It's Starting to Look Like Fall!

The monsoon rains are over, the temperatures are cooling down, and in our little part of Arizona it's starting to have that "Autumn-look".  I love it!  The little boys are in the throws of school and AWANA, David is enjoying his sophomore year and being on the football team, and the pigweed is on it's way out!  Joe and David are so allergic to that nasty weed, so we all rejoice when we see it finally withering and turning brown.

Our two cats and two dogs have reached a mutually agreeable truce.  Here is Willie, the dog and Cocoa, the cat eyeing each other - and you can see leaves on the ground!

Here is Buffy, Jonathan's dog, who will be eleven this January, enjoying a good chew on a
bone.  Jan Karon, in her Mitford series refers to Father Tim's aging dog as "The Old Gentleman". This fits Buffy perfectly.  Can't wait to see what he does when Jonathan returns sometime
this winter!  It should be a grand reunion for sure!

Joshua and Isaac - I am constantly amazed at the progress these two have made.  Living in an orphanage for the first two and half years of their lives is not a good way to start out, but they are resilient, joyful, and enjoy life! They are truly happy little boys, brothers, and best friends!

Isaac LOVES animals, especially the kittens!

I caught David and Joe in the middle of their mowing and tractor work.

And David is sporting a brand new bike!  Isn't that snazzy?!!

Whoa......how did he go from a Nebraska shirt to an Alabama shirt in a matter of minutes?

Just noticed that......

You can see the leaves beginning to yellow.

And last of all, Isaac is learning to mow! *Sigh*  My little baby boy is growing up!

So this is a glimpse into our lives this lovely fall weekend!

Sixty Years!

September 4, 1954

Sixty years ago today, my dear parents were married in the First Methodist Church of Lawrence, Kansas. My mom always told me it was 104* that day and the church was un-air conditioned!  

After just experiencing Rachel and David's wedding, I cannot imagine how everyone dealt 

with the extreme heat!

Don't they look young here?  They were both 23 at the time.  We have always laughed and

said that my dad looks about twelve years old in these pictures!

My grandparents, Williams, on the left, and Carey on the right.  I miss them.

I have the article out of the "Society" section of the Lawrence Journal Star.  It goes into great detail on what the bride, the mothers, the bridesmaids, etc all wore.  The flower bouquets, as well as the sanctuary decorations are described in great detail!

"Given in marriage by her father, the bride wore a snowy white gown of Chantilly lace and nylon
 tulle, fashioned with an illusion yoke, etched in scalloped medallions........Her veil of illusion
fell from a half-hat of lace.  She carried a bouquet of white carnations and stephanotis."

Many years passed filled with happiness, and yes, sorrow, sickness and health..  We had a lot of great times as a family, and always enjoyed doing things together.  We had great vacations and those are some of my favorite memories - Longboat Key, Florida!!

Here they are sometime in the 1990's.

At 83, they moved from Florida to Tucson this past spring.  That was a hard move for them,

 but we are so glad to be closer together and to get to see each other more often!

And the crowning moment?  They were able to see Rachel and David get married - what

a joy!  They got to spend time with Courtney, too, on her short visit, and are looking forward 

to seeing their soldier grandson, Jonathan, when he comes for a visit sometime this winter!

Happy 60th Anniversary to the most wonderful parents ever!!

I love you both so much!