Christmas Lights

Christmas Lights
Originally uploaded by blountman

This year, we have added to our outside display of lights, the manger scene. In this close-up of Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus, you can also see roses blooming on our "rose tree" just behind the manger scene. I love Christmas in Vero Beach. I was in jean shorts and a tee shirt as I hung the lights on the house on November 29th, and the seat was rolling down my face into my eyes! Roses are still in full bloom. Yep, THAT's my kind of Christmas season weather.

Speaking of the Christmas season, I want to take the time now to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. May you always keep in mind the true meaning of the season: God loves you, and He gave you the ultimate Christmas Gift - Jesus!

There are a few more pictures taken on Nov. 29th of the lights around our house, and one of the rose blooms that are about eight feet off the ground. Just check out the flickr site.

May this season in which we celebrate the coming to earth of the Savior of the World, find you and yours doing well. Thank you for your continued prayers for us Blounts. We'll take all the prayers we can get!

Birthday Cake

Several people wore as much of Ian's birthday cake as ate it, including the birthday boy:

So It Ain't So!

It is hard for me to believe that my baby boy, Ian is 19 today! Words cannot express the love I have for our "middle child." We have been (and continue to go) through so much together! From his "hurry up, here I am" birth, through various physical challenges in his infancy and toddler years on up to today, Ian is absolutely one of a kind. A fact for which Peggy and I are eternally grateful!

I know there are plenty of challenges ahead for our "Ieebee Dah Man" and I pray that he will draw closer to Jesus, and let the Lord of all Life be his guide through the good times and the bad. I am so blessed to be Ian's Dad, and I am so unworthy of that honor. I just pray that he always knows the depth of the love I have for him.

Bearded Lady

Over the past several months our Children's Church gang has been collecting an offering to go towards Vero Christian Church's "Connecting Christ With Community" campaign. Our goal was to reach $500 before Commitment Sunday, which is this Sunday, November 11th. We have achieved our goal, and will present our offering at the end of the adult worship service this week. I will be wearing a dress (and possibly makeup, a wig, and high heals depending on how much offering is collected this Sunday)! Yeah, I am a fool for Christ. I will do whatever I can to help kids get excited about worshiping God by the giving of their offerings to Kingdom Work. The Children's Church gang knows that we will continue collecting offerings each week, and that other goals will be set, not always with a goofy consequence for me. Anyway, I decided a couple of weeks ago to let my beard grow out (such as it is) so I can be the "Bearded Lady" on November 11th. The things we do for love.

Missing My Mom

This is my favorite picture I took of Mom, catching her "in the act" of ironing. She hated to iron, and she is telling me not to take the picture. I disobeyed. I miss Mom. On this day that is the anniversary of her birth, I celebrate the blessing of being Bettie Johnson Blount's son. I can't believe it has been over 14 years since she passed on. Time hasn't flown, and what I wouldn't give for her sage advice over a meal of choice Mexican food.