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I have been rather negligent and haven't blogged in some time. I harbor no illusions that anyone out there is pining away for my next post. I do, however, like to keep things current simply for my own record, since my memory fails me concerning events large and small that happen in our lives.

So where was I?

Oh yes; trusting that the Lord has a plan for us, though our situation was becoming rather dire. Our prayers have been answered in a couple of ways, for which we truly are grateful. Jim has been working for two weeks now with a company in Reading as a contractor. I've often said that if Jim were a plumber it would be easy to describe his job. His area being "business" and "project management", I really have no idea what he does, and it changes from one project to the next. Let's just say that whatever it is he's doing, they are paying him, which is all that I need to know as I pay the bills.

I said our prayers were answered in a couple of ways. Our church also reached out to us with some financial help which came in the nick of time. We have learned in many ways that while God is never late, He is also never early- but right on time. The bills are almost all current and we are so relieved to be able to fulfill those responsibilities again.

As this has all been developing, other aspects of our lives have been marching along as well. Kate and I have discovered that there is a Camera Club in our area, the Berks Photographic Society, that meets on Monday evenings, has monthly photo contests, discussions on improving one's knowledge of photography, outings to shoot photos as a group, and a building which houses a studio and darkroom for the members' use! We visited for several Monday evenings and have decided to join. Being in a room full of photographers who carry their cameras around looking for potential photos and taking pictures of the people around them for no other reason than to capture what their artist's eye sees is so refreshing and delightful. I'm not alone! Kate and I are thrilled with this group- from professionals to amateurs, they speak photography and we are glad to learn the lingo ourselves.

Rebekah practicing for competition at home.

Rebekah is in her third and final year at the Berks Career and Technical Center in the Culinary Arts program. She has flourished in the kitchen and knows for certain that she wants to pursue a career in the Culinary field. Part of being in a Vocational Tech program is competing locally and further for recognition and scholarships. A couple of weeks ago Bekah competed in the "in house" competition at her school, winning first place and a spot on the team which will go to the State competition in March! Winnig at State will mean advancement to national, where a win would mean scholarships to the school of her choice, the Culinary Institute of America. We are so very proud of her and praying that she does well at State.

Our family with the NYC skyline in the background!

On December 12th our family joined the Boy Scouts to go to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. We live a mere two hour drive from the park in New Jersey from which the ferry can be caught for the ride to the islands. Everyone drove separately, freeing us up to take our time and leave when we were ready. What a glorious day we enjoyed! The weather was absolutely perfect- not a cloud in the sky. Clear and sunny, though cold, we started at Ellis Island with a guided tour. Neither Jim nor I have ancestors who came to America through Ellis Island, but the story of the process was still fascinating. As can be expected, I took quite a few photos, which can be seen in my Facebook album, here.



Last Sunday Isaac joined our church as a Communicant member. He had taken a class over the Summer after which he was interviewed by a couple of our church's elders. His understanding of the basic doctrines of our faith, as expressed in the Westminster Confession, and his personal profession of faith led to their agreeing that he is ready to join our body of believers. The class was scheduled to join the church December 13th, but the morning dawned to an ice storm which prevented us and half of the congregation from making it to church! The ceremony was moved to December 20, and everyone was able to make it- albeit an hour later than normal since we had a snowstorm the day before and church was delayed, giving us time to shovel out from under a foot of snow!

The shovelers

We are now preparing for Christmas. The snow is still on the ground outside, which is so beautiful for the season. Christmas Eve has arrived, the kids are finishing some light cleaning, cooking will happen later today. We expect Nathaniel to skype in around 1 pm so we can open a gift together- a Christmas Eve tradition. Tonight we will join our church for special music and celebration of our Savior's birth. Kate and Erin are singing, Jim, Rebekah and Erin are reading Scripture. After the service we will gather with others from the congregation at the Sallade's home for fellowship before heading home for a long Winter's nap.

Merry Christmas to all!