For a long month, May was really short!

Since Jason's Venture was towed away dead, our family needed another vehicle.  Emily bought a 2009 Buick LaCrosse.  After a lot of work at our favorite mechanic's shop, we trust she has a reliable car.  She is really enjoying driving it.

 Some of the ladies from church got together for a Ladies' Meeting and had brunch together.  Some had not arrived when this picture was taken.

 Our pastors were in the neighborhood and gave us a pastoral call.  That was fun!  They are such sweet people and we love them!

 Emily and I took a day trip to Indiana to go to her friend, Lily's graduation.  They both are "signers" and I think they will be great friends and kindred spirits when Lily comes to GBS this fall.  We intend to have Lily over and give her a home away from home.

 Mother's Day picture with the three who live here with us.  So thankful for all of our children!

 Rowen and Janet planted some pots of flowers and three tomato plants for the deck.  We don't have a place for a garden at this house.

Two of the flowers in the pots.

 We went to the end of the year SWSE Concert at GBS.  We missed Jason playing his cello in SWSE this year, but it was an excellent performance anyway.

Elizabeth and Emily went on a canoe trip with Elizabeth's division at GBS!

Jason and Karen found out they will be living in the right upstairs apartment in this brick building.  Floor coverings and painting are being done now.  We are hoping to get Jason moved in there mid-June.  He started working 30 hours/week at GBS after graduation.

We went to graduation on May 20.  Pictured is our Japanese friend Mari receiving an award from Dr. Jana Pop.

We enjoyed having Marvin and Joyce Cooper came over for Sunday dinner with us.  Emily took the picture. Jason and Elizabeth had to be at GBS all that day for closing services.  Marvin and Joyce are diligent students of the Word and Adult Sunday School teachers at our church.

The McKay family stayed with us overnight for Sunday night church, supper, and breakfast the next morning on their way home from getting their daughter from Kentucky Mountain Bible Institute.  We enjoyed their sweet fellowship.

Rowen and Janet got to go to cousin Michael Conley's home in Maineville, Ohio for a meal and visit.  Pictured below:  Michael, Ethan, Corey, and Elizabeth Conley

Michael's parents, Janet's Aunt Joyce (dad's sister) and Uncle Franklin were visiting from Millington, Tennessee.  It had been a long time since we had seen them, but longer since we had seen Michael and Elizabeth.  They didn't have their boys last time we saw them!

Beulah and Brenda Conley were also there.  Beulah's late husband and Uncle Franklin were brothers.  This is one of the ways we are almost kin.  Two of Joyce's sisters and one of her uncles married Beulah's cousins.  So we are "almost kin" on both sides of the family!

(The men all ate outside and didn't get a picture of themselves)

We were so glad to renew acquaintance with Michael and Elizabeth.  We had a fun visit with them.

And it was so wonderful to see Joyce and Franklin again.  Joyce is a faithful reader of our blog for many years! :)  She had been featured on our previous blog: here, here, and here.

We had our new Care and Connect friends over for Sunday dinner.  Debby and Esther Byer and Shelley and Stacy Carey.  Karen was also here with us.  We had a very nice visit with these dear ladies.

After school got out, Elizabeth started working at Chick-Fil-A with her sister.  So far she is loving working there.  She loves the customer service and interacting with people like she used to at Ace Hardware back in Johnstown, Colorado.

 Beulah's family brought out to her the last quilt top she had pieced and asked Janet to finish it.  She has been working on it, first adding a border and then tying it.  She has the binding to sew down and it will be completed.

With five different schedules and directions, we usually manage to see each other at breakfast or supper, but not often all of us at once.  It is challenging to get the laundry, house cleaning, and food preparation all done semi-regularly.  But Jesus is helping us.  We have busy days ahead with Jason and Karen's wedding coming up July 1, family visitors, and a fast trip to Missouri for the funeral of our brother-in-law, Scott DeOrnellis.