Sunday, 7/28/24, Day 2 at BayShore , Melissa, Bruc, Jack and Van came up for the day!

Isaac, Evan, Peyton and Jack, they love playing carpetbag

Peyton and Evan

Isaac playing carpetbag with friends

Isaac at far end, Peyton, Evan, and friend

Jack

Peyton and her friend

 Melissa and I went to the Museum in a cottage at BayShore

We all ate breakfast and got ready.  The kids are all doing so amazing and helping when asked. We went to our morning class on leadership and disciple making, then to cookie and coffee break and then to our next Class on the family.  Melissa, Bruce, Jack and Evan came up after our classes were finished.  We all had sandwiches for lunch and had fun hanging out together.  Wes and Gayla came down for a visit.  They are great friends who invited us to BayShore the first time in 2003.  We have been coming ever since.  Melissa, Bruce & Hailey went to their friend's campsite and visited with them for a while.  They were good friends when they lived in Saginaw, then they moved to Chicago and through Facebook and BayShore remain great friends.  Jessie, is the Youth Dean at the camp.  Vikki and I went in the museum and looked at pictures and things.  Evan is staying with us, and Melissa, Bruce and Jack went home.  Such an enjoyable day with family.  

  

Sat. 7/27/24, left at 9:15 am for BayShore with Vikki and the twins, set up camper, went on motorcycle to Veterans Appreciation Event in Frankenmuth, to Rody’s to get step for camper, back o BayShore, Hailey came to BayShore, set tent up behind camper, Bill cooked burgers and potatoes on the grill an the grate in the grill melted, went to evening service, Adam did awesome worship, Great message, ice cream afterwards

Bill and I riding to Frankenmuth 

Pat and Bill at the booth

Beautiful flowers in Frankenmuth 

Peyton and Isaac helped Vikki set up the clam to surprise us

I got up at 5 a.m. Took shower, got ready, packed last minute things, fed birds, washed garden veggies to take, put slide outs in in campers. Bill led the way with his motorcycle, I drove the motorhome and Isaac rode with me, Vikki drove my Prius and Peyton rode with her.  We came the back way down Salzburg.  We all helped setting the camper up and the outside stuff. Bill and I left to go to the Veterans Appreciation Event in Frankenmuth.  Vikki sent me a picture saying surprise!  She and the kids set up the Clam for us!  That was the best surprise! Thank you Vikki, Peyton and Isaac!!!  We sat with Doug and ate with him, and talked to him a long time and prayed with him, we saw Gordy, then we saw Pat and some other guys from the Marina Corp League.  We covered sitting at the booth for a while and talked to people. Debbie and Tom weren’t there when we were there. Debbie called me and said she was there in the morning to help set up then had to work at an event at the Lions Club.  

We found out Bill is number 31 on the list now for the veterans honor flight where they fly them to Washington DC. He will go either this fall or in the spring.  Exciting!

We went to Rody’s because we forgot our step for the camper at our house and my little jewelry box.  He picked them up for us and had them at his house so we wouldn’t have to go so far.  That was sure nice of him!  We were very thankful.

We stopped at Speedway and got a pic pop with lots of ice for our trip back to BayShore.  

We got back to BayShore and Wes and Gayla came to visit.  I was making potatoes for the grill.  We had a nice visit.  Hailey came up.  She’s camping behind us.  She and Vikki set up our tent for her. We all ate burgers, potatoes and corn.  The grate of our Coleman Grill melted a hole through it! Unbelievable!  

We went to the evening service. Amazing Worship and awesome message.  Hailey and Mia sat with us.  

Ice cream afterwards and visits with Wes, Gayla, Dave, Becky, Bev and Jim, Paul and his family.

Friday, 7/26/24, Sue Called-Charlie’s being transferred back today, went shopping, packed, put chlorine in pool, Vikki and Peyton came over, took Sue to see Charlie, Came home and Bill went to visit Charlie and took Sue home, Charlie looked and talked amazing today, then he ate his whole dinner except the corn, We are praising and thanking God for answered prayer

 

Love it when the pool is sparkly clean and stays that way for the summer!  Yay!

Two new blossoms today.  Many more buds coming.  Hope I get to see some more open when I get back from BayShore

I got up at 7 and watered my flower garden, then turned the pool filter on and fed the birds.  I sat on the deck reading my Prayer devotion book and saw an Oriole on the Oriole feeder.  I was happy because I have to fill the jelly dish every morning and now I know they will at least eat from the liquid feeder if there is no jelly.  Kit Kat sat by me and I gave her the attention she wanted.  Bill put a new screen protector on my watch.  Sue called me and said Charlie was being transferred to a Senior Care Center here today.  She can see him around 4.  I told her I would pick her up at 3:30 and take her there.  

I left to go shopping for the few things I needed for camping and for a new chlorine floater for the pool.  I went to Walmart to get screen protectors for my phone. Then I went to MacSoods, then Meijer.  I wanted to get home before Sue called and I did.  I even got everything put in the camper and the floater filled and put in the pool.  Bill helped me uncover the pool, then we went to put a new cartridge in the filter, but the other one still had quite a lot of chlorine in it so we didn’t.  I tested the pool and it tested perfect.

I took a load of stuff in my car to the camper and got it put away.  Vikki and Peyton came and put their stuff in the camper.  Peyton came in with me when she finished and had a drumstick.  Vikki came in afterwards and had a pop.  We visited and then they had to leave.  I put more stuff in the camper, then my timer went off and I went to pick up Sue.  I carried the bag of clothes and protein drinks she was taking to Charlie.  We got there and didn’t know what to expect because Charlie hasn’t been eating or drinking much of his Nutrition drinks.  Matt and his secretary had stopped in to visit him and called and told Sue he was doing good.  We got in the room and he greeted us with a smile and looked so good.  He visited with us for one an hour.  His voice sounded like it did before all this happened.  He said this was going to be hard, and I reminded him of Melissa and how the doctors said we should prepare for her funeral and how many miracles God did, like taking scar tissue out of her lungs, healing her so she could walk again and ride a bike and have 4 kids when she wasn’t supposed to be able to.  It encouraged him not to give up but to keep praying.  Sue and I prayed for him before I left.  Charlie wanted to see Bill, so I called him and had him leave.  He visited and said Charlie ate al of his dinner except the corn.  He ate string beans though.  We were all so happy.  Bill took Sue home afterwards.   He helped me cover the pool when he got home.  Everything is loaded in the camper except last minute stuff.  

I called Gayla, Melissa, Vikki, and texted Adam to let Kimmy know how good Charlie did.  Many are praying for him.  Adam told me about his day which I always like hearing about.  I am so blessed that he texts me in the morning and at night.  Sure love that sweet boy!

I made fresh cucumbers because Peyton’s friend at BayShore loves them.  I cut up string beans to take too.  Ran the dishwasher, worked on the blog and now going nite nite.  Have to get up early tomorrow.

Thurs., 7/25/24, put Preen down around house and in garden, picked up Jack and brought him over to help Bill put mulch down, went to Sam’s Club, Helped dig some dirt out that needed to be done before putting mulch down in front, Preened front by sidewalk, went to celebrate Jack’s 16th Birthday, picked garden, weeded garden more, watered garden

First Hibiscus Blossom

Jack ready to try hitting the target with the knife

Success!

Celebrating Jack’s 16th Birthday at Bruce and Melissa's

Hailey and Melissa put Abby’s life jacket on her.  She likes being carried in it...Hailey and Melissa sure had some laughs and so did the rest of us

Jack and his carrot cake

Singing Happy Birthday to Jack!  So much fun!

 

Jack opening his presents and cards

Bill, Jack and I worked on preparing the soil for new mulch and putting it down

They put mulch around the pool and the posts for the solar cover too

I got up at 7:30 and went outside and put Preen down around the house and in my flower garden.  I didn’t do by the front sidewalk because that had to be dug out some because the moles made a mess of it before we got Kit Kat and she caught them.  Good Kitty!

When Bill got up he called Jack to see if he wanted to come help put the mulch down.  I went to pick him up 25 minutes later because he was on a bike ride.  Evan rode his bike to find him for me.  Evan, Melissa and I had delicious cup of coffee while I waited for Jack to eat.  I took Jack to our house and he and Bill went to get the mulch.  I went to Sam’s Club to get some things for camping and look to see if they still had Preen.  They didn’t, so I went to Meijer’s and got some.  They dug out the front and put the dirt in a low spot on the side, then filled in tire skid marks from the old lawn tractor with dirt too.  I helped dig dirt out in the front too while they dumped the wheel barrow.  I put Preen on it and got it ready for mulch.  They went and looked at a knife throwing set and ended up coming home with it.  Bill got a good deal on it.  They got right at putting the rest of the mulch down.  Then we ate grilled chicken I made and French Fries and beans from the garden.  Had Kalarabi and also cucumbers in vinegar too.  Had fun talking with Jack.  He went out and tried the knife throwing and did really good.  

I headed to Kroger to meet Vikki and get gas at 50 cents off up to 35 gal.  Bill and Jack were going to leave and come there a few minutes after me.   When I got to the corner of our road and McCarty, I saw two bicyclist and they waved at me.  I could hardly believe it!  It was Hailey and Evan who rode from their house all the way to ours.  They looked really tired, so I told them to go get a drink at our house.  Hailey had called Bruce to come pick them up because they were really hot and tired.  Bill went by them on our road and Jack told him that was Evan.  They turned around and went back to them, loaded their bikes in the back of the truck and brought them to Krogers with them.  Vikki started filling her car up, I filled my car up and they got there just when I was about done and Bill put gas in the truck too.  Hailey and Evan came and rode with me to their house where I was heading to celebrate Jack’s birthday with  cake and Ice cream.  His birthday was on the 15th of July.  Bill and Jack got there and unloaded the bikes.  Bruce had made a delicious carrot cake and put regular frosting, so Bill ate it too.  I had taken a piece of banana cake from our house in case it had cream cheese frosting on it.  We had fun celebrating Jack and having fun with all of them and laughing lots.  Melissa showed us how happy Abby was being able to feel like she was walking up the stairs with the life jacket on and being carried and just letting her legs touch.  She is getting old, so can’t make those stairs on her own any more.  She was really cute tonight.  Vader came right over to me to say hi, and Badger waited and looked at me til I went to him and said hi.  It was a fun night.  We left and Bill took a shower when we got home and I weeded around the outside of the garden and by the electric fence.  Then I picked lots of cucumbers, some cherry tomatoes, green beans and some green peppers. 

I watered the garden after that.   Then I sat and cooled off on the deck swing and gave Kit Kat lots of attention because she will be lonesome when we go camping for the week.  

I did laundry when I got in the house, while I read my Prayer Devotion and read my Bible.

In Isaiah chapter 44 now.  What an awesome God!

Worked on my blog, then hung up and folded the laundry when it was done.

 

 

Wed, 7/24/24, I fed the birds, ran the filter on the pool, sat outside and read, Bill went to the VA and to get water, I finished weeding the brick sidewalk, and all around the house, Max came over and helped Bill, then Bruce and Jack came to help, Hailey and Evan came over, than Melissa came, then Vikki, Peyton and Isaac came, texted lots with Adam

These cute plants Kimmy gave me are growing into the pond now.

My first zinnia plant that Kimmy started from last year’s seeds and gave me got a blossom today and looks like more to come.  Yay!  Thanks Kimmy!

Our corn is sure tall already.  The big zinnias in the garden are growing and blossoming!

Max up in the shed loft carrying wood down for Bill

Bill and Max working on their backstop project for target practice

Jack, Max, Bruce and Bill...the extra help came just when needed.  Those railroad ties are so heavy.  I couldn’t even budge the end of one.

Peyton going to a Hawaiian Luau at church to welcome the new youth members old enough to be in youth group now.  She was super excited

 

She came to help us for a while before he had to go walk with Ally

Isaac dressed for the Luau too!  He’s going to be a helper to welcome the new kids too.  He sat on the deck so someone would be out there while Evan swam

Evan being silly before leaving for home

Jack wanted the sunset in the picture behind him

Graduation snack cups are finished!  Thanks Vikki, Melissa, Hailey and Peyton for your help.  You are such blessings!

 I filled some of the bird feeders right away, and filled the jelly feeder.  It needs filling every day.  I turned the pool filter on so it would run before 10 a.m. when the rates double.  I sat outside and read my Bible and read my Prayer book chapter.  I drank my coffee too. I gave Kit Kat some attention too.  I turned the filter off, then came inside and ate a bowl of cereal.

Bill left to go to the VA and to pick up water for the water cooler.  I went outside and weeded the cracks of the driveway, finished weeding the cracks between the bricks in the sidewalk, and all around the house to get it prepared for new mulch. Bill came home and had Max with him.  They decided to make a backstop out of railroad ties for when they target practice.  They went and picked up the ties and then started working.  I went out to check on them to see if they needed a drink.  Bill did, but Max already had a drink.  They wanted me to try to lift a railroad tie and Max thought that was pretty funny.  I couldn’t budge it an inch.  I pulled some little weeds in the flower garden and did some edging.  

After all the work Bill did outside, he came in and played ping pong with the boys.  He sure looked tired when he came up.I came in to rest and remembered I needed to pick up some embroidery thread for the tassels on the graduation caps.  I did that and got a few things I needed to make a banana cake.  It was a recipe I got from Gayla and it called for buttermilk, so hat was one of the items I needed.  It was a recipe that called for room temperature eggs and butter and buttermilk.  I should have read the recipe first thing in the morning.  Oh well!  I made it and it turned out good.  Jack, Bill, Melissa and I had a piece when it was done.  Evan doesn’t like banana’s, but did try a bite of Melissa’s.    Peyton wanted a piece, but when we finished all the snack cups, Vikki didn’t need to come back, so she just picked up the kids and went home.  Melissa and I sat out on the deck for a while.  Evan came and joined us.  Adam surprised me and texted me.  I was super happy again. It was so fun getting to talk to him via text.  Evan made sure I told him hi for him.  

Melissa and the kids left,  I walked out with them and took some pictures.  I came in and finished loading the dirty dishes. Then I sat and relaxed and worked on my last night’s blog and tonights.  

Tues., 7/23/24, Visited Linda M. a friend of mine, took Souper Cafe lunch to her, Talked lots to Sue and prayed with her, took veggies from our garden to Lisa and her mom, Got squares cut and circles for when Melissa and Vikki come tomorrow night to make graduation snack cups, worked on weeding the brick sidewalk, watched a good movie called Jimmy,

The only picture I took today.  Spent some time cutting 90 black squares and 90 tiny circles out for Snack cups for Max’s graduation party

I was so happy when Adam texted me from Copper Harbor.  He had taken a long bike ride and had a signal.  It sure made my day.  

Sue called in the morning and was anxious and worried, so she wanted prayer.  She prayed and then I prayed too.  She is going through a lot right now.  Bill and I read our Bibles in the morning and did our devotion on our book on prayer chapter.  So good!

I took the vegetables from our garden (beans, cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce and a green pepper) to Lisa and her Mom.  Then I went to Souper Cafe and picked up sandwiches and soups and went to my friend, Linda’s, for lunch.  She has had lots of health problems and it’s getting hard for her to get around.  We prayed, enjoyed our lunch, and visited for a while.  

After I left there,  I went to Melissa’s and we went to Tim Horton’s and had Ice Capps.  She treated me!  Thank you Melissa.  They sure tasted good and we had such a nice visit while drinking them.  Then I dropped Melissa back off at home, and I left to take some stuff back to Walmart. 

I was waiting all morning to hear from Sue whether she wanted me to take her to U of M in Ann Arbor.  She called me and said she was too tired and emotionally drained to go today, so she was just going to rest.  I know she needs that!

I came home and  started cutting squares with my paper cutter.  I am sure thankful I have that.  I cut 90 squares and it was so easy using that.  I cut tiny squares after that and then rounded them off into circles.  I bagged everything up so it’s ready when the girls come to work on them tomorrow night.

Bill and I watched the movie “Jimmy!  It was tense, but had a really good ending.  We split a muffin from Tim Horton’s that Bill brought home for me while we watched it.  Bill had popcorn too.  

It was a great day where I didn’t have to take Benadryl for eczema because I didn’t itch and my skin cleared up.  I got off my prescription for it and decided to just do over the counter stuff.  I was thanking and praising God all day!  

Adam texted me at night too.  I told him he made my night too!  I love texting with him.

 

Monday, 7/22/24, Texted to see where Kimmy and Family were at, Saw UP post of the boys, Sat out on the deck, went shopping with Melissa, picked garden stuff, washed veggies and bagged them, took some to Vikki & family, packed some up for friend from church, had a thunderstorm, Bill had elder meeting, brought a piece of pecan pie home to me

Eli, Jacob and Adam with Wyatt when they got in the UP!  Very handsome grandsons 
cute Wyatt too!

Eli, Jacob and Adam waiting at the Hilltop Restaurant for their cinnamon rolls

This picture made me hungry!  I can just taste this huge yummy cinnamon roll.  I have to get back there!

At the stone boat in Kearsarge

Zinnias I planted in with my vegetable garden are beautiful and mixed colors

Isaac when I dropped off veggies from the garden and eggs from Kimmy and Jared tonight

Peyton

Hailey and her friend from Spring Hill

Some pictures of Hailey working at camp.  She does inclusion.  She was asked to come back for this week because the parents of this girl she had last year wanted Hailey again because their little girl loved her so much.  Hailey loves her too and was excited to go back last week.

More pictures of Peyton and Isaac working during Serve Week

These two had fun together

In the morning, I checked right away to see where Kimmy and family were.  They were already in the U.P.  I looked on Facebook and found she posted a picture of the boys.  A short time later she sent me pictures of the boys waiting for their cinnamon rolls at the Hilltop and then one of Jacob with his big ole cinnamon roll.  It made my mouth water, because I think they have the best cinnamon rolls ever!  I need to go back there.  

Bill read his Bible and then after I fed birds and watered a few outside plants, I went and sat on the deck and read my  Bible and Prayer Devotion.  God sure speaks through His Word by His Holy Spirit.  It’s just amazing!

I picked Melissa up and we went to Gordon’s Foods to get some lids for the snack cups we make cute graduation hats from.  I thought it was weird that I saved lots of the snack cup parts, but not the lids, but when I talked to Vikki later she reminded me there were less lids in the lid bag than there were cups.  Tomorrow I will be cutting the paper for the caps, then Melissa and Vikki are going to help me make the hats up.  It will be fun working together on them.

Since we were right next to the new Popeye’s, we decided to just get a snack there.  We asked if we could each get 3 chicken tenders, dip and small drinks.  The girl said yes, then told me the price would be $21.  I almost fell over and was speechless.  When I got to the window, I explained that we didn’t get combo meals we just got 3 chicken genders each.  

The girl asked if we wanted sides.  I explained that we just wanted the chicken and told her I thought the price was wrong.  She said it wasn’t.  Well we left there and realized she didn’t give us our small drinks.  We went back and I went inside and got them.  Another lady getting pop was telling me she didn’t even get a biscuit with her combo meal and it was so much money she wasn’t coming back.  I agreed with her.  That is our last time going there.  A small pop was $3.59.   Wowza!  I will be glad when they have the Chic Fil-A done.  They are working on it now.  

We went to Hobby Lobby and Melissa found the picture book she wanted for Max’s Graduation party and it was the same one she got for Hailey’s.  They only had one left and it was on sale for $6.  Yay!  When we left there, we both decided we didn’t want to go to Tim Horton’s for an Ice Capp.  Melissa was going to treat me, but we were both full after our food and drinks.  We are going to do that a different day now.  I forgot to take the eggs from Kimmy to Melissa’s so I called Bill and he was going to do it for me.  Kimmy called and Melissa and I got to talk to her.  They were 20 minutes from Copper Harbor.  We were so happy to talk to her.  We heard Jared guessing that we spent $40 at Popeye’s Chicken.  Guess we got a deal lol.  We talked for a while, then they lost their signal and we could tell our talk time was over.  Kimmy texted me that she lost her signal and said she loved me and that’s the last I heard today.  

I picked the garden.  I saw where thunderstorms were coming our way, and I could hear thundering it was getting pretty dark out, so I picked veggies fast.  I got a big Meijer bag full of string beans, 5 big tomatoes and lots of cherry tomatoes.  I also picked lettuce and 3 green peppers.  I had to go to Vikki’s and Melissa’s to take eggs from Kimmy, so I took Vikki lots of veggies.  I got my hugs from Peyton and Isaac and visited there for a few minutes.  Vikki only wanted 2 dozen, so Melissa and Bruce get two more dozen.  He has plans to make lots of stuff with these delicious eggs.  Melissa ran out and got her eggs.  I was trying to call to have one of the boys come out and get them because it was raining.  Bill went to an elder’s meeting while I was doing all this.

I talked to Gayla for a while.  It was nice to catch up.  My phone has called her on its own a couple of times in the last few days after I hang up from someone else.  I figured I should actually call her myself. 

Bill and I talked to Sue.  Charlie might get discharged tomorrow.  They are trying to come up with a plan.  Sue is going to let us know tomorrow.