Lots going on

I have so much I could write tonight, but I'll keep it brief.  Dick and I are probably spending our last night in Anthony and Lori's basement apartment.  Tomorrow evening we'll travel to our Lititz house.  On Friday we'll have closing with our friends who are buying it, then we'll finish our last packing.  On Saturday some friends and family will help us to load the moving truck, and then we'll give the house the traditional "Mennonite cleaning", hahaha!  We'll spend the rest of the weekend at Dick's parents.  

On Monday morning we'll have closing on our new house near State College, and Monday evening some friends from Anthony and Lori's church will help us to unload the moving truck.  

This has been a journey and I won't be able to breathe easily till it's all settled.  There have been some bumps in the process, which always seems to be the case.  The worst of all was this past Sunday evening when we arrived at our Lititz house after my family's weekend gathering. and discovered that the shut-off valve on the guest bathroom toilet had broken off and water was spraying everywhere.  It must have happened just an hour or so before we got there, but the carpet outside the bathroom door was soaked.  My plans for spending a fun evening with my sisters were instantly ruined.  Dick's dad brought a wet-dry vac, our insurance company sent out some guys from Servicemaster who took out the wet padding underneath, used an extractor, anti-mold spray, and set up a LOT of dehumidifiers and air-moving machines.  And the next morning we had to leave for State College for our jobs.  I cannot tell you how horrible it felt to have such a thing happen at a time like this.  We have never had a reason to file a claim with our homeowners insurance, and now the very week we're selling the house we have one.  And then having to leave, just hoping the insurance company will handle it without us being there - like I said, it feels horrible.  I'm just glad our friends do not plan to move in the day we move out.  Please pray that any repair work needed will be able to be done soon.  

I'm excited about our new house, but I'm not going to talk more about it until it really and truly is ours. 

Austin has been so much fun this week.  Sometimes I like to just stand back and watch him entertain himself, as he is doing on this video.

A weekend of family love and fun

I have so many urgent things to be doing, but if I don't post the pictures from this past weekend now, I'm afraid they never will get any further than my Picasa files.  Needless to say, this past weekend was beyond wonderful.  ALL my sisters were there, except of course, Janet who lives in heaven.  Six of us remain - Mary Ellen, who now lives in Lancaster County after living her entire adult life in Virginia and Alabama, myself, Doris, who still lives in Lancaster County, Barb, who lives in Idaho, Betty from New Hampshire, and Rose from the Atlanta area.  I love them more than ever since this weekend.  Our one and only brother Dick was there too this weekend. And our sweet stepmother and many from the next two generations.  Unfortunately, Anthony could not come because his new band had two gigs on Saturday.  And of course, our other kids live too far away.

I'm taking the easy way out and posting a web album you can view as a slide show.

Here also are two videos I took.  The first is of my Rose's son Matthew playing guitar as Betty's husband Scott played along on his harmonica.  They're GOOD!

And here's a short video of our entire group singing "It Is Well with My Soul" on Sunday morning.  Destiny took the video, so it's a bit shaky, but the part I love best is that you can hear her singing along as she held the camera!  

More pics from this week

I just discovered that I had some pictures in my cell phone that are worth sharing.

Destiny ready for the first day of day camp.



Funky hat day (she decorated it herself!)



At the library.






And here's a cool one I just took as we crossed the Susquehanna River enroute to York County.

On the go

I need to post some pictures from this week, because after this weekend I will have a lot more.  First of all, I want to tell you about my camera.

I've had the same digital camera for almost six years, and lately it's been giving me so much trouble that I seldom bothered to use it.  It was just easier to use my cell phone.  I knew that sometime I need to get another one, but spending money on a camera was not high on the list of priorities just now.  

Imagine my delightful surprise when George and Lisa gave me a camera when I arrived in Florida!  George's boss gave one to each of the employees who went to Costa Rica!  However, since George and Lisa already have an amazing camera, they didn't need the one from the boss, so they gave it to me!  And I LOVE it!!!  It is smaller than my previous one, so much easier to fit into my purse.  And it has 14 mega pixels, and takes great videos too.  I am just delighted with it!  So have you noticed that my pictures were better than before?

This week has just flown by.  Destiny is here this week going to day camp at the local high school, a program sponsored by the YMCA.  She's really loving it.   Several afternoons we went to the library  after Lori was off work and had picked up Destiny.  Yesterday we went to a park.  This evening the new band that Anthony has joined played at a wingsfest at the local ski resort.

Below are pictures of the above.  If the video I took of Anthony being featured in a solo ever finishes uploading, I'll post that at the bottom. 

Tomorrow evening we'll be driving to York County for my family's annual weekend together.  My sisters from Idaho, New Hampshire, and Georgia will be there.  We'll have a precious time together.  However, it will be the first time we're together without Dad, so there will be many thoughts of him and tears as well. 

Pictures from my last day in Florida

It was 1:00 AM when we got home from the airport last night, so of course, there was no posting a blog! I'm dreadfully sleepy this evening, but I want to quickly post my last pictures from my trip. Monday was a last vacation day for George and Lisa, so they hung out in the pool and began arranging the patio furniture, the fire pit, etc. I told them I wanted a family picture in the pool, so they posed for me. Looks like a good Christmas card picture for them, right?

I already miss Sophie. How could I not miss this precious face?

Lisa took me to the airport in the afternoon. My flight left around 4:30. I had a two-and-a-half hour layover in Atlanta. I knew that Jeremy would also be flying into the Atlanta airport enroute to Seattle, but we had figured out that I would be flying out just as he would be flying in. However, my flight was a bit delayed and we were not boarding when we should have been. My cell phone rang and it was Jeremy. "So are you on the plane?" he asked. I said, "No, we didn't even start boarding yet." He said his flight had just landed and pulled up to the gate. To our amazement, in the HUGE airport where you have to go by train from one concourse to another, I was waiting to board at B8, he had just come in at B2!! Just as the beginning of our boarding was announced, I saw him walking my way!

We asked a lady standing in front of me in line to take a picture of us with Jeremy's cell phone. And then I had to board. Very short, but so sweet!

Dick and Destiny were waiting for me in Harrisburg. As I was walking toward baggage claim I was almost knocked over as Destiny came flying toward me yelling, "Grandmaaaaaaaaa", hugging me like she'd never let me go.

And then today I got to smother Austin with kisses. I love being a grandma!

Total relaxation

This was the most relaxing day I've had in weeks, and it was probably the most relaxing day I will have for the next several weeks.  Lisa and George are back, so I was not in charge of anything!  Because they only got home after 1:00 AM, we did not go to church this morning.  We just hung out in the pool and ate leftovers from yesterday.  

The day was perfectly gorgeous, and the scenery from Lisa and George's back yard was spectacular.

Late this afternoon I drove to Jeremy's house.  He and Mike took me to the nearby Ashley Furniture store.  I can't believe I forgot to take any pictures of all the beautiful displays. But I did get a picture of the peacocks outside. I was hoping they'd put up their tails for me, but no luck.

We then went to the cutest restaurant.  It reminded me so much of Mount Gretna in Lancaster County.  Jeremy said it reminded him of Key West.

So tonight is my last night here.  Tomorrow evening I fly back to PA and hit some very busy weeks.  More about that another day.

Dog Day

This day was the most fun of all.  Jeremy and a bunch of his friends were here for a cookout and having fun in the pool.  Jeremy's two dogs, Lady and Molly, were here too and we just had the most fun playing with the dogs in the pool.  Sophie had a blast all day.  She's such a fish.  I'm going to just post all the fun pictures from the day without commentary.

Like I said, Sophie had a blast all day  long.  But after everyone left and it was time for us to start her bedtime routine, knowing that Mommy and Daddy would be arriving home in a few hours, her attitude and behavior went downhill.  It was the first time I had any trouble with her this entire time.  But I totally understood that she was very tired, very homesick for Mommy and Daddy, and very excited that they would soon be home.  We talked to Lisa and George on the phone to say goodnight as they were on a layover in Houston.  I sang a few more songs than usual to her and before long she was getting sleepy.  

Unfortunately, stormy weather has delayed Lisa and George's flight from Houston.  They will hopefully arrive around midnight.  Jeremy and Mike will be picking them up, so it will be a very late night for them.  At least tomorrow is not a work day.

Full and fun day

This morning Sophie introduced me to her multi-tasking turtle.  It can serve as a stuffed pet or a lap desk or a pajama bag.  It was her buddy at all times today and went to bed with her.

This morning there was a recital at her dance camp.  They were so cute.  I wanted to laugh out loud at the little girl on the left.  She followed a different drummer, hahahaha!  Just adorable.

Jeremy took a vacation day today and came to the recital, then here for the afternoon.  Of course, we had a lot of fun in the pool.  Even Nilla Bean was introduced to the pool!  

We were chased indoors by a sudden rain shower.  Jeremy sacked out on the sofa.  

I followed through on a promise to Sophie.  The past two days she was busy playing hair shop with her dolls.  Yesterday I told her that today, when I would have nowhere to go in the evening, I would let her do my hair.

What do you think??

Later she contented herself with some art projects.

She has been extremely aware all day that George and Lisa will return tomorrow night.  She talked about it many times.  This evening for the first time she had trouble going to sleep.  She said she was hungry, but I think she excited.  But because it's a special time, I indulged her and let her come out to the kitchen for a peanut butter and honey sandwich.  I got  out my camera and asked her,  "Who's coming back tomorrow night?" This was her expression as she said enthusiastically,  "MOMMY AND DADDY!"

After brushing her teeth again and getting back into bed, she was asleep within minutes.  Tomorrow is day "zero".  I am so glad Jeremy and his roommate will be spending the day with us so the day will go faster for her.