Date night for Dick and Destiny!

Recently Dick's company had a drawing for tickets to Disney on Ice at the Hershey Giant Center. Dick won two of them, complete with prefered parking and seating, and a $15 voucher for snacks. So after I picked Destiny up this afternoon we hurried home to get her dressed up in her princess outfit and Dick took her to the show.

Ray came up from Virginia Beach for the weekend. He called me at 5:30 this morning and said he was on his way. He had just dropped Thyda off at her ship for a two-week deployment. He and Dick will be working on his car tomorrow. I need to get the guest room sheets washed, since that room was occupied by Ren the past three nights.

Ren left this morning with a family from school for the weekend. I think they're going to teach him how to ski! I so enjoyed having him here this week. It was such an opportunity to get to know him much better as we rode in the car together, ate supper together, looked at each other's websites. He has a wonderful testimony of coming to Christ. He is the only Christian in his family. I found out that he had been one of five young men who took turns preaching in their church. The most interesting thing he shared was about the lack of celebrating birthdays in his country (Cambodia). At school we celebrated his 27th birthday on Monday. I found out as we talked this week that his birth date really isn't February 25, 1981. He doesn't know what date he was born, but he does know it was in the year 1980. Apparently it is very common for people to not know what date they were born, because it is not considered to be important. When they need to come up with a date for official records, they just make up a date that they think might be right, or maybe that they want to be right!! He said his youngest sister claims a birthdate that has her older than he is, even though he is the oldest of the six children in their family! We were just cracking up as we talked about this last evening. I told him that my children heard their birth story so often, that they even know the exact time of day they were born. It's just beyond my imagination that you could forget what date you had a baby! I guess we're just so much more calendar oriented.

A trip down memory lane

I have so much to do for school tomorrow, so this has to be quick. My sisters will enjoy this post more if I mention some names, so that's what I'm going to do.

What an INTERESTING day! After school I had my six-week hair appointment, the long one when I get the whole works, highlights and everything. My hairdresser often works on two people simultaneously, and this time his other person was a friend I haven't seen for a long, long time, Linda (Martin) Esbenshade. She was also getting the whole works done, so we just gabbed away for two hours. It was so much fun!

Then this evening my sister and I went to the viewing of a neighbor woman we knew very well when we were children, Mabel Moyer. We saw SO MANY people we hadn't seen for many years, including several of Linda Esbenshade's sisters and her mother! I told them, "I just spent the last two hours at the hair dresser with Linda, so I'm all caught up on all of you!" It was wonderful to get to talk to Mabel Moyer's daughters Betty and Jean. Betty and I were in the same class in school from first grade through twelfth, and in the same carpool for many of those years. She has lived in Minnesota most of her adult life, and I don't think we've seen each other since high school! We also talked with a woman I worked for as a hired girl when I was in my early teens, Grace Faus. She has twelve children, the youngest now twenty years old. Many of her children have large families also. At this point they have 69 grandchildren, and this summer after a few more births and weddings take place their family total will hit 100!!! Every year they get a picture taken of them all together, and it's not a cut-and-paste picture like mine, either! This day was truly like a trip down memory lane, so much fun.

My brother-in-law Scott is doing really well. I'll try to give more details this weekend.

And now I MUST get to work. (So much for a quick post!)

Great entertainment

For thirty seconds of GREAT Entertainment, please watch the video on Lisa's blog!

Dark, dreary day

Here in PA it was a dark, dreary day. It rained all day, sometimes it poured. This afternoon one of the preschoolers said, "It's time to go home, it's dark outside." He was right. It was really dark, and we all felt like going home. Adding to the pleasure was a LOT of primary kids that did not feel well. I wonder how many absentees we'll have tomorrow.

After school I went to the gym and took Ren along. While I worked out he played ping pong with the kids that were hanging out at the rec center. Apparently he's quite a pro.

This evening I've been trying to stay awake as I've been putting another labor-intensive Middle School Chorus song into my computer composer program.

Our children in Florida missed the power outage today, thank God.

Time to take this weary brain to bed.

Happy Birthday, Ren

Today our volunteer from Cambodia celebrated his 27th birthday. He said that birthdays are not a big deal in his country, but this will be one he will remember. At 2:00 we gathered the entire school in the gym while he was in the library, then someone told him to come to the gym. Each class presented him with something they had made - cards, posters, banners, etc. Then our administrator gave him the gift that the patrons and staff had given money toward - a NICE digital camera! He was here in the States with no camera, but no more! He was very surprised of course.

The family who hosts him is going on vacation this week, so Ren will be staying here with Dick and me. We're used to having young adult sons around anyway, and since we miss our own, it will be nice to have him here for a few evenings.

I love surprises!

When I woke up from my Sunday afternoon nap, Dick informed me that we were supposed to be at the church at 6:00, but he couldn't tell me why. WELL! It's not my birthday or anything, so I couldn't imagine what was up. I asked if this was something his men's Sunday School class had cooked up, like maybe a night out with their wives or something, but he couldn't tell me. But I took my camera along for whatever was going to be happening! It's good I did or I would have missed this lovely view of the clouds as we were leaving home.

And this is what was happening: Some of you who have been reading my blog for a long time may remember that I directed an adult Christmas musical in 2005 and 2006, combining people from several churches in the area. But this past Christmas I decided to direct a children's musical instead. Well, this evening was a gathering of some of the adults who had enjoyed being in the Christmas musicals. They wanted to get together just to sing! So we spent an hour singing together in wonderful four part harmony. Most of the time they stood up, but at one point I told them they could sit down. But then we decided it wasn't a sit-down type of song, so they stood up after all. Later someone suggested a certain hymn, and as we were finding it in our books, my friend Kati said, "Can we sit down for this one?" I said, "Sure thing." But then we discovered it was the song, "Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus." We got a good laugh over that!

Boy, is this how I look when I sing and play the piano? You'd never believe I was actually saying, "It is well with my soul," would you? I look like I'm angry! Actually my book kept trying to fall shut, so my sister-in-law Faye kindly offered to hold it open for me.

It was a good, good time. So sorry for all you other Christmas choir members who were not able to be there. We did start cooking up a plan for something in September. It will be really good.

The fun part about snow and ice!

We're having this pro and con discussion among our family members regarding life in the North and life in the South. (See Lori's post from yesterday and the comments if you're curious.) I must add here that on the pro side of living in the North is the fun you can have in the snow. After the snow topped by ice that we had yesterday, conditions were just perfect for Destiny to have a great time with her flying saucer this afternoon. (You gotta click on the picture above to see the delight on her face!)

When I was a kid we lived in a valley with a hill on each side of our farm. I guess they didn't use salt on the roads back in those days, because the roads were often completely covered by packed down snow and we just had a BLAST sledding down those hills, right on the road! There was almost no traffic, obviously! On the one side the road sloped gently for about half a mile. For the braver souls there was the hill on the other side that was much steeper and had two 90 degree turns. We would FLY down that hill, frequently unable to negotiate that second turn! When we were finished we'd go into the house and sit by the coal stove to warm ourselves with hot chocolate.

Good winter memories, indeed!

Hey, Lisa, as much as I hope to join you in the South someday, don't you think Sophie needs to experience sledding at least once in her life? We'll skip the ice skating on the farm pond, though!! Now THAT reminds me of a Saturday story to tell sometime!

Another blouse recycled

Late this morning I drove to Lancaster to pick up Destiny for the weekend before the roads would possibly get worse (which I don't think they ever did). Once we were back home I decided to make Destiny's doll a pair of pajamas. After I had made the dress on Monday she hated to put her doll to bed in that dress, so I had told her that the next thing I make will be pajamas. I didn't expect to have the time to do it quite this soon, however! So once again I went on a search for the fabric to make pajamas out of. I considered using my old flannel pj's, but they had coffee cups all over them, not suitable for a doll. So I looked in the guest room closet where I keep my out-of-season clothes and saw a yellow knit blouse I haven't worn for a couple of years. Bingo!

So here is the doll in her yellow pajamas.

When I was finished there were scraps lying around and Destiny asked if she could make something with them. I said she could. Next thing I knew she said she was making a pair of panties!! She cut them out and stitched them together with needle and thread, then I went over the seams with my sewing machine. I must admit Dick and I got a few chuckles over these panties!!

I think she's a seamstress in the making!

Snow day

Yes, we are having our first "snow day" of the year. It really didn't snow that much (yet anyway), but it was enough to close all the schools for several counties around. I just stuck my head out the sunroom door to take this picture and discovered that right now we're getting freezing rain. Yuck! Every time we've gotten any snow this year, we have always gotten freezing rain on top of it. As much as I hate winter and driving in snow, I would just love to have one big fluffy, piled high snow storm - the kind we had in the old days, of course!

Come, Kingdom of God

They are saying that we will be getting snow overnight and into tomorrow, so I am assuming we will not have school tomorrow. But, of course, since such decisions are never made until I am up and showered, etc. I won't be getting any extra sleep tonight. It would be so nice to know it in advance so I wouldn't have to set my alarm.

I was finally able to go to the prayer meeting at my pastor's wife's house this morning. What a PRECIOUS, POWERFUL time it was. I am so blessed to have these women in my life who are just crazy in love with God. Being with them just raises my faith. Another thing that has stirred my soul this week is a preaching CD that one of my co-workers gave me to listen to. Sometimes I become so disheartened by all that seems so overwhelmingly wrong - the children who aren't cared for, the adults who don't want to grow up and put their children's needs ahead of their own, the many people who have cancer, the hunger in too many places, the horrid conditions that women and girls live under in much of the world, the people who are tortured because they worship God, the fighting, the genocide... Sometimes I really do want to be an ostrich and bury my head in the sand.

But my soul has been stirred this week. Here are a few sentences from the CD I've been listening to that keep coming back to me over and over again. "Satan loves for us to just be nice Christians and not make him any trouble. We add Jesus to our lives, but we don't allow Him to have any impact. We keep living our lives the same way, just happy that we'll go to heaven when we die. But THAT'S NOT THE POINT! The point is WE LOVE HIM!! We're not here on this earth just to go to Heaven when we die. We're here to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to earth!"

I do love Him. And I don't want to just be satisfied that I know I'll go to Heaven when I die, burying my head in the sand where it concerns the rest of our sorry world. I really do want to see the Kingdom of God and the will of God here on earth as it is in Heaven, starting with my little corner of the world. I am stirred up.

(I wrote the above before I went to bed, and now in the morning I'm thinking that the few sentences I tried to quote from that sermon don't make sense without the rest of the sermon. And the way I wrote them just doesn't have the same impact as hearing Andrew Shearman say them with his British accent! But I guess I'll leave them there for whatever they're worth. I just wish I could share the whole sermon with everyone.)

My latest "find"

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time, you know I just delight in finding great bargains at consignment stores, etc. Well, I'm tickled pink over my latest "find." Last Friday, after I picked Destiny up for the weekend, I decided to stop at the Salvation Army thrift store on the way home. She likes to browse through the toys while I browse through the children's clothes. After finding some cute things for her I walked past the home furnishings, and there were my towels!!

First let me tell you about my towels. When Lisa moved home after graduating from college in 1997, we gave her the first floor bedroom which had formerly been our bed and breakfast room, complete with a bathroom. She decided to update the towels, and bought a whole lot of lovely Martha Stewart blue and white plaid, and blue, yellow, and green striped towels. A year later she got married and moved to Florida and took all those towels with her. A couple of years later she started decorating all things Mexican, and donated all those towels to me! They looked just lovely in that blue and yellow farmhouse bathroom.

Then we moved here where the bathroom wallpaper has blue and burgandy flowers. The Martha Stewart towels didn't look right, but I'm too much of a Mennonite to just get rid of good towels. But in this last year those Martha Stewart towels are starting to look their age, having some frayed edges. And I've been thinking about looking for new towels, maybe burgandy ones.

And right there in that Salvation Army thrift store they were! Three big, thirsty 100% Egyptian cotton bath towels (one the size of a beach towel, which Dick just loves), three hand towels, and three wash cloths. And they were burgandy! All for $17.00!! I brought them home, washed them in good, hot water, and they look like they're almost brand new. And I am just as pleased as punch!

Sophie found a boyfriend!!

I just discovered that Lisa posted some pictures on her blog, and I just had to steal this one. Is this adorable, or what??

Open House, Scott is feeling better, yea!

We're having Open House at our school today and tomorrow. Because we use every inch of space and have no place in our school to use as a hosting/snacking area for visitors, my classroom is being used for that purpose these two days. That means I am a traveling music teacher, which is fun for a change, going from room to room, deciding what stuff I need to carry with me. I would hate to have to do that all the time, though.

We had a lot of visitors today and this evening, which is so exciting. Our Pre-K and Kindergarten classes are really filling up for next year already, and we had a number of families visiting who will have several children entering various grades. Growth is so exciting, but wow, I'm going to soon be needing a bigger classroom!

It's time for an update on my brother-in-law Scott. He is home again, and this evening I asked him what he would like me to share on my blog. He said he is being closely monitored by visiting nurses, IV nurses, and will have follow-up appointments with the infectious disease doctor and the surgeon. He said he is feeling much better this time than he did the other week when he was home. He also said Betty and the kids have been just wonderful helping him and doing all the extra work there has been with his being "out of commission". He wants everyone to know that he really appreciates all the prayers, well wishes, and the outpouring of love. Let's keep it up! He still has a lot of recovering to do.

Look what I just did!

On this day that I intended to use working ahead on choreography for the spring musical and putting festival songs into the computer for Middle School Chorus, guess what I did instead? I made a doll dress! Those patterns from my sister-in-law were just calling my name, and I decided to see what I could do with what I had on hand. Before we moved here I got rid of ALL the fabric I had lying around from old projects, so the only fabric in my house is what is left from the two curtain projects I've done since we moved, one of which was Destiny's room.

Now believe me, this is a true lesson in recycling here. First of all, I had gotten a "bed-in-a-bag" for her room, which included sheets, pillow cases, bedskirt, and comforter. When I tried to find fabric to make her curtains I was not able to find anything I thought matched well enough, so I used the sheets from the bed-in-a-bag set to make curtains, and then got solid pink sheets for her bed. So first those sheets became curtains, and now the leftovers were used to make a doll dress!When I looked at the directions for making the dress it called for bias tape and ric rac, of which I had none. I looked around and found a pink blouse of mine that I hate because it doesn't fit well. So I cut strips out of that blouse to trim the neck, sleeves, and hem, and to make a belt. The only thing missing is the velcro needed to close the back, but for now safety pins (which are hidden by the doll's long hair anyway) are doing the job. And Destiny is delighted.

Actually, so am I! I haven't made anything besides simple curtains for YEARS!! I think the last detailed thing I made was a ruffly nightgown for Lisa when she was about 10 years old. Our whole household practically fell apart that week, because the only way I could get it done was by letting everything else go. Which is pretty much what I did today too, ha, ha!!

Our weekend

On Saturday something finally happened that Destiny has been looking forward to for weeks - she had her friend Leah from church here to play for a few hours. In preparation for Leah's arrival, Destiny cleaned her room, even her closet. And this time, instead of just putting things away, she first of all took everything out of her closet and reorganized it all. I declare, someday I'm going to hire her!

One thing Destiny and Leah enjoyed was looking at the American Girl website, trying to find a "Just Like Me" doll for Leah.

This evening was a really special one. Since I have off school tomorrow for Presidents Day, I really wanted to have someone over this evening. I so rarely have time to do that. We ended up having both sets of our parents and my sister Mary Ellen here to play Mexican Train. There were eight of us, with Destiny. What a fun, fun, fun evening!! My dad (the oldest) is such a domino pro and Destiny (the youngest) picked it up incredibly quickly. This was truly an intergenerational game. But what a mix-up with all the dads and grandpas and grandmas! Everybody was answering for everyone else!

Around the table - Dick, my dad, Dick's dad, Dick's stepmother, my sister Mary Ellen, my stepmother, and Destiny.

He Knows My Name

Here are the lyrics to a song I will be leading this morning. Even though it was written in 1996, it somehow passed me by unnoticed until someone introduced it to me two weeks ago. And now I can't get it out of my head. But that's okay. This is the kind of stuff I like to have in my head anyway.

He Knows My Name
by Tommy Walker

I have a Maker,

He formed my heart.
Before even time began,
My life was in his hands.

He knows my name,
He knows my every thought,
He sees each tear that falls
And hears me when I call.

I have a Father,
He calls me His own.
He'll never leave me,
No matter where I go.

He knows my name,
He knows my every thought,
He sees each tear that falls,
And hears me when I call.

1996 Doulos Publishing

Happy Birthday, Jeremy!

Twenty-eight years ago our little family was happy and excited and tired. Jeremy had just entered our world in the wee hours of the morning, and we just couldn't get enough of him. My cup was full and overflowing. Like I said before, I would often hold him with Lisa on one side and Anthony on the other, and I would think (as Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote in one of her books), "This is now. It could never be forgotten, because now is now. It can never be a long time ago." The song we sang together at his baby dedication was the Gaither song, "We Have This Moment Today." I remember those precious moments like they were just today. How can they possibly have been 28 years ago?

Here's one of my favorite pictures of Jeremy with his "baby" Molly.

Lisa and Jeremy checking each other out for the first time! Maybe Lisa was saying, "Some day you're going to be my little girl's favorite uncle."

Anthony woke up and discovered he was no longer the baby of the family. I don't think he was awake enough on this picture to care! These two boys, with temperaments as different as can be, have grown into adult men who genuinely love and care about each other - a true blessing to this mother's heart.

Elliptical

All together now: say e-l-l-i-p-t-i-c-a-l. That's right - elliptical. I know it sounds like a shape, and maybe that's what I'll have after a while - a shape!

I have always enjoyed fast walking as my favorite exercise, either outdoors or on a treadmill. However, because my right heel has been giving me so much pain, it's been almost impossible to accomplish. I've only gone to the gym once a week for three weeks in a row. Dick has been encouraging me to try the elliptical machine at the gym, so today I did. What a workout! I was only on it half as long as I have usually gone on the tread mill, I walked only half as far, I burned half the amount of calories, but I was exhausted from it. My heart rate was much higher than it normally was on the treadmill, I was sweating, and my legs felt like jelly afterward. But my heel did not hurt while on it, so I guess I will switch my allegiance to the elliptical.

Unfortunately, Valentine's Day falls on a Thursday this year, the evening that Dick works at Advance Auto Parts, so we aren't doing anything special this evening. But he did have some chocolates on the counter for me when I got home from the gym. I found a neat card for him that said:

Whenever I see an older couple
holding hands, I pause.
I imagine all they have experienced-
jobs, maybe children,
worries, vacations,
homes, disappointments,
tragedies, joys,
I see their entwined fingers.
I see them walking
in perfect cadence,
comfortable in being quiet.
I see in them the gentle joy
that a lifetime of loving can give.
And I look forward
to the privilege
of growing old
and holding hands
with you.

Happy Valentine's Day

Twenty-eight years ago Valentine's Day was also on a Thursday and I was great with child. At 7:30 PM it became obvious that Jeremy was going to make his grand entrance into the world. I thought I would be having a Valentine's baby, but he wanted his own special day and waited until 12:45 AM. Jeremy has been making grand entrances ever since! I'll post a picture of him tomorrow on his birthday.

A good day after all

We had a two-hour delay this morning due to the freezing rain we got overnight. Some surrounding schools were closed, and I was hoping we would too, but now that we put in the day, I'm glad we don't have to make it up later.

Besides it was a good day. I have mostly middle school classes on Wednesdays, also Middle School Chorus. Remember when I said I was going to teach them the Brooklyn Tab song The Light of that City for their individual song at the Jr. High Festival in May? Oh my word, I wish you all could hear them sing it! It just gives me goosebumps. Today as they were singing it I saw the third grade teacher peeking in. I motioned for him to come in so he could hear them better. After they were finished he said, "Was that just the kids singing? It sounded like a recording!" Then he said, "It made my knee tingle." He just had knee surgery a few weeks ago. I told the kids, "If you see him running later today, you'll know it was this song!"

Another song we just started learning this week for the festival is Jubilate Deo by David Brunner. Most of it is in Latin and of a more classical style, which makes some of the kids groan at first. But in two classes today, after we were finished singing I caught someone either humming or whistling the melody. I thought, "Aha! A song that at first seemed hard is already stuck in their heads!"

And in case you missed the addition I made to my previous post, my brother-in-law Scott has MRSA, the staph infection that's been all over the news this winter. He has a long recovery road ahead of him and many complications to overcome. As a teacher he is missing much more school than he ever anticipated, as a children's entertainer he is needing to cancel more events than expected, and Betty is missing a whole lot of work too. She is Director of Kindergarten and Preschool at the local YMCA, where right now enrollment for next year is in high gear. We really need the Lord to show Himself strong. Please pray for them as the Lord brings them to your mind.

In the mood for change

We are having snow here in PA - not the kind of snow you Michiganites have been having, but enough to close school early today. As usual the snow is going to be changing to sleet and freezing rain, and then to a lot of rain tomorrow, they tell us. We shall see.

I'm in the mood for changing furniture. I've done very little of that since we moved here 2 1/2 years ago. In fact, I'm in the mood for changing rooms around. I have quite a history of doing that. Both of the houses we owned previously were really big and I was constantly changing things around - dining room, family room, play room, living room - different every year, except for the kitchen and bathroom. We were always playing musical bedrooms too. Our first house had four, and Dick and I slept in three of them. Our next house had six bedrooms and Dick and I slept in four of them.

So I'm ready to have some fun. More later.

PS. I am adding this later - we found out this evening that the staph infection Scott has is MRSA, which has been all over the news this winter. Betty now has to be tested and cleared before going back to work, since she works with children. GOD!!! There's another mountain to be moved!!

Calling all prayer warriors

We have practically gotten blown off the map today. The wind is still howling like crazy outside. This is trash night in our community, but there's no way we're taking our trash out tonight.

I just had a call from my sister Mary Ellen. She said that our brother-in-law Scott is in the hospital again since Friday with a staph infection. He was battling a fever all last week, and a lot of pain at the incision in the back of his neck. They saw a doctor on Thursday who thought the pain was from irritation from his neck brace. However, the pain got much worse that night, so Betty called the doctor Friday morning and had to leave a message, since the doctor was in surgery. Betty went to work around 11, got a call about an hour later that they were to take him right to the hospital. So she left work, took the children out of school because she couldn't find anyone to pick them up after school, and they headed into Boston. They ended up opening the incision to clean it out, and he is now in isolation. They will be inserting a stent so he can administer his own antibiotics for the next six weeks. Needless to say, he is feeling discouraged. Betty said that Merida (age 10) cried on the way to the hospital on Friday. My heart is just aching for them SO BAD!!

Today she took the kids skiing somewhere nearby, something they have been looking forward to doing all winter, but did not have the chance to do because of all that's been going on. Scott said he wanted Betty to take them today instead of coming to see him. Bless his dear, unselfish heart! She said the kids probably went down the slope about 30 times and had a blast!

Scott Kepnes

Happy Birthday, Dad!

Today my beloved dad turned 85 years old. Those of us siblings who live in PA spent lunch and the afternoon with him. While we were there my sister Barb from Idaho and my sister Rose from Georgia called. We didn't hear from Betty in New Hampshire, but we all know she has so much on her plate right now, and we only wished we could be there for her.

We asked dad if any birthdays stand out in his mind, and guess which one did? His sixteenth!! He remembers turning 14 and thinking how he had to wait two more years to drive. Very shortly after his sixteenth birthday he received his permit, took his driving test the next day, and passed it!

Dad's legacy to our family is his absolute integrity and honesty, his tremendous passion for God and His Word, and his soft, compassionate heart for people.

We are a very blessed family. Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Dad.

The men visited with my dad in the lovely sunroom.

The ladies did the final preparations to the meal we had made.

The table was ready and inviting us to sit around it.

My brother (plaid shirt) prayed a blessing on our meal and on my dad.

Facing the camera: Dick, my brother-in-law Elvin (formerly married to my late sister Janet), my sister Doris, and her husband Dale. (Elvin's wife Pauline had a meeting at church and could not join us this time.)

Other side of the table: my brother's wife Nancy, my brother Dick, my sister Mary Ellen, my stepmother Mary, and my dad.