July 2019

Beware this blogpost is not going to be in chronological sequence!

Since our last posting, we were privileged to have Jim and Anna Tremaine and two of their granddaughters for a Sunday meal with us on July 7.  We had such a nice time with them. They had come to Cincinnati for the Band camp and Julia and Ava were excited to be at Band Camp all week.

(Emma and Eliana Wilson were also with us for dinner, as they have spent several Sunday afternoons with us this summer because of their helping with evening bus pickup for Junior Church this summer.)
One day the Tremaines and their granddaughters ate at Emily and Elizabeth's Chick-fil-A.

We never dreamed that Sunday meal would be the last we would share with Anna.  The following Saturday as the Tremaines started for home in Lenexa, Kansas, Anna had a stroke.  The Urgent Care where they stopped for help air flighted Anna back to Cincinnati to University Hospital.  Jim and Anna's three daughters and one son all spent time in Cincinnati, waiting by her bedside.  At first she could talk to them, but she gradually grew worse and quit responding.  She breathed her last on July 24 and her spirit went to be with Jesus in heaven.  We loved Anna; she was such a gentle, loving lady.  We've known her since we met the Tremaine's at Kansas State Holiness Camp in McPherson, Kansas in 2012.  Our first post about them was here. We are confident she is at home with Jesus, because she lived for Him and trusted Him for salvation.  Our prayers are with Jim and his family, as they get used to living without the precious companion, mother, and grandmother they have loved so well.

In other news, we accepted an offer on our house in Taylor Mill on July 2, and on July 6 had an accepted contract to buy a house in Florence, Kentucky,  It is not so far away from here, but a better house for us to grow old in.  It is a Ranch with a basement, but everything we need to do is available on the main level, even the laundry!  On August 13 and 14, we will close on the two houses, and start the move-in process.  We have projects we want to get done before we actually move in, like bedroom ceiling fans, shower rod, changing the dryer vent location and correcting the venting of the bathroom fans. We have spent a good deal of time packing up, since we aren't having to show our house all the time anymore, and there are stacks of boxes not quite everywhere.  We have to be completely out of our TM house by noon on August 17.  School starts on August 19, so we will be rushing to find the girls' necessary boxes for school!  We are trying to be very intentional about the labeling of our boxes!  When life settles down, we will need to change our blog again.  We're thinking of albertsonsofnorthernkentucky.
Jeffrey and Lesa came to visit us after driving Lesa's sister to Kentucky Mountain Bible College, so we made sure they got to see the new house.  Jason and Karen hadn't seen it yet either.  Here are some pictures of that evening (July 22).

 This is the Sun Room, off the Dining Room and kitchen.  We will have our round table and chairs, a pantry cabinet, and the freezer and extra refrigerator in this room.  There is a patio beyond the far windows.  Where Jason is leaning is where I plan to put my two house plants.  I've never had a window sil to have my plants in before!

 The only place in the house with carpet is the basement.  Otherwise, it is beautiful hardwood floor.  Jason may have to duck or slouch just a bit when he walks around down there where the ducts are.  Beyond Karen will be Elizabeth's study nook and our library on shelves will be to the left of the study area.

 Looking from the study nook, the stairs up are on the left end.  The stairs are not nearly as steep as we have had, so we are glad of that.  The 2nd full bath is there on the right, past the wet bar.

 Lesa was looking over the bar area.  I'm thinking of storing our wheat and other grains behind this counter.

 Rowen was so glad to be able to talk over all the needed projects with his boys.  It looks like the Lord is working on our behalf to allow Jeff and Lesa to come and help us get moved and do the projects!  We are thrilled about that!!

A flat yard is going to be a real blessing to Rowen!  Mowing our present yard on a hill wears him out!

 Here are some pictures of Jeff and Lesa when they and Emily had some time off for walking, eating pizza, and taking pictures.

 Lesa got to hold our newest church baby on the Sunday they were here.

Also that day, Elizabeth was babysitting the Witt children while their parents had an anniversary trip, so we had the kids for Sunday dinner.

 Jeffrey made us foreign tea.  The teapot is in two parts: the bottom for boiling water, and the top for loose leaf tea.

 You pour a little of the concentrate in each special tea glass, then add the water.  Any loose tea grounds stay in the glass because of the shape of it. (Jeffrey's arm is bandaged from an accident when he was working on a barn roof and slid, causing abrasions.  So thankful for the harness that kept him from falling off the roof!)

 We did this several times while they were here.  They brought the teapot and the tea glasses with them from their travels.

 Lesa, Emily, Bryan, and Landon played The Settlers of Catan.

 Emily and Julie played Legos and then the boys joined them after Catan.

 We looked at old family pictures that weren't packed yet.

 Janet and Rowen, matching in light blue

 Two Sundays this month, we had Bible School quartet groups sing for Sunday evening worship service.  On July 14, the God's Bible School Adoration quartet sang for us.

On July 21, the Alleghany Wesleyan College quartet sang.

We had a pitch in dinner and an afternoon mortgage burning on July 14 before the GBS quartet sang.

Parsonage Mortgage Burning with pastors and some of the church board

  Emily with Jewels and Wyatt.  They moved to Indiana and this was their last Sunday there.

 Janet with Kathie Manns.  Kathie had just survived marrying off her daughter and was facing moving to Indiana that week.  We will miss the Manns family; they're special people.

 Brother Stetler with Wyatt and Jewels.

The Manns family with our pastors, Darrell and Regina Stetler and Andy and Sherilyn Stroud

 A group of the church young people surrounding Jacynda Manns, her last Sunday before moving.

 Four of the five recent new babies and their mothers.  It's hard to get all five together at once for a picture!  They will all grow up being friends!

Now I'm going to put in some pictures of Heidi's wedding, which happened on July 13.

Jamin Edwards bringing his mother-in-law down the aisle

 Jewels was a cute, scared miniature bride!

 All the ladies were beautiful dresses made by Brenda Miles

 the guys' side

 Heidi's brother Travis gave her away.

 This was a sweet, meaningful, precious, God-filled wedding!

 So precious!

 It was a beautiful wedding!

 We don't have a picture of it, but Heidi surprised Jamin and sang him a song: From This Moment On.

 Mr. and Mrs. Jamin Edwards

 He picked her up and carried her down the aisle!

 At the reception

 Cousins Quartet entertained at the reception

 The girls and I were helping in the kitchen, washing dishes, but we got a break and got to eat a bite.  We were sitting with Dave and Renae Weddle.  Each table had a cake, but you could try some other table's cake if you wanted to.

A few pictures that happened before Heidi got married.

A group from the young ladies Bible Study who got together for ice cream

 Young ladies posing together one last time before Heidi gets married

 Our girls with Jacynda and Heidi

We had guests for supper on July 15.  James Barnard drove his daughter MarciaAlice Jonelle and Wayne Hill and their son, Ansel here so we could take them to the airport after a little visit.

 MarciaAlice is a photographer, so her little boy is named Ansel after a famous photographer, Ansel Adams.

 Ansel was happy to let anyone hold him, even a grandma he didn't know!

 This is a fun picture because MarciaAlice was showing Elizabeth pictures while Emily takes a picture that includes Ansel and herself! 

We went to camp a few nights at Carthage Holiness Camp.  The Arenders sang for the camp.

After the service:  Richard Miles at the left edge of the picture, was the evangelist.  Then Joan Hodnett, Rachel Hill, Leta Witt, and Janet

We had VBS July 23-26 at church.  The girls and I helped.  I was just extra hands, but the girls were on teams as co-captains.  We had about 65 kids every night.  The Lord helped and it was good.

The program was Sunday morning, the 28th.  Some kids couldn't come who had come all week.

Frances Stetler did the VBS.  She is amazing and the Lord really helps her!

 The kids love playing the bells.  They ring their bell according to the color of it, as Frances holds up cards with colored dots on them.  The bells that are ringing make chords.  It is so pretty!

 Frances and Elizabeth were dressed alike!

 We were invited to the Strouds' house for dinner on July 28.  It was a privilege to eat with the pastors and Frances and her helper, Cathy Brubaker.

 Emily holding a sleeping Ellisyn

 Cathy and I were matching too!

 We had overnight guests after Jeff and Lesa left--Lesa's brother and sister came through and did the Bed and Breakfast thing...

We also got to go to Rowen's boss's house for a BBQ on July 27. Emily went swimming in their pool.

Last, but not least, we had Dan and Esther, and their granddaughter Anjali for an overnighter (Bed and Breakfast).  It was good to see them again on their way from Philadelphia back to Colorado. In case we didn't have enough boxes, they brought us one with treasures from family history.

Before they went out the door this morning...

 Then, for good measure, I'll throw in a picture of Randy and his family from early July. This was the day of their friend Samuel's wedding.  Randy was one of the groomsmen.

They will have one more, a baby girl, joining the family end of August or first of September!
This is their new kitchen they have been working diligently on in the house they are remodeling in South Dakota.

And an announcement picture from Charissa!  Baby girl due in Tim and Brenda's family around Christmas!!

God is so good!!