A Potpourri of This and That

From time to time we get very behind on our blog and do posts like "More Pictures Than Should Be Legal to Post" or "Yes! We Are Still Here!" Some seasons we just have to live and then report the highlights later on. The delay usually has to do with just adding a few favorites, and then realizing they are ALL favorites! All 2000 of them. 

Hallelujah for these wonderful smiling faces and sweet memories! When there are 157 dishes in the sink, ZERO matching socks, rattlesnakes in the front yard (yes...two last week), boxes everywhere (we should've bought stock in Penske), and BB guns aimed at the roses (decided to applaud accuracy and limit the targets to one bush), we can scroll back and remember "whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of GOOD report" and think on these things.  Here are a bunch of these things in the very random order we decided they were favorites. :)  

My dears and their dears. Where shall I begin??
Post on these charming new darlings in the works.
About 1870 of the pictures we love too much have to do with THEM!

Crosby Virginia! Happy Birthday breakfast date with Daddy.
Good thing we can balance the brotherly influences with flowers!

The Happy Hollow Boys plus some Bowers!
Impromptu jam session at a little country church outside of Odenville.

Lunch! Thankful for very wonderful friends who know
how many fish it takes to get the job done!


Thankfully they didn't leave the Bowers men to
 try this on their own. A very marvelous time!

Very happy weekend in TN for a wedding! Josh, Cassidy and Wallace made the trek down, so we met at the park, froze during a very Bowers picnic breakfast, and had a most wonderful visit all packed in the van!

Something so familiar about boys and elbows and vans. Perhaps the aroma.

Crosby and I were very, very excited Wallace brought his Mother. :)

We also love his perfect baby yawns.

The wedding was beautiful but it appears glimpses of my dear ones are just a touch distracting to the Grandmommy brain. The rest of the family (except Lina, Carson and Jubilee) were there, too. Ha. :)

Quick dinner on a trip to Southern Alabama.

Another lovely wedding!
We are grateful Daddy is in a season of feeling better and THANKYOU for your prayers!

Believe it or not, he put this on his desk bugs and all. I was clearly never a boy.  :)

First thoughts. How was the landing? And did you miss the fence?

When Crosby was very little she called these Fluffmingoes so we do, too. :)
 The zoo is our favorite place to do science!

Celebrating the science of frozen yogurt!

Charlie and Uncle Dave competed in Raleigh as a team in a 70.3 Ironman. 

Daddy went to cheer them on!

Fantastic finish with stories abounding! 

Grateful for the chance to spend time together. 

One of the doctors Daddy is working with is in Florida, 

so the littles love to tag along for swimming lessons when he's done. 

Thankful to be Southern enough that Bami and Poppy can drive up to see us, too.  

 Charlie, Carver and Christian were able to go help in Marshalltown for several days during one of our work trips to Iowa.

Praise the Lord for sparing lives in the midst of so much devastation.

One of our business projects is T-shirt printing. 

We headed up to Iowa in September to speak and sing at Family Camp, and 

it was very fun to see big and little people all over the place wearing these!

We obviously specialize in testing fabric endurance. Everyday. :)

Sunday morning before leaving for Family Camp.

Dutch Blitz does NOT typically happen during our dash out the door with crockpots and Bibles, but Carson and Lina are much more organized. Ha. Very fun.

Jubilee Katherine is a permanent party and celebration! 

That would be Christian. That would be ALARMING. :)

Crockett Henry! Arm wrestling champion of 12 and under division.  

Practicing being dignified parents and not hollering.

 Rebecca and Crosby. Peas. In a pod.

Swimming time at Village Creek Lake with Daddy!

Wonderful chapel services every morning and evening.

Lots of music by very gifted families from around
the country and FUN! Very fun fellowship!

Bontrager men added some Bowers for a really great song! 

 Very blessed to have BOTH girls and their little tribes there.  

In April the Lord provided a lovely home for us to rent

 in Alabama to try out the climate for Daddy.

New Family Motto: We don't move. We just streamline. :)

In September, the Lord clearly provided a more permanent spot 

that had been on the market for awhile several hours farther South. 

So.We have...well...transitioned.

 I need far too many essential oils to say MOVED!

What a glorious landing spot God gave us for this next season, 

which we pray is a VERY long one. It seems Daddy is already doing much better with the air here. Praise the Lord!

Such a happy, happy place for children and work and fellowship and loud singing and tree climbing and lizard catching! On our 2016 bus tour I remember a friend saying," You don't need a house; you need a headquarters!" We are in awe of the Lord's goodness and kindness in blessing us so specifically for the projects we need to do.

And the songs go on! Lovely time singing at various churches and events,
 including this favorite conference in North Carolina. 

Blessed and inspired by the wonderful families there. 

"I will praise the name of God with a song, 

and will magnify Him with thanksgiving."

 Psalm 69:30