Fathers and Sons

I thought it was so funny that Josh and Eli are posing so similarly.

Like father, like son.
My prayer, Father God, to be like You.

Josh and Elijah - Oct. 09
Allen and Josh - '79

Do you see the love of the fathers for their sons?

"The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as He did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the desert. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son..." Deut. 1:30-31

"This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." 1 John 4:9-10

How deep is our Father's love for us!

Thanksgiving

This whole month Today in the Word has reflected on being thankful. I have really enjoyed reading all the Scriptures that speak on that.

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord,
continue to live in Him,
rooted and built up in Him,
strengthened in the faith as you were taught,
and overflowing with thankfulness." Col. 2:7

It isn't always easy to be thankful - when getting a flat tire (right, Mindy???) or in the face of cancer, like my dear friend Debbie. Or facing the holidays without a toddler.

But - "since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe" Hebrews 12:28

God IS good, He IS kind, He IS just. He IS in control. And He is ALWAYS present and there to help us during those hard times. I have to trust Him. This world can be a hard place to live, but we can rejoice in Him and also we look forward to the Kingdom to come that He is preparing! I just read that when we go to that heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God we will "come upon thousands and thousands of angels in joyful assembly". (Hebrews 12:22) You usually don't envision angels laughing and being joyful. But that is what it says! It will be such a wonderful place!!

In 1863, Abraham Lincoln stated: "The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come....They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God...I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States...to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens." (He declared this holiday while the civil war was going on!)

So we celebrate!

Here is my mom's famous, fabulously decorated turkey that she makes every year.


And pies! Jill made apple and I made the pecan and pumpkin.

Mom, Dad and Aunt Millie.

We had Jill and Adam's friends, the Petersons too. They are going to France as missionaries with Avant. They have 4 kids and 1 on the way! The house was brimming with happy sounds of children last night!

The kids enjoyed playing together!

Today I tear down Fall decorations. Ready for a new season. The grateful heart continues as we celebrate His greatest gift to us!! His Son, Jesus!

Emeri and Eli

I went down Tuesday to Arkansas to see my kiddos - Josh and Staci

and Emeri

and new baby Elijah!

Emeri loves to read books! So I enjoy going shopping and getting her some of the oldies - Eloise Wilkin's books, the nursery story book series by Katherine Royer, Herald Press published in 1947, Pattibooks from the '50's. The latest book I found for Emeri was a children's Christmas songbook that was published in 1948. I found it in an antique store. Josh likes to play these for Emeri on the piano and Emeri loves to sing them!

We made a bracelet and necklace for both her and for her bunny, made a crown out of construction paper and also an Indian headdress (since Thanksgiving is coming up), we colored lots of pictures, played games and had so much fun!

You can tell that Emeri loves to wear her "jammies". She says they are "comfy cozy."

I got to hold Eli a lot!!

They would bring him to my room in the wee hours of the morning so they could sleep a couple more hours.
Can you spoil a baby too much??

I wish we lived closer! I cried a lot on the way home.

"Children's children are a crown to the aged" Proverbs 17:6

Happy Birthday, Adam!!

30 candles! Adam turns 30 on November 18.

We had an early party.

Hannah wrapped her gift in a heart package.
She said all the hearts show all her love.
And the bow on top for extra love.

We love you, Adam! You love Christ so much and love to tell others about Him - how Jesus can change their lives! You are faithful, so funny, your spirit is gentle and peaceable, you are a great Daddy!! and love our daughter sooo much! You are a gifted teacher and leader. Love your sermons! Love how you lead worship!!!

Happy Birthday!

Have a fun time at the Switchfoot concert!

Teletubbies invation!

Ever watch the British children's television show, the Teletubbies? They came to visit tonight! Dipsy and Laa-Laa, I think.

House for sale!

No, not my house!

But my friend Sheryl and her husband found a house in town, so this past month I went out to help them fix up their home to sell. We cleaned, scraped off old wallpaper, painted..... It is beautiful and move-in ready!

Hannah came to entertain the kitties while we worked.

Sheryl and I used to be neighbors many years ago in Quail Creek. Then they moved out to the country and we also moved to a different neighborhood. But we still try to walk together during her lunch hour. In our younger years, we used to jog together. But our old creaky knees won't allow that anymore.

This gorgeous home is located on Eastlake Road just south of Highway 50. Beautiful scenery! Rolling hills. Becky Wheeler with Remax has it listed in case you are interested!

Gotcha Day!

It was 25 years ago that Mindy joined our family. She arrived in Kansas city very late at night. The airport was practically closed. No other planes or passengers. Only we 4 families waiting for our kids to arrive.

The first person off the plane happened to be no other than Art Linkletter who did the show "Kids Say the Darndest Things"! That was the best show!! Children can be so funny! (Like - last week Hannah told me she was nocturnal!) Incidentally, he was abandoned as an infant and raised by a preacher.

Josh and Jill were so proud to be a big brother and sister!

Our family.

Mindy is such a wonderful Aunt!

She is so good with them!

She is so compassionate and considerate.

The funny thing is, it doesn't bother her to be in surgeries and see brains and insides of people, but she can't stand to see any little animal that is injured.

Mindy has a tender heart.

She has a wonderful eye for decorating!

She is really smart and pulling A's in nursing school.

She can sit down at the piano and begin playing Classical pieces that she memorized years ago. Doesn't even need sheet music.

Love to see her laugh!

Competetive. You don't want to play the game of "Life" with her. You can't beat her.

Her school teachers would tell us that Mindy was "determined". I think they were trying to nicely say that she was strong-willed! And really, that can be a good thing sometimes too! It has helped her in life!

We love you, sweet beautiful daughter! So glad we "Gotcha!"