The Alexander Family 2019

 JANUARY

We began the year house hunting. Having finished the last fixer-upper, we were eager to begin a new project. Oliver and Michelle joined us this particular Sunday afternoon and we asked Oliver to be the "first guy in" - a role he played when he was much younger.

I'll never forget the time we were checking out foreclosures when Oliver was about five years old. Standard procedure was to find an unlocked door or window on the abandoned houses and send Oliver through to unlock the front door for the rest of us. One particular house had a sliding glass patio door and it happened to be unlocked. I (Joy) pulled and pulled but could barely get it to open more than 6 inches - not enough to send Oliver through. As I continued to struggle with all my might I noticed a HUGE dog was suddenly staring at me on the other side of the glass door. I suppose the residents had not moved out yet. To this day, more than twenty years later, I say that an angel was pulling against me that day, trying to keep me from sending my little son into a house with a dog as big as he was. 

Our family has made so many memories working on fixer-uppers together. Even now we comment on what albums we were listening to as we were working on the different houses. I vividly remember hearing Casting Crowns "American Dream" while standing on the kitchen counter at our Tyner fixer-upper trailer cutting in above the cabinets with a beautiful soft mint wall color that the kids said looked like Comet bathroom cleaner. It was the smallest, most humbling house we had lived in, but the lines of the song kept me focused on the bigger picture:

"I'll take a shack on the rock over a castle in the sand."

We had no idea that the equity from that humble house would be the very thing God would use to open a door for Timmy to be able to leave his career as a bridge builder and come home to work alongside us. I'm so glad we weren't too proud or too fancy to take on that project. The blessing of having an at-home dad and working together as a family was so worth it.

Our second year being able to help our dear friends, Steve and Ginny Riley, prepare for the Union Mission Staff Banquet. It's been said that opposites attract but this couple proves different. Steve and Ginny are both the most encouraging, joyful, loving people ever. If either of them has a negative or critical thought, you'd never know it. They are such amazing examples of what true Christ-followers look like. We are so blessed by their friendship.

FEBRUARY

Happy 12th birthday to our precious Sheridan. I will never stop thanking God for the gift of this one last child. I have told her over and over, "I didn't think God was going to give us any more children here on earth to love and care for, but He gave us YOU!"
What an extraordinary gift she has been to our family.

Sheridan enjoyed ice skating with her friend, Chessie, and Sullivan and Harrison.

MARCH

We just love our church's mission: 

To invite and lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. 

This particular week 73 people were baptized, including some from our weeknight community group who recently accepted Christ as their personal Savior.

 It's always exciting when young adults choose to follow Jesus. 

These young people are Harrison's age. 

(Sheridan and Harrison in left corner.)

Something that has been an encouragement through the years is carving out some time to listen to a good message. We get a lot out of Andy Stanley's sermons from North Point Ministries. 

To keep everyone focused we hand out candy to munch on during the message. 

Because of that, we usually have a willing bunch when we ask, 

"Who wants to do an 'Andy and Candy'?"

APRIL

This was Sheridan's clever April Fool's Day prank. 

It caught every one of us by surprise when we opened the door and thought someone was unconscious on the bathroom floor!

MAY

Harrison has been interested in home remodeling for a while and talked about looking for a flip house. This trailer came on the market and looked like a perfect fit. The trailer park community was created for seniors so it's mostly made up of well maintained homes and cared for yards. I can imagine the neighbors will be thrilled for someone to fix this place up.

It worked out perfectly that Elliott and Bethany happened to be in town when we were all checking it out with Harrison. They were a great source of encouragement as Harrison was deciding if this would be a good investment. Harrison is blessed to have as an example older brothers who started out with debt free fixer uppers themselves. He has observed how their willingness to work hard and not have the nicest things at first has paid off. Of great significance is the fact that the older boys' wives are such incredible team players. It is remarkable that these girls are willing to contentedly live in homes less impressive than their peers'. 

They are living like no one else so one day they can live like no one else.

We are so grateful for the younger kids to have the older couples as their example.

Everyone came into town to help us celebrate 

Sullivan and Harrison's graduations.

The grandbabies love playing in the farm's corn pit.

Farmerdaddy, Baby William, and Bella

Caroline loves the chickens and isn't the least bit afraid to explore
with them clucking and pecking all around her.

Here's our entrepreneurial Margaret with Bella modeling one of the doggie bandanas she is sewing and selling for her new business. We're so proud of this creative, productive girl!

Penelope celebrated her fourth birthday with a Dumbo-themed ice cream cake 

while she was with us. 

Looking back on it now, I think the younger boys' graduations is among one of my 

finest family memories.

Of course, we were happy for Harrison to graduate from high school and Sullivan to graduate with his Bachelor of Arts from Liberty University. But, it was so much more than that.

When we began planning how we'd celebrate many months earlier, we learned that there were absolutely no accommodations available anywhere near Liberty University's campus where Sullivan's ceremony would take place. The ceremony and events might have taken the entire day so it wasn't reasonable to plan a celebration at the farm afterwards. I reached out to a friend (with much reluctance) asking if her brother who had a lake home near the university might possibly be willing to rent it out for the weekend to our family...a group of over 20. Gulp.

Imagine my complete surprise when she said the lake house was available and her brother would like to let us stay there at no charge whatsoever! His family saw the lake house as a means to bless others. Wow! I couldn't believe it. What incredible generosity. What an incredible blessing.

We sent word to our family and planned to arrive Friday night, enjoy a feast at the lake house, stay overnight, wake to an early breakfast, and head to the university for the day's events.

Things seldom go as planned, but this time everything went better than planned. The meal, a ham from the Honey Baked Ham Store, special ordered fried chicken, and all the fixings was carefree and delicious. 

After eating on the back deck, the grown ups sat around drinking coffee and chatting. The older kids went out on the pier and played made up games. Meredith got her crew ready for bed and they circled the table of grand and great grandparents offering good night hugs with broad smiles on their cheerful faces. 

That moment in itself was beautiful. These babies hugged each of us as if it brought them joy, as if we were the ones who tucked them in every night, not as relatives that only see them occasionally.  What a reflection of the good work their parents are doing, obviously raising their children to think about and appreciate their relatives that may be distant but love them immensely through the miles. 

As the daylight faded we could hear the older kids' laughter in the distance while the rest of us enjoyed casual conversations and funny stories from the past. Tim's parents, my mom, my dad and step-mom, all talking as if we were always a part of one big family.

The older kids' fun moved indoors and was finally broken up when we all headed to bed. Because of the early events at the university, some of us had to set alarms for 3:45am while others had the luxury of sleeping in til 5:30am. As we all said goodnight, I hugged my dad and told him I loved him. I realized in that moment that I hadn't hugged my father before going to bed since I was a little girl. My parents divorced when I was four and although my sister and I spent alternating weekends with him for a few years, we outgrew it and only came by on Sunday afternoons til we were grown. Hugging him goodnight at the lake house filled my heart with joy and sadness all in the same moment. Somehow though, it seemed as if that one hug represented the hundreds, actually thousands of hugs that never were. 

For me, it is evidence of the Lord's kindness to now enjoy such a good relationship with my father. How God has restored my relationship with my dad and has given us a deep love for one another is nothing short of a miracle. We both agree that our relationship is a gift and one that we certainly didn't deserve. His regrets were many through the years. Mine were as well. I harbored bitterness and unforgiveness that I didn't even recognize until I was older. I gained my first glimpse of fresh perspective when I was 27, the age my mom and dad were when they divorced. I was aware of how hard marriage could be, having been married 9 years myself. I was also aware of how immature I was and how poorly I would handle disagreements in my own marriage. I remember thinking, "They were THIS young?! No wonder they made the choices they did!" That realization would be among a series of events that would bring me to a place of forgiveness. It was during that season that Oliver was born and his middle name, Cole, was chosen as a forever reminder of the blessing that my father, Coley, had become in my life. 

I suspect I was the last to fall asleep in the lake house that night. I couldn't stop thinking about how perfect the evening had been and how grateful I was to be sleeping under the same roof with so many of my loved ones.

The ceremony was wonderful and so God-honoring. 

I was proud that Sullivan was a graduate of such a fine institution.

Should I mention, after describing such a beautiful celebration, 

why so few of us are in this final picture?

Well, it started raining and the ceremony was outside so we all got wet. 

Some got on the road early because of that. 

And others woke up with a stomach virus and didn't even get to come to the ceremony. 

And one had to be the first out of the parking lot so he didn't have time for pictures.

Still, it was among my most memorable, enjoyable family events of all time!

We loved being part of the surprise party planned for our long-time friend, Beth. We have the best memories from spending time with Beth and Steve over the years. What an amazing family they are. They have been an inspiration to so many as they have parented well for decades. From big family visits together at Nags Head to couples only meet-ups at our favorite restaurants,
our lives are richer because of their friendship.

There were as many husbands here as there were wives 

but I suppose they didn't make it into the pictures!

When it comes to gifts, sometimes making a memory is better than more stuff to find a home for once the new wears off. For Christmas Oma gave us money to make a memory. While Meredith's family was living near the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter we decided we'd meet up and make Oma's Christmas gift memory together.

The ark is enormous.

Uncle Harrison is always willing to offer a ride to a sweet niece or nephew.

Sullivan looked like he was having more fun than the kids 

as he was keeping their ride going at the museum's playground.

Here Sullivan is showing the kids what you
do when you find a big hill.

John is giving it a try.

We've made it a tradition to include a meal at Cracker Barrel 

when we're making a memory with the grandbabies.

I encouraged Sullivan and Sheridan to come along when Harrison

 went to the real estate closing to purchase his first fixer upper. 

It's a very fancy office that offers coffee, sodas and candy while waiting for the attorney -
things that rank high in their world.

We are so proud of Harrison to be closing on his piece of real estate.

It has been a family tradition to eat at Kentucky Fried Chicken anytime we buy a fixer upper. I don't know how it began and it's probably the only time we eat there, but it's surely a celebration!

We have had the most incredible young adults serve as farm interns through the years. They come to the farm to learn about sustainable dairy farming, and receive experience and an education. However, there is no way they receive as much as they give. Our interns have been among the finest young adults of their generation. They have invested countless hours, offered valuable insights, and shared in the joys and sorrows of farm life. We have done life together like a family, enjoying Bruster's banana splits every Thursday and Sam's Club pizza combos each Sunday after church. We continue to be in touch with those who have long since finished their internships, enjoying attending their birthday parties and weddings, and catching up each year when they come back for the annual barn dance. Our family's lives are richer and our farm truly more sustainable
 because of these fine, fine young adults. 

Here's Ethan, our very adventurous intern, rappelling the grain silo.

JUNE

For Sheridan's birthday, PatPat bought tickets for them to see the Lion King Broadway Musical. Unfortunately PatPat was sick so I went with Sheridan instead. What an absolute treat to enjoy the musical with Bonnie and Anna Jo, girls who have been an encouragement in my life since I first met them at church when I was just eleven years old. 

It was great being able to leave the farm in the good hands of our staff and interns and enjoy a vacation at Disney's Saratoga Springs.
 Elliott, Bethany, and sweet William were able to join us for most of the vacation.

Of course, we always have to get pizza from Giordano's in Orlando.

Sullivan was so thoughtful and bought some Lego sets from 

Disney Springs for everyone to put together at the condo.

A favorite evening excursion is a trip to Disney Springs, a large shopping destination.

We couldn't be any happier that Elliott's job allows him to work remotely 

so he and his family can join us for fun vacations. He checks in with us for lunch and enjoys the evenings making memories with the rest of us.

Our condo feels like home once I clip a flower from the magnificent landscaping 

and bring it in for us to enjoy. As the flower fades, usually our vacation days are fading away as well.

I am grateful for a husband who believes in working hard and playing hard,
and is committed to making sure the
 "playing hard" is done with as much dedication and enthusiasm as the "working hard."

What an unexpected surprise - a Father's Day, made-from-scratch carrot cake 

made by Oliver for Timmy.

Only one slight problem and it's all because of Oliver's upbringing. Whereas Michelle, Oliver's wife who is an excellent cook, is accustomed to preheating an oven before cooking, Oliver was raised in a family that used the oven for storage as often as cooking. Before we ever turned the oven on, we had to first take out the cookie sheets and various other stored items that never fit in the cabinets. We occasionally even stored treats in the oven to keep them safe (or hidden). 

In preparation for our Father's Day visit, where Michelle offered to make a meal, she preheated the oven. However, she didn't realize that Oliver was storing his recently iced carrot cake there. So, as you can see it has a cream cheese icing flambe` effect. It was still delicious!

Now that the boys are all grown, it's real fun for them to see who is the strongest.

Dad's still got it! He's an arm-wrestling winner.

The farm has become a regular field trip destination for elementary schools throughout the school year. But increasingly, the summer has been busy for day camps to bring their students as well. It's extra work to clean the farm and prepare the different hands-on learning stations, but it's so rewarding introducing children to natural farming. It's exciting to think that one of them may become an organic farmer one day because of a positive first experience on the farm.

This picture was taken in March when I helped Jenny at a HOPE Ladies Intensive in Tennessee.
 I treasure this picture of us as grandmothers with our grandbaby, William.

 It would be our last picture together. 

Jenny's cancer turned so hard in the weeks that followed.

She was finally pain free on May 25th in the presence of the Savior she loved so much. The compassion she had for women and the guidance she offered will be a strength to so many for generations to come. 

Jenny's celebration of life was held in Georgia in June. It was attended by hundreds of friends whose lives Jenny had touched. We were grateful that Meredith was able to fly in to be with all of us. She enjoyed spending time with sweet baby William and watching over him at the house during the service while he napped, then joining everyone afterward for the reception. 

Baby William and Nana Joy

JULY

Although we live conveniently close to everything, we're far from the ocean - about 2 hours. Our family's happy place is found in the sun, playing on the shore or in the waves,
and enjoying a cooler full of snacks.

Sully with a much-loved root beer

Frisbee Fun

We feasted on a cooler full of freshly picked, steamed, corn-on-the-cob
that a neighbor had given us. Delicious!

Stopping by for a quick, surprise visit to see Nannie E.

Chick-fil-A Day with family and farm staff

To celebrate our 35th anniversary,
Timmy and I enjoyed a trip to Florida together. 

We like to bring a stack of books to read by the pool.

We love walks around the beautiful resort.

We're crazy about finding the best ice cream shops.

Contrary to the good training we received through the parenting course "Growing Kids God's Way" where participants are encouraged to consider the preciousness of others as the basis for not picking public flowers, I like to gather a few blooms to decorate our condo.
 I do try to pick them from the least visible areas of the plants at least. 

We've added something new to our vacation routine in the last couple of years - exercise. 

It sure makes us feel better throughout the rest of the day as we lounge by the pool
snacking on chips and candy. 

Missing the kids, I loved watching over and over 

the "Happy" farm video Harrison made years ago.

The enormous arrangements with live flowers

 around the resort are all so beautiful.

Happy 20th birthday, Sullivan!

AUGUST

We were grateful to have our good friend and incredible photographer, Roy Burroughs, do a couple of photo shoots at the farm so we could get an advertising wrap made for the farm's delivery van.

We really enjoy our church community group. On this evening the couples all had a cookout, then the girls went to the movies while the guys stayed behind watching a movie together.

SEPTEMBER

We were so happy to be able to take a break and go on a cruise. With dairy farming, this is only possible because of an extraordinary staff. We are so very thankful for them. 

We boarded Norwegian's "Breakaway" in Miami and headed 

to the Caribbean for 7 nights.

We had t-shirts printed that said it was the 

"ALEXANDER MOO-VING ON CRUISE" 

because we knew some changes were on the horizon.

We had barely boarded the boat when a favorite song started playing.
One of the things I love most about Sheridan is her insistence that "we have to dance!"

This new, huge ship had lots of fun activities.

Rock climbing, water slides, and a ropes course were great ways to 

burn off some calories from all the fine eating.

The kids were really good at rock climbing.

When we need a break from the sun, 

a card game while snacking endlessly is perfect.

Sullivan absolutely loves Jello despite the many finer dessert choices.

What an amazing view to enjoy while working out each morning.

Our ports of call were St. Thomas, British Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

What a beautiful place in God's magnificent creation.

We had a great time visiting with our former farm intern, Tamesis, who lives in Puerto Rico. 

She took us on a tour and made us feel right at home in her town.

The guys are checking out Castillo San Felipe del Morro.

The waiter asked for our dessert orders and Sheridan said she was too full
from the meal so she requested "nothing."

We enjoy the parties on the top deck in the evenings. 

We sing along and dance our hearts out til late at night. 

"It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A..."

We love seeing the kids having so much fun together.

This cruise featured a musical trio who played familiar tunes 

to welcome us to breakfast each morning.

Sheridan fit right in and loved to sing along.

This picture of the Miami skyline was taken at sunrise on the day
we were disembarking - always a sad day.

We really appreciate a slow reentry to the real world of dairy farming awaiting us back home, so
 we stopped off at Vero Beach for a couple of days after the cruise. 

The resort offers free cookies and lemonade every afternoon.

The resort hosts a poolside party every afternoon that includes slide races. 

Timmy is so competitive and just loves it.

Sheridan won in her age group.

Timmy and Harrison tied for first place. 

Harrison is wearing his plastic medal proudly.

We know the trips with these last three children won't last forever. They will grow up and likely marry and move away like their older siblings. We are so grateful to still be doing life with these last three. They bring so much joy, laughter and happiness to our lives.

Elliott, Bethany, and William came to town for a visit. 

We took them to our favorite Sunday afternoon restaurant - 

Sam's Club - and feasted on pizza, soda, and soft serve ice cream.

Meredith and her crew came into town as well. 

Pizza and soda are always a hit!

The grands really enjoy checking on the farm animals.

William is such a sweet and contented baby and he spreads sunshine into all our lives.

Harrison is trying to help Eleanor with her pigtails.

OCTOBER

We still enjoy getting together with the folks from our first church community group.

Liz, Jen, and I have been friends for over 30 years. It doesn't matter how much time passes between visits, when we see each other it's like we've never been apart.

We love stopping in for a quick goodnight hug from the grands 

when we deliver the milk each week to Northern Virginia.

I think our neighbors love the farm as much as we do. 

They often send us pictures they've taken of the farm from their house across the street.

NOVEMBER

A New Season On The Horizon

As the children have grown up, married, and left the farm it has become harder and harder for us to handle the very demanding work load. We began relying heavily on staff and interns but the weight of the farm didn't lessen, so we began praying for the Lord to show us what to do. We prayed for some type of rescue though we didn't have any idea what it might look like. 

In time God sent us the answer.

Some friends that we had known for several years said they would be delighted to handle the milking for us. With ten kids and a desire to find plenty of work for them, 

caring for our growing herd provided the perfect solution. 

We began making plans to move our herd to their land. They would oversee animal care and milking with Tim's help as needed. We would handle customer care and milk deliveries. So much planning had to take place for a such a significant transition. 

Originally we hoped we could continue to live on the farm and raise beef and host field trips and other events. However, that did not end up being the Lord's plan for us. 

Since it wouldn't work out for us to continue to live at the farm, we began looking for a new place to live. We searched and searched. We thought a fixer upper would be our best option but prices were high, profit margins low and inventory scarce. This little 900 square foot house built in 1920 came on the market and within hours we, along with other potential buyers, were climbing through windows to check it out. It didn't have much going for it as a one bedroom, one bath, run down, old house located 23 feet from a very busy, loud road. However, in less than 48 hours their were multiple offers on the little cottage and we found that this would be the Lord's provision for us. This is what our rescue from the farm would include - an old, tiny fixer upper. We bought it and began trying to make it habitable in the extremely difficult time constraints from the continual hardness of the farm.

It began to sink in. We really were going to move off the farm. Ironically, Tim and I had lived at the farm, a rental that we stumbled onto simply to grow our business, longer than anywhere else in our entire lives. Never before had we, or our children, lived in the same place for almost 11 years. The farm was the only place Sheridan can even remember since we moved in when she was two. 

She had been raised a farm girl and had now become an integral part of the daily operations.

Sheridan with "Yam," daughter of "Yukon," sister to "YoYo."

Things that had been done regularly for more than a decade suddenly became the "lasts." 

Sullivan was always my annual window-cleaning buddy. This would be our last time struggling to raise these 100 year old window sashes to remove the screens, clean the glass, 

and install the storm windows in preparation for the winter. 

Since the farmhouse had no air conditioning whatsoever, we relied on the screened open windows all summer long to stay cool. The kitchen windows in particular had an old fashioned rope pulley system that didn't work well and made opening the windows nearly impossible. Once the kitchen windows were open, they remained that way til fall. The boys had cut two PVC pipes for one exceptionally difficult kitchen window - one to hold the window open in the summer and the other to wedge the window shut in the winter.

 A way of living that is most likely unimaginable to most of today's youth is familiar and manageable to our kids. For that, I am forever grateful. I would have never chosen to live in an old, abandoned farmhouse with no air conditioning. I came into this farm life kicking and screaming. However, I couldn't be any more thankful that the Lord chose this old house as His provision
and the place for us to raise children for more than a decade.

The brothers, all four of them, worked together to set up for the very last barn dance. 

Our staff enjoys the barn dances as much as we do. 

They help us with the increased workload of preparing the farm for an event and milking the cows early and late so we can turn our attention to hosting our guests.

Lydia, a remarkable intern who became staff,
made one of her famous chocolate cakes for the dessert contest.

The Lord knew before we did that this would be our final barn dance and He set the stage for a wonderful last dance. A refrigerated trucking dispatcher called from Miami saying they had a shipment refused nearby of fresh salmon and shrimp and they asked if we had any use for it. There were hundreds and hundreds of half pound packages of salmon filets and shrimp ready for grilling and the dispatcher hoped we could off-load it (possibly for our pigs!?) so that the trucker could get back on the route. What a great time to have space in our walk in freezer. 

We excitedly unloaded the pallets of seafood and the trucker happily drove away. 

This would be the Lord's provision for our most memorable barn dance feast. 

Our friends, the Woods, made the amazing offer to prepare all the seafood for the dance. They began hours before the event constructing a grilling pit, chopping firewood, seasoning and putting shrimp on skewers, and preparing the salmon to be smoked on planks of wood. It was an incredibly laborious, fast-paced task for even a family of a dozen. They were all working so hard and moving so fast for hour after hour after hour.  

We will never be able to thank them enough for their generous offer to prepare such a delicious seafood feast for what would be hundreds of guests that day at the very last barn dance.

Oliver had gotten his dance-calling logistics down to a science by starting the dance before it got crowded and then calling dances twice once the barn was filled up so everyone could join in the fun.

Elliott had become a great MC over the years, welcoming everyone, announcing dessert competition winners, and calling wood-chopping contests.

The barn dance was like a big, memorable friend and family reunion for us. It was our chance to see people who, like us, were busy but able to take this one day to take a break and catch up with one another.  

Our kids grew up with their kids, one barn dance at a time. 

We will miss this special part of our life on the farm.

We realized this would be our last family picture on the farm so everyone stayed in town the day after the barn dance for what would be our Christmas card picture this year.

Oh - how we loves these grandbabies!

We enjoyed a fabulous meal at Granddaddy and Grandma Lou's for Thanksgiving. Then on Friday, the next day, our herd was loaded up and moved to our farming friends' place. 

The timing was important as the cows all needed to be milked before the move but in place and comfortable in time for the afternoon milking.

It took two large cattle trailers to move the milking herd.

Watching them leave brought a mixture of emotions. We were sad to see the herd leave our farm but grateful that God had provided a way for us to have help with all the hard work.

DECEMBER

This is the amazing crew who brought us over the finish line.

We had a great time at Red Robin thanking them for their extraordinary help all the way to the end.

For the Hammer grandbabies' Christmas we decided to do an experience instead of toys.

We went to Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg and we had the most fun ever!

They all loved the water park.

It wouldn't have been possible without the help of the older kids. 

We stayed overnight in a super cool lodge and had a pizza party. 

Oliver and Michelle joined us in the evening.

I hope we'll be able to do this again. 

It was a great memory-making Christmas gift that I'm sure we enjoyed as much as the grands.

Sheridan oversaw the annual Christmas cookie decorating.

The girls both younger and older playing so sweetly.

Oma also opted for a Christmas gift experience and took the girls to an afternoon tea.

We are grateful that Nana, Oma's sister, is recovering well from cancer and was able to join them.

Oliver and Michelle invited us over for the most delicious Christmas Eve brunch.

After brunch we headed to church for the Christmas Eve service.

Christmas Morning

When we move off the farm Sullivan's plan is to rent Oliver and Michelle's basement. He said that in his "new life" he wanted to spend all day in pajamas and a robe since he's never owned one before. We thought he looked just like an author in his new lounge wear and only needed a pipe to complete the look. 

Sheridan got the kind of boots she had been hoping for.

Harrison was excited to get a Carhartt coat that he had been wanting for a while.

The Hershbergers came by Oma's on Christmas Day on their way home from Ohio. What an unexpected, fantastic treat to spend the day visiting together! The kids went to see Star Wars, Sullivan in his his comfy, new pj's and robe. He said that one of the movie goers commented to him, 

"Hey, I wanted to come like that - I'm glad you did!"

Nana was able to join us at Oma's and the ladies sat around the table talking and laughing for hours. When the kids returned from the movie they played games with the men and had such a great time. This was better than any Christmas gift I could have imagined.

Another year comes to a close. God's faithfulness is evident in every situation. We have so much to be thankful for, and we are! These are the best days of our lives and we're so grateful to God for the good health and good memories we enjoyed this year of 2019.