Catching Up

upheaval...

Our lives have been in a bit of upheaval for awhile as we work on this move. Our short sale in Atlanta has had its first postponement from July 31st to Aug. 15th. Most of our furniture has been in storage since February and now we are in the process of repairing and cleaning our NH house.

Our little beach house.

loss...

In the last 18 months we have had our two youngest and adopted children walk away from our family.

Adoption Day 1998

Family Vacation 2011

I have no wisdom or understanding, I just cling in faith to God's Wisdom.

"...hard pressed, but not crushed: perplexed, but not in despair: persecuted, but not abandoned:
struck down, but not destroyed."   2Corinthians 4:8-9
"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that
far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen.
For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
2Corinthians 4:17-18

waiting...

I have stopped needle felting for now and closed my Etsy shop. Maybe I was putting too much of my

focus into it but I am still keeping my hands busy. 

Crocheted Rocks-I have never done this before but for some reason it was
therapeutic, maybe because there was no pattern and I am always a little
surprised that it works. I've made nine so far-not sure what I'm going to do with
nine crocheted rocks:)

A baby blanket-our oldest daughter Sarah is expecting
her #4, a baby girl in September. I chose the ripple
pattern since chevrons are so popular right now.
I must not ever forget that single crochets with a small
hook can make for a slow and tedious project however I can
now count to eleven up and eleven down while doing lots
of other things.

travel...

Michigan

It has been good for me to get away-away from my disrupted home and empty nest.

I have made several trips since May. The first one I had been planning for awhile. A trip down

Memory Lane with my Mother, back to Michigan, to her birth place. We stayed with one of my

Grandmother's cousins and visited with several other cousins and got to see my

 great, great grandfather's Birch Run Farm.

My Mother, Cousin Louise and me.

Chicken dinner at Frankenmuth with the cousins:)
I wish we could have done this with my Grandmother.

My Mother and Louise at the Farm.
It is in a sad state of disrepair.

Birch Run Farm mid 1940's

My great grandmother is in the striped dress standing behind her father
at Birch Run Farm around 1893. There were eventually nine children.

I love this picture of my grandmother's 96 year old cousin telling family stories.
The binder in his lap is full of family history and pictures.
Notice, too his Bible on the table by his chair.
What an inspiration to me.

 In a way, it was good to spend time learning the stories about my family's past. 

We each have a story and we each leave a legacy.

Jamaica

I took a chance and flew standby to spend two nights and a day in Montego Bay with John on one

of his layovers.  A lot of stress to get there but once there it was incredibly relaxing.

Me-relaxing on a wonderfuly comfortable lounge chair on the beach
in Montego Bay.

Real Jamaican Jerk Chicken and Pork.

Sweet potato, rice and beans and chicken with a frosty Coke.

The view from our balcony.
Time seemed to stand still for us that day:)

Wilmington, NC

A week in Wilmington with our daughter Liz and her husband Steve and the added bonus of a

visit with our forever friends the McGreers.

Bakersfield, Ca.

From NC we headed to California to visit my Mom and go to a wedding.

The youngest daughter of John's friend from childhood was getting married.

Sweet table settings.  Outdoor wedding reception.
Catered dinner from Coconut Joes.

We also got to take our daughters Martha and Hannah to LAX as they started their

trip to visit Rachel and Brandon in Papua New Guinea.

Hannah and Martha at LAX
No, all those suitcases are not because they are clothesaholics:)
The four big ones are full of supplies for Rachel and Brandon.

Martha, Rachel and Hannah
Three beautiful daughters on an island off the coast of PNG.
I posted about our PNG family here.

bittersweet...

So as I look to the future, I see so many wonderful events to look forward to, a new

home closer to daughters and grandchildren, a trip to PNG in September, once again 

needle felting and reopening my Etsy shop, a new granddaughter, more time to spend 

with John and yet sadness as I leave our two lost sheep here in NH and I think of 

all the experiences and time I will not be able to have with them. They have always

been in God's care and I will trust them to Him...again and again.