Eighty

Andy's dad turned 80 recently. Of course, that kind of milestone must be celebrated. So we set the date for Saturday, November 19 at 2:00 pm. We had a good time of eating together and enjoying family time. Andy's brother asked a photographer friend to come take pictures and she did a good job of capturing some wonderful candid shots.

We also had a time of sharing stories of Dad and what he means to us. Dad (and Mom) have a generous spirit, always willing to help out and give to those in need. Almost as soon as Dad came to know the Lord, he became active in teaching at the Camden Rescue Mission every Sunday afternoon. He not only taught Bible lessons, but he also became involved in the kids' lives, going into their homes and having kids to their home. He took Camden kids camping and exploring in the Pine Barrens, just loving and caring for them.

Dad and Mom also have always been very generous to us. We have lived with them 4 different times in our married life, the one time for as long as a year and a half. That time, they gave up their whole first floor living area and moved to their upstairs apartment. When we bought our first house in Richland, Washington, they loaned us the money for our down payment (which we paid back in monthly payments). Dad willingly serves us by working on our pipe work and has helped Christy and Christian, Dawn and Tommy in their houses, too. When we built the in-law addition on our house, he installed all the pipe work for the water and heating/air conditioning pipes by crawling around in the crawl space on one of those mechanic's carts. He never complained but always seemed to be happy to help out.

Words that describe Dad would be steady, faithful, giving, caring, generous. I thank God for my father-in-law.The length of our days is seventy years - or eighty, if we have the strength... (Psalm 90:10)