Hello!
Christmas
is here once again to celebrate our Savior's birth. Little did I, and my family, realize that our
last Christmas celebration would be the final time that Dana would be with us.
We are still in the process of adjusting to not having Dana around. His larger-than-life personality leaves a big hole in our family structure; the house is much
quieter now as forty-five years of memories flood our mind. I'm so thankful though for the blessed hope-
that Dana preached about often for several years- that we now can cling to.
Christ's birth, crucifixion, and resurrection gives us the assurance that one
day we will be reunited again forever.
What an awesome promise!
Meanwhile
we have been busy painting and organizing stuff around the house that I wasn't
able to get to before when taking care of Dana. With the stimulus checks we
received earlier this year; we were able to buy metal for our roof that needed
redone. Dwight had to completely tear
out the back sun/mud room roof that had been leaking. It has been quite a project as Dwight can
only work for a bit at a time. The
entire roof is thankfully three-fourths completed.
Dawn
and her family came for Thanksgiving. Lots of changes have happened this year
as Annette also got married the last of July, so she too was missing. Randy and
William brought their guitars, and with Dwight, we had quite the music fest in
the evenings between playing games in the dining room. During the day, the
fellows put in three insulated doors in the sun/mud room, which is such a blessing.
As usual our time together was too short.
One
week this month the temperature was up in the high 60's so I went crazy hanging
out wash, putting leaves in the duck and hen houses for insulation, spreading
manure on another garden plot, and transplanting strawberry plants on the bank
that have spread around Dwight's workshop.
Since then, I've had to break ice in the outside water buckets for Tex, the ducks
& chickens, haul ashes and wood, and keep the wood stoves going. I'm so
grateful for my warm house here in the woods when the winter winds blow.
Everyone,
including Annette & Curtis, is coming up to celebrate Christmas the Monday
& Tuesday after Christmas. So
needless to say, I am in a dither trying to get all the Christmas decorations
up, finish the Christmas shopping, and then wrap gifts, cook, and bake before
everyone comes- not to mention giving everything a good cleaning. Just where
does all the dirt and dust come from anyway?
After
Christmas I plan on remodeling my kitchen and some other major areas of the house.
I'm going to go room by room painting and upgrading things. I've got a list of
things needing a loving touch or rather a paintbrush. I'm so thankful for the
strength I have, even though each year I seem to slow down rather than speed up
like I'd prefer.
Dawn
and Randy are still planning on going to the Philippines when the door opens.
Curtis and Annette are pastoring the Madison church in Nashville. Dwight meanwhile stays busy designing and
making pocketknives between doing projects around the house.
I
know that God will be faithful to take care of us and meet our needs as He has
in the past; so I can trust Him for the future. Although Dana is gone, his
legacy still lives in our children and grandchildren.
Have
a Blessed Christmas Season!
Dorcas
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