The Rest of Our Visit With Family

At the end of the last post I planned to update in a day or so but never got around to it. We're home now and here's a brief re-cap of our time with our children and grandchildren.

Last week, our second week with them, our school-age grandchildren had winter break so we spent time going on "field trips" and trying to keep them busy so Keely could have some quiet time at home with Addison. Of course, we loved getting to spend more time with them while they were out of school. David, our grandson, was with his other grandparents, but Hannah was in town so Aubrey and Ashlyn wanted their cousin to go with them and we did, too. Our first field trip was to the American Girl store (I feel quite sure David would not have enjoyed this trip anyway!). I had been before but Pops had not and he had an eye-opening experience going to the doll store with three little girls. We had dessert and so did the dolls. Dessert was delicious and the trip was lots of fun!!



The next day we went to the aquarium. Aubrey decided to stay home so just Ashlyn and Hannah went with Pops and me. Here are a few pictures of them at the aquarium. I LOVE the aquarium.



Our last day of fun together was to go to Jumpin' Monkeys. Hannah and David were busy that day so Aubrey and Ashlyn "jumped" without their cousins. They had a great time.
Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the jumping trip but suffice it to say there was lots of running and jumping and sliding going on.

During our time at our children's house, we were able to stay with Addison while Keely got out one day and also while Todd and Keely went to dinner one night and a movie another day. How special to get to keep our fifth grandchild and spend time with her.

It was time to come home at the end of the week so we reluctantly said good-bye to all of them and left. Before leaving, we took a few new pictures of Addison (we really miss those times of holding and snuggling her and know she will change so quickly over the next few weeks). We miss them all, but we were blessed to be able to go help out and be with them. It's an added blessing that both of our sons and their families live near each other, go to church together, and, when we go, we get to be with both families. We miss all of you!!

Updates of Addison and More Grandchildren Activities

We are at Todd and Keely's house to help out with Addison and to help chauffeur Aubrey and Ashlyn to school and other events. The other grandparents have gone home now and we'll miss them. It was great for us to get to be together and share our children and grandchildren. We laughed and reminisced and laughed more---how richly blessed we are to be able to enjoy being together now and also to remember fun times when it was just the four of us.

Friday night we celebrated Todd's birthday as well as Marc's birthday. (Marc is married to Keely's sister.) It was the first time David, our grandson, had held his new cousin. He really had strong opinions about wanting a boy cousin this time but the night before she was born, he said "Little Addsion. I can't wait to see her." He had seen her, of course, but had been too busy playing with his "cousin-in-law", Kaden (Marc and Kristin's son), to stop and hold Addison. However, Friday he made the statement that he was really ready to hold Addison but he really didn't want to drop her. We really didn't want him to either and we were close by, of course. The holding didn't last long, but he has now held Addison.

Pops and Addison

Aunt Jennifer and Addison

David and Kaden looking at a Lego sticker book

Saturday was spent at the gym watching our grandchildren play Upwards basketball and our oldest granddaughter cheer for Upwards---a great program by the way.

The teams praying before the game

Aubrey's half time dance routine (back row--middle)

Sandy and Dorsey, our friends and the other grandparents (taking notes during half-time devo)

It was a fun day with a few more exciting adventures before and after the games. That'll be another post coming soon.

Happy Birthday, Todd!

How could it be possible.......................................

for our first little baby to be all grown up with three little girls of his own?It seems no time since we were eagerly anticipating his birth---where did all the years go? Happy Birthday, Todd! We love you and are so proud of you and the man you have become. Have a great day!! (Sorry about the quality of the baby picture. I had to take a picture of the picture because my scanner wouldn't work!)

Could the Ground Hog Be Wrong?

Today we drove to our Farm to feed the animals. It was a gorgeous day and it made me really ready for spring to arrive. Robins were hopping around all over the place hunting for worms. I was also able to get a good shot of one perching on a tree branch.

This next shot of a robin is down at our pond. I managed to get a few good shots but missed some excellent shots because I literally got "ant in my pants!" I decided to sit on a stump in order to get a closer picture of the robin near the water when I suddenly realized I was apparently disturbing an ant bed which was beside the stump. After jumping up and stomping my foot and taking my shoe and sock off and hopping around, I was able to get rid of the ants but that had scared the robin away. Here is a shot I managed to get before the ant escapade!

Apparently the geese don't mind the cold water because this is where we found them.


Of course, the animals were glad to see us as always because they knew we were bringing food. If you will look closely at the picture of the goats rounding the corner of the barn, you will see a dolly loaded with hay pulled by Farmer Pops. The goats were not letting him get far from them at all!

Farmer Pops below-----

I loved these pictures of one of the cats. Apparently he thought he heard a mouse in the old smokehouse so he decided to investigate. He had already eaten the food we took him but his "barn cat" instincts took over and he decided to investigate.


I can't end the post without a cow picture. I LOVE cow faces!! Here is one watching me hoping I have a handful of hay for her.

So, maybe the Ground Hog is wrong and spring is right around the corner!! I'm ready. Be sure to go over to Susan's blog to see more outdoor pictures.

Mosaic Monday

Well, what do you expect from a new grandmother? I wanted to participate in Mary's Little Red House Mosaic Monday and I couldn't resist this collage of our newest granddaughter and some of her family.

The Winds and the Waves

Matthew 8:27
The men were amazed and asked, "What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!"

Several times I've posted pictures on here of our beautiful Gulf of Mexico but I think they've all been in the spring and summer when the sun is shining brightly and people are plentiful. Yesterday we rode out to the beach, but it was cloudy and windy and the gulf presented a completely different picture. There were a few people out there but not many. Most of the people we saw were surfers trying to catch a wave while they were high. The difference in the gulf yesterday and in so many other pictures in the past is remarkable. The entire time I watched, the above scripture kept running through my mind. Our God is powerful---these pictures depict that power in a mighty way.

Baby, Buckets, and a Bizarre Few Days

In case you think I'm an indifferent grandmother who isn't excited about posting pictures of our new granddaughter Addison, I'll fill you in on a few happenings and you'll know why there haven't been any new pictures.

The family was all together last Wednesday night at church for a shower for Addison's big sisters (a big-sister shower which was so sweet----they got books to read to her, diapers, clothes to dress her up in, and toys for her) and we were all looking forward to being together at the hospital the next morning and Addison making her appearance sometime during the day or early evening. However, as the day and night wore on, it became apparent to everyone that it would still be several more hours before Addison was born. Todd and Keely encouraged us all to go home and get some sleep with the promise to call us the minute something began to happen. So we went home to grab a few hours' sleep----3 different houses. Even though I couldn't go to sleep, I was at least lying down in bed with our grandson David. He became restless and asked for water to drink. I went to the kitchen with the phone in my hand and got water. As soon as I got back into the bedroom, David suddenly got sick and threw up everywhere----all over the bed, floor, himself, and a little on me. I felt so sorry for him. He immediately grabbed us both a blanket so we could just move to the couch and finish the night! In the midst of all of this, I DID get a message but it was from our nephew who is a sophomore in college saying he would be having an emergency appendectomy that morning. He had planned on being with us over the weekend after Addison was born but that didn't happen, of course. He spent the weekend trying to recover from surgery. Since I thought I was the only one who had been exposed to the virus, I texted our son to say I thought I shouldn't go to the hospital when the other three grandparents went since I had been "contaminated" with the stomach virus. I stayed home while Richard and Sandy and Dorsey (other grandparents) went to the hospital as soon as they got "the call." However, as soon as Pops (my hubby) left for the hospital, we found out the virulent virus had just hit all three houses at the same time!!!! Addison's two sisters were at their house throwing up, too. Thankfully, an aunt was at that house and could stay with them while the other grandparents went to the hospital (she later was one of the victims). All the grandparents (except me) were there for Addi's birth while the rest of us were either home throwing up or on bucket and clean-up patrol. Needless to say, the next few hours were hectic. As soon as Addison was born at 6:15 AM after almost 22 hours of labor for Keely, the grandparents left the hospital and went home to get some sleep. As the day went on, family members began "dropping" like flies with the bug. There were only 6 of us who were unscathed (out of 16), but we were running like crazy for many reasons------cold wash cloths, throw up buckets, clean up and disinfectant trying to decontaminate everyone and everything for Addison to come home in day or so. Keely, our daughter-in-law and the new mother, even got the bug. She was still in the hospital so they were able to pump her full of meds and fluids and she was better the next day. Thankfully, everyone is much better now (including Drew, our nephew), Addison and her mom and dad are home, and we are all very thankful. I'm sorry for the nitty gritty details but that will just give you an idea of why I haven't updated my blog!

Now, enjoy a few new pictures of Addi. We think she's just adorable, of course.

Addison at her first pediatrician appointment (above)

Big Cousin Hannah holding Addison for the first time (above)

Ashlyn (big sister) holding Addison in the hospital (above)

Aubrey (big sister) feeding Addison in the hospital

Our Newest Blessing!!

Addison was born early Friday morning, January 22nd. Of course, she is beautiful to all of us, and, much more important is the fact that she is healthy and very alert. She weighed 8 lbs. 5 oz. and is 19 1/2 inches long. We are all thankful for the fact that we can be together with Keely's family as well as all of our family to celebrate this miracle. We waited together at the hospital off and on for 24 hours. Keely was a trooper and we are more than thankful for the team of nurses and the doctor God used to safely deliver Addi. I'm sure there will be more pictures to follow!!

A Convicting Scripture

1 John 3:17-18 (New International Version)

¹⁷If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? ¹⁸Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.

In light of the recent earthquake in Haiti, this scripture has really convicted me. Here I sit in my comfortable house after just driving my car to where I needed to go, and there are so many people in Haiti who are suffering and hurting in many ways. I know a little bit of how the people there might be feeling because our older son was in Jamaica on a mission trip when Hurricane Gilbert hit there. We were unable to contact him for over a week so we didn't know if he and the others in the group had been washed to sea, if they were hungry, if they were thirsty, or if they were injured? The unknown was awful. However, our story has a happy ending. The entire group was safe, and, in fact, they were able to help some of the Jamaicans with their many problems. But, from all the pictures I see of Haiti, the situation there is dire. People have no idea if their family members are dead or alive, buried under the rubble, or just what. They have no idea where they'll sleep nor how they'll eat as well as (this would be worse for me), how they'll feed their children. Disease will be rampant. So, as we all sit here in our comfortable homes with all we need, let's be mindful of the people in Haiti. It's easy to donate through Compassion International. Click on the web site and go to Haiti relief to donate. Or, you can text "Haiti" to 90999 to donate. 100% of your $10 donation goes to Red Cross for Haiti relief. Read the above scripture again and pray about it. I think you'll be convicted as well.

We Need One Another

Recently I was starting a fire in our fireplace when I was reminded of why we need each other and why it's vital to be a part of a body of believers. I had a match, some wood, some starter material, and some paper. However, if I didn't put all of those together, it would be impossible to start a significant fire in our fireplace. If I struck the match, it would soon burn out without other material. If I tried to start the wood, it wouldn't start without help from the kindling, match, paper, etc. If I just burned the paper, it would soon burn away. If I just burned the starter log without other wood logs to go with it, it wouldn't last long nor give out enough heat for a warm fire.

Yesterday I went to church for the first time since my surgery. I needed to stay home those four weeks in order to be well enough to go back to church, but I have to admit that during those weeks away from the body on Sunday mornings, I began to feel spiritually dry. You see, I think we are like those materials needed to start the fire. We need each other in order to "work properly." Even though I could study my Bible at home, I had visits from many friends from church, and I stayed connected in other ways, I NEED to be with the body of believers that meets together every Sunday morning. I believe that, like the match without the other materials, I would fizzle soon without being with the body weekly. Like the paper, I need the encouragement of fellow believers to do what I'm called to do and without that, I would "burn out" quickly. Just like the starter logs in the fireplace, if I didn't have other Christians to draw strength from, I would just quickly waste away.

The next time you build a fire or are outside at a bonfire, just pull one of the hot embers away from the fire and see what happens to it. Without the rest of the fire, it will soon fade away and go out.

So, as Christians, we need to make being together a priority in our lives if at all possible, because, without the body, it's impossible to grow and mature spiritually. We need the "fuel" that we get from each person there as we worship and serve our Lord together.

Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another.......Hebrews 10:25

Is This Florida??

Having a warm house is not something I take for granted, but I have been a bit more aware and thankful this week. I can't fathom how anyone could live on the streets in this weather and this is Florida which is not nearly as cold as other parts of the country. I've been even more mindful of the homeless and the elderly this week. Council on Aging has been asking for heaters and blankets for the elderly in the area. Yesterday, my hubby told me he was going out for a few minutes. When I asked where he was going, he said he was going to get some heaters and blankets and take them to Council on Aging. I'm so thankful to have a husband who is exceedingly giving and thoughtful. From what we were told, the response for help has been excellent. It's refreshing but not surprising to know that people have acknowledged the need and answered the call.

In the meantime, I am thankful to be warm and cozy sitting by our fire at home. But, I don't want to forget that there are others out there who are not so blessed. I pray I'll never forget.

Christmas-Part 2--and Happy New Year

What a perfect week we've had! After our younger son and his family and my brother and his family were with us at our house for Christmas, we drove up to visit our older son and his family for the New Year weekend. We've had a great time which has just stretched our Christmas fun over a week now. We had Christmas with Todd, Keely, Aubrey, and Ashlyn Thursday night when we arrived.

Todd and Keely opening presents

Keely opening Addison's (due in January) presents

Ashlyn opening her presents

Aubrey opening her presents

After we opened presents, Aubrey made pancakes for all of us. Here she is wearing her new apron. She loves to cook and is good at it!!

After eating pancakes, Aubrey and her daddy decorated a gingerbread house.

The next day, New Year's Day, our younger son and his family who live near-by came over for lunch and to watch Auburn play in the Outback Bowl. (What a wild game but we'll take the W!!) It was fun to have everyone together for the day.

Watching the Auburn game together----no way to relax it was such a wild game!

Immediately following the game, the grandchildren did their "Pay it Forward" skit that they do every year at Christmas. Pops and I give them $20 each that they must spend on someone less fortunate than they are. Some send it to Compassion International and some choose to do something else with their $20.

After we finally won the game and the children did their skit, a game of Apples to Apples broke out and we continued to watch bowl games but not with quite the intensity we watched the Outback Bowl!!
It's been a perfect end to 2009 and beginning to 2010. Happy New Year to all!!