The RULES:
1.) Go to where you store your digital photos and open the 4Th folder.

2.) Go to the 4Th picture and post it.

3.) Explain the picture.

4.) Tag 4 additional people-I don't know if 4 people even read my blog, but if you do and you haven't done this already you're tagged. lol

This picture was taken at the birthday party for one of Christopher's friends from church. This was taken on November 1st - gotta love living in Naples, where a pool party is still a viable option in November! :0) This was also a big moment in our lives, as I had begun to think this kind of picture would never happen for Christopher! He used to be so afraid of the water, that he would NOT go into any pool willingly, even if we held him! This year, he began branching out, thanks to the positive peer pressure of his buddies Jack & Hunter, and discovered that he actually enjoyed it (as long as a waterfall is not involved)! See the posts "Another Play Date...The Three Musketeers" and "Best Kept Secret in SW Florida" that I wrote in July for more details! :)

My Precious Grandmother - A true Proverbs 31 Woman!

Last night, the world lost the most selfless, kindhearted, and loving person I have ever had the priviledge of knowing. She not only would have given you the shirt off her back, but would have selected a few more out of her closet and ironed them for you! That's just who she was - and we are all blessed for having known her! When I read Proverbs 31, this is the woman I picture. Indeed, her children (and grandchildren, and great-grandchildren) rise up and call her blessed. And, I am completely certain she has heard our Heavenly Father say, "Well done, My good and faithful servant!"

The thing my grandmother treasured most was her family. She was the one who brought us all together and helped us through so many trying times with her kind and comforting ways. Who will comfort us now? Oh so many times in the last few days I've wanted to pick up the phone and talk with her. But, there are no phone lines that reach Heaven. That doesn't mean we are without hope or without comfort. I can quite literally feel my Heavenly Father's arms wrapped tightly around me at this moment (Psalm 121)! :)

There just don't seem to be words adequate enough to explain what a special blessing this woman was or how blessed I am to be a part of her legacy! How do you wrap a lifetime of love up in just a few words?

It was her house where we all gathered for Sunday dinners and the holidays. It was her kind heart the bound us all together and made us family. It was her kind nature that welcomed everyone and made her such a great pastor's wife. It was her faith that pointed us all to a loving Heavenly Father who is carrying us through these tough times now.

My grandfather's favorite story to tell was how when he came to Northside Baptist Church in view of a call, the only nay vote was from Ruth Wells, whose main objection was that he was single. My grandfather would tell us with glee how he overcame that nay vote by marrying Mary Kathryn Wells! It wasn't quite like that, as my grandfather became pastor of Northside Baptist Church in November 1943 and married my grandmother on September 27, 1945.

My grandfather passed away several years ago, so I know he was happy to have his bride back with him and is probably now showing Nana around the streets of gold!

Please pray for our family as we make some difficult arrangements over the next few days. But, even though our grief will eventually pass, we know Nana's joy is ETERNAL and for that, we can say PRAISE GOD! :)

Happy New Year!

We rang in the New Year as just our family of 3 this year. We let Christopher stay up and watch the ball drop and he loved it! He's quite the little night owl...so getting to stay up late was right up his alley! We counted down the last ten seconds of 2008 together! Christopher loved that! Shortly after that, Christopher wondered aloud why those people on TV were kissing so much! He either didn't notice David & I doing the same thing as we welcomed 2009 or has seen us kiss enough that it didn't phase him! It was definately the first cute moment of 2009! There are more to come, I'm sure of it! :)

I'm very thankful that 2008 is finally behind us. It was a very difficult year - probably the hardest I've ever face. But, I've got great hopes for 2009! I hope you have a blessed 2009, too!

Merry Christmas!

We finally got our tree put up on Christmas Eve! With everything going on and David's surgery, we just didn't get it up any earlier than that. David usually puts the tree together (it's an artificial one since David & I both are allergic to the real thing) and strings the lights...and then I do the decorations (with Christopher's help for the last few years). This year, however, David wasn't quite up to doing his part...so Christopher and I did the whole thing together! I put the tree together (no easy task since I'd never put this particular one together & had NO instructions) and strung the lights (once we found a strand tat worked)! Christopher cheered me on during this part...he was beside himself with excitement! When the ornaments came out, he was all over it! I put up the breakable ones, but let him do most of the others. He did a pretty good job of spacing them out, too - especially considering how limited his reach is! :) The picture above was taken when we finished the tree! Yes, that's my boy in blue-jean shorts & no shirt! It's pretty much 80 degree weather year-round here!

On Christmas morning, David & I had barely woken up when we hear a little voice from Christopher's room calling, "Did Santa come?" When David told him to come see, he started bouncing like a bunny at the tree saying, "He did come! He did come!" Above, Christopher is checking out his stocking while waiting on Grandma J to arrive. On the years that we are in Naples for Christmas, Grandma J comes over to watch Christopher open his presents & see what Santa brought! Then later, we go over to Grandma J's house and open more gifts!
As soon as Grandma J arrived, Christopher started going through his stocking and showing Grandma what he had. Then...the unwrapping of the presents began!
Please don't laugh at the choice of PJ's Christopher's sporting on this fine Christmas morning! He's at that age where he likes to dress himself (sometimes) and this is what HE chose to wear! So much for the new PJ's for Santa tradition...at least this year! :)

About half-way through the opening of the prsents, i dawned on me that I might want a picture of the tree wih the presents under it...this isthe best I got! Oh well! It's a cute shot, anyway!

At Grandma J's house, we had a GREAT Christmas dinner - complete with pumpkin pie! YUM! Christopher slept through most of dinner...but woke up just in time for presents! We opened gifts from Grandma J, Uncle Chuck, and the Ohio Jansens (Uncle Bob, Aunt Betsy, Jenny, Ali, & Abby)! Above, Christopher is showing off one of his gifts from Uncle Bob & Aunt Betsy - a new wallet with money to spend! Now he can go shopping with Mommy! FUN! Thanks, Uncle Bob & Aunt Betsy...wish you all could have been down here to celebrate with us! :) By the way, clothing choice was Christopher's again. He got this vest for Christmas from us & insisted on wearing it to Grandma's house! Personally, I would have put a shirt under it...but it's cute anyway! :)

Grandma J made Christopher a very special book about Jesus' parables. She also gave him some gloves for pulling weeds with Daddy! As you can see, he's taking full advantage of both! Grandma also bought him 2 children's books on Jesus' parables to go along with the book she made. Grandma wanted these books to stay at her house so they could read them together when Christopher comes to visit. Speaking of reading...the video below is one of Christopher reading one of his take-home books from school to Grandma J. You can hear David & his brother Chuck in the background. Hopefully you can hear Christopher reading, too. :)