Sat., 3/25/23, Met CMA friends at Lucky's in Lansing, Melissa came over, then Bruce, Hailey, Jack and Connor came over, Connor and Jack spent the night, Nerf fights of course

 

It was snowing really hard and big flakes when we headed to Lansing this morning.

My yummy food at Lucky's today.  They also brought a salad and soup.  I brought home enough for 3 more meals.  The price was good too!

Bev's Sweet Potato....we all laughed it was so big!

Our great niece, Emma...she's getting so big!

Hailey after getting her hair cut by Vikki

Frame we got Debbie for Christmas.  She had Vikki make this heart collage for it!

Connor doing the Rubik Cube! He's good at it!

Melissa doing the Rubik Cube at the same time.  She's good at it too. 

Connor and Jack loading our nerf guns for our nerf war

Melissa in action.  Jack reloading!

Connor getting back at Melissa while Jack still was reloading

Melissa was happy to have this small nerf gun.  The first one she used didn't work at all.  She sure got into it after she got this one.

I got some pretty good shots in too.  Melissa and I were battling against Connor and Jack

Peyton got home from the 30 hr. famine tonight

We got up early.  Bill was supposed to meet Charlie and I wanted to shower and do my hair before going to Lansing.  Put good worship on and also got my Bible reading in.  Bill came home and brought me donut holes and a blueberry muffin.  Yum!  Charlie never showed up and never let him know.  He wasn't answering his phone or text messages.  He finally called Bill and let him know he forgot and slept until 10.  We were relieved he was ok.  

We headed to Lucky's in Lansing and when we left our house it had just started snowing about 10 minutes before we left.  It was such a wet, heavy, snow with big flakes, our road already was slippery.  It was snowing like crazy until we got through St. Charles, then it slowed up and finally stopped.  The roads were really slippery so we got a slow start.  I read on my book about the Haiti Missionary Hostages on the way there and on the way back.  We met Bev and Ron, and Doug and Sue to discuss and start planning our CMA State Rally.  It went well and was so nice having everyone's input.  Great team to work with.  Our food was absolutely delicious and so much of it.  

Melissa came over after we got home.  Bruce and Hailey, Jack and Connor came next.  Bruce and Hailey had to leave, but Jack and Connor are spending the night.  Melissa did her laundry here because her dryer needs to be fixed and Bruce has to wait until the part comes to repair it.  

We had lots of time to visit which was nice.  I made pizza for the boys to eat.  They had fun playing air hockey and ping pong.  They also had fun with light sabers and nerf guns.  Melissa and I got lots of exercise besides having lots of fun having a nerf war with them.  The boys watched a movie too.  I talked to Kimmy once today and also to Vikki lots.   Peyton had a good time at her 30 hour famine at church.  It was after midnight when Melissa left.

Friday, 3/24/23, Went shopping all morning, Went to Maddy's, Went to Ladies Night at church

One lonesome robin this morning

Brielle 

Alec and Maddy

Maddy, Annette, Laura, Kim, Kim's friend, Kolby at Ladies Night.  We played the Telephone game and sure had fun and lots of laughs.  

I got up early and got ready so I could get to the stores early.  Went to Kroger first and used my coupons to get even better deals.  I went to Aldi after that, then to the $ Store to get some cards.  I went to Meijer last and got more things.  Bill gave me three $10 off coupons so that was the most fun place.  I was happy to get home because it took from 9 a.m. to 1:30.  Bill was coming out the door to get the mail, so he came and helped me carry everything in.  I got everything for the Hope 'Tote for the Rescue Mission and also started getting Easter candy for all the kid's baskets and for our Easter egg hunt.  It's seems like it's coming fast now, so I'd better start getting ready.

I picked up the ingredients for the veggie pizza Maddy and I are making together for tonight too.  I forgot the Ranch Seasoning packet, so ran to Pat's to get it.  I had about 25 minutes when I got home so read my Bible.  Bill drove me to Maddy's, because he was going to help Alec with with some paper work for the Marine's.  Maddy and I made the veggie pizza while Bill watched Brielle.  Alec got home and had brought Panera sweet goodies for all of us and for Maddy's parents next door.  Yum!  Maddy drove me to the church and took me home afterward.  We had fun at our table and played the Telephone game.  Hailey had told me about it, but this was the first time I played it.  We sure had lots of laughs.  

I noticed that Jack had texted me when I got home.  He and Eli wanted to spend the night he said.  He never answered back, so must have figured it was too late.  I talked to Vikki a few times and Melissa once today.Bill and I watched a movie called "The Second Coming of Jesus".  

Thurs., 3/23/23, Did more cleaning, did some reading, Maddy and Brielle came over to go to concert, Jacob did awesome playing his clarinet solo's tonight, Went out for ice cream

All of us waiting for Jacob to start playing his clarinet at his solo concert

Brielle sleeping with her eyes open during the concert.  Kimmy did that when she was little.

A short clip of Jacob playing tonight

Jacob did outstanding. He plays the clarinet so amazingly!

Jacob and Mr. Shepherd his band director. Mr. Shepherd said so many good things about having Jacob as a student.  Jacob is in the top 20 clarinet players in Michigan.  

Jared, Jack, Bill, Eli, Isaac, Bruce, Jacob, Evan, Adam, Charlie and Rody

Jared signing his first autograph for Peyton.  Maddy watching.

Charlie, Jacob and Sue

Vikki with Brielle's toy Jesus 

Vikki and Brielle

Kimmy, me, Jacob, Vikki, Brielle, Sue and Maddy

Jacob and I

We all had fun at the Country Creamery after Jacob's concert

Walked 2 miles in the morning while playing good worship music.  Then I ate oatmeal with blueberries for breakfast and had my morning coffee.  Did more cleaning today, while Bill went with Charlie.  I cleaned the downstairs. bathroom and scrubbed and waxed the foyer.  When Bill got home, we read our Bibles. 

Around 4, Maddy and Brielle came over to ride with us to Jacob's solo concert.  They got here early and Maddy put Brielle's carseat in the truck, then we hung out until it was time to leave.  Brielle was so cute.  She loved eating her baby snacks and loved rolling over on the floor.  I had fun holding her and feeding her her bottle.  We left at 4:45 for Jacob's concert.  Charlie and Sue came too, so did Vikki and her family, and Bruce, Jack and Evan.  Jacob sure plays the clarinet well.  His performance was outstanding.  He amazes me how good he plays.  He was funny, because when he was done he told everyone if they had any questions or wanted autographs (he said the last part with a chuckle) he would be out in the hallway.  We didn't have any paper, but Peyton had her I pad, so she had Jacob sign it.  We took lots of pictures, then met at Country Creamery for ice cream.  Bruce had left before we thought of this, so we didn't get to ask him.  We had fun hanging out more.  

When we got home, we watched a couple of good Christian movies.  

 

Wed., 3/22/23, Bill had a VA appt., I vacuumed and scrubbed the floors, Took Joel out for pizza, went to Rescue Mission Movie Night

Me, Joel and Bill at G's

Joel and I with our yummy pizza

Bill with the pen he just made

Me, Elaine, Barb, Ron and Don volunteering at the Rescue Mission for Faith Riders Movie Night.  We showed the movie God's not dead, provided popcorn and pop.

Bill went to the VA for his appt., then met Charlie for coffee.  I vacuumed all the hard floors, then got my kneeling pad out of the garage and scrubbed the floors.  Sure is a good job to have done.  Bill came home and brought me a blueberry muffin. Yum!  I had the last 1/2 piece of pot pie too, because Bill didn't want it.  

We did our Bible reading and prayer time.  Listened to some awesome worship too.  At 4, we went to take Joel out for pizza.   I had called yesterday to set it up.  When we got there today, the guy hadn't written it on the schedule like he said he would.  Joel wasn't even there, but was going to be there in a few minutes.  They brought him in, gave him his eyedrops, then we talked to him for a couple of minutes.  He knew our names which made us super happy.  We took him out to our car and Bill got him in.  When we went to put the wheelchair in, it wouldn't fold.  Bill finally went in to tell the guy inside.  He came out and couldn't figure it out either.  We put everything back on that wheelchair, and he took it in and brought out a different one.  We headed to G's and got to the bridge and it was closed and there was a detour.

We finally did make it to G's.  Lots of obstacles, but we overcame.  We had a great time with Joel.  He thanked us so many times and told us he loves us.  We showed him pictures his mom and dad have sent to me and he loved seeing them.  We called them and he got to talk to them with us.  We all loved that!  Our pizzas came and they were delicious.  We left and took Joel back home, then came home, put our CMA vests on and headed to the Rescue Mission.  We got there in time to help scoop popcorn into bags.  People started coming, so we took turns serving them popcorn and pop.  They were pretty happy about that.  They loved the movie God's Not Dead and so did I.  Haven't seen it for a long time.  When we got home, we watched a movie about the Rapture....people had been told but didn't believe it until it happened.  It wasn't my favorite movie it had a good message at the end.  

 

Tues., 3/21/23...Remembering my sister, Linda on her birthday today! I miss her so much. Cleaned the house, messaged with my niece, checked the camper

Missing my sister today...She would be 75 today.  She would have been calling me the last three days to remind me we were the same age.  I always did that to her when we were young and I could be the same age as her for 3 days.

There is a blossom starting on the daffodils by the shed today

Kit Kat has sure gotten big

The snow is almost gone.  It was almost 50 degrees today.

Issac playing a piano at a thrift shop.  A couple in the store heard him and came and told Vikki how much it touched them and that she needed to get that piano for him.  She even gave $25 towards it.  Vikki FaceTimed me later and Isaac was playing it and it sounded so amazing!

Another girl saw him playing and drew this and gave it to them.

So sad Abele Greenhousse and Garden Center had a fire last night. Last year on my birthday Gayla and Wes gave me a gift certificate to go there and buy an angel for outside on the deck.  I had seen it at the builder's show and showed it to her, so she surprised me with a $50 gift certificate to get it.  I couldn't believe they did that.

Walked on the treadmill this morning.  Got my 2 miles in and listened to amazing worship while I walked.  I had my oatmeal and blueberries for breakfast and of course my coffee.  After breakfast, I started a load of laundry, then did my Bible reading.  I messaged my niece because I knew she was missing her mom (my sister) and I wanted to let her know I was thinking of her and praying for her.  She had accepted the Lord on the phone with me long ago, so I encouraged her to read the Bible or listen to it on her phone,, so she could know God's will and have a relationship with Jesus.  She answered back that she just started listening to audio books and hadn't thought about listening to the Bible and will be looking into it.  This makes me so happy.  

Vikki and the kids and Kimmy, Jared and Eli came over and ate, then the kids hung out in the basement.  I went to prayer group at church.  Melissa and Jack came here after I left and they went to watch Jack and Eli at their fencing class.  I didn't take any pictures of any of the kids when they were here.  Bummer again!

Bill and I watched a movie about heaven when I got home.  He picks them on his phone, so sometimes I don't know the names.