Matt's thoughts on our Christmas Tree Tradition

In our previous post we answered this question from Matt ... just why do you go to Home Depot each year for your Christmas tree? After reading the post, we heard from Matt via email. With his permission, we'd like to share his thought provoking, or should I say - made me laugh so hard I fell out of my chair - response with you.

And I quote ... "Two questions. First of all who puts the angle on top first? The topper goes on last. It is the climax of the Christmas tree decorating! Second, How can you be inside looking at trees.

You need to be on top of a mountain, wind blowing, children running among the trees. Then there is the whole saw thing. You gotta get down in the mud, sap on the hands sawing back and forth, back and forth. Don, my NJ friend, you should know all of this...unless you have been drug down by too many female Glabs...Don I will save you, there is hope for next year....if you think Home Depot Christmas tree shopping is fun you have been deceived by the woman.

It also might be helpful (as your pastor) to point out the biblical/spiritual aspect of going into the mountains to find a tree. Was Jesus born in a Home Depot? Did He have heat? No, He was born in the mountains, a stable cave, the cold, the wind...We must do all we can to identify with Christ coming to earth. Just like His manger was cut from wood, we cut our tree. The symbolism is amazing isn’t it!!! We even saw some sheep and cows on our way to cut the tree! How biblical is that.

Did Mary and Joseph have a group of people, orange aprons on, ready to load their donkey and tie down their stuff? No, it was a long journey. Many, many miles. Certainly we can walk half a mile to show our appreciation for what they did so we could be blessed. What a sign of thankfulness to God that we persevere the journey like Joseph and Mary. How kind of God to allow us to identify with them this way.

Maybe I should put this in a question rather than an accusation...What do you desire from the Home Depot experience more than pleasing God? What are you craving? Perhaps we should set up another counseling session with your children so I can help them work through the trauma of their childhood Christmas tree experience. They either need to deal with this now or the singles pastors will have to care for them later in life, you choose."

While I read that, I laughed and laughed and laughed ... and then I thought, was he kidding?!?! or serious?

Then came his response, "Just in case some of you are wondering, there is NO truth in any of this!”

Well, what do you all think ... Home Depot vs. cutting down a live tree vs. an artificial tree?

O Tannenbaum
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,
You give us so much pleasure!
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,
You give us so much pleasure!
How oft at Christmas tide the sight,O green fir tree, gives us delight!
O Christmas Tree,
O Christmas Tree,
You give us so much pleasure!

Finding the Perfect Christmas Tree!

Welcome to the Glab's annual Christmas tree gathering at the local Home Depot. Our pastor Matt asked us "Why do you go to Home Depot for your tree?!" Well ... take a little trip with us through the store as we tell you our story, excellently captured on film by Kendall.

Home Depot is a local merchant, so we don't have to travel too far, just up the road to Germantown. One year we drove there in a snow storm, loaded up the tree in freezing cold weather, and stopped at the nearby Stabucks on the way home.
Shopping for our tree at Home Depot brings a smile to our face!
Christiana and Kim thought this "Charlie Brown" tree was perfect, but alas, it just wasn't tall enough.
Home Depot has the tallest trees for the most reasonable cost! And just look at all of the trees to choose from. With the help of this friendly employee, we found the perfect tree!Smiles all around and no complaining, isn't that everyones experience? As Don puts it every year, "This is the best tree we've ever had!"
Thanks for helping us carry our tree to the netting machine

Home Depot even nets the tree and gently bundles it up for the safe ride home

Ready to travel ...

Now, we won't talk about the steps that it takes to get that huge thing from the top of our SUV to the cast-iron tree stand in the family room. Yes, we sometimes need to call our wise pastor Matt for marital counseling after it nearly falls over, but not this year! All is well and the tree is ready to be decorated.

The daunting task of decorating ...
... checking to see if the lights work
The angel is on the top ... and we're ready to start the lights ...
ornaments ...... all of the ornaments are in their place ...Our tree is complete! “ Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Luke 2:14

That's our Home Depot Christmas Story ... we hope you found your perfect tree this year and maybe we'll see you next year at Home Depot! And we invite you to stop by and see our tree anytime!

Let it Snow!

It started snowing this morning ....

it's still snowing tonight!

The girls are hoping for a snow day tomorrow!
Aren't snowflakes amazing!?

This snowflake was found by Christiana and photgraphed by Kendall :)

Moving Forward

Life is busy at our house ... so much just happens in a day, a week. It's hard for me to believe it's been more than two weeks since mom went to be with the Lord... Thank you so much for all of your care, the cards you sent, your comforting words ... Thank you to my wonderful family - you are the best! Girls, you did an awesome job holding down the fort while I was gone ... Don, you're amazing! I love you guys so much ... and now, we're moving forward ...

We have a great post to share about the girl's trip to California with their dad. But before moving forward ...

We shared four verses at mom's memorial service and an excerpt from Charles Spurgeon's 'Morning and Evening.' The verses and passage all have a special meaning to us and I want to share them with you. Ecclesiastes 3:11 is a verse the Lord gave my sister Melanie that day in August when mom shared with us she had cancer. "He has had made everything beautiful in its time." How could that be? Well, five days before mom died, she woke-up from a deep sleep and spent two hours with us - we call that time "the gift." When she woke up, she was radiant - pink rosy cheeks and a gleam in her eyes, the jaundice was gone, her hands looked so young ... He had indeed made everything beautiful in its time. Psalm 62 has been dear to my heart since August ... "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge... One thing God has spoken, two things have I heard: that you, O God, are strong, and that you, O Lord, are loving. Surely you will reward each person according to what he has done." You oh Lord are my strength, my refuge. Psalm 46 and John 14 were also shared. Words of truth for our souls.We read Mr. Spurgeon's Morning and Evening each day we were together. The day before mom went to be with the Lord, we read her an excerpt from July 2nd...

"Our heart shall rejoice in Him." — Psalm 33:21
"Blessed is the fact that Christians can rejoice even in the deepest distress; although trouble may surround them, they still sing; and, like many birds, they sing best in their cages. The waves may roll over them, but their souls soon rise to the surface and see the light of God's countenance; they have a buoyancy about them which keeps their head always above the water, and helps them to sing amid the tempest, "God is with me still." To whom shall the glory be given? Oh! to Jesus — it is all by Jesus. Trouble does not necessarily bring consolation with it to the believer, but the presence of the Son of God in the fiery furnace with him fills his heart with joy. He is sick and suffering, but Jesus visits him and makes his bed for him. He is dying, and the cold chilly waters of Jordan are gathering about him up to the neck, but Jesus puts His arms around him, and cries, "Fear not, beloved; to die is to be blessed; the waters of death have their fountain-head in heaven; they are not bitter, they are sweet as nectar, for they flow from the throne of God." As the departing saint wades through the stream, and the billows gather around him, and heart and flesh fail him, the same voice sounds in his ears, "Fear not; I am with thee; be not dismayed; I am thy God." As he nears the borders of the infinite unknown, and is almost afraid to enter the realm of shades, Jesus says, "Fear not, it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom." Thus strengthened and consoled, the believer is not afraid to die; nay, he is even willing to depart, for since he has seen Jesus as the morning star, he longs to gaze upon Him as the sun in his strength. Truly, the presence of Jesus is all the heaven we desire. He is at once
"The glory of our brightest days; The comfort of our nights."

And with that ... by God's amazing grace ... I Move Forward

Mom lost her battle with cancer but won her battle in life...

I love my mom. . . . My mom lost her battle with cancer, and it was a very hard battle. It was scary and painful, but she leaned on the strength of her husband, her family and on her Savior. I am so proud of my mom.

Shirley Anne Rittenhour came into this world in Sandusky, Ohio in February of 1936. She grew up in Ohio and she left many friends there when she moved to Pennsylvania after graduating from high school ... She left a very special friend there, Bob. In PA she met a very handsome, athletic, vibrant young man with beautiful blue eyes, Karl (my dad!) They were married in 1958. In 1960, mom became a mom .... and within five years she had three of us!

Mom was "the mom" - we believe June Cleaver took mom lessons from mom. Mom holds the following titles in my eyes: Expert Housekeeper, Laundress Extraordinaire, Professional Seamstress and Quilter, Camping Mom, Game Champion, Clever Craftmaker, Home decorator, Flower Arranger, Sit-Upon Maker, Candle maker, Clever Word Sayer, Bassmaster, Patient Driver Ed Mom, First Class Girl Scout Leader, Mother to many - mom to three.

Mom and Dad had 41 event filled years together - we kept them very busy, before dad passed away in 1999. A difficult time for mom and her three girls, but our Savior and the love of our family brought us through. And then, as mom turned to the Lord for strength and help, a wonderful thing happened ... Bob. Yes, the weekend mom traveled back to Ohio for her 50th High School Reunion, her special friend was there. Labor Day weekend of 2004 was the beginning of a beautiful, romantic reunion. Bob and Mom were married in May of 2005. We love you too Bob.

I could go on and on about how much I love and respect my mom .... but most of all I want to honor her for the way she battled the cancer, or as she called it, "the beast" with dignity.

I love you mom!

Mom and Dad

Mom and Bob July 2007 ...
Nanna with the girls - Summer 2007

BARBERTON -- Shirley (Rittenhour) Wilhelm Critchfield, formerly of Painted Post and Keuka Park, N.Y., passed away Friday, November 9, 2007, in her hometown of Barberton, Ohio, after a courageous battle with cancer.

Shirley was known for her beautiful smile, her varied interests, her sense of humor, and her love for her family and friends. She was born February 10, 1936 in Sandusky, Ohio.

She is survived by her mother, Corinne Rittenhour of Vermont; her husband of 2-½; years, Robert Critchfield of Barberton, Ohio; her three children, Melanie McGuire and her husband, James and their children, Emily and Kathryn of East Bloomfield, N.Y., Karla Markayze and her husband, Steven and their child, Matthew of Painted Post, N.Y., Kimberly Glab and her husband, Donald and their children, Corinne, Kendall, Kimberly and Christiana of Gaithersburg, Md.; brothers, Ronald (Patricia) Rittenhour of Ohio, James (Debbie) Rittenhour of Vermont; stepson, John Critchfield and his children, Max and Taylor; step-daughter, Sharon (Peter) Dressen, all of Ohio; several nieces and nephews and beloved friends. She was predeceased by her husband of 41 years, Karl K. Wilhelm and her father, Lloyd H. Rittenhour.

While living in Barberton, Shirley attended Johnson United Methodist Church and was active in their seniors group. While living in Painted Post, Shirley was a devoted member of Emanuel Lutheran Church, serving on the church council, Altar Guild, and the Lutheran Church Women. Shirley was a member of the Eastern Star, and for many years, was a Scout leader. While living in Penn Yan, Shirley was an active member of St. Paul Lutheran Church and the Red Hat Society.

As a wife, mother and grandmother, her unselfish devotion will forever be remembered and treasured. She was extremely proud of her children and grandchildren, and was always there to support them. Shirley enjoyed traveling, gardening, quilting, reading and spending time with her special friends.

Special thanks to the ER staff and CCU nurses at Barberton Citizens Hospital; Parkview Cancer Center and Justin T. Rogers Hospice Care Center, for their caring compassion in her final journey.

Visitation Sunday, 2 to 4 p.m. at the Campfield-Hickman-Collier Funeral Home, 566 W. Park Avenue, Barberton 44203. Funeral service will be held Wednesday, 12 Noon at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Penn Yan, N.Y., with visitation at 11 a.m. until time of service. Burial will be at Lakeview Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Justin T. Rogers Hospice Care Center, 3358 Ridgewood Road, Akron 44333.

Youth Care Group and Games

Webster Defines Memory:1 a : the power or process of reproducing or recalling what has been learned and retained especially through associative mechanisms 2 a : a particular act of recall or recollection b : an image or impression of one that is remembered

Webster Defines Game: 1 a (1) : activity engaged in for diversion or amusement 2 a : a procedure or strategy for gaining an end 3 a (1) : a physical or mental competition conducted according to rules with the participants in direct opposition to each other

Kim Defines Our Care Group Memory Game as:
:: the power or process of recalling learned information in a mental competition for diversion or amusement! The act of recalling TEN details about someone without forgetting … a hard game that can be awkward if you have no memory recall::

Many were amused at our first youth care group gathering this fall. We have the best youth care group out there and they proved to have the best memories as they met for the first time and got to know one another….

concentrating

i remember ... i remember

it's easier to remember when your eyes are closed

John won the “NO DISCO BOB” t-shirt prize, what a blessing since his favorite band is PDI Worship! =)

We're so blessed to have you all in our lives. We can't wait to see what God has in store for our group this year. We'll keep updating the care group's games and events on our blog ... stay tuned for your photo!

(Here ya go Michelle, thanks for being so patient **cough** =)

Photo Credit - Corinne