April Showers Bring May Flowers!

We have been thankful this Spring for the rain showers (since Steve's business prospers when it rains!) and then especially for our "flowers" which are our grandkids! They are blossoming more and more every day!

I can't believe it is May already. What happened to April? It flew by! This year better start slowing down or I'll be another year older before I know it. Did I mention I just had a birthday?I did and I've begun the downward or should we say upward slope past 55! Well, I guess the truth is that slope began last year!I think I just need to slow it down a bit!

Steve and I have been enjoying our family with the exception of our son Chris who is still in Iraq. It will still be a few months before we can all be together. Please continue to pray for Chris' safe return to Germany and then hopefully, he will be joining his family in the Fall.

We will be together for vacation in June. We're very excited that all of our kids and grandkids will be joining us in Orlando for General Assembly. This is a special blessing from a loving Father who has made this possible this year. The church has been such a central part of our family's lives and it is only fitting that we have this opportunity to reunite with not only our immediate family but many other brothers and sisters in Christ.

Our precious grandchildren are keeping us young. It is so wonderful to share so many times with them. We usually see Julianne at least 2-3 times a week and of course, every morning bright and early we get to see Luke and Will! The only thing I would trade for this experience would be that they could be with their Daddy and Mommy together anywhere! (except a war zone!)

Work is keeping me busy. I hate to admit it but I think I am working harder than I have in many years. But I enjoy the challenge and hope to grow into this new position soon. It's definitely not easy but I think it will be rewarding.

During April, I had a birthday celebration a few weeks ago and I also had a chance to get together with two very special friends who were matron and maid of honors in our wedding- Denise Bradley and Lois Campbell. We have been close friends for over 45 years and it was great to spend time with them.

Please enjoy some pictures of our "flowers!"

Guka enjoying his little flower, Julianne!

Mommy Jamie and Julianne

"A Rose by any other name"- Julianne, that is!

Meme and her namesake- Julia-nne!

"Julianne Incognito"

Will chillin' on Uncle Dave's bald head!

Two future "execs"!

Pretty boy Luke with Pretty Boy Chris's helmet from a summer job years ago!
Three Best Friends that date back to the 60's!(But aren't 60 yet!)

Lovin' Life as Guka and MeMe!

It's been 3 weeks since we last shared our news about our precious granddaughter, Julianne. It's been a busy time but we have so enjoyed getting to know her better and we're also enjoying our sweet grandsons, Luke and Will. We are so full of joy and cherish every moment we spend with our family.

Jamie's mom (the other grandma) and her sister, Dawn Marie came for the first week that Jamie and Julianne came home from the hospital. It was great to share our granddaughter with them and I could relate to the feelings they had when they had to leave and go back to Kansas. I remember feeling the same way when I left Luke in Kansas and Will in Germany. It was tough and I'm so grateful right now to be able to enjoy seeing them anytime I want!!

My job is keeping me very busy. I just finished my fourth week as the office supervisor and its been quite an adjustment. I am hoping to hire a new rep this week and look forward to being able to devote more time to my new responsibilities. It's been quite challenging and needless to say, I don't like having to divide my attention between my new job and my grandchildren. But I am thankful, nonetheless.

So, this week the Easter Journey began and Steve and I are both actors. He is involved every night but I am sharing my role with another friend and it makes it much easier to handle. I can't begin to express, however, what a blessing it is to be able to share the Easter story through this venue. My heart is ministered to as I see the expressions of each group, young and old, as they hear the story again, realizing that some may be hearing it for the first time. It brings the love and sacrifice of Jesus alive each time we share.

Well, I know what you are really interested in- is some new pictures of our grandchildren...so here goes:

Proud Guka and Meme with Julianne
Aunt Mindy, Cousin Luke lovin' on Julianne

Julianne today visiting the Easter Bunny!
Isn't she beautiful?

And don't forget that middle grandchild, William Stephen. He is a darling!

Luke David at 3 weeks old!
William Stephen at 3 weeks old!
Julianne Lynne at 3 weeks old!

She is precious!! That's right..SHE!

Yesterday, March 13, 2009 a precious angel was delivered to our family. Julianne Lynne Scott arrived at 7:02pm, weighing 8lbs. 8oz and is 19 1/2" long. It was great fun to try and guess if the baby would be a boy or girl. Randy and Jamie did not want to know until she was delivered. Knowing Scotts have a tendency to have boys, it was almost a lock that it was going to be a little boy. Randy brought this little bundle into the room and said " meet ........Julianne Lynne Scott"! It was hardly out of his mouth before Judy and Mindy both squealed in joy. She is so precious with her chubby little rosy cheeks. Steve got his turn to hold and love on her today. Luke and Will may get to meet their new cousin later but for now Luke knows he has a new cousin in the "hostable" We wanted to share just a couple of pictures now, but trust us when we say, there will be many more to follow.

Good bye Winter, Come on Spring!

Since its been awhile since we last blogged, I thought I should bring everyone (all 2-3 of you) up to date. We had a wonderful visit with Chris when he was home for R&R. He enjoyed his time with his Mindy and the boys and we also we were able to spend some great family times together with the whole family!

He's been gone for only 3 weeks and it feels like forever. We just hope the next few months will go quickly so he can be reunited with his family. Please pray for them because there are some tough decisions to be made and they need the Lord's leading.

At the beginning of this week, we had a Eastern Shore snowstorm. We ended up with only 3-6 inches but that usually is enough to shut this area down. We had a day off on Monday because of the snow so we enjoyed some unexpected fun together. Our niece, Michelle and her son, Landon who is 5, came over and Steve, Mindy and Luke went sledding with them over at our neighbor's. Meme stayed inside with Will and kept the home fires burning. It was bitter cold so I made some hot chocolate, grilled cheese and chicken noodle soup for lunch.

Now today its a different story- It's 70 degrees out and all the snow is gone. I love this area of the country! To begin the week with snow storm and end the week with a beautiful day and no trace of the snow and ice!

Steve has been busy preparing for the Easter Journey and some other projects he's involved in at church. It's going to be a busy month for us through Easter.

In the midst of this hectic schedule, yesterday was my boss' last day. He announced a month ago he and his family were moving back to Pittsburgh. I am really sad he is leaving because we have worked together for 13 years and I'm really going to miss him. He has a great sense of humor and he has kept me sane over the years.

After much prayer and consideration, I decided to apply for the supervisor position and yesterday I was offered the job. It will mean a lot more responsibility and challenges but I feel it is the right time to make a change. In a small office setting, there are not a lot of opportunities for advancement so even though it may take added attention and energy, I feel it will be good for me. Of course, I think I would have been more ready 10-15 years ago- I didn't really expect to take this step at my age but I have to remind myself- I'm not that OLD!! I just remember this was the age my Mom retired 25 years ago and it feels sort of weird....I was really hoping to retire and spend more time with my grandchildren but I guess that's not what the Lord wants for us right now.

That's ok, I'm still going to spend as much time as I can with my grandchildren. We are loving our time with Min and the boys and looking forward to a new baby in the next 2 weeks. Jamie is ready- now we just have to wait for the baby to be ready to join us!

Here's some pictures of the last several weeks.

Luke pondering over morning cereal

Luke getting a 4th generation haircut. This barber has cut Great Grandpa Scott,

Guka, Luke's Daddy (Chris) and now Luke. This is the same barber that gave

Chris his first haircut at this age!

August 2008

March 2009

The CareFirst Bunch!

Our Little Christopher!

Well, 30 odd years ago today, our little Christopher came into the world. If anyone knows Chris, his favorite word is "Wait!" He actually has been making everyone wait for him his whole life! He was due on January 23 and decided to join us almost 3 weeks later on February 11!

Back in those days, expectant mothers did not work until the day they gave birth- so since this was our first baby, I quit work by January 1. I had no idea I would spend most of that time lying on the couch and watching soap operas and diaper commericals!

My mom and dad would have breakfast every morning at the hospital with my obstetrician and they would drive him crazy with asking When is this baby going to be born! The morning they were going to induce labor, Chris decided to cooperate.

After 12 hours of labor, our sweet beautiful baby boy was here. His dad counted his fingers and toes and mentioned something about teaching him to swing a bat. We were so proud of our precious bundle!

Now, years later we are still very proud. It's been great to have him home these few weeks and enjoy seeing him with his family. Luke is a little replica of Chris in so many ways and Steve and I spend quite a few moments commenting on how alike they are!

I was just thinking this is probably the first time we have been with you on your birthday, Chris since you were in high school! We are so happy to celebrate it with you today.

Happy Birthday, Son.

Mama's Cubs are All Home!

Since our children have grown to adulthood, there is nothing like having them all home at the same time. I cherish every moment we are all together. When your kids live miles apart, it's not always easy to get everybody together.

Of course, these last several months have been special since Mindy and the boys moved in with us and Randy and Jamie live here in Salisbury. We get together at least once or twice a week. The only one missing has been Chris and this week he came home for some R&R from Iraq. It is wonderful to have them together! What a blessing and I praise God for every minute we are able to enjoy each other.

Last weekend was very busy! Jamie's mom came to visit from Kansas for her birthday and baby shower. We celebrated a joint birthday with Cousin Michelle and then had her baby shower on Saturday. Our friends, Wayne and Carol Lynch also came for a visit and it was really special to have Carol at the baby shower since Wayne and Carol were our Youth Pastor when Randy was born!

Chris came in on Monday and several of our friends and all of the family were able to meet him at the airport. We were a little worried how Luke would react when he saw Chris since it had been ten months - but he greeted Daddy with a big hug and hasn't left his side since. On Wednesday, Luke and Mindy got sick so its been a stressful few days but now everyone seems to be feeling better.

Tomorrow we are going to celebrate Will's first birthday (which was really last week) but we postponed a real celebration until his Daddy could be here.

Now that everyone is feeling better, we hope to enjoy some of our favorite meals and restaurants. The time is going too quickly but we are thankful for what we have.

Check out our friend, Jeff Scott's blog : http://jeffandjoyscottfamily.blogspot.com/.

He described a lot of our emotions at Chris' homecoming on Monday and was pretty "right on."

Thanks, Jeff for taking the time and thanks to all of you who have left comments on Facebook. We appreciate your well wishes and prayers.

Luke and Will (on his 1st Birthday)


Our special friends- Wayne & Carol and Caleb Lynch

Jamie and Mom (Deb)

Jamie on Birthday

Two Pregant Ladies (Jamie and Janelle Sipes)@ Jamie's Baby Shower

Jamie @ Baby Shower

Riley and Kailee waiting for their Soldier Boy to come home!

Riley greeting Chris after a year and a half!

Christmas Blessings to All!

Since the last time I blogged was Thanksgiving, I figured I better catch up with the Christmas blog since we've been preparing for this holiday for the last 4 weeks!

We had a wonderful Christmas. We gathered according to our Christmas Eve tradition at Uncle Joe's and Aunt Marge's with all our extended Andrews family which always includes the Willey's who are part of this family! We attended our Christmas Eve candlelight service at church and then went to my brother, David's home to enjoy Christmas gifts with both families of David and Brian. It was a great time as we enjoyed watching our nephew, Landon who is 5 yrs old open his gifts.

Brian and his daughter, Chelsey spent the night with us on Christmas Eve, and on Christmas morning, Randy and Jamie joined us for some more giving of gifts and a scrumptious breakfast casserole which Jamie and Randy baked! We were also able to web cam with Chris in Iraq and watch him open a few gifts. Min and the boys were at her parent's in Illinois.

Then we had 10 join us for Christmas dinner which was also delicious. It was a busy but fun day to be with our dear ones.

On Friday, the day after Christmas, Min, Luke and Will returned home and we had some more Christmas. It was great to be reunited with them after 10 days. Luke was so excited about Christmas and we were just as excited for him. Chris joined us on the web cam and watched everyone open their gifts and we watched as he opened his presents. Since we couldn't have our first wish to be physically together, this was the next best thing!

I wasn't able to send Christmas cards or a letter this year but since I did write one I thought I'd share it (If you follow our blog, none of this is news to you!):

Christmas Blessings from the Shad Point Scotts;

Merry Christmas to all! 2008 has been an eventful year for the Scotts at Shad Point It began in mid January when Judy took her first trip to a foreign country across the Atlantic- Germany. She spent 4 weeks with Chris and Min and the boys in Baumholder, Germany where Chris is stationed in the US Army. Sweet William Stephen was born on January 24 and Guka Steve came over to join in the fun. We had a wonderful time together and celebrated Chris’ 30th birthday before we left on Saturday, February 9.

While Judy was in Germany playing with her grandchildren, Steve remodeled the main bathroom at Shad Point. If you’ve been to our house, you know this was not an easy undertaking. But Judy’s Dad would be very proud of the great job he did. Steve also tried out his carpentry and plumbing skills on Randy and Jamie’s bathroom in early summer.

Chris left for Iraq in April and Judy took a second trip to Germany for 2 ½ weeks to help Mindy and the boys. The weather was beautiful and in between sicknesses, we actually ventured out and enjoyed the countryside together. It was great fun!

When Judy returned from Germany at the end of May, Randy and Jamie moved in for a month while Steve remodeled their bathroom. It was fun to have them living with us for a few weeks but I think Jamie, especially, was happy to return to her own home. She’s not too fond of Randy’s mom spoiling him!

Steve and Judy took a long weekend trip to Colorado Springs, CO to reunite with the Scott brothers and wives. We had a great time, climbed Pike’s Peak by rail, enjoyed the beauty of the Rockies and attending the church where Alan pastors. Alan and Beth were wonderful hosts and we are thinking about making our reunions a must for future years!

In mid August, Randy and Jamie shared their news that they are expecting in March of 2009. Wow, what a great surprise- we can’t wait and its exciting being close to them and watching them as they anticipate this life changing event in their lives.

Through a lot of military red tape, Mindy and the boys finally were released to come back to the states at the end of August. We picked them up at BWI and our home hasn’t been the same since. We love having them with us and are missing them while Min and the boys are visiting her parents for Christmas.

We are praying for Chris’ safe return from Iraq in July 2009 or sooner. (He also will be visiting for a couple weeks at the end of January, 2009). Please continue to pray for him as he has been separated from his family since April.

God has been faithful in all things and we are very thankful for our family and friends. We cherish each and every one of you. We wish you a blessed Christmas season and a year ahead that is filled with the Lord’s presence.

Our Boys spending Christmas together worlds apart!

Dave & Nina's Pride & Joy- My brothers and I

My goddaughter and cousin- Merritt Faye

This son of mine actually found someone to love him!

Luke in this Cars bed from Uncle Randy and Aunt Jamie

The Grown up Table?

The Kids Table at Christmas Dinner

Judy and her two daughters!

Jamie and Will

Luke opening the "Infamous Dinosaur!"