Monday, 9/30/24, Met Maddy at Biggby, Bruce and Max came to get some pumpkins and squash, Misty came to get corn stalks, finished edging the flower garden

Finished the rest of the edging.  I’m thinking my flower garden could look very different when we get back from our trip if we get a frost 

Bill cut down the rest of the corn stalks....just need to pull the onions out now

He cut down the pumpkin, squash and cucumber garden too.
 

I got up before Bill so I could get ready and go meet Maddy.  We met at Biggby.  She brought baby Mason with her.  Alec was home with Brielle.  We had a nice visit while we drank our specialty coffees, other than there was a lady sitting in the corner two tables over from us, that kept trying to talk to me.  I talked with her but couldn’t hear her very good because the music was loud.  I was facing Maddy and she was behind Maddy, so it was pretty distracting.  I did ask her if she knew Jesus as her Lord and Savior and she said yes.  

I loved holding Mason.  He was so cute and smiley.  He’s 4 months old now.  

I went to the Dollar Store and got some cards and some Welch’s drink mix singles.  

Read my Bible when I got home while sitting on the deck.  Kit Kat was right there with me.  Bill had read his Bible earlier.  Bruce was still in lots of pain today.  The medicine doesn’t seem to be helping much he said.  He and Max came to pick up pumpkins.  He took squash too.  I picked out nice pumpkins for Peyton and Isaac and one for my turkey head and feathers.  The rest are going out by the road to sell.  Misty came while Bruce was here to pick up some corn stalks.  She took quite a few which she loves to do each year and we love having her do.  Bill power washed the motor home and the shed.  He did the driveway up by the house too.  Then he mowed the yard.  After that he cut down the stuff in the garden that’s done for.  He got lots done.  I edged the rest of the garden so the stuff I dug up could go out in yard waste tomorrow.  Hauled some stuff out to the camper for our trip.  Tomorrow will be main  shopping day and packing day and Thursday will be last minute packing day.  Wednesday is saved for going with Kimmy and Vikki to Frankenmuth for lunch for their Birthday Celebration and free yummy family style meals.  I am looking forward to getting their pot pie and sharing their side dishes which the waitresses/waiters have always let me do.  We go to Bronner’s to get Couldn’t talk to Vikki til later because of Verizon not having service for many customers.  I was glad Melissa, Kimmy and mine worked...Bill’s too!

 

Sunday, 9/29/24, Went to prayer, than taught Sunday School, my niece, Ahmeh got baptized, Matthew had surgery to remove kidney stone, Bruce went to Med Express, then to ER, picked pumpkins and squash, pulled weeds, Evan and Jack came over

Pumpkins, squash and tiny pumpkins we picked today

Jared dropped Jack off on his way back home after the boys went to the show

Evan with the tiny pumpkins he picked out

Evan carved that tiny pumpkin and did a good job

Evan lighting up the pumpkin on the porch after dark

 I got up first and got ready, then went over my Sunday school lesson again.  Bill got up at 8:30 and got ready, then we left and went to prayer.  It was Pastor’s birthday today, Marie’s, and Samuel’s...he turned 18.    Worship was really good.  After worship the kids were dismissed, so we went back and I taught Sunday School.  It was a good lesson about Elijah today.  The kids were so good, and I had the best helpers...Kris and also a friend of Peyton’s, whose name is different and I can never remember it.  

We talked to Vikki, Christine, Ruth, Roy and Marie and their extended family Doug and Carol who were visiting.  Pastor Ken came over and talked with us too.  We came home after church and Debbie called me and let me know Matthew in surgery.  She also let me know when he was in recovery. He was doing good and drinking so they said he would be able to go home.  Yay!  Bruce has been having pain and spasms in his back.  His hand and fingers went numb and the pain was bad today, so he went to Med Express.  They said it could be he had a heart attack, so sent him to ER to get checked out there.  They did EKG’s and other tests and determined that it wasn’t his heart.  It was muscle spasms and pain, so gave him medication and sent him home.  We were all sure happy it wasn’t his heart.  We are continuing to pray for healing from the pain and spasms.  

I did get some great news from my great niece, Ahmeh.  She messaged me that she got baptized today.  This was such exciting news.  She said she has never felt such constant joy as this.  I know that feeling well!!!  She has been reading the Bible with her dad (my nephew Mark) who is in Vietnam.  What happened to us when we read God’s Word, happened to her.  She was born again as the Bible says and now can see the Kingdom of God.  You become new as the Bible says.  Old things have passed away, behold all things have become new.  It’s the best thing that can ever happen to a person.  I sure was rejoicing with her when she told me.  God gives you new desires, and takes things that are not pleasing to Him away.  Anyway this great news and her giving God all the glory made my day.!!!!!

Jared took Eli, Jack and Evan to see a movie.  He picked them up afterwards and dropped Jack and Evan off at our house.  We had told Melissa one of us would bring them home so it would save Jared driving and time.  I was happy to see the boys, so took some pictures of them.  I offered them some spaghetti, but neither one was hungry.  They took some home with them.  Evan picked out a small pumpkin and took it home and carved it.  None of us thought he would be able to carve it because it was so tiny, but he did a great job.  I loved talking to him later and seeing how he lit it when I was FaceTiming with him and Melissa.  He’s always such a happy cheerful kid and makes people happy just being around him.  It was nice to talk to Jack and catch up on what he’s been doing.  He did a great job restoring his bike and told us about it.  He is super talented at stuff like that.  

I texted lots and posted on the church prayer page and on Facebook and updated everyone on Matthew, Bruce and Ahmeh today so kept very busy.  We also picked all the pumpkins after we saw a critter had ate one.  We picked the tiny pumpkins and squash too.  We loaded them in the cart behind the John Deere and Bill hauled them up by the house and sprayed them down.  I scrubbed what didn’t come off and I sprayed them down a second time. We got lots of squash out of the garden too.  Bill and I pulled lots of tall weeds out of the garden too and put them in the cart.  I picked up my stuff from edging the garden the other day too, and filled two yard waste cans.   We were glad to rest after that and talk and FaceTime with Melissa and Evan.  

I worked on my blog after that.

Sat. 9/28/24, Went to Faith Rider’s Ride and Seek, went to Big Boy’s parking lot and got to meet Abi and see Jacob, then found out they. closed in 5 minutes, so we went to Olive Garden, went to Kimmy’s, then drove home with Vikki

Don and Jerry

Bill, Robert and Jerry

Great turnout at starting point....Saginaw Valley Church of the Nazarene

Barb selling stuff she’s made to raise money for RFS

Gayla and Ron at the Booth.  Heather sitting on the side,  

Getting instructions for the ride before praying and leaving

Lew taking a picture while I was too

In front of the steeple at Sacred Heart Church in Merrill

In front of the steeple of Memorial Presbyterian Church in Midland

St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in Bay City

St. Lorenz in Frankenmuth

Our ride on a fun road in Frankenmuth

Us in front of the Castle Museum in Saginaw (last stop before heading back)
 

Jacob and Abi at Olive Garden

Picture we took after dinner at Olive Garden

These are some pictures I got from Kimmy from Adam’s homecoming pictures and pictures taken during the day.  Adam looked very handsome and Hope looked beautiful for Homecoming.  Eli looked very handsome too.  

Abi and Jacob, looking beautiful and handsome too!

Peyton, Jacob and Abi skipping off to spend the day at Dow Gardens while Adam and Hope’s pictures were being taken by Vikki

Eli ready for his homecoming dance

We got ready and headed to Faith Rider’s Ride and Seek Ride.  We got registered and then fellowshipped while having donut holes and coffee.  It was 60 when we left home and warmed up quickly outside when the sun came out.  Got up to the mid 70’s which was great.  

There were 25 who came today.  We had Don, Jerry, Robert and Bill and I in our group.  I was a fun group to ride with.  We stopped at a Shell Station to use the bathrooms.  Kimmy called me and said Jacob and Abi wanted to come over.  I was super happy about that and told Kimmy when we would be home.  Bill led our group to each stop.  We stopped at the Gera Bar in Frankenmuth for lunch.  Bill’s cousin used to own it and then the owner of DaVinci’s in Frankenmuth bought it with someone else.  We had heard that the food is really good now.  There weren’t any cars there, so we ordered quickly, ate then left.  It was getting pretty full when we left.  We didn’t want to eat in Frankenmuth because on a Saturday every place would be packed.  This worked out perfectly.

We went to St.  Lorenz Church after we finished eating.  We had to cross the road to get that steeple in our picture.  I took pictures of Don, than Jerry every time for the drawing.  Robert took selfies himself.  We headed down some nice curvy country roads and headed to the Castle Museum for our last picture.

We got back to our starting point and showed our pictures and turned in our paper for a drawing.  They had donuts left and made hotdogs for anyone who wanted one.  I was too full to eat anything, but did have a chocolate chip homemade cookie Jerry about forced me to eat lol.  They had the drawing after every one got back.   Bill won a $25 gift certificate to Riverside Restaurant in Freeland.  I was telling him about a Grub Hub gift card for $50, but he stuck with the other one.  A few people won next, then my name was drawn and the Grub Hub Gift Card was still up there, so I took it.  I haven’t ever used one before, but know people who have.  We came home after that and I let Kimmy and Jacob both know when we were home.  

Vikki called and let us know we could come to Big Boy and meet Abi or Jacob and Abi would come to our house, whatever we wanted.  We figured it would save them lots of extra driving if we went there, so we waited for them to let us know when to come.  We got a call saying 7:20, then got another call saying 7:40.  Poor Hope’s zipper on her dress broke, so her mom had to do lots of pinning.  That was a setback in time, but everything worked out.  Bill and I were driving and realized Bill headed to the wrong restaurant, so turned around and headed to Big Boy.  Vikki called us and said they would be late, but Jacob, Abi and Peyton were at Big Boy so we should go there.  There was a mixup and Kimmy thought Jacob was teasing about it closing at 8.  We got there and were happy to meet Abi in the parking lot.  She got right out of the car and we got out of the truck and got hugs from her, then from Jacob, and then from Peyton.  We had talked to Vikki then and all decided to go to Olive Garden.  The five of us headed there and when we got there, Jacob pulled in first, we pulled in behind him, then Jared pulled in.  We all got a table together.  Abi and Jacob were across from us.  It was nice to spend time talking to them and getting to know Abi.  She is really sweet.  Bill’s sister, Debbie, called me and let me know her son Matthew had painful kidney stones and needed to have surgery.  I posted it and sent family members a message.  Bill headed home with my left overs to put them in the refrigerator.  I rode to Kimmy’s with Jared, Kimmy and Vikki.  We went in for a few minutes, then went to leave and first, I couldn’t find my phone, but prayed and found it.  Then Vikki couldn’t find her car keys.  We prayed and then found them.  I drove Vikki’s car home because she doesn’t like driving at night especially on the expressway.  Peyton put on songs and worship music on the way home.  We got to my house and Vikki drove her and Peyton home from there.  It was a fun day.  Now I am going to sit and look at Adam and Hopes Homecoming pictures and also look at pictures of Abi, Jacob and Peyton.  I talked to Melissa quite a while on the phone.