Category: FAMILY

Hope springs…

Posted on by lindaskelton

Hope springs, because of a promise:

P1090917twin buds

“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” Gen.8:22 

And so the seasons cycle ‘round in a never ending succession.  Winter cannot stay.  Stark leafless branches raising their limbs skyward have only to wait for the sun to do its bidding…

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It’s amazing what a little warmth will do!P1090834

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Though I may seem at present to be obsessed with blooms of the botanical sort, there is another kind of bloom I’m watching, as my youngest prepares to leave the nest…

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Amazing what a little love can do….

–LS

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And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;  perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Rom.5:2-5

But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. Rom.8:25

Recalling 2012…

Posted on by lindaskelton

Lindy in stroller - 63Well the year rolled in with this little chickadee turning fifty…and it ended with all but one of her fledglings having flown, one at year’s beginning:

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The other at its end:

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Still there is the ‘baby’…P1050105

…who is counting days till she can move away to warmer climes and be done with math and science and all such things…

Meanwhile the emptying nesters are pulling together…

Our  tandem was shiny new and untried last January.P1040652 It has now carried us along safely for 1,100 miles. Lots of them were routine rides in 20 mile increments, but there was one longer stint–our now annual bike trip to tour the Gulf Islands we missed last time around!

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Summer had its usual share of leisure in water and sun, of sailing and cycling and swimming…[P1060368%255B4%255D.jpg]P1060708

P1070275Manson's Landing

and of tending the garden and smelling the flowers…

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P1080231P1070050Rachel's sunflower

Meanwhile prayer hikes ceased with the passing of our fearless and persistent leader, Maureenimage

The crowning event of the summer came in late August with a text message received while we sat and sunned at the top of Scout Mountain: “He looks like a fish!” Another grandson had been born and we hit the road to welcome him.

P1070975P1080102[He bore no resemblance to a fish, as far as I could see!]

 

The summer extended itself into an especially beautiful fall…allowing us to get out sailing and cycling some more…

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October finished with the passing of Jim’s mom to glory and a trip to the prairies to commemorate with family a life well lived.

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And of course we caught up with the growing progeny:

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Then came a month of ordinary days dappled with light and shadow…

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till the Advent season came round again… and with it our 29th anniversary

P1090042 P1090172and the coming together of the whole family under one roof to share all our fondest traditions of Christmas.  Wonderful!

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And then they were gone.  The decorations came down.  The fridge emptied. And quiet returned.

And at last, today, I got out for a walk….

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And that has been our year in a nutshell!

Wishing you all God’s best for you and yours in this new year!

–LS