The day you become a parent for the first time (well, for every time actually, right?) will always be remembered. And it is not different when you become a grandparent. We’ve been incredibly blessed to welcome twelve grandchildren into our family, but today we are celebrating the one that started it off! The one who taught us all of the ins and outs of how to become Grams and Pops. And today this little smiling imp
turns twenty-two!
Ellie is in her last semester of college, doing her student teaching in Art Education. She’s all the things – kind, compassionate, smart and quite beautiful! She’s hard worker and a great big sister – and we love her to the moon and back!
Happy Birthday, Ellie! You’ve done a great job of leading the way!
Category Archives: SOWER Projects
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But what is Dad going to do? Part I
Any time that we would talk about life “after SOWERs”, our kids would ask – “But what is Dad going to do?” Let’s face it – SOWERs is a perfect fit for Gary. He gets to work on a variety of projects, and even if that month’s assignment isn’t his most favorite type of project, he never complains – “You can do anything for three weeks!” he’d say. And it was a perfect fit for me too! I got to meet new people, see different areas of the country, watch God working in so many different ways, and as an added bonus – I had a very small house to keep clean! We always had at least a week off each month, a free place to park, and work that was (mostly) geared to our aging bones! Win-Win-Win.
But we knew it wasn’t forever. And the kids were concerned. I think they knew I’d be able to fill my days with computer work, sewing, and reading (and napping?), but Dad’s happy place is building, fixing, and helping (and maybe a bit of napping too?). Well, I’m happy to report that our Little Lindale House has been a pretty perfect fit for both of us! On the one hand, it’s in great shape! It’s keeping me busy just trying to figure out where things are going to go inside (I think I’ve finally got the peanut butter in its forever home), and Gary is busy with some improvements on the outside!
His first project was the shed!
This was pretty much how we found my side –
and despite finding termites and all of the fun stuff that went along with that –
I’m happy to report my “Studio” is mostly outfitted and ready to go!
I haven’t moved all my sewing from Lizzie to its new spot yet – but I’m sure I’ll be tackling those UFO’s (UnFinished Objects) soon! No excuses now!
When Gary needed a break from the sewing room project, he’d work on his side – The Workshop! It also was pretty full when we moved in –
but pictures taken today show that he’s been busy channeling his organizational alter-ego!
(Now that I’m looking at His side – I’m kinda embarrassed about the general disarray on my side! All in good time, I suppose!)
Of course, that just scratches the surface of the “What’s Dad going to do?” answer. But this is long enough, so I’ll save that for Part II!
Stay warm my friends – it’s crazy cold here in Texas, so I know many of you are in a deep freeze! Thanks for stopping by!
Mondays are for memories – Finding an old hard drive
One thing about transitioning from full-time RVing into a house is you get the opportunity to sort through all of those drawers and baskets that you’ve been stashing random things in for the last 20 years. One of the items that turned up is my original back-up portable hard drive. And I found some treasures there!
This first set must’ve been the Thanksgiving of 2003. We (Gary, Josiah & I) drove the Lizzie (our new RV) to Ohio, Lara flew in from California (I think that’s where she was!) and we celebrated the holiday with Toby, Tammy and little Ellie (all of 9 months old). Some of the pictures were taken in T&T’s apartment and some in our new RV, The one of the seven of us standing in front of the blank wall was in their still-being-built home!
This set is from our last Christmas at our home in Jamison, PA – not too many pictures, and none are very good – but they are oh so sweet to me!
Oh my – the memories!
And this final picture is our family in March of 2004.
It might be the last time we were all together before we “ran away from home” August 1st of that year. I honestly can’t remember why we were all together. But I do know our family has grown in so many beautiful ways between then and now –
(And we’re missing DIL Abigail in this picture! Oh, and that’s Ellie on the end holding her little sister Everly!)
In the middle of sorting and deciding what to keep (and where to put it!) and what to donate, it was a very sweet walk down memory lane for which I am very grateful!
Have a great week, friends! Stay safe – I hear there’s lots of snow going on around the country!
T’was the weekend before…
…the weekend before Christmas when I boarded an airplane pointing north to surprise my sister for her birthday. The plan was hatched back in September when I realized (with alarm!) I wasn’t going to see her again until May. Too long, my friends. Too long. So I started checking flights and conspired with my niece to facilitate actually getting me to Joie’s house. Tickets were bought, pick-ups and deliveries were confirmed, and the plan set! Now I just needed to not spill the beans for the next three months! There were a couple of close calls during those months and we didn’t quite pull off the “jump out of the cake” type of surprise, but my precious sister was still delightfully surprised when I showed up at her birthday brunch!
And what a fun Sister Weekend we had!
Joie & Fitz recently moved from their 4 bedroom turn-of-the-century farmhouse into a lovely 2 bedroom home – all on one level! So we’ve both been going through some housing changes – major downsizing for her, and a bit of upsizing for me! It was great to see their lovely new home and marvel at how they managed to make it feel just perfect for them! (Now I need to get her here to Texas!)
But we didn’t just sit around marveling at the cute new place!
We helped out with the Christmas concert at their local Christian school,
mostly helping with the reception following the concert, but thoroughly enjoyed the young students as they gave their best for the Lord!
Yes, there were ukuleles. So fun!
Along with doing some of our favorite things – like puzzles
and watching the birds at her feeders while sitting comfortably inside,
we (Joie) also made a giant batch of caramel corn to feed to the Senior High Youth Group who were meeting at their place Sunday evening!
(I watched carefully and brought home the recipe, so you never know…)
Sunday brought a little dusting of snow – just enough to remind me how very pretty it is, but also how much I don’t need to ever drive in it again!
It was a perfectly delightful weekend, that filled my heart with sister love! We drank coffee and ate chocolate and shared our hearts. And missed Elna, of course!
We ended our time together with a meet-up with her daughter Abby (my ride to the airport) and her crew at a giant 40 ft. wooden slide-The Big Slide Mount Tabor Park At Rocky Ridge! What a fun way to end the weekend!
I convinced Joie that we really did need to give it a try and with a lot of encouragement from her grandchildren, we did just that!
Not too bad for a couple of old ladies!
If you’ve been stopping by this little corner of the internet for any time at all, you know how close we sisters are. Now that Elna is waiting for us in Heaven, Joie and I are working out this ‘new normal’ for us. We are so blessed to have each other – and this very special weekend was just a precious reminder of that very fact!
Amen.
In a real time note – it IS Christmas Eve! Pretty quiet here at our little place, but we’ll be heading to Waco in the morning to spend Christmas day with those Conrad Cowboys (and their folks!). This is the first time in 20 years we’ll be going to bed in our HOUSE on Christmas eve. So many firsts – so many blessings!
Have a great Christmas, dear friends! May the gifts and glitter of these days never outshine the beauty that is the birth of Jesus!
Sabbath Rest – Joy Has Dawned
And here we are – the final Sunday before Christmas Day! Hopefully amid all of the hurry and hustle of these next few days, you’ll find the time to reflect on this miraculous gift – Jesus. Son of God, Son of Man.
Not with fanfares from above,
Not with scenes of glory,
But a humble gift of love—
Jesus born of Mary.
Joy has dawned upon the world,
Promised from creation—
God’s salvation now unfurled,
Hope for ev’ry nation.
Not with fanfares from above,
Not with scenes of glory,
But a humble gift of love—
Jesus born of Mary.
Sounds of wonder fill the sky
With the songs of angels
As the mighty Prince of Life
Shelters in a stable.
Hands that set each star in place,
Shaped the earth in darkness,
Cling now to a mother’s breast,
Vuln’rable and helpless.
Shepherds bow before the Lamb,
Gazing at the glory;
Gifts of men from distant lands
Prophesy the story.
Gold—a King is born today,
Incense—God is with us,
Myrrh—His death will make a way,
And by His blood He’ll win us.
Son of Adam, Son of heaven,
Given as a ransom;
Reconciling God and man,
Christ, our mighty champion!
What a Savior! What a Friend!
What a glorious myst’ry!
Once a babe in Bethlehem,
Now the Lord of hist’ry.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Come to Bethlehem and see
Him whose birth the angels sing,
Come, adore on bended knee,
Christ the Lord, the newborn King.
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
Gloria, in excelsis Deo
WORDS AND MUSIC BY KEITH GETTY & STUART TOWNEND
