Friday, 4/2/21, Vikki, Jacob, Adam, Peyton and Isaac came over, Kimmy, Jared and Eli came over next, Rody came, then Bruce and Max, Guys put Gazebo roof on

The eagles are making another since the wind blew their's down

Peyton

The guys all worked amazing as a team working on this hard project

Notice where Mr. Safety is...Yikes

Jacob, Adam, Bruce, and Rody working on Gazebo

Bruce, Adam, Bill, Jared and Rody

Max, Adam, Jacob, Jared, Bruce and Rody

 Hailey...Max in the background

 Gazebo roof is on and they all did such a great job

First Daffodil in bloom

Peyton, me and Hailey filling eggs for the Easter Egg Hunt 

Hailey

 My two amazing helpers filling eggs for Easter...Great job Peyton and Hailey

 Jared trying out Kayaks..this one is a Mustang and it's the one they both like 

 Where's the water Jared???

 Peyton and Vikki watching Rody, Jared and Bill cut up the tree and carry the logs

 Finished and the furniture under it...cushions will go on tomorrow 

 Hyacinths will be opening up soon

Kimmy and family came and Vikki and the kids came, then Rody came.  We hung out for a while, then Bruce, Max and Hailey came at one.  The guys all worked on putting the roof on the gazebo and finishing it up.  They sure worked great together and did an amazing job.  There was a part that goes on the top of the roof at the center that was missing.  We all looked for it, but couldn't find it.  Kimmy and Vikki worked on calling to get the part, but could just get it ordered for free to come next week.  We sure appreciate them doing all that for us.  There is also a part we needed for our sink which Kimmy found the model number for and ordered for us.  It comes free next week too.  Hailey, Peyton and I filled lots of eggs with candy and money.  They were amazing helpers.  We sure have much to be thankful for. 

What a wonderful family God has given us.  Bruce, Hailey and Max had to leave.  Everyone but Bill, Jared, Jacob and Adam ate chili.  They were finishing picking up the ladders and putting some other stuff away.  Then Kimmy mentioned the tree that fell down needed cutting up.  Jared cut it up with the chainsaw.  We all had to be careful and wear gloves because the tree had poison ivy growing up it.  Kimmy, Vikki, Rody, Jacob, Adam, Bill and I picked up the wood and stacked it.  The rotten stuff went in the fire pit.  Jared took another tree down for us...it was dead and small so it didn't take too much time.  Jacob, Adam, Kimmy and I moved some rocks and bricks.  We moved everything under the Gazebo too.  Thank you everyone!  Jared, Bill and the boys finally ate.  Kimmy, Vikki, Peyton and I went to look for the Bird House in Freeland.  It had moved, but we did go to the Elevator and they have a new big store.  We all got oriole feeders that hold grape jelly and a whole orange...half on one side and half on the other.  Vikki got a shepherd's hook.   Bill and I went with Kimmy and Jared to look at Kayaks.  Vikki watched The Chosen with the boys.  After everyone left, Bill and I hung the swing seats.  Bill and I watched two episodes of The Chosen. 

Thurs. 4/1/21, Got some groceries, Kimmy and the boys and Wyatt came over, Vikki, Peyton and Isaac came over, the kids colored eggs here

                                                                                      

A dusting of snow this morning and cold temps

Great helpers with egg coloring....Jacob, Eli, Peyton, Adam and Isaac

 Silly picture of some of the kiddos

 Eli and Isaac

Peyton

 Jacob looking at Kenzie's Dog Magazine from way back when 

Adam

 Kenzie's cute bunnies she and Travis got today

I got up at 6:04, took a shower, then went to get burger to make chili and some other groceries before the stores were busy.  I sure did beat the crowds.  I got the chili made before Kimmy and the boys and Vikki and the twins got here, so we could just visit and relax.  Then I saw a text from Adam saying they weren't coming now.  I boo hooed and then was going to call Kimmy, when I got another text from Adam saying April Fools.  He got me good.  Jacob did the same thing.  The boys loved that they got me.  I sure was happy when they all got here.  Wyatt came with them too and is the best dog.  We three girls had him sit on our laps.  We tried to call him and see who he picked to come to.  We all got our fair share with him.  Kimmy, Vikki, Adam and I played 3-13.  Vikki won.  We ate chili for lunch and then had donuts for desert.  Kenzie Video Chatted with us and showed us her two bunnies they got today and also the baby turkey they got.  So cute!  After lunch, we girls listened to some worship songs on You Tube on the tv.  Kimmy, Bill and I flushed the hose to the kitchen faucet again.   Some more black pieces came out, but the pressure didn't increase as much as last time.  Kimmy found the model # under the sink and took a picture of it.  She called the Delta Faucet Co. then and they are sending us the part we need to fix it for free.  She is such an amazing daughter and saves us lots of money.  The kids colored eggs for me for Easter which was a huge help for me and fun for them.  I forgot to take a picture of them coloring them, so had them sit at the table with some colored eggs and took a picture of them then.  I caught a mouse in my chipmunk trap.  Go figure!  Kimmy and I walked around and looked at the plants and flowers starting to come up and starting to bloom.  Adam and Jacob went home with Vikki to spend the night there.  Eli was pretty happy about being the only child at home.  He loves that, but I'm sure he wouldn't if it were for very long.  I did some laundry after they left.  It sure is fun having the kids on Easter Vacation and getting to spend time with everybody each day.  Tomorrow will be put on the roof to the gazebo day.  Rody, Bruce, Jared and the boys are going to come help, so it should go well.  

Wed., 3/31/21, Adam was up early, Jacob slept til 10:30, Worked on Gazebo, played 3-13, Went to Discipleship and then Good Friday Church Walk

Jacob and Adam working in the morning

Eli and Isaac

Peyton

Grilled hotdogs on the grill today for lunch.  Made fried red potatoes too!

Picture I took after everyone left...pieces are in place ready to go up on Friday

Adam was up at 7:30 when Bill and I got up.  I made pancakes and Bill, Adam and I ate.  Adam and I put worship music on the tv.  Read my Bible and prayed.  Adam and I watched Beverly Hillbilly's after that.  We had lots of good laughs.  Bill texted me to see if the boys were working on the gazebo yet.  I had Adam wake Jacob up...it was 10:30.  I thought since it was Easter Vacation, I would let him sleep in.  He came down and ate breakfast and then he and Adam went out and started working.  It was a cool, windy day and the temp was only supposed to be 45 degrees.  Jacob came in and had to warm his hands up for a little while.  

He went back out and worked more, then Bill got home from therapy and went out and worked with them.  The sun was out the whole time, and that helped warm it up on the deck where the wind wasn't as bad.  Bill brought 5 bags of donuts home.  We girls...Vikki, Kimmy, Peyton and I, were playing 3-13.  We decided to have some donuts out of a bag.  Eli joined us in eating donuts.  We ate the whole bag.  When Bill came in, he told me he bought a bag for each grandkid.  Then he looked on the counter and said, did I only buy 4.  Ha ha...no he bought 5 but were we going to tell????  Can't believe he was going to leave us big kids out.  We took care of that problem.   I grilled hotdogs and cut up potatoes and started frying them. Kimmy took over for me when the timer went off.  We all ate, then the guys and kids had their donuts.  Once the guys had the roof pieces assembled, the girls and I went out and were helping put them up.  Vikki and I didn't really want to try it today, because it was so windy and also we thought we needed more man power.  Bill and Kimmy wanted to try it so we did.  The first piece went up great.  The second one didn't line up.  I was worried about Kimmy on the hight middle ladder holding the two pieces, about Jacob and Adam on the ladders lifting it up once Vikki and I got it as high as we could and then worried that the wind would catch it and blow it off.  Finally, Bill said we were going to take it down and do it when Rody, Jared and Bruce could come too.  Whew!  We got it down, then they laid it on the grass and matched the pieces up so they would know the screw holes would be lined up.  They brought it back up and laid it exactly how it needs to go. Mission accomplished for the day.  My hammock and hammock stand came today.  It's so nice and so easy!  Kimmy and the boys left, as she wanted to get more dirt and work on putting it around the house with Jared.  They did some yesterday and it looks great.  The boys have youth group tonight.  Vikki left right after they did.  Bill and I went to our discipleship class, then we drove around for 20 minutes until it was time for our Good Friday Window Walk Through.  Each family had to schedule a time on Tues, Wed or Thurs. to do their individual walk through the sanctuary to different paintings which showed something to do with Jesus leading up to Easter.  We had to read scriptures that went with the painting, then there were questions or statements about the painting.  We then would do what the page told us and then pray.  It was very moving and the Holy Spirit really touched our hearts.  At the end Bill and I held hands and he prayed.  The things I had prayed along as we went to all 9 pictures he summed up perfectly in his prayer too.  God is awesome.  We came home in silence pondering about Jesus.  Bill made us his chicken soup with homemade dumplings when we got home.  We ate it while we played 3-13.  It was a close game.  He was negative 20 and I had 1 point.  He was a happy camper you might say.  I kept telling him that I wasn't worried because I knew he could have -39 in the Jack's round and I could have 75 and still beat him.  Adam proved that. Thanks Adam!!! 

Tuesday, 3/30/21, Kimmy and the boys came over, Vikki and twins came over, Bill and the boys worked on putting the new gazebo up with some help from us girls

Me, Adam, Jacob and Bill working as a team

Me, Adam and Bill

Me, Adam, Jacob, Peyton and Isaac

Jacob and Papa Bill

Jacob, Peyton and Isaac working as a team...Wyatt moving through

Adam and Papa working...Wyatt visited today too

                                                          Adam, Jacob and Papa Bill

 Adam

 A beautiful eagle flew by us and then went over our house while we were out on the deck. Kimmy saw it take off from the edge of our property and said it was huge!

Frame up

Adam, Jacob and Papa Bill

The roof being built

Jacob, Bill and Adam working on the gazebo

Jacob

 Jacob, Adam and Bill playing 3-13

 Score from Bill and the boy's game....Bill was negative until the 12's and was winning.  Adam beat him by 3 points in the end

Jacob and Papa

 Jacob and Adam

Jacob relaxing after working hard today

 Adam relaxing finally after all his hard work today

We slept in this morning.  Had our oatmeal and coffee.  Adam texted and wanted to know if they could come over.  Of course my answer was yes, come!  I'm always happy when they come, and was just thinking today how blessed I am to see all of my kids and grandkids so often.  Kimmy and the boys came, then Vikki and the kids came.  Vikki brought large smoothies from Tropical Smoothie for Kimmy, her and me.  They were delicious!  The boys and Bill started working on assembling the gazebo.  Vikki, Kimmy, Peyton, Isaac, Eli and I all helped holding the pillars while they connected the top beams to them.  It was another very windy day, but it wasn't too bad on the back deck. We ate chicken salad sandwiches and pizza for lunch.  Also washed some strawberries and put them out.   Bill, Jacob and Adam played 3-13.  Adam won even though Bill was negative 39 after the 11th hand and Adam was 75.  It was fun hearing them tell about it...Adam sure was happy.  We girls sat out on the deck for a while and visited.  We saw an eagle fly over our deck and house.  It was beautiful!  We were amazed at how much the guys got done today. They even got lots of the roof assembled.  The boys are great helpers.  I ordered online and we picked up Culvers for dinner.  Bill, Jacob and Adam got Concrete Mixers too.  I didn't because I had the smoothie today.  We ate at home, then played 3-13.  Jacob was the winner. I came in last.  It was fun playing with them.  We watched the movie, FlyWheel afterward. Then we watched Beverly Hillbillies.

Monday, 3/29/21, Bill went with Charlie for their coffee time. I worked outside lots, Bill worked on organizing gazebo parts, I took pop cans back...lots of them

 

Nice to see the blossoms on my Christmas Cactus getting big

 Filled the Easter Baskets....Down to filling just 5 and one for us Adults to share on Easter

 Cute comparison picture of Grandma and Grandpa Russell with their grandchildren...Three of whom we share as grandchildren

 Why is it those three guys in the back (Eric, Doug and Jared look like they have shrunk in the bottom picture.  Before you could see the picnic table and now you can't???? What great pictures to look at.  Happy Adam sent them to me.  They were taken 10 years apart.

Bill got up early to go with Charlie before his had therapy at the VA.  I put worship on, then read my Bible and spend some time praying.  Put the glass covers from the old chandelier in the dishwasher to get them nice and clean for Kenzie.  Washed the main part of it too, then packed it all up in a box.  Went outside and put more mealworms in the dish for the birds and filled the feeders.  It was so nice out, I decided to walk around and look at all the plants. Worked some on weeding and cleaning out along the edging by the deck.  Bill worked on sorting gazebo pieces and parts and getting some stuff ready he needed to get done before Jacob and Adam come to help him.  Tomorrow is supposed to be another super windy day, so probably will see about Wed.  Brought the last bag of wood pellets in.  After it's gone, we will just use our furnace if we need heat.  I'm pretty happy about that since hauling pellets, filling buckets, dumping buckets, and cleaning the kernel burner is a pretty big job for just one person.  Next year when we start it up again their will be two of us working together again.  I filled Easter Baskets.  Only five grandchildren are wanting baskets this year.  Melissa's 4 are getting money instead, Kenzie and Travis are getting money instead, and Kody is getting money instead.  Sure went fast filling those baskets with only 6 to do.  I have to make sure us adults have candy to munch on Sunday too.  I made Salmon, red potatoes and green beans for dinner.  Bill sold his bike that's 10 years old for $300 today.  He didn't ride it much and likes the one he has now better.  I went to Meijer to take back tons of flavored water bottles and pop cans.  As I was pushing my cart full of bags of cans in, there was a couple coming just a little behind me, each with a cart full of cans.  We got to the door about the same time and the girl went in and the guy motioned for me to go next, but I let him just follow her and told him it looks like we were going to the same place.  He laughed and said yes.  We got in the room and they told me I could go first.  The machine they thought was open, was actually not working, but because of the dividers they have between machines, you couldn't see the notification.  We ended up getting machines at the same time.  I started putting my cans in, and Bill and Sabrina came in with a whole cart of cans and bottles too.  We talked for a few minutes, then my machine started beeping and said it needed to be emptied.  It didn't run my receipt out, so I didn't want to leave the machine to get help.  I finally asked Bill Smith if he would watch my stuff, while I went to see if anyone was in the back room.  No one answered.  Bill went out in the main store and finally found someone to come empty the cans so the machine would work again. When I started putting cans in again, Bill and I noticed the amount started at 0.  I had $6.40 already when it quit.  Bill went again and found the guy and he came and wrote me a slip for the amount.  Then Sabrina found a can she missed and she gave it to me to add to mine.  It sure turned out to be a stressful ordeal, but God sent some good friends to help me out.  I was very thankful believe me.  Adam had texted me when they left Indiana.  He let me know when they were 3 hours from home.  They were home by the time I got home from Meijer.  Always thankful when they return safely. 

                                                                              

Sunday, 3/28/21...Went to First Assembly, went to Costco, went to Kimmy's to check on sheep,

                                                                                     

 A little windy today, but all the sheep didn't seem to mind it outside

 Kimmy and Jared's sheep came right in the barn and up to us.  They seemed like they were asking where their owners were, but were happy to smell some familiar people I guess.

 We loved seeing all these cute sheep                        

 Bill happy when we started playing 3-13...He wasn't so happy after when he lost both games

Vikki and I in front of Great Gifts.  They had already closed, so we looked in the window.  Nice Tranquil Pottery on the top shelf in the window, so we took a selfie with the beautiful pottery behind us.

We went to church at First Assembly.  Saw Kevin and the kids, and Elaine there.  We sat in the back.  They were all wearing face masks and following the guidelines for Covid.  The worship was amazing and the message was a great one about Jesus.  I love Palm Sunday and I love focusing during this week on Jesus and what he did leading up to Easter and then the big celebration on Easter.  The pastor announced that they had ordered a purification system for the church which was supposed to  take a month to get here and it came in two weeks.  They had it in stalled last week and it is supposed to be 98% effective at killing germs.  He said they were still going to social distance though.  After church, I messaged Vikki to see if she and the kids wanted to go to Kimmy's with me and stop at Costco on our way.  She did so she came over.  Our neighbor had set out 4 beautiful bar stools by the road.  Vikki saw them and loaded them in her car.  She put them in our garage and posted them on face book and sold them for $80.  Bill handled the sale for her while we were gone.  The sheep were so friendly and cute today.  So were the cats.  Chickens were just normal chickens.  After we came out of the barn, we waded in the pond with our muck boots for a few minutes to wash the poo poo off.  We looked at Kimmy's plants too.  We headed home, and stopped at Goodwill to look quick.  Vikki found a brand new pair of Deerfoam Slippers just like the ones she just ordered and got.  She also found a really cute close pin bag with clothespins in it.  She always finds great deals and what she needs.  Favor of the Lord because she is so generous.  I talked to Melissa and all the kids are going to do the Easter Egg hunt at our house on Easter.  I found 3 huge packages of wrapped candy at Costco.  Hailey and Peyton are coming on Friday to help fill the eggs.  I was happy Hailey offered of course.  She has been my helper for quite a few years, but we couldn't do last year's hunt.  Bill and I played two games of 3-13.  I beat him bad both games.  Poor Billy!