*winter warm up*

 {for all y'all northern Yankees reading this blog hopefully it will add a bit of southern sunshine to your day! haha!}
I have missed blogging terribly! You might not think it by alllll the activity of this blog but I have. and honestly, the last couple weeks our computer has been slowly crashing so that accounts for some of it. :) This post, in fact, would be much longer if our computer was up to par. I have had to resort to using our school laptop and only using the pictures immediately on my camera. but that works for now. When I am able I look forward to doing another 'photo-a-day' challenge. it seems to keep me pretty accountable! haha! :)
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baking 'jello' cookies with this little guy. [I might add that while they turned out according to the recipe, they were not all that good. In fact I think we found the one and only cookie that no one would eat. they sat in our cookie jar for weeks! I didn't think that was possible. *Smile* But they were fun to try and children love them because they are fun colors.]  

 and of course gotta throw in a couple pics of Asher darling! :)
just look at his adorably, dirty angel face.  
Fun Fact: over Christmas we came across the list  'what your elf name is' according to your initial and birth month. Asher's is Perky Angel-Pants.  it fits him perfectly! haha!

 And just look at what my dad brought home for me one evening?! Are not they gor.ge.ous?!
my dad is the bestest! :)

      ^ This past month Hannah tried her hand at homemade pop tarts. They were so scrumptious!^ completely worth all the time and effort put into them! :)

 Sitting around the table one lovely Sunday afternoon with my family... Asher was in my lap simply resting against the table. He has no idea how cute he is!

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As for our winter... here are pictures of the worst day of southern south. you might be thinking 'wow! nice frost!'      Nope, this is ice. :) it actually wasn't that bad but then again I have northern roots. {and I didn't have to drive in it! hehe!} 

 stepping outside was amazing! the crispness in the air, the crunch under your feet. you could see your breath. Every breath you took was so delightful! I know. I know. most of you are questioning my sanity or rolling your eyes. And if you are, I can safely say, 'you are not from the south.' :) I would have loved nothing better to have a handful of snow to throw at some one. And for the record I do deeply feel sorry for all you with your bitterly cold weather. you should have vacationed at our house! :)

 Only in the South - a story from the south.
{This past December while working at the Bread Wagon amidst the Christmas rush my employer shared a story with me that a customer had shared with her. It is a true story.}
Apparently back in the 60's it snowed down here. not much but enough to play in and make a little snowman. Well there was a family who did just that, went out and played in the snow and built a little snowman. Later that day they all piled up in their car and left (perhaps to a friends house or the grocery store. I don't really know for sure but they went somewhere.) On their return they looked out at their front lawn and beheld that their snowman was MISSING! They went out to investigate and found little boot prints leading up to where the snowman had sat and wagon wheels following those boot prints. :) He had been STOLEN! only in the south would there be a snowman priceless enough for a little child to come take it for themselves! :) lol!

 only in the south!

 it was so fun to walk in our pecan orchard and here all the branches and bushes cringe every time the wind breezed through them. the ice making them stiff and heavy. it was an amazing sound! :)

Rachel with her kitty cat. She adores them and visits them every day. :) 

now you have had a taste of January. I hope it was delightful! I loved putting this post together! :)

 

<<<>>>>

"All God's revelations are sealed until they are opened to us by obedience... Obey God in the things He shows you, and instantly the next thing is opened up... God will never reveal more truth about Himself until you have obeyed what you know already." -Oswald Chambers.

I read this in my copy of 'Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World.' It was such a great challenge to me. January was a wonderful month for me. It was relaxing and blessed. There was many hard days and often when your in the middle of it you don't see all the blessings but looking back it was wonderful! The last year or so have been really tough for me. I have gone through some really hard patches.  But through it all God has been faithful.  I have seen and felt Him working in my heart, calling me back to Him. Pleading with me to look towards Him and hold His hand. finding contentment and joy isn't always easy and there are lots of struggles with surrender. But He doesn't give up on us! :)

 

Kneeling on this battle ground

Seeing just how much You've done
Knowing every victory
Is Your power in us. Scars and struggles on the way
But with joy our hearts can say
Yes, our hearts can say. Never once did we ever walk alone
Never once did You leave us on our own
You are faithful, God, You are faithful

 

blessings! :)