September is Nearing an End... Already?

Greg, Aly and I: Taken at Cousin Corey's Birthday Party (9/4/09)...

Since our last post, the nation has come through the 8th so-called Anniversary of 9/11! It doesn't seem possible that it has been so long, we only hope and pray that God will once again, bless America and keep 'her' safe from other such dangers, in the future!

Well, our household has been exceptionally busy lately! I suddenly realized this morning, that I had not blogged since our trip to Nashville and that has been ALMOST two weeks ago, now!

We are going ahead, full force, with work on the Christmas Musical at Church and we continue to be busy planning children's all-day activities for the Southside Reunion on the 27th, of this month!

Aly, is also recovering from a sinus infection (and a 2yr. molar-fever), that she 'picked up' a few days after our return home. So, needless to say there hasn't been much time to come up for air around here, so to speak!

The best news of ALL, is the fact that Mamaw S. is HOME!!! Still not quite back to 'everyday-normal', but well on the way and we PRAISE GOD for all He's done and is doing in Mamaw's life!

Trust you'll all have an exceptional week and enjoy the rest of this "Sunny September"......

The Beginning of the End of Summer

After Camp meeting, the big excitement around our house, was the fact that Mawmaw and Pawpaw P. were coming to visit!!! We cleaned and planned for several days before their arrival and boy did we have fun while they were here! The only complaint we have is the fact they were only able to stay over one night! It would've just been that much better if they'd stayed a lot longer than that! However, our evening was made even better, because following our evening meal, Memaw and Papaw J. came by to share dessert with us!!! Mawmaw and Pawpaw, thanks for coming by to see us, while you were on your Anniversary trip... (Memaw and Papaw, thanks for 'sharing' your ice cream with us, too!) We truly enjoyed spending time with ALL of you and love each of you very much!

The Beginning of the End of Summer

Aly and I showed our artistic abilities this past week, by using sidewalk chalk and drawing a few lovely (or not-so-lovely) pieces of art on our patio and driveway! We didn't take pictures this time, but will try to do so next time! It's a sight that you'll not want to miss out on again, I'm sure! LOL
Almost the end of Summer, already? Where did the time go??? Good grief, by the time we turn around twice, it'll be 2010!!! Speaking which... last night, we celebrated the "End of Summer" with King's Kidz Klub, at Church! The theme of the night was, 'Summer Has Sailed' and everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves! (Thanks to each and every helper and child that 'set sail' with us this Summer! We're in hopes that each and EVERY single one will stay 'on board' for this Fall/Winter, as well! It should be tons of fun!!!)
We received WONDERFUL news yesterday!!! Mamaw S. has done so well in therapy, that she is now allowed to place weight on her 'bad' leg! She was able to walk (with a walker), close to 14 feet today and has the staff members 'stumped' with her progress! We praise the Lord for her healing and are trusting Him for her continued good health in the future! Many of you... especially our family who live far away... have asked us about the Rehab Center, where she is staying for therapy. Because of these questions we have chosen to give our readers a 'virtual tour' of Rosegate. We trust this will help each of you feel more 'in touch' with her and give you some sense of what her life is like while in rehab.

Rosegate Rehab Center

We would like to ask everyone in Blogger-Land to help us pray for the Marlon King family. Renotta has been diagnosed with cancer and they need as much prayer as possible during the difficult days that lie ahead! May the God of peace continue to bless you, Marlon, Renotta and family!

July: A Month for Patriotism, Romancing and Such

Click Here! For the Photo Gallery:

July: Patriotism to Romancing

Needless to say, we have been busy as usual! Isn't July a wonderful month? It's almost always beautiful, sunny, warm and all the other great things that make a perfect Summer...
Whitley was home for the past week and 'us' girls had a ball together! From hanging just out, to shopping, eating at our favorite local spots, playing at BouncerTown or even the Playroom, right here at home! What a grand time...

On Friday evening, (the 3rd), we ate with the family at Edwards Drive In and spent time at the Rehab Center with Mamaw "Who". Later that night, Greg, Aly and I drove over to ("Unky") Mark and ("Aunt-Nita") Anita's for the town's Firework show. Aly wasn't too sure about the noise at first, but the bright colors and flashing lights finally won her over! She has turned into quite the 'Firecracker' girl! On the 4th, it rained ALL day, so we just hung out at home and enjoyed lots of quality time together. That night, the 'Media' guys said the Downtown Fireworks were to be a 'go', come rain or shine. SO! We jumped in the car, (in our 'Jammies') and headed down to see "Freedom Blast 2009"! WELL! We were very disappointed an hour later, to find out the Grand Fire Marshall would not allow the show to go on! There were many tears on the way home, that night...

I woke up on Sunday, under the weather and not feeling well, so Greg left us girls home and headed out to Church alone. By that evening, I was well on the mend, so I stopped by to check in on Mamaw S. When Greg and Aly picked me up, we made a last second decision and drove back downtown for the postponed "Freedom Blast". We had an excellent parking spot for ourselves and our lawn chairs. It was a gorgeous night and once again, Aly loved those fireworks to pieces...
For the Show, we were parked near a place called, "Peewinkles Puppet Studio" and it sparked my interest, I wondered what it could be and why I'd never heard of it. When we arrived back home, I 'Googled' it and found it to be a charming old world style, 50 seat puppet theatre (only a few blocks south of Circle Center in downtown). Ideal for school groups, scouts, birthday parties and reserved parties. Peggy Melchior, Debbi Stutzman and Heidi Shackleford, of MMHP Puppet Productions Inc., present captivating and creative puppet shows for children (incl. puppet making day camps and workshops). "Peewinkles" specialize in a variety of creative puppet shows year round, while using marionettes and special effects. Their shows are sure to delight those of all ages! We look forward to taking Aly for a Birthday Party in her very near future...

On a bit of a side-note, Greg and I will be celebrating our Anniversary toward the end of the month, so be on the look out for a Wedding Photo Album, coming very soon!!! Also, we have been anxiously awaiting the return of Mama and Daddy, from their General Assembly trip, for what seems to be an 'eon' and they WILL be back tonight... We, (especially Aly) can hardly wait, either! We've missed them something terrible, but pray they enjoyed their LITTLE time away! Well, it's on into the rest of another busy week for us, now. We trust each of you will have a marvelous one...

Happy July 4th, Everyone! (ONLY 3 Days Away...)

It's about time for sparklers and fireworks, again!!! The time of year that we feel those 'chills' run up our spines as we listen to a moving Patriotic song, gaze upon "Lady Liberty" as she stands boldly on the New York harbor, see a member of the Military in full uniform walking along the sidewalk or simply watch as an American flag sways gently in the evening breeze. We are truly a blessed people to live in America. Our Nation is changing and it's becoming more and more important that we beg God to once again BLESS America and REVIVE us as a CHRISTIAN Nation. "WE WANT AMERICA BACK"! (In order to view this video clip, you will first need to scroll down to the right, to our 'Penn Palz Favorite Online Music' and press 'Pause'.)

Well, our company from Louisiana have already headed back South and we only wished we'd gotten to tag along! Our family is entirely too close to have this many miles lay between us and these Good-Byes are always tearful! We are so thankful the trip home was made safely, though! (Thanks, Suzanne, we couldn't have made it without you this week and Mamaw was even more thrilled to have a 'new' nurse!!!)

Whitley has been with us since Saturday and plans to stay for the rest of this week. Aly thinks it's pretty incredible having someone 'dote' on her 24/7! Where, you may ask are the pictures of these precious moments together? Well, the lovely camera has been tucked away in the back of the computer armoire, since our Father's Day blog! However, it is now out on the shelf and we hope to put it to use over the next few days!

Until next week, may God bless YOU and may God bless America... Happy July 4th, everyone!

Summer Guests Begin to Arrive...

We have a special answer to prayer to share with you! Greg is no longer laid off, he began a new job yesterday, we praise God for this AND His many blessings over the past several months!!!

For those of you who are on Facebook with us... this post will be 'old' news to you. However, there are many of our "Yahoo" friends, who visit solely to keep up with us, thus this post!
We had a cram-packed week, for sure! We began the week by receiving our cousin Nate's first recording project, "Play Me a Tune" and we couldn't be more proud of him... The CD rocks, God has blessed him with an unbelievable talent, for which we are all thankful and the best part is that he uses these talents for his Lord and Saviour. (Keep up the incredible work, Nate, we can't wait for the next one!)
I spent MUCH of the week visiting Mamaw... I am the only grandchild who has had the 'schedule' to do so. With Greg 'laid off', I've had an automatic babysitter, one who's been very willing to allow me this opportunity and I'm so grateful! (Thank you, Baby, you're the best! You amaze me!)
Being as this past week, was the week our Summer guests were to begin arriving, we spent several days "Spring" cleaning! We didn't complete everything on our lists, but with Daddy's help, we did rather well! (Thank you, Daddy, for taking Aly to BouncerTown and allowing us to get a little extra cleaning done! Love Ya!)
Wesley arrived on Friday afternoon, we stopped in to see Mamaw S., before going out with the family that evening for Supper. On Saturday, (Cuz)Nate and (Cuz)Corey joined the 'guys' on a trip to the Indy Air Show and grilled out together for Supper. Sunday was spent at Church. Monday, Nate and Wes hit the Mall before we all headed to "CB" for Supper, with Mama, Daddy, Mark and Anita. We were thrilled to have Nate 'hang out' with us for the past several days! (Guys, you both did a fabulous job helping to keep the house picked up and we thank you! Aly had a ball having y'all here, too!)
We did not capture much on film, because we were just too busy and on top of that, the camera went 'missing' for a few days! However, there are a handful of pictures taken early in the week, of Aly playing outside while her Daddy was taking care of the lawn. Then, we added a couple of the Air Show, as well! Click Here!

Summer Guests Begin to Arrive...

Alyson Dawn ~ Now 19 Months Old

I want to say a special Thank You to my hubby, Greg! He has 'taken over' and cared for Aly and the house over the past week, in order for me to spend as much time as possible, with Mamaw S. at the Hospital! I don't know what I'd do without him!!! Greg, you are the best and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you do to make our lives so 'sweet'!!!

Because of the busy lifestyles we've been living, there isn't much to blog about, other than the fact that our Aly-Girl turned 19 months old, this past Saturday, the 30th! Simply unbelievable, it would seem that life is going to slip right by us and hardly give us a chance to try and keep up with it!

"And no matter what the progress -
Or what may yet be proved.
The simple facts of life are such
They cannot be removed...
You must remember this -
A kiss is just a kiss,
A sigh is just a sigh.
The fundamental things apply...
As time goes by."
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PRINCESS ALYSON!

You will always be our 'heart' and we will love you for all eternity!!!

Click Here!

Alyson Dawn at 19 Months Old

We are thankful to God, for His tender mercies and many answered prayers over the past weeks concerning Mamaw S., she is improving and though it is a slow process, we're believing God for the future... He is so good! Here's to another busy week ahead in Blogger-land!

(Cuz) Nate Featured at "The Bean Cup"...

We'd love to share a special event with you, which took place this past Friday evening. (Cuz) Nate performed at a local 'coffee spot', "The Bean Cup". CLICK HERE! for photos...
http://picasaweb.google.com/thepennfamily2007/NateAtTheBeanCup?feat=directlink
We have posted a brief video clip below for you to view. This was recorded from our digital camera and is not of the best quality, but we are so happy to have 'captured' the moment! (The sound is particularly bad with many sounds from the kitchen coming through. The picture is a bit snowy, too!) As you will also notice, Alyson truly enjoyed herself, didn't mind the crowd one bit and really just 'cut a rug'!
Nate, you did a fantastic job and we only wished we would have been able to video the entire concert (and that the quality would have been up to par)!!! We can't wait for your next 'gig'...

BELOW IS A BRIEF VIDEO CLIP:


We have spent much of this week at the Hospital with Mamaw S. with a little time here at the house... trying to get things back to what we call normal. Mamaw is doing well, although the next few months are bound to be a slow process, she has come through a very intense and tough surgery for someone her age! It's of no surprise, that she seems to have the 'grit' it will take, to make it on to the finish line of Therapy and Rehab! We are so proud of her!!! Please continue to keep her in your prayers!

Graduation 2009 Weekend

Click Here! for the Photo Album: http://picasaweb.google.com/thepennfamily2007/Graduation2009Weekend?feat=directlink
(What a busy weekend, too!) We arrived at the In-Laws on Thursday afternoon under beautiful sunny skies, visited friends at Sis. Clark's Viewing on Friday evening in the midst of horrible storms, Greg and the boys watched Whitley's Track Meet on a brisk Saturday afternoon, the entire family attended Graduate's Sunday at Church in the morning and (most of us) the Baccalaureate Service that evening, then a gorgeous cool Monday evening brought on Wesley's Open House and his Graduation Ceremony later that night. We did not return home again in Indiana, until late Wednesday evening and have been spending much of our time since, at the Hospital with Mamaw S. (details below)...

As you can tell, it was an extremely busy few days, but well worth it! We are so proud of Wesley and can not wait to see what his future holds... we will remain lifting his name up in prayer, as his time comes to leave for USAF Basic Training! We love you, Buddy! (Mom and Dad P.!!! Thanks for everything... this weekend was just great and we know that Wes will carry every memory you helped to create with him forever! Many thanks also go out to Whitley, for helping us with Aly, during the Baccalaureate service! ALL three of you are the best!!!)

HAPPY (BELATED) BIRTHDAY, WITH LOVE, TO MY DADDY (PAPAW J.) & AUNT DIANE (on May 13th)... trust you both had a splendid day! Daddy, you are quite simply the best Daddy/Papaw on the planet and we love you more than you'll ever know!

Greg, Aly and I would also like to say a special thank you to those of you who have been praying for Mamaw ("Who") S. The surgery went well this past Monday. Her stats are looking good, we only ask that you keep her in your prayers, being as she is still retaining some fluids and those need to come down. The Doctors are positive and we are all grateful for the many prayers from you, our friends!

Marvelous Mother's Day Moments...

What a wonderful Mother's Day Week!!! It is so much fun being a Mommy, a Daughter, Grand-Daughter and a Daughter-In-Law! Mother's Day was an exciting day for Angel-Alyson and myself... we were able to spend it with my darling Mother and my precious Grandmother S.! What a wonderful heritage I have been given and hope to hand down to Aly as time allows! We missed getting to be with my sweet, sweet Grandma J. and favorite Mother-In-Law (along with Greg's side of the family this year), though! However, we'll be with his family next week and are looking forward to it with all of our hearts! We actually spent the day, Sunday, with the entire Indiana side of the family, which made Aly very happy, being as she firmly believes that Cousin Cassie hung the moon and maybe the stars, too! One of my favorite quotes on Mother's would have to be that of Abe Lincoln, when he was spoke of his Mother. "All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my Angel Mother" and that is exactly the way I feel about my beloved Mother! Mama, I love you and I owe you more than I'll ever be able to repay you!

(Mother's Day 2009 with Alyson & Mother)

There have been several activities that have kept us busy this past week... in addition to Wesley joining the USAF and his upcoming High School Graduation next week, Whitley and her Track Team have been breaking all sorts of records lately! All Conference 4x100, 4x200, 4x4oo and the 400 Meters Individual are the most current stats we have. She is incredible on the track and we can't wait to see what will happen over the next two years! You go, girl!!! Greg's brother, Chad, recently received his Masters in International Business. Please help us pray for he and his wife, Sunny, as they go forward in their educational journeys. Also, our Cousin Nate became a College Graduate, from Ivy Tech this past Saturday. He plans to continue his education next year with yet another degree! Nate, we are so excited to see what God has in store for you... Love ya!

(Cuz Nate, Our Whitley and Our Wesley)

http://picasaweb.google.com/thepennfamily2007/MarvelousMotherSDayMoments?feat=directlink ...Click Here! for our Marvelous Mother's Day Moments Photo Album!

(Aly and I on Mother's Day at Mamaw S.'s house)

The First Week of 2009 Behind Us... Already!

FYI: NEXT WEEK WE WILL POST OUR CHRISTMAS ALBUM INTO OUR DECEMBER 31st POST BELOW...

(Click on the photos above to enlarge them. #1Aly in the bath Christmas week /#2Aly at Nate's BD Party /#3Aly sleeping Christmas week)
It's hard to believe that we're already into the SECOND week of 2009! How time truly flies! We've had an exceptionally great Holiday season, even though a bit stressful at times! LOL
In the middle of December, little Aly became very ill with an infection, which wound us all up in the hospital on Friday night the 20th. She had become so dehydrated that the Doctor wanted to put her on IV's overnight. However, due to her dehydration, they were unable to find her veins... BUT GOD UNDERTOOK and 'aided' her Memaw and Mommy (with the help of Papaw that night and her Daddy the next morning) in getting fluid back into her little body. Without God (and Memaw!), I'm not sure what would've happened!
We then rushed into Christmas time... On Christmas Eve, Mama and Daddy hosted a 'Cajun' meal of Shrimp Creole' with all the fixin's. It was so fun to be able to 'pretend' we were once again in the good ole' South! The food was incredible, too!!! Thanks, Mama and Daddy for a great time and delicious food! The house was absolutely BEAUTIFUL and the trees were GORGEOUS, too!
Following that meal, we had everyone over to our home for a Dessert Bar. The menu included Pumpkin Pie, Chocolate Pecan Tube Cake, Orange Slice Cookies, Party Mix, Nuts, Homemade Peppermint Hot Cocoa, Iced Vernors, Coffee with Peppermint Topping or a selection of Creamers and various Coke's. (Excuse me, for the non-southern readers, that would mean 'Pop'! LOL)
Christmas Day Morning, we had Gift time at our house with Aly, Memaw and Papaw. Aly LOVED opening her gifts, but as of now, she still prefers boxes, bags and paper! LOL Later that day, found everyone at Mamaw S's ("Who's") for a wonderful traditional Christmas meal and Gift opening. Another very meaningful day with those we love!
The day after Christmas, the Jewett side met together at Mamaw and Papaw's house in Dayton for Gifts and more food than the law should allow. We've been so very blessed on all sides of our family with a Godly heritage that we'll treasure always!
On Monday morning, the 29th, Greg went into work only to find out he was being laid off... indefinitely. Though this was and is not good news, we're believing God for a miracle and trusting Him to place Greg into the job He would have for him. These are very rough days and it would seem there are more ahead, but God is in control and knowing that, we are at peace!
The day after Greg lost his job, I was able to go to lunch with a dear friend and try to help her through a rough time and she in turn helped me! Later that evening, we were invited to our precious friends, "Uncle" Ray and "Aunt" Vickie's home for supper... it was not only very tasty, but Aly had her own nameplace and her own crystal goblet, too! She was a real Princess that night! Their home was also beautiful and very much in the Holiday 'spirit'! Friends are such a great thing to have, isn't God good to send us the 'gift' of family and friends? Where would we be without them???
New Year's Eve, Aunt Diane and Uncle Ron had everyone over to Celebrate the Old Year out and the New Year in... we were unable to stay through til midnight, but we enjoyed the time we spent there and were once again reminded what a 'gift' we have in our family! Their home was so pretty with more than 2 dozen trees to look at. Aly couldn't get enough and the fact all her cousins were there only made it better!
The next morning, we hit the road with Mama and Daddy to head toward Missouri and have a 'late' Christmas with Greg's side of the family. We had a great time there, relaxed as much as we could and TRIED to de-stress a little! (Don't think we accomplished that task, but we TRIED and that's the main thing! LOL) Mama and Daddy were able to go on into Kansas City and spend time with family and friends there and also had a very relaxing and fun time!
We are now home, mostly unpacked and trying to get back into our normal (if you want to call it that) routine! We wanted to update our BLOG before we had to write a BOOK to get it all in! OH WAIT! I think THIS is actually a book!!! LOL
Trust you've enjoyed the long read and we haven't bored you to tears, yet!
Have a great week and watch for our next weeks BLOG, plus the Holiday photos we will add to our Dec. 31st post...

"Country First in 2008"...

What a grand week this one has been in the Political arena! The 2008 Republican National Convention took place in St. Paul, Minnesota from September 1 through September 4. The first day of the Republican Convention was Labor Day, the last day of the popular Minnesota State Fair, due to Hurricane Gustav. BOY! Are we ever 'pumped' for the upcoming elections!
GO MCCAIN-PALIN IN 2008!!! We truly enjoyed the speeches and were so pleased with the addition of Gov. Sarah Palin to the Republican ticket. She may very well be the 'salvation' of this 'party'... we pray she is and that God's will be done in November! Just two months before joining the Republican ticket, while giving a speech to troops in Iraq, Gov. Palin said these words, "We pray for you, (our military men and women) who are striving do to what is right. Also for our country, the leaders, our national leaders, that have sent you (the troops) out on this, a task from God. This is what we have to make sure we're praying for --- that there is a plan, and that plan is God's plan." Mrs. Palin is known to be 'pro-life' and a spokeswoman says she is 'pro-Israel'. Palin's former pastor says, 'he has no doubt her religious beliefs will influence her decision making when it comes to government policy'. Our deepest desire and prayer is, that we as Christians, will ALL get out and cast our votes to help to make the CHANGE happen that America needs at such a crucial time... Country First!
Since everyone in our family were out of town this past weekend, at special Events or in local Revival's, the three of us rode over to Mamaw S's to just 'hang out' on Friday evening. Though it had been an unusually busy week, we were able to get out on Saturday to simply enjoy a beautiful sunny, yet windy day and 'snapped' a few photos while we were at it!
(We're experiencing a bit of trouble, AGAIN... our Slide Show will not post at this time... please 'click' the LINK provided below to view our Photo Album. A few of the pix are better than the others, but what can we say, it was WINDY and she was having such fun!)
http://picasaweb.google.com/thepennfamily2007/ASunnySeptemberSaturday#

Until next week... God bless America and God bless each of you!!!

May the Summer Fun Continue!

July 4th weekend was a very exciting time around our part of the fair city...
Greg's parents arrived on Thursday evening (the 3rd), just in time to head to "Chicago's", for a little of their tasty pizza!
We spent the morning of the 4th relaxing with the 'in-laws', Wes and (friend) Devin. This, after a week in our wild, wooly, wonderful "Boys Dorm" and what fun that has been!!! It's always great to have the chance to spend time with Greg's family!
Around 1:30 p.m., on the 4th, we drove to (our Church's) "The Hope Shelter" to meet the rest of the family for an afternoon Picnic... everyone pitched in on the menu and it was to DIE FOR!!! Pork Chops on the grill, Corn on the Cob, Italian Bread, Ceasar Salad, 5-Cheese (homemade) Macaroni Casserole, Multi-Bean-Baked-Beans, Homemade Cheeseball-n-Crackers, Watermelon, Cantaloupe, Strawberry Cake, Texas Sheet Cake, and SOOOO much more!!! There were even Hot Dogs on the grill, Chips-n-Dip, P.B. Brownies and other snacks... just for THE KIDS!!!
Speaking of kids, here is a photo of our Alyson with her Mamaw "Who" (S.) taken at our 4th Family Picnic. The two of them always have a great time together! We've been too busy with company to try and keep up with picture taking... (guess we need to take a lesson from dear Ronda and Danny, huh?) Maybe it'll get better when we're out of the 'baby stages' and there's not so much to remember every time we walk out the door? (Like 'Did we bring the camera?!?!? LOL)
Due to little rain and clouds, we had our meal in "The Dwelling" (the Church Youth Center) and when the sun came out a bit, we headed out to the Shelter for even more fun!
That evening, we drove downtown for the blast of Indy's famous Fireworks, they were great BUT the Finale' was AWESOME! Once again, (much like our day at the Zoo), Aly wasn't all that interested in the fireworks, but she enjoyed looking at all the people! LOL
Our guests went to Church with us on Sunday morning, then for the evening service, "The Perry's" were in Concert (also at our Church) and God came in a very special way.
As you can tell, we had a wonderful weekend, trust ya'll did as well and we just want to say how thankful we are for the family God has granted us! "Thank You, Jesus... You've been better to us than we ever deserved!!!"
We'd also request special prayer for our Nation, not only during this Patriotic season but for the upcoming Election season, as well?!?! Without the much needed prayer of Christians around the Country, there is NO hope!!! Our plea is that God will continue to BLESS America!!!