It's all about the Fam.... oh and Henry was here!

I have been really bad about my picture taking lately. Just haven't done a whole lot of it.
I managed to get the camera out a few times this weekend. But I was a little distracted by the activity of having everyone here so it was hit and miss....

The kids all made it for the weekend.

HENRY came to Portland!

He doesn't look too thrilled with it but we were sure glad to see him and his parents and all of his aunts and uncles and cousins.

Here is a typical after meal shot.

Puttering, visiting, texting and resting.

Krystle's friend Tyler was able to join us on Friday, Saturday and today. We like him. He is a nice guy to have around.

Cousin!

Wyatt is glad to have a boy cousin. He has only one girl cousin on Jess's side but 4 boys cousins on that side and nothing but boy cousins on the Hilman side. Genevieve says that the "sister cousin" is still in Cherise's belly.

Danika claimed ownership of Cousin Henry.

I think if Joylynn wasn't nearby she would have carried him to his mom because he was crying. She was so concerned every time he cried.

Pregnancy has it's moments and most of them are exhausting.
Lyssa taking a bit of a siesta before we headed to the mall.

Breakfast Buddies

These two are the early birds. I keep stocked up on cold cereal, bagels, and bananas.

I'm glad we have unlimited texting because pictures aren't the only things that "paint a thousand words".

These girls are looking more alike as the years go on.

The Birthday Boys finally meet.

Hayden, the seasoned veteran in the Uncle department, spent a little time with the one nephew that shares his birth date.


Splish Splash I was takin' a bath...

The first visit to Gramma's has to have a bath picture. Henry has started to enjoy them.

The Family Photo

Just before they took off today. "Grandkids Welcome" indeed!

See you later gator!
Ready for his long car ride home.

Company and other busy-ness

I'm open to fall arriving.

It's been sunny and warm for a few days but the nights are cooling off nicely.

Krystle has a friend here from Ohio. Sarah lived here in Portland for a few years. It's nice to see her. She seems to be enjoying her visit.

Here are Courtney, Sarah, Cassie (another friend of Krystle's) and Krystle dressed up for a nice dinner at the Western Culinary Institute.

Our baby girls have grown up!

On their way to Saturday Market.

Sarah picked out fabric from my basket and bought the backing fabric so I am making her a quilt to take back with her.

Generations Church

has found a "home"!

Generations Church is now meeting at the Berean Baptist Church at 9:00 each Sunday. This past Sunday was our first meeting there.

The sound and media guys getting a feel for the equipment. We will be installing our sound stuff eventually.

Isn't it a pretty sanctuary?

ROWAN!

Rowan and his mommy came to see us on their way to see Aunty Cherise and Cousin Henry.

Max gets to stay with us and Courtney got to go with them. We had a couple of other boys that would have loved to go and see the little guy too.

This morning Rowan was so cute.

He was looking for the cat. I don't think she was down the laundry chute.

Then he drove Danika's stroller up the door.

He and I got to go on a little stroll before they hit the road.

He doesn't stand still for long.

He's almost out of the frame before I can take the shot.

Packed up and ready to roll.

Have a fun time.... take lots of pictures!

Wyatt's first day of school

A friend of Joylynn's has a little guy in the same class and made this picture for us.
Doesn't he look like a big school kid now?

The Momma had to work for a while that day so the girlies got to come to Gramma's.

Genevieve busied herself with some toddler toys we unearthed from somewhere.
She plays well by herself.

Danika was in obvious need of a nap.One of my favorite pastimes.

Another one. I have a quilt to make for a friend of Krystle's that is visiting from Ohio.
Did you know I love to make these rag quilts?

News from the North.

Apparently Rowan found a dog and has put up a sign.
I got this pic on my phone this morning.
What a great helper.

Joylynn is 27!

Harlan and I have tried our best to honor God in our lives. One of these ways was to raise our children to love and serve Him also. Each of our kids has a name plaque with the meaning of their name and a life verse from scripture.

The name book we used to find Joylynn's name had the meaning as "overflowing joy" the name plaque people interpreted it as "source of joy".

She has been the source of all kinds of emotions but beneath them all is that joy.
I've included a few photos on this post. Here is one of her, Jess and the kids.

At Christmas Time

With Danika

Pajama time. With Jess.

Close to Mother's Day

Joylynn and Genevieve leaving church, May 2009.

With Genevieve again.

The R-fam during party for Har and Logan.

Everyone needs a "mini me" Genevieve is Joylynn's. She looks so much like her mother did at that age.

Helping Danika go up unto the big slide at the play place for Danika's 2nd birthday.

I'd put a picture of Joylynn from Wyatt's first day of school yesterday but she was a bit weepy.

It's a mom's perogative to cry on the first day of school.

Twenty-seven years.... in many ways it seems that long but in most ways it's gone by all too fast.

We dedicated Joylynn to the Lord when she was entrusted to us and we are trusting that He will continue to work in her life.

Phillipians 1:6 ~

"being confident in this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

Happy Birthday Joylynn!

May the year ahead be filled with God's grace and blessings.

Our Labor Day and week prior

Just a little update post.

I have always like the siamese type of cat. Our Peanut-Butter is a lovely siamese mix.

She is friendly and not too much of a pain.

Gotta love technology

They kids send me photos from their phones to mine. I don't have a super fancy phone so the photos always are too small to see.

Harlan taught me how I can forward the text/photo messages to my gmail account.

Now I can enjoy the photos that are sent and even share them here!

This one is for Lindsey. It is the only picture I got of Rowan this week. :)

SCHOOL DAYS.....

Just one pic this time. A science experiment in progress here. We didn't have pennies so he is dropping jellybeans into a cup and seeing how many the piece of spaghetti will hold before it breaks. I like this type of experiments better than the messy kind. :)


OSU adventure...

Har and I brought Ry down to the bus station to see him off for a trip down to Corvallis to take a little trip down memory lane and to attend the PSU/OSU football game.

If you have missed all of the construction and the fun that made for everybody :P ...

We now have an extension of the yellow Max line that now goes all the way south to PSU.

The new green line starts up this week. North and South in town and then all the way East and then South again to Clackamas town center.

It's fun to take a jaunt on the Max every now and again. Beats trying to find parking downtown.

Our weekly outing took us to Burgerville again.

I've been hanging out with guys alot lately.

It's a change from back in the day when I had 5 little girls in residence.

Sweet potato fries are back! Along with Pumpkin Spice Lattes at Starbucks.

I can almost feel the weather changing. :D

I'll finish this post with a picture of Cam.

I like his sparkly eyes.

A little bit of mischief here maybe?