"It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas"....

Not really, on the outside the leaves are all brown or have fallen onto the ground. But, inside the school kids have been given their parts for the program and Sara brought the music to me today for the them to begin listening to. This afternoon we really enjoyed listening to Squire Jr. sing some beautiful Christmas songs on the cd that she made us. Some of the parents are already shopping, and Geary and I purchased the materials to make presents for Jacob and Caleb...I'm not even giving them a hint. I have already started handcrafting presents for the rest of the family, Miranda and I had the same ideas and are working together on stuff. A quick trip to the dollar stores in the area find them full of decorations, and some really cute (cheap) trees. I'm not sure if we will do a tree this year or not.
We decided to celebrate with the grandkids on Christmas, but wait until Chris and Ben get home to celebrate with the adults in the family. It won't be Christmas until they get home anyway, and I know that we really won't be in the spirit until they are home with us.
Friday evening some of us went to hear Trans-Siberian Orchestra....ok, now, I've done it, and probably never again..but I do want their Christmas DVD. I think the music will be so much better when I can control the volume. I sort of described the concert as "orchestra meets heavy metal; the real story of Christmas and rock dancers...."
Christopher called on his birthday, and I don't know about him, but it made it very special for me. The longer the boys are away the more i realize how precious our family is. I can't wait until they get home and we can share their lives again. God has been so very merciful to our family, and I think this experience has helped us to love each other more and more. Miranda has blessed us very much with beautiful, wonderful, (yes I am prejudiced) grandchildren and it has been such a blessing to see how much she loves and misses her brothers.
On a lighter note, thought I would share some summertime pics of Geary and I in Florida. We had a good time visiting mom and Mel, and really enjoyed the beaches. We had our first taste of alligator meat, yes, it does taste like chicken, and got to drive and park on the beach.

I pledge allegiance...

I pledge allegiance to the flag
of the United States of America
and to the republic for which it stands,
one nation under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice
for all

When I was in grade school this was the first thing we did every
morning. We stood up, faced the flag, put our hand over our heart
and pledged (or promised ourselves) to the flag. Just a symbol,
just a piece of material, but even as school children, we knew how
important that it was. I was privileged to attend Valley Fork
Grade School, Valley Fork, WV...the most unpolitically incorrect
school that was around. We were taught to reverence the flag,
not just every morning during pledges, but also at the Veterans
Program that was put on every year. We learned poems, sang songs,
and brought our veterans up front to honor them, this followed
a wonderful meal prepared by the school cooks. But most of all we
were taught that this is a "Christian" nation. A nation
founded on God and the principles of the Bible. A nation that
God blessed because we feared him "If my people who are called
by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and turn from their
wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their
sin, and will heal their land."
You never hear the songs
that were sung then: God Bless America, The Star Spangled Banner,
This is My Country, etc...
Just by watching the news you can tell
that our children are being taught something totally different now.
No honoring our veterans, our flag, the sacrifices that were made,
the country that is the greatest nation in all of the world. Instead
our children are being taught a more politically correct history (some facts
are changed or left out completely), and our "esteemed" President has
announced that America is NOT a Christian nation!
In grade school it would not have entered my mind to think
that two of my boys would be defending our country in Iraq.
Sacrificing time away from their family, jobs, comforts, and
careers. But that is exactly what is happening, these two
young men have volunteered a portion of their life to
make sure that we can stay a Christian nation...."one nation
under God.
We and we got to celebrate July 4th with one of our sons,
and our daughter and her
family. In September our other son will get to come home for
2 weeks, and we are looking forward to it.
"God is good...all the time."

A New Flag

Geary has wanted to put up a flag pole since the boys left, and finally on Monday he got the American flag put up. At the bottom, you can see that he wrote in the cement "TO HONOR CHRIS AND BEN". On another flag pole we have the Army Flag.
I still need to take a pic of the American flag at church, Pastor Rick says that it wont come down until the boys come home.