The Summer of Graduations -2025

Three of our grandchildren graduated this summer. Two from high school and one from college. Graduate means to receive an academic degree or diploma.

“The two most important days of your life are when you were born and the day you find out why.” – Mark Twain

May was certainly filled with Senior Art Shows for our college graduate and her graduation, high school celebrations from the small town, small high school class to the Texas graduation of several thousand. The Farmer didn’t get to attend Willow’s graduation in Texas as he had just had knee replacement surgery. Thankfully, our daughter Esther and granddaughter met me in Wichita and we traveled to the graduation. It was a wonderful trip and it was great to celebrate Willow. Asa’s graduation from high school was especially sweet as his high school was burned in an arson fire a couple of years ago. His small town is full of overcomers. Anna is our college graduate and she is now teaching high school art in her home town and has already been recognized for her achievements. Asa is off to Kansas State University and Willow will soon be going to Boston University.

Western Kansas is green even in September and the crops growing around our yard look exceptional. We have had just enough rains to keep things growing and green. Usually by this time of the year the buffalo grass is brown so we are enjoying this extension of green and praying for an abundant harvest. Picking corn has just begun in this area. Asa and Albert, his dad, came to our farm and used the Farmer’s lift in his shop to work on a pickup. It was fun to have them around for a few days this summer while Jenny our daughter-in-love was on a mission in Guatemala. The lift helps so much to work on things.

The Farmer’s sister, Dorothy passed this summer and went to meet her Savior. She was exactly fourteen years older than the Farmer as he was born on her fourteenth birthday. She said she never forgave him for messing up her birthday J but I think she did and loved having a little baby brother to dress up in tiny dresses. Her services were in St. Louis only two weeks before our family reunion. We were able to spend some much needed time with family and reminiscing. She will certainly be missed and it leaves the Farmer’s family of seven kids to just three left now.

We were not able to go on a SOWER mission this year due to the Farmer’s knee and surgery. Our hope is to be able to go next year. Some of our favorite couples to work with at these projects have experienced great loss. Two couples have suddenly lost their spouses and are trying to navigate how the future looks for their lives. We know that God has a plan and purpose for their future.

“The darker the night, the brighter the stars, the deeper the grief, the closer is God.”- Fyodor Dostoesky

Just like your summer of 2025 ours has been full and rewarding. We’ve experienced grieving, joys and celebrations. Spending time with family and is becoming even more important as we see grandchildren grow and spread their wings. Cherishing friendships is vital to our existence and our true happiness.

“ Cherish your friends and family as if your life depends on it. Because it does.”- Ann Richards

Have Crafts Will Travel

“The talent of success is nothing more than doing what you can do well, and doing well whatever you do without thought of fame.” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“Grammie did you bring any crafts?” This is what I used to hear each time I visited a grandchild. I love to treat my grandchildren to a new craft or an idea to create something. We are all created in the image of God and since He is the creator we also are creative. I didn’t use to think that I was creative but I do have some creative genes in my system.

When my own children were young we were involved in 4-H and I do not know how this came about but I became the craft leader for the Saline Valley 4H club. I think it was because I couldn’t really fill any of the other leadership positions. As a young mother, I had tried my hand at a few things. I quilted a pillow top, made some ceramics, made some macramé flower pot hangers, and a few other things. Now that I was in leadership though I had to up my skills to lead a whole 4H group to success for the County Fair.

This experience led me to be the Grammie that always had crafts in her sack. I didn’t dare show up without an idea and a project. I also would have cousin camp every summer where the grands would make some great projects including tie dye, wood projects with grandpa and science experiments.

Now my grandchildren are in high school or college and Grammie’s stash of crafts are sitting idle. I have found a new avenue for my hidden talent (it’s really hidden!) and that is now I am teaching Kid Zone at church and I have a whole new group of children excited about my crafts. I think I will adopt some of them as grandchildren. Yes, I think that is my new plan.

“Crafting is the art of turning ordinary objects into extraordinary things.” Unknown

HAVE CRAFTS, WILL TRAVEL!

Grandparent’s Day

The Farmer and I took a couple of days off from hauling corn to drive 4.5 hours for lunch at school on a Friday. Our two youngest grandchildren were having a grandparent’s for lunch day at their elementary school. We were so thankful to be able to be there. The excitement of the children was contagious and the grandparents were just as excited. Some grandparents brought lunches and others stopped to get meals from fast food places. Many of us though just ate the choices the school lunchroom workers produced. It was a nice meal of cheeseburgers and all the fixings.

Grandpa ate with Luke in the fifth grade and I had the privilege to eat with Addie in the third grade. They ate at different times, of course. We had a nice visit with some of their friends and their grandparents. We were so thankful that we were able to go and enjoy this precious time. Grandpa also got to ride with Jake who is 15 and learning to drive.

“Some of our greatest blessings call us grandma and grandpa.”

After lunch we jumped in the car to drive across the state again, to attend the Friday evening football game of our senior grandson in the western part of the state. This is kind of on our way home. Unfortunately, they lost the game but Asa played a good game.

“Grandparents are there to help the child get into mischief they haven’t thought of yet.”

The following weekend we drove back to the eastern part of the state as the all three of Esther’s boys were running in the Twilight Cross Country meet. Luke in the fifth grade ran in the warmer part of the day. Jake who is 15 ran later in the evening and Judah’s group took the last run. All three did a great job and sister, Addie was happy as she was invited to a birthday party with a friend and got to miss most of it.

“Love is the greatest gift that one generation can leave to another.”

-Richard Garnett

I have to add to this quote that leading your grandchild to have a relationship with Jesus is the greatest gift!

Wow, grand parenting can be exhausting. We remind ourselves though that it’s not very long and they are off to college and adult-ing. We have three in college now and one with a job. We have two that are seniors this year. We are very blessed to have twelve wonderful grands.

Glory to God in the Highest!

Some of the words used to tell of our 2023 are: graduations, cousins, prayer journeys, reunions, loss, kids, grandkids and praises.

Texas and Iowa were the places we served in church camps with our SOWER ministry. New friends, old friends and ministries that are making a difference in the Kingdom of God were found in both of these places. We take our camper and go to work in these camps for a month in March and in September. Painting, remodeling, office work, kitchen duties and other responsibilities are some of the projects we are involved in. It is such a treat to be able to be a blessing to these facilities.

Conrad lost his last brother, Jim, this March. Three brothers have now advanced to their heavenly home. The youngest brother is now left alone to try to keep three sisters in line. That thought has now terrified the little brother. His oldest sister, Dorothy has informed him that he will not succeed in trying to keep her in line.

Two grandsons graduated from high school in May and one grandson graduated from KSU last weekend and has accepted a new job. He has now joined the adult lifestyle of work and more work. We are very proud of all of Jordan’s accomplishments. Anna is a Junior at KU and Joshua and Roman are Freshmen at UNW and KSU. We are very proud of all of our grands.

Hosting a reunion of cousins here at the home place for the Jamison’s made for a fun June. All but four of my cousins were able to come. Then in August we were able to have Cousin Camp also here at the farm. This is a special time for this grandma and I cherish every moment. Grandpa and I also traveled to some of our children’s homes and spent time with grandchildren for various reasons.

Our little teardrop camper headed out on a journey in early July to travel the border of Kansas. We decided to answer the call to pray the border of our state and to stop and pray in every border county. We traveled 1550 miles, we met beautiful Kansans, camped in special places and prayed and anointed the borders with oil. We spent a little time at the geographic enter of the continental US. We couldn’t have picked a more beautiful time to travel our state. The Lord blessed this trip tremendously.

Pam completed the book of her childhood memories for her grandchildren. The Lord put it on my heart to write my story for my future generations. This is not really a story of my life but more of the story of what my Savior has done in my life. I also completed a king size quilt for Haley. This was my fourth king size quilt to be finished.

Conrad has been busy making 75 wood boxes for Operation Christmas Child boxes, being creative with the wood lathe, and driving semi in harvest season for some neighbors.
May you all be blessed with the greatest gifts of God and may this Christmas season find you all well.
Merry Christmas from the farmer and I.

When Things Go Wrong

Have courage when things go wrong! A pandemic in these days is something gone wrong. Probably not one of us thought that we would be where we are today earlier in 2020. We had no clue as to the changes that would happen in our lives or the pause button that would be pressed. The giant PAUSE button. But as this quote says, “The real things haven’t changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful, to make the most of what we have; to be happy with the simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong.” All of that statement is still very true. Maybe this pause in our lives has helped us to get back to some of the simple pleasures of life.

Here are some of my simple pleasures that have helped me to focus on the good and the many blessings that the Lord has given me in these days instead of focusing on the chaos and the difficulties in this world. And instead of focusing on the realities of missing friends, gatherings, church, and grandchildren.

Hand prints of some of the grandchildren from seven or eight years ago. Thanks to their momma for capturing their sweet hands in this clay so those hands could bless me today. As I cleaned out the flower beds to prepare for spring, I uncovered this cherished gift. This is a reminder of great memories of the grandkids coming to our farm and playing in the dirt and with kittens and building a fort in our tree row. I love hearing their shouts of fun as they run through the sprinkler or slide on our makeshift water slide. (Tarp and water hose and a slight slope.) Hills are hard to come by in this part of the flatland. One of the simple treasures.

Spring is beginning to bud out here on the farm. Oh how we love the songs of the birds. The meadowlark song is beautiful as he sings to his mate. Then we hear the sound of the Bob-white quail as he says over and over “Bob white! Bob white!” The trees are beginning to spring out their leaves and make shelter for our bird friends. A female pheasant hen is inside the yard fence and I worry that perhaps she is caught but she slides right under the woven fence like she does it daily. The bunnies play their bunny games and chase one another around the tree trunk. Yes, there is new life everywhere and that is one of the simple pleasures.

I imagine Laura Ingalls Wilder used an outhouse like this behind her school. The left one is for the women and the one on the right in the open is for the men. I am so grateful for the simple pleasure of a flushing toilet and running water.

A nice drive around an old fishing lake close to our farm has us driving over this bridge. All of the shelter houses and bathrooms around the lake were built in the 1930s by the WPA program. We are so thankful for those workers and those programs that still leave us much to enjoy today. This lake was bustling with activity and many boats and campers were enjoying this day. Social distancing and a nice quiet lake go together well. Many dads were showing their boys how to fish and it appeared there was some great family times happening. Oh the simple pleasures.

“Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in our hearts.”
Winnie the Pooh

One simple pleasure is doing something for someone else. I was able this week to prepare a meal for a friend who is really going through a difficult time. Those struggles that are so hard are even more magnified in a pandemic with social distancing when what they really need is all hands on deck to hug and carry them through this. It is such a pleasure to come alongside others that are dealing with tragedies. It is also a pleasure to make a batch of cookies and put many in the freezer for when the grandkids can come again and share with a neighbor who has adopted three little ones. She is teaching online and homeschooling five children. There are so many unsung heroes in this time. When we get down in these days nothing lifts us up quicker than doing for someone else.

So as Laura Ingalls Wilder says, “The real things haven’t changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful, to make the most of what we have; to be happy with the simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong.” Our God is still the same, yesterday, today and forever. Our faith is still in Him and our trust is focused on Him. It is still best to be honest and truthful and ahhh those simple pleasures. Lets look for them. They are all around us.

If you sense you are losing all hope as David shares in Psalms 143:4, read that full psalm and let me know. I would love to listen and visit with you.

Psalms 143:4 I am losing all hope; I am paralyzed with fear. I remember the days of old. I ponder all your great works and think about what you have done.

verse 6 I lift my hands to you in prayer. I thirst for you as parched land thirst for rain.

verse 8 Let me hear of your unfailing love every morning, for I am trusting in you.

verse 10 May your gracious spirit lead me forward on firm footing. Because of your faithfulness bring me out of this distress.