Family Tradition...

Each year my mom finds matching "outfits" for the family to enjoy, as well as create a great photo opp for the next year's Christmas cards... This year we took pictures in shifts... we just couldn't get it together to have us all done at once, ha...

My brother-in-law, David, spent Christmas in Afghanistan keeping us safe... he was missed... we appreciate our soldiers abroad and pray their safe and quick return...

We hugged newlyweds, Jessica & Rick, goodbye Saturday as they headed up to Ft. Drum, New York where Rick reports to new duty station on Monday... Jessica will return to Hawaii at the end of the week where the process of requesting joint assignment will begin... Please pray for them in this new season as a married couple... please also pray for God's peace & provision as they wait, what could be several months, to reside in New York together...

Following Rick & Jess' departure, we all needed a little "get out of the house" time... So, we loaded the kids up and headed to the bowling alley...

Tony, Priscilla, James & myself played on one lane, while the other 4 littler ones bowled with the gutter guards up... Fun had by all... 2 year old Isabella helped me roll a few balls down the lane too... hilarious...

We enjoyed greasy pizza and french fries for lunch... yum...

Of course, we had to make a pit stop at the arcade before our departure...

We had a wonderful weekend which was topped off by worship at Mt. Ararat Baptist Church on Sunday. Tony preached on the doctrine of adoption, while I was privileged to share a song I wrote following my trip to SE Asia based on Isaiah 1:17... It was great to fellowship with family and friends from VA, especially with Pastor Todd and his wife, Pam, over Outback Steakhouse meal afterwards... My sister, Priscilla, decided to postpone her departure to Monday morning giving us one more day together... a blessing... Our kids have had a lot of fun together... cousins... :) ... One more day in Virginia... please continue to pray for the healing of my ear infection prior to flying... there is a slight relief, but I still cannot hear out of my right ear... not to mention the additional side effects of antibiotics... woe is me... LOL... Despite this "inconvenience", it has been a wonderful time here with family... one I wouldn't trade for anything... again, our God is gracious, loving and merciful... may HE make His Name great in 2010!