....but the focus of our year will be this bit of shopping and giving to Him.  This year I, personally, am looking for gifts to  provide an income for a family.....and it was fun to hear discussions last night about the various merits of pigs, chickens, goats, rickshaws, sewing machines or water buffaloes.

Finally, It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here....

Other Shopping Catalogs we've used....Samaritan's Purse,  Compassion International, and Harvest of Hope. I'm sure there are many more wonderful options. I'm sure there are options in your local area. We currently live outside of America, therefore, our focus is  Misawa and Asia. 

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...

Settling In to Home

This week has "flown" by. ::snort:: 


We arrived home on Tuesday evening. 


Zander and I continue to wake up at 2 or 3 a.m. each morning. 


We've been unpacking, doing laundry, catching up on responsibilities and settling back into our lives. The kids have enjoyed the down time to play with friends a bit more. 


Mike went back to work Thursday.  We at least accomplished Math and Language Arts. 


I planned to go to MOPS and an onsen on Thursday - but alas my car keys are missing. If they show up stateside, please let me know. The key-chain has a band that says "Pray for China" on it and an Asia Region PWOC key-chain attached as well.  


Thursday night we enjoyed a chapel staff Christmas Party. We miss the B family who are deployed and stateside (member and family respectively), but rejoice in the addition of a new Navy chaplain family to our staff. 


Friday found Zander sick. We stayed home another day. 


Mike, Jared and Arielle went to base on Saturday. Jared and Arielle had human video practice. Michael was preparing for today.  The littles and I cuddled inside and played games and watched movies...and I slept. Evidently, I sleep walk. I let the rest of the family inside, and woke up 20 minutes later to ask when they'd gotten home.

The kids were excited for fat, fluffy snow flakes on Friday. Nothing stuck...that may change shortly...it's certainly cold enough...maybe too cold...who knows?

Nolan & Stacia preform their famous BAREFOOT, WELCOME WINTER DANCE!

Choosing Joy!
©2010 D.R.G.
~Coram Deo~
Living all of life before the face of God...