Our “behind the scenes” reel included making difficult decisions, feelings that were sometimes confusing or discouraging, as well as days where we just didn’t feel well and tears that came from our grieving hearts of missing our parents.
Our “bloopers” included crazy decisions that could have been thought through better, home renovations that included some goofs and a few new mealtime recipes that we definitely decided to toss out.
But through it all---good and bad--- God has been so faithful to love us with His everlasting love and meet our needs as He promised He would. Thank you, Lord! It truly was a blessed year!
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This was our first time in 38 years for us to be “empty nesters” with no longer having our children at home and none of our parents to care for. We really miss all those special people in our lives, but God was so good to fill our days with new special memories and dates everyday as we spent time together. Jimmy’s work began to let up a little, and he decided not to take on many new jobs, which allowed us to travel north to be with our Michigan family and west to be with our Colorado family during eight different months of the year. Loved, loved, loved this!
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In January, we had a delightful time with my niece, Rachel (from Castle Rock, CO), and her hubby and three boys, Brad, Coen, Cason and Everett. It was such a relaxing week with them of resting, talking and seeing the sights of Neosho.
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Towards the end of February, we headed to Colorado so that we could be there on March 1st for Isaiah’s first birthday. What a sweetie he is! It was a bear-themed party where he also got to help his mommy and daddy announce that another baby bear was on its way and would arrive in October!
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Caleb’s 6th birthday on March 13th took us to Michigan where he enjoyed a fun-filled Lego-themed party. He is such a creative and loving little boy…and growing up so fast!
Good for a grin: After losing his first tooth, Katie explained to Caleb about putting his tooth under his pillow for the “tooth fairy” to replace it with money. He looked at her and asked, “Can you make a lot of money losing teeth?" (Hmm…Maybe he is an entrepreneur in the making?)
After these two birthday celebrations in two different states, we ended the month of March with a memory-filled special time in Branson, Missouri, attending Family Life’s, “A Weekend to Remember,” as part of our 40th anniversary celebration. Highly recommended! Find one near you here.
It’s always good to reminded of the blessings in marriage, to learn new tools of communication and to have a time devoted just for husband and wife to focus on one another.
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By the way, have I ever told you what a beautiful little city Neosho is…especially in the spring?
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At the end of May, all our children and grandchildren joined us for a week of activities, laughs and a few unplanned happenings.
The parents of all the little ones headed to Branson for a day of shopping and to see “Samson” at the Sight and Sound Theatre.
Because of threatening tornadoes throughout the week they were here, we found ourselves seeking shelter often. We also had to make “lemonade out of lemons” when I came down with shingles mid-way through their week of visit. Because Chiree was pregnant and it is not good for anyone pregnant to be around shingles, I moved myself to the apartment of our farm rental house next door and stayed quarantined from the family for the last five days of their visit. My meals were delivered to my front door and I participated in the family fun joining them several times by Facetime. My favorite memory, though, was the knock on my door that brought the whole family dawned in winter wraps singing Christmas carols to me (“the shut-in”), ending with the carol, “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas,” with the words re-written about all the happenings of the week…tornadoes, Branson trip, deck building, shingles, etc. I LOVE my dear family!
We also celebrated Grace’s 4th birthday on May 20th …our energetic, happy, artistic, pretty little granddaughter.
Good for a grin: You never know what Grace is up when she is alone, but for sure she loves to apply her artistic abilities…even with her job of cleaning the bathroom. Recently, when she finished cleaning the sink, she announced that she had made a scarf for the neck of the faucet from her Norwex cleaning rag.
And the final touch was added to the toilet paper roll. 😀
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In June, my niece, Rachel, and her family returned again for a visit.
Rachel was able to also join me as I met with my maternal cousins (seven of the eight of us) for a reunion and to celebrate the making of our Wood Family Memory Book. (We missed you, Ron!)
This was the year my maternal grandparents, Joe and Audra Wood, would have celebrated their 100th wedding anniversary.
All of us eight cousins wrote our remembrances of our wonderful grandparents and growing up with them in our lives for our memory book. Two of us gathered all the info on the three children of our grandparents to put their life stories in writing for the book.
We were able to find many old, old pictures that were so valuable to accompany the memory writings. Our cousin, Jacquie, took all our edited stories, scanned our pictures and then compiled it all into a beautiful 100-page memory book. It is a blessing to all of us to have such a treasured heritage keepsake, and we would sure encourage families to do whatever you can to preserve pictures and stories of your families.
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In July our long-time friends of more than 40 years, Bob and Mary Brookes, came from Florida for a visit. We so enjoyed reminiscing of our Florida Bible College days together and serving the Lord together through the ministry of Colorado Bible Church years later.
(Below: Yep, though Papa is 71, he still is quite limber and a hard worker!!)
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August took us to Colorado again to be with Chiree and Isaiah while Andy had a 2-week business trip in Hawaii.
He was able to Facetime daily seeing some of the delicious meals he had, and we so enjoyed watching Chiree wear her beautiful, fragrant lei he brought back for her.
While in Colorado, Jimmy enjoyed an hour bike ride down Vail Pass with Andy’s parents and sister, Wayne, Nancy and Holly.
Jimmy’s sister, Kay and her husband Dean, hosted a get together for all of us Bollinger Clan in Denver (Gary and Kathy, Kym, Kinzlee, Jace, and Kara) enjoying Kay’s yummy Mexican feast.
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We traveled back to Michigan in late September to babysit Caleb, Grace and Brielle for five days while Nathan and Katie worked at the Revive ’19 conference in Indianapolis through Revive Our Hearts ministry. Needless to say, they kept us on our toes with their energy and in stitches with their cute comments.
The Revive ’19 Conference theme was “Seeking Him.” Powerful messages—all now online! Check it out here.
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Nathan and Katie celebrated their 10th anniversary on October 24th at the same cabin in Tennessee where they spent their honeymoon. So happy for them and all God has done in and through them!!
Good for a grin: Brielle’s word for snuggling and hugging is “Huggle!”
Andy, Chiree and Isaiah were thrilled to welcome this darling, cuddly, easy-going little guy into their home.
Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of life!
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Speaking of being grateful…Thanksgiving was wonderful getting to have all of our family here with us at our farm counting our blessings and making more cherished memories of being with each other, extended family and nearby friends.
Lots of giggles, tickles, running, jumping, hay bale fun, late nights, and yummy food were a part of each day.
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Christmas found us here at home getting to be with Jimmy’s family where four of the six Bollinger siblings enjoyed Christmas Eve and Christmas Day together, Patty & Nat (Kansas), Kenny & Kathy, Jimmy & I, and Connie (Illinois). We missed you, Launny & Jo and Kay & Dean!
Jimmy’s nephew, Kevin and wife and kids, Julie, Ryan, Justin and Zoe from Illinois joined us all, along with his niece, Kara from Colorado, and nephews, Kory, Kellen and his wife and four daughters, Terryn, McKenna, Lakin, Eulah and Mabel (all from Neosho).
We also got to fill our stomachs full of gingerbread cookies decorated by each one of us…thanks to Kara who had them all baked ahead of time and headed up our decorating contest.
The day after Christmas and for the next three weeks we divided our time between Colorado and Michigan celebrating a late Christmas with both families in each place.
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There are common experiences shared by those of us who grow old, and about the only thing that comes to us without effort is old age. The psalmist has said that old age doesn't exempt us from fulfilling our purposes in life.
"When I am old and greyheaded, O God, do not forsake me,
until I declare your strength to this generation." - Psalm71:18
We are so thankful God has given us the health and ability to travel often and be with our little families. Lord, may we be found faithful declaring Your strength to this generation for Your glory!
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A REJOICING DAY with the BEST NEWS EVER!!
In late August of last year, we received a call from our little Grace telling us that she had trusted Jesus as her Savior the night before. What a joyous day that was for her!! She had totally understood that her sin separated her from God and the Jesus had paid the price by His death and resurrection. She accepted His free gift of eternal life and was adopted as His child.
She couldn’t wait to tell her brother the next morning and said, “Caleb, I’m clean!” She understood that her sins were washed away by the blood of Jesus! Four months later on Christmas Day, Grace shared with her parents how excited she was that this was her first Christmas being God’s child. So precious!
Becoming God’s child for all eternity by faith alone in Christ alone is truly the most important happening that can take place in each of our lives! We are thankful for all of our family and friends that we have shared our blog with throughout the years. You know how this message of salvation is the most important to us of all messages. To those of you who are new friends to our blog, may this message of Grace’s salvation in becoming God’s child be your testimony, too, if you have never trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ. Please don't wait! Today is the day of salvation!
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P.S. We know how good and healthy it is to laugh, so we thought we would attach what we chose as our funniest video we watched this last year. I believe you would agree! Enjoy the next minute of "A Funny Camel Ride!"
