Thank you so much for your prayers for our safe travel and clear roads and beautiful weather. Your prayers were answered.
That was the area we were most worried about: Island Park, Idaho. It was so perfect today. God is good! We could not have asked for more perfect weather and more beautiful road conditions! You were with us, dear friends. Thank you!
Perfect sunset!!
Enjoying a relaxing dinner in Elko, Nevada.
Bob & I traded off driving. It made the 500 +/- miles go much more smoothly.
Have a good night – and continue your prayers, please. They worked!!
Meantime, in Switzerland, DeAna & André are enjoying a busy December at Relais des Mélèzes – their beautiful Swiss chalet/hotel/restaurant in Vissoie, Switzerland. They are in need of health and healing prayers. Can you add them to your very effective prayers, please?
Thanks so much! See ya tomorrow (God willing) … another 500 miles to go through, up & over Donner Pass – Lord, hold off the storm!
Today a team of five willing helpers moved every bit of our furniture and appliances from our kitchen, dining room and living room. It was a monumental task!
Beekmans’ bare house
New wood flooring will be installed over this old, soft fir, scarred floor while we are gone to CA for Christmas and New Years. This is what the new/old wood will look like when it is finished:
That’s our friends, Julie & Mike’s new floor.
The wood is from a hundred year old silo in Malta, Montana. Bob saw it and fell in love with it. He decided it is what our house needs. When all is said and done, I hope it is as lovely as he anticipates – and it is worth the time, money, effort, and stress involved in such a major renovation! Our existing floor doesn’t look bad in the video, but it really is in bad shape – and the wood is soft – scars really easily. The replacement wood (going right over the top of this) will give us a brighter, lighter look. Happy New Year!
God bless our willing helpers who are making all this possible!
1921 silo in Malta, Montana
The crew who did all that work to move things today are saints! As I said, it was a major task! And the man who is harvesting the wood from this old silo is a wizard! His name is Paul. Do keep in in prayer. I just pray he maintains his health and is able to finish the project. It was originally planned for when we were on our trip to England and Switzerland last September, but Paul, FELL while doing the wood harvesting and broke some ribs and had other health issues that required surgery. So, of course, our project was postponed while he recuperated.
1921 silo
It’s fun to know the history of the wood – and to look forward to a new look in our home. But, it involves a whole lot more than what meets the eye… because one thing always leads to another, you know? I am reminded of Derrick & Jackie Knight’s recent renovation of their kitchen and entry and upstairs rooms. Derrick shared the step-by-step, day-by-day progress with us on his blog. Quite an undertaking!
We’ll be gone and Paul will be living here in our absence – – – doing his magic. I’ll show you the finished product (God willing) when we return next year, mid to late January. Meantime, do keep our safe travels in your prayers, will you? I’ll keep in touch along the way.
Have a Blessed Sunday. Bob & I will attend church this morning … and then do a little clean-up in our kitchen area to have it cleared and ready for Paul’s arrival tomorrow. What are your Sunday plans?
Us – looking forward to fun with family in sunny California
God bless you and keep you safe. See you tomorrow (God willing) Tomorrow is our day to pack! Love, JanBeek
Today we went to Yellowstone National Park with our grandson, Nick, and his sweetheart, Celine.
The only entrances into the park that were open were the north gate by Gardner and the north-east gate by Cooke City. We were able to enjoy the Mammoth Hot Springs and the road to the Tower. Only on that last road were we able to spot a few bison. Not being able to go through West Yellowstone to Old Faithful was a disappointment, but Nick will just have to return with Celine some summer when the whole park is available. Highlights today were:
TazE enjoying the Bighorn sheep that were right by the road (we did, too)
2. Enjoying a day in Yellowstone at Mammoth Hot Springs with Nick & Celine
3. Being healthy & vigorous enough to enjoy walking the Mammoth Hot Springs trail, too!
4. Stopping in Gardner for refreshments on our way home
5. And enjoying the changing colors of the night sky on our way home
Hopefully next trip we’ll be able to go through West Yellowstone and see Old Faithful in her glory. But meantime, we had a great day with bighorn sheep, bison (at a distance), antelope, mule tail deer, and a bald eagle delighting our visitors.
Nick took lots better pictures than I did… and his Instagram posts will delight his followers, I am sure.
Hopefully you can come some day, too… and enjoy this beautiful park with us.
Meantime, thanks for visiting with us today. See ya tomorrow (God willing) Love, JanBeek
To see more of Yellowstone Park, click on that August 9, 2019 post. Our cousin, Sofia, visited the Park with us on that occasion. Old Faithful and the hot springs were in full array.
He has made me glad! This is the day the Lord has made, And I rejoice with each breath. I treasure each beautiful memory.
Memories are God’s gift to us. Activities are life’s treasures. Highlights are those that make us smile. My highlights and Bob’s are different.
Ask him about his favorite time During our three weeks away, And he will not hesitate. It’s the Swiss fighting cows!
(Actually, he corrected me: Cows are in second place… Family comes first – whew!)
Visiting Pipo, the Swiss cowboy, And seeing his award-winning cows Was a unique, memorable experience. But it was not MY favorite!
As I have shared in prior posts, It’s the people who rise to the top. It’s the people who make me glad. I will enter their pictures with thanksgiving in my heart:
First of all it’s family: Our daughter and her husband And his mom, dear Denise… How blessed we are to have them in our lives!
Do you have family far away? So far that it’s hard to see them often? So far that you missed them during the COVID crisis? But always in your heart, making you glad?
Of course, in our case, the scenery Is a huge source of gladness. DeAna married a Swiss, so we HAVE TO Go there to visit as often as possible.
Being able to see our children And spend time with our growing, And maturing grandchildren Is my greatest source of gladness.
Throw in the bonus of meeting up With my cousin, Tommy, in London And visiting with Derrick & Jackie in Downton, And you have gladness on steroids!!
You’ve met some of the folks below already. If you had a chance, and you could post A picture of the folks who make you glad, Who would they be?
These boys make my heart sing!!
Mike is our oldest. Here he is with his fiance’ Tania. Tania gave us a walking tour of Sierre – And they took us to brunch & to their apartment – Along with Mike’s middle brother, Nick.
Nicky, the middle grandson, is such a sweetheart And so is his girlfriend, Celine. He & Mike created a spreadsheet of our daily activities – And made sure we were taken care of!
Wouldn’t that make your heart glad?
Our youngest grandson, Chris, is busy – Busy with his work and his schooling, His girlfriend in Colombia, and also His school’s extra-curricular activities.
We treasured the few times he was Able to make time to be with us. Here he is with his mom, our DeDe. These two definitely make my heart glad.
Embrace gladness, dear friends. Cherish the time you have with your loved ones. Remember the days of joy and shared love; Tuck them in your heart – and thank the Lord!
Here I am with our son, Ty. He makes me glad, too. Time with him and his family is a treasure to cherish.
Take time to share your gladness. This is the day the Lord has made, So treasure it in your heart… And sing with me, “He has made me glad!”
What or who makes your heart spill over with gladness?
I have always loved Swiss chalets. How about you? I copied the picture of this one off the web at the time Bob & I were dreaming about the possibility of building a chalet of our own in California. (That was before we traveled to Montana, fell in love with the wide open spaces, the wild animals, and the Rocky Mountains – and bought our home here in Ennis).
As you know, we just returned from a trip to Switzerland because our daughter married a Swiss, has three of our grandsons there, and now has a Swiss chalet of her own! We needed to see her in her new setting.
DeAna remembers that when she was a child, we had a Swiss chalet music box. When you opened its lid, it played Edelweiss. Maybe she dreamed of one day having a real one. You think?
Ah, great it is to believe
by Edwin Markham
Ah, great it is to believe the dream As we stand in youth by the starry stream; But a greater thing is to fight life through And say at the end, the dream came true!
Yes!! It is De & Andre’s chalet Relais des Melezes Hotel and Restaurant
Here are some photos of chalets that we took on our trip to Switzerland this month. The first one of De & Andre’s! It has 4 hotel rooms above with the restaurant below. De & Andre’ live in one of those rooms and rent the other three. We stayed in one of them. Such fun!!
Which one would you dream of having for your vacation home? (I couldn’t afford to live there year-round… oh my, the cost of living is wonderful, but prohibitive unless you work there. The exchange rate for USA dollars to Swiss francs was – oh my!!)
You can see that we were very happy to be blessed to visit Switzerland, to see all those beautiful chalets and tour villages like Grimentz. W do not take this privilege for granted, believe me. God is good! We are living to see our dreams come true – and to witness our daughter’s dreams being fulfilled, too. What more can we ask?
He Had His Dream
He had his dream, and all through life,
Worked up to it through toil and strife.
Afloat fore’er before his eyes,
It colored for him all his skies:
The storm-cloud dark
Above his bark,
The calm and listless vault of blue
Took on its hopeful hue,
It tinctured every passing beam —
He had his dream.
by Paul Laurence Dunbar
How about making your dreams come true? Dreaming of a trip to Switzerland, too? Why not go stay in one of De & Andre’s rooms?
Trip Advisor says:
5.0Excellent10 reviews#1 of 2 B&Bs / Inns in Vissoie Family-owned & family-operated auberge/restaurant in the heart of the Val d’Anniviers close to the resort destinations of Grimentz, Zinal, St. Luc and Chandolin. Rooms and restaurant have recently been renovated. André and DeAna have created a cozy, warm, and friendly atmosphere to make your stay/meal in our corner of the world one to remember.
Located in Vissoie, Relais des Mélèzes has a bar, ski-to-door access, terrace, and free WiFi. This 3-star hotel offers a concierge service. The hotel features family rooms. At the hotel, the rooms are fitted with a desk, a flat-screen TV, a private bathroom, bed linen and towels. All rooms will provide guests with a wardrobe and a kettle.
We’re not prejudiced… We’re her parents!
Go have a cup of coffee with DeDe. I’ll tell her to leave the light on. You tell her we sent you!
Thanks for visiting JanBeek today. I hope I fueled your chalet dreams!
Do you have trouble asking for help? Or trouble receiving it? Or trouble knowing when you need it?
All of those are questions to which I must admit – yes! I enjoy being able to say, “I can do this!” Mom told me that two of my favorite words as a toddler were, “Me do!”
So, it should come as no surprise to you that I was reluctant to accept the help of a wheelchair when we were in Switzerland this month. Our daughter and grandsons were very wise, however. They didn’t ask. They just rented one and had it available for the loooong walks they knew would be part of our schedule. God bless ‘em!
Bob, with his congestive heart ♥️ failure – and me with my arthritic knee and ankles, needed it! And we appreciated taking turns being pushed as we toured Sierre (with Mike’s fiance’ Tania, as our gracious tour guide) and as we walked the distances required at the Sion Wine Festival. (Seeing how others see you when you’re in a wheelchair… well, that’s a topic for a future blog!)
The other help that we really treasured was our daughter, DeAna’s tech skills. She helped us find the links to the COVID-19 tests and other paperwork we needed before travel, the taxi we needed to get from airport to hotel/hotel to restaurant/ restaurant to train station, etc. Lordy, we could not have made this trip without her and all our other helpers!
Here are a few more photos of the phenomenal experiences we had:
The train took us from Derrick’s in Downton to London. We had a wait at Waterloo Station before the next train to the airport, so we took the opportunity to relax and grab a bite to eat. (Yes, food always is a highlight of foreign travel!)
The travel in London is very easy if you have someone helping you find the right direction, the right train or taxi. On the train, each stop is well labeled. Away we went… headed for Heathrow Airport and on to Geneva.
De’s husband, André, picked us up at the airport… another helper whose gracious assistance we accepted willingly. It was a drizzly, gray day, but that weather only lasted two days. The rest of our two weeks in Switzerland were gorgeous blue skies!
This is our view on morning #1 from Denise’s balcony in Sierre.
That first Swiss week, we were at André’s mom, Denise’s in Sierre. And of course, more food … and delicious wine. That’s our DeDe getting ready to serve the wine. Our grandsons, Nick & Mike, provided the cheese fondue. More evidence of generous helpers… doing the cooking and serving!
The fondue is always one of our favorite Swiss meals. As you know, Switzerland is noted for its cheese, chocolates, and watches… oh, and banking! It is an amazing, clean, technically advanced, beautiful country!
In advance of our arrival, our grandsons created a spreadsheet of activities they planned for us and sent it out to family, so others could choose times to be involved with our visit. Soooo sweet of them!
Thank you, Nicky, for being such a wonderful, loving helper! We look forward to your visit here to Montana this Thanksgiving with your sweetheart, Celine.
Thank you, Mike & Tania, for taking such good care of us and showing us so many beautiful sites! We look forward to returning to Switzerland next September for your wedding!
Back Home
In today’s sermon at our Madison Valley Presbyterian Church, our pastor, Mary Grace Reynold’s sermon fit right into this theme of “Embrace Helpers.” Using Mark 10:46-52 as her springboard, she shared the helping nature of Jesus. The story of the blind man who asked for Jesus’ help pointed clearly to need for us all to set aside our “Me do” childish attitude and ask for help when we need it. Accept help offered, and praise the Lord with all our hearts when that help comes.
Mark 10:46-52
New International Version
Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight
46 Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging.
47 When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48 Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.”
50 Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
51 “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
52 “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
Mmmm …
Thank you, DeDe, for marrying Andre’ and giving us this wonderful place to “have to” visit! Thank you for all your help & love.
Dear blogging friends, I pray when you have a chance to travel and you need help seeing all you want to see, you will take a lesson from Bartimaeus and from Bob & me… Ask for help – Graciously receive it – And enjoy the journey with gratitude and joy in your heart!
Unable to post pictures here, I abandoned WP during these past three weeks and used FB to share our travels with friends. It’s been a magical time in England and Switzerland. If you, my WP friends, wish to travel vicariously with us, do click on my FB link and have a look… you can travel backward with us all the way to London and then to Downton where we were privileged to spend three days with blogging friend, Derrick Knight and his wife, Jackie. When I get home to Montana Thursday, I will resume my “Embrace” series.
