Preparations and Remembering Soldiers

We've started preparing for the Advent season. Next week we will decorate the church, eat pizza, and then have our beginning advent season service. This is something John Mark and I have put together, and we usually do it every other year. So, this week we have to get out the Christmas stuff.

Yesterday was nursing home time again. Autumn dressed up in her Indian costume and read Thanksgiving poems to the old folks. Then she played a song on the piano. John Mark played Thanksgiving hymn. We had a request for "Church in the Wildwood" which made me think of Beck! I then asked him to play my favorite "Over the River and Through the Woods."

I'm still fascinated by our bright tree. Here are more pictures, plus Autumn with her sidewalk chalk.








Our weather has been nice! High 60's and today it will be 76. However, Wednesday, we're expecting snow.

After the church Thanksgiving Meal last week, Autumn brought home their decorations. She put every "autumn" thing out on our front porch.


We have 5 soldiers currently in Afghanistan and Iraq. I made these banners to in order to take a picture to send to each one of them from the kids in the church.
I posed the kids and then inserted a new name and rank for each guy. The kids also made cards and snowflakes to send. The church is sending little Christmas trees and ornaments.



We've had a few friends from church return recently from Iraq. One of the friend's wife has a blog and posted some pictures of her husband's return. I thought I'd include these last few paragraphs from her blog. (I got her permission to do this) They're very touching....



From Lynette and Rob's blog....

The following letter is one that was left on our front porch a couple weeks after Rob's return.
Dear Soldier,
I am a student at K-State and I walk by your house quite often to get to my classes. That is when I saw the large banner that your family had put on the front porch welcoming you home. That is why I am writing this to you. In this day and age, it gets harder and harder to support this country that I and obviously you love dearly. The lack of support for what you guys do and what you have done for us is ridiculous. I get sick and tired of people uniting for ten minutes and then going right back to stabbing each other in the back. That is why I am so thankful for the job you guys do. No matter where you were and what kind of war you fought in, you helped keep this country free. You were willing and ready to give your life for us, and really, me. To quote the Bible "There is no greater love than to give of ones life for a friend." You do not even know the millions of the people you fought for, yet you did it anyway. That, my friend, takes the ultimate selflessness and courage. I just wanted to tell you that no matter what the media or anyone says, there are millions of us out here that are proud and very grateful to have you watching our backs. We will never be able to repay you, and I know it is a drop of water in a lake, but please take this cigar as a token of appreciation.
Thank you and God Bless you and all the troops out there fighting to keep us safe and free.
Signed,
A Humble Patriot of the U.S.A.

I (Lorie) forgot to add that one of the little girls from our church (Gracie) saw Rob come home and hug Lynette and she said, "It made my heart squeeze when he hugged her." I thought that was so cute. She's only 5 years old and is the little girl in the front row of the banners, (first on the left, striped socks).