Come, Let us Bow Down in Worship Before the Lord our Maker. Ps.95:6

Sometimes I look outside and it just takes my breath away! God's creation is so wonderfully diverse. "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities - His eternal power and divine nature - have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made..." Romans 1:20 How true!

These past few mornings we've been greeted by an outdoor winter wonderland. The correct name for this phenomenon is "hoar frost". I'll just call it God's handiwork. This is one of my favorite displays of His glory - each little branch, leaf, or blade of grass coated with beautiful white ice crystals. It reminds me of how my Great Big God cares about tiny little me and all the details of my life.

And how awesome is it to wake up after the first big snowfall of the year? There's always a month or so of brown - the splendor of the autumn leaves is no more, the grass is dying, it's cold - and then God works his magic... The gently falling snow (I like it when it falls in great big wet snowflakes) is like God's purifying of our lives - taking what is dead and dirty and covering us with His righteousness. All of a sudden it's marvelous outside! The cold isn't quite so cold when there's snow to play in. Looking out across the yard and seeing a blanket so smooth and white - nothing like it! Even a good old-fashioned Minnesota blizzard has it's advantages - can you say "snow day"? Snuggled up by a warm fire drinking hot cocoa...

Another one of my favorite things is to lay on the ground on a quiet, cloudless summer night and stare up at the stars. The vastness of the universe is just incredible, yet my God holds it all in the palm of His hand! You can get dizzy just contemplating it. "When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him?" Psalm 8:3-4 When I was younger, I always searched for the big and little dipper. How fun that God would arrange the stars that way! I miss this...it's just not the same in town...

And THUNDER! It frightened me as a child. Now I delight in it. It's a declaration of the power and strength of God! "Do you have an arm like God's, and can your voice thunder like his?" Job 40:9 This huge, loud powerful noise - sometimes a rumble, sometimes a crack - I feel it in my chest. It's thrilling! God is to be feared (respected), yet that fearful God has my back! It's the safety of knowing the Source of all power and strength is on my side. I tremble at His glory, and yet He is my Refuge.

A rainbow...I was at Target this summer and while going through the checkout; everyone was abuzz about the rainbow outside. Grown men, children, young and old... When I walked outside, people were stopped dead in their tracks admiring the full double rainbow in the sky. The pavement wet, the smell of rain (another one of my favorites) in the air, the sky still dark beyond the rainbow, but the sun was coming out! Everyone stopped to revel in the work of God's hand. "Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around Him." Ezekiel 1:28 Hope, joy, peace...in the midst of trial.

The list could go on and on... Sunsets - Oh the beauty! Mountains - How grand! Animals - How diverse! The trickle of water over the rocks in a forest stream...the roar of a great waterfall...the ocean waves rhythmically going in and out...the sound of birds chirping in the morning...a gentle breeze...winds that rock huge oak trees...the color in a wild flower meadow...white fluffy clouds floating across the sky...menacing storm clouds rolling and twisting...the warmth of the sun on your face...the stillness of -20 degrees...the sizzle and heat waves of 105 degrees...all declaring the glory of God! Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea - the LORD on high is mighty. What is your favorite thing about creation? How does it declare the glory of God to you?

For the LORD is the great God,
the great King above all gods.
In His hand are the depths of the earth,
and the mountain peaks belong to Him.
The sea is His, for He made it,
and His hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
for He is our God
and we are the people of His pasture,
the flock under His care.
Today, if you hear His voice,
do not harden your hearts...
Psalm 95:3-8

December Highlights from the Kiddos

Grandpa Patenaude, Grandma Patenaude, and the Christensen Family (Dana's sister) came to our house for Christmas. Sarah: I'm hugging Grandpa. He gave me a soft butterfly shirt and a striped shirt for Christmas. I'm wearing a tank top because my Grandma gave it to me for Christmas and I was hot 'cuz I was dancing.


Hannah: I look funny. Sarah: We are at the YMCA pool swimming. Elysa is fun and funny. She is playful and loves to dance with me and Hannah. Ethan: I don't have anything to say about that one because it's not me.

Ethan: I LOVE to open presents! This gift was LEGO Indiana Jones and Speed Racer for the Wii. Me and Evan like to wrestle. I love Evan. We have fun together. Hannah: Evan is a cool cousin because he's a boy and he's wild and all my other cousins on the Patenaude side are pretty much girls except for Thor.

Hannah: That is my most favorite cousin ever because she is cute and she likes to play with me and Uncle Dana. Katelyn doesn't like it if she doesn't get her way, but I still love her. Sarah: She is loving and likes to dance with me and Elysa and Hannah, but she is a crazy dancer. But very very cute!

Hannah: Look at Katelyn! Ethan: Evan's hand is on her head. Hannah: I thought my hand was on her head. I can see Elysa's stomach. Ethan: I thought that was her arm for a second. Hannah: Look at Evan's face... Sarah: I can't believe I'm not even looking at the camera. Hannah: Oh, Sarah, we weren't looking at the camera because Aunt Jessica was taking a picture at the same time so we were looking at her.

Sarah: What I have to say about this - Katelyn and Uncle Brian are swimming at the YMCA. We played games and had a lot of fun there.

Ethan: Grandma!!!! She is FUN! She got me awesome Christmas presents! There is weird stuff in that World Record Book, but I like it. Hannah: (singing) She always has gum in her purse. Sarah: Grandma is an awesome and loving grandmother. I also like her 2 cats, Spock and Spooky.


Nedra: These pictures are small because I got them off Martha's Facebook page because I actually forgot my camera when we went to Rushmore for Christmas. I was LOST without it!
Ethan: We went on the sled behind the 4-wheeler! We got a LOT of snow. It snowed the whole time we were there. Hannah: It was AWESOME! Sarah: I don't have anything to say about playing outside. I got some good presents. My favorite one was an American Girl doll bed that Ethan and Grandpa made for me. It's very sparkly and fancy! Ethan: We got to use spray paint to paint them; it was really cool! It wasn't like I expected. Hannah: I saw Grandpa carrying the paint out of the shop because I asked if I could drive the lawnmower. Ethan: Great Grandma got 90 roses for her birthday because she turned 90! Hannah: ...on December 23rd. Ethan: You don't need to put that!





Ethan: The hotel in St. Cloud was SWEET! Hannah: We played pufferball. The pool was awesome because we played toypedo rescue. Ethan: And it was warm too. Nedra: We went there for a swim meet and Grandpa and Grandma got a hotel room. Hannah: Sarah looks like she doen't have any clothes on! Ethan: Yeah, she does because you can't see the straps of her swimsuit! Ha ha!! Sarah: Don't say that! It's making fun! Nedra: I think you look adorable here Sarah. Love your smile and sparkly eyes.

Hannah: We got a ping pong table from Mommy and Daddy for Christmas and we didn't even have enough paper to wrap it! Ethan: It was awesome! Hannah: I'm trying to beat Daddy so he'll take me out for dinner at my favorite restaurant. Sarah: I don't really care about ping pong because I'm not very good.


Sarah: I learned to dive in December by Kristen teaching me how to swan dive off the edge and then I could do it off the block. It makes me a faster swimmer! This is the first meet where I dive in.
Ethan: I'm glad that Grandpa and Grandma came to watch us. They said I was awesome. That's my friend, Josh, at the top. Hannah: Yep!

Ethan: My arm looks really bony in that picture because of the numbers! Nedra: What about your ribs?! Ethan: Well they ARE bony; my arm just LOOKS bonier than it really is.
Hannah: This is my friend, Marcella. Ethan: It looks like Hannah has a beard! Hannah: We went sledding one day. Ethan: My friend Nick was there too and we went off a jump at the bottom.
Hannah: Daddy makes fire every single day. Ethan: Almost... Sarah: The fireplace keeps me warm. I like to sit by it. Ethan and Sarah (in unison): Rudy and Selah like to lay on the ledge.

Sarah: Sledding is fun. I like to eat the snow when I'm down to the bottom. It's hard work to get back up the hill. Ethan: Don't eat the yellow stuff!!!! Sarah: Or the brown stuff; that would be even more gross! Ethan: No it wouldn't! 'Cuz it might taste like pizza! Ha ha!! Sarah: Hannah looks strange. Ethan: She looks suspicious like she's staring off at something in the distance...see her eyes? Hannah: I love eating snow when I'm sledding because I get really hot when I'm climbing up the hills and it cools me off...
Ethan: THOR!!! Thor is cute! Sarah: This is the cutest baby ever!!! He is very very smiley and loves to do the airplane.

Snow Day

Hot chocolate...fireplace...movie...sledding...Balderdash...present-wrapping...cookie-baking...husband home...snow day...HOORAY!

Thanksgiving

I was struck over and over again this year by the simplicity of Thanksgiving. It seems to me that Thanksgiving might be the only holiday without a bunch of hoopla surrounding it. It's just about being thankful, spending time with family, and eating some really good food (at least for us it is anyway). Sure, you could go crazy if you wanted to - get a turkey centerpiece for your table, put out the pilgrim salt and pepper shakers, designer placemats for everyone, autumn-colored streamers over the doorways - but I think for the most part, people stick to just trying out a new recipe or two and watching a little football while coming out of your turkey coma.


We spent Thanksgiving in Rushmore with Nedra'a family - no extra guests this year - just Mom, Dad, Dana, Nedra, Martha, Hal, and kiddos. The thing I was most thankful for on Thanksgiving day was lack of drama - not that we ever really have a whole lot of drama in our family, but I was just thankful for peace. In a world where siblings don't speak to one another, divorces abound, and grudges are nursed for decades, I'm thankful that our family fully enjoys spending time together. It truly is a rare gift - and this not of ourselves, but a gift of God and only by His grace. Dennis and Phyllis, Dana and Nedra, Hal and Martha - husbands and wives are still madly in love with each other! The cousins ADORE each other. In our relationships, communication isn't strained and forgiveness reigns. Don't get me wrong - it's not like we're "eating rainbows and pooping butterflies" (I love that quote from Horton Hears a Who) - it's just ... comfortable.


As our children get a little older, I ponder what "traditions" they are going to remember from their childhood. Even though Mom and Dad say it was only maybe 3 or 4 years that we did it, I remember Thanksgiving at my Aunt Ardith's up north. We'd get to leave school a little bit early and it seemed like we always traveled in a blizzard. So what will my children remember? I really think the most cherished traditions are those traditions that are not intentional - the things that just sort of fall into place because they work so you just keep doing it that way. Mom carves the turkey (with assistance from one of the son-in-laws), with white meat on one half of the plate and dark on the other.

Dad makes the gravy, usually at the last minute as he's coming inside from some project he's been doing out in the shop.


Nedra sets the table and is the "gopher". Martha mashes the potatoes. We share something we're thankful for over dinner. Someone makes a comment about the sweet potatoes or cranberries - get 'em! - (it's an inside joke). Meal consists of old faithfuls like turkey, potatoes, stuffing, and green bean casserole (Ethan's favorite - for him, it ranks right up there with pizza!). After dinner, Grandma announces, "I'm done in the kitchen. You guys are in charge of clean up." Pumpkin pie later in the afternoon. Leftovers for supper. Those are the things I hope never change...


Will there be new traditions? This year we watched a Christmas movie and put a puzzle together over the weekend.

Ethan, John, and Grandpa were out in the shop working on a "project" for Christmas.

The kids made the traditional visit to "the farm" to see the kittens and horses. We made Christmas cookies.

We watched some football and the boys played a little football on Nintendo.

I love Thanksgiving. It's like the calm before the storm of the holiday season. Black Friday Schmack Friday...I could take it or leave it (we did brave the crowds for an hour or two this year, but in Worthington, MN you can hardly call it a crowd...and we did get a couple of sweet deals). I'll close with a wonderful picture of my hilarious husband who had a blast playing "redneck" all weekend. He chipped his tooth in 4th grade. It was recently re-repaired, but apparently not well. We got that fixed as soon as we got back to Mankato :o) Love you honey!

Swimmers

Essential gear for a swim meet:

• swim team swim suit
• goggles and extra goggles
• swim cap and extra swim cap
• 2-3 towels per swimmer
• sleeping bag to "crash" on (this marks their area to keep their stuff and hang out between events)
• books and games to keep you entertained between events
• snacks and extra snacks plus a little $ to spend on snacks (no big meals when swimming)
• cozy robe
• cozy PJ pants (the wilder the better)
• flip flops or slippers
• shampoo and conditioner
• lotion for after swimming
• brush
• clothes to wear when done swimming (don't forget the undies)
• laundry basket to haul all this stuff in
• camera
• stop watch
• pen and notebook to record times
• take most of these things times 3 for Ethan, Hannah, and Sarah

Hannah, Megan, and Claire during warm-ups; we usually arrive at home meets around 7:45am and warm-ups begin by 8:15 or so with the meet starting around 9:15. Lots of waiting around so Dana and I volunteer to write numbers on arms. Each swimmer gets their events written in permanent marker on their arm so they don't need a program to know what they are swimming. It looks something like:

7
100 Med Rel (3)
2/4

This means Event #7 is the 100 yd. Medley Relay and this swimmer swims 3rd (which is the butterfly). She'll compete in Heat 2 in Lane 4. Each of 4 swimmers will swim 25 yards (backstroke is first, then breast stroke, butterfly, and freestyle) for a total of 100 yards. In each meet a swimmer usually swims in 5 events (3 individual and 2 relays)

Ethan playing Rush Hour with a couple friends between events; favorite activities while waiting include cards, iPods, reading, games, cheering for your friends, snacking, coloring, and goofing off with friends.

Sarah and Laney; As you can see, the friendships are just as important as the swimming...

Sarah just learned to dive this week; up until now she'd get up on the block and look like she was going to dive, but would then do a leap frog move into the water...it was cute, but not efficient. We should see some faster times now!!!

Now that the high school girls swim season is over, many of those girls are helping to coach at the YMCA. Sarah LOVES these girls!!!

...maybe a little TOO much!!!

Don't forget the Moms! Dana and Nedra usually time at home meets. It's a great way to have a perfect view of the action and it makes the the time pass quickly (plus this year timers get free pizza :o)

Hannah and Kirsten

We try to encourage the kids not to worry about what place they finish in - just try to better their own times. This year, we're offering a quarter for every second they shave off their times. So far, it's been quite motivating, but they've been swimming in a lot of different events so we haven't had many times to compare. Nedra and Dana can't keep quiet when our children are swimming so we can be heard cheering them on. Some people see this as intensity, but mainly we're just excited (and really proud). Hannah listens for Dana's whistle during the breaststroke.

Hannah's specialty has been the butterfly this year. That's mom and dad's favorite event to watch her in. She looks so strong! Her favorite stroke to swim in practice is the breaststroke; she says it's relaxing!

5 short whistle blows means "Get ready for the next event"
One long blow means step up onto the starting block (or get into the water on back stroke)

Swimmers, take your mark...

Buzzer sounds and they're off! Ethan does very well at the relays. His friends and the crowd cheering him on really motivates him to do his best. Just look at that spectacular dive!

Next up: St. Cloud on December 19th
Good luck kiddos!
Go Marlins!

Sheeps

All you Patenaudes out there should appreciate this one...

We were playing Cities and Knights a couple weeks back (all 5 of us - yes, our children all play - Sarah with some assistance). Sarah was collecting a ton of sheep when she exclaimed, "Hey Mama, I got the sheeps!!"