Sunday, 6/9/25, Got up at 7:30 we packed up, said goodbye to Sue and Doug and Pauletta and Jeff, follow Wes and Gayla to Clare to Cops and Donuts, stopped at Costco for gas for 2.99, came home, unpacked camper, I went to Vikki’s, went to church to make meals to freeze for people who will be needing them, 14 of us were there,

Picture Gayla took of Bill and I at Cops and Donuts

Beautiful flowers when we got home.  The Peonies are so pretty, but rain weighed them down.  Bummer!!

Beautiful purple Iris that was Bill’s grandmas and bloomed late

Pretty white Peonies

Growing into the pond and getting pretty yellow flowers on them.  Kimmy gave them to me

Purple Spiderwort...these look so pretty in the flower garden 

The Dianthus plant is loaded with blossoms and just beautiful

White Spiderwort

Lavender

Have to work on clearing up the pond.  Reading up on it.

The Clematis by the garage is a beautiful color.  I’m glad it’s different from my other one.

The most loaded with blossoms it’s ever been

This Weigela Plant is just beautiful. A few years ago it was mainly sticks when Kimmy and I went to prune it and there was pretty much nothing left to it.  It came back the next year as hearty as ever and has grown back to its full size.  

Roses on one of my rose bushes

Hens and Chicks on a bike ride

I went to Vikki’s when I got home and got to see my sweet grandkiddos, Peyton and Isaac.  Got my hugs and then remembered to take a picture of each of them.  I have missed them and was sure happy to see them.  I was happy to see Vikki too.  

Vikki had me get in the picture with Isaac.  

I got up at 7:30 and got ready, Bill got up around 8:00.  I made our coffees and we drank them while we packed up.  Most of the outside stuff was done except emptying the tanks and packing away the water hose, and unplugging the electrical.  I washed the coffee pot and dried it, then just had to go over my short list to do my jobs inside.  It didn’t take long.  

I went outside to tell Sue and Doug goodbye and thank them for the fun and wonderful weekend.  Wes and Gayla were out saying goodbye too.  So were Pauletta and Jeff.  It was already 65 and sunny out.  We followed Wes and Gayla and went through Evert where my dad grew up.  When I was a kid we always went up there to see Grandpa Golombisky, and swim and have fun.  Then when he passed away, my dad and his brother got the house.  We still went up lots,  Then when Bill and I got married and had kids, we took our kids and my nephew up there when they were small.  Hailey worked at Spring Hill, a large Christian camp that is there.  We got to Clare and stopped at Cops and Donuts.  We all had apple fritters and coffee.  Wes and I were happy because they had our good creamer.  Gayla wanted to take our picture outside.  We hugged and said goodbye and then headed out.  Our gas gauge empty light came on right when we were by Costco so we got gas.  It was $2.99, which was lots cheaper than it was in Clare.  We got home and unpacked the camper right away.  I looked at the garden and it’s coming up good.  The lettuce, broccoli, and Kalorabi are all growing back that the bunnies ate before Bill lowered the electric fence.  

I called Vikki and then went over to visit for a while.  We didn’t have a good connection to text or call so I have really been missing all the girls and grandkids.  I was so happy to see them.  Peyton and Isaac came out to the car as soon as I pulled in so I got hugs right away. 

Vikki and I got caught up on everything.  I was going to stop at Melissa’s after I left there, but she didn’t answer, so I just came home.  I heated us up some chicken noodle casserole and we ate.  Then I went to church at 6 to make freezer meals for families who will need them.  This will be a great ministry.  Joan, Tina, Deb R., Lisa L, Vicki R., Connie W, Samantha F, Laurie W, Brenda B., Amy W., Jennifer W., Maryjane E., me and a new person I met that I can’t remember her name.   There were 14 of us and we were divided into teams of 3 or 4.   The chicken for the recipes was already cooked.  Then each team had the ingredients needed for their recipe.  It went well and it went fast with all of us working.  Connie, Samantha, Lisa and I were on the same team.  We made chicken cordon bleu.  We made enough for 3 pans for the freezer.  They had already printed out the recipe and instructions for how to heat it on a label. Others made Chicken enchiladas, chicken pot pie, and another recipe with burger in it.   Everything was very organized.  We all put our pans in the freezer and then cleaned up our area and some of us took turns doing the dishes.  We got there a 6 and by 7 we were all done and ready to leave.  

I got home and read my Bible and prayer books.  Then I worked on some more blogs to catch up.  We went to bed at 1:30.  

Sunday, 6/8/25, Went to prayer with the group, said goodbyes to those leaving today, went to Wes and Gayla’s for pancakes, went on another nice ride to Kalkaska, Lake City, and Cadillac, Rained for a short time, played 3-13 with Wes and Gayla’s, had a campfire at Doug and Sue’s, played 3-13 when we got back to our camper

Parked at Moose and Stella’s restaurant in Kalkaska to eat lunch

Road on some great roads near Kalkask so Russ and Marsha could ride with us.

We circled back to Kalkaska and then Russ and Marsha headed home to Indian River

Big Trout and fountain in Kalkaska that’s has been there since 1966.  I loved going by it when I was a kid and still do

In Cadillac.  Lake Mitchell at the end of the road ahead

We used to camp lots at Lake Mitchell Campground in Cadillac with my parents.  Love driving around the lake still. So many good memories.

Had our coffee and read our Bibles.  Went to prayer with everyone at Doug and Sue’s. We took turns praying the Holy Spirit moved on everyone to pray for different needs and people. It was a beautiful warm morning.  We ate pancakes at Wes and Gayla’s. I made bacon and took it over.  Afterwords we all got ready to go on another nice ride.  Sue, Doug, Pauletta, Jeff, Russ, Marsha, Wes, Gayla and Bill and I rode to Kalkaska.  We ate at Moose and Stella’s restaurant.  The food was delicious. Bill had breakfast and I had a rotisserie chicken sandwich with a salad.  The bread they used was so good.  We walked a couple of blocks to go get a group picture by the big trout that has been there since 1966.  Wes didn’t want to walk that far because his foot is still healing some.  Bill stayed with him.  When we got back to them they were sitting in front of a window that said Chiropractor Clinic. We all had a good laugh.  We rode on some amazing hilly and curvy roads and then went back through Kalkaska and Russ and Marsha left to go home to Indian River.  We rode back and went through Lake City and Cadillac.  The Lakes were beautiful.  We got back just in time to pack things away, load the bike and put in the awning before it started raining.  Sue brought us each ice cream bars to our campsites.  So sweet of her!!!  We ate dinner and afterwards went to Wes and Gayla’s and played 3-13. I won big time.  We all went to Doug and Sue’s for our last campfire of our stay here.  We had lots of fun and laughs.  Bill and I played 3-13 and dice when we got back. I wine 3-13 and he won dice..

Saturday, 6/7/25, went on ride to Empire at 10, potluck at 6, campfire at Doug and Sue’s

Getting ready to pray at the campground before leaving

Leaving the campground

Fife Lake

Scenic lookout over Lake Michigan. It was so beautiful

Me and Bill

Wes and Gayla

Group Pictures

Rior and Sue...she was trying to figure out how to set the camera to take a group selfie

Pauletta, Jeff and Marsha

Wes walking, Betty on the trike

It was busy in town in Empire, but we found a Nice little side road across from the restaurant to park at

Stopped at Shipwreck Cafe in Empire...great sandwiches

Nice day for eating outside


Below are pictures of our evening potluck. Sue and Doug made sloppy joes and also a broccoli salad.  All of the food was delicious!

Ate breakfast and drank our coffee.  Read our Bibles outside because it was sunny and warm out. Russ and Marsha got here at 10. They visited with us outside our camper and we talked to them about what they need to do as area reps for CMA.  Katie and Ray came and visited too.  

At 10, we went on a group ride.  There were 10 bikes today. and 18 people.  It was a great ride with lots of hills and curves and also lots of beautiful lakes to see.  We went through Arcadia and saw lots of swans on Portage Lake.  Then we stopped at a beautiful scenic lookout by Lake Michigan.  There were three swans in Lake Michigan that were pretty far out.  We talked to a girl by a motorcycle and ended up doing a bike blessing for her and her boyfriend’s bike and them.  She also wanted us to pray for her friend Corky who was with them,  but was up on the top lookout.  We prayed with her for him.  Prayer is appreciated for him for God to heal him.  We drove by Cristalia Lake after that.  Then we rode to Empire for lunch.  We went to a really good sandwich shop called Moose and Stella’s.  We got chicken salad sandwiches that were huge and delicious.  We left there and rode back to the campground in more amazing roads. Doug and Sue did a great job planning the rides and activities for our weekend.  Russ, Marsha, Katie and Ray hung out with us for the afternoon.  Gayla brought us drumsticks she had brought along.  We had a fun time visiting and talking about the great things the Lord has done!!!   I made chicken noodle casserole to take to the potluck along with the banana cream pudding dessert.  It disappeared and so did over half of the chicken noodle casserole.  I had everything done but the noodles had to be drained.  I had Bill do that for me.  I had cooked lots of noodles because we had people come who didn’t bring a dish to pass.  We had plenty to share.  I looked as Bill said these aren’t going to all fit in the crockpot.  He had it heaping.  I told him not to put the rest in, because we would just make buttered noodles with the extra.  He had to go to the bathroom, so Russ said he would stir the noodles in for me while I went to the pavilion and helped put tablecloths on.  We visited in the camper until it was time to eat at 6. Everyone helped carry stuff over with us.  We ate and sat talking for a long time, then cleaned everything up and went to the campfire. More fun hanging out. Wes was voted best marshmallow roaster.  Everyone had s’mores but I was too full to eat any more.  Bill and I played 3-13 and dice. He was the big winner of both!