10/8/17...Went to church, went on a motorcycle ride to Gladwin, the weather was just beautiful and in the high 70's,

Ralph, Sabrina, Joaquin, Bill Smith, Rick, Rod, Mike, Bill and Phil before we took off

Nice ride and saw some beautiful color in spots

Our ice cream destination

Joaquin and Sabrina

Bill, Phil, Ralph, Mike, Joaquin, Bill, Sabrina, Rod and Rick 

My piece of homemade raspberry pie with ice cream.  They sure had big servings.  It was super delicious!

Bill's hot fudge sundae...looks like he is going after it with both hands

Some beautiful trees in Gladwin

My hibiscus tree is still getting blossoms and buds

Mocha on the front porch swing.  It was so nice out we sat out there for quite a while

Went to church and worship was awesome.  We heard a great message too.  Can't wait to study it more at small group and apply it in my life.  We got home and warmed up the rest of the round steak and mashed potatoes and ate. Got ready and left to meet everyone riding on our ride at Meijer.  

Ten of us rode.  What a beautiful sunny day in the high 70's.  There wasn't a lot of color yet, but we did see some beautiful colored trees in spots.  We got to our destination and the ice cream place was closed for the season even though on their web site it says they are open.  We were disappointed, but go on our phones and found some other names of ice cream places.  We ended up at another place that was closed.  We saw a restaurant next door and decided to go there for dessert.  They had great desserts and they were delicious.  We were all pretty happy about that.  We had a nice ride home.  Bill led the way as he wanted to try a different route so we could see more color.  We sure did see some nice color that way.  After we got home, I sat outside with Mocha for a little while to enjoy the great weather.  We watched a movie and I made popcorn for Bill.  I had trail mix for my snack.  

10/7/17..Got my hair cut, Went to Adam and Eli's soccer games, Vikki, Rody and the twins came over and Rody set up our printer, Watched the MI/Mi State Game

Jacob drawing at Adam's game

Eli is on the ball!!!

Adam playing soccer

Eli

Adam out on the field

Jacob is quite an artist

Eli practicing being a goalie with his mommy

Eli playing soccer

Eli playing soccer

Eli looking cute in his mustache sock

Beautiful colors on the way home from the soccer game

Isaac and Peyton

Bill brought me this nice bowl of fruit he cut up for me while I was watching a movie

Got up and made Bill and I oatmeal for breakfast.  I went to get my hair cut at Catherine's at 9.
After that I went to Adam's soccer game.  Adam and his team played really good, but the other team won.   Bill was with Charlie at the Northwood car show and called to find out what field Eli was playing on.  He came to watch his game.  The boys were so nice.  Adam went and got a pretzel for him and his mom and went by himself so I didn't have to go.  When Bill called, he wanted me to get him two hot dogs, so Jacob went and got those for me too.  Eli and his team played really good too, but lost.  Love watching my boys play soccer.  We came home and Vikki, Rody and the twins came over.  Rody set the printer up for us, and then I warmed up the round steak, mashed potatoes, corn, and rolls and we all ate.  The kids loved the sausage Charlie made for us.  (It is very good)
After they left, I tried the printer.  It is really a nice one.  So thankful that Rody helped us out again.
We watched a movie after they left.

10/6/17...Made dinner and had Dennis and Amy and Dennis Watkins over for dinner and cards.

Bill, Amy, Dennis and Dennis Watkins

Browned the round steak and then got it going in the crockpot for tonight's dinner.  Peeled some potatoes and then had to leave to go meet Kim R. at Art Van's with Bill to pick up a chair she bought for her hubby's birthday.  He needs kidney transplants and has been feeling down so she wanted to cheer him up.  We picked up the chair with her and then took it to her house.  She lives just around the corner from us.  Her husband pulled in right before we did.  I went in the house to let her know we were here.  She thought we could get it in the house before Mark got back from Dialysis, but we didn't make it.  We all got it in and Mark tried it out.  He sure was happy.  

We visited for a few minutes.  Kim gave us some yummy cookies and candy she made.  She is always blessing people with her homemade goodies.  We stopped a couple of houses up the road at an estate sale.  This guy was a harder....there was so much junk piled up it was unbelievable.  We could hardly walk through the shed.  Bill found a Billy Goat Chipper Vacuum though.  He got an amazing deal on it so that was good.  He also bought some shelving for our attic.  I didn't want to go through the big barn because I had stuff to get ready for tonight's dinner.  He took me home and got the checkbook and went back and paid for the stuff he bought.  I baked an caramel apple dessert and finished peeling the potatoes.  Baked rolls too!  Everybody got here at 6 and we ate.  We had round steak in cream of chicken soup, mashed potatoes, corn from the garden, homemade applesauce, rolls and a salad.  We played cards after that.  Played a game called horsetails.  It was fun.  We had our dessert after that.  Had so much fun with these great friends.  

10/5/17....Took kids to school, Went to Aldi's, Melissa and Bruce came to pick up the kids stuff, went to officer's meeting for Faith Riders

Love this cute picture of Melissa and the kids after they Melissa and Bruce got back from Chicago!

Cute picture of Bruce and Melissa

Love this picture of Isaac, Jack and Peyton having apples and carmel dip

I got ready and then got the kids up.  Studied Max's spelling words before school.  Had him practice his memory verse which he knew and said right away.  Took them to school and then went to Aldi's to pick up some things for the dinner I am making tomorrow night.  Vikki E. let me know her dad has blood clots in the brain.  He can't talk or swallow.  Sure am praying.  

I picked the kids up.  Evan was really excited to show me where his Hoyt friend lives.  His class took a field trip to the nursing home and now he wants to go back and visit her.  He is so cute.  

Melissa and Bruce came and picked up the kid's stuff.  It was so good to see them.  Happy they are back safely.  Went to Bay City and took Kenzie out to eat.  All she wanted was a bagel and cream cheese from Tim Horton's.  That's what I got too.  We were freezing in Tim Horton's, so we went out to the car to eat them.  We went back to her place after that and then I took her to work.  Came home and got ready to go to our Officer's Meeting at Wes and Gayla's.  The meeting went really good.  

10/3/17...Took kids to school, Went to our breakfast, had first small group meeting

Max eating his pizza and some roast...he sure loves roast

Evan eating his pizza and a half hamburger left from last night.  He absolutely loves hamburgers!

Small group started tonight....great group of friends

Ralph, Nancy, Roy and Marie at small group

The kids got up and got ready for school and then had time to play the i pods for a little while.

They were very well behaved on the way to school.  I went to breakfast after I dropped them off.  There were a lot at our breakfast this morning which was nice.  After breakfast, I came home and went over everything for Bible Study tonight and ran off the copies we will need.  My friend Vikki, messaged me that her dad was in ER and they thought he had a stroke.  We sure are praying for him.  I called the girls to get them praying too. 

Baked a banana pudding cake for our dessert to have tonight.  I picked the kids up and we dropped Jack off at Vikki's.  He sure gives good hugs!  Evan and Max played with legos when we got home while I went through their school folder to see what they had to do and initial and sign what i needed to.  The boys took the gunea pig outside for a little while so it could eat some grass.

When everyone started coming for small group, I put the movie, Angels in the Outfield in for the boys.  They love that movie.  They sure were good and very quiet all during Bible Study.  The Mikayla's parents dropped Hailey off after her practice.  She got here about 20 minutes after small group started.  I warmed up some roast, carrots and potatoes for her and she ate and then sat in with the boys.  Small group went good and we all shared something about ourselves and got to know everybody better.  Great group of people in our group this year.  After everyone left, I told the kids how proud I was of the way they acted while everyone was here.  The boys really had the giggles after that...guess they had to let loose after being quiet for so long.  I listened to them say their prayers and tucked them in.

10/4/17...Same routine this morning, I sure know how busy Melissa is now. Taught Delta Club at church to K-1

Hailey second in line practicing

Hailey in action

Love seeing the fun the kids have worshippiing

So happy to see them raising their hands to the Lord.  Isaac is in the blue number 81 shirt in front and Evan and Peyton are on the right of him.

Peyton and Isaac having fun doing the balloon game

Can't believe I didn't take any pictures today.  Busy with getting homework done when the kids got home, going to Hailey's game and then teaching my class.  The kids were so helpful and are growing up so nice.  They played while I went through their folders from school and had their snack.  We ate and then went to Hailey's volleyball game at Peace Lutheran.I saw Matt Starke when I walked in and talked to him quite a while.  Got Evan a pack of M & M's from the concession stand.  Max and Bill went in the truck, and Evan and I went in the car because we had to leave early to go to our class. I have him, Peyton and Isaac again this year which makes me happy.  Got a call from Bill and he went to Bethlehem School instead of Peace so I told him where to come.  They got there after the game had started but didn't miss too much of it.  They bought popcorn on their way in.  Hailey and her team played so good during the first game.  I was amazed at how much they have improved and what great teamwork they have now compared to when they first started.  They have great coaches.  Hailey did a good job as captain of her team an I could hear her encouraging them lots while they were playing.
I didn't even want to leave because I was having so much fun watching them.  We left and headed right across the street to our church.  Amanda helped me tonight because she is going to cover for me when I got to New York.  She was a great help with all the writing we had to do the first night.  We had 9 kids and they are all so sweet.  What a great class!  We went home and had ice cream for a treat before class.  It is nice this year because it's a requirement for parents to pick their kids up on time.
We got out much earlier and then the kids got to bed earlier than normal.  Max stayed up and we worked on his spelling words.  He sure has some big words for a sixth grader...Simultaneously is one of them.  All long ones this time and 20 of them.  I sure know how much Melissa does now with schoolwork, Laundry, school activities and so much more.  WOW...great job Melissa and Bruce!  So much to do with our four sweeties!

10/2/17....Kimmy and the Eli came over, Picked up Max, Jack and Evan from school, Made a roast, carrots and potatoes (plus rolls for my Hailey girl) Hailey won one of her volleyball games

Eli conducting while Max plays his trombone

Evan loved playing with the legos

Hailey serving at her game

They were the visitors...very close game but they won

Got up at 5:15 a.m. so I could get ready before I got the kids up at 6:15.  They boys wanted to get up 10 minutes early so they could eat a really big breakfast.  They did too.  Max fed and took care of the guinea pig right away when he got up.  He is very responsible with taking care of it morning and evening.  They got ready really good and then we read the Bible and they had some free time after that.  We left for school and after I dropped them off, I came home for a little while before my 9 a.m. dentist appt.  Had a nice visit with my hygienist who lives down the road.  Good report so that was nice.  Came home and cleaned the house.  I picked Max, Jack and Evan.  Hailey had a game so she stayed at school.  I dropped Jack off at Vikki's and Jack ran in and got his drone Uncle Rody gave him to show us.  He sure was excited.  Kimmy and Eli stopped over after Eli's appointment.  We sure were happy to see them.  The boys loved playing with Eli.  Max didn't want to play his trombone for us, but when Kimmy and I told him about Adam playing and leaving his case open and getting money, Max decided to play.  Eli was his conductor.  Max made a dollar and was real happy.   I made a roast, carrots and potatoes (and rolls for my Hailey girl because she loves my rolls).  I tried to talk Kimmy into staying, but she had to get home.  Bill went to Hailey's game at Holy Cross and sent us pictures.  They won the first game.  It sure was a close one.  I stayed home to visit with Kimmy and have Max work on his homework.  Watched Angels in the Outfield with the kids and they loved it.  They were really laughing.  Love tucking them in and listening to their prayers.  I am one blessed nana!