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.  

 

 

Tuesday, 8/25/26,, Bill took the trash out, grandkid’s first day of school, went shopping,,bill picked corn, shucked corn, froze corn

Eli’s first day of 11th grade

Peyton and Isaac’s first day of High 
School. - 9th grade

Jack’s first day being a senior

Evan first day of 10th grade

Bill rolling up strap...returning pool cover that was too small, but drying it first

Bill had the wheel barrow and the big wagon full of corn when I got home.  He picked 210 ears of corn from our garden behind him

Us shucking corn together

Corn....Bags of corn on the cob for Melissa, Vikki and our neighbor behind us.  The rest to be done and put in the freezer.  Kimmy got lots of corn from her garden too and did it a couple of weeks ago.  We planted later.

All ready to be cooked, cut off the cob and put in gags for the freezer

The three gallon bags of corn for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter

We got up at 8:30.  I took my shower and Bill took the trash out.  We read our Bibles and did our devotion after that.  I did my prayer books.  We covered the pool with a 20 foot cover which worked much better than the size it says for our pool which is 18 foot.  We took the old one and hung it over the line to dry.  I left to go to the store for ingredients for Hailey to bake banana bread, zucchini bread, pumpkin bread and chocolate chip cookies.  I had mostly everything she needed, but needed some of the stuff.  Went to Meijer, then went to Jack’s for Off the bone turkey lunchmeat and finch food.  I talked to Kimmy and Jared on my way home.  I was telling Kimmy about our corn and told her we might do it today.  She told me to wait until Friday until her and Vikki were here to help.  I told her it would depend on if Bill picked it already when I got home.  He had.  The girls both offered to come help, but I told them we could get it done.  I put my comfy chair in the shade next to the wagon and garbage can that Bill had ready for me and he stood by the wheelbarrow and we began shucking corn.  He picked 210 ears of corn.  We gave a dozen to our neighbor behind us.  Bill took it back and gave it to Chase, who gave us a bag of fish he caught and cleaned.   That was so nice of him, but totally unexpected.  I got a dozen ready for Vikki and 1 1/2 dozen ready for Melissa.  Then we shucked the rest.  It was cool in the shade and fun to do together.  After that, we hauled it up to the house.  I took a picture of it by the back door, then we took in inside.  I made Bill a baked potato, warmed up sirloin burger, and he had corn on the cob.  I started boiling the corn, and cutting it off with my favorite easy tool, than packed it in bags.  I made my dinner during one of the 5 minute boiling times, and ate quickly.  I just had my corn out of the cut up corn.  Bill took all the cobs of corn out for me and helped with whatever I needed.  We got done at 1 a.m.  He dumped the pot of water for me and helped me carry 29 quart bags and 3 gallon bags of corn to the basement freezer.

Than he went to bed and I spent a half hour cleaning up the kitchen.  He was more tired than me because he had picked all that corn so I had told him to go to bed.  We were so glad when the corn was done and told each other a few times what a great job the other one did and how much we loved each other.  What a big job to have done.  I’m so glad we don’t have to do it on Bill’s birthday Friday.