More pictures from PS

The roses are blooming beautifully everywhere and I have just been enjoying them immensly. They are just huge!


Like I said, Kerry has been doing some golfing and once in a while takes a picture of the course, not sure which one this is,
and one day saw a Bobcat out on the course, and managed to get a picture of it as proof. They also saw coyotes out on another course.
We have also been enjoying friends, and games of SLUFF, or breakfast and coffee on the deck.

Still enjoying Palm Springs

 We are still here in Palm Springs and enjoying a relaxing holiday, no pressure, no schedules, just taking it easy and enjoying the sunshine.  We walk, we cycle and Kerry has been  doing some golfing, we read , we nap, and sometimes we go out to dinner, sometimes we eat in and enjoy delicious BBQ'd meals out on our own deck.  It is good!  I decided to post a few pictures of things we see here...............................lots of cactus, some blooming, some budding
 flowers and manicured gardens...........
 vivid pansies.............    birds,  ..............................grapefruit right off the trees and chilled for breakfast....................mountains in the distance.....................and blooming trees.

Palm Springs

After spending a couple of days at home, getting caught up with the kids and grandkids, friends and other family, and doing some catchup on business things, we again packed our suitcases and this time boarded a plane and headed for  a sunny, warm spot.  We always look forward to our holiday time in Palm Springs, and when we got off the plane, we felt like it was another coming home.  We rented our car and headed to the condo we had rented and got settled in and started relaxing and enjoying the beauty and the warmth and the calm, the green grass, the flowers, the birds, and the heavenly fragrance of blooming fruit trees.  We have been enjoying our breakfasts out on the deck every morning.  Who needs to go out for breakfast when we have this to look at.

Views from out our kitchen , on the deck where we eat many of our meals.
Great green space with bushes and palm trees,
and of course a pool nearby where we have been enjoying the sunshine, and and the hot tub where we go and watch the sun come up in the mornings.
Some pictures of the inside of our condo as well.



 The deck where we eat.

Eden Skye

Introducing Eden Skye, born February 6th, 2012.    Grand-daughter #6 for us,  and grand-child #8.  She is Erik and Ambers fourth daughter and baby sister for Hailey, Jayda and Madelyn and all are very proud and excited to have her and lavish lots of hugs and kisses on her.  Her cousins  Nolan, Lukas, Norah, and Shae are also happy to have another playmate for those gatherings and Gramma and Papa's. Eden was born while we were away on MDS so we were very excited to meet her when we got back home on Sunday last week.  I was afraid she would have grown out of the newborn stage but she was waiting on us and she allowed me to hold her and cuddle her and just love her.  She is a real cutie , and such a nice size to snuggle, and I got in as many as I could in the few days we were home.  It was good to catch up with the kids and the grandkids again and we spent some good time together , just being together and catching up.

Finishing up Birmingham MDS

 We finished  up our time with MDS in Birmingham on March 2.  Our last group of volunteers were a mix of some folks from our home town, as well as another group from PA.   They were a good group and we got a bunch of stuff done again, and they were privileged to be able to participate in two home dedications as well.  It was also transition week and so we were trying  to finish up a bunch of things , sign off on jobs that were done, and pass the baton to the new directors who came in that week to take over when we headed home.

We passed final inspection on Mrs. Thomas home on Wednesday and so had a party that evening to dedicate the home.  Mrs. Thomas was very excited when she got the phone call from Kerry that the final inspection was passed and she could move home again.  That evening her house was filled with family and friends, as well as our group as we celebrated with her.  We couldn't cut the ribbon outside, because it was raining, but we did it on an inside door, and then presented her with the key.
Later on she signed off on the job card with Kerry looking on.  She was very thankful for all that had been done for her and that we cared enough for her to come in and rebuild her home. She was very thankful to God and to us for all her blessings.   It was an evening of praise, presentations, prayers and later on, joy and laugher filled the place as we enjoyed cake and coffee, and visiting.

Thursday  we passed final inspection on Ms. Antoinette's house and so planned another party  for that evening.  Antoinette said she would certainly be there, and she had friends and family joining her as well. We were excited to cut the ribbon, hand over the keys, and bless this home and let Antoinette and her family move back in.  She had  been very patient and cooperative with us but we could tell she was excited to move back in and start living life normally again. 
 Then on Friday, it was time for everyone to move on.  There was a complete transition.  The team that had been there for the since January was going home and the new team would be taking over.  We were packed up and ready, handed over the keys and the cell phones to the new directors, and said good bye to the place we had called home for the last  2 months and turned our hearts towards home.  We got a lot of work done, the time was not without its stresses or challenges, but God provided.  We met a lot of great people again, both local folks, and volunteers, and we have  a lot more friends in PA now. It was a good time , but we were ready to go home and see family and friends there again, and meet that new little grand-daughter that had been born while we were away.