An End to the Summer Fun

On Monday one of my elders called and invited Shawn and me to join him for some golf today. Knowing it was Shawn's last day of his summer vacation, we accepted his invitation. At 2:30 we met him in Ellington, CT for some golf at a par 3 course we like to play. It was a great afternoon of fun and frustration (it was golf after all) and a reminder that life is about to return to a routine that has been missing all summer. But for this afternoon, we enjoyed the beauty of summertime in New England.Here is Gerald Stevens, but did his putt go in? Ask him when you see him.Here is Shawn preparing to tee off, can he reach the green? I will never tell!

When we finished our nine holes we came home and had a supper of leftovers while Barb was at work. It was then I realized that with Shawn's return to school tomorrow we enter a whole new year of scheduling around his school calendar. Gone will be those wonderful cookouts at Janet's camper like the one we enjoyed a few weeks ago.

Here Dotty Sylvester and Gerald Stevens await a feast while my son David reads in the background. We had some great times at Janet's camper this summer. And when there we always had plenty to eat, thanks to Chef Rodney, shown below. This summer we enjoyed being with our family at the reunion in BC, enjoyed having David and Marianne here for almost a month, I enjoyed my week in Maine as Bible teacher at Lakeside, my trip to General Conference outside Chicago, and we enjoyed our occasional visits to the Berkshires to see Barb's family there. Now everything has to be scheduled with an eye on Shawn's school calendar.

I wonder when we will get the chance to go do something fun again, I hope I don't have to wait too long.

Saying Goodbye

At 5:30 this morning Barb and I drove David and Marianne to the airport here in Windsor Locks and put them on a plane to Texas. They will spend another week in the states and on September 4th, our 32nd wedding anniversary, they will begin their return trip to China. Here is a picture of Barb with the kids as they said goodbye at Bradley Airport as the sun began to brighten the horizon in the background.
It was great to have the kids with us for most of the month of August. We got to visit, the girls got to shop, we went out to eat together and shared many meals at home. They were on the road a good bit, visiting 4 churches in 3 states on the 4 Sundays they were here. They found this a very difficult time to do support raising. But they will return to their assignment with a trust in the LORD for His provision and direction.

Marianne is beginning to look pregnant and it looks good on her. David has that happy father's approving grin on many occasions. The Lord willing, the next time we see them, it will be in China after the arrival of the baby. A trip to see them at their home in China is tentatively scheduled for mid-March of 2009.

Yesterday was a fun day. Our niece Rachel, her husband Matt, and their new baby Judah came to see Marianne and David before they left. Rachel's mom Dorinda drove them down from Massachusetts and we were able to have lunch together. Last night we had a fun meal to send them off. Beginning with the cranberry and brie appetizers we went on to enjoy a dinner of garden fresh salad made with ingredients from our garden (the tomato actually came from a friend's garden) but the lettuce, carrots, cucumbers all came from our garden. The entrees were bacon wrapped steaks, swordfish steaks, and salmon all grilled outside. We had sauteed yellow and zucchini squash with red onions, baked sweet potato, rolls with olive oil and dipping spices and for dessert, we had some wonderful tarimisu. It was wonderful. The next time we share a meal it will be in Kunming, China!

It was great to spend time with the kids but life marches on. Barb works the next three days. I have a luncheon meeting today with another pastor from Windsor. Shawn returns to school tomorrow. And David and Marianne must return to their ministry in China. I am left to wonder what it will be like to hold my grandchild when we go to see them next year, the Lord willing.

A Wonderful Reward!

It is in Psalm 127:3 that we read "Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward." (ESV) This afternoon my wife Barb and I, along with our son Shawn, got to go to visit our niece Rachel, and her husband Matt, at Fairview Hospital in Great Barrington, MA. The occasion of our visit....the birth of Judah Matthew Keesee at 10:26pm on August 16, 2008. Judah arrived weighing in at a hefty 8 lbs. 15 ozs. and being 23 inches long. His mom, Rachel, spent 20 hours in labor before she gave birth to her reward, the baby we affectionately call - 'lil moose! Here is what Judah looked like on the afternoon of the 17th, when he was about 17 hours old!It was an honor to be able to visit with this new family and share in the excitement that comes with a newborn. We were thankful to be able to share in this special time since Matt and Rachel were the only members of my wife's family who could not be with us at our recently concluded Shaw Family Reunion in British Columbia. But seeing the joy on their faces as we visited with them, and sharing their excitement, made us believe this was every bit as special as the reunion, for them probably moreso. Here at the proud parents in Rachel's hospital room.We all got to take a turn hold the "little big man", and we got to visit with their good friends Caleb and Eva Joy, who are expecting their own reward this coming Wednesday! Here are the happy parents to be.Before we left, Judah's 3 year old cousin Emma arrived and took her turn holding the reward that God had given to Matt and Rachel. Here she is practicing for her duties as a big cousin.
Our visit caused us to rejoice with the new parents and to look forward with anticipation to the arrival of our own grandchild next February when God gives a reward to David and Marianne, if that is his purpose for them. I wonder how much excitement will fill our hearts as we travel to China to see our grandchild and his parents.

It's About Time

It has been a while since I have been able to post to my blog. There are several reasons for that and I won't bore you with them here. But tonight I thought I'd share a few pictures and thoughts. Since coming back from the Shaw Family Reunion in BC in July, we have been busy.

A week after I came back from the reunion, Shawn and I were off for Maine and a week at Lakeside Family Camp in Belgrade, Maine. We had a great week. We got in a round of golf, Shawn got in a lot of swimming, we got to visit with my parents (who have a cottage there) and I got to be the Bible teacher for five days as I led a group of folks in a study of the book of Ephesians. Here are some of those who attended the Bible study in the lovely chapel on the campground.

It was fun to be able to study God's word together and learn more about how He wants us to "walk", as Paul shows us in his letter.

One of the real joys for me was getting to meet and be led in worship by Mr. Dean Neal who is a gifted and inspirational worship leader. Here is Dean as he led us in worship one evening.When our week in Maine was over we travelled back home to Connecticut and were blessed to have our son and daughter-in-law come to visit while home on furlough from China. We were able to be with them at the reunion, but it is wonderful to have them staying with us without so many others as well. What a thrill it was for us to learn that David and Marianne are expecting their first child in February of next year. Here is the happy couple at a picnic we attended with some friends at Moose Meadow Camping Resort here in Connecticut.

It is wonderful having David and Marianne home, but we can only wonder what it will be like to have a grandchild born and raised on the other side of the world! We are already praying that God will make it possible for us to visit them in China soon after their family expands.