As I began writing this – I was in the home of my daughter Michelle in 80 degree warm and sunny Florida, while the rest of the country was in extremely frigid temperatures! It was beautiful and very warm outside – and definitely did not feel like winter, December or anywhere close to Christmas – but yet – there we were!
Michelle had just come home from the hospital where she gave birth to a precious little red headed baby girl named Chloe Grace. ( My 2nd red headed grand child!) She was born on Black Friday, November 27th at 6:12 pm, 7 lbs. 11 oz and 20” long. A true girly girl - wanting to go shopping! Ha ha!!! Michelle said that it was the easiest and fastest delivery of all her children and she is a really good baby!!!
Within the next 2 weeks, Michelle and I, along with my 4 grandchildren - headed out - in a fully-packed van, and were Tennessee bound for a short Christmas celebration and mini-reunion at my house. Meanwhile, Jay was left with a fully packed household and began the long trek northward, with his dad and a moving truck toward Ohio the next morning. My son-in-law Jay accepted a Senior Pastor position at the First Baptist Church in Beverly, Ohio and wanted to be there and settled in before Christmas.
Plans were a tad altered while we were in Tennessee when Chloe ended up at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital. Upon Jay receiving the news, he changed his route and headed to Tennessee instead of Ohio so that he could be with Michelle. Jay's dad continued onward toward Ohio - and thankfully was met with Jay and Michelle's new church family, who helped unpack the truck, set up a Christmas tree for them, (complete with a new sled! To which the grandchildren were totally thrilled about), unpacked the kitchen competely, stocked the refrigerator, and set up the beds - anticipating our arrival. God bless them for all their thoughtfulness!
After 48 hours of observation, (hospital policy with newborns), the baby checked out fine. Michelle's mother-in-law Pat came to see the new baby and grandchildren before we left Tennessee, and we began the long 7 hour drive to Ohio. By the time we arrived though, it had been a very long 9 hour drive!!!
Since that time - (and after Christmas), they are fully settled into their new house, which is very nice - and a LOT larger than they anticipated. God is so good - as they held their rental house - sight unseen - but were hopeful that it would be large enough to accomidate them. We were completely and pleasantly surprised!) They love their new house, new church and church family, the kids are back in homesehool, and the baby is still doing wonderful. They are very happy in their new home and new town!
It’s so hard to recap this last year – as it’s flown by in record speed and I can barely comprehend that another year has passed by already. As with year's past - it all seems a blurr now!
I think the most dramatic moments in this past year was May 22nd, when Steve, as most of you already know, crashed his airplane – but thankfully and miraculously survived the crash! Who else do you know who could tangle himself in power line, land on four cars in a used car lot and live to talk about it??! We are so thankful!!! The crash was the 4th one on that particular grass landing strip - and the only one with survivors. It's such a miracle - in many ways - and amazing that the plane didn't explode upon impact! Both he and his buddy survived - and thankfully his buddy had only scratches and bruises. The weird part was that he dreamed about it happening a month or so beforehand! For the most part though, Steve has recovered, his collapsed lung isn't collapsed anymore and his 2 broken ribs have healed. He still suffers with two torn rotator cuffs - one in each shoulder, but he had that before the crash. Sadly, the plane, N3229Y did not survive the crash - and was declared a total loss. But since that time, he bought himself another 182 Cessna, N3586Y, and is presently in the process of painting it, along with some other necessary modifications.
As with most of us this year – the economy has impacted our lives to the extent that we have had very little work this past year and it’s been mighty difficult. But as always, God provides! Thankfully in November however, we were awarded a few job projects to help us through the holidays. For that – we are tremendously thankful!
As for the rest of the family….Matt finished his Aviation Management degree in December, at Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC and will graduate in May 2010. Unfortunately, with the economy, Matt was among those that were laid off this year from Stevens Airfield, and frustratingly hasn’t found other employment in the aviation field. Due largely in part to Obama-nomics and all! Meanwhile, he’s been painting with his wife Jessie’s cousin. Matt and Jessie still live in Taylors, South Carolina.
This past year Josh relocated for work purposes, and is acting as foreman on a job in Kingsport, Tennessee about 4 hours from Nashville. Being that the job is nearly finished – he will tentatively be returning to Nashville in February, and he can hardly wait! The biggest news in his life this past year was asking his long-time and now best friend Danielle to become his wife. They were engaged in November and have not set a date for when they plan to be married. They have known each other for years – back in their church youth group days.
Chris is currently living at home with us and hopes to relocate to Bowling Green, Kentucky. He is presently working as a waiter at Cheddars Restaurant and also maintains a 2nd job as a sales associate with the retail store, Champs Sporting Goods. He hopes to start school again and plans to attend Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky. I think he has finally chosen his desired field of study to be Physical Therapy. Meanwhile though, his back has been giving him tremendous difficulties - and we think that surgery may be in his near future. Repercussions of his football days!
All in all it’s been a pretty busy year - even without a lot of work. If I had one word to sum it all up - I think it would be TRAVEL! Lots and lots of travel! Florida to Indiana, South Carolina, Colorado and everything in between! I think we've got jet-lag - at least I do!!! I think that Steve could fly indefinately! It's his passion!!!!!
The week of Christmas - our tenants, who occupied our Hendersonville house broke their lease 6 months early, and didn't give us much notice to get another tenant. I was shocked when I discovered that she was mighty busy cutting down all our trees that we had JUST landscaped! I'm just sick! We were planning on putting the house on the market and sell it, but then decided to try our hand at Corporate Housing. We are in the process of furnishing the house again - and advertise it for short-term leases fully furnished, complete with dishes, towels, sheets, etc. We are doing a LOT of praying for the success of it, and I guess time will tell if it will be a success or not. I really do not want to sell our home and have thoughts of moving back down to Hendersonville. I really miss being close to town, and also the space the house provided, which we do not have at our new home. But for now - we are praying a lot to determine God's will for the direction of our lives.
Anway, I guess that's the highlights of the year 2009. You can always go back through my blog to recap everything we have done - as I've tried to keep it current this past year. It's so hard to remember everything! Call it senior moments - or something like that.....Oh well. Ha ha!
I hope that this past year has been a good year for you – and I hope and pray for you a prosperous new and upcoming year in 2010!
We will be praying that God blesses you and your family! That His face will shine upon you and give you everlasting peace - the peace that passes all understanding and only comes from Him! Never forget that Jesus is the reason for the season! If you have never asked Him to live in your heart - my hope is that this year will be the year you will consider it! The coming of the Lord is coming sooner than we think! May His love be felt in our hearts and reflect in our lives onto others ….all year long!!! Remember that the Word of God tells us that we are to be radiant portraits of God's beauty....His love! I know for me - I need to pray hard - that I am.
Please forgive me for not writing and sending cards out to everyone this year. I felt a huge tug at my heart because I wasn't able to do it. My computer died, and as I learned later - the hard drive was erased. It had been going bad for a long time - and I didn't back up any of my files. (A mistake I will not repeat!!!) Sadly, I have no one's addressess or phone numbers. Live and learn I guess! I have had a difficult year in computers!
I hope you had a very Merry Christmas and a good start to a new year!!!
I love you all!!!
Merry Christmas
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