Sat., 9/25/21, pancakes and bacon for breakfast, motorcycle ride to Houghton Lake, campfire and devotion

Max

Max volunteering 

Homecoming Court...Ali on the left

Beautiful Hailey and her homecoming date, Martin

Ally and Hailey

Breanna and Hailey

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Selfie Ziggy took by our camper 

Nice hills on our ride

We did see some beautiful color but not a lot yet

The lake was beautiful today

Jeff, Ron and Bev

Bill

Ziggy

Panoramic of our chili cook off and campfire

Bill on the end next to my empty chair

Bill and I eating our chili

Isaac and Rody helping clean up a garage and yard on serve Saturday today with our church. Lots of work to be done at lots of places and 100 volunteers from our church doing it.  Wish we would have been home to help.

I made pancakes and bacon for breakfast. I forgot to turn the fan on and open the vent, so the smoke detector went off and was very loud. Good thing Ziggy is tall because Bill and I couldn’t reach it even when we stood on the stool.  After breakfast, we all relaxed on the recliners and read our Bibles.  We shared some of what we read.  We also shared our testimonies of how we were born again.  Six motorcycles were on the ride and eight of us on them.  It was in the 50’s but we all had lots of layers on and heated seats sure help.  It was a great ride with lots of hills and curves. It was so much fun!  We ate pizza at a restaurant in Houghton Lake.  When we got back to the campground, we relaxed and took short naps.  Dawn and Mike came up for the evening.  It was so nice having them sit around the campfire with all of us.  There was hot chili in crockpots to eat.  Gean shared a devotion out of Ephesians that was really good.  There were many answers to last night’s prayers we were thankful for.  Talked to Vikki a couple of times and also Melissa.  Hailey had homecoming and Vikki fixed her hair. She l looked beautiful.  Max did his first day of volunteering at the animal shelter. He loved it and is excited to go back.  Of course I texted with my Adam.

Friday, 9/24/21, went to St. Helen to CMA leadership Campout, campfire in the evening

 

Our first bunkhouse boarder at Schaard Bed and Breakfast 

Bill backing the motorcycle out for the first time

It was a beautiful sunny morning.  We packed the last minute stuff, then closed up the camper and headed to St Helen.  It took about 1 1/2 hours til we arrived.  Bill went for a 4 hour motorcycle ride with Jeff and some other guys.  I visited with Kathy who is our State Worship leader for a few hours.  She is such a nice caring person.  Ziggy got here when Bill got back.  We told him he could stay in our bunkhouse instead of setting up his tent since it’s supposed to rain all night.  He was so happy.  He’s one of the nicest and most fun people we know and is an awesome man of God.  He takes care of his mom who is in her 99’s and has been very careful since COVID started.  Bev and Ron came and parked their camper in the lot behind ours.  We were very happy to see them.  In the evening we all sat around a big campfire and visited, then prayed for people we know needing prayer.  Before bedtime, I put the chili in the crockpot in the refrigerator so in the morning I can just plug it in before we leave to go on our motorcycle ride.  

Thurs. 9/23/21, Packed a few more things in the camper, Wes and Gayla came over, Vikki, Peyton and Isaac came over

It was cold out today, so I was happy to get to wear my warm cute slippers Lela made me

Wes and Gayla came over to see the camper today.  They brought us a gift Wes made when he first started doing stained glass.  A mouse!  It will always be a reminder of when they brought the mouse and 4 babies to our old camper.

Got up and made oatmeal and coffee.  It tasted good on this cold rainy morning.  It rained pretty much all day.  I sure was thankful for my warm pretty slippers from Lela.  We packed some stuff in the camper during the short periods of time when the rain stopped.  Wes and Gayla came to see the camper.  We had a good laugh at the surprise mouse they brought us.  We played 3-13 and Bill was the big winner.  Vikki and the kids came after school.  After Wes and Gayla left, we all went out in the camper.  We have it all closed up and ready to just put a few last minute things in in the morning, and then leave.  I did the newsletter tonight and sent it out for the officers to review.  I will send it out Monday.  Happy I got it done before we leave for our camping trip.  Texted with Adam today.  

Wed., 9/22//21, Rained most of day, I made chili for chili cookoff when camping, loaded stuff in camper when rain slowed down, did laundry

Chili all made for State Leadership Chili Cookoff

Lots of Chickadees coming to the bird feeder today

Lots of blossoms on my knockout rosebushes

Autumn Joy makes me joyful to look at.  Love the color!

Bill got up before me.  I put the electric blanket on the bed since there is a cool down coming.  Had the bed all made by the time Bill was done showering,  He was happy to hear the electric blanket was on the bed.  Did my morning reading.  I went out and brought some things we won't need for this camping trip in.  I also took some stuff we will need out.  I walked around and looked at some of my flowers and plants.  First day of fall, so have to enjoy them while they are still doing good.  Made chili for our camping trip.  They always have a chili cook off.  We will see how my award winning chili does there.  It won 3rd place, than the next year 1st place at the Harley Dealer chili cook off.  That's when I changed the name to award winning ha ha.  Talked to Vikki when she got out of work.  Had a nice chat with Melissa today too.  Jack and Evan started their horseback riding class.  They are pretty excited about it and I'm excited for them.  Texted with Adam which I always love doing.  They have a half day on Friday.  I sure wish we were going to be home so they could come over.  It has rained pretty much all day and got pretty windy there for a while.  Calmer now.  Bill and I got the camper ready to move and he backed it into position for us to just hook up and leave.  It's supposed to rain all day tomorrow too, and we were afraid if he waited he would sink in the grass where so much rain is coming down.  Glad it is all set on the pavement now and ready for take off.  

Tues., 9/21/21, Put shelf paper down in camper, got groceries for our camping trip this weekend, went to prayer at church

Bill loaded the bike for the first time

 All went well and it's nice and secure

I love this picture of Eli, so I borrowed it from Kimmy

Bill met Charlie for coffee.  I took my shower, then started the laundry from our camping trip.  Did my morning reading while I drank my coffee.  After the rain stopped, I brought some stuff in from the camper that I won't be needing on this trip and I took some stuff out that I will be needing.  I put plastic shelf lining down in the medicine cabinets in the bathroom.  I went grocery shopping to get a few things I need for the trip too.  

We ate Culver's tonight as I had to get to prayer and didn't have time to make anything after getting groceries.  Bill got the bike loaded in the camper today and it went very smoothly and only took one try.  He fastened it down good and it is ready to take with us.  Pretty neat how it is set up to haul it.  Prayer at church was so good as we all interceded for the church, friends and family.  

 

Hailey had a good check up at U of M.  She got another good report.  Praising God!  

Hailey has been getting her picture in front of Big Bird there since she was a baby!  

Beautiful Amish farms we passed

When Bill put our destination in Mapquest, it took us on very narrow, curvy and hilly roads. Not to much fun with a big camper behind you.  We came to a sharp curve and when we got around it there was a country overpass and a sharp curve the opposite way right exactly when you started coming out from the overpass.  I was afraid we were going to hit it with our camper, but we made it.  Lots of cars coming from the other way on this narrow road.  A car stopped and backed up so we could make it around that sharp curve.  I was nervous.  If I'd have been driving, I would still be sitting in front of that overpass.  Bill did a great job getting us through that.  Yikes!

They sure didn't make these roads for two campers to pass which we had to do a couple of times

Bill with the Blue Gate Bakery and Restaurant in the background

Amish taxi....that's my kind of taxi in the summer

Me in front of the pumpkin archway

The walkway in front of the restaurant was just beautiful

We ate at the Blue Gate restaurant in Shipshewana

Isaac and Peyton enjoying the cinnamon roll.

Pretty Peyton sitting on our big pumpkins

Isaac looking cool!  He grew so much since we've seen him last.

 We slept in as we had decided last night to leave at 9:30 a.m. for Goshen.  By the time we got ready and ate breakfast, the rain had stopped.  They had rain in the forecast for the whole day, but took it out until 6 p.m. there.  We went to Goshen, but the Dutchman Camper Place didn't have enough room for our truck and camper in their parking lot, so we didn't stop.  We headed to Shipshewana instead.  It was quite the journey there as I shared above.  When we got there, we stopped and went through the Red Barn by the Flea Market. We bought a huge homemade pretzel and a huge cinnamon roll to heat up when we get home today.  The Flea Market is only open on Tuesday and Wednesday, so we couldn't go to that.  We found a good parking spot in The Blue Gate's parking lot, and went to the Blue Gate Restaurant for lunch.  Bill had noodles and chicken and I had noodles and beef.  We tried each others and both were really good.  I brought 2/3's of mine home for later as it was very filling, especially with the yummy rolls that came with it.  We headed for home after that.  I told Bill that our friend Roy, who was a truck driver, told me last night he would never go down 69 again until it is fixed.  He went down it after leaving Shipshewana and it was so bumpy, his tire had to be fixed on his camper afterward.  I told Bill he said he would head to Jackson and take that route.  I had directions on my phone and had told Bill what exit, but he went right past it.  He decided this way was shorter so he would take it.  69 was the bumpiest expressway I have ever been down.  Vikki called, and I had her face time me to show her how bad it was.  It was that way from when we got on until when we got off many miles later.  The other way would have been quicker with having to go slower on these awful bumps.  When we got off, Bill did say he would never go on that again until it was fixed.  The rest of the ride home was good and I could actually rest and shut my eyes.  After we got home and parked, it started pouring.  I was so thankful God kept the rain away until we were home.  It would have been awful driving on those roads with it raining hard.  Vikki, Peyton and Isaac came over.  I split the cinnamon roll with Peyton and Isaac as Bill and Vikki didn't want any.  It was super delicious, and almost as good as the Hilltop.  Not as big as theirs though.  We all went out and sat in the camper once the rain was done.  Vikki helped us see what to do to fix our one door in the camper that closed hard.  Now it is so easy and no more slamming it to get it shut.  She also gave us a little end table that fits perfectly next to the couch.  It has a shelf below too.  We had to fix our closet door floor holders since the bumpy road wiggled them loose from being locked and the floor holders came out.  Bill got them ready and I got down and screwed them back in.  All is well now.  We sat out there for quite a while, then Vikki and the kids had to leave to do homework.  Bill and I unloaded some stuff, but since we are going camping again Thurs., we left lots of stuff in the camper.  Packing will be easy this time for sure.  Hailey made Impact at her school.  They travel around and sing and worship at different places.  I am so happy for her.  We enjoyed relaxing in our recliners tonight.  Home Sweet Home!