Swimming in Riches

I can't look back on the photos of our November without being thankful.

The first week of the month was Ed's chemo week. It hit him a little harder than usual, and he experienced some side effects such as mouth sores. 

But he was still able to participate in our family hog butchering day. We usually butcher in January but decided to do it earlier this year. We went home a little early since Ed was tired, but, on the whole, it was a great day.

I've shared lots of photos and info on our butcher days in the past. If you want to see more photos from this year, check out my brother's instagram.

One of the fun things about young children is there is always new joys like a pile of leaves.

The highlight of our November was the weekend before Thanksgiving when our family took a short vacation in a cabin high in the Virginia mountains. Our vacation plans in September were canceled because of our son's accident, so it was wonderful to have this special family time. Above was the view out the window in the morning.

We spent one day at Monticello, the home that Thomas Jefferson built.

I enjoyed walking through the vegetable gardens though it wasn't the ideal time of year to see the peak.

The Discover Center was a favorite spot for the children. They could use reproductions of Jefferson's tools and furniture.

Back at the cabin we enjoyed lots of good food...

hours of game playing...

and hiking.

One of the highlights of the weekend was visiting Faith Mission Home which was a few miles away. Our tour guide pointed out  many of the sites read about in Home on the Rock Pile by Pablo Yoder, which is a favorite book of our children.

The weather was often windy and cold, but for November, we had a great weekend.

And then there was Thanksgiving week with even more family time since Ed had several days off work. We enjoyed Christmas cookie baking, gatherings with friends that we see rarely, extended family meals, and time to work on home projects.

Ed's mom and our youngest

Our family has much to be thankful for this year. Even though we have experienced things in the last months that we never wished, we have so many blessings. 

My sister is presently serving refugees in Greece. The conditions for these refugees is appalling. Not only have they lost their homes and many of their friends and family, they now have miserable living conditions and an uncertain future. With thousands of refugees still arriving, the camp is crowded and riots break out. Compared to them, I am swimming in the riches of security, comfort, hope, and love - both from my community and the Lord. 

What are you thankful for today?