*I'm trying to do some catching up! So my next few posts will mostly be back tracking from December.
We have been blessed with a lot of great friends in our life. And a few great home teachers over the years. But none come close to the ones we have now. We really love our visits with our home teachers and we know that is a rarity - haha. Brother Packer keeps us laughing the entire time he is here. He has a very unique sense of humor that just cracks me up.
Each holiday season he goes above and beyond what a home teacher needs to do and invites our family along with the Coleman family (our other home teacher) over to watch a movie in his high tech movie room and have yummy treats. I think the first year we watched some oldies like Little Rascals and some others that I can't recall right now. One year we watched Ben Hur. All four hours of it! The time went by fast because it really is a great movie! I loved that my boys HAD to be exposed to it because at their ages now, I know there is no way they would ever sit down and watch it. Last year we watched MY favorite movie of all time, It's a Wonderful Life! In color! And on Blu-Ray! Dave had never seen it in it's entirety and so once again I was so thrilled that we had the opportunity to watch it. This year, we watched Miracle on 34th Street (the original on Blu Ray, of course!). We watched some oldies of Jack Benny as a preview. Pretty funny stuff! I can't believe I didn't get a photo of that part of the evening! But suffice it to say, it was a lot of fun and entertaining!
The best part of each movie night is after when Bro. Packer gives us a tour of his wood shop to show us what amazing projects he has been working on. We are ALWAYS in awe of the creativity, talent, and unbelievable skills that he possesses. He is incredibly gifted. His wife Jill is also amazing. She is an artist and can do anything creative as well. They make quite a team. This year he had a Bear Cottage fully furnished and decorated inside and out. I am kicking myself that I didn't get a photo of it! But the big surprise was when he told us that he had something for us! He moved the Bear Cottage and then pointed to a corner in his shop where was a box with a big bow on it. He told us that he wanted to do something for us to thank us for all we have done for his family. Us? Hmm... it should be the other way around! He said how much he has appreciated our family and that Dave has been very helpful medical wise and in other ways and so they had a gift of appreciation for us. We removed the wrappings and inside we found THIS:
WOW!
When I think of the hours and hours of time and tedious work, I feel so humbled. I am pretty sure no one ever has, nor ever will again, give us something as incredible as this. I was just blown away! I am still not sure how to accept a gift of this magnitude. It truly was a gift of love. Like I said, there are just no words to express how grateful we are and how special it is to us.
Just wow!
I knew exactly where I wanted to put it and I was hoping it would fit.
It did! I knew it needed to go on my piano next to my Thomas Kinkade lighthouse picture.
The details are amazing. He even added a light that simulates the fennel lens. It even rotates!
I LOVE turning it on at night. It makes the whole room seem so cozy and peaceful.
The lights inside the Keeper's house look purple! What more could I ask? ☺
I know what my boys will be fighting over when we are no longer here!
I am still in shock and awe and know we don't deserve such a generous gift, but I sure do love it! It's nice to have friends that have gifts they don't hide but let shine forth and share with others. These friends are definitely shining beacons to us!
Just wow!
