The State opened up some places today, Day 80 for us. We are still social distancing Day 80 for us. Bill took the rail off of our deck. We like it better without. Worked on getting Deck over off some more.

Bruce and Melissa ordered pizzas tonight.  The first time since the Stay at Home Order.  It was delivered and no personal contact needed.  They baked it on their own pan to make sure it was safe.  They were all so happy to be able to do this.  I love their amazing smiles!

Evan...so cute with his big smile for me

Love Max's smile

Jack with his nice smile

Evan told Hailey to smile nice because Melissa told him I love to get pictures.  She sure did

Bill took the railing off today. Our deck is so low, we will probably just leave two posts with lights where you walk down the steps on both sides of the deck.  

Bill working on taking the rails off

Bill sanded this board in about 10 minutes with a small sander. We are going to rent a big one and send the receipt to Behr to be reimbursed

Yummy strawberry shortcake

We listened to the devotion on line.  Read our Bibles and ate Oatmeal for breakfast.  Walked outside for a while.  Made sloppy joes in the crockpot.  Also made banana split dessert one for us and one to take to a family from church who have a new baby.  Bill was pretty happy.  We worked some on the deck again.  Bill asked me if he could take the rails off the deck.  I told him to go ahead.  I love how it looks and how open it is.  Vikki and Melissa like it better and don't even think we need a rail.  We think so too.  Wanted Kimmy's opinion, but haven't been able to get her on the phone to ask her.  Took sloppy joes, buns, mashed potatoes, salad, strawberries, and banana cream pudding dessert and delivered in Freeland.  Came home and Bill and I ate.  He went to the officer's meeting on Wes and Gayla's deck.  I stayed home and made biscuits for strawberry shortcake.  I also worked more on the deck.  Watched a Little House episode.  A house burned down on Wes and Gayla's road this morning.  I was sure happy it wasn't Grandma Daisy and Grandpa Adam's house or Grandma Rosella and Grandpa Johnny's house.  I have so many great memories when I go by their houses I remember from my childhood.  

Day 79, Wed., 6/3/2020...Went grocery shopping, Made Strawberry Jam

Hailey, Evan, Jack and Max eating ice cream bars

Hailey, Bruce and Melissa

Isaac swinging on their tree swing with the new seat they made

Beautiful Iris that opened today

Strawberries were .99 cents a lb. today at Aldi

Made Strawberry Freezer Jam...so happy to have jam again

Our church set up for reopening 

Watched Pastor's Devotion on Psalm 90.  He sure is doing an amazing job teaching.  You can tell he is listening to the Holy Spirit.  We ate oatmeal afterward and then read our Bibles.  I went and got groceries at Jack's and Aldi.  I called Kimmy to let her know about strawberry prices at Aldi.  I texted Melissa to let her know.  I did some hoeing in the garden and around my raspberries.  Bill worked on some pens.  We went to Home Depot so Bill could get something to try on the deck.  It didn't fit what he was going to put it on so will need to return it.  He also got grass seed and a thing to hook our hoses up so we can turn them on at the post instead of up by the house.  That works great.  He has been filling in tracks he made with the tractor and planting grass seed.  It's coming in so nice and looks so good.  I dug out some weeds in our woods on the side of the house.  I see some poison ivy Bill is going to have to spray.  Not too much, but don't want it spreading.  I noticed my two plants and a chair on the front porch were blown over on their sides.  We didn't get much rain, but must have had lots of wind last night after we went to bed.  I worked some on the deck, peeling the deck over off.  I told Vikki about the deal at Aldi and she went and got some and got some jars.  She picked up some Sure Jell and got me some too.  I dropped off some ice cream sandwiches at Melissa's.  Bruce sanitized the box and opened them.  The kids came outside and had one while we social distanced.  Melissa and I decided to go for a walk.  Hailey came along too.  It was such a nice walk through their neighborhood.  Melissa is walking so good now.  I am so thankful to God.  I went to Vikki's afterward and picked up the Sure Jell.  Vikki made 8 jars and a part of another one.  Bill watered his grass seed he put down and then hooked up the sprinkler to the hose so I could water the garden.  I was so happy when I looked out and saw he had done that for me.  I was trying to get my freezer jam made so it was so appreciated.  I got 6 pints of jam made and am so happy.  Last year I didn't make any and I sure missed it.  We watched the news.  Bill went to the kitchen and asked me if I wanted an orange.  He peeled it for me and brought it to me in a bowl with a napkin.  It tastes so much better than when I peel them.

Day 78 for us....Governor lifted Stay at Home Order Yesterday,

Peyton and Isaac

Vikki saw these chairs for sale for $25 on Facebook marketplace when it was still winter. The guy told us if we power washed them they would look like new.  This was before powerwashing

This is after power washing....he was right

I use one of these chairs every day that it is nice

Bill started power washing the deck.  I took over while he mowed the grass.  Deck Over is very hard to get off, but it's coming a little at a time.  

We watched the morning devotion online.  I walked for 2 miles on the treadmill.  Made us oatmeal for breakfast after that.  Went outside to sit and read my Bible.  Bill read his inside while I was walking.  I made each of us a list of things we need to do on a notepad.  Bill wanted me to go with him to pick up some post blocks for the pool.  It's supposed to be delivered next week. Yay!  We went to the bank, to Home Depot and St. Charles.  When we got home, he wanted to try power washing the  deck. He started and I finished...while he mowed the grass.  It's slow going, but we might be able to get a lot of it off if we keep at it a little at a time.  It's pretty easy to do, just time consuming.  The mist sure felt good today.  It was sunny and 88 degrees out.  I took a shower when I was done.  My back was a little sore when I got done, but got better as soon as I rested in my recliner.  Vikki, Peyton and Isaac came over to get a piece of wood for their swing.  They didn't stay very long.  Bill took a shower when he finished mowing and power washing.  We warmed up pizza from last night, and then  we had a drumstick for dessert.  Watched the news, Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune.  Watched Little House Episode 2.

Day 77, Mon. 6/1/20...Planted more in the garden, Vikki, Peyton and Isaac came to visit.

Isaac and Peyton

Beautiful lilacs smell so good

Covid cases

After our devotion, breakfast, Bible reading, I went out and planted the extra seeds I had where some seeds didn't grow.  We are supposed to get rain tonight, so wanted to get them in before it.  Brought some more stuff in from the camper, and took other stuff back out.  Walked around and looked at my plants.  Put some miracle grow on my Hydrangea's.  Sat outside for a while and watched the birds.  Bill returned Charlies wagon he lent us for hauling sand and he replaced the vent cover in the camper.
He worked on pens for a while.  Vikki and the kids came for a visit which was nice.  I talked to Melissa and she FaceTimed me so I could see what Evan was making with his STEM legos.  It was a pretty cool saw.  I got to see Hailey on FaceTime too.  Made homemade pizza for dinner.  We watched Little house Episode one.  Our cover for the fire pit came today.

Day 76, Sunday, 5/31/20…Watched online church, Came home from Cadillac camping trip and the whole sandpile was gone and was moved to where the pool is going by KKimmy and family and Vikki..Thank you so much!

Things really blossomed while we were gone

They sure did a nice job hauling leveling the sand.  Jared even rolled it for us

Love it when lilacs are in bloom

 

Morning glory is starting to climb up the trellis

Bill and I sat by the fire pit in the evening

Worshipped and listened to message on New Life’s Online church.  Then we went to church service with CMA Leadership outside in our lawn chairs.  After that we visited for a while, then all left to pack up to head home.  Bill dinged the camper again…backed up crooked with the truck. Bummer!  We came home a different way which was very nice.  When we got to Clare, we couldn’t head to Midland because expressway entrance was closed off.  We went through Mt. Pleasant and came home M20.  The drive home was nice and relaxing except for a 10 mile stretch of new road that had soft shoulder signs…sand on the edge of the road.  I was super careful to keep the 5th wheel wheels on that road.  When we got home we were amazed to see the sandpile gone and the pool area leveled with the sand.  Vikki had FaceTimed me and showed me a downpour yesterday, and she never said a word about the sand being moved.  Vikki, Kimmy, Jared, Jacob, Adam, and Eli came over Saturday and moved all of that sand for us and then filled the area where the pool is going and even rolled it with the roller.  Kimmy took some great pictures which I am so happy to have.  We are so blessed to have such a great family who takes such good care of us by sparing us so much hard work.  I know what a hard job this was, yet they all did it joyfully and blessed us so much.  We sure love our family tons. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!

Day 75, Sat., 5/3020, Cool day, High 65 but windy. Went on a nice motorcycle ride

While we were gone Jared, Kimmy, Jacob, Adam, Eli and Vikki hauled the sand we had delivered to      the spot where the pool is going.  They all worked so hard and blessed us so much!  Thank you all so much!  I was so happy Kimmy took these wonderful pictures and sent them to me.

Eli, Jacob, Adam and Jared

Jared rolling the sand 

Jared, Adam on the tractor, Jacob and Eli

Adam giving Eli a ride 

Jacob

Our Motorcycle ride with CMA leadership around Cadillac

Lake Mitchell

Stopped at Caberfae Mt. Everyone social distanced on the ride

The coffee pot Kimmy, Jared and the boys got me for the camper at Christmas sure works great.  Delicious and hot coffee and our mugs fit under it

Bill and I social distancing at the potluck at our own table.  

I made chicken hobo dinners for us to take to eat at the potluck so we would have our own food

I read my Bible.  Bill read the Bible on his phone as he forgot to bring his.  It’s the first time since we’ve been camping that he for got it.  We had oatmeal and coffee, and then went to find out the plans for the day.  We went to a camper place and got a new vent cover for Bill to put on.

Came back and put layers on so we could be warm on our motorcycle ride.  It was a beautiful ride up and down hills through the woods, then we went around Lake Mitchell in Cadillac.  We used to love camping there with my mom and dad when the kids were young.  We celebrated my mom and dad’s 40th anniversary there too, so lots of memories came flooding back.  We cut off to take the vent cover back, and get one Bill liked better.  We still beat the rest of the group back.  They had a potluck at 5.  Bill and I made hobo dinners and took them for us to eat, so we would have our own food and wouldn’t need to eat any of the potluck food.  I made potatoes with onions and butter in foil and Bill coked them on the grill for a dish to pass.  Everyone loved them and they disappeared.  We sat at a far table under the pavilion by ourselves to social distance.  Another couple did the same thing and sat by themselves on the far side of the pavilion.  The rest all sat together up at the other end by the food.  Our hobo dinners were delicious.  It was funny, because Vikki posted on face book that she made hobo dinners too.  I guess we think alike.  Tonight it is supposed to get down to 34 degrees here.  We have our fireplace going and the furnace running.  Glad I brought my electric blanket.  We did get to stand in a huge circle before we ate and bless the owners of the campground’s motorcycle and pray for them. They have been saved for 6 years and had a great testimony.  We all sat around a big fire pit with a huge seating area.  Pretty easy to social distance while we were there.  It got kind of cold so Bill and I left and came home to warm up and play cards. 

Day 74, Fri., 5/29/2020...Went on camping trip with CMA State Leadership to Blue Spruce Campground near Cadillac.

I'm pulling the camper behind Bill and we got in a traffic jam because of all the closed roads by Sanford.  When we got past this, it was smooth sailing

Pictures I took of the damage.  I wish I would have taken a picture of the fire ring around the tire, but I was too shocked to see it.   Luckily, it's in a spot easy to fix.

Dad relaxing and enjoying the fireplace.  It sure warms the camper up nicely.

This was the score sheet from our game of 3-13.  Dad accidentally made my score a - at the end lol.

Woke up and it was raining.  Watched Pastor do the morning devotion online.  Read our Bibles and packed the last minute stuff.  I noticed the rug in the bathroom of the camper was wet.  I looked up and the vent cover had a crack in it.  I called Bill in case he could stop and get one.  He had gone to Sam’s to fill the Truck up with gas and then the motorcycle for $1.83 per gallon.  I closed up the camper and had it ready to go by the time he got home.  We watched the weather and decided to wait until it stopped raining to leave.  I didn’t want to drive the camper in the rain.  We left at round 1:30 p.m.  Headed up US 10 and got to Sanford and the expressway was closed because they were working on the bridge over what used to be Sanford Lake.  Bill went right at the Round About and we pulled into McDonalds.  He was trying to figure which way to go.  He thought maybe we could drive through Sanford, but that road was closed too.  We kept going until we got to Wackerly Rd.  Many road closed signs on the side roads and we came to one in front of us.  We turned left and then went around some sharp curves.  We didn’t go to far and got in traffic that was at a standstill.  They were all waiting to turn at a main road.  We finally got to the corner and then it was smooth sailing.  We got by Coleman and were able to get on the expressway again.  I did good at driving the 5th wheel and Bill did good at leading me.  We arrived at the campground and Bill parked the Trike and I let him take over parking the camper.  I only go forward.  He had a hard angle to park so decided to go around and come from a different angle.  He ended up cutting through a spot.  I was taking to him on his phone and I heard an awful noise.  I told him he was hitting something.  I couldn’t see because he was quite a ways down the road from me.  Well, he ran over a fire pit ring and the ring went around the camper wheel.  Unbelievable!  

A couple of guys went over and had him back up slowly and were able to pull the ring off.  Bill felt bad and I probable felt worse.  Yikes.  Luckily most of the damage is on one little piece that is replaceable.  He finally got us parked and we set up.  Then when I went in the bathroom, I noticed the vent cover was completely missing.  It must of flew off when I was driving.  It looked like it broke on the edges.  Bill got up and covered it with plastic.  We are going to a camper place tomorrow in Cadillac to get a new one.  We have full hook up which is great as we don’t want to use the bathrooms here.   I had froze some sloppy joe meat last time I made it so I warmed it up for our dinner and had corn on the cob and chips with it.  I was happy to have something quick to fix after all that.  Played 3-13.  Bill had -85 and I had 37. (or you might say -37 lol)