Hello 2016

Wow. It is hard to believe that we are already 5 days into our new year!

Since Dad's birthday is on New Year's day, we always have a grand party. The different foods are prepared. Yellow cake with chocolate frosting is made. Excitement builds as we set the table and talk of the past year and what we hope God will do through us in the new year. Then we sit around the table and gather hands to lift our thanks to God.
As we sit around the table it is a humbling and beautiful sight. God has blessed our family so much and we  have a lot to be grateful for!

And...this year did not disappoint!

We actually celebrated on Sunday, as on New Year's Day
we were at our friends home! Smile...

So, after church we asked Dad to take Mom out for a lil-date. It was a way to get him out of the house, and what better way than doing something with his best friend!

 (party preparations went into high gear after that!) 
I was so busy...that unfortunately, I don't have any 'party prep' pictures. :(

Let me share some pictures from our night...

This was our table for this year! It has been fun to see the younger children step up and start doing things like this on their own....Sophie did the table!

We have so many great memories around that old wooden table...

We made something new this year...onion rings! We made one recipe for a "test round"...and we may or may not have made another test round...and another...:)

(yes, they were as good as they look!)

Along with that we had chips/taco dip, Polynesian meatballs, brownies, chocolate covered peanuts, pretzel/rolo candy treats, chex mix, and orange punch to drink!

When Dad & Mom arrived home it was so fun to see the surprised look on his  face!

Shortly after that, we ate together and then Dad opened his gifts....we headed into the living room where we read the Proverb of the day and started watching the movie on William Tyndale's life, "God's Outlaw"...the man who was martyred for translating the scriptures into the English language. Thank God for these heroic ones who were willing to lay down their lives for the cause of Christ!

And we ended our day with Dad praying (as he does every night) before we all go to bed.

I went to sleep that night with a full and grateful heart...

what a blessed way to start our new year.

As a family...in one accord!

 

Thank you God, and thank you Dad for your Godly example to our family!

“And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:”

Jeremiah 32:39

 

 

And of course, his favorite...

yellow cake with chocolate frosting! :)

How does your family spend the new year?

Goodnight...

Maggie