Friends Day

Yesterday was a day for friends.

 Becca and I met for coffee at Norms, the place to be in town.

I have known Becca and her family since she was six years old.  Her older sisters were our children's babysitters, and when she was old enough, she also babysat our kids.  Our kids' favorite sitter because she would bring a bag full of goodies!  And our Mindy was a flower girl in Becca's wedding.

More recently, Becca has been our Children's Ministry Director at our church and I was the Nursery Director.  Now, we are both "ex-directors".  Becca and her husband are taking on a new position at Ponca Bible Camp, a real answer to all our prayers for their family.  I am so excited for them!

After saying our good-byes (they move away this weekend!), I ran to Wichita for some shopping and time with more friends! 

I picked up Debbie.  Debbie had an accident on a bike and has to be in a sling for a few weeks.  She can't drive so she hung out with me - to a restaurant and several stores.

 
We went back to her house - I never knew that you can get virtual games for your cat! 

Then I went on to the airport to welcome a friend home from Peru with her 2 new children!  There were several others there to greet them also.

 Part of the new family (minus 2 older girls) - finally all together!

The day was not over.  In the evening I had a meeting with all my older friends to plan this coming year's Mom 2 Mom ministry we have at church.

A blessed day with special friends!

Mindy's birthday

We celebrated Mindy's birthday on Sunday. 

Little did we know 28 years ago on August 12, that our daughter was being born far across the ocean.  We were at a parade in Pretty Prairie, celebrating the town's birthday.  We visited Al's Grandma B. in the nursing home there before the parade and I recall telling her that we would soon have a new baby coming.  We didn't know when she would be coming.  We orginally had been told we would have a baby girl by April, but here it was August, and no word yet.  It wasn't until September that we had word of our precious daughter.  This was the first picture we received of Mindy when she was 10 days old.  Soooo adorable!!

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On Sunday, Mindy came in the afternoon.  She and I went to visit my Dad since he would not be able to leave the home to come to her party.

 

While we were there, Al had investment club with these guys at our house.

When we came back home, they were done with their meeting.  Soon after we got back, Jill's family came and Grandma too. 

We have a tradition at our house.  The birthday person gets to choose the menu.  Mindy wanted grilled fish.  We also did chicken and brats for those who don't like fish.  She loves my potatoe salad and she also wanted strawberry pie for her "cake".

Claire with her Aunt Mindy

Hannah and Sophie had to help blow out the candles!

We decided to send Mindy on a scavenger hunt to find her gifts.  The first clue, which was in her birthday card, sent her to our bedroom.  There was another clue hidden under her Dad's pillow.

This clue sent her downstairs.

She found a clue taped to the treadmill.  This clue sent her back upstairs....

...to the pantry.

Back downstairs to the play room.

                          

Then a clue to the furnace room to find....

furniture for her deck.

                  

The last clue sent her to the baby room closet where she found a bird feeder with bird food.              

Happy Birthday, dearest Mindy!!

May God give you a blessed year!

Celebrations

This past weekend, we celebrated "Aunt" Vi's 90th birthday.

She isn't my blood relative, but Aunt Vi and Uncle Ferd were missionaries in Japan with my parents from the 1950's until retirement.  All the missionary kids called the other missionaries "uncle" and "aunt".   Uncle Ferd passed away several years ago and Aunt Vi remarried Stan Voth.  Stan grew up in China, but during the communist invasion, their family had to flee. 

Later on his parents came to Japan and helped to build 3 of the missionary homes, including our house.

Aunt Vi's children came to help with the celebrations.  Jim (we always called him Jimmy and it is hard for me not to do so) flew in from Tokyo and played the piano and fiddle. 

 John (or Johnny) came from Calgary and Anne Marie drove from New Jersey.

"Aunt" Belva came over from her duplex.  She also was a fellow missionary and my dorm parent when I went to Miyazaki Christian School dormitory in the 1st grade.

We also had to celebrate my parents' 63rd anniversary!!

This is a picture of the missionaries in their early years.

Aunt Vi and Uncle Ferd are the 2nd couple on the right side.  She is holding Jimmy.  Johnny and Anne Marie on the children sitting furtherst to the right on the ground.  Aunt Belva and Uncle Verney (who has passed away) are next to Aunt Vi and Uncle Ferds.  Mom and Dad are in the middle row and Mom is holding me.  Brothers Doug and Dave are in front of them.

 The Ediger family

Here are the MK's (missionary kids) in front of our one-room schoolhouse.  Anne Marie in the front row, the 2nd girl and my brother Doug is looking at her.  Johnny is in the middle row by my brother Dave, who is

wearing a ball cap.  

Johnny and Dave were in the same class, Anne Marie and Doug were in the same grade and Jimmy and I were in the same grade.  However, the year I went to 1st grade, the Edigers moved to Tokyo, so really, Jimmy and I didn't become classmates until I went to highschool in Tokyo.  We were in the 9th and 10th grade together; then our family came to the States.

This is a photo taken of 3 chunky missionary kids - Lawrence, Anne Marie and my brother, Doug.  This photo was entered in a contest and won a prize. 

What a fun day celebrating a birthday, an anniversary, and a reunion of "family"!

Arkansas trip, part 4



Kansas has been so dry - at least where we are.  My flowers are not making it too well.  I was amazed at the NW Arkansas floral beauty.  They have had more rain than we have.

It was time to go back to Kansas.  I was wondering how my flowers were doing back home. 

We said goodbye to our Arkansas sweethearts...

 our silly sweethearts.

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We decided to take turnpike through Tulsa.  We had encountered lots of construction on 400, BUT there was lots of  it going back on this road too.

And it was HOT in Oklahoma!  Luckily we have air-conditioning in our car!

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We had our plants watered while we were gone.  (Thank you guys!!!!)

Some were looking fine....

 but some were pretty sad,

 and a couple bit the dust.

It made me think of Psalm 143:6
           "my soul thirsts for you like a parched land."

Daily we must go to the Living Water and drink.    Jesus said "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." (John 7:37,38)  If you ever feel parched - dry spiritually - go to Jesus and drink freely of His Word.  You will be refreshed, renewed and then you will look more like the Arkansas flowers than the Kansas flowers of this summer!!