Natalie

We have been eagerly anticipating the birth of Natalie especially this past week. Kim was "ready, ready, ready" and so we packed our bags and drove to Kim and Chris' when labor started. I smiled thinking that she would be born on her great grandmother's (my mother) birthday, April 23. But like many pregnant mother's have experienced, what seemed like active labor slowly subsided and became an occasional contraction. We spent the next morning at the park with Jack and Chris & Kim got out for an evening dinner before we left for home the next day.

Less than 24 hours after we left them, Chris called with the good news that Natalie was born. She is 9# 14oz and 20.5 inches long. Since Kim's parents traveled during the night to take care of Jack we drove to the hospital to meet our littlest grand daughter.




She drew us like a magnet, we couldn't keep our hands off her. There is nothing as precious than a newborn and to think she is one we will see grow and flourish and enjoy for years is almost more than a heart can hold on to. We are so blessed with her birth and so thankful that God watched over her as she was formed and gave her a safe and healthy start.

Now it is time for her mom and dad and big brother to spend some time as a family to cherish these memories. So Natalie Beth we will come again in a couple weeks to cuddle you and see how your big brother Jack is enjoying his little sister.

Easter

With Easter coming so early this year, we really didn't expect such warm weather. Conley is standing near the daffodils we planted last November.

We had a wonderful day beginning with a beautiful praise filled worship service at church and a visit from Mike Joy and Conley. Later in the day we enjoyed a delicious ham dinner with our neighbors and their family who came in from New Jersey.



For the past 3 years we have taken Conley's picture in the same chair and it really demonstrates how she has grown. The first year her feet were still on the seat of the chair. Oh, the years past quickly and growth in a child is a true marker.



Easter and spring time signify new beginnings. At Easter we are reminded that Christ died to give us a new life so the flowers, too with their fragile blossoms poke up through the ground after cold and frost to announce a new growing season. Tom and I with our graying hair hold onto Conley, a new generation born to praise God and enjoy Him forever.

Cruisin

The trip had been in the works for over a year by the time we met in Miami and sailed off to the seas of the Gulf of Mexico. Lindsay, having been on 13 cruises took the initiative with offering several different cruises on different cruise lines and different dates and number of days. We finally settled on a 5 day cruise to Cozumel and Belize City. It was a good choice.

We left Miami on a Monday, after an all day rain but the skies were beginning to clear and stayed clear for the remainder of the trip.


Judi, my roommate gave each of us a hat so we could find each other on the ship. It just seemed so natural to spend time with and talk to my old friend, a friendship beginning 50 years ago.

The rest of our group met in the Windjammer restaurant on the ship. We all had our travel stories to tell. Susan had her flight canceled the night before at 11 PM. How does that happened? She and her husband were up until 2 AM getting another flight and now she has two return flights!



Well, it didn't take long to settle in and enjoy the sun and amenities on deck.


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Donna had a bit of a stumble on her first morning walk and spent day one in the stateroom. But, we were not going to let her miss dinner and the evening shows.

Each evening we changed seats at our table next to the window so each would have a different view and sit next to a different friend. I loved trying meals I would never take time to fix at home. And all the desserts! One night we asked and they gave us an extra key lime pie to enjoy later! Each night we went to a show, the ice show was in our opinion the best! Some tried their luck in the casino and others of us played "name that tune." When we reached the towns, each had a different plan; stay on the ship, shop, take a tour or snorkel. Although I don't have snorkeling pictures we saw beautiful coral and fish. We took this picture for our home news paper in Alpena. The hats we are wearing say "Divas at Sea 63" a gift from Donna and Ginny.

This last picture is my very first friend, Susan. Even though we can go for months and years not hearing from each other, we know we are forever friends.

After 5 days and many sea miles we have great memories and closer friendships. I thank God for each of you dear friends.

Grandchildren Week

Last week we had the delight of seeing all our grandchildren,sons and daughters-in-law all in the same week. We started the week driving to the Chicago area to take baby furniture for the granddaughter to be born in April and then flew to CO to see grandchildren west. So here are brothers and sister.

Hudson who is 3 1/2

Claire, Hudson's twin sister.

Cooper, who is 21 months old.

Tucker, Cooper's twin brother.

Dan and Angie, the proud and happy parents of the above twins.


After our short visit, we returned to the Chicago area to watch Jack and Conley while their parents flew to Denver to spend an adult weekend to celebrate Dan's birthday. They had a wonderful time together while grandparents enjoyed the grandchildren. A win/win for all.

Jack at age almost 22 months.


Jack with his mom and dad, Chris and Kim

Conley is 3 1/2

Conley's mom and dad, Mike and Joy.

My intent was to get these great pictures of all the grandchildren in the same week. I have new appreciation for child photographers! It is really hard to get them to look at you and snap the picture before they look away. Many of the special moments are but a memory captured in your heart and not by the camera.

Honduras, Spiritual Retreat

A mission trip though usually hard work is also a spiritual retreat. It gives us time away from our fast paced life of pursuing more to reflect on the blessings we already have. It clears our mind to contemplate on priorities of what is important on our journey through life. The following poem was written while in Honduras, it expresses how we came with our inadequacies and God used them to His Glory.



Psalm 107:23-24

Honduras, land of many needs,
You chose us Lord, your lambs to feed.
Carlos, your servant here
Warned us of deep waters, but not to fear.

The waters promise to reveal
Your faithful presence that we will feel.
Uncertainties of what lies ahead
Through equipment problems we are lead.

Cases lasting 'til late at night
Frustration, exhaustion we will fight.
Yet morning brings rested souls
And praise songs to Jesus rose.

The faces of the "least of these"
Remind us of the joy to please.
For you have blessed us beyond all measure
With gifts and talents to share our treasure.

Quietly, humbly they come with shy smiles
Hoping, praying we can help in their trial.
Oh, Lord, it is you who brought us together
To perform your work, they'll remember forever.

Such an honor to us you have given
To be your hands and feet to the living.
May we continue to hear your call
And be a blessing for one and for all.

We hesitantly walked into the deep
The waters stirred but your promises keep.
Our faith is stronger than when we came
It is your way that your name is proclaimed!

Medical Mission to Honduras

I spent 16 days in Honduras this month. This was my third visit to help surgeons in the operating room in the town of Gracias for the Luke Society. This is an organization that sets up medical clinics in 3rd world countries and supports local physicians to provide healthcare in the communities they live. Unlike others, this Michigan physician, his wife and the board members have raised money to build a surgery center to provide more operating rooms for medical teams to operate. Before this was available the medical teams used the hospital operating rooms thus closing them down for a week for local surgeons other than for emergencies.

The physicians see patients the first day of each week to set-up the week's surgery schedule. The first week was general and plastic surgery and the second week was orthopedic. The week before I was in Honduras a medical team did eye, plastic surgery and operated a GI lab.
Since the surgeon who began this ministry plans to work part-time in Honduras later this year, he is building a house for himself with room enough to house medical teams. Several volunteers came to help with construction, including Tom.


In two weeks we accomplished 94 surgeries that included shoulder, hernia repair, knee surgery, gall bladder removal, facial fracture, bullet removal, hand surgery ankle fusions, arm fracture and various minor repairs. The children are absolutely beautiful with big brown eyes, long eyelashes and beautiful skin color. They will capture your heart in an instant! We changed the lives of children with surgical repair of cleft lips and club feet.


The second week's team included several dentists and medical doctors who pulled and restored teeth, diagnosed illness, provided medications and passed out de-worming medicine. Each person received the gospel message and this year a children's evangelism message was acted out with a puppet show put on by children from the bilingual school in Gracias.
The warm, sunny weather was a blessing for travel to the villages for the dental and medical teams and for those of us who walked the mile to the surgery center each morning. We stayed in hotels in Gracias and ate at Frony's who is a woman from the Netherlands that came to Honduras for work in the Peace Corp many years ago and stayed. Her place has beautiful tropical gardens surrounding the buildings and safe and good food on a terrace overlooking the city.

Christmas Memories in January

Last Sunday was almost springlike in Michigan. I finally took the lights and red balls off the outdoor tree. With each one I thought about the fun and celebration of Christmas. Mike, Joy and Conley and Chris, Kim and Jack were here and we enjoyed good food, good gifts and good fellowship. The days leading up to Christmas were filled with the holiday spirit of praising God for his wonderful gift of Christ. Conley was a little angel in the Sunday school program and stood up front and sang all the songs.




This little tree enthusiast found a couple of sparkly balls to bat around but he did restrain himself by not pulling the tree to the floor like he did at his house.


Tom with two of the best little Christmas presents!


The first of many looks in the cookie jar.


Chris gets a power tie!


Mike's happy that Santa still remembers him.


Joy checks out her new "Ov Glove"!

I tried to copy a picture of Kakabeeke's West but I'm am so NOT techy.
We really did miss having Dan, Angie, Hudson, Claire, Cooper and Tucker around but were thankful to know they also were celebrating as a family this Holy Season. See their blog, Better Than We Dreamed.

As photographer,I missed being included in the pictorial but words often can express what a picture can not. And my words are Thank You Jesus!