Grandparents are a Gift from God

We love Grampa Dave and Grammie Linda!! You never know what to expect from them. This is how they arrived at a birthday celebration at our home in Barnstead!!!

"Children's children are the crown of old men and the glory of children are their fathers" Proverbs 17:6


Be it ever so humble, there is no place like home. This is where Grampa and Grammie Linda call home 8 months of the year. It's in Freedom NH. Here is one of Grammie's award winning window boxes. Folks come from all around to see them each Spring and Summer. The Meserve Family has been in Freedom for over 200 years!!


















Above is Grampa with our only living hatched chicken. The chicken is wispering sweet nothings into Grampa's ear!! How nice is that??

We love visiting with Grampa and Grammie at their home in Florida. They live there from November until April each year. They live in a small town called Oklawaha. It's an old Indian village. We can't wait for our trip to visit them in the winter of 06/07. We have started saving!! It will be Grace and Jon's first time to visit. Two years ago when we were there we visited Daytona Beach. We had such a great day!!!






Our Grampa Dave has an alias. His name is "Zip" the clown. He's a shriner clown, and loves to make kids smile. Here he is at our house before he marched in a parade. He makes great balloon animals and can make our nose squeak, too!!











This is our Dad's Mom and Dad...Grampa Jon and Grammie Shirley. This is also our Dad's sister Wendy. Grampa Jon and Grammie Shirley live in Deerfield on a farm. Our Grampa Jon fixes tractors and sells wood and hay. We love to visit there and see all the animals in the barn.












This is Grammy Shirley when she first met Grace and Jon at a party at our home in Barnstead.













Grammie Linda loves to read to us!! She used to be school teacher and she is a great reader. She let us pick two long stories for her to read to us. We love to listen to Grammie!!










Our Grammie Linda is a 2x cancer survivor!! We are so thankful God has allowed her to still be with us!! Since she lost her hair, she loves to wear hats. Here is Maddie and Grammie modeling some of her hats.












This past summer, Grampa Dave and Grammie Linda took us all on a train ride. We had lunch on the train. It was tons of fun!! Thank you!!!!



















Aren't they just the cutest couple???
xoxoxoxoxoxoxo











Here is Grampa and Jon at a family outing this summer!!! We thank God every day for our wonderful sets of grandparents!!!!!

The Many Hair Styles of Grace Winslow

Miss Grace has beautiful hair!!! It has become so healthy and pretty. She loves to wear it just "down" with a head band, but every so often she asks for a hairstyle. This is one that I just did today. It took about 2 hours. It's the closest thing I could come to cornrows for right now. I need more practice. She looked in the mirror and just loved it...so that gives me hope that I'm headed in the right direction!!!



Below is a gift of love hairstyle that Mimose,
Grace's Mom gave to her before I took her home
from Haiti in July of last year. I say gift of love
because all of the elastics, braiding, and beading
took over 3.5 hours!!!! While Maddie and I
waited!!!It stayed in Grace's hair one month after
we got home!!!

































While Grace was getting her hair done
by Mimose, Grace's older sister Rebeccca
did Maddie's hair in some funky zig zag
elastics!! Maddie loved it!!!
















Here is Mimose doing Grace's hair when I went
to Haiti the first time in August of 2004. I have so much
to learn when it comes to Grace's hair, that's for sure!!!

" We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the lord, and His strength, and His wonderful works that He hath done. For He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Isreal, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children. That the generation to come might know them even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children. That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments. Psalm 73:4-7

Often when doing Grace's hair, Mimose would sing to her, and talk to her about God, or her new family in America, and instruct her how she should behave in her new family. It was such a testimony and a blessing to us all!!!

My Life With Three Older Sisters: By Jonathan Winslow

" For ye have need of patience, that after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise." Hebrews 10:36.














Hello...my name is Jonathan David Winslow and I have the blessing of having three older sisters. Brittany, age 16, and Maddie age 10 and Grace age 9. They like to dress me up as a girl. To the left is a picture of when they did just that. They named me Rosie and brought me to dinner that way. My Dad was rather upset. You see, me and my Dad....we are outnumbered by the girls in our house!!! Pray for us please!!!







Here is a picture of me and my Dad when I first
came home last year. My Dad has to rescue me from
being a living "doll" for my sister's!!!My Dad is so much fun. He plays with me and lets me ride on his back, and spins me in the laundry basket.















Here is another hat they had me wearing as "Rosie"
I look like I'm having fun, but I'm not sure if that's true.
Grace told me to smile, and so that's what I did!!


















Here I am after a bath. Grace and Maddie gave me a bath today---1/14/06. Then Grace and Maddie did my hair in these little puffs. We were in the bathroom for a long time. My Mom and Dad had no idea what I was going through in there!! In Haiti, the boys have their hair like this all the time. My Dad didn't like it at all. He says it means my hair is too long!!! I might have to have a hair cut soon!! My mom took this picture because my Dad is making Grace and Maddie take my hair do out before we go anywhere!! My Mom says I'm her cute little boy no matter what...so that's good!! My oldest sister Brittany doesn't usually try and dress me up....she likes me to wear my jeans and flannel shirts just like Dad...and she loves to call me..."buddy".....anyway...I'll keep you all posted about how things go here!!

Our "Gotcha" Time in Haiti!!

"Care for the orphans and the widows in their times of trouble...." James 1:27. "Listen my beloved brethren; has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love him?"....James 2:5.





Haiti is such a beautiful country with beautiful people. The mountains are breath taking. The contrast of the beauty and the extreme poverty is stark!!


On June 23rd, 2005, while Glenn and Brittany were serving the Lord for one month in Brazil, Maddie and I boarded a plane for Haiti to go and pick up Grace and Jon...our 4 day trip turned into 15 days....but had a great outcome in the end!!! On July 7th, we were home in Barnstead, NH!! Yeah!! Here are Grace and Maddie and Jon at the hotel we were staying at during the second part of our stay in Haiti. The Habitation Hatt....we loved it there. They have a wonderful pool, and the staff are just great!!




In this photo...Grace and Maddie are so excited to be together.....they had an instant love for each other!! It was so great!!!

Here is a photo of all of the children in the "big" kid house. They are ages 3 to 14. I think there were 28 in all at that time.

Here are two angels from the Lord....on the left is our Christian driver Stenor, and on the right is our Christian interpreter Ernst. Behind them is our car that we traveled in .....a 1985 Toyota Wagon....definitely not a target for kidnappings or theives. God was so good to provide us with such great guardians in Glenn's absence!!!!
Here is Jon's Mom...Guerline St. Germain, and she is holding Jon's baby brother who is still living with her. Jon hadn't seen his mom in a year...and he didn't recognize her and didn't want to go to her. She is a beautiful 27 year old, and this baby was her 5th son born to her. The other three are at home with her...ages...8, 6, and 4, and then she had to give Jon up, and then she had this baby.

We Are Family!!!!

We love to "help" Dad cut down trees!!! Here we are are on top of a big pine tree Dad just cut down today....1/13/05. Behind us is our pig..."Little Joe"....one more month and he'll be some yummy treats in our freezer!! Notice me, Grace, I'm checking out the location of the pig at all times. You see, I'm rather scared of Little Joe!!










An all time favorite job at our house is "kitchen helper"...well...thanks to Grammy Shirley and Grampa Jon Grace and Maddie now have matching aprons and are all set to help mommy out in the kitchen!! Bon Appetit!!!!!

















Jonnie Boy all set to "help" Daddy cut wood!!! Look out!!









When Grace and Jon first came home, and
Daddy and Britt got home from Brazil, the
next day was Maddie's 10th birthday. So we
had ourselves a big ole' party!! The kiddos
were really excited to celebrate and meet
everyone!!

We weren't sure how Grace and Jon were

going to like the winter and the snow. Grace loved

it right away...Jon on the other hand had to "warm"

up to it....he likes it now!! Here the kids are having fun

sledding!!

"O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise they name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth." Isaiah 25:1

Can You Believe She's Sweet 16????

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it."
Proverbs 22:6

"Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right."
Proverbs 20:11

Well, it's official, Glenn and I are old....we can't believe that our little girl....Brittany Elizabeth is 16!! Our first born, January 5th, 1990...we remember it like it was yesterday. Where has all the time gone?? We are so proud of Brittany and all that she has done through the Lord. She is such an encouragment to us and our family!! She just spent 5 days encouraging my brother and his wife by coming and helping them to care for their new born baby Magdalena Eve. Brittany....you are a treasure...a gift from the Lord!!!


At our home for birthdays you get to pick your menu for the day, and you get to eat from our one set of fine wedding china!! Here is Brittany dining on her choice for lunch. Pizza rolls!!! Yeah Britt!!!
















For dinnner Britt choose swedish meatballs
over egg noodles and broccoli casserole. For
dessert she picked peanutbutter cheesecake!! Yum!!
Blow out those 16 candles Britt!!

















For Breakfast she picked chocolate chip pancakes
and sausage. Mom made her a plate sized pancake.
Happy Birthday Britt!!



All the kiddos loved "helping" Brittany open
her gifts!!

Fellowship Fun with our Friends!!!

Grace, Angela, and Maddie enjoy each other by their little fire!!


Peter stokes the fire!!! Go Peter!!!



Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. 1John 4:11.

We praise God for our friends the Peter Thorne family!! We had so much fun with them last night here at the Winslow farm!! Good clean Christian fun was had by all with a huge bon fire, smores, and lots of munchies. More important than that, though....we had great fellowship!!! Thanks for being such great friends!!!

See How They've Changed!!

This is Grace and Jon when I first met them in Haiti. August 2004. Grace was 8 and Jon was 18 months old and weighed a mere 17 lbs. When Jon (Jhon Kelley St. Germain) was first brought to the orphanage in March of 2004, he was one year old and weighed a mere 9 lbs. He spent several months in the hospital trying to get healthy. When you look at him today, you would never know!! God is sooo good!! Now, almost 34 months old, he is running and jumping, and keeping us very busy!!!

Dapper Jonnie Boy on Christmas Day at Grammie's


Goofy Gracie on Christmas Day

Our First Official Family Photo!!

This is our first "official" family photo. Taken on September 25th (my birthday) at a Harvest Festival we attended.
We used this as our Christmas Card this year.

It was a glorious Christmas for us here. Our first one with Grace and Jon home from Haiti. We have soooo much to be thankful for. Here are the children on Christmas Eve. Everything was so new for Grace and Jon.....they loved the tree, and the lights, and everything!! Here is: (from left to right)...Jonnie Boy, Grace, Brittany, and Madelyn.

How We Became the Winslow Family of 6

Howdy..we are the Winslow Family of 6 from Barnstead, NH. We were previously the Winslow Family of 4, until God blessed our family on July 7th 2005 bringing home two additions to our family from Haiti!! We are very new to the blog scene, and hope to keep family and friends updated on our goings on as much as we can!!