Doing Life With My Man - - - 43 Years and He Still Claims Me!

I am the family historian -- the keeper of the memories.

I love to go back and create pictures and powerpoints that depict all the highpoints of our family life.

I did an album for 23 years of marriage

Created a framed piece when Terry turned 50.

Made a power point for our 40 years -- 

But for our 43rd I want to mark this time by saying how blessed I am to have done life with Terry Bell for these 43 years.  I did give him 43 reasons I love doing life with him -- but that's only for him.


I don't know what my life would have been these past months without his careful nurture and nursing.  

We met in ministry (he was our Youth Pastor) and we have done ministry life together for 45 years. 

Terry has alwys been big on adventure - on a raft of a styrofoam block he found at lake's edge.

He is father to our two precious kids and father-in-law to their two awesome mates we are blessed to call our kids also.  

He is Pawpaw (his spelling of the name) to 4 beautiful littles (All under the age of 6).

He looks forward to the time he can spend with them and makes sure that they have FUN when they're together -- whether it is pillow or fake snowball fights, hide n' seek or jumpy jumpy.  He dotes on them, hangs on what they say and remembers and re-tells it all week.  Christmas vacation, he looked forward to being able to babysit Clara while mommy and daddy were at work.  

Children have always had Terry's heart.  .  . He was a bus minister to 300 kids in the 1970's.

He loves to put his hands to building special play spaces for them --whether it was building a submarine for children's Sunday School in our first ministry (long before kids of our own) -
 making an indoor play house for Bethany when she was 2 or
 building a tree house out of discarded stadium seats for them in elementary school or
or designing a teepee for our KU kids on the Church property this past Fall.

Now in this season of life, I cherish the time we spend together with our kids and their kids and have come full circle,  once again in children's work this time at Kids University.  

I'm alive and well, your spirit lives within me, because you died and rose again. AMAZING LOVE --
were the words we sang this morning and it echoed my feelings as I looked back on 2015 . . . .  2016 and I'm WELL!
During this holiday, I've thought back on this time last year and what it looked like for us. .  . lots of questions -- wondering how it would all come together. .  . God is the ultimate WAYMAKER!
He tells us He's the WAY.  

Fourteen Days of Family

Our Christmas was exactly what we prayed for -- special memory making time with family.  God gave and gave and gave!!!

It's the longest we've been away from home in forever!!!   Can't remember when. . . Keilah Obert-Thorn agreed to be our dog/caregiver - house sitter and we always feel confident when she's watching over our dogs.

WARNING: WITH THIS MUCH TIME WITH FAMILY -- LOTS OF PICTURES ARE A GIVEN!!!

Christmas Pinata for Uncle Marshall and the girls

Shopping in OKC on Saturday - helped me to add to my Christmas crazy gifts.
This took up sooo much space in the car!

Christmas shopping was complete by Thursday and Christmas morning we breakfasted at
Marshall and Katie's with Jim and Jan.  Marshall and Katie featured their Scotch Eggs

Three of our four bright heads (brains)

Marshall built a fire pit for their backyard earlier in the fall.  He spent lots of time getting rid of the Christmas boxes and excess wood from their apple tree










Bethany and Mat kept us updated with hourly reports as to where they were along the way as they headed to Denver on Christmas day.  They loaded up lots of ski clothing, snacks and activities to make it the 700 miles from Tulsa.  (There are 3 kids in there also!)

Their expressions changed as they logged more and more miles.

This Super Mom  hosted two Christmas breakfasts and worked four 13-hour shifts while we were with them.  Katie and Marshall set up the most comfortable rooms for us while we enjoyed their home for 12 days.

We had Christmas with the whole Bell/ Good Clan on the 26th at Marshall and Katie's - Mat and Bethany made certain we all had Ugly Sweaters for our favorite teams!

Our 3 beautiful granddaughters

and one handsome little guy

I wanted a picture of us with our grands -- Sydney didn't want to give up her chair and Jack wanted to be anywhere but there. 

We got to babysit Clara on her 4 month birthday Sunday.

and we tag-teamed baby sitting with Marshall.  He's a real hands-on daddy!  

Monday morning sledding just up from the cabin where their daddy used to sled as a boy.

Lunch in Vail

group hug -- these 3 LOVE each other!!!  

The 3 Bears:  Papa Bear, Baby Bear and Big Black Bear

Sydney lasted both full days of ski school.

The girls loved ski school and the instructors couldn't believe Campbell had never skiied before!

Mat has skiied since he was a preschooler.  All 3 enjoyed a great day - Tuesday.

Mat and Bethany were able to take in a 2nd day on the slopes - breaking for lunch in the lodge.

We enjoyed their stories of skiing --

C's first words -- "I fell down, I cried, I got back up"  They were super excited to have conquered that mountain on two skinny boards!  Sydney loved it and enjoyed the lunch.

Wrapping up two days of skiing with cocoa!

In the meantime . . . Jack had the undivided attention of his grandparents 

reading with Nana

Playing Chase with Grammy
The giggles and laughter flowed!

The J T GOOD game of chase

Friday morning it was time to kiss this little gal goodbye
 -- missed her the whole trip~

We were packed to the roof -- thanks to Marshall and his Dad's expertise -and spent New Year's on I-70 / 35

New Year's Sugar Bowl with Daddy while Mommy worked.

Everyone gave their utmost to make this Christmas season delightful.  It was vastly different than Christmas 2014.  This gracious woman was hostess to so many meals during our time together.

She has come through so much in this last year and we celebrate with her good health and many more family times together!

I love sharing grandbabies with this delightful lady!