Monday, December 25, 2006

Christmas Eve

We had a great time with lots of family in. People started arriving around 4:30 and we had dinner about 6 including roasted turkey, spiral honey ham, sweet potatoes, stuffing, cranberry, and wide beverage selection. Before saying grace Andy read the following as a reminder of the real reason why we all gather together every year at this time:

One Solitary Life
He was born in an obscure village,the child of a peasant woman.
He grew up in still another village, where he worked in a carpenter shop until he was thirty. Then for 3 years, he was an itinerent preacher. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family or owned a house.
He didn't go to college. He never visited a big city. He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where he was born.
He did none of the things one usually associates with greatness. He had no credentials except himself. He was only thirty-three when the tide of public opinion turned against him. His friends ran away.
He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves. While He was dying, his executioners gambled for His clothing,the only property He had on earth. When He was dead, He was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.
Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today He is the central figure of the human race and the leader of mankind's progress. All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man on this earth so much as THAT ONE SOLITARY LIFE.
-Author Unknown (adapted from a sermon by Dr James Allan Francis in “The Real Jesus and Other Sermons” © 1926 by the Judson Press of Philadelphia (pp 123-124 titled “Arise Sir Knight!”). If you are interested, you can read the original version .




Dorinda's brother Justin & Dimples


Drink anyone?



Mom Rumbold & Mom-mom Elliott


Tyler & Max keeping busy


AJ being AJ



Dorinda with Luke's gift


Mom & Andy's cousin Dan


Everyone was having fun!


Jonathan & Allison


After the polyanna gifts


Dan, Jon, and Chris


Gotta love those candid photos! Dorinda's sister Lyndsay, Justin's wife Becca, and Justin


Dorinda's dad Rich & his good friend Greg


Pop-pop enjoying the chair and a half


Dorinda's mom Deb hates being the center of attention!

Saturday, December 23, 2006

Sunroom just about complete

Before.....



After.....

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Sunroom Floor complete!

Finally! Just some trim work and painting left. Putting down floors is brutal on the body. My friend Bob helped me out making cuts. I rented a power stapler from Home Depot and started around 9:30 and returned the stapler at 9pm yesterday. Today I put the last 2 rows in and got some of the trim work done. The trim color is going to be the gold color that you see on one of the windows.

Man was I hurting after that, took me a few days to recover! Neck, arms, legs...







Pine Tree Camp 2006

Well the hunting trip was lacking in only one thing this year- deer! Only a few even sighted and no shots taken despite the ideal conditions (snow, cold). Time to try a new area perhaps next year.

Jeff cleaning up the squirrel pantry


Shorty and Brice


Good thing we didn't have to count on eating venison!


Down @ the gas shanty


Visibility was good


Jeff in the State Game Lands


The Mountain Bar never disappoints


Removing a large tree blocking the logging road