Happy New Year - Welcome 2024

 

We began 2023 celebrating our 50^th anniversary.  Our kids planned a wonderful family get together.  In March we were able to take an anniversary trip East to see family and revisit special places we had lived in our 50 years of marriage. (We’re planning the West trip hopefully this year.)

We are in the season of life where we look around and say “thank you God” over and over as we enjoy our family and friends.  Our pace has changed– we walk a little slower and limp at times – but enjoy the journey. Though Terry deals with extreme pain, he has developed new hobbies – wood crafting and has made some beautiful tables for our girls and for me. 

We enjoy studying together and are involved in classes at Church.  We stay busy with teaching: Terry online and my substitute teaching a few days a month.  It’s a true joy is getting to be with our Grands -our hearts soar as we watch these young ones profess faith in Jesus and desire to follow Him.

The kids are learning so much from their Pawpaw as he teaches them from his woodcraft studio in the Garden room.  

Campbell 13, Sydney 11 and Jack 9 are just down the road and Clara 8, Charlie 6, and Calvin 4 are only 1 ½ hours away.  Campbell and Sydney have transitioned to new schools.  Bethany and Katie are deeply involved in the various schools.

Our family makes sure that I see the world – I was blessed to get to go to the Dominican Republic where I celebrated my 73^rd birthday in June.  

                                                        

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  Katie and Marshall invited me to travel to the Bahamas with them Fall Break! So much fun!!!

Bethany and Mat traveled to the Dominican Republic for a week in 

early November to serve on a Medical mission.  

Our big holiday fest was on Thanksgiving with

 Katie and Marshall hosting.   It was fun and fantastic with a Latin American menu complete with a Pinata.  They  named it “Accion de Gracias”

 We feasted on Brazilian steaks with all the trimmings.  The kids roamed the acreage and never slowed down the whole time.

Marshall was on call during Christmas and Mat is on call for New

 Years weekend.  Terry and I were able to celebrate Christmas with

 both families. Most of our Bell/Good clan will be taking in a

 Thunder Game in OKC on New Years Eve—our plans are to see the

 old year out in our recliners at home! 

One thing we know in these uncertain times is that God is still on

 His throne.  May He bless you more and more in 2024!

 Pawpaw's  Art

When Terry's sciatica impedes walking he resorts to new hobbies that he has developed: rock and wood carving and woodworking.  He never found a branch or a rock he didn't see as a future work of art.

 A man and his tools!  Every time Terry has a special day -- the kids want to know what he "needs" - well of course,  there's always another item from Harbor Freight!   Luckily Terry had a new chain saw to work this wood up.

Father's Day Gift

T's 75th brought more gift cards and cash for a new Lathe!

First projects were tables -- and bowls --

Mine are cherished pieces --

Katie's birthday 

Bethany's table has been a long time coming from finding this slice of a tree that was being taken down in their front yard on Valentine's Day --

July 5 found Jack and Terry sanding and shaping --

 The wood was called "punk wood" and had to be hardened and treated with several layers of epoxy.

Pieces of the slice broke away and the finished table became a beautiful side table.

The beginnings of a bowl ...

Stone Carving

Wood Carving   - called for a new dremel -- having worn out the old one!

A lazy susan from a slice of one of our trees.

Teaching the grandsons . . . 

Jack's Christmas gift for his teacher this year.

Jack's first rock carving -- on the back is his LaCrosse number "66"

Wood burning became a fun hobby as he received another new tool for Christmas.

Thanksgiving this year at Katie and Marshall's was the Accion de Gracias.  Terry made this ornament.

Woodcrafts that Terry has created this year . . .