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Dec

Penny’s Old Fashioned Christmas

Categories: Christmas, Penny's Travels, U.S.A., Winter

Merry Christmas from Penny and Friends!!

Penny recently went to visit her friend Cathy, and had such a lovely time making new friends and enjoying an old fashioned Christmas home. Come along and share the fun!

Ho, Ho, Ho!! Come on in, many joyful surprises await you here!

Penny is sitting above the door to invite you in. What a cute homemade garland this is with red beads and green fabric ties.

First, come to the stable, where the shepherds and wise men have traveled to see that the wonderful news is true, a Savior is born!!

“God must have said, ‘I know what I’ll do, I’ll send my love right down there where they are. And I’ll send it as a tiny baby so they’ll have to touch it and they’ll have to hold it close.’ “
– Gloria Gaither

Jesus, You are the reason for this season of festive joy.

We come to celebrate your birthday!

On the mantel, Penny wanders among the lights, pine cones and greenery exploring on the back of a friendly stuffed reindeer steed.

The Christmas tree is a splendid display of beauty!

This is Felicity, the darling folk art angel holding the star at the top of the tree. How do you do, dear? What a lovely view!

Nestled among the other ornaments Penny feels right at home. Here she meets jolly little snowmen and a Christmas cat! Why, that must be Stitch’s favorite ornament! Let’s go meet Stitch, the kitty…

Here, kitty, kitty!

Hello Stitch, what a warm and cozy pal you make, with your little “stitched” half mustache, and your long soft fur.

How about a frosty sleigh ride together with you, Mr. Snowman? Wheee!

Now we’ll rest a bit on this old fashioned trunk and decide where to go visit next. Do I see someone cat napping on the couch back there?

I love the old Santas and lots of little Christmas trees.

Red berries and mittens are joyful additions,

And a sparkly lamp shines with cheer!

Another pretty old lantern sits in this corner on a square basket box where hangs a single white snowflake.

Penny found another little Christmas tree, perfect for sitting under as she chats with a few more snowmen buddies. I like this one beside her with the sleepy eyes.

She can’t resist the invitation to come sit by these two snowmen’s campfire while they entertain her with jolly tales.

Come to the kitchen now, Penny! There are lots of special things in here!

These rows and rows of cookies smell, oh, so delicious!

See the shadow of the window snowflake on the cupboard’s side? So pretty.

More Christmas friends spread cheer in their bright corner over here.

Even the shaggy dark fellow under the hat can’t resist all those snowman smiles that surround him.

Penny oversees the operation of more cookies underway.

I’ll volunteer to be a taste tester!!

Yes, you may, as long as you come join the sink crew and take a turn washing some dishes!!

Its evening now, and the Santa moon is out.

Penny is resting and gazing at all the labors below she was happy to be a part of.

What’s that old English Carol? “On a cold winter’s night that was so deep..”

The First Noel, the Angels did say,
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay,
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep,
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel!

They looked up and saw a star,
Shining in the East beyond them far,
And to the earth it gave great light,
And so it continued both day and night.

And by the light of that same star
Three Wise Men came from country far;
To seek for a king was their intent,
And to follow the star wherever it went.

This star drew nigh to the northwest,
O’er Bethlehem it took its rest;
And there it did both stop and stay,
Right over the place where Jesus lay.

Then entered in those Wise Men three,
Full reverently upon the knee,
And offered there, in his presence,
Their gold and myrrh and frankincense.

Then let us all with one accord,
Sing praises to our heavenly Lord,
That hath made heaven and earth of naught,
And with His blood mankind hath bought.

Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel,
Born is the King of Israel!

1833 Old English Christmas Carol – Author Unknown

Merry Christmas, friends, near and far, thank you for coming along. May God bless your home with His grace and peace this Christmas.

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Sep

Penny in Three South American Countries

Categories: Penny's Travels, South America

Comments: 1

This is our friend Heather Kimbriel:

In 2011, she was invited to join a prayer team that would be traveling to the capital cities of :

Santiago, Chile

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Montevideo, Uruguay

She, in turn, invited Penny to go along as well!

What a neat opportunity to visit these distant countries and to do it on a mission of prayer!

The Operation Capital City folks arranged the trip to include a several day visit to each capital city. As the team toured they met pastors, leaders, and citizens, and prayed together for these five subjects:

Government Centers
Education Centers
Marketplace Centers
Media Centers
Spiritual Centers

I have arranged several slideshows here from the photos Heather took from the different countries they visited:

Santiago, Chile

*******

Now on to…

Buenos Aires, Argentina

The Presidential Palace is called the “Pink House”.

The Argentina slide show:

*******

Now in…

Montevideo, Uruguay

Some beautiful architecture, and a lush garden.

The prayer team leaders share a laugh with little Penny.

The Uruguay slideshow…

*******

Farewell, beautiful lands in the southern hemisphere! Thank you for your hospitality.

May God watch over you, and hold you in His Almighty Hand.

“If my people, which are called by My Name,

shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek My Face,

and turn from their wicked ways;

then will I hear from Heaven,

and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

II Chronicles 7:14

Jul

Penny at an Ohio Wedding

Categories: Penny's Travels, U.S.A.

Comments: 1

Penny in the land of the horse and buggy people

The ride to Ohio in the little white car was snug! But Penny’s friends Thabeh, Adama, and Amadu made traveling in tight quarters fun! A little person like Penny can find small cozy places to nestle in and watch the scenery go by. Here she is keeping an eye on the wedding gift, a box of two elegant lamps. Yes, the wedding of our friends David and Rhoda is the occasion for this trip, and its going to be very special!

As homeschoolers, there are always books to be studied while traveling! Books are best friends (but maybe not always math books!) Yet on a trip there are always interesting things to learn about the places we travel to and the people that live there.

Here’s a view of some Pennsylvania countryside.

And the “Comfortable” Inn she stayed at when she arrived at her destination.

The next day at the wedding location, Penny saw this killdeer momma on her nest in the parking lot. Four eggs are nestled on the gravel and camouflaged to make them hard to find.

Here is a lively Amish horse impatiently waiting at the hitching post. He’s asking Penny if she’s ever been in Ohio before, and where she has come from. “Would you like a little ride?” he asks.

“Oh, Thank you very much,” says Penny. “May I sit here in front?”

And now for pictures of the joyful occasion, the wedding itself, taken mostly be Adama Joy and Thabeh.

This is my favorite picture of the radiant bride and groom.

The following day, Penny was thrilled to visit Behalt, the Amish & Mennonite Heritage Center in Holmes County, Ohio. “Called the Sistine Chapel of the Amish and Mennonites, Behalt, (meaning “to keep” or “to remember,”) is a 10 ft tall x 265 ft long cyclorama, or mural-in-the-round. Behalt illustrates the heritage of the Amish and Mennonite people from their Anabaptist beginnings in Zurich, Switzerland in 1525 to the present day. “

Making friends with an Amish doll.

A comfy bench invites Penny to sit a spell and chat with some more Amish doll pals.

Just imagine walking to school with the Amish children…

Penny knows I like quilts, so she was sure to get a picture of her favorite flowery quilt – Amish made! “Won’t you make one like this for me someday, Becky?”

Thabeh, Adama, Amadu and Penny all recommend this stop if you are in the area of Berlin, Ohio!

Apr

Penny Attends a Greater Vision Concert

Categories: In the Family, Penny's Travels, U.S.A.

Comments: 1

Our family enjoys the music of the Southern Gospel trio, Greater Vision, made up of Gerald Wolfe, Rodney Griffin and Chris Allman. They were in concert in Bath, NY recently and our family was eager to go see them again live in concert!

Penny was excited to be able to go and shake hands with these fellows herself, and to sing along with all her favorite songs!

Gerald Wolfe is the lead singer, and emcee. He used to be a member of the legendary Cathedral Quartet with beloved members George Younce and Glen Payne. Gerald is also a great piano player, and is a lover of the old songs, especially the hymns written in shaped notes in the old red Church Hymnal.

Rodney Griffin is a popular song writer in the Southern Gospel field, in fact, is known as the Singing News Fan Awards Song Writer of the Year for 13 years! Papa Dart likes how his songs reflect his rich study of Scripture. His songs are thoughtful, fun, unique and inspiring.

Chris Allman is the tenor and is also a songwriter.

We hope you enjoy these video clips we took at the concert. The first song portion is called No Longer Chained, written by Rodney Griffin. It tells of Paul imprisoned for his faith, whose story is told in the book of Acts. In prison he was chained to a Roman soldier, and this song is from the soldier’s point of view as he hears the gospel message from his unusual prisoner.

This next is a favorite of ours, a portion of the hymn “I Sing the Mighty Power of God” sung so mightily!

And now a bit of Rodney’s testimony about his alchoholic father who met a common ordinary man with a wholehearted love for Jesus, Bill West. When none of the highly gifted people could reach his dad, Bill West’s simplicity and compassion met a need in his dad’s heart and created a hunger for the Savior, which our Lord happily met!

We have gotten to know these men through building our collection of their CDs and DVDs, and seeing them in the popular Jubilee DVDs, and by attending their concerts when they are in the area. We enjoy their humor and their heart for ministry. You can learn more about them at their website www.greatervisionmusic.com.

Here is Penny relaxing at home near the stereo with her kitty, Ruby, listening to CDs of Greater Vision, recalling how special it was to be there at the concert hearing them in person.

One of their classic songs is this one written by Rodney Griffin. It is a favorite of mine, below are the words.

God Wants to Hear You Sing

Their chains were fastened tight
Down at the jail that night,
Still Paul and Silas would not be dismayed.
They said, “It’s time to lift our voice,
Sing praises to the Lord,
Let’s prove that we will trust Him, come what may.”

God wants to hear you sing,
When the waves are crashing round you,
When the firey darts surround you,
When despair is all you see.
God wants to hear your voice,
When the wisest man has spoken
And says your circumstance is as hopeless as can be
That’s when God wants to hear you sing.

He loves to hear our praise
On our cheerful days
When the pleasant times out weigh the bad, by far.
But when suffering comes along
And we still sing Him song
That is when we bless the Father’s heart.

God wants to hear you sing
When the waves are crashing round you
When the firey darts surround you
When despair is all you see.
God wants to hear your voice
When the wisest man has spoken
And says your circumstance is as hopeless as can be
That’s when God wants to hear you sing.

God wants to hear you sing!!!

Pixie and Penny together make a joyful noise to the Lord!

Who better to sing with than a talented bird??

Apr

Penny at Tim’s Greenhouses

Categories: In the Family, Penny's Travels, U.S.A.

Comments: 1

Penny has been visiting at my brother Tim’s house!

Abby went to visit for several days to help out in the greenhouse and around the house with Jess and our two little neices. Here is Audrey greeting Penny, she’s ready to play the “gentle” hostess.

Tim has 3 greenhouses on his farm. Two of them are shown here full of flowers: flower packs, pots and hanging baskets, all growing so beautifully green and accented with bright flower colors. Abby took Penny for a tour and took some really nice pictures. Thank you, Abby!

The next greenhouse is ready to be filled with vegetable plants of all sorts: tomatoes, peppers, melons, cucumbers and all. Greenhouses are a great place to get a head start on spring while the snow is still flying outside. Feast your eyes on these pictures and imagine you can smell the warm moist air, the damp soil and the breath of green plants that are happy to be alive!

These little neices know that wherever Aunt Abby is there is lots of tickling and laughing going on! Fun, fun, Abby! Emma is 3 1/2 and Audrey just turned 2.

This was the final day of Abby’s stay there at Tim and Jess’, she helped with hosting a birthday party for Audrey. Mama Dart is in the background on the couch with Mike. What a fun, festive ice cream cake!

Darling little Audrey, enjoying her special treats, displaying her pearly Oreo teeth and ice cream drippy chin.

Mar

Penny Visits the Land Down Under

Categories: Penny's Travels

Comments: No

Penny first began her adventures with an amazing opportunity to travel to Australia with our friend, Andrea. Here are the pages we created for the scrapbook. We added interesting pictures found online that feature some of the wonders of Australia. It was fun to research the unusual critters that live there.

Dear Penny,

Remember when we traveled to Australia, the world’s smallest continent, in 2005? You sat in palm trees and met kangaroos, koalas, and kookaburras, birds that make a noise that sounds a bit like a person laughing. At night, we could see the Southern Cross, a constellation that isn’t visible in the Northern Hemisphere.

We took pictures when we visited Cape Byron, the most easterly point of the Australian mainland. We loved how clear the water was and how we could see the ocean floor beneath the sparkling waves.

Love,

Andrea

After Penny returned home to New York, we sent two dolls to live with Andrea’s relatives and become citizens of Australia. They probably have picked up a good Aussie accent by now, eh? Here they are pictured in Penny’s bedroom before traveling.