Hope Chests made by my daddy

Starting with his oldest grandchild, my daddy, Rex Scoles, has made a cedar lined hope chest for each of his grandchildren as they approach graduation from high school. This year he has made two for our family. When he got finished with Beth's, a neighbor friend there in Joplin happened to have a relative visiting from Loveland, CO, who was willing to bring it out to us. So here are pictures of Beth's hope chest.

It actually resides in our bedroom, as there was space in a corner, but where it is makes it hard to get a complete picture of it. You can get the idea. These are well made, uniquely-designed-for-each-grandchild, cedar chests. A lot of love, planning, and work goes into each one.

The following are pictures of Jason's chest. It was transported from Joplin to Johnstown this week, and is now reassembled and looking great, ready for Jason's collection of hopes to become realities in the future.

These pictures of Jason's chests are sent from Tim's cell phone, so may not be as nice quality when you click on them as other pictures. Each grandchild gets to choose whether he/she wants a dark or light finish. The hearts with the names on it are a new feature on the chests this year. Another feature: he stamped it with the Grandma and Grandpa picture stamps that have always been on the kids' birthday cards through the years! Sometimes we call it a treasure box instead of a hope chest because it is a treasure of love from Grandpa. Grandma makes a crocheted afghan to go on top of the chest. Beth has not received her afghan yet, so one she made is on the top of her chest.

This is a picture of Jeffrey's chest when it still had a lot of Beth's things stored in it. You can see how each chest is different. Jeffrey's whole lid is lined with cedar.

Randy and Tim also have chests built by Grandpa, but they are not here, but back in Joplin, where they were made, and where Randy and Tim live since they are married and gone from home.