Thurs., 1/21/21 or as Isaac said one two one two one, Did schoolwork with the kids and played 3-13, Ordered Tony's for dinner tonight

 Jacob, Eli and Adam (another nice picture borrowed from Kimmy's Blog)

 Peyton and Isaac beating me at 3-13..Isaac won and Peyton came in second.  I was the big loser!

Isaac was up first.  I got up a few minutes after him.  It was nice and sunny outside.  Temperatures warmed up to 37, but the wind was howling and made it feel lots cooler.  We had breakfast and started spelling. They did great again so we did our reading.  Today we had time to play 3-13.  We were all happy about that.  Isaac was negative the whole game except for twice when he had 15 and then went back down to 5.  The final score was Isaac -1, Peyton 66, and me 79.  We sure have fun. Vikki came to get them and let us finish the last 4 rounds.  She made herself a coffee and relaxed for a few minutes while she visited.  We called my niece, Tammy, and left her a birthday message and song.  After they left, I talked with Kenzie a couple of times today.  Bill went there and the three of them emptied the trailer with all the junk left at the house in it.  I was thinking of ordering food from Tony's for dinner.  Melissa called 5 minutes later and told me they were ordering Tony's tonight to support a small business.  I told her that's what I was just thinking, and that she was my confirmation ha ha.  Tammy called me back while I was talking to her, so I hung up and answered, and got to tell her Happy Birthday and talk to her for a while.  Jacob, Adam and Eli texted me.  Sure love those boys.  We got burgers, fries and shakes from Tony's for dinner.  We watched Wheel of Fortune and then watched a movie, called The Secret Handshake.  It had Amy Grant and Kevin Sorbo in it so thought it would be a great movie.  It was a pretty weird show though.  

Wed., 1/20/21, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO STACIE (DAUGHTER #4 in our hearts), Bill had to be at the VA at 7:30, Friends delivered Banana Bread,

Stacie with her Birthday gift we delivered to her.   We thought she was an Eskimo at first.  DJ got her that so she would be nice and warm since she's always cold.  She's always so sweet!

 Banana Bread two friends delivered to our porch

 New mirrored shelf we got today

 New light we got today

New mirror hanging we got today

Bill had to be at the VA for a doctor appt. at 7:30 this morning.  After that he had therapy there.  I texted Stacie to wish her Happy Birthday.  I had her let me know when she wasn't busy with work so I could call her.  While he was gone, two friends dropped off Banana Bread that Barb made for us.  YUM!  They wore masks and just did a porch visit.  They are such sweet friends.  When Bill got home, Stacie let me know it was a good time to call.  We both sang Happy Birthday to her and talked to her for a while.  We told her we would leave and head there to drop off her birthday gift.  We dropped Gayla's birthday gift off on her porch on our way to Stacie's.  When we got to Stacie's, we visited for a few minutes outside and then she opened her gift.  Bill asked me if I wanted to go to Love's Furniture Store after that, so we did.  We got some great bargains.  I called Vikki, and she dropped off the kids early so she could help us hang stuff and move things around in our bedroom since we had to switch sides of the bed because of Bill's arm.  She was such a great help as always.  Peyton said we were making our house modern ha ha!  We moved the light that was in the living room to the family room.  The one end of that room was always pretty dark and it sure lights it up nice now.  We ate dinner, then watched Counting On.  I read the Picture Bible to the kids, we all prayed and then I tucked them in.  Love those sweeties!  

Tues., 1/19/21, Went to Vikki's, Went to Melissa's, Prayer with church prayer group

 

 Peyton in the morning.  I let her sleep with Kenzie's bear from when she was little because she forgot her favorite dog she sleeps with.  It made her very happy!

 Isaac in the morning

 Papa, me, and Hailey outside.  Evan, Jack and Max inside all enjoying their hot chocolate and donuts

 Hailey with her hot chocolate and donut

 Hailey with her "hug" ring from Papa

I took the garbage out for Bill.  We all ate breakfast and read a scripture for the day.  Bill had to go get blood work.  The kids looked over their new spelling list and I gave them a test.  They both got them all right.  Yay!  Great job Peyton and Isaac.  We read our books next.  Vikki came and visited for a minute when she picked them up, but had to leave because she had to do two days of school lessons with them.  I went upstairs and Peyton and Isaac had their beds all made.  They love surprising me.  Sometimes I surprise them and make them while they are eating.  Papa dropped a extra drill he had off at Vikki's for her to have.  She was so happy.  She had told him she was going to buy one, but he had an extra so he surprised her and gave it to her.   We went to Melissa's next so Bill could give her and Hailey their "hug" rings.  They loved them and were both very happy and touched that he would do that all on his own.  He told them too that when they needed a hug, he that was a hug from him.  I still think that was so sweet for him to do for all of us girls.  He still has to give Stacie hers.  We prayed with our prayer group from church.  We played a great game of 3-13 and went up the hill and down the hill.  Papa's idea!  I was the big winner tonight.  Now he knows how I felt last time when he beat me bad.  We had fun playing!
 

Monday, 1/18/21, Went to Vikki's, walked 2 miles,

 

Little dolly Bill got me to haul the wood pellets in while he can't.  It works great!

 Mylee and Lucy napping together...so cute

Kenzie, Mylee, Abby, and Max

Mylee, Kenzie, Bruce and Melissa

 Bruce being silly in this one

 Bruce being even sillier in this one

Vikki taking a picture out of her car window of Kenzie in the truck next to her.  They both got an oil change for their vehicles

The kids having their popcorn

After we ate, I talked to Vikki and she invited me to come spend time with her and Kenzie.  I had thought about making goulash for Kenzie the next time I saw her last night while I was in bed.  It's one of her favorite meals.  When I found out she was coming, I made some right away to take there for lunch and then for Kenzie to take some home for dinner.  We had a nice time talking and hanging out.  Vikki had Kenzie's dog, Mylee, spend the night last night, and she gave her a bath and got some burrs out of her fur for Kenzie.  She looked so cute all clean and fluffy.  I walked 2 miles today.  I listened to Brandon Lake Worship and it sure made the time go fast.  I was praising the Lord while I walked.   Peyton and Isaac spent the night.  We had popcorn in our new microwave collapsible popcorn maker and it was so good and so easy.  The kiddos were happy when they found their surprise chocolate chips in the bottom.  We watched Counting On while we ate our popcorn.  We read our Bible, prayed and I tucked them in.  I told Peyton to pop up like toast because she always sleeps in, and I told Isaac to sleep like a log because he is always up super early.  They always laugh and say no and tell me they want to do the opposite.  Peyton forgot her special dog and had tears in her eyes.  I went in the attic and found a bear that was Kenzie's favorite and give it to her to sleep with.  That made her very happy.

Sunday, 1/17/21, Went to church, Went to Kenzie's

Me, Jared and Kenzie before the work began

 Jared and Kenzie

 Vikki and Eli....Kimmy's hand carrying those boards

 Eli taking hinges off the cupboards

Me and Eli working

Eli and Jared taking cupboards out.  Eli was so strong and really swung that sledge hammer

 Eli and Kenzie working hard to get this cupboard out

 Kenzie, Jacob and Jared 

                                                                    Jared and Kenzie

 Eli, Travis and Adam (Jared on Adam's right shoulder ha ha)

Eli

 Jacob helping Papa Bill put a headlight in
 

                                        Kenzie and Travis...Fireman in the back manning the fire

 Huge fire they started in the garden

                             The house in the background and the firetruck out on the road

Kenzie, two fireman, Travis and Papa Bill

 Jared and Kenzie got the shelves where the oven had been built in out...Big Job!

The cupboards all out except the sink one

 Kenzie with Mylee...so cute!

 My "hug" ring from Bill.  His arm is in the background

 My hug ring from dad.  Such a sweet thing for him to do.  A treasure to know I always have a hug from him.

We went to church.  Worship was really good and the message was good too.  We talked to Brittany, Nolan and Nolan's parents after church for quite a while.  Came home and we each ate a hard boiled egg to hold us over til lunch since we didn't eat breakfast this morning.  Kenzie had ordered Bill a medium pizza, and a big and medium pizza for her Travis and I.  

I picked them up for her.  Thanks for the pizza Kenzie and Travis!  Very sweet of you!  We all ate, and then we started the demolition of the kitchen cabinets and shelves.  Bill called all of us girls over by him and said he had a surprise for us.  He gave us each a "hug" ring.  He told us whenever we wanted a hug, look at our ring and know he's hugging us.  What a sweet surprise and what a special memory it will always be for us.  What a special guy he is.  I'm glad he's mine!  Such a great team of workers again today.  Jared, Eli, Kenzie, Vikki and Kimmy were pretty strong swinging those sledgehammers and getting boards loose and out.  I gave a few good swings myself.  We had fun working together.  Adam and Jacob worked lots outside with Travis and Papa.  Anytime we needed wood from the cupboards hauled out, Adam or Jacob would come running to get it and take it to the woodpile for us.  Eli helped some with that too.  It sure was amazing all that got done.  Mylee was a good girl.  I took her out once and she went potty right away for me.  She's so cute!  Vikki and I went to get some sprackling, and when we came back, we saw a huge fire on the garden.  Bill had them throw wood there and start a fire, since the burner barrel was full and didn't hole much.  We parked the car and when we got out we heard sirens.  Jared said they were coming there.  I went in the house right away and saw the firetruck go by.  I was very happy, but prayed no one was having a serious fire.  A short time later, the firetruck backed up and came to Kenzie's.  Two fireman got out and talked to Travis, Kenzie and Bill.  He told them they couldn't burn construction wood.  They wrote a report, told them to just let the fire burn out, and gave them a warning.  No fine!  Yay!

We continued working and finished the kitchen demolition, and the outside crew got lots of junk out of the garage and loaded in the trailer.  Nice to see all that work get done to help Kenzie and Travis.  We watched a movie when we got home.

Saturday, 1/16/21, Walked two miles, Read on my book, Went to Jack's

 

 Isaac and Peyton coloring the birds Isaac drew

Normal morning routine, then went to walk on the treadmill.  I hate to admit it, but it's the first time I've walked on it since December.  The kids turned it around on Christmas Eve.  I got on it and put my phone in the holder.  I turned it on and it jerked and made my phone fall over.  It would go smooth a couple seconds than give a big jerk.  I was happy they changed my basement around, because it is perfect to walk around now.  I walked and went 2 miles listening to my worship music.  I will have to have the boys lift it up when they come so Kimmy, Vikki, Bill and I can try to figure out if something's caught under it or if it's something else.   Charlie picked Bill up to drive around drinking their coffee from Tim Horton's.  I talked to Vikki a long time and listened for her birds to talk like they do.  They didn't cooperate.  I took a shower and got ready.  Bill came home, but had to leave to go to his therapy right away.  I went to Jack's in Midland, and did some other shopping too.  Bill was eating an egg salad sandwich when I got home.  I was still full, so I made us smoothies. They were so good.  We watched a movie.  It was really good but was a tear jerker.  It was about how God helps us through everything and God's timing.  Texted with Kimmy.  Had a nice talk with Melissa. 

Friday, 1/15/21, Dropped off lunch for Hailey, Cleaned linen closet,

          I borrowed these pictures from Kimmy's Blog.  Thought they were such nice pictures!

 Eli ad Jacob

 Adam

 Adam making one of his videos.  He does an amazing job and puts it to really cool music!

Same morning routine as usual.  At noon, I picked up an online order I got for Hailey... her favorite, Beef and Bean Nacho's from Coco Loco's.  I dropped it off on her porch.  She came out to get it and waved as I walked to my car.  We talked for a few minutes.  Thought I might cheer her up while she has to quarantine.  Can't wait until we can just go out together to eat and spend time together.  Went and picked up some groceries at Aldi's.  It wasn't very busy when I went by so decided it was a good time.  Adam texted me in the morning.  He only has 52 pages left to read and he will have read the whole Bible.  Wow what a great accomplishment for a kid.  Life changing when you read God's Word.  I didn't start until I was in my 30's, but haven't stopped since.  Very proud of you Adam!  Eli texted me today too.  Had a couple of nice talks with Melissa, and short talks with Vikki. Cleaned the linen closet out upstairs and found lots of towels for Kenzie.  She needed old towels and I found a stack of them.  Also found some nice towels she can probably use.  Sure made lots more room in the closet.  I forgot I had all those stacks of towels in there.  Haven't used them in 17 years, so not likely I will.