We have a Water situation

It's way easier if your electricity goes on the blink than this.

So we got our water bill 3 days ago.

AND IT WAS ALMOST $800 !!!

Sometimes, because of watering the lawn and plants and like that, our water bills gets to be a bit up there, but nowhere close to 800 dollars!

So David and I tried to find out where the leak was. NOWHERE near the house was there any visible leak, so we had to trace the pipe from where the meter was, by the road all the way back to the house - and that's like a heckuva long stretch.

So we made sure everything was turned off at the house, the dishwasher & washing machines were turned off, and proceeded to walk down that imaginary yellow line that stretched from the water meter just inside the fence, towards the house..

And then we saw it, a soggy wet swampy mushy area. *heart sinks*

To make a long story short, David the Magnificent, managed to localize the pipe, but that's when it gets tricky.

It was a task that needed some expertise, and so when we managed to get Roy's ( a friend of Johnny's) help, we were overjoyed. Roy, who had worked with the City, had rented a trench digger for the weekend, as he had been hired by some people to do some work, but they had stood him up. ( Praise the Lord !! Their loss, our amazing gain )

We had prayed for this situation at Friday Bible Class, and God really delivers! And in spades!! And in this case, it was in the form of a DITCH WITCH - er... ( and an angel named Roy )!!!

We had turned the water off at the mains since Thursday, and had filled up a bunch of 5 gallon buckets with water for dish-washing, cleaning etc, and clean water for brushing teeth, cooking, making coffee ( LOL ) etc. So, we were beside ourselves when Roy called us up this morning and there was SOME flicker of light at the end of this long dark tunnel ( no pun intended ).

As I blog, the guys are still out there working.. My heroes...

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God:
that if we ask anything according to his will,
he hears us.
And if we know that he hears us
- whatever we ask -
we know that we have what we asked of him"

(1 John 5:14-15).

City Sidewalks

Abilene had its annual City Sidewalks Parade

and tree lighting ceremony,

and although it was hokey and like that, it was fun to get out and join in the festivities. I wish pictures in the dark weren't so hard to take, though.

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his
shoulder: and his name shall be called
Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God,
The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

~Isaiah 9:6~

It snowed again today!

I wish my mom was here

for the snow, but I have a feeling it might be just a smidgen too cold for her :)

Outside temperature : ICE !!!

Big huge flakes falling down all around us





Bringing Henry out for a walk





Cool snow effect on our trees





Jim measuring how much snow they got.





Around our house - actual snow on the wreath outside the door, and actual icicles on the roof





My garden ornaments are buried in snow!

Isaiah 1:18 -

"Come now, and let us reason together,
saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they be red like crimson,
they shall be as wool."

Snow on Thanksgiving

We had around 4 - 8 inches of snow around Abilene on Thanksgiving Day

and it was kinda magical.. flurries started coming down at about noon, and then by 2 pm, big huge puffy flakes were pouring down on us. This year, Shana and family as well as Todd and family weren't here as they were at their in-laws'.

Here's some pics from Thanksgiving. Lots of Snow pictures and Snow Ice Cream pics coming up in another post.

Thanksgiving Day Prayer

Heavenly Father, on Thanksgiving Day
We bow our hearts to You and pray.
We give You thanks for all You've done
Especially for the gift of Jesus, Your Son.
For beauty in nature, Your glory we see
For joy and health, friends and family,
For daily provision, Your mercy and care
These are the blessings You graciously share.
So today we offer this response of praise
With a promise to follow You all of our days.

--Mary Fairchild