Gabrielle Faith Cutler…My Angel

I got down to blogging today finally but already after running errands the sun is only kissing the tops of the trees.  I like to have a bunch of pictures to share but today I really didn’t have time to get around to it.  My favorite view is from our backyard out to the endless prairie and distant mountains but today the wind is high…still after a couple days now.  No snow either and with the sun dipping down it was too chilly for me to relish my view here as I usually do.  You should see it in the spring and summer.  It’s an endless grassy sea with waves stirred by the winds that can really move off of the mountains.  Ducks and geese grace our little pond and it’s really enjoyable.  Sometimes there’s deer or antelope and pheasants, sand hill cranes or blue heron…it’s really the epitome of peace.  Today it’s brown and dead and very windy.  It looks like year’s end out there…and it feels like it.  We took our trees down and most decorations are done being put in their boxes.  I will go take down the nutcracker army as soon as I’m done typing this.  It’s time to move on to a fresh new year.  I can feel it coming on.

 

I taught the last church service of the year and we sang an early happy birthday to Gabby.  The New Year never meant that much to me…one year rolled into another and moved on without much going on.  I’m not a partier and so it was often a night much like any other.  Gabby’s birth heralded a change in things.  Now after Christmas we greet the New Year with her birthday ever reminding us of just how much God has blessed us.  She’s the baby that wasn’t supposed to happen after we lost a baby yet in spite of what they said couldn’t happen here she is…the cap on our little party of five.  The pain of our lost baby was comforted by this precious little girl whom we all love so dearly.  She’s a little firecracker…always a spark that brightens things up.  Already the youngest one of us all to have travelled abroad and seen so many things.  I thank God so much for her life…I’m so very proud of her!  We’ll be celebrating over a couple days for her…that’s how it worked out.  She will certainly know that we love her to pieces!

Christmas Brightens the Winter

Wishing everyone a very Blessed Christmas. Sharing my decorations and more that have brighten our home this Christmas.  I hope whatever meaning Christmas has to you, that you find it in your heart to share the gift love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Merry Christmas
and a
Happy New Year
Let love find a place in your heart so that you may help light up someone else’s life.

Good Morning…   Good Afternoon…   Good Nights…
whatever it is to you.

Photos & Words
by
Here I Am/Carrie

Walmart then Skating

Well, it’s been a fairly full day of running already.  I wasn’t really sure if I’d get to post at all today but I’m making a real effort…ain’t ya proud of me?  It was crazy out there today with people jamming every store there was so this also increased traffic making it all slow going but I think…I think we’re done and ready for Christmas.  We were very blessed by a bunch of tickets to a big ice skating show and even got one for my mom who loves skating.  This should be a real treat and a blessing for us all.  Our snow storm didn’t happen at all but it did head over to Red Lodge and give them a lot of snow I heard.  Crazy weather.  I know I means for a horrible winter…I can feel it in my bones…if it’s been wimpy up to this point just wait…it will show us who’s boss before spring comes back and I am not excited about that at all.  I’d rather go white for Christmas and have it be milder but Santa didn’t put that in my stocking this year I guess. 

I thought I’d share a few pictures of our trees…yes, trees.  We have two downstairs…minus the one in my son’s room and our main one upstairs.  We’re a family of two girls so there’s some nod to the female persuasion around here.  Lovely made a bunch of little banners and hung them on one of our trees.  I think it’s really quite beautiful.  Our Christmas village ended up under the trees downstairs and I actually like how that looks…it actually has things that move…thus the blur.  Look our fake village sells fake trees!  I think it looks like a magical little village under our two big trees downstairs…it’s like a Christmas village in a giant red wood forest.  I have always loved Christmas lights and how it looks when all the other lights are off.  Both the downstairs trees are white and have mostly tiny ornaments on them.  Upstairs let me introduce you to some of our nutcracker army.  This one has a distinctive Asian flare…I believe the camel and the elephant behind him are actually from Africa…we brought them home over the years as we went back and forth.  It appears there’s a fireman on the scene with the giraffe…not sure why.  I just love this stuff…my mom has great taste!  Here stands the upstairs tree!  This is the view from the kitchen.  I just love the LED lights!  From all of us to all of you:  Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

 

 

 

 

Wishing you all the Very Best from my home to yours.

May you and your homes be filled with Love, Joy, and Peace this Christmas and throughout the New Year.

Love and Care

Dianne :)

Thank you all who are remembering my mom in your prayers.

I hope to get around to visit you when I can. D.S :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Son

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection from Picassos to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art. When the Viet Nam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son. About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door.

A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, “sir, you don’t know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art.” The young man held out his package. “I know this isn’t much. I’m not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.”

The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man.

He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears.

He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture.

“Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It’s a gift.”

The father hung the portrait over his mantel. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings.

Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.

On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. “We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?” There was silence. Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, “we want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.”

But the auctioneer persisted. “Will someone bid for this painting.”

“We came to see the Van Goghs, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids.”

But still the auctioneer continued. “The son! The son! Who’ll take the son?”

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the long time gardener of the man and his son. “I’ll give $10 for the painting.” Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.

“We have $10, who will bid $20?”

“Give it to him for $10. Let’s see the masters.”

“Ten dollars is the bid, won’t someone bid $20?”

The crowd was becoming angry. They didn’t want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.

The auctioneer pounded the gavel. “I’m sorry, the auction is over.”

“What about the paintings?”

“I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings. The man who took the son gets everything!”

God gave his son 2000 years ago to die on a cruel cross. Much like the auctioneer, his message today is, “the son, the son, who will take the son?” Because, you see, whoever takes the son gets everything.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mathew Chapter 1:23
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Away in a Manger

Away in a manger,

No crib for His bed

The little Lord Jesus
Laid down His sweet head
The stars in the bright sky
Looked down where He lay
The little Lord Jesus
Asleep on the hay
The cattle are lowing
The poor Baby wakes
But little Lord Jesus
No crying He makes
I love Thee, Lord Jesus
Look down from the sky
And stay by my side,
'Til morning is nigh.
Be near me, Lord Jesus,
I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever
And love me I pray
Bless all the dear children
In Thy tender care
And take us to heaven
To live with Thee there

Away in a manager is always the first carol that children are taught. Away in a Manger was originally published in 1885. The publication of Away in a Manger was in a Lutheran Sunday school book and this created the misconception that the lyrics of Away in a Manger were actually written by Martin Luther himself. The author is unknown. The music to Away in a Manger was composed by William J. Kirkpatrick in 1895.

…………………………………………………

I can still remember as a little child, singing this Christmas Carol, at my grandparents house, many years ago, and my grandparents all have gone to Heaven to be with Jesus , who is no longer that little baby in a manger. He grew up, and died on a cross, for the sins of us all. He rose from the dead, and after being seen by his disciples , and over 500 people, returned to Heaven, and said He would one day come back, (Acts Chapter One), for those remaining on the earth who believed in Him, and had Faith in Him, and became His Followers, making them Children of The Living God.

I am one of those who believe , and Jesus is the reason for the season. He is the True Meaning Of Christmas. He is The Messiah. He is Emmanuel which means , God Is With Us. Can you imagine, God stepping out of Heaven, and taking the form of a human baby. Jesus was fully human, and fully God. Some will scoff, and say, “How can you believe such a thing”? I believe God’s Word, the Bible. It is called , Faith. You can read it for yourselves this Christmas , and come to your own conclusions, and pray God shows you who He really is and why He came to earth as a baby lying in a manger. If you truly seek Him you will find Him, and He will change your life forever.

 

 

 

Kinect-powered autonomous robots cook popcorn, make sandwiches

The point of having a bot for a cleaning may be one move more specific.Thanks to a robotics team from the Degree of Munich (TUM). They have developed a number of impartial applications that are able to create range treats and create treats using a Console xbox kinect indication from Passion. Is there anything that side-line can not do?

Named John and Rosie, the awesome thing about these two automated cooks is that they use real understanding to get their responsibilities done. Relevance that the actions and actions involved in the preparing your recipe process are not pre-programmed actions. There can be confirmation of this as the duo create small problems such as dropping the toaster location with a element of bread and dropping a few treats parts when providing them into a providing.

The team gained this success along with TUM’s Psychological Bot Conclusion System application, known as CRAM for shorter. Using research that CRAM had already attained, students provided John and Rosie “brains” of a form.

The applications have the features of acknowledging actual physical objects around them, using those identifications to phone up the different uses items has. For example, when John identifies a toaster, its laptop or computer development allows it to know that the merchandise or service is used in the process of making done bread. What is even more wonderful is that using these Console xbox kinect system, both applications are outfitted of acknowledging presentation needs like “make me a dish.” When the duo understands that management, they will evaluation their surrounding and be able to identify what components are at palm to take out the work.

Popcorn and treats are not the only things that John and Rosie can create, they can also management hot desserts for day dish readers. You can see the complete film of the duo in methods below.

Source : http://www.geek.com/articles/geek-cetera/kinect-powered-autonomous-robots-cook-popcorn-make-sandwiches-20111216/

Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree

I’m finally at the end of my picture archives!  What to do?  I guess I’ll have to cover more recent events and have more recent pictures…that will require more action on my part but I don’t mind…as long as I can get creative enough and find a subject.  This has been a tight budget for Christmas for us but really I don’t mind.  We’ve been evaluating what really matters in Christmas and considering the reason for the season.  I’ve been so thankful for the Lord and the wonderful things He’s done throughout the years.  The most obvious blessing I’ve had is my family.  I’m young enough where my kids are still with me and so this season retains much of the magic I knew as a child.  I can’t imagine life without this.  We’ve also had some wonderful dishes that remind us it’s the season to be jolly.  Our church has had some setbacks with our music group and the tough financial season right now can be felt by all the families but we have held fast to getting together and praising God and having time to sit down and eat and fellowship together…I’ve really appreciated that.  Lovely has made a wonderful dish for these events that makes our mouths water just smelling it as it bakes!  She’s also made some beans that have some wonderful trimmings!  Hard to believe that when we were first married I did a lot of the cooking because she didn’t know how…she’s a wonderful cook these days!  Our friends from church made some amazing deserts this year that I’d not had before…it was awesome!  One of the drinks that graces our table on the holidays is sparkling grape juice…it’s a family favorite now that I highly recommend!  The turkey was spectacular as ever…it’s hard to be classics like that!  A toast to you my friends!

 

This year we planned ahead and Lovely got us all tickets for a big concert that came to town.  It was sort of an early present.  My eldest daughter and I are huge lovers of rock and this concert was a thing we really looked forward to.  The Black Veil Brides took to the stage and the vocal delivery and instruments we absolutely perfect.  Asking Alexandria came on next and rocked the arena.  I play guitar but I love to see amazing drummers do what they do best.  We didn’t need much to get us on our feet and jamming but we were often encouraged to do so.  Yes, there were times when lighters were in the air.  The lighting made it somewhat difficult to get pictures in the arena but none the less I liked this one.  Hollywood Undead took the stage and had the highest energy level I’ve ever seen!  They all started off wearing their masks but it didn’t take long before they had to remove them….it got hot!  You just don’t sleep through concerts like this!  Hollywood Undead didn’t miss a beat even with these antics!  Avenged Sevenfold took to the stage with amazing pyrotechniques!  We were close enough to really feel the heat!  M. Shadows…only one of the best front men ever!  All in all it was an amazing night!  I’m grateful for each day that comes along, bless you my friends!