Fun in a Winter Wonderland!

Little cousins had soooo much fun all week long!! (click on photos to enlarge)

Snow Angels... with Nana... this was the 1st snowfall. We were so excited to get out in it!

Sledding together... how FAST do you want to goooooo??? Hold on tight!!

Above shows the "remains" in Nonnie's hair from the Snow Angels. Now you know that Nonnie prefers palm trees, sand & salt water over bitter cold!... but it really doesn't get any better than time playing with grand babies!!

Becca is always up for ANYTHING!! Even sliding down the driveway on this tiny little sled! HA!! We were laughing hard as I pulled her along as fast as I could go! I wish you could have ALL been there to experience it!!

What is it that makes it so funny to "pelt" Nana with snowballs? The little girls loved it!

A little snowy, sweet faced smile!

Little Miss A. wanted to help Nonnie shovel the driveway... she is such a good helper! She even got the "kick" of the shovel down (just like Nonnie) when she got to the edge! So cute!!

Christmas Trees and More!

Merry Christmas!!

I had a surprise trip to Costa Rica this week, and this was my Crew! Like you, the last few weeks have been about Christmas preparations. Packages to wrap, last minute ones to purchase... a little tree to decorate and so many beautiful sights to take in as the WHOLE WORLD celebrates! So this is my very merry Christmas wish to ALL of YOU! I always feel a little sad that we don't live closer, but please know that YOU are loved, and soooo very special to me! May you find the richest blessings in Christ as we take time to ADORE HIM this Christmas season. I hope that you enjoy these "many" photos of the lovely memories I have been making and that you are enjoying the memories that you are making for yourselves as well! And then I hope that you'll share pictures too!

Above is the tree in the Crowne Plaza Hotel, San Juan, Costa Rica. And below was at the Costa Rica Airport. The burlap bags are "coffee bean bags" (so cute!) Although my layover was very short, I did have time to pick up a couple of bags of that delicious Costa Rica coffee!

The tree below is simple, but sweet. It's located in the Continental Crew room, Liberty International Airport, Newark, NJ... and as you know, I've been spending my fair share of time there lately! :o) Thanks for putting up with my "whining"!

One of the most beautiful little cities I've ever been to is Stratford Upon Avon (above & below). It's the home of Shakespeare and is a "postcard perfect" glimpse of England.

My very first trip to Oslo, Norway was at Christmastime (above & below). It was bitter cold, but fortunately I had planned ahead and brought my winter coat, hat & gloves. It was so lovely that I enjoyed walking around this beautiful city all day long. Oh... and a big hot mug of cocoa helped take the chill off too!

You all know that one of my favorite places to travel is little Limerick, Ireland. The next 3 photos share a bit of the festive spirit that they have there.

Above is downtown Limerick, and below is the lobby of our hotel, The George.

This picture of me is from a couple of years ago, but it still brings back such fun memories of time with my lifelong girlfriend Linda from CA. We always have such a wonderful time when we're together... we're just not together enough! Below is Linda's daughter Katy, Me, Julie & Linda. It is one of the richest blessings in my life to have a friend that is like a sister in heart & faith. And we always enjoy lots of laughter together too! :o)

Wow! Being so very close to New York City has been a treat! I've enjoyed Christmas time downtown with BOTH of my daughters and it never gets old!! Here are a couple of photos of the HUGE tree at Rockefeller Center and one of the many incredible window decorations at Macy's. Truly MAGICAL!

Below is a photo that little Miss A took while we were in Florida. This was a store in Celebration which is the Disney community. It's so pretty and quaint. Miss A LOVES PURPLE!

And Merry Christmas from Belfast! They go "all out" downtown during the holidays. The Christmas Market is the best!

Above is a lovely tree at the London Gatwick Airport. Below is a little glimpse of the famous shopping area in London... Oxford Street.

Of course you know that my favorite destinations are with my family! Above is my youngest daughter's tree with a Mickey Mouse Train and all! And below is her cat Katrina. Katrina has been a part of our family for over 12 years now. The poor furry girl doesn't really care for anyone and hisses at most everyone... but we love her anyway!
Fortunately Julie's little ones LOVE everyone! They are a joy and so adorable, if I do say so myself!

And how about these beautiful kids? Can you tell that their Mama has taught them well when it comes to smiling for the camera? I just want to hug them ALL!! Becca's home is always a busy place filled with fun!

I so love how seriously the little ones take trimming the tree! It's important business, you know! And seeing the "bulk" of ornaments on the lower 3 feet of the tree always warms this Nonnie's heart!

Although so far away from my daughters, I'm so grateful that the miles never separate how close we are. And I'm glad for them too, that they both live in small communities where neighbors are friends and the towns are family friendly. Here's a recent parade in OR. I hope that wherever you are, you have time with family & friends and enjoy the Spirit of the season.

My Family...

I'm still cherishing memories of time with my parents, daughters and grand babies in Seattle earlier this fall. Here are a couple more pictures that capture some of the fun.

My Mom has never liked her picture being taken. And I mean NEVER! Well, except for the one above. Okay... the whole story is that my Mom and I have an inside joke (or code word) that makes us laugh hard every time we say it. So, I throw it in now and then to get a grin out of Mom when I get the camera out. Of course no one else really gets it, but it makes us smile every time. This time the little girls got a kick out of it too which made Mom & me laugh all the harder! It was so sweet to see them "crack up" with us! And Mom loves this picture! :o) (sorry, I'm not giving away the "secret joke"!)

Do you ever just feel like a "door mat" for your family? HA!! Isn't this the best kind? I think I enjoy laughing with my family even more than cooking and eating together.

The boys were definitely outnumbered this trip (3 to 9)! It's a good thing that they are good natured! And what can I say about my family? I am blessed beyond words. Children and grand children are a blessing from the Lord and good parents? A priceless treasure...

Baking with Grandma Great

It looked like the day was all about Elmo... the grand babies LOVE Elmo... but really? It was all about FAMILY. And TRADITION. We women love to bake! And we enjoy being in the kitchen. The most perfect setting? When we're in the kitchen TOGETHER! We can thank my Mom for that. She still can describe over the phone what she'll be making for dinner and make my mouth water! It's one of those "constants" that is sweetly flowing down from one generation to the next. The size of your kitchen doesn't really matter. Even cooking skill is not a priority. This kind of cooking is more a matter of the heart. It's about caring for your family and those you love. A warm gathering spot to enjoy each other's company. Can you imagine anything more special than having "Grandma Great" teaching you to make a very, very special cake? Fancy frosting and all?! It was a beautiful time. Four generations and a heart filled with gratefulness that we are all healthy and able to cross the miles to spend time like this together.

So, here's ELMO!! We didn't plan on covering him in sprinkles and candles, but from the enthusiasm of a three year old, we thought he turned out perfect? Yes?! xo Jackie

Calvary Chapel & Crew in Paris!

This update finds me with an incredible answer to prayer and new friends in far away places! Many of you know that I have been praying to tie in with missionaries and churches overseas, as much of my time is spent away from home. My Pastor's assistant, Sheree (here at Princeton Alliance) has been a huge encouragement and this past summer our Pastor led a series on "Passing the Baton" about looking beyond ourselves to encourage those who are coming up "behind" us serving the Lord. That really planted a seed in my heart! Well, this past Sunday was a FIRST! I attended Calvary Chapel Paris and although I was hoping to encourage this young family, as always I think I ended up being more blessed myself! Below, I'd like you to meet Michael & Becky Dente and family. They felt a call from the Lord quite some time ago to serve the Lord in France and have been in Paris for the last several years. What a wonderful place of Worship, Teaching & Fellowship they have established here. (click to enlarge photos)

They currently meet at this "Jews for Jesus" building, and have created a warm, welcoming place for all.

Their two oldest daughters were two of the best greeters I've ever encountered and they met ALL with a smile! They also served us yummy biscotti and coffee after the service. So young and yet already cheerfully serving... what a wonderful heritage they are growing up with!

Below are Josh & Laureen. They felt the call of the Lord to serve here and took the leap of faith to relocate last August. I had a chance to chat with Laureen who is originally from NJ and it was so inspiring to hear the fervor of this young couple to serve the church here in any way they can. You can read Josh's testimony on the Calvary Chapel Paris blog @ http://web.mac.com/calvaryparis/Site_3/Blog/Blog.html. Josh's cute "sidekick" is Lex and apparently the French make a huge deal over him wherever they go! Dogs are a BIG thing in Paris, so Lex is his own walking testimony! ha! Can pets have a testimony? hmmmm... or maybe they just open the door for possible discussions with their owners? :o) Anyway... he is so cute!

Here is another couple bringing so much to the church in gifts and giving. I regret that I can't remember all of the names of everyone I met, but I do remember that this couple is from So. Cal. (I love that!) and they are quite talented in animation. Check out their major production done a few years ago... Andy Griffith was a part of this Christmas special! Wow! http://www.veryfirstnoel.com/

These lovely ladies were an absolute JOY to chat with! The gal 2nd from the right was visiting with the Dentes and she and her husband will be starting a church in southern France this next year. She and 2 of the others are also from So. Cal., and we had an instant bond. The gal on the far left is from New Mexico and what a warm, friendly spirit she had! I felt like I had known her for years and I was wishing that I could get them on my flight home, so I could give them the "royal treatment"! I hope that our paths cross again in the future!

And I have to say a special thank you to Becky Dente. From the first time I contacted her she has had one of the warmest hearts that I've met in a long time. With 4 little ones, she was such a woman of grace and gentleness. Not much older than my daughters, I immediately thought of how much they would enjoy her company. What a blessing she is to her husband, her children, her church and ALL who meet her! A true example of Christ and His love. Thank you for such a warm welcome, Becky! I look forward to my next visit to Paris and hope that I can be as much of a blessing as you were to me! It was also so refreshing to sing songs, so familiar, and hear a sermon that really made me think about the times that I feel unsure about what to do... out of the book of John it was all about the "King" that Christ is and the "Truth" that He is as well... I want more of Him... Truth.

It was dark by the time I got back to the Eiffel Tower. Just as I got out of the taxi the "sparkle lights" started! Young Asian girls nearby squealed with delight and even after 3 years, the sparkle lights still take my breath away too! The lights are blue now as of June 30, 2008 marking France's 2008 presidency of the European Union.

Well, I still had more to do after church, so I headed to my favorite gift shop around the corner from my hotel. Below is Darjhi. A new friend and the store owner. He knows me well now and always gives me a hug, discounts and free key chains! Well.... you all know I enjoy shopping and I have found some great bargains for Christmas gifts this year! :o)

The next morning I had a few things to pick up at my nearby grocery store. A few of you are enjoying the shopping bags that I've brought home from here. The Fran Prix. It is a little version of the Mono Prix which I also frequent often.

Okay... time to get back to work... I can almost forget that I am WORKING! ha! I had flown with all three of these pilots before and the Capt., Ralph is one of my favorites. The young gal (Andrea) that worked up in Business First with me was so much fun. She had a fantastic sense of humor (like my Becca) and kept me laughing the whole flight (sorry the photo is dark)

Above from left to right: Me, Andrea, Orel & Sandra. We've all flown together before and it was great seeing each other again. Happy Travels! Love you ALL! (for more of Paris? Check out Jan of 2008 too!)