October gave a party;
The leaves by hundreds came,—
The Ashes, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The sunshine spread a carpet,
And every thing was grand;
Miss Weather led the dancing;
Professor Wind, the band….
The sight was like a rainbow
New-fallen from the sky….
~George Cooper, “October’s Party”

Kit and I felt as if this baronial season’s arrival was the beginning of a party, a celebration of a medley of pleasantries the Lord had stored up for us. I adore this quote by Lee Maynard;  “I loved autumn, the one season of the year that God seemed to have put there just for the beauty of it,”  as it expresses my heart perfectly.

Autumn is captivating with its ambiance of vibrant, ardent colors, alluring amber sunlight that tumbles down upon our worlds and a season where we see first hand, nature in a perfect harmony.  “Its pumpkin and apple pie time again,” foot ball, hot mulled cider, Oktoberfest parties, Thanksgiving get-together’s  and our alighted tree lined streets and neighborhoods are festooned with fresh bales of hay, magical, chubby pumpkins and cheerful, animated  scarecrows. Its the famous  season for many a writer as their ‘mysterious and dramatic’ muse has arrived. It is the  time we all revel in God’s beautiful creation of the lively show of color with the Maple trees arrayed in a regal crimson red and the Aspen’s bedecked with their  lambent  maize yellows.  The air is crisp, and stirs many a nostalgic memory with its wood smoked aroma…there is just no other season like it!

 

 When you read Psalms 30, verse 35; ” Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning,” what does it mean to you personally in your walk with the Lord?

When I first read this scripture as a new Christian, I just assumed  its interpretation  was that if I had a really bad night, the next morning when I woke up, the sun would be shining, my heart would be filled with happiness,  and everything would be absolutely wonderful.     Well, as we all know, that is not entirely true. We learn that “night” can also mean a “season” of  our life… We hear about and come to experience as we mature in the Lord;  “The dark night of the soul,” or “The midnight Hour.”  These are the  seasons in our life that we would never choose for ourselves that seem to last forever, but truly only lasts until the Lord accomplishes His work within us, whether it be for a healing or a transformation in our faith, with its added gift being a beautiful new intimacy with Jesus. Through these “night seasons,”  we are blessed with Gods gifts, they are as precious as gold, rare gems  that we possess within that could have not come to us in any other way…This beautiful promise God is making is an assurance that when there is a “night”  or a difficult season of testing, we will get our morning! It is so encouraging to know our Dad in heaven has told us this…it births in us an expectancy  that in the ending, there will be a new beginning.

With natures glorious gift of autumn, God blessed us with our beautiful, blithesome and joyous MORNING! First off, things around the house seemed to be lighter, almost as if a veil of heaviness was lifted… There was actually a harmony flowing…I was so thankful to the Lord for His new gift, as I was learning to serve without any expectations whatsoever and tremendously appreciated the inner turmoil no longer presiding within my soul. Grahammy and I once again , excitedly ventured out on  our cherished jaunts to the beach…this time, bundling up in layers of clothes as the mornings were much colder, with gusty winds that made walking in a straight line impossible. (Good thing I wasn’t walking with a cup of coffee.)   Graham in his thick fur coat and I feeling warm and toasty, didn’t mind the polar temps one bit as the sun was shining and the picturesque  view of the sandy beach and blue  Atlantic ocean arrayed in Autumns amber light was breathtaking.  The fishermen were still gathered upon the jetty rocks, (this time in much heavier attire,)   with their  thermoses of hot coffee in hand, along with  their cheerful  greetings to Graham, (the bear,)  and I… it was if they had never left from our spring visits.

 

One crisp and sunny October morning,  we sat with Lillian and Vito sharing hot cups of coffee after breakfast, having what I’d call a; “touching base with where our housemate gauges were at ,” chat.  They both assured us that nothing had changed within their spirits. Our invitation to stay was for as long as we needed and that we were a joy to have within their home. I was taken aback and could feel tears welling up as Vito began to share what He felt God had told him;

“Susan and Kit, Lillian and I believe that this is the last home that you are going to be staying in as your time with living in other peoples homes is coming to an end.”  The words that he spoke were everything my heart was longing for  as well as my deep hope, but to hear him say them out-loud, brought a wondrous confirmation and both Kit and I rejoiced as we  could feel its promise was NEAR.  Their encouragement  gave both Kit and I great comfort.

Kit and I continued our talk as we spent some time praying together.  In asking God about having our own home by Christmas, I was so hoping for His still small voice to tell us that it would be so,  but we did not hear a “yes.” Instead, He gave us  His peace. The  Lord has a wonderful way of extending His peace and grace to our souls, regarding our heart felt desires, when He knows they are not gong to happen on our time schedule. His peace set me free of holding onto my expectations and Kit and I decided to put off looking for a place until the beginning of the new year.  We began to focus on all the wonderful things we had to look forward to…enjoying autumn at the beach, a few upcoming  gatherings at  Tina and Marks, Patrick and Chris arriving for Thanksgiving, and of course, the magical season of Christmas with plenty of holiday festivities taking place on Delawares Coast.

 

I spruced up our room with a couple of festive autumn decorations…( tell me, who can drive by a pumpkin patch  in the fall and not stop to find the perfect , round, rotund  iconic symbol of this blithesome season,)   dressed up a few lively autumn garlands with petite white lights and miniature dapper scarecrows as well as making sure we always had  a yummy mulled cider or warm apple pie candle burning. Because Kit and I are connoisseurs of great TV shows and movies buffs, we were excited with the new Fall lineup and looking forward  to seeing what new mysterious cases, Abby, McGee and Gibbs were working on.    Kits business continued to prosper, God anointed my writing time and we continued to enjoy many a blessed visit to Milford. There was such a blissfulness in our little room with a view... Even though the temperatures were chilly and the homes only  source of heating was the pellet stove in the living room,  I would crack our window, (just a tiny bit,)  to feel and breath in  the fresh breeze off the bay, (always making sure our door was shut.)    The bay waters, often times choppy with the cold winds, amidst the once lush green reed grass, now brown and untamed,  was picturesque, with a  hauntingly romantic milieu… a perfect setting for enjoying warm, freshly baked cookies, a hazelnut latte and two hours of complete escape watching the original black and white version of Weathering Heights, or the classic Rebbecca.

 

 

Tina, hands down, was one of the most hospitable hostesses  I have ever known… she absolutely adored entertaining.  She embodied all the skills and gifts of the renowned “Martha Stewart,” but would never admit it and though her home was always inviting, captivating and welcoming with delicious cuisine, yummy fragrances and a warm fire burning in the hearth, her heart was more for the ministry, praise and worship we would all enjoy, after our meal! I had never felt so much a part of a woman’s group before…Everyone of the gals, Danielle, Dina, Monroe and Pamela, ( all close, long time  friends, some as far back as high school,)  treated me as if I had been a part of their tight knit group for years.Going to Tina’s  Afternoon Teas or birthday luncheons, (yes, she’d plan a birthday celebration for each one of us,) was indeed a rare treat that made us all feel loved and special.   I felt as if I could always exhale in her home, let go of all my stresses, problems at hand and enjoy the love and fellowship of such beautiful, caring and creative women.

 

Besides the wondrous gift of Vito’s in depth bible studies on Gods grace, we were blessed to attend Mark and Tina’s once a month ‘gatherings.’   They would host an evening of delicious cuisine, (encouraging us to bring “our specialty dish,” ) fabulous fellowship , worship, prayer and ministry.  Kit, Graham and I felt abundantly blessed. (Kit and I, because it was an intimate time with the Lord and other believers and Graham, because he got to spend the entire evening with his girlfriend McPherson.)     Usually Tina’s home would fill up with 25-30 people…I had never seen anything like it…The scripture Psalms 133 :1 “How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity,”  is the best way to describe these gatherings. Tina, (also a pastor) would  lead us into worship, which ushered us into the presence of God.  The spirit of the Lord in the midst of us was so sweet and  pure, yet so majestic and  powerful. There was no fear, criticism, judgement or competition…just a room filled with people who wanted to worship the Lord and come into His presence.   I will never forget this one night in particular…As Kit and I were sitting together in the midst of the most especial worship, I felt as if Jesus was right there in the room with all of us, so much so,  that if  I opened  my  eyes  I  would  see him standing right next to me. I never wanted for that moment to end.  I knew the Lord was smiling as He knew what being introduced  to these people would mean to Kit and I in our journey thus far.  We finally felt like we were at HOME…the very community God wanted us to be in. We knew it would not be forever as our journey would be continuing, but it was one of the most beautiful gifts God has ever given to us as He brought so much love and healing into our lives and we were so blessed to be with all these wonderful friends, our new family!

 

Thanksgiving was right around the corner, and before we knew it, we’d be spending time with Patrick and Chris.  I didn’t know that butterflies could actually grow within our stomachs like they did in mine. As each day drew nearer to their arrival, I could hardly contain my excitement.  The first surprise and huge blessing from the Lord was when Vito and Lillian told us that their friends who owned a beautiful Victorian Bed and Breakfast, nestled upon the sandy shores of Rehoboth beach , wanted Pat and Chris to be their guests…free of charge.  Kit and I had visited this lovely Victorian Inn for Brunch and were taken aback by its historic charm and beauty, but we had yet to see one of their suites, (but had heard they were breathtaking.) We both , as well as Pat and Chris were eminently humbled by God graciousness and the loving hearts of Lillian and Vito and their friends.

 

Only the Lord knew what a gift and blessing seeing my little brother Patrick and Chris  meant to Kits and my heart, (especially at this time in our journey as we truly were so homesick for our families.)  It reminded me of when I was about 6 years old and I had prayed, wrote Santa several letters and hinted to my mom ( only about 20 times,)     that I wanted this one particular, lifelike  baby doll more than anything in the world…Christmas morning, to my hearts fulfillment as well as surprise, there she was, sitting up on the brick hearth by our Christmas tree. She was my dream come true…more  beautiful  than I remembered her and  so cuddly.) My heart lept inside…I picked her up and never put her down for fear that I would wake up from a dream.   Seeing Patrick after two years, (the two of us best-friends that we are,) was like a dream.  To actually see him in Delaware was surreal…I think my overflowing excitement lasted the entire 5 days we spent together.

Everyday with them was filled with wonderment, serenity, laughter and love, with the Lords special  touches  everywhere  we  went.  Our first day together, Kit had to work, so I spent the day with Pat and Chris taking them all over the alluring and galvanic Delaware Coast.We had delicious pastries and coffee at a bakery in Rehoboth Beach, toured the historic and romantic city of Lewes,  ventured over to  another bakery , (what can I say, the two of them loved their pastries,) , where we sat with lattes, fresh baked confections in front of a quaint fire place , telling story after story , laughing, at times getting teary eyed, every hour filled with such joy.  We dropped Chris off at the Inn and Patrick and I ventured off to an authentic, rustic wine shop out in the country, where he intensely searched for a few bottles of select wines, (the knowledgeable and wine connoisseur he is,)   for Thanksgiving dinner as well as  the evening at hand, where Kit was creating a scrumptious dinner so that Vito, Lillian, Pat and Chris could get to know one another.   As Pat and I spent time together, I was so in awe of the man my little brother had become,  (and very aware of how time goes by quicker than we ever stop to realize.) It seemed as if it were   just yesterday, that he and I , (in our early twenties,)   would on a whim, hop in the car after dinner in the middle of winter and drive to Myrtle Beach. We would walk the deserted shore, bundled up in our sweater and coats,  enjoying all the nostalgic sights, aromas and sounds of the ocean. We had the beach all to ourselves with perhaps only a few seabirds gliding above us as we talked about everything going on in our lives.    We’d arrive back to my parents home, (their California ranch style home in the Carolinas,)  nestled in the sylvan woods, share  a cup of hot chocolate with them and after they went to bed, stay up  until  2:00 in the morning, laughing and talking, ( a time when we were so YOUNG and sleep didn’t matter,)  as we watched music videos in my fathers study… so thankful to God for one another.  But here I was looking at this grown man, so handsome, an esteemed school teacher, a man of integrity, loyalty, and full of wisdom … I was so proud to be with him and felt so blessed that through the many years of our lives, we had remained best friends.

 

 

Kits labor of love for Vito, Lilian, Patrick, Chris and I  was an evening that definitely went into my book of “Extraordinary memories.”  He served a gourmet meal fit for royalty…fresh, (right from the Atlantic ocean,)  swordfish steaks and sea scallops, (with his own secret, decadent creamy sauce,) an enticing squash casserole,  garden salads with hot sourdough bread and butter.  The table was set beautifully, and the soft glow of the candles along with the warmth of the pellet stove, created a perfect backdrop for a delightful evening.  Patrick brought the finishing touch to our feast as He placed two delicious, award winning bottles of wine in the center of the table. I still can’t decide the highlight of the night, the  excellent food or the convivial spirit of all of us sitting together, sharing our lives, telling stories and laughing … For Kit and I, it was a beautiful union of the the old and the new… Our souls felt abundantly complete.

The next day, Pat, Chris and  I hit the outlets in Rehoboth…If you have never been, it is definitely worth the trip. With over 125 diverse shops, (all tax free,) its like Disneyland for adults (who love to shop till you drop.)    They picked out a beautiful throw for Lillian and Vito to thank them for taking such good care of us and for the lovely evening at their home. We cut our day a little short as we all needed to pack for our trip that evening to Pennsylvania for Thanksgiving. Little did we know what was in store for us…What I thought (on our way out of town,) would  be a  plate of brownies and Starbucks coffee at Tina and Marks, (as she had offered to host a get- together with Daniele,Dustin, Dina and Sam so they could all meet and get to know Patrick and Chris,)  turned out to be a magical evening, far beyond anything I could have imagined.

I could hardly contain my enthusiasm when we walked up to the front door as two of my favorite people in the world were finally meeting…Patrick and Tina. They hugged hello and as I looked into her dining room, I was blown away. Her tableaux looked like something out of Country living magazine, (the Christmas edition.) She had set the table with her beautiful Christmas china, a festive centerpiece, glittering candles throughout every room, Christmas carols playing and a roaring fire burning in the hearth. The aromas wafting through her home from the oven and stove were heavenly, (and making us all so hungry.)  She, Mark, Melissa and Carl served us all evening long…appetizers, a three course meal along with Creme Brulee for dessert…that was Sam’s  gourmet specialty and no, no matter how hard any of us tried , (and believe me, we all did as it was so  extraordinary and delish, ) he would never give  away his  recipe.     As the 10 of us sat together sharing a delightful meal and wondrous fellowship, my heart was overflowing with pure joy and thankfulness to God. It was surreal to have Patrick and Chris amongst our new  family  and they all  treated the both of them  the same way they had treated us when they first met us 22   months   earlier…with an  abundance  of  love, heartfelt  interest and hospitality that knew no bounds. Kit nor I will ever forget this fabulous, unexpected evening for as long as we live…

 

With our tummy’s , (as well as hearts,) filled with  pure contentment , we took off for  Pennsylvania to spend the  last days of our visit together with a dear family friend of many years, Neill.   We arrived at his home around 3:30 AM…stayed awake just long enough for hugs and hellos and  Grantham introducing himself to Neill’s cat, who ran  as fast as a lightning bolt  when she first laid eyes upon his rather large stature, making us all laugh, and wonder how the two of them would get a long during our stay.  It felt so wonderful to  lay our heads down upon our feathery pillows and drift of to slumber-land, as we  were all so exhausted.

Neill lived in Belfonte, one of the most enchanting, fairytale- like cities I have ever visited. Surrounded by mountains, this junoesque community was graced  with an abundance of winding, hilly roads, lakes and resplendent architecture.  Kit and I were in awe as we toured the downtown area, it’s authentic boutiques,  historical landmarks and you guessed it, a bakery where we all enjoyed our hot specialty coffee drinks and pastries.    Neill was quite the host for our holiday stay…His home was warm and cozy, filled with a medley of freshly baked confections, a constant fire kindling in his fireplace, ambrosial snacks and he put on a Thanksgiving feast to beat all feasts.We had more fun, eating, sitting by the fire for hours, reminiscing over all of our  many memories, talking about the Lord, sharing endless cups of  gourmet coffee, a glass of wine and of course all 5 of us devouring the box of See’s candy, Pat and Chris brought from California. (Only the best chocolate in the entire  world.)

 

Our days together were tremendously blessed. One of my favorite memories was getting our Christmas photo taken at the historic and enchanting  gazebo in downtown Belfonte. Every time Kit, Graham and I got in a perfect pose, it began to snow.  Graham would get up an move and Chris’s (our designated photographer)  camera lenses would get wet.   It felt as if we would never get our special ‘Kodak shot’ for our greeting cards, but we did and had a lot more  fun completing our holiday endeavor than we expected.

 On Thanksgiving day,  Neill had a great idea. Instead of having all of the gourmet dishes he had prepared at one sitting, we would divide them up over the day and have several gatherings at  his beautifully set table. After we finished one course, we  could hardly wait for the next, with his superb and palatable menu of  delicious homemade, butternut squash bisque, cornbread stuffing, (like my mom used to make,) sweet potato souffle, a buttery and  oh-so-tender turkey, giblets and gravy, mashed potatoes and freshly baked breads.  Each one of us took a few moments to share what we were most thankful for and what we were looking forward to in the New year…It was a perfect day and to top it off…it began snowing! As we all ventured to the kitchen nooks glass doors to watch the snowfall, we were delightfully surprised to see two beautiful deer standing in the midst of the  woods in Neils back yard.  It was one of  those ‘choice’ moments… beholding their  majestic, yet delicate bodies, dusted in white as they stood so still, their eyes capturing ours…causing us to forget for a moment, they were inhabitants of the wild and not backyard pets.  (Just one of Gods special touches during our days together.) 

 

The morning came , (yes, the one I dreaded,) where Kit and I had to leave this wonderful gathering that had blessed our hearts to overflowing. It took Pat and I the longest to say our goodbyes as we’d hug, cry and say goodbye and then,  after I would get in the jeep , (where Kit and Graham were patiently waiting for me,)  I’d get out and do it all over  again.  It was so hard to leave Patrick, not knowing when I  would see him again.

My heart was so blessed that he and Chris loved our new friends and famiy in Delaware, (and visa-verse)  and that they  knew we were safe, and amongst wondrous , loving people.  He and Chris  could now picture us in our  quaint and sightly coastal city.  They both loved  Delawares  beauty…the ample country , long winding roads, Historic homes,  antiquated trees, abundance of gorgeous beaches, inlets and  the  undomesticated marshlands, expressing to Kit and I  just how blessed we were to live in such a charming state.

Our 6 hour  drive home to the beach flew by, with only one stop for Grahammy’s walk and our stocking up on a few road trip treats at the infamous  Wawa’s.  (I laugh every time I say that word now as Patrick, (English teacher that he is,)  just could not get over the name of our convenient stores in Delaware and in his debate of such a silly name, had Kit and I laughing until we were in tears…) He came up with  another name for it, but I won’t go there.   The trip was certainly a treat for our eyes with all the breathtaking rivers, country roads, old barns and perhaps our  favorite part of the journey, driving through the city of Lancaster, other wise know as the Amish country. It was an everyday occurrence for these city dwellers to see horse drawn carriages ,  filled with an Amish family adventuring on their weekly trips to the city from their farms out in the country.   For us,  it was like watching  something out of a movie..rare and very thought provoking. Right about the time we arrived to the Delaware border, we realized, it being the day after Thanksgiving, that it was now OFFICIALLY the Christmas season. We were both thinking a mile a minute,  Kit about his company, a new client he was building a site for, and how his workouts at the gym would be good to get back to after all the holiday splurging…Me? How I would fix up our little room with a view for the holidays,  Christmas shopping, Tina’s Christmas gathering, all the upcoming  holiday shows, and expanding my repertoire  of comfort food recipes for the last weeks of the year.  And last, but not least, Grahammy? He was happy to be on his warm and cozy bed, enjoying the three of us being together and was probably still bewildered that every cat he had “almost met” thus far, would never hang around him long enough to become pals.

I could hardly wait to take down all our autumn decor and start dressing up our little room with a view for Christmas. I don’t know who was more excited to get started, Tina or myself. We had more fun shopping at Big Lots and a few quaint thrift stores,( finding so many great bargains,) coming home with a  perfectly sized Christmas tree, enchanting and winsome ornaments, Christmas garlands, as well as a  few flirtatious snowmen. Before we knew it, our room was transformed into a Victorian Christmas wonderland…  I smiled as I thought about Kit and I two Christmas’ before…all packed up in our town home in Virginia….waiting on Gods green light to go to Connecticut, (thinking He was going to give us our Retreat home when we got there.) …Who would have ever dreamed that two years later we would be in a state we had never visited before, with such a wealth of love and friendship amongst a new family God handpicked for us and staying with our pastor and his wife on the bay?  God is so creative in His calls upon our lives and what He has planned a long the way to His promises… Our hearts were  more than  content and so very grateful to God or all of His wondrous  provisions…

 

A very  unexpected surprise from the Lord and wondrous blessing to my heart occurred.   Lilian  loved our room so much that  she asked me if I would decorate their home for Christmas.  I was so honored and overjoyed to be able to do something just for her that would bless her heart…I decided to begin decorating  when she and Vito were gone, so that when they arrived home, it would be a surprise.  Lillian was so happy, her face beaming as she walked in and saw her home ‘dressed up” for Christmas and it blessed Kits and my heart so much.  She always put up her white Christmas tree with her cherished ornaments, so I just added a few festive touches around the home.  In a beautiful way, I felt it was something that began to bond Lillian and I  together, which was a comfort and it gave me a hope. An added blessing was the day Vito came to me  and thanked me saying that he had never seen his wife so happy. My heart was so thankful to God as well as  humbled. During the Christmas season, Lilian and Vito  invited us to  go out to  dinner and afterwards, experience  the  awesome Festival of lights in Ocean City.  It was a perfect Christmas evening… Later in the season, Kit and I invited them to go and  see a  Christmas  movie  where we  all laughed, enjoyed great fellowship and shared  endless  buckets of  buttered  popcorn…(It was Christmas so the extra butter did not count!) 

 

We woke up Christmas morning to a beautiful sunny, arctic day…the bay was glistening with the rays of the winter sun . I made a pot of coffee, we wished Lillian and Vito a Merry Christmas as they were getting ready for family to arrive for a big Christmas feast…   Kit, Grahammy and I had our own intimate and very special celebration in our room with a view. It was a morning of praise, gourmet coffee, sweet homemade coffee cake with a small but wonderful gift exchange.  Grahammy loved his new bone and festive treats , but mostly the fact that he knew today was not a work day and he would be spending the whole day (without any interruptions) with the two of us… Kit surprised me with a beautiful white, fluffy , feathery comforter for our bed..and I him, with a few of his favorite  DVD’s, espresso beans and warm sweaters.    Midday, We got dressed and headed down to Tina and Marks for Christmas dinner…Our second home! Immediately Tina offered us hot Starbucks french roast with a medley of special holiday creamers  and Mark was offering us a glass of his new wine he got for Christmas. As we sat in the living room (amongst the proof that Santa had come and everyone’s dreams had been granted,) we took a mini , individual tour with Tina, Melissa, Carl and  Mark to share in the joy of all their new treasures…with the dinner cooking in the oven, (there is nothing quite like the decadent aroma of a spiral honey ham baking,) and the fire burning in the hearth, a new DVD on the TV and all of our multi-conversations  with one another, Kit and I felt so grateful, thinking to ourselves, how  very blessed we were to have these wonderful people in our lives. We thanked God for their  unconditional love, acceptance, hope, belief  and support in our journey of  faith and that we truly all loved to be together!   Dinner was beyond delicious… we all walked away from the table filled with enough food , where we thought we’d never eat again.   After a few more cups of coffee and great conversations, we all hugged, thanked one another for our special gifts and began our journey to the car as it was way past our bedtime… The pups had a head start as they were all fast asleep by the fire… (their tummy’s filled with “way to many” people treats.”) . What a beautiful Christmas day  and celebration…It just did not get any better than this!

Isn’t it just  like the Lord, when He brings people together as a family, He includes our “precious cargo’s” as well? 

 

The year could not have ended more beautifully… Lilian, Vito , Kit, Graham, Itsy  and I spent the last hours of the year together  sitting by the pot bellied pellet stove with the moonlight reflecting on the serene bay outside the windows. We had decided to each bring our favorite praise song to our New Years gathering to share with one another…Of course each song brought up memories and thus we shared many miraculous stories about the Lord… We all hugged  and wished one another a happy new year before heading to bed…(no we did not make it to the midnight hour.)   I remember thinking to myself that evening,  that Gods amazing grace can bring unity in the places we are not expecting it or have fought so hard to achieve in our own strength and just how wonderful His surprises are  in our life…His goodness towards us in never ending.

As Kit and I reminisced over our year, we smiled, felt deep joy, at times, took a few breaths, and said a few, “OK, lets not go there,”  (with some of  our memories, )  and   thanked God for  all He had done with  humble  appreciation of His love,  presence, healing, gifts and  for HOPE. We blew out the candles in our room, cracked our window,  snuggled under our new white feathery comforter with Graham as he jumped up on the bed, reveling in the wondrous peace that filled our hearts as well as great expectancy of the New Year ahead.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lord is so good to us and abundantly  gracious…He is by far the greatest gift  we will ever know and is the only true completeness to our souls, bringing us an abundance of  pure joy, ( At times, UNCONTAINABLE.)  In His grace and loving kindness, He chooses to bestow wondrous blessings for us on this earth as we journey  through our lives. I thanked God for this wonderful time of blessing, for His extraordinary gifts to Kit and I … The love and bond with Grantham, Patrick’s visit, our new friends, and the awesome magnificence and beauty of AUTUMN. This musical video celebrates the “special gifts from God” within our lives that bring us JOY.