Spreading love, joy, peace, faith & unity

Posts tagged ‘parties’

Fun with Family

We had fun with family last weekend.
We celebrated our great-granddaughter,
Charlotte’s first birthday
with an outing to the Olive Garden
in Bozeman, Montana.

What a cutiepie, huh?

Her brother, Xander (almost seven)
and her sister, Sienna (4)
received stuffed animals
as special gifts from my friend, Ted.
So kind of him! The kids loved ’em!!

Xander enjoyed sharing Charlotte’s new books with her.

The children’s mom (our granddaughter, Hope)
and Pam (the kids’ paternal grandmother)
made it possible for us all to be together.
We’re so grateful!

1 Timothy 5:8

“But if anyone does not provide for his relatives,
and especially for members of his household,
he has denied the faith
and is worse than an unbeliever.”

Oh my! What an important scripture, huh?
The operative word is “provide.”
There are many ways to do so…
and having fun with them
on special occasions
is definitely one of them!


Tell me about fun you have had with family recently!

Fun to look back at
Fun with Family!

I’m sending my Love to you today.
I pray you have an opportunity today
(or soon)
to have
FUN WITH FAMILY!

With hugs,
JanBeek

Happy Birthday x2

Today was a joint birthday party for
my granddaughter, Hope,
and my great-grandson, Xander

Hope +X @Xander's2nd

It was a crazy busy day…
but  I can’t go to bed without sharing a few photos
to let my JanBeek followers in on the fun!

V PUSH 4 WHEELER

It was a beautiful blue sky day (thank you, God)
and the children loved playing out in our back yard.
This little girl, Victoria, was a hoot to watch!
Her moods were many … what a cutiepie!!

Victoria @Xander's2nd

She was curious about everything!

Dining room @Xander's2nd

She loved riding with Xander on his new four-wheeler.

V + X @Xander's2nd
He wasn’t always too sure he always wanted her on it with him!

Victoria+X on 4 wheeler @Xander's2nd
But he got used to it!
(Awww… what’s not to love?)

X on 4wheeler@Xander's2nd

He actually needed her help to figure out how to get it to move!

cake @Xander's2nd

Besides the four-wheeler, his other favorite thing was the cake!

cakemess@Xander's2nd

But, he had trouble getting it into his mouth!
His mom was smart to take his shirt off before this mess started!

Mary+V+X+Hope

He wasn’t too keen on opening presents.
That’s his mom, Hope, on the right.
Victoria’s mom, Mary is on the left.

Xander couldn’t figure out why these things
had to have paper around them!
He liked the ones that didn’t come wrapped the best!

Like the “Build a Bear” he received
from his maternal grandparents…

kiss bear @Xander's2nd
Sweet!

It was a beautiful day … and everyone had a good time.
But now I’m pooped! I know why God gives kids to the young.
Time to go to bed.

4 kids @Xander's2nd

Kids wear ya out, don’t they?
But, aren’t we lucky to have such a nice big yard…
and such good weather today?

Happy Birthday, Hope and Xander!

And Happy Mother’s Day all you moms out there.

See you tomorrow!

Thrill to the Quest

Thank you for continuing with me
on the quest to
Add greater meaning to
and
Find larger purpose in
Life

Today’s letter in this A-Z series is “Q”

In their book, Spiritual Literacy, Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat wrote,
Savor questions and thrill to the quest.
See your life as a journey
that quickens your faith
and deepens your soul.”

Be a Seeker

The cover page to the Brussat’s book says, “A book that belongs in every seeker’s home…”

That’s me! A seeker! How about you?

seek for adventure

Photo by Kaboompics .com on Pexels.com

A seeker always is looking for:

  • adventure
  • a better way
  • a new way
  • a “funner” path
  • a creative hobby
  • a clearer direction or purpose for life
  • a way to improve a skill
  • ideas for improving his/her diet
  • motivation for a healthier life
  • other bloggers who can help him/her remain inspired or learn new skills or just laugh a little

Do any of those resonate with you?

What would you add to the list?

Don’t be Afraid to Improvise

I recently had an abundance of carrots that needed to be used. I googled “Carrot Soup” and discovered this wonderful new (to me) site called “Eating Well.” The carrot soup recipe is simple and easy.

food healthy cooking fresh

Photo by mali maeder on Pexels.com

 

Check it out at http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/249990/carrot-soup/

I followed the recipe, but when I was finished, I decided it needed some enhancement. I went back to the site on a quest for enhancement ideas. Right next to that recipe was one that added curry to the soup. We love curry. Also, I wanted it to be a bit creamy. I had some half and half on hand. I added that.

You know, when you are on a quest for improved flavors, improved health or attitudes, improved life-styles … you name it … you have to be adventuresome! Mix it up.  Improvise. Think outside the box!

photo of white and brown cardboard box toy figure

Photo by Matan Segev on Pexels.com

Think Outside the Box

Recently I have been on a quest for ideas to enhance the birthday party for my great-grandson. It’ll be at our house this Saturday. He’ll be two on Sunday. We have about 25 friends and in-law-family of my granddaughter coming to join us. What can we do besides eat and socialize?

I asked Siri. She led me to fatherly.com, a website with an article titled, “20 Original Ideas for a Second Birthday Party.” From a rainbow party to a fairytale fete, these birthday themes are touted to be perfect fits for two-year-olds.

The article on fatherly.com said,
“They have simple tastes.
They want cake,
shiny things to wave about,
and to run free…
Second birthdays should be glorious play dates.”

I pray for good weather, and I pray that my granddaughter will have other two-year-olds here for my great-grandson to play with. But, whether she does or not, the ideas I discovered on this site satisfied my quest for answers to “What can we do besides eat and socialize?”

Balloons sounded like a great idea to me. If our unpredictable Montana weather is bad that day, balloons can hit furniture and not put dents in it!

toddler girl sitting on ground surrounded by balloons

Photo by Amponsah Nii Davidson on Pexels.com

Now, we need to choose a theme –  and get busy. Thinking outside the box can sometimes result in extra work. Don’t be afraid of it!

Let Your Quest Quicken Your Faith and Deepen Your Soul

If one of your quests is like mine: to look for clearer direction or purpose for life, what questions do you ask? Where do you go for answers?

My go-to source for such answers is clear to you if you have read any of my other posts. Rarely do I leave you without a reference to God, to the Living Lord who walked on earth and showed us the Way, or a reference to Scripture. I will not disappoint you this time either.

It’s not just Google or Siri to whom I turn when I have questions. They are a great help when it comes to history, places, recipes, party ideas… but when it comes to matters of the heart and soul, nothing beats the Good Book!

person holding opened book

Photo by Eduardo Braga on Pexels.com

Use the Bible’s Concordance

My NIV (New International Version) Study Bible has a great concordance. I can look to the back of the Book for words that reference my questions. It will list all the places in the Bible where the idea I am seeking is mentioned.

For instance, when I was concerned about a friend who was excessively worrying, I went to the word “Worry” in the Concordance. I found the perfect scripture to add to the card I was sending to my friend.

Phil.4:6-7 “Don’t worry about anything, instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Jesus Christ.”

Thrill to the Quest

Let the references from Siri, the links you find on Google, and the assurance of Scripture never fail to thrill you! Technology is amazing. But so is our Certain Help in times of trouble. Don’t forget to call on the Lord. Pray!! When all else fails, He will never fail you!

Keep your quests alive!
God Bless You, my Seeking Friends…

See you tomorrow!