Spring is Near

The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day he created Spring. ~Bern Williams

Fredericksburg Funanza

Kiser Family

Grins, Giggles and All

I am just getting around to posting the fun pics from my Fredericksburg trip. My sister and her family and I went down there to visit our parents for the weekend. Ken was gone on a business trip... I was missing him, but it was a great time!

Grandpa Bud taught Ainsley how to run his tractor and she was a pro after just a short while. Here she was dumping an entire load of brush onto a burn pile. She's just talking away like it's no big deal...

Marin helped Grammie cut newly grown cedars all day... those clipper are as big as she is!

My parent's "Dashe" cart they had made. Dashe was their first Dachshund that had to be put to sleep after just four years because she had permanently hurt her back. My parent's had her name on one of my mom's black fast cars' license plates-- because in their words, Dashe was black, little and could run like crazy!! Now she is back with them in Fredericksburg!


Marc... he's 17 now! I remember him still as a itty bitty 3 year old with huge brown saucer eyes. He was the cutest little guy ever!

Like Grammie, like grandaughter... this is 4 year old Marin and Grammie. Those long skinny legs are quite distinctly genentic.

A very happy Marebear.

Grammie was just loving them all being there!!

Marin and Ainsley slept in my hotel room with me and I let them stay up as late as they wanted each night. we even had ice cream at about eleven o'clock one night. (with their parent's permission) Marin found this "music note" in the granite on the bathroom countertop.

David and Marc (father and son) were looking oh-so-modelesk this day. They were actually about 20 feet off the ground in this pic!!

Ainsley and Marin were so curious about the horse barn... they stood here for some time looking out, that is after they acted like they were horsies, of course.

These sweet sheep live just down the road! The babies were so sweet!!

Enjoy this last week of February! It has flown by!

"Love Day"- Fun Day

We caught these love birds smooching at the zoo on Saturday... PDA alert! At least it was "Love Day"...

Hello everyone! I hope your "Love Day" was a great one.

Ken and I decided with all our traveling we have been doing lately we wanted a nice calm easy weekend. For Valentine's Day we drove an hour to Tyler and went to the Caldwell Zoo and had a great day there! I really love animals and I have summed that up to that I think my mothering nature is kicking. I think this because I am seriously wanting to oodle over any animal and especially anything that is small or miniature. Last weekend at a hotel, I saw a super tiny miniature Tabasco sauce bottle that was only about one and a half inches tall and seriously wanted to hold it and sadly to admit, it brought smiles to my face. Pathetic I know but I have summed it up to this "mother mode". We can't wait to have a little one!

The zoo was the perfect size for a laid back day, though what zoo doesn't have monkeys?!!! I have to admit I was slightly disappointed that one didn't because I just love watching them play and especially see the baby ones with their crazy stick-up hair. It reminds me of Palmer, our dog. Ken and I have been to the San Diego zoo and there simply is no comparison to that, but this one was just perfect for the kind of day we were wanting. And what a beautiful day it was yesterday!

Here are some pics I got while we were there... love to love! Hope you had a great one!!!

At the front gate you can buy feed sticks and feed the birds at their bird sanctuary. They all loved Ken! I just took their pictures and as you can see they weren't shy at all...

These three were in heavy conversation...

Their colors were so vivid! I know they are quite a bit of maintenance as pets but they are really neat creatures! Ken and I thought we could get some an keep them outside... they were extremely friendly.

Ken got a double-decker... he was a regular Ace Ventura- one at peace with nature! :)

The fella on the right was picking his teeth with a feather for some time... rather strange but very crafty of him to have thought of!

This poor bald eagle on the left has had his eye shot out. He was rescued and kept at the zoo. Thank goodness he has a friend. It is really sad to see them kept in their small area there at the zoo. Maybe he was a baby when he got there and doesn't know the difference... I like to think that.

Never would I want to run into this guy in a dark alley... or in a light alley... or anywhere without fences between us for that matter...

These are such happy creatures. They were showing off swimming in front of the glass for everyone and then would hop up quickly on their rocks and almost "grin". I just want to squeeze them and kiss their little noses. This is exactly what Palmer looks like when he gets a bath!!!

He liked getting his picture taken as well. He could turn his head in all kinds of crazy directions!

I adore the color of these great birds. If I were a bird this is the color I would want to be! Even their feet were this great color.

I think this sweet guy was pointing to the door he wanted us to unlock so he could escape. He sure looked convincing. He has a hard face to say "no" to, doesn't he?

We loved this mama and baby combo. She walked from one side of their rather large exhibit cage to the other and the little baby rode on her back the entire time. Funny looking ant-eaters... this is the creature I would want to look the least like if I had to be an animal. I guess the ant-eater daddy doesn't mind her rather large and oddly shaped nose, though... judging by that baby on her back... as long as she has ant dinner on the table he loves her just the same. :)

This guy was laying down and then sat up and looked over at us. He was so huge! They have a large ledge that separates them from the zebras and elephants across the pasture. A lady behind us was saying how mean that was. She compared it to, "us going to Cold Stone and not being able to eat the ice cream."

These two giraffes were just enjoying the sunshine... talking about all the new news at the the zoo. Probably at this moment, observing how large that elephant's rear over there is compared to theirs. :)

Enjoy the week!

Love, M

My beautiful mom wrote this in response to the last blog... thought it was heartfelt and nurturing so I wanted to share.

let love be: the thoughts that fill your mind as you put your head on the pillow at night. Recount every smile or good word, every outreach to someone who needed you even if you did not know their name. The happy heart from seeing a photo of the precious family member when you had a moment, you will never get back again. Strive for more and more. Let love be those 3 little words "I love you" you say as you finish being in whatever contact you have. I for one can never get tired of hearing it. God, never let me forget to thank you wherever I am in my life. Bless my children. They are all I have to pass on to the future.

I hope everyone has a blessed Valentine's Weekend and gets to love someone! :)

Love and smiles,

Mandy

Let Love Be

Pic I took in 2004 in Paris, France of a bike post... "Amour", (translates to "love" in English) had been written in front of it on the sidewalk.

Our Uncle Terry, pastor of Klondike Church, has recently been doing a series of three so far in his "Early Lights" on the topic of "Love" for the lovey-dovey month of February. I wanted to share his insight.

On a side-note, I am off to Fredericksburg, TX to spend the weekend with my Mom, Dad, Sister and her family! I am very excited! Ken is off to hunt for some poor little birds at Greystone Castle.... sometimes I have to just let my mind stay at "Ken is hunting"... and not let it go past that. I would cry for days if I ever shot a bird and watched it fall out of the sky... I guess it is the cavemen coming out in the men. :) The best news about it is the meat is always used for food whether it is for our family or donated. So, it is not just for the "thrill", it actually does serve a purpose.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!! See below for insights.

# 1

LET IT BE
Romans 12:9-----"Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that
which is good."

Well the month of February has rolled around again and our thoughts are turned once again to give more attention to love than we usually do. In our church, we have declared this to be the month of LOVE. We will be preaching more on the subject, have a sweetheart night (dinner & a movie), and hopefully all be inspired to the point that we actually go put into practice some of the things the Word instructs us to do concerning love.
I have been inspired by just the first 3 words of our text verse to-----LET LOVE BE----now there's something to dwell upon. Within this phrase we should notice a "call to action," that being that we are to make a conscious effort to practice the development of love in and through our lives. We need to recognize that a choice is involved on our part anytime love is to be displayed; whether it be to give it or to receive it, we make the determination and in essence play a key role as to the effectiveness of the act.
We should never lose sight of the fact that our Creator defines Himself as "Love"(1 John 4:8), and that being the case, we should see to it that all we think, do, and say be a result of having a heart full of love.
Now I would like to hear from you-----send me your thoughts that would finish out the phrase--"Let love be":........ for example: Let love be Genuine! I will share all of your definitions in the upcoming Early Lights as we continue to emphasize LOVE.

Lovingly,
Bro.Terry

A brother and sister's love- something to be proud of! (my sis, Jen and bro, Adam, photography by Kellie Kano)



Laughter... the warmth of love. (My beautiful Mom and Dad, Photography by Kellie Kano)

#2
LOVE IS IN THE AIR
Ephesians 5:2-----"And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling savor."

For love to work in our lives the way God intends for it to, it must be a verb and not a noun. If memory of the English language serves me right, this would mean that love is to be active and involve action as opposed to being static. There must be a means for love to be conveyed from one individual to another. That is another great thing about the way God designed love----the ways it can be expressed are practically limitless. It is not locked into one single act or expression. The expression of love is not even restricted to the use of words only------in fact, it is often displayed through random acts of kindness that carry no words with them at all!
In today's verse we see that we are to live our lives (walk) in love just as Jesus did-----by doing so, the display of our love becomes a sweet smelling savor to God. In other words, "love is in the air" when we live after the example of Christ. Stop right now, and take a big whiff-----can you smell the sweet smelling savor of love???? If not, then you need to take some steps to improve the air quality around you. You can do this by doing something special for someone else today. Come on now, you can come up with something that will bless someone else----maybe just an encouraging word or note, how about just a smile offered to someone who needs it. If you really are having a difficult time coming up with a good expression of love then you can just send a check to the Klondike Church and it will be received as a LOVE offering!!! (ha,ha---just kidding!)
Trying to be an air freshener,
Bro.Terry



Our wedding day, after the ceremony. (Photography by Kellie Kano)

#3
ALL WE NEED IS LOVE
Romans 13:10----"Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore is the fulfillment of the law."(NAS)

Having been a born again believer for 36+ years now, I am amazed at how little I've seemed to learn throughout this time. It has only been within the past few years that I have come to realize how many of the things of God have alluded me. I can't help but wonder what I've been doing with my "Christian" time. Today I now know that most of these "wander" years were spent trying to "do" Christian activities. This involved learning and doing the "law". It was not until recently that I came to realize that Christianity is not something you do----it is something that YOU ARE. I am a Christian because of a birthing process----it has nothing to do with what I do. Actually my actions do not determine my degree of Christianity-----my Christianity determines the degree of my activity!
How much time has been wasted trying to "get it right", when the simple truth is that "All We Need is Love"? Jesus was really on to something when He stated that all the other laws hinged on this one idea. Then Paul reinforces this thought with today's text verse. If you give it much thought; you will come to understand that the law is given to protect people and their possessions------now think about this: if we get love right there would be no need for such laws!!! These things would take care of themselves through the process of loving our neighbor as ourselves. Now how hard is that???
Maybe it is time for you to quit trying to "become" something that you already are----if you want to find fulfillment in you Christian life, then I would encourage you to get a handle on the LOVE thing and the way that God intends for it to be utilized in and through your life. Let's not let the simplicity of God that is found in Christ Jesus escape us anymore! Let's put God's love into practice everyday. NUFF SAID!

Finding fulfillment,
Bro.Terry

The wonder of a child... pic I took in 2005 of my then new niece, Marin.

Love to Love,

Me

I hope life treats you kind; And I hope you have all you've dreamed of And I wish to you, joy and happiness; But above all this, I wish you love.

--Dolly Parton (I Will Always Love You)

For the Love of Nature

A macro picture of an acorn... this is my favorite from the day.

Ken has been out of town this weekend and today was such a beautiful day. I missed sharing it with him.

So, Palmer and I had a great "hang-out" day. We spent the first of the day doing things around the house then we packed up and went to Lowes, (dogs are allowed there). That was Palmer's first trip there and he rode in the cart the whole hour we were there. He is such a people lover! Everytime someone would be walking our way his tail would start happily wagging. Sometimes I wish so much he had a voice. Ken always kids me that if he did have a voice it would be really low, like the "let's get ready to rumble" announcer guy sound, but I deny that and insist he has a sweet high pitch voice like a little kid! At Lowes, when I would push the cart Palmer would stand up at the front on his hind legs and look out and then look back at me as if he were saying, "Mom!!! This is so fun!!! Go faster!! You're a crazy cart driver!!" I adore animals and since I was little I have always given them human characteristics... I was even bathing, blow-drying and dressing kittens and dogs at age three. They are such great creatures who bring us such joy, if we allow them.

After Lowes, my little 15 pound co-pilot and I went through the Taco Bell drive through and grabbed some quick lunch. We ran back by the house and I grabbed my camera and we headed to the land. We had a Taco Bell picnic and then I used my super macro lens, one of the ones Ken got me for my birthday- and it is amazing! It is the one that gets so close up you can fill a frame with a grain of rice! Below are some fun shots I got!!!

A leaf up close, macro

A vine, nature's twist...

A leaf detail.

Believe it or not, this is a thorn!

The bottom of an acorn. I love nature's textures... so intricate!

Beautiful tree bark

After a couple hours there, I went to a wonderful dinner with my great friend KK and her family at Cibo Vino in Winnsboro. If you have never been there you are surly missing out! The entire meal is so tasty from the bread to the best creme brulee I've ever had for dessert! After dinner we went next door to the Crossroads Cafe and heard Jonathan Byrd for a second time... witty heart warming lyrics that make you think. My favorite song he has is Ballad of Larry. I love music that actually has a story behind it. Don't you? We have also seen Ralph Stanley and the powerful singer Jess Klein there at the coffeehouse. It is a place with great character and always great music.

I hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend! I have!!

Lots of love!

My hunny comes home tomorrow!! Yay!