Happy Birthday June 11

Happy Birthday, Gene! 7/11/11 Hmmm! I wonder if you celebrated yesterday, on the weekend, or today, on your actual birthday. You're a good son-in-law. We have some good memories with you, like going to Malaysia, helping build your shed in the back yard, the wedding last summer, and lots more. Thanks for being a good husband to our daughter and a good father to two of our grandsons. I wish for you a wonderful day today and many more years.
Lord, thank You for Gene. He's a good husband to Pam, good father to  Matthew, Andrew and now, Katie. He's a good son-in-law, husband, father, brother, son, nephew, friend, neighbor, and  an all-around good man. I love him, Lord, and You love him even more.

Journal July 7, 2011

Time to write again. So much has taken place since I last wrote. I'm still working with Armon every morning. This morning after class we went to the library with Elmise and Rob. This picture is of the kids beside two darling sculptures in the library. Armon and Elmise got their own library cards today. They're quite proud. They each got to pick out a book and a DVD movie. I also checked out an I Spy book that had been recommended to me as a helping book for Armon. He is learning but it's slow. 
Last weekend Ted, Sydney and Bella came to stay. We enjoy it so much when they come. We're kept busy but it's a good busy. We watched fire works, went swim suit shopping, went swimming and to MacDonald's, had a cook out, played ladder ball, walked Plaid, went to church, talked, etc. 
Jerry and Ted worked on the MG. It has a problem, in fact, when they went for a ride it stalled and they couldn't get it going. A young guy pulled them all the way home! They had driven up to Wixom Lake and were on their way home when it stalled. The good part was they had already been to the ice cream cone shop so they didn't have to miss out on that! That would have been horrible. They think it might be the fuel pump.
Today when I was at the library I had an interesting conversation with the librarian. She was waiting while Armon signed his name and looked at me and asked, "Do you all attend Midland Free Methodist Church?" My instant silent reaction was, what does this have to do with getting a library card? I didn't ask but said, "Well, yes, we do." Then she said she does too! I asked her name and said I'm sorry I didn't recognize her. When she said her name she also said they've been attending for about a year! I smiled and said she must go to first service. No, she said they go to second service. I was embarrassed to say I didn't recognize her. Then she said she recognized our name from the Prime Time News newsletter! I said it was good to know she reads it because I'm the editor! What a surprising conversation! We're going to look for each other on Sunday. 
Lord, I praise You because You are Omnipresent, Sovereign, Love. Forgive me for taking You for granted and for trying to do things on my own. Thank You for watching over us. Thank You for family and friends. Please help me as I work with Armon each morning. Help me to make a difference. Help him to make an effort to learn and to focus on letters and words. He's an intelligent little boy but he needs help getting started. 

Happy Birthday July 1

Happy Birthday, Vel! Another year... Can you believe it? You're a good sister-in-law to me! Thanks for all you do for my mom. Thanks for putting up with me when I come out to visit Mother, you and Bill, Lisa, Doug and Justin. I appreciate you more than you know. I hope you have a great day today, you deserve it. Just putting up with my younger brother, Bill, says you deserve it!!!
(Jerry says, "Happy birthday, Wilma!")


Lord, thank You for Vel. She's a good sister-in-law, wife, mother, grandma, daughter-in-law, aunt, sister, friend, neighbor, etc. Please keep her safe and well. Keep her trusting in You. I love her and You love her even more.

Journal 6/30/11

So much has been going on around here I've got to stop and journal. I'm tutoring Armon every morning for an hour, trying to get him ready for first grade. He's an intelligent little boy but he's very active and has a hard time focusing on the subject at hand. I do think he's improving. I just hope there'll be a difference in him when school starts. 


We have two dogs who go through our property on a regular basis now. We don't like it, but what can we do? Most people, now days,
keep their dogs tied or in a kennel. I think I know where these dogs live but I've never met the people. I love dogs, don't get me wrong. I just don't think they should be allowed to run free and make regular jaunts through our property. But what to do???


We're having beautiful weather right now. It's almost perfect! I had a doctor appointment yesterday. I'm well and fine. I do have a problem on my tongue. It's strange and I'll go back to have it looked at next month. 


Here's something so funny that happened today with the grand kids. I took them (3) to the fun zone to use up some energy. They were off playing when I saw three young black boys come running up to play. They climbed into a model truck. Armon came running to me to tell me something and noticed the three boys. When he came to me he asked why those boys were staring at him. I said something like maybe because you look like they do. He looked down at his shirt and said, "No, I don't. My shirt is different then theirs!" Ah, kids, I'm so glad color apparently means nothing to him. Me either.


A former neighbor of ours received a new heart yesterday! I wasn't even aware she needed one until I saw on facebook one day about her being in the hospital waiting for a new heart! That meant some one had to die. Well, yesterday someone did and Ruth was given her heart. So far Ruth is doing well, although it's too soon to know too much.


Lord, I praise You. Please help Armon and me with Grandma's School. Help him to be learning. Help me to be patient with him.
You know about my tongue. I praise You because You are My Healer. Please touch me. Please be with my friend, Ruth. You know all about her. Please help her to gain strength both physically and spiritually. Thank You for the new technology and capability of doctors today.

Happy Anniversary June 27

Happy Anniversary, Andrew and Katie! It's hard to believe a whole year has gone by since your beautiful wedding. We haven't seen you since then but we know you're very busy with work and studies. I love you very much and wish for you a wonderful day of celebrating your first year together as husband and wife.
Lord, I praise You because You are the Creator. You created marriage. Thank You for Andrew and Katie. Please be with them on this special day and every day. I love them so much and You love them even more.

Happy Birthday June 24

Happy Birthday, Miller! Fourteen years ago I flew to Birmingham, Alabama to stay with your older brother and sister for when you were born! How time flies! I'd sure like to have an ice cream cone with you! I like going for ice cream cones with you! It's sort of our thing, isn't it? I wonder how tall are you now? You were over six feet when you were here last summer! You're a fine boy and a fine grandson. I wish for you a very happy birthday, Miller.


Lord, Miller is growing up so quickly. Thank You for him. Please watch over him. Help him to develop good habits, good friends, a respect for others and a love for You. Please keep Your Hand of protection over him. I love him so much, Lord, and You love him even more.  

Awesome Good News

Armon and Elmise are about to become family...my grandchildren! They'll soon be official. Rob and Jessica got a call this morning that the adoption will be finalized within the month! It's been over a year since they arrived in the USA! They have bloomed and blossomed! 
Thank You, Lord, for answered prayer. Thank You for these two beautiful children. Thank You for Rob, Jessica, Tyler and Haleigh who have opened their hearts and their home.

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day, Jerry! You've been a good daddy to our five children and a good grandpa to our sixteen grandchildren!
This morning we enjoyed breakfast with Rob and Jessica, Haleigh, Elmise and Armon. Sausage and pancakes and fruit. It was very good. Elmise proudly made the pancakes!
For dinner I made pork loin, baked potatoes, green bean casserole, celery with peanut butter. Watermelon later... We ate dinner outside on the deck. 
It's a beautiful day! In the afternoon we went for a walk through Dow Gardens. It was very relaxing.


Lord, how I thank You for a Christian husband. His love of You shines through. As a father he was and is a shining example of what a Christian man is. Thank You.

Journal 6/19/11

Today is Father's Day. We just came home from next door where we had breakfast with son, Rob, Jessica, Haleigh, Elmise and Armon. Elmise was making pancakes when we arrived! She's a good cook! We also had sausage and lots of fruit. It was very good. They gave Dad - Grandpa candy and a picture of the four grandkids, next door. It's very nice. Pam called Jerry while we were over there. Her timing was perfect because he had just finished eating so he left the room for a few minutes to talk to her. It's a beautiful day today. 


I miss my dad. He died six years ago and I still miss him like it was yesterday. 


I was asked by a friend, just the other day, if I ever think about quitting writing the newsletter I'm editor of. This is my fifth year of writing it. I told her, when I do a bad job according to my brother, then I think maybe I should step down. But otherwise no, I'm not ready to quit yet. But, this morning, I suddenly remembered something for the newsletter, that comes out today...I never mentioned Father's Day! What on earth was wrong with me? Old age? It has to be. I always highlight any special day or holiday. Oh the poor fathers... I wonder how many folks will notice. I usually get comments when something is wrong. I wonder how many I'll get today?


Lord, thank You for my dad and my husband. They were and are special men and special dads. Thank You for creating families. Help me to know when the time is right for me to step down as editor of Prime Time News.

Helping Grandpa

Elmise is a good worker. She wanted to help wash our outside chairs. We were having company for supper and the evening. So she came over to help Grandpa scrub the lawn chairs. They were clean and dry when the first guests arrived. Click on the picture to see it close up.


Lord, thank You for good weather for our cookout with friends. Thank You for willing grandchildren to help out with big jobs.

Journal 6/15/11

I got up at 5:30 this morning, enjoyed some quiet time reading in Exodus and then Charles Swindolls remarks about it. My prayer time is mainly spent in praise because I have so many requests I don't know where to begin! I am praying for certain friends and family. A young friend wrote asking me how to know when and if God is calling him to be a missionary. I asked him some questions in return, among them: is he educationally prepared? (I know he's taking some classes) Is he a missionary where he lives and works now? (my guess is yes but I don't really know) My siblings all need prayer and my children and grandchildren. My mom...

Today Jerry and I went to the funeral of a friend who died last Friday at 91 years. It was in another town so most of our day was taken with the trip. It was near where we met 53 years ago at a camp ground. After the funeral we drove out into the country to find the old campground and we couldn't find it. We drove down several gravel roads looking for a woods with a big oak tree that looked like it could have been a camp ground but we never found it. That was a little disappointing.

I tutored Armon this afternoon instead of this morning so we could go to the funeral. It wasn't quite the same. We need to get back to our routine. First thing in the morning is best while we're both fresh. 

So tomorrow will be a new day with a new start. I can't wait.

Lord, thank You for this day. It was off kilter but still it was a day to live for You. Help me tomorrow to wake up praising You because You are In Control...even when it doesn't look like it! 

Happy Anniversary June 13

Happy Anniversary to Jerry and me! 52 years! I can't believe it! We had a good day today. We went to our favorite resturant for breakfast, Lanny's. We came home and I had Grandma's School for Armon. Then we drove to Frankenmuth to meet friends, Barb & Tim, at Zehnder's for dinner at noon. Barb & Tim celebrated their fourth anniversary today! Jerry had beef tips over noodles, I had crab cakes. Very, very good. Zehnder's is known for chicken but ... oh well. Then we walked all over town looking in shops. We even went to Bronner's Christmas Shop. It's open 361 days a year! We watched the German Glockenspiel, I got some good pictures of it. I'm not sure what I'll do with them though, it's such a sad story of revenge. 
Thank You, Lord, for 52 golden years! I'm so thankful for a good Christian husband. I have so much to be thankful for...my heritage, my children, my grandchildren, my extended family, my friends, most of all my personal experience with Jesus. Thank You, thank You, thank You.

Journal 5-12-11

It's been a while since I've written here so today is a good day. This morning I went for a manicure and a pedicure, compliments of Pam! This makes me feel so good, so clean, so special! 


I had a super Mother's Day! We had breakfast with Rob's family, Rob, Jessica, Haleigh, Elmise and Armon - Tyler. Puff pancakes with sausage and peaches! Very good! We had dinner with Ted's family, Ted, Sydney and Bella . Cornish hen and salads! A surprise and so good! Supper with Pam's family, Pam, Gene and Matthew. Chinese! So delicious! All so special and all my favorites! The best part was being with three of my five children and six of my 16 grandchildren all on Mother's Day. Then I had telephone conversations with Mother, daughter, Christy, sister, Lorraine, sister-in-law Vel, and very special friend, Ramses. What a wonderful day! Thanks to all who made it special. 

I mustn't leave Tim's family out. They live in Canada so we skype and I received a beautiful card from his family.

Oh my, God is so faithful. I have had three friends on death's door this past week. Today they are all showing a little bit of improvement! All three are out of ICU. Esther is in Washington, Gerry is in Indiana and Judy is in Michigan. God is everywhere!


I praise You, Lord, because You are All Knowing and You are Omnipresent. Thank You for family and friends.

Journal June 9, 2011

I'm tutoring Armon every morning for an hour Monday through Friday, this summer. This is to help him be ready for first grade in the fall. He's a very intelligent little boy but has a difficult time concentrating on learning to read. We brought in an old school desk we've had since our own kids were kids. After cleaning it up it looks great and he's pleased to have his own special place for learning. He's here every morning right on time, sitting at his desk, ready to study. I love it.


I have two things that are really bugging me right now. One is that we had baby robins in a nest beside our front porch we were keeping track of and today... Jerry saw a lot of activity, adult robins flying in the tree and out, etc. He went out to see what the problem was...a large bird was after the babies. I don't know what the bird was, I only got a glimpse. He won. The babies are on the ground now...dead. It's so sad. 
The other thing that's bugging me...the yellow Marigolds on Eastman Avenue. We have a program of beautifying our city. A Saturday morning in May one lane is blocked off and people plant flowers all along the curb of Eastman Avenue. The city provides the flowers. Most years Petunias are planted. They are so pretty and they fill in so nicely. All summer we have beautiful colorful flowers lining the street all the way from the expressway to downtown. This year we have yellow Marigolds. I suppose they're cheaper, I don't know of any other reason to plant these in place of Petunias. I'm the only one I've heard complain about it. Do other folks really like these yellow flowers in place of the beautiful multicolored flowers?


Well, enough complaining. Let's see...there is this work in nature of keeping a balance in nature. Animals and birds living off each other. I don't like it but it's not up to me. God is our Creator and He knows best. He also created the Marigold's as well as the Petunia's. But I also have the belief that if we're going to do something, do it well. So, City of Midland, you disappointed me. But, I say, who asked me? 


Lord, I praise You because You are All Knowing. Please forgive me for complaining. Thank You for the flowers and the birds. Please be with the Robins who lost their babies today. Please help those Marigolds to bloom and blossom all summer and provide beauty along Eastman Avenue. Help me to adjust my attitude and be thankful for the flowers.

Keeping Cool

Temps in the 90's but the kids know how to keep cool. Squirt guns don't look like the squirt guns we had when I was a kid! This is Haleigh, Elmise and Armon having fun! Be sure to click on the picture to bring it up close.
Lord, thank You for fun! I love You, Lord!

Journal June 2, 2011

I'll try writing again. I got really discouraged with blogspot when I was told I couldn't put more pictures on. Why didn't they tell me there was a limit to the number of pictures? I would have been more careful to only put the best on and not so many.
     Well, I've had some things happen to me I'd like to write about. I'll start with today...would you believe I left my purse in my shopping basket at Meijer's! I didn't miss it until I got home and was unloading the car...no purse. I ran inside to tell Jerry, then ran back out and started to back out of the garage. 
     Oh no. I forgot the back door of our mini van was still up...! It hit the garage door! I stopped quickly and in time before I did any major damage! Then I drove like mad to get back to Meijer's before someone found my cart out in the parking lot with my purse in it. I could have gotten a ticket, I'm sure, but I didn't. I got to the parking lot...on no, my cart was gone. I hurried inside and was told to go to the service desk. I did. 
     The girl asked for my name and got a smile on her face. "Is this your purse?" she asked, as she held up a small black purse with a little fuzzy monkey dangling from the zipper!
     " Oh yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you." Whoever had found it had turned it in.
     I drove home slowly, thanking God all the way for taking care of me and my purse.
Thank You, Lord, for taking care of us..of me. I realize I was careless and never should have left my purse in the shopping cart. I didn't mean to. I praise You for Your Constant Abiding Presence and Peace.

Happy Birthday 21 of May

Happy Birthday, Sydney! Twelve years old. This is a big day. I had to wait until this evening to write this to you so I wouldn't spoil the big surprise! Well, Grandpa and I showed up...that was the first surprise! But there was more to come! You are now the owner of your own horse, Kay! There is a lot of responsibility to owning a horse but I know you can do it! The horse was a gift from your former and now again, trainer! She knew how you loved Kay! It's also from your Dad because he has to put out the money until you're old enough to help! What a big day today was! I love you, Sydney!
Lord, thank You for Sydney. She's a wonderful granddaughter. Please help her as she enters these often difficult years. Keep her close to You, help her to always live for You. Help her with her horse, Kay, that she will learn the responsibility of caring for her and also how to ride her expertly. Help her to share the fun and responsibility with Bella. It's not always easy to share but it's a necessary part of life. Please help Sydney and Bella to become and remain the very best of friends. I love Sydney and You love her even more!

Happy Mother's Day

     Happy Mother's Day, Mother! The day is almost over and I'm just now finding time to write this. I want to tell you how much you mean to me. Life wasn't easy when I was a child. Money was scarce, Dad was gone a lot, we moved often. 
     Let me explain some of this. Money was scarce back in the 40s and 50s, when I was a child. But you were so innovative! You sewed most of the clothes for Lorraine and me and for yourself! Material for dresses was often feed sacks. We, girls, would get to pick the most colorful or the best design on the feed sacks! You raised chickens and rabbits so we'd have meat to eat!
     Dad was gone a lot because for several years he was an evangelist. He traveled all over the US and Canada. 
     We moved a lot. I didn't live longer than three years in any house until after I was married! I attended nine schools before I graduated from high school! 
     But you were a trooper. You were behind Dad, encouraging him and helping him any way you could. I love you and am so thankful for you.
Lord, please bless my mom. How I thank You for her. Please continue to give her good health. Keep her close to You. I love her so much and You love her even more!
     

Daffodils

 I love Daffodils. Of course they are among the earliest spring flowers
to bloom. There are so many variations, I have at least four different ones in my yard. 
Lord, thank You for the beautiful Daffodils. 

Happy Birthday May 6

Happy Birthday, Tim! Oh my, when I think back to this day in 1964 I can only remember how happy and relieved I was. You were three weeks late! You were very very welcome! You were my only baby who slept through the night! Every night! Every mother needs one baby who sleeps through the night! 
Now you're a man, a husband, a father, a brother, a Christian, a business owner. What more can I say? I'm very proud of you. I hope you have a super day today. I love you.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Tim! Please bless him as a husband and father. Keep him safe as he drives and works. Thank You for the personal relationship he has with You. I love him so much and You love him even more.