New Years 2012

Greetings, dear friends.... Jeanine here.....
March is here and our men have been working like ...well, like men....
trenching and mixing in compost and planting the vegetables
and running the tractor and tending the animals,
getting ready for the spring vegetables and the start of our CSA, reading the Word, building animal pens and fences and gates,
fighting the good fight to walk in the Spirit of the Lord,
putting up pivots at other people's farms , ruling their emotions and thoughts,
building houses and sheds, hauling off dead animals
and bottle feeding a baby calf ....

The ladies of the house have been keeping the home fires burning..
which is a huge and multi-faceted task...
picking the kale and pulling the carrots for the evening meal,
tending the herb garden, ruling emotions and thoughts and fighting the same battle to walk in the Spirit of the Lord,
sewing, hanging out 5 loads of laundry a day, because the dryer is uncooperative, giving baby showers and doing Bible studies on honoring your mother and father, planning conferences and menus and times of hospitality......

and we all just enjoy life...

(I discovered .....from reading it this week :)........ that 6 times in Ecclesiastes, God says to enjoy your drink and food, your labors and work, family and wife, for all the rest is vanity....so, we have a new motivation here in the kitchen at Calathora and in our hearts to BE CONTENT, be sweet to the menfolks and give them a good supper! )

Adeline here.....

How are you!!? We've missed you all so much. Hope your 2012 is going well and that you are being blessed and enjoying the joy our Jesus gives to us.

Ah. Life in Christ is sooo wonderful...It just makes you want to dance!!!
We shall try to recap the year and catch the record up to date....

The Ball weekend......A favorite time of year! Lots of noise and the old beloved home filled with some of the most precious people in the world to me, come for the whole weekend to dance and laugh and rejoice in the Lord together over coffee and a carrot or two. And some chocolate.
And grandbabies everywhere! It's so fun to hug and kiss the little smidgions when they come over to visit! Aunt Marfa is quite the favorite. :)Everybody brought a few cans of beans and chips and such for the first evening meal, and we mixed it all together and had Taco Soup! Soup and Winter just go together. We were so very honored to have the W.'s parents up for the weekend. What a blessing.
"Bekah Boo sneaks a chip or two."
(Cheesy caption, I know...but one cannot resist when their inner poet comes pouring forth in inspirational verse...)
A view into the family room......and into the living room! Uncle Michael gets some time with little Enoch.Mr. R. and Grand Daddy at the bar...
This was a hilarious group of animated friends LOL.

Then it was off to the barn for dance practice for the following night! The F. family was incredible-they organized, taught and called the dancing for the weekend. It was fabulous and just made it where everyone was able to enjoy themselves instead of trying to figure out what step to take next. :) Well. Some of us still struggled with that point for a while. But at least we still had fun doing it! :D Practice makes perfect.
"Dey wouldn't wet me dancth. ""So, I pwayed wif deys blocks. Thee how nice dey are?"Notice the three awesome guys lined up in a row-Uncle Marc, Andrew and Z. It was a riot-frequent fits of laughter often cause loss of breath and highly increased fun.Amy, you are such a joy!!Hey John Man.Rebecka
(your new scarf tie was awesome! Thanks for sharing it with me. :)
It was so nice having Matt and Jeff with us that weekend! So good seeing you all.
And here's the new couple!! They are just too cute.
I love this little man! Your Auntie misses you, Baby!Joel and Enoch

Samuel, you were a great help with eating the oranges....

Oh. my. stars. I can see myself and several of my siblings in this picture. Do you ever come across a picture of one of your sibbies and you think, oh gracious, if you cover up his forehead and add hair that's _____! Or from the nose down he is totally _______! :D I love family resemblance.I love these pictures...

After dance practice was over, some of us gathered up and finished the decorating for the next day. LOL, it's so fun all getting ready for 'the party' together, when in reality doing that is one of the best parts of the party!Spinning the oranges to ensure secure hanging.
Wouldn't want one of those citrus to fall on an unsuspecting personage gleaning beneath their fragrant shadows...that would have been rather funny, though! Oh, that's a terrible thought. But wasn't this the funnest decor idea!? I just loved it. And they smelled so good.
Amanda did great on the cedar, too.Here I am ribboning an orange. (See, there's Bekah's scarf tie! Isn't it nifty?)Amanda and Rebekah

Saturday morning we all woke up to mist, shrouding everything like an endless white chiffon scarf...
We started the day off with a Bridal Brunch that morning, over at Wesley and Rachel's home..... all the Morton ladies and all of our sisters and sister-in-laws were hosting the bridal shower for our dear 'sister' Bethany, soon to be Mrs. Danny L.!
After the yummy brunch, everyone gathered in Rachel's living room and we were so blessed to hear advice and encouragement for Bethany from so many wise and godly women.

There was one woman who was there who had been married 63 years. What an honor to be in her presence, and to hear her words of wisdom directed to a young bride. One thing this dear lady exhorted us about was not to go to bed upset with each other. She reminded us that the Word says not to let the sun go down on our anger. Those are the things of life, and they are so true and so good.
Bethany is such a special young woman, and we just love her so. She is going to be such a wonderful, virtuous wife!
And, being me, my battery died, so, no pictures. :D

Saturday afternoon was spent in finishing odds and ends in preparation for the evening, relaxing on the swing with dear friends, drinking coffee and harvesting vegetables out of the garden together to make some chicken soup for lunch... It was like medicine, all being together, under the brightest of blue skies. It was a beautiful day. I had the most wonderful time, just being. All together. It's like a tiny taste of heaven and eternity to those who's hearts are cleansed by His perfect blood.

Then, the time came for the 2011 Calathora New Year's Ball! The oranges...
...and the butler welcome you!

(This year we decided to appoint a brother/sister team to be the butler and maid and me and Andrew got the positions! We had THE best time with it, and actually got to dance almost every dance to boot! (when everyone else is dancing, there's not many platters to refill) And we had way too much fun hopping around in a frilly apron and a towel over one arm! 'Twas a blast...)Mingling (Katie is so sweet!)The afore mentioned Maid and Butler (trying to look regal)(wasn't working...)Can you believe he is my 'little' brother!? What an ox he is!! It's actually quite fun when your little brothers grow up. :)Abbi of Southern Rose Photography getting some beautiful pictures!Listening to the amazing stories people shared from the past and present. It is so uplifting and sobering to hear of some of the people who have gone before us. We have so. so. much to be thankful for. I was so inspired by several people who told their stories from their character's prospective, with accents and all-it was amazing!

While I didn't get a picture of every family, this is just a little sampling of how the evening went-oh, and Noah did an amazing job of emceeing the evening!!
(I just love. love. this picture of Dee, Noah and Little Man. It is so beautiful seeing your sister so in love-isn't is just glorious!?)
Refilling the punch bowl. Or maybe I'm getting myself a drink. Either way, you've got to taste this punch!!! It is the best punch hands down, ever! If you like coffee. :D It's basically a coffee milkshake, hehe...After stories and intros, it was onto feasting and dancing! And chatting.
Above is Rebekah and Lauren guarding the meatballs.
Just teasing. :)
And here's me and my little nephew Wallace!
(He's like a little cub bear. I love this child. Just look at him! His nose and bow tie are just-just-ah...)

On to page two, mon cheri!