Hunting, Thanksgiving, and Daniel's Visit

Where does the time go!?! Such a short time ago, it was Thanksgiving 2011, now Thanksgiving 2012 is over and gone, and the month of November is slipping away so quickly!

We enjoyed having Daniel here so much! I loved watching my brothers interact with such a great friend and brother, being encouraged in godliness, playing strategy games, building awesome forts, learning how to process deer (I didn't know all of the different cuts of meat before), laughing together, discussing theology and the Bible, having meals together, learning about each others likes and dislikes, and welcoming the men home from long days of hunting. It was very sad to say "goodbye" on Tuesday, not knowing when we will see the Renfro family again.

The Lord has been so good to us and provided 6 deer for our men this gun season. Papa got one, Jeremiah shot two, Daniel shot his first last week, and the others were roadkill. :) We are so grateful for our Lord's provision and a full freezer! :)

We had our family Thanksgiving on Tuesday (the 20th) and then spent Thanksgiving in Iowa with our grandpa. It was a very sweet family time which I will never forget. While we were in Iowa, the guys built an incredible fort. I'll definitely be posting pictures later on.

I am thankful for so much this year! One of our Thanksgiving traditions is to write a list of 5 things we're thankful for and then share them around the dinner table. I am notorious for combining things and making them sound like just one thing. :)

This year has been a wonderful year of learning to trust more fully in the Lord who "does all things well". He knows the plans He has for me, and they are NOT my own (praise the Lord!). His ways are higher than mine as His thoughts are higher than my thoughts.

I am so grateful that through my life "never once did I ever walk alone; never once did He leave me on my own". HE IS FAITHFUL!

I am also so grateful for Joy (this was one of those "cheater" items on my list!) - joy because Christ has taken my sins upon Himself and borne the holy and just wrath of His Father, the judgement which should have fallen upon me; joy because our God is sovereign; joy because trials make me more like Christ; joy because I have a life to live for an eternal purpose; and joy because I will be with my King forever!

Isn't our God so good!?! How often I forget Him and His greatness, His abundant goodness to me in everyday life. And yet His mercies are new every morning! His grace is infinite! What a glorious thing it is to be a child of the one true God!

I am also so grateful that we were allowed to spend these days with Daniel. Here are a few (ahem...several!) photos from our time together.

WARNING:  There are several photos that include bits of the butchering process.  Proceed with caution at your own risk.

After church one day, I went out hunting with the guys.  I had this (super cute! - or maybe not?) full-body blaze-orange suit.  Don't I look exactly like an overgrown pumpkin!?!  :)  I can't believe I actually wore that thing, but it was awfully fun! :) 

The guys with Jeremiah's deer. 

Skinning... 

Best buddies.  :) (See Jeremiah's "bunny ears" behind Daniel.) 

Working on Rump Roasts. 

Lawbreakers! :)

They had tons of fun on the dirt bikes at Grandpa's. 

They shot bows on Thanksgiving morning. 

After they finished up shooting, they started building this incredible fort... 

Building the walls. 

And this is how it looked the next morning (it was c-o-l-d!!!) before we left.  Quite an impressive one-day project, wouldn't you say? 

On their last day of hunting, Jeremiah got a deer in the afternoon and Daniel shot his just moments before closing time.  God is so GOOD! 

After many long days and many more  long hours of perseverance and braving the cold, it was a great thing to see the Lord bless Daniel with his first deer.

Oh deer!

This was when I learned how to skin a deer.  (Don't tell anyone I said this, but it was really fun!)  :) 

Jeremiah making a snowball to throw at somebody.... 

....and that somebody got him back.  :)

It hit him right there!  :) 

We enjoyed our time with you, Daniel, and miss you very much.  May the Lord bless and keep you and your dear family.