So this time around I guess I need to go back to mid-October when the last edition of the news was published. End of October was calm(ish), as October ends tend to be, until the last day when a good friend went in for a routine angiogram because she had mild but persistent chest pain. Well, the angiogram led to emergency open heart surgery, and thus began a difficult month as Betty put up a terrific fight to beat the odds of her condition. Despite her tenacity, and the countless prayers offered for her healing, and the Herculean efforts of the medical staff, God had a better plan for Betty; and on Saturday, November 29, He called her home to be with Him. I think of her often and am thankful for the promise that because of Jesus I’ll see her again.
So November flew by in a blur of hospital visits and normal life and a trip for Tim and me to southern IL and ended with many of us at Jeff & Jill’s for Thanksmas. I hadn’t heard that term before; maybe they coined it? But it’s a good word and we had a really nice weekend in spite of the COLD which is hard to get used to… I wouldn’t be a good Eskimo ha.
December brought Christmas shopping and Christmas planning and Christmas wrapping and Christmas programs and Kaiser Christmas etc; then at our family Christmas, Ben & Coreena shared their news of a birthday gift for me… another grandbaby! Super exciting. We had a wonderful Christmas with everyone healthy, which was really all the gift I needed; and it was especially fun to see Tim’s surprise at the antique cannon I got for him (which he had passed on at an antique store in November and then had regretted ever since…). Sweet times.
Home kids hosted TYG here for New Year’s Eve and everyone seemed to have a good time. January was cold cold COLD and seemed to drag by. I for one am so done with the cold. Definitely not Eskimo material. Or MN material for that matter haha. Kids got on Dave’s pond some and I made it there a few times too and didn’t even get hurt… although I’ve had a bum ankle that randomly and without known provocation gives me fits. Not cool but that’s enough old people talk.
Our distinct highlight since the last Connection was Josh’s baptism last weekend. We’re so grateful for Jesus’s shed blood and the empty tomb which makes salvation possible for those who not only believe but also follow Him. It was such a nice weekend and we rejoice with Todd and Val whose son Timothy was also baptized. There were two others, Laura from our church’s Pekin HOPE outreach, and Max Beutel (Greg & Mary’s so kind of a distant Pflederer cousin).
I didn’t even report on kids yet (much) so I’ll keep this part short. Levi’s are status quo, all good with nothing new. Jesse’s, with much help from friends and family, dug out their basement crawl space in about exactly a month (January). Tori started a major kitchen redecorating project… come to find out the browns/greens/nature colors that we have had for 25 years are back in style. Who knew. Jacob’s re-did a bathroom and are patiently awaiting a baby in April. Jason’s are enjoying Bennett who is growing like a wildflower and sharing smiles galore. I already shared Ben’s news; it’s the BEST. Sarah is enjoying student teaching in a first grade classroom at Tremont Grade School. Jewel is still working for 360YC and in her final semester of college and looking forward to being done in May. Josh is studying mornings, working at Yordy turkey farm afternoons, and hunting for arrowheads in every spare daylight moment. He’s also had a lot of hockey time. SJJ are rarely here as their social calendars are pretty full. Tim keeps busy as usual with 360YC and CIT and keeping cows fed and watered… it’s a constant task with waterers freezing over with all the cold. As for me… seems like I shouldn’t have much going on because my house is mostly empty… but somehow I do and my days race by like lightening. I don’t understand that at all.
Anyway, today was sunny and 46 and snow is melting and ice is done and there is great rejoicing. Come on spring.
And goodness, now that’s about long enough. Kudos for making it this far. I have more I could write about but will spare y’all and end with this picture of a favorite aunt and her step-great-granddaughter who is also my granddaughter Emily (Jesse and Lucy’s). Now that’s a couple of cuties.
