Easter, Birthdays, etc! A busy Spring!

Easter was a little later this year, which was great as the weather was prettier for it.  We had wonderful services with record attendance at FBC that day.  This first picture was actually taken the week before at our family picture gathering, but since we didn't get to be with the kids on Easter day, I wanted to post it here.  I had taken Easter pails for them that Saturday of our picture taking.

 Rachel, Jonathan and Copeland all go to Metro Church that Andy pastors, so I was thrilled that they took a family picture together Easter Sunday!  This pretty tree is outside the church doors.

Rachel and family

 

The kids took some cute pics of Copeland that afternoon for his first Easter

 Andy and family

 Not sure when this was taken, but a cute Spring picture of the girls

 APRIL 23rd - ELLIE KATE'S 2nd BIRTHDAY!  

Happy Birthday to our adorable second grandbaby!

 And just 3 days later, 

APRIL 26th is LAINE VIRGINIA'S 4th BIRTHDAY!  

A very Happy Birthday to our sweet first granddaughter!

 With the girls' birthday so close together, we celebrated both on Laine's birthday which was on a Saturday.

 They had a fun birthday party with lots of friends and family at a park in Rogers.

 Great Grandma with cousins, Matt, Kristin, Nora and Ellis

 Josh was out of town working, but we did get a picture after the party of our family that was present.

 The next week, Paul and Mary Mooney and Jeff and I attended a harmonious national meeting for our Baptist Association in Little Rock, Arkansas.  The missions headquarters in Little Rock, recently sold and will be relocating to Conway, Arkansas and sharing facilities with Lifeword and DiscpleGuide. Jeff worked in the headquarters for 4 years, so we made a last visit stop by there.

 On May 1st, (Rachel's 29th birthday), we found out that we are going to have another precious granddaughter!  Eisley Elizabeth McCrary will be born to Rachel and Jonathan in late September or early October.  We are so excited to meet her!  Cute collage that the kids did with Copeland to announce her gender.

 Copeland will make a great big brother to his little sister.

 Even though he is smiling in the picture above, Copeland was one sick little boy!  He was diagnosed with pneumonia a few days later.  Thankfully, with the use of medications, he recovered and then his Momma and him made a visit to Kansas during Rachel's May break from teaching.  We loved having them for 3 days, although Rachel was sick during the time.  She went to the doctor while in Galena and was diagnosed with a sinus infection.

 Rachel and Copeland left Friday morning and Andy, Carman, Laine and Ellie came Friday afternoon.  This was Mother's Day weekend and they came to spend the night and to attend the Mother/Daughter banquet with me at FBC on Sat. night.  Friday night, while Andy & Carman went out to eat (and ended up at urgent care as Andy had bronchitis), Jeff and I took the girls to Route 66 Carousel Park for a fun evening.

 Just as Copeland above, the girls look great here but later that night were so sick, especially Ellie!  So Andy & Carman decided they better head home Sat. morning and take the girls to an urgent care near their house and see what was going on.  Both were diagnosed with upper respiratory tract infections and Ellie also had severe croup and an ear infection.  A few days later, Laine would be diagnosed with pneumonia.  So all my kids and grandkids have had a rough spring with sickness!

I was a little disappointed the girls didn't get to go with me to the banquet but was happy that Mom and my Aunt Judy, cousins, Nancy, Patty, and Chelsea joined me!

 It was another great FBC Mother's Day Banquet!

 With Laine so sick and Carman needing to take her back to the doctor, I drove down this past Friday to help out.  As you can see, Laine didn't want her picture taken, bless her heart!

 Thankfully, later on, after getting back from the doctor, she was doing better.  The girls love the song, "Let It Go."  I have it on my phone so was playing it for them while they were playing with the Frozen characters.  I got tickled at each one's actions during the song, even Copeland!

 I spent the night with the girls as Andy had a meeting at church and Carman was in charge of an overnight retreat for a discipleship group she has led for 9 months.  I always enjoy my time with the kiddos!

And then TODAY, MAY 19th IS 
COPELAND WARE'S 1st BIRTHDAY!!

Happy Birthday, precious Copeland., our third grandchild and first grandson!

We will be celebrating on Saturday and I will then devote a full post to his first birthday as I did for Laine and for Ellie.  Each birthday is precious, but the first one is extra special for sure!

And the good news this afternoon is that after 6 doctor's visits, 2 chest x-rays, blood work, shots, and multiple medications, the pneumonia is gone for Lainey Bug!  Thank you, Jesus!  That sweet smile is back!

 There were several more activities during May, but I think this posting is as long as it needs to be.  

So thankful for returned health for my family, beautiful weather (for the most part), grass is green, trees and flowers are blooming, and warmer weather!  I do love Springtime!

Family Pictures Spring 2014

 /

My Mom's Birthday Week

 April 5th was Mom's 85th birthday.  My sisters came to Kansas (Bev from Texas; Kaye from Arkansas) to help us celebrate.  I had kept Copeland a few days for Rachel and Jonathan, so Friday he went with Jeff and I to Girard to start the birthday festivities.

 

 

 

 Our first party was with Mom's siblings and some of their children.  We ate at the SSS Steakhouse in Girard

 Mom's friend, Howard, also joined us

 Mom and her sister, Mildred and niece, Christie

 After eating, we went to Mom's house for dessert and visiting.

Uncle Harry, Aunt Betty and their son, Randy and wife Kimbra

 Aunt Mildred and daughter, Christie and husband Wayne

Mom and her brother, Harry and sister, Mildred

 and with Aunt Betty 

 Us :-)

 My sweet friend, Judy Hall made this delicious Heath Bar/Carmel/Chocolate cake and I made a pecan pie for our dessert that night

 Then on Saturday, we had birthday party #2 with some of the Boore gals at Sandstone Gardens in Joplin

 

 

 Aunt Judy and her daughter-in-law Patti and two granddaughters, Paxton and Chelsea

 Aunt Freda with her daughter, Holly and granddaughter, Shawnee

 Just visiting

 After eating, a few wanted to go to my house and meet Copeland (he had stayed at the house with Papa and Daddy)

 

 Mom, Kaye, Bev and I then headed back to Girard.  We were thrilled that Mark and Nancy (Mom's nephew and wife) came by that evening for a visit.  Nancy was out of town earlier and wasn't able to join us at Sandstone.

 Sunday morning, we accompanied Mom to her church (and the church where all three of us girls grew up).  However it's a different location and building from when we were children.

 

 My Uncle Marvin Boore is the interim pastor at this time since their last pastor, Bro. Ernie Watson passed away a few months ago.  We appreciate your prayers for God to send this church a pastor to lead them.  We were doubly blessed this Sunday morning, to hear Uncle Marvin sing and also preach.  Uncle Marvin officiated Jeff and I's wedding and sang also.  He's a special man to us and we love him and Aunt Judy.

 I personally was also blessed to hear Barbara Watson (Bro. Ernie's widow) play the piano.  It had been a long time since I had that privilege.   The Watsons were our pastor, their first time, when I was a child.  And then Jeff's first ministry position was under the Watsons in Independence, Kansas in the mid 1970's.  Barbara taught me many vital things in the role of pastor's wife.  Especially in spending time every day in prayer and Bible study and to pray daily that God would give Jeff wisdom in his role as a minister. She also taught me the importance of thanking people and to show my gratitude often.  I am so grateful for the lessons this godly woman taught me!  Please keep Barbara in your prayers as she adjusts to life without her husband.

 After church, we decided to go by the old Mt. Olive church where us girls grew up and where Jeff and I married.  It was someone's personal home for many years but appears to be empty now.  Lots and lots of memories in that building, including at the altar where I accepted Jesus as my Savior!

 That afternoon, we made a visit to our Uncle Wayne (Dad's brother) and Aunt Jo.  Uncle Wayne is pretty much homebound these days which we are sad about. 

 We were thrilled that their daughter and our cousin, Marsha and some of her family were there

 Marsha's daughter, Monica, her husband, Matt and Marsha's husband, Marty

 That evening, we drove back down to Galena to First Baptist to hear Jeff preach on "The Coming War with Russia."  We were thrilled that cousins, Holly, Mark, Nancy and Chelsea also came, along with a long-time friend of Mom's, Anita Melhorn and friends of Mark and Nancy, the Adams.  Thanks to all who came!

 Afterwards, we went to eat at a local Mexican restuarant in Galena and enjoyed some fun fellowship.  The Owens came in to eat and so they joined our group and Adam took our picture.

 Monday morning, we drove to KC (Overland Park to be exact) for Mom's one month doctor's appointment to check her cornea transplant.  The appt. was after lunch, so we went to Cinzetti's first to eat.  Such a good place to eat.....several food bars of all kinds of Italian food: appetizers, salads, soups, pasta dishes, pizza, desserts, etc.  Yum, yum!  I'm dieting this week, so it really sounds good right now!

 Kaye's daugther, Adrienne, husband Mike and Kaye's grandsons, Lincoln and Graham met us there (they now live in KC where Mike is attending Seminary).

 

 Mike left early to head back to work, so we asked a stranger to take our picture as we were leaving

Then we went to the eye clinic.  The news wasn't as good as we hoped.  Her eye is still swelling 75% whereas the doctor was hoping for only 25%.  He prescribed more meds and we will go back in two months.  Appreciate your prayers that it will all be healed at that time!

 Then we headed to downtown KC to tour the Arabia Steamboat Museum

 It was very interesting! 

 The steamboat was discovered about 135 years after it sank in the Missouri River.  The river had changed course over the years, so the ship was covered by tons and tons of mud and dirt.

 It carried many passengers, mostly women and children who were enroute to meet their husbands who had settled land in the west for their families.  Thankfully, they all survived.  It also carried tons of cargo to be sold in the newly developed West.  Amazingly, much of the cargo packed in barrels and crates was still intact.  It has taken the discoverers many years to restore them to their original beauty and they are still working on items even 20 years later.

Beautiful dishes

 Tools

 Shoes

 and clothing

 There was also canned goods but they wouldn't allow you to take pictures as it damaged them.  After 135 years, one of the discoverers opened a jar of pickles and ate one!

 Cute Lincoln on the anchor

 Kaye took our picture as we were leaving the downtown area

 Tuesday was the day we had set aside to do some spring cleaning for Mom. 

We cleaned out her garage and the freezer and refrigerator she has in the garage.

 There was a ton of stuff for the trash man, but it sure looked better.  We had mopped the garage floor so that is why it looks wet in the picture below.  Now if someone would come and do my garage...it needs it so bad!! :-)

 Tuesday evening we went to Pittsburg to pick out a new kitchen sink for Mom (her gift from us girls).  My Aunt Freda had recently moved, so we stopped to see her new residence.

 It's so nice!!  And Spud likes it too :-)

 Beautiful Bradford Pear tree right outside her door

 After getting Mom's sink picked out, we went to Chili's for dinner.  Somehow, the waiter knew we were celebrating Mom's birthday, so they brought her a hot fudge brownie dessert and sang to her :-)

Wednesday, we traveled to Joplin in separate vehicles as Bev and Kaye wanted to visit Margie's Herb Shop.  We then ate together at Red Onion and everyone headed home from Joplin.

So thankful that we were able to spend these 6 days together and celebrate our Mom.  God has definitely blessed our family with a great Mother/Grandma/Great Grandma/Sister/Aunt.  We are also so thankful for all of you who joined us in celebrating this important birthday!

Praying it's a wonderful year for you, Mom!