Autumn Already?!

I can't believe autumn is already here! This is the middle of August, usually the hottest month of the summer! But look at these leaves changing colors! We were at Covenant Hills Camp when I took these pictures this week. I did a lot of walking through the woods, saw lots of different kinds of birds and deer tracks. I praise You, Lord. You are the Creator.

Sorry!

When our granddaughters were here visiting with us we played lots of games. Among the favorites were Chinese Checkers and Sorry. Being a good sport doesn't come naturally, it has to be learned. And it's a great lesson when it is learned! Now, with most games a grandmother can let the child win. However, with Sorry, there's no way of faking a loss. The whole game is pure luck and whoever wins, wins. Back to my story. The first game of Sorry that Sydney and I played, I won. Oh boy, that was bad. I found out that Sydney was a very poor sport. I told her "I'm sorry but we can't play Sorry any more because you're not a good sport." Well, that made her feel even worse and she shed lots of tears. But just before going to bed she asked if we could play Sorry again and promised to be a good sport if she lost. She begged and promised. I finally gave in and we played a game...I won! She looked at me and smiled and asked if we could play again! Second game...I won. Third game...I won. Fourth game...I won! She put out her little hand to shake mine and gave me a little smile, "I'll beat you tomorrow, Grandma!" And she did! Lord, thank you for these little lessons of sportsmanship that we can all learn together. Thank you for Sydney and her sweet spirit.

Sounds in the night!

Last night was a very noisy night! Besides the raccoon I was hearing, I heard an owl hooting and I heard coyotes yelping, yawling, and screaming! So it was a very busy night in the out-of-doors. Living in the country and in the woods makes life very interesting and very aware of nature. Thank you, Lord, for the beauty and creativity of Your Creation.

The Battle With The Raccoon!

I wrote about the war going on between Jerry and a big mean raccoon. Jerry won!!! It's been tough. He's tried different strategies and the raccoon always outwits him...until last night!!! Yesterday Jerry drilled a hole for the bungee cord to go through and then hooked it. It goes up over the roof of the bird feeder and hooks at the bottom of the feeder on the other side. The raccoon came as usual in the night. He loves the sunflower seeds we put out for the birds. I heard him struggling and struggling. He's awfully noisy. He could not get the bungee cord loose. He got so mad he was growling loudly! I would never want to meet up with him! He actually finally gave up and left! I wonder if he'll come back tonight?! Thank you, Lord, for helping us to finally find a way to feed the birds without losing the seeds to a raccoon!

Bella

Cheery little Bella! Thank you again, Lord, for our granddaughters. Please watch over them as they grow up. Help them to always love and serve You.

Playing Dress-Up!

Playing dress-up is so fun! Bella loves to pose!

Sydney and Bella as fashion models!
Sydney showing off a beautiful evening gown!

Sydney mixing and matching with a boys dutch cap!

Happy Anniversary!

Happy Anniversary, Tim & Shauna! Twenty-one years, Wow! I remember so well the trip our whole family took up to Sask. Canada for your wedding! It was a very happy time. Now, here we are, 21 years later. Still happy! Now, with all your kids returning it might be kind of hard for just the two of you to get away to celebrate. I'm sure they would all like to celebrate with you! Congratulations on twenty-one years and may you have twenty-one more happy years together!

Another Day At The Fair!

This horse is so beautiful and just won 1st prize! He's very gentle and let the girls pet him.

He was very interesting to us because he has blue eyes! It's hard to see in this picture but his rider is holding blue ribbons in her hand!

We watched a safari show of macaw parrots. This boy, from the audience, is holding all three birds on his arms and head and he's standing on one foot! Each parrot has a name and Sydney and I are trying to remember them. The red one, on the right, is Killer! We just can't remember the other two...but it was a good show!

Today we went through all the barns and merchandise buildings. Fun & Interesting! Here is Sydney talking to a lamb.

Bella loves all the animals.

Bella and Sydney are petting a little rabbit. It was as soft as silk!

This is an interesting duck Bella is petting. He put his head down just as I snapped the picture! The girl holding him is his owner.

Another day is done. Sydney and I are about to go to bed. Bella is sound asleep. Thank you, Lord, for this day. Thank you for all the different kinds of animals and birds we saw today. We praise You because You are the Creator.

Fun at the Fair!

Oh, what exhausting fun! You can see the wrist band on Bella, they each had one so they could ride as many rides and as often as they wanted to wait in line. Some rides they got off when they stopped and got right back in line to go again! It was so fun! Because I had three granddaughters with me sometimes one had to sit alone or with someone they didn't know. But Bella makes friends very easily and on one ride she sat beside a little brown girl. They are both going into kindergarten in a few weeks and they just really hit it off. They were like best friends! They walked hand in hand to the next ride and the next and the next! It was really cute to watch them. They laughed and giggled together. I took their picture but when I asked Alona's aunt if I could put it on my blog she wasn't sure about that so I'll honor her and not put it on. Just take my word, it's a really cute picture! The most daring ride Haleigh and Sydney went on was the ferris wheel and only once! Bella wasn't quite tall enough so she couldn't go unless I went too, so I went to buy a ticket...four dollars! I said no thanks and Bella was a little disappointed but I couldn't see paying that much for a little short ride. Thank you, Lord, for granddaughters and for fun days at the fair.

Going Shopping!

Here they are! All buckled up and ready to go! Yesterday we ran some errands, and then went grocery shopping. Nothing too great but there were some fun things thrown in...like lunch at McDonalds in the mall, riding the pony, etc. We tried to watch our money so we'd have more to spend today at the fair! Right after lunch we'll be going, with Haleigh joining us. So stay tuned for more adventures with Bella & Sid...!

Good morning, Sydney!

Sydney woke up this morning feeling kind of tired and blue. She went outside to sit in the hammock chair but it was kind of chilly out. I covered her up with this cover and then thought it would make an interesting photo! She was soon feeling more awake and energetic and ready for the day. This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!

Random shots

These are some random shots I took just because they were interesting to me! Grain elevators are all over! Every little town and every big town has one. This is a close up picture, next time we go I'm going to try to get one off in the distance. You can always see an elevator on the horizon in Saskatchewan. The tractor was abandoned, I saw it when I got up around five a m to watch the sunrise. Before we left Arlington Beach it was moved to some one's driveway! Guess I'm not the only one who liked it! The van, also abandoned, was quite interesting, I thought! Later, when I told Tim about it he said many years ago it belonged to him! He gave it to the camp to use, which it did for several years. Looks like one of it's last functions was to be in a parade! ABC stands for Arlington Beach Camp. So there you have it! Our wonderful trip to Saskatchewan, Canada. Thank you, Lord, for giving us this time with our kids and grand kids. Thank you for all the added blessings and new friends which made up the most wonderful, extraordinary, unforgettable month!

Sharing

Our last Sunday in Saskatchewan we were priveleged to hear Tim's entire family share about their year in Malaysia. Tim and Shauna both talked about the culture and their experiences as dorm parents to 13 kids of several different nationalities. Annie talked about the weather. That's a big topic all by itself! Kaleb told about the different religions there and showed off his mom in her Punjabi outfit. There is another piece to it too which she didn't bring. But you can see it's beautiful and looks very fine on Shauna! Thank you, Lord, for allowing us to be with them during their stay here in North America. Thank you, for blessing them in their efforts to serve you.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Andrew! Our oldest grandchild keeps getting older! I wish I could be there to celebrate with you. I can't help but wonder how you're going to spend the day. Is anyone there with you? I mean family or close friends? If I was there I would bake you a cake! Maybe in the shape of a car or boat or violin!!! The first cake I baked for you was a Ninja Turtle cake! You were five years old. Do you remember? You are constantly in my thoughts and prayers. Have a happy, happy birthday!

Chinese Checkers

Sydney, Ted, and Isabella are concentrating so hard on the game of Chinese Checkers they don't even know I'm about to take their pictue! Memories are made of this!

A Fun Day!

When we were in Saskatchewan we had a really fun day on the water. The boat belongs to Brett, Shauna's brother. This is still at the camp where we were for the whole month of July. Brett's in-laws live there year round, they have a wonderful view of the lake out their living room windows. We went to their house in the morning and didn't go home until evening! We played in the water all day! For supper Brett cooked fish he and Cole had caught earlier. It was the best fish I've ever eaten! It was a wonderful, fun, great day that we will never forget! Thank you, Lord, for fun, for fellowship of friends, for the beauty of nature, for Your Love to us...

Guitar cake

Here is my feeble attempt at making a guitar cake! This was for Tyler's birthday. Haleigh helped me with it and we both felt it turned out okay! This picture was before the candles were added. The important thing is that Tyler seemed pleased with it! Oh, let me tell you a funny thing that Tyler and his friends did this evening! A bunch of teenagers were at his house making pizza and celebrating his birthday. I guess they needed to go out and run around a little bit. I had gone to the store but Jerry was home. When he saw them running through the yard he stepped out on the porch and said jokingly, "Oh, have you come to sing a song to me?" So the kids all came together and sang a song for him, like it was planned, only it wasn't! Lord, thank you for these teenagers. Guide them and watch over them as they go through these tough teen years. Help them to be determined to live for You.

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday, Tyler! Wow! 15! The years are flying by! You've grown so tall! You're so busy all the time that even though you live next door it seems like we hardly see you. How about coming over and playing your guitar for us? Hey, that's a good idea! It could just be your practicing time! Well, have a great day today. We're proud to be your grandparents! Happy, happy birthday!

Bountiful fields

This is one of the many, many mustard or canola fields we passed by in North Dakota and Sask. Canada. Some said it was mustard and some said it canola.
This is a field of flax. It doesn't show up very well in this picture but these fields were such a pretty blue I had to take a picture.

The sun flower fields were just beginning to bloom. There are acres and acres of sun flowers! I took this as we drove by so it's not as good as if we had stopped and I focused in on them. It's fun to see them because they lift their faces to the sun and then bow down when the sun goes down! We saw wheat fields too but they weren't quite ready yet. I think I would do well on a farm because I love animals and plants. These fields just fascinated me. We saw swans, geese, eagles, pelicans, ducks, deer, a coyote!, a moose!, and lots more! Thank you, Lord, for the bountiful fields and all of nature.

The mean raccoon!

Jerry is in a battle with a raccoon! We love to feed the birds. We've outwitted the squirrels, so they're not a problem any more and they are content to eat seeds off the ground. But this big mean raccoon is really a huge problem! Somehow he climbs up the post that the squirrels can't climb! I guess his legs are longer so he can wrap them around the post. Then he knocks the roof off the feeder and empties it! We have a seed cake holder just below the feeder and he actually opened it and stole the seed cake a couple of nights ago. So Jerry has wired it securely now and he can't seem to get it open or get it off the post. But the feeder itself is now a mystery of how to outwit him! Yesterday Jerry put a short bungee cord up over the feeder and fastened it really tightly...well he got it off! The roof, bungee cord, hooks, etc are all laying on the ground this morning. The bird bath and a little dog statue are both tipped over as well. I was watching TV in the loft a little after 10:00 PM with the window open when I heard him come. He's very noisy. He struggled and struggled and he finally won! I wanted to go out and scare him away but Jerry and our neighbor have warned me not to go out. A raccoon can be very vicious. A couple of nights ago I heard him fighting with some kind of animal...the raccoon won. But, oh my goodness, the sounds I heard were so sad and upsetting to me. Well, I'm not sure what we'll do next, but I agree with Jerry, we feed birds not raccoons! Dear Lord, I know You created the raccoons and you know our frustration! Please help us solve this problem.

Dog sitting!

I'm dog sitting today with Plaid! He's the sweetest puppy! I took a couple more pictures of him so you can see how small he is but he really doesn't like to pose! He only yips once in a while. Annie, I think you would love him! Well, I think Megan, Sydney, and Isabella would too! Oh, yes, I forgot about Maddie! She'd love him too! And, well, I think our grandsons would love him too! So, Haleigh and Tyler, you are very fortunate to have a sweet little puppy like Plaid! Thank you, Lord, for Plaid!

The Hunter Family Singers

If you ever hear of the Hunter Family singers, don't even hesitate to go and hear them perform! Just go! They are so good and so fun! They are a family of five boys! They are hockey players! They are Canadian. What else can I say? They are Christian! They are talented! They are fun! We heard them at the Arlington Beach Family Camp. I took these pictures the next morning when they were eating breakfast in the camp dining room before they left for their next concert! I missed one of the guys, BJ. But they were so kind to me! Thank you, Lord, for good committed Christians like the Hunter family who share their talents and gifts with others.

Ray, Nancy, and us!

We've been friends with Ray & Nancy for about 47 years! They used to live here in our town and then after their fourth baby was born they moved away, but we've kept in touch over the years. They live in BC, Canada now but come back to Michigan to visit family every couple of years so we get in on some fellowshipping too. This was actually a family cookout that we were invited to along with our good friend, Wilma. It was interesting to hear about their youngest son and family doing a similar kind of missionary work that our son and family are doing! Peter's family is in New Guinea and Tim's family is in Malaysia. Last year Ray & Nancy went over for their grandson's high school graduation and next year ('09) we plan to go over for our grandson's high school graduation! It's a small world! Thank you, Lord, for good friends! Friends are a blessing from you.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Matthew! Wow, your last year to be a teenager! How can this be? Time is flying by! What will your future be? I wonder?! It's been fun watching you grow up your whole life. I admit, sometimes I worried about you on your skateboard! Now here you are entering your second year of college. I'm very proud to be your grandma! Have a wonderful and happy, happy birthday!

Ethan

I have a new friend! His name is Ethan. Sometimes I thought I heard his family call him E! He's five years old and reminds me of my oldest grandson when he was 5 or even younger! Such a little gentleman, full of self-confidence! One day Shauna asked him if he'd like to eat lunch with us and he answered "Well, actually, I've already eaten...but I could eat some more!

#1 shows he's a good natured little kid. #2 shows him with his cousin, Annie. #3 he's an alien from where? #4 he's riding his own personal quad! He's quite a boy and quite a friend. Thank you, Lord, for kids, and especially for Ethan!

Plaid

Meet Plaid! He is Haleigh's and Tyler's new puppy! He is so sweet and cute! He's a Shih Tzu puppy, 6 weeks old, I think. If I'm wrong, I'll correct this later. Oh, I love dogs! Thank you, Lord, for dogs!