Tink Returns Home from her Vacation!!

We're all rejoicing over the return of Tink from a LENGTHY four day and night vacation this week. We can only imagine she was aggravated by her little brother, Calvin, so left for a few days to get away from him!
We saw Tink last on Monday when she went outside. It's not unusual to see Calvin running after Tink, as if to beg her to play. She doesn't much like to socialize with him, sadly, because he's still very much a one year old kitten, and she's three and a half years older and more gracefully mature...(that is until she gets mad~)!
We have not thought twice about her spending one or two nights outside (because she really, really loves the night air), but it's NOT her practice to spend days/nights away from home! We had not a sight of her! This was a first!!

By Thursday, we were all very much concerned so began tearfully praying, calling and emailing neighbors, and searching for her. We also drafted a flier to print/post in the neighborhood today, and even searched the internet for FOUND CAT ads on Craigslist, our local Animal Protective services, and the Humane Society.
What a sad sack I was yesterday!

It was especially good and needful to spend an evening away with my parents, Meme and Poppy, but then later we returned home to find no Tink.
However, within a few short, short minutes of 'TINKING' her plate (we do this every night to call the cats in), Katherine exclaimed with much JOY, "Tink is home!!" She was on the front porch, and very anxious to receive her Fancy Feast!
I must say, Tink wasn't without dry food/water all week, for we maintain refreshment for all four cats (our neighbor's cat included) on the back porch at all times.
Thursday night we decided to pull the food in, so Tink would have to come to the door to mew for food...
And that's what happened. yeah~ Thank you Jesus!
We outsmarted you, 'Stinker Tinker'~!

This morning, Tink seems very happy to be home!
When she's not making lots of biscuits while perched in front of her favorite window in the boys' room, she's curled up asleep on my bed! She must enjoy the attn, for I can hardly do much today for needing to give her lots of 'WELCOME HOME' hugs and kisses!!

This brings me to the end of our happy story~!

Have a PURRRRRRRRR-ty day~

Holy Home, Happy Home

Camping in the backyard, 10/10

"Home is among the holiest of words. A true home is one of the most sacred of places. It is a sanctuary into which men flee from the world's perils and alarms. It is a resting-place to which at close of day the weary retire to gather new strength for the battle and toils of tomorrow. It is the place where love learns its lessons, where life is schooled into discipline and strength, where character is molded. Out of the homes of a community comes the life of the community, as a river from the thousand springs that gush out on the hillsides.

We are all concerned in the making of some one home—our own home. One instrument out of tune in an orchestra mars the music which breaks upon the ears of the listeners. One discordant life in a household mars the perfectness of the music of love in the family. We should make sure that our life is not the one that is out of tune. We do not need to worry about the other lives; if each looks to his own, that will do.

When our Lord sent His disciples out to preach, one of His instructions was—"Into whatever house you enter, first say, Peace be to this house." Peace is a good word. It is more than a salutation; falling from the Master's lips, it is a divine benediction as well. Peace, too, is a fruit of grace, which includes all that is sweetest and most divine in Christian culture. It is especially suggestive of the harmony of love, which is the perfection of beautiful living. Christ's peace is a blessing, which comes out of struggle and discipline. Well, therefore, does the salutation "Peace!" befit a Christian home, which ought to be the abode of peace.

What are some of the secrets of happy home life? The answer might be given in one word—Christ...

Christ at the marriage-altar; Christ on the bridal journey; Christ when the new home is set up; Christ when the baby is born; Christ when a child dies; Christ in the pinching times; Christ in the days of plenty; Christ in the nursery, in the kitchen, in the parlor; Christ in the toil and in the rest; Christ along all the years; Christ when the wedded pair walk toward the sunset gates; Christ in the sad hour when farewells are spoken, and one goes on before and the other stays, bearing the unshared grief.

Christ is the secret of happy home life.

But the lesson may be broken up. The making of a home begins before there is a home—it begins in the days when the life-choices are made. There are many unhappy marriages. There are families sheltered in houses, which are not homes. A happy home does not come as a matter of course because there has been a marriage ceremony, with pledged vows and a ring, and the minister's "Whom God has joined together, let no man put asunder," and a benediction. Happiness does not come through any mere forms or ceremonies; it has to be planned for, lived for, sacrificed for, prayed for, and ofttimes suffered for."

by J. R. Miller, 1894

Celebrating Life! Celebrating Family!

The month of October brings numerous birthdays in our family! We've celebrated three already, and there are still more to celebrate!!

We often say, "We are blessed with the most awesome family!!" We are...and here are a few photos to prove it!

Pawpaw (Mark's Daddy), Our Gray Patriarch, 83, with Katherine, 11, ...



















Family gathering at Olive Garden to celebrate Pawpaw's birthday...













Pawpaw's namesake!



















Have fun,...













will travel...







































Amy, our niece and mother of four!













Andrew, the Daddy of three beautiful girls and handsome son!













Andrew with Lucy...













K-K-K-Katie and Mawmaw













Mallory turned 4 on her birthday!






































After Pawpaw's dinner party, we congregated back at our house for cake and ice cream!
Tricia made the most awesome RICH, Chocolate birthday cake, which was enjoyed by all!













Singing Happy Birthday to Pawpaw!













Two days later, our family congregated to celebrate Poppy's 80th birthday (My Daddy)!
A few of Poppy's closest friends joined us, which made the gathering extra special!














This photo is precious to me...The breath of life is so fragile!














Meme welcoming our family and guests, and as always with tears, reminds us of SO MUCH we have to be thankful for!














Grandchildren beginning to gather around to sing to Poppy...




























Singing "Happy Birthday" to MY DADDY!





























Opening cards...














We've MUCH to be grateful for!

I've likely shared this passage before, but it is a favorite and one I've meditated on many times...

Psalm 71

¹In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust: let me never be put to confusion.

²Deliver me in thy righteousness, and cause me to escape: incline thine ear unto me, and save me.

³Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou hast given commandment to save me; for thou art my rock and my fortress.

⁴Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

⁵For thou art my hope, O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth.

⁶By thee have I been holden up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother's bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.

⁷I am as a wonder unto many; but thou art my strong refuge.

⁸Let my mouth be filled with thy praise and with thy honour all the day.

⁹Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.

¹⁰For mine enemies speak against me; and they that lay wait for my soul take counsel together,

¹¹Saying, God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him; for there is none to deliver him.

¹²O God, be not far from me: O my God, make haste for my help.

¹³Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonour that seek my hurt.

¹⁴But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.

¹⁵My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy salvation all the day; for I know not the numbers thereof.

¹⁶I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only.

¹⁷O God, thou hast taught me from my youth: and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.

¹⁸Now also when I am old and greyheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.

¹⁹Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee!

²⁰Thou, which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

²¹Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.

²²I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God: unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel.

²³My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.

²⁴My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long: for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.

John Dear: A Lean-to

Once upon a time there were two children named John and Katherine. They made a lean-to and
I just so happen to have pictures. You probably want to see them, soooo here they are...(^_^)

This is the inside...













John is guarding it...













John is still guarding it...













and of course, the boy and girl enjoyed playing in it.














The supplies they used to build the shelter were:
Two tall "Y" sticks
Two short "Y" sticks
Two long sticks
Sticks to lay across the top
Palm branches to cover the sticks

The end.

Ready, Aim....Smile!!

Mark's sister, Tricia

"Strength and honour [are] her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come" (Proverbs 31:25).

"There is no weapon in the whole feminine armory to which men are so vulnerable as they are to a smile...
It is a thousand pities that women put no stress on cheerfulness as either a virtue or a duty, because there is no other quality that goes so far toward making a marriage a success and keeping a husband nailed to his fireside.
There is no man who doesn't hasten his footsteps to his own home at night if he knows he is going to find in it a woman whose smile makes sunshine within it."

Dorothy Dix (1861-1951)

U.S. journalist, Elisabeth Meriwether Gilmer

He Restoreth My Soul

I will extol thee, my God, O King; and I will bless thy name forever and ever.
Every day will I bless thee; and I will praise thy name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.
One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.
I will speak of the glorious honor of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works.
And men shall speak of the might of thy terrible acts: and I will declare thy greatness.
They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy great goodness, and shall sing of thy righteousness.
The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.
The LORD is good to all; and his tender mercies are over all his works.
All thy works shall praise thee, O LORD; and thy saints shall bless thee.
They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power;
To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom.
Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.
The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that be bowed down..
The eyes of all wait upon thee; and thou givest them their meat in due season.
Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.
The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him, in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him: he also will hear their cry, and will save them.
The LORD preserveth all them that love him: but all the wicked will he destroy.
My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD: and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.
Psalm 145

I'm grateful today for the precious, refreshment of God's Word.
May HIS fellowship nourish your soul today!

Calvin and Cicada

This is Cicada.

On this particular day, Calvin seemed more sedate than normal!
It's not often I find him like this, and when I do, I'm prone to look around to wonder...
"What did I miss?"

I went over to nudge him because I felt a few sprinkles, or more. I told him, "You need to come in out of the rain!"


















Calvin isn't normally concerned about a little water, so wasn't the slightest bit concerned as some cats would be by the threat of rain.
Our first cat, Prancer, used to coward low to the ground or floor in search of a place to hide in as much as an hour before the sight of a cloud! He was old and experienced with a keen sense of the dropping barometric pressure!
But obviously, Calvin was NOT keen, nor experienced! Maybe we should work on this!

Instead, he was sprawled out in the middle of the yard, seeming to dare the rain to fall on him!
Hmmm...
I suppose we're to blame, for we conditioned him from the time he was a kitten to expect a few good squirts every now and then when he tried to get on the furniture.
But this particular day, the breeze was picking up and it appeared the sky would fall, so I thought, "He'll appreciate me for this", so I nudged him again!
He still wouldn't budge!
He didn't care AT ALL that he was about to get really WET! He just looked at me, and mewed!



















"Ohhh Calvin...so that's why you're so obstinate!! You're occupied with a bug!"
And that he was! He was quite entranced, because...













it seemed the bug seemed entranced with him, or was it total fright?













I couldn't imagine the bug wanting to make friends with a big cat...













but it seemed true, until I saw the bug's wing...it was torn!
Poor bug!
He couldn't escape if he wanted to, ....or could he?













Oh..., so I acted in favor of the bug and swooped down to pick Calvin up in my arms.
I took him into the house, forever removing the pesky, playful, predator who sought to find pleasure in the poor pest's plight! Maybe now Cicada could make his escape!

Cicadas are the loud creatures we hear out in our yard. One or more male Cicadas are known to congregate to perform, literally, loud songs to encourage females to join them for the ultimate purpose of finding a mate. Females are attracted to their music, and if that weren't enough, the girls join in to click their wings making the sound louder, even deafening!
I wonder, if in between the male's music Cicada went to flight, in search of the right female and found CALVIN!
Oh, what a shame! Calvin was in the wrong place at the wrong time!
Poor Cicada's mating call could have been ruined by the paw of a playful pet that needed to experience some pleasure, likely injuring his wing in the process!

Sadly enough, the Cicada depends on woody, deciduous plants for food, and cannot survive on grass! Maybe by freeing the Cicada of Calvin, he was able to crawl over to a nearby bush to survive.

If not for Calvin, our days would seem so terribly pest free!

Isaac to WED Lydiana~

Anna Grace Photography: Used with Permission

Our family is extremely excited about the engagement of our Dear friend, Isaac, to Lydiana!

We're totally amazed, but not surprised, by ALL God has done to pave the way to the altar for both Isaac and Lydiana!

Isaac, we're counting down the days with you! We already love the 'family' you are becoming, and the fun plans you are making together!
We can't wait to see what GREAT things the LORD has in store for your future!













Thank you, Anna Grace, for sharing your photography with us! Your blog is great! :~)