Friday, 11/22/24, Made food for tomorrow, went to Aldi, Rody got a jeep today, we went to City lighting of the lights for the holiday, went to Sam’s, Evan spent the night

We watched with Melissa and family while they lit the lights.  Hailey is in the right hand corner

Hailey and Evan

When Evan took his hat off his hair stood straight up

I got up at 7:30 and started putting the dough ingredients in the bread makers and started them.  Made pie crusts and also pudding.  Realized  I didn’t have bananas, so I went to Aldi and got the last minute things I needed for tomorrow’s dinner. Roy stopped her and showed Bill a Jeep he wants to get.  He took him for a ride.  Bill said it was really nice.   Vikki met me there when I was done and came to my house with me.  She surprised me and picked up some green pepper soup and a half a wrap from Souper Cafe for me and for her. She tried it yesterday and loved it, so being the sweet daughter she is, she wanted me to try it.  It was delicious!  Bill took care of all of the leaves out in the yard and blew them and raked them into the garden.  He asked me if I was going to go to the store when he came in.  I told him I had already been there and back. He didn’t even know Vikki had been here because he was working so hard.

Vikki had to leave, so I made the pies up, and got the rolls baked.  I made the cranberry relish too and cooked ground beef for the dressing.  Squash is cooked and ready to eat too. 

Tables are ready and tablecloths are on.  I got 10 lbs. of potatoes peeled and ready to cook in the morning.  Made cheesy potatoes and they are ready to bake tomorrow.  We have some of Bruce’s yummy corn he canned to cook tomorrow too.  My friend, Melody, from church called me and wants me to be her mentor starting in January.  I am excited to grow in the Lord together.

Bill took Rody to Garber’s to pick up his Jeep.  Then he met me at SIPS to ride together to meet Bruce, Melissa, Hailey, Jack and Evan for the holiday lighting of the city.  We got  specialty coffees from Tom’s Coffee Truck.  They were delicious.  We walked to the water works to see when the lights were lit after the countdown.  We walked around town and went through some vender tents, stopped at food venders, watched the living Nativity and walked through the Montague Inn.  Then we walked through the Zoo.  Evan asked if he could come spend the night, so we took him home with us.  We stopped at Sam’s Club for plates and cups for tomorrow, and chocolate almonds.  Then we went to pick up my car from SIPS.  We came home and Bill and Evan played ping pong.  Evan won!  That’s the second time.  Bill didn’t let him win either.  He did it fair and square.  Evan wanted to take a shower afterwards because he was so hot and sweaty.  Evan and I had some Amish cookies.  He had Snickerdoodles and I had Sugar cookies.  I peeled potatoes and Evan talked to me while I did.  Then while I finished, he and Papa watched Little House.  I made them some popcorn which made them happy.  I cut the ham off the bone and put it in the crockpot for tomorrow.  It was sliced already.  Now things will be much easier in the morning.  I will just need to make the stuffing and get the turkey roasting in the oven, and cook everything that needs cooking.  So excited to celebrate Thanksgiving because we have so much to be thankful for.  I called Sue and told her Bill can pick her up at noon tomorrow.  She is having a tough time right now, but hopefully I have her talked in to coming and eating with us and being around all of us who love her.  We will all be missing Charlie together.   

 

Thurs., 11/21/24, Kimmy, Jacob and Vikki came over, Bill, Kimmy and Jacob put the floorboards up in the basement, Kimmy caulked them, Vikki and Kimmy switched basement furniture around

Taking a super long time for the leaves on our big maple to fall.  It sure is beautiful though.

Kit Kat was already to play when I went out to feed the birds

I thought about taking pictures just when everyone was going to leave

 I got up at 8 and about a half hour later Jacob came in, then Kimmy came in after him.  We changed our get together day to today because tomorrow we will be making pies and rolls so it will be a busy day for both of us.  Plus I am going to get everything done ahead of time that I can.  We all had coffee and then Vikki got here and she had some coffee too.  She also ate her oatmeal.  We had a nice time talking until Vikki had to leave for work.  Sue called me and our doctor’s office said she needed to take a Covid test before coming in for an appt. I went over and helped her do a test.  Sue thought she was going to go in to see Sara, the PA, but Sara just called her at 1 and told her what she needed to do.  She is going to do a phone visit tomorrow and then see the regular doctor she usually sees next week.  I helped her with some things she needed done, then came back home.  Bill, Kimmy and Jacob worked on putting the floorboard in the basement on.  We ate lunch when I got home.  The bread in the bread machine was still nice and warm.  My Rada bread knife cut through it and didn’t squish it at all.  I am always amazed at how it does that.  We had chicken salad sandwiches.  Jacob had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  We played a game of 3-13 which Jacob won.  Bill was the big looser.  Kimmy and I won agains the guys for lowest combined score.  We had lots of fun playing.  Jacob asked Abi who she wanted to win and she picked me.  What a sweet girl she is!  I had just texted her and sent her a cute picture of Jacob when he was little.  I also told her I was happy she is coming to our Thanksgiving celebration on Saturday.  She texted me back saying she’s excited to be coming.  

I touched up some spots that needed painting upstairs.  Bill had cut pieces he needed to cut and they put those floorboards up too.  Kimmy caulked them and made them look really nice.  I moved all the paint cans from under the steps in the backroom of the basement and vacuumed and organized it.  Then the girls wanted me to go upstairs, so they could try moving the furniture in the basement different ways.  Finally, they called me to come see it.  Bill went with me to see it.  It looks amazing.  They always do such a great job making things look nice.  

Adam was supposed to come over today after school, but he went to therapy and then forgot and went home by accident.  We missed him.  Everyone left around 7.  I sure appreciate everyone’s help and being such a loving family.  I am very blessed and so thankful to God.

Wed., 11/20/24, Bill went to Evan’s school for Special Friends Day, I swept and scrubbed the floors, then went grocery shopping and got a few more things for shoeboxes, Vikki, Peyton, Isaac and Regan came over, the girls packed shoeboxes

Bill and Evan at Best Friend’s Day at his school

The choir

New light Bill put up over the ping pong table.  No more pulling chains to turn on lights.  It’s hooked up to the switch.  Yay!

Regan and Peyton packing the shoeboxes.  They managed to fit everything in.  Great job girls!

 Bill got up early to go to Evan’s school for Friend’s Day.  It was his turn this year as I went last year.  It’s kind of sad that this is the last time for it.  We will have no more grandkids in that school after this year.  They sure grow up fast.  Bill sent me pictures he took of them.  

I got up at 7:20 and as soon as Bill left, I moved chairs and vacuumed and mopped the Kitchen, Foyer, Bathroom and Laundry room floors.  After I finished, I left and went to Meijer to get the solar calculators and a Rubik cube at Meijer, plus a few groceries.  They were all out of both items I needed for the shoeboxes, so I stopped at Walmart and got them there.  I went home after that.  Bill wasn’t home yet.  I put rugs back down and chairs back around the table.  

Bill got home and moved the old lights that were over the ping pong table, to the other side of the room.  He also picked up a different light for above the table and in the two back rooms and hung them.  He had me come down and see them.  They all look so nice!

Barb called me and wanted the recipe for my rolls that I brought with their meal.  Ron really liked them and wants her to make them.  We had a nice talk and she is doing good after her surgery. 

Vikki came and brought Peyton and Regan to pack the Operation Christmas Shoeboxes.  Isaac came too, but didn’t want to do a shoebox this year.  The girls did a wonderful job of getting all the stuff in the boxes really good.  They both closed nicely which sometimes takes many tries.  They liked the basement.  Peyton and Regan played some ping pong. 

I made eggs, potatoes, bacon and toast for dinner.  I accidentally knocked a small jar of blackberry jelly on the floor and it broke.  Go figure!  I was thinking before I mopped the floors that something always gets spilled after I mop floors.  I cleaned that up and then ate.  Then Bill asked me why the garbage disposal wasn’t working.  I told him it had been working earlier.  I got a flashlight and looked to see if it had a reset button.  When I did that, I spilled my watering can for plants.  It was only water!  I was happy about that at least.  It was right across from where I broke the jelly jar.  I was happy there was only a tiny bit of jelly left in it.  I guess the water spill was the final rinse for the jelly mess.

Bill left to go to the Marine Corp. League Meeting.  I didn’t have time to read my Bible earlier when he read his, so I read it after he left.  I’m halfway in the book of Daniel right now.  After I finished, I got a call from Gayla.  Wes will have his skin graft on Friday.  She is going to call me and let me know the details when she finds out.  I prayed for them over the phone.  We talked for a long time.  They are such great friends.  

I talked to Kimmy and she is coming tomorrow instead of Friday since I will have to be making lots of stuff for our Thanksgiving meal on Friday for our Saturday get together.  Adam texted me and said he will drive over after he gets out of school.  

  

Tues., 11/19/24, Took Carol to eye appt., cleaned part of house, put Thanksgiving decorations out, went to prayer, Bill hung 8 ft. light over ping pong table, picked up floorboard for basement

Strange looking clouds today.  Everything in the yard looked really bright but the clouds were dark

Beautiful sunset

 I got up at 6 so I could be to Sister C’s by 7:30 a.m. to take her to her eye check up for her cataract surgery.  She had a good checkup and then bought us each a coffee at Tim Horton’s.    It rained on the way to her house.  Then after I dropped her off it just misted out.  I stopped and got an Egg McMuffin on my way home.  When I got home, Bill was reading his Bible.  I sat down next to him and read my Bible.  I was tired from getting up so early, so I took a quick nap, then got up and cleaned the living room, dining room, foyer and brought up a few things from the basement that needed to be put in the garage.  I sure think of Adam when I got down there.  Bill had to go for an MRI.  I offered to go with him, but he said he didn’t need me too. It was nice to get lots of cleaning and some other needed things done while he was gone.  

When he got home, he took some wood floor boards down to the basement that he’s going to put around the room.  They really make it look nice down there.  We had more chicken noodle casserole for dinner.  It’s almost gone now.  I left for prayer at church.  Prayer was awesome and so was worship.  When I got home, Bill was putting up an 8 foot light over the ping pong table.  I helped him with it.  He hooked it up to the switch, so there’s no chains to pull.  It is so nice.  He’s going to ut the lights he took down over in the other half of the basement. I FaceTimed with the girls and Adam and Evan to show them how nice it looked with the light up and the floor boards down.  They aren’t attached yet, but Bill put them along the walls.   It is so nice down there now. 

 

Monday, 11/18/24, Went to Clare, Stopped at Cops and Doughnuts, went to a couple of Amish Stores, Jack came before Fencing class to help Papa put stuff back in basement room that was painted, I took Jack to fencing

Bill...looks like a jail bird

Me as a doughnut

Me in my new vehicle

Stopped at two Amish Stores

I love driving through Amish Country....such a nice day

Beautiful Horse we passed

Our tree is turning slowly this year

Evan looking in my car...kind of blurry, but cute anyhow

Jack came and helped Papa put all the furniture back...such a great help

We got up and ate breakfast and then read our Bibles.  I did some laundry.  Bill asked me if I wanted to go to the Amish Store.  Of course I said yes to that.  We got ready and headed to Clare.  Our first stop was Cops and Doughnuts.  We each had a delicious doughnut and a cup of coffee.  Bill went back for another small doughnut.  After we were done, we walked through lots of cute unique stores downtown.  Got some cute things for the Operation Christmas Shoe Boxes and a few other things. It was so fun going in all of these nice shops.  After that, we headed to the Amish Country Stores.  We went into the grocery store first.  It wasn’t quite finished last time we were there.  It was so nice now.  We picked up a couple of things and then headed down the road to the other store.  It has some of everything.  We picked up a few more things and I got stuff for the Operation Christmas Child boxes.  It was a big store and was so much fun walking down the aisles looking at everything.  We headed home after that.  When we got home, I warmed up my leftover smothered chicken, and also warmed up chicken noodle casserole.  I FaceTimed with Vikki for quite a while.  She found a neat car for Rehvyn on the side of the road that is super nice and he is going to love it.  I picked up Jack and he helped Billl move the furniture back into the room we painted.  He was a great help and was so happy to do it for us.  I forgot to take a picture while he was here, because we were hurrying so he could get to fencing 5 minutes early.  I took him and he made it in plenty of time.  

Relaxed when I got back home.  Going to bed early because I have to be at Carol’s to take her to get her eyes checked at 8:10 in the morning. 

 

Sunday, 11/17/24, Bill went to our church, I picked Melissa up and we went to visit Hailey and went to her church, my first time at her apartment, went to Texas Roadhouse

Selfies Hailey took before the church service started

At Hailey’s apartment

Hailey and Melissa decorating the rest of Hailey’s tree
.

Abi and Jacob

Adam and Hope

Got ready, made coffee for Bill and I, read my Bible, then left to go pick up Melissa to go visit Hailey.  Bill left before me to go to our church.   Left Melissa’s house at 10 and had a nice ride together and a good visit.  We got to Hailey’s apartment a half hour before church started, so visited there a while.  I’m so happy she has such a nice place and nice roommates.  We went to her church and she was looking for donuts for us, but there weren’t any.  The biggest service was just before the one we were at.  We went and sat down, then Hailey thought she saw someone with a donut, so we went and checked again.  No donuts.  We went back in and Hailey’s roommate sat next to her.  The worship started and was awesome!  They sang a few Elevation Worship songs and they were amazing.  Then they had 50 baptisms between all three campuses.  Lots of young people got baptized at the church we were at.  They wrote two words out that were showed on the screen.  One word represented before coming to know Jesus and the other one represented after.  Some were sin/forgiven, confused/connected, broken/whole, and many more that really were touching.  Jesus does so much in a person when they are Born Again!.  The message was amazing.  When the service ended, we went out to leave and Hailey checked one more time for donuts and there were lots there, so we each took one.  Yay!  We went to the Texas Roadhouse to eat after church.  We got in right away and sat down.  Hailey had a hamburger, Melissa had chicken strips (which she said were the best she’s ever had) and I had delicious smothered chicken.  We all loved all the rolls and were stuffed by the time we got done.  We had a very nice waitress.  We all took food home.  Melissa sent one chicken strip for Bill to try.

We went back to Hailey’s apartment and met Dude, Jenna’s lab puppy.  He was excited at first, but calmed down and was such a good dog after he was used to us.  Hailey showed us her room and the upstairs bathroom.  We went downstairs and visited with each other and Jenna.  We went to Walmart and Hailey got some groceries she needs to make a yummy dinner this week.  We only shopped the outside of the grocery department so Melissa and I were freezing.  Hailey got all heathy stuff.  We went back to Hailey’s apartment and Melissa and Hailey put the ornaments Melissa bought Hailey on the tree.  Melissa took 3 duplicate ornaments home that she liked.  We left for home around 4:30 before it got dark out.  We sure had a great time.  Hailey was cute and told us to let her know when we got home.  She gets that from us.  We got it from my mom.  

We had a nice drive back.  We stopped at McDonalds and got their new flavor Frappe’.  I couldn’t pronounce it, so I asked the kid taking my order how to pronounce it.  He said he didn’t know either.  It was Dulce de leche.  I’m sure Melissa and I were close in our pronunciation lol.  We sure had some laughs.

I dropped her off and I reminded Melissa to let Hailey know we were home.  I went to the door and Evan told me hi.  I watched a video of him doing some amazing flips at a new place he went to that teaches him the correct ways to do them.  They told him he had the one down perfectly.  

I stopped and picked up my prescription after I dropped Melissa off.  I went inside because the outside line was so long.  I came home after that and gave Bill a big kiss and gave him the chicken strip from Melissa.  I let Hailey know I was home and sent her and her mom the pictures I took.  I was glad to be home sweet home and in my recliner.  It was dark by the time I got home and it was only 6.

Kimmy sent me pictures of Adam and Jacob with their girlfriends from last night.  I sure was happy since I forgot to take any.  Thank you Kimmy.  

 

Saturday, 11/16/24, Bill and Adam did the edges of the basement floor, Adam finished painting the floor in the basement, later he gave it a 2nd coat, got him Culver’s for lunch, went and shopped for stuff for shoe boxes, took Adam home,

Making progress

So thankful for Adam being such a hard worker and a great help

Our big Maple is starting to turn yellow.  Lots of leaves to come down yet

Adam sent me before (top) and after (bottom) pictures

New guns for Eli and Jared....Great father/son team.   

A very happy grandson

 I slept in til 8:30 and Adam got up at 9:30.  I was just going up to wake him because Kimmy told me on the phone that he wouldn’t want to sleep in and get a late start on painting.  He and Jacob played Bedwars until 1 a.m.  He said he slept really good on the new mattress.  

We ate breakfast, then Bill and Adam started painting the edge of the floor in the basement.  Once that was done, Adam got right at painting the floor.  It took him about an hour and he had the first coat on.  We played a game of 3-13 which Adam won....I helped him by throwing him 2 wild cards.  What a nice Nana!   I came in second and Bill was the loser.  I picked up chicken strips, fries, and a concrete mixer for him for lunch.  Bill and I ate noodle casserole.  I met Vikki at Meijer so I could give her a $10 off coupon.  Bummer though because it doesn’t start until tomorrow.  Rody got a voucher for a turkey, so she picked one up for one of our 3 turkey dinners coming up.  She picked up a ham to have with it too.   Big blessing.  This turkey and one I picked up are only 19 lbs.  A lady in Meijer told Vikki she has looked all over and that’s the biggest she could find.  She even asked if they had bigger ones in back.

Kimmy called me and she got a turkey for me too.  She found a hefty 24 lb. turkey.  We will have that for the biggest party.  

After a few hours,  Adam went downstairs and gave the floor a second coat.  It really looks nice now.  What a diligent, responsible and joyful worker.  We are so proud of him and so thankful for all of his help.  They cleaned up all the paint brushes too.  While he was painting, I went to get gas at Sam’s Club.  I got cashews from Sam’s Club to take to Hailey tomorrow when we go visit her.  I also went to JoAnn’s and picked up some things for the Operation Christmas Child Shoeboxes.  

When I got home,  we took Adam home visited for a while.  It was nice to see Abi again.  Nice to see Hope too.  I’m so glad she is feeling better.  I invited both girls for Thanksgiving when we have it next Saturday.   Eli and Jared showed us their new guns.  They are so nice.   Jared sent us coupons so we could each pick up a box of amo for a good price.  We went to Dunham’s to get it after we left their house.  We walked through the mall, got some candy from St. Laurent’s and some more shoebox things at Hobby Lobby.  Bill went out to get the truck to come pick me up, but I didn’t see him so I walked outside.  He was just walking back.  We both got mixed up and thought out truck should be right there.  Well it wasn’t, so we went back in and had to go out the other door into the mall and then go out where we came in the mall.  We had seen the name Hobby Lobby and stopped at the entrance past that.  Therefore we figured the entrance was right next to where you walk out of Hobby Lobby.  Wrong!  The entrance we parked by just had a lit up sign saying Hobby Lobby, but it wasn’t the actual entrance.  We got some extra steps thought so that was ok.

When we got home, Bill touched up a couple of spots in the basement, that needed grey paint over them.  Then he poured the rest of the paint back into the big container and washed the paint brush.  We relaxed after that.