We had an exceptional weather day for our 1 day tour out from Dublin to Northern Ireland on Saturday September 16th. I don’t have time for lots of words. Slainte!
You’ve noticed, too, that I haven’t been able to visit your posts. I’ll try to catch up when I get home.
We arrived in Dublin and were welcomed with some typical rainy weather. We are hoping to have some sunbreaks here and there during our time in Ireland and England.
I don’t have much time on the computer so any posts before I return home will be postcards with few words. I’ll create my travel diary here on my blog when I return home. Slainte.
His Loving Arms Around Me
I was far away from Jesus,
Dead in trespasses and sin,
And I thought for one so vile no hope could be;
But the blessèd Lord of Glory
Stooped and raised me to Himself,
And He put His loving arms around me.
Refrain
He put His loving arms around me;
He put His loving arms around me;
I looked into His face,
It beamed with tender grace,
As He put his loving arms around me.
Then He whispered to me pardon
Through the all atoning blood
Which He shed for my transgressions on the tree;
And the blessèd peace of Heaven
Came into my weary soul,
As He put His loving arms around me.
Refrain
Day by day He guides and keeps me
In the blessèd narrow way,
From the ban of sin and death He makes me free;
There’s no evil can befall me
While I’m resting in His grace,
And He has His loving arms around me.
Refrain
In the hour of deepest trial
When all earthly comfort fails,
And no cheering ray of sunshine I can see,
Then to Him I bring my sorrow,
And He wipes away my tears,
As He puts His loving arms around me.
Refrain
Oh this blessèd life in Jesus!
Sinner, won’t you hear His call?
From the power of sin’s dominion He can free;
Yield thy heart to Him this moment,
And with joy thou’lt surely find
That He’ll put His loving arms around thee!
He’ll put His loving arms around thee!
He’ll put His loving arms around thee,
Look up into His face,
It beams with tender grace,
And He’ll put His loving arms around thee.
Words: Ella M. Parks, 1901
Another post in celebration of Greg’s 70th birthday!
The celebrations are continuing in Ireland and the United Kingdom.
Today in Ireland we are on a full day tour to the Giant’s Causeway and Belfast. Slainte!
Ever since our first trips ‘Across the Pond’ before we were married we had a tugging to return and enjoy these lands that held great memories for us. It took twenty nine years for us to book a trip in February of 2003. It was a short trip to London with a day trip out to Cambridge. We stayed in South Kensington and used the Tube and Trains for our sightseeing. Our children were all able to care for themselves at this stage which made travel easy for us. Seems the travel bug took hold.
In April of 2004 we took our daughter to Great Britain for a graduation gift. Our itinerary included tracking down her favorite author’s haunts in Oxford, The Cotswolds, Bath, Devonshire, York, Edinburgh, and ended our trip in London. Tolkien, C.S. Lewis, Jane Austen, and Monty Python thrown in for fun.
In 2006 we traveled with best of friends in May to Wales, The Lake District, Oban, The Isle of Iona, Edinburgh, and York.
We left our fellow travelers in York and took a train back to Manchester Airport and on home. Our friends traveled on to Bath and London.
The next time we traveled to England was with our oldest and his bride and with a digital Camera!
We traveled in 2013, 2014 and in 2022 and those trips are well documented on my blog.
On this trip in 2023 we will return to York but none of the other locations we’ve been to before.
Today, Friday the 15th of September we land in Dublin with four of our family for a new adventure.
I’ll try to post a photo a day if possible while we are traveling. Cheers and Sláinte!
This is another tribute to Dear/Greg upon his 70th birthday. Some photos with our children in their growing up years. Some are out of order and I haven’t transferred all the photos from when our kids were young onto the computer so these are limited but more than you might be interested in. 🙂
Joshua’s baby dedication at Huntington Beach E.V. Free church with pastor Bob Thune.
Daniel’s baby dedication at Huntington Beach E.V. Free church with Pastor Bob Thune.
For those who don’t miss a trick there isn’t a photo from Katie’s dedication but it did happen.
Our kids appreciate their dad and his wisdom, integrity and faithfulness.
We gathered in Colville with our local family and friends to celebrate Greg on his actual birthday.
Our kids made fish tacos and delicious salsas and guacamole to enjoy. We had bread pudding for dessert.
The ‘Grands’ enjoyed watching Gramps open his gifts.
Requests were sent out to friends and family to send a greeting to Greg and to send those greetings to our kids’ home so they could surprise him with a stack on his birthday. It worked and what a great stack of cards he received from siblings, nieces, nephews, friends and his own kids and grands.
A very special surprise gift from Canada arrived, too.
So thoughtful and generous. Thank you Terry and Lovella!
After we got home and were able to read each card I decided to display them so we could enjoy them all.
We loved the special artwork created by Addy and JJ.
Our sister-in-law, Kelly, is becoming quite the artist, too.
Several verses from the Bible were shared in the cards that Greg received from friends and family near and far.
Romans 15:13
Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Isaiah 41:10
fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Funny cards and serious cards were all appreciated!
Isaiah 40:31
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
Jeremiah 17:7-8
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose trust is the Lord.
He is like a tree planted by water,
that sends out its roots by the stream,
and does not fear when heat comes,
for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought,
for it does not cease to bear fruit.”
This next card made both of us laugh out loud!
It was quite a wonderful gift to receive all of these cards and to read the special greetings and memories in each of them. If any of you who sent cards are reading this post, thank you so much for taking time to write and send Greg these encouraging greetings!
We will celebrate with our ‘Coast Kids’ in Ireland!
Continuing a Happy 70th Birthday Tribute to my dear husband.
We had a nice small celebration with our Colville kids and in-laws for Greg’s 70th on Saturday evening. Our kids called out to friends and family to mail cards to our Colville kids’ home to surprise him with greetings near and far. It was a surprise and so enjoyable to hear from so many. Thank you to any of you who are reading here for your wonderful greetings.
Now back to the Nineteen Seventies!
My birthday tribute for Greg continues with photos from the years we dated, toured England, were engaged, married, our honeymoon, setting up our first apartment, then two houses and our first major road trip from Southern California with stops in Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, Michigan, and Niagara Falls.
My sister Kathy’s wedding about 4 months before our wedding.
Bottom right is the two of us with our first niece, Jenna.
The little yellow Honda was the first vehicle we purchased together as a couple. It is the vehicle we made our road trip across the U.S.A. and into Canada in.
By the late nineteen seventies we were in our second home in Huntington Beach.
Next tribute will be after we had children which started in the late nineteen seventies.
Remembering the fact that today is the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the United States. We honor all those who’s lives were taken away so tragically on that day and the survivors who were forever changed by their experience on that day and the days that followed.
On 9-11-2001 We were living in Kenmore, Washington. We lived in this house until 2018. Never Forget!
Redemption
O wonderful words of the Gospel!
O wonderful message they bring,
Proclaiming a blessèd redemption
Thro’ Jesus, our Savior and king.
Refrain
Believe, oh, believe, in His mercy
That flows like a fountain so free;
Believe, and receive the redemption
He offers to you and to me.
He came from the throne of His glory,
And left the bright mansions above,
The world to redeem from its bondage;
So great His compassion and love.
Refrain
O come to this wonderful Savior,
Come, weary and sorrow oppressed;
Behold on the cross how He suffered,
That you in His kingdom might rest.
Refrain
There’s no other refuge but Jesus,
No shelter where lost ones may fly;
And now, while He’s tenderly calling:
O turn ye, for why will ye die?
Refrain
Words: Fanny Crosby, 1887.
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 