Tues., 10/25/22, Did outside fall work, went to Eli’s band concert. He did great!

Melissa sent me these cute pictures of the boys decorating and eating the cookies we gave them.  She said they had so much fun doing it.

Jack, Evan and Max decorating the cookies.  All the decorations were included in the package with the cookies.  It was in a packaged box of goodies at our rental house

Max waited all day for his brothers to get home to do this

Max is giving them a thumbs up.  Looks like the raccoon on his shirt is eating one too lol.

Jack with a cute cookie

Evan was very detailed decorating his pumpkin cookies

So cute!

Eli at his band concert

Picture of us with our Eli after the concert

Went out to the garden in the morning and pulled corn stalks out and put them in garbage cans.  Also pulled zinnia roots out.  Wanted to get the cans out by the road for trash pick up today.  Bill added a couple of his own cans that he filled.  

Vikki sent me a text saying she was dying laughing.  I watched the blooper video she put together of Bill, me, Vikki, Peyton, Isaac, Kimmy, Jared, Jacob, Adam and Eli making a video for my nephew, Marks, wedding.  We had to do so many do overs because we kept forgetting to say Mars since he legally changed his name to Mars, then we kept say his fiancé's name wrong.  I laughed hard and was in tears too. The actual finished one turned out nice and Mark loved it.  He thought the blooper one was pretty funny.  

Went in the house and had my oatmeal.  Just drinking water today, no coffee.  Did prayer and Bible Study on 1 Peter 3 after I ate.  God’s Word is so good!  

Washed glass bird bath and brought it in the garage for the winter.  Emptied big flower pots on the deck, and cleaned pots.  Let the air out of swimming rings and hammock mattresses for the pool, and put them in bags to go under the pool deck.  I blew the leaves off the deck and Bill picked them up with the lawn tractor.  

Bill went and spent time wi Max at 4.  When he got home, we got ready and went to Eli’s band concert.  The 6th, 7th, and 8th grade bands all sounded so good.  Eli did great and looked very handsome!  I thought his band was the best!  

Kimmy told us Jacob will be playing in the CMU honors Band on Sunday with other Central Michigan High School students. They have practice on Saturday where they have to learn the songs.  Wish they were playing on Sat.  We have a wedding and will be in Mt. Pleasant.  On Sunday, Bill's brother Fred and wife are coming to visit, then we have a Michael W. Smith concert to attend in the evening.   Busy Busy!  Boo Hoo!  Glad Kimmy is videoing it.  Such an honor for Jacob!                        

Monday, 10/24/22, Went to Melissa's, Blew leaves off the deck, put some things on deck away for winter, Vikki and the twins, and Kimmy and family came over, Made video for Mark's Wedding

Beautiful sunrise this morning looking out the kitchen window

Kit Kat loved her house and was in it lots today

Max sure can carry lots at a time

Peyton couldn't wait to rake leaves

Isaac either

 

Isaac hurried in the leaves

Peyton and Isaac had so much fun raking the leaves in a pile and jumping in them

Adam

Jacob

Kit Kat was in her new house this morning.  She sure loves it!  We put her in it last night, but she would get right out.  I put her special blanket in it and now she knows it her place.  Thanks again Kimmy, Jared and Eli.

I did my Bible Study lesson and reading, then went to Sam's Club to pick up Nesquik for Bruce and Melissa.  I dropped it off at Melissa's and visited with her and Max for a while.  It was so nice out, that Melissa and I were hot in our sweatshirts.  Max was wearing his Raccoon shirt.  I dropped off pumpkin shaped cookies to decorate.  Max wanted to do it right then, but Melissa told him he had to wait til the other boys got home.  It sure was a fun visit.  Bill mowed and picked leaves up with the tractor.  I blew leaves off the deck.  Vikki came over and Isaac took over my job.  He did great too!  He and Peyton had so much fun playing outside, raking the leaves in a pile and then jumping in them.  After that, they played on the swings and had lots of fun too.  They were outside for a long time. 

Jacob texted me to let me know he made first chair in the CMU Honors Band.  What a great accomplishment.  I am so very proud of him.  He works hard and is gifted at playing his clarinet.  I love listening to him play.

Kimmy, Jared and the boys came over so we could make a video for my Nephew, Mark, for his wedding.  It took us many many tries, but finally we all got it right.  One would get it right, but another would mess up, so we were always starting over.   I had made nacho's and Kimmy brought rice, so we all ate.  Bill had an elders meeting, so we had to wait til he got home, to try some more til we got it how we liked it.  We were all so happy when it was done.   Vikki sent it to Mark and he liked it too.  Jacob, Adam, Kimmy, Jared, Vikki and I did get to play Skip Bo.  Jacob and Adam were the winners.  It was sure a fun game.

Sun., 10/23/22, Church, Bill gave Peyton a doll from Vietnam he had sent to his cousin, Melissa Gager’s baby shower, fun with Kimmy and Vikki going by our previous homes...a little excitement too!

Melissa Gager's Baby Shower

Eve, Melissa and Liv

Kim and Melissa

Hannah, Jessica, Melissa, Olivia and Andrea

Me, Vikki, Melissa and Kimmy

Melissa sent me this sweet text saying they were naming the baby after me.  What an honor!  My heart was really touched by this.

Fire was on the ground all over when Vikki called 911

Firetruck putting out a grass fire in the woods by where we used to live.  Vikki called 911 because no one was outside.  They came right away!

Fireman dragging the hose

Vikki and Kimmy by the creek they used to play in

Peyton and Papa with her Vietnam Doll he gave her.  

Our nephew, Mark

Him with his fiancé

We went to prayer, then church.  After church, Vikki, Rody and the kids came over and Bill gave Peyton a Vietnam Doll.  He had sent it to his cousin who was our flower girl in our wedding back when he was in Vietnam.  She didn't have any children, so sent it back so he could give it to one of his grandchildren.  Peyton is the right age to be excited about it, so he picked her.  We gave Rody a big grocery bag of candy we got on our trip.  Then we all munched on another bag we brought back.  That held us over until lunch at the shower.

Kimmy came over and brought Kit Kat's new cat house they made for her.  It is so nice and looks great out on the deck.  It was warm out, so Kit Kat didn't want to stay in it today, but will love it when cold weather returns.  I put her bed and her favorite blanket in it for her.  After that, Vikki, Kimmy and I went to Melissa Gager's baby shower.  We had to turn around because we forgot the present.  Bill met us at the end of our road to save us time.  We were only 6 minutes late for the shower so that wasn't bad.  The shower was beautiful and so nice.  Great food too!  Not too much Kimmy would eat, but Vikki and I like it.  The table was filled with people already, so we sat in the room at the end of it with all of the Gagers and kids.  We played a nursery rhyme game which I won.  Another lady did too!  We tied and both only missed 1.  We played an animal game too.  I didn't do so well on that one.  We had so much fun there!  We don't get to see them very often anymore, but it's always like we've never been apart.  They have always been like family to us.  Melissa got so many nice baby things.  We played Baby Bingo while she opened her gifts.  We visited some more after everyone left and then headed for home.  

We went down roads the girls had memories of on our way home, We also went by our two houses that were on the same road, the Krause's, and the creek the girls use to play in.  One pond we were going to stop at and the girls were going to get out by, had a fire near it in the woods.  There was a bunch of dried dead branches a some dead trees by where it was.  We didn't see anyone out by it, but saw a van and cars near where it was.  There was a house there too.  Vikki called 911 because as dry as it has been, it could have spread fast.  We were happy to see them come super fast and put it out.  We drove by at least 4 times and watched while we parked by it too.  Vikki was videoing it and finally we talked her in to leaving.  She is so much like her dad.  Many other favorite spots were on our ride home too.  So much fun and so many memories.  We all had chicken noodle soup with dumplings which Bill had made, when we got home. Talked with Melissa for a while today when I got home.   My nephew, Mark, is in Vietnam and let Vikki know he is getting married and wants us to make a video to play at his wedding since we are unable to go there.  He sent lots of great pictures.

Sat., 10/22/22, breakfast at hotel, traveled most of the day, dinner with Travis and Kenzie

Jacob's last high school Marching Band performance

Country Inn we stayed in

This was a really nice room

Kenzie and Travis met us at Greg and Lou's in Owosso for dinner

Jared working on building Kit Kat a cat house

Eli helping too

They did an amazing job on it

Their kitty love it

My sister, Brenda's granddaughter looks just like Brenda when she was little

Final total for the rally

Jerry did the worship for the whole rally and did was such a great worship leader and singer

We went down for breakfast at the hotel at 7:30.  It was the best hotel breakfast I’ve ever had.  Lots of fruit and cut up fruit mixed together besides scrambled eggs, sausage and lots more.  We headed out at 8 a.m. and did lots of texting with Kimmy and had a long chat with Melissa.  Bill, Melissa and I all prayed for Jacob on the phone as Jacob auditioned for the All State band at 10.  109 pages of name’s auditioning for this.  Jacob said he did ok but was nervous.  

I watched Jacob’s final high school marching band videos Kimmy sent me.  He was awesome and the whole band sounded amazing!

We missed the exit for lunch at I Hop so snacked on 1/2 biscuit with blackberry jam which I spread on with a straw. It was leftover from Cracker Barrel last night.  We also had roasted cinnamon almonds and Oreos.  We decided to try to meet Kenzie and Travis for dinner in Owosso in the evening when we rode through there.

We sure were happy to see the Pure Michigan sign.  It’s always a welcome sight.  We met Kenzie and Travis at Greg and Lou’s at 6:45.  We had a great meal and sure enjoyed our time with them.  Kenzie took a selfie of us for me!  Sure do love this sweet granddaughter so much!  We headed home after that and talked to Vikki and Peyton on our way!  

Fri.,10/21/22, Left iron Mountain at 10:45 a.m., stopped in Little Rock at a Chic Fil A

  

Jared giving a great teaching on conflict in the morningt

Things were looking very dry and  the leaves on the trees were dried up and brown because of the drought in Arkansas

Sweet Brielle with her patch.  It will help keep her left eye working.

My favorite restaurant while we travel

Me and Bill eating our yummy chicken strips

No color on the trees.  Only brown!

Ate at the house, had our coffee, read our Bibles and then visited some.  Bill and I packed the car and then we all went to the morning service.  Awesome worship, then heard a great message from Doug South.  Said our goodbyes, then started heading for home.  We talked to Melissa and Max for a while which was nice.  I had to hang up to get directions to a Chic Fil a we were getting close to.  We stopped in Little Rock at Chic Fil A for lunch. Oooh so so good.  Bill drove until 4:30 then I took my turn for 3 hours.  Talked to Vikki for a while which was nice.We stopped in Marion, Illinois and stayed at a Country Inn that was very nice.  We went to the Cracker Barrel for dinner and had chicken tenders.  Yum!  Spent the rest of the evening relaxing in our room.    

Loved seeing a video Kimmy sent me of Jacob’s last marching band performance.  He sure is a natural and always puts time in to practice and do his very best!