More Snow

We awoke to more snow this morning! My husband filled the bird feeder and took some pictures of the snow and Lilly. He even took a little video of her.  She is such a funny dog. :-)

 

 

I've been trying to keep myself busy to keep from missing Katie so much. I've washed clothes, put chicken in the crock pot, experimented with a new recipe for my bread machine, and made a strawberry cake for my husband. There are some good smells coming from my kitchen today!

I'm so thankful for all my 'maids' ~ my crock pot, washing machine, oven, etc.. I've often wondered what our ancestors would think of all our modern conveniences. Surely they would be amazed.

Katie's trip is going well. She'll be back next week! Please continue to keep her in your prayers. :-)

I hope you're all enjoying your day! So glad you stopped by.

Take care,

~Melanie

These Cold Winter Days

This winter has been so very cold here! We've been letting the cold water drip on these really cold days to keep the pipes from freezing. So far so good! Our low was -1º on Friday!

Enduring the temperatures we've had lately makes me even more thankful to have a warm home. Last month our electric bill was about double what it usually is, but at least we are warm and have a heater that works! My husband taped some bubble wrap over the sliding glass doors in his office. It has really helped keep the cold out. I grew up with a wood stove, and I really miss it, especially on these super cold days!

With all the snow we got, we needed a new snow shovel and some ice melt. We checked the big stores like Wal-Mart, Lowe's, and Home Depot. They were all sold out. Finally, just out of curiosity, we stopped by a little hardware store, and wouldn't you know they had snow shovels and salt!

Katie's trip is going well, but we sure miss her at home! They did a street outreach their first night there and 16 people got saved!  I'm keeping track of her flights on flightaware.com. What a neat site!

I've been enjoying this tea - Traditional Medicinals Echinacea Plus. Have any of you tried it? It's really good! After I sweeten it with a little raw honey, I'm good to go! I also like their Throat Coat tea.

Just a little of God's beauty to share. I took this picture from my front door not long ago. I thought the sunset was so pretty through the trees.

Hope you all are doing well and staying warm!! Have a great week. Thanks for stopping by. :-)

Take care,
~Melanie

A White Thanksgiving

We spent Thanksgiving with my parents, and this is what we woke up to the day before Thanksgiving...so beautiful. It's no wonder I love snow and winter so much. These are the views I had when I was growing up! The pine trees go all the way around the yard.

We enjoyed watching the birds in the feeder. The squirrels climbed in there too. :-)

We had a very nice visit with family and friends. The week went by too quickly!

~*~

Just a little idea to pass along...

We have the Gideons come to our school every year. Sadly, they've told us that now they're only allowed in about 5% of the public schools in America. Our students receive these little New Testaments every year. They've been encouraged to give any extras to friends who may not have the opportunity to receive one. Also, Katie's class made up some care packages to give out to the homeless, making sure to include a New Testament along with water, snacks, a toothbrush, etc.

If you don't have any extra Bibles lying around, I think tracts would work well too. We should always be looking for opportunities to share the Gospel!

So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. ~Isaiah 55:11

Take care,
~Melanie

A Snowy Valentine's...

 

 ...yesterday afternoon

...last night

I got my camera and went out for a little walk around our house this morning.

    

footprints  :-)

 

  

Our backyard...

    

Care to swing?

 

Or hang some clothes?

  

One of our Rose of Sharon bushes

  I love snow covered fences.♥

  a little stream behind our house

  The snow from the trees was melting and dropping in the water. 

You can see the little ripples.

   

So pretty with the sun shining through the trees

 Such a funny doggie we have. Lilly *loves* the snow! 

When there's snow outside, she's scratching to go out about every hour so she can play.

That is one spoiled pup right there!

   

Katie made this sweet wreath. I just love it!
 I baked the dough hearts. She did the rest.

I hope you're all having a happy Valentine's Day. 

Thanks for stopping by. :-)

Take care,

~Melanie

                                  

More Snowy Days...

A cardinal waiting his turn for the feeder~ 

Cozy kitty Oreo...not a care in the world... *smile*

Re-reading another favorite book of mine, Stepping Heavenward ~ a fictional diary of the life of a girl named Katy living in the 1800s. It tells of the joys and struggles throughout her life, and how she strives to draw closer to God...highly recommend!

My husband started some pinto beans soaking in the crock pot last night. They're smelling soooo good! I'll make some cornbread this evening to go with them. ♥

Thanks for visiting today. I hope you're enjoying your day! :)

Take care,

~Melanie

Christmas

Hi, everyone. I hope you all had a nice Christmas. Ours was very nice, and we had a wonderful time visiting with our families. It's always fun to be together. :)


We had a white Christmas again this year. My parents have these spruce trees all around their house. I think the trees are so pretty when it snows.



Katie had a lot of fun too. Here she is sledding in my parents' back yard. That's the same sled I used when I was a kid. :)
As you can see, Lilly had a lot of fun too. She loves the snow!

We had to delay our trip home because of the snow, so we got to enjoy some extra time with Mom and Dad.
We have a few days left of Christmas break before we're back to school and work on Monday.
Hope you're all doing well. :)

Take care,
~Melanie

Our Snowy Winter

We have had quite a snowy winter so far and more snow is in the forecast for tomorrow night. These are a few pictures I took today. We couldn't leave out our furry friend, Lilly. She loves the snow, too. :) Have a great day.

Melanie