Saturday,, 7/19/25, Went on motorcycle ride with Proud Vets, celebrated Jacks birthday, Jack, Evan and Connor came over to try out his birthday glow in the dark beef gel fire

Adam, Jacob, Eli on the way to Copper Harbor

At the Hilltop getting yummy cinnamon rolls!

Big and delicious! The best! Yum!

Parked at the Proud Veterans Ride take off point

Kenzie’s grandpa Kevin with the brown shirt on.  

Don and Elaine

Jim behind us!

Riding with over 100 bikers

Bill took a selfie 

Me, Elaine and Don

Elaine and I walking and talking 

Jack opening his presents 

Jack with his glow in the dark 
Nerf Blastter

Singing Happy Birthday to Jack - Brenda, Dan, Peggy, Evan, Blake, Connor, Hailey, me and Bill.  Jack by his cake!  It got pretty hot by it with 17 candles lol!

Jack, Connor and Evan came over with Melissa at 10:30 and had nerf glow in the dark blaster battles.  They had so much fun in the dark.  Melissa and I sat out on the deck and watched them.  They are pretty amazing.  They leave a trail of glowing tiny balls that kind of remind me of fireworks.  They are gone. in a short time and dissolve.  No mess to pick up.

We got ready and left at  9:30 to go to JJ’s Roadhouse parking lot to meet for the Proud Vets Ride.  Don, Elaine and Roy were there from Faith Riders.  Jim was here from the Flint chapter . We all passed out eventually cards for our CMA State Rally and for the Hide and Seek ride in the fall.  Some people even wanted extra to hand out. Kevin, Kenzie’s grandpa came and talked to me.  Bill came and talked with us later.  He wants to come to Faith Riders Chapter meeting and also go on some rides with us.  Bill and I ride to Tim Hortons a mile down the road to get coffee and a breakfast sandwich for me and donut for him.  We didn’t eat breakfast and were hungry.  

When we got back he noticed they were serving hot dogs at JJ’s, so he got one.  After that we all took off on our bikes and went on a ride.  We did one stop with the group, then, our group decided to leave early to ride to Sanford Bar and. Grill.  We all got our food and then the others on the ride came in.  Our group headed home after that.  

Bill and I relaxed for a little while, then went to Melissa’s to celebrate Jack’s 17th Birthday!  It was fun!  Brenda and Dan came, Jack’s 2 school friends. Connor and Blake came. His Grandparents Debbie and Ron came early but left before we got there.  Bruce made sloppy joes carrot cake. He also made a yellow cake.  He made yummy. Bread and butter pickles too.

We left after 8.   Melissa called to see if she could bring the boys over to use Jack’s New Neef Blaster. Of course I said yes!

What a fun day and night!

Friday, 7/18/25, Bill did Gabrielle’s funeral today along with Jeff R., I went to Wambiers, went to church for funeral, luncheon afterwards, went for a swim in our pool, went to Camping World, then Chick fit A, brought in refrigerator and freezer stuff from camper, pulled weeds when it cooled off

Kit Kat loved sitting by me on the swing while I read my Bible.  She’s missed me because I’ve been gone such a long time.

Beautiful cooler day!  It was 73 degrees!

Bill’s Jeep at Chick Fil A.  We ate outside because it was freezing inside.

It was nice outside, but a little breezy.  Our food and shakes were yummy.  Mine was a peach shake.

It was a beautiful sunset

I got ready, then went to Wambiers to pick up something for Gabrielle’s three girls.   I had already gotten a bead with a prism and a silver heart for Merijo.  I have one hanging in my kitchen window from my friend Vikki and I love looking at it each day.  I found one for each girl with each one having a beautiful butterfly on them. One was pink, One was purple and one was yellow.  The beads and Prisms on them were beautiful. I bought small bags there for them too.  I stopped at home and filled out a card for them.  Bill had to be at church at 9:30.  I got there at 10:05.  The girls and Merijo were all outside by the door so I got to take to them and give them big hugs and give them their gifts.  They thought they were so pretty.

I had all of these girls in my K-1 Sunday School class and have known them many years.

Their mom committed suicide so this is a really hard funeral and their hearts are broken as well as all of ours.  She was kindhearted and always made everyone feel special.  It has been a shock and so hard on everyone.  Bill and Jeff did an amazing job doing the funeral and the Holy Spirit was present and moved in a beautiful way.  God’s Word was spoken and Bill gave an opportunity for people to receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior.  I was so proud of him.  We sat at a table with Merijo, Greg, Andy and Shiela.  Shiela has gotten a rash that itches like crazy from some medicine she’s on.  I told her we would pray before we left, so when we finished eating, Bill anointed her with oil and we prayed.  She asked if we would pray for her healing of Parkinson’s to which she just got diagnosed with.  Of course!  

We left after that.  Bill had to take a backpack back to the VA gift shop and return it because the zipper is broke.  I read my Bible out on the deck with Kit Kat by my side.  I did some bird watching too.  

Bill got home and he red his Bible.  I relaxed in the recliner next to him.  Wanted to take a nap but couldn’t fall asleep.  I decided to go for a swim in the pool instead.  By that time Bill was sleeping in his recliner.  The pool water was nice and warm on the top from the solar cover and felt great when I swam around and mixed  it in with the cooler bottom water.  I did some skimming, but the pool was pretty clean so didn’t do much.  It felt good to get exercise.  Bill came out and wanted to know if I wanted to go to Camping World.  I swam a little longer, then got out and dried off.  He helped me cover the pool, then I changed and we left to go to Birch Run.  We got new mats for outside the camper, a latch for the door and an attachment he needed for the Sewer Hose that will make it easier.  

We stopped at Chick oil A on our way home and got chicken strips, chicken noodle soup and shakes.  Yum.  We came home and he put a new latch on the camper door.  I unloaded the stuff in the refrigerator and freezer.  He took it from the camper to the car for me so I could drive it up to the house.  It was pretty heavy.  After unpacking that and loading it in the house refrigerator and freezer.  I watered the grass that we planted in the spring and also the plants in front of the house.  Then I pulled some weeds in the front.  I took the sunset picture when I was just finishing.

 

Thursday, July 17, 2025, Lourdes was sick so Fred cancelled, Cool morning and day so did lots of weeding, Bill told Vikki, so she brought Peyton and Isaac to help me, fun working with them,

Bill and I ate out in the camper because I haven’t brought the food in yet.  Afterwards, he wanted to play 3-13.  He was a little ahead and then he dealt me 3 Jacks.  Pat hand winning hand.

Next time he dealt, he dealt me 6 wild cards.  An even better pat hand winning hand.  The final score was me 1 and him 113.  Winner picks up and it sure was worth it.

3 weeks of weeds in my flower garden

Vikki brought the kids over to help me and I sure was thankful.  Peyton dug out lots of weeds before doing this

Isaac dug out lots of weeds before watering my lavender plant I moved.  Actually he said, Nana you didn’t take any pictures, so we had to get some after the weeds were out.

Our garden we plant squash, cukecumbers, and pumpkins in.  3 weeks of weeds and I wonder where the plants are lol.

Peyton, Isaac and I got this much done.  We could only pull where water had soaked in.  That made it much easier.

Ice cream after all of our hard work!

Went to Vikki’s and saw Rehvyn when I took the kids home.  

Rehvyn was so cute like usual.  He sure reminds me of Kenzie

Getting his cup and spoon out of his little sink in his kitchen 

He loves using that spoon to pretend to stir something in his cup

He reminded me so much of Kenzie when he would play the piano and then turn around and clap for himself and expect us to clap and cheer too.

He and Isaac played together

In the evening, the temperature cooled way down.  Bill and I took care of the rest of the weeds in the back garden.  We were tired, but it sure felt good to have those weeds out and the plants be able to get sunshine and rain.

Lots of weeds to pick up tomorrow

Lots of yard waste already in garbage cans

The flower garden sure looks beautiful.  I loved the color of the sky too.

I filled my rolling cart with weeds before Peyton and Isaac came.  Trimmed my Peonies and pulled weeds out of my flower garden.

Rehvyn so happy with his cars...he loves playing with cars

He’s pretty happy with Isaac’s Jeep too

Great picture of Isaac, Rehvyn, Rody and Peyton

Some basketball practice and lessons

Rody helping Rehvyn make a basket

Fred texted us, then called in the morning to let us know that Lourdes was sick during the night and still was sick.  We were supposed to get together to go out on their pontoon and then grill out and eat.  We are going to do it on Monday now, after Bill’s Ann Arbor appointment.  We read our Bibles and prayed.  

It was cool out so, I went out and started weeding on my flower garden.  The ground was so hard that I had to put the sprinkler on it for 30 minutes so it would make the weeds easy to come out.  I cut off dead peonies while I waited and pulled some other weeds.  Filled my jelly feeders too.  I put a sprinkler in the front to water our new plants.  I moved the sprinkler to the tall weedy garden and let it run.  Bill ran Vikki some potato salad so she could have it with her sloppy Joes.  Last night she sent us some sloppy joes, so I decided to split our potato salad with her.   When Bill dropped it off, he told her about all the weeds and that I was doing it alone.  She called and insisted she bring Peyton and Isaac over to help me.  I finally told her yes.  Boy was I glad.  They were such great helpers and it sure is more fun working with someone.  We had lots of laughs, and of course I talked to them some about the Lord.  We worked on the weediest garden first.  We did all where the ground was soaked and they came out easy.  Then we had to quit and water it more, because the weeds were so tall, the water wasn’t getting past the first ones to water the other part of the garden.

We went and worked on my flower garden.  They sure pulled lots of weeds out with me.  We were hot when the sun came out.  They called their mom so she would bring their swim suits when she came back.  We finished and picked up all of our tools and gloves.  Isaac hauled the yard waste cans where they go.  We came in and all had ice cream.  If was fun enjoying it together.  Isaac and Peyton had a bet for $5 about what book of the Bible they were reading every night.  Isaac said Matthew and Peyton said Proverbs.  I figured Peyton was going to win when she called her mom because I had suggested they read Proverbs and Vikki wanted to.  It was Proverbs.  Isaac wasn’t paying up though.  We did get a good laugh that Isaac follows along in his Bible every night and he was in the wrong book of the Bible.\

I ended up taking them home, so Vikki didn’t have to bring Rehvyn out again.  I hung out there for quite a while enjoying Rehvyn and the kids and visiting with Vikki.  Rody got home just as I was getting ready to leave.  Rehvyn had put his shoes on himself because he wanted to go outside when I left.  We ended up playing the piano.  He was just the cutest playing and then turning around and clapping for himself and smiling so big.  

He was happy to see Rody when he got in the house.  We all went outside and he waved and I beeped the horn a couple of times when I left.  

When I got home, I put Preen down on the flower garden.  I noticed Bill had started pulling weeds in the back garden, so after I took a few buckets of water out of the pond, (I was waiting for my timer to go off, but it filled up quicker than I thought it would and was too full). 

I went back and started pulling weeds where the water had soaked in again.  It sure made it easier.  Bill dug out weeds in the dry end.  Too hard for me.  He wanted me to pick his weeds up after her dug a hill of them out, but I was doing to good getting them out on my end and wanted to keep going.  We finally got all the weeds out and filled a couple more yard waste cans.  We have many to pick up tomorrow, but came in to rest for tonight.  He worked more on the funeral and I worked on my blog.  It was a busy but great day.  It feels so good to have so many weeds out.  Our regular garden isn’t too bad.  It will seem easy compared to all of these other weeds.  

So thankful for my great helpers.  I am blessed!

Wed., 7/16/25, slept in, packed up last minute things, I drove the car home and Bill drove the camper, Went to return a couple things, went to visit Marie, visited Vikki and saw the twins and Rehvyn, Bill went to the Marine Corp. League meeting, I worked on funeral,

Me and my sweet Rehvyn

Peyton, Rehvyn and Isaac

I got up around 8:30 and Bill got up at 9:30.  I had my coffee and cereal and went over my list of what to do in the camper when leaving the campground.  I just had to change a few things and will need to type a new list to keep on the camper fridge.  We read our Bibles.  Bill cleaned off and picked up the carpet mats outside and packed them away.  I did the things on my list inside.  It was pretty fast and then we were ready to leave.  

I put the trash in the dumpster and he pulled in to dump the tanks.  He said he didn’t need me to help with anything, so I drove on home.  When I got home, I quick took my bike off the bike rack and loaded my hammock parts in the hammock bag which was stuffed on a shelf in the garage.  I wanted to save Bill some jobs since it was so hot out.  All he needed to do then was take the bike rack off and put the short trailer hitch on.  We decided to wait til it’s cooler to unload the camper.  I went out and had lunch in it since all the food is out there.

I left to go take back a few things before heading up to see Marie.  When I got up to Marie’s room, she was just starting OT.  She had two really nice therapists.  They said I could come sit and watch her do her therapy which was to put cards from a pile on the left and also on the right on the matching cards face up on a board with all of the cards.  She had weight on her arms making it a little more difficult.  She had some boo boos, but did pretty well.

I got to share about Melissa being in Mary Free Bed and how much they helped her and also the miracles that God did.  I called to check on Roy, since Marie told me he hadn’t been up yet because he was doing yard work.  It was so hot out and the feel like temp was 98 degrees.  I just wanted to make sure he was ok and cooled down.  He didn’t answer the first time, but I tried again later and he answered.  He had stopped at the trucking company he used to work at to say hi.  He came to the hospital doubt 10 minutes later.  I went and got him a coffee, then we all visited.  I had to get home to do the laundry and then work on a funeral with Bill.  I also needed to stop at Vikki’s and drop her stuff she forgot in the camper off.  I came in the door and was going to go hug Peyton and Isaac, but Rehvyn was holding his arms up to me across the gate.  He was so cute and was asking me to pick him up so I did that first.  He was so cute and gave me fist bumps and gave me a kiss.  What a little sweetheart.  I love him so much. 

I ordered Isaac’s birthday present off the list he sent me.  I ordered Rachael from church’s baby shower gifts too.  

 

Bill went to the Marine Corp League meeting, so I made up some potato salad for tomorrow to take to Fred’s.  Bill had told me that’s what they wanted me to bring.  Then I read Fred’s test and it said a watermelon too.  I texted Bill and he picked up one on his way home.  He’s going to cut it tomorrow, while I take my shower and get ready.

It’s supposed to rain tonight.  I sure hope they are right.  We need it badly.  I did pull some weeds in my flower garden tonight and moved my lavender plant.  It was getting crowded by the Hibiscus.  I pulled lots of big weeds that came while I was gone for 3 weeks.  I am leaving the rest until after the rain so they pull easier.  

When he got home, we worked on Gabriel’s funeral message.  Her funeral is on Friday.  We got it done.  When I prayed for Marie at the hospital today, she prayed for Bill and I to find the right words and right scriptures.  Thankful for that prayer because it sure went well.

I turned the pool filter off and also turned the air off in the camper.  It’s 75 degrees out and feels much better than it did today.