Happy Thanksgiving! Merry Christmas! Happy New Year!

I guess it's been a while. Due to some serious uploading issues, I don't have any new pictures here. However, off to the left, at the top of our favorite links, you can see one called OUR PICTURE ALBUMS. That is a link to our Shutterfly site. It has pictures from the trip Abby and I took to North Dakota, and a bunch of Christmas pictures. It also has some older pictures. 

December was pretty crazy around here. Dustin remodeled the bathroom the first weekend. It ended up taking much longer than one day (as he had planned). Luckily, we were only without a toilet for one day. He tore out the carpet and replaced it with tile. He also replaced the toilet, cabinets, and molding. What a huge job! It looks much better now. 

Dustin and I celebrated our 5th anniversary on December 13th. We actually left Abby for 2 nights!! We didn't go very far (downtown Portland), but we had a lot of fun. By the time we headed home, the snow had started. There were cars all over the side of the road! It was a slow trip, but we made it home safely. We then celebrated Christmas with Dustin's parents, since they had been up here watching Abby. 

There was more snow throughout the week, so Abby and I dug out a really old sled we found in the garage. Talk about fast! That thing can move! A few days later, all three of us spent the afternoon sledding. Abby had a blast! By Christmas Eve, we had 14 inches of snow. It was great fun, but hard getting around, even with chains on the car. We spent Christmas at my aunt's house in Brooks. The roads were fairly clear, but we almost couldn't get out of our parking space! We spent the afternoon eating and opening presents, and Abby got to take apart the gingerbread house they had made. 

We rang in the new year at Dustin's aunt's house in Clackamas. She had a cheese party. We didn't plan to stay all evening, but we were still there when the new year began. Abby was still awake and having fun, but she fell asleep within minutes of getting in the car. 

We've been taking life easy since then. Abby was sick last week and she still isn't sleeping well. I'm starting to feel a bit sick, myself. Today definitely felt like a Monday! I'm hoping to start updating this blog more often, but no guarantees. I know I've said that before, and it just hasn't worked out. Oh well, Happy Monday!

Catching Up

It was a busy summer and I didn't manage to keep up with blogging, so here are some pictures of the highlights.

In June, Abby went to the zoo for the first time. We spent several hours there, and she loved it!

She also received her first major haircut (from me). It turned out a lot shorter than I expected.

In July, she started stacking everything she saw.

We also discovered a cool free water park in Wilsonville.  

In August we went on a church camping trip. It would have been great, except for all the rain and the freezing cold nights!

This is Abby just before her first airplane ride (piloted by her dad). When we got in the air she wasn't so sure about the whole thing, but by the time we got back down she was giggling. When asked if she had fun she said yes, but when asked if she wanted to go again she quickly said no!

Abby's second birthday was August 20th. Instead of having several different parties with different sides of the family, we decided to have one big party at our house. Dustin and I spent several hours making the cake. It was supposed to be fairy wings, but it looked just like a butterfly!

Not much happened in September, and when it did we didn't have the camera. We spent one afternoon picking prunes. We picked 90 pounds, but had to throw out about 6 because a dog came and peed in our box! I also managed to fall out of a tree but no damage was done. All of our September pictures are of Dustin and Abby being their usual odd selves. Like father like daughter,  right? 

In between all of these happenings was a lot of gardening, canning, and dehydrating! I'll be doing a separate post for October because it was a big month for Abby and me.

Dustin Radford is changing his e-mail address!

Hi all!
Please note that I've changed my e-mail address to djrmoose@gmail.com!
Thanks!
-Dustin

Faith Stimulus

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." -Matthew 6:19-21

Most of us will soon receive a check in the mail from the U.S. government. A lot of people are already planning how they will spend it, and some have even already spent it! The great majority are using that money to buy something they’ve been wanting… a new TV, some home improvements, exercise equipment… the list is endless. Whatever they may buy, I confidently assume that 99% of people are spending that money on their own wants and desires, perhaps masked thinly as “needs.” Few of us actually need this unexpected windfall to meet regular expenses or necessary emergencies.

A few days ago the blog “Desiring God” inspired me with this idea. If you are a follower of Jesus, I challenge you to use the entire sum of money you will receive as “economic stimulus” for God’s glory. Donate it to an orphanage, buy meals for the homeless, send it to a missionary, or buy Bibles with it and hand them out door to door. “Store up treasures in heaven.” It’s an investment that can’t go wrong.

Above and beyond the praise our Lord will receive from the beneficiaries of your giving, you will most likely have a more personal chance to bring Him glory. Within the next few months the question, “What are you spending your check on?” will become a hot topic around water coolers and in break rooms across the country. This may be a chance for opening the door to share your faith with someone who would never listen otherwise.

This is an opportunity for you to show your freedom from the love of money and materialism. I have been thinking of the people who will read this, and how each one of you will react. If you have a platform, a pulpit, or a blog, (and I know some of you do) I ask you to encourage others as well. Give glory to God!