Early December 2017

On December 1, Rowen and Janet drove Mother and Daddy (Wanda and Rex Scoles) from Joplin to Columbia.  Most of the Scoles family was getting together for a Thanksgiving/Christmas gathering because of Wesley and Lisa being in town from Tallahassee.  We had a big meal at Marlene's house on Friday evening.  The biggest surprise for us was that Randy, Jonathan and Jewelyn had come from South Dakota without us knowing they were coming!

 Jeff and Lesa came from Iowa.  It was so good to see them after their extended time out of the country from September through mid-November.

Tim and Brenda and kids were there too.  So that was the extent of our Albertson family represented.  Aunt Lesa is always a big hit with the kids.  Here is she showing Charissa, Jewelyn, and Brenda the book about their trip that we made them for a Christmas gift. 

  Daddy had a good visit with Cody.  We were so glad he was available to come to the gathering.

 Marlene and her guy friend, Tim DeOrnellis, who is Marlene's deceased husband's second cousin.

Tim and Marlene made a wonderful meal for all of us.

 Randy and Jewelyn visiting with my mother, their grandma and great-grandma.

 The cousins had fun playing together.

 All the Albertsons stayed in Lyndell and Sharen's former house that they call the barn now.  It was fun being with three of our boys and four of our grandkids.  Lots of food, visiting, games, and gifts filled the next day when everybody was at Lyndell and Sharen's new house.  

We played a game with pictures of faces and words describing people.  It was very likely politically incorrect and involved judging and profiling.  I think Jeffrey was one of the winners.

Wesley, Randy, Tim, Jeffrey, and Lesa

Jonathan, Jewelyn, and Charissa playing together

 Leah, Rebekah, Lisa, Lesa, Jeffrey, and Randy visiting

 Mother, Daddy, Tim, Janet, and Wesley visiting

 Two tables of people feeding their faces!

Jeffrey, Lesa, Felix, Jonathan, Wesley, Lisa, and Randy

Mother, Daddy, Brenda A, Sharen, Tim, and Charissa

Felix had fun in the box! Daddy,  Brenda A, Tim, Lyndell

 Daddy, Mother, Brenda, Leah

 Andrew, Charley, Lyndell, Jeff, Lesa

 Wesley, Daddy

 Andrew and Leah

 Rebekah, Mother, Brenda Owens

 Randy, Jonathan, Tim, Brenda

Charley, Uncle Deane

 Lesa, Jeff, Tim D, Marlene

Lisa, Sharen, Wesley, Daddy

Felix, Brenda A, Tim A, Charissa, Jonathan

Wesley and Lisa gave all the kids sock monkeys and candy canes.

 Marlene, Tim D, Sharen, 

Rebekah, Charley, Brenda O, Leah

 Brenda A holding up the doily Mother made all the grandgirls.

 Leah holding up her doily.

 Mother and Daddy with picture frames from Wesley and Lisa.  Their main gift was a new computer from all of the family.

 Jonathan, Wes, Lisa, and Randy 

 Mother, Daddy, Brenda A, Sharen, Tim A, Charissa 

We had two Tims, two Brendas and two Lisa/Lesas.  If the Wamplers would have been there, we would have had three Tims! Our Tim told Tim D. that he (Tim A.) was the original Tim in the family.  Tim Wampler is Tim #2, so Tim DeOrnellis will have to be Tim #3!

We left in the afternoon so we could get back to Kentucky for Sunday.  Tim and Brenda took Mother and Daddy back to Joplin.  It was fun to be with our extended family for a little while.

The Christmas Drive-Thru program at our church was December 2-3.  Emily was one of the actors.  Since Rowen and I were out of town for half of it, we just helped with the set up day.  We did drive through it on Sunday evening.  Everybody did a great job acting as the story played in guest's car cd players.

Emily is on the left.  In the story, these church kids shared their winter coat and wraps with a homeless man.  In the next scene, he came upon their church's live Nativity scene and learned about Jesus coming to the world as a baby.  He then was invited into a church service where he found Jesus as his Savior.  The story ended 7 years later with the man being married, having a family and living a productive life because of the involvement of church family in his life.  At the end, each car was given a gift bag to pass on to homeless or someone who needs it.

The next big event in our lives was the God's Bible School and College Christmas musical "Condescension."  Emily was in the orchestra and Elizabeth in the choir.  Our "adopted" daughters: Lily was a main character in the play, and Danette was also in the orchestra, playing her cello.

 The choir was behind a screen.  When they weren't singing, the screen was dark.  With a change in lighting, we were able to see them when they sang.

 Elizabeth said it was like looking through a trampoline mat.  The choir could only see the conductor because there was a light shining on him.

 Lily is the lady on the right.  She was the wife of the bearded fellow and was a matchmaker for the guy on the left. He was a government official who loved a shepherdess, so he disguised himself as a shepherd to be on her level and get to know her.  These shepherds were the ones to whom the angel announced Jesus' birth. The story depicted Christ's condescension to leave heaven, His power and glory, to become a baby born in a stable. The music was so outstanding! The Lord really helped all of the participants.

We got to have Lily and Danette over one last time before Christmas break on December 10.  

 We gave Danette a Mancala game for a gift.  Lily's gift was ordered and didn't arrive for a couple more days, so she had to wait to get her special journal.  We have enjoyed having the girls join our family and look forward to more visits in the new semester.

I finished the quilt top I had been working on for a couple months.  It is for my first "adopted" daughter, Joanna, who lives in South Dakota now, and I hardly ever get to see.  When we and she still lived in Colorado, she practically lived with us part of the time.