Stefanie and Wrex Phipps are just such generous and giving people. They let us crash their farmland and just became a part of the Moslander family from far and wide as we celebrated and re-unioned together last week. Thank-you sooooooooo much, Stef and Wrex. EVERYBODY fell in love with you just like we did when we first met you. You made us so welcomed and were just a part of us! We love you and will never forget the great time at the farm! pictured: the farmer and his drop-dead gorgeous wife; Stef and Dessa
Aunt Tami-finger licking good; Uncle Gerron saying, “Down boy-Tami is mine.”; Elise-the-Niece and me
Austin feeding the calf; Dawn and Robin, my beautiful sisters-in-law…and two of the godliest women I know
Goat says, “Really. What do you city folk want?”; Cowboy Wrex bringing the horses; Hunter saddled up
Tredessa swinging the rope and getting her steer; Averi taking control of the bull
Cousin Corbin roping; Gemma bull-riding; the boys being little cow-pokes
My mom has always, and I mean always been a cowgirl at heart!; Tristan with his kiddies; Guini and the goat
Tredessa lassos her cousin Corbin (certainly he deserved it for one ornery thing or another he said); the little ones lasso-ing; Dave and his food
Hunter and his corn-on-the-cob; Averi and hers; Gavin and the goat
Corbin; Rocky; Uncle Joe playing horseshoes and losing (to his 71-year-old mother)
Uncle Gerron with Jordan and Austin; my mama roping again; Stephanie and Tristan
Uncle Gerron and Uncle Joe; Rocky and Corbin shooting…plastic bottles and stuff
The bonfire Wrex built; Aunt Dawn and Guini; Wrex and Austin stoking the fire
The boys roasting marshmallows; Guini and Hunter walking down the road as the sun disappeared; a beautiful summer evening with family around the fire
above: Our hostess Stef with sisters Tara and Tredessa; Aunt Dawn and Guini doing sparklers
below: Uncle Gerron is loved by animals and toddlers alike – here with GemGem; Hunter and his fireworks
It was an unforgettable evening of love on the farm with the fam.
Previous posts about the Moslander family reunion:
The Moslanders Came to Denver & here is a glimpse of the time together…
pictured: At Mile High Flea Market ~ Jordan, the semi-pro football player; Uncle Gerron innocently shopping for the right pair of jeans; Aunt Tami with Jovan and Averi
pictured: me (what the heck with the hair??) and my mama; cousins Tara & Elise; Gerron and Dave, the bro-in-laws (some people think Tami and I married brothers becuz we both went for the hot Latino types)
pictured below: Elise with her daddy and my brother, Joe; Elise at the jeans shop, where unbeknownst to her, there was the inevitable Moslander-booty discussion happening; Tara and her Aunt Tami discussing tank tops
What on earth did we do?
We gathered, we ate, we Mile-Hi flea marketed, we cooked out at the farm (Stef and Wrex~ Thank-you so much for an unforgettable evening) and roped “cattle” and rode horses and played horseshoes. We bonfired and sang, we talked and talked and took pictures. We prayed. We cried sometimes and laughed a lot. We ate some more. Robin cookie-ed us silly! We shot off fireworks (which may or may not have been illegal from over the Wyoming state line) and BBs and air-soft pellets. Grandma (or great-grandma) Moslander whipped everybody’s butts in horseshoes at the age of 71-years-young! Seriously? If she would color her hair, you’d only think she was 54 by her activity-level. She also perfected her roping skills after the lesson from Cowboy Wrex. The woman kills! We ate some more. In short, we just hung out together.
pictured: Dawn and Dan and Grandpa Moslander relaxing; the little ones on the horses; praying before the big steak and corn on the cob and all the other delish food meal
pictured: Aunt Tami can truly talk to the animals!
pictured: a horse, of course; Tristan and Gemma riding; Rocky and Guini riding into the sunset
pictured: Grandpa Moslander reverted to his farm days as a kid and spent a lot of time feeding the mama goat and the albino calf
pictured: Aunt Tami with her new friend the horse; Guini and Hunter riding by; Grandma Moslander winning at horseshoes
pictured: Uncle Joe and Grandpa visiting between songs; the calf
Not Pictured:
The giant 3 1/2 foot snake that almost ran right over my feet! Yes. It was a giant!
Psalm 34.11 “Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.”
They began arriving at about 3 pm on Friday, by plane and by car. 6 o’clock there were more. 8:30 pm we increased. Then more and by 10:30 pm, as Dave and I stood outside in the backyard and looked back at our house, fully lit up and fairly burgeoning with the exuberant noise of love and hugs and kisses and “Oh, you’ve gotten taller,” and “This is Averi!?” and “I am so glad you could come,” we smiled. It was loud and it was sweet and we were so thankful to have everyone together for a few days.
pictured below: an impromtu baseball game in Nederland; horseback riding at the farm; my little sister talked me into some weird face; the nieces with Aunt Tami ~ Stephanie, Elise, Auntie, Tredessa, Jovan, Stormie, Tara
The family
I am the oldest of 5 children born to Ross and Norma Moslander. We are blessed to still have our parents with us. They came from Springfield, MO, where, for the second time, they are trying to ditch retirement and are looking for a pastorate. Anyone want a roomy house in Springfield? pictured: my dad with the 4 originals who were here at church on Sunday morning ~ Dan, Joe, me and Tami; both my parents with their grandchildren and great-grand-children in Nederland
My brother Joe and his wife, Robin, came, bringing Corbin-their-youngest with them, joining niece-Elise, who has resided with us here in Colorado for the past year and a half. Two of their kids couldn’t make it, but we were glad they came all the way from Aberdeen, SD, where their church just held a dedication for their new facilities. pictured: Robin talking to dad during the bonfire; Robin and Joe dancing in celebration of their 25th anniversary, the rest of us dancing, too; the fam ~ Joe and Robin with Corbin and Elise
Tim and his family from Butte didn’t make it this year and we were very sad about that, but we plan to make him really sorry by super-imposing him into photos from some old 1970s pics we have of him. That’ll teach him. Hehehehe…evil laughing.
My sister, Tami, so energetic and lively, and her husband came from Corbin, Kentucky (youth pastors by day). Gerron-the-husband fancies himself “the great one.” They are adored by the nieces and nephews and are both natural born animal-whisperers. pictured: T & G at the Mile High Flea Market; later that day at the farm, charming the animals
My youngest brother, Dan and his wife Dawn (we have known her since she was 14 years old!) got to come from Hobart, IN (very near Chicago) and brought 2 of their 3 handsome sons, a beautiful family. pictured: Dawn and Dan on the patio one fine summer evening; Dan and Dawn’s youngest son, Austin, Joe and Robin’s son, Corbin, and Dan and Dawn’s firstborn, Jordan (a semi-pro football player) at the flea market.
How we spent the time…
We gathered, we ate, we Mile-Hi flea marketed, we cooked out at the farm (Stef and Wrex? Thank-you so much for an unforgettable evening) and roped “cattle” and rode horses and played horseshoes. We bonfired and sang, we talked and talked and took pictures. We worshiped at church together and on the patio as a family. Dad told how we got our spiritual start, about his salvation and baptism of the Holy Spirit. He preached it up. We prayed for each other, we cried sometimes and laughed a lot. We ate some more. Robin cookie-ed us silly! She brought vats of her unbelievably-delicious cookies (peanut butter, chocolate chip, monster, and oatmeal raisin) omygosh – truly, Mrs, Fields – watch out! We celebrated Father’s Day late and floated down the Platte River (how are there no pictures of this??!?…especially of Corbin trying to float on a shark and it nearly taking him under as he tried to swim to shore!? Hahaha!). We splashed in the pool and sunned a little. We shot off fireworks (which may or may not have been illegal from over the Wyoming state line) and BBs and air-soft pellets. We ate some more. We golfed. Some of us (*ahem) did all-night video game parties at Rocky and Jovan’s. We took a picture on what is affectionately known to us as “Moslander Mountain” up Boulder Canyon (since we photographed ourselves there on our very first reunion in 1995). We picnicked in Nederland and played wiffle ball. Did I mention there was food? We came back down the mountain and celebrated Joe and Robin’s 25th anniversary with a dance (how did Dan get so good at that Cha Cha Slide number?…Is it because he is a high school teacher??). There was coffee in the shade on delectibly cool mornings and rhubarb dessert everyone wants the recipe for (Stormie!). In short, we just hung out together.
Could it be any sweeter?
The weather was positively perfect: sunny all day, but not unbearably hot. Sweet summer evenings outside. God even held the mosquitos at bay for us. It was seriously perfect. All the time. And romantic lights twinkling around the yard. It was like, for these precious few days, we were all there, together, safe and secure and all was right with the world.
My kiddos
I am so thankful that my children not only choose to participate in the Moslander-Family-Reunions, but they are catalysts for them. They want them to keep happening. They plan for them. They help me with them. They love to spend time with their grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins. They participate in every way (even though it can be hard with young ‘uns), and help with the food and just generally make me so very proud to call them my kids.
The party is over
Wednesday afternoon at about 3:00, 5 days after it all began, mom and dad, who’d been the first to arrive, were the last to leave. And my heart is full of together memories, for the moments we shared. We’ll do it again in 2010 and much will have changed, but the love in my heart for these people will remain…pictured: mom and dad with Elise and with Tara and Hunter on the “good-bye” porch; and below in the yard with the sign and appropriately sad faces
I miss them already…Jeanie
NOTE TO SELF: Am I blessed with a godly heritage, or what??
My mom and dad are arriving late afternoon! Yaaaaaaaay! Oh, and my brother, Joe, and his amazing wife and their youngest, and my sister, Tami, and her man and my youngest brother, Dan, and his beautiful wife and 2 of their “boys” they are coming, too! However, Zach flew back to Montana to hang with my brother Tim and his mom and brothers, who, boohoo, can’t come. It is kind of our Moslander-family reunion.
So we will increase, for the next few days, from the usual 17, minus 1, plus 11. 17-1+11=27.
But we also get to really initiate Stef and Wrex into the fam!
Ah, the family.
My mom used to sign the Christmas cards: Love, Ross the Boss, Mrs. Moss and all the Little Landers. So, it is that bunch, plus our lovers and the fruit of our love. And some of our fruit have now married and produced a new crop, if you know what I mean.
Sometimes I look at Dave across the room and wonder if he is feeling as overwhelmed with awe and wonder as I am. There is noise and mess and laughter and teasing and general uproariousness – and we did this – on purpose. Dave and I created this crazy, wonderful mess. This is the fruit of hot passion and true love. This is the grace of God.
(pictured above, l to r: Stormie’s thoughtfully-wrapped gift for Tara; Averi pretending to be drawing on the chalkboard so she can get a taste of the chalk; deep fried pickles! Yes. Deep-fried pickles…and some homemade onion rings)
Bowling for Tara.
Saturday: Tara is not a birthday-cake-and-ice-cream-and-let’s-open-presents kind of birthday girl. No, no. She wants activity. Physical activity. And if there can be competition in there, all the better. Her birthday dreams are made of beach-ball volleyball tournaments or tetherball challenges or something with tennis racquets.
Because the forecast said “rain,” (which, btw – God, seeing on His calendar “Tara’s birthday,” sent a brilliantly dazzling and sunny day – the rain came after dark very beautifully), we opted to bowl for Tara’s birthday. We gathered for an early lunch. We bowled a couple of games. I found out Gemma (almost 2) is a better bowler than me and Hunter-the-informative (4), gave me tips to bowling better, along with a demonstration of how I was turning my wrist all wrong.
We came back to the house for strawberry shortcake and presents and blessings. Dave and I read our love letters to Tara out loud and we cried. That is hard to do, but it is good for your children to hear your love straight from your own mouth. It will keep them long after we are gone.
It was hours and hours of love and celebration. In the evening, DP pulled out the romance ticket and whisked Tara off to the Melting Pot where he had flowers delivered to the same booth they sat in 6 years ago on her birthday as they were madly falling in love. One of the gifts he is giving her is time in a recording studio to do some of their songs. Then, while we hung out with Hunter, they went to the new Star Trek movie (a must-see in our family!).
A couple of months ago I was worried about Tara turning 30 because she seemed so alarmed by it. But she ended up actually enjoying it. She felt honored and loved. She is THE most gorgeous (inside and out) 30-year old I know!
5 kids + their 3 loves + 5 grandkids (throw in a niece and nephew) = a blessed Mother’s Day!
Sunday evening: I had these 2 bamboo/cane stools for the breakfast bar we bought at Gordman’s when we moved in almost 7 years ago. The grand-bebes love sitting there during big family meals. But we have 5 of bebes now. We have been using an extra stool we have had for years, but still-it has become a scramble to see who will get to sit where. A few weeks ago I spotted some sturdy wooden stools at a very-very nice reduced price* at Target. I tossed the idea out to Dave and Stormie: Hmmm…maybe we should get these and just paint them black? They were very nonchalent and less-than-enthusiastic about the response. “Oh, yeah. Maybe.”
After the kids had fixed a great big BLT (the lettuce is welcome to come along, but the stars are the bacon and the Tomatoes…swine flu be darned!), fruit and veggies-with-dip meal for me, I was asked to leave the room momentarily. I came back in to my 5 little grand-bebes seated, with big, colorful bows atop their heads, on 5 matching (recently painted black) breakfast-bar stools. Oh yes! Less work for me! More space for my joys. I LOVE it!
I have now been informed that there is plenty of room for one more stool there should I get a 2010 grand-bebe, but after that I will have to move to have a bigger breakfast bar.
There was some very crazy card-playing (Pitch) where Rocky aggressively won by bull-crapping his entire way through. How we have not broken the Rocky code all these years, I do not know. He keeps us laughing!
SIDE NOTE:I stopped by youtube to re-watch my Mother’s Day present from last year (my kids singing my favorite Patridge Family song) and it seems the public wants more. There are comments saying they should sing and post some more and one person even suggested getting in on a family singing contest on an early morning news show where David Cassidy himself is one of the judges! Haha! Just in case you missed it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpDzazacUEw
Weekend over. Heart Full.
Stormie painted me a representation of the original 5 who made me a mom (and wow-three of those have brought me amazing “new” kids!). It is hard to see in the photo, but all of their names are on there with 3-d lettering. Stephanie bought me a gorgeous “little black dress” and the house, thanks to all the kiddos (including niece-Elise), looks like a flower shop – for all the flowers they brought me and each other to celebrate mommyhood. Loving the fragrant lilacs!
We are real people. We do NOT do everything right. We’re not even always that nice. In fact, we struggle, and fail and do it wrong at times, crying out to God for mercy, just like any other family…But we are a zealous bunch. We are loud. We are committed. And there is love. And you can’t get too much of that.
Until next time…Jeanie
NOTE TO SELF: I am so glad Dave chose me to be the mother of his children and that he is the father of mine. It is working for us.
Left-to-right: Stefane (my child by other parents), Tredessa (my middle daughter), Elise-the-Niece, Stephanie (my second daughter) at the fundraiser Saturday night.
If they weren’t related to me, I would seriously be trying to figure out how to get to hang around with them! Wish Jen and Sarah had been in this, too. These women were amazing! The night went smoooooooooth!
Was it a year ago already that we gathered at the hospital for hours and hours and hours waiting for you to arrive? And when you waited until just about an hour before your “due date” to make your arrival – we cheered madly in the hallway and sang praises for God’s gift!? Can it have been 365 days since I first layed eyes on your pretty little face and teared up watching you and your mommy looking at each other with the deepest human love possible? Yes, it has been a year. And now, we cannot even remember life before you!
All your cousins and aunts and uncles and Nonna and Poppa call you “Baby Averi,” and still delight to see you come through the door! What will her hair look like today, we wonder? Will it be mussy and full or in barrettes? Will it be in a mature pony and better yet, two little pigtails? The only thing bigger than your adorable hair are your two gigantic, liquid-blue eyes. No wait, maybe those puffy, pink, kissable cheeks. Yes-I think the cheeks first, then the eyes and then the hair. You are the original love-marshmallow: soft and sweet and delicious and you smell wonderful!
I love to see you eating your veggies, chew, chew chew! I love your tooth-revealing smile and crinkled nose. I love singing “Averi-Baby” to you to the tune of “Pretty Baby” because you bounce and dance, loving your song. I love how you rattle off stories and baby jokes to me and then rear back and push out that long, loud laugh! You are a comedianne and you look just like your mommy except when you draw those eyebrows together in a scowl – then I see your daddy loud and clear!
Happy Birthday, Averi-Baby! I love you bunches!…Nonna
NOTE TO SELF: Watch all buttons on TVs and computers and anything tech because this is Averi’s passion right now!
pictured: Averi, all Averi…click on images for a better look
Stephanie and Tristan celebrated their 7th anniversary a couple of days after Christmas.
Happy Anniversary, kiddos. You were a beautiful couple on the night you wed and you have grown into a gorgeous and God-blessed family. I am so glad you chose each other and that you keep choosing the covenant. This is why it working for you! The wedding was magic – full of promise and vows, dancing and love in winter white and candlelight. The marriage is a tribute to the joy you have found in loving and living and having babies and doing ministry and life together.
Love you, admire you…Mom
Ephesians 5:24-28 (The Message)
Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands.
Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church-a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They’re really doing themselves a favor-since they’re already “one” in marriage.
It was Christmas baking day! It was a mad flurry of flour and sugar, creamery butter and sprinkles.
We had sent 63+ e-mails back and forth over the past two weeks (this may or may not be an exaggeration) in anticipation of Baking Day. This is why I now know that approximately half of our concoctions are actually not baked at all. It is amazing how many of the things we like are dipped in melted chocolate or blended and rolled into balls or cooked on a stove top before adding a certain snap, crackle and pop ingredient to a non-bake cookie.
Better-than-Girl-Scout “Thin-mints”/chocolate-dipped pretzels/peanut-butter balls/caramel cookies (can you possibly go wrong with a cookie that encases a Rolo and is topped with bits of Heath Bar??)/caramel popcorn balls/cookies-on-sticks/butter cookies/raspberry ribbons/decorated sugar cookies/peanut brittle (we always and ever have to throw the first unsuccessful batch out-what is up with that??)/Strawberries (which actually aren’t at all – not even in flavor)/royal icing/butter-cream icing/peanut blossoms-with-kisses-instead/almond bark/chocolate chips of every persuasion/peppermint/vanilla/almond/mini-cheesecakes/brownie assortments – all these and more threaten to throw us all into sugar shock.
Sadly, it was a balmy 108-degrees outside Saturday (another possible exaggeration), so we were shedding layers and had the doors and windows opened wide, drinking ice water like the dog days of summer.
In the end, even though my grandfather was a baker extraordinaire and owned a bakery for many years, and even though my other grandpa’s last name was “Baker,” I don’t think I am one and I believe only 1 1/2 of my girls actually are bakers. Maybe next year, we’ll let the 1 1/2 of them have a pre-baking day to really bake and we’ll have a non-baking Baking Day to eat their stuff and roll our tidbits in chocolate and that will be better.
Ended the day with the guys and kiddos joining us for the biggest pot of chicken and dumplings I have ever made in my life, because you know, we needed more flour and eggs. ;>[
Cup of coffee and some cookies, anyone?…Jeanie
NOTE TO SELF: Get more Rubbermaid-pronto!
PICTURED (all thumbnails, click to enlarge): Top row ~ raspberry ribbons and other cookies; second row ~ some of the cookies in front of the homemade ornanament “memory” tree, the kids and Grandpa decorating cookies; third row ~ Gemma, Averi and Hunter with the biggest Santa in my collection; fourth row ~ Gav with Santa, niece, Elise with Averi and Stormie konks out after a long day of baking and fun.
Redemption…a Savior…my lover and husband, Dave…the five children I carried to birth – watching them become the people God intended…Giving Thanks…the 5 grandchildren who call me Nonna and run into my arms in front of people making me look really good…parents who raised me for God…my siblings and the people they married, the nieces and nephews they share with me…music…The Word of God…gardening…tomatoes….flowers and green, green grass…cold water…thunder and lightening to go to sleep by…the smell of a cleansing rain…a harvest moon…Grateful…my amazing American Down and Feather pillow…So Blessed…caramel…pumpkin spice lattes…long kisses…foot rubs…something that makes me laugh out loud…really good and loyal friends…the 3rd Thursday women…Thanksgiving Dinner…Charmin triple-ply, extra soft…Ephesians…Gavin’s red hair… Averi’s chunky legs in white tights…Gemma giving the dog orders – and being obeyed!…Guini’s soft hugs and kisses…So Appreciative…Hunter’s m&m toes…hot coffee on cool mornings…for over 300 sunny days a year in Colorado…Dave’s dimples…the comfort of the Lord…the healing of the Lord…being loved by the Lord…having enough to eat…getting to eat with friends and family at the convivial table…the quiet God has provided to write and dream and create…the noisy family dinners…the promises of God…Counting My Blessings…the sidewalk that leads to the world’s nicest neighbors…the strength represented by the mountains…the fact that the mountains help me keep my bearings, direction-wise…the artistic, creative types who color my world…getting to help produce Heaven Fest…getting to invite people in to 24/7 worship in the metro-area…the nearly 100 sunsets I have watched this year-the most in my life-because they have been amazingly beautiful and healing…my summer of love…this year of worship…God is Good…new friends…people that stand by you through thick and thin…re-acquainting with long-time friends…having any friends at all…God is Faithful…a song that ushers in the Presence…a powerful sermon…the ministries I am a part of…new mercies every morning…spiritual daughters and sons…a good church home…provision…rescue…deliverance…mended relationships…Jesus – the center of my joy…joy
Bing Crosby & Rosemary Clooney sang this in the Movie White Christmas, 1954
When I’m worried and I can’t sleep
I count my blessings instead of sheep,
And I fall asleep counting my blessings.
When my bankroll is getting small
I think of when I had none at all,
And I fall asleep counting my blessings.
This is what I am singing…Jeanie
NOTE TO SELF: Be more purposely thankful and grateful, for the love of Pete. No whining! I am blessed.
