THE EPITOME OF LOVE, JOY AND HAPPINESS

When my children praise me, I owe it to her. Is there another woman
anywhere who had so much and so little. When we think of her being
gone to join Daddy in Heaven twenty years, we still see that
wonderful smile on her face, seems only yesterday. There is never
a day that goes by that there is not something that I would like to
tell her, or more important, to ask her. As long as I live so will she.
Tomorrow I will also honor my sweet mother-in-law, Lela Owen
Patton. What wonderful parents we had, and for this I praise God.

Be sure to click on the picture and get a look at that wonderful happy face.

Leonard's Birthday 5/4/08 Would have been 84

Leonard's birthday post is after Betty's

I had his on edit before posting hers.

Betty and her life partner

Betty with her first best friend Merry.........and with her last best friend Aubrey.
I hope you think of me as much as I think of you.
Happy Birthday.......5/2/46

Good Night Little Drummer

On a College campus or at the opera...

continuing the dash from

1945 - 1995

This precious man enjoyed the outdoors and everything that he could learn from it.

We were at Berry College for a week-end and he enjoyed

the old water wheel. He's walking.........this was approximately

15 years ago,.........................Happy Birthday, my darling,

I know you and Betty are celebrating just as you did before.

Terrence's Christmas gift to Merry was tickets to Phantom of

the Opera. It included tickets for her parents. This was a

lovely night. Leonard is pictured here at the club before dinner.

My heart is still overflowing with love for him, and I so look

forward to seeing him again........

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DARLING

Birthdays Not Forgotten

Looking through the window of time, I still see that beautiful face, a loving husband and father that made my life precious. May 4th, I will celebrate the day he was born and the part of his life that was given to me.

I thank him every night for his love. It couldn't

have been more or sweeter. I had the best of

the best.

Likewise, on May 2nd, my first daughter was born, leading the

way for our stair steps of children that came, almost yearly, after her. She was 56 in this picture, can we believe she would be 62.

She loved her family and tried to make everything perfect for

them. She was especially convinced that she could make a

perfect life for three little boys she adopted. She gave them all

the love she had. It is our prayer that some day they will have

the life she wanted for them. I love you darling, Betty.

Smile with me as we reflect on the memory of Birthdays gone by...for the gift was truly ours.

WE ARE SETTING AN EXAMPLE

I was hostess today to my wonderful
Sunday School Class, the HOPE class.
We feel honored that we also have a
political party who are the "Hope"
Party. We had 15 for lunch. Judy and
Natali came about 10:30 and put the
food on plates and served them and
offered tea, coffee or water. What a
help they were to me. I got to sit
with the ladies until lunch was ready.
Wish my other daughter had been
here too. Judy made the pictures and
put them on from her house, so I am
trying to write from the pix she put on.

These pictures were made before the ladies
got here, I think she put these on here to
make you homesick. You will think that
my operator got carries away with the
razor blade, pretty short. Natali made a
plate of her baked egg white drops and
I can't leave them alone. Since you are
the only one who looks and comments
we will say have a great trip to NY and
enjoy Kates 24th.

OUR DASH ! Number 1

Actually, Leonard and I did not know

each other when we were little. I just

became so good with my computer

(with a little help from grandson) that

I took him out of a picture with his two

brothers and put him right in that

little red wagon where Dot had been.

Our parents knew each other and his parents

were always held in highest esteem by

my parents. Leonard came from a

wonderful home, for which I continue

to thank God. I loved his parents just as I

did my own. I visited in their home

on most date nights, because his father

operated a dairy barn and he had to

help there at night. He would rush in,

change his clothes, go to the barn

with his father, and do his chores. Then he

would rush back to the house, shower, dress, then

off we would go on our date. He did his

thing, then we had to do mine. It was

off to the evening worship service.

How I thank God for these four won-

derful people who gave us life, tended us during

formative years, then supported

us in our marriage...Well, it lasted

60 1/2 years!

This picture made in Auburn, Ky at

my grandmother's, just five weeks

before we married.

What a wonderful, handsome man I

married. The one that God had

selected for me long before we, the

little three and five year old children in the wagon,

were even born.

His dash was completed 12/8/05.

Ms Catherine turns 99 years young!

Catherine Pyle Rowland

18475 Kiely Drive, Apt 512

Chesterfield, MI 48047

CAUSE FOR CELEBRATION

On July 27th we will, with boldness, wonder and
expectation, greet you, Catherine Pyle Floyd Rowland

and send our love to you on this great occasion. We look

back to all that was good yesterday and in hope, face forward,

ready for today. We proclaim that:

Wherein Catherine has been a member of the Floyd Family for

(long enough).

Wherein Catherine has been the oldest member of the Floyds;

Wherein Catherine has recieved every award for oldest attendee;

Wherein Catherine has attended all reunions since the beginning;

Wherein Catherine has brought with her, her wonderful children;

Wherein Catherine always has her wonderful smile;

Wherein Catherine gives us the greatest outlook on life possible;

Wherein Catherine will be 99 years old on April 24, 2008;

We proclaim the 2008 Floyd Family Reunion, the Catherine Pyle

Floyd Rowland day.

We salute you Catherine and the entire Rowland Family who will

be celebrating this great milestone birthday. Perhaps you should

start practicing for 2009, I can hardly wait.

Making Time for God...

Let me show you what Merry and I did when she last visited...

Using colored file folders, glue, scissors, a small sharp knife, a cutting board and an inexpensive, large-print paperback NIV Bible (about $13.00 when ordered from the International Bible Society), we divided the Bible up into six smaller books (Merry had permission from her pastor) so to make it easier to spend time with God. His word being our greatest gift, we decided to spend more time getting to know the author! We study our Bibles in various classes but these little easy-to-hold and read books are just for our pleasure. Our goal is to read the Bible through like a novel.

Thought I would share how we did it with you, in case you too want you very own set!

<----Your supplies




(The hard part!) Gently remove the cover from your NIV Large Print Bible.---->




<---With a sharp knife and one hard, smooth stroke, cut your Bible into sections.




We used these section selections:

1. The Five Books
*(Genesis through Deuteronomy)
Origins of the Jewish race and culture.

2. Old Testament History Books
*(Joshua through Esther)
Continued history of the Israelites. They moved into the land of Canaan and established a kingdom that lasted almost 500 years.

3. Book of Poetry
*(Job through Song of Songs)
These books concentrate on questions about pain, God, life and love. 4. Book of the Prophets *(Isaiah through Malachi) During the years when Kings ruled Israel and Judah, God spoke through prophets. Their primary role was to call God's people back to Him.

5. New Testament History Books
THE GOSPELS OR THE GOOD NEWS
*(Matthew through Acts)
Four accounts of the life of Jesus and the good news he borough to earth. Each of these books has a different focus and a different audience.

6. The Letters
*(Romans through Philemon [Paul's letters]
and
Hebrews through Revelation [other letters])
The young church was nourished by apostles who set down their beliefs and messages in a series of letters. First 13 such letters written by Paul who led the advance of Christianity to non-Jewish people.

*************************************************************************

Once you have divided the Bible into sections, fold the scored line of your file folder, making a 1/4" pocket that will hold the text. With folder folded, measure and cut along the length of the folder, then flatten, measure and cut along the width. Our measurements were 9 1/4 x 6 1/4, but that will depend on the size of your Bible.

Title each section with the above suggested information (or any titles you prefer). Run a line of glue down the center of each folder, between the two creased lines. Align the spine of each section with the glue and prop up between two supports (we used cans) until glue is completely dry (at least six hours or overnight).



I could hardly wait for mine to dry. I've started with the New Testament, and I'm already on Chapter 20! What a wonderful project to do with my daughter. Great idea, Merry! :)

We Raise our Voices in Grateful Praise for Family

For the pleasure of seeing the great provision, for the pleasure of hearing other voices and music, for the delight of knowing - feeling this blessing of family, for the pleasure of laughter and gathering us in families: I praise.

This is the blending of all experiences into - the excitement we call life;

For this I raise my voice in grateful praise, for all my children.

Merry and I enjoyed cooking a meal for Judy and Lou, after seeing a dozen or so patients at her backbreaking job, we knew it would be great if she didn't have to heat up the peanut butter when she got home.

You have all experienced it, around the kitchen table at Mom's house.

Merry and I are working on our "Time with God" Bibles and all the other stuff we can squeeze in and as always grateful for our times together.

My brother Edsel, Mr. Watertown

Driving through Watertown the other day, I looked up and on the
side of Watertown's newest store, I saw this sign. "THE LIFE OF
MY WONDERFUL BROTHER." From school days, service in the
Army, courting and marriage to my beautiful sister-in-law, Margie.
Alderman, Mayor, Post Master, Banker, a part of Watertown Fire
Department, and once again with Margie at the naming of the
Edsel Cordell Floyd Bridge, earlier this year. A few words of my
own; Friend to all, Perfect result of our parent's upbringing, A Joy,
Dependable, On the go, Deep in his world of doing, Faithful, Mr.
Watertown, avid fisherman, and A Tiger to the core. ...MY BROTHER
Was easy on the eyes, too. I love you sweetheart! Queenie

Bill Shults is the owner of the market in Watertown and our family
salutes him for keeping memory alive in our home town.

A Reason To Celebrate!

(Click the dialog box, in left corner of screen, for comments.)

….and I was there too, eating the good food, listening to the music and the

chatter and wishing to be there for the 50th year anniversary celebration! It can be done, you know.

Nana, the Queen

My Friend and Helper, LILLY

About thirthsomething years ago I said "How about some
help around this house, Lord. I need your help to make
homemaking a shared endeavor rather than a "Mom's
Motel". That evening at the dinner- discussion table and in the kitchen afterward with the new cleanup crew, Leonard
and Me, he allows that he knew just who I needed. He took
me to see "Lilly". We knew immediately we were meant to
be together, side by side at least two days a week. After
my friend, Waltyne, became in a worse shape than I, I offered to let Lilly go to her house on one of my days.. This was only after she promise not to love her more than she did me. She and I are almost the same age, and I beg her every
day to hold on as long as I do. The only difference in Lilly
and I is that you have to pay her to stay at home and you
have to pay me to go anywhere.
During all these years around the Patton home, Lilly taught
grandaughter Abby the blessings of home cleaning and at the
age of 19 Abby formed her own housecleaning business called
"Maid for You Cleaning". Abby cleans about 20 homes each
week including three or four Kindergartens. She has done
this through college.
We love to shop together, to go somewhere and eat together,
and we love to share our children with each other. We start
every Wednesday with breakfast and prayer.
We are having old ham in the morning, Lilly.
God bless you ...........and me!

Easter and the hope of Spring...

THOUGHTS ABOUT EASTER

by Gwen

When has there not been a Little Patton child
to hunt eggs? Tomorrow will be a first. I think

Mickenna, Jacob, Todd and Casey will be the

young ones here. All four of these boys are

taller than I. Our little ones, and also the older

ones change with the season, but the reason for

celebrating this day will never change. I just

pray great blessing upon each family that has

branches out from the LOP Family. When you

look around you today, know the blessing of

seeing God in every smiling face. Reflect that

blessing in your own eyes, silently with a kind heart.

Meet Esther the Easter Bunny

We know He died for us.

We enjoyed going to

church at the home

church in Watertown

on Sunday. Polly invited us to lunch and she had

a beautiful lunch. Of

course she has a cook.

I found my nephew

taking care of all my needs. Pollys two

beautiful daughters,

Michelle and Nicholle. Nicholle in pink is her

cook. Another favorite of

mine Keith, husband of
Michelle. can't believe

it but Polly actually cooked that great dinner.

Mike serving his plate with his wife not far behind.

Was such a wonderful time for our family, to all

attend church once again together. Nicholle certainly

filled our hearts with a great sense of worship. Her

solo was the greatest. I believe it was "I Believe He

Died for me. Was wonderful Nicky.