Lots of Nature and KC Visit

Phillip and I had a nice trip to Kansas City and then down to visit Jonathan. 

I can't remember the name of this restaurant, but Phillip wanted a steak and I got firecracker shrimp which was de-li-cious!

We stayed in the Hotel Kansas City which was built in the 1920's. This picture is from the top of the stairs looking down at the chandeliers that are at each floor.

We took the free streetcar and walked the River Walk and went to a nice brunch place at City Market. A very nice time together.

Then we drove down to Rich Hill and visited Jonathan at his new ministry. 

An excellent sermon Sunday morning and just a great, active church. 

My parents celebrated their 50th anniversary. 

My brother Cory flew down to be with them, and he sent lots of pictures to the rest of us.

This is what we called the Junior Chapel when I was little. It's the original church building and where my parents were married in Robert's Cove, LA.

Mike and Erlene Clouse.

Standing in front of the church they were married in.

They ate at a nice Cajun restaurant to celebrate. 

Oh, and my dad got a couple of tags to catch his own alligators, and he's gotten one so far! He just put out a hook with some chicken meat on it at someone's bayou and gulley (with permission), and when he saw it on the trail cam, he went and took care of it and brought it home.

We've had some great scenes around our house this fall.

The corn around our house is harvested! 

Thankfully it had rained a few days before so that the dust was not so bad.

I planted this viney plant around our mailbox, and it has taken off! 

It doesn't really know where to go now, and I think it might consume itself. It never did flower though...

When it gets a little cold, it's time for candles.

Phillip put down more gravel to fix what the septic guys dug up.

My dad sent little boudin' links home with us. They're so cute. 😍

Phoebe has been hand-sewing some quilt squares. 

Lanaya Elizabeth and Amos at a plant/coffee shop. In which they left with a plant and coffee.

Phillip's Sunday School class came over for a cookout, and we had an almost perfect evening for sitting around the fire. It was a little cold, but we also had the house to visit in. Scott barbecued for us and everyone brought sides and drinks. Food and fellowship ~ its good stuff!

Jean walked around and got lots of good pictures during the cookout, and this is one of my favorites from our front yard.

 

Jonathan's Ordination

It's so close to fall, ya'll! 

I got some pears from Uncle Lee's tree. I've been told we're welcome to them anytime, and I finally made it this year right in time for the perfect ripeness. They are so good! I've frozen several batches for desserts to come.

The sound of wind rustling in dry cornstalks rivals the rhythmic cadence of ocean waves. 

If allergies weren't so bad, we'd sleep with the windows open.

They've begun shelling corn next to us! 

One of the many weddings of Lanaya Elizabeth this year.

Jonathan arrived soon after our trip to Louisiana. Then my parents came up to be here for his ordination. They shot his AR-15 and obliterated some bricks and cardboard.

Sitting around visiting. 

Mom and Dad were here for the Midwest Ministry Training Banquet, which was really well attended and always exciting to be a part of.

Phoebe conned Jonathan into teaching her country swing dance.

The three yahoos playing cards.

And then Sunday was the big day ~ Ordination Day for Jon. 

He asked Jim Book to preach the service, and Jim gave a really inspiring, personal sermon. We've met Jim before when we would visit Jonathan in Florida, but it was great to visit with him and get to know him a little better. 

Phillip and David prayed over Jonathan.

Jon also received a scholarship to purchase Preacher Clothes. 😄 That's a blessing for young men going into the ministry.

And we asked a super talented lady at church to make a pulpit cake for the dessert table. It is shaped like our church pulpit, which I love, and she made some extra cupcakes with flowers. We almost always have flowers to match the season in front of our pulpit, and she had such a cool little clay vase to hold the flowers which almost exactly matched what we had up front that morning!

"Congratulations Jonathan Gore. 

Ordained August 23, 2026. 

First Christian Church, 

Vandalia, MO."

Christy generously took lots of pictures of us.

This is one of the eye-catching things in our foyer. I've noticed it ever since I first visited FCC when I was in college. It's a cabinet full of pictures of men from First Christian Church, Vandalia who have become ministers, called "The Hall of Timothies."

And now Jonathan's picture sits besides Phillip's.

The progression of a Gore sibling goodbye hug.

Phoebe left Sunday afternoon to head back to her apartment in Linn, and Jonathan left that Monday morning early to head to his first ministry in Rich Hill, MO. Which seems like such a neat church ~ they had Friend Day last Sunday, and they had 160 in attendance! 

That afternoon my parents and Harrison and I took a riverboat cruise on the Mississippi. 

Then Mom and Dad headed out to visit a friend (Mrs. Faye) in Indiana and attend a nephew's wedding. I love that they could come for Jonathan's big day.

We've not had a lot of rain lately, so this little shower was a treat. 

That sky is amazing.

Septic replacement. 

Thank God for men who have the equipment and know-how to do these jobs that are super important to our daily lives! This house has been needing this.

Harrison went with the church group to volunteer at the food bank in Columbia. And he brought back these gorgeous pink tiger lilies that they gave away.

Daelynn (young lady in red who is a high schooler) shadowed me in Sunday School for a month and this picture was from her last Sunday. She was a huge help! And hopefully she learned a little bit about teaching Sunday School. I think she'd make a great teacher one day.

Happy Sunflowers on my walk down the gravel roads. 

And more of that rustlling corn that calms the senses.

Our marigolds were leggy and leafy but didn't have any buds until I googled and found out they were too much in the shade. Now they get more sunshine and are blooming.

Preacher Boys has started up again.

Harrison is preaching this Sunday at the Presbyterian church in Farber.

Good luck, this year, boys! 

Two of my Sunday School kids are in there this year ~ I love seeing that.

Dad went alligator hunting again. He loves it. 

A sunrise last week.

And Lanaya Elizabeth came to visit us on a last minute lark! 

She spent time with Mimi and Papa and then we went to Hermann, MO to visit all the little shops and eat at Wurst Haus. We were all a little sweaty by the end of that day, it's been so hot.

Girls in silly glasses.

It was a joy to spend time with Liz and have her home for a bit. She and Amos are doing well youth-ministering up in Idaho.

Phoebe loves frogs. 

And this is too adorable to me! Those things are so cute and derpy.

The moon behind a cloud seen from the front porch.