Chilson Family

It is a great thing that "love" is not based on getting Valentine's out ON Valentine's Day.  If it did, boy I failed BIG time!!!  I had very good intentions on getting Valentine cards made for each offspring and hubby.   Well, I did!  Only four of them got them before Valentine's Day.  Those lucky four were the four oldest with homes and families of their own.  The other ten offspring, {those still in the nest} , and Hubby, did not get theirs until Thursday... three days after Valentine's Day!!  Here is a picture of the ones I made for those still at home.  Sorry...I did not even think about taking pictures of the ones I sent to the older ones!  The pink for the Fair Maidens The black/red for the Knights in Training (of course, you already knew this, right?)   They are not fancy, but were made with lots of love!  I used Stampin' Up! bird punch, label punch, cardstock, designer paper and crystal accent for the eye.  The ribbon was what I had, not SU!  (

Have you ever had one of "those days"?  Maybe it last for more than a day.  You just want to curl into a ball and cry.  I know during the last couple of days that is where I have been.  But I know that will not change the situation that God has placed our family in.  Philippians 4:4 says, "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, rejoice."  One song that has been encouragement to me is "Rejoice in the Lord" by Ron Hamilton. God never moves without purpose or plan When trying His servant and molding a man. Give thanks to the Lord though your testing seems long; In darkness He giveth a song. O rejoice in the Lord. He makes no mistake. He knoweth the end of each path that I take. For when I am tried and purified, I shall come forth as gold. I know that God loves me and my family.  I am choosing to rejoice though I can not "see through shadows ahead".  I am determined to "look at the cross of my Savior instead".  {Thank you Fathe

... Son #7, the youngest of the seven sons!  Our youngest son turned 8 today!  He loves birthdays and counting down the days.  Happy Birthday Son!!! Happy B-day 2 us {That was from Son #7...the 'us' would be yours truly and himself!  Yes, he was my birthday present eight years ago on my 39th birthday!  Bestest gift ever received!}

...do you swing, or just stand there?  Either way, I would not come in contact with the ball! We are finally starting to "thaw" out from the ice and snow we were hit with.  We were blessed, we never did go without power!  Of course as I blog it is 12 degrees out, and the temp will fall to low single digits by morning.  I have been out of my house once, and that was only about 5 steps onto the porch.   (no ice there!)  Our church services and activities for last week were cancelled as well, although the roads and parking lot were ready for this past Sunday.  I stayed home because of the ice in front of our home.  We have only street parking and there was no way I could manage the ice going from the front door to the van.  I have some back problems and even the smallest slip of the foot would probably put me down!   I am sort of a home-body anyway, so I have not suffered from cabin fever!  I was able to work on some cards for church family and my parents.  School has gone w

"Oh the weather outside is frightful..."  Seriously.  An ice storm last night left us with almost a half of an inch of ice.  We have another inch of ice moving in as I blog, with one, maybe two inches of snow to follow that.  The weather team is also forecasting that we will have strong winds that will take out power lines and bring down tree limbs.  At least we are not getting the blizzard conditions that the north part of the state is getting.  We have what we need to weather it out, unless electricity goes out.  Our furnace is gas but with an electric blower!!!  One of our friends brought over an oil lamp and added to our candle collection, "just in case".  If the power does go out, our neighbor has a gas heater in her downstairs living area and we will slip and slide over the sidewalk to stay with them. I think I have mentioned in one of my blogs, that I tease my scholars about the public school canceling.  If they cancel school because of the weather, and the