Happy New Year!

Happy almost 2008 to all!

Our Christmas was very good. Tim, Jess, Peter, and Amy all came over on Christmas Eve and we played Trionimo's for a good part of the afternoon. The first game I won and the second game I had to keep drawing more tiles to find one to play. Every tile I drew was -5 points and by the time I finally got the right tile I was at least -165 points. Needless to say the person who won should have been very grateful to me for all the points I gave him!

That evening we had our neighbors over and held a delightful Christmas Eve service in the barn. It was the first time we did it in our barn. The wind whistled through the cracks as we sat on hay bales shivering. Down below us, we could hear the cattle softly mooing once in awhile as we sang Christmas carols and the smell of sweet hay smelled good, although I don't think Joseph and Mary heard a siren and I'm not sure if they heard a peafowl scream like I did, but who knows. :) Daddy had a list of Scriptures for the men to read; Creation and the fall, God's special people and His message to them (the Israelites), Christ's birth, Christ at the cross, us as Gentiles being adopted and grafted into the family of God, and the eternal Kingdom. We also had communion. It was very special. We hurried into the house afterwards and served up cups and cups of hot chocolate with cookies. Yummy.

In our family, we each made a homemade Christmas gift for a family member whose name we had drawn. It was really neat to see what different ones had made. A cheese press, a camp chair, a shirt, a doily and dresser scarf, some wooden tops for turkey crates, and Jonathan made something really neat. He made a wooden bowl out of a chunk of firewood for Becky! After he put mineral oil on it, it brought out the grain so it looks even better. I told him that I would like one next! :)

When we draw names for Christmas the name we drew is a secret. It is so much fun trying to keep the gifts and the person as a surprise. It is fun to try to guess who somebody else has and what their doing. Well, don't ever try to be too nosy with Ben because I walked upstairs and saw something on his door...



It was a poster board sign stuck to the door with a dart. ( No puns about Darts, please;)


"Please Stay out. Survivers will be prosecuted and not receive their presents. Thank you."

So, don't mess around with Ben at Christmas time or you won't get any presents. :)

Have a happy New Year! May the Lord become closer and dearer to you this year.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from the Dart family!
May the Lord fill you with joy, peace and love. And may He grow closer and dearer to you every day.

While you celebrate your Christmas please pray for Aaron Phillips and his family. On Dec. 12th, Aaron (20) was on his way to work when his truck slipped on the ice, rolled down a bank and hit a tree. He was found shortly after the accident. We are praising the Lord that the tree was there because otherwise he would've rolled further down the bank and no one knows how long it would have taken for him to be found.

About every bone in his head was broken or cracked, including the two bones that are supposed to be "impossible" to break. There is a deep brain bruise that may have affected the left lobe of his brain which might affect his recognition and knowledge of right vs. wrong. He is in the trauma center and is still sedated.

The biggest concern right now is that he needs to wake up so they can evaluate his eye sight and hearing. He has moved his legs and arms in purposeful movement so that is good.

While the doctors are encouraged with the little signs and surgeries, he has an awfully long way to go.

Please keep his family in prayer as this is going to be a very hard Christmas for them.

At www.leah.org/AaronPhillips there are updates about Aaron. There is also a webpage dedicated to Aaron at www.caringbridge.org/visit/aaronphillips.

God bless you this Christmas.

It's Winter!

(The front of an old library)

We have a few inches of snow on the ground and it is about 20 degrees with an east wind that's cold! The snow crunchs delightfully under your feet. Tonight a snow storm is supposed to come through and we might get up to 2 feet of snow.

Yesterday, Jonathan and I went out skiing. We go cross country just as long as it's is a small country. There is a nice hill behind us that gets some really nice snow drifts sometimes. It is a good skiing and sledding hill. It is also fun to go over some of the snow drifts on a snowmobile. :)

Our neighbors have a small pond that is iced over and we are looking forward to skating on it. Winter is fun. The boys like it because they get to plow driveways with the Ford tractor and make big snow banks - not good ones to deposit money in but we like to deposit little kids in it. :)

(Our living room)

Mom and Becky have been busy baking Christmas cookies and the rest of us have been busy taste-testing the dough and finished products. Our favorite thing is when Mom fudges on a couple batches of fudge!

Christmas music has been playing quite regularly. My favorite CD is the "Celtic Christmas". I love the sounds of the different kinds of drums and instruments. I like Christmas songs throughout the year - Christ's birth is just as true and important in the summer as it is in December. Praise the Lord!

Sunsets and Sunrises

Have you ever seen a sunrise like this?

"Unto Thee, O GOD, do we give thanks, unto Thee do we give thanks: for that Thy name is near thy wondrous works declare." Psalms 75:1




"From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same the LORD's name be praised." Psalms 113:3

"...stand still and consider the wondrous works of GOD." Job 37:14




"Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!" Psalm 107:8

PICTURES!!!!!!

Hey, I have PICTURES!!

Hurray!!

They are pretty big right now, but I am working on perfecting it.