The evening sky. 

I love the sky!!

The sky was just amazing this morning. My first sight of it was as I walked out my door. I had to go back inside to get the camera. I confess I kept taking pictures as I drove. Don't worry, I don't hold the camera in front of my face!

I have to share two things that Destiny said that made me laugh yesterday. As we were leaving school we walked through the entry where the art teacher had hung children's artwork for Grandparents Day. She had used loops of duct tape, but by now the pictures are gradually falling down, leaving only the unsightly loops of duct tape. Destiny remarked that the pictures are falling down. I said, "Yeah, that's the problem with these walls. You can't keep anything on them." Destiny said, "The tape stays on. I guess the tape isn't good friends with the paper."

Later, I stopped at the square in Manheim to go to the health food store. As we walked out to our car, she started touching the car parked next to mine. I told her to stop touching it, that next thing the alarm would go off. She looked puzzled. I said, "You know, the alarm, like your dad has on his car." She said, "Would it go off, or would it go on?" What a good question! Why do we say something goes off, when we really mean it goes on??

My first view of the sky this morning as I left for school. It made me think of the term "the highway to Heaven". 

This morning's sky. 

This morning's sky. 

This morning's sky. 

This morning's sky. 

Another weekend at Camp Andrews

This weekend we were at Camp Andrews, south of Lancaster, with my family. This has been an annual event since 1989. It was probably our last. Since my sister Rose and family moved further away than ever before (Atlanta, GA) and their older children are now in high school instead of home schooled, they can no longer come to this event. So next year we will be starting a new tradition in July. We missed the Wichtermans this weekend, but we still had a most precious, wonderful time together. We reminisced a lot, we sang, we laughed, we cried. Of course, very fresh in our minds is still the fact that the last time we were ever with our sister Janet was two years ago at Camp Andrews. She died suddenly, unexpectedly in her sleep 3 weeks later. We laughed as we remembered the time she was working the dishwasher at Camp Andrews and a mouse fell from the ceiling above her and splatted into the sink and died. We also laughed as we recalled the thick, very cheese-flavored quiche Janet provided for our Sunday breakfast one year. She kept apologizing for it, but had no idea why it was so different from other times she had made it - until she got home to her house and discovered LOTS of milk in her frig. She had forgotten to put milk in her quiche!! We never, ever let her forget that!

The pictures below will tell the rest of the story.

Goodnight.

Saturday morning my brother Dick, his wife Nancy (white chef's hat), my sister Mary Ellen, and my nephew Michael prepared the traditional "Grandpa's Breakfast". It was DELICIOUS! 

Our son Anthony and wife Lori from State College were able to spend Saturday with us. We love to play Scrabble. 

Destiny, all suited up for the zipline. 

Ready for the jump. 

Take-off! 

There she goes!. She's so light it looked like she would just float away! 

My sister Barb and family have lived in Idaho since 1991. This year her youngest son Michael, age 18, spent the weekend with us. His younger cousins were absolutely CRAZY over him! 

Saturday evening we had the traditional ice cream sundaes. 

Our son Ray spent Friday evening and Saturday with us. He always brings humor and laughs. 

My dad and stepmother, still in love after 23 years of marriage. Their anniversary was this week-end. 

my brother-in-law, Elvin Peifer, provided a delicious pineapple for our Sunday breakfast. 

Destiny, all ready for church, purse and all! 

Marida Kepnes from New Hampshire and Sydney Harris from Michigan were so happy to have the weekend to spend together.  

Once again we stood together and sang some great hymns in four-part harmony - "It Is Well With My Soul", "We're Marching to Zion". 

My sister Janet's daughter Lori who has survived colon cancer, her husband's unfaithfulness and a divorce, and her mother's sudden death, ministered to us, with her beautiful voice, the song "Jesus Will Still Be There". I'm sure there was not a dry eye among us. She is a living testimony to the Lord's faithfulness in EVERYTHIING.  

Nancy, my brother's wife, shared a wonderful lesson with the children about her green jacket. Once she burned the sleeve with a hot iron, and she thought it was ruined for good. But she cut off the sleeves and it became beautiful and useful again. She compared that to times in our lives when we think everything is ruined for good, but God turns things around to be beautiful and useful and good.  

The children listened to Nancy with rapt attention. 

My dad (age 83) shared his favorite message of all - The Unconditional Love of God. When he was finished he sat there and sang "The Wonder of It All" with a strong, full voice. Are we blessed, or what??? 

During sharing time my sister Janet's son Scott and his wife Sherri, who were there from California, had the most exciting news of all. After almost 12 years of marriage the Lord has answered their prayers and they are EXPECTING A BABY in March!!