Thurs. 9/30/21, Visited Phyllis, We moved the camper

 

The ground was dry now, so we could hook the camper up and move it

Vikki got out the box with my dad CB Radio in it and found this score sheet my dad saved.  We always had so much fun and so many laughs.  I sure do miss him and my mom.

We ate our oatmeal and drank our coffee, then did our morning reading.  I did laundry and got a few things ready to take on our trip to Mackinaw Island this weekend.  Hailey still isn't feeling well, so I am praying for my sweet girl.  Bill picked the pumpkins and sprayed them off.  I should have taken a picture, but didn't.   Phyllis and I visited for a couple of hours and we sure did have a nice time.  I took her some small Books of Prayer by Stormie Omartin.  Bill and I have 3 of them and love them, so I got her some to pray for her family.  I took them some squash too.  Andy asked me how I grew them so big.  I told him it was just the weather this year.  Everything was huge and plentiful.  When I got home, we hooked up the camper and took it for a ride on the expressway and down some country roads to see how the truck did.  It did great and got better gas mileage than our other one.  After we got it parked, we got Outback and ate.  I finished folding some clothes I got out of the dryer.  I talked to Melissa and Vikki.  Adam texted me saying their power was off for an hour, but was back on.   

Wed., 9/29/21, Organized, storage shelves in Laundry room, Bill mowed the grass, started cleaning the house, Started Class at church

 

Pretty flowers from the garden

Jack and Evan at the Canopy Walk having fun

Evan, Jack and Bruce

Evan, Jack and Bruce

Melissa, Evan and Jack

Bruce and Melissa (the big kids)

 Bruce telling Melissa he could leave her there, but he loves her too much.  Sure am glad about that!

Jack in back and Evan in front walking their horses through the poles

Evan walking his horse at his class

Jack with his favorite horse, Sedera

Got up and had coffee and cereal. Bill went with Charlie for coffee.  Did our morning reading and prayer time.  Put worship music on.  I went through some stuff we took out of the other camper and sorted what we don't need now.  I put a queen size mattress pad protector on the top bunk in the toy hauler.  Put the cot mattresses up in the loft.  They will work perfect for the kids. Organized the shelves in the laundry room and took lots of sanitizer and sanitizing wipes to the basement to make room for food I brought in from the camper.  Bill mowed the grass and I started cleaning the house.  We ate chili for lunch.  I talked to Melissa.  Hailey isn't feeling well, so we are praying for her.  Bill had to go visit a couple from our church he is marrying on Oct. 9th.  I had to go to my class at church.  It was good and Donya did a great job teaching it. Talked to Vikki and Melissa.  Melissa said the boys loved their horsemanship class they took as an elective this year.  I am so happy for them to be able to do this.  I texted with Adam.  Pray for Jared's mom, Lela, for peace and for good results from her pet scan and complete miracle healing from the Lord.  

Tuesday, 9/28/21, Went to Kimmy's, to Culver's, and to Adam's soccer game

Wyatt with is blanket...I love this dog

Wyatt looking at me sitting in his chair

All the pottery Kimmy and I brought in after we unloaded the kiln

Me, Eli, Jacob and Adam according to height.  It looks like I came out on the low end.

Jacob and Adam at Culvers

Adam, Jacob (goofy),  Jared, Bill, Me and Eli

Adam, Jacob being goofy, Jared being goofy, Bill, me and Eli

Papa, Eli, Jacob in his cool sweatshirt with his name on it, Jared, Kimmy and Adam

Same people, but Eli bugging his eyes out!  All but 2 Russells were goofy lol.

Adam, Eli, Jacob and Papa in his truck for the first time

Adam's amazing plays during his soccer game.  

 

Eli

Adam playing while the sun was setting

Eli

 I went to Kimmy's in the morning.  I stopped in Midland for gas because it was 6 cents a gallon cheaper.  Kimmy and I visited and then she unloaded the kiln and I helped her carry trays of pottery in.  Such beautiful pottery too!  We went to get wax and then she dipped the bottoms in melted wax.  Kimmy made yummy macaroni and cheese and also broccoli for lunch.  It sure tasted goo. After lunch, I brushed the insides of the mugs out, and Kimmy glazed pottery.  Then I wiped the pottery off with a wet sponge.  Kimmy worked on other stuff on the pottery too.  We got most of it done before we picked the boys up from school.  It was fun helping her with what little I could do, and it was interesting seeing exactly what she does do.  It was weird just going to the middle school and the high school to get the kids.  No more elementary pickups. When we got home Kimmy finished the pottery and I washed the bottom's of some pottery. Kimmy, Adam and I took it back and Kimmy put it on the shelf.  Kimmy, Jacob, Adam and I played 3-13 up until the 7's.  I will just say I was the loser and Jacob was the winner.  We had fun.  When Jared got home we quit and went to Culver's to meet Bill for dinner.  Then Bill drove Jared, Jacob and Eli in the truck to take Jacob to his band practice.  Kimmy, Adam and I went to take Adam to his soccer game.  Kimmy pulled over and I pulled up next to her.  Jacob had forgot his backpack and instrument in her van, so I took them to the Speedway and gave them to Jacob and Kimmy took Adam to the soccer field.  I went to the soccer field afterward.  We sure enjoyed watching Adam and his team play.  Adam is such a great player now and runs so fast.  He played the whole game and made some wonderful plays.  Face timed Vikki and Melissa when I got home.  Bill gave Kimmy, Eli and Adam a ride home so Kimmy could ride in the truck, and he picked up my Muck Boots which I had forgotten at Kimmy's

Monday, 9/27/21, Bill picked up our new (used) truck, I picked all the squash from the garden, trimmed tree by deck

 

This tree needed trimming badly

Trimmed tree looks much better

All of the squash in the garden is picked

 Delivering some to Stacie, Phyllis and waiting to hear from Charlie and Sue

Bill by his new (used) truck

 Driving his truck when he and I went for our ride

Bill taking Vikki and the kids for a ride and me trying the back seat out

Started the morning out doing our reading and devotions.  Bill went with Charlie for coffee. I talked to Kimmy and Vikki in the morning, then I put stuff we brought in from the camper away as we won't be using it for any more camping trips this year.  I picked all the squash from the garden and got lots of it.  Bill got home and then had to leave again to go pick up the truck and trade our other one in.  I pulled some weeds around the blueberry bushes, and emptied some flower pots and put them in the garbage can.  Bill came home with the truck and it is so nice.  It's black and matches our camper really well. (not planned) He showed me it and took me for a long ride.  It gets much better gas mileage than our other one did and rides really smooth.  When we got home, Vikki, Peyton and Isaac came to go for a ride.  I sat in the backseat to see how it was when riding.  It was fun being back there with my two sweeties and the seat was pretty comfy.  Not as comfy as the front seat where you can have a massage in either seat if you want to.  Never heard of such a thing and Bill didn't know it had that until he started reading up on it after we decided to get it.  It has a cool ladder step that comes down by the tailgate to get up in the bed of the truck.  

I decided to trim the tree by the deck near the gazebo.  It was work, but it sure looks nice now.  Everything went kind of wild growing this year with all of the rain and sun.  

I texted people to give squash to and wrote out a delivery schedule.  Will take the rest if any is left and give it away at church.  Bill had to go to an Elder's meeting.   I worked on my blog and texted with Vikki, Melissa and got my nightly text from Adam.

Sunday, 11/26/21, We ate breakfast and then read our Bibles together, packed up, said our goodbyes, headed home, Vikki, Rody and the twins came over for chili

Some color starting on US 10 between Midland and Freeland

Plants are still looking so pretty

Jack by the pumpkin patch

Bruce hauled our big trailer over to park it next to his camper.  Jack and Bill also in the picture

Jack is almost as tall as Bruce now and almost as big

Came home to a big blossom on my clematis plant

Isaac taking a really close up of me...he's so cute

Peyton, me and Isaac

I got up early and got the coffee started, then packed some stuff up.  Bill got up, then Ziggy came in from the bunkhouse, and we ate pancakes, egg, hash browns, and bacon for breakfast.  We talked about our families, testimonies, and the Bible while we ate.  Afterward, we sat together and all read our Bibles.  The guys went outside to get things put away, and I put worship music on and closed up the inside stuff.  It is super easy in this camper and takes half the time.  I went outside to say goodbyes to everyone before they left. Ziggy waited to see if Bill needed help bringing the motorcycle in, but it only took one try and Bill had it parked right away.  He's so good at that!  We said our goodbyes and Ziggy left.  We went and dumped the tanks and then we left too.  It was a nice smooth ride home and there was some color to enjoy.  I thought about how nice it would have been to stop and see Kimmy and family, but we had the big camper so I knew we couldn't.  We always stop if we get that close.  Boo Hoo.  Can't wait to see them Tues. night at Adam's game.  We got home and Bill pulled on the grass with the truck to back the camper in it's place.  Big Mistake.  The ground is still soaked because of all the rain, so the truck sank right down.  We ended up putting the things down for under the jacks and setting the camper up right there.  It blocks the driveway to the shed, but it's there until the ground gets much dryer.  He had me pull ahead with the truck til it unhooked from the hitch.  Made me a little bit nervous, but I did it.  He left to get the truck washed at a carwash, but passed Bruce bringing his camper to park back by our shed.  He turned around and came back to help him.  I walked back there, and was happy to see Jack with him.  We talked for a while.  Jack carried on a pretty good conversation.  He's growing up.  I opened windows, and put the vents on and Bill opened the back door where the motorcycle goes.  We put our facemarks on and I got to show Jack the camper.  He loved it and was so cute.  He was super excited like Adam was when he saw it.  I can't wait until Covid is gone and he can camp with us again.  Bruce went around the back of our camper and got his camper parked.  He moved our trailer back into place after he was parked.  Bill gave him something to help roll it easier.  He picked some squash when he was here.  I will pick the rest and cook it up.  Sounds so good this time of year.  Vikki, Rody and the kids came for chili.  I had a big mixing bowl size container left.  I had taken two and only used one.  So nice having them over.  Vikki and I went out to the camper and moved the couch over so it lines up with the table better and is easier to get behind.  We thought we would need Bill and Rody but with Isaac's help, we were able to move it.  It was a tight squeeze getting behind the table on the one side, but now is much easier.  We talked to Paul while we were out there for a while.  Then we sat on the deck and visited with Paul while we sat on the swings.  It was such a nice day.  I'm happy to be back home sweet home until we go to Mackinaw Island this weekend.