Catch up post

After a very wonderful Christmas with all of our kids, grandkids, and two girlfriends, we have been too busy to blog.  If you want to know what happened, check out Emily's blog.  She is faithful to give a monthly synopsis that has lots of beautiful pictures.  I cannot begin to cover everything I have missed blogging about, but I am going to attempt to hit the highlights.

On January 5, Jeffrey and Lesa got engaged.  Their wedding is set for this summer.  If you know us well, you will probably be invited. :)  I was waiting for this news with fabrics purchased, calculations made, and the place marked in the book where Jeffrey picked out his requested quilt pattern several years ago.  This first picture shows one block completed.  Yes, it is all pieced.  Even the tiny ones in the middle of the block.  When Jeffrey picked this pattern, I told him it was too hard for his mommy to do.  But he insisted that was what he wanted.  So, Jesus helped me and I made the quilt.  The blue is for Jeffrey.  The purples are for Lesa.

This shows the blocks in progress with the wonderful instructions keeping me on track.

The mountain motiff border pieces.

The quilt top done in just over two weeks!  It has since been quilted, but we don't have it back to bind yet.  Keep watching for the finished quilt picture by late April.

In deference to Lesa's family's request, I cannot put a picture of them on here, but here is a picture of the lock that they placed on a bridge in Iowa to commemorate their engagement.

After the engagement and making the quilt, Rowen's 58th birthday is the next featured highlight.  He prefers fruit pie instead of birthday cake.  We are grateful that even though he has had two frightening health issues in recent months, he is doing well and is such a blessing to all of us!

We had Randy's family and Joanna up for Rowen's birthday for the evening.

Right after Rowen's birthday, Micah turned 7.  There is a picture of Micah on this truck.  Some of it had already been cut away, but the pictures of it whole had the candle in the way of seeing the picture of him in the driver's seat.

Randy's family is moving to South Dakota later in April, so we won't be able to do all the birthdays together like we have for over two years.

On February 11, Emily and Janet went to Joplin, Missouri to wait for and help at the arrival of Tim and Brenda's baby boy.  Rowen had these roses and chocolates delivered to Janet for Valentine's Day.  We couldn't remember being away from each other any other Valentine's Day for 32 years!  They were very long lasting roses, keeping their beauty for two weeks!

Here is Brenda patiently enduring the final days of Pregnancy Project Felix!

While we waited, I finished two twin quilts' binding and afterward UPS'd them to their new home in Tennessee!

Grandma and Charissa were singing some songs one day.

Tim and Brenda got to go on a couple of dates while Grandma and Emily were there to babysit.

We blew bubbles at the park...

and swung with Aunt Emily...

Emily and Charissa had several meals with all of her furry friends...

and played Go-Fish.

Emily and I went over into Oklahoma to see my dear nursing school friend Phyllis. 

Finally, on February 19, Felix Timothy was born at home with a midwife helping!  He weighed 7#, 6 oz and had lots and lots of hair!  Because his parents both drink lots of coffee, he was born naked!  :)

The next morning, Emily and Charissa came back home from staying with Grandma and Grandpa Scoles, and Charissa was introduced to her new baby brother.

Charissa's first question was: "Why does Felix have socks on his hands?"  Good question!  Felix was born with long fingernails and we were preventing him scratching himself.

She loved him--even with socks on his hands!

Precious!

Enjoying the beautiful flowers sent by a church friend.

Grandma got to do the honors of first fingernail clipping.

Felix likes it here!

Our friend, Tonya Sickler, drove all the way over to Joplin from Independence for a couple hour visit in the park.

Felix being burped.  You can notice in this picture that Felix had caput succedaneum on the left side of his head from the pressure of being born.  This is not harmful and has resolved as Felix has grown.

Aunt Emily loves Felix.

Proud daddy snuggling Felix.

Joanna had traveled to Missouri with us for time with her brother's family.  She and they came over to visit Felix.

Alissa Johnston having some Felix time.

Alissa's kiddos and Charissa played in the leaves together.

I spent an evening at my best friend since gradeschool's house.  Cyndi and I have been friends since 3rd grade, which was a long time ago.  We always pick up where we left off the last time.

Emily took lots of amazing photos of Felix.  He was so cooperative!

Felix and his wonderful mother, Brenda

Aw, so sweet!

Felix smiled in his sleep for this picture with proud Grandma!

Felix Timothy all cozy in a box

Felix was the perfect size to fit in Charissa's doll cradle, made by Grandpa Scoles.  Having him close in the cradle at night was convenient for Grandma, as she tried to let Mommy sleep as much as possible.

Great-grandpa Scoles pronounced that Felix was a "Keeper."

Great-grandma loved him too!

Great-aunt Sherry has another little one to teach to call her Grandma Gert!  She wanted my grandchildren to call ME Grandma Gert, but so far it has backfired on her and she gets called that! :)

We enjoyed being in Missouri and helping out at this very special time in Tim and Brenda's lives, but we did eventually come home on February 27. After we got home, we decided to go through all of our homeschool supplies that have accumulated over 26 years.  We sorted what to throw away, what to give away, what to sell, and what to keep.  It was a huge job.

Elizabeth made an Excel file with all the info for the items we decided to sell.  She did get distracted in memories part of the time.

On March 11-12, Janet worked at the Home School Legal Defense Association table at the Home Instruction Ministries conference.

On Saturday morning of the HIM conference, Rowen and Emily ran our tables at the Used Book Sale.  They were able to sell and give away probably 80% of what we took to get rid of.

Tim and Brenda had their first professional pictures as a family of four taken at JC Penneys.

March 13 we were down in Colorado Springs for a missions conference, and in the afternoon, we got some senior pictures of Emily in the Garden of the Gods.

A picture of Emily and Elizabeth, our two beautiful and grown-up daughters!  We are so blessed!

We are always glad for a chance to see Uncle Alvin and Katie!

Until next time....