Where did our summer go??

As we are nearing the end of August I find myself wondering where this summer has already gone.  I knew we did a lot of fun things (and spent more money than we should have), but I was actually surprised when I browsed my blog posts from the summer.  Good grief!!  

So this is where our summer went:

Saturday, May 23 - Monday, May 25:  

Memorial Day weekend with Destiny here.  Austin was here too part of the weekend because it was Anthony and Lori's anniversary weekend.

Wednesday, May 27 - Sunday, May 31:  

Miki and her friend Kicki arrived from Sweden and spent several very fun days here with us.

Tuesday, June 9:  

We drove to Manheim for Bjorn's graduation and drove back home afterward.  I got a warning for speeding at 12:40 AM.  

Friday evening, June 12 - Saturday, June 13:  

We drove to Sam and Jenn's for a mini-family gathering with them, Jeremy and Mike, Miki and Bjorn. 

Sunday, June 14: 

We drove to Lititz after church for Uncle Clarence Stauffer's memorial service. 

Tuesday, June 16 - Wednesday, June 17:  

Miki and Kicki came for one more crazy night of packing and repacking and a little bit of sleep before returning to Sweden. 

Sunday, June 21:  

A low-key Father's Day with Austin here at our house. 

Friday, June 26 - Sunday, June 28:  

Weekend of fun and funerals in Lancaster County instead of Stauffer Camping.  Dick took Sammy to Cabela's that Saturday while I went to Erma Geib's funeral.  Sunday we went to cousin Joyce (Stauffer) Enck's memorial service, then drove to Reading afterward to pick up Destiny.

Monday, June 29 - Monday, July 6:  

FUN week with Destiny here, ending with the wonderful fireworks/concert/cannons at Long's Park in Lancaster Sunday night and some Sammy time and mower repair at their place on Monday.  I took Destiny home to Reading.

Friday, July 10:

I drove to Reading to pick up Destiny and took her to meet the train in Harrisburg.  She spent the weekend in DC with Jeremy.

Monday, July 13:

I did the reverse trip - picked Destiny up at the Harrisburg train depot, took her home to Reading, and drove back home. 

Friday, July 17 - Sunday, July 19:

All my sisters came from hither and yon for the MOST delightful weekend!!

Saturday, August 1 - Tuesday, August 4:

We drove to Reading to pick up Destiny, then drove to Ray and Thyda's in Norfolk, VA for a WONDERFUL few days of family time with them and Lisa and Sophie AND the AAU Jr. Olympics in which Sophie was participating.  Destiny stayed there for the rest of the week.

Saturday, August 8:  

Benefeast, the fund raising event for friends and neighbors with cancer, put on by Houserville House of Hope.  A long, busy (especially for Dick), very fun day.

Sunday, August 9: 

We drove to Sam and Jenn's after church for Bianca's first birthday party.  Destiny came  home with us afterward. 

Monday, August 10 - Thursday, August 13:  

Destiny was here for more fun and chores. 

Saturday, August 16:  

Our praise team from Houserville sang at a pig roast hosted by our friends, the Poorman family.  Lori and Austin went too, and he fell in love with the chickens.

Friday, August 21 - Sunday, August 23:

Sammy spent the weekend here with us.  We spent a lot of time with Austin too.

Saturday, August 29 - Sunday, August 30:

We're going to Reading to pick up Destiny, then going to Lititz to celebrate with the Stauffer family the 90th birthday of Dad Stauffer!  We'll spend some time with Sam and Jenn too and hopefully a few others. 

Somehow, we managed to work at our jobs besides all that.  

So THAT, folks is where our summer went.  How about yours?

Beautiful things and a fun weekend

I hope you're in the mood for looking at pictures, because I've got a ton of them to share!

My hanging geranium is blooming more profusely than it ever has.  It makes me so happy when I go in and out my door.

On Friday afternoon when I got to Anthony and Lori's house everything was looking so lovely,  I decided it was a good time to take some pictures.  I was remembering that Anthony joked one time that his toughest decision each morning is where to sit!

When I left their place I went right to Dick's shop.  Dick was just getting off work, and we left from there to go meet Sam and Jenn above Harrisburg.   We usually meet at Sheetz, but this time the traffic right there was CRAZY, so we instead met in a carpooling lot just off the bridge that crosses the Susquehanna River.    Sammy had his packback on and looked like a big schoolboy, especially in his red shirt and khaki shorts.  And just look how tall Bianca is!  She looks more like a two-year-old!  Kids just refuse to stay little anymore, hahaha!  

We chatted for a while, then left with Sammy in tow.   It was soon bedtime when we got home.  

On Saturday morning we spent some time at home, then went to Anthony and Lori's.  We had not had Sammy there before.  

Later we took the boys to Airport Park - first time we'd been there this summer. 

Then it was time to crash for a while- for Grandma and Grandpa too!

In the evening we went to a cookout at Anthony and Lori's.  I forgot to take any pictures until after dark.  I took this one from the deck.

On Sunday we went to our two churches.  Sammy is totally my biggest fan.  He just couldn't stop exclaiming how much he loved our music at Fillmore.  At Houserville he sat with me at the piano as he usually does and played along quietly on the high keys.  

Later on Sunday afternoon we went to Tudek Park where Anthony and Lori were at a church picnic.   Look at Austin swinging high!   How great is it when kids can jump on a swing and take off without needing to be pushed?

Sammy was in that jungle gym somewhere.  

Austin remembered that there are horses in a meadow near the park and wanted to go see them.  So Dick and I took the boys and Austin's twin friends to visit the horses. 

Then it was time to go meet Sam and Jenn again to give them back their boy.  Do you think Sammy was happy about that?

We met this time at Jenn's parents above Harrisburg.  Sammy was happy to see Bianca.

Even hugged her on the trampoline!

But she really didn't have time for hugging.  She's a wild girl, already running on the trampoline!

And trying to pin down the boys!

The flowers at Jenn's mom's place are AMAZING!  My pictures do not do them justice.  I felt like I was at an arboretum.

Look at those hanging plants!!

We realized when we got there that we had forgotten to bring Sammy's backpack.  I had put everything in it, trying so hard to not forget anything this time.  We always forget something - his toothbrush, his cuddle toy, his favorite video, his socks beside his cot, etc.  But this time I was SURE I had remembered to put everything in it.  But alas, we apparently walked right out the door without the entire backpack.  And when we got home later, there it was - right at the entrance where we had left it.  Sigh!!

Catching up on pictures and special days

No blogposts this week, not because I couldn't find the time, but simply because I didn't have anything to write about.  That will probably change this weekend  - Sammy's coming!

I have not had much time to sit on my porch this summer, but this week I did - several times!  It is so beautiful and peaceful, whether by daylight or in the darkness.

I still enjoy the beauty of nature as I do food prep at Anthony and Lori's several days week.  This is my view from the stove.

And my view from the sink.

There were special days in our family this week, each a different kind.  

On Monday was Jada's 3rd birthday.  I loved this picture that Lauren posted.   What a beautiful little face!

On Wednesday Ray and Thyda celebrated 8 years of marriage!

And today is a year that my precious niece Lori left this earth and her dear family.  How she is missed!

My Throwback Thursday picture on FB today was this one from 1983 - Lisa, Anthony, and Jeremy sporting their new sandals!  You'd think I was already a blogger back then, taking a picture like that, hahahaha!

I was so moved this week as I watched the video of Kathie Lee Gifford sharing the most touching tribute to her husband Frank who passed away suddenly on Sunday morning.  She did not hold anything back regarding their faith in Jesus Christ.  I was hoping to share it here, but I wasn't successful in my attempt at this point.  There's also a video of a little girl named Heavenly Joy giving Kathie Lee a precious message of encouragement, then singing her the song, "Jesus, There's Just Something About That Name."   It's worth your time to look them up and watch them, I promise!

Have a good weekend.  I'm sure I will!

Bianca's birthday party; fun with Destiny

Okay!  I am not going to bed tonight until I share the great pictures from Bianca's birthday party on Sunday.

Dick and I left immediately after church and drove to Reading to pick up Destiny.  She had just gotten home the day before after being with Ray and Thyda for the remainder of the week of Jr. Olympics.  They came up from VA for Bianca's birthday party too.

Soon after we got to Sam and Jenn's it was time for Bianca to get her birthday cake.  She LOVED when everyone sang Happy Birthday to her.

Here's a short video of her GREAT enjoyment of the cake!!



She had a little help too, haha!

Then it was gift-opening time.  

Of all the great toys she got, after they were all opened she spent the most time with this treasure chest of snack containers!  She really wanted to hold all three or four at one time, but they did not cooperate!

They have such a great place for fun.  

Here Bianca is with her other grandma, Jenn's mother, whom they call Nan.  What a girl!  Walking for a month-and-a-half already, starting to say some words, still a daddy's girl, loves to dance, a little sassy, and as cute as a button.  

I finally had the chance to see Bjorn.  He and Jess, his girlfriend, were at the birthday party.  I don't think I got any pictures of them though.   He is now renting an apartment near Manheim and is working long and hard days for a landscaper.  He plans to take a year to work before starting college.  

We brought Destiny along home with us Sunday evening.  She loves to work for me to earn money for things she wants.  So I really put her to work this week - vacuuming, Swiffering, helping me do food prep at Anthony and Lori's, dishes,  laundry, and more.   

But we had fun too.  She just loves to cook and bake.  One evening it was chocolate cupcakes, some with store-bought coffee frosting, some with homemade peanut butter frosting. 

Tuesday evening it was peanut butter cookies.  

Wednesday evening she made chicken corn noodle soup.   She also had fun jumping on the trampoline across the street and doing the neighbor girls' hair.  

Last evening I took her home because her mom's family was going to Six Flags in New Jersey today. We had fun playing the alphabet game as we drove, listening to music, laughing at jokes she found online on my phone.   

After I dropped her off I went to Sam and Jenn's overnight.  They live just 45 minutes from Reading. It was late, but Sam and Jenn were still up and we had time to relax together before we turned in.

This morning Jenn was off to work before I woke up, but I had a little bit of time with Sam and the kids before he left at 8 to take them to daycare on his way to work.  

Jenn said that when she picked them up from daycare this afternoon, Sammy had his head down.  She asked if he didn't feel well.  He said, "I just want Mahna."  Oh my goodness, that tears my heart to pieces.  

I wish I didn't have to work and could just spend time with all my grandchildren!