Tues. 9/1/26, Super hot and muggy already this morning Getting close to fall, packed stuff and put it in camper, picked the garden, delivered garden stuff to Sue and to Melissa and Bruce, went to prayer

 

My sweet daughter Vikki who is the cutest and nicest lunch lady

It was already in the 80’s this morning and very muggy when I got up.  September 1st and getting close to fall, but you wouldn’t know it today.  It got up to 95 degrees out.

I packed stuff in the camper. I was very thankful for air conditioning in the house and in the camper.  I fed the fish.  They sure love eating the food I toss in the water.  I filled bird feeders and then picked the garden.  I got some nice big tomatoes, nice cucumbers and nice green peppers.  I picked some corn too.  I washed everything, then bagged some up for Sue and for Marie and Roy.  

Bill and I ate our spaghetti that was left over from Olive Garden.  It was so good.  I got ready to go to Bible Study and left early so I could drop off some veggies and a cabbage bun to Sue.  I gave her the 3 ears of corn I picked.  She called me and said everything was wonderful.  

I went to intercessory prayer and it was awesome.  Amanda S. was there and Merijo also was visiting.  We worshipped and then we all prayed as the Spirit led.  I am so thankful for this group of friends and prayer warriors.  Marie and Roy weren’t there tonight, so I called Melissa to see if she wanted the veggies I had picked and brought for them.  She didn’t answer, but I was close so I went and knocked on the door.  She and Bruce had just gotten home from Sam’s Club.  She was happy to get the veggies.  After that I went to the Pet Store and got a 2 week drop in feeder for my fish.  I also got some allergy pills at Walmart in order to use up the $2.97 that was still left on my card.  

I took one more load of stuff out to the camper when I got home.  Then I worked on my blog.

I talked to my sweet Vikki a couple of times today.  

Monday, 8/31/29, Got up at 6 and added water and yeast to ingredient in bread maker to make dough, cooked burger, cabbage and onion, made cabbage buns, went to Sebewaomg and hung State Rally Banner for CMA on corner, then drove through Frankenmuth and went to Clio, Met Bev, Jim and Dave, Bill did CMA training and Dave became a member, packed more food in camper

Cabbage Buns baked and cooling

Bill and I hung the banner at the corner by BayShore for the Rally this weekend

The drive through Frankenmuth was beautiful

I set my alarm for 6 a.m. and got up and added water and yeast to the other ingredients in the bread makers.  I made two batches.  Went back to bed for a while, then got up at 8 and cooked the burger, cabbage and onion.  I let it cool while I read my Bible and did my prayer books.  Ate a cut up peach for breakfast.  Also drank a protein drink.  

I made the cabbage buns and put them in the oven.  Thankful for my big oven so I can put both trays on the lower shelf and then move both to the upper shelf.  Takes half the time it did with my old small oven.  I am always so thankful when I use my stove.  I cooled them and put them in the refrigerator.

I made my shopping list out, then left to go get groceries for our camping trip.  I stopped at Jack’s first, then Meijer.  I forgot my phone which the list was on, but managed to remember everything I needed and checked it off the list when I got back home.  I just drove back to the camper to unload the groceries.  Bill just happened to open the shed garage door as I pulled up.  He carried all of the groceries over to the camper and handed them up to me, so all I had to do is put them away.  He wanted to leave to put the banner up for our Rally before we met Jim, Bev and Dave, so I hurried so we could leave.  We ate leftover pizza right before we left. 

We got to the corner and put the banner up under BayShores permanent sign.  It went fast and Bill was happy to have it up ahead of time so people will see it.  We headed to Clio after that and got to drive through Frankenmuth on our way.  We got to Leo’s in Clio at 6:45.  They had waited for us to get there to order.  Bill got breakfast, the rest ordered meals and I got pie and coffee with flavored creamer.  That’s all I could eat after having pizza.  While we were waiting for our food, Bill went over the training with Dave to become a CMA member.  He is a Pastor’s son and loves the Lord and loves serving.  He’s 43 years old and single.  He plays on his dad’s church worship team.  This is our second time spending time with Dave.  He surprised us and payed for all of our meals.  He’s coming to the rally on Saturday.

We left and I called Barb and let her know I would help put the registration stuff together if they need more help on Thursday.  Melissa called me and I talked to her til I got home.  Then I had to go put another load of refrigerator stuff in the camper before it got dark out.  I put all the cabbage buns in the freezer.  I called her back after I did that.  We had a nice talk and Evan played a really long and great song on the piano and sang it for me.  He sounded so good and did an amazing job playing the piano.  He just started taking lessons from the Lady who did all of the announcing for the Saginaw Eddy Band on Sunday’s when Jacob played.  She is very talented at playing the piano.  The music teacher at Valley told her about Evan and helped set it up for them to meet.  

I texted with Vikki for a little while.  I talked to Kimmy this morning for a while.  It was a great day.

 

Sunday, 8/30/26, Happy 23rd Anniversary Kimmy and Jared, Happy 79th Birthday Angie, went to church, went to Olive Garden, took nap, went to G’s for Joel’s Birthday

Happy Anniversary Kimmy and Jared.  I’m so thankful God brought you together.  You are a perfect match and a great example of how marriage should be.  I love you both dearly!

Happy Birthday to Angie (sister in the middle).  We love you tons

Bill and I enjoying his free birthday dessert at Olive Garden.  We had Italian donuts with raspberry and chocolate dip.  She brought 6 out.  They are the best.

Us treating Joel, Wes and Gayla to pizza for his birthday celebration with us. We love this sweet family!

I made our coffee, we got ready and then went to church.  It was raining hard outside, so Bill let me out under the covered circle drive.  Our new Pastor, JW’s, wife Sarah and daughter Savannah were there today.  I talked to them and welcomed them.  Worship was awesome and the message was so good.  Aaron gave an awesome testimony of what God has done in his life.  We prayed for people after the service.  It had quit raining when we left.  We went to Jack’s, then went to Olive Garden.  It was raining hard when we went in.  I wore Bill’s hat to keep my hair dry.  When we sat down it started pouring out.  It was raining cats and dogs.  We both had spaghetti and ended taking half of ours each home.  I asked about Birthday’s and Bill told the waitress his Birthday was Friday.  She said she would bring out a free dessert.  He asked for his favorite donuts.  She wrote Happy Birthday on a plate, then brought out the dessert with it.  It tasted so good.  I could only eat one because I was so full.

When we got home it was sunny and nice out.  We both took a short nap.  I had called Gayla and left a message about going out for pizza today for Joel’s birthday.  She called me and told me they couldn’t because they have been so busy and then today had Janet over for lunch.  We talked and couldn’t get together again until October because of all we all have going on with CMA.  She hung up.  Then a while later, she called me back and said Joel had heard her and he wants to go out for pizza, his favorite food.  We decided to meet them at 6.

We went and had the best time.  The pizza was the best and so was the company.  We had a really nice waitress.  She was wearing a cross, so I told her I liked it and asked if she was a Christian.  She said she was and she goes to Hopevale.  She wasn’t from here, but went to a Christian high school, and now is at SVSU in the nursing program.  Bill gave her a good tip.  

We went to Home Depot for Bill to return the part he had bought and get a different size.  Bali Shades are 50% off until 9/9/26, so we looked at some.  That’s a really great price and we need them for the grey bedroom upstairs.  Bill is going to measure the windows and then we are going back to order some.  

Vikki didn’t see the woodchuck all day.  Maybe the rain caused it to sleep all day.  

I worked on my blog and Bill caught up on his CMA stuff and phone.  

Sat. 8/29/26, Slept in til 9, vacuumed and mopped camper floors, put more pool stuff away, Peyton and Kailey went to U of M Stadium, Isaac is in the marching band and is performing there, Vikki is having more problems with the woodchuck,

Peyton and Kailey having fun

They are at U of M for their school’s game and to watch Isaac in Marching band

Isaac in his Marching Band Uniform

 We slept in until 9.  Made our coffees and then we read our Bibles and I did my prayer books.  Ate breakfast after that.  I mixed up 2% protein Chobani Greek Yogurt, some honey, some cinnamon, some granola, some walnuts and added some blueberries too.  It was so good.  Bill and I each had a piece of cake later.  

Bill went to Lowes.  He asked if I wanted to go with him, but I wanted to finish cleaning the camper.  I used my Dyson and vacuumed the floor in the camper really good.  Then I scrubbed it so it is all clean now for our upcoming trip. Bill washed the motorcycle.  I filled the bird feeders and birdbaths and watered my plants on the deck.  Sat out on the deck for a while and relaxed.  

Melissa, Bruce and Max went to Kitch-iti-kipi Springs, Castle Rock and some other places today.  She let me know when they were crossing the bridge.  Then she called me when they were traveling back home.  I was on call for getting Wookie if Hailey went away for the evening and also was set up to get Evan, but ended up not having to do either.  Always like to be there for the kids if they need me though.  

I talked to Vikki and she pulled up the sun room carpet and there are two big holes where the woodchuck chewed through the 8 inch blown in insulation and also the wood floor.  So crazy when she’s in the city.  She set a trap and we are praying she catches it.  

 

Friday, 8/28/26, Bill’s 78th Birthday, met Wes and Gayla at Riverside, Kimmy, Vikki, Kenzie, Rehvyn, Melissa and Hailey came and spent the day, everyone else came over and we celebrated Bill’s birthday in the evening with chicken salad sandwiches and cake and ice cream

Isaac...he rode his bike to my house

Rehvyn spent the day and had fun playing with his toys

Hailey came over with Melissa and brought Rehvyn a grey and white cow

Lydia and Evan came over after they had a nice dinner at her house with her family

Eli came over with Jared and Kimmy after school

Kimmy put google eyes on Arnie and took a picture

Papa took Rehvyn for a ride on the John Deere Tractor.  Rehvyn loved it

Rehvyn put his finger in the water and a fish touched it

Nana and Rehvyn on the bench by Nana's fish pond

Hailey sewing on my sewing machine.  Aunt Kimmy was helping her

Bill and Sue

Bill before we sang Happy Birthday

Bill and Adam

Bill, Stacie, and Adam dressed in peach

DJ had a little peach in his shirt too so we had him get in the picture

Bill and I got ready, read our Bibles, then met Wes and Gayla at Riverside at 8:30.  They bought our breakfast for Bill’s birthday and gave Bill a huge bag of cashews and also some fruit life savers.  So nice of them.  We had a very nice visit while we ate our breakfasts.  

They are such great friends and have been for a very long time. 

We stopped at Pat’s Food Center and I got 3 cake mixes.  One angel food and 2 white cakes.

We came home and Kimmy and Vikki were here waiting for us.  Kimmy brought Arnie too.  They took me down to the basement and showed me this huge cage Vikki found for $4 for Arnie when he’s here and me for my dog when I get it.  It is such a nice looking cage too.

I made the angel food cake first, then made the other two.  I called Sue to see if she was going to come over, but she had someone coming over to put up a satellite for her tv, so she had to wait for him to come and finish.

Kenzie and Rehvyn came over.  Kimmy, Bill and I had a piece of Hailey’s banana bread.  Kenzie tried a piece of mine I shared with her and she loved it too.  We were down to the last piece.  Hailey and Melissa came and brought Wookie.  Hailey brought Rehvyn the cutest stuffed cow and Melissa brought him some cool wooden big trucks and a car hauler that attaches to one and a horse trailer that attaches to the other.  They were her boys when they were little, than she let Jessie’s kids have them to play with, then Bruce’s dad gave them back to Melissa and now Rehvyn gets them to play with.  He sure loved them.  He wanted to put them in Vikki’s car so he didn’t forget to take them when they left.   

Kenzie left to go do some errands and pick up cool whip for me and a gift card for her mom.  She picked Peyton up afterward and brought her to my house.  I called Sue again and she had fallen asleep after the guy got finished with the Satellite work.  She said she was going to drive over.  We were all very happy.  She is driving again and this is the first time she’s been over in a couple of years.  She really enjoyed seeing Rehvyn and thought he was so cute and such a good boy.  

Melissa and Hailey had to leave, then Kimmy had to leave to go pick up Eli from school.  When Jared got out of work, they all came here for chicken salad sandwiches and cake and ice cream.  Melissa and Hailey came back too.  Then Bruce and Max got here.  Adam came after he got out of work.  Rody came after he got out of work too.  Then Stacie, DJ and Kody came.  We all visited, than ate (it was a last minute get together so I didn’t fix a big meal like I should have), but we all had fun together and celebrated Bill’s birthday and that’s what was so nice.  Just being together.  Most of us had cake and ice cream and enjoyed that.  Bill had everyone’s share that didn’t take any.  

After Jack got out of work, he came over and ate and had cake and ice cream.  He picked up Evan and Lydia from her house.  Lydia’s mom had Evan over for a big delicious meal, so they weren’t hungry for anything, but it sure was nice having them here too.  We had so much fun and Bill was so happy that everyone came.  We are blessed with a close family. 

Sue stayed till the sun was almost set, then left to get home before dark.  She had a really nice time talking to everyone and we sure were happy she came and we all loved having her here to visit with.  What a great day!  Kimmy had made 2 batches of rolls for Sue for me since I didn’t have time and I sent them home with Sue today.  She loves to have them in her freezer.

Thursday, 8/27/26, BILL PICKED AXUP, ent to Debbie, our Area Reps. house, went to Mennonite store, cooked fish from neighbor Chase, Bill mowed the grass, sat outside on bench and fed fish, gave Kit Kat attention,

Max cleaning his gun

Max shooting at clay pigeons

I cooked up the fish the neighbor behind us gave to us.  It was delicious

I got ready to go to Debbies, then Bill and I read our Bibles.  I told Bill goodbye and gave him a kiss and he told me he was praying for my safe trip there.  I put Debbie’s address in my GPS and saw it is 1 1/2 hours to get to her house.  It was a beautiful day for a drive.  I

got to her house, and she was outside to welcome me.  We went inside and talked for a few minutes, then started on what I went there for.  She creased an cut the paper and then I folded it into a tiny pocket sized booklet and it is the schedule for our State Rally.  It was tricky to learn to fold at first because of the way it had to be gathered up just right.  I caught on pretty fast and we folded 250 of them.  Debbie came up with this idea.  I know people are really going to love having a 4 day program they can keep right in their pocket.  We stopped after we had done 150 of them and had lunch.  She had sliced braunschweiger for sandwiches, and  sliced tomatoes, cucumbers, and zucchini from her garden.  Everything tasted really good.  We did the last 100 after that.  We had a nice time talking as we worked and got to know each other better.  Her husband, Paul, was at physical therapy after his knee replacement surgery.  She had tried to show him how to fold one of these, and he couldn’t catch on to how to do it.  He was happy to hear when he called that we were almost finished.  

After we finished, we walked out to her front porch.  It’s her favorite place to hang out.  She had lots of comfy furniture on it and had a swinging seat that was comfy.  We sat out there for a few minutes.  Then I had to leave for home.  On my way, I stopped at the Mennonite Store.  I got some round steak, a nice roast, Snickerdoodle cookies for Bill, and some Michigan peaches.  I bought some frozen bagels an put everything in a keep cold bag for the ride home.  Those bags from Aldi are great.  

I stopped at Panera and got a large lemonade with no ice for Bill and I to share.  Then I drove the rest of the way home.  Bill was napping.  He had put all the pool parts he took off and the pump down in the basement and was tired.  I fried up al the fish the neighbor had given us.  It was the best fish ever!  So delicious!  We couldn’t eat all of it, but will finish it tomorrow.  

I went outside to feed my fish and look at how much better my plants looked after that great rain we had yesterday.  What a difference God’s rain makes.

We had a yummy slice of Hailey’s banana bread for our snack later.  I worked on my blog and Bill caught up on stuff on his phone.   

 

Wed., 8/26/26, Hailey came at 10:15 to bake stuff for our RFS Bake Sale, Melissa stopped over with Wookie, Vikki stopped over after babysitting Thomas, Got a good 1/2 inch of rain, watched as things turned greener

Hailey making the chocolate chip cookies

Two huge beautiful loaves of Pumpkin Bread she made

Hailey’s cookies look perfectly shaped.  She loves baking and does extra things to make them taste delicious and look amazing

Cookies cooling

Hailey by the two loaves each of pumpkin bread, banana bread and zucchini bread.  She sure did an outstanding job baking everything.  

Putting cookies on the racks to cool

Two trays of no nuts and two trays with nuts

Bill and Max at 5 Guys...Max’s favorite place to get a burger

It looked like the rain might pass by us again.  I sure did pray for God to give us some.  About 20 minutes later we got a good rain and the rain gauge said 1/2 inch.  I was so thankful, especially for the farmers.

Vikki was on her way and asked if I saw the rainbow.  I didn’t even though I looked all over.  I did take a picture of the view from my front door.  It looked so cool with the sun shining and clouds above it.

I got up and did my hair, then got ready, emptied the dishwasher and put dishes away, put pans I had washed last night away, and got racks out on the table for when cookies are baked.  I made Bill and I a coffee and then we read our Bibles.  Hailey got here after we finished.  I had picked us up Vanilla Starbuck drinks, so we each had one.  She started working in the kitchen right away getting a double batch of chocolate chip cookie dough made.  I helped get ingredients ready and some measured out for her.  I washed dishes as she worked.  She carried the cookies out to the garage refrigerator and put them where I had made room for her.  

Then she started making her banana bread.  She baked the bananas instead of using over ripe bananas.  I chopped some nuts for her and shredded some zucchini and measured it out for her.  Melissa stopped over and brought Wookie.  He was going between Hailey with the chocolate chips and me with chopping nuts.  He is not supposed to eat either.  Every time he heard me pick up the knife, he came to me.  When I set the knife down, he went to Hailey.  He didn’t get anything, because we were both being very careful.  Melissa gave him some of his treats, and I had her get a bag of carrots out of the refrigerator and give him some of those.  He was very happy with those healthy treats.  

Melissa had a bowls of 2% Protein Yogurt, with honey, oatmeal, walnuts, and blueberries.  She showed me how to make it and gave me some at her house the other day.  I bought the ingredients for them yesterday.  Hailey and I had Turkey off the Bone lunchmeat from Jack’s with Sharp cheese.  I had a sandwich, and Hailey had it with crackers.  

Hailey got right back at making the zucchini and pumpkin breads.  I am sure glad I have a full sized stove/oven now.  She had it going the whole time she was here and had her timer going and my watch timer going.  She was so amazing the way she puts such love and care into her baking.  She went over and above what she needed to do to make them really special, delicious and beautiful.  I love that she uses parchment paper in the bread tins and there is no messy tins plus, it looks beautiful in the parchment paper.  I talked to Kimmy, then Vikki and while I was talking, she washed all the pans and dried them and put them away.  She is sure a blessing from the Lord to me.  I sent some freezer bags of corn home with her for her family to have in their freezer.  She gave me two big hugs before she left.

I sure do love her.  Bill bought a loaf of banana bread Hailey made right away.  He put $10 in the Bake Sale Money envelope.  All the money goes to Run for the Son which goes to 4 ministries to reach the lost for Jesus....Jesus Film, Global Christian Outreach, Mission Ventures, and CMA US Outreach rallies.  100% goes to missions.  Last year we raised over $1000 at our Bake sale at the state rally.

I went out to feed the fish and sat and watched them.  It was getting dark in the west, but had some clear spots like it was wanting to go to the north.  I sure did pray that we would get some much needed rain.  The wind started blowing really hard when I got in the house.  It started raining really hard.  The pool cover did great in the wind. Vikki stopped over after she was done and saw a beautiful rainbow on her way here.  It was still raining when she got here.  She stayed for a few minutes until Peyton called her to come get her from school.  She had gone with the Pruitt’s to a game at school, but it had gotten rained out and cancelled.  She hung out with them for a while inside the school.  I sent a dozen ears of corn, and some quart freezer bags home with Vikki.  This is our best year for corn yet.  The Lord sure blessed us.