Thanksgiving with our children and grandson

This week we were privileged to have all of our children home for Thanksgiving. Randy, Joy, Quil, Tim, and Brenda arrived on Monday morning after driving all night from Missouri. We enjoyed having the whole week together. We read lots of books to Quil. Here is Grandpa Rowen reading a book to him.

We loved having time to get better acquainted with Quil. In the background of this picture, you can see the new doily that my mother made for me for Christmas.

Lincoln was here being babysat Monday and Tuesday afternoons and Lincoln and Quil got to play together. Lincoln is almost 4 months older than Quil. We were hoping Lincoln would teach Quil how to talk, but it didn't happen.

Brenda and I were making cider to drink while we played games.

The guys played Anti-Monopoly for parts of two days. The girls played faster-paced and shorter-lived games, but the guys did not take pictures of us.

This picture was taken on Thanksgiving day at the noon meal. This is the north end of the table.

Here are the folks on the south end of the table.

Every lunch time meal, Quil got really sleepy before we were through eating! I suppose it was because of the time zone change; it was really his nap time!

Jason and Quil playing in the basement

We took several walks to try to combat all the food we ate this week! We no longer have a baby stroller, so we took turns walking with Quil, or holding him as we walked.

He likes being on someone's shoulders. In this case, it was his daddy, Randy's shoulders.

We are quite a group! We were thankful for several beautiful days. This happened to be a gorgeous warm day.


This was a colder day when Grandpa was off work and got to go on the daily walk.

This was breakfast on Thanksgiving. Quil was having some Grandma "lap time."

Quil likes to wear overalls because they have pockets.

We opened Christmas presents while we had everybody here. Tim is displaying a wall hanging I made for him, my first attempt at calligraphy!

Beth made Randy a wall hanging cross stitching "A Careful Man I Want to Be, A Little Fellow Follows Me." I made one for Rowen when Randy was a little boy and it seemed only appropriate to make one for Randy and his little boy! Beth did a beautiful job and Rowen helped with framing.

Brenda made Emily a new robe for Christmas!

Our Missourian relatives left on Friday evening at 7:50 pm and were home safely 12 hours later this morning! We thank the Lord for the good times we had together and for the safe travel He gave them through slick roads and snow going home. We have many more pictures, but maybe these are enough.

Revival at Wesleyan Bible Church in Lakewood

Hi, Beth here!
We really enjoyed attending three services of the Wesleyan Bible Church in Lakewood, CO this past weekend. We went Friday night, and of course the dear people of the church wanted us to come back for Sunday.. so we did.. and we're glad we did. After the morning service we participated in a potluck at the Esparzas' home with the Esparzas, the Battons, the Kearneys, and Knox Bullock, who was the evangelist. The food was good, the fellowship was good, and we appreciate the Esparzas opening their home for that meal.

Pictures at the Esparzas:

Rev. Knox Bullock, Beth and Rev. Dan Batton (Beth is Knox's sister)


Cindy and Steve Kearney and Daddy and Mother


Jeff, Jason, and Emily


The Esparza family L-R: Alex, Heather, Jerry, and Jenae
(their older son Brandon is at college)


The Batton family L-R: Dan, Jill, and Beth


The Kearneys invited us to come to their house and stay for the afternoon so that we could be in the evening service. Everyone but Mother (she didn't have on her walking shoes) went on a ~2 mile walk with the Kearneys. It was a beautiful day for a walk. Then we visited for the rest of the afternoon and went to service that evening. It was truly a delightful day.

November non newsy news

This is the brand new fishing dock at the west end of Johnstown Reservoir. There is a walking path all around the lake where we often walk. This picture was taken on our Sunday afternoon, pre-nap walk, November 2.

On Election Day, Jeffrey and Janet were election judges at the Johnstown Vote Center. In our county, you can vote at any one of 34 vote centers. So we had voters from around the county, not just Johnstonians in our vote center. At our vote center, McCain/Palin won, and all the Republicans also won. Also, now the statistics have been published for our town's votes, and the Republicans won every race quite handily. Sorry it didn't carry over to the rest of our county, state, etc.

In our vote center, we had 1053 voters use the electronic voting machines, and 75 used paper ballots voting provisionally. We also had lots of other people come in, who we directed to go to Larimer County to vote (as that was where they were registered to vote), or to go to one of two places where they could emergency register (change their registration from another county from which they had moved) and vote.

When we opened the polls at 7 am, we had a long line waiting. It was 11:30 am before the line was no longer stretching outside the building. In the afternoon, we kept steadily busy but only for a short time did we have another long line. In Weld County, 70% of voters had either voted mail-in or early voting, so it made Election Day much for bearable for all the vote centers.

We had no problems throughout the day with voting machines or computers or people! Thank the Lord!

Other than the election, and school, school, school, we haven't been having too much excitement. We did have Mike Durkee visiting last weekend, but we didn't "shoot" him. We were thankful we kept him late enough playing "The Ungame" Sunday evening, that he missed the multi car accident on I-25 on his way home.

We got a dusting of snow this morning: our first for the season! This is our deck on the south of the house. It always gets more snow than the front yard.

We are doing various projects getting ready for Randy, Joy, Quil, Tim, and Brenda coming for Thanksgiving week. We are trying to get all the presents ready so we can celebrate Christmas with them at the same time.

Tim is 21 now!

Yesterday, our second born son, Tim, got to be a real adult! He is now 21. He is married and lives in Joplin, MO with his wonderful wife, Brenda. He and his big brother, Randy, work together every day as they did for years when they were still home, only now they paint houses for a living, rather than mow lawns.

Tim is a blessing to all of us. He is fun to be with and is so smart about thinking things through and problem solving. He is serious about his relationship with the Lord and being a godly leader for his wife.

I remember when he was born. He aspirated some fluid into his lungs during the birth and within a half hour or so was taken from us by a concerned nurse who tried to keep us from knowing her concern. When I was taken up to my room a little later, a portable x-ray machine was being rushed down the hall to the nursery. I said to Rowen, "Some little baby is sick and having to have an x-ray." We found out later it was our baby.

He was on oxygen and we were not allowed to hold him or hardly be with him for about 24 hours. During that time, we gave him completely to the Lord, knowing He knew what was best. I remember the peace that came from surrender to God and I sang in the hospital room shower, 'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus'.

God helped "Timmy" to get well very soon and we were home in a couple of days. We have always been thankful for the gift he has been to our family.

Even today to think of that song or to sing it brings back the gift of peace and love that God gave me that day. It was such a blessing that at Tim's high school graduation, 'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus' was the congregational song at the start of the service. How appropriate it was, though the ones who planned the service did not know the significance to our family!

We miss having Tim in our home, but we are happy he is following God's will for his life. We raised him to send him out to serve the Lord and have his own family. We are so happy that he is diligent in his work, and his efforts for God's kingdom in children's ministry.

Other pictures from our trip to Joplin

You have been looking for more pictures from our Joplin trip besides the anniversary ones, right? Well, here you go!

Here is the start of the job we thought Rowen would complete while we were there, but the time in Branson did not leave time for any more working. He got the shower tile grouted, but not the floor. This is going to be the master bathroom in Randy and Joy's house.

Tim and Jeffrey helping clean the tiles.

Grandpa Rowen holding Quil shortly after he woke up in the morning. Quil still looks sleepy.

Quil playing ball!

Aunt Emily loving her time with Quil.

Aunt Beth reading to Quil. He does love books!

Janet modeling the apron Rowen bought her in Branson. It is made from a pillow sham!

Rowen reading to Quil while people were finishing getting ready for church.

My parents, Rex and Wanda Scoles, in the back of the Joplin church.

Tim and Brenda wore matching colors on Sunday.

Randy and Joy, David (Joy's brother) and Jeffrey relaxing at my parents' house after Sunday dinner. David lives with Randy and Joy and works for ABE Painting (Randy and Tim).

No Matter Who Wins...

Top 10 Predictions no Matter Who Wins
The Presidential Election:


1. The Bible will still have all the answers.
2. Prayer will still work.
3. The Holy Spirit will still move.
4. God will still inhabit the praises of His people.
5. There will still be God-anointed preaching.
6. There will still be singing of praise to God.
7. God will still pour out blessings upon His people.
8. There will still be room at the Cross.
9. Jesus will still love you.
10. Jesus will still save the lost.


Isn’t it great to know Who is still in control?