1/20/18...Bill went to Frankenmuth at 8 a.m. for the Marine Corp League Rally, I went to Sam's, Picked up Peyton and Isaac, Met Melissa, Hailey, Jack and Evan at McDonalds, Bill picked me up for the dinner buffet in Frankenmuth.

Bill looked so nice when he got ready to go this morning

Isaac, Evan, Peyton were playing basketball together

More fun playing together

Ice cream time was fun

Isaac, Jack, Peyton and Evan had so much fun playing with legos

All the stuff Bill won at the Marine Corp League Rally today...Looks like he is all set for my Valentine's gift!  Lots of great stuff

Marine Corp League Ring Bill got.  Looks so nice on him.  So proud of his service to our country

The kids made great stuff out of their legos.  They are so created

Loved watching them create with the legos

My Handsome date for the evening

Going to the Marine Corp League Buffet with this cutie

Thought the buffet table was so beautiful with this centerpiece

Got up and made Bill and I oatmeal.  Made a coffee for me and one for him to take in his travel mug.  At 10:30, I went to Sam's Club.  After that, I picked up Peyton and Isaac.  Their road was parked full because of an estate sale two houses down from them.  What a mess.  I was happy to get out of there.  I went to Taco Bell and picked Hailey up a Nacho Bell Grande with no tomatoes and extra sour cream and a lemonade.  Left there and went next door to McDonalds.  Melissa, Hailey, Jack and Evan met us there.  Hailey started eating right away because she needs to be home by 1 so Hailey could go to a Mikayla's house.  I gave all the kids orders and Melissa and mine to the guy and he gave us a number to bring them out to us.  The kids were playing while they waited for their food.  We all ate and Melissa took Hailey and Jack with her to be home when the Laux's came.  

Jack had a birthday gift for Kelly and wanted to give it to her.  Peyton, Isaac and Evan played longer and then got their free ice cream cone.  We went to my house after that.  It was a real job trying to get three booster seats buckled in my back seat of my Prius.  Melissa and Jack met us at my house.  The kids had so much fun playing with legos and Melissa and I had fun watching them and visiting.  I made Melissa and I a frappe.  It was very yummy.  Bill came home to get me and take me back to Frankenmuth with him for dinner.  He won three very nice prizes.  He rested for a while.  Rody picked up Peyton and Isaac and Melissa and the kids left.  Bill and I left and went to Frankenmuth.  The food was delicious!  We had a nice time visiting at our table.  Didn't care much for the speaker, but the Chaplain was great.  Came home and watched the news.

Walked 3 miles, Went to Frankenmuth, Came home and then met Vikki and her family at Goodwill, Went to pick Bill up in Frankenmuth

Nice that they have a snowmelt system under the sidewalk at Bavarian Inn Lodge....Don't have to worry about slipping and falling on ice there

Looks like they are ready for the ice carvers to come...lots of ice blocks in town

Love Frankenmuth

Happy I got to see one of my favorite people....my nephew Matthew

More ice blocks at Zhenders

Driving back into Frankenmuth to pick Bill up

I got up and went to the SportsZone and walked three miles.  Came home and Bill brought a bag of wood pellets in and dumped them into the 2 pails we have and then put the rest in the pellet burner. At 11, we went to Frankenmuth.  I dropped Bill off at the Bavarian Inn Lodge and then I went to B Dubs for lunch. I messaged Matthew to see if he was going to be home.  He messaged me that he was so I went and visited him for a half hour.  Tom was there too.  Sharaz just loved me and kept coming up to me and jumping up.  She is such a cute dog.  I left there and parked at Bavarian Inn and walked through it.  Then I crossed the road and went through Zhenders.  I walked through stores on that side of the road and then came back down the other side.  Picked up some dark chocolate covered cashews and dark chocolate covered raspberry candy.  I went to River Walk and walked through the stores there.  It was 37 degrees out and such a nice day.  A little breezy but the building blocked the wind. I also went to Tim Horton's and had a smoothie. I went to pick Bill up and he really wanted to stay and go to a meeting. I went home and he stayed until 9.  I met Vikki, Rody, Peyton and Isaac at Goodwill and walked around with them.  Left to pick up Bill at 9.

1/18/18...Woke up to a cold house....Went to Kimmy's....

Family room at night with just the fire going. 

First time I've ever did a four picture frame.  Me and my sweetie!

Eli and his kitty

Jacob

Adam

Eli was writing and would hide it when I came near

What a cutie

This project took him lots of time

These are all the wonderful things Eli made for me and surprised me with.  Love that boy!

Beautiful pail for wood pellets from Kimmy and Jared

I made ham with my induction burner from the girls...Love using it

Bill was up early as he had a doctor appointment to go to.  The pellet burner ran out of pellets in the night.  When I got up, it was super cold in the house.  Bill had the fire going again.  It was super windy and cold outside too.  I researched and found out how to turn the fan up.  I set the temp to 74 and it was toasty in here in no time.  Turned it back down after that and the house stayed warm all day.  I even opened the big bedroom door upstairs and it was nice and warm.  I usually don't heat the upstairs bedrooms unless grandkids are here or I'm doing something up there.  Nice not having to use the furnace.  I headed for Kimmy's at 12:30.  Stopped at Pat's and was going to pick up dog food for Mocha because she's almost out.  I looked down every aisle and no dog food.  Finally I walked to the hardware store ( it is connected to the grocery store) and found the dog food in there. I was late getting to Kimmy's, but she called me and she was running late too.  Got to Kimmy's and we had sub sandwiches and parfaits.  So yummy!  Thank you Kimmy.  We had a nice visit.  Checked on the sheep and I thanked Blanch for the nice mittens and hat I had on that were made with her wool.  She came right up to me.  Kimmy and I played sequence and she won.  Went to pick up the boys who had started walking home.  Happy to see them and get my hugs.  I played Sequence with Jacob and lost, and then I played with Adam and I lost.  Kimmy said they are playing that at night now instead of 3-13.  Guess I need to start practicing.  Those grandsons are so much fun.  My timer went off to go home so I could make dinner.  Jared got home right when I was leaving so I got to see him for a minute.  I got home and made ham, eggs and fried potatoes for dinner.  Like Kimmy said when she was little and we were camping with my mom and dad, we were having breakfast for supper.  Dad loved the pail for wood pellets.  Me too!  Thank you Kimmy and Jared.  It looks so nice!

1/17/18...Walked at SportsZone, Guys came to put in wood pellet burner, Went to Hailey's Basketball game, Taught my class

Loving our new wood pellet burner

On the top of it is a touch screen to start it and to control temperature

Went to Hailey's basketball game.  The girls played great and only lost by 6 points

Love that they all pray before the game starts

Hailey in action in the black uniform on the right

Jack and his mommy at the game

I got up early so I could walk at the SportsZone before the guys came to put in the wood pellet burner.  When we got home Bill and I got the old fireplace insert out and put it on a blanket with plastic on top.  They came to put in the new burner at 9. They hauled the old one out for us which was nice.  They got it done and started it up for us.  How Nice!  We are loving it!  I went to Hailey's game and Bill had a Marine Corp. League meeting.  The girls sure played a great game.  The score was 30-24.  Evan wanted to bring his own dollar to buy a snack.  He came back with two things.  He bought one for him and one for his friend, Daniel.  So sweet! After the game, I took Evan with me and went to church to teach my class.  Went we got in the classroom, Evan pulled out the tables and put the chairs all around without me even asking him to.  He was such a joyful helper that I gave him a dollar.  He was so happy.  He was my helper all night and did great.  Peyton and Isaac didn't come tonight.  I sure did miss them.  

1/16/18...Went to Bill's appointment in Detroit for his knee. Isaac had to go to the dr. Small Group

It was so beautiful out with the frost on the trees...It was foggy and misting out on our drive to Detroit

God's beauty is amazing

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Kim Reminder put this picture on our Small Group Facebook page and asked Bill if he knew anything about it.  There was no reply!  I wonder why?

Beautiful Hailey at her basketball game

I got up at 3:30 a.m. to get ready to go to Detroit.  I decided I could sleep for another half hour and still get ready on time so went back to bed.  Got up at about 10 to 4 and got ready, made our coffee, and got things ready for our small group tonight.  We usually stop at Tim Horton's, but we like our coffee so much out of our new Ninja Bar that we just wanted that.  We got on the road and prayed for a safe trip and good appointment.  Good driving until we got to Flint.  It was foggy and misting. Messy windows all the way.  There was really heavy traffic too.  We went about 20 miles an hour the rest of the way to Detroit.  It's a good thing we left extra early.  Pretty stressful driving for Bill, but he did great.  It was just getting light out when we got to Rochester.  We got to the hospital and went right to X-ray so Bill could have that done before his dr. appt.  They took him in right away and then we headed up to the doctor's office.  We got right in there too.  Bill got a great report that he doesn't need another knee surgery.  Nothing is loose and he said the pain should go away i time.  He wants to see him again in three months.  Thank you Lord!  We went to the store at the hospital and Bill got me a beautiful glittery butterfly that's glass and says, I believe in miracles on it. That was really sweet of him.  We were back on the road by 10:15.  It was much better driving home.  Not much traffic and not misting.  Being light out was nice too. We stopped in Birch Run and went to a thrift store in the outlets called, "The Secret Place"  We didn't find anything.  We went to the Cracker Barrel in Bridgeport after that.  Bill got chopped steak and I got their meatloaf special.  Bill got me a set of marble coasters for the family room.  We stopped and got gas at Kroger's in Bridgeport of 2.39.  When we got to Saginaw it was 2.59.  We stopped at Bill's favorite bakery and got donuts too.  YUM!  We got a message from Vikki on our way down to Detroit saying she was taking Isaac to the doctor because he was throwing up and had diarrhea.  We prayed for him right away.  The doctor said he had a sinus infection and that was making him cough hard and throw up.  She put him on an antibiotic. So thankful he didn't have the flu.  We had a good small group with 12 of us here.  Andrea brought delicious chili and crackers for snack.  She also brought plastic bowls for the chili.  I was just telling Vikki today that I love my shampooer, but I should have lent mine to Melissa because Vikki needs one more than me.  Then at small group, Bill was carrying a plastic bowl full of chili and the bowl bent and it flew into the dining room and all over the carpet.  I guess I sure do need my carpet cleaner.  What a mess!  Bill and I started scooping chili off the carpet with cardboard and then I got my shampooer out.  Andrea was spraying and pretreating the spots, Roy who is 81 was holding the cord and keeping it out of the way for me and moving a small table chili was under.  It wasn't long and my super shampooer had it all cleaned out and looking like new.  

1/15/18...Went to the SportsZone...the roads were slick so I took it slow. Went to Melissa's, then to meet the dr. appt .

We got snow and the bird feeder was getting low so I filled it.  It didn't take long and there were lots of birds eating.  They almost emptied it today.  

Cardinal eating from the feeder and cardinals on the ground.  So pretty and so fun to watch

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Nice woodpecker on the feeder.  I need to get another suet feeder.  The squirt took the last one.  They took my oriole feeder away this summer too.  We have never found either.

Stopped at Melissa's before my doctor appt.   Bruce was off for Martin Luther King Day so he and the boys were having lots of fun with legos.  

Jack showing the truck they build with the motor.  It went all over even on top of the legos.  Pretty cool!

Hailey and me!  She was super happy with the roller blades Kenzie gave her.

I went to the SportsZone.  It was super slippery out so took it slow.  So glad it is only 2 miles away. Bill was already there playing Euchre.  I walked 3 miles in 45 minutes.  There were a couple of ladies passing me today and I was walking very fast.  Bill was still playing cards when I came downstairs.  He was winning so he was pretty happy.  I came home and fed the birds.  I wore my new Christmas boots from Bill.  Ha Ha...He wrapped them for me but they were really his.  The joke is on him.  I love just slipping in to them to go outside and feed the birds.  I guess they are really mine.  I ate my left over spaghetti from the Olive Garden for lunch.  It was even better than yesterday.  I went to Melissa's house before my doctor appt.  Figured if it kept snowing and was too bad, I would be nice and close to the dr. office.  The boys and Bruce were having fun with legos.  Nice that Bruce had the day off.  It was fun seeing the kiddos and getting those good hugs.  I went to my appointment and really liked the new dr.  Met Dr. Richardson.  She was super nice too.  Now I return for a physical in February.  Have to get blood tests and a mammogram too.  Bill was really sweet and prayed for me before I went to my appointment today.  Sure am thankful for a godly caring husband.  We watched videos of the girls weddings.  Lots of good memories.  Tears flowed when I think of how far God has brought Melissa and healed her.  When I saw my mom and dad they flowed some more.  Sure do miss them tons!

1/14/18...Went to church, Celebrated Gayla's Birthday and Our Christmas with Joel at Olive Garden, Went to Wes and Gayla's for cake and ice cream

Bill, Gayla, Wes and Joel at the Olive Garden

Bill,  Chuck, Nancy, me, George, Joel and Gayla

Gayla and Wes

We went to church.  The country roads were still bad and it was super cold.  Stacie was at church and Cheryl from our Faith Riders came.  Melissa, Bruce and kids were there.  Isaac was throwing up all night so they couldn't come.  Poor sweetie.  Sure am praying for him.  After church, we met Wes, Gayla and Joel at the Olive Garden to celebrate Christmas with Joel and also Gayla's birthday.  Joel, Bill and I had spaghetti and Wes and Gayla had the soup and salad.  Gayla got a free dessert for her birthday.  She ordered Zippoli (tasted like a donut with powder sugar) with raspberry sauce to dip it in.  The waitress brought enough for all of us.  It was so delicious.  We had such a nice time with these great friends who are like family to us.  We came home and let Mocha out and then headed over  to Wes and Gayla's house for cake and ice cream.  Their German neighbor, George was there.  We have met him before.  He is 90 and has some neat stories about living in Germany just like Mrs. Schillinger had.  He was there when Hitler came into power too.  Not such good stores after that.

We came home and then I went to Kenzie's to get some stuff she had for me and to give her some stuff I had for her.  Met her friend Travis.  Came home and cleaned the fireplace out.  Getting ready for the wood pellet burner on Wednesday.  Glad to have that job done.  Bill was my assistant and I sure needed him too. Watched a movie.