Thank a Veteran Hodgepodge

Wednesday Hodgepodge has landed on a special day this week. Thank you to Joyce for the questions.

1. Marilyn texted me something that inspired this question, so thank you Marilyn! Of the following sayings, typically associated with the (American) southern way of speaking, which do you most relate to right now? Explain. 

Bless your heart~too big for yer britches~ madder than a wet hen~you’re preachin’ to the choir~
knee high to a grasshopper~oh my stars
Well, bless your heart, I can’t come up with anything to relate to right now!

2. The Hodgepodge lands on (US) Veterans Day this year. Are you a veteran? Have a family member who’s a veteran? If you answered yes, tell us something about them.

I am not a veteran.

Greg’s father served with the Army in World War II. He was in New Guinea for part of the war.

Our son-in-law Andrew served in the Marines with two tours of duty in Afghanistan

We are so thankful he returned from both tours of duty alive. He still suffers physically from the toll his service had on his body.

Our brother-in-law, Nick, served in Viet Nam. He was finally honored for that service at his funeral on Veterans day 2015, forty six years later.

Will you do anything to mark the day in some special way? 

I’ll thank any veterans that I see.

3. Is breakfast for dinner a stroke of genius or a sign of total household collapse? Is breakfast for dinner a regular thing at your house? Are all family members on board? 

I think it’s a stroke of genius.

Nothing is regular at our house these days.

Yes, we both like good food anytime of day.

4. How do you see the world? 

I have a Biblical world view. I believe the Bible is the inerrant Word of God. I see the world through that lens. This is a fallen world and everyone born on this earth needs redemption because of sin. That redemption only comes through Jesus Christ and His perfect sacrifice on the Cross. My forgiveness and Faith through and in Jesus Christ gives me assurance and hope for the life to come. It’s a promise from God.

1 John 2:15-17

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world –the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

5. And this week’s gratitude question-what’s something about your surroundings (home, neighborhood, city) you’re grateful for? 

I’m so thankful for the layers of mountains we enjoy every day!

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Oh boy…what was I thinking when I bought this discounted puzzle?

It will be pretty when I finally finish it…hopefully by Thanksgiving!

Hats off to any veterans reading today! I appreciate your service.

Mr. & Mrs.

We were sad as a family not to be able to attend Jack and Laney’s wedding. (The 10 of us were in Maui) Our hearts and minds and prayers were with them on their day and we were happy to get a glimpse into the celebration of their union. I want to document it here for memories sake.

This photo above is one of the first photos of Jack that I posted on my blog on March 5th, 2007.

Saturday, October 3rd was their wedding day but on Friday night they had the rehearsal dinner.

My sister Kathy and Len, Jack’s Maternal Grandparents

Kathy and Len’s daughters, Melissa and Michelle. Michelle is Jack’s mom.

A few photos from the wedding…

Brothers, sisters, nieces, nephew, grand niece

Jack and Laney

The Cake

My sisters, SIL’s, Nieces and Grand niece

Congratulations, Jack and Laney. God bless you and keep you!

We love you, We love you, We love you!

A Colville Weekend

On Saturday our Grands had conflicting events so the family had to divide and conquer.

Some of us were at Addy’s Basketball game. She enjoys playing.

Others were at JJ’s promotion at Taekwondo. He is officially a Junior now and his belt was upgraded.

We take joy in seeing our Grands thrive in our community.

Rejoice with those who rejoice.

On Sunday on our way home from church I took a photo at the roundabout.

Our community and our church are mourning the deaths of two officers who were killed in the line of duty in Spokane. One of those officers belongs to a well known and beloved farming family in our community. The flags are flying at half mast.

We buy from this farm and drive by their roadside store often.

Here is what the family wrote;

Mason was our son, our brother, our uncle, our friend, and our hero.

Our store will be closed until further notice.

If you wish to support his wife and sons, there will be a Mason Acheson Memorial Fund set up at STCU. There is also a GoFundMe for online giving: https://www.gofundme.com/…/honoring-mason-acheson…

“‘O Death, where is your sting?
O Grave, where is your victory?’
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
(1 Corinthians 15:55-58)

We weep with those who weep.

We rejoice that Mason is with his Savior, Jesus. We weep with his loved ones who are still on this earth grieving the deep loss.

Living on this earth we have joy and sorrow.

Sing to the Lord of Harvest ~ Hymn

Sing to the Lord of Harvest

Sing to the Lord of har­vest,
Sing songs of love and praise;
With joy­ful hearts and voic­es
Your al­le­lu­ias raise.
By Him the roll­ing sea­sons
In fruit­ful or­der move;
Sing to the Lord of har­vest,
A joy­ous song of love.

By Him the clouds drop fat­ness,
The de­serts bloom and spring,
The hills leap up in glad­ness,
The val­leys laugh and sing.
He fill­eth with His full­ness
All things with large in­crease,
He crowns the year with good­ness,
With plen­ty and with peace.

Bring to His sac­red al­tar
The gifts His good­ness gave,
The gold­en sheaves of harvest,
The souls He died to save.
Your hearts lay down be­fore Him
When at His feet you fall,
And with your lives ad­ore Him,
Who gave His life for all.

To God the gra­cious Fa­ther,
Who made us ve­ry good,
To Christ, who, when we wan­dered,
Restored us with His blood,
And to the Ho­ly Spir­it,
Who doth up­on us pour
His bless­èd dews and sun­shine,
Be praise for­ev­er­more!

Words: John S.B. Monsell, 1866.

Pumpkin Surprise Dessert

The pumpkin pie consistency of this dessert really is a surprise. It’s easy to make and a great alternative to pumpkin pie for your Thanksgiving meal.

Ingredients:

  • 1 Box yellow cake mix (without pudding)
  • 2 cups chopped walnuts
  • 2 sticks (1 cup) melted butter
  • 4 eggs slightly beaten
  • 1 large can (29oz.) of pumpkin puree
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 can evaporated milk (12oz.)
  • 3-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Mix and beat all ingredients except the cake mix, walnuts & butter.
  3. Pour into 9 x 13 greased pan.
  4. Mix cake mix with the walnuts.
  5. Sprinkle this mix evenly on top of the mix already in the pan.
  6. Drizzle the melted butter on top of this mix.
  7. Bake 60 to 75 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
  8. Serve warm or cold topped with whip cream or ice cream.
  9. Serves 12-16

The original recipe called for 1-1/2 cups of sugar. I cut down the sugar to 1 cup and substituted brown sugar for the white. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice you could use 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon cloves.

Truth for Today #206

Friday November 6th

On Fridays my posts will include verses that stood out in my readings from the Bible during the week. One, two, three or maybe more. If you have a verse/verses that you read during the week and would like to share, leave it/them in the comments and I will add it/them to the post. Let’s continue to dig deep into God’s truth.

The verses that you share are appreciated and so encouraging, I’m thankful for them and for each of you.

Malachi 3:16-18

Then those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared and LORD and esteemed his name. They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him. Then once more shall you see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

From Vera:

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭3‬:‭4‬-‭6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.”

From Karen:

Psalm 37:5

Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.

From Cheryl:

Zechariah 4:6

“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord of hosts.”

Maui Day 8 ~ Lu’au

Maui 2026 Finale Travel Journal Post

Since many of the twelve of us had never had a Luau experience Dan made reservations for the Wailele Lu’au held at the Westin Resort. Our two vehicles were filled up for the short drive to the Westin Resort just south of our resort. We waited in line until the venue was ready for us. We were greeted with a beautiful lei greeting and a drink as we were ushered to our seats.

This is the description that the resort gives:

“The island’s most extreme fire knife dance finale” – Staged outdoors amidst a scenic oceanside setting alongside the shores of Ka‘anapali Beach, at The Westin Maui Resort & Spa’s Aloha Pavilion. A spectacular setting to immerse yourself in a pure, Hawaiian experience. Discover the legend of the mischievous demigod Mauiakalana, said to have revealed the secret of fire-making. Wailele Lu‘au takes you on a journey through a time when written language did not exist, the ‘oli (chant) and hula (dance) was a means of preserving the rich fabric of cultural knowledge, keeping our Hawaiian heritage, myths and genealogies alive.”

Before the dinner service and show began we managed to get a family photo by the photographer at the resort. This will probably be our Christmas card and letter photo this year. So if you’ve seen it here before our Christmas greeting reaches you…act surprised.

Since there were 12 of us we were at two tables next to each other.

We enjoyed the views of the sun setting. It was a show within a show. Something we didn’t have to pay for.

Birthdays and Anniversaries were honored, so our two 40 year olds stood up. Katie and Jamie were born about 19 days apart.

The Lu’au included an all you can eat dinner buffet and dessert offerings along with a generous offering of drinks.

It was an entertaining show. On the way out of the resort we had a few more photo ops.

Our sweet Lei Princess!

And that was the end of our last full day in Maui.

On Friday morning the 9th of October we were all packing up to get ready for our drive to the airport and flights home. I was on the deck taking in the morning view one last time when I looked over to our next door families deck and saw Addy’s decorations.

 

Thank you, LORD, for allowing us the privilege of this family vacation enjoying each other and your beautiful creation of the Island of Maui framed by the mighty Pacific Ocean and the sky above that proclaims your handiwork. We are forever grateful to You for your love and mercy and grace poured out abundantly on us.

Aloha and Mahalo Maui!

 

Hello November Hodgepodge

Hello November Hodgepodge. Thank you, Joyce, for a fresh set of questions!

1. Our  November Hodgepodges always include a question related to gratitude. What is one small thing you’re grateful for today? 

Since you said small, I’ll say thank you, Lord, for weather that makes a hot shower feel so good.

2. Chrysanthemums-pansies-burning bush-ornamental cabbage-camellias…your favorite in an autumn garden? Would we find any of these in your yard/garden this year? 

Pansies, pansies and more pansies (or Johnny jump ups). These are in Autumn and Spring!

3. If you could clear out or organize one physical space or mental habit before the year ends, what would it be?

I feel like a broken record but it would be our outdoor planters. I need to cut back the lavender and trim all the dead stuff. Time will tell if I put it off till early Spring.

4. Brussel sprouts…love ’em or no thank you? If you said love ’em how do you like them prepared? 

Love’em steamed or roasted, simple or fancy.

5. It’s reassuring to know that____________________. 

It is reassuring to know that God is compassionate. God cares for His children and acts on their behalf.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Tomorrow we mark a special anniversary in our family…

November 5th is the 4th anniversary of Greg’s stroke. We remember, remember, the 5th of November for our own personal reasons. Our friends in Britain are having bon fires for another reason. We continue to thank our Lord for sparing Greg’s life and allowing us more years together on this earth. We both trust the Lord with the timing of our ‘going home’ to be with Him. Until then, we want to live the abundant life God is gracious to give us.

From November of 2022…

 

Maui Day 8 ~Baptisms

On Thursday October 8th we all gathered on the beach to witness the baptisms of Jamie and Jaymison.

Dan read the words he prepared, “Today we are gathered here with our families who we love dearly so that Jamie and Jaymison can display publicly their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and that they have dedicated themselves to Him and have asked for the forgiveness for their sins and they proclaim through faith in Jesus Christ alone by His death and resurrection and by His blood that was shed on the cross for them that they are saved. Not by their own works but by the grace of God alone.”

Dan read Acts 2:38-39;

And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For this promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

Jamie- Do you believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and that He is your Lord and Savior? She replied, Yes! Jamie, with your public confession of faith, I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Jaymison- Do you believe that Jesus died on the cross for your sins and that He is your Lord and Savior? He replied, Yes. Jaymison, with your public confession of faith, I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

Buried with Christ in His death and raised to new life in Him through His resurrection!

What a wonderful day for Jamie and Jaymison and our whole family. This makes our Maui trip all the more special. We praise the Lord for this day and for the day He called each one of them to Himself!

Proud of our son for leading his family well.

The rest of the day was a time to relax until our last Maui experience, a Luau. That will most likely be my last travel journal post from our time in Maui.

Mahalo and thank you for your visits and lovely comments.

October Finale

We were so happy to make our yearly tradition of conquering the Corn Maze again this year. Thanks to Uncle Josh and Auntie LoLo for driving over for the weekend events! They arrived on Friday afternoon and we were at the Maze at 4pm.

We took some time to treat the local animals.

We had dry skies and sunshine that made our trek more enjoyable.

We made it to marker 9, only one more to go. Addy did an exceptional job of leading us through the maze this year.

Once we made it out of the maze it was time for the Grands to pick their pumpkins to carve.

One more stop first to give the horses some more green grass.

From the Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch we gathered at our Country Bungalow for soup and sour dough and brownies. We played a hilarious game of King Elephant that had us all laughing till we cried!

Saturday morning Addy had a basketball double header.

JJ keeps score and helps with any back issues. 🙂

From our double header we went to an open house to help celebrate Granny Great’s 85th birthday. I did not take any photos…and on the subject of photos, most of these were taken by Auntie LoLo and some by Uncle Joshie.

Time to get ready for the last event of day which was the Fall Fest at our church, First Baptist Colville.

The eagle and the pineapple. They are such good sports!

Our Colville kids’ costumes were as clever as ever. Do you agree?

We heard that there were 1500 attendees at the Fall Fest! Hats off to the many volunteers who make this event such a success.

It was a full day! October ended well.

Sunday morning we filled a row at church for a glorious time of worship with communion, in remembrance of what Our Savior did for us.

A great start to November.