dancing in the new year

Somewhere in the mid-80's I was invited to a new year's eve journaling party. At the party we were given a list of questions to help us reflect on the past year and look forward to the coming year. Each year since I have spent time around the new year, rereading journal entries and evaluating as well as praying for direction for the new year.

Three years ago during a phone conversation with one of my Korean students the topic of journaling came up and my student mentioned that he had purchased a 10 year journal. I had never heard of such a thing. He explained that the journal covers ten years of time. Each day of the year has one page divided into 10 parts. There are four lines for each day's entry. There are also extra pages at the back of the journal for entries that can't be captured in such a small space. I thought it sounded like a wonderful way to chronicle the years. That year I used Christmas gift money to purchase a 10 year journal of my own.

Journaling with the 10 year journal has caused me to learn to write very concisely. It has also made the end of year journal reflection process much easier...in the past I have spent the majority of January reading through a years worth of journal entries. The 10 year journal also allows me to reflect back to previous years each day of the year as I glance at the previous entry on that page. I really like my 10 year journal.

Blessed New Year!

ok corral square dance

When Tim, Stephanie, and David visited this weekend we visited a local riding stable and took some horses out for a test drive. The weather was mild, the scenery beautiful and the ride delightful.

danceing with the artist

We visited a Messianic fellowship on the north side of Phoenix today. We wanted to see the mural paintings a local artist has been painting there.

Christmas Blessing

May shalom surround you.
May your heart be content.
May your day be full of your favorite people.
May you lay your head to rest knowing the God of all creation cares for you.

dancing through the house: bedroom

virtual house tour continued...the bedroom


changes: 3 of 4 walls painted (last wall is waiting for built in makeup counter/mirror and light fixture to leave, Jay built closet, bedspread was wedding gift, thermal curtains added, wedding katuba displayed on rose picture (I finally found it when I got my film camera out of it's case). On waiting list: removal of built ins, fan replace with fan/light fixture (purchased), carpet replaced with wood laminate flooring (ready to go in garage), finish painting walls.

dancing through the house: living room

By special request for John...

Changes to the living room since you helped move in. Gray slump block wall painted. Floral insert wallboard painted."New" light fixture. "New" sofa, chair and ottoman. Family pictures hung. Bar stools :) On waiting list...paint west wall, replace carpet, add light colored mantel to fireplace.

dancing with the dreidel

For Julie....

Here are video directions for playing dreidel..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UzCkKX-7EOQ

Happy 8th day of Hanukkah

dancing by the light of the menorah

hanukkah dance day four

Lily got a cute pink vest for those cold Hanukkah nights and chilly Hanukkah mornings.

three Hanukkah cookies

hanukkah dance two

dancing into hanukkah

dancing on the reservation

Last night we have the privilege of dancing at the opening of the Christmas nativity pageant at the community center on the Salt River Reservation.

dancing under the full moon

Jay called during his drive home last night....."go out and take a picture of the full moon over the mountain"...

ready set grow

The chicks are growing quickly...trading in their baby fluff for feathers. They stretch their necks and wings, play King-of-the-Water Jar, cheep and peck, and are quite busy until they all fall asleep in a pile.

Today Jay decided we needed to socialize them so they came out of their dog cage and explored Jay.



This one reminds me of a little owlet...


I can't tell the twins apart...


This one seems to be the alp- chick ... it's coloring reminds me a bit of a Pheasant

red friday

Instead of celebrating Black Friday at the mall we celebrated Red Friday in our back yard.

Jay worked on building the chicken coop....

Lily hunted crickets and lizards....

and I mixed up a batch of red paint...



the finished project looks very nice...


but of course, it is tricky to have red paint and a white dog and not get some white dog in the red paint and some red paint on the white dog....

thanksgiving dance

After loading our tummys with turkey and pie we unpacked a box of hat from Jay's hat collection....the results made for a fun photo shoot.

dancing the academic decathlon

Congratulations David on a job well done!
May God bless you and keep you and lead you
as you develop the gift the He has given you.

chicken dance

Our chicks from the local hatchery will not be ready to be picked up for another couple of weeks, but the chicken coup is nearly done and we decided to go ahead and get a couple of chicks from the local feed store.

I went down this morning and picked out four fluffy, cheeping babies and brought them home in a cardboard box. On the drive home I couldn't help but remember the day my dad let me get baby ducks at the farmers market.


Lily was understandably very interested in the chicks....we thought maybe having them in a secure cage in the house for a week or so would help her accept them as mates rather than meats.

We have yet to decide a name theme although we are considering the following:
Storybook chicken characters: Henny Penny, Chicken Licken, Little Red Hen
Chicken dishes: Nugget, Cordon Blue, Gumbo, General Tso
Chicken Restaurants: Ya Ya, McNugget, Colonel Sanders

Your suggestions are welcome.

Lily wasn't the only one wanting an up close and personal look at the new babies.

Time for a cat-nap....I mean a chick-nap. Night night baby chicks.