Golden Anniversary for Rancie and Billy

I think I mentioned in an earlier post how much I treasure my family.  How true, how true!  This weekend, Danny and I drove to Forest, Mississippi to attend Rancie and Billy's fiftieth wedding anniversary reception!  What a splendid example of love and commitment for all of us!

Again, we were able to spend some quality time with my siblings.  When we are scattered all over the USA - Ohio, Mississippi, Louisiana and us from who knows where - it is truly a treasured time to be able to get together.  I'm proud of all my siblings!  They are all honorable people and have always been so supportive to me and to us after Danny and I married.  Thanks be to God, for their love and support through my 65 years!

Back to the Golden Anniversary Reception  - It was held at the First Baptist Church Fellowship Hall. Their two sons and their families were able to be there.  Gene and Amy with Sean and Alex came from California and Glenn & Kim with Max and Ella came from Lubbock, Texas.  Billy's sister and his brother with some of their families were able to attend also.  Lots of local friends came - even Rancie's family doctor.  The decorations were really pretty, and the Anniversary Italian Cream Cakes were fabulous!!

Following the reception, Danny and I along with my siblings and their families who were present went out to eat.  There were three or four other large groups of customers at the restaurant, so we didn't get served for quite a while.... that gave us time to do lots of talking and catching up on the activities in our family's lives.

Billy and Rancie Cummins

Rancie and Billy surrounded by their family: Gene &
Amy and Glenn & Kim;
Alex, Ella, Sean and Sam

Delicious Italian Cream Cakes

Wonderful catered treats

My sister, Louise, served punch

Marilyn, my sister by marriage served the cake

Brother Al or Bubba with Chuck and Eleanor and Rancie

Al with Glenn and Kim

Glenn and Max

Guests enjoying the refreshments

Billy and Rancie talking with guests

My brother, Jimmie & Janice, my sister by marriage with Glenn & Kim

Rancie's siblings - Al, Margaret/Maggie, Rancie, Louise and Jimmie

Billy's siblings - Marilyn and Jimmy

Gene helping clean up after the reception ended

Resting after the reception!

She Arrived!!

Even though Courtney had been extremely uncomfortable, Baby Sister did not come before July 30th.  So Maggie Lynn spent the night at Grandma and PePaw's to allow Courtney and Keith to arrive at the hospital at 5 AM on July 30th.  A room wasn't available when they arrived, so they had to wait for an hour or so to begin the process of being induced.

Danny and I arrived around 9:30 to begin the waiting process.  Lynn arrived with Maggie Lynn around lunch and PePaw came around 1:30. Maggie Lynn was an exceptional little girl as we waited - she played with our phones, played cards and took pictures with her camera.  We were all so happy when word came that Brantley Alice Reasons was safely born at 3:07 PM, was 20 1/4 inches long and weighed 7 lb. 10 ounces!  She is beautiful with lots of dark hair

Keith took Maggie Lynn back to the room to see Mommy and Baby Sister first.  She loves Brantley so much..... I like to say she loves her ferociously since she is a little too rough in her hugs and kisses.  Brantley will grow up to be tough!.

Following a couple of days at the hospital, they all were reunited at home and the adjustment period began.  It is tough having a new born and a 2 year old, but they are doing well.  They will soon get in the swing of taking care of everything smoothly.... not saying it will ever be easy!  Here are some photos to document this wonderful occasion.

Nana Maggie and Papa Danny waiting at the
Baptist Women's Hospital

Maggie Lynn taking a picture with her camera.

Grandma Lynn and PePaw Randy with
Maggie Lynn

Keith Introducing Maggie Lynn to her baby sister, Brantley

Sweet Family - Keith, Courtney, Maggie Lynn and Brantley

Brantley Alice

Nana with Brantley

Papa and Lynn with Brantley 

Alice Christopher or"Gran" and her namesake

Papa snuggling with Brantley

Nana, Maggie Lynn and Brantley

Courtney feeling much better the next day.

Excited Big Sister with Little Sister

Aunts Lauren and Rebecca

Brantley is ready to travel home

Courtney with her babies at home

Papa brought his own baby flowers

Family Reunion

We arrived in Memphis on July 18^th and set up camp overnight before unloading the fifth wheel into our tiny one bedroom apartment in Cordova.  We gave the RV a deep cleaning the next day and put it in storage for 6 weeks.  We planned to stay put until our precious new granddaughter was born and then to help Courtney and Keith after she arrived.

The baby’s due date was August 3^rd, but the doctor said that if she didn't come before July 30th that he would induce Courtney.  Danny and I felt safe to take Maggie Lynn and leave for the weekend to attend my family reunion.  

Family   - like branches on a tree, we all grow in different directions, yet our roots remain as one.

Every summer the Brantley Family gather for its family reunion.  We come from far and near just to reconnect and remember our parents and grandparents and renew our love for each other.  There is always a lot of laughter and hugs and numerous “Remember when….”   And, oh the food, YUM!  All of it is tasty, but I think my sister Rancie's  fresh garden vegetables are the most desired! There are so many camera flashes you would think we were famous folks, but we’re not…. Just in love with our family and thankful for all the rich history we have.   Without a doubt, the greatest wealth we have is a loving family!

Saturday night fun together at Marilyn and Larry's

Leonard and Louise, my sister, shared pictures on her ipad with Maggie Lynn

Cousins chat and catch up on news by the pool on Saturday night.

Danny is telling a great story to Wilson and Jimmie, my brother.

Sharing a laugh together - and no, Chuck wasn't made to stand in the corner! LOL!

Sunday Reunion at the Garden Inn

Bailey's Sweet Welcome

Maggie Lynn had a blast and was such a doll the entire weekend.

That is, until she just gave out!  That's what Nana is good for - napping.

My siblings and their spouses from left:  Al and Marilyn;
Louise and Leonard; Jimmie and Janice; Danny and me; and
Rancie and Billy

First cousins with our Aunt Polly

Aunt Polly is our only surviving aunt.... such a sweet sweet aunt.
Here she is with Eleanor, my cousin.

Great memories!  Until next year....

Visiting Friends We Love

Isn't it grand to be able to reunite with friends?  That's what we did when we arrived in Olathe, Kansas to visit Les and Carolyn Carruth.  Our friendship allows us to pick up just where we left off the last time we were together.  We set up our fifth wheel in a RV park in a neighboring town, but ended up staying at their home for one of the nights we were in town.... after all, when you stay up late playing cards it's too much trouble to drive 12 miles away to the fifth wheel!  LOL!  What fun we had as we talked and talked, went to see "The Lone Ranger" at the theater, toured the Moon Marble Company & watched an original marble being hand made, and played "Ascending and Descending" cards - AND I WON for a change!

On Wednesday, July 17th  we drove back to Springdale to take care of some errands and keep a dental appointment for me.  I thought I was having major teeth problems as I had a troubling toothache.  It turned out to be a sinus infection!!  I have never been so excited to have a sinus infection!!

That afternoon I turned in my real estate license to my broker and so ended my career as a REALTOR.  It was bitter sweet to do so.  I appreciate all the wonderful people who allowed me to assist them with their real estate needs, but there's no way to travel and do a good job of representing clients.

As a special treat to us, we were able to briefly visit our sweet neighbors and attend Bible class with our dear friends at Robinson Avenue church.  After services several of our buddies and we went to Braum's. I thought we might be asked to leave because we laughed so much together.  What a great but way too short of visit we had!

Thursday, we headed toward Memphis to wait for our newest GRANDdaughter to be born.  Be prepared to endure MANY photos of her and Maggie Lynn in the next post.

VBS in West Point, Nebraska

Each year during the first part of July, the West Erwin church of Christ of Tyler, Texas, provide help in giving a Vacation Bible School with a small congregation in West Point Nebraska.  Danny and I began helping with this mission effort way back in 1994 and have participated in this work almost every year since then.  It just gets in your heart, and it is fun serving others.

So this summer we timed our trip out west so that it would culminate in time for us to join the youth and their sponsors in West Point.  We arrived on Friday afternoon, July 5th and spent the next week with them and the local congregation.  It was the year of transition from the current youth minister to the new youth minister - so mixed with all the joy of the present and hopes for the future, there was a little nostalgia and a few tears shed for the end of the wonderful working relationship that has grown over the past 23 years.  The youth did a great job of teaching Bible classes on Monday - Thursday mornings; they worked hard on Monday and Tuesday afternoons with a service project of pulling out 40 years of staples and repainting the interior of a county fair building and cutting down a tree on the church property; presenting a movie along with hot dogs and popcorn for the community on Tuesday night; hosting a Parent's Night Social with homemade ice cream and a song performance on Wednesday night; and always the joy of playing games together - Frisbee Football and softball.  What an exceptional group of kids they were!  We parted on Thursday at noon - they headed to Branson for some much deserved fun time, and we headed to St. Joseph.  More about that trip in the next post.  Here are some photos of the week in Nebraska.

The Maxwell Farm Home Where Saturday Night's Frisbee game
and Cookout was held

Beautiful Nebraska Farmland

Competitive Frisbee Football Game

Adults watching the Frisbee Football Game

Ray and Danny Cooking Burgers

Ready for the evening devo and highlights on the farm

Lisa, Shannon and Jordan Snell at worship on Sunday

Our "Daniels" on the trip: Papa Dan, Danny, Danielle, Danilo, and Daniel
at worship Sunday morning

Waiting for the delicious Sunday Potluck Meal - YUM!!

Youth Team for the VERY competitive annual
 Sunday Softball Game

The adult team was TOUGH and they won this year!!

Monday and Tuesday Work Project - Pulling staples and painting 

After lunch Work Project on Monday and Tuesday

Papa Dan at work with the paint

More staple pulling and painting

Others helped cut down a tree at the church building and haul it off

Dragging limbs to the trailer

Ray trimming the limbs off the tree before it came down

A free G family movie was shown the West Point Community Theater 

180 Free Hot Dogs were Served

Following the Hot Dog Supper on Tuesday Night

Energetic teen teachers waiting for their  VBS students

Lots of Yummy Ice Cream was Served
on Wednesday Night

Around 25 cans of ice cream was consumed.

Wednesday Afternoon is always Laundry Day for
the traveling group

Fun bunch of guys and gals

During the mornings, Papa Dan helped care for the 2 and 3 year old kids in
their classes.  He always enjoys this time and make some great buddies.
I usually spend the week helping other great cooks  preparing meals for the group.
Rewarding week - but totally exhausting for everyone.