Delightul weekend in Lancaster County

We had another delightful weekend in Lancaster County.  Friday evening we drove to Dick's parents and slept there.  On Saturday morning I went to our church and copied my entire worship notebook for the new Minister of Music.  I knew it would take hours (the church's copier doesn't handle big jobs like the one we had at school), so I was delighted when my friend Diane showed up at church.  She was surprised to see me there and ended up staying at least an hour or more.  I probably worked a bit slower while she was there, but it surely made the job more pleasant as we chatted away!  

From there I went to my sister Mary Ellen's house for lunch with her and my sister Doris.  Mary Ellen gets the three of us together at her house each year around Christmas.  We always have a good time as we share laughter and tears.  I tried to get a picture of the three of us using the timer on my camera, which I had never before used.  It sent us into gales of laughter.  Here's the first shot - Doris and Mary Ellen looking intently at the camera as I rush to sit down, but not quickly enough!

There!  I made it!

Then Mary Ellen wanted to try using the timer on her camera, and I just couldn't help myself from taking a picture of her setting it!

And another shot taken by Mary Ellen's renter - after we had each decided which was our best side and instructed  her not to get our bottom halves, hahahahaha!

From there Dick and I went to Reading to pick up Destiny.  We got to meet her puppy Alex for the first time.  So adorable.

Her older sister was there for a visit, so I got a picture of Destiny with her sister and brother before we left. 

We headed to Lititz, seeing many beautiful snowy sights along the way.  I won't bore you with all the pictures I took as we drove.

We went to the Lititz Rec Center pool, one of Destiny's favorite places.  Wow, that rec center brought back so many good memories to all of us.

We ate at Subway afterward, then went back to Dick's parents' place for the night.

Sunday morning was a jam packed morning, and one I will remember with great fondness.  I led worship, some of my many favorites - You Are God Alone, All Our Praise (one of Jeremy's songs), With the Hosts of All Heaven, Worthy Is the Lamb, I See the Lord.  When we were finished with praise and worship we then had a special time of anointing and prayer for the new Minister of Music, Herb Suereth and his wife Michelle and somewhat of a "passing the baton" ceremony.  He and I had emailed, but never met until yesterday morning.

There also were prayer shawls there that a special lady from our church had knitted.  There was special prayer over them, and then she presented one to Dick and I and one to Destiny as well.  The note on the shawl says, "Just a simple prayer shawl made with prayers for you.  To cover you with blessings for times you're going through.  I pray that wrapped around you, You'll feel our Savior's arms holding you and loving you and keeping you from harm.  And lo, I am with you always.  Matthew 28:20."  

After church it was hard to leave because there were so many people to talk to, and especially so much to talk over with Herb.  It was almost 1:30 when we got to Dick's parents' for lunch.

We took afternoon naps, then Destiny roped us into a game of Waterworks that she had found.  I hadn't played it for YEARS.  I can't even remember if it's a game we played when I was a kid or when my kids were kids!  But we really had fun!

Dick's dad opted for a nap in his chair, even though we were playing a game that used language he would have understood better than any of us!

And these are the waterworks we ended up with after one round.  

This was the beautiful view from the sink window.  Do you see the big icicles handing down?

Destiny enjoyed one of her favorite snacks - apple slices.  Can you tell she was feeling a whole lot better than she was two weeks ago?

We left at 6 PM, took Destiny home to Reading, and then made our long trek back home.  

Poor Austin had an ear ache today.  It broke my heart when he would put his hand up to his ear and cry.  Lori will try to get him a doctor appointment first thing tomorrow morning.  

AND we're waiting to see what's up with this big storm that's heading east.  Freezing rain is by far the worst thing. Spring can't come soon enough!

Simple pleasures

Tonight we're sleeping in Lancaster County at Dick's parents' house. This is a big weekend, and I have much to ponder in my heart.

This week I ate out for breakfast twice. On Wednesday morning Lori and I went to a fund raiser breakfast for A Woman's Concern, the local Christian pregnancy center. I was very moved by the wonderful way they help girls to consider other options than abortion. A beautiful girl, a student of Lori's, gave her testimony, and had her adorable little son with her.

Thursday morning I had a most wonderful time at The Waffle Shop with Sherilyn Jameson, the leader of the Bible study Lori and I go to. Our hearts are so united on so many things, and we shared laughter and tears as we talked.

Today I discovered that Austin recognizes the number 8 when we were playing with his clock. And yesterday when he was refusing to obey me I started counting, "One, two, three." And he said, "Four." I'm telling you, every day with him there is something new.

Yesterday he was having so much fun rearranging the few things in my dishwasher. He was trying to put the silverware up in the top. Some of them stayed, but when too many of them fell through he got mad and threw a few pieces across the kitchen. Yes, he has a temper!




Today I allowed him to play with glass. Can you believe it? But I was watching carefully. I have an arrangement of little candles surrounded by stones on the coffee table. He had the best time putting the stones inside the candle holders, then carrying them one by one from the coffee table to the entertainment center, then back again for a few more stones, then back to the entertainment center, and on and on, back and forth. Such a simple pleasure.

Austin discovering Legos

Once again, we apparently live too far north to get the big snow storm that came through the east today. It sounds like you Lancaster Countians are really getting hit! I think we got a few inches.

Recently Austin has been discovering Legos. I have a big tub of Legos, a grand mixture of the basic colorful ones, plus the very intricate ones that Anthony used to make machines with. Well, guess what Austin loves the most? All the wheels! He likes to make them roll across the floor. When I built this little house (cool window, right?), he was fascinated with opening and closing the door at first, but when he realized he could roll the tire through the door, he was content to do that again and again and again and again and again..... I think you get the idea! I just love seeing the things that interest him.

Happy Birthday, Lisa!

On this day in 1974 Dick and I entered the "parent" phase of our life with the birth of a beautiful baby girl we named Lisa Joy.  I vividly remember almost every detail of my labor, Lisa's birth, my first day with her.  I won't bore you with all my memories, but trust me, we were INTO it all and absolutely ecstatic.  On that day I am quite sure I felt like I had reached all that I had hoped for and dreamed of.  I don't have the very first hospital picture of her, because I gave it to Lisa, but here are a few pictures I do have.

I think this one was at two months.  I was sure she was the most beautiful baby God had ever created.

By six months she already had my big mouth!  Look at those adorable shoes!

And here we are on her second birthday!

Here's that typical first grade toothless grin!

 And today she's even more beautiful inside and out than ever before.   

Happy Birthday, Lisa!  May this year bring you even more "joy" than the previous one has. 

Happy Birthday, Sophie Grace!

Six years ago today I went to school with one main thing on my mind - Sophie Grace would be entering the world any time!  George and Jeremy kept me up to date occasionally throughout the morning, and then came the email complete with that first picture.  MELT MY HEART!!!!   And that's what she's been doing ever since!

I love you, Sophie!  And I so look forward to playing with you and hearing you laugh!

Baby shower, dealing with change

After church this morning the choir members were invited to Judy, our choir director's lovely home.  The real purpose was for a baby shower for Emily and George.

They are expecting their first baby, a girl, whom they will name Evelyn after one of their grandmothers.

 

However, they thought they were coming to Judy's house for a birthday party for Helen, who will be turning 95 tomorrow!!  Can you believe it?  She's pictured here with her daughter Peg.  If I live to be 95, I hope I look this good!

 First we had a delicious brunch.  Our church service is from 8:15 to 9:30, so it really was brunch!

 Judy's house is such a perfect place for hosting people.  There was a dining room and a sun room with tables that I did not even get a picture of. 

The rest of these are shots of people that I took while George and Emily were opening their gifts.

I really am enjoying learning to know all these new friends.  At the same time I constantly struggle with a keen sense of loss.  I think I am more aware of it because we haven't been to Lancaster County for three weekends in a row.  Our home church in Manheim has at last had answered prayer in their search for a Minister of Music to take my position.  Herb Suereth, a very capable and experienced musician and worship leader, will begin his role at the church February 1st.  This has been the goal all along since we moved.  But I would be lying if I said I'm not struggling with it.  Our roots there are very, very deep.  And I LOVE leading people into the presence of the Lord through praise and worship.  I'll be leading worship there this coming Sunday, and I'm trying hard not to think too much about the fact that it will be my last time.  We were invited to come there as worship leaders in the fall of 1986 and started the first Sunday of January 1987.  Twenty-four years.  

I believe God has other opportunities in store for my ministry.  I am waiting on Him. 

More Goodwill finds

I was at Anthony and Lori's church this afternoon for the kick-off for their Biggest Loser challenge. I'm ready to get serious again after putting some pounds back on over the holidays. This week I started working out to a new DVD I recently bought. I'm starting with the easy 20-minute version, and even that has given me sore muscles. I'm really out of shape, I guess. I miss those brisk, long walks I used to do every day when the weather was nice and Austin was willing to sit in a stroller.

When I left the church I decided that while I was on that side of town I would go check out the Goodwill thrift store. Here's the collection of decorator items I found for my kitchen. Now I have to get some more candles.

Brrrrr!! 12 degrees and blowing!

Brrrr!!  It's really winter here in State College.  We had several more inches of fluffy snow added to our previous layer, and today it BLEW!!  On my way home from Anthony and Lori's this evening I looked at the outside temp in my car and it was 12 degrees and blowing.  Now that, folks, is cold!  

I must say, I am amazed at how well they keep after the roads.  They keep plowing and salting and cindering, so that little old ladies like me can keep driving!  Last evening while I was grocery shopping it started snowing really fast.  I had to drive home before the road crews had gotten started.  I'm so terrified of using my brakes and sliding, so I mosey along in second gear.  I was aware that I was leading quite a parade of vehicles.  But I didn't care.  When I finally turned off, the car behind me laid on his horn as he blew merrily past me.  And I did not care.  

We had good news last evening via an email from Dick's oncologist.  The PET scan showed no changes since six months ago.  PRAISE THE LORD!!  There are slightly enlarged lymph nodes at places that are too dangerous to biopsy, so we're delighted to hear that they have not gotten larger.  

Dick does, however, have sciatic pain that he's been taking medication for.  Many times at the end of a day of work the pain is pretty bad in spite of medication.  Also, business at Pep Boys has been very slow the past month.  That has happened before, but it seems to be hitting a new low.  He gets paid for only the work he turns out.  Frequently he diagnoses a problem, recommends the work that needs to be done, but the customer cannot afford to have it done, so that's the end of that.   It's discouraging and frustrating many times.  Your prayers would be appreciated.

Once again I was delighted to pull up the mini-blind here beside my computer desk this morning and get an eyeful of God's beautiful artwork. 

Dad still speaks to me

Yesterday morning I took the time to watch the DVD Anthony made of my dad's funeral service. I've had it in my possession for a long time, but just could not bring myself to watch it.

I'm so glad I finally did! What a service! Every last minute of it. I feel a new resolve, a new challenge to bring blessing to my descendants the way he did. His deep, passionate longing for the Lord and his enthusiastic desire to share God's love with others drove him. He did not become the man and the blessing he was by indulging himself.

I think I should watch this DVD on a regular basis.

That barking dog!!

This morning I was rudely awakened by a barking dog. Now there are no dogs allowed in our community, but in my sleepy state of mind I did not think about that. It definitely sounded like that dog was in my bathroom! I forgot that Dick is back home now, and my first sleepy thought was, "Oh no! Something is happening to the water pipes in the bathroom!!" (Is that hilarious or what? Every scary sound is a water pipe problem in my mind, haha!!)

Then Dick stirred, and I remembered that he's home. I said, "What is going on??" He rolled over and the sound stopped. "That was my alarm," he answered.

His alarm??? I thought the crickets he's been using as an alarm the past weeks were bad enough!

So now go back a week ago with me. Remember when I set my alarm for PM instead of AM, and I slept right through that wake-up call I was going to give him at the hotel to make sure he would catch his early flight? Well, I'm glad I didn't bother.

Turns out he woke up several times during that short night in the hotel. A short while before he planned to get up he went to the bathroom. While in the bathroom he heard a dog barking. He thought, "I guess the people in the next room have a dog." After a while he realized it was his cell phone alarm, which he had set to make sure he didn't oversleep!!!

I bet the people in the next room really appreciated that dog in his room, barking at 3:45 AM!!

Tonight before we go to sleep I will make sure he changes his alarm to something a bit less alarming !!

My hubby's back home!

Well, my hubby made it back home from Florida without incident today, praise God!  He has a regularly scheduled PET scan first thing tomorrow morning, then he goes back to work.  

I'm really sleepy, so I'm just going to post a few pictures, first of all from Florida.  Grandma Mary is spending six weeks in Sarasota, FL with friends, so yesterday George, Lisa, and Sophie, and of course Dick, spent the day with her.  

I love this one! I can almost hear her laughing.

Meanwhile in State College we were celebrating Austin's 2nd birthday.  I know Anthony took a lot of great pictures, so I'll post more when I get them from him.  But tonight I'll post two that I took.  I gave him a Tonka dump truck, which I remember having been a favorite toy for our kids.   I think it eventually died a slow death from rust in our sand box!  

So at first Austin did the normal thing of loading it with blocks and pushing it.

But then, true Austin-style, he tried sitting in it, hahahahaha!

This little guy is starting to spell his name!  We say "A-u" and he says "s", we say "t" and he says "i", and we finish is with the "n".  It sounds so cute!

Happy Birthday, Austin

Two years ago today Austin Mitchell Stauffer entered the world as many viewers eagerly awaited updates on his blog. (Yes, he had a blog before he was born!!) This was the little face we fell in love with at first sight later that day.

One year old!

Almost two (taken last week). Where, oh where, has that baby gone?

He hated his birthday cake last year. I guess we'll see later today if he likes cake any better this year!