Monday, 5/22/23, Met Kimmy to get plants, went to Kimmy's, Picked Peyton and Isaac up from school, Kenzie and Vikki picked up the kids, Bruce and Max came over

When the buds open the blossoms are absolutely beautiful 

Kenzie with chicken and Jacob with Wyatt

 

Isaac went and got in the barn he used to play in right away

Peyton relaxing drinking her McFlurry

Isaac and Peyton playing 3-13 with me.  I was the winner and had to pick up the game

Planted this Bellflower plant today that I got with my gift coupon from Jacob and Eli's fundraiser

I planted two more butterfly bush plants.  Mine haven't come up from last year yet.  Don't know if they are going to.  They are beautiful plants and the butterflies love them.

Max practicing knife throwing at our house.  He is just learning.

First stop Jack's class made yesterday. Flight 93 National Memorial

Jack's class at the Battle of Gettysburg yesterday. Second stop they made.  Jack on the left of the statue's head with his hand on the head

 

 

 

 

Before he left on his trip, Jack got the Class Mathematician Award

I dug up some of the bergamot plant Kimmy gave me last year and put it into containers to take to Kimmy. She called me when she was leaving and I left then too.  We met at Lapham's greenhouse in Midland and picked out our plants we got with the gift certificates from Jacob and Eli's band fundraiser.  After that we went to Kimmy's.  Vikki and Kenzie were already there and of course Jacob who is done with school now.  We had fun hanging out and Kimmy had a nice lunch for us.  A yummy salad which was cut up perfectly and a great sandwich.  

Vikki and Kenzie left for Kenzie's ultrasound.  Kimmy showed me where the Oriole's nest was, then she dug up a hollyhock for me and another plant I liked.  I came home and planted the plants, then I went to pick up Peyton and Isaac from school.  They were excited to see me and really happy that I had air conditioning in the car.  Vikki's is broke right now and she's getting it fixed.  We stopped at McDonald's on our way home and the kids got McFlurries and I got a Frappe'.  

When we go home, they watched some TV, then we went outside and they played on the swings and trapeze.  I fed my orioles and filled some feeders.  We came inside and played a game of 3-13.  Vikki and Kenzie got here right as we finished the last hand.  Then they left to go to the Olive Garden.  

Bill had to go to an Elder's meeting at church.   I warmed up some of the grilled dinner I made the other night and ate. Bruce and Max came over to practice knife throwing.  I watched for a while.  Then I took a longer leash to put Vader on and also some water.  He took a drink right away.  They left and I came in the house after that.  Bill got home from his meeting and we talked for a while, then he put in a movie for us to watch.  It was a really good movie called the Gospel of John.

Sun. 5/21/23, 77 degrees for a high today, Went to church, taught 4th grade today, went to Vikki''s, went to Mooney's, went back to Vikki's 2 more times

 

Lots of blossoms on my Columbine

Melissa, me, Vikki, Peyton, Evan and Hailey

Ha ha, I really got into action.  I will probably be sore tomorrow.

We went to prayer, then church.  I taught 4th grade Sunday school today.  I traded with someone who took over my k-1 class a couple weeks ago.  I had a great group of kids who I had taught when they were in K-1.  It was so nice having them again.  Peyton was my helper and did a great job as always.  After church, we went out to eat at Sullivan's with Nancy and Ralph.

We came home and I took a little nap.  After that, I went to play badmitten with Peyton.  She had called me and asked if I would come over earlier.  When I got there, Melissa, Hailey and Evan were there too.  I gave all the kids drumsticks and visited with Melissa and Vikki for a while.  Then the kids and us girls went out and played some badminton, or should I say attempted to play.  We did so much laughing with the way we were all missing the birdie. 

I had to leave to get home, so Bill and I could go meet Bill and Sabrina at Mooney's.  We rode the motorcycle there.  We had yummy ice cream and a great visit.  Afterward, we rode to Vikki and Rody's.  Bill needed to ask Rody something.  Vikki was weeding out back, so I went and helped.  She used the spade.  I pulled the little weeds that came easily up with the roots.  

It was fun working together, even though she insisted I shouldn't help.  Rody made burgers for all of us on the grill.  They were the best ever!  Yum!  They smelled amazing while he was cooking them, but they tasted even better than they smelled.  We came home and when we got in the house, I realized I forgot my purse at Vikki's.  Back I went.  They were all outside playing volleyball.  Vikki got my purse for me and I came back home.  We watched a really good movie called "I Believe".  It was so good.  

Sat.., 5/20/23, redid blog from Adam's Birthday, Work day at church,

Over 100 turned out to help with working at church to complete phase 1 of our church prayer park and also put sound panels up on the ceiling in the sanctuary.  This is some of the outdoor crew of volunteers.  Bill in center back row. 

Isaac was a great helper

Got some buds coming on my Kalanachoe plant that Gayla gave me. This one will be red.

This is the same kind of plant only orange.  I got this one from Aldi

Jack (second from the left in the back row) and his class volunteering at Heart of Saginaw

Jack in the truck holding the bag

Bird feeders are busy, two at a time today

Jack ready to leave for his Washington DC trip

Jack in the middle of his friends

Did my morning routine.  Didn't take many pictures today.  Jack called to say goodbye.  He leaves for his Washington DC trip tonight at 11:30.  Appreciate prayers for safe travel and protection while there and a safe trip home for him and all with him.  In the evening, I put chicken, cut up potatoes, baby carrots, onions, butter and seasoning in an aluminum pan, covered it and put it on the grill.  I bird watched while it was cooking.  I made brownies and had them going in the kitchen oven. Bill told me dinner was really good.  We watched a movie after dinner.

 

Friday, 5/19/23, Went to Jack and Evan's Music Festival, Sunny until 2:45, then rain which we needed

Love it when the lilacs are opening and the purple flowers are in blossom below.

Evan and Jack in the concert band

Jack playing the French horn, behind the girl in the middle

Evan playing the trombone behind the blond girl

Jack and Evan in the choir...they sounded great

Landon, Evan, Mark and Daniel getting ready to sing before the judge.  Hailey volunteered to watch the time and let the judge know when 3 minutes were left.

These boys sang great and got amazing compliments from the judge.  Only thing she told them to work on was to keep using their great voices so they can reach these high notes and don't lose that.

They got a one which is the highest score!

I picked Melissa up at 8:30 and Hailey and Brianna came out too.  They drove together and Melissa and I drove together.  As soon as we got to Valley, Hailey and Brianna volunteered to help with the music festival.  Melissa and I visited with Ginny, Lynn, Tasha and Mr. Parks for a little while, then went into the gym to listen to Jack and Evan in the concert band.  They did good, but have a new music director this year who doesn't do real well yet.  They were used to having an excellent music teacher, but she retired last year.  After they were done, we walked around and got together the schedules of who we wanted to listen to.  Jack and Evan did great in choir and they all sounded wonderful.  Evan and his three friends did amazing in their singing performance and got great compliments from the judge.  Evan has an amazing voice.  Jack does too, but with his voice changing, didn't want to take a chance singing a solo or duet.  Sign up was a while ago.  Now his voice is where it stays put and is not all over the place, so he could have done it.  We enjoyed hanging out with the boys during breaks, and listening to different kids from their school together.  Melissa and I picked up lunch and went to her house to eat it.  Max didn't want anything.  We got back at the school and saw Hailey for a while.  Then we listened to some more kids.  It was a fun day.  Bill took Max out for the afternoon.  Max really enjoyed that.  I realized that my whole blog from Adam's Birthday yesterday got erased.  Yikes!  I will work on doing it again.  Such a bummer!  

Thurs., May 18, 2023, HAPPY 16TH BIRTHDAY ADAM!, We love you so much! Went to celebrate at Kimmy's at 3:30. So much fun celebrating this wonderful grandson!

Happy Birthday Adam!  We love you!  You are a pretty amazing grandson!

My Clematis is growing so fast and is loaded with blossoms already

My Hens and Chicks are growing like crazy too

I repainted this wall today.  When I touched up spots before, I must not have stirred the paint good.  It had lots of shiny spots.  Nice to have those taken care of.

First bird on the feeder Vikki gave me.  Nice house finch

Our 16 year old birthday boy on the deck

Adam going on a bike ride trying his new bike from his mom and dad out for the first time

New walkway Kimmy and Jared made through the garden 

Basil 

Eli loves his kitten, so do I. 

Wyatt..such a wonderful dog

Adam reading his new Garfield book

Adam...we were all singing Happy Birthday to him

Opening his card from us

I don't know how I missed taking a picture of Jacob, but this is the only one I got.  He is in the background with Wyatt

When I told Maddy about all of the awards and scholarships Jacob got, she texted me that she was proud of him.  Then she sent me this picture and said Brielle was proud of him too. She looks pretty happy for him.

It was a nice day, so I walked around in the outside in the morning.  I filled the feeders and jelly jars.  I also hung a new bird feeder Vikki gave me.  Thanks Vik!  I put suet in the suet feeders. Now the birds are all set and I can be a happy birdwatcher.  I sat out and read my Bible and did some praying.  Kit Kat kept me company.  Then I relaxed for a while and watched the birds.  There were lots of birds today.  Loved seeing so many orioles and woodpeckers. 

Did some outside watering and weeding, then came in and got ready to go celebrate Adam's 16th birthday.  We got there and of course Wyatt greeted us.  Everyone but Jacob was outside.  I gave the kids hugs, then Adam went for a ride on his new bike to try it out.  He loved it!  It is a nice blue Trec.  It's so nice that Jared's parents were here for Jacob's music concert and awards assemblies, and now also for Adam's birthday.  We always like spending time with them.  We hung out on the deck for a while, then went inside and had cake and ice cream.  Kimmy made a Minecraft bed cake for Adam.  It turned out so nice.  I guessed it was a bed, and Lela said it was a Minecraft something.  When you put our answers together, we had it.

Adam lit the candles, and then we all sang happy birthday to him.  Kimmy and Jared dished up cake and ice cream for us...they wouldn't let me help.  The cake was delicious and the ice cream was really good.  Adam opened his card.  He wanted money this year.   We stayed until 5:30 when Adam had his soccer practice.  Everyone was leaving except Jacob, when Vikki and the kids pulled in.  We got to say a quick hello, then left.  Vikki had worked, then went to get the air conditioning fixed in her car, so she was pretty tired and wanted to go home, even though Kimmy said she would stay home and visit with her.  Bill stopped to put gas in my car, then we stopped again in Freeland and got a sub.  Vikki called and wanted to know if she could stop at our house and use the bathroom.  She doesn't even need to ask.  I couldn't believe she beat us, then she asked me where we stopped.  I then realized why she beat us lol. It was such a fun day.  

Melissa called in the evening to remind me about the Music Festival tomorrow.  I can't wait! I love my family!