Off to shopping and lunch

Ben and Rebekah and Brock were off to Traverse City to meet Ben's parents and Grandma for lunch! How fun that both families are close enough so they can "share" time with both of them!
What a great time we are having....Brock is so much fun, and he LOVES mornings! More to come.....

More pictures of Brock....

They're Here!!!!

Sunday afternoon, Ben, Rebekah and Brock arrived! What a beautiful grandson we have....so alert, happy, strong, adorable, and BIG! What a precious baby! This Nanny and Papa are so excited to have him here for a week. Last night we all went to church, and of course, Brock was the main attraction! What a wonderful Christmas this is...celebrating with our beautiful grandson! But how much more blessed we are that a the Son of God came as a baby that Christmas night so long ago - with the announcement by the choir of angels that "unto you is born this day... a SAVIOR."
More pictures will be coming all week ... stay tuned!

They'll be home for Christmas.....

Friday night, Ben, Rebekah and Brock started on their LONG journey from warm South
Carolina to cold Michigan! They will arrive here on Sunday night after stopping at several relatives and friends home along the way. We are sure excited to see Brock (and Ben and Rebekah too!) for a week! What fun this Nanny and Papa are going to have! Then on Friday, things really get exciting.....Elizabeth and Jason will arrive. On Saturday, Daniel, my Mother, and sister Connie and her husband Jerry will get here. We'll all be together for Christmas Eve and Christmas day. We just wish that Taiwan wasn't so far away...but Rachel and Matt will be going on a little vacation to Singapore for several days over their Christmas days off, and will celebrate with the Sawatzky's over New Years, as Matt's Mother and Father live not that far from them in Taiwan.

Our Sunday School Christmas Program.....

Here are a few pictures from our Sunday School Christmas program, "A Christmas Gathering". The story takes place in the town square, where citizens and children come for the annual tree-lighting ceremony. The drama was great, and the kids did a super job on the songs during the musical. If you want to see more pictures...Go to : http://www.geocities.com/rollinsawana/
then click on “our club webshots”

I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas....

Well, here in northern lower Michigan...we're not dreaming anymore.....we WILL have a white Christmas! We received another 7" of snow last night on top of the 8-9" we already had! It's a beautiful white fluffy snow... and we really look like a winter wonderland! For those into "winter recreation" this is the place to be - skiing, snowmobiling, ice skating and winter picnics! Yes, winter picnics....we had our first winter picnic when we first came to Manton. After an afternoon of snowmobiling, we roasted hot dogs on an open fire, had s'mores and hot chocolate and ate all bundled up! What fun!
I will admit though, that I'm a "summer" person at heart, and love the warm temps, the beaches and summer sun. But since we have LONG winters here, I awake each morning saying the verse, "This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it." Today we can rejoice in the beauty of the sparkling snow and the postcard picture view from my window!

Christmas festivities....

Saturday night we had our Ladies Christmas Dinner that begins our Christmas festivities here at church. We had a great time, wonderful food, and our speaker was used by God in what she shared from her heart.

Sunday night we had our Choir Christmas Cantata and Christmas Musical night. We sang, "O Come and Worship"...what beautiful songs were in that cantata! After the devotional, one man that we have been praying for at church asked the Lord to be his Savior! What an exciting night that was for all of us!

This coming Sunday night, is our Sunday School Christmas program...it's so fun to see all of our little kids with their "christmas outfits" saying their lines and singing their songs. Our teens wrap up the night with a great skit. This year they are doing "A Christmas Gathering."

Family night is always a fun night at church...that will be on the 17th. We have families or individuals that do special music, readings, skits, or whatever they come up with, and then a devotional by our youth pastor.

Just couldn't resist...

This 10-week picture of Brock just came through our email from Rebekah! He's getting more expressive and cute everyday! It's just 20 days until we see him......can't wait!

Countdown!!!!.

The Happy Engaged Couple......
Just 116 days to go until the March 24th wedding! The countdown has started!

Thanksgiving in Gerogia with the Godfrey's

Ben, Rebekah and Brock spent Thanksgiving Day with friends in Augusta, Georgia. What wonderful friends they have to include them in their family Thanksgiving when they can't make the journey home! This was Brock's FIRST Thanksgiving...and how thankful we are to the Lord for this precious gift he has given our family!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.......

One of the traditions in the Lanning family is cutting down our Christmas tree on Thanksgiving evening. We go to the Cochrane Tree Farm and pick a beautiful Fraiser Fur tree, bring it home and decorate it. The aroma of a fresh cut tree is beautiful! This was the first time Candice has been to a tree farm and cut a tree! How fun to have both Daniel and Candice here to help put it up!

Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving Day at the Lanning home was a wonderful day! Daniel and Candice were able to be here with us, along with several of our wonderful friends from church. We were all "stuffed" from the turkey dinner, but what a precious time of "sharing our blessings" we had with each other!

A NEW Daughter.....

Friday afternoon, Daniel made a "surprise" trip to North Carolina and proposed to Candice! They are now officially engaged!!!!!! A gorgeous diamond is on her left hand! We are so exctied for them, and praise the Lord for bringing such a wonderful girl into the life of Daniel. For 25 years we have prayed for Daniel and the girl he would one day marry, and the Lord has answered those prayers with a beautiful southern belle, who truly loves and serves the Lord, and loves Daniel with all her heart. They are the perfect compliment for each other. We are so thrilled to have another daughter - our family has grown to 4 boys, 4 girls (and one grandbaby!!!!). All the details will be coming.....just stayed tuned!

Tis the Deer Season....

November 15th is a holiday here in northern Michigan.....opening day for rifle deer hunting season. Schools are closed, and it's the one day our woods are FILLED with "orange"!

Jason and Elizabeth are coming up tonight so that Jason can go out hunting with Bob on Saturday. They hunt on the Abrahamson's land, a family from church.

Happy Hunting! The next blog may have a story of the hunt! :)

Eight weeks already!

Brock is 8 weeks today! He is growing so quickly, and changing so fast! Here are a few more pictures of our new grandson! He is always smiling as he sleeps.....and since this "Nanny" can't see him often, we love getting pictures....

Winter Wonderland

We're in the midst of a beautiful "winter wonderland" here in northern Michigan. Last night we started with rain, which turned to snow, and before we knew it, we had 4" on the ground in a short time! At 10pm, as we were talking to Elizabeth on the phone, our lights flickered 4 times, and then went out. We found our flashlights, got extra blankets, and went to sleep after praying that our power would be restored SOON! Praise the Lord, an hour later the lights came back on! Of course, we had forgotten we had some on when they went out, and our house "lit up" - but what a welcome sight that was! This morning, we heard that a lot of Manton was still without power, so we are so thankful that ours got on so quickly.















For those of you living in the "warmer" climates.....these pictures are for you!
Looking at this beautiful fresh snow, I am reminded that our sins are washed "whiter than snow"... what a wonderful Savior we have!

Take me out to the ball game.....

Just wanted to share a few more pictures of our Brock ....



















Our "little Slugger!"
















Brock at 6 1/2 weeks

"Dear Camp Retreat"

Friday night and Saturday we had a wonderful group of ladies (about 90) come to our annual
Dear Camp Retreat at the Great Wolf Lodge. What a great time we had! Two of my friends, Sharon and Deb came from the Grand Rapids area to share in this weekend, along with Beckie who is right here in Manton!

We had a group called "Women of the Bible" that told the stories of 7 Bible women in drama. They were fantastic!

Friday night, we had a great priase time followed by "bait pile" (snacks) that we all brought! What a huge array of food! Of course, we all stayed up way too late, talking and eating!

Saturday, we had a hilarious "fashion show" and also one that was from "Kohls" to show us the newest winter clothing. Our "heart spa" workshops included "healing hands"- (scrubs, creams, waxing), we made decorated flip flops, and then did a "pampering pedicure" - we had 50 "tubs" for soaking feet! We also "wrapped our worries away" when we made "neck wraps"- when you put them in the microwave, they feel so great around your neck! With each of these workshops, we had a spiritual application using the "woman at the well" in John 4 as a basis for our devotions. It is the prayer of the committee that the ladies that came were refreshed spiritually and physically and socially! I know I was!

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......

Halloween really wore this little punkin' out!
Brock is now 6 weeks old!

Great Wolf Lodge...

This Friday, a group of 90 ladies from church will be arriving at the Great Wolf Lodge Resort in Traverse City for our annual "Dear Camp" retreat. What a fun place to have a retreat!

The Great Wolf Lodge is a first-class, full-service, year-round family destination resort designed to capture the atmosphere and adventure of the northwoods. Serving as Michigan's Year-Round Family Resort™, Great Wolf Lodge provides a comprehensive package of destination lodging amenities, including 281 family-sized suites; a 51,000 square-foot indoor entertainment area, featuring a grand scale waterpark; arcade with ticket redemption; children's craft and activity room; Aveda® Concept Spa; fitness room; two northwoods-themed restaurants; confectionery café; state-of-the-art meeting space; spacious outdoor pool; gift emporium and a performing Great Clock Tower. And we get to use all of these things!!! FUN! FUN!

Friday night, we will have a "fun night" using the waterpark, having a praise time, sharing "goodies" late at night we all are bringing, and just relaxing with each other. Hopefully, we'll get a little sleep!

Saturday, is a full day! Our main devotional is a group of ladies called "Women of the Bible." These ladies dress up as different women of the Bible and tell their stories through drama. We also have 4 workshops, crafts, seminars, fun fashion show, praise time, and of course, lots of fellowship.

Next blog will have pictures from our great time together. So stay tuned!! It's the prayer of our committee that the Lord will make this a wonderful spiritual growth weekend for everyone, as well as getting to know one another better.