December happenings 2018

Our church's Christmas Drive Through Play was December 1-2.  Rowen was in the play as the last scene, a grown up carpenter who was the innkeeper's son in the story of Jesus' birth.

On December 2, we had five GBS students, besides our own girls, over for Sunday dinner.  Karen and Karina Castro, from Mexico, Jimmy Garcia, from Guatemala, Danette Teed, and Jarod Mahan.

 The next event was the GBS Christmas drama December 7, 8. 9.  We had Jenny Mejia over for supper before the dress rehearsal.  Elizabeth and Jenny were in the Christmas choir and dressed in period clothes for the drama.

 Here is Elizabeth in her costume. 

 At dress rehearsal, a picture of the violinists.

 Emily in the orchestra during the performance December 8. 

 Elizabeth singing in the choir

 Elizabeth and her friend, Laura Wurst, in their costumes

 Elizabeth and Emily with Jenny

Our girls (Photo credit Rachel Pohl)

Our girls and some of their friends under the lighted archway on GBS campus

(Photo credit Rachel Pohl)

 Our Colorado friend, Natalie Heppner, spent the night with us on December 14 and then flew to Colorado for her Christmas break with her family.  Natalie was helping Janet cover crackers and pretzels with chocolate to take as treats to the nursing home.

 Our church's kids' Christmas program was December 16.  Some of them were costumed as sheep and shepherds for the play.  They did such a great job and were all so cute!

 We had Robert and Linda Scott and their kids, Aaron and Jennifer over for Sunday dinner that day.

 On December 19, our church had a Christmas supper in the fellowship hall.  This is our pastor's wife, Regina, with two of her darling grandsons, Wilson and Marshall.

 Part of the crowd.

 Our two pastors' wives, mother and daughter, Regina and Sherilyn

 Rowen and Janet during the White Elephant gift exchange

December 21 was Janet's last day to work taking care of Beulah Conley.  She is in the Memory Care of the nursing home and has adjusted to that being her home.  The nurses and aides all love her and take good care of her.  

 Tim and Brenda and family were able to come for Christmas, after all, so we enjoyed them being here from December 21-26. 

Of course, Grandma got to clip all the grandchildren's fingernails and toenails!

Charissa played for hours with Legos.  Her daddy taught her to make sturdy walls.

She was sad when it was time to say goodbye to the Legos when they got ready to leave.

 Jason and Karen were over for Christmas Sunday dinner with us

 Felix missed dinner, because he was having a really good nap.

 That night we went to Dayton, Ohio to church where Jason and Karen and our Profitt relatives go.  We were glad to see Aunt Becky.

 It was Uncle Ron's birthday.  He still hasn't grown up...

 ..though he can behave sometimes.

 We were there early because of the program practice Emily had a part in, so we got to visit with Aunt Becky and the others.

 It is so good to see her up and around after many health issues.

 Emily taught the children sign language for Joy to the World and led them in it.

 Rowen pictured with the birthday boy

 Janet, Tim, Brenda, and Becky.  Elizabeth is in the left background, riding herd on the kids.

 On Christmas Day, Karen was sick, so we had to do Christmas without Jason and Karen.

Felix and Grandma playing the piano

 Traditional Christmas pictures on the deck

 Felix and Tim

 Rowen, Janet, Emily, and Elizabeth

 Felix opening a present

 Charissa with a gift

 Rowen with coffee grinder and beans from Tim

 The scene

 Photographer Emily gets to be in a picture.

 Christmas dinner table pictures

 After dinner walk 

 Elizabeth encouraging Charissa puzzling

 Grandpa demonstrating the toy to Felix

 Tim and Brenda had to leave the morning after Christmas.  That evening, Jason and Karen came over.  We taught them how to play our new game, Dos.  

 We had a few gifts to exchange.

Elizabeth and Emily got these new tops for Christmas.

On December 30, we had sisters from church, Becky Marshall and Carol Gardner over for Sunday dinner.

On December 31, Rowen took Janet to Louisville for right eye cataract surgery.  Afterwards, she had these stylish sunglasses to protect her dilated eye from the sunlight.

 We went to Cracker Barrel to eat lunch.

We are so thankful for a good recovery from the surgery.

And that was how 2018 ended for us!

2018 Albertson Family Christmas Letter

                                                                                                December 1, 2018

Hello to all our friends and family!  Hasn’t this year flown by?  I have been negligent about writing letters as often as I intended to, especially to all of our Colorado friends.

2018 so far has been busy with lots of visitors.  We never had this many visitors when we lived in Colorado!  We are so blessed to have had 56 overnight guests, 129 different Sunday meal guests,31 different weekday meal guests and 16 who stopped by, but not at a meal time.  On 42 Sundays from January through November, we had guests.

God has helped us with several improvements to our property this year.  We are thankful to get our shed constructed, our master bath remodeled and new flooring, the guest room and bathroom painted, our trees trimmed and two removed, our driveway enlarged, and new flooring in the kitchen, dining room, half bath, entryway and hallway.  Our sons helped in the master bath shower remodel at Christmas last year, and Jeffrey and Lesa came in June to do the floor tiling, new cabinet, lighting and wiring.  Then they came again in November to do the main level flooring project.  We hired the driveway expansion and tree trimming.  All of these are great improvements and we are so thankful to have them done!

We are thankful for Rowen’s job with Budget Blinds and Tailored Living.  He has installed countless blinds, shutters, and closet systems.  Janet has been thankful to take care of a dear elderly friend for almost two years, but that job is ending with this year.  We are trusting God will provide the work He wants her to do next and hopefully nearer to home, so the gasoline is not such a big item in our budget.

Emily and Elizabeth have worked at Chick-fil-A this year—Emily full-time until August when she had a missions trip to Detroit, then started full-time freshman year of college at God’s Bible School and College in Cincinnati.  Since then, she only works Saturdays, and continues to be the “opener” that day.  Elizabeth works one day a week to fit around her college schedule at GBSC, but worked more during part of the summer until she did a 6 week internship (2 weeks with Gospel Publishing Mission in Hobe Sound, Florida and 4 weeks in Taiwan).  Elizabeth plans to graduate in May 2019 with a BA in Integrative Studies with Cognates in Intercultural Studies & World Missions and Children’s Ministry.

Rowen and Janet celebrated 35 years of marriage this October with a trip to Paducah, Kentucky in September.  In October we all traveled to Missouri for Janet’s sister’s wedding and got to see almost all of our primary family, and extended family on Janet’s side.  In July, Janet traveled to Joplin, Missouri to visit her parents and our son and his family.

In 2018, Janet completed four quilts which were scattered to South Dakota, Colorado, Ohio, and Kentucky.

Yet to happen this year:  Janet right cataract removal, Rowen new glasses, Elizabeth and Emily participation in GBSC Christmas performance—Elizabeth in the Christmas choir and Emily in the Christmas orchestra in conjunction with the drama.  We were privileged to have Jeffrey and Lesa here for two weeks in November, so they won’t be coming for Christmas. We are grateful to live close enough to Jason and Karen to expect to see them sometime over the holidays. As far as we know, Randy’s and Tim’s families won’t be able to come.  It will be different not having all our kids together for Christmas.

We are thankful to be as healthy as we are.  Rowen is blessed to have an endocrinologist who gives him free samples of insulin, so we have not had to buy insulin since the first time he saw this doctor in March of 2017!  That is an amazing example of God’s care and provision for us!  We are thankful for the many, many miles we have driven safely.  Both Rowen and Janet have traveled a distance to work and God has been so good to us.  We are thankful for the ways God has helped Elizabeth and Emily in work situations, college stresses, and missions experiences that stretched them and grew their faith and trust in God.  We are thankful for our wonderful church family and the many GBS students we have been able to get acquainted with, and the many friends and family who visited us this year.  We are thankful that our children are all on the right track and serving Jesus.  We are most thankful for Jesus and the salvation He provided for us!

Our prayer for all of our friends and family is that Jesus will be real and near to each one as we face a new year.  May the Christ of Christmas live in our hearts so that every day others will see Jesus in us!

Have a blessed Christmas,

Rowen, Janet, Elizabeth, and Emily Albertson