New Babies!

New little Lydia being enjoyed by her sweet sisters!

Lydia is Aaron and Naomi's little girl. 

Last night we had a baby shower at church for Rebekah and little Ilana. Great Auntie Linda got the honors of holding Ilana.

And Ilana will be one well dressed girl with all the fun clothes she got! Happy Mama, happy baby!

Tomorrow our family is on lunch at church. Hosanna is making birds nests for dessert. At least we can pretend it's spring!

With three fairly new little babies in the family, we've been doing a lot of babysitting. 

Arthur got me a new sewing machine for Christmas and I finally had time to get it out and test it out. It has an embroidery feature that I can't wait to learn how to use. Meanwhile, I just made an apron to test it out.

Okay, I know this was a short post but I really felt like I needed to do a post, even without a lot of words!  Have a wonderful day enjoying God's blessings everyone! And if you don't have a place to go to church tomorrow, visit ours!!

Late Summer!

It's been a busy season for babies.  This is little Grace, Naomi and Aaron's daughter.

Okay, these are really out of order.  Daniel has been helping me work in the concession stand on Fridays. One of the perks is getting a treat! A lady got him this one for helping her look for her lost car keys.

Two little toothless girls visited us! Esther and Anna, Aaron and Naomi's older girls.

Eli E. and Josh H. and Caleb M. all have been working overtime with hay, more hay, straw, and today flax straw. I will be so glad for snow!!

Aimee and little Heidi enjoying the maze.

Hosanna helped with the cake at the shower. Aimee and Naomi actually made it and Hosanna added the words and trim!

We had a churchwide baby shower for little Felicity, Amos and Rebekah's new little girl.  Miriam loves little children and enjoys these special moments!

Churchwide meant the guys came as well! Felicity's little brothers were thrilled to watch Rebekah open the gifts.

Miriam didn't get a post done about her summer so I'll show you just a couple of pictures. She helped out at Northland Camp again this year and worked in the kitchen again. This was at the 4th of July celebration where they sold burgers and hot dogs.

Miriam didn't get a post done about her summer so here's a picture of her helping out at Northland Camp again this year. She's quite at home in the kitchen and has really enjoyed her two summers working there.

This is Felicity shortly after she was born. Such a cutie!

Miriam has been my canner this year. One day she does spaghetti sauce, one day stewed tomatoes, the next salsa, or something like that. Anyone need tomatoes?

Sorry this is blurry. It's showing Arthur's bruised up leg from having a chain saw hitting it. And Josh's foot that he scrapped up by sliding barefoot while playing a game at church. (After church!)

Priscilla was pretty thrilled to have her Mission of a Lifetime book come out!! She did a book signing at Caribou Coffee in Warroad which is pictured above. If you like adventure stories, you will love this book!! She would love to sell you a copy or you can buy them on Amazon, Barnes and Nobles or CBD.

Back to Miriam, everyday we have a counter full of jars to put away. It's making the pantry look like one big tomato factory since we haven't canned a whole lot else this year.

Well, that about sums up the last few weeks. The maze has been going good. How could it not with the fabulous workers God sends our way!!! I appreciate my nieces and nephews and daughters friends so, so, SO MUCH!!! I can't wait to see how God is going to use them throughout their lives!

Have a wonderful week everyone enjoying the blessings God sends your way!
And please pray for America!

Amos' Story

I'm not sure how many of you have read it, but Amos and Rebekah's house building story has been featured on the Maxwells blog at https://blog.titus2.com/  I thought some of you might enjoy it.

The Grandchildren & Some Other Stuff

Well, the sheetrock is almost all up and Arthur finished insulating in the peak.  Close quarters up there.   We sure appreciate Ben H. coming over and working such long hours to help us get things done.  Some nephews and my father-in-law have put in time too which really helps. 

Oh, did we ever have fun with Naomi and her girls!   (I have no idea why my face is so shiny on this photo, it really isn't!)  Anna is pretty much a mama's girl although she sure doesn't mind anyone holding her and has such a sweet smile.  Esther has a sweet smile too and says the cutest things.  The girls enjoyed being called "The aunties" by Esther.  Not a dull moment!

So many smiles!

Amos and Rebekah and the boys joined us for family devotions one night when the cousins joined Hosanna on the stairs.  Oh the fun of having cousins! We also love having Amos and Rebekah and the boys here for devotions!  

Anna does have an adorable smile!

And we can't forget little Gideon who seems to change by the day.   So cuddly! 

I know icicles are a sign of needing insulation, but I sure enjoy seeing these works of art. Can you see the one reaching down to the window below? They get so long  this time of year. That little window on top is in our bedroom and I just love looking out at the sun shining off the icicles during the day.  Sometimes it's hard reading and hearing about people down south who are looking at spring knowing we have almost two months of winter ahead of us, or more.  But then, I think of all the projects I need to get done and I say,
Let it snow!
Well, I hope you all have a wonderful evening and take time tomorrow to fellowship with God and other believers!  

This and That

Yesterday Arthur (with help) worked on building a small shed to house the grill at the maze.  Miriam and I took a walk through the maze and some of it was over our heads!  Taking mostly the right trails, it took about a half an hour.  We did go slow and made some wrong turns.  We're so thankful for the rain as the corn looked pretty bad before that. 

Oh, the joy that little grandchildren bring!  Anna is such a doll and we have really enjoyed having her and Esther and Naomi here.  They're in GF right now with Aaron but should be back sometime.  Yesterday we had the little men (David, Daniel and Jeriah) over while Amos and Rebekah did a few things.  They sure keep us busy and say the cutest things!  Like David said, "Are you Grandma Camille?" I guess he'd never heard my name attatched to Grandma before.

I am mortified!! Since the whole town will probably talk about it, I'll tell you.  I was on the phone calling about a perscription this morning.  I went on to tell the nice lady that "one of my husbands will pick it up later today." Agh!!  I meant to say one of my kids!  Arthur was there and thought it quite funny but said that maybe I better pick up the pills. 

Have a great day!

Jeriah's Baby Shower

Last night our church had a shower for Amos and Rebekah's Jeriah.  Pam J. did a devotional about the blessing of children.  It was so good!  I'm not having children anymore but still want to keep the attitude of children being a blessing and to support younger mothers.  She gave examples of how the world is against having children and how they view them as a bother and expense.  It was so encouraging that there were even a few tears among the ladies.

The girls and I led in a game called, "Who Stole the Baby" based on the Clue game.  Rebekah was one of the "suspects", kind of anyway, who you went to to ask questions.  I wasn't sure how it would work but everyone seemed to enjoy it.  For those that want to know, Matthew M. took baby Nellie, put her in the church outdoor nativity set, in order to sell her, and he did it during Sunday School.  It was interesting anyway!

Naomi and Essie were there.  Essie was full of smiles.  Overall, there was a really good turn out considering all the flu going around.

Rebekah got lots of nice gifts which will make Jeriah one well dressed little guy.  I'm afraid I don't have a picture of him because the battery on my camera went dead so this is all the pictures I got, that were nice anyway.  Thank you Jaime, Ellen, and Stephanie for doing the shower!  It was very nice!  Thank you, Rebekah, for being such a wonderful daughter-in-law and for blessing us with grandchildren!  And thank you, Pam, for that wonderful reminder of the blessing from God that children are.  Makes me want to go out and adopt a whole bunch of them!  For those of you young mothers out there, don't get discouraged with all the hard work children are.  They are worth every bit of bother and expense, and are the best way to raise up disciples for God.  They truly are a blessing and the rewards of godly raised children are,  are,   are,   well, I can't think of a word to describe how wonderful they are!  It is my desire and prayer that all my daughters and daughter-in-laws be blessed with many, many olive plants!

On another note, I can't hardly wait for spring!  To be able to open the windows and to feel the ground under my feet sounds so wonderful!

It's A Boy!!!

JERIAH ALVIN

January 20, 2010

7lb. 9oz.

20" Long

Born at 4:14 AM

(Rebekah wanted me to post this!)

Congratulations, Amos and Rebekah!!!  He is adorable!!  We praise the Lord that though the labor was long, it went good!

Another boy in Amos and Rebekah's quiver!  Grandma here thinks he looks a lot like David with a rounder face than Daniel.  Rebekah says he liked to eat from the start!

Daniel and David getting a first look at the new little brother.    

Hosanna enjoying being an aunt again!  Again, Congratulations from Grandpa and Grandma, Amos and Rebekah!  Now, get some rest, okay!!

Happy Birthday, Rebekah! and Trip to Branson

Happy 22nd Birthday, Rebekah! We are so happy and blessed to have Rebekah in the family!  Rebekah  is sweet, cheerful, caring, a great wife, a godly mother, and a wonderful sister-in-law and daughter-in-law!  May God give you a wonderful day today, Rebekah, and bless you in the coming year as you seek to do His will.  We love you!!

Amos and Rebekah and the boys also came over yesterday to wish me a happy Mothers Day.  Thank you!  I feel so blessed to have children who not only love me but love God!  Naomi, Aaron, Amos, Rebekah, Daniel, David, Isaac, Miriam, Hosanna, Silas, and Priscilla, I love you all very, very much!

We decided not too long ago to take the P. family up on their offer of visiting Silver Dollar City in Branson, Missouri.  So last week we made the 18 hour trip down there to spend a couple of really fun days with not only the P. family but the C. family (you might've seen their blog Cool-Com- Collected on our sidebar) and the H. family also from down in IL.

For those of you that haven't been down there before, it's a large amusement park with a 1800's theme.  At least the shops are from back then and there's lots of them from blacksmiths, to glassblowers, to candlemakers.    On the left in the white shirt is Isaac, then Caleb, Brittany, Jenny, Jenae, Jordan, and Hosanna.

You can't see them too well but a bunch went on this barn swing.  I think Priscilla and Isaac went on every ride but everyone else in our family was less adventuresome!  While those from IL thought the weather was just perfect, we thought it was really hot!  It must've been in the 80's and it's hardly been over 60 around here.  It did feel kinda good though and we were glad Amos had a fire going in the house when we got home!

Everyone loves the crooked house with the distortion mirrors known as Grandfather's Mansion.  I told Arthur that someday I'd like one at our maze if we keep doing that! 

Arthur was a favorite for the younger kids to go on rides.  In this one you have to use hand power to pull yourself up the silo next to the barn swing.

Here's Jenny, Priscilla, Isaac, Mr. C., Judah, and Josh getting ready for the Powderkeg ride.  It's a roller coaster that starts out totally still and blasts off very fast.

Most of us stayed in cabins at a campground.  We got together and had some great campout meals - compliments of Mrs. P.  Thank you!!

At night around the picnic tables the girls played games.

You need to watch out for Benjamin when he has a roasting spear!! 

Now this might not look like anything more than a walk in the woods to most of you, but for us, this was a challenge as everything around Branson is either uphill or downhill, not totally flat like here.  When I went to bed after getting home I felt like I was going up and down hills and around curves!  Oh, and were my legs ever sore from this type of walking!

We went up to Springfield to the Bass Pro Shop.  Mrs. P, Hosanna and Isaac were sitting on their neat benches by the fireplace.

Bass Pro Shop has lots of neat fish to observe and even an alligator.

This one almost hurt to take!  The girls are all sitting on Artic Cat four-wheelers.  The problem is, the Polaris factory is only 30 minutes from here and there's some good friendly rivalry among them and Artic Cat so we tend to side with Polaris as we friends that work there.  The Artic Cat factory is about 2 hours away from us.  I guess that makes them both pretty close when your down in Missouri.  So, we had a good time with good friends.  I am so glad to have godly friends for our kids that they enjoy spending time with, even if it does mean travelling a long ways away.  So thank you P. family for the great vacation, and the C. and H. families for the fun of getting to know you all!  And once again, have a great birthday, Rebekah!!!