Fun With Family!

As we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving, I want to express my gratitude for everything that I have been blessed with, especially our family.  What a great time we had with our children, their spouses, and grandchildren during the past week.  In addition my Dad and Shirley came for a visit and stayed with us for several days.   It's amazing to realize that in the past year we have added 3 new babies to the family, Marlie, Hudson, and Drew.  Marlon also brought his beautiful girlfriend, Daniella and her darling daughter Dalene.  Needless to say we had a "full house" but we made so many fun memories.  It was so hard to say good-bye and many tears were shed.  Below are just a few special moments.  I tried to find pictures that haven't been posted on my children's blogs.  

Tim, Kim, and Daniella around the "card table".

Marlon teaching is namesake, Marlie Rae, how to play the piano!

Grandma Shirley getting to know baby Drew.

Poppa Charlie and Mason sharing a "teaching moment".

Mason, Madison, amd McKayla all want to hold their new cousin Hudson.

Mason and Addie playing trucks!

Kerry, Cam, and Mary playing cards.

Marlon, Daniella, Dalene, Mason and Madison working on a craft project.

Mom's with all the kids at the mall!  Thank goodness for double strollers.

Recent Memories With The Grandkids!

I often say that being a grandparent is God's way of compensating one for growing old.  We have been so blessed with seven beautiful grandchildren and love them all so much!  This next week we are going to have the opportunity to have them all together for a day and we are so excited.

Life doesn't get much better than this!

Marlie loves her Grandpa!

Hudson plays "Patty Cake" with Grandma.

Addie and her "Papa".

An evening with Grandma!

Baby Drew on her Blessing Day!

NBC and the Paralympics

The above picture is Marlon with the doctor for the 2008 Paralympic team the night that he was injured running in the 100 meter event in Beijing.  He didn't really want me to take his picture, but being the persuasive mother that I am,  I was able to convince him that he would want a picture someday for posterity sake.  We are excited that NBC will air a 2 hour special about the Paralympics this Sunday, November 9th at 2:30 p.m. EST.  It will feature Marlon along with many other amazing Paralympians.  Hope if your schedule allows you will be able to view this program.  We have had the pleasure of meeting several of the athletes and are so touched by their stories.  We hope someday the Paralympics can get the live coverage that they are so deserving of.  Marlon seems to be doing well with his rehab and says he planning on London in 4 years!  Way to go Marlon, we are so proud of you!!!

Halloween Fun!

In our community, we do Trunk or Treat in the church parking lot as it is hard to do the traditional Trick or Treat in such a rural area.  As usual the kids couldn't wait to get all decked out in their costumes.  

When I was young I remember how excited I would be for Halloween, but as an adult IT IS NOT my favorite holiday and I REALLY DON'T enjoy dressing up.  I decided not to be a fuddy duddy however, and did my best to go along with the fun.  Kerry and I were going to be Beauty and the Beast but he couldn't find the head piece to his costume and decided to be an Army sniper instead!  Didn't quite have the same effect.  Oh well, the kids had a great time and that's good enough for me.

There Is Beauty All Around!

As I awoke this morning and took a peek outside, I witnessed one of the most beautiful sunrises that I have ever seen.  It was as if God and the angels were all saying "good morning"! No matter how difficult and challenging life can be at times, one only needs to take a look around to feel God's love in the beauty that surrounds us.  This blog is to pay tribute to that beauty.  I am so grateful for this time of year!

Fall flowers in Nauvoo!

Sunset over the Mississippi River!

Fall colors at Bear Lake!

Please Join Me In Prayer!

I'm not sure why, but I have always had a passion deep within my heart to help the children in Africa.  Recently I met a man who lives close by us who was headed back to a small African village in Zambia. He has built a school and opened a medical clinic in the village.  The picture above shows several of the children who live in the village.  I have just been amazed at what he and his family have been willing to sacrifice to help these people.  I just received an email from his wife, Larraine, tonight letting us know that he has arrived back into the village.  He left on the 17th and just arrived there probably yesterday.   He had to deliver a baby shortly after getting there.  This man is not a doctor but through miracles has been able to do things that he has no training to do.  Kerry and I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to help him by sending a suitcase packed full of children's clothes.  We were also able to give him a small amount of money that was donated from family and friends.  He said most children never change their clothes.  They just wear the same thing until they can't be worn anymore.  They live in grass huts with dirt floors, and drink dirty water that we wouldn't wash our feet in. For those of you who helped with the project, thank you so much.  For those of you who would like to help and believe in the power of prayer, please join me in praying for these children and our friend Alan.

This is the new school that Alan built.  He said it is the only tin roofed building around.  They had to make it out of stone because it was too expensive and difficult to get other building supplies to the village.  On this trip he will be building desks.  His wife said that he was surprised and grateful that since he was last there, the people of the village have landscaped around the school.   This is his 4th trip and probably his last for a while as he shared with me that his family has pretty much depleted their resources.

This is an orphan boy who lived here with his siblings.  Alan helped them to build a new hut.

Beijing Memories!

What an unbelievable experience we had this past September when Kerry and I were able to travel to Beijing for the Paralympic Games. Unfortunately Marlon was seriously injured while running in the 100 meter finals, but we still had the trip of a lifetime.  Beijing is a huge city which is occupied by 14 million people. We were so impressed with how friendly  everyone was. Everything was so clean and the landscaping was beautiful.  The entire time we were there we kept asking ourselves if we were really in Beijing!

I have never seen so many bicycles in my life.  Only 30% of the people in Beijing have cars. Now I know one reasons why there are no overweight people in China.  Rain or shine this is the typical mode of transportation.   The most interesting thing to me was how they ignore traffic lights.  We would stand in awe and watch as those on foot and on bikes would just head right out into the traffic without any apparent concern for getting hit.   

While waiting to get inside of the Bird's Nest to watch Marlon compete, we had the pleasure of meeting Yifan.  She and I have been emailing.  It's so fun to have a friend in Beijing!  As you can see Kerry's brother Val, and Marlon's friend Sam were with us on our trip.  We so much enjoyed having them along.

Outside of the Birds Nest at night was like being at Disneyland, it just had such a magically feeling.   It was an incredible feeling to be half way around the world seeing something that just days before we had seen on TV in the comfort of our family room.

Seeing the Great Wall of China in person, who would have ever dreamed!

What a hike!  We only went up as far as the first guard house that you see at the top behind us. I'm glad we didn't go any father as our legs felt like rubber by the time we got down.  It was so hot and so STEEP.  I thought for sure one of us was going to die of a heart attack.   As you can see however, we both survived.

One of our favorite places we visited was the Summer Palace.  We actually walked up several flights of stairs to get to the top of that big building in the background where we were able to overlook the city.

This picture was taken on the grounds of the Beijing Zoo on our last full day in Beijing.  We were truly blessed to take such an amazing trip and a piece of my heart will always be with the wonderful people there!