Three Unexpected Treasures!

I rescued an artifact from my mother's apartment today. What is it you ask? Well, it is a nickel teapot that belonged to my great grandmother, MARY ELIZABETH PEARCE. I never met her. She died in 1940 (when my mom was 11) at the age of 81. She was my mom's mother's mother. Got that? I know this is rather remote and not at all special to most of you, but bear with me! I am excited about this! I come from a not-very-close family. But family is important to me and so is my family history. So would you like to hear what I know about Mary Elizabeth Pearce? Okay! She was born in East Ontario, Canada in 1859. She was one of 16 children. Sixteen children?! Yikes! In order to ease her parents' financial burden, she married at age 13. Her husband was eight years her senior, John Macksey was his name. They had seven children of their own -- I actually know six of their names: William, Arthur, John, Victoria Alberta (my mom's mother), Sophia Margaret (I remember this woman!) and another son, Charles. Mary Elizabeth was a very hard working woman who lived in Canada her whole life. My mother remembers her as a tiny woman, and "one of the nicest people in the world." This was my mother's grandmother, and she loved her very much. My mom needed nice people in her life when she was a little girl. I have a picture of Mary Elizabeth somewhere in this house -- but I couldn't find it tonight to show you. I will have to look further for it. This teapot was hers, and so it is a special treasure to me. I will make sure it stays in the family somehow, some way! If you are one of the Pahman grandchildren, this little lady is your great-great-great grandmother!

Here is another treasure in the person of NATHAN PAUL JONES! He is enjoying some music at the Jones homestead. I didn't get home from work and helping my mom and Roy until about 4:30 today, but when I arrived home, look who greeted me with Boppa -- what a nice surprise!

We had a fun hour together doing the usual stuff at our house! Nathan especially enjoyed the music we played on the CD-player. He liked the clapping song, that all of our little kids like so much. He tried his hands at the piano (and of course he has a piano at his house too). Nathan liked watching the hammers strike the strings as he played.

Grandpa said Rachel was invited out to lunch today so Nathan came over to play with us (only I wasn't home yet). It's been raining the last few days here in Grand Rapids, but it was dry enough outside for Nathan and Grandpa to play out for a little while. They played ball and also did bubbles. Nathan really likes our Thomas cat, who thankfully did not reciprocate in his usual fashion to a child's rough play. Nathan "meowed" all over our house afterwards.


And look what I received in the mail today! A totally unexpected gift (the very best kind). Sabrina said she saw it, thought of me, and put it in the mail! Thank you so much, dear!

It says "WELCOME FRIENDS" and it is for my lighthouse/beach room that I am turning one of the spare bedrooms into! So far, I have a lighthouse wall hanging, a valance with lighthouses on it, a small wooden end table (kind of) with a painted lighthouse, my map of the Hawaiian Islands, some shells from Indonesia (because they wouldn't let me bring any home from Hawaii), some shells from Galveston Island, and frames with photographs of lighthouses (pictures I took!). Plus, do you remember the two pictures that were hanging in the living room -- the one of the lighthouse at Grand Haven and also the lighthouse at Mission Point up in Traverse City? I moved those pictures from the front room and put them upstairs in this room. In the future, I hope to get a little area rug with a beach theme, and then I would like to hang pictures of my grandkids at the beach, playing in the sand, or some other water-themed grandchildren pictures . Oh! And I am going to paint the walls the color of sand! So this welcome sign should go on the door to the room.! I can't wait to hang this special treasure.

P.S. Speaking of treasure, hear a word from the Lord! "You should behave like God's very own children, adopted into his family -- calling him "Father, dear Father." For his Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that we are God's children. And since we are his children, WE WILL SHARE HIS TREASURES -- for everything God gives to his Son, Christ, is ours, too." Romans 8:15-17 (The Book). Isn't that awesome? As children of God, everything the Father gives to His Son is OURS TOO! So undeserved. So amazing.