Bear

Patiently waiting....
...waiting to pass out tracts in a Christmas Parade....

....riding in the way back of the wagon on the way to church....

....enjoying a KID'S Sundae at Ghirardelli Soda Shoppe...

....just being momma's favorite Bear cub!

Todd

The swivel viewer on the camera makes taking a pic of something in the

back seat while you are facing the front.... pretty easy.
Talking....

....still talking....

....yes, still talking!

Aimée

I used the ride to church to play with my new camera.

Aimée trying to study for a test.
Hmm, she is noticing the camera....

... there is that smile!

Tunnel vision

That is our girl!

Gotta love the hat!

Do You Know Who You Are?

I KNOW WHO I AM

I am God's child (John 1:12)

I am Christ's friend (John 15:15)

I am united with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17)

I am bought with a price (1 Cor 6:19-20)

I am a saint (set apart for God) (Eph. 1:1)

I am a personal witness of Christ (Acts 1:8)

I am the salt & light of the earth (Matt 5:13-14)

I am a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27)

I am free forever from condemnation (Rom 8:1-2)

I am a citizen of Heaven, I am significant (Phil 3:20)

I am free from any charge against me (Rom. 8:31-34)

I am a minister of reconciliation for God (2 Cor 5:17-21)

I have access to God through the Holy Spirit (Eph 2:18)

I am seated with Christ in the heavenly realms (Eph 2:6)

I cannot be separated from the love of God (Roma 8:35-39)

I am established, anointed, sealed by God (2 Cor 1:21-22)

I am assured all things work together for good ( Rom 8:28)

I have been chosena and appointed to bear fruit (John 15:16)

I may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph 3:12)

I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me (Phil 4:13)

I am the branch of the true vine, a channel of His life (John 15:1-5)

I am God's temple (1 Cor. 3:16)

I am complete in Christ (2 Cor 2:10)

I am hidden with Christ in God (Cor 3:3)

I have been justified (Romans 5:1)

I am God's co-worker (1 Cor 3:9, 2 Cor 6:1)

I am God's workmanship (Eph 2:10)

I am confident that the good works God has begun in me will be perfected

(Phil. 1:5)

I have been redeemed and forgiven (Col 1;14)

I have been adopted as God's child (Eph 1:5)

Do you know who you are???

Eight Christmas Contrasts

EIGHT CHRISTMAS CONTRASTS

1. Jesus underwent a human birth,

so that we who believe on Him might have a heavenly birth

Luke 2:11

John 1:12

2. Jesus took His place in a manger in a stable,

so that we might have heavenly mansions.

Luke 2:7

John 14:2

3. Jesus became a member of a human family,

so that we might become members of the family of God.

Matthew 2:11

Galatians 3:26

4. Jesus made Himself subject to others,

so that we, through the power of His Spirit at work through us,

might be made free.

Luke 2:51

Galatians 5:1

5. Jesus laid His glory aside,

so that we might receive glory.

Philippians 2:6,7

I Peter 5:4

6. Jesus became poor,

so that we might become spiritually rich.

Matthew 8:20

2 Corinthians 8:9

7. Jesus was born to the praise of angels,

so that we can be born again, to the praise of angels.

Luke 2:13,14

Luke 15:10

8. Jesus, who was pursued by an evil and dangerous ruler,

went to the cross to destroy a far more evil and dangerous ruler.

Matthew 2:13

Hebrews 2:14

Taken from "The Contrasts of Christmas"

by Donald Grey Barnhouse

December Fun

My new 'baby'.

I am going to resign myself to

NO FILM CAMERAs! LOL

And the first pic with it!

Hoops and Yoyo...

...and my very favorite Bear Cub!

I am going to enjoy my new camera!

Birthday Month

December is a favorite month around our house. We are in a full celebration mode from my husband's birthday on November 25, to the end of December. My birthday is December 1, our anniversary is December 19... so we just celebrate all month long. Simple celebrations... but fun for us. This year, I am glad to have my surgeries behind me... and recovering nicely during my birthday month!

Bear with the traditional hand made

construction paper birthday card!

We love construction paper cards here!

Balloons from a friend faraway,

are like icing on a cake!!!

Robin

TICO BELLE

Our oldest son has been a car and truck fan since he was 3 years old. Our youngest son has been
a train and plane fan since he was 2 years old. We have taken many train rides with him.
We all enjoyed a trip aboard THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE one year, and several other older train rides.
This year, my girlfriend, Bev, told me about flights aboard the TICO BELLE. That just happens

to be Bear's favorite plane. I called and got the information on it, called my husband at work, and then the children and I went and bought tickets for all of us to fly aboard the TICO BELLE. She is a plane full of history..... and is one that just delights my favorite Bear Cub! Bear and Todd before we board.
Todd buckling his brother in...

My favorite view was of COCOA BEACH

from the sky... looks much different from

how it looks when you are walking on it!

A face that delights his momma,

and makes his daddy glad to have

spent the money on a plane ride!

We may just have to rename our Bear Cub....

SMILEY!

Robin

Candy Corn

A couple years ago, I bought a 20 yard bolt of candy corn fabric for $10. My thought was to make 'fall' napkins for us. We use cloth napkins, and like to change them with the seasons. When we have used them for a while, they end up in my husband's workshop and eventually make their way to the trash. I use part of the fabric to make a sample jumper for a project that I was working on. The young girls at church loved the fabric....and so it was used to dress quite a few of them.

Here are 3 of the Candy Corn jumpers

that can be seen at church now.

I am thrilled the girls have enjoyed them.

I really enjoyed making them for the girls!

So much for those Candy Corn napkins here!
We will have to use the pumpkins and

fall leaves ones.

And the Ares 1-X Flew

We love to see a launch here! This week's test launch of the new Ares 1-X was lovely.

We are able to view the launches from our driveway.
Launching rockets is something I grew up seeing.

The thrill of it, hasn't left me, yet!

Quite an awesome sight in the Florida sky!

It was very different from a shuttle launch,

more like the Apollo launches of my childhood.

Robin

Space Changes......

Earlier this year, we were able to see 2 shuttles on the launch pads

when we attended the Family Open House at the Kennedy Space Center.

My life has been surrounded by NASA and the Space Program.

My father worked for NASA from the early 1960s.

My husband started working there in 1991.

You can say the Space Program has fed and clothed me nearly all my life.

The next 'generation' of space vehicles is the

ARES.

This is a segment of the new
ARES rocket still inside the VAB building.

And now, October 2009, here is the Ares rocket

on a former Apollo launch pad,

that became a shuttle launch pad,

that is now reconfigured for the ARES rockets.

The first test flight is coming up!

Always exciting to see man search...

but FIND that GOD has always been.

Nehemiah 9:6

Thou, even thou, art LORD alone;

thou hast made heaven,

the heaven of heavens, with all their host,

the earth, and all things that are therein,

the seas, and all that is therein,

and thou preservest them all;

and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

Psalm 89:11

The heavens are thine,

the earth also is thine:

as for the world, and the fulness thereof,

thou hast founded them.

Robin

Honest Scrap Award

Rebecca, over at A Rather Unusual Maiden for God, gave me this award. I enjoy following her courtship. She is a remarkable young lady! http://ratherunusualmaiden4god.blogspot.com/

I understand I need to now tell 10 honest things about myself.

1. Mrs. Sadie Platt is the one that led me to the LORD, just before my 5th birthday. She held GOOD NEWS CLUBS for children. One day, she talked about how CHILDREN are SINNERS. She clearly brought out that even a child sins against a Holy GOD. She talked about taking a cookie out of the cookie jar when you knew you were not supposed to do that...and how that was sin that put the perfect Son of GOD (Jesus) on the cross to pay for our sin. She then used a BIG Wordless Book to give the plan of Salvation. We then sang: " GOOD NEWS, GOOD NEWS CHRIST DIED FOR ME. GOOD NEWS, GOOD NEWS IF I BELIEVE. GOOD NEWS, GOOD NEWS I'M SAVED ETERNALLY... THAT'S WONDERFUL EXTRA GOOD NEWS." Afterwards, I told Mrs. Platt, that I needed JESUS to save me! I happen to have a couple books that belonged to Mrs. Platt.. from time to time I pull one out and look at her name written inside, and THANK the LORD that Mrs. Platt was willing to tell children the way of Salvation.

2. I grew up in a 'religious' family. Meaning, we were always in church at every service or function. Sadly, I have never heard my mother pray. My parents never talk about when they accepted Christ as their Saviour (or if they ever have?). Looking back at my youth, I can clearly see how GOD used different people in my life to keep me from straying from Him.

3. I met my husband in an accounting class at Bob Jones University. My girlfriend arrived at class first, and was to save me a seat near the front. She did, and on the other side was Doug, from Indiana, that I would marry in December of 1980.

4. While I was at Bob Jones University, I worked in the costume department. It fed my need to feel the fabric and run a sewing machine! LOL

5. When looking for a wedding dress, I tried on many dresses in different stores. But I eventually went back and bought the very first one I tried on. I still love it!

6. My original wedding band is a size 4.5. When I was pregnant with Todd (24 years ago) it became too small for me. It is not one that can be sized easily, so it has been saved. I have told Todd (ok...teasingly) that the right girl for him will be able to wear that band. LOL Hmmm so we shall see on that one!

7. I am an insulin dependent diabetic (pump user). Having children proved to be quite a challenge. Each of them are born on a different day of the week, but each year all of our birthdays fall on the same day of the week. This year, it is TUESDAY. Each child was born by emergency C-section. I wanted to 'see' my children born, but that doesn't happen with a C-section. However, when Bear was born, my doctor took great pity on me. He allowed the screen that is put up to separate the patient from the 'workplace' to be dropped, so that I could see them pull Bear out. It was a thrill! The nurses all said they had never known this doc to ever do that for anyone. I was quite happy! Especially since Bear has ended up being our last one!

8. I LOVE JUMPERS! With my inulin pump, I need to hide where I wear it, jumpers allow me to do this. Most people do not ever see my pump. (even though it is the most pretty PINK ever) LOL Aimée and I have about 150ish jumpers each. We rotate them around during the year by colors. We are now wearing our 'fall' colors. Here in Florida, you have to make your own seasons.

9. I love shoes. When my husband asked my father if he could marry me, my father told him he could have me if he could keep me in shoes! The last 15 years I have collected Birkenstocks. I have them in all colors and styles. My feet love them! My husband graciously keeps me stocked with them........

10. I Believe the BIBLE is the WORD of GOD! That settles it!

Robin

Flu and Sewing

We have been sick around our house. My husband is the only one to not be sick. I don't know how he has avoided it, but we are thankful he has. I decided that I needed to have a round of the FLU. I tested positive for just the FLU, not the Swine flu. LOL After 2 weeks of being sick, and starting on round 2 of antibiotics, I am ready to see the end of this! I have not been this sick in 14 years. Always fun keeping my blood sugars in control when I am sick. It is not good to have your blood sugar meter read 39. No, that is not good at all!

My view recently...several times.

We have had a fun project we have been working on here.

We have friends that are going to SIERRA LEONE in November as missionaries. The ladies at church worked on making jumpers for girls in Sierra Leone. I wanted to make sure there were something for the boys, also. So with some help from a couple ladies at church, and my family. We worked on making colorful shorts for the boys. We made a pocket for each pair of shorts that is made with the 5 colors of the Wordless Book. The Wordless Book is something that Laura will be using to teach the children in Sierra Leone about their need for a Saviour. It was a joy to be able to do something I LOVE to do....SEW... for something so wonderful!

Aimée and Todd helped to feed the drawstrings through when

they got home from school on Monday night.
Wordless Book pocket!
Cindy Jones and her daughter, Annie sewed the strips
and ironed them for me to make the pockets! A HUGE HELP!

Shorts for Africa.....
Pray for those that will get them, and hear the GOSPEL
from Steve and Laura Holt!

It is 1 am, but I have happy helpers!
Love their willingness to help me out when I get the urge to do projects like this!


Robin

Our daughter is now 20.

Aimée Noelle

A ... Always our best daughter!

I ... Individual...not one to copy others, confident with who she is.

M... Morning person...she is up early getting things done.

E ... Easily entertained with a book.

E ... Extremely quiet.

N ... Nice... her heart sees the nice in things.

O ... Optimistic...sees hope.

E ... Easy going..doesn't seek to have her own way, ever.

L ... Lovingly Loyal.

L ... Laughingly our blonde! :)

E ... Excited to Serve the LORD.

Aimée

Aimée has loved hats since she was very little.

I made bonnets for her when she was a baby.

She wore them without ever taking them off.

Then she moved into hats.

Now this is NOT one of her hats.

She likes those with a western look,

or ones that are a little subtle.

She is Bear's SISTERMOTHER

She loves to share the GOSPEL.

Enjoys her 'shades'.

She loves learning more about the BIBLE.

She is my haircut partner.....
My sewing helper....

My baking helper.

She LOVES ORANGE.

Adores hats...

She prefers a

CHICKEN sandwich over a burger.

She loves most things western....