Beautiful days in January

The nasty winter days have retreated.....and we are all happy.  Today, as I look out, I feel like I would just like to go out and work on the yard.  But that's just a dream -- it's nice out - but not yard work weather.  The snow is still thick around the trailer.  The other day Gary and I decided we should go out on our snowshoes and check out the big drifts in the tree line to the east of us.     Well,  it was a nice idea but the snow was WAY too hard yet and Gary stepped into a V in the snow and snapped his snowshoe --- broke it.   I think it's in the repair shop getting glued - hopefully it will be OK.  Those are our homemade snowshoes and are rather special.

These couple of pictures show you where we were walking.   We had removed our snowshoes and just went on foot.   There were LOTS of coyotes tracks on the drifts too.... I think we have several living in those trees.   Rob has been cleaning them out slowly.  Gary has also gotten a couple to come in to his call.

Gary thought this little ledge would break off on me and I would go for a fall.......maybe 6 feet down - but it held.    I tried out a couple of them and they all were real firm.  Gary found a "cave" sculptured by the wind...... rather small - but interesting.

This morning - Friday - was just glorious ---- so beautiful!!

I walked as fast as I could to get to the spot I wanted.  Those sunrises can leave so fast.  But I made it and caught the beauty.  Now this afternoon it is a beautiful sunny day.  Gary is gone fishing with a couple of neighbors.  It's a little windy but they should have a nice day on the ice.

This next picture is my latest project.  It's a granny square type of pattern.  It was a lot of repeat work but fun to do....makes me think of summer flowers. 

Don's kitchen is now in need of "a plan" ..... I hear about them "going backwards" every-once-in-a-while.  They look around and decided they might as well tear off that drywall too.  But things are moving along nicely.  I think Ty Tinant will be doing the drywall.  Then comes the "plan".  Hopefully someone will be able to help Don with those decisions.....Gary is only doing a drawing of what they have to work with.

Release Time went good this week.......last week --- half of it was disheartening.  We have one group that just gives us grief.  This could be a prayer request.   We will be giving a couple of boys ONE more chance.... and we have sent a note to one of the parents.   If things continue as they have been  --- the boys will no longer be joining us.  We feel that we have to hold up the whole group just for these boys - who would rather goof off than do the lesson.     We are working on a Valentine craft -- string art.  I think the kids are enjoying using the hammers and making a lot of noise. 

We work on a lesson for about 1/2 of the time --- then have a snack and do the craft......our next craft (with the older groups) will be a Cross made out of match sticks for Easter.    The hard part of doing crafts is that some kids really get right into it and get things done.....some just plain goof off and don't get much done.......and some are perfectionist and work slow.   They do beautiful work but do it pretty slow.   So we will have to come up with something interesting for the "fast" ones to do while we wait for the "slower" ones.

We did some review questions with the 2-3rd graders yesterday and it was so much fun to have them be able to answer questions about a lesson we had last year.  Our lesson was on Jesus staying back in Jerusalem when he and his parents went to celebrate the Passover.  So Gary went over the story of Moses and the plagues......    Several kids could remember "boils", "water turning to blood"......Seth was remembering some of the plagues....... "wasn't that one when they had to put the blood on the door frames".     YES!  that's what we are getting to.

We had a similar time with the JDC kids......one question we had for them this week was "What are some instructions God gives us in His Word?   One boy answered....."not to cause someone to fall".    That was something we had talked about just a couple of weeks ago.....on causing someone else to stumble.

Sometimes we are discouraged but those times are few.   Mostly we feel very blessed.  Thank you for your interest, prayers, love, support and encouragement.

Gary and Barb