MCDS Benefit Auction 2013

This was our annual Manheim Christian Day School Benefit Auction weekend.  As we were driving to Lancaster County on Friday afternoon, I was reading old blog posts to Dick of our previous years at the MCDS auction.  It was actually funny reading them back to back, because I talked about the exact same things every year!  The great food, seeing people we hadn't seen in a while, being with family.  The one thing I noticed this year - there are less and less young children who know me.  My youngest students, the ones who were in Pre-K the last year I taught, are now in 3rd grade, my kindergarteners are in 4th.  For them, those early grades were a long time ago!  It feels a bit sad.  Actually, there were more parent volunteers at the auction this year that were complete strangers to me.  I would look at the people attending the bake stand or making the omelets or serving the chicken meal and think,  "I don't know one person standing there!"  But there were still LOTS of people I did know, and it was wonderful, especially re-connecting with former co-workers.  They were the best ever. 

On Friday afternoon we went to Dick's parents first and spent a few hours with them.  Dad's tractor (one from Dick's childhood days!) was causing him trouble, and Dick fixed it.  Dad was so happy with the way it started right up.  It was a beautiful Spring day, and Dad's woods were so beautiful.  He just loves cleaning up his woods.  They have never looked so good!  Two years ago at this time we weren't sure he would ever walk in his woods again, less yet WORK in them.  Thank you, LORD!

Frank and Destiny joined us for the barbecued chicken meal.  We had fun together.  

Of course, she had to be silly for a few shots first!  There was a birthday party at her mom's house that evening that she wanted to go to, so he took her there afterward. 

We slept at Grandma Mary's overnight.  I love spending time with our parents and wish we could do it more often.  On Saturday morning we went back to the school for the country breakfast.  Ray joined us for that.   Thyda had duty on Saturday and wasn't able to come along, which was sad indeed.  I didn't even get a picture of Ray, but here's one from his phone, and he looked pretty much like this Saturday morning!  Always a ham.  And complaining about our cold weather!

The line-up of omelet makers that I did not know!

I loved this quilt.  It would look good in my  house!

Sam, Jenn, and Sammy came later.  By then the sun was bright and it was getting nice and warm.  Sammy LOVED the playground equipment and the balloons.  I took a few pictures, but Ray took a lot and I got most of these from him.

Of course, the big highlight was the helicopter flying overhead to drop candy.  

Anthony, Lori, and Austin were there too.  That's Austin in the bouncy house with his back to the camera (white shirt).  He was about to climb the "stairs" to the top of the sliding board, which was awesomely steep.  Believe me, bouncy houses have come a long way!  This one was the coolest I've ever seen. 

Austin also enjoyed these entertainers who made the most amazing music with non-musical instruments.  I wish I could have gotten up there to see how they were actually producing all those sounds.  

As Anthony, Lori, and Austin were leaving I realized I had not gotten any picture of them.  So I did the best I could!  There they go!

 Dick and I and Ray went to Sam and Jenn's place after we left the school.  It was a perfectly beautiful afternoon.  While Jenn and Sammy napped, Dick sat on the recliner and snored, I sat on the deck and dozed, and Ray and Sam threw football as usual.   Sorry about my thumb in the picture.  And Sam was moving so fast, the camera got his tee shirt on his face, haha!

 Later we went to a local Italian restaurant.  This was Sammy being good for the first five minutes.

This is Sammy being introduced to Angry Birds on my phone after he was getting tired of waiting for the food.  I think we did this for ten minutes and he laughed harder and harder, eventually screeching with delight.  It was so funny! 


The pizza was wonderful and we had fun, except Sam, Jenn, and Dick each had to take turns walking Sammy outside because he had no interest in or patience for sitting at a table.  I realized why they said they usually order in!

We left their place around 7:30 pm and got home shortly after 10.  

Here's a lovely banner that a young girl gave to us at Houserville House of Hope this morning.  She just recently started coming to our church with some of her friends (after having heard about us at the bbq in the park earlier this month).  She made this banner. 

It looks lovely between the stained glass windows.

Excited for MCDS Benefit Sale

Dick and I are like excited kids this morning.  This is the weekend of the annual benefit sale at Manheim Christian Day School where I taught for many years.  Dick is getting off work at noon today and we're heading on down.  We're hungry for that delicious barbecued chicken meal!  Seeing many friends, former students, and family members is another thing we're excited about.  It's like a big annual reunion. 
 http://e2.ma/share/inbound/f/opxih/4d7aab

I was really in the mood for SUN this week.  The temperatures didn't get as warm as I had hoped, but I didn't care.  On Monday after I got home from work I took all our white porch furniture to the back of the house where the sun was shining bright and the wind was blocked, and I scrubbed away.  On Tuesday I got a step ladder out of the shed and I washed the outside of our windows (the upper ones do not tilt in as I was used to at our previous houses).  And on Wednesday I washed the inside of the windows.  Clean windows and white furniture make me happy even if the temp still has trouble making it into the 60's most days.

Spring is taking such a long time to arrive this year, but gradually we're seeing light green on the trees, green grass, and of course flowers.  And cows in the meadows.

I actually saw the number 70 on Accuweather's forecast for Lancaster tomorrow.  And bright sun.  Sounds amazing!  Gotta pack!

A week of tragedy, flowers, and parks

Once again the third week of April was marked with news of tragedy.   We're especially aware of all the tragic events that have taken place during this week (Waco, Oklahoma City, Columbine, Virginia Tech), because it is also Dick's birthday week.  When I was exclaiming on Friday morning that I couldn't believe all this (Boston bombing and Texas explosion) was happening in this week, Dick joked, "And I started it all in 1950!"  Of course, we are well aware that none of it is a joking matter.  The stories of people's experiences are so very heart breaking.

Thankfully, there were many things that brought me joy during this past week.  My flowers!  Last Monday I showed my daffodils.  This week the tulips took center stage.  I was so excited to see my very first one early in the week.

Later in the week Austin helped me to count them. I showed him buds in various stages of opening, which fascinated him.

This is our first year to have nice-looking tulips.  Just two years ago we transplanted them from Lori and Anthony's garden that had surrounded their pool that was being torn out.  The poor flowers protested their move and soon looked wilted and unhappy.  Last year the rabbits ate them off before they got a chance to bloom.  This year we were ready for those little guys!

Last Monday evening Dick and I had fun watching Anthony play volleyball again.  These two teams were really competitive, and it was a lot of fun to watch.

Lori left on Wednesday for a conference in Seattle, so I helped Anthony out with Austin for the rest of the week.  We went to four different parks, and the airport park wasn't even one of them!  

On Wednesday evening we had Bible study at Houserville before praise team practice (we're studying Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby).  Since I've already done that study twice, I've agreed to be the babysitter during the studies.  So it worked out well that Anthony needed me to watch Austin during his volleyball game.  I had just Austin and 9-year-old Sabrina, so I took them to the Spring Creek Park near the church.  It was a nice, warm evening.

   
On Friday his preschool was closed for in-service, so Anthony brought him here for his nap after lunch.  When he woke up we went to the little community playground behind our house.  I used to hate taking him down there because everything was so rusty.  We were pleasantly surprised to see that it was given a makeover this past fall.  We found out that a local girl scout had done it as her project for Girl Scouts.  Isn't that wonderful?  

We also had fun playing volleyball with a balloon.  Here Austin was having fun batting the balloon up into the ceiling fan! 

Anthony and Austin joined us for Dick's birthday dinner of pot roast, carrots, and potatoes.  Of course, Austin's favorite part was the chocolate birthday cake and ice cream.  I didn't get a picture of it with the candles on it, because Austin and I were holding it. 

On Saturday afternoon Austin came here for his nap again.  Afterward we went to the Buffalo Run Community Park, which is at the entrance to our community.  It was cold and blustery, but we bundled up and had fun anyway.

That evening Anthony and Austin had dinner with us again.  Anthony started setting up an iMac computer for me.  The transfer is not yet complete, so I'm still on my almost eight-year-old Dell.   They left just in time to pick Lori up at the nearby University Park airport. 

Yesterday (Sunday) we spent the evening at Circleville Park on the other side of State College.  Anthony and Lori had recently discovered it and liked that there was a pavilion with a fire place.  So Dick got some wood out of his shed and we brought the makings for roasting hot dogs and marshmallows and making S'mores.  Once again, it was quite chilly, but at least sunny.  And really, it was perfect weather for making a fire.  We had a wonderful time and will definitely be doing it again.

And one more beautiful picture.  I admired this bouquet during the service yesterday morning at Houserville, assuming it was a dried arrangement.  Afterward Pastor Renee asked if I'd like to take it home.  It was from a funeral that she did on Saturday.  And it's REAL and the roses smell amazing!  Isn't it absolutely beautiful? 

So happy for Spring!!

Time for my weekly update!  That seems to be what this blog is becoming.  

Last Monday evening Dick and I had fun taking Austin to watch Anthony's volleyball game.  It's been a long time since I watched Anthony play anything besides a guitar!  When he was little he was a really good pitcher for our local baseball team.  I loved watching him.  All through high school he played nothing but basketball.  He was definitely going to be the next Michael Jordan!   In college, and ever since, he's been playing volley ball.  (He's the one in the gray shorts.)

After the game, Anthony took us to see his new studio, complete with kitchen and a bath-and-a-half.  Next Christmas, if the whole family comes to State College for Christmas, we can put a few here instead of having 11 people and a dog sleeping at our house!  

There are two little lofts that overlook the area where Dick is sitting.  Austin calls them tree houses!

I was excited to receive the not-yet-released book "Grounded" in the mail one day this week.  It is the first in a new series by Neta and Dave Jackson, my favorite authors.  I was one of the first 40 to agree to write a review of the book for Amazon or B&N, so I got it for free!  I LOVED it!!  At first I couldn't really relate to the main character, but when a couple from the previous book series moved in across the street, I was HOOKED!  I just love how Neta keeps weaving people from the Yada Yada Prayer Group series into the lives of the people in the House of Hope and Souled Out Sisters books.  And now the new Windy City Neighbors series. 

Glorious Spring weather arrived last week, along with my very first brave tulip.

And a day later, the front of the house was lined with dots of yellow.  I felt like kissing the cheerful little things when I'd get home and see them!

On Thursday, our Swedish grandson Bjorn turned 17.  He's VERY into American football, and I thought it was funny when I found this Olan Mills picture of him at five months holding a football!  Must have been prophetic!

I also found this picture.  Miki and the kids spent a month with us when he was this age.  Our whole family fell so in love with him. Babies just grow up TOOOO fast!!

Yesterday at church we sang Paul Baloche's song "Praise Is Rising (Hosanna)" for the first time.  At Lisa and George's church a few weeks ago they sang it, and I instantly knew it was one for Houserville House of Hope.  Doing it with our praise team was every bit as glorious as I expected.  

After church we took Austin to Hoss's for lunch, then came home for naps.  But first he and Grandpa had to put together a new train track that he had just  been given by his Uncle Gary, Lori's brother.

After naps Lori and Anthony came, and we went to the nearby Airport Park for the first time of the season.  It was so GOOD to be back, even though yesterday was not as warm as earlier this week.  If you look closely you can see Austin and Lori up in that tower.

This was taken  by Lori a few weeks ago, but I don't think I put it on my blog before.  I just LOVE it!

As Dick and I drove home last evening I captured this magnificent sky.

And now a new week begins with more warm weather - YES!!!!