About 28 hours after the Conns left, 🙁 we had the joy of hosting the Staddon family for a few days!! While passing through on their way back to West Virginia, they blessed us by spending their New Year’s Eve with us! It would take hours to tell about all of the JOYFUL activities that took place; but we’ll spare you the time and just give a few highlights. 🙂
– watching “The Star of Bethlehem” and then discussing the incredible power, sovereignty, majesty, and wisdom of our Creator
– playing many games, including Dutch Blitz, Occupation, Catan, Duck-Duck-Goose, Swap, Kings-and-Peasants, etc.
– listening to the Staddon family practice beautiful family harmony – with voice (esp. the quintet 🙂 ), piano, violin, and handbells
– getting to feed many large appetites 🙂
– spending quality times around the table, reading the Bible, relating our most embarrassing moments, sharing spiritual insights, singing, laughing, writing lists of everything else we wanted to do, etc. 🙂
-gaining experience and knowledge regarding photography and operating a website and blog (special thanks to James and Robert!)
– staying up to a record time of 4:00 a.m. on New Years Eve
– blowing up our gingerbread house
Well, needless to say, when the “Staddon Wagon” pulled out of our driveway on Friday, we were left with a sense of loss but also one of having been wonderfully refreshed! One particular thing we appreciate about the Staddon family is their constant JOY!! (That comes from having Jesus first, Others second, and Yourself last.) Whether in helping prune our fruit trees, eating a peanut butter ball, helping clear the table, or playing Catan, they constantly had smiles and words of encouragement! Thank you, Staddons!
Note: For more stories and pictures, please visit the Staddons’ blog!! (We promise, it’ll be worth it just to see the incredible gingerbread-house-explosion shots!!!)
What a blast it was! Great picture of James and Herman… 🙂
I especially remember the good conversation about college and your all’s plans for the future. Thank you for the words of blessing and encouragement!
Wow sounds like fun! And I know Esther Staddon actually!
Blessings,
Bethany Morris
A truly incredible time, blessed of the Lord! You all were a blessing to us. We hope to see you again soon.