2015... So Far, So Good!

Happy New Year!  I hope that you all had a great holiday! We didn't travel to visit family this year so it was pretty quiet here, relatively speaking of course. As quiet as it ever gets here. It was very nice to take a break though. The weather gave us plenty of opportunity to rest and we took advantage of that. There was too much snow to work on the house so we made a couple of days worth of food and we played games and watched movies and did puzzles and crafts. We set a new family record with an afternoon Dutch Blitz marathon. We also got out to visit with friends and neighbours which was very nice too. We had Christmas dinner with a lovely family from church, had a sledding/games day with another family from church and we were invited to our neighbourhood's annual Boxing Day sledding party held at our neighbour's house. We are almost back to regular schedule though. Tomorrow, everyone goes back to work and school and music lessons etc. Vacation is fun but it is also good to get back to routine. Besides, too many treats and late nights can't be good for us long term.

                                

These aren't exactly the greatest working conditions.  A break was necessary. Guilt free. Even better.

We temporarily re-arranged the living room to be able to watch movies together.  

If you've ever watched a movie with us, you'll know this is how Phil watches them. Asleep.

As if we weren't celebrating enough already, we had another birthday.  Here's my attempt at camouflage cupcakes for our camo guy who turned 18!

Now that, my friends, is a burger!

The snow finally stopped and the sun came out.  I think this is my favourite part of a snow storm. Everything is so beautiful!

This is how much snow fell in one night.

Digging out.

With the weather letting up, it's back to work. Time to remove all the forms.

Looking good.

The back wall with spaces cut out for doors and windows.

Here's the view from the top of the back hill. You can finally see the new house now too.

Going for a walk in the woods.  Lovely in the snow. So many moose tracks.  Time to get the game cam out.

                                  

This is courtesy of Ben's underwater camera.

The sun sets on another day as it does on another year and we are thankful for so many things. We are thankful for our family, friends, neighbours and church family. We are thankful for our health and for this project that the Lord has allowed us to undertake. We are thankful for things like computers and telephones that minimize the distance between our family and friends that live far away from us. We are thankful that the Lord loves us and doesn't give us what we deserve and who shows His mercy to us continually. While there is so much in this world to cause worry and stress, we are most thankful that there is nothing that will happen to us in this New Year that will be a surprise to God. He is already undertaking for us and providing for us. Good or bad, happy or sad, He will be there. He is already there. He will not forsake us. He will carry us through. His Grace is sufficient. And for that, we are truly thankful.  

O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.

1 Chronicles 16:34