Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Albertson Family Christmas Letter 2012


God has been faithful to us in 2012.  We have tried our best to be faithful to Him. 

Rowen continues to work in the Microscopy Lab at Carestream.  He has been very busy with work from around the globe this year.  He is presently learning how to use a Scanning Electron Microscope, which is new to his lab.  He also remodeled our upstairs bathroom this summer.  His tenure as treasurer for the Johnstown Historical Society (JHS) is coming to a close the end of the year.

Janet made five quilt tops this year!  She also made three bridesmaid dresses.  Every three months, she had an oncologist appointment and blood work and always got a good report.  Now she is allowed to go six months between appointments.  Her hair came in wavy and curly, and though it is much different to deal with, it is a blessing to have!  She got to be election judge for the towns of Johnstown and Milliken elections, and also for the county for the General Election.  She also helped with membership and fundraiser committees for the JHS.  She only has one student in her homeschool.

Jeffrey, 21, has been at God’s Bible School (GBS) in Cincinnati most of the time this year.  He did spend the summer in Joplin working for his brothers at ABE Painting.  He came home for the weekend of his 21st birthday in July.  He missed Thanksgiving with the family, but will be home for Christmas.  We are very grateful that he received a full tuition scholarship for the remainder of his missions degree program.  He keeps very busy there, with studying, his work hours, and Bible studies and prayer station ministries.  Rowen, Janet, and Emily went to GBS in May for camp meeting and to take Jeffrey to Joplin for the summer.  It was great to see relatives there and get acquainted with the campus.

Beth, 19, has almost completed a year of working at Ace Hardware.  She is a cashier, works in the office, and helps with the feed department of the store.  She loves working there four days a week.  She and Jason took a trip to GBS in November since they didn’t get to go in May.  She also was an election judge for the town of Johnstown and the county for General Election.  After much prayer, Beth decided to take an opportunity to move to some friends’ house to their basement apartment here in Johnstown.  She will be providing child care two days a week for their three children, ages 5, 3, 1.5.  The apartment is very nice and Beth is settling in.  We know she will be a blessing there.  She has given up her God’s Girls’ Newsletter ministry (after doing it for 8.5 years) because she will not have time to publish it in the future.  This year, Beth did all the designing of flyers, tickets, and ads for the Johnstown Historical Society events and fundraisers.  She won’t have time for that next year, either.  She recently bought a Suzuki Esteem station wagon, which is a stick shift, so she has been learning how to drive it.

Jason, 17, has enjoyed working full time at Ace (will be two years March 1).  This fall, he and Emily have been in orchestra class at our homeschool umbrella school on Wednesdays.  In January, they will start orchestra and choir classes together.  Jason has been out of school since May 2011, but wanted the opportunity to do orchestra and choir before going away to GBS next fall.  He also completed his driver training this year and bought a minivan of his own.  In July, Beth and Jason used their vacation to go to Kansas State Holiness Association Camp in McPherson, Kansas.  They let Emily and Janet come along too, and we all enjoyed the camp services.  They drove Emily and Janet over to Joplin and left them there.

Which brings the letter to Emily:  Emily, 14.5, thoroughly enjoyed the trips she went on this year, to GBS, Joplin, McPherson, and Joplin again.  She and Janet stayed in Joplin for 3.5 weeks!  The main reason for the long visit was the birth of Jonathan Randall Albertson, born to Randy and Joy on August 2.  Emily stayed at Tim and Brenda’s house most of the time and loved getting to know Charissa better, while Janet spent most of the time at Randy and Joy’s helping out there.  They flew home, which was special since Emily never had flown before!  Emily bought a very nice camera and has been taking some incredible pictures which she makes into picture cards.  She has them for sale 10/$10.  She is working on putting samples on her photography blog:  forhisgloryandhonorphotography.blogspot.com  Emily has continued to enjoy playing her violin, and particularly loves accompanying Jason, who plays cello and piano.  She and Jason played their instruments for the JHS Tea in September and have been asked to play for the Seniors’ Luncheon next week.  She is in 9th grade this year.  This year, Emily discovered God has given her a gift for drawing.  She looks at photos of family members and draws them amazingly well. 

We have made energy efficient changes to our home this year:  solar panels and a new furnace.  The new furnace was a definite necessity, and should save a lot on our gas bills this winter.  The solar panels have made nearly all of the electricity we have used since they were turned on in June.

Our family has continued to minister to children at Federal Heights every Sunday evening.  The attendance varies quite a bit from time to time, and we have lost some of our most faithful children when their families move away.  We are trusting that the Word planted will grow in their lives.

We enjoyed having Randy and Tim’s families here for Thanksgiving and were especially blessed that no one was injured in the rollover that the girls and the grandchildren were in on their way here.   Quil and Micah are growing up so much, already homeschooling with their mommy, and Jonathan is a sweet and cooperative third son.  Charissa has learned to walk and she loves to Skype with us on the computer.

God has been so good to us.  We intend to keep trusting Him through the days ahead.  God is already there; He already knows what the future holds.  We are especially grateful for the gift of Jesus, Immanuel, God With Us. 

We are trusting that you have a Christ-filled CHRISTmas,

Rowen and Janet Albertson  
Jeffrey, Beth, Jason, and Emily

Thursday, November 29, 2012

A couple of pictures of Charissa

Charissa's one year old picture taken at JCPenney
Charissa liked this cubby hole between our couches.
She found a way through the tight spot!

Emily's gift

This is the drawing Emily did for Tim and Brenda for Christmas.  She looked at a photograph taken in August when we were in Joplin.  God has given her a real gift for drawing people.  She is learning more about drawing and shading from some of our art books.

Thanksgiving Week Part 3

Our attempt at a family picture this year.  Jeffrey is missing because he couldn't come home from Cincinnati.  This picture is taken downtown on our plaza where there are historic pictures on the wall of the Public Works building.
Our Joplin sons with their families.  Randy and Joy have Quil, Micah, and Jonathan.  Tim and Brenda have Charissa.
Jonathan
Jonathan being his sweet, happy self
Emily and Jonathan
All the girls in our outfits alike
Beth
Beth and Emily
Tim and Brenda
Emily
Rowen and Janet and the grandchildren
The Johnstown Albertsons
The kids who still live here
Jason
Randy and Joy
Randy and Joy and their three sweet boys
Rowen and Janet
Tim, Brenda, and sweet Charissa
The Survivors of the roll over.  Thank the Lord that they were all okay!  We had much to thank the Lord for this Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving Week Part 2

All of us, except the photographer, Rowen, sitting at Thanksgiving Dinner.  We tried not to over eat this year!
Just in case we did over eat, we took a walk to Sunrise Park
and played on the play equipment.
Later that evening, the Brown family came over to visit, play games, and share  leftovers together.  Quil and Lincoln have been playing together for years now, any time Quil is in Colorado.

CHESS Concert November 15

Jason and Emily were in an orchestra ensemble class at CHESS this semester.  They performed at a concert on November 15.  Now they are anxiously awaiting next semester classes beginning January 9, when they will again be in the orchestra class and also choir.
After the instrumental music the younger grades choirs sang. The theme of the evening was hymns.  There were hymn writers' stories sprinkled throughout the program.  It was very enjoyable and everybody did well.




Thanksgiving Week

This is how our Thanksgiving week started out!  Joy, Brenda, and the kids were coming out on Monday and had an accident.  The van was ruined, but the people were safe!  God had His hand over them.  Rowen and Janet went to Oakley, Kansas to get them and brought them the rest of the way.  Randy and Tim got here by Tuesday lunch time.
This looks like a doll, but it is actually Jonathan.  He is almost as well behaved as a doll.
Quil and Micah enjoyed playing with all of our cars, trucks, and Legos.  Most of the time, they had that part of the family room blocked off to keep Charissa from messing up whatever they were doing.  She likes cars and trucks too.
Jason and Jonathan
Grandma with her arms full of sweetness!
Charissa pretending to play the piano, even picking a different page to play!
Beth and Jonathan
We went ahead and opened presents since we were all together.  Jeffrey was only able to be there electronically.  We had him on the computer on the piano on Google Hangout.
Tim is holding a pencil drawing Emily made for them of herself and Charissa.  Brenda is holding a  hot pad Emily made for her.
Beth got a loaded picnic basket from Tim and Brenda.
Quil and Micah got a special art package from Brenda.  Quil wanted to draw without Charissa taking his crayons, so he made a quiet place with the Take-apart tractors he and Micah received and a box.
Micah was drawing something special in the background while I held an attentive baby that was supposed to be going to sleep!
Rowen with a gift to open.
A plaque for Jason's wall.
Micah's masterpiece
 Thanksgiving Week to be continued!

Visit from Shari and Eric Earhart and family Nov. 12, 13

This is Eric and Shari Earhart and their sweet family.  They were on vacation "in the West" and included us on the trip itinerary.  Shari is Rowen's niece.  We hadn't seen them since Mitch was a baby six years ago.  Beth, however has visited them twice in North Carolina, for 3 1/2 weeks at a time when the twins were born, and when Miles was born.  This picture was shamelessly stolen off Facebook from someone else they visited, because we never got them all in a picture at once when they were at our house.
Mitch and Mandi
The twins, Michael and Melissa
Emily supervising Hi Ho! Cherry-O
Beth with the twins as they dressed the wooden bears
Don't Wake Up Daddy!
Miles putting together shapes in circles.  He's pretty smart for almost two!
Beth reading a bedtime story to the kids
Mitch engrossed in a book
Michael with a beautiful smile
Ready to go out and play in the snow