My Daily Blessings 3.0

Evangeline had been going to confirmation classes for months.  It was a real time commitment, but something she really enjoyed.  She got to ask questions and learn about her faith.  She also got to meet a Chinese missionary.  Her confirmation group got to have a few Zoom meetings with the missionary, Angie, along with Buddhist monks.  In January Evangeline was confirmed into the United Methodist Church and also became a member of First United Methodist Church of Marshall.  We are so proud of her and her commitment to a life with Christ.  Evangeline's part in the service was to talk about Angie, the Chinese missionary.  She did a great job.  Afterward we went to Richard's Farm for lunch.  I gave Evangeline the necklace my grandparents gave me when I was confirmed.  It's a little gold heart.  Peggy and Reid gave her a really pretty rose in a glass dome.  It's inspired by Beauty and the Beast.  Evangeline loved it! ...

Cookie has been living in the garage this winter, but sometimes we bring him into the kitchen for a quick visit.  Pickles doesn't know what to think!  I wanted to run over to Casey, IL to a plant shop.  We asked Jed to join us, but he declined and stayed home with Kyle.  It was another girls day.  We went to the Casey Coffee Company, the plant shop.  I'm beginning to notice how important and special these little times away with Evangeline are to her.  She is starting to really seem like a young lady lately.  It's fun to do "grown up" things with her like visit coffee shops and going plant shopping.  We have matching backpack purses which makes me happy.  She spent her own money to buy one like mine.  Hers is pink.  Mine is orange. Here are the two plants I came home with.... She opted for the stuffed variety.... There's just seriously nothing cuter than Cub Scout Jed.  Here he is with a tiger he made at one of his meetings...

It was a pretty relaxed New Year's for us, which I find to be the best kind.  We made chili and watched a movie called "A Boy Named Christmas".  Evangeline made cornbread muffins in her new Star Wars pan.  They were awesome!  We had a little too much fun playing with phone filters... Jed and Kyle went to bed, but Evangeline was determined to stay up to watch the ball drop (thank goodness that happens at 11:00 our time).  I stayed up with her.  This is our first picture right after the ball dropped on the year 2022!!!! Then this one...then we went to bed...

Evangeline was chomping at the bit to use some of her money to go buy a case for her new phone.  We went to TH to look around and then made a stop at Starbucks.  Evangeline felt like a big kid.  We had a fun girls outing.  She wanted to sit inside Starbucks and cuddle on a couch drinking our beverages together.  It was a special moment for me too.  This girl is growing up into such a delightful young lady.   We tried real hard to give our money to an actual shop to purchase the case, but no one had anything that would work.  We ended up resorting to Amazon.  She was really pleased when her sparkly pink case with a heart shaped pop socket arrived in the mail.  The rest of the week was spent lounging around doing all the things we love to do at home.  My nephew's, Cale and Liam came for a sleepover.  We all had so much fun with them!  Jed was of course in his happy place with Cale there to play with.  Evangeline an...

It was an absolutely beautiful and warm day when we celebrated Christmas with my side of the family at the farm.  Good food, sweet children, great company and the most breathtakingly spectacular day outside.  Liam brought Evangeline a special gift from the heart that nearly brought her to tears.  He decided that he wanted to give her one of his candy canes.  He found a gift bag at home for the candy cane and proudly presented it to her.  It meant so much to her.  We spent a lot of time outside.  Sometimes nature is so beautiful it kind of hurts....