Thinking on the Gift of Christmas

Crazy Cousin Rendezvous Texas Style!

In late September I had the wonderful opportunity to fly to Austin to join in a "mini" Family Reunion.  The meeting was arranged by my Aunt Ruthie with the intention of celebrating late September/early October birthdays of Rob (my cousin), Fred (my Aunt's cousin), and Jon (my cousin).  Renee and Mom flew in from Connecticut, Fred flew in from New Jersey, Christine and Alan flew in from Pennsylvania, and me from California.  The Texas residents were all there, of course:  Aunt Ruthie, Uncle Robin, Rob and Linnea, Jon, Julie and Mark, and Nikki and Colin came too.  So, there were about 15 of us that took the Texas Hill Country by storm!  We had so much fun catching up and just being together.  Here are some pictures from my trip:

The birthday boys:

Tex-Mex Dinner out the first night:

And a surprise visit from Willie Nelson....and his twin brothers!

Spiderman made an appearance too!

The birthday boys, Fred and Rob.

A very fun and memorable 4 days in Texas!

Please Pray For A Miracle With Us

Andrew, a good friend of Natalie's and a senior in her graduating class, is fighting a relapse of a very aggressive bone cancer.  He has begun chemotherapy, but the Dr.'s have been very frank in saying that these efforts will not "cure" the cancer, only give him a little more time.

Please join with us in praying for Andrew.  We are praying for God to do a miracle, remove the cancer, and completely heal Andrew.  May God be glorified in everything.

"I am at rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from Him."          ~Psalm 62:1

"Our help is in the name of Yahweh,

the Maker of heaven and earth."        ~Psalm 124:8

Delightfully Busy!

Now that I am home, I have been busy being "Grandma" to Addison.  It's been wonderful having Eric, Chelsea, and Addison just across town!  While Grandma has fun watching Addie, Eric has started law school and Chelsea is subbing and applying for full time positions. 

We have watched Addison over a couple of weekends, so Grandpa ("Papa" as Addison calls Chris) gets to get in on the action too!  We have enjoyed morning walks down to feed the ducks and fun in the back yard with bubbles.

Natalie's freshman year at William Jessup University has started and she is enjoying her classes and college in general!

My Third Adventure in Romania

So much to think about- so much to process; and when I got off the plane in Sacramento on July 20th, the tempo of life back here kicked in and I was off and running-- all good things, wonderful things.  But this was the first time in 3 trips to Romania, that the words from Jen's debriefing really played out for me.  I am still thinking about things that I experienced during our two weeks and trying to find quiet moments to listen to God's heart on these matters. 

It's hard to know what to write about first-- I had such an awesome team to travel and minister with!  Shannon was a great Team Leader and we all had fun working together in the days and months before our trip to fund raise.  Getting to experience this a third time with Natalie was a very special blessing too.  Adding to our foursome was Jessica, Natalie's good friend and an adopted daughter of mine! It was such a joy to share Romania with her.  Jessica's Mom, Flossie, was our "home team" team member and her efforts enabled us to purchase the gifts we needed to bring for graduates and also pay the charges for our extra bags.  Krista was another member of our team and her trip to RO overlapped a few days with ours. 

The kids were fun, rambunctious, and so happy to have hugs and attention and the opportunity to attend the Day Camp.  It was wonderful to see little ones we had met before and see them recognize us with happy smiles and hugs.  They all had grown taller - of course! 

Last year I had met a little guy named Elvis.  Now, you don't meet many Romanian children named Elvis; in fact, he is the only one I have encountered.  Consequently, with such a notable name, it was easy to remember him.   The first day we were at the playground, I had hugged and greeted alot of the kids that had just been to the camp and also sought out ones I remembered and wanted to see.  I saw Elvis and walked over to him.  For some reason, a sudden shyness overcame him, and he didn't want to make eye contact with me.  So, I leaned over alongside of him and said in Romanian, "Your name is Elvis."  Then I saw this big smile come across his face.  The shyness of the moment disappeared, and the snapshot of that smile will forever be in my memory.

Here are some pictures from our visit:

In Honor of You, Dad

As far back as I can remember, June was the month connected to my Dad. His birthday and Father's Day always arrived within a few days of each other, and we always enjoyed celebrating both days, doing our best to let him know how much we loved him.  Within his household of five girls, he was king! He was loving and kind, and gifted with gentle words of wisdom.  I always thought I had the best Dad in the whole world--and I did! Although my Dad is home with the Lord now, I think of him often and miss him--especially every year in June. I will always be thankful to have had such a wonderful loving father.

In honor of you, Dad:

Father of Mine

by Sarah K. Marinee

Father of mine, some years ago
You showed me the way I ought to go;
You led my feet past the treach'rous sand
By the gentle clasp of your own strong hand.

Father of mine, let me thank you for
The prayers you prayed and the burden you bore.
Like a guiding star thro' the tempests' strife,
All your precepts have shone on my path of life.

Father of mine, when the time has passed
And the work of my life is complete at last,
When I step ashore on the glory strand
With a grateful heart I will clasp your hand.

Happy Birthday, U.S. Army!

Old Glory, We Salute You!

My Project for June!

I am working on a new quilt using the bright and colorful fabrics in the fabric line for The Very Hungry Caterpillar.  So fun!  It seems like forever since I have been working on a quilt, so I'm very excited to get this going.  Off now to load the bobbin and get going!

Memorial Day

Remembering our fallen heroes, and renewing the sacred duty of all Americans to preserve freedom.

We Have A Graduate! The Second Big May Celebration

Sunday, May 20th was High School graduation day for Natalie.  Eric and Addison flew in for the weekend, and Grandma and Grandpa Brumfield came as well.  We had a family dinner together on Saturday night and celebrated Kristin's and Eric's birthdays.  It was also the first time Mom and Dad Brumfield met their great-granddaughter, Addison.  So it was a special weekend in many ways.

And, as usual, we enjoyed watching the antics between Addison and Sydney and their special friendship.

We are so excited for Eric, Chelsea, and Addison to move here in July!! 

The May Celebrations Begin!

May has been a wonderful family time this year.  The month began with a 60th Anniversary Dinner for Mom and Dad Brumfield on May 5th, their anniversary date being May 6th.  We had a fun time at Claim Jumper Restaurant, and Mom and Dad were surrounded by family and friends.  I was informed I should start planning for their 70th!

We decorated the tables with diamonds because the 60th anniversary is known as the  "Diamond Anniversary."  We joked that because I had done well on the Penny Slots the night before, the diamonds were real- ha!

It was a night to remember and Mom and Dad were so happy and pleased with everything.

Thinking Ahead To Mother's Day

The Birthday Girl today! 

 

Just thinking about the amazing and wonderful journey of motherhood I have experienced and continue to experience; 

-Remembering with much thankfulness the two beautiful mothers in my life;

-And thinking about my daughters as they are in the early steps of this journey called motherhood.

Here are a few tender insights on Motherhood from Ann Voscamp.  You can read her whole post here. 

* Mothers give up much and never give up.

* Mothers never stop being with child. You always make a space for me within you.

* A mother’s labor and delivery never ends and for years she has to remember to just take a deep breath. Whole battles can be won by one breath and a prayer at a time.