Tag: family

Time for a Grandpa post

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date August 18, 2012

I finally had a little time to empty the cameras and go through the pictures with my laptop. So I could not resist making a gallery of Sammy pictures to share. JoAnne and I had the privilege of spending a few days with Mark and Keely and Sam on vacation a week ago in their newly purchased house. Since it is an older house with some additions over the years, so it has lots of room, and lots of character, but also a few bugs–things that need to be done. So I have been helping with repairs and repainting while JoAnne watches Sam so Keely can decorate and unpack. JoAnne has such a tough job, she can hardly stand it — snicker, snicker. The rest of us are doing minor remodeling while she goes for a walk with Sam and lounges with him in the bedroom so he is not in the way of the painting project. Of course, I’m not jealous… Anyway, here are some great pictures of my grandson and our family.

$Paying attention to what\'s happening$

[Show as slideshow]

Tags family, grandparents, grandson Sam

Journal Joy Notes Who Am I

Celebration for Mom’s 90th

Last Christmastime, my sister MarySue set this past Saturday, July 7, as the date we as an extended family would get together to celebrate Mom’s 90^th birthday. Even though Mom’s actual birthday is not until August 19, MarySue knew that 4^th of July is a good time to get the family together. But there was no way she could know how providential the timing would be. Mom’s health and sharpness are declining as she suffers from advanced heart disease, but right now, even though she was weak, on oxygen and confined to a wheelchair, she was still able to enjoy her birthday dinner and recognize and talk with nearly everyone. Previously she would have known each great grandchild—she told me this time Sammie is number 18—along with their age and sizes—now she remembered the names of about as many as I did. As soon as she saw my brother Allen and I both in the house she exclaimed, “Get the cameras!” So we did. Al lives in Fairbanks, Alaska and we haven’t seen him in a couple years. Several have better cameras than I but I also took pictures anyway so I could put a few on my blog. Since thunderstorms were to pass through, we held the picnic in the new garage that Don and MarySue have constructed not far from the house. As usual, we sang for Mom too, one hymn before the blessing and one hymn after the meal. There was lots of muscle present to wheel/carry Mom as needed from the house to the garage for the meal and back.

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Tags birthdays, family, family traditions, Mom

Journal Joy Notes

Sam visits great grandparents

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date May 31, 2012
2 Comments on Sam visits great grandparents

On Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, my wife and I rode with Mark and Keely and our grandson Sam down to Haskinville and then to Corning so Sam could meet for the first time my mother, Dorothy Jones, and my wife’s father, Rev. Joseph DeSerio. The trip was made a little more urgent by the fact that my mother’s health has been deteriorating markedly over the past several weeks. Thank you to all of you who are praying for her.

God granted us a blessed day in every way. Everyone was healthy for the day. Sammy made the trip well and charmed everyone with his smile. Both my Mom and JoAnne’s Father were having good days as well. I flashed away with the camera and came away with some memorable shots too. It was an unusual picture-taking day in that we took four-generation pictures on both sides of our family that same day.

I was also glad to be able to see my siblings who are caring for Mom – Phil and MarySue and their spouses. In Corning we also saw JoAnne’s brother Joe, her father’s wife, Lucille, and a family friend, Barb. These were all happy to see Keely and Mark and Sam too.

$Mark and Sam with Rev. DeSerio and my wife\'s brother Joe$

$JoAnne\'s Dad talks to Sam$

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Tags family, grandson Sam

News Commentary Wisdom

Religious faith and a stable family are the real sources of help for poorly performing students

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date March 9, 2012
1 Comment on Religious faith and a stable family are the real sources of help for poorly performing students

City schools are a perennial topic of conversation. What can be done to help poor districts? What helps students who are struggling? So much talk and money is spent on things which don’t really make a difference because political correctness keeps us from endorsing what really does make a difference – religious faith and stable family structure. This study should be labeled as a landmark study. It should be required reading for politicians overseeing schools and for school officials.

http://www.christianpost.com/news/study-faith-family-most-important-to-reduce-race-based-achievement-gap-71130/

Tags benefits of faith, Christian schools, education, family, philosophy of education

Journal Joy Notes Who Am I

Our first grandchild, Samuel Glenn Stater, is born

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date February 10, 2012
5 Comments on Our first grandchild, Samuel Glenn Stater, is born

What a wonderful event! We have been visiting our daughter and son-in-law this week in anticipation of this event. Our son-in-law awakened us about 4 am yesterday telling us it was time to head to the big Hartford hospital. We learned that 4000 babies per year are born there. Keely was smiling and dressed, ready to go. The hospital has birthing rooms where the family could stay for as long as the Mom wanted. We stayed through the early stages of labor to encourage but then moved about 9:25 am to the waiting room. I napped (and munched). Samuel entered this world with a hearty wail, we were told, about 11:30 am. Samuel is my middle name and my maternal grandfather’s name. Glenn is Mark’s paternal grandfather’s name. Keely did very well with just coaching and support. Labor was 11 1/2 hours, exactly the same span as for JoAnne when Keely was born. Samuel has big blue eyes and is charming everyone. Soon after he was born, I went to Logan airport in Boston to pick up Mark’s parents who are also overjoyed to be here for this occasion. I’m starting a first gallery for Sam, of course. There was no time yesterday to put things up so I’m working on it this morning.

$celebrating Sam\'s birth$

$He\'s a quiet baby$

$Sam resting on Mom\'s chest$

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Tags family, grandson Sam

Journal Joy Notes Who Am I

News! We are to be Grandparents!

Post author By pastorkelvin
Post date June 17, 2011

JoAnne and I are on the proverbial cloud nine as we have recently learned that our daughter, Keely, and her husband Mark are expecting! Early next year we are to become grandparents for the first time. What wonderful news!

The only hard part about it was that we were given the preliminary news a couple weeks earlier but were asked not to tell it for a couple weeks. This was really hard as people are always asking us whether there is any news about grandchildren yet. It’s tough to keep good news in, especially for me. Well now we can say, “Yes there is news!”

So if we seem to be a little distracted or have our head in the clouds, you’ll know the reason.

Tags blessings, family, grandparents

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