Christmas Competition?

We find ourselves sandwiched between homes that are definitely vying for the neighborhood association Christmas decoration award. Last year the above house won an honorable mention. I think they have added the deer and a few more swags this year in hopes of actually winning. The house on the top has this great train set up in addition to all the lights. Their five year old son must love it.
This creates a dilemma for me. I would like to do a few lights, but anything we do will look pretty tacky compared to our neighbors. So then I swing to the other side and think, "Why do anything at all?" Other than that I would like to do something.
I'm trying to go for simple elegance; minimalism at its best. I put a few trees on the front porch today and hope to do luminaries tomorrow. I'll see how far I get and how it looks.
I'll post a picture of our home when I'm all done. You can send in your votes when I'm done.

New Traditions

“Gratitude as recognition, receptivity, and response is a basic attitude and action of the Christian life. We not only recognize and are aware of God’s gifts to us, but also continually find ways of saying thanks to God in worship, prayer, and “whatever we say or do.” Our aim is to live our whole life as a sacred gesture of thanksgiving, a deep bow of gratitude, solidifying our relationship with God.” Don Postema - Space for God

Our Thanksgiving devotions started with this quote and followed with nine different places in the text that command us to have an attitude of thanksgiving in our daily lives. We shared these verses around a table filled with family and friends. My brother Hugh and his wife Gretchen, their sons and soon to be daughter-in-law, my sister Susan and her husband Brad and their four sons, and Brandon and Amy Deur joined us for Thanksgiving day.

In addition to Thanksgiving festivities the Vander Plas clan blessed Cristin and Jake with a bridal shower. What fun to see them open the items they had chosen for their bridal registry. Of course, there was the traditional griddle that no new couple registers for, but I always buy in memory of Grandma Trudy and her buttermilk pancakes. Gretchen also gave Cristin six different handkerchiefs from her grandmothers and aunts. They are so beautiful.

We had a wonderful day remembering our blessings with those around the table.
The festivities continued into Friday as we visited the Tacoma Museums to see the quilt exhibit from Gee Bend. What a story of creativity and ingenuity!

Sunrise in Tacoma

Sunsets in Maui and sunrise in Tacoma. This morning the sky began to faintly turn red above the Cascade Mountains and then the color began to spread over the mountains. When the sky began to explode I decided to run out on our front porch and share the beauty of a Washington sunrise with you. Mt. Rainier is in the right hand corner of the picture.

Marriage Retreat

During conversations at our week long 'marriage retreat', we realized that ten years had passed since we had taken a vacation with just the two of us! Now, granted we have been half way around the world with wonderful friends, and spent many exciting days with the family we love. However, a vacation with the two of us was long overdue. We spent a week together in Maui. Every morning we were able to take a walk/run along the ocean. The picture of the two of us shows you the view we enjoyed.
The week was relaxing with not one appointment scheduled. The greatest adventure was to Lahaina to have our sunglasses fixed at the Maui Jim headquarters.
We had a wonderful week of sitting in the sun and reading. Together we read A Work of Heart by Reggie Mc Neal and discussed how to care for our hearts as God calls us into places of spiritual leadership. Processing this book together provided much stimulating conversation. We are grateful for the friend who recommended it.
Right off the edge of the cliff where we sat most every day we saw sea turtles feeding one day, hence the picture of the turtle.
After a day of rain on Sunday there was a magnificent sunset. Every minute the sky would change and new colors would appear. What a Creator we have!
And of course, David enjoyed many opportunities to take pictures of beautiful flowers of which I have included only one.
We are so grateful for the grace of God in our marriage for thirty years. God has richly blessed us and our family. Our hearts are full of gratitude.