3/22/19 Took boys to school, saw big rat on State St., Went to Jackson for Seasons of Refreshing with Wes, Gayla and Don

Gayla, Don, Wes, Cheryl and Elaine at breakfast at our hotel

Cheryl and Elaine...BFF's...Their husbands couldn't come so they hung out with us and were so much fun

Bill, Don and Wes at the church

Cheryl, me and Elaine at the church

Bill and his twin modeling their CMA flannel shirts they bought there for everyone

Bill was so cute.  He bought this shirt and then noticed a lot of ladies wearing the same one.  He was worried it was a lady's shirt he bought.  They told us the youth were going to model shirts and called them up front.  Bill went up and joined them and modeled his shirt.  So did our State Prayer Rep.  They matched.  Bill was so funny that I was watching him and forgot to take a picture while he was doing his cute motions.  This is him coming back to his seat.

Karl, Andrea and Elaine

Bill, Me and Gayla

16 year old Allison modeling her shirt and bag

Bill and some of our group....Don, Cheryl, Wes and Gayla

Me, Don, Cheryl, Wes and Gayla

Group picture....Me, Bill Wes, Cheryl, Isaac, Gayla, Allison, Karl, Andrea, Bill Smith, Elaine and Don's leg....the guy who took the picture cut Don out accidentally

Came home and went to Mooney's to celebrate Jame's Birthday with him, his family and some friends. This ice cream cake was delicious

Jame's nephew, niece, mom, brother, sister in law...James on the right

Peyton trying her cute outfit she got today on

The Amarilys is up to the light now.  Excited for it to start opening

Got up early.  Went down and ate breakfast together at our hotel.  Lots of frost on the van.  Went to church.  Great teachings on God's Word and telling others about Jesus.  Lots of snacks at the snack station.  We had 12 from Faith Riders there.  It was a fun time together.  Came home and went to Mooney's to celebrate Jame's birthday with him.  Had a good time. Nice to meet his family.  

It was good to get home.  Talked to Melissa for a while.  Glad she got a new phone.  Her other one just quit on her.  Bruce got everything transferred for her.  We had turned our kernel burner down to 50 and set it to go up to 72 degrees today so it would be warm in the house when we got home.  It was still filled with wood pellets so that was a nice surprise.  Vikki called and face timed me.  I was happy to take to them.  Miss my family when I'm gone.  We watched the Michigan State game.

3/21/19...My sister's birthday in heaven..Sure do miss her! Took kids to school, Went to Community Village to help residents with bingo

Hailey in the morning before school

The Amaryllis is growing lots every day now

Pretty woodpecker

Lots of good helpers for bingo at Community Village

Took Max, Jack and Evan to school in the morning.   I came home finished thank you notes.  Made a banana pudding cake and cut it in half.  Made two meatloafs, mashed potatoes and green beans. Took food to Kim Reminder who is recovering from surgery on my way to help with bingo at Community Village.  Had fun helping the residents.  Eva and Luis bright me a gift bag with lots of great stuff from Bath and Body Works for my birthday. So sweet of them.  We went to Tim Hortons afterward with them and Wes and Gayla.

3/20/19...took the boys to school, Took Melissa to therapy, Went to Jacks,Went to Peyton and Isaac's School program

Peyton getting ready for her school program

Isaac before the program started

Peyton was at the far right

Isaac was over on the left side.

Took the kids to school.  They were so cute and very good on the way to school.  They're getting pretty excited about going to Florida on Monday.  We always pray on our way to school.  I came home and Bill and I had oatmeal.  Left at 8:45 to go to Melissa's.  Visited with her a while before we left to go to therapy.  I went to Jacks and picked up some meat and bread.  Came home and did some laundry.  Did my Bible and devotion time.  It started raining at around 2.  Picked Melissa up and went to Old Town and picked up coney dogs, fries and root beers to eat when we got to her house.  YUM!  Bruce got home and they went to pick up the kids.  I came home and started doing thank you cards.  Sure am thankful Kimmy wrote what I got on the cards.  Thank you Kimmy.  Bill had to go to the Marine Corp. League meeting.  He is the Commandant now and runs the meeting.  I met Vikki, Rody's mom and the twins at Arrow Wood School watched the kids in their school program.  It was a good thing I could video Peyton while Vikki videoed Isaac.  It was pretty hard watching two kids at opposite ends of the stage.  They both did a great job.  This music teacher was so amazing. She had all the kids singing loud and doing the motions.  They all looked like they loved doing the program.
It was fun watching her direct the kids.  We went to Tony's afterward!  Isaac got a hot fudge sundae, Peyton got a shake, Vikki got a Olive burger, I got a hamburger and Vicki got tacos.  We all split a large fry. Watched the news and went to bed.

3/19/19...Went to breakfast, took grandkids to school, Did care group lesson and baked cake to take, Had a great care group

Great niece Avoree with a sloth in Mexico

My niece Angel with the sloth (Avoree's mom)

Vikki sent me this picture!  Such cute kiddos.  I sure have been missing their hugs.

This is where the lawn figurine ended up??????

Beautiful moon tonight!  Picture doesn't show how really bright and beautiful it is.

I took Max, Jack and Evan to school.  On our way, a car was stopped at the light and I was going through and the car turned across right in front of us.  We thanked God right then for His protection.  It sure was close.  After I dropped the boys off, I went back to Melissa's until time to go to breakfast.  Melissa, Hailey, Abby and I just laid around on the couches and relaxed.  Hailey's ride came and shortly after that I went to our breakfast.  There were 11 of us there.  Phyllis bought my breakfast for my birthday.  So sweet of her.  I went to the Bethesda Store and found a black picture frame for our family picture to hand above my desk.  It was only 2.99.  I was just telling Kimmy last night that I wanted to get one.  I made a jello poke cake for our care group and picked up some fruit for our snack tonight.  I asked Bill why he moved my worshipping lawn art figurine into the yard and he told me he didn't move it.  I knew right away who did.  I sent a message to Kimmy saying Jared's been at it again and she replied, "What did he move".  I had to laugh at her quick reply.  We had a great care group and an amazing lesson and discussion.  Roy was able to come again which was nice. 

3/18/19....Turned the Big 70. Lots of birthday wish phone calls, Kimmy, Jared and the boys came over

Adam, Eli and Jacob doing a great job picking up sticks in our yard for us

They are amazing workers

Eli with his own tool box Papa gave him

Fun time playing 3-13.  Jacob was the big winner tonight

Eli, me, Jacob and Adam

Where Bill put the lawn art figurine Fred and Lourdes gave me.  

Eli looks pretty comfy 

Nice desk lamp Kimmy, Jared and the boys got me. It looks great,  can be moved to lots of different positions, and the bulb is supposed to last 27 years

Cuties

Love this picture of Jacob and his Papa

Nice birthday cake Kimmy made me.  It was delicious!  If you can't do math you won't know how old I am!!!

I took Melissa's boys to school.  Hailey was the first to wish me Happy Birthday and give me a hug.  Went to Meijer and picked up some thank you notes.  Came home and made ground beef sloppy joes, chicken sloppy joes, and baked potatoes in the crockpots. Baked an angel food cake for my Kimmy to surprise her.  Mashed some strawberries up to have for on top of it.  Melissa, Vikki, Kimmy, Debbie and Kenzie called me to wish me Happy Birthday. Friends called too!  Lots of happy birthday songs from the grand kiddos.  Kimmy, Jared and the boys came for dinner and to celebrate my birthday.  She brought a yummy chocolate cake.  She knows how to make her momma happy.  She was very happy about her angel food cake too.  She also was happy about having corn from the garden.  We ate and then I opened presents.  Got such a nice desk lamp and my favorite clips and bread clips.  So nice of them.  The boys made me cute cards.  The only problem was that they made a point of writing 70 on their cards lots.  Jacob, Jared, Bill, Kimmy and I played 3-13, then we all had cake and ice cream.  What a fun day.  Sure am missing Vikki and the kiddos!  I will be catching up on hugs soon and spending lots of time with them.  They called lots.  They face timed me when they were eating their cake from my party.  They showed me the lit candle and then sang happy birthday to me.  Then we counted down and blew out the candle together.  They are so much fun.  Kimmy and Jared had a deer run in front of them on the way home, but they missed it.  Thanking the Lord for keeping them safe.  

3/17/19....Bill did it again! He surprised me with a big birthday party!

Needless to say, I was very surprised when I saw everyone there for my Birthday Party.  It was a total surprise!

Eli, me, Vikki and Jack and lots of others

Joel, Jacob, and me(in my Vintage Girl Hat) from Wes, Gayla and Joel.

Max and Adam

Kimmy and her daddy

Vikki, me and Debbie

Eli and Jack

Melissa and her daddy

                                                                           Eli and Jack

Fred and Lourdes got me this Lawn Art figurine....worshipping the Lord.
They told me it made them think of me and they knew they had to get it.  So special!

Me and Jacob

Our score sheet for 3-13

We went to church.  Melissa had sent me a text last night to see if Bill could help Bruce pick up a Guinea Pig Cage that some friends had made and were giving to them after church.  Bill drove the truck and I drove the car to church.  I picked up some stuff for tomorrow night when Kimmy, Jared and the boys come for my birthday.  After I got home, Bill and I left to meet Amy and Dennis for lunch at G's.  We called them to tell them we would be a few minutes late, but ended up getting there at 2, right on time.  They met us at the door and then we walked down to the main area and there were so many people there for a surprise Birthday Party for me.  I was so surprised.  I don't know how Bill planned all of this without me knowing.  Kimmy, Jared and the boys had pulled in the driveway next to ours and went back by our shed to pick up the cake and take it.   I was hauling groceries in.  They saw me, but I didn't see them.  Sad that because Vikki and her family have been exposed to the flu, they didn't come.  Just not the same with them not there.  Sure was happy the other girls and families could be there.  Also very happy Fred and Lourdes came from Lansing, and Vikki and Terry came from Grand Haven.  There were 66 people there; relatives, people from church and Faith Riders.  It was a fun party.  A big thank you, Bill, for being so sweet and planning this for my 70th, even though you wrote 70 too on the cake.  Thanks for all of your help Kimmy.  Thank you to grandkids who helped pass out cake, and to Jacob for picking up papers as I opened gifts.  I am blessed with an amazing family and great friends.  

Sat., 3/16/19...Went to Jack's basketball game, Took Hailey Home, Dropped off Shakes and a Frappe at Vikki's, Went to Outback with Bill, then shopping at At Home and Hobby Lobby

Hailey at Jack's game

Jack (#1) playing his last game of the year

Jack with his coaches and team

Plaque Bill got me for the kitchen wall

Beautiful Pop Up Flower birthday card from Bill's sister, Carol.  Amaryllis in the background on the table is getting tall quickly.

Saw this at Hobby Lobby when Bill and I were looking around.  It was Kenzie's favorite scripture!  I have great memories of her having me look it up, and then she would say it from memory to me.

Bill got up early and went to take James to look at a power chair for James.  They were going out to breakfast afterward.  I slept in this morning.  I went to Jack's game at 11.  Bill and James came right after it started.  We sat with Melissa, Hailey and Bruce.  Jack's team won!  Jack had his team party afterward.  Hailey wanted to go home, so I took her with me.  Bill had asked Bruce if he could help him unload the power chair at Great Lakes.  He said he could come after the party.  I got Hailey a Frappe at Starbucks on our way to her house.  Took shakes to Peyton and Isaac, and a Frappe from McDonald's to Vikki.  It was so nice to see them through the window.  Haven't been around them since Isaac had the flu.  I'm still staying away as I don't want to get it and pass it to Melissa.  Their trip to Florida is coming up fast now.  Bill and James prayed that God would send someone to help unload the power chair as they turned off from Mackinaw.  The car ahead of them pulled in to Great Lakes.  The guy got out and Bill asked if he could help him and the guy said yes.   I went to Great Lakes after I left Vikki's. I was walking to Roy's room to visit and Bill and James were just coming out and James was on his power chair.  He was pretty happy.  I visited with Roy for a while and then went to meet in Jame's room.  Bill was getting a cup holder fastened to the power chair for James.  Was a sweet servant of the Lord Bill is!  We went to visit Pearlie in her room.  We knocked on her door and then went in.  Pearlie will be 98 this month.  She's the one who came to our care group movie on Tuesday.  Her grandson and his wife were visiting her and Bill couldn't believe it hardly....Her grandson was the guy who helped him unload the power chair.  Of all the people in there that it could have been, it was him.  God sure orchestrated that!  They were so sweet and love the Lord too!  We went to Outback at 4:30 and ate. We thought we were getting there early, but it was packed.  We only had to wait about 10 minutes before that sat us at a table.  We each had steak and I got a free birthday sundae.  YUM!  We shared it.   We walked around At Home store and Hobby Lobby afterward.  Bill got me a plaque at Hobby Lobby for the kitchen wall I just painted.  We watched a Hallmark movie.