Praise the Lord and Keep Praying!!!

Dear Friends,
Keep praying, but we must also Praise Him, for the Lord allowed Phillip to get an emergency passport for that day!  In this day of RED TAPE... that was a modern day miracle!  Praise the Lord!  He was also able to just pay an extra fee, and didn't totally loose his ticket!  Another Praise Jesus! He is flying today to meet his Family later this evening!  I'll keep you posted as I know more... or watch Heather's blog for updates as soon as they are set back up there in Colombia! GOD IS GOOD, HIS PROMISES ARE Yea and Amen! ~~Laura~~

PRAYER NEEDED FOR DICKINSON'S

Just got the message that Dickinson's need our prayers MUCH!  Phillip's passport had expired and so he was not allowed to fly with Heather and the children to Bogota.  Please pray for Heather as she is in the air right now alone... they have a layover in Brazil and then onto Colombia alone!!!  Pray for Phillip that God will do wonders and that His will be accomplished even when things come up that we can't understand!  We'll keep you posted as we get updates!  Thanks for caring and praying for our family just now through all of this!
Blessings,
Laura

Fun Times, Pictures, and Projects

 Daddy and Mommy got to go on a date to the Cincinnati Music Hall.

 They had a very relaxing evening, and we kids enjoyed being home by ourselves!!!

  Daddy and Mommy gave me my red coat for Christmas (after I had repeatedly hinted, over and over and over, that I really wanted NEEDED it!) and Mommy and I found Natasha's peacoat on clearance at JCPenny's. Yea! Since it was her early birthday present, we gave it to her on Daddy's birthday so she was completely surprised!

 I've had so much fun this winter with my red coat! Please pardon the hair.... it was an extremely windy day!

 Aunt Heather and Kimberly, this photo is just for you so you can see the fun gathers in the back!

Mrs. Jowers had the kids in Junior church make these a couple weeks ago.While we were at Gram's house, we made them for the visitor's treats at their church!

Have a great day!
bh

Continued Prayers Needed!

Thank you for your continued prayers for our family this week!
We are ever so grateful for the Lord's help with Grandma's home going, and Westifield Memorial service last weekend.  Her Bremen Memorial Service, planned for family there is this Friday.  I will publish the contents of that service and my heart after that is behind us!  So Thankful for the Lord's continued strength and help.  He gave me the verse... "when we are weak, then He is Strong"... of course that is "Laura's paraphrase, but that helped my heart to know that All things He would be for us during this time of loss!
Please pray for: Safe Traveling mercies for our family as they fly  and drive in... and for my sister's family as they head back to their beloved Colombia, S. America!
Much love and thanks for your continued prayers,
Laura

Ruth Bryan, born in 1907 (104 years and 7 months) made it safely home. Thank you for your prayers. Grandma Bryan went on to her heavenly reward Sunday evening. Laura was able to be there with her Grandma when she left this world to meet her Lord and Savior.  Laura may have more to share later.    

Pray for a Safe Journey Home!

My Dearest Grandma, whom we affectionately call, "Our Tall Grandma!"is very close to the crossing!  She has been called this for years now, in our Haus, for one of our children, when they were only 3 found out she was going to be turning I believe it was 92 or 93 back then.  Their eyes got rather large and they said, "Wow, she must be REALLY tall!" (thinking of course, that you GROW EVERY year when your birthday comes around, for they sure were!! =) Please keep Dear Grandma in your prayers that she won't have to suffer. And for strength for our dear Momma as she faithfully stands by her side, doing her best to give her quality care while she's still with them.  She is still living in their home.  Daddy's Momma has been a testimony to all of us for years!  God has been faithful to her and she to Him for years.  Her life is a beautiful example of GIVING, for the sake of God's Kingdom! I recently heard someone say there are "Financial Martyrs" and when I heard that statement, I thought of you, Grandma!

We all love her dearly and are very blessed that Jesus gave her to us for so long!  She's been a prayer warrior her whole life.  I remember as a little girl going to spend the night with her.  (or when she lived with us, getting to sleep in her bed with her that night.) Hearing a whispering going on... and what a comfort it brought to my heart to hear her praying for so many.  She has prayed for missionaries and their kids by name around the world and sacrificed as NO ONE KNEW her own "real needs" mending and re-mending her own clothes, so that they would last a little longer, so she could give and so that the cause of Christ could be advanced!
 What a heritage she's given to all of us.  My sad heart wonders "Who will take her place?"  Who will carry the Prayer Torch that she's carried so faithfully for these now 104.5 years?  Who is she praying for that I don't even know to lift their names up to our Heavenly Father? Oh God, help ME and many others to step up to the plate, so to speak, to accept the challenge, for there are still so many who aren't "IN"  the ark of safety yet!
 I LOVE YOU GRANDMA with all my heart, have always felt a special closeness to you, for you are the one, my parents also told me that I take after!  "Jesus be with you," is my hourly prayer!  I'm going to miss you terribly, but I'll see you again, when we all make that heavenly shore.  I know you'll be so glad to see your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ first of all, and maybe as a side note,  to see Grandpa too, who has been in Heaven for now 36 years, in earthly time!  What will Heaven be like?  Oh it makes me want to live right.  To shed any needless weights so I can run this race to the finish with NOTHING hindering my journey, how about you?!  As I've heard my Daddy say: "Heaven will be worth it AT ANY COST"!!!!
When I got to take that surprise trip up to see her a couple weeks ago, these were my parting words, "Goodbye for now Grandma!  I will see you again, in the morning  over Yonder!!!!"  I love you Grandma!

Fun Things We've Done!

 When  I saw this quote on Pinterest, I knew I wanted to make it. Last week gave me the perfect opportunity, for one of my friends, also an avid shoe lover, invited us to her birthday party. Mommy found this shoe while she was in IN at a fun shop called "Martha & Me." I thought it was the perfect compliment to the arrangement!

This is the version that I made for the wall arrangement in our room! I did different fonts and I think I like it better. After I had put the different sized stickers on the white canvas, Daddy helped  me spray paint it. Then we CAREFULLY took off the stickers. I was so happy with how it turned out, and most likely, will try it again!

The antique grater was Mommy's Valentines Day gift from Daddy! It looked so beautiful when the lights were out in the kitchen, and there was just the glimmer of the tea light peaking out!

 The heart-shaped cinnamon rolls that Aunt Heather told us about were very fun to make (and eat)! For instructions how to make them go to Aunt Heather's blog!

Mommy added strawberry-cream cheese glaze to the tops of them. Why strawberry? Cause she had some that needed to be used up! =) Hope you have a great day!
bh

Tea Rooms, Grandma Bryan, Birthdays & Skyline!

The Ruby Pear

 This week brought a 1st ever for me, leave my kids and go away just me for a day!!! H.U.G.E. to me... and probably won't happen again for a long time, but I did enjoy myself, in spite of myself! =)  A friend called and wondered if I could get away for a day trip and go see my parents and my Grandma Bryan. As she has been very low and the load has been heavy on my dear Momma's shoulders, I decided to try it, for her sake and a tiny bit for me too!  Turned out it was the only day that I could've done such a thing... so with fear and CLEAR instructions to all our kids, I took off.  We left here 10ish and arrived as a surprise to My Momma (she did have a guess who it was, we found out later!) We left around 12:30 for a Tea Room near her home.  I hadn't been to a tea room in over 13 years, to my knowledge.  It was very enjoyable.  I ordered what they called "The Southern Breeze" which included my choice of tea (I chose Cinnamon Spice) a bowl of Creamy Chicken Vegetable, Pecan Chicken Salad, 3 whole wheat crackers, my choice of Scone (my choice was White Chocolate Cashew) served with lemon curd and fruit spread, a vanilla cookie and a chocolate covered strawberry.  It was a delightful time and so lifted my Momma's spirit and that was my whole goal in going along!

 Here is a picture of one A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. woman, my dear 104 1/2 year old Grandma Bryan! I love this pic of her... she was looking up and saw Linda, our dear family friend how had invited me to go along, so we caught her sweet expression at getting to see her!

                                               Linda M. and Grandma, friends for years!

 Grandma looking at a bird book!  She L.O.V.E.S. birds all expect Starlings! =)

 We had gone to Tea Room to spare Momma so she wouldn't have to cook... but you can't take the entertaining/cook out of some Southern Women... wonder where we get it from, Heather?!  We were trained by the best, that you may NOT have guests unless you FEED THEM!!!!=)

 This is the only pic that I got of my Daddy... Happy Belated Birthday, Daddy!  I was excited to get to take Daddy a wee gift early for his birthday (He and my dear husband share a birthday and this one was amazing as you may have read in an earlier post by Daryl!)
Daddy, I sure love you and I thank you for all that you did to mold and train my life for God!  You have had an amazing influence on who I am today and I thank God for how blessed I am.  I didn't realize how blessed I was to have been placed by God into your home.  The older I get I'm finding out that you and Momma are the exception to the rule!  I love you both SO much and thank God for the heritage that you have passed on to us! Thank you Daddy for allowing God to have 1st place in your life, for loving Momma in front of us kids, thank you for providing for our needs while we were home and still now with the many trips and piles of goodies that you always pack to Cincy each time you visit! I thank you for your protection over us too!
I love you so much and words fail, since I didn't get the whole poet thing in my genes, but I love you dearly and want you to know I know I am blessed! (along with my siblings!) Happy Birthday!

And did ya'll notice who came down the stairs at 104 1/2 to join us for a snack?! 

Happy Birthday to the Sweetest Man in my life!

 The kids won a prize last fall for a fundraiser contest and we chose Skyline Gift Card as our treat!  This made for one SPECIAL Birthday celebration for our MAIN, MAN and HERO in our lives!  We all LOVE YOU SWEETS!

 My main man, now for over 21 years!  God is SO GOOD to give us to each other! I LOVE YOU SWEETS!

 And since Daryl's Birthday is SOOOOO close to Valentine's Day we combined his birthday meal with the Valentine Theme!  I made a RED VELVET CAKE (thanks to a cake mix that I found for cheap... see old post for the distaster I created some years back!) The Valentine M&M's were a gift from a friend and sure made decorating our table Easy!

 The Valentine card on the table is one that Daryl made for me at WSU this week!  The kids were all excited to see how "creative" daddy is! =)

 Here we are at the table.  Daryl's birthday menu was: Company Chicken, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Steamed Asparagus, Candied Sweet Potatoes, Homemade rolls and Red Velvet Cake.

 Here is our little photographer since she is missing in the pics! 

 A Valentine Treat White Chocolate Pretzel Nuggets with Cinnamon Sprinkles that I made for Daryl's WSU students today.  The antique bowl there is a gift from my Grandmother Scarbrough... it is one that they started housekeeping with, I believe!