HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY

We had a wonderful Mother's Day with our moms present. We had a tasty brunch after church in which everyone brought delicious food. We ate well and had a good time of talk and laughter. Gretchen was the youngest mother present celebrating her first Mother's Day and Carsten was there to keep us entertained with all of his genius activity. Rhea and Debbie stopped by on their way home from the valley and visited with us in the afternoon. God has blessed us with awesome mothers who have taught us many Godly character traits.

Bernie had gone out halibut fishing with some buddies of his and brought home his limit. He got home at midnight the eve of Mother's Day

I received beautiful peach roses (my favorite color from Grechen and Phil as well as an edible dark chocolate box filled with chocolate candy from AK Wildberry Products. Need I say more...yum. Bernie you got me the beautiful bouquet which is on the entertainment center with the pretty purple vase and the sterling purple rose bouquet. Good taste and it came on Mother's Day delivered to the door. Thank you, favorite son of mine. Thank you Bridgette and Chad for the thoughtful gifts and card but most of all for the beautiful grandchildren you have blessed us with. Natalie and Adam I loved the card and can hardly wait to hold little Greta. I laughed so hard at the card.

God definitely blessed us with 4 great kids who have succeeded in life because of God and His goodness. "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6

MARVELOUS MAY


Here are just a few random pictures of what we did last week. These are my good friends I went to CHS with Joy Powell McCall and Dianne Boehm Bassett. Dianne and I were cheerleaders together and Joy was the smartest student in our school!! Dianne has been here for the past year (only I didn't know it) and Joy has been home for about 4 or 5 yrs (she's a former missionary to Haiti). We got together for the second time to visit and talk and remminisce and, this time I remembered my camera. It's been 32 years since we graduated and moved on and amazing to see how God has blessed us and let our paths cross. Joy and I go to the same church and Dianne goes to church in ER.

Here is our little camping trailer we bought two years ago and Dad has been diligently working on it. He took it completely apart and rebuilt it and added fancy lights etc. Thanks to Chris Yelverton for the awesome paint job. He outdid himself on this project. The former owners came over last week and they don't even recognize it. Once it warms up, we will take it camping for the two of us.

The other pictures is of Dad. Gretchen and I got such a kick out of watching him and Finn sleep so good last week on the recliner after he came home from work. He went to sleep in about five minutes...deep sleep with very aduible snoring coming from Dad. Finn didn't move a muscle and loved it, sleeping in the crook of his arm going up and down with each exhaling. It was priceless.

Here are some more pictures of our camping trip and sweet little Finn who will be 6 wks. now. He sure is growing and was a pleasure to take camping as were his mom and dad.

HOORAY!!! Our first camping trip of 2007 and we decided to go to Seward. I had a 3-day weekend due to a school in-service and Bernie took the day off. We packed our bicycles and stopped and shopped for groceries in Anchorage. It is such a blessing to just go and not have to pack everything but the kitchen sink.

We invited both the Grandmothers and also Gretchen, Phil, and Finn down. The great-grandmas couldn't make it this trip but Phil, Gretchen, and Finn came and spent Saturday and Sunday with us. We all had a good time and the weather was beautiful! Psalms 148. "Praise him, sun and moon. Praise him all you shining stars. Praise him highest heavens and you waters above the sky. Let them praise the Lord beause they were created by his command. He put them in place forever and ever; he made a law that will never change. Praise the Lord from the earth you large sea animals and all the oceans...

HAPPY AND A BLESSED EASTER TO ALL!!

Here we are after coloring eggs for Finnley's first Easter. His dad Phil is quite the artist when it comes to dying the eggs. We had a total of 20 people over for dinner after church. We also had two more visitors in the afternoonn and it was so delightful to visit with them. Lori Crouse whom we went to school with and another friend, Anne Roberts. There was so much delicious food, it was hard to resist. Dawn, Sherry, and Jessica outdid themselves on the desserts. We had lemon meringue pie, 4-layer dessert, knox blocks, chocolate truffle tart, chocolate peanut butter pie, cream puffs with berries, and Lynette made a carrot cake.

The vinyl got laid on Saturday before and it came out great. The other vinyl hadn't been changed since we moved in 24 yrs ago. It was long overdue. I painted the walls a buttercream yellow and soon it will be finished. Bernie and Phil did some more work on the walls tonight and tomorrow the toilet will be remounted. Good thing no one uses this bathroom now.

Some thoughts about Easter. We focus so much on the fact that Jesus died for us. We sometimes forget that he lived for us too and still lives for us. If Jesus had come simply as himself and not as one of us the Bible makes it quite clesar that we could not have borne the sight of his presence, any more than Moses could have looked directly at the face of God.

Imagine what it would be like to be at the Father's side one moment and struggling to sleep in a cattle trough the next. Imagine what it would be like to go from hearing the praise of angels to suffering the taunts of stupid men. The cost to Jesus is an indication of the incredible value of what He came to give us. And because no one will ever fully know what that cost Jesus, we can only begin to understand the incredible value of His gift to us. Eternal Life. Jesus overcame death and rose from the grave. He died to give us life. He is alive.

What a Wonderful Spring Break!! Despite the snow and cold, there was much to do indoors. A time to clean, a time to paint the bathroom, a time to visit, a time to spend with Finn and Gretchen. Soon I was wondering where the time went. Bernie and I went to the Home Show at the Sullivan, the Motorcycle Show at the Egan, adn the RV show at the Northway Mall. Things never got slow, and we were busy all the time. I loved every minute of it.

We had a good time visiting with the Benavides family. Sue made a tasty lunch and we visited for quite a while. Sue and Sam's gracious hospitality are worthy to be praised. I also had the opportunity to visit with Marion and Grif Griffiths at the Sleepy Dog Cafe. We had such a good time. Grif turned 80 years young last week!

Dawn and Sherry threw a shower/luncheon at Grandma George's house for those who could not make it to Finn's shower. They did such a good job. The food was wonderful especially, the homemade Chai Cheesecake and Brownie Tart.

We started a Daniel (Beth Moore) Bible study here with 6 ladies. I am looking forward to what God will be teaching me and the others as well.Beth Moore has always been inspiring as well as challenging.

Max Lucado writes..."Proverbs is a collection of lamps. Not spotlights that blind. Not bonfires that blaze. But lamps. Lamps that do for your heart what the lamps in your house do for your eyes. They chase away the darkness." These commands are like a lamp wrote Solomon.

It is so important to read the Word of God every day and let it speak to you. It is like a mirror, a reflection of myself, and what I do about it is up to me. It's a choice. What's on the inside will eventually come out. Time spent in Proverbs makes a heart wise.

SPRING BREAK - MARCH IS IN LIKE A LION...LET'S HOPE IT'S OUT LIKE A LAMB...
Our weather is still cold but this is the start of our spring break we have...a whole 10 days off. It's plenty warm inside and the sun is absolutely shining outside. The warmer weather will undoubtedly come. I planted begonia bulbs inside in flower pots today so hopefully by Memorial Day weekend they can go outside.

Finn is getting bigger and so much fun to watch between his stretches and his facial expressions. Gretchen had her appt. today and is recovering nicely. Finn has passed his birth weight and is in the 90th percentile according to the Dr.'s charts.

We now have renters which is an answer to prayer. They move in this weekend. This weekend we are taking in the home show and also the motorcycle show at the Egan Ctr. We are looking forward to both.

Within the seed lies God's creative power
He's given us the joy to see it grow;
And when He puts new life within our heart,
His wonder-working power we can know.

In the first photo you'll notice that Liam has on Gretchen's Croc's and was walking around with them. He is so cute and never far from his big sister Isabel.

This was Finn's homecoming week and he had many visitors including cousins Liam and Isabel, Elic, Georgea, and Carsten. Aunts Dawn and Sherry came as well as Barbara and Debbie and also Grandma George. He and his mom and dad are doing well and are getting adjusted to his schedule.

Finn has his nights and days a little mixed up right now but soon to be scheduled according to Gretchen and Phil. He is a happy little guy when being held.

Here is our beautiful Baby Finn on day two. His proud papa and G-Pop are holding him as well as Chrissy. Finn has started to eat and is getting the hang of nursing. Gretchen is doing well also and has gotten up to do a little walking...still not much sleep though, for she or for Phil. There were so many visitors yesterday including both grandmas, Great Aunt Chrissy, Sara and Dori, Great Grandma Rhea, co-workers, friends from church, and family friends.

Psalms 100:3 "Know ye that the Lord, He is God; it is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; we are His people and the sheep of his pasture."

PRAISE GOD FROM WHOM ALL BLESSINGS FLOW...

Welcome to the world Finnley Patrick Courtney weighing in at 9 lbs and 2 oz and 20 inches long. He is beautiful. Congratulations to the proud parents Phil and Gretchen Courtney! We couldn't be happier for you.

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God...