I am just super, super grateful for God's amazing provision for my family. We returned home today from a wonderful weekend with friends up at Lake Tahoe. It was sooooo beautiful and soooo relaxing. As a matter of fact, about all I did was chat, read and put wood in the stove. Our good friends take us just about everywhere with them which is such a blessing. God knows we would not be able to do these things unless it were for Him providing through our precious Paradas...and they say that trips wouldn't be the same without the Holbrooks. What a gift. We are family. The only downside is that we have to say goodbye and they live so far. The kids always mope around for a few days exclaiming how much they miss Kyrstin and Colby.

The older two were able to head out and get some snowboarding in with Uncle Rick and Daddy. Benjamin got the "jump-of-the-day," landing a six-footer and catching some big air! The boys love the snow parks and take to the snow the same way they take to skateboarding...with such ease. Silas stayed home with Colby and Kyrstin and they played in the snow for hours, building snow forts and just having a ball. We got home around lunch time today and I spent the rest of the afternoon doing laundry and getting stuff put away.

We have so much to be thankful for...jobs, friends, a beautiful home, health, provision of food, clothing and so much more, but above all...we have a God who loves us sooooo much that He gave up everything so that we can know peace (rest in our souls), have unexplainable joy (even in the face of circumstances) and experience GRACE (His favor that we could never earn) every day of our lives. It's our choice to walk in that. It's a discipline of the will...and oh, life is so much better when we do!

I'll post some pictures later this eve.

Hugs everyone...Gi