Great Sunday from start to finish

Yesterday was such a great day from start to finish.  

At Fillmore my choir sang a most beautiful arrangement of Wonderful, Merciful Savior, and they did such a great job.

At Houserville the praise team was awesome, like always.  The icing on the cake was the 15-year-old girl who sang the offertory.  She's the voice student of Carol, our violinist, and she was just terrific.  The way her song fit in with the message without her even knowing it was cool too.

After we left Houserville we stopped at Sheetz to grab lunch (they have a great fruit and nut chicken salad) and we hit the road for Lancaster.  

The family gathering at Doris's home came about because of these three, Michael, Chelsea, and Ashlyn.

Michael is my sister Barb's youngest son.  He was just four or five when the family moved to Idaho.  The last time he visited PA was eight years ago when he joined us for our annual retreat weekend.  He was a GREAT hit with the little girls in the family, especially Ellen and Destiny!

We, of course, had not yet met Chelsea and Ashlyn, so it was a big deal that they were coming East this weekend!  We totally fell in love with all three of them!

It worked out perfectly that Miki's trip to the States as tour guide for her friend Kicki, was over this very same time!  Here they are with Bjorn.  Kicki fit right in with our crazy gang.  I wish I had freedom in my schedule to travel around with them this week, especially since they're going to DC.

This was the group that was together last evening, the majority of them Doris's family.  Also there were my brother Dick and his wife Nancy in the middle, my sister Mary Ellen just in front of me, and of course Dick and I and the special guests from Idaho and Sweden.  Another first timer was Doris's grandson Carson, sitting so cute on his mama's lap in the front row.  Unfortunately, Doris's son Corey and his family, who also live in this lovely home, were away.  I wished I could have had Destiny there, but I couldn't figure out a way to do it in the short time frame we had yesterday.

Twenty-four people and we were not a bit crowded in that spacious home.  We hung out in the family room, kitchen, and screened-in porch.  No one was in the dining room, living room, or the sitting room in the basement!  I think they could host 100 people there!  

Here are random pictures taken throughout the evening, some of them by me, some by Mary Ellen, Doris, and Nancy.

Things were winding down when it was time for us to leave around 7:30.  Here I am with Miki and Bjorn.  It occurred to me that each generation is taller.  What will Bjorn's child look like someday??  Haha!

Have a great week!