Girl Trip

On a "Girl Trip" to Branson MO with my mom and sisters.

This chocolate ad was in a gas station.

So far we've had
     Chocolate Puppy Chow
     Chocolate M & Ms
     Granola with chocolate chips

NOLAN. TURNS. 3

This little guy turned 3on September 25th.



Nolan really likes trains so he had a

Thomas The Tank Party

His sisters helped make
all the fun snacks
and cupcakes.


The kids all swam at
Matt and Julia's apartment
and we used the Community
Room for Nolan's birthday supper.

We had a great time celebrating.

I love it when this little guy comes RUNNING to see me at the chapel.

Makes my day !

I pray that Nolan will come to know the LORD Jesus as his Savior while he is still a young boy.

I love you Nolan ....

With all my heart !

HAPPY 3RD BIRTHDAY ELLY

On July 3rd

Elly celebrated her "Golden Birthday."

She is really into 'princesses' right now

so her mom made her a

"Princess Castle Cake."

Her day was filled with fun,

all the cousins, and the joy of getting

to eat all the frosting and cake she wanted.

Here is Elly

with her

mom, dad,

and sisters

Anna and Selah.




Elly sometimes calls me "grams",


which makes me grin from ear to ear!

My prayer for Elly is that

she will come to know the

LORD Jesus as her Savior

while she is still a young child.

That her life would be

a fruitful one for His glory.

And that she would desire to live for Him each and every day of her life.




I LOVE YOU ELLY WITH ALL MY HEART!!

Cody Turns E I G H T

On September 18th, Cody celebrated his 8th Birthday.

 Here he is with his

     WALLOPING  B I G 

                        DOUGHNUT  CAKE.

It looked sooooo cool and tasted SOOO good.
     
We enjoyed a good pizza supper together  and then

watched Cody try and blow out 

ALL THOSE CANDLES!

Cody is energetic and fun.  He loves playing soccer and hockey and most anything else.  

He's wild on the 4 Wheeler ... and can usually be found trying to think up things to make others laugh.

I pray that these verses will be true in Cody's life....

"My son, do not forget my teaching,

but let your heart keep my commandments,

for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.

Let not steadfast love and faithfulness forsake you;

bind them around your neck; write them on the tablet of your heart.

So you will find favor and good success in the sight of God and man.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.

Be not wise in your own eyes, 

fear the LORD and turn away from evil....

Honor the LORD with your wealth and with the first fruits of all your produce....."

~~ from Proverbs chapter 3

Here's Cody and me.....

I sure do love him with all my heart ! !

And here's Cody with

the 

rest

of 

the 

family!

A "GOLD" FRIEND

There is a line in a poem I like. It goes like this .....

"Make new friends, but keep the old,
Those are silver, these are gold."
I got to spend some time with one of my "Gold Friends" this week. (Read carefully .....it's GOLD not OLD!)

Here we are enjoying our time together. We were both attending the Workers and Elders Conference in Raleigh, NC.

We met years ago at Story Book Lodge Christian Camp where our children were campers together, she and I were staff workers and her husband, John, was the speaker.

Our time together has always been quite limited --
But our lives have become quite intertwined!
And I am so blest and thankful that she is my friend.

Our children grew up at the same time. Their dad's were spiritual leaders in their homes and their assemblies. They had to share their dads and we would often talk about the joy and sometimes difficulties in that. We would sit out in a paddle boat on Cedar Island Lake at Story Book and share our hearts about child training, about how to be a godly helpmate, about how to impart Biblical principals to our kids and we would talk about the kind of mates we desired for our children. We had kindred hearts about so many things ~~ but mostly ~~ we ourselves wanted to be pleasing to the LORD and we wanted our children to love and honor Him in their lives.


When our oldest son knew he would marry a girl from 'down South', named Lois, John and Bobbie had known her since she was a child.

When the Hellers' were called to plant a new assembly in Little Rock, AK, we traveled down to encourage them. We traveled back and forth to our kids' weddings.

And we are now related! Kind-of! Their daughter, Sarah, married our daughter in law, Katie's brother!!

We still talk about our kids, about how our rolls in marriage have changed, about how we 'mother' our grown children and now we talk about our

GRANDCHILDREN

and how we can influence and help our kids in their monumental task of raising Godly children.

When we showed up in Raleigh....

We even

Had

Matching

Shoes!!

A true sign of a kindred spirit .....

A " bosom friend". (As Anne of Green Gables would say.)

Thanks, Bobbie for being a Golden Friend. I love it that when we get together we can, in only seconds, pick up just where we left off. Looking forward to next time!!

ps: I love my "silver" friends too !!

Here is the poem I quoted from above.

SILVER AND GOLD
Joseph Parry

Make new friends, but keep the old;
Those are silver, these are gold.
New-made friendships, like new wine,
Age will mellow and refine.
Friendships that have stood the test-
Time and change-are surely best;
Brow may wrinkle, hair grow gray;
Friendship never knows decay.
For 'mid old friends, tried and true,
Once more we our youth renew.
But old friends, alas! may die;
New friends must their place supply.
Cherish friendship in your breast-
New is good, but old is best;
Make new friends, but keep the old;
Those are silver, these are gold.

1, 2, 3, 4. -- "I declare a SALSA WAR"

These were JoAnna's words to us all before our family get together at the lake on Labor Day.




Soon, in each kitchen, there was slicing and dicing and seasoning and tasting. (Except for some - who decided not to taste!).



Finally, the mixtures were done .... And were prepared for the

TASTE . TEST




Will it be salsa # 1 or 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 6??

All adults got one vote by secret ballot. (My personal fav was the one Lindsey made.)

Votes were tallied .......... And the WINNER was declared to be Jalon.


After all ... He has been perfecting his salsa the longest.

JoAnna presented him with his prize ... A "chips & salsa bowl".



Now we have to listen to him declare ....




That he won the "salsa war".


Maybe next we should do

chili

or brownies

or chocolate chip cookies !!

HAPPY 7th BIRTHDAY -- CHLOE

Catching up on some very special birthdays.




Chloe Kathryn - turned 7 way back on June 26th.

Chloe is cheerful, much of the time! She can be found practicing piano, riding her bike, climbing a tree or singing her heart out!
I love her giant size S M I L E ! !
And I love that whenever she sees me, she comes running, as fast as she can, and gives me the biggest hugs ever. Her hugs can remind me pretty quickly of the joy of the LORD and of His great blessing on my life. (I now have 14 of these precious grandkids! Each hug brings great joy and encouragement to me.)



Chloe shares my name ~~ Kathryn, which means "pure one". I pray that Chloe will always maintain a pure heart ~ before the LORD ~ and before others. That she would love the LORD God with all her heart and soul ..
and that her desire would always be to bring honor to Him.



I love you Chloe, with all my heart!