November 30 First significant snow

Sunday:  We had a little "dusting" of snow one day last week, or perhaps it was the week before, but TODAY was quite a different matter. We got slammed with it! Weather reports record 11" in Belmont! Other areas got similar amounts, and it snowed on and off throughout the day today. 

Most of the churches cancelled their services due to the icy roads and the need to keep people safe. It's always sad to me when church is cancelled. I did tune in to the "recorded" songs and message that Calvary put together on the internet, though. AND I listened to a wonderful sermon by my favorite pastor/teacher (recently retired), Alistair Begg. I love him. I love his clear teaching of God's Word. I love his Scottish accent. I how he quotes beautiful old hymns as well as popular songs I used to love as a teenager--you see, he and I are contemporaries. He was born in '52 and I was born in '53--perhaps that's why I find him so relatable; but more than that, I love his clear teaching of the Bible. It's so refreshing and challenging and convicting--oftentimes it brings me to tears (the good kind).

I snapped a few quick pictures of the beautiful snow while I was outside shoveling my walkway and small driveway. This was super heavy snow! About halfway through shoveling my driveway, the kind neighbor who has a very interesting snow blower/tractor kind of vehicle, drove by on his way to clear driveways of people who have hired him to do this. The snow was so heavy for me, that I actually broke down and hired him to finish my driveway! I've never done that in all of the years I have lived here. I hope that isn't an indication of a downward trend in my life! Yikes.

My front deck did not look very welcoming!

Directly across the street from my house:

My poor little bird feeders! After I was finished shoveling, I walked around to my feeders and cleared the snow away and filled the feeders to the max. I got lots of pretty little birds all afternoon who came and enjoyed the food!

Looking down the street, to the left of my house:

Underneath my across-the-street neighbor's pine tree.

Sure was beautiful to look at the snow today. If today was anything like prior years, we will NOT have a white Christmas! So many times, we get tons of snow in November and early December, but none for Christmas. I am hearing predictions, though, that this year is going to be a particularly snowy and cold winter.

November 29 Chris's Card

Saturday:  This is the card that I made for Chris's 22nd birthday.

FRONT:

On the inside of his card:

This is the back of the card (the top part of the card is a collage of Chris at Roselle Park (the exact place where he proposed to Ella--only these pictures are from TEN years ago); the bottom pictures are copies of some of his drawings as a little kid.

November 29 Chris is 22

H a P p Y   B I R T h d A Y ,   C h R I S ! !

Saturday:  The plan WAS to serve dinner at 4:00 late this afternoon; however, we are presently under a Winter Storm Advisory (pretty close to a "warning"), so Chris messaged everyone late in the evening yesterday and asked if we could push the time up to 2:00 (a few hours earlier than the storm is actually supposed to hit). Good suggestion, Chris.

It's a good thing I had been making meal preparations all throughout Friday! I'm not what people would call a "good" cook. I'm just not! I don't really feel badly about it either. I CAN cook, given a proper recipe, as long as it's nothing terribly complicated. I have successfully cooked turkey on multiple occasions and have had it turn out okay, and since turkey was on sale at Meijer for 32 cents/pound last week, I purchased a 12# bird to roast for this occasion. I realized it would be quite redundant following Thanksgiving, but I don't have a large freezer (just a very standard apartment-sized one) and I wanted to take advantage of the low-price meat--so I served TURKEY.

I did go online and found some interesting recipes for turkey. I found something called "dry-brining" a turkey, which I had never heard of before. You take Kosher salt and combine it with other poultry seasoning, and then you rub that under the skin of the thawed turkey, leave it uncovered, and refrigerate it at least 24 hours (some recipes called for THREE days of brining) before you roast it. Just before roasting it, you rub softened butter, garlic, and other spices all over the skin of the turkey and then cook it. 

I dry-brined my bird for 24 hours and then roasted it Saturday morning, got it all carved and into a large crock-pot about an hour before everyone arrived for dinner. (Note to self: Dry-brining makes for a VERY salty turkey).  I also did the mashed potatoes ahead and placed them in a crock-pot, as well as the gravy and stuffing. That way, when everyone arrived, I didn't have eight million greasy pans everywhere in the kitchen--because those were already washed and put away, making for a much nicer-looking kitchen. I am very picky about clean kitchens (and bathrooms) ... I wonder where/who on earth I got that from?

I decided buy divided paper plates ($1.50/12 at Dollar Tree) because ... I know they look tacky, but they are just SO practical when it comes to a big meal like this. My dishwasher hasn't worked in the last six years or so (it leaks pretty badly). I just use it as a dish drainer, which works really well for me.

I had baked plenty of muffins and bread last week, so I served those along with my favorite orange jello with the fancy whipped topping (Emma likes it too).

I could sit SIX at my wooden table, and then Jesse and I sat together at the round table--which worked out nicely. I pulled the round table closer than it usually is to the other table so that we could all visit together. It's always amazing to me that absolute HOURS go into preparing a big meal like this and then it is over in a matter of 15 minutes! Everyone has eaten, they are full to the brim, and we move on! Hopefully when we get together again a few weeks from now, I will come up with an easier-to-prepare menu.

Since we were gathered to celebrate Chris's birthday, the next order of events was opening cards and presents. Here is Chris reading the card I made for him (see card next post) ...

And then he opened gifts (which I failed to photograph), and then we all told funny stories we could remember about Chris. It was fun to laugh together and remember things from years ago.

Here is Chris trying on the hoodie he requested ... looks very nice, Chris!

And THEN it was time to serve the Oreo Ice cream Cake that Chris likes best. Whew. At least I wasn't baking a cake along with all of the other cooking! 

Matthew appointed himself the cake "server" and dished it up for everyone (under protest from Chris). Matt is a natural at serving. I love this about him so much.

After we enjoyed our cake, Jesse went back to his place--he's been in an irregular sleep pattern for an entire month and it is not an easy thing to deal with. The rest of us (minus Kota) played two rounds of "Liar, Liar!" which is very fun to play with these kids. Kaity won the first round. Emma won the second.

Afterwards, Emma and Kota left, taking Kaity with them--it was beginning to snow now and was quickly getting dark. And then Chris suggested we play at least ONE MORE GAME of something ... I forget what our choices were, but Pachesi was one of them; so I enthusiastically got the board down off the wall where it hangs and we commenced playing. It's been a very long time since I played 4-person Pachesi. What a riot.

I can't even recount how many times each of us were sent home!!! I think this might have been the first time any of these three had played this game--but it was so much fun. My brother and I LOVE to play this game.

SO ... the first winner was ME -- which was very surprising! Ella came in second, and then I figured the boys would just quit; but NO--Chris HAD to keep going. He ended up being the losing loser--but I think he had fun anyway.

It sure was nice to have everyone over. How can these guys all be this grown up? Where on earth did the time go? 

SIGH. 

Oh, Lord--Hear my prayer for them--please let them truly know You, surrender their lives to you while they are young, and LIVE as You intend them to. Give them clear eyes to see You, and open their hearts to receive You. Make Your Word come alive to them so that they will live in a way that pleases You. Nothing else will ever satisfy the deepest longings of their hearts.

November 27 Thanksgiving Day 2025

"I trust in Your unfailing love. I will rejoice because You have rescued me. I will sing to the LORD because He has been so good to me. " (Psalm 9.2)

Thursday:  HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Kelly is hosting the main meal of the day (she always does!) for their family, Shane, and guests (their new neighbors from Sri Lanka), as well as myself. I was asked to bring stuffing (dressing), and I also brought some homemade pumpkin muffins, chocolate chip muffins, and some banana bread. I arrived at 11 am--our goal was to eat this massive lunch at noon so that we would be all finished and ready for the big game at 1:00. 

Everything happened as scheduled, except the invited neighbors wrote down the wrong time for dinner and so they didn't arrive until about 1:00. Most of us were already downstairs in front of the monitor awaiting the game too begin when they arrived.

SO ... the Lions lost to the Packers (boo!), 31-24. Mr. Cal was cheering for Green Bay (because they have a "G" on their helmets, which naturally stands for "Gregory", which is his allotted birth name). It was a ... rather ... painful game to watch. Honestly! We have so many injured players right now, so we are playing rather handicapped (duh). Anyway, we LOST.

I barely took any pictures at all today. There was just too much going on. The little kids were playing their own game of football right under our noses and feet and bodies, all during the REAL game. And I, naturally, was yelling loudly all through the game. I was really quite worn out when it was over.

Aidan beckoned me downstairs a little earlier to see his huge panorama of some kind of ... toy party ... chess tournament ... dinosaur smashing party (it is pictured below).

Here is Aidan, explaining the entire concoction to me.

This is the very L O N G table set up to accommodate the 13 people who were supposed to enjoy the meal together. We had already finished eating when I snapped this picture--only Erin was left, enjoying some extra treats at the table. The kids and I spent some time on my phone on Amazon trying to figure out what to order for Christmas. I think I pretty much ordered what Erin wants, but I'm going to have to concentrate on Tuesday to get the other kids' understood and ordered.

Jesse was also "hosting" today. He and Matt cooked a turkey and all the trimmings. Family just dropped by when they could. Since I had already eaten enough to stuff a boat, I just nibbled here and there. Chris and Ella stopped by later in the day. When I showed this picture to Chris and Ella yesterday, they thought it was terrible of both of them--they DO look a little weary, don't they?

I forget which football game we were watching at this point. Jesse and the boys seem to keep up with what is happening with all of the professional teams. I actually don't watch football at all, unless the Lions are playing; and since I have no way to watch even the Lions play--Jesse is kind enough to let me watch them over at his house and his really really nice large-screen (not pictured). 

Two days from now is Chris's 22nd birthday. The plan right now is for me to cook a nice dinner and have everyone come over to celebrate. 

November 25 At Cal's school

Tuesday afternoon:  I was invited to visit Cal's class this afternoon! Well, actually, I went as a substitute for his mom and dad because they couldn't make it due to their work schedules. 

Cal is in a pre-K class! What a busy and interesting place it is! And such a nice teacher and helpers! And such unusual names for the students--I can't even remember all of them. Trust me, there were NO Tom's, or Mike's, or Carol's ... 

This is the "Dollie" Cal helped to build! He said his specific contribution was the HANDLE (which he is holding and showing to me). 

In his class, they have been studying tools, plants, cooking, and a bunch of other cool things. They have "centers" for various subjects, lots of hands-on projects, tons of good books ... wow.

The arrow is pointing to Cal's teacher--who, by the way, went to college with Kelly!

It was really nice to visit Cal's class today! I think I was there for about an hour. Cal and I read two books (about predators and preys--dinosaurs specifically). We also ate some banana muffins the kids had made. Delicious! 

November 25 "Destiny"

Tuesday morning:  My friend, Julie, and I met for lunch today at 11:30 at our usual place so that we could order our usual lunch--FRIED chicken. I'm not really a huge fan of Russ' Restaurant--probably has something to do with going there with my mom so often and being surrounded by "old" (really, really OLD) people eating there. But now I am OLD--so I blend right in! Their friend chicken is juicier and tastier than any other fried chicken I have ever eaten.

Julie has been out of town the last two Tuesdays, so we had a lot of catching up to do--and we did! I love Julie. She is truly serious about really knowing God--not just with her brain, but with her heart and life. Sometimes we discuss our lesson for our Bible study class that presently is studying John's Gospel; but oftentimes, we spin off to other subjects.

This week, I brought along a book that has really impacted me: "Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A devout Muslim Encounters Christianity" written by Nabeel Qureshi. I love him. The book is basically a narrative of how he came to faith in Christ through a four-year intense journey of apologetics and friendship with a Christian he met during his first year at college. He was born in this country to Pakistani, devout Muslim parents, in 1983. His mom was the daughter of Muslim missionaries, and her mom was also the daughter of Muslim missionaries. Their entire family life was dedicated loving of Islam. I love his story of faith so much. It was costly and radical and intelligent and studied. After Nabeel converted to Christianity, the Lord used him in such a powerful way; but then only after a dozen or so years of being a Christian, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 stomach cancer and died at the age of 34 (leaving a wife and young daughter). His parents concluded this was Allah's punishment for his apostasy.

Julie was familiar with this story because Victor (her husband) claims that the gospel is presented better in this book than any other he has read (other than the Bible, naturally). So we enjoyed a really good talk about this book, Nabeel's life, and our own walks of faith. 

I think the most impactful thing I have read in this autobiography was how Nabeel knew that if he accepted Christianity as THE TRUTH, it would change his life forever, AND he would surrender all he had for the gospel. He was in medical school, did achieve his M.D., but then went on to ministry instead of medicine. His parents nearly disowned him--but he was their only son, and living here in America being Muslim is quite different than living in the Eastern world being Muslim. They were heartbroken, though; and Nabeel said that when his parents found out about his decision to follow Christ, his dad told him that it felt like his spine had been ripped right out of his back. And the "light" he always loved in his mothers eyes went OUT, and he never saw it go back on again. He and his family were very close. One night when he was mourning the loss of his family and was weeping and asking God WHY He didn't just kill him after he had come to Christ instead of having to hurt his parents so deeply, he felt that God answered him like this: "It isn't about you, Nabeel." And he said that as soon as he realized that God was in charge and was faithful, he surrendered all of his hearts' desires to Him. We often have a very inflated view of ourselves, don't we?! 

About midway through our meal, the people in the booth behind us got up to leave. The woman stood beside our booth and asked to see the book we were talking about. I handed her my book. She wanted to write down some information so that she could purchase it. The woman was perhaps 50-ish, missing most of her teeth, and looked very weary. I told her to take my book--I could get another! She was so happy to have it! I asked her name, and she responded "Destiny." A very unusual name, don't you think?

Julie and I have been praying for Destiny. Perhaps the very fact that she was seated in the booth behind us and overheard our conversation was HER destiny, so that she could read about how Jesus radically changed the life of Nabeel Qureshi. Wouldn't it be great if she gave her life to Christ as a result?

I hadn't quite finished reading the book, however; and as soon as she walked out of the restaurant with it in her hands, I was planning on how to get another copy for myself. After my day was finished with the kiddos, I drove to Baker Books and ... in the used book section for $7 was ONE copy of "Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus!" I bought it, PLUS the other book I was going to order: "No God But One: Allah or Jesus?" (also by Nabeel) was in the used section too! For $8!! I smiled all the way home!

November 18 with the children

Tuesday:  Half of November has flown past already ... where did it go? Young Cal reached his half birthday three days ago and I didn't even realize it! I informed him today that he is definitely NOT allowed to turn six. He scorned that remark rather thoroughly and then laughed--me too!

I didn't meet anyone for lunch this morning. My friend, Julie, is out of town; and Jennifer's floral shop is super busy leading up to Thanksgiving--so I ate a quick lunch here at home before I drove over to do a little cleaning at the house. Brendan came home a little after 3:00 and we visited for a bit before he went downstairs to unwind from his day at school. 

The "littles" got off their bus as usual--except Aidan is gone this week with Kelly down to Cincinnati for some health evaluations to try to get some assistance with Aidan's dietary and digestive challenges. Much prayer for the physicians and therapists who will meet with Aidan and Kelly this week. It sure would be encouraging to get a few answers and some help for him and everyone who loves this little guy.

I only took a handful of pictures today:

Cal and I played 5 games of fox and wolf tic-tac-toe. Cal won FOUR of the five games! He was quite ecstatic about it too!

Erin and I built stuff with the Jenga blocks and just talked for awhile as she ate her cantaloupe and cinnamon toast.

Dylan came home between work and teaching his night class (!!), long enough to feed the kiddos and then take off for a few hours to do his teaching. The class he is teaching is basically on his new book: "The Kingdom of God and the Common Good." It is a reference book/textbook for Orthodox Christian Social Thought. He is teaching the course on-line, using Kelly's office space as his classroom. Cool. 

Dylan and the kids had a group hug before he left ...

Since Kelly is out of town, I stayed for the next few hours until Dylan returned from teaching. Erin and Cal went to bed at about 7:30--although NOT to sleep--they required a bit of extra tucking in and a few stories from my childhood to entertain them as they tried to enter the land of sleep. But all was well, and they finally drifted off to sleep. Brendan doesn't go to bed until later (after all, he is almost 14!). We played several games of UNO Flip--all of which were won by Brendan. It was nice to spend time with this beautiful grandson. 

Thankful to the Lord tonight for the love of family.

November 15 The best gifts

Saturday:  Yesterday, I went online to map out how to get to Hope's football stadium. I knew Hope was in Holland, and that Holland is right on THE LAKE ... so I was already calculating a side-trip to see beautiful Lake Michigan. I mean--how can a person be within 15 minutes of Lake Michigan and NOT drive to it and bask in its beauty?

I didn't mention anything to Emma about going to the lake until after Chris's game was over, and family had greeted him, and everyone was heading to their separate cars for the drive back to Grand Rapids. I just casually mentioned to Emma how close we were to the lake (of course, she already knew that Lake Michigan was close by--she is not a moron!) and that I had no intention of being this close and not enjoying it for a few minutes. She was immediately in agreement! I knew she would be!

I had to think about WHERE exactly to view the lake, though. Holland State Park was about 12 minutes away--but I've been there so many times, and the beach doesn't really go very far there. Big Red is there, of course, but I have a LOT of pictures of that little lighthouse already, and there is always PEOPLE on that beach. I wanted to go somewhere quiet. Somewhere with a much better chance of being alone with the sound of the surf, and the magic of the dunes, and wind, and setting sun. 

I wasn't sure, but I thought that Emma had not ever been to Kirk Park (which is about half-way between Holland and Grand Haven), and it had been a long time since I had been there too. What I remembered about this location was the height of the dunes and the beauty of the trees surrounding them. AND ... it's almost always without people! At least this time of the year--I don't know what it is like during the summer season, since I haven't visited it during that time in over 40 years.

Kirk Park is such a beautiful place. I would enjoy it even if I were by myself, but what made it so wonderful this afternoon was being there with Emma. I soaked in every minute! Dear Emma. I love her so much. What a gift this was to me today.

Here are some of the pictures I took--all with my I-phone since I didn't even have my camera with me.

It's not a long distance between the parking lot and the beach, but it sure is a pretty pathway--which I didn't photograph because I was so excited to get to the lake! I will say, though, that the walk DOWN to the water was much easier than the walk coming back up!

Most of these pictures were taken somewhere between 4:30 and 5:30 in the afternoon. The color, the shadows, the clouds, the waves, the sun ... SO beautiful.

Emma is also a photographer! She has a really nice camera and a terrific lens. She knows a lot more about cameras than I do (I know almost nothing) and loves photography. She even makes photo books, year books, collecting her best memories from the year and putting them in a beautiful book. I'm so glad she loves doing this.

Depending on which direction I pointed (north or south), the colors were completely different! I could stand in the same exact spot and just point either north or south and this was the result.

I LOVE these pictures.

Walking back up the dune to the pathway leading to the parking lot was HARD. I had so much sand in my boots at this point that I had to go super slow all the way back. Emma was kind enough to lend me a hand!

We took a little side path (naturally!) and climbed these 50+ steps to the lookout on top of the dunes.

Isn't this a beautiful place?

Emma snapped a few pictures of me while we were resting at the top of the dune. Man! Do I ever look OLD. Sigh. But do you know what? I AM OLD. And the Lord has been faithful to me for 72 years, always providing enough for me to live, always hearing when I cry out to Him, directing my decisions, forgiving my many sins (over and over again), and welcoming me into a relationship with Him as His daughter.  

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of this day ... for this time at the game watching Chris do what he loves to do, being with Kaity and enjoying her friendship with Ayden, visiting with Diana and her folks, seeing Matthew after the game, the drive to and from the game with Emma ... AND time at Lake Michigan! Wow. I am truly blessed.