Fire Rages Near Our Church and Relatives

Sunday morning this is the terrible sight we saw from our church. The Waldo Canyon fire was only a few miles away, and Jonathan's parents, who live a couple miles closer, had been warned to be ready to evacuate. They were only six blocks from where mandatory evacuation was in place.

Sunday afternoon we went up onto a high place in town where you could see the whole panorama of the smoke. Many other people were watching from this spot, too. Sometimes a big plume of black smoke would go up, probably a big tree had caught fire. 

It is a little hard to see in the picture, but the two dark objects in the sky are airplanes circling around to dump water or slurry on or near the fire.



Here right in the center of the photo is one airplane dropping a load of red slurry. Thousands of gallons of slurry have already been used.

Jonathan couldn't resist snapping this picture of his lady folk gathered around the newspaper looking at pictures of the awful fire Monday morning.

This is what we saw out our front window Monday afternoon, and we are about 30 miles from the fire.

Today the fire has only spread. We keep praying. I especially am praying that if it is God's will to spare Glen Eyrie castle and grounds, that He would, because it has been a haven for Christians for many years since the Navigators bought it. But the fire has jumped the ridge and is now in Queens Canyon, which is the canyon where Glen Eyrie is at the other end. There is basically only bad news as the fire spreads and spreads, so close to Colorado Springs. Thousands have been evacuated. Federal agents asked our city to put together an evacuation plan--only to be told that the plan was already in place! Colorado Springs impressed the feds! Nobody feels all that impressive, though, when you or those you love are at the foot of such an unpredictable monster as this. One home that Jonathan was supposed to work on this week had to be evacuated, so this disaster is affecting even us personally. The camera simply cannot capture the awful scene right now. As I look out the window, smoke is across  almost the entire horizon to the west, obliterating the sun. 

Coming home from church Sunday evening, we drove through smoke for miles. Please pray for those affected by all these fires in Colorado. We so desperately need rain, Lord! But we know that God sends disasters many times to remind people that He wants us to confront our sinful ways and turn to Him. May those of us who know Him be careful to surrender to Him and trust in Him. We appreciated the surrendered spirit of those we love at our church who were on the verge of being evacuated from their homes, leaving behind almost everything they own. Some suffer with asthma and the smoke is a real issue. 

Making Memories at the Reunion

While the girls were always running off to do girlish things like clean dorms, make beds, practice for a skit, play hospital, and have a tea party,

the boys were off getting their shoes muddy.

Saturday and Monday and then Tuesday afternoon, the boys (Sammy here) paddled around on the pond at the campground in a canoe built by my brother Fain,

or in a kayak or in this paddleboat for four. Here Timmy and Danny with Elon's Jed and Joella's Ethan are bringing the paddleboat to shore. 

Much was the excitement on one afternoon when the boys had decided to boat and play in the muddy and low river on the other side of the campground, when this big fish literally jumped into their boat! The boys came flying up to the dining hall with this flying fish in tow. They decided it was an Asian carp, or flying fish. It was one of the most exciting times for the boys--with the exception of discovering a water moccasin later which the men and boys promptly killed.

Jonathan and I took Danny and Hannah down to the river.

Danny played by himself a lot, here in the mud where the air conditioner dripped, and also playing with the little bees that kept going into their holes in the ground. He liked to watch one go into its hole, and then pour dirt down the hole--until he got stung!

Times of greeting newcomers--Dorcas's family has just arrived.

Hoshea and Laurie's family has just arrived late in the evening.

Sorry this picture is blurry, but some of the children are practicing bells.

Elisabeth putting together little scrap books of photos of the reunion on the last day of it.

The girls had a tea party on Tuesday afternoon, and exchanged gifts. Here is one of the cute aprons one cousin made for another.

Here is one of the three aprons my three older girls made for three cousins. Carrie is posing with it.

Just a few days before the reunion, we found a box of quilting strips at a garage sale, which the lady gave us free because she was so happy that our girls might actually use them for aprons or rag rugs or something. Somebody had already carefully cut out hundreds of strips of fabric. There were already two patchwork squares that we turned into bibs for aprons, but Carrie sewed this apron bib together all by herself with some of those quilting strips and wrapped the apron in ribbon for the tea party. 

One of the rare moments when most of us weren't having to help in the kitchen or busy at some other activity, just visiting under the dining hall porch. Jonathan remembers visiting this campground about 20 years ago when he was still single and it was being used by Allegheny Wesleyans. He was there lonely and looking, and now he is at the same place with his wife and seven children, putting up with a very merry crowd of the big Morley clan!!

Pitching in at the Reunion

Everyone helped to make the reunion go smoothly and happily. Anita was in charge of organizing and supervising cleanup. This time it was the boys' turn to do dishes in the dining hall.

Jonathan helped pull out huge, heavy casserole dishes from the oven.



Carrie flying about sweeping.

Anita keeps living up to her reputation as a "workhorse:" always busy working and helping, cleaning stove or whatever needs to be done.

Anna scraping pans after meals. 

Sisters (Dorcas, Anna and Kezia) laying a tablecloth.

More sisters, only younger. It was so sweet to see bigger sisters helping swing little children and keeping them happy so the adults could have a good time.

Kezia tuning her harp as Iva prepares to practice a bell song.

Jonathan is chief popcorn maker on Sunday evening, and the night before we left. We had to make HUGE quantities of popcorn!

Natasha making Carrie's hair before pictures on Tuesday, the big day when all of us were together for pictures and music in the morning.

The guys pushing the hay wagon into the picture or out of the picture.

This picture is clear out of order, but it shows one of the dorms where the clan stayed, and the girls carrying sheets down to make beds. Because our family got there along with Craig and Joella first, we got to help clean and make beds for most everyone ahead of time. The girls had so much fun working together while I ironed and laundered. Seems there is so much ironing to do if you travel with nine people and have to go to church services next day and have pictures a couple days later! 

Little fun details at Mom & Dad's 50th

Each family was responsible to decorate one table in the dining hall. We chose to use what we could find there at hand! Our girls explored all over the place and gathered daylilies, pine cones and evergreen.

The finished centerpiece, with extra flowers added in from Craig and Joella's old garden patch. (The girls found garlic in that garden, too, which came in handy for the pasta dish in the making.)

Gabriel's Elisabeth arranges the roses Dorcas and Ben brought while Iva practices bells in the background.

While the girls gather flowers....the boys clean fish! This fish literally jumped out of the water into the boat the boys were in on the river.

Iva's centerpiece, with wheat she picked by the roadside.

Fain and Regina's family centerpiece, Mexican style.

Joella's centerpiece--the one that got the most attention, due to it containing the ORIGINAL rolling pin and soup scoop from the ORIGINAL Morley kitchen of many eons ago.

Also included by Iva were several pages of lists of the goods our family canned many years ago. Iva kept a few of those old lists just for keepsakes.

We used to can up to a couple thousand quarts of fruit and veges a year. Here are some of the lists Iva kept.

Elon and Anita's centerpiece centered on Mongolian theme.

The ladies go through boxes of old books Mom brought to share.

A plate for the occasion.

Elon in one of those famous "Elon" moments. Not sure if he is trying to be Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, King Saul, or just Eagle-faced Elon...

Gabriel--not out to prove anything, just checking to see if the food is cooking??

More Pictures from the Reunion

My mother and us five sisters. This are pictures taken on the side while the photographer was having us all pose.

Now just us five sisters, in order of age, Dorcas to the right, Anna, Iva, Joella, and Kezia.

The four brothers and Dad (Elon on the right, Fain, Gabriel, Hoshea)



As many as possible crowding around the photographer's wife to choose the best pictures to burn onto a CD.

Mom and Dad, married 50 years in August.



They sang a song for the clan in the dining hall, "Side by Side." It was something none of us had ever seen before. Usually it was us children who sang. This time, Mom and Dad sang. It was very special and sweet and different.



In one of the verses about life's storms, Mom put up her umbrella!

The bell outside the dining hall that called us to meals and special events during the reunion.

Joella and Iva discuss meal plans with Kezia looking on.



Dorcas's family arrived Monday afternoon. All the sisters except Joella, who is probably in the dining hall getting the next meal ready, greeting Dorcas and admiring the beautiful bouquets she brought for the occasion.

 Kezia's almost 2-year-old Elizabeth.

Gabriel's little Brynn, celebrating his second birthday at the reunion.

Kezia has just let out her secret that she and Chris are expecting Mom and Dad's 49th grandchild!! Can't you just hear all the clapping, laughing, and celebrating??