Long time, no see!

So it has been a REALLY long time since I've posted anything here...my bad!  I'm going to try to catch you up on what 2012 has been for us.  We have had a CRAZY full year!  Lots of trips and craziness!  But always lots of fun and love.  I was just reading my post from last December...the wordy one from the 21st.  I still feel the same way I did then...time just goes by way to fast and do we really take time EVERY DAY to thank God for His obvious goodness in our lives?  I know I'm guilty of NOT doing that enough.

We had a presidential election this year, and no, it did not turn out the way we had hoped (at least not in this household!).  What does the future hold for the USA?  I have no idea, but I do know WHO holds the future...the LORD of HOSTS is His name!  And as long as I keep my focus on HIM, He will watch over me and my family.  We read in the Bible that the Lord puts kings on thrones...we can only imagine why he allowed the election to turn out the way it did.  Perhaps to push us into a deeper walk of faith...to stretch our trust, and to see if we really do "walk the walk" and not just "talk the talk" of a believer.  Is God really my provider?  Or do I depend too much on my employer?  I happen to love my employers :).  But you never know what is coming around the corner...we cannot see that far ahead.  Only the Lord can since He is already there, waiting for us to meet Him every day and seek His face and His guidance for our every need and desire.  Yes, life is hard, sometimes unbearable even, but we are told over and over that GOD IS LOVE, and that He has a PLAN for us...not a SUGGESTION, but a PLAN all mapped out if we will but ask Him to guide us in it.

Well that's about all I have time for right now.  I plan to post pictures from this summer later today or tomorrow when I have more time.  I just wanted to say "HI" again, and remind you all as the holidays are here again how much I love you!!

Love,
Stephanie

Christmas 2011

So here are some shots from Christmas this year.  Alyssa is now learning to play the flute, and one of her assignments was to play for family over the break.  So she played 3 songs for us at Linda's house on Christmas Eve.  What a great job!

This year, Karla & Michael brought the story of the Candy Cane for all the kids to read together.  We are so thankful for God's gift of Jesus Christ to us!

And here are Grandma & Grandaddy with all their Angels!  The only ones missing are Danielle, Steve, and Xavier, who live in Florida.  We may need a bigger couch in the future!

 This year Joceline asked for a hair straightener...she was thrilled to actually get it!

 Joceline also asked for, and got, this cute nightgown.

And here are the 3 amiga's opening their stocking stuffers.

Thoughts around Christmas

So I haven't posted anything in a few months.  It's certainly not because we have not been busy doing things and going places!  Sometimes it seems like you just finish one trip or "special" thing, and then it's time for another.  Time just flies by so fast it seems.  Even Joceline has been commenting lately about how fast the days go by...and she's only 13!  Some things we have done since I last posted are trips to New York City at the end of September, a visit to John's Aunt Rose Marie in November (in Connecticut), and a vacation to Bushkill, PA over Thanksgiving break.  And now here we are, days away from Christmas 2011, and the start of 2012.  Where on Earth did the time go?  Maybe it's because I turned the big 4-0 this year.  I know time really isn't going any faster...I just wish my perception would change and I could really ENJOY each day.  So many times we blink and miss something great...of that I am certain.  We just seem to be so busy these days.  A few weeks ago we had a weekend with NOTHING TO DO (not including church, which I love).  My calendar was free of any markings or notes of where to be at what time.  I was giddy with not knowing what I would do to fill the day.  So I spent some time watching TV with my honey, some with the kids, some casual grocery shopping, and overall just letting the day and the mood dictate what would be done (or not done...like the dusting).  We need to take advantage of "down time" more often.  We seem to think that if we are not going and doing, then we are going backward instead of forward.  That is simply not the case.  Jesus took time to go and rest.  Yes he prayed.  But He also rested.  Resting to me means to have no obligation to do anything or to be anywhere.  To just...be.  To let my body relax and recuperate from all my comings and goings.  Maybe even take a nap (gasp!).  As I type that word, a smile creeps on my face and my body is saying...that's a wonderful idea!

Anyway, with Christmas already upon us, my thoughts are of family.  Oh, how I love my family!  Of course, my first loves are my husband and my children.  But I mean ALL my family...brother (yes, you, Scott!) and his family, parents (all 5 of you), sibling-in-laws (is that even a word?) and their children.  We Kane's have at this time of year right now, a family member lingering at death's door.  When she finally goes through that door, what is waiting for her on the other side?  She cannot respond anymore to us verbally so we cannot know from her own mouth if she is at peace with the Lord and expecting to see His face on the other side.  We can only hope and pray she is.  So my thoughts this Christmas time have much to do with all that Christmas is to me.  First and foremost it is the remembrance of the birth of Jesus Christ, MY Lord and Saviour.  Not just the Saviour of the world, but MINE. There are so many places in this world that people cannot worship Him openly, and yet I have the blessing of living here in the USA where I still can (at least for now).  So I am trying, this particular year, to make sure my light is shining bright for Him, and that my actions and attitudes are attracting others to Him as well.  We never know when it will be our turn to walk through that door into eternity.  Or when it will be the turn of someone we love deeply.  All we can do, and all that is asked of us, is to live out Christ's love every day, and pray for those who do not know His love.  We cannot "make" anyone love Christ (oh, but if we could what a world this would be!).  If we are doing that every day, we will have an impact without even "preaching" a single word!

Secondly, Christmas for me brings back lots of memories from my childhood.  My Christmases were split between my parents.  So I got double the gifts, if you will.  My favorite part of Christmas wasn't the "big" gifts really.  It was the stockings...the gifts never seemed to end!  Lip glosses, pencils, pens, erasers, combs, key chains, whatever small things could fit in it that helped fill it up.  That has now become my favorite role at Christmas...finding all those small things to fill the girls' stockings!  John doesn't always agree with me, but hey, that's life.  So I get to relive my favorite part through them and the joy on their faces.  No, Christmas isn't about the gifts...it's about what the gifts represent...God's gift to us in Jesus Christ and His all-consuming love for us.

So this Christmas season, please don't mind if I say "I love you" a lot and if I seem a little extra sentimental you know why.  I just love, love, love my family, and I pray each one of you is extra blessed this coming year, and will know beyond any shadow of a doubt that God loves you and so do I.

Love to you all.

Stephanie

Baltimore & Philly Trips

Other trips we took with Sophie this summer included Philadelphia and Baltimore.  Here is just some of the fun we had.

This is at the National Aquarium in Baltimore.  This was right after Hurricane Irene visited.

View of Baltimore Harbor.

The dolphin show...SO COOL!!

Yankees getting a hit at the game at Camden Yards.

Our view of Camden Yards...it was a great day for a game!

Jellyfish!

Camel ride at the Philly Zoo...always a popular activity to do there!

Cheetahs...on the prowl!

Me and my girlies...how I love them!

Snapping turtle.

One of the first places we took Sophie was the Franklin Institute.

Outside the Betsy Ross House.

Went to see the Liberty Bell for the first time that I can remember.

View of Philly near the visitor's center.

Trip to NYC with Sophie

This August we had the pleasure of hosting a young lady from Belgium, Sophie.  She was here for almost 3 weeks.  Here are some shots of our trip to the Big Apple, New York City.

One of the things we did was a twilight cruise on the Hudson River, around Manhattan and back.  It was awesome!

Outside at Rockefeller Plaza...we had just done the NBC Studios Tour, and had lunch at TGI Friday's.  When this shot was taken, we were waiting for John to pick us up.

The Empire State Building.

Another attraction we visited was Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum.

Joceline, Sophie & Alyssa on the twilight cruise.

Joceline & Alyssa with George Washington and Abe Lincoln.

Manhattan Bride view from the cruise.

VBS - Jungle Nites in the Park

This year our church held VBS at a local park. The theme was Jungle Nites in the Park. Joceline was a helper (as was I) and Alyssa was one of the kids participating. We did have rain on Tuesday night, so some of these shots were from under the pavilion that night.

Kane Family Picnic July 31, 2011

Every year we have a fun Kane extended family picnic at Aunt Carol's & Vinnie's house.

Enjoy! Although I have no words for the next picture...