It has been a very busy and blessed year for the Albertson
Family! When we look back at the family
blog (www.johnstownalbertsons.blogspot.com)
we notice there are only 32 posts to this date in 2014. This is the least ever, meaning we have been
too busy to even post about our busyness!
January started off
with Beth going off to Cincinnati to join Jeffrey and Jason there. We felt there needed to be another van there along
with Jason’s, so Janet drove with Beth and flew home after getting her settled
in the dorm. All three of our collegians
enjoyed their classes, teachers, colleagues, ministries, and activities at God’s
Bible School and College. Beth and Jason
were home for the summer to work at Ace Hardware, while Jeffrey spent a month
in Israel and then worked at GBS the rest of the summer. Jeffrey plans to graduate in May 2015 with
his BA in Intercultural Studies. Jason
is in his Sophomore year, and Beth has completed her Freshman year. Next week, they will be coming home for
Christmas. Beth has decided to come home
and work for eighteen months to save money for the next three years of college,
so Janet will fly there to help drive.
(Why does she always get all the fun?) J
In January, we had two boarders: our college-age friend,
Nicodemus, and another friend, Augie.
Nicodemus completed his time with us in April, and Augie got out on his
own the end of May. We were glad we
could share our home and be a blessing to these two dear friends.
Emily has been an
only child this year. She turned Sweet
Sixteen in March and started driver training in June. Rowen declares she is his best driving
student of the six! We thank the Lord
for the safe miles she has driven since then.
She will keep her permit for a year. Besides her usual homeschool classes for 11th
grade, Emily has had the privilege of learning sign language from a dear
homeschool mom since June. We don’t know
how the Lord will use that skill in her future, but she is enjoying learning. She had a booth in Youth Vendor hall at the
Christian Home Educators Conference again this year, selling her beautiful
photo cards. (See her photography blog
at www.forhisgloryandhonorphotography.blogspot.com)
She continues to take many pictures and
blog more faithfully than her mother. (www.joyforthejourneyemily.blogspot.com)
She is a faithful friend, corresponding with at least five other girls. She kid-watched (they are getting too big to
be babysat) this summer and we had a
great time doing many fun activities together.
Janet was blessed to work for elections this year: for the
town, once, for the fire district, twice, for the county: primary election 7 days,
and general election 13 days!
We gained our fifth
grandchild in April. Jewelyn Alice was
born to Randy and Joy. We have enjoyed seeing Randy’s family every
Sunday and often other times in the week.
Quil 7, Micah, 5, and Jonathan, 2 are growing up and learning so many things
as their mother homeschools them. Joanna,
Joy’s sister, lives with them and spends time with us every other week to be in
Bright Lights Girls’ Bible Study with Emily.
Randy painted our kitchen in August.
It now has one wall that is a red shade, and the rest a cheerful
yellow. It is very nice—come and see!
We went on four trips:
Colorado Springs for a weekend missions conference in April, Cincinnati in May
for camp meeting and driving Beth home from school, and Kansas State Holiness Association Camp in July. Thanksgiving week, we first went to Iowa to meet new friends, the M family, and then to Joplin, Missouri to be
with Tim, Brenda, and Charissa, since they can’t come home for Christmas this
year. While we were there, Jeffrey, Beth, and Jason came. We also were with Janet’s parents and three
of her sisters and their families. It
was a wonderful time.
Janet has completed five quilts this year. Two of them are small, so they were pretty
fast.
Our family helped with
four major fund raisers for the Historical Society this year: tea in March, car
show in July, quilt show in October, and Christmas house tour in December.
Most people exclaim over Janet’s hair growth. We are thankful for every good checkup that
she has had. This year Rowen started seeing
an endocrinologist regularly for his diabetes.
It has meant being on a new shot three times a day and testing before
every meal, but he had an excellent A1C because of it. We are thankful for every blessing of health.
God has been faithful to us this year. We know, no matter how uncertain things may
look around us, God has promised to never leave us or forsake us. He always keeps His word and we can depend
on His faithfulness. God has a plan for
each of our lives, and it includes trusting in the salvation He provided
through Jesus dying on the cross for our sins.
Our prayer is that each of our friends find the peace and joy that Jesus
brings. Christmas is a wonderful time to
remember that’s why He came.
Merry Christmas from Rowen and Janet Albertson and family!
