Announcing...

...our families' new business website! We sell salves, heating pads, and candles mainly. Everything is homemade and natural. Please visit us at www.beeherbalsalvy.com.

Our Aunts Surgery

No, we are not trying to set a family surgery pattern. It just happened that way. :)
Our Aunt scheduled a surgery at the beginning of January for a bunion on her foot.  So the three girls went over to help out afterwards.  Once we got all situated in her house, the phone rang.  It was her doctor saying that something wasn't working in the hospital and they would have to turn off the electricity in the hospital. As you can imagine, the surgery was canceled.
Since we were already situated at our Aunt's house we decided to stay the night! While we were there she took us shopping to some of her favorite stores and ice skating. Over all, we had a fun time getting to know her more. What a better way to get to know an aunt than to spend an extended amount of time with her? We've thoroughly enjoyed it.

We took a walk with Abby (the chocolate lab) to the lake.  It was very cold. 



We enjoyed being with Abby too. You wouldn't believe how excited she is when we walk in the door. She is such a sweet pup!

Like the star? We saw it at a mall we shopped at. We thought it was unique.

We also did some school work. Since our aunt is a chemist, we were sure to bring chemistry books along!
What a blessing it is to have time with our Aunt.  The surgery was rescheduled to the 17th of January and she is now recovering well!

New Year's Eve Party

Posted by: Grace
A New Year is here!!  What a joy!!  This year we hosted a New Year's Eve Party.  At the party we had snacks, worship, fellowship, and a Talent Show. 


Each year we aim to make a Jesus Cake.  It is a Pistachio and Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.  This year Patience decorated it. It was very tasty.    

Patience also made some yummy peppermint bark.  We made a gingerbread Christmas tree and house too (see them in the background?). 





Some good friends of ours brought this delicious desert.  It is like a Reese's and deliciously scrumptious! To our greatest dismay, when we first tasted the recipe, they claimed it to be "secret", and that it was for a while...until we shared  favorite recipe with them. Fair trade, huh? We thought so!



Fellowship time was wonderful too.

 

The talent show was very fun.  We had people sharing songs, jokes, skits and more!  We had a contest and judged by the funniest and most professional performance. 
A couple we know skillfully performed a skit/song. It was all impromptu, which made it funnier, because they forgot their lines. :p  So Mr.Wilkes jumped in near the middle with the words on his iphone and did a little cowboy jig, which broke the awkwardness of not knowing their lines into hilarious laughter. 
I forgot to take pictures of the talent show. :( Oppsies...
Then we worshiped until midnight. When the clock struch twelve, we played on any instrument we could get our hands on as loud as we possibly could. From trombones to harps and from pot pan lids to whistles. Despite the all the noise, it was literally a "blast"!

Christmas Celebrations

  This year we had Christmas at two different locations.  One at our Grandparents house on one side of the family and at our house with the other side of our family.  It was a busy day, but we enjoyed it. 
During the Christmas season we didn't stop playing music.  We had concerts and played at a nursing homes time to time. 

 

I (Grace) sent this embroidery work to my "twin" in Australia. It took a long time to get there.  We were wondering if it was lost or something.  We were relieved when she e-mailed to say that she got it.  (If you are wondering about my "twin" you can visit a previous blog about ATI in 2013.) 

Over the Christmas season we processed some deer.  Mr. Wilkes helped us process some of that. :)

Here's some of the packed deer on the table.  Looks delicious, eh?



We went to watch Handel's Messiah at the Strathmore hall for my birthday, then later in the month went to the Kennedy Center sing along.  We enjoyed them both for different reasons, but having the music in front of us at the Kennedy Center was unbeatable!
 

 

Tabor's Surgery

Posted by: Patience

Tabor had a surgery a few weeks ago. Bad stomach pains sent him to the ER which sent him to the hospital who gave him the surgery which left him appendix-less. Can you guess what went wrong? Yep, my very own little brother had appendicitis and now he is missing that organ called an apendix. We won't post any pictures about this story. :)
You should have been around when he was gone. The house was sooo empty. Every time I passed by something that meant something to him, I would remember how much I loved him. Tali cried twice, and the whole family spent their extra moments remembering how special his place in our home is to us.
Glad you're back buddy! We missed you!!

Christmas Poems

Posted by: Patience

We have a lot to post about. So much happens in December! But for lack of time, I will only post some Christmas poems.

For the first poem, I will provide a link, since I didn't write it. Mr. Mally wrote a poem about Christmas a couple years ago. I really like it! :) Here is the link: http://tomorrowsforefathers.com/gracenotes/?p=1417

The second poem I wrote.

What  Great Love!

-Patience Normoyle

We all know the story – of Christ and His birth,

How God sent sweet Jesus to live here on Earth.

How He came and He lived, then He died and rose,

So in our poor hearts, His redemption would known.

We think and we sing of the same things each year,

Of Kings and wise men with big fluffy beards.

 

But, what if God’s mercy had no room to grow?
What if His dear heart was as hard as a stone?

God could see our sin, and in anger and fury,

Seep us off Earth with a huff and a hurry!

But the God of the ages, our Creator and King,

Knew what was just, and what we would need.

 

God sent His Son in the form of a man,

Through Him was lived all salvation’s hard plan.

The punishment due us (like the “huff in a hurry”),

Was put onto Jesus, yes, all of God’s fury.

Jesus was God in the form of a man,

He hung on a tree to bear all sins of man.

For three whole days and three long nights,

He fought, and won, a great terrible fight.

Satan, who us would hate and destroy,

Was completely conquered – his power made void.

 

Jesus then rose, and one glorious day,

Appeared to the 12, then floated away.

Into the clouds, way up in the air,

Jesus went, and we’ll follow Him there.

Because of His mercy, compassion and Grace,

One day we’ll see our Savior, even face-to-face.

 

So this Christmas season, as you go about,

Praise the Lord for His power lived out.

His love and His mercy, His grace and His peace,

Praise that Christ conquered in glorious feat!

Humble your self – at the manger side bow.

Ask Jesus, “You love me? For what, and how?”

His response would be a wonderful “yes”,

“My love for you, to my power attests.

I can love because  I am who I am, the Alpha, Omega, the great promised Lamb.”

Respond with gratitude! Respond with love.

Love Christ, not only because He’s in heaven above,

But praise for who He was, is and will be.
A great love for all, and even for me.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted by: Patience
Happy Thanksgiving, one and all!! It is so wonderful to have days set throughout the year to get together and see dear family and friends. This year, our family was blessed to visit both Mom and Dad's sides of the family. We looked forward to seeing each precious loved one.
We get together like this every year. Do you know how the first thanksgiving was placed? The first "official" Thanksgiving day was November 26th, 1789. Read below the heart of George Washington and the 1789 Houses of Congress as they recommend a day for the "...acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God." How can our next Thanksgiving get-together be more like the picture sketched out in this proclamation? God Bless!  

 

General Thanksgiving

By the PRESIDENT of the United States Of America
A PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANKSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.

(signed) G. Washington

Source: The Massachusetts Centinel, Wednesday, October 14, 1789