January 2010 in Review

Oh where did January go?  I started this month in review post right at the start of February, but somehow all my hard work disappeared into cyberspace. How aggravating.  Just to show HSB, I went on strike.  But the more February days go by, the less I remember of January.  So I'd better go back to work on my  post.

What a fun, busy, packed month it was.  Here we go.

As you know, we have had lots of rain last month.  Did anyone in the whole country escape the moisture of mid-January?  Actually, out here in the dry land, rain is really not something to escape.  (Unless you were here in August of 1898, when eight inches of rain fell in 45 minutes.  Those neat  Weather-Guide calendars sure do come in handy for trivia.)  If that were to happen today I am afraid quite a few homes would be washed into the river!  Anyway, we had most of our annual rainfall within a week.  That never stops my kids from playing outside -- actually they are MORE likely to play in the rain on a rainy day than they are in the house!  Emily begged me to come help her put on her skating gear.  Thirty minutes later we had it all on: helmet, skates, wrist-guards, knee-pads, elbow-pads, all made for skinnier kids than she.  Emily skated for five minutes, got wet and cold, and came in.  I guess it's kind of like being a mom in snow country.  

Mom and Dad came for a January visit for Amy's birthday, yea!  We love visits with the grandparents!  Elisabeth opened her beauty shop just for Grampy. Grandparents are so accommodating.

Had to see Hoover Dam again, since my folks had not seen in in decades.  Those of you who love rules and control will appreciate my photos this time.  I thought I'd go for a different theme than your usual views of water, rocks, and a new bridge.

Emily got a big kick out of what we have called the International Gum Wall.  She was going to add hers but felt silly at the last minute.  There's probably gum from 120 different nations on this wall!

And what's a trip to Hoover without a group shot?  There is a cool website on the bridge construction here.  Sorry about the ads on that page.  They stink.  But the photos are just awesome.

While Monocogman was riding his 40-mile loop, we visited a museum and a library and a neat little quilt shop. (Amy was in her element.)

We finished up with a stop at the candy shop.  This was the first place I have found in YEARS where the proprietor has heard of my all-time favorite, but elusive, candy, Lakrits.  They are like black M&M's, only the candy coating tastes like black licorice.  Chocolate and licorice.  I know.  Sounds weird, but it's oh so good!  Bad news:  If I want to order some I will have to buy a five pound box of them.  And I'd probably put ON fifty pounds if I did that, so I will just keep looking for the little boxes!

Goodbyes are so hard, but since February in review will include a reciprocal visit to the grandparents, we didn't cry too hard.  (And NO, the motorhome in the background is NOT ours!)

Also in January was our church's annual missions conference.  That was the week of my slooping, but I survived.  And it was such a fun week!  We had great preaching and great fellowship, and we made some great new friends. The girls and their dad hosted our visiting family on a couple of big desert hikes.  Scroll over the photos to make them bigger.

The girls made more music:

We walked to the park,

played,

captured bad guys,

and walked home again,

while one lovely teenage daughter voluntarily cleaned out the kids' shed.

We also did yard work.  This is the time of year for that in the desert!  See how many weeds the girls got?    Just kidding.  I think it was a few more than that.

Emily lost a tooth,

and Amy made her monkey a friend.

Is that it, finally?  I think so.  It's the end of the pics, anyway.  We did have one more huge blessing last month.  One of our visiting preachers needed to have some emergency dental work done while he was with us.  We referred him to our dentist, who really is a nice guy even if he is a dentist.    When we next saw our preacher friend, he told us that the dentist didn't charge him anything.  What a blessing!  We were really pleased about that.  And then, a couple of days later, we got a statement from the dentist's office.  It showed our HUGE balance paid in full!!!  That sneaky preacher friend!  Praise the Lord, what a load was lifted!  This is just one of many, many great things the Lord has done for us in the financial department, more evidence that Luke 6:38 is true: 

"Give, and it shall be given unto you;
good measure, pressed down,
and shaken together, and running over,
shall men give into your bosom.
For with the same measure that ye mete withal
it shall be measured to you again." 

God is good, yes he is!