Fun, sweet days with Miki

These past few days have been such a fun, sweet time with Miki and her friend.  They are the easiest guests EVER!!  Their motto was, "I'm just happy to be here."  Absolutely no expectations or needs, it seemed.

On Friday morning, while I got some of my own work done, they had fun at Walmart.  They were beyond thrilled with all the things they were able to get there that are not as available or affordable in Sweden.

In the afternoon we went to Anthony and Lori's.  Lori gave them the grand tour, then while I went grocery shopping, they settled in for a quiet afternoon there.  Miki is starting to write a children's book series, complete with her own illustrations.  I can't believe I did not get any picture of her working on the illustrations.  She's such a talented artist.

Dick came after work, and we had a cookout. It's so peaceful there, we were all a bit tired and very relaxed, and we almost felt like we could have just fallen asleep sitting there.

Austin is afraid of spiders, and of course there are plenty of them in the woods.  So Miki took a lot of time with him, looking for spiders, talking about them, turning them into something fascinating instead of scary.  It was fun to listen to them.

Saturday was an amazingly relaxing day.  In the morning Miki, Kicki, and I sat on the front porch with our coffee and talked for a long, long time.

When Dick came home he enlisted their help to move the basketball hoop towards his pickup truck.  A neighbor man helped him to get it up onto the truck, and he took it to Anthony and Lori's.  Now Austin will be able to practice his skills whenever the mood strikes him.

We ladies went to Giant for some groceries.  Again they were like kids in a candy store, snatching up all kinds of snacks they are unable to get in Sweden.

I was hoping Dick would be able to do chicken breasts on the grill, and I even had things set up to seat seven people on our side porch. But storms came though and we needed to do everything inside.  Anthony, Lori, and Austin joined us.

After they left we pulled out the Scrabble board.  I play Scrabble on my phone (against the computer) EVERY NIGHT.  I consider myself pretty good.  Dick is even better.  You would think that we'd have a good chance to win over people who regularly speak Swedish, right?  

Wrong!  Miki won, and declared that she can now cross something off her bucket list - beat Mom and Dad in Scrabble!!  Waaaahhhh!!  She said she plays Worly Word on her phone, and apparently is keeping up her English language skills!

This morning they went with us to both churches, and Miki and I sang the same special we did last year - I Bless Your Name.  I just love singing with her, and I realized more than ever, as she shared how she has lived the message of this song in the past year, that she is an anointed minister.  Here's the video Dick took with his phone at Fillmore.

After church at Houserville we ate lunch at a new place,  Fuji and Jade Garden.  We got good Chinese food and Miki got some sushi.  It just took long.  I don't know if I'd go back.

Miki and I were practicing for when I'm old, haha!

They shopped at nearby Goodwill, which is the reason we ate lunch where we did.  Miki was thrilled to find two very nice suits, one with pants and one with a skirt.  

We came home then, they packed up, I drew them one of my trusty maps, and they were on their way to Manheim.  Of course she was very eager to see Bjorn, but I'm so thankful she took the time to spend with us.  

We've been having rain and storms off and on all afternoon and evening.  I took a really good nap and have been working here at the computer ever since. 

Have a good week!

Miki's here; our stroll through the arboretum

On Wednesday afternoon as I worked in Anthony and Lori's kitchen, I was occasionally texting with Miki.  She and her friend Kicki landed at the Newark, NJ airport in the early afternoon and rented a car to drive to our place.  

We had praise team practice at Houserville in the evening, and when I left there I was planning to make a very quick trip to Giant for a few groceries.  My phone rang, and it was Miki.  They were driving somewhere in our area, but she wasn't sure where she was.  Eventually I figured out that they were very close to the University Park airport, which is where the rental car was to be turned in, so we decided they would do that a while and I would pick them up there.  Worked out just perfectly!

We came home and I put together some delicious BLT's, which we enjoyed as we sat around the table talking and catching up.

On Thursday I worked at the office just long enough to do all the copying and cutting, then I brought everything home and the girls helped me to get all the bulletins, inserts, and newsletters ready for delivery to the churches.  

After a dinner of bbq'd pork chops, baked potatoes, and broccoli, Dick got to work on installing a radio into Jeremy's car (which Miki will be using while she's here in the States).  

We girls went for a stroll through the arboretum.  The weather could not have been more perfect!  We had such a good time.

Cool additions to the children's area.

Look what Miki brought us from Sweden.  Two layers of these!!

Today we'll be going to Anthony and Lori's and having a cookout there this evening.  Tomorrow we'll hit the thrift stores.  On Sunday Miki will sing with me at church, and then in the afternoon they will be heading to Lancaster County.  Thank you, Bjorn, for sharing your mama with me for a few days!

A GREAT Memorial Day Weekend

On Friday afternoon I left Anthony and Lori's place around 3:00 and drove to Sam and Jenn's place.  I took my good old time, and arrived around 6:00.  I was concerned that I might be hitting heavy traffic due to the holiday weekend, and I knew I'd be hitting the Harrisburg area during rush hour, but I was pleasantly surprised.  Most of the heavy, bumper-to-bumper traffic was heading in the opposite direction.  I guess the mountains are a destination on a holiday weekend, and I was driving away from them!  It was a beautiful day, and I was enjoying my music and talking with the Lord.

Sam was picking Destiny up in Reading for me, so when I got to their place I had about an hour to play with the kids and chat with Jenn.  Bianca didn't seem to remember that she actually liked me the weekend before, hahaha!!  When she finally was in my arms, letting me give her a bottle, Sam and Destiny arrived, Bianca heard her daddy's voice, and that was it.  No more grandma love!

Destiny and I soon left and headed for our house.  We had not seen each other since Easter weekend,  and she talked non-stop the entire drive.  We stopped at a grocery store before we got home to stock up on all her favorite things.  Late night grocery shopping trips with her are always fun.

When we got home Dick was already sleeping.  She was disappointed, but it was almost 11:30 pm!  We had ourselves a fruit fest - pomegranate, ripe apricots and peaches.

On Saturday morning it was so nice to be home.  Dick rarely has a Saturday morning at home - he either works or we are away.  This Saturday he had off work for the holiday weekend.  Before we moved to State College (almost six years ago!!) and Destiny spent most weekends with us, Dick almost always made breakfast on Saturday mornings.  So that's what he did Saturday morning - a scrumptious combination of fried potatoes and onions, bacon, and eggs.

Destiny wanted to get a few things at the mall, so we got ready to go, but before we left, Anthony called and said,  "Austin is wondering when his cousin is coming."  So we made our shopping trip as quick as possible.

At Anthony and Lori's the kids headed down to the pond almost right away.  I went along this time - my first time at the pond.  (They haven't seen any snakes yet after living there over a month, so I'm getting a little braver!)  The kids had so much fun, catching newts and trying to catch frogs.  We saw fish too.  What a GREAT playground!

Later I took the kids to the pool at the Y.  I got in too.  It's a heated pool and feels so good.  But I hate getting my hair wet, so I told the kids that if they splashed me and got my hair wet, we could not go to Chik Fila afterward, hahahaha!

As we were getting ready to leave the Y, I got a phone call from Anthony.  He said that Grandpa has something he wants Austin to see, and we were supposed to come back to their place before going to Chik Fila.  

Look at this!  They knew there was a fountain in the pond, but they thought it was broken.  Dick figured out the problem and got it started.  What a lovely feature!!  They even have their own personal rainbow, which totally delighted Austin.

I took this picture from the balcony of the master bedroom.  You can see the top of the fountain above the rhododendrons.

Then we went to eat at Chik Fila.  Austin was a little too feisty by then, so it wasn't the greatest time ever.  When we came home the kids showered and got into their pjs, and we had fun.  Destiny taught Austin to play Mancala, and it was right down his ally.  Anything that involves counting and strategy.

Then we switched to puzzles.  Destiny has always loved puzzles, but it seems like Austin struggles a bit with them.  It's interesting to see the things that come more naturally to different kids.  Dick has always been crazy over puzzles, I have always hated them.

On Sunday morning I went to Fillmore, and Dick came just long enough to sing with the choir, then went back home to make sure the kids were getting dressed and breakfasted.  While they were home by themselves I texted Destiny to ask if Austin was ok.  She assured me he was - he was playing Mancala by himself!

Then we all went to Houserville.   The kids were busy being creative before the service started.

Dick took this picture of me with the kids, unfortunately a bit out of focus.

After church we came home and had pizza for lunch, then we took advantage of the beautiful sunny day by doing some car cleaning.  Destiny loves to vacuum my car, and it needed it desperately.  

While she vacuumed, Austin hosed off my floor mats - and the house and all the bees he could scare away!

It was hot out there!  When they were finished we went inside for some AC and quiet activities.  Of course that meant a nap for the old people, ha!  

Austin did another puzzle and completely surprised me with his patience and attention span.

Destiny got out the Legos and did some multitasking - building with the Legos, chatting online with some of her friends, and eating popcorn.  

Later in the afternoon we went to Sweet Frog for a delicious hot day treat. 

Then we went to Tudek Park.  It's one we used to go to often when Austin was younger, but we haven't been there for a few years, because the playground equipment is geared more to toddlers.   But we still had fun.  There is a farm right next to it with horses.

And just enough big swings for older kids. 

And a basketball court!  We didn't bring any ball with us, but someone loaned Austin a soccer ball, and he did a great job getting that thing though the hoop!

And then we went to the best place of all - Anthony and Lori's porch.  It was their 12th anniversary and they were having a day out and would be coming back in about an hour.  

The weather was just divine!  The sound of the fountain in the pond below and some birds singing and the occasional bullfrog croaking all combined to make it the most heavenly, relaxing experience imaginable.  

As I lay on the bench, this was my view looking up. 

And this was my view looking out!  Later, when Anthony and Lori returned, she and the kids went down to the pond and I could look down and watch them without even moving!

On Monday morning we took Destiny to IHOP for a delicious breakfast then made the trip to Reading to take her back home.  I'm always sad when our weekends together are over.

When we got back to the State College area we went straight to Anthony and Lori's for a neighborhood cookout.  We LOVED meeting this very young and spunky 82-year-old neighbor lady who told us so much interesting information about their place and how her dad had bought the land back in the 50's.  There were other members of her family there as well.  We had the greatest time.

Lori had made so much delicious food!

Anthony was giving Austin wood splitting lessons! 

And because this was their anniversary weekend, here is their wedding picture.  I showed it to Austin, and his only comment was about his dad's hair, hahahaha!

Here are some cute pictures Jenn posted yesterday.  They pulled out the kiddie pool, Bianca's first experience with it, and she loved it. 

Meanwhile, in Florida Sophie participated in a track and field event this weekend.  This is her game face and hair, haha!  She did GREAT!  In the 100 meter dash she came in 3rd out of 37 girls and her long jump was 12 feet!  Lisa and George were even prouder of her good sportsmanship, taking time to talk with her competitors and initiating Hi-5's with all of them after the race. 

Stay tuned, because tomorrow our daughter Miki and her friend Kiki will be arriving from Sweden for a three-week visit in the States.  She's very eager to see her boy, but I begged her into spending a few days with us first, and she obliged.  (-: