Bixby Bulletin

La grande roue de Paris

2012-01-19T08:07:00.000-08:00

A few pictures of our big family outing.

Look Who is 5!!!!

2012-01-09T02:47:00.000-08:00

Happy, happy Birthday, Corban. What a blessed day it was when you came into the family. We love you. You have brought a lot of joy to all of us. Have a fun, fun day!

The Parisians!

2012-01-06T12:31:00.000-08:00

The "First" supper in Paris and the "Last" supper together until Zaccheus arrives! Boo Hoo!

2011-12-31T08:53:00.000-08:00

2 0 1 2

Happy New Year to All of You. We are praying that this year will be special for each and everyone of you.

Lots of Love,

Dad and Mom

Happy Birthday to my favorite 65 year old!

2011-12-30T00:20:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe but it is true! Have a great day celebrating with us :-) Happy 65th!

Happy birthday, STEFAN!

2011-12-27T04:06:00.000-08:00

Stefan turns 4 today! It seems like yesterday that we were sitting around waiting for him to be born. It is so exciting to see him grow and develop into his own personality! Happy birthday, Stefan, we all love you TONS!

Stefan and his best bud!

Happy Anniversary Jo and Brian!

2011-12-19T06:13:00.000-08:00

It is unbelievable that our youngest daughter has been married for five (that is 5!!) whole years. Lots of memories made already. We love you both. Have a wonderful day!

Happy Anniversary Dan and Brenda!!

2011-12-18T05:15:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that it has been 18 years-- you both look SOOOOO young! Love you both. Have a great day celebrating!

Happiest of Birthdays, Big Boy!

2011-12-16T01:10:00.000-08:00

Our cute little boy is TWO! Wow! Hard to believe. What a joy it has been for his Papi and Mimi to watch him grow up. A special treat, for sure!

Zacherie discovers the "Secret Attic"

2011-12-15T14:15:00.000-08:00

He turns 2 tomorrow so his "pre-birthday" present was a trip to the attic with Papi! What more could a boy want in life?

Downtown Bordeaux!

2011-12-11T12:08:00.001-08:00

Last Wednesday night, all the French Bixbys jumped on the tram and went to town. A stop at La Maison de la Bible was first and then a stroll down St. Catherine to the Christmas Village. Then a quick supper at McDo's before heading home. It was definitely the warmest visit to see Christmas lights that I have ever had. And so much fun. Miriam, btw, is the budding photographer :-)

Our chemist

2011-12-07T13:07:00.001-08:00

Le cinéaste : Michée

2011-12-01T12:42:00.000-08:00

With the very patient help of Wilfried, Micaiah has produced his first film. Still working on the copywrite.

Thanksgiving in Bordeaux

2011-12-01T09:14:00.001-08:00

The Boys!

2011-11-24T20:02:00.000-08:00

Silas!

2011-11-24T19:59:00.000-08:00

Olivia Meets Heavy Whipping Cream!

2011-11-24T05:57:00.000-08:00

This was hilarious!!!

Thanksgiving Begins

2011-11-24T05:53:00.000-08:00

The beginning of our Thanksgiving festivities begins! The kids are having a blast--as are the adults, but I don't have many pictures of us!

Ruth's Birthday Party

2011-11-14T03:20:00.001-08:00

Here are some shots from Ruth's birthday party. As you can see, we all enjoyed it! M and M helped decorate the table (newest thing at their house now is napkins in the glasses!), Miriam made sure Mom had coffee in a "real teacup", Micaiah gingerly delivered the cake (cheesecake-- Dad's speciality, Ruth declared it 'yummy" and Z made sure we didn't forget his lil' bro was there :-)

Happy Birthday!!

2011-11-09T02:45:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday to a very dear sister-in-law! We all love you dearly and are so thankful that Tim had the good sense to pick you out of the crowd! :) Have a wonderful day!

Happy 17th!!!!!!!!

2011-10-22T06:29:00.000-07:00

I will never forget the day you were born. I felt so old--I had a NIECE! It was quite scary! And now, you are all grown up and getting ready to embark on adult life. I really feel old. :-) Enjoy these last few years of "childhood". You will never get them back! Stay the sweet, gracious, godly young lady your parents have reared you to be and you will have no regrets! Love you, Cuteness, have an awesome day!

I would like you to meet---

2011-10-07T11:41:00.000-07:00

Mrs. Ruth Bixby, the Pilgrim! Her husband (Papi) and her children (Micaiah and Zacherie) were not available for the picture. The grandmother (yours truly!) took the picture.

Our "Secret" Project!

2011-10-06T11:05:00.000-07:00

What started out by a simple "let's fix the broken chair" turned into a big project. Micaiah and Miriam were all into it and really, really worked hard. We stripped off the old material, flipped the bottoms and fixed the broken one, and covered the chairs with material from "Grandma Morgan's attic" :-) (now Mimi Bixby's garage!), cleaned the chairs and voilà!

We agreed to keep the secret and wait until Mommy and Daddy saw the chairs. But we didn't have to wait for long...Tim saw it as soon as they walked in. New chairs for 1 euro and a fun project with the grandkids.

Eating Yogurt with Papi!

2011-10-06T10:47:00.001-07:00

11 years!

2011-09-23T03:24:00.000-07:00

Happy 11th Anniversary to you, Tim and Ruth. We love you both and are so thankful for the years that the Lord has given you together so far-- and for all the years to come :-)

Some more special people!

2011-09-12T14:13:00.001-07:00

3 Special People!

2011-09-02T14:16:00.000-07:00

Some favorite shots!

She's 29!!!

2011-08-30T09:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Johanna! It is hard to believe that you are 29. We thank the Lord for the years that He has given you. You are a wonderful wife and Mommy as well as daughter. Having fun celebrating with you :=)

My Birthday!

2011-08-28T17:48:00.001-07:00

I had a wonderful birthday today-- starting with a mouth-watering blueberry coffee cake, and then a delicious lunch and topped off with a yummy eclair cake! So fun to be here with Jo and Brian and the kids.

ISA is 10!!!

2011-08-20T05:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to our sweet happy girl!! It is hard to believe that you are 10! We can't wait to see you in a few days. How was breakfast in bed? And what are you doing special today?

Saying Goodbye to the Seelys!

2011-08-15T13:22:00.001-07:00

Saying goodbye to our good buddies! We will all miss them.

"La Coccinelle"

2011-08-10T13:52:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, we had a family outing to "La Coccinelle"-- a family park near the dune. It was lots of fun for everyone. We just wished that the rest of you could have been with us to enjoy all the rides!

Friday Family Game Night!

2011-07-30T05:35:00.000-07:00

We actually had a free Friday night last week, so we had a game night with pizza. It was lots of fun. I decided to post a few pics since this has to be the deadiest blog in blogland :-)

Thought this was worth re-posting here!

2011-07-14T01:26:00.001-07:00

Counting Down – A Letter to My Church Family

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Bob Bixby

I know so many of you have been praying for my cousin’s wife, Amy. You may have read her last word to us, a blog post that has been read by thousands already and has been powerfully useful to strengthen the faith of many of us. Amy has had some very rough nights lately. There are signs that the cancer has begun to encroach her brain and her very last days are upon her. You can read updates here: http://www.amycbixby.org/updates/

If you have not read Amy’s own words, I urge you to take the time to read them. They can be read here: http://amycaldwellbixby.blogspot.com/

When one considers that she is a Mommy with young children — she had a good day a couple of days ago and so she asked her husband to take her and the girls to the mall to get all the girls’ ears pierced, something Moms do with their girls — and that she is still in her thirties, it is incredibly moving to think of her reaching the point that she now longs for home. Perhaps some of the suffering she must face now is necessary so that her loved ones will be able to release her as well, knowing that her afflictions will finally be forever over. I urge you to pray for Amy, Jon, and their seven children.

I have often read Pilgrim’s Progress and one of my favorite sections is in the lesser known part of the Pilgrim’s Progress when Christiana, Pilgrim’s wife, is about to enter the Celestial City. John Bunyan is much more detailed and explanatory in his words for dying Christians than in the first part when he tells about Pilgrim’s glorious exit. This detail is helpful because it is appointed unto man to die. And I urge you all to read about all of Christiana’s friends as they make their way to the Celestial City. I have actually read the Pilgrim’s Progress sections into the ears of a dying saint.

The pastoral part of me wants to guide. And I am not in a position to pastor or serve or hug the Jon Bixbys. I hardly know Amy. I’ve talked with her more in the last year than I have with my cousin. We were discussing a potential book that I wanted to do in cooperation with her, one that is mostly written. I stepped back from the effort while Amy was healthy because I knew she was counting her kisses. Yes, that’s the suggested title for the little booklet on suffering and dying — “Counting Kisses” — that I hope will actually be produced. A mother of seven only has so many more kisses to give and receive when she knows she is dying, and the goals of the booklet on suffering and death could be just as easily accomplished without distracting her. Amy did her writing in the blog piece you all read.

But, anyway, as I said, my pastoral instinct wants to guide and shepherd. So, I would guide and shepherd all of us who are part of our church family with these words: have you stopped long enough to reflect on your dying? Do you really look forward to seeing Jesus? Are you living life in the light of your mortality, convinced that to die is gain, but to live is Christ? If you are a parent, are you counting your kisses?

Happy Birthday, Tim!

2011-07-09T01:48:00.001-07:00

33! Wow! How time does fly. I still remember when you were the "new" baby in the family :-) You have become a wonderful young man since that day. We love you and are so thrilled that we get to celebrate "for real" with you tonight.

The Fourth of July-- In France!

2011-07-06T05:41:00.001-07:00

We had a really fun time with our sweet families on the fourth. Won't be long now and 3 of these "grandchildren" (Elliot is missing from the picture--must have been napping :-) will be leaving for Africa.

HAPPY 42nd Anniversary!

2011-07-01T04:24:00.000-07:00

Happiest of anniversaries to a wonderful couple who has and continues to be an example of love and godliness.
We love you dearly!

Micaiah's School has an Afternoon Spectacle!

2011-06-25T13:28:00.000-07:00

Friday morning we got home from Ireland. Ruth had a delicious lunch for us and then in the afternoon we were able to go to Micaiah's school for his "spectacle"! They did fairy tales and Micaiah played the role of the Grandmother. Not sure why and I think he had a hard time with it at first, but he was a good sport and played his part great. For me, it was a treat. I was proud to be the Grandmother's Grandmother :-)

Tonkatrain #1

2011-06-25T09:19:00.001-07:00

This post is for Zachery,Stefan, Corban , Micaiah -- and anyone else interested :-) We rode this train with wheels around the town of Cove. The engineer was so nice and friendly. He stopped and told us all about the town. We were the only ones on the train and we were wishing there were some little boys to jump on with us! Maybe next time!

Our Trip to Ireland!

2011-06-25T08:58:00.000-07:00

Ok, so these are NOT in order, but that really isn't all that important, is it? This was Day 2. We are in Youghal (pronounced You!). It was off and on threatening rain, but we enjoyed every minute of it.

This was actually Day 1. We went to Cobh (pronounced Cove). Probably the most interesting day as it has quite the history. Both the Titanic and the Lusitania had their last "port of call" here. There was a great museum, too. The 3 children in the statue are Annie Moore and her two brothers. They were the first immigrants to disembark at Ellis Island. During the potato famine almost half of Ireland left for richer lands.

This is our hotel, our car, our food, and our view!! Can't get much better!

This is Blarney Castle. Another great day. I tried to get Dad kissing the famous "Blarney stone" but it was tricky! The castle was unique and the grounds were lovely!

By the time we left, we were wishing we had Irish roots-- and Dad was relaxing some when he drove :-)

Congratulations on 20 years!

2011-06-22T03:18:00.000-07:00

Ballycotton, Ireland

2011-06-21T01:57:00.000-07:00

Having a grand time! Rain, rain, rain yesterday but we have sun this morning. We are off to explore!

Ireland ... here they come!

2011-06-20T03:32:00.000-07:00

Just a quick post to say they are off! Mom and Dad are on an airplane headed to Cork, Ireland. That's their Ryanair plane on the runway, and Miriam was waving enthusiastically, as you can see. Haven't heard whether they actually saw her or not, but Tim texted back and forth with them to tell them where they were waiting and found out that they were on the correct side of the airplane to be able to see. Hope you have a great getaway, Mom & Dad!

Welcome to the family, Silas!

2011-06-16T14:25:00.001-07:00

Silas Ridley Hanson
June 15, 2011 - 6:52 p.m.
8 lbs. 11 oz.
20 in.

We are all so glad that you finally made your appearance in this world. We know that you will add a special flavor to the family. We love you soooooooo much!

Congratulations, Brian and Jo and Stefan and Olivia. He's a keeper!

Excited to be EIGHT!!

2011-06-04T23:32:00.001-07:00

There is one boy who is all excited about turning 8 today! Full of enthusiasm, Micaiah is a fun eight year old to have around, too! We can't wait to spend his special day with him. In fact, we are getting ready to walk out the door to go have breakfast with him. Can't start much earlier than that.

Happy, happy birthday to one very special boy! Being 8 is great!

Happy French Mother's Day!

2011-05-29T05:07:00.000-07:00

To a mother who has sacrificed more than any will know, who loves her family deeply, and desires and prays for God's best for each of us. We rise up and call you blessed!

Pizza Picnic at the Park

2011-05-19T05:41:00.000-07:00

Tim and I had our last exams last Thursday, and so we all decided to celebrate that evening by ordering Dominoe's Pizza and taking it to the park. It's only the second time we've had Dominoe's since we've been here, (I think Mom and Dad said it was their first!) and that made it extra special. It really was like good ol' American pizza! And as you can see, Zacharie (following Papi's careful teaching) learned to thoroughly appreciate his pizza. ;)

Bixby Get-together

2011-05-14T18:24:00.000-07:00

There was a Bixby/Farmer/Marshall family get-together as a farewell for Bonnie Ruth and Jeremy and family. They leave on May 31st for Cambodia. It was a very small gathering for Bixbys, but it was nice: beautiful weather, good fellowship, and good food! :)
Thought you might enjoy some of the pics. I wish I could explain who everyone is, but it's kinda hard to do! :)

My Little Helper!

2011-05-09T12:16:00.000-07:00

Zacherie is the only one that really wants to help me with my bathroom project! He's willing to do anything if it means he can climb up steps! (These were taken before I broke two ribs-- the project remains exactly like this for the time being :-( )

Want to see a $200 Birthday Cake???

2011-05-09T12:12:00.001-07:00

Thought maybe one of you girls might want to take up cake making in France-- it must pay well :-)

Happy Mother's Day....

2011-05-07T04:36:00.001-07:00

To the three best mothers on one side of the ocean and to the best on the other! We love you and are so grateful that you are mothering our grandchildren. Have a wonderful day.

My Buddy!

2011-04-22T20:06:00.000-07:00

Corban and I bonded this time--at least I felt like we did! This is one of my absolute favorite pictures!

Sorry, about all the posts so suddenly! Can you tell I got left alone in a quiet house for several hours?!

PANCAKE TIME!

2011-04-22T19:55:00.000-07:00

Patience was on spring break this week, too. So, she had Callista over for a sleepover. We had a fun, fun time making pancakes. I'm not sure who suggested the girls put flour all over themselves, but, hmmm....they did. Stefan heard that we had made pancakes and so since he didn't get to the service tonight, due to the change in plans, we decided to have pancakes for supper! So, Auntie Donna pulled out the stops and made chocolate chip pancakes in fun shapes for both sets of kiddos today! I had a super fun Auntie Day, making me wish even more that I lived closer to nieces and nephews. Maybe some day..............

Easter Concert

2011-04-22T19:47:00.000-07:00

Morning Star hosted a 4 church choir for an Easter concert. It was beautiful.
Brian directed and Johanna played. It was beautiful. They presented it twice.

I was trying to get "belly" pictures, but I was not too successful! :-)

Rockfordian Bixbys

2011-04-22T19:39:00.000-07:00

Some fun kid shots!

Olivia's Antics!

2011-04-22T19:31:00.000-07:00

The girl is on the move pretty much whenever she is awake!
She's a doll--but you got to keep your eye on her because she has absolutely NO fear!
Notice her mischievous grin whenever she thinks she has succeeded at something amazing!
Precious beyond words!

Happy Birthday, Brenda!!!

2011-04-22T05:45:00.001-07:00

We sure hope that you have a wonderful, wonderful day. We know that you will be royally treated by that sweet family of yours! Enjoy! We love you and are so thankful that you are a part of the family.

CONFERENCE 2011

2011-04-21T22:54:00.001-07:00

We are back home from conference...it was a great week, made extra special since Tim and family were there! It was a beautiful spot and the facilities were the best. The playground and ping pong room made it super special for the kids. The speaker this year was Roger Rosenau-- he is a cousin to Vernon. We enjoyed his messages. Fun week.

Minnesotan Family

2011-04-20T06:36:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful time with the Dan Bixby Fam. I got there around noon on Friday. The kids had the day off in honor of my arrival! (haha!) We spent a relaxing afternoon chatting, and then went and met Vanessa and her new hubby, Scott, for supper and then went to a concert which was very enjoyable. We had a good time. Saturday, we all slept in a bit. Then we girls hit up the MOA. I haven't been there in YEARS, so I wanted to at least say I'd been while I was up here! They taught me how to play Settlers of Catan--a game I've been wanting to learn how to play! It was fun. Late night.
Sunday, they leave for church at the crack of dawn! Great service. Dan had put a lot of time into the song service making it somewhat of a Good Friday service (or Passion Sunday, as he called it.) It was such a blessing. Truly one of the best, if not the best, song service I've ever participated in.
Sunday evening they had a business meeting. So, Ben and I went mountain biking. WoW! It was quite the experience, but thoroughly thrilling--for the most part! (Has Ben gotten a helmet, yet?!) It was good b/c I had to burn off some of the calories inflicted on me by 2 incredibly awesome cooks in that household! YUM!
Monday was a bright and early morning. Got to see Ben off, then Elise. I left before Isabelle. Don't know how they keep track of everyone's schedules! So confusing! Dan helped me get a rental. Then I drove to see Vanessa at a Starbucks. Was good to sit and chat with her for about an hour. We had a good conversation and time of prayer together. She is very happy in her new life, if a bit homesick.
Was a great visit, and I am so thankful the Lord worked it out for me to go.
Thank you, Dan, Brenda, Elise, Ben, and Isabelle for a WoNdErFuL time!

My cool RAV4 in pic with Vanessa and me! ;-)

Just call me "Grandma Morgan"

2011-04-17T08:53:00.000-07:00

Several years ago I bought these cute sweaters for Patience, Isabelle and Miriam-- well, somehow they never got them. At Christmas, I refound them and they were just perfect for my three little girls on this side of the ocean! This time Miriam got the biggest sweater and not the smallest! The three girls were all in yellow this morning so we got a picture.
(In case some of you don't know-- the other two girls are Kayla and Krista Seely. Their parents are here learning French. They serve in Cameroon with BMM. We have officially "adopted" them :-))

Quick Visit with the Barnes

2011-04-17T08:48:00.001-07:00

Before this is really old news, I wanted to post a picture of Steve and Rowena Barnes. They were down here last weekend to speak at CDLM and dropped by Sunday evening for a quick visit. We were honored that they took the time to come by and enjoyed the few hours we had together. It made a very late night for them as they drove back to Paris. They had never officially met Ruth and had not seen Tim in years. It was nice to catch up a little-- since EBM no longer does conference with BMM we don't see each other very often.

Fun 5K!!

2011-04-09T08:20:00.000-07:00

Just for fun, I thought I'd share these pictures. I did a 5k today--1 year since my first ever 5k. I have been Milette's "trainer"--haha! I was super proud of her. She's done an amazing job!
I work with a fun group of teachers!

A lot has changed in a year!

Nati Comes For a visit-- 1st time with his wife!

2011-04-03T07:44:00.000-07:00

Saturday, Nati and Rebecca came by on the way home from their vacation. We had lunch here with Tim and Ruth and kids and then went downtown for a walk along the quai. Nati wanted to get some coffee somewhere quiet :-)-- do you see the crowd of people in the background? It was sooo beautiful that everyone took to the streets. We then came home for Nati's favorite meal (tacos!) and spent the evening together. They left early this morning for Switzerland. It was so neat to have them stop by, even for a short visit. Our Swiss son is special so it was great to get to know Rebecca better.

Tooth Action

2011-04-01T07:26:00.000-07:00

The Tim Bixby household has had some serious tooth action this week. Miriam knocked her chin climbing a tree on Sunday, and I think that might have given a slightly loose tooth the added impetus it needed to quickly become REALLY loose, and she lost her first baby tooth then on Wednesday. She had an advantage in this whole thing of having seen her brother lose his teeth, and realize that it really isn't any too scary, and after all, one might find a little something special under one's pillow after such an exciting experience, so she was pretty thrilled!

Micaiah's tooth action was a little less natural. We got an afternoon phone call on Tuesday (actually, it was Papi who took the initial call as he was keeping the younger kids while we were in class) that Micaiah had had an accident at school, and we needed to come pick him up to take him to the dentist. Somehow he had been spinning around with a classmate at the end of recess time when he slipped and hit the ground mouth first. Some of the school workers were still cleaning up the blood when we arrived to retrieve him. After calling three different dentists, we found one who was immediately available and we took him in. He agreed that Micaiah's front two teeth had received a pretty terrific shock, and wanted us to go get an x-ray taken to make sure there was no fracture (see picture below). It was a pretty cool machine that went around his head, and we now have a REALLY cool picture of all his hidden permanent teeth yet to come in. In fact, the dentist was even able to tell us that Micaiah will only ever have one wisdom tooth to come in. We are grateful that there was no fracture, and it seems like the teeth will heal fine, although the dentist did say that those front two teeth are not completely out of the woods yet, and wants us to come in again next week for a check-up. He had a seriously swollen lip, but after three days it is looking much better, too. So there you go. There's a summary of some of the toothy experiences we've had in this Bixby household this week. :)

"I am ONLY 39!"

2011-03-28T12:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Daniel! We hope you have a wonderful day. It is hard to imagine that you are 39 already. Where have the years gone? We love you mingui mingui beaucoup!

Ps. I had to post this early as I leave at 5:30 in the morning and it would still be the 28th in the states anyway :-)

Shower for Tabitha Blakeny

2011-03-26T11:09:00.000-07:00

Sam brought Tabitha over to introduce her to Amy Caldwell Bixby, so I snapped a picture of the two of them! This is Tabitha's first shower...just about 63 days away from the wedding!

Aunt Donna and her girls made all the food. I did all the decorations and got the house clean and did some Frenchy party favors.

Some "people" snapshots. The girl with Tabitha is her sister, Amber Yopp. Amber lives across the street from 604! It was a small, simple, sweet shower. The weather was awful, but we had warm hearts! :~)

Happy Birthday to our oldest son and grandson!

2011-03-26T01:39:00.000-07:00

Imagine that two great guys were born on the same day! And this year is special-- you are dyslexic -- 41 or 14. Take your pick! We love you both!

Happy Birthday, Donna!

2011-03-21T01:49:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to our first girl!! We love you and are praying that not only today will be special but the whole year. We are proud of you (and you look beautiful!).

Miriam Makes Music :-)

2011-03-20T13:12:00.001-07:00

This evening Miriam had a recital for her music class. So we got to go see her "play the drum". The class also sang as they drummed :-) It was lots of fun and brought back many, many memories of sitting in the audience watching the prettiest (or most handsome) kids play and sing. Afterward we went to McDo's to celebrate. It was a fun time-- especially the ice cream at the end of the meal. So love having family around...anyone else want to come by for a visit?
BTW, Zacherie decided that if Miriam was playing the drum, he was going to play the big gong!

THANK YOU!

2011-03-19T12:40:00.000-07:00

So, I get this interesting phone call from Aunt Donna. She asked about 3 times if I was home or not, to which I replied, no, I've already left, so I was, admittedly, a bit suspicious! Anyway, completely forgot about my suspcions until I drove in the garage. Here's the funny part: they had sweetly removed the freezer (something I've been LONGING for) from the carton and put it right in front of pantry door, which would also be right to the left of my car door. I'm sure said location was so that I would see it first thing. They, as you can see, had put a colorful bag and bow on the freezer. Well, does Donna see the freezer? No. I pull in the garage and put on the brakes as I see--off in the right hand corner of the garage--a large box that was NOT there when I left the house just a few hours ago. I said to Amy Schoneweis, "Amy, that box was NOT in my garage when we left...what in the world? Then I noticed the words Magic Chef and said "Ahhh...it's my birthday present from my parents!" I jump out of the car to go look in the box and almost quite literally run into the freezer! It was pretty funny! Thank you, Mom and Dad!!!! I LOVE IT!
(And thank you US and AD for delivering it!)

Brian is 3-0!!!

2011-03-12T23:40:00.001-08:00

Happy, happy birthday, Brian! We love you and are so thankful that you are part of the family. Have a great day-- just think the time is even changing to help you celebrate :-) Can't wait to see what the Lord does for you in your 30's!

Our Room!

2011-03-12T01:14:00.000-08:00

Some of you have asked for pictures, so here they are! After a year, our room is almost done! We are enjoying it!

She's 10!!!

2011-03-07T02:42:00.001-08:00

The day we met you was special-- but watching you grow up so sweet and loving has been even more special! We love you. Happy, happy birthday-- you are "2 digits" now!! WOW!

An Eventful Day!

2011-03-05T19:36:00.000-08:00

Praise the Lord for His gracious mercy and help!

My best time and in the rain! Who would have EVER thought that Donna Ruth Bixby would EVER run?!

Happy Adoption Day, Corban!

2011-02-27T13:33:00.000-08:00

We love you and hope that your day has been special. And since you are with your Daddy and Mommy and sister, I am sure it has been! We are so thankful that you are a part of our family.

Miriam's Birthday Party!

2011-02-22T07:18:00.001-08:00

Our little six-year-old really enjoyed her day! She had very definite instructions for the meal (taco salad, watergate salad w/ strawberries and red jello with a heart in the middle) and for the cake (chocolate with chocolate icing and strawberries with a large 6 in the middle) which her sweet mother carried out to a "T". It was a fun family evening.

Thank you, Aunt Donna!

2011-02-22T07:14:00.000-08:00

We LOVE the calendar!

Happy Birthday, Miriam!

2011-02-20T04:50:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to the sweetest six year old ! 6! Wow! You are getting to be a big girl and such a big helper, too. We love you and can't wait for your party tomorrow night!

Repas Agape 2011--History :-)

2011-02-19T09:10:00.000-08:00

Last night was the Repas Agape...theme this year was "Une Lettre d'Amour" Lots of work, but as usual, it was worth it. 29 in the salle and over half were visitors. Let's see-- Ile Maurice, Algeria, Iraq, Japan, Mexico, France, etc. We were pleased. Fewer than other years, but all were invites from our church except 2. Good ambiance and good food (says the cook :-))

Jones Gap

2011-02-18T20:40:00.000-08:00

Enjoyed a "rigorous/strenuous" (using the word on the board at the bottom) hike up Jones Gap this afternoon. It was pretty steep. Rebekah had said, "It's pretty straight up, but then it evens out a bit so you can catch your breath." "Pretty straight up" was accurate! It was fun, and we did it in about 30 minutes--1.5 miles "pretty straight up!" GORGEOUS weather we are having. Spring is tempting us! These photos were all taken on my camera. We did get one at the bottom before we left and when we got back, but I think I must have left my camera in her car!

Miss Olivia turns 1!

2011-02-14T03:28:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe but it is true. Happy, happy birthday Olivia! We love you and hope that you have a wonderful birthday. You are our Valentine girl!

2011 Calendar Release

2011-02-11T07:46:00.000-08:00

First, I am SOOO sorry. I HATE that this calendar is not out yet, because you are now 10 days into not having a calendar. I hope you haven't given up and gone and bought something and will not use the calendar. I don't want to pay to print what you're going to trash!

The calendar will go to the printers tonight or EARLY tomorrow morning and will hopefully be mailed before the end of the day. Francophone family members, mom will be printing yours there so as to speed up the process. Again, I apologize, and I hope you like the calendar!

Happy Birthday, Jennie!

2011-01-29T01:22:00.000-08:00

Happy, happy birthday, Jennie! We love you and trust that your day is special because you are special!

Mr. Potato Head!

2011-01-22T01:13:00.001-08:00

Last night for our bi-weekly soiree, we had a "Potato" theme. I baked some nice big potatoes and we had a table full of yummy stuff to put on them. Of course, this was a new concept to most but they seemed to enjoy it and certainly did eat :-) Miriam and Micaiah had been Anne's "coaches" as to color when she made the potato heads so we had the game first so they could participate before going home to bed! I don't think either of them actually played (they were too timid!) but they were right there watching and giving advice!

We were an exceptionally small group (only 7 students) but we had a great time. Michael shared a mediation afterward and Dad translated. It seemed to touch all of the Christian kids' hearts (4) and hopefully spoke to the non-believers (3), too.

I LOVE baked potatoes-- not sure why I don't have them more often!

Burr and Carrot!!

2011-01-19T06:30:00.000-08:00

Monday was MLK day and a while back Becky and I had made plans to get together.
They had never been to IKEA before, and since I LOVE IKEA, it seemed like a great 1/2 way point to meet. (Charlotte, NC)
We met to celebrate our -100lbs. She's passed her's; I haven't gotten there yet, but...
Together we've lost over 210lbs!
Becky looks GREAT and is very close to her goal! She's amazing!
She told me I was a burr in her saddle--keeping her going, and I said she was the carrot in front of my nose--keeping ME going!!
It was a great time of shopping, fun, encouragement, and getting to know them better.
Their kids are precious! The kids are: Ellie (13), Paul (10), and Becca Lou (4). (I think I have their ages right.)
Sorry, apparently no picture of Dave.
Thankful for good friends....and especially one on a similar journey as mine.

Greetings from Toulouse

2011-01-17T02:35:00.001-08:00

Ruth and I, along with the Coles, attended the Baptist church in Toulouse on Sunday morning. There was a good crowd of more than 100. It was my first time to ever return since we moved away from the city. The only two people I recognized were Muriel and Michelle. Michelle's two children were also there that morning. Her son Benjamin is married with children and an integral part of the church. Mmes Monzon and Prukop were on the prayer list, but I did not see them. Both Muriel and Michelle send their greetings to the whole family. It was good to see God's preserving grace.

Remembering---

2011-01-13T03:58:00.000-08:00

Today would have been Grandma Morgan's 85th birthday! My, what a heritage she left us. I was looking for a "familiar" picture of Grandma in her apron in the kitchen at 604-- something we can all relate to. I decided to post this picture, however, when she was more the age of you kids now. Good reminder that life keeps going on...but we need to always remember the past.

Grandma Bixby is 87!

2011-01-12T02:30:00.000-08:00

Happy, happy birthday to Great Grandma Bixby! As spry and wise as ever, she turns 87 today. We love you, Mom, and hope that your day is relaxing as you sit by the fire and enjoy the snow outside :-) Thank you for the godly example you are to us all.

Snow Fall of the Century?!

2011-01-10T07:39:00.000-08:00

So, far this snowfall is beating almost all records. If we get much more, it will beat them all. I think the most is 10 in. in 1988. I'm pretty sure I have over 8 already in my yard, and it is still coming down!
Now, I realize that the majority of my family live in the north, and that this snowfall is nothing to you. But, you must realize that we have a total of 16 plows for the entire county! (The brought in 4 more from GA, this morning!) That makes this a major event for us...very difficult to clear even the main roads, let alone the side roads. It is beautiful, and I'm enjoying it from the indoors. Just hoping I don't lose electricity when the sleet hits this evening. I'm pretty sure I won't be able to get out of here if I do lose power! :(
Using the day to do some major "new years" cleaning out and decluttering!
Eager to hear about Corban's birthday celebration!

Happy Birthday, Corban!!

2011-01-09T00:51:00.001-08:00

A big 4 year old!! And it looks like you are going to enjoy it :-) We are so thankful to the Lord for giving you to our family 4 years ago. You are one extra special boy! We love you. Have a wonderful birthday.

Dad's Birthday!

2011-01-06T14:29:00.000-08:00

Somehow poor Dad didn't get a birthday post. I guess we were all a little preoccupied that day! We had a fun outing to downtown BX before his party, and the we had a nice birthday dinner--couscous--my choice!--and carrot cake made by Ruth (from Martin cookbook) that was to die for! Then he was quite literally surrounded by a bunch of little girls (and a couple of boys!)--which I think makes him happier than almost anything in the world!
Oh, and for the candles--we wanted the kids to do some math while on Christmas break. Can YOU figure it out?! :)

2010 has been a year of great loss!

2011-01-01T08:54:00.000-08:00

I'm a little emotional about posting this.
What great things the Lord has done!

Our 2nd Christmas

2010-12-30T03:13:00.000-08:00

Have I blogged our 1st Christmas?
The suitcase finally arrived, and we were able to celebrate a "2nd Christmas" with the gifts that were in the suitcase.
We are all so thankful the suitcase arrived. The "big" gifts were Dad's Kindle from mom, the duvet cover and pillows for Mom and Dad from me, and Tim's anniversary book from Tim.
There were also things for the kids and other little goodies to boot!
God is good! What fun!

Papi et Mimi and the "French" Grandkids

2010-12-27T14:59:00.000-08:00

Can't say we didn't try....

Happy 3rd Birthday, Stefan!

2010-12-27T02:01:00.000-08:00

Three years ago we were sitting around wondering when you would ever come into the world to meet us.
Now it seems impossible to believe that you are already 3 years old.
You have given us so much fun and joy, and we are excited to see how you are going to continue to grow.
You make a great big brother, son, nephew, cousin, and grand-son!
WE LOVE YOU!!!

Micaiah's Gift to His Dad

2010-12-25T11:46:00.000-08:00

Proof that it is more blessed to give than to receive! Micaiah heard his Dad say a few weeks ago that he wished he had some gloves and he told his Mom that day that he knew what he wanted to get his Dad for Christmas. He kept his secret but was soooo excited to give his gift this morning. Definitely a moment to remember!

Papi and Stefan Chatting!

2010-12-24T15:04:00.000-08:00

Micaiah and the Case of Meat Fondue

2010-12-24T15:03:00.000-08:00

This was just too cute! Notice the smug smile on the last picture. I LOVE IT! (I put in the two plate one's b/c I needed 15 pictures!)

Christmas Eve in Bordeaux

2010-12-24T14:54:00.000-08:00

I assume these will all be self-explanatory, but we just wanted to give you a taste of our Christmas Eve.

I will explain Zacharie's black eye. He took a bad spill last night, and we are thankful that it didn't end up in the emergency room. He's fine, but it did leave a nasty mark. Micaiah's pj's are still in my suitcase which we hope is on a truck being brought down to Bordeaux through the night tonight...we hope.....

We had a wonderful evening, complete with guests from Hungary, and the story of "Bobby".

The only thing missing was YOU. Hope you all had (well, I guess that is "have") a wonderful evening.

Loads of love and Merry Christmas!

Christmas Fun!

2010-12-22T07:22:00.000-08:00

Monday night we all took the tram to downtown Pessac to have some Christmas fun! First we went to the Christmas tree maze which unfortunately closed before the kids went through it. It wasn't too bad, however, since Grandma noticed that you could go through it alone and so we did our own run through! Then the kids (with Papi and Zacharie) rode the Merry-go-round. About then it was time for the concert in the church. It was a choir from Pessac putting on a Christmas concert. They were real personable (let the kids come on stage to sing O Beau Sapin! if they wanted-- our kids didn't :-). We all enjoyed the concert. Then it was home for some of Aunt Jennie's White Chicken Chili which was a big hit with the older ones but not so much with the youngsters. It was a great memorable evening! Wish more of you could have been here with us.