Christmas Day

Paul spoiled Kathy with 3 new Coach purses and a wallet

Paul with all his sweets... do you see the Ferrero Rocher and the KitKat? 

   A sweet family from church had us over for Christmas lunch... 

smoked ribs.  these ribs were so delicious!

so delicious that Paul used his fingers to eat them.  If you know Paul, that is a HUGE deal!

 This precious little boy is Evan.  

Kathy crocheted this hat and sweater for Evan.  We tried it on to see how it fit and it looks like he will have to grow into the sweater but I'm sure that won't take too long.

Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and are ready for the new year to start!

TSMSS ~ A Passion for Thee

A Passion for Thee

Set my heart, O dear Father,
On Thee, and Thee only,
Give me a thirst for Thy presence divine.
Lord, keep my focus on loving Thee wholly,
Purge me from earth; Turn my heart after Thine.

A passion for Thee;
O Lord, set a fire in my soul, and a thirst for my God.
Hear Thou my prayer, Lord, Thy power impart. 
Not just to serve, but to love Thee with all of my heart.

Father fill with Thy Spirit, and fit me for service,
Let love for Christ every motive inspire,
Teach me to follow in selfless submission,
Be Thou my joy and my soul's one desire.

A passion for Thee;
O Lord, set a fire in my soul, and a thirst for my God.
Hear Thou my prayer, Lord, Thy power impart.
Not just to serve, but to love Thee with all of my heart.

A Woman After God's Own Heart ~ Chapter 5

A Heart That Serves

Genesis 2:18 ~ And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

"To begin our discussion we must realize that a woman after God's own heart is a woman who carefully cultivates a servant spirit, whether she is married or not.  She desires to follow in the steps of Jesus, who 'did not come to be served, but to serve' (Matthew 20:28). Such following calls for lifelong attention to the heart attitude of serving."

"And if you are a married woman, that attitude and service starts at home with your family.  And more specifically, with your husband.  God has designed the wife to be her husband's helper."

"a helper is one who shares man's responsibilities, responds to his nature with understanding and love, and wholeheartedly cooperates with him in working out the plan of God."

"Realizing I am on assignment from God to help my husband opened my eyes."

"I am to be solidly behind him and supportive of him--helping him."

"This mind-set, this servant spirit, helps me be more like Christ as I esteem others--especially my husband--as better than myself (Philippians 2:3) and commit myself to service."

How?

"How can we develop a heart committed to service, a heart intent on emulating Christ in service to another person?"

• Make a commitment to help your husband

"Let your words reflect your decision to help your husband, to be a team with him, and to make helping him the priority focus of your every day."

• Focus on your husband

"What can I do for you today?  What can I do to help you make better use of your time today?"

"Whether you are married or not, serving the people in your life is part of God's will for you.  It pleases Him when you follow His will, benefits the lives of those you serve, and shows Christ to the world."

• Ask of your actions, Will this help or hinder my husband?

"Is yours a heart committed to service, specifically to serving and helping your husband?  What an abundance of blessings God has waiting for you when yours is such a heart!"

"As you and I promote the well being of our husbands--and of the multitude of other people God has placed in our lives--our service glorifies God."

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Dear Lord,

I don't know your plans for my future, whether or not you have a man for me to marry or if you will have me be single and focus on you.  I ask that you would show me how I can serve others.  Use me in this season of my life.

In Jesus Name,

Amen

A Woman After God's Own Heart ~ Chapter 4

A Heart That Obeys

Acts 13:22 ~ After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.'

"The heart God delights in is a heart that is compliant, cooperative, and responsive to Him and His commands--a heart that obeys."

"Two very different kinds of hearts - David and Saul

• In his heart, David was willing to obey, but Saul was satisfied with merely external acts of sacrifice.
• David served God.  Saul served himself and did things his way.
• David was concerned with following God's will, but Saul cared solely for his own will.
• David's heart was centered on God, and Saul's was centered on Saul.
• Even though David didn't always obey God, he had what mattered over the long haul--a heart after God.  In sharp contrast, Saul's devotion to God was impulsive and sporadic.
• Although David was well-known for his physical prowess and might as a warrior, he was humbly dependent upon God, trusting in Him and repeatedly acknowledging, "The Lord is the strength of my life" (Psalm 27:1).  Saul, on the other hand, was proud.  He relied on his own skill, his own wisdom, and judgment, and his arm of flesh."

"A heart committed to doing God's will is an important ingredient when it comes to living out our love for God."

How?

Proverbs 4:23-27 ~  Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Keep your mouth free of perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Give careful thought to the[a] paths for your feet and be steadfast in all your ways. Do not turn to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil.

"If we keep our hearts, if we diligently attend to them and guard them, then all of the issues, the actions, the 'ongoings and the out-goings' of life will be handled God's way."

• Concentrate on doing what is right

Proverbs 3:6 ~ In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

James 1:5 ~If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.

James 4:17 ~ Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

Romans 14:23 ~But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and whatever is not from faith is sin.

• Cease doing what is wrong

Hebrews 2:18 ~ Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

• Confess any wrong

1 John 1:8 ~ If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

"So I call sin 'sin', and by doing so I train my heart to be more responsive to God's convicting Spirit."

1 John 1:9 ~ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Proverbs 28:13 ~He who covers his sins will not prosper, But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.

• Clear up things with others

"Confession makes things right with God, but if we've hurt another person, we need to clear things up with that person too."

• Continue on as soon as possible

Philippians 3:13-14 ~ Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

"Once we've acknowledged and dealt with our failure to follow God whole-heartedly, once we've addressed our acts of disobedience, you and I are to forget those things from the past and go on.  Oh, we are to remember the lessons learned, but we are also to train our hearts to obey by obeying this command from Got to go on." 

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My prayer today, dear Lord, is that I may have a heart like David,  one willing to obey and serve you, concerned with following your will and having you be the center of my life.
Lord show me how to guard my heart daily. If I have unconfessed sin please Lord reveal it to me that I may confess it and be right before you.
And Lord if I have wronged someone and not dealt with it Biblically please open my eyes to it and give me the strength to do the right thing.
Lord I pray that I may keep my focus on the goal which is heavenward...not forgetting my past but also not dwelling on it.
Thank you Lord for loving me when I was so unlovely and for opening my eyes to the truth ~ your gift of salvation.
In Jesus name I pray, Amen

A Woman After God's Own Heart ~ Chapter 3

A Heart Committed to Prayer

Psalm 121:1-2 ~ I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth.

Count your blessings name them one by one

Blessing #1: A Deeper Relationship with God

• Prayer increases faith
• Prayer provides a place to unload burdens

John 16:33 ~ These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

1 Peter 5:7 ~ Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

"Corrie ten Boom offers a vivid image of this privilege:  As a camel kneels before his master to have him remove his burden, so kneel and let the Master take your burden."

• Prayer teaches us that God is always near

"Oswald Chambers' words...'The purpose of prayer is to reveal the presence of God equally present all the time in every condition.'"

"Cultivating a heart of prayer is a sure way to experience God's presence."

• Prayer trains us not to panic

Luke 18:1b ~ that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

"Grant that it may not be in the power of any to rob me of the peace that results from a firm trust in Thee.  Whenever crosses or troubles are met without, may all be well within. -- Susanna Wesley"

• Prayer changes lives

Blessing #2: Greater Purity

"May I be incapable of rest or satisfaction of mind under a sense of Thy displeasure! Help me to clear accounts with thee... -- Susanna Wesley"

Blessing #3: Confidence in Making Decisions

"Make no decision without prayer."

"I wrote down every decision I needed to make and took each one to God in prayer."

Galatians 1:10 ~ Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.

"A woman after God's own heart is a woman who will do His will (Acts 13:22)--not her own."

"Forbid that I should venture on any business without first begging Thy direction and assistance. -- Susanna Wesley"

Blessing #4: Improved Relationships

• "You cannot think about yourself and others at the same time"
• "You cannot hate the person you are praying for"

Matthew 5:44 ~ But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

• "You cannot neglect the person you are praying for"
• "An end to self-centeredness, the dissolution of ill will, and an end to neglect--these results of praying for someone will inevitably improve our relationship with him or her."

Blessing #5: Contentment

"Over and over again, day after day, I placed everything in God's hands, letting it be His job to meet those needs--and another prayer principle was born: If He doesn't meet it, you didn't need it!"

Psalm 84:11 ~ For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

Blessing #6: God-Confidence

"When we are filled with God's goodness, we are confidently and effectively able to share His love and joy."

Psalm 100:2 ~ Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

Psalm 40:8 ~ I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

Blessing #7: The Ministry of Prayer

"...my infant prayers could make a difference in history!"

"Coming face-to-face with the fact that prayer is a ministry ended my feelings of uselessness and ineffectiveness."

"My heart took flight as I joined God in the vital ministry of prayer!"

"I know that as you bow your knees and heart before God and begin cultivating a heart of prayer, you will taste and know that the Lord is good (Psalm 34:8)."

How?

• "Start a prayer log to record requests and responses as you travel your own personal journey of prayer."
• "Set aside some time each day to linger with the Lord in prayer and remember that something is better than nothing.  Begin small--and watch for the mighty effects!"
• "Pray always (Ephesians 6:18) and in all places, enjoying God's presence with you wherever you go (Joshua 1:9)."
• "Pray faithfully for others -- including your enemies (Matthew 5:44)"
• "Take seriously the powerful privilege of the ministry of prayer."

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Dear Heavenly Father,

May I be more burdened to lift up others before you Lord.  Especially those who are living a hopeless life without you.  My heart aches for those who have not accepted your gift of salvation, repented of their sins and followed you.  

May I take the time daily to pray!

Pray for our country and its leadership, pray for the people of the church, pray for family and friends, pray for wisdom, guidance and growth, pray for our missionaries, pray for healing and health, pray for ministries, and pray for the lost.

In your son's name I pray,

Amen

A Woman After God's Own Heart ~ Chapter 2

A Heart Abiding in God's Word

"Roots make all the difference in the health of a plant, and their presence or absence ultimately becomes known to all.  The plant either flourishes or fails, thrives or dies, blossoms or withers.  The health of anything--whether a garden plant or a heart devoted to God--reflects what is going on (or not going on!) underground."

Roots are unseen --

"If God is going to be first in our hearts and the "Ultimate Priority" of our lives, we must develop a root system anchored deep in Him."

"only one-seventh of an iceberg is visible above the surface, and any wise fisherman knows not to get too close because underneath spreads the other six-sevenths.  What was visible to the eye--only a fraction of the huge, icy mass--was enough to evoke fear, awe, and respect in any sailor. And that's what you and I want for our lives.  We want what other people see of our lives--public portion--to stir up this kind of awe and wonder.  We want our strength in public to be explained by what goes on in private between us and God."

"the truth is that "the greater the proportion of your day -- of your life--spent hidden in quiet, in reflection, in prayer,  [in study,] in scheduling, in preparation, the greater will be the effectiveness, the impact, the power, of the part of your life that shows.""

"The impact of ministry to people will be in direct proportion to the time you spend with God."

Roots are for taking in --

"When we spend time with Christ, He supplies us with strength and encourages us in the pursuit of His ways."

"the great exchange--Away from the world and hidden from public view, I exchange my weariness for His strength, my weakness for His power, my darkness for His light, my problems for His solutions, my burdens for His freedom, my frustrations for His peace, my turmoil for His calm, my hopes for His promises, my afflictions for His balm of comfort, my questions for His answers, my confusion for His knowledge, my doubt for His assurance, my nothingness for His awesomeness, the temporal for the eternal, and the impossible for the possible."

Roots are for storage --

Jeremiah 17:8 ~

They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

"Roots deep into God's truth are definitely needed as reserves when times are rough."

Roots are for support --

"Yes, the support of a healthy root system is vital for standing strong in the Lord!"

"When we have a solid root system, we too can gain the strength needed for standing firm in spite of the pressures of life!"

1) Develop the habit of drawing near to God
2) Design a personal time for drawing near to God - When, Where, What aids?
3) Dream of being a woman after God's heart

"God will take you as far as you want to go, as fast as you want to go."

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Dear Lord I pray that I may grow roots firm in you and your word, that I may not be blown away by the trials of life.  Lord may I grow deeper in you as I develop a consistent quiet time spent in your word, in prayer and in song.  May my life be a reflection of you, that when people look at me they don't see me but they see you.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen!

Christmas Eve Service

We gathered at the Snyder's home for our Christmas Eve service.  After lots of singing and a short message we enjoyed some food and fellowship.  Although I have to say I think the highlight for everyone was the precious little baby boys in our church family.

A Woman After God's Own Heart ~ Chapter 1

A Heart Devoted to God

"I want my life-indeed each and every day of it, each and every minute of it-to count."

"I had been thinking earthly thoughts--human thoughts, physical thoughts, worldly thoughts--rather than thoughts of faith.  My perspective was off!  We as Christians are to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7)"

"She has chosen with her whole heart to seek to live her life for God.  She loved God, worshiped God, walked with God, served God, and looked forward to being with Him in eternity."

"knew true inner peace and joy as she nurtured a heart of devotion to God."

"God knows the desires of my heart--indeed, He has put them there (Psalm 37:4)!  He knows the amount of daydreaming-and praying--I do about becoming the kind of woman He wants me to be."

"But God's peace became mine as I was reminded one more time that when, day by day, I choose the one thing necessary--which shall never be taken away from me-my life too makes a difference.  God wants my heart--all of it--and my devotion.  When I choose to give it to Him, when I choose to live totally for Him, He makes it count.  He wants to be Number One in my life, the priority above all priorities!"

"how important it is to choose to love God and follow after Him...with a whole heart...each day...as long as we live.  Every day counts when we are devoted to God!"

"Mary, a woman after God's own heart, made the choice that indicated her heart's devotion: She knew it was important to cease her busyness, stop all activity, and set aside secondary things in order to focus wholly on the Lord.  Unlike her sister, who was so busy doing things for the Lord that she failed to spend time with Him, Mary put worship at the top of her to-do list."

1) Choose God's ways at every opportunity

Proverbs 3:6 ~ In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

"Choosing God and His ways deepens our devotion to Him."

Proverbs 31:30 ~ Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

2) Commit yourself to God daily

"Our devotion to God is strengthened when we offer Him a fresh commitment each day."

F.B. Meyer's seven rules for living:"Make a daily, definite, audible consecration of yourself to God.  Say it out loud: 'Lord, today I give myself anew to you'"

Betty Scott Stamp, a China Inland Mission worker - her daily prayer:

Lord, I give up all my own plans and purposes, all my own desires and hopes, and accept Thy will for my life.  I give myself, my time, my all, utterly to Thee to be Thine forever.  Fill me and seal me with Thy Holy Spirit.  Use me as Thou wilt, send me where Thou wilt, work out Thy whole will in my life at any cost, now and forever.

3)  Cultivate a hot heart

Revelation 3:15-16 ~ I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth.

"Our heart for God should be like a boiling pot.  Our heart should be characterized by God-given and intense passion for our Lord.  After all, when a teakettle is boiling on your stove, you know it.  It sputters and steams.  It actually hops up and down and jiggles from side to side, empowered by its violent heat.  Hot to the touch, it shares the heat that is within.  There is no way to ignore its fire.  Likewise, we should be fiery and excited about God, and God will fuel our fire."

Luke 1:49 ~ For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name.

Psalm 96:3 ~ Tell of His glory among the nations, His wonderful deeds among the peoples.

Psalm 107:2 ~ Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy

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Dear Heavenly Father,
I want to have a heart on fire for you.  May I never be content with being lukewarm.  Lord, today I give myself a new to you.  My desire is that each and every day of my life count for you dear Lord.  Use me, mold me, guide me, teach me.
In Jesus name I pray,
Amen

Merry CHRISTmas!

TSMSS ~ O Holy Night

Thanks to Amy @ Signs, Miracles, Wonders for hosting Then Sings My Soul Saturdays. Now go check out her blog and all the other participants.

A Woman After God's Own Heart

I really enjoy reading books written by Elizabeth George.  I find that they are easy to read and comprehend, yet they are very convicting to me.

I am going to keep notes on my blog so they are easily accessible for me to refer back to them.

I borrowed the book A Woman After God's Own Heart by Elizabeth George from a friend so while I'm dog sitting I'm going to read through it and take good notes.

Each chapter's notes will be a separate post on my blog.  I warn you now it may just be quotes of things that touched me while reading.  I encourage you to read the book for yourself.  It will be a HUGE blessing!

I would love to hear from you if you've read this book and want to share some of your thoughts on how it has changed you and your personal walk with the Lord.

God Bless!

One Verse

Today I came across this website called One Verse. As I read about it I was reminded how blessed I am to have a Bible in my own language that I can read. Truth be told I probably have 3 or 4 Bible's that are different translations but still they are all in my language.

I know that probably everyone has gotten their Christmas gifts already but I thought that their Gift-a-Verse program was a wonderful idea. We in America have so much stuff.  Most of the time, we don't even appreciate the things we do have.  This would be a wonderful tradition to start as a family.  Buy a verse in the Bible to be translated in another language.

I encourage you to check out their website and even if you don't give this year, keep it in mind as a new tradition for next year.  Also, be praying for this organization.  That they may be blessed to complete the translation of the Bible in many languages in 2012.

To God Be The Glory!

Meet Mr. Beasley

This is Mr. Beasley.  I am taking care of him through the holidays and I'm having so much fun with him.  He is an older dog so he doesn't do much but eat and sleep.  Every so often he gets a burst of energy and he runs around the coffee table.  He makes me laugh because it's so unexpected when it happens.  He is just so cute!  Well now you know how I am spending my holiday, how are you spending yours?

My Relationship

I have been thinking a lot about my personal relationship with God.  I've been meditating on Revelation 3:15-16 that says I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

My desire is to have a heart on fire for the Lord and not to become lukewarm.

I am thinking of using my blog to track and to share what I am reading and what I am learning.  I don't communicate that well with my words and I am not a superior writer like most who have blogs but I feel like my blog needs to take this new turn.

To be honest, I have a hard time being "real" on my blog because I worry I may say something wrong.  But my focus is wrong because I should not be worried of what other's think, I should be focused on God and God alone.  When I am weak He shows me His strength. Through my weakness He is glorified!

II Corinthians 12:9-10 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong. "

So I hope you stay with me as I take my blog in a new direction.  I pray you see Christ reflected in my life.

Second Annual Christmas Banquet

December 3rd we had our 2nd Annual Christmas Banquet.  It was such a wonderful evening.

  Cute picture of a sweet couple.

 Mr George is an amazing man full of wisdom.  It's always a blessing when he is at Sunday School.  

 Miss Betty is always dressed so beautifully!

 We had our traditional white elephant gift exchange.  It's always so much fun to play and see what everyone brings!

 Our guest speaker and his wife.

 I was trying to get a good picture of Crystal and her baby belly but I wasn't able to get a good one.  Early morning after this picture was taken she had her precious little baby bow.

 There was a team of young adults from Camp Ironwood who came to bless us by serving, signing and watching the children.

 I love this picture.  Judd was such a character.

 They did a fabulous job playing and singing!

I am normally the one taking pictures but someone snapped this picture of me so I thought I would share.

TSMSS ~ The First Noel

Thanks to Amy @ Signs, Miracles, Wonders for hosting Then Sings My Soul Saturdays. Now go check out her blog and all the other participants.

Babysitting Fun

Before my week in London I spent 4 days watching these precious girls.  Their Dad was out of town on business and their Mom was heading to a Bible course on counseling women.

 They loved playing outside.  This park was right across from their house so it was nice to be able to walk across and let them play every day....but...

 not until school work was done.

My last day with them we had a picnic at the park.  The girls thought it was such a great idea to eat outside.  They ate quickly and even got some play time in before going back home to finish school time.

At the end of each day, when the girls got in bed they were out... FAST!

TSMSS ~ Mary Did You Know

Thanks to Amy @ Signs, Miracles, Wonders for hosting Then Sings My Soul Saturdays. Now go check out her blog and all the other participants.

Ecclesiastes 3:11a

I went over to a friends house and had a fun day of stamping.  My dear friend has an awesome craft room and we have great fun when we can stamp together.  This is the card I made while at her house.

A Candymaker's Witness

A Candymaker in Indiana wanted to make a candy that would be a witness, so he made the Christmas Candy Cane. He incorporated several symbols for the birth, ministry, and death of Jesus Christ.


He began with a stick of pure white, hard candy. White to symbolize the Virgin Birth and the sinless nature of Jesus, and hard to symbolize the Solid Rock, the foundation of the Church, and firmness of the promises of God.


The candymaker made the candy in the form of a "J" to represent the precious name of Jesus, who came to earth as our Savior. It could also represent the staff of the "Good Shepherd" with which he reaches down into the ditches of the world to lift out the fallen lambs who, like all sheep, have gone astray.


Thinking that the candy was somewhat plain, the candymaker stained it with red stripes. He used three small stripes to show the stripes of the scourging Jesus received by which we are healed. The large red stripe was for the blood shed by Christ on the cross so that we could have the promise of eternal live.


Unfortunately, the candy became knows as a Candy Cane - a meaningless decoration seen at Christmas time. But the meaning is still there for those who "have eyes to see and ears to hear". I pray that this symbol will again be used to witness To The Wonder of Jesus and His Great Love that came down at Christmas and remains the ultimate and dominant force in the universe today.

Paris

 Kathy planned a day in Paris for me.  She had been before with Paul but since I had never been there she booked an all day tour for us.  The day started early as we had to be at the train station at 6:30.  

It took two and a half hours to get to Paris from London using this EuroStar train.  Very interesting ride since part of it we were traveling under water.

 The first thing we did was get off the train and onto a bus that was going to show us around.  It was market day and they had tons of produce out to sell.  It all looked so good!

 I was so impressed by the detail work on their buildings

 The tour included lunch at the Eiffel tower restaurant.

It was a two course meal.  You were to pick a started and entree or an entree and dessert. Then one person per family went downstairs to put the order in.  

Kathy came back with this cute basket with our starter salads and bread.  The entrees would be served to us when they were ready.  It was an interesting way of doing it but it worked.

 Then after sight seeing, a ride on the Seine river and lunch at the Eiffel tower they took us to the Louvre Museum.  Kathy and I spent our time at the shopping area because the Louvre tour was extra and we didn't have enough time to really take in all the Louvre has to offer.  Kathy and Paul had spent an entire day at the Louvre and only got through 1/4 of it so we knew a few hours wasn't going to be enough.

The shopping area had several jewelry stores, book store, and gadget store along with an Apple store.  The food area had a Starbucks, McDonalds, and a few other eating places.

 Here I am inside the shopping area, right in front of the inverted pyramid.  This was our meeting place for the tour.  We got there early and decided to take some pictures.

This concludes my trip and my fun Thanksgiving week with Kathy.  Thanks again Kathy for taking me on your well earned trip.