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.  

Monday, 8/24/26, Bill went to breakfast with guys from church, I did some cleaning, went with Bill to his hip injection appt., went to Panera, tilled the garden, Bill had Elder’s meeting,

Happy Birthday Rody!  We love you!  So thankful you are in our family!

Bill at breakfast with some guys from church...Bill, Greg, Gene, Ken, Dana, and Ralph

Bill and I having soup, bread and our free SIPS drinks.  He had lemonade and I had hibiscus tea.  He got a free soup today.

Bill went to breakfast with the guys from church.  I read my Bible and did my prayer books.  Put some worship on.  Vikki stopped over for a few minutes.  I printed off a copy she needed, so she came to pick it up.  I talked to Melissa for a while.  I did some cleaning while he was gone.  When he got home, we left to go to his appt. for his hip injection.  We ran into our friend, Jeannie, while we were waiting for Bill to sign in.  She talked to Bill and then he told her I was in the waiting room, so she came to talk to me.  She said her husband, Terry, was in the hospital and had been here a few days.  He had broke out in some big red spots.  They couldn’t figure out what they are, but now they are starting to go away.  We went to visit him after Bill was done with his appointment.  We had a nice visit with him, especially since Bill and he used to work together.  We visited about a half hour, then prayed for him and left.  

We stopped at Panera on our way home to get our free drinks.  We decided to go in because Bill saw that he had a free soup he could get and a half off muffie.  I got a bowl of Onion soup which was really good.  Bill dropped me off at Aldi so I could get a couple of things, and then he went to the Print shop to order a Banner for our Rally.  He came and picked me back up afterward.

We got home and I went out and was going to get the Mantis out to till the garden.  Bill had moved it to a hard place for me to get it out, so he came and got it out for me.  I got most of the garden tilled, when it ran out of gas.  Bill put gas in it and I finished the other end.  

He had to leave for an Elder’s meeting, but he sent me a text saying the garden looked great and he loved me.  So sweet.  

I called Kimmy to see how she is doing.  Today, she started feeling better.  I am so thankful.

She was playing 3-13 with Jared.  

I let all the girls know that Bill’s brother, Fred, came through his back surgery good.  The surgeon was happy with how it went.  He will have to be in the hospital for a while.  Not sure how long yet.  We are praying for his quick recovery with no complications.  

Bill and I called Rody as soon as Bill was home from his Elder’s meeting and sang Happy Birthday to him.  He turned 50!  He had a good day but a quiet day he said.  

It was a wonderful day and I am sure blessed with sweet daughters and a loving family.

Sunday, 8/23/27, Went to first service at church, taught Sunday School, went to Bay City for Thunder in the Vally Blessing of the bikes, went to Caro Chapter Meeting,

Put slip covers on bench seat in camper.  Testing it out and then will put the other side on

Our group picture taken this morning at Thunder in the Valley

Chaplain Dennis did the Bike Blessing

We rode the Bike to church so we could leave for the Rally in Bay City right after church.

Worship was awesome this morning.  I taught Sunday School so after worship, went back with the kids.  As I was walking out the sanctuary door, Abigail came and took my hand and walked with me to class.  She is such a sweet girl who is in my class.  Our lesson was a good one and we had fun activities.  The kids were all so good and were great listeners.  Bill wanted to leave at 10:15, but it took me longer where the kids painted with wet chalk and then we had to untape the tape shaped like a cross.  They all turned out really good.  We had to put some in baggies because they were wet still.  The kids sure had fun doing them.  We got stuff picked up and I wiped off the tables.  Janet told me she would dump the water from the kids bowls and wipe off the counter.  I left and found Bill talking with friends by the door.  I talked with Phyllis for a minute, then Bill was ready to leave.

We headed for Bay City.  We got there 4 minutes before the bike blessing was supposed to start.  Bill turned down a wrong road and when he realized it, we turned around and we came back and turned down a road to take us where we needed to be.  We were happy to get there.  They had decided to wait for more people to get out of church, so they hadn’t started.

We walked through Bubba’s tent.  I found a pair of sunglasses to keep in the bike.  The tag said $25, but Debbie (Bubba’s wife) told me I could have them for $20.  That was so sweet of her.  They fit really well, and also fit in the bike compartment well.

After we left there, we rode with Cindy, Lew, Dennis and Midge to Cass City for the Caro Chapter meeting.  We ate lunch first. Bill and I had breakfast.  Then the meeting started.  It was a good meeting with Lew leading it.  Bill shared about the state rally that’s coming up.  

We rode home and stopped at Dairy Queen for a Blizzard and Hot fudge sundae.’ Yum

I rained a tiny bit on our ride but I didn’t get wet. 

We got home and did some stuff outside, then relaxed and I did my bog,  

 

Sat. 8/22/26, Someone made big charges on Bill’s credit card so let the bank know, did some hoeing and weeding around house and in flower garden, went to Tony’s, more weeding on last little part of flower garden,

Evan, Melissa, Hailey, me, Bill and Jack (Max and Bruce were in Indiana at the Sand Dune State Park hiking)

We read our Bibles, did my prayer books.  I read extra in the book of Daniel because it was so interesting.  I walked outside afterward and fed my fish.  Bill tried to use his credit card at Home Depot and couldn’t, so he looked and there were two big charges on our account that we didn’t make.  We contacted the bank and they had shut our card off because of the big charges.  We filled out forms and they are investigating the charges for fraud.  That took a while.  I went out to do some weeding and hoeing with the 3 prong hoe.  I got about 3/4’s of the way done and it started sprinkling.  Bill asked me if I wanted to go out to eat, so we called Kimmy and Jared to see if they and the boys wanted to go out to eat with us and we would treat.  They were picking up Eli and Isaac and then meeting Vikki with them.  She and Jared were going to the Green Thumb Fish store afterwards.  We called Melissa and Bruce to see if they wanted to go out to eat and Melissa, Evan, Hailey and Jack met us at Tony’s on Gratiot.  We had fun visiting and eating.  Eli called me to see if he could use my Panera Sips Club and I called him back to say yes.  Kimmy called me to see where we ended up eating.  I told her we would take them out soon.  They had such big portions, we were all super full and couldn’t eat everything.  That is everybody but Evan.  He was helping the rest of us eat our extra stuff after he ate a big chicken dinner with onion rings.  He is so funny.  He’s always hungry.  I remember my brother eating like that at Evan’s age.

Jack got a text from Kaylin’s mom saying they were in Saginaw and going to Jack’s favorite restaurant, The Maple Grill.  She was asking him if he wanted them to pick him up so he could go with them.  He had told them how good it is and told them they needed to try eating there.  

We left the restaurant, hugged each other, then we all headed for home.  Bill and I were going to go get ice cream tonight, but decided we were too full.  We will have to have that ice cream date another time.

I worked on the blog when I got home.  Bill sat next to me in the loveseat recliner and caught up on his phone.

 

Friday, 8/21/26, went to Vikki’s, fun day hanging out with her, Kimmy, and the kids

Vikki, Kimmy and I taking Peyton’s extension braids out

Isaac and Eli hung out together bike riding and than at the house

We read our Bibles first thing.  Bill went to help Alec pick up some drywall.  Kimmy and I went to Vikki’s to hang out today so Vikki could get Peyton’s hair done.  It takes around 11 hours.  Kimmy was already there when I got there.  I didn’t get there until 11.  I was so happy to see Kimmy and Eli today.  We haven’t seen them in a long time with Kimmy being sick.  Kimmy thinks she has pleurisy now, but is taking an anti inflammatory for praying that takes care of it.  We helped take Peyton’s braids out so hopefully that saves Vikki some time.  It’s a big job, but it lasts for around 6 weeks.

We girls had pizza for lunch and the boys got home and had chicken fries.  We girls tried the chicken fries and they were really good.  Thanks for sharing with us boys.

Peyton played her guitar lots when Vikki wasn’t working on her hair.  She plays so good and it was so relaxing listening to her.  The boys worked on trying to get the chain on Isaac’s bike when they got done with their ride.  They were in the basement most of the time.  

I left around 4 to come home.  I warmed up the leftovers from Zehnder’s for dinner.  They tasted just as good.   

Had a relaxing evening.  Started watching a Christian movie, but decided we didn’t like it so turned it off.  Read CBN news.