Leaving Office

In March, my dad had his last banquet as President of the College of Biblical Studies-Houston; he will now step into the role of Chancellor at the college. We had a terrific evening together with his wife, Amanda, as well as with Kris and Chelle and their oldest daughter, Kaitlyn. We are so proud of him and the example he has been of a servant who pours his life into the service of his King!

Jon

Jay's brother, Jon, went home to Heaven on Good Friday. We spent about 3 weeks in Idaho with him and his family before he left us. What a blessing to be with him as he contemplated his imminent journey to Heaven and the glory of Christ that he would soon enjoy. We look forward to being with him again and worshiping our Savior together! A neighbor of his made a beautiful quilt of family pictures and thoughts for him.

Playtime

Mason just loves laughing with Daddy! Jay gets him giggling and cooing and Mason just flaps his arms and kicks with glee. It's such fun to see them together! And Madeline dressed up as a bride in her new playclothes. She spent a long time watering the flowers outside and having a tea party in her special outfit.

Mother's Day Weekend

We visited Jay's parents for Mother's Day and had a wonderful time relaxing (I did) and working (Jay did). Jay and his dad planted an Ash tree in their front yard. Mason loved sitting with Grandpa and getting lots of kisses while giving lots of smiles. You can see Grandpa's new scar on his right knee from his recent knee replacement surgery. He's making a full comeback! Madeline continues to grow up; she's becoming quite the big sister. We often refer to Mason as "Buddy Boy", but when Madeline says it, it comes out "Bunny Boy". She always gives a reason to smile! It being Mother's Day, I thought it appropriate to add a picture of Grandma (I only had 2 because you were behind the camera the whole time)...thanks for all your love and hard work.

Look Out Dorothy!

Our friend, Kerry, gave Madeline a pair of sparkly, red shoes. If I'd let her, Madeline would wear them to bed! She loves walking in the sunlight to watch them shine. Thanks, Miss Kerry!

Emergency Expo

Our city has an annual Emergency Expo at the local community college which we attended for the first time. Madeline loved petting the search-and-rescue dogs, seeing all the emergency vehicles and patting Smokey the Bear. We came home with an armload of new coloring books and paraphanalia about household safety. We can't wait for next year's Expo!

Mommy's 'lil Baker

Madeline helped me make a chocolate chip cake recently. She loved eating the chocolate chips and stirring in the ingredients.

More of Mason

A new Flower

After a long absence from blogging, I hope to be back in the saddle again. The pressure to update my blog from last October is too overwhelming right now. So, I'll just start from when our precious son, Mason Boyd Lafayette Flowers, was born on Jan. 11, 2007. Here we are just hours after his birth.

The Waning Days of Summer

The last ten days of Madeline's visit to Grandpa and Grandma's was unique. Both Jay and I were up in Valencia trying to settle the house and make it habitable after all the remodeling had been done while Madeline was soaking in every bit of spoil she could pull out of her grandparents. She liked swinging on the swing that Jay and his dad had built and hung for her in their frontyard. And she loved reading books, singing songs, playing with lots of new toys and putting on "lipstick" found in Grandma's pocket.

Bonding

Even though being away from home and from our beloved Jay was hard, Madeline and I had a wonderful time together. Some days were hard (when she was sick) and some days were beyond delightful. She has a growing understanding that she will soon be a big sister and that baby brother is in mommy's tummy. And she began to share her sweet affections with him.

More fun at Grandma's

Every morning, Madeline loved feeding the birds and a neighbor's dog, Scotty, at Grandma's. She also enjoyed playing in the water on those hot summer days when we just had to get outside. And when the weather was too warm to even play in the water outside, we went to the mall and rode the "merry-go-horses", as Madeline affectionately called the Merry-Go-Round. Sometimes we indulged in a little ice cream, too.

Flowers' Flood of '06

On the last night of our cruise, we got word that there had been flooding at our house. Our entire downstairs was covered with about an inch of water from a broken ice-maker hose behind our refrigerator. Dear friends and neighbors worked feverishly to remove all our belongings and call the necessary people to dry out our floors and walls, all while we were en route to Valencia from Vancouver. By the time we arrived, most of the hard labor was done. Of course the work with the insurance company, etc. was just to begin, but the Lord was so gracious to us in surrounding us with helpful, knowledgeable folks and friends willing to house, clothe or feed any/all of us. Jay's parents drove up from El Centro to help us decide what steps needed to be taken next. Madeline and I ended up going home with them the day after they arrived; the work to be done would require us to live in severe circumstances for too long. We couldn't have asked for a better rescue team. Jay stayed on to deal with the house and our separation would end up lasting over a month with his visiting us on the weekends. In the meantime, Madeline and I enjoyed our visit with Grandma and Grandpa. The pictures of the proof.

Alaska Cruise 2006

After we returned from Texas, we repacked our suitcases for our trip to Canada and Alaska. We were blessed again this year to attend Grace To You's cruise. We started out with 3 days in Vancouver, B.C., and then boarded the ship with the rest of the GTY staff. One of the highlights of our trip was being able to spend time with some dear friends, Mike and Jill and their little boy, Fisher. There's nothing like the beauty of Alaska when you're enjoying it with precious believers. Madeline acclamated to every room and time zone and had a super time watching the wildlife. Pics will be posted ASAP.

Vacation on the Bay

This past July, we vacationed with my dad and his wife, Amanda, in Galveston, TX. The Stire clan also joined us to complete the party of 11. We had a wonderful time at our U-shaped house and enjoyed swimming, visiting the beach and Schlitterbahn water park, fishing off the dock, watching the rain and lightning storms, and just playing games together. We also celebrated 2 birthdays: Madeline turned 2 and Sierra turned 6; a dinner at The Rainforest Cafe enhanced our celebration. And despite some of the family being sick with the flu, we had a splendid time!

New Do

Madeline's hair is just getting long enough that I can put it back in a pony tail. Although it doesn't stay for long, we are enjoying seeing the changes.

4th of July Fun

This is our third annual celebration of the 4th of July with the Ficketts. We walk down to a neighborhood park with Bill, Kerry, Campbell and Cooper and enjoy snacks while the kids run around. Then we all settle in to watch some beautiful fireworks set to music through a local radio station.

Jay's parents came up for another visit a while ago. While they were here, Jay and I bought some patio furniture and Jay's dad helped him put it together. Madeline warmed up to Grandpa and Grandma almost instantly this time; Grandma brought her some new books and Madeline climbed right up into her lap to enjoy them. And Grandpa took her for walks, which she loves. We're looking forward to seeing them this summer.

Celebrating a quarter of a century

I made this cake for my friend, Jennifer, who just turned 25. I hadn't used fresh flowers on my cakes before so I was glad to see that it all went well. I used peach "Marilyn Monroe" roses, white sweet peas and mint leaves, all from our garden. Jennifer celebrated her birthday by having ankle surgery a few days later.