Our beautiful trip Into Bozeman yesterday Yielded great rewards
Reward #1:
Gorgeous views of the Bridger Mountains
Reward #2
Beautiful blue skies… See why they call this “Big Sky Country?”
Reward #3
A peek at Bozeman’s festive spirit
Reward #4
Capturing the Holiday shoppers’ spirit
Reward #5
Enjoying the city’s decorations
Reward #6
Enjoying delicious pizza while waiting for Bob’s glasses to be repaired
Reward #7
A safe drive home after shopping at CostCo… and Bob’s time to relax with TazE while I made a salad to go with our left-over pizza for dinner
Reward #8
Bob’s ability to read again without needing a magnifying glass! His glasses needed the frames soldered because he sat on them and broke them. He promises never to do that again!
Reward #9
And now, after a good night’s sleep, I am rewarded with this gorgeous sunrise view from high up in my sanctuary.
Reward #10
YOU!! (Thanks for visiting JanBeek)
Have you taken a beautiful trip recently? What are some of your rewards?
I live gratefully With thanks for family and friends Gratitude brings joy
The Flights Were Great!
I hope you had a joy-filled day of gratitude, too – on that day we call Thanksgiving here in the USA. We arrived safely (thanks to my niece, Jodie) at the Pittsburgh airport around 5: AM. Our flight to Minneapolis arrived on time, with no difficulties – and we had a nice breakfast in their lovely airport. The 6:15 AM flight to Bozeman was on time and encountered no problems.
Problems Began After Landing
The problems came after we landed in Bozeman, MT and Bob tried to find our car in long-term parking. He wandered in the wrong parking lot for a half hour before realizing the car was in the next lot over. By then, I knew he was in some kind of trouble as I stood in the warmth of the airport with our luggage waiting for him.
I prayed to God, “Please help Bob solve whatever trouble he has encountered.”
Prayer Works
About that same time, Bob reported later, he realized he had not sought God’s help, so he also prayed to find the car. That’s when God nudged him to go to the next parking lot over… and sure enough, there it was. BUT, it was covered in snow… and the snow had more than one layer during the time we were gone. The under-layer was iced on.
Be Prepared
Anyone who has lived through a winter in this part of the world, should know what to carry in the trunk of your car. An emergency kit needs to include a blanket or two, gloves, a hat or two, an ice/snow scraper, etc. Our trunk had a can of de-icer and a blanket, but none of the rest of those items. It took Bob 20 minutes to clear away enough of the ice and snow to make the car safe to drive.
Yes, we know what we need to add to our emergency supply to be prepared in the future!
Home Safely
It was snowing lightly as we began the 60 miles toward home, but it let up as we crossed over the mountain pass and followed the Madison River into Madison County and our valley. The roads were clear – and we praised God for a wonderful homecoming!
Family Greeted Us
At home, we were greeted by our son, his wife, two grand-daughters and their husbands, and two of our great-grandchildren. Happy Thanksgiving!! The smell of turkey assailed my nostrils when I opened the door – and hugs all around said, “Welcome Home!”
Hail, hail, the gang’s all here!
Xander, our great-grandson
Monika, our daughter-in-law, with Sienna, our great-granddaughter
Ty, our son, with TazE, our dog
I am grateful to our dear friends, Gail & Harold, who took care of TazE while we were gone.
Here’s our granddaughter, Hope, with Sienna
The smell of turkey roasting was so inviting!
The sweet potatoes are ready for the marshmallows
It was a wonderful meal… and great fellowship. I hope you had a great day, too. Now on to “Black Friday!”
Some call this “Black Friday” – a day when merchants encourage shoppers to come to their stores – big sales everywhere!
Only Thing Black
The only thing black about today for me is my coffee and the night sky! I am up early and enjoying some quiet time.
I hope yours is a Fabulous Friday with delicious coffee (or tea) to warm you inside, and a cozy home filled with love to warm you through and through.
Eternally Grateful
While my family is still asleep, I am up in my sanctuary, thanking God for:
answered prayers
a safe trip to Pennsylvania and back
the chance to see my sis in her new setting
the generosity of my niece, Jodie, and her husband, Bill
the gracious hospitality of the McSparrons in Kutztown, PA
the opportunity to participate in a bit of the life of Liam, our great-nephew
Liam’s big heart and wonderful work ethic
the love and care my niece, Jodie, gives to her family and my sis (her mom)
our son and his family who greeted us with love and a luscious Thanksgiving dinner when we returned home
Are they lily pure? Is every word uplifting? You can’t take them back!
Words spoken with love Can be the perfume of life Hurtful words just stink!
Ever smelled a “Stink bug”?
We have declared November to be the month of kindness and gratitude. Not just kindness to those who are kind to us, but kindness to to everyone and everything. Kindness to ourselves, our neighbors, our pets, the neighbor’s pets, our plants and trees… even kindness to those who hurt us!
Let our words be like the fertilizer that helps others to change and grow.
One kind word can change someone’s entire day. One kind word might even change a life.
What’s a word you might say today from your sincere heart that will brighten someone’s day? It doesn’t have to be eloquent. It isn’t flattery. It’s just simple and honest.
I love that you are here on JanBeek today. You make my day brighter with your “like” and your comment.
But, you really lift my spirit when you are inspired to take the message to heart – and go out and LIVE a LIFE of LOVE.
Sing along with this beautiful song that reminds us to speak and sing and think and live in the perfume of “Wonderful Words of Life.”
Feed your mind loving words… “Wonderful words, beautiful words, wonderful words of life” and then go out and feed others!
As this day – a day in the USA to remember and honor our veterans – draws to an end, I am encouraged by the ways God reassures us of our destiny… and theirs.
My heart goes out to the parents, spouses, children, and loved ones of our fallen heroes. God bless those who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend our country and our freedom.
Last night we attended a dinner celebrating the 244th birthday of the United States Marine Corps and honoring our veterans.
The gentleman on the left in this photo is Don Bowen, a Marine veteran. He and his wife, Toni, invited us to attend. Don and Toni are the realtors who had our house built. They lived in it for the first 6 years before we bought it. I have a special spot in my heart for this couple.
The birthday cake was cut by the oldest Marine present (91) and served by the youngest one (42). I thought that was a nice tradition.
All branches of the service were recognized with a toast to their service to our country. Bob served in the army when we first were married.
Handsome dude, huh?
That opportunity to live in Germany while Bob served in the military got our marriage off to a wonderful start. I was stripped from my comfort zones: family, friends, language, culture, job… and placed in a “strange land” where I needed to rely on my husband, my inner core, my faith, and my ability to learn and adapt.
I landed a job (by God’s Grace) teaching first graders on the army base – it was mid-year, February – so it really was a God-thing!! And we became life-long friends with the Schallers, whose chalet we shared. Ah memories!
On this Veterans Day, I think back to those years of service and I remember all who sacrificed for our freedom. I live in gratitude – forever thankful for all who served and who are serving in our military today.
In a perfect world, we would need no armies. We would just love one another, and we’d all live in peace. Ah, I long for that day. But, I’m afraid it won’t come til Heaven. Nevertheless, I will strive for that peace in my life.
