Living a Happy Life!

Our year in review

A January weekend in Dallas

Easter sunrise service at Oak Meadow UMC (San Antonio)

Cinco de Mayo in San Angelo

Apple dumplings in Stevensville (July)

Wesley's first snowfall in Montana! (December)

Charles preaches on the last Sunday of December

It has been quite a year for us, as the 377 posts on our blog can attest.  On December 31st last year we were in San Antonio, Texas wondering where we would be in December 2013. Little did we know that it would be in Montana!!!

Highlights from 2013 include:
January - a weekend trip to Dallas to help friends, Joan & Jen, with much-needed home repairs & tasks.
February - A "quiet" month with work at the VA (Charles) and visits with her mother in San Angelo (Belinda).
March - It was Holy Week in San Antonio and we observed it by attending nine worship services!!!
April - A trip to Montana to explore ministry with the Yellowstone Conference.  
May - A weekend in San Angelo highlighted May as we celebrated Belinda's mother's birthday and Cinco de Mayo.  Charles finished his year at the VA hospital to wrap-up the month.
June - Our move to Montana was the hands-down choice for this month's high point!!!
July - We begin our ministry with the Stevensville UMC.  Helping to make the hundreds of apple dumplings at the end of the month!
August - What else can one say about August except the Creamery Days picnic in Stevensville!!!
September - Belinda returned to the working world with her new job at the Rocky Mountain Labs in Hamilton.  First snowfall on the Bitterroot Mountains was on September 19th.
October - Belinda joined many other Federal workers on furlough for part of the month.
November - The church bazaar and our sixteenth anniversary made this month special for us.
December - Belinda's mother arrived for a visit, our first Christmas at Stevensville UMC, and snow!!! 

Last weekend of 2013

With the year drawing to a close, it has been nice to have a "restful" weekend!  With Christmas Day behind us and New Year's Day still to come, we have had several days of slower activity! 

On Saturday, we spent the evening with a great group of folks -- playing a game called Farkle.  It was new to us, but thankfully we did eventually get the hang of it -- thanks to some wonderful tutors.  What a fun way to spend a Saturday evening!

This morning, of course, our focus was on worship.  Charles' sermon used the Twelve Days of Christmas as a teaching point, and it was fun singing and hearing more about this familiar song.

Tonight is the church's "Fifth Sunday sing-a-long," and we'll be singing all the old familiar Christmas season songs. 

Hope your weekend has been as enjoyable as ours has been!!

Boxing Day in the Valley

Watchful hawk

Looking north/northeast from Stevensville at the Sapphire Mountains

Boxing Day arrived in the Bitterroot Valley with little notice from the area residents, other than those with a connection to places such as England or Canada!

Belinda returned to work to a quieter setting due to a number of her co-workers taking the after-Christmas days off.  Charles however took a well-deserved day to do nothing except walk the 1.25 miles to the supermarket.  He decided he just had to take advantage of the 'warmer' temps (upper 30s)!

Years in review (at this time of year)...

About this time of year, each year, the news/radio shows all reflect on what happened in the year prior.  We thought we would reflect on where God has taken us and what God was doing in our lives... at this time of year... during the past few years... via blog entries.

Thanks be to God for all that he has given to us!  Amen!

Click on this sentence to see about us -- at the end of 2012.  (San Antonio, Texas)

Click on this sentence to see about us -- at the end of 2011. (Charles living in west Texas / Belinda living in Columbus, Georgia... for a few months)

Click on this sentence to see about us -- at the end of 2010.  (west Texas)

Click on this sentence to see about us -- at the end of 2009. (west Texas)

Click on this sentence to see about us -- at the end of 2008.  (living in Nebraska and visiting west Texas for the holidays)

Click on this sentence to see about us -- at the end of 2007.  (Nebraska)

Click on this sentence to see where we were living at the end of 2006.  (Newquay, England) 

Christmas Day afternoon

In the afternoon, we drove to Corvallis (a town thirteen miles south of Stevensville) for a pot-luck lunch being held at the Corvallis UMC.  What a fun group!  We met up with Trudy & Clay Freeman (from the Stevensville UMC), shared some laughs and met some really nice people

Christmas Eve & Day

Birthday boy, Christmas Eve!

Clear and crisp on Christmas morning

Wesley awaits the gift-opening!

All the excitement is draining

He is not amused

We had a busy couple of days here in Stevensville!  Yesterday, of course, was Christmas Eve and the (seemingly) long run-up to Christmas was over.  We had a good turn-out at church, it was wonderful to see the sanctuary nearly full!  The music and sermon can be seen on the Stevensville UMC YouTube channel. 

Today we enjoyed a leisurely morning as we happily opened the treasures left under the tree. 

A cold start to the morning

When we woke up this morning, we noticed on our welcome flag that we had a rather l-o-n-g icicle hanging down from it.  (It is circled in green.) 

Wow!  How "cool" is that, eh?!

Charles Clearing the Snow

 

A wee bit more snow than last week, it took a bit longer to clear.  much of it will be gone by next week though we're hoping enough remains to give us a white Christmas!

 



Snowy Day in Western Montana

When we woke up this morning, these are the scenes outside in the parsonage's back garden!  Wow!

Snow is coming

Drop-in Bible study attendees

There is snow in the forecast!

Snow clouds over St. Mary's Peak

Our forecast is calling for some snow, between 2"-4" tonight and tomorrow!  Before then, however, is a lot of activity!  Charles and Sheila attended the "Drop-in Bible Study" at the home of a SUMC member this morning, lots of fun and a great group to study with. 

Charles then joined some of the ladies at the Stevensville Senior Center (a Friday routine) where he was treated to the view of snow clouds coming over the Bitterroot Mountains.  Sure is pretty!!!

Check in with the Pantry Partners

A LOT of turkeys!!!

Mo & Cleo Guenther

Charles and Sheila paid a visit to the annual Pantry Partners "boxing day" at the St. Mary's Catholic Church.  Pantry Partners is the community food pantry that our church supports throughout the year.  The group uses St. Mary's community hall due to its size and the place was packed with food and volunteers!  Unfortunately we got there too late to help but it was exciting to see it in action.

Birthday lunch in Stevensville

Ready for the birthday lunch

Our high school chorus

Charles' birthday cupcake

Living in a small town as we do, we always know where the action is!  Today, Charles and Belinda's mom went to the Stevensville Senior Center for the monthly birthday lunch.

Charles was among those recognized for having a December birthday and received a cupcake!  During the drawing for prizes, both Charles' and Sheila's numbers were drawn and they left with nice items to remember the day!

Our week thus far

Looking west from the Willoughby Wildlife Area

Bitterroot Mountains, just north of Corvallis

Elk herd in the Bitterroot Valley, just south of Stevensville

Wesley keeps an eye on the tree!

Being a professional house cat is exhausting!

Last week was a whirl of activity and this week doesn't show any signs of slowing up any time soon!

Sunday was our normal routine of Sunday school, worship, and fellowship at the church.  It is great to be in a church that is so alive with excitement each and every Sunday!  Charles has started putting his sermons on YouTube (on the Stevensville UMC channel) along with music from the church services and activities.

On Monday and Tuesday (plus Wednesday), Belinda had to be at work by 6:15 a.m. to take part in "remote" training with staff from Bethesda, Maryland.  She is a real trooper to be up that early!

Mondays are also Charles day off and in addition to finishing the Christmas wrapping, he enjoyed a bit of a walk-about in the nature. On the way back to Stevensville he spotted a herd of Elk, sunning themselves in a wheat field!

The Moose is Loose

Charles spent part of the day helping at the Clothes Closet (the Free Store) in Stevensville.  The store was holding an event where children could shop for their families.  Charles got to help out and usher the children into the shopping area!

A busy couple of days

Christmas party in Hamilton

Holiday open house in Stevensville

Charles speaks to the Church Conference

Belinda and her mom at the UMW meeting

Whew!  We've had a very busy week, and there is still the weekend to come!! 

Yesterday we enjoyed an Christmas party for Belinda's office in Hamilton at the Bitterroot Brew Pub, what fun!  In the late afternoon, we joined the community in celebrating the holidays with the residents of the Genesis House, a group-support home in Stevensville.  To cap off the evening, the Stevensville United Methodist Church held its annual church conference! 

We were back at it this morning, as we participated in a Bible study at a Stevensville UMC member's home and then ate lunch at the Senior Center. 

In the afternoon, we enjoyed the fellowship and program of the United Methodist Women.  Belinda took part in the program, joining three others in a quartet, singing four lovely Christmas hymns.  Belinda's mother joined in the program, as well.  She read two of her favorite Christmas hymns from her years living in England.

This evening, Charles and Belinda ended the day with a meeting of the Guiding Team at the church.  This group helps Charles hone the vision and action plan for the church. 

Whew!!!

Belinda's office Christmas Party!

Here is Belinda's recap for this party that she emailed to her co-workers.

Holiday Greetings to All of Y’all!  What a great time we had at our holiday party last Thursday!  Thanks to everyone for your participation!

All the team turned out for the event, including our honored guest Gary B.  (We missed you, Rita S.V., but we know you were with us in spirit.)  Additionally, we were happy to welcome Tammy’s husband “Dan Bob,” my husband Charles and my mother Sheila. 

To recap:  The food was great!  Everyone brought a present for the fun “gift-stealing game.”  Wow, Leona, how many gifts did you end up opening?!  Folks kept stealing your presents!  (It was impressive that everyone actually followed Irene’s direction about taking “nice”—“what-you-would-want-to-get” – presents for the exchange.  At other such events, the gifts are usually of a different “class/type.”)

Thanks for being good sports about playing the fun, silly games.  Congratulations to the three folks who won games and earned prizes!  … and…  To all who participated in the first-ever IAMB RML impromptu Hand-bell Choir:  Wow!  We got “Jingle Bells” down, thanks to Gary Bladen’s lead.  However, “Joy to the World” never really took off.  We just couldn’t get the rhythm of that one.  As one person was heard to exclaim, “Don’t quit your day jobs.”  (… which I thought was accurate/true.)

May your holiday celebrations be joy-filled, peace-filled and safe ones!

I so enjoy working with each and every one of you!  I look forward to our journey together into the next year!

All the best,

Belinda

Glynis “Belinda” Alkula

Administrative Technician, IAMB