10/30/17

Love this pumpkin picture Melissa put on of Evan, Max, Hailey and Jack

Ahmeh reminds me a lot of Kenzie in this picture

Went and walked three miles at the Sports zone.  Went shopping for items for shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child and then came home and stated packing them.  I had to take all of the air out of the soccer ball to get it in the box with all the other stuff.  Did some cleaning to get ready for small group.  After I made dinner, I took the shoeboxes to Holly's house.  It was so nice seeing her and Kylie.  Came home and Bill and I listened to the sermon from last week.  We were in New York so didn't get to hear it till now.  It was a good one on the escalator and anger.  We did our questions for small group afterward.  Played Words with Friends with each other.  Vikki called and we sure had some great laughs.  I was in tears.  It was a had to be here moment.

10/27/17 Kimmy and the boys came over, Vikki, Peyton and Isaac came over, The girls sewed and stuffed the rest of the arm pillows, Kody and Peyton spent the night

Adam played his instrument for us and he sure has improved.  He is playing so good for just learning....

Love this picture of him....papa snoozing in the background, but not for long  ha ha

Eli like moving the couch up and down with the button

Jacob sorting through Vikki's beads

I brought the Statue of Liberty back with me

Peyton, Kody, Eli, Jacob and Adam

Peyton and Kody at McDonalds

Peyton

Kody

Kody

Kody and Peyton reading the Kid's Bible with pop up pictures.  They love it.

Sue and I went to visit Louise and Lila in the new facility for rehab on Tittabawassee.  They were both doing good.  Louise should get out Tuesday.  Sue came in to visit when we got back to my house.  Kimmy and the boys came over after the boys got out of school.  They only had a half day so I was so happy they could come.  Got my hugs I have been missing while I was gone.  When Vikki got out of work, she, Peyton and Isaac came over too.  We ate salad with chicken for lunch.  Eli brought his spaghetti O's so he had me warm them up.  Adam and a peanut butter and Jelly sandwich.  Jacob had eaten pizza before he came so he wasn't hungry. Sue ate with us.  She stayed for a while and then when she left, Kimmy and Vikki sewed the rest of the pillow arms.  Kimmy gave Mocha a great haircut.  She looks so cute.  She was really matted.  I didn't even think Kimmy would be able to groom her.  She sure is talented.  Vikki brought an arm for me to keep that attaches to my folding table to hold Mocha still.  It worked great.  Thank you Kimmy! At four I went and met Kody's grandma and picked him up at Tim Horton's.  He was a little shy for a couple of minutes and then he loved playing with the kids.  Adam and Eli were so good with him.  They all played nice together.  After everyone left, I took Peyton and Kody to McDonalds.  They played with a nice little boy who really took care of them.  He came with us to get their free cones and traded Kody's transformer for a mask Kody wanted.  Then Kody dropped his cone and the 10 yr. old boy went and got him another one.  We walked to our cars and as we went out the door the kid said I know what car is yours.  He guessed wrong, so I told him which one.  Him and his grandpa were parked right next to us in a red van.  The grandpa saw the cross on my car and said he had to get one of those and asked me where I got it.  We were driving down the road and were going to turn on our road and they went by us and the kid was just waving away.  Peyton lost her tooth at school today.  She was pretty excited and looked so cute with it out.  She got a tooth holder necklace from her school.  She put the tooth in a baggie before bed so the tooth fairy could take it.

10/29/17...Went to church, went to Paul Nelson's retirement party at their house

Paul and Denise

Went to church.  It sure was nice to see Stacie. She had a nice time and got a huge mule deer, but they had to drive back in a snow and rain storm she said was awful.  She brought Melissa and I some burger to have from the deer she got.  So sweet of her.  After church I went to get a card for Paul and stuff to make a salad for the party.  We went to Paul's retirement party at 3.  It was very nice and they had great food.  Lots of people were there.    Paul leaves this Friday for his new job in Oregon.  Denise and the four younger kids will join him in January. We sure will miss them.  One of the nicest couples ever.   When we got home,  Bill finished mowing the grass and I watched a movie.  

10/28/17...Kody and Peyton got up and were excited the tooth fairy brought money for Peyton's tooth, Went to Messiah Lutheran church to Bazaar Vikki and Misty had table at, Bill and I took Peyton and Kody to Tim Hortons, Went to Jack's soccer game, Went to Clio with Faith Riders, Went to see movie,

Peyton with her money from the tooth fairy

Kody and Peyton eating breakfast

Peyton at Tim Hortons

Kody at Tim Hortons

Jack at his soccer game his team had to make up. It's amazing how fast he runs after the ball and how many times he kicks it.  He can kick it far!  He is a natural!

Jack being the goalie

Jack in action

Peyton, Isaac and Kody...Rody came to pick Peyton up and brought Isaac

Misty and Vikki by their bazaar table.  There's was the only one I would call beautiful.  Very talented girls for sure.e

Kody and Peyton woke up at around 8.  I fixed them breakfast and then had them get dressed before I left for the Bazaar.  I went to the Bazaar while they stayed with Papa.  I was amazed at how beautiful the girl's table was.  Lots of hard work on that table for sale.  They sold almost $300 so that was great.  I enjoyed going and looking at everything.  Messiah Lutheran Church was beautiful.  Before I left, I picked up some soup and four cookies to take home.  Got home and went with Bill and the kids to Tim Horton's.  I had a bagel and the rest had donuts.  Melissa stopped in with Jack, but had to leave right away, so I picked up a donut and Mocha for her to have at the game.  We went to Jack's soccer game and it was cold and windy.  We really enjoyed watching him play though even though it was so cold.  I even wore gloves.  Jack is an amazing soccer player.  Papa told him he could tell a great player and he was one for sure.  We came home and ate lunch and Rody and Isaac came to pick up Peyton.  I took Kody and dropped him off to Melissa's so she could take him to Trunk or Treat and then came home and Bill and I went to Meijer's to meet Faith Rider's to go to Lucky's in Clio for dinner.  Wes and Gayla, Dan and Renee, and Chuck were there.  We went to Lucky's and there was a sign saying they were closed because of power problems.  We went to another restaurant in Layton Corners where they hire handicapped people.  It is a great little restaurant.  We ate and then went back to Saginaw and Renee and Dan and Bill and I went to see the movie, Same Kind of Different as Me.  Our popcorn and pop were free because Renee used our reward card and that made enough points.  We were happy about that.  The movie was good and had a great message.  One person can change a lot of lives.

10/25/17...Traveled all day. Stopped for lunch then traveled more. Stopped for dinner at a nice restaurant by Cabella's in Dundee,just after getting into Michigan. Went to Russell Stauffers candy shop and we bought Pez candies for the grandkids and root beer barrels for daughters and hubbys. Nice to be home. Unpacked and did laundry

We were on the bus at 7:30 and traveled all day.  We stopped at a rest area for lunch.  Traveled more and stopped for lunch when we crossed the Michigan Line near Cabella's in Dundee.  The restaurant had a wonderful salad bar, so most of us got that.  We stopped at a Russel Stoffer's Candy Store next.  We picked up some PEZ candy dispensers that were semi trucks and one for Hailey with a Football and a M for Michigan on it.  We got some root beer barrels for the girls and some chocolate covered nut candies.  We also got some dark chocolate coconut candies.  We seniors sure came out with big bags full of stuff there.  So funny because not many of us bought anything in all the other stores we went in.  No wonder we older folks are so sweet.  Got back to Meijer's and Vikki was there waiting for us.  She took us home and came in for a few minutes.  After she left, we unpacked our luggage and then I did laundry.  Sat and watched the news before bed.

10/24/17...Left New York, Started heading home, Stopped at Flight 93 Memorial in PA, Stayed at Fairfield Inn, in Uniontown PA

A few of us walked the long walk out to where the plane went down.   I was the only one from our group of friends that went so I took pictures for everyone

View of the museum up on the hill...It is built on the path the plane was traveling when it crashed

The Memorial Wall with all of the names of those on the plane on them.  It also has who they were (flight attendant, etc) carved in the wall but it's the same color so it's hard to see.

Todd Beamer who said "Lets Roll"

The boulder in the field where the plane crashed

The farm on the hill that is in the picture below

 We started heading back home and stopped at the Flight 93 Memorial on the way.  We had gone there when we came back from Florida, but couldn't get in the museum because we got there after it closed.  So moving to go through it, especially listening on phones to recordings of the calls some of the passengers made.  Very emotional.  Didn't take any pictures inside because of that.  So thankful for the people on that flight doing what they did, so the plane wouldn't crash into the Capital Building which is where they are pretty sure it was headed.  We drove as far as Uniontown and spent the night at the Fairfield Inn.  We went by the pool and played cards with Wes and Gayla.  I was the winner for the night.

10/23/17...Went to the fire station that was by the World Trade Centers and was the only one to lose all of it's fire fighters (So sad).Went to Central Park,Went to Rockefeller Center,St Patricks, The Trump Tower, Grand Central Station, Herald Square, Empire State Bldg, and Macy's

Beautiful fountain at our hotel

Pants with boots ready to jump in

Bill and I at the fire station

Bill and a fireman who helped at 9/11

This huge fire truck had a driver in the front and a driver in the back.  I took a video to show the grandsons how they backed it up into the spot next to the fire truck in the top picture.  It just fit.

Doorway John Lennon was shot in.

John and Yoko Lennon lived on the top floor with the gate around it.  She is in her 80's and still lives there.  They loved Central Park which is across the street to the right

In Central Park

Memorial John Lennon's wife had made for him in central Park

Strawberry fields sign in Central Park

Loved this tree

Angel Fountain 

Beautiful ceiling and walkway under the road in Central Park

Me and Bill

Beautiful Pond in Central Park we walked around

American Girl Store

Ice Skating Rink in Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller Plaza

NBC News

Inside Rockefeller Plaza

Ice Skating and it's 76 degrees out

Lego Display of the ice skating rink in the lego store across the street from the rink

Bill...The building behind him has green plants growing and looks like icicles hanging from them

Rockefeller Center

St. Patrick's Cathedral

St. Patrick's

Bill in front of Trump Tower.  Lots of Police protection there.

Inside Trump Tower

Bill and I in front of Trump Tower

NBC Observation Deck

Radio City

The United Nations

The United Nations

Grand Central Station 

Grand Central Station

Grand Central Station

Grand Central Station

Grand Central Station

See the guy in the right corner....he is facing the corner and talking.   Bill and I tried it and when you talk in the one corner and the other person is in the corner across from you, you can hear them as plain as can be

The Chrysler Building is the building with the point  in the background. The tour guide said it's the prettiest building in New York

The Empire State Building

Inside the Empire State Bldg.

Bill and I inside the Empire State Building

Wes and Gayla

Macy's, the World's Largest Store....one block big and 9 stories tall.  On fifth Avenue!

Bill by the wooded escalators in Macy's....we rode on many of them as we went from floor to floor

Bill on the old wooden escalator in Macy's.  They are beautiful

Harald Square...We sat out here for a while after we shopped and waited for our bus.  It was a warm and beautiful evening

Empire State Building at Night.  They change the color every night.

This is a street where they cut any kind of diamond you want.  The street lights are diamond shaped.  I took it from the bus, but you can see the light