Monday, November 27, 2017

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?

13 comments :

  1. Beautiful, beautiful post, Gina. Thank you for sharing your blessings. That family vacation looked just about perfect. And you are so right; compared to the vast majority of people in this world, we are truly swimming in riches.

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  2. Thank you dear Gina for your lovely post. I'm thankful for my family and a home to offer hospitality to guests. I'm for friends who are willing to pray for me and encourage me.

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  3. Thanks for this lovely post... What a blessing you could enjoy some "family time" together after all you have had to deal with earlier this year !! We are thankful for a safe trip to Columbus, Ohio where we spent several days with our two daughters & their families there. We cherish each day since my hubby's cancer in 2008 !!

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  4. Thankful for you & your family's service & love for our Lord! Thankful for the wonderful blessings He's given to us. Thankful to live in this richly blessed country with freedom! I love your posts about your family happenings. And so thankful for Ed's renewed health daily. God bless you all!

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  5. I love these pictures of your family! God bless you, friend.

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  6. You are such a blessing to so many. Thankyou for the beauty of your honesty.

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  7. hello - my husband also had terrible mouth sores due to his chemo and radiation. The oncologist prescribed what they call "magic mouth wash" - it numbs the sores and helps to heal them. It is been ten months since my husband's chemo and radiation and he still experiences "peeling lips" - the skin on his lips get very very dry and begins to peel. the doctor said this is all part of his body healing.

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  8. Gina, I am so pleased that you some time away as a family. Thanks for sharing the photos with us. How wonderful it is that Ed is doing so well.

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  9. So glad to see that your family was able to get away and enjoy some fun memory making times and exploring a new area. And some exciting new hiking areas, too! :-) Rejoicing at the goodness of our Abba Father in a broken world, Who is the Light of the world.

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  10. What beautiful children you have. I'm so glad you could get away and spend some time together. How fun to see some places from Pablo Yoder's book! My children also love Home on the Rock Pile and Home on the Blue Ridge also.

    I am very thankful right now for some new Christian friends. I have met some lovely Christian women lately that have been such a blessing in my life. Christian friends make life so enriched.

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  11. I recognize some of the views in the pictures! I spent a year working at Faith Mission before we got married, so I have lots of good memories of that area, including 'Eugene's Cabin'.☺

    Looks like perfect family time!

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  12. Hi! I just read about you in Linda Zimmerman's newsletter so I popped over to find you. :) Interesting to see the cabin pictures- my husband's aunt and her husband own that.So sorry you have cancer to deal with! Looks like a fun family you have there. Blessings as you grow together.

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