Johnstown Historical Society Tea Party, May 14

Pat Kiovsky, a new Johnstonian and JHS member, put together a fun Mother-Daughter Tea at the Parish House on May 14. There were 40 guests for tea, and a wonderful speaker, Cindy Webb, talked about "Our Love of Hats." She makes and restores hats and inspires people to wear hats! It was very interesting and everybody had a good time.

Here are some of the yummy things we got to eat!

The lovely place settings and one of many beautiful tea pots used.

Here are the servers who did such a fabulous job! Linda Kirchner, Pat Kiovsky, and Beth Albertson

Pat Kiovsky and Chris Jennison

Emily Albertson and Linda Kirchner

These guests arrived so appropriately attired for the occasion that I had to snap their picture!

Here are some of the guests, most of whom were new to the Parish House, and we hope will be interested in JHS membership!


Cindy gave away this doll to a little girl who guessed her age correctly!

During her talk, Cindy explained the construction of various hats, and modeled them. Some of the hats, she put on the guests' heads--including Emily, who had a great time! After the tea was over, anyone could try on a hat.



The following pictures are not of hats, but of "fascinators" which clip on to one's hair for decoration, or can be added on to a hat.

Graduation party May 13

We planned a very simple reception for Beth and Jason since graduation came so soon after Janet's surgery (April 28). They were both content to have brownies and ice cream to serve our guests. Sixty-nine friends came to help us celebrate! Emily was in charge of keeping all the children happy--outside part of the time, so we don't have pictures of everybody who came, since Emily is our main photographer! Rowen and Jeffrey served everybody, so they weren't manning the cameras. Beth and Jason greeted everyone. I tried to get everybody to sign the guest sheet and visited.
Piles of brownies!

Table with pictures of Beth and Jason, place to sign in and put cards or gifts

Jason and Beth calmed their nerves by playing the piano together before the guests arrived.

Jeffrey serving ice cream.

Beth welcoming Jerry and Heather Esparza, Alex and Jenae

Beth greeting Hannah Campbell, Dr. Matt Brown

Some of the Mendez family

Sherolyn and Eladio Cruz

Jonathan Lucas visiting with Paul and Renee Metien

Tonya Sickler and Anna Lucas visiting. The computer was showing a slide show of pictures of Beth and Jason's lives.

Janet, Marlene Reynolds, and Regina Yancey visiting.

Ben and Marlene, Kassie and Titus--they used to be featured in our blogs about Sunday School at Federal Heights, but they live in Yoder, CO now, and we haven't seen them for so long!! So glad they were willing to drive 3 hours to celebrate with us!

Many kids and Steve Cunningham playing in the back yard.

The trampoline was kept busy.

I think this was Tag.

We were so thankful for beautiful weather after two days of constant rain!
Christy and Manoj Manohoran, Kelly Kaus, Kassie and Titus

So glad Bob and Catherine Desmond were able to come!

The Yancey boys and Alex Esparza played Jason's guitar...

Lincoln and Titus watched the slide show.

Rowen, Pastor Mike Yancey, Jeffrey, Dr. Matt Brown, Ben Reynolds, and Jonathan Lucas

Stacy McVey, Steve Cunningham, Jason, and some Lucas children playing Foosball.

Marlene Reynolds, Regina Yancey, Sherolyn Cruz, Beth, Jerry Esparza, and Pastor Mike Yancey

All of the J-M Homeschoolers and the Johnstown neighbors did not get photographed. That's what happens when Emily is in charge of all the kids--no one takes the pictures!
It was a fun evening, and we felt honored by each one's presence.

Graduation 2011

Our family has been associated with CHESS (Colorado Heritage Education School System) for nearly all of our home schooling years as our home school umbrella school. CHESS provides enrichment classes, achievement testing, support, and graduation ceremonies. This is the third time we have had students graduating in the CHESS Pageant of Wisdom ceremony. (Tim graduated up at Faith Bible School because Randy was graduating [college] there at the same time.)
This year we graduated two from high school at once. Beth graduated after 13 years of school, and Jason crammed his 13 grades into 11 years! Ever since he did Kindergarten and First Grade the same year, he has been ahead one year. Then as time went on, he was able to finish classes and do extra ones in the last four years. So he is done with all high school classes before he turns 16! But he is not finished with learning with Mother and Daddy, since he will have to have driver training at some point! He will be working at ACE Hardware saving money for college until he gets a little older.
Beth is going to stay home this next year and get a crash course in homemaking and nursing while Mother has chemotherapy.
We are proud of both of them applying themselves and being diligent about school and in our home and in ministry of various kinds.
Here are a few more pictures from the graduation evening, May 12.
The commencement speakers: David McCasland and Senator Scott Renfroe

Jason and Beth coming in the procession at the beginning of the service

Beth and Jason waiting to receive their diplomas.

Jason receiving his diploma from Mr. James Clifford
The picture of Beth receiving hers was too blurry to publish

The recessional

CHESS Graduating Class of 2011

The graduating class and the honor flag girls

Proud parents with the graduates

Emily and Beth


Jason and Lincoln Brown

Dr. Cara Brown, Lincoln, Faith, Hope, and Beth
Beth babysits for the Browns so they are like family to us!

Beth and Jason Graduated from High School

Entire Johnstown Albertson Family on Graduation Night


On Thursday, May 12, 2011 our daughter Beth and son Jason graduated from their high school studies. On Friday, May 13 we hosted a graduation reception for them at our home, and 69 friends and family members celebrated with us. We put together this slide show of Beth's and Jason's growing-up years. We hope you can take some time to reminisce with us as you view these pictures. Click on the title of this post to view slide show...

15 days post surgery report

Hi Everybody,
I am so very happy to announce that I am free of drains and stitches!!! The pulling of the drains was very painful, but I am so glad they are out. I had no idea that just inside my skin, each drain had a Y with 2 long drains that had been completely around the implant top and bottom. Rowen says they were 10 inches long, but he does tend to exaggerate a tiny bit, so maybe they were really eight inches? I am so relieved to be done with them! I have to keep on taking it really easy for at least 2 more weeks, then I can begin doing more strenuous things.

I get to have a shower today! Since I haven't had a real one for over 2 weeks, I am very excited about that too! I also get to quit taking the antibiotic from which I have been developing red spots all over my arms, legs, and tummy for the last three days. I no longer have to sleep on the incline pillow. I can sleep how I want to, except not on my tummy.

While we were out and about, we went to the oncologist's office so we would know where to go next week. Since we were there, we got to get all the paperwork done. I will see the oncologist on May 19. Her name is Dr. Ann Stroh. Please pray that the Lord will give her wisdom for exactly the best course of action for my particular case.

I cannot express how grateful I am to be prayed for by so many dear people! God has been good and faithful to me and our family and we know He will continue His goodness and faithfulness into our unknown future. That's Who He is!

One week after surgery update on Janet

Hi Everybody,
I went to the general surgeon for a visit today. He thinks I am healing fine. The plastic surgeon yesterday thought so also, but the drains have to stay in because there is still too much work that they are doing and they can't leave yet! Anyway, the main thing today was finding out about the pathology report.
The two sentinal lymph nodes taken in surgery were positive for cancer. The other 9 axillary lymph nodes that were taken did not show cancer.
The tumor (infiltrating ductal carcinoma) in the right breast measured 1.7 cm. (larger than the ultrasound showed, smaller than the MRI indicated)
The cancer is grade 1, stage 2A.
There was no cancer found in the left breast.
The oncologist, Dr. Ann Stroh, is being sent all my records. I asked for an appointment after May 17. I am supposed to get the drains out on May 9, stitches out on May 17. Our kids' graduation is May 12, party May 13. I would rather wait until these things are over before seeing the oncologist.
I am very grateful that the cancer was not found in more of the lymph nodes. Even though I still have to have chemo, I feel it is an earlier, safer catch than if it had already gone in the other nodes.
I am able to comb my hair, be up and around, even though I am supposed to take it easy, not lift anything over 5 #. Because of the lack of lymph nodes now to drain my right arm, I need to not overdo, or I could get into lymphedema.
Most of my pain is not intense, but just the frustrating, nagging, aggravating sort of discomfort. I am not having the swelling now that I was before today, so overall I am more comfortable. I have some numbness that could last 18 months or longer in my right armpit and arm. I am enjoying having several naps a day and my family doing "my" work for me. We have been blessed with meals and cookies from friends, family, and homeschoolers.
Please pray that the drains will complete their tasks and I can be free of them soon. They are frustrating. I guess their task is to encourage healing inside without fluid buildup. Outside the healing looks good, so I want it to heal inside too.
My left calf has been hurting for 3 days now, like a charley horse in my calf. Yesterday I had an ultrasound to rule out a deep vein thrombosis. The test was negative, so I don't know why my calf is hurting.
I appreciate all the prayers that have been prayed for me. I know I would not be doing so well without the touch that the Lord has given me. He has been holding us, keeping anything from crushing us emotionally or physically.
Now it is time for my nap, so I will close.

How do YOU wash your hair?!

Sometimes you have to get creative when you have hair "this long" and can't take a shower for weeks after a surgery or do the normal in-sink hair-washing method!! Here Mother's getting her hair done by laying across our counter (under cabinets - can you say teensy-weensy bit claustrophobic?), where our drainer and microwave usually sit.


And yes, we'd rather do it this way, then how it will probably be soon- no hair!

Runny Babbits

Our flower/rock mound this year...

As some of you remember, we did a post about our mound back in September 2009. This is what the mound looked like last week, before we cut down the flowers--bad weather was forecasted and we didn't want them to go to waste. (We didn't end up getting bad weather, but it was nice to have the flowers in our living-room.)

Gifts of flowers

Since coming home from the hospital, I have been blessed with gifts of flowers. Our friends, Randy and Kelly Kaus, brought these pink roses for us.

This geranium and Get Well Soon balloon were given by Jim and Pam Lutey.

These pink roses and straw flowers came from the Ransom family. Michael and Amelia Ransom teach Jason and Emily cello and violin.

Emily bought this rose herself!

We were supposed to have bad weather over the weekend with freezing lows, so Emily brought most of the daffodils and tulips inside so we could enjoy them. We did not have the weather that was predicted, but we have enjoyed having the flowers!

I appreciate all the love, care, prayers, flowers, cookies, and meals being sent by our friends and family. It is wonderful to be held close to God by others' prayers!