What we've doing these last few weeks...

LOVING on FAMILY

 

Grammy and JD

Joshua David sleeps really well in PaPa D's arms

Grammy, Mom, and JD on Mother's Day 2013

 

 

Chris and Deborah were able to spend a few days with us.

 

John Mark and his mom came to visit,

 

 

while they took a family greeting trip through VA, NC, SC, and GA.

 

 

What a difference two months makes!

 

Stephen came to check out his nephews as well.

 

Made for a HAPPY Mom and Dad to see All the family,

except for Mike, who had to stay home to work.

 

Other family loving time included:

David's sister Lynn who accompanied Miriam on her family greeting trip

his brother Loy and wife Claudette popped in for a couple of hours

BFFs Bill and Vicki stopped to say hello on their way back home to Tennessee

our little Anna Grace and Ben and their folks spend some time with us

and then there was dinner at Nanny Jan and Papa Wayne's, JD's great grandparents

and dinner at Mimi and Bop's, JD's grandparents too.

 

So that's what we have been doing the past few weeks

before we returned home and hit the ground running!

LOTS of loving!

and cooking some of those "kiddos' favorite things...

 

 

that makes a happy momma!

 

By the way, we get to do it all over again in December when we welcome baby Slater into the family!

Three grandbabies in one year...must be a record...well, at least for our family it is.

Thank you Father for your gift of family.

 

Thank you Father for your gift of Eternal Family through Jesus.

Are you a member of that Eternal Family?

F*A*M*I*L*Y...

The twenty-fifth, twenty-sixth, and twenty-seventh we were able to spend some time with Rebecca and David in their little cabin in the woods.  We visited Ryan and Leigh Ann's and delivered some Guatemalan treats, well some Peruvian ones too. 

 

Ben loved his super hero finger puppets and

 

 

his Captian America cape complete with mask.

 

Among Anna Grace's treasures was a necklace with Guatemalan children charms.

 

She liked to pose in traditional Guatemalan dress.

This style hupil, corte, and belt is worn by girls in

Santa Maria de Jesus, a village close to us.

 

Love this f*a*m*i*l*y pose -

Papa D, Ben, Anna Grace and Mama G.

 

There was one of just the girls.

 

 

And one that will melt your heart!

 

The twenty-eighth found us on the road once again to spend a little time with this little lady who loves us...and ice cream too.  What better hertitage than to have a mom who prays for her children and grandchildren everyday, several times throughout the day! 

 



 

Time quickly came to a close as we headed back to Augusta on the twenty-ninth to share time with Deborah and Chris before she took us to Atlanta on the thirtieth. 

 

 

We got a little extra time at the hotel that night and then dashed to the airport on December 1st to fly away, fly away home, filled with many memories that make us smile.

 

We look forward to March when we get to travel back to the states and greet this family.

 

 



 And we look forward to greeting this family in April.

 

 

Well, it was a whirlwind of a month but filled with ministry and memories.

Thanks for being a part of our lives as you hold us before the Father.

May we continue faithful to the task to which He has called.

 

And more F*A*M*I*L*Y time

After David preached at his home church there in Adrian on the eighteenth and after a "DELICIOUS too much food" lunch, we headed to Augusta for more f*a*m*i*l*y time.  We enjoyed a community Thanksgiving worship at our sending church, Abilene Baptist before heading to the lake house.  Barry and Liz have been so kind to offer us the use of their country home to spend f*a*m*i*l*y and each time, we have made such special memories.  So on the ninteeth, twentieth, twenty-first, twenty-second, twenty-third, and twenty-fourth we made memories.

 

And shared two holidays in one...Thanksgiving round the table....

and Christmas gifts.

 

Dad gives the kids special angels each year.

This year Miriam's is mom and baby.

 

Rebecca's is a Noah's ark.

We had already ordered hers when the news was discovered.

 

Stephen's was the patriotic angel.

 

And Deborah's was the woodland angel, complete with bunny.

(She and Chris have a pet bunny.)

 

There was Dad and son time.

 

There was Mom and girls time.

 

 

There was Mom and son time.

 

And Dad and daughter time too.

And it all passed so quickly.

But better a little time than no time at all.

 

We treasure these F*A*M*I*L*Y times!

 

 

It was F*A*M*I*L*Y time

We enjoyed our f*a*m*i*l*y time with Mom and Gayle on the fiftheenth and sixteenth, and headed out for more family fun on the seventeenth to celebrate Loy and Claudette's 50th wedding anniversary!   That's a LONG time!  I think they got married when they were just babies!  We celebrated with a tea in the afternoon.

 

And then it was a great opportunity for the ladies to gather at a local Italian restaurant for dinner and a Miller Baby Shower for Miriam. 

 

 

The tired Momma to Be, Miriam - it's been a long day!

 

And since our family is very crafty, she received many handmade gifts too.

Aunt Claudette made a soft and cozy blue blanket.

 

 

Dianne made a receiving blanket and burb clothes.

 

 

 

Aunt Ruth made a special quilt.

 

 

Debbie wrote a book, The Ketchup Boy, and even autographed it.

All right, it wasn't just for babay Adams, but still how cool is that...

your cousin is a published author and you get her special book?!

 

 

She got other books too - some Golden Book ones and some others even in Spanish!

He will grow up to be the translator for Mom and dad when they come to visit.

 

Aunt Wrena gave him a prayer covering blanket.

 

David D choose this special bib..."My Dad is Cooler than Your Dad."

I guess he plans on Baby Adams wearing it when he is NOT around Baby Durham.

 

 

She received many gifts, perfect for baby and mom too.

But the greatest gift was being able to celebrate with a loving family.

We're kinda partial to this wonderful Miller fam!

 

 

Rebecca, Deborah and Miriam - Deborah is balanced on each side by her pregnant sisters.

She'll wait her turn till sometime in the future.

 



Final bday blog of the year...

Throughout the year, we have highlighted each of our family on their special day.

Today we celebrate the birthday of son-in-law #3, Christopher.

Thnkful for your godly heritage.

When you first started "coming around" the house 10 years ago,

little did we realize that this little girl would become the love of your life.

Little did we realize that God had designed you

to be the godly man that this little girl needed.

Little did we realize that you would become a permanent feature to the family.

But we are so thankful that God's plan brought us all together!

We love you SIL #3 - Chris!

H*A*P*P*Y***B*I*R*T*H*D*A*Y!

What do they have in common?

 

Well, they share a sister, Deborah,

 

and a brother, Stephen.

 

 

They love spending time with their family

 

They love their husbands very much!

 

Miriam and Mike

 

Rebecca and David

 

They share a "secret"...

 

 

They BOTH are going to make us grandparents next year!

 

Yep, we're just a little bit E*X*C*I*T*E*D!!!!