June was busting out all over with lots of birthdays at Trinity Mission. There were lots of smiles, cake and ice cream for all to enjoy.

Kennon Bridges always knew he wanted to be involved with helping people. Being a pastor’s son gave him an insight into people’s needs and the opportunity to visit nursing homes, see his father help the residents and help enrich their lives. It was just natural that he would choose working in the health care field as his career, what better way to help people. And his position of director of marketing is a perfect fit at Trinity Mission.

Mark Slaughter found what he was looking for at Trinity Mission. Being from the small town of Eastland, Texas, he felt like he had come home. He has been the administrator since June 6th and loves his job and Trinity Mission.

Almost everyday this past week Trinity Mission had something special for the residents in honor of National Nursing Home Week. National Nursing Home Week focuses on nursing home residents and staff and encourages all to celebrate those that make a positive difference in their lives every day. A supportive and caring environment, such as a nursing home, provides enrichment for residents and families to continue growing, learning and teaching.

Elias Perez has been working at Trinity Mission as a physical therapy assistant while going to school at Navarro College and has earned his degree in Occupational Therapy. Recently he was awarded the ‘Student of the Year’ award.

David Davidson knew he always wanted to help people. That is evident with his degree being in social services. He grew up with a pastor as a father and it just makes sense that he would be serving people in some capacity.

Janet Watson grew up in the small town of Frost, Texas. After years of traveling with her job she is back in the area living in Mertens and is the new director of nursing at Trinity Mission. She started her new position January 29th, 2011.

Paula Zalucki is Trinity Mission’s new administrator. She has been at Trinity Mission for about two weeks. Recently Zalucki completed the requirements to be licensed as a nursing home administrator in the states of Texas and New Mexico. She has been a healthcare executive with more than 24 years experience in hospitals, multi-hospital systems and nursing care facilities.

Chris Baker started his position as director of marketing for Trinity Mission May of 2009. His last day will be Friday, January 7th, 2011. It is with a sad heart that he leaves but he is leaving to further his career with a new job opportunity.

The month of December is well known for Christmas but for Trinity Mission it is also known for lots of birthdays to be celebrated, eight to be exact.

Friday night at Trinity Mission the staff members were holding their Tree of Memories Holiday service. The service was in remembrance of the residents that passed away this year, 2010.

November birthdays at Trinity Mission was an all ladies birthday month. Not one man had a birthday in the month of November. But the month was very well represented.

Thursday evening Trinity Mission hosted their annual Thanksgiving dinner for the residents, family members and friends and once again the “house was packed”. If you got there a little late there was no parking and you got to stand at the back of a very long line to get your dinner but indeed it was well worth the wait. The food was wonderful and the company couldn’t be beat.

It has now become tradition at Trinity Mission to hold a Fall Festival for the residents and the Stafford Elementary students every year around Halloween.

Trinity Mission celebrated birthdays for the residents having birthdays in the month of October. There were six this month.

Darla Gardner is the Director of Therapy at Trinity Mission. She has been at Trinity Mission for about eight months, but she did not come alone. She brought Lisa Marie, the cutest little chihauhua you ever saw. She sports designer fashions and is a dog with a mission.

Seventy years ago two young teenagers decided to run away and get married. Of course they didn’t tell their parents until the deed was done. Seventy years later Henry and Alice Muenster are still happily married.

Trinity Mission loves when birthday’s are celebrated for the residents. It is just another celebration of life and that is what it is all about. There were five birthdays for the month of September and spirits were high.

Kathleen Luttrell has been working in convalescent centers for about thirty years. Fourteen of those years have been as an administrator and now she is the administrator at Trinity Mission in Italy.

As you walked into Trinity Mission Monday, August 30th around 6:00 PM the first thing you noticed was beautiful piano music was being played. The second thing was the most delicious aromas of barbecued ribs wafting throughout the halls. Trinity Mission was filled to the brim with citizens of Italy and family members of residents to celebrate with Marie Wood at her retirement party.

Even though the weather has been hot and steamy it has not dampened the spirits or the smiles at Trinity Mission. Everyone was happy to celebrate the August birthdays.

Marie Wood will be retiring from her many years of service at Trinity Mission as the facility’s administrator. On Monday, August 30th there will be a retirement celebration from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. with an open seated dinner.

It is time for the July birthday celebration at Trinity Mission once again and this time it is all girls! The July birthday girls are Lona Butler, Emma Davis, Evelyn Hocutt and Francis Davidson.

Trinity Mission resident Evelyn Jenkins was the proud and excited winner of the Ms. Stars and Stripes Beauty Pageant held July 1st at the Texas Theater in downtown Waxahachie. There were three other contestants and they were all from Trinity Mission—Willie Inman, Opal Lamb and Audrey Aldredge.

Don’t forget and don’t miss out on the “Ms. Stars and Stripes” senior citizens beauty pageant. It is being held in downtown Waxahachie at the Texas Theater on Thursday, July 1st at 2:30 PM.

Every Thursday afternoon, Vivian Brooks and Bonnie Watson come to Trinity Mission and lead the residents in song. They pass out the words to all the songs so the residents can sing along. They sing songs like, Onward Christian Soldiers, The Old Rugged Cross, I Come To the Garden, Jesus Loves Me and many more of the old traditional hymns.

Lots of June Birthdays were being celebrated at Trinity Mission on Tuesday.

There was plenty of watermelon slices for everyone at Trinity Mission on Friday afternoon. Tables were filled with watermelons and the dining room was filled with happy residents enjoying watermelon to celebrate Father’s Day.

Did you know that we have two beauty contestants at Italy’s Trinity Mission? Well, we do, they are Willie Inman and Evelyn Jenkins. They were chosen to represent Trinity Mission in the Ms. Stars and Stripes senior citizen beauty pageant held in downtown Waxahachie at the Texas Theater on July 1st at 2:30 pm.

February birthdays were celebrated at Trinity Mission on Friday. There were lots of cupcakes and ice cream and lots of birthdays.

Valentines and music was the name of the game for the residents at Trinity Mission this Valentines Day. As you walked in the front door wonderful gospel music could be heard along with the residents singing. And you can’t forget the cupcakes and candy for one of the sweetest days of the year.

Thursday evening at 6:30 Trinity Mission was packed with family and friends celebrating Trinity Mission’s Christmas Open House. By the many smiles and laughter seen and heard throughout the evening it seemed that this open house was quite a success. Some of the residents were just down right giddy!

Everywhere you look at Trinity Mission you are reminded that Christmas is not far away everything is decked out with Christmas decorations. Gene Farquhar entertained the residents on Thursday with old gospel songs reminding them what Christmas is really about.

Everyone come celebrate with the residents of Trinity Mission on Thursday evening, December 10th, from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM. Trinity Mission is having their Christmas Open House and the entire community is invited.

On the morning of October 30th, Trinity Mission was filled with all kinds of fun and scary characters. All the pre-k students and kindergarten students were seen having a great time at the Annual Fall Festival.

Tuesday morning around 10:00 o’clock wonderful aromas could be detected outside Trinity Mission. They were having their annual tailgating party which included an awesome barbeque. Lots of the residents were outside wearing corsages that all the staff of Trinity Mission made for them.

Friday afternoon at two o’clock Trinity Mission was filled with lots of birthday fun. There were lots of family and friends celebrating the many birthdays at Trinity Mission.

It was birthday month again at Trinity Mission and everybody was ready for cake and ice cream.

Nothing was going to stop Chris Baker from having movie night August 14th at Trinity Mission – not even the rain. Baker went outside after the rain and dried everything off so no one would miss “Movie Night”.

Trinity Mission loves to be involved with the community. Chris Baker (Marketing Director) had an idea to help the local schools with school supplies. "Many parents can’t afford to get the necessary school supplies for their children. Our goal was to donate backpacks with several school supplies to three local school districts.

Picture this – it’s last Saturday night at 8:30 in the backyard of Trinity Mission, lots of popcorn, a great movie and a big audience. What does this say to you? It says lots of “down home” fun.

Mary Copeland was nominated by her co-workers at Trinity Mission for the Employee of the Month award for the month of August.

Trinity Mission of Italy will kick off its Summer Movie Nights on Friday, July 24 at 8:30 PM. Family friendly movies will be shown on a giant inflatable movie screen under the Texas sky through the months of July, August and September.

Trinity Mission has a new administrator, Marie Wood. Marie is no stranger to Trinity Mission. She has worked for Trinity Mission since 1999. From 2005 to 2007 she was the full time administrator.

Guess who turned ninety-six this month at Trinity Mission? Well let me tell you, it was: Odell Kelley, Helen Honsicker and Lillie Speer! June Frame turned one hundred this month!

As I walked into Trinity Mission on Tuesday around 2:00 PM my ears were delighted with sounds of old country music being played by none other than Clyde Farrell.

May 5th, 2009 was Chris Baker’s first day as the new Marketing Director at Trinity Mission in Italy. He came to Trinity Mission from Austin, but he is no stranger to Ellis county. He was born and raised in Waxahachie, Texas and graduated from Waxahachie High School.

June Frame celebrated her 100th birthday on June 5th, 2009 at Trinity Mission with music, food and drink. Her granddaughter, Arlan Kanz and her two great granddaughters, Gracie and Mylie Kanz, came to play the harp and the violin for her to help her celebrate this momentous moment.