CHEHC Homeschool Christmas Party

We had several in attendance December 8, at the CHEHC (Christian Home Educators of Hamilton County) Christmas Party.
We enjoyed a delicious carry-in meal with a wide variety of food, plenty enough for all.

Some of us enjoyed singing Christmas carols around the piano awaiting the many special presentations that had been brought by the various families.


Some little fingers got into the swing of things while we were passing time.
Trey had Luke help him with drawing out names to determine the order of presentations. What a fun way to see who would go next!

Stephany and Sarah

Callie, Corey, Cord

What wide variety of talent was soon seen as person after person presented their work before us.

April

Piano selections, readings, memorization work, and string instruments all took part in the evening's entertainment.

Luke

Macie and Sarah

Samantha

Stephany

The crowd waited patiently to see who would give the next presentation. . . .

April, Alec, Austen, Alijah, and Anthony

Christian

We had never had this many presentations in the past and were delighted with every one!

After a rousing chorus of the 12 Days of Homeschool, the gift exchange came next. Every girl makes a homemade present for a girl, and the boys likewise. It is exciting to see the different capabilities that were used to make these works of art. Thanks, Ken, for sharing some of your pictures!Afterward, we laughed and conversed with wonderful friends until it was time to head home. What an enjoyable night!

Winter's A'Coming!

Cool weather has set in. Several days ago we awoke to glistening frost covering everything in sight. It was beautiful!The weathermen are predicting snow on Thursday. The beautiful snowflakes falling down remind us of God's wonderful creation. When we are creating things, we can only imagine a limited number of patterns, but of the millions upon millions of snowflakes that fall everywhere, our awesome God chose to make every one unique.

The Christmas season is upon us. Our cabin is decorated, except for the tree. Hopefully we will cut one this weekend. Mrs. Coyote looks festive in her Santa hat.

For many years we have searched for a manger scene that has a removable baby Jesus. We are so excited to have finally found one this past year. Our manger remains empty until Christmas morning in great expectation of the arrival of the Christ-child. After we read the Christmas story first thing on Christmas morning, it is with anticipation that we find Him filling the manger. Jesus is the reason we celebrate Christmas! He is the one we look forward to on Christmas morning as everything at Christmas-time centers around Him. If He hadn't been born, we would have no hope of salvation! Our God is good!

Building in the Barnyard

Trey's at it again! Creations are happening in the barnyard and the carpenter has been busy at work. The new hay feeder/grain trough that Trey recently built for the equine is working great, and they love it!

They are so happy!

He has begun construction on a grain storage unit and things are progressing quickly. It will be handy to have a place to store our grain. We could have put up a grain bin, but we love this grainery plan because it matches the old-fashioned atmosphere of our barnyard so well! It isn't finished yet, but Trey is busy, busy, busy!

A visit from the McDaniel's

It is always exciting to expect company! After our day of Thanksgiving, we were awaiting the arrival of Dennis, Adele, Jesseca, Jeremy, their foreign exchange student Yair, and Doris, Mark's mom who were to due to reach their destination of Providence Prairie! The dusk was setting in as they pulled up the lantern lit lane. After unloading their belongings, they settled into the warm cabin where the wood stove was keeping things toasty. After supper, word-find puzzles and a variety of head-gear started our evening of fun and visiting!!!Four-Men-On-A-Couch, quite a mind boggler, filled the cabin with laughter and hilarity as each team attempted to unseat the other team and get four of their members on the couch! Although hard, it was very fun. Guess who won the first game! And the next game, and the next, and the next, and, well, . . . . . . .
the boys finally won one game!Guesstures followed before heading off to bed.After a delicious country breakfast the next morning, everyone decided to traverse to the barnyard to visit the animals.
Molly and Polly obligingly gave rides. What fun!The Pioneer games in the barnyard were fun for everyone! And of course we employed the Pioneer family painting!

Oh no! The baby's crying!

Ahh, this baby is sleeping peacefully.

That evening, a variety of games were brought out again with several sets going at once. Avalanche, Scrabble, Tri-ominos, and Yahtzee were just a few! (Have you guessed that our game closet was recently completed?)

Mark was the Yahtzee champion!

After a fun filled weekend, we worshiped together Sunday morning. The service being over, we said our goodbyes and our company headed away on their six hour trip home to Ohio. What a grand time we had visiting with the McDaniel's!

Into His Gates

In 1620, the Pilgrims landed in this great country; 243 years later, our president thought it fitting to proclaim a national day of Thanksgiving, even in the midst of the Civil War.

"We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in numbers, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that [the gifts of God] should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged with one heart and one voice by the whole American people. I do, therefore, invite my fellow citizens . . . to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens." ~ Abraham Lincoln

144 years later we, with the rest of the United States, stop to celebrate the day dedicated to giving thanks to our Lord for his bounty. It is rather humbling to realize that for 387 years family after family, generation after generation has set aside time to gather and give thanks for the blessings of the Lord. May we never fail to pass our thankfulness on to ensuing generations, and may we model it daily.

"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." Psalm 100:4,5

It's Deer Hunting Season!

November 16-18 was a time of fun and excitement for our family- deer hunting season. Venison is a favorite around Providence Prairie, and God has blessed us with a wonderful herd of healthy deer. Early Friday morning, Trey and Mark prepared for the first hours of the season. Rhonda, Amanda, and Rachel waited anxiously in the house while doing chores and fixing breakfast.

After only about 45 minutes, we received a call that Trey had already gotten a nice young buck! Soon after Trey brought it back to the house, Mark came walking back. We wondered why he was back so soon, but he informed us that he got two deer! We didn't believe him at first, but it was true! The deer are plentiful in rural Hamilton County.

Early the next morning Trey went out to his stand and within half an hour was back again and had gotten his second catch! Mighty hunters!

We are all thankful that the men took younger deer as they will be so tender and tasty this winter. God blessed us with a bountiful deer harvest!

Revive Us Again!

Revive us again! The words to the old song still ring true today. Revival began at Dale Christian church Thursday with a great message from Ron Lamp about Naaman and how we too should fully follow God's Word. Friday, Bill Cox delivered an inspiring message on how we should look forward, not backward; outward, not inward; and upward, not downward to live as Christians. Saturday, Bill Shelton preached the Word on not overlooking burning bushes that God places in our lives. Sunday morning began with a convicting sermon on what we as the Body of Christ should be doing, delivered by Ryan Cox. What an uplifting time visiting with each of them and hearing them impart the Scriptures.

The noon Homecoming meal found the tables overflowing with delicious food of all sorts and so many wonderful choices! After we were finished eating the meal and enjoying fellowship with those of like precious faith, we anticipated the Homecoming concert by the Preacher's Quartet.

The concert was excellent as Ron, Ryan, Bill C., and Bill S. lifted our spirits in song with wonderful harmony!

Following the concert, the Cox's and the Shelton's came to Providence Prairie for a short visit, but left soon after as they were beginning revival elsewhere that evening. Of course, we had to have a little fun before they left!Directly, our church family began to arrive for our hayride and wiener roast. We visited around the fire while the first hayride started.

The Pioneer picture was put to good use once again!Jumping rope was a hit with everyone! Chris, Glenna, Kay, Mark, and countless others jumped to the rhymes of old. It was so much fun!

The day ended with songs around the campfire. It was a grand day, a grand week, and a grand time of revival.