Marlin Zimmerman Family: 2014

Christmas with the Rowes

We had a wonderful time in Texas with the Rowe family for Christmas!

It was nice and sunny a few days and cold and rainy the rest!

We had lost of yummy food on Christmas complete with turkey, ham, green bean casserole, stuffing, corn, deviled eggs, casserole, and some yummy orange fluffy stuff my sister-in-law made! :D

...and the dessert... it was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!!! We had pecan pie, apple pie, chocolate pie, cherry pie, key lime pie, snikerdoodles, and chex muddy buddys! Oh my so yummy! Not to mention all the eggnog! I'm ashamed to say I had way too much sugar this past week!

Good fellowship and good food! It was so great to see Grady and Andrea again!!

Grandma Rowe bought all the grand kids Christmas presents!

Sweet dirty Cari! She is getting so big!

Cole with his Army camo on!

We played the white elephant game! (gift exchange) It was a lot of fun!

Little Marlin with a bow on his head lol

On our way home we swung down to the beach in Corpus Cristi! It was cold and rainy but still fun to go to the beach! We drove out onto the packed sand and threw chips out the window for the sea gulls! When we drove away from the beach we had a trail of sea gulls chasing us for more chips!

Little Marlin was intently watching the sea gulls swoop down and gather up the chips!

Happy New Years to everyone!

Zimmerman Family News

What we've been up to lately

We went to my brother, Jared's house for Thanksgiving and had a wonderful time! There is nothing like being together with family for the Holidays! Talking and laughing with everyone is the best thing!

I think I look forward to hanging out with my family the most out of everything during the holidays! Of course good food, bluegrass music, and holiday decorations make it twice as pleasant! Since October I've been listening to the bluegrass album called "Smoky Mountain Christmas Memories". I used to listen to it all the time when I was young so it brings back lots of sweet memories of cold days, hot chocolate, and dazzling Christmas lights that somehow seemed magical. I know everyone says that about Christmas lights trying to make them some mystical type of fairy tale thing, but I really did feel like they were so intriguing. I still get a thrill out of Christmas lights. I put up my Christmas tree the other day and just melted when I plugged in the lights and the tree lit up! My tree is really neat! It's tall and skinny and its decorated with pine cones, red berries and snow!

I've also been making lots of pies lately, apple pie, pumpkin pie and peach skillet. Peach skillet is Marlin's favorite and he is always asking me to make it for him! He usually eats half the pie in on sitting! Thanks to my mother-in-law for teaching me how to make a good pie! I absolutely love the way she cooks/bakes! She is amazing in the kitchen! Besides getting to see my in-laws when we go up to PA, eating Arlene's cooking is the next best thing!

Yesterday it rained on and off all day! It's been pretty wet around here! I went and got a few groceries in town before lunch so I could make some potato soup! When I got home I took the groceries inside and went back out to get Little Marlin out of his car seat! I stepped on the first wet stair as I was going off the porch and all of the sudden my legs went out from under me and I went sliding down the stairs. I was shocked at first and I think it scared me more than it hurt. Today, though it hurts a lot worse. I have several bruised scratches all up and down the right side of my body and my back aches a little bit! I'll be just fine! I'm so thankful I was not holding my dear baby! He certainly would have gotten hurt very badly or maybe worse than that... yeah I'm really glad I wasn't holding him!

Marlin is still logging these days with his buddy Moses. I think Marlin really loves logging! He's and outdoor worker kind of person! lol

Marlin is so sweet! He still helps me with the dishes! I look forward to seeing him come home every night! We've been enjoying cuddling on the couch and watching old black and white movies while the baby sleeps! That must be, with out a doubt, the best part of my day!

Sometimes I can hardly believe we have been married for a year and a half, and already have a little baby boy! Time flies by so fast, yet it seems like I've been with Marlin for ages! I'm so thankful for all the blessings that God has poured out on my family and I! I couldn't be more happy or content sitting here in my cozy little cabin knowing I have a sweet baby boy napping peacefully on the bed, a handsome husband out making money, and an amazing Savior that has provided a way for me to become the sons of God and spend eternity with him! Thank God he has paid and full the price for my sins. Someday soon he will come back and we will get to be with him for the rest of eternity!!!

Well, I hope every one that reads this is enjoying their day and having a merry and wonderful life! I sure am :)

Blessings to all!

Little Marlin is growing!

Little Marlin is getting so big! He can stand up really well if someone is holding onto him! His balance isn't quite there yet!! He's only three months old though, so I expect him to be wobbly!

He smiles all the time now and has recently started laughing! I have a few videos of him laughing but they are very poor quality! Hopefully soon I will be able to share those sweet little baby laughs with everyone!

Here are a few pictures I took of him recently for my mother-in-law!

His beanie I made for him!

Just because this picture makes me smile!

his sweet smile

sweet face

Little Marlin and Daddy

Father and Son

goofy face

He's getting good at standing up! I only let go of him to take the picture and he almost fell over!

I love his chubby cheeks

sweetness

He's definitely fat!

First Laugh

Little Marlin started laughing for the first time the other day! It was so adorable! I had him standing up on the desk in front of me and I was making funny noises at him like I always do to get him to smile! But this time he did a cute little laugh! I was so excited I did my funny noise again and he laughed some more! "Marlin he's laughing", I said! We enjoyed it only for a very short while! I don't think he's very good at laughing yet! I got him to laugh a wee little bit this morning! Sometimes when you are waiting for him to do something again it seems like he will never do it again! I'm sure he will get better at it and in a few weeks or month he'll probably be laughing so much!!
Next time he laughs I hope to record it on video so I can share it with you all! My how I love that little booger! I'm very excited about training him as he gets older and just watching him grow up! It's amazing to think he started out as small as a mustard seed inside of me and now he's getting so big and heavy that my arms get tired holding him! Someday he will be a big strong man like his daddy!
I must go now and get my chores done for today! God bless, and enjoy your day!!

makeup bags

This is my latest makeup bag!

A lot of times I go up to my sewing room to start on a new product for my shop. I've been making lots of makeup bags recently because they've started selling well!

Sometimes I get frustrated while sewing! It seems I can hardly ever get an item perfect on the first try. If something is even a little bit off to me I can't seem to feel right about leaving it. So I go back over it, rip out seems and make it perfect! This bag I made the other day had me a bit frustrated going back over different places with a seem ripper. Once I got it done though, I was very thrilled with my product! I love this bag! It has a beautiful color and a great herringbone pattern! It's truly on of my favorites. I don't know why I haven't made myself one of these bags yet!

Blessing

The other day Marlin and I were talking about being a blessing to people, well rather he was preaching a mini sermon that I much needed to hear and he encouraged me greatly! So I thought I would paraphrase what he said an share it with you!!
It may sound simple to you or it may be something you've heard a million times before, but it really blessed me to hear it and maybe it will bless you too and encourage a joyful mindset in you!

How it all got started was, we were talking about how upset I can get when things don't turn out as perfectly as I would like them to! I am a perfectionist in many ways and when I can't get them just right I get quite annoyed and upset at myself. It takes a lot of joy out of my work and sometimes makes it stressful. It is definitely something I should work on! Marlin was telling me how I should just do the best I can with the talent I have and watch others get a blessing from it! A lot of times I do things with the wrong attitude. I think things have to be just so and I can't enjoy them as much as I could if I had an attitude of blessings others. My attitude should always be to do the best I can and enjoy what I'm doing! The majority of the time people always enjoy the talent you display and when you do it with a joyful attitude it blesses them greatly! Now there might be 1 in 100 people that critique you and don't get a blessing from it because they think they can do better, an probably could, but who cares about that one person! As long as you are doing your best with a joyful attitude and cheerful countenance, blessing the majority is what counts! So go on and share the talents you have with a joyful attitude an you'll reap a great reward as you watch people being blessed through you! A great attitude starts in your heart/mind! As a man thinketh in his heart so is he! So if your mind is on unhappy things and you aren't cheerful I highly doubt you'll do much blessing!

I hope what I've shared is clear to you. My mind seems somewhat boggled right now so I don't know if I made much sense, but basically my point is to get your eyes off yourself and focus on being a blessing to people. You will be happier and enjoy what you are doing even more!

I know it's simple, but it's so very true! Have a blessed day!

The last day in CO

More pictures in the San Luis Valley!

We were sorry to leave Colorado! But are also ready to be home again!

Center pivot irrigated hay field in San Luis Valley with gorgeous snow caps to the east

Handsome guy!

The Marlins!

Antelope

Lavender

creek

aspen leaves

great sand dunes national park

Colorado- San Luis Valley

Pictures from today! (Monday)

Today it rained almost the whole day :( It was a bit disappointing but the weather started to clear up in the evening and we were able to see a lot more by then! The San Luis Valley is a really neat place surrounded with beautiful mountains! We've had a great time here and plan to have on last day before we head back home! Tomorrow the weather is supposed to be clear and sunny and we plan on going over a mountain pass to get a glimpse of the gorgeous aspen trees one last time!

here is a barn in the San Luis Valley