Latest update on the Swingle family

Last time I wrote was October.  I can't believe how much a family can pack into 3 months. 

In October we did many things as a family.  One of the first was we went to Traverse to help my Mom and Dad with getting ready for winter.  The men cut wood and work on things around the house.  Here are pictures of the different activities we did that weekend.  We picked apples off the trees and ground, using this little cart we also used this to cart the wood closer to the house. 

Can you find our handsome boys hiding in this tree??  My almost 97 year old Grandpa here.  I just love this picture.  It shows the gentleness of my hubby and yet the strength of my Grandpa also.   

In October, my brother Nathan usually has a sibling get together.  We used to go out and enjoy each other but we have changed it and now meet at Nates home.  First we had a delicious meal, than we carved pumpkins and than we decorated cookies.  It was very fun to be able to do that together as sibs and cousins.  We miss Aaron and Janelle during this time though. 

 Uncle Mike showing off his worm he decorated his cookie with and Aaron still working away on his cookie.

  I love this picture.  I have it on my facebook also.  Nathan eating his cookie and little miss Alayna watching and learning from Uncle. 

This next one is Trey and Ben. Trey was such a funny little boy here.  He was so particular about where he put his decoration on his cookie.  And my dear Benny Boy ( my nickname for Ben)  Think we all had enough sugar for the night???? 

NOW THE CARVING OF PUMPKINS...................

Nathan had bought designs that we could trace on our pumpkins and than carve them.  Some of our pumpkins were COLD.  But it was fun to be all together. 

  Tim and Aaron

   Some of the finished product.

Than in November we were just as busy.  But we didn't get as many pictures.  LOL

Some friends of ours adopted twins from Bolivia. They are two but are a little delayed in some ways because of their lack of care as babies.    Their names are  Jonathan Carlos and Hosea Manuel.  Tim and I stayed with them and their sisters over night.  Here I am reading to them before I put them to bed.  We call them Carlos and Manuel.  They are most precious.  They will find me all over church and give me great hugs.  And than they will see any of us and say  Swinguls, Swinguls.  We don't have first names.  :) 

Aaron is in Treblemakers choir.   Sad to say he is one of three boys.  And now after Christmas there are only two.   

In November we also said goodbye to some dear friends.  My eyes still want to water up when I see this picture.  They left for the Phillipines. They had started to raise support the same time we did.  They had set a goal of leaving that fall and the Lord just opened the doors for them and they are now serving in the Phillipines.  It is not a clear picture but they have three young children.    We had wanted to be in West Virginia also at this time but little did we know than what we know now about my health.  I will share more of that later. 

OK  you fellow towel fighters out there.  Do  you think you can put a hole in someones jeans when you snap them with a towel.  Tim says you can not.  BUT   I say I saw the back of Ben's jeans come apart when he got snapped.  So what do you think??  Could Tim have snapped it hard enough to have cloth come off??  All four of us were in this fight by the way.  I was a blast.  :)

Here we are in December.   This picture is of Ben singing his part of the Christmas program.  He was a janitor, his tools became musical instruments.  Not a very good pic but you get the idea. 

During December we had many family celebrations also.  On Christmas Eve Tim's brother Steve was here to enjoy the evening with us.

Than Christmas Day we had a wonderful, enjoyable time at our own home. 

 Than later on that night we were able to celebrate at Tim's folks house.  It was such a relaxing time for us.

Aaron also celebrated his 11 birthday this December here are some pictures of his parties. We actually had 3 here. Our neighbors were leaving for a trip so they had to come early.  So we made a party of it  He received a Webkins from them.  He loves it very much.  We use it if we need for discipline but I actually enjoy playing on it myself too.  :)

 Than we had  group of young people from church over that evening.

  As you can see we made our own pizzas and I had boughten cups and made dirt cake inside of them to resemble hot cocoa.  Had a blast.  Than here is the cake that we celebrated with our family and Tim's folks also.  His birthday comes at a crazy time we are either here or TC and we enjoy being able to celebrate for him. 

Than we made the trip to Traverse City on Sunday the 30th I think it was.  We could not wait to see Aaron and Janelle, AJ and visited with Alyssa for the first time. 

Here are pictures of all the Wylie Grandkids.  Ben, Aaron, Alayna, Trey, AJ, Alyssa and waiting in the wings is the 3rd one for the Sullivans.  I love this one of AJ.  Makes me laugh everytime I see it. 

Mom and Dad Wylie

Alayna, Trey and AJ all around the same age.

 Ben holding dear Alyssa and Janelle.

 We also had time to visit our Grandma and here is her 6th Great Grandchild from us kids.  Alyssa Rose named after Grandma for her middle name. 

We had the joy and privledge to have Aaron, Janelle, AJ, and Alyssa in our home during the holidays.  This was a highlight for us to be able to spend time with them. 

As many of you know I had surgery on the 28th of January.  For those that don't I had a partial hysterectomy. I was healing very nicely.

 The Lord answered so many prayers. One of which we were still here in West Michigan with the Dr. that delivered Ben and Aaron.  He did my surgery.  He has just recently switched hospitals and I was able to have the DaVinci Robot do my surgery. Look that up on the internet.  Fasinating!  Of course the Dr. runs it. :):)  My recovery will be much quicker because of it. I had many people offer to help with the boys and bring food over.  I had recovered enough on Saturday  to go to quizzing with Aaron.  I was the coach,  but because of my surgery I gave my responsiblities to someone else.   But I went as a parent for Aaron.  I am very glad that I went.  Here is Aaron during the multiply choice session.

And here he is with his partner from another church, he  had no one his age that did quizzing with him.  So he joined in with this young man. 

 They were doing the speed competition here.

They won 2nd place for their efforts.  :)  Way to go Aaron.

Than this past Tuesday I started feeling worse than I did last week.  I had come down with the flu.  So I am still eating a BRAT diet trying to gain back my strength and heal.  Here are my pets that joined my on the sofa.  I use rice bags on my feet and legs to stay warm.  I think they liked that.  LOL  :)

And this one is funny.  Ben just happened to catch this as it happened Reya is yawning.  She looks mean doesn't she.

 Anyways,  here is the update of us from the last several months.  Tonight the boys and Tim are preparing for our AWANA derby.  I have a car partially ready to go but because I got sick I  will just stay home.  I want to get a little stronger before I expose myself to many germs again.  Tim has been very busy at work so this has been a tough time for him.  Covering for me when he gets home in the evenings and working all day.  Not to even mention the want to work on support.  Continue to pray for us and with us as we seek the Lords hand. We find ourselves running out of time everyday and not having worked on support.

Oh and just a few last photos.   I wanted to update our family photos.  :) 

 Greetings,  IT has been a very, very long time since I have updated.  I do not know where to start.  So after thinking about it I will start with current events and go backwards. 

This last weekend my beautiful sister and I had the opportunity to go to a Ladies Retreat.  As a speaker we had Beth Moore on video speaking on "Loving Better".  It was very good.  Felt like Beth Moore was there.   We learned about   Testies, Joys, Foes and Fars.  I was challenged already in dealing with a testie last night.  It is hard to think about their side of the story when they are critizing your children or interfering where they should not.   Heather and I had a delightful time.  With our food issues we take our own food and the kitchen lets us use their big fridge.  We were so thankful they let us do that.  Here are a couple of picture from Ladies Retreat.

My Beautiful Sister, Heather.  We went for a walk and got some nice Pictures.

One last picture of Heather and I, at the Dining Hall, in front of the Stony Lake. 

We have been working quite a bit on our home fixing it up and clearing it out to sell it when the time comes.   We have worked upstairs painting and putting in new carpet.  When I was gone this weekend, we moved the boys from one room to their separate rooms.  We have also worked downstairs we painted in the school room, took out carpet the floor had hardwood so Tim refinished that.  It seems like so little when you write it out but it took a many hours of labor to get it to where it is.  We still have quite abit to do yet.  But it is coming. 

Here is a picture from this summer of us painting in the hallway.  It used to be dark paneling and now it is light blue with Darker blue trim.   The carpet up the stairs was the 70s green/yellow shag.  We now have tan, with multiflecked colored berber. 

I wish that we had gotten the pictures of our spare bedroom, now Aarons room before they rearranged but you will need to use your imaginations on it.  We had our computer  plus boxes and boxes and boxes in that room,  two bookshelves,  several doors.  Tim and the boys worked hard this weekend to get it all out the put in our bedroom and than move all the boys stuff and than move the boxes again since we could not get in our bedroom :).  Here are the boys rooms now.

This is Aarons room. He loves his stuffed animals they keep him cozy and comforted at night.  And than here is Ben's room. He thinks it is great to have his own space. 

I forgot that Ben had taken a picture of Tim and my bedroom when they were rearranging so after searching forever to find the picture and putting  it onto Tim and my documents here is a picture of our bedroom in the midst of the rearranging.  And there actually is a bed under there.  I could get in here when I got home amazingly.  Tons of hard work for the guys this weekend. 

I need to sign off now but I am hoping to show you our school room next time and tell  about our kayaking experiences.    

 Well,  the time that I had planned to write on my acct. was taken up by my acct. needing to be worked on. And it NOT letting me on.

SO I will soon try again to update.  Since it has been awhile.  Hope you all have a great day. 

This is a update on what Heather and Mike are doing.  Please pray for them as the Lord works in there lives.     They fly back on Monday the 2nd.  Please pray for them on that flight that it is as smooth as the first.  Trey and Alayna were here yesterday, what a delight and joy their children are.  Alayna will be used mightly by God with her vocals cords (speaking) as she gives herself to Him.  What a girl.     Little Trey  He is one smart little boy.  WOW WEE.  He is very deliberate in what he does sweet heart of a boy. 

 The header is something that I have been repeating to myself.  I started saying it to myself in WV and than now that I am at home.

As I read over my last update it was kinda discombobulated--not sure how to spell that.  I was trying to communciate in a quick way, I did not have time to look over it once I had written it.

Anyways,  our trip was delightful !!!  We spent Thurs-Fri with Aaron and Janelle.  What a blessing they are to our family.  Encouraging us and allowing us to relax and spend time with them.  Thank you Aaron and Janelle--The Lord is good and knows what we need when we need it.  Last time we were there we were just coming back from WV and needed the time we had there after and now we needed it before.  Pastor Bixel spoke on Sunday morning on Col. 1:24-29,     We are to follow Christ's example of suffering.  I will not suffer GREATLY in W.V. but it will be different and sometimes difficult.  God knows what I can handle and will give me just that.   Than in Sunday School a couple that is raising support where back home and gave a report on how God had provided for them time and time again.  Once again God showing his provision to me.    Finally, Sunday night a Missionary couple also raising support spoke.  He spoke on Romans 1:18-23 on every man knows there is a God because of Creation.  He than went on to Romans 10:9-15  saying that we are to go to tell them about the one and only true God.   The Lord knew I needed to hear these words as I was anxious about visiting Welch and finding a home,  that we could live in. 

We did find a home we could live in. It may not be the one that the Lord has chosed for us and we understand that but it gives me hope that we could find something situable.  The Lord KNOWS what I need better than I know what I need.  

We also were able to visit with people we had met before and also met a few others.  We stayed with Landon and Emily what  delight they were to Tim and I.  They are in their early 20's but they have such a love for the Lord. They both were homeschooled and we could see that their parents worked very hard to raise them to Love Jesus.   Here is a picture of them

One of the fun things we did while we were there was to play ultimate frisbee.  What a blast to be able to do this with many of the staff.  We are all pretty competitive so we all played hard.  Tim and I were on the opositite teams and he called down the field something like come on Gramma.  My teammates defended me and said that he comments called for war.  What a delight to be able to minister with these people and play with them also.  Here is a picture of all of us. . 

In the back row is Makahla Wilson Chris (Norma's nephew) Landon, Emily Heeres, Jay Wilson, Will, Nathan, Amber Kynock, Josie ?  young person from community, The Swingles, Jenny Lee  , B.J. in her arms is Caleb Kynock (two weeks old) Kyler Wilson, Bertie a sweet young man from the community.

One other thing we did was play airsoft what a blast that was.  I think my whole family would enjoy doing that.  Here is a picture of the boys dressed to play.   

I know that this post has been long. So I will go.  I have one last picture I wish to share with you.  This was taken in PA.  It reminded me that we are to walk on the narrow path.  The Lord will bring us through the curves and valleys.  He KNOWS what is best for us and will guide us as we follow him.    Because of HIM,  Michele