Crystal Graduates from Penn View

 Last Saturday Crystal graduated from Penn View Bible Institute.

Some of our family had driven back to PA, and three had flown, but we had the privilege of being there to celebrate this special milestone.

Here she is coming down the aisle.

Penn View is to be commended for the wisdom of the leadership in taking this crisis one week at a time instead of totally cancelling all year-end activities like so many other schools did. 

Penn View scrambled to start online classes and got through to the end of the semester, and just in time, county officials permitted a graduation ceremony under certain social-distancing conditions.

Behind the podium stands an old friend, Dr. Tim Cooley, who was dean clear back about 29 years ago when I attended there for three semesters.

My nephew, Ezra Morley, was one of two valedictorians. He and Denver Brenizer were exactly the same GPA for the first time in the history of Penn View, resulting in two valedictory addresses!

The turning of the tassles!

We were only allowed to sit in every other pew.

They also have a "hooding" ceremony, where hoods of different colors are donned by the graduates. 

Crystal majored in elementary education, so her hood was light blue. 

Missions majors would have red, I believe, ministerial was dark blue, and music was pink,

(The men in music wished it was a different color!)

We had purchased a flower basket in honor of Crystal. There were lots of flowers and ferns, and we got to take our choice home. Unfortunately, I didn't have room in our van, but we were able to leave it at Elon and Anita's home.

I especially love the quiet moments when the graduates then file down from the platform and collect roses to present to their mother or other significant people in their lives. After giving one to me, Crystal went back and totally surprised her grandma Lucas. Grandma and pa Lucas had flown all the way to PA for the whole weekend to attend her graduation.

A quick photo of most of the cousins who attended. Nathaniel was missing, who had left early to start grilling burgers and weiners for the graduation party for Ezra and Crystal.

A very special time, including Grandma and pa!

Our family with Crystal.

Four of the five or six cousins who had gone together to Africa three different times.

Crystal went three times with different cousins.

Ezra's family

The prettiest part of the party!

Starting the line at the party. We had read that it was supposed to rain, but it cleared beautifully and the sun came out.

Acquaintances of my brother had this picnic pavilion down by the river where we could all be outdoors and enjoy the afternoon.

Five of us Morley siblings with the graduates,

Elon, Fain, Gabriel, and Iva.

Opening her gifts.

This beautiful handmade book bag was sewed by my sister Joella, who could not come.

We just had to admire and admire that book bag and all the cute things inside, including flowery flip-flops!

Ezra opening his gifts, too.

Many thanks to Ezra for letting us go together with him to celebrate two graduates at once!

Cousins enjoying being together and getting ready to soon play games.

Hannah loves the babies!

Gabriel's Aaron just loved Elon's granddaughter, Kari.

I loved this picture of affection.

 Ladies visiting.

Guys visiting.

A few children wading.

God Provides Milk for Us in Our Own Pasture!

All during this shut-down, God has provided good, fresh, pasture-fed milk in our own pasture!

About three months ago or so, our children found a cow on Craig's List that was supposed to soon have a calf. It was a good price, and happened to be located right across the road from where Jonathan was doing a job!

Jonathan bought it and picked it up one day, puncturing two tires in the process while maneuvering the truck and trailer!

But what a blessing she has been!

Little did we know that she was due to have her calf right about the time the country closed down,and we would have our own milk!

We did not know if she would be gentle enough to let us milk her or not, but when the calf would not learn to nurse at first, we had to milk the cow and bottlefeed the calf for the first day.
We discovered that she let us milk her with no problem!
She must have had a kind former owner. 
Then the calf finally caught on and began to nurse, but the cow produced more than enough milk for the calf, so there was extra for us, too.

It started off about half a gallon a day for us, but now it's more like 6 quarts a day!
We milk the cow in the morning and then let the calf have the rest of the milk all day long. 

We're so grateful to have enough for cereal, yogurt, ice cream, and mozzarella cheese!

And some for scalloped potatoes, too!

We've been amazed at all the ways the Lord has provided for us throughout this shutdown.

I don't know how many weeks ago this was, but the Walkers from Denver came for dinner one day,

and the girls got to visit our farm, "milk" the cow, and ride the horse.

No Daffodils--Just Dandelions!

When your daffodils are frozen out and not one of them blooms,

you learn to be thankful for dandelions!

Back in Missouri, when I made a quick trip back a couple months ago just before the shut-down,

there were probably a hundred daffodils blooming outside my mom's window. 

Mine always bloom late, and this year they didn't bloom at all.

So I decided to be thankful for the dandelions suddenly blooming along the sidewalk.

They were bright, sunny, yellow, too.

Not the same as cultivated daffodils that hang so pretty, but bright yellow flowers blooming nevertheless.

Until my littlest daughter decided to dig up even the dandelions in the flowerbed along the sidewalk.

Now I didn't even have dandelions.

At least not there. 

But what did Habakkuk say? 

"Though the fig tree [or daffodils!] do not blossom...

yet I will rejoice in God."

Sometimes if the fig tree isn't blossoming,

and the daffodils aren't blooming,

you just have to look for something else!

Like dandelions!

I found some more around down by the southwest corner of the house.

Little wild yellow things, but blooming, and pretty, and even, 

if you are very adventuresome like my sister Iva,

edible!

She made dandelion blossom jelly!

We just made bread--minus the dandelions!

Carrie and Rose take turns making our sourdough bread.

And the center of the table ends up decorated with mint tea, cucumber salad, 

and dandelions!

Watermelon Basket and Banana Boat

Carrie had a birthday a week and a half ago. I made a fruit basket for it.

Lasagna, tossed salad, bacon-and-cheese-cauliflower were supper.

She made a luscious three-tier cake.

She decorated it beautifully with berries.

All lit up.

Wow!

One day quite a while back, Jonathan sent me this picture by text and asked me how many to get!

Bananas have been cheap lately. 

Danny carved out the inside of his into a boat for M&M's.

All of those M&M's are in the same boat.
Men and Master.
M and M.
Thankfully we poor human beings don't have to be in the boat alone.

The Master is with us--wakening when we cry to Him in the midst of our storm.