This post will document our activities from mid-July to the end of August. It's been a busy but very good 6 weeks!
One night, some of the gals from our Small Group went to a neat restaurant in Little Rock. Thanks to Kerri Stitch for organizing and driving us! Sweet fellowship.
Coincidental -- the girls in red!💖
July 15th was Jeff's 68th birthday! So thankful God has blessed him with another year of life!💙
That evening we took Garrett to Texas Roadhouse to celebrate his upcoming wedding and Jeff's birthday. Praying God's richest blessings on Garrett and Hannah as they begin this new chapter of life as newlyweds and Garrett goes to the Seminary in KC. We know God has great things in store for them!
Home Group fellowship in July at the Stitches--we were missing several, including our leaders, Paul and Glo who had been exposed to covid and needed to quarantine for a few days (thankfully, they did not get it)!
The Girls--one with Kerry
The other with Kaye
We drove to Dallas on July 22nd and met Andy and family at El Fenix in Arlington (and then spent some time with them at Parks Mall). All very enjoyable!
Jeff and I then spent the night in a hotel near DFW so that we could leave our car there while we were gone. We were required to wear masks on the flight.
So on July 23rd, we flew from Dallas to Seattle, WA and spent the night again in a hotel
Then on July 24th - our long awaited retirement gift of an Alaskan Cruise FINALLY became a reality!! Our Ship!
Our first time to cruise with Holland America -- but we will definitely choose them again, if we ever get to cruise again. Very enjoyable (and we thought the food was the best of any cruise lines we have been on). It was H.A.'s first cruise back to Alaska since COVID hit!
Our room was very nice. And what I love about cruising is how pampered you are! They would come in and clean twice a day!! What a blessing!
First time to have a bathtub on a cruise ship.
Loved my balcony as well!
Sunday was sea day (which I love!). We watched Antioch's service on-line.
I spent lots of time on the Promenade. With the cool temps and the beautiful views, I sure enjoyed walking every day--and clocked more than 50 miles (according to my exercise app) with intentional walking, excursion walking and just walking to and from the activities on the ships! I am missing this so much now that I'm home and it's so hot!
And I got a Sunday afternoon nap!
That night was Gala Night #1 (where you are encouraged to dress "up"!)
Monday morning, we woke to land--Alaska!!
So majestic!
Our first stop--Juneau!
This was our favorite excursion day. We used a local tour company, Juneau Tours, that took us on a whale watching trip
And boy, did we get a show!! "Hilda" breached for us 15 times!! Our guides say this is very rare. We were thrilled!!
Our next stop on the tour was to see the beautiful Mendenhall Glacier
Tuesday, we did a cruising excursion of Glacier Bay. So, so pretty!
It was definitely cooler in the Bay (40's-50's)--so I did need my coat when I walked--although by time I got done (over an hour), it was too warm with it. We saw lots of beautiful glaciers!
Dinner that evening
About 6 p.m., we docked at Icy Strait. We did get off the ship after dinner, but I didn't stay long as it was lightly sprinkling. Jeff did walk around longer.
Wednesday, we docked in Sitka!
We once again booked a local company for our excursion and was very pleased with them. First stop was to see some bears, up close and personal!
Next stop was a bird rehabiliation center. Eagles, Owls, Ravens, etc.
Third stop was a Totem Pole National Park
All very enjoyable!
Our last place to dock in Alaska was on Thursday at Ketchikan
We saw a fun Lumberjack show there
Later than afternoon, back on the ship, the sun came out!
I watched these float planes take off and land all afternoon from my balcony and thought how fun that would have been to do an excursion with them (but it's expensive, so we didn't). Sadly, the very next week on the same ship, same day, 5 were killed in one of these planes that crashed (pilot and 4 Holland American guests). So, so sorry!
That evening was Gala Night #2
Our last "full" day (Friday) was another sea day. Yes, we had to get Alaska souvenir shirts!
Love, love cruising and walking the Promenade!
Our last Dining Room meal 😢
Saturday, we docked back in Seattle early that morning. We disembarked at 7:45 and there was a shuttle that took us to the airport to catch our 11:44 flight back to Dallas.
Man, what a slap in the face when we arrived in Dallas (and had to wait outside for 45 minutes on a shuttle to take us to the hotel to get our car)!! Oh, how I longed to be back in Alaska!!
AGAIN, WE ARE SO, SO APPRECIATIVE OF THIS WONDERFUL RETIREMENT GIFT THAT FIRST BAPTIST, GALENA GAVE US. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, DEAR CHURCH FAMILY!!💕💕
Back in Texas....we drove to Waxahachie and spent the next 5 days. We were blessed to worship with the Farley Street church family on Sunday.
Then Monday, our Baptist Missionary Associational Annual Meeting met for the next 3 days. Jeff had served two terms as the President....with this last term lasting 1-1/2 years longer, with a lot of extra work than normal, due to Covid 😖.
As President, you get the honor of preaching the first night
I posted day by day photos of the meeting on Facebook, so will not take the space to do that here. It was a great meeting. So good to see many old friends, enjoyed wonderful music, preaching, honoring and commissioning many very deserving missionaries, conducting the Lord's business and hearing positive reports from our directors and the departments of the BMA that are carrying out the Great Commission! So thankful for the work of our Association!
Jeff was thrilled to hand over the "gavel" to the next President: Justin Rhodes!
An additional sweet blessing was to get to visit with a very dear friend of ours, Monica Saunders. The Saunders family were some of our closest friends when Jeff pastored Calvary, Mesquite. They even went to Disneyworld with us. We were so sad when a few short years later, Rick was diagnosed with cancer and passed away! Monica now lives in Waxahachie with her Mother and takes care of her. We were also thrilled that Rick and Monica's son, Aaron is active at Farley Street and a part of their worship team!
Backing up....before the meeting started on Monday, Jeff and I drove the 12 miles north to Red Oak, where Jeff pastored for 4 years and led the church in the process of relocating and building a new facility We were thrilled to see that they have added other buildings to this property and so glad the church is doing well. Several members from the time we were in Red Oak were at the meeting including their Pastor, Jared Douglas (who was on staff with Jeff at the time we were there). I didn't see Jared so didn't get a picture of he and Jeff together😢
This was our home in Red Oak. It was the largest home we have ever owned. Thankfully, the Lord sold it for us within a week after Jeff resigned from the church.
On our way home, Thursday, we meet our good friends, Hollis and Gilda Stanbery for breakfast. Hollis gifted us with a large cooler of meat, etc.!! We are so appreciative and love these 2 dearly!
We arrived home late Thursday and then Friday, I helped with a women's conference at our church: Antioch. Our registration team:
Fresh Grounded Faith Conference with Jennifer Rothschild
Angie Smith was also a speaker
Michael O'Brien led us in worship.
The host of volunteers that made this conference happen! Great job by all and a very enjoyable conference!
The following day, Sunday, our church hosted a neat outreach event and the majority of us wore our Antioch shirts 💘
I was one exhausted "old" lady when these 3 weeks was over!! Originally, the plans were for Bev to come to AR, go to the conference with Kaye and I and then the 3 of us along, with Mom, were going to Kansas on Monday to visit family for a few days. With the rise in covid cases, we had some misgivings about those plans and thus cancelled them a week earlier. It was such a wise decision as a cousin, who was going to host us one evening in Kansas, came down with covid and has been in ICU in a local hospital for almost 2 weeks. Thankfully, the last report is she is showing much improvement. So glad!! Covid has definitely closed it's circle on our family--not only with my cousin and her husband, but Andy & Carman both had it (thankfully, are almost fully recovered) and my niece also contracted it (but is also recovering). We are continuing to pray for God's healing of our loved ones and our land!! (Updated 8/21: My cousin got to go home today! Thank you, Jesus!)
My grandkids are all back in school!! From early Preschool to a Junior in High School...they are all growing up way too fast! (Still waiting on a school picture of Avi).
This week, Jeff asked Kaye to decorate his office at the church. I was her helper, but she did the work. He was so appreciative and it feels much more "cozy" to him. He enjoys spending 4-5 mornings a week there (and loves that he can come home in the afternoon and get his retirement nap!). 😃
We hadn't seen the McCrary kids in 6 weeks, so when Rachel asked if we could keep them so she could get things packed up for their vacation, we gladly said yes! We enjoyed 24 hours with them. They are now enroute to the beach--their first family vacation with all 4 kids and the first time for the kids to see the ocean/beach. I'm excited for them!
Adding two of those beach/vacation pictures a few weeks later:
Posting for memory sake...funny story while the kids were at our house: Jeff went early that morning to get the kids donuts (yes, we spoil them!) and then left for the church. After the kids got up and I told them Papa was at work, Copeland asked me where he works now and I told him "the church"....that he takes care of the "older" people. Eisley said, "But he is old"
and asked who takes care of him?? 
Fall is around the corner and I, for one, am sure looking forward to cooler temps, fall colors and life settling into more of a routine. Jeff (along with the SA committee) has some great activities planned for our Senior Adults this fall. He is also teaching a 12 week class, for all ages, beginning Sept. 1 on Wednesday nights on the A-Z of Revelation and the subject of Prophecy.
As always, I close this post with thanksgiving for all the many, many blessings God has bestowed on us!!
💓💓
