May
On May 2, my dear friend, Marilyn Muir came over for a visit on the porch. We have been through a lot together, as she also has been through a cancer journey. I'm so glad that she is doing well and living cancer free!
That evening, we were blessed to have Jake and Naomi Litchfield and their children: Rees, Misha, Hadassah, Darlene, and Clara over for supper and games. They are EFM missionaries to Thailand who have been in our area for treatment of Rees's lymphoma for over a year. Thank the Lord he is in remission, and they are planning to return to the land of their calling in 2025. We have loved getting to worship with them at Burlington Bible Church.
May 9-10, my "adopted" little sister, Lynell White came for a visit. She had been in Missouri and we were glad she stopped to see us and rest before she continued the long drive home to Virginia.
We ate on the patio that evening.
We taught her to play Play Nine with our SkipBo cards.
The next day she continued on her journey home.
We were blessed to have her here for a while.
May 12, Mother's Day, we had four special GBS girls for dinner and the afternoon. Becca and Kristy Bennett have been our adopted girls for their years at GBS and both graduated this year. Mary Matias was my buddy at work, as she worked outside my office for Public Relations. Allison Gardner has been over to our house other times, but working in the kitchen kept her from being at our house as often as the Bennetts. She also graduated this year.
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All of the girls wanted to learn how to quilt.
We had set up the quilting machine with leftovers of fabric and batting so they could
play around with it. They all had a fun time learning and trying different things.
Becca
Allison
Kristy
We missed picturing Mary doing it.
We took a picture out in the sunshine with my special girls.
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My real girl, Elizabeth, is part of the reason we could have Sunday guests.
She is a big help to Rowen in the kitchen.
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May 17, Eric and Shari (Rowen's Niece) Earhart and family fit us into their return from a trip out west on their way home to Eure, North Carolina. We hadn't seen them since we moved to Kentucky in 2016, and we were able to pass on a family heirloom that had been given to us to give them back before we moved! They were here for lunch and were anxious to get on their way homeward, but we sure enjoyed them and were so glad they took the time to see us!
Mitch, Mandi, Melissa, Michael, Miles, Matthew
A goodbye selfie with Shari. Elizabeth took the picture above,
so she needed to be in a picture with her cousin.
Emily came home the following weekend for her friends' graduation. She wanted to try quilting, since we still had the practice fabric in the frame.
Emily with some of her graduating friends, Becca and Kristy, and Clarissa Burton.
Sunday afternoon, May 19, Emily's co-worker Shelly and her husband Rod Eulenfeld came by to see us. They were vacationing in Kentucky, had been to the Ark Encounter and the Creation Museum, and wanted to see Emily and to meet us.
Since they were driving, and Emily was flying, they volunteered to take Charissa's quilt to Tulsa, and give to Emily there for the next time she could go to Joplin to get it to Charissa. Rod promised they would not use it as a picnic blanket on the way home!
That evening, David and Louise Street were at church. We invited them for an after church meal and enjoyed a good visit with them. They are some of our heroes, because they travel wherever in the world they are needed, to do God's work.
Our kids were raised knowing our most prized guests are our missionary friends.
Sunday, May 26, we had Chandler and Melissa Witter and Jason and Karen over for dinner.
June
June 2, Frank and Sherry Martinoli came over for Sunday dinner.
I believe they were in our Care-n-Connect group that quarter.
They are dear people close to our heart and often in our prayers.
Other guests without pictures included Jim and Judy Southerland,
Kevin Moser, Jonathan Brewer, and Stacey Stine.
June 6, Mark and Lynell came by on their way home from a funeral in Wisconsin, and stayed the night with us. I guess I didn't get a picture of Mark. It was our first time to meet him in person.
On June 15-17, we had the honor of hosting a missionary lady whom we had never met before. Her name is Monica Collins. She is with Bible Holiness missions in South Africa.
June 18-19, our dear missionary friends from Taiwan came to see us. Missy and Byron Manners. We went to Cracker Barrel to eat together.
We played Chicken Foot Dominoes and we taught them to play Play Nine.
Missy is a very dear friend to me. We communicate on email every week.
Elizabeth and she had been friends since 2004.
Jason and Karen came over on the 16th to see Jeffrey and Lesa.
Lesa read a couple of her chicken stories aloud.
We had the Harms family over for dinner.
We played Quixx!
Jason and Karen came over for supper.
Regina, Sherilyn, and Kari came over to say goodbye to Emily.
Good bye, sweet girl!
September 16, the Susan family came for breakfast. They were heading home to Pennsylvania after a couple hours with us. We hadn't seen them in over five years, but their kids accepted us like we were relatives they loved and cared about!
June 23, the Faulkner family came over for Sunday dinner.
Chris, Chandra, Naomi, Eleanor, and Josie
June 24, Jason and Karen were over. We had gotten a gift from Taiwan brought by the Manners. It is like a calligraphy set. Karen played around with it for our amusement.
July
On July 5, Jonelle Hill came by for a visit with Dietrich.
We had the Rehfeldt family over for Sunday dinner on July 7, and Jonathan and Jeffrey Brewer and Tim Sedlacek on July 14, but we forgot to document either occasion with a photo.
Jeffrey and Lesa flew to see us on July 15.
They left on Friday that week and helped Chandler and Melissa drive their vehicles to Whitehouse, Texas where they are now pastoring.
July 20, Debby Byer came by for a visit. She has been such an encouragement by sending get well cards and always praying for Janet.
July 21, Randy and Kim Staley, Stanley Church, and Jared Matlock came for Sunday dinner.
July 27-August 3, Emily got to come home for a visit!
Matching at church
Brittany Stamper came over for supper and games. This was the night Emily's friend in Tulsa named Brittany called and told her that Emily's apartment building was on fire! This picture was before that phone call.
July 31, my sister Sherry drove up from eastern Tennessee to pick up a dresser
we had brought from Missouri for her.
It was good to see her for an overnight visit.
Our last meal before Emily flew back to Tulsa.
August
August 4, we had Steve and Debbie Goodenow over for dinner. They moved here from Salem, Ohio and teach at the Answers Academy. They are a wonderful addition to our church.
August 22, we had Sam and Hannah Kinnaman, Eddie and Bethany over for supper. We only got this picture of Bethany to prove it.
Jason and Karen came over on August 23 to celebrate all of our birthdays, but we didn't take a picture.
September
September 15, Josh, Kimberly, Abigail, Jaydon, and Bently Dicken were here for dinner and the afternoon. We had been trying to get them over for a while, so we were glad that worked out!
I think Tirzah sped-read at least four books while they were here.
It's always fun to catch up with our dear friends!
Brent, Alicia, Tirzah, Kohen, Chanan, Atarah, and Azariah
September 22 two GBS students came to dinner. It was Julianna Wright and Sophia Singleton. We enjoyed having them.
September 26-30, we were privileged to host the SGC Houston team. Jeffrey and Lesa rented a car and drove Ebony Thompson, and Alima and Fatima Sarigul up from Houston. Ezra Morley came from Salem, Missouri. He stayed at GBS, but spent a lot of time with us. The group went to Ark Encounter on Friday. On Saturday was the SGC Vision Banquet, but they also had a Brunch at the Keeps' house in the morning. Fatima is Alima's mother-in-law, and she knows about 10 English words. She is Turkish.
Elizabeth visiting with Ebony, Alima with Lesa. Fatima is between them.
Ezra and Jeffrey
We played the Plunger Game.
Jeffrey, Janet, Elizabeth, Ebony, Fatima, Alima, Ezra, Lesa
Sunday dinner: Jeffrey, Lesa, Alima, Ezra, Fatima, Ebony, Elizabeth, Janet
Rowen took these pictures.
At church: Jeffrey, Lesa, Regina, Elizabeth, Alima, Fatima, Ebony
This was Sunday night, and Ezra had already started for home.
In September and October, Janet had a Quilting Club for GBS students. Only two girls signed up. Abi Montero and Victoria Dupte came five times total. McDelyn Wantaki came with them the first time. In that time, they cut and pieced, quilted, and bound their projects. Abi made four placemats, and Victoria made a table runner.
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