day by day...

Just a post about life.

There have been EVENTS, and they're worth a post, too.

(We've got some fun photos from New Year's Day with our friends at the Lichti's home.)

But, I've got to leave something for Kaylee to post.

(And I won't show you her teeth-whitening photos. That'll be up to her. Or not. Betcha she'll choose "not.")

"Doing school" (as if all of life isn't school?!) in the living room, near the woodstove.

Connor with the Logic book.

(The Fallacy of the Undistributed Middle gives me pause as I step on the scale post-holiday.)

Kaylee working on the muscles section of her anatomy book.

(The other night as she crawled into bed: "Mom, would you rub my back?... That's the trapezius. Could you move to my deltoid now?" Sure Kaylee. Whatever. :-)

And as Cuddles joins them, she's greeted with, "Dog, you SMELL!" So Kaylee announces that after anatomy studies, she's giving Cuddles a bath.

And we even have doggie deoderant.

She looks ashamed, doesn't she?

Oh, the things a dog must endure.
No heat lamp or flames from The Inferno
(tho Cuddles may have been expecting Virgil to pop in and witness her circle of torment).
Just playing around with Picasa tints.


Quick! Grab the towel before she SHAKES!
Meanwhile, Connor has headed to the garage to work with Dad and David, a friend who wants to start a wood project with Tim.
Showing David how to use the power tools.
When David was just 5 years old he lived in our neighborhood - and he remembers helping Tim build some furniture for our home. (See the cupboard in the top photo of this post. David remembers helping to make the heart-cutout on the front of it.)
We're glad that he's back in our lives after all these years.(Uh, oh... you can see all the STUFF we've got stashed in our garage.)


And when Tim's not doing other things, he's often studying.
(These next 2 photos were taken about 2 years ago, in Lawrence, KS. Tim was giving a seminar, and the church there put us up in a beautiful historic hotel.)
Tim's a good man. I love him.
And I really like these photos of him that I just rediscovered.



And then there was a quiet Sunday afternoon.

I just finished re-reading Pride and Prejudice. Or maybe it was my first time straight through. I'm not sure. But I think it's time to start it again.

And Kaylee tried to rally the troops for a round of Dutch Blitz. But the woodstove worked its powers on us all. Took Kaylee right out.

(Yes, that's aluminum foil covering up the big missing chunk of glass. Right next to the top-to-bottom crack. The foil's cheaper than the $140 it takes to replace the glass.)

New helmet and goggles.And Connor's constant pre-occupation: Snowboarding.

He's at Sierra Summit right now trying it for the first time. Last year he skiied and loved it and couldn't wait to go again this winter. Tim, who loves to ski, is trying out snowboarding with him, too. Kaylee's sticking with skiing for now and hoping to get more comfortable with it. She did way better than ME last year. You'll notice that I'm NOT skiing.

And there's always the sweetest of pastimes:

holding Graham.

One final word about what's filled our thoughts lately.

Our dear brother, Norman, and his family.(Sorry these photos are a couple of years old, girls. You're probably mortified that I'd post such long-ago ones of you! Caitlin doesn't always look like this, either -- she was in costume for Pilgrim's Progress in this picture above.)

We all love you and can't begin to understand all that you've all suffered during these 2 years since the ALS diagnosis. These are rough days and nights, I'm sure.

Here's something I came across the other day. Norman got it for us.

Our copy of the Heidelberg Catechism, now sitting out in our home (little green book below) to remind me of its words (Norman memorized it in his growing-up years).

Question #1- What is thy only comfort in life and in death?

That I, with body and soul, both in life and in death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ, who with His precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins, and redeemed me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me, that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; yea, that all things must work together for my salvation. Wherefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me heartily willing and ready henceforth to live unto Him.

Question #57 - What comfort does the "resurrection of the body" afford thee?

That not only my soul after this life shall be immediately taken up to Christ its Head; but also, that this my body, raised by the power of Christ, shall be reunited with my soul, and made like unto the glorious body of Christ.

Question #58 - What comfort hast thou from the article of "life everlasting"?

That, inasmuch as I now feel in my heart the beginning of eternal joy, I shall after this life possess complete bliss, such as eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath entered into the heart of man, therein to praise God forever.