Highlights of December in Tianjin, China 2008

Felicidades, Samuel Reed !

Happy Birthday, Samuel ! Samuel is the third of our 12 grandchildren and is the oldest son of Matthew and Lina Reed. They just recently moved from Chicago, IL to Tenancingo, Mexico. Samuel is now 7 years old and very smart and very handsome ! He and his sister, Rebeca, 4, will be attending public school there in Mexico. Their parents will be working in local "fellowships" there and helping people. On their trip driving down to Mexico, Samuel learned how to check the oil and other fluids. We are hoping we get to go and visit them sometime next year !

Happy Birthday, Danielle Prescott!

Danielle Prescott is our daughter-in-law married to Dan. They have been married for ten years and are parents to precious Abby, who is 7 years old. They live in the San Francisco Bay area ! Happy Birthday on December 3 !

Happy Birthday, Heidi Reed !

Heidi Lynn Reed, our precious daughter-in-law, is married to Jamie, our oldest son. They've been married for nine years and are parents to Antonio, Joshua, and Caleb. Heidi is the youngest of 8 children and grew up in Minnesota, where they will be this Christmas to celebrate her parents 50th wedding anniversary. We love you Heidi !

Jesus Loves Me this I Know

Each Wednesday I go to the ECC (Early Childhood Center)to teach the music classes. This is a part of our Tianjin International School. There is a Foundations class (3 yr olds), a Junior Kindergarten, and a Kindergarten. Here are the three- year- olds singing Jesus Loves Me. Only two of them know how to speak English fluently. The others have only started learning since late August when school started. We have so much fun together ! By the way, they are all Korean kids.

Welcome to the world, baby James !

Our twelvth grandchild, James Stephen Reed, was born
on November 12, 2008 to Tim and Allyson Reed.
He is the little brother to Hannah, Lauren, and Timmy.
We are so grateful to our
wonderful Lord for our
growing family !

Happy Birthday, Antonio !!!!!

Antonio E. Reed,

firstborn son of

Jamie and Heidi Reed is now SEVEN YEARS OLD and a delightful, happy, and intelligent kid. He is a sweet big brother to Joshua and Caleb. He loves baseball, bikeriding, and reading. He knows no stranger and one of the friendliest kids I have ever known.

My Dad & Mom always gave people a verse from the Bible to go along with their age. So here is mine for Antonio:

"Let your roots grow down into him and draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done." Colossians 2:7

Happy 28th Birthday, John Reed !

John and Bethany in Charleston, SC and then in Tianjin, China.

John is the fourth son born to Jim and Marilyn Reed over 28 years ago in Madrid, Spain. He is one of the coolest people you will EVER meet !

INTERNATIONAL DAY 2008

Fun

Fun

Fun

International Day is definitely the highlight of our school year. I'll just let you enjoy the pictures.

ELEVEN very precious kids !

Learn, Believe, Pray, Obey (Better version of Head and Shoulders song !)

Today my kindergarten class showed me a new song they had recently learned. I like it alot better than the old version ! Notice the very last second as Amelia (2nd from left) grins at Rose (last on right). So cute !!! These kids are Hudson, Amelia, Jennifer, Daniel, and Rose.

Fall Fun on Two Separate Continents

September found us on two different continents.

I was in the USA (Columbia, SC and Atlanta, GA) for three weeks, and Mark was in China ~ going to the annual Middle School Camp in Beijing. I missed it, but as you can see, the time

spent with most of my family was well worth the long trip. And looks like Mark even had a few good moments without me ! ;-)

The Kids of our Kids

Grandchild #11- Timmy Reed turns ONE

On September 20 we celebrated little Timmy's first birthday in Crawfordville, Georgia in the old country home of his great-grandmother. Timmy is the third child of Tim and Allyson Reed of Columbia, South Carolina. I had the privilege of being there on my short trip to the USA. I am so blessed !

Every Morning at Seven AM

Good Morning, Tianjin ! I get up early, so this is no problem for me. Out my window I get to see these elderly neighbors do their morning exercises. Recently they have been singing a popular Olympic song and figuring out choreography to go along with it. One of them stands inside the circle and seems to be the main singer. I think they are SO cute. Old is cute. Some of my favorite people are the very OLD and the very YOUNG.

What I see out my window at 7:00 AM

Every weekday morning this is what I see

if I happen to be looking out the window at

7:00 AM. My dear husband, with his coffee in hand, gets on his trusty Giant bike and pedals off the five minute bike ride to work (school.) This is his transportation routine rain or shine, hot or cold........

Birthday Party with some Cute Kids at the Orphanage

My Sweet Daddy

Four years ago, on August 20, 2004 my Dad, Jerry Stowers, breathed his last breath on earth. I am not sure exactly what is going on in the heavenly realm now, but I do know

that he is with the LORD and that he looked forward to the gift of eternal life that was given to him many years ago because he chose to follow the Lord and be obedient to Him all his life.

So I celebrate the memory of a great man. My special Dad. He was very kindhearted, humorous, loving, and

talented. (in things like golf, harmonica, yo-y0, and magic tricks). He was the one who taught me to drive, mow the lawn, yoyo, play badmitton, play ping pong, tennis, and a bunch of other things ! ) He and my mom lived in Africa for about 30 years and I am sure that many are there in heaven , or will be, because of his testimony. I think about my Dad alot and still miss him. What an example he was to me as a father !

Caleb Reed is TWO !

Happy Birthday to our precious grandson, Caleb !

Cute little brother to Antonio and Joshua, and

third son to Jamie and Heidi.

Feliz Cumpleanos Mateo !!!

Happy Birthday to Matthew ! Son, Brother, Papa, Husband, Grandson, Cousin, Nephew, Friend.......A man full of patience, grace, love, and compassion for others. We love you !!!!

You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile

I think I'm gonna like it here....

We've been living here in China for five years and last spring had the opportunity to move to another neighborhood even closer to the school, along with five other families in our company. With more staff coming and more housing needed, we were given the chance to move from our smaller apartment to a larger one. We moved on June 18, just a week after John and Bethany left after their two week visit. We're glad that they did get to see our new place. We are loving it, the new neighboorhood and the happenings going on outside our windows all the time....everything from little children doing their artwork near the pond, to the elderly women (ok, my definition of elderly would be over seventy !) doing their exercises to soft music at 7 AM sharp every morning under the weeping willow trees, neighbors walking to and from the market or to work through the neighborhood. We hear bullfrogs at night, and crickets during the day. We feel even more conspicuous as some of the very few foreigners living in this area, but have been welcomed with friendly hellos and "ni haos" whenever we go out.

We live on the second floor.

I've always loved a kitchen with views, but never dreamed I would have one this nice. Although we have air conditioning units in the bedroom and living room, the kitchen has none, so gets very hot. BUT,

I still love the setup. My plants grow like never before and I just love looking out the big windows. Sometimes we get even more than we ask or think.

I love the fresh summer vegetables and fruit here, too. Smoothies and vegetable stew or salads are refreshing !

Our Grandkids ~ Blessings from the Lord

Happy Anniversary to SEVEN couples

Here we are....Us and our 12 happily married "kids".

(sons and daughters-in-law, for clarification...)

Counting our blessings one by one and thanking God for His

love and faithfulness to the generations of our families.

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!