Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Early February

Every other week, Randy and Joy bring Joanna up to spend a few days with us because of Bright Lights Bible Study Emily and Joanna attend every other week.  So we get to play games with the kids and have time together.  Beth and Jonathan are playing a matching colors game.
 Emily and Joanna playing Trouble with Quil and Micah
 Grandpa, Beth, and Jonathan playing Go Fish with I Spy cards
 Now they are playing Hi Ho Cherry-O.
 Jewelyn is learning how to make the train go around.
 Jewelyn ready for Night-night!
Joanna does school at our house.
 We've had nice weather a lot lately, so we have gotten some walks in.
 We have had gorgeous sunsets (and sunrises) lately.  God is so creative!
 Rowen's sister Esther visited on 2-7.
 Sometimes Grandpa falls asleep on the job...Jewelyn doesn't mind.
 Micah and Quil love for Aunt Beth to read to them.
 The girls wore their dresses alike on 2-8.
 Emily had her next to last orthodontic appointment today.  She is scheduled to have her braces removed on March 26!

Other January pictures

I'm not sure what the grandsons are doing with all their animals on the stairs--church? a crowded bus?  I thought it was cute.
 I made Rowen an apple pie for his birthday dessert.  He turned 57 on January 21.  The picture on the wall is a canvas print of one of Emily's photos that she added the scripture to and gave him for his birthday.
 Jewelyn and Grandma snuggling after the birthday supper.
 Grandpa reading to Jonathan.  He was in pajamas because it was almost time to go home and go to bed.
 On January 25, Joanna and I coordinated our colors without even knowing what the other would wear.
 We celebrated Micah's 6th birthday which was January 26.
 Both of the birthday "boys".
 Aunt Beth, Micah, and his birthday cake, which was a snow covered mountain with a plow truck trying to clear the road.
 Jonathan looking contemplative.
 Jewelyn has four teeth:  two on bottom, and two on top.  The top ones are not the middle ones.  This is the same pattern that Beth did when she was a baby.

January 2015 Visit from the Grouts

It was our great privilege to have Richard and Judy Grout overnight with us a couple of times in January, when they were coming and going from Idaho via airplane.  They set up a display in our family room and we had Bob and Catherine Desmond and Randy's family come for a missionary service.
 This Russian nesting doll set had extremely tiny dolls.  We got them all out, but put the littlest ones safely nested away before our grandchildren got here.  The pointing finger gives perspective to how tiny the littlest one was!
 Richard had a power point of Russian pictures playing on our computer while he talked about each one, then Judy talked about their orphan ministry.
 Afterwards, we moved to the living room and they sang and played a Russian song for us.
Jewelyn was attentive to the camera person.  Funny how young they learn that skill!  :)

Thursday, January 1, 2015

Just a note

When I do a bunch of blogging all at once, like I did tonight, some of them get hidden on the next page.  So be sure and click on "Older Posts" when you get to the bottom of this page.  Also, Emily did an extensive December post which I did not try to duplicate.  If you are interested click on her blog:    http://joyforthejourneyemily.blogspot.com/2014/12/december-and-christmas.html

Some pictures while our kids were together Christmas week

Picture of Grandma Albertson with little Jewelyn!
                                Jeffrey playing chess with Quil and holding Jonathan
                Jeffrey and Jonathan.  Jonathan loved having Jason and Jeffrey here!
After two different meals, we played an ungame sort of game, where we answered a question about each one of us.  The first was "So and so is in his/her element when..." and the second one was "So and so is stressed out by ...."  These questions were good for understanding each other better.
 Beth is reading answers to the questions about her.  We tried to guess who had written each statement, but mostly it was about thinking deeply about each other.
 Beth and I made pumpkin bread to give out to the neighbors for Christmas.  It was fun to visit with them when we passed them out.  There were different sizes depending on the number of people in the household.
                                We've enjoyed a lot of music this season.
Jeffrey and Jonathan
                                Jason reading to Quil and Micah
                                             Jewelyn a happy girl on grandma's lap.
                Jewelyn modeling the sweater and hat set Aunt Brenda made for her.
                                Jewelyn's quilt from Grandma Albertson
             Jonathan's small quilt Grandma made him.  (I made him a full size also, but haven't given it to him yet.)
                                Jason and Micah
                                Beth reading to Jonathan and Jewelyn
Christmas morning breakfast
                                Joanna helping Janet in the kitchen
                                Beth reading to Jonathan
                                Jonathan giving Joanna Christmas kisses!
       The girls in their warm sweaters.  The blue ones were gifts from Grandma Scoles.
                                 Emily and Jonathan
                                Rowen and Janet on Christmas Day
                                Jeffrey and Jonathan
                          Ticket to Ride game--right after Janet gets off the phone...
                               Ticket to Ride in progress
                                More stories to read with the uncles
    It rained before it started snowing.  It was a good time to take some umbrella pictures!
Time to have a fire because it is snowing on Christmas Day!
                                Beth playing Legos with the boys.
                           Beth, Micah, and Quil with the Mayflower ship they created.
                                Jason in his new Christmas sweater
                                Qwirkle game with Micah
                                Swap game at the other end of the table
                                Snow coming down.  We ended up with 7 inches!
                                Construction Game
                                Junior Monopoly
                                Farm Game
                                Kisses for sweet Jewelyn
         Blowing kisses to Emily and Joanna when they were outside taking snow pictures.
                                Joanna looking beautiful
                                Jonathan helping to set the table
                                Pictures of our unmarried kids on Dec. 28.
                                With Mother
                                With Daddy
 We so much enjoyed having most of our family together for Christmas week.  Tim and Brenda did not get to come home for Christmas. Jeffrey and Jason left on December 29.   Beth started working at Ace on December 29.  The Lord has led her to return home to work and save money for the rest of her future college classes.  God has been so good to our family.