Latest Family Stuff

Here's Carson at his Christmas Concert

Gray's Creek Middle School

Edward and Angie

Thanksgiving Weekend

and the "Stinkin' Dote"

as she's fondly known

Carson got his wisdom teeth pulled

the day before Thanksgiving

We traveled to Pensacola on Veteran's Weekend

Beautiful Beach!

Are we having fun yet???

We went to see Martha and Hugh,

visiting their oldest son Rick who

is stationed there.

Rick, Wendy & sweet family

We tried local food like

deep fried cheesecake...Yum!

We found great shells at the beach.

The water was beautiful!

We saw the Blue Angels Air Show.

Deep sea fishing was a blast.

We had the best fish tacos

made by Hugh, Rick & Wendy

Great trip, Love Florida!!!

Our Ward's Young Women's Excellence

was great!

Loved our Youth Theme for the year

13th Article of Faith

Our annual Stake Youth Service Project

putting flags at the Veteran's Cemetery

Cold morning but we had a good group there

Halloween Punks at our

Ward Trunk or Treat

(Carson, Eric & Christian)

Angie's 28!

Birthday Celebration

Haven't shared a story in a while so here's the one about Angie's birth. Angie was our honeymoon baby and before she was conceived, I had to have a rubella vaccination to get our marriage license in the state of California. The doctors advised me not to get pregnant for at least three months following the vaccination or the baby would be at risk for birth defects. Well, Angie was conceived and when I told the doctor, he encouraged me to terminate my pregnancy. I wasn't expecting such pressure from a doctor. It really caught me off guard and shook me up but I stuck to my principles and told him that I wouldn't be terminating my pregnancy. Later, I did some research and found out that Angie wasn't at risk as much as the doctor led me to believe. Children are blessings from God. Elder Neil L. Anderson said in conference that "many in today's world marginalize the importance of having children." I guess that would include even some doctors. Angie is a joy and blessing in my life. I've always told her that she truly wanted to get here to this world and experience all she can. She's always had that type of personality, even from her birth.

“Motherhood is not a hobby,

it is a calling.

You do not collect children

because you find them cuter than stamps.

It is not something to do

if you can squeeze the time in.

It is what God gave you time for.”

~Rachel Jankovic

Baby Maxwell Mark

Baby Maxwell Mark R. and

my Nephew Robert

born: 11th March 2011

7 lbs. 9oz.; 20.5 inches long

"A babe in the house is

a well-spring of pleasure,

a messenger of peace and love,

a resting place for innocence on earth,

a link between angels and men."

~Martin Fraquhar Tupper

Home for the Holidays

We had a rockin' great time for the holidays
Lots of great food!
Cousin Kellee joined the festivities.

Jake came home from BYU and Angie was able to join us Christmas Day which was great!

and Dottie sat on her favorite lap. We even got 8 inches of snow on the 26th.

We visited Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens.

Edward joined in the fun.

and Catherine too.

Everything was so beautiful.

and the hot chocolate kept us warm.

May the miracle of Christmas

touch us all with love and peace.

Mark & Family

Robert, Scott, Davey, Annie,

Janet, Jolinda, Mark, Kate
The Grandkids

Thanksgiving Together

Mark, Jolinda and family

My brother Mark got to go up to Idaho and celebrate Thanksgiving with the whole family. Their newest grandson is Baby Jason who was only a few weeks old. Found these pictures from Yvonne and David's blog and Paige and Robert's blog. I just had to post them. They're all so cute.

"Anxiously Engaged"

Adam & Sally

I love this picture of my brother Adam and his soon to be wife Sally. Here's a favorite quote about marriage.

"Marriage is sanctified

when it is cherished

and honored in holiness.

That union is not

merely between husband and wife;

it embraces a partnership with God. "

~Russell M. Nelson

Dog Days of Summer

Dottie the Dog

Well I'm back to blogging. Just thought I'd start by posting some summer highlights. We had a full fun summer. Even had time to play with Dottie. Here she is waiting for me to hit her a tennis ball. What a dog!

Me, Kellee, Carson & Jessica

at Kellee's Graduation

We've had such a joy spending time with Cousin Kellee. We started off our summer by attending her graduation. We are really proud of her accomplishments. She's moved on and is attending Brigham Young University. If she does as well in college as she did in high school...She will Do great!

Angie, Jessica & Janna

Beach Fun!

You never know who might come visit if you just ask. Cousin Janna from California just graduated from high school and came to see us. It was so wonderful to have her. This picture is of them having fun at the Kure Beach.

Angie and Friends from Single's Ward

River Rafting

Angie came back in June and found a job here in Fayetteville at High Smith Rainey Hospital. She lives only ten minutes away and likes the single's ward. She shares teaching gospel doctrine class. One of their fun activities this summer was going river rafting. Do you think she might be having too much fun?

Jessica & Sophia
Stake Camp 2010

I'm so glad that my girls have had good experiences at YW Camp. Its good to know that they can have fun even in North Carolina where it's hot and muggy in the summer. Here's Jessica acting goofy with a friend from the ward. As my mother would say: "the fruit don't fall to far from the tree. "



Dave and some of the Youth and Adult Leaders

Stake Youth Conference

"A More Nobler Desire"

Dave and I got to be host parents for a group of young men at our youth conference. The theme was "A More Nobler Desire" A week before youth conference they were given a challenge to go on a digital fast: no tv, movies, texting, or computer except for absolute necesities like summer homework or keeping in contact with parents. Then the youth did service projects all weekend. Some of our activities included reading the newspaper to the blind over the radio, feeding the homeless in downtown Fayetteville and putting up a fence for a neighbor. It was great experience and helped us all to keep our priorites in order.

Jake the Graduate

Bachelors in Geography

with a minor in Spanish

Jake had a Summertime Graduation. Since BYU doesn't have a ceremony in December, Jake had his celebration in August. He still has a class he's finishing up with for Fall Semester and will be done in December. Then what? Well, we shall see.

*********************************

When I moved to North Carolina, one of my first friends was Hilda Brock and she was a wonderful primary music leader. At the end of the summer she would teach the primary children the song: "Oh What Do You Do in the Summertime" after they would learn it she then let the children make up their own verses. I thought it was so clever. I'm so glad I witnessed this wonderful woman sharing her talent and light to all.

Here's my feeble attempt to honor her love for music and show how our family spent the summer:

Oh, what do you do in the summertime

when all the world is green,

do you swim in a pool,

graduate from school,

or play with your dog all day long.

Is that what you do?

So do I.

My Redheaded Grandnephew

It's a boy!

David, Yvonne & Peter

Peter Allen Reynders
9th June 2010
7 lbs. 14 oz.

We have a celebrity in the family. Peter Allen, born to my nephew David & wife Yvonne, son of my brother Mark and wife Jolinda. I say celebrity because it took 21 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren before getting another baby with red hair in our family like my other brother Adam has. My mother always said she was so excited when my brother was born with red hair and she thought it was a shame that none of her grandchildren had red hair. My mother passed away in November and I don't know if there is some cosmic way of putting in requests about specific characteristics in our family lineage, but if my mom had her say about it, she was going to get her another red headed baby in the family. Only heaven knows. Another fun fact about Peter is he's named after my great great grandfather who was the first immigrant from our Reynders family line to settle in America. He was from The Netherlands and the dutch spelling was:

"P I E T E R ~ R E I J N D E R S"

Today is my dad's birthday, so what a fun birthday present for my dad to have this handsome new guy in the family.

"Blonds are noticed but

redheads are never forgotten."

Congratulations

David & Yvonne

Called to Sing

My very talented niece, Janet Reynders, is going to Historic Nauvoo Illinois to be a Young Performing Missionary where she will sing, dance and testify. She leaves today and will be there all summer. She will get to participate in the performances for Historic Nauvoo and we are all excited for her. You can follow Janet's mission on her blog, "Summertime in Nauvoo"

http://janetreynders.blogspot.com/

If any of you plan to visit Nauvoo this summer, tell her that Aunt Beth said Hello.

"For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart..." ~Doctrine & Covenants 25:12
(Historic Nauvoo Website)

Grandma & Me

Since this week we celebrate Mother's Day, I've been thinking about how this will be the first Mother's Day since my mom has passed away. I've been pondering about the special women in my life besides my mom. The first one would have to be my maternal grandmother, Grandma Cassie. I feel blessed because not all grandchildren get to live close to their grandma. We didn't always live in the same town, but soon after my grandfather died when I was about eight years old, my grandmother moved to our town, Lancaster, California. She lived there with her older sister my "Aunt Pearl" for awhile. I loved going and spending the night with them. We would bake cookies and watch Lawrence Welk and the Doris Day Show on TV. Later, Grandma moved near the high school and I can remember walking to her apartment during lunch time and she'd have a bacon and tomato sandwich waiting for me. It was my favorite. She loved to serve. As she got older and she would think about death, I can remember telling her, "Grandma, I don't want you to ever die, I need you. Don't talk about dying." Years later when she had a stroke and had broke her hip a couple of times and really couldn't get around anymore, Grandma had one last special gift for me. It was when we had lost our infant son, Steven and I was grieving a lot. The veil was very thin with my Grandma and most of the family knew that it was getting near for her time to pass on. I can remember going to my grandmother's bedside. In our conversation, it seemed like she had been hanging on to those words from when I was younger..."I don't want you to die..." I can remember telling her how much I loved her and even with all the knowledge of knowing that my baby had gone to a safe place, I knew I would feel better knowing that this wonderful woman that I cared for so very much would be there with him...Well, within a few weeks from that time, Grandma Cassie passed away. I love that woman. She was so good to me.

"You give me a kiss,

You give me a hug,

You smile when you see me too.

I wish every child

in the whole wide world,

had a grandmother

just like you."
~Nonie Nelson Sorensen

(Link: More about Grandma Cassie)

Yearly Family Update

All is calm,

all is bright

Here's an update

of our family tonight

Angie will graduate

from Nursing School in May.

We'll be travelin' to St. Louis

on her graduation day.

Jake is at BYU

finishing up his degree.

Next, he'd like graduate school,

studying Geography.

Jessica loves chorus

and plays piano too.

She's now in eighth grade

and does well in school.

Carson is eleven

and he's kind & dear.

Hard to see him grow up

each passing year.

Dave has been humbled

by his second ruptured disc.

Somehow he keeps going

in spite all the risks.

Beth has felt love

from all that were aware

of her mom's recent passing.

Thanks for all the dear care.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Fahrney Teething Syrup

Jessica had her wisdom teeth pulled Thursday. I've heard of kids getting their teeth pulled early and never really understood why but it was because her wisdom teeth were blocking her 12 year old molars from coming through. Anyway, lots of pain and anguish but she's getting better and started back to school today. As I saw her sad and swollen face, I thought of the old Fahrney Bottles that I had collected from years back. My husband's mother's maiden name is Fahrney and earlier in our marriage, I started collecting old "Fahrney Medicine Bottles." Some of the medicine was for teething. Maybe Jessica inherited her teeth issues from the Fahrney side and that's why the Fahrneys needed toothache syrup. Thank goodness for modern medicine and oral surgery.

"Some tortures are physical

And some are mental,

But the one that is both

Is dental."

~Ogden Nash

Sunset Years

Coach & Mom

A few weeks ago, my mom went on hospice. Her health issues have gotten progressively worse, so the four kids got together to be with my parents. I think it was good for mom to see us all together again. It has been hard to see my parents age. My sister has taken on a majority of the leadership in caring for them. A few years ago, Teresa came into our lives and has been a blessing, taking care of my parents on a constant basis. As I've prayed for peace in my parents lives, I've felt impressions of teaching moments that I received through my life at the hand of my mom and I've been telling my mom about them. As sick and weak as she feels, its been a blessing to have her somewhat alert to hear, communicate and respond. I forever pray for peace and comfort of the Holy Spirit in their lives. I know Heavenly Father is aware of them and that

"His (God's) Will Be Done."

Coach, Me & Mom
Mark, Martha, Beth, Adam
Coach, Mom
The Kids Again
Jake, Martha, Kathy, Adam, Emma, Jolinda, Mark

Coach, Teresa & Mom

“At some period in our mortal mission,
there appears the faltering step,
the wan smile, the pain of sickness—
even the fading of summer,
the approach of autumn, the chill of winter. …
“I extol those who,
with loving care and compassionate concern,
feed the hungry, clothe the naked,
and house the homeless.
He who notes the sparrow’s fall
will not be unmindful of such service.”
~President Thomas S. Monson