EVANS EVENTS Jan/Feb 2008

                                                                BLESSINGS OF 2007

*Our year began with the marriage of Jacob and Jenny on January 4th.  They met while selling magazines together the previous summer.  Once they decided they were right for each other they saw no reason to wait so...off to the courthouse they went.  (See photo on page 4.)  Jenny is a wonderful addition to our family.  We all love her.  Jacob and Jenny are living and working  in Chester, IL.

*Seth turned twenty-one last fall.  He's currently living at home and looking for a job.

*Karena graduated from our homeschool in June and is currently a full-time nanny for a family in New Baden, IL (about 30 minutes from here.)  She takes care of a boy who's about three years old and a girl who is under one year.  We all miss having Karena here.

*Charity turned 16 last April and is now my primary chauffeur and errand runner.  She began singing in the St. Louis Children's Choir in September and is still taking voice and piano lessons.  Her choir had the wonderful opportunity of singing with the St. Louis Symphony at Powell Hall for a beautiful Christmas concert.  She has won first place by singing in a couple of talent shows last fall.  She sang "O Holy Night" at the Scott Air Force Base teen and family talent competition and at a more local event she sang "What If." 

*Josiah, fourteen years old, is also taking piano lessons but not exactly loving it.  He does however really enjoy his guitar lessons.  He began taking classical guitar lessons a couple of months ago and is doing very well.  He also won first place in a local talent show by unicycling and juggling.

*Olivia turned twelve last September and is growing into a young lady.  She, too, placed in the talent shows...first at the base talent show singing "Who Am I" and second (after Josiah's first) in the local talent show singing the same song.  She seems to be following in Charity's footsteps with her love for music.  She is taking voice and piano lessons.

*Elisabeth is still our baby girl.  She will be ten in March and is looking forward to a  princess birthday party.  She sang "The Recipe Song" with Matthew at the local talent show.  They were so cute!  Elisabeth is also taking piano lessons.  Elisabeth occasionally entertains us with her "Granny Beth" impersonations.  (Photo on the picture page.)  She's a barrell of laughs.

*Levi, just turned eight.    He's learning to play the piano and the recorder.  Charity is his piano teacher and Elisabeth is working with him on his recorder.  Levi won second place (of two entriesJ) at the base talent show for playing the piano.  He played "We Three Kings" and "Wheels Going Round."  Levi loves history and geography.   He requested and received a world map for his birthday.

 *Matthew turned five years old in May.  He is a very rambunctious little boy.  He's got enough energy for two boys.  However, he can also be very sweet and loving.  He started kindergarten in the fall and is learning to read.

*Jaaron is now four years old.  He and Matthew play "boy stuff" all day long.  Playing with cars is their latest interest.  A "Hot Wheels" car can be found in any room of the house at nearly any given time, although the new rule is that if the cars get left behind they become mine and the boys have to earn them back.  Jaaron likes to "do school," too.  He's learning the alphabet.

*Adin is two years old and is quite a little charmer.  What a fun, fun age.  New words and deeds every day.  He loves to play with little plastic animals, make animal sounds and eat.  He's a solid little chunk.  We sure enjoy him.  Potty training has begun.

*And then there's the newest member of the family, Eli Reece (introduction on the What's New page.)  He was rather small for me.  I used to think a 9 pound baby was big, not so anymore.  God blessed me with another wonderful birth and our midwife, Alalia,  actually got here in time to "assist" Bobby in catching the baby.   She is a wonderful "assistant" and much appreciated.  Eli is a very sweet baby.  We are so enjoying having a baby again.  Will I ever tire of babies?  I'm sure I won't.  What a blessing to take care of another of God's creations.

*Bobby has been working for Sander's Engineering for about a year and a half.  He worked at Scott AFB for the first several months then he was commuting to Kentucky (coming home on week-ends) during the summer and fall.  Just before Eli was born he began working from home and was able to do that for a month, which was a wonderful blessing from the Lord.  Now he's back at the Scott office.  Bobby is always on the look-out for "the" job and he currently has several irons in the fire.  We are just waiting to see what the Lord has for our family this year.  Please pray that we'll know the Lord's will.

*I, Robin, continue to homeschool, which takes most of every day.  I still enjoy teaching my children and it's a good thing, because, though I've been at this for eighteen years, I figure I have about eighteen years left (at least!)   When I was a little girl, my vision of being a grown-up was being a wife/mommy and sometimes I thought  I wanted to be a teacher.  So...here I am!  A full-time both and very content in that.