Thursday, April 29, 2010

Happy Birthday


Happy Birthday, Mason Gerald! Baseball season is here! This is last year's picture but I'm too far away to get a new one. I know you love baseball and you're a good player. Your mom said you made a home run last week! I'm very proud of you and so is Grandpa! I wish we lived closer so we could watch you play. We now have three grandchildren all eight years old! I wish for you a very happy birthday! I love you.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Mason. He's a delightful boy. Please keep Your Hand upon him as he grows up! Help him to learn to love You and to trust in You. I love him so much and You love him even more!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Sunday Go To Church Clothes

Armon and Elmise came to our house this morning, all dressed up, ready for church. They looked so nice I asked if I could take their pictures. They insisted on me taking them separately.
Thank You, Lord, for these two beautiful grandchildren.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday, Bella! This is my favorite picture of you! You're eight years old now...I can't believe it! I love when you come to visit Grandpa and me. You're changing so much as you're growing. I see a difference in you every time you come. It's all a part of growing up. Come again, real soon, okay? I wish for you a very special and happy birthday. I love you! Lord, thank You for Isabella. She's such a special young girl. Please keep Your Hands upon her as she grows up. Help her to always love You. Help her in school and with the friends she makes; keep her from any harm or danger. I love her so much and You love her even more!

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Journal

  • It's time to write things down that are crowding my mind. We have so much going on.
  • I'm working on getting my cholesterol down and some pounds off. I need to please my doctor so I'm walking two miles several times a week. Today was one of my days and I walked it in record time! I hesitate to write the time because it may be slow to some of my readers. But just remember I'm 71...and a half! I walked 2 miles in 40 minutes. I think I could cut that down to 30 minutes if I try really hard. We have eggs almost every morning for breakfast. I'm careful how I cook them, either boiling them or frying them with Pam. I seldom eat bacon. One slice of toast. BUT...I'm thinking I need to go to a bowl of Cheerios and a banana. Or something similar. So we'll see.
  • Besides trying to please my doctor, I have my first grandson, Andrew, getting married! I don't want to be a fat grandma. I've got to go shopping for a dress soon...
  • A very dear friend of mine lost her husband a couple of days ago. He had cancer and lost the battle. My heart aches for her. She lives in Europe so I can't go to her. She's in my prayers.
  • I'm so privileged to get to help out with our new grandchildren. By new I mean the adopted brother and sister, Elmise is eight and Armon is five. They are precious children. I learned a new lesson one day when I heard Jessica, my daughter-in-law, pointing them out to someone. They are from Haiti so you know they are black. We were in a restaurant and had to sit separately because of a lack of room. The children were on stools at a counter and the adults were at a table. She was pointing out her three children to the waiter so he'd know what order was for each one. She described Elmise as the little girl with braids and the red jacket; Armon was the little boy with the blue jacket. I've been pondering that ever since. I would have just blurted out the two black children. But she with love and pride in her voice simply told the color of their clothes! I learned a lesson that day.
  • I love all my grandchildren. Since these latest two have been adopted and live right next door to us, we're privileged to see and interact with them often. Rob and Jessica have crazy work hours so I get to take Haleigh, Elmise, and Armon to school a couple of times a week. Once in a while I also pick them up after school.
    As I've gotten to know them I see characteristics that stand out. Folks are always asking me about them so maybe this will give you a clearer picture of them.
    Elmise is a darling little girl who loves to cook and clean! She has a nice singing voice. She's the life of the party! Very vivacious and lively!
    Armon is a darling little boy. Just the thought of him brings a smile to my face! He's very active. He loves to play, is very interested in cars...real cars! He's very handsome now so I can imagine when he gets older! He also seems to be quite musical.
    Haleigh is a proud big sister. She's very helpful with her new siblings and is very protective of them.
  • I just watched five or six deer go through our back yard. This is one of my favorite things to do!
  • My new friend, Dennis, has moved away. I had interviewed him for the newsletter I'm editor of. Because his life style was so foreign to me it took three afternoons of getting together before I could write out his story! God has worked a miracle in his life. Through the interview and writing we became very good friends. He left on Monday. He knows I'll be praying for him everyday.
  • A close friend of ours has been diagnosed with breast cancer. There was a special healing service for her on Sunday.
  • Heavenly Father, I love You and I praise You because of Who You Are. You are Sovereign, In Control, Love, Mercy and Grace, Life... Forgive me for taking You for granted. Thank You for my health. Help me to lower my cholesterol and my weight. Thank You for my friends. Please be with Vivian as she grieves the loss of her husband. Thank You for all 15 of my grandchildren. Thank You for the privilege of my being able to be involved with the ones next door. Help me to be an example of Jesus to them. Please be with Dennis where ever he settles down. Keep him close to You. Please be with Dianne as she makes decisions on what treatments, surgery, etc.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Dive Bombing!

This is the week for the air mosquito spraying. We have this every spring. I love to try to take pictures of the plane. It's not easy. My camera delays taking photos for a couple of seconds. It upsets me so bad...! The plane was actually just over the tree tops and I think he saw me trying to get a picture because he came right at me a couple of times. But I couldn't get the picture I wanted because the plane wouldn't hold still and my camera delayed taking the shot I wanted!!! It's very noisy and close.

Dear Lord, I wonder why we have mosquitoes and I thank You for the ways of controlling them.





















Fun Zone

Saturday afternoon I took Bella, Elmise, and Armon to the Fun Zone for a couple hours. It truly is a fun zone! Bella sliding down a rope!

Bella posing with the rope!

Elmise isn't sure about looking through this hole.

This is better. She loves to tease me.

We came home from the fun zone so hot and thristy so we made root beer floats! Yum! Sydney and Haleigh joined us. Notice Sydney's socks!!!
Thanks, Lord, for fun times!




Granddaughters Growing Up

My granddaughters are growing up! Haleigh and Sydney played basketball, bingo, and jump rope with the younger kids but then they had their own slumber party, just the two of them. They even slept down stairs in the guest room. (Grandkids usually sleep upstairs in the loft.)

Sunday morning and they are getting ready for church. They dressed in my bedroom because I have a full length mirror. Here they are putting on their make-up and brushing their hair.



Now they are ready for church. All that primping paid off! Don't they look nice?

Bella wrote on her blog by herself for the first time! She did a good job! She wrote about the trip to Missouri they went on with cousins, on the other side of their family, just before coming here.
Lord, my grandchildren are growing up. This is one of those times that is good but at the same time is sad. Thank You for them and thank You for Your Love. Please keep Your Hands upon them and guide them.

An Extremely Busy Weekend

It was an extremely busy weekend. But let's add fun, challenging, exciting, loving, etc.

Ted and his girls: Isabella and Sydney. They love their daddy.

The most important part of our weekend and the top priority was with our grandchildren. Friday we picked up Sydney and Isabella at a half way point between Ted and us. Then we picked Rob's kids up from school and Syd and Bella met Elmise and Armon for the first time. Saturday I kept all five grandchildren all day. What a busy day. We played Bingo; jumped rope; played basketball; watched movies; went to the fun zone, nature center, and to church; ate, snacked, slept, argued, laughed, got mad...made up, and did all the things that kids normally do.

Haleigh, Elmise, and Bella jumping rope.
It was hard to say goodbye. We never know when we'll be together again.

We had tickets to the first home game of the Loons! So we met our small group friends at the stadium and had a great time rooting for our Loons! It was a beautiful day!

Linda, Donna, and Dianne.

Larry, John, and Jerry. They sat right behind us. We really had fun and hope to do this again. The Loons did great til about half way...and then something happened, they fell apart or something. The Lansing Lugnuts suddenly turned on and caught up and won the game!!!
We had to leave after the seventh inning because I had another commitment at 6:00. We were just sure the game would be over, but no. When we left it was Lugnuts 8, Loons 7. We heard later the Loons lost. How sad. 10-8.
Last evening at church it was missions movie night. Since I'm on the committee I really felt obligated to be there. And besides that I love movies. So that's what my commitment was. Well, the movie, Faith Like Potatoes, was very good. Jerry was tired so he came on home.

I caught a ride home later with Joanne. She always picks up our cans for recycling and I was telling her as we drove in that it's too bad we didn't have the cans ready for her so she could take them tonight instead of a later time. As we drove on through the yard and came to the house there in the middle of the drive was a plastic bag full of- you guessed it - tin cans! Jerry got them ready and put them out where we couldn't miss them!

Lord, thank You for a very full and wonderful weekend. If only the Loons had won! Thank You for our wonderful family and friends.

Friday, April 09, 2010

Going to Daddy-O's!

Sydney and Bella have finally come to visit us. It's been months since they've been here and we've missed them so much. We met Ted and the girls at MacDonalds about half way for both of us. He had to work this afternoon and tomorrow.

At 2:30 the girls and I were to pick up the kids at school for Rob & Jessica. We got there a little early (2:00) and thought we could just sit in the library (looking at books) while we waited for school to dismiss. The staff was so wonderful to us. When they heard Sydney and Bella hadn't met Elmise and Armon yet they insisted on taking them into their classrooms so they could meet! Then a couple of 1st graders took them on a tour of the school! As they went by Haleigh's classroom she happened to look out the door and saw them. She came running out into the hall and all three girls hugged and laughed, they were so happy to see each other...then Haleigh went back to class until dismissal.

We're on our way to Daddy-O's for supper. Elmise and Bella rode with me. Sydney rode with Haleigh and Armon, Rob & Jessica. Elmise had her 8th birthday a few weeks ago and Bella will have her 8th birthday in two weeks. They seem to have hit it off! Yeah!

Haleigh, Armon, Sydney, Elmise, Bella.
Here we are in Daddy-O's! It's a neat place to eat.
And now, guess what?! They are all sleeping together at Haleigh's. They'll be here first thing in the morning for a pan cake breakfast! We'll keep busy here all day while Jessica is at work as a nurse at the hospital and Rob is sleeping all day after working all night.
Lord, thank You for all of our 15 grandchildren. Thank You for the love and joy they bring to Jerry and me. Thank You for this weekend with five of our beautiful grandchildren.

Thursday, April 08, 2010

Easter Lily


This beautiful Easter Lily is on the plant Jerry bought for me before Easter. The flowers are so big and white and beautiful. I couldn't resist taking this picture. After it finishes blooming we'll plant it in the flower bed. I love having them come up year after year.
Lord, thank You for the beautiful Easter Lilies.

Wednesday, April 07, 2010

Happy Birthday


Happy Birthday, Shauna! I love this picture of you. I took it off your facebook page. Hope that's okay. You're really in the prime of your life...traveling all over the world, living in SE Asia for three years, now back at home in Canada with a dream job! Oh yes, let's not forget being a wife and mother! God has blessed you. I'm proud to have you as a daughter-in-law! I wish for you a wonderful birthbday today.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Shauna. Thank You for placing her in our family. I love Shauna and You love her even more!

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

Journal

Oh my, what a day this has been. There were both good and not so good things that came into my life today.

It started out good...we watched six deer wonder through our woods beside and behind our house. That was first thing this morning.

Then I noticed the cushions on our chairs out on the deck were still out...oh no. I got them out on Sunday so we could sit out as the kids had their egg hunt. We never did sit on them. Well, I forgot all about them and now here it is Tuesday. It rained almost all night last night. Those cushions are not to be left out. So they're now in the garage draining the water in them.

Next I drove Haleigh, Elmise, and Armon to school. That's my privilege once in a while.

I needed to print out about ten more newsletters, seven to mail and three to have on hand as extras. Oops...out of ink. I put in new cartridges and printed out two. The second one was way to red, and no blue. Okay...I have a small set in reserve so I replaced the blue one and printed out the PTN. Good job!

Jerry drove me to town to mail the newsletters because the gas tank was empty and he knows how I hate to pump gas! Speedway gas was $2.95! Yesterday it was $2.71! He only put in $20.00...less than half a tank.

We also stopped at the ink cartridge store to take the blue cartridge back that wouldn't print. I just bought it yesterday! Well, of course, the owner who had waited on my yesterday wasn't there. His daughter waited on me and I got no sympathy or satisfaction from her. In fact, I brought the cartridge back home to try again. What a wasted trip that was.

As we drove past the Meijer gas station we noticed gas was still $2.71! Jerry pulled in and filled the tank!

At Meijer's store, just as I was getting out of the car, we saw a new friend that I've been praying for. Jerry parked and Dennis and I stood in the rain! and talked and talked. He's having a really rough time and is moving away. It was so good to connect before he leaves town. The bad part? Jerry was waiting in the car...not a fun thing to do for very long. I still had to go in the store. Thank goodness I only had three items I needed to buy. Jerry was good about it but still I felt bad causing him to sit there for so long.

At 2:15 I left to pick up the grand kids from school so Rob could sleep a little longer. He's working nights so he needs to sleep as long as he can. I thought we had talked about it. Oh oh! Rob came walking into the school just as the kids were let out. He didn't realize I was picking them up. So a little miscommunication there.

Jerry took me to Pi's Asian Express for supper. I got cashew chicken and Jerry got beef & broccoli. Egg drop soup and egg rolls came with it. It was very good. He thought I needed to go out after my rough day.

It's been raining all day long. It's spring and we need rain. The lightning and loud crashes of thunder we could do without. Lightning scares me really bad.
So what a day this has been. Thank goodness there was good mixed in with the bad.

Lord, I praise You because You are Sovereign and In Control. You know about our frustrations and our joys. Thank You for loving us and keeping us.

Monday, April 05, 2010

Blue

We were attacked this afternoon by BLUE people! HELP!!! Haleigh and Armon attacking Grandpa!
Now Elmise joins in. Haleigh, Armon, Grandpa, and Elmise!

Here they all are: Papa (Rob), Armon, Haleigh, and Elmise!


Elmise, in the house. It's actually blue, it just looks pale.



Jessica and Plaid came to join in the fun!
Thank You, Lord, for fun times.


Sunday, April 04, 2010

Easter Sunday - Resurrection Day

As usual I have my photos in backwards! Elmise and Armon are playing Sorry. Elmise won, sorry Armon...

Here the kids are emptying their eggs of candy after hunting all around our back yard. It was the first time for Elmise and Armon to go on an egg hunt. They really had fun! I only hid them in our back yard. I refused to call it an Easter egg hunt. It was simply an egg hunt.

Armon found an egg! It was fun! They were each allowed to find 12 eggs.


We ate dinner at Rob's with the family. Here are Elmise, Haleigh, & Jerry. Dinner was very nice and very good. Baked ham, baked potatoes, corn, salad, fruit, rolls, cheese cake and cake roll. It was a combined effort of both Jessica and myself.

This picture shows, Jessica, Tyler, Rob, & Armon. It was a very good dinner and a very nice time.
After dinner it was discovered that Plaid (dog) was missing! He had slipped out of his leash! We all hunted for him and he was finally found down the road and in a field. Elmise saw him first and hollared, "There he is!" They stopped and called him. He came running and took a bounding leap into the car!
I went behind us to look for Plaid. I took this opportunity to meet our new neighbor! No, we hadn't met yet... and no they hadn't seen Plaid. It was nice meeting her. I still have to meet the man, but I, or we, will.
Later Rob's family all came over to our back yard so the kids could hunt for the eggs. It was a new fun thing for Elmise and Armon. They did well and will look forward to it again next year. Playing games is another new concept for them...someone wins and someone loses...but it's all fun. With so much to learn they are doing well.

My name is Anita and I believe Jesus Christ is alive!
Today is Easter or Resurrection Day whichever you prefer to call it. It's my favorite day of the year. Jesus arose from the grave on this day. Jerry and I, several years ago, went to Israel and went into the tomb in the garden where most protestants believe Jesus was laid. We actually saw where He laid. We then had communion outside on the hillside. It was very touching and we'll never forget it.

This morning when I got up I had one of my bad spells where I was very weak and had to lie back down for about an hour. I felt like I was going to pass out. Jerry brought me some crackers and coffee and later orange juice and a muffin. I'll tell my doctor again when I go to see him next month. I've felt fine the rest of the day!

The sermon today was so good, as usual. Pastor ended with: My name is David and I believe Jesus Christ is alive. Then any and all who wanted to say the same thing, only with their own name, were invited to stand and say outloud, my name is Anita, or whatever their name was, and I Believe Jesus Christ is alive!
Heavenly Father, I praise You on this Resurrection day. I love You. Thank You for this good family day. Thank You for Jesus. Thank You for touching my body this morning. Help us to find out the reason for this spells. I praise You because You are my Healer.

Friday, April 02, 2010

Early Spring Flowers

I love my early spring flowers. I just took this pictures today.

Lord, thank You for Crocuses and Daffodils. They are so lovely.