More running, more hiking, more music

Tuesday update time again!  

I'll start by mentioning that I'm finally able to participate in a women's Bible study since I no longer work at the church office on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  At Calvary there are several different women's Bible studies going on at the same time on Thursday mornings.  At 9:30 all the groups meet together first of all in the sanctuary for a sweet time of intimate worship with just piano.  It meets a very deep need in my soul - to just worship and sing without leading it or planning it.  The Bible study I am taking is from the book of Exodus -  Lessons from the Israelites for My Own Journey taught by my friend Sherilyn Jamison.  She is so gifted, dynamic, and real.   The first year we moved up here Lori and I went to a Thursday evening Bible study that she taught.  She's even better now.  

On Friday evening when I was on my way home from Anthony and Lori's I got a text message from George with live stream information for a track meet that Sophie would be competing in that evening.  When I got home I pulled it up on the computer and pretty much stationed myself there for the evening!  I was getting other things done at the same time, but I did not want to miss seeing her.  Get this!  She is in 6th grade and she was running in a high school meet!!  Also exciting was the fact that Lisa is now the head track coach, and this was their first meet.  Here's the one picture I got of Sophie in the 200.  She's the one over there in lane 2.

Out of 60 high school girls running the 100, Sophie came in 8th.  She also came in 8th in the 200, out of 67 high school girls!!!!  I have no idea who she will compete against when she is actually in high school! What a girl!

On Saturday the weather was unseasonably warm.  I spent the morning and early afternoon inside the house working on music prep for both Houserville and Fillmore.  When Anthony texted that they would be going for a little hike again later in the afternoon, I was READY!  

Hunter was saying, "Come on guys, let's GO!!"

We headed out in the opposite direction from last week's trek.

Down hill again, of course.

Lori and I imagined a cabin in this clearing.

There are many underground springs, so lots of muddy places.

Austin chopped down a tree - well, sort of, LOL!

Ride 'em, cowboys!

Sunset through the trees.

We found a nice path through the trees to their road. Apparently the previous owners had cleared this path because of plans they had, which never came to be. 

Ahhh.  We love these benches.

Still ice on the pond, but gone by the end of the following day.

Anthony had told Austin earlier in the day that he could play his car racing video game on the big screen in the barn later, so we ended the day down there.  I made hot dogs and sauerkraut in the house and brought them down to everyone.

We love hanging out down there.  Anthony has plans to remake the stage into three parts that can be stacked, so that more of the floor can be available for seating, etc.

On Sunday morning we did not have a service at Fillmore, because all three locations worshiped together at the Buffalo Run location.   (We always meet together whenever Pastor Calvin is on vacation.)  The service started at 9:30, so we went there first (our choir did not sing) until it was time for us to leave for the 10:30 service at Calvary.   I took this picture after the service at Calvary.  There is such a lovely, big lobby for visiting with friends.

On Sunday afternoon our Houserville praise team went to the Mt. Nittany UMC to have a practice with their praise team.  It was a really good time.  Their leader is a Penn State student who grew up in that congregation.  He sings in Penn State's gospel choir, Essence of Joy.  His mom also sings with the praise team and I thoroughly enjoyed their mother-son antics.  It brought back memories of co-leading with Jeremy at Grace years ago.  We will be meeting together with Mt. Nittany on Wednesday evenings for the Lenten season.  

Last Thursday I posted this old picture of the Witmer Trio on FB.  Of course those glasses got the most attention!!  And the fact that i did not wear a jumper like the other two.  I have no idea why I didn't.  I know I had a jumper just like theirs. 

In our hey day, we sang as a group, accompanied by guitar, keyboard, and bass guitar, in churches and at banquets, etc, several times a months.   We recorded two albums.

We also sang a cappella for a radio broadcast, Sunday School Meditations.  They had church programs and banquets too.  So we were kept really, really busy.  About twice a year we would get baby sitters and make the trek to Harleysville, PA to record songs for the broadcast, often 10 - 15 songs in one afternoon!  

So after sharing that picture I tried to figure out how I could share some songs from CD's and cassette tapes that I have. I used my phone to make "videos" - such as they are, hahaha!  

Here's a song we recorded for the radio program.  

And here's one from an album we recorded with the instruments.  I cringe at the sound of the keyboard, but believe me, when we bought that thing from a couple of Amish guys who had a band (I am not kidding!!), we thought it was awesome!  

I love the message of this song, To Think of the Cross.  "To think of the cross moves me now.  It should have been me, it should have been me!  Instead I am free, I am free!"

Have a good rest of the week!

Remembering Jeremy's birth day

Today is Jeremy's 37th birthday.  I told him today that I wish I could go back and live that day all over again.  It is such a precious memory to me.  Some of you readers may not have heard my home birth story, so I am just copying and pasting what I wrote on my blog on February 15, 2006.  

Today is Jeremy's 26th birthday. He joked yesterday that he was going to call for a moment of silence at 7:30 p.m. last evening at work - that's the time my water broke and I knew for sure that the baby was on the way! I was sure I was going to have a Valentine's baby, but he waited 45 minutes too long!

That was 1980. Lisa had just turned 6 and was in kindergarten at Manheim Christian Day School. Anthony was 3 1/2. I was really into natural everything back in those days, so I was determined that I was going to have this baby at home. I liked my doctor a lot, but I told him that if he didn't want to do a home birth, I would go to the lady doctor in the area that was doing lots of home births. He agreed to do a home birth - his first one. So when my water broke at 7:30 p.m. we got busy cleaning up, preparing the birth chair, etc. I still remember how excited Lisa and Anthony were - they were even picking lint off the carpet! My friend Elta Nissley came to watch the children for me. The doctor's nurse came after a while, and around 10:30 the doctor came. At 12:45 Jeremy entered the world, safe and sound. Of course Lisa and Anthony had fallen asleep by then, but we woke them up to come over and see him. I had a big snack ready for Elta to serve to the doctor and nurse. Dr. Nicolazzo decided this home birth business wasn't too bad after all, and he did lots more after that!

Eventually everyone left and Dick and the children went to sleep. I don't think I did. I just remember sitting on my bed in the family room holding my precious newborn son, full of thanksgiving to God for a beautiful birth experience, and a beautiful, healthy baby. SUDDENLY there was a loud crash outside. We lived along Main Street in East Petersburg and there had been a car accident out front. It was 5:00 a.m. My family room door was just a few feet from the street and I was so afraid that because I had a light on, someone would knock on my door. Apparently someone else came to their aid, praise God!

An even crazier thing happened later that day. I had advertised draperies in the Bargain Counter that week. The day before I had a caller who was interested in them. We had agreed that she would come at 10 a.m. the following day. So between the time she called and came, I had had a baby! Can you imagine her shock when she came to look at the drapes and I showed her a baby that was less than 12 hours old!!

I was always very sentimental about everything. I remember how I always felt that I didn't want to ever forget any special moment. There was something in a Little House in the Prairie book that I used to always think about at times when I felt so happy, content, and fulfilled. "Laura thought to herself, 'This is now.' She was glad that the cozy house, and Pa and Ma and the firelight and the music, were now. They could not be forgotten, she thought, because now is now. It can never be a long time ago."

That's what I was thinking that night. But that special "now" was 26 years ago. I'm so glad I have a good memory. Jeremy, I love you even more "now".

Hiking and babysitting

As I showed on the pictures I posted here the other day, we got a beautiful snow on Thursday, probably 6 or 7 inches.  However, on Saturday the sun was glorious and the temp went up into the 50's!!   In the afternoon Anthony texted that Lori wanted to go hiking in their woods.  Neither she nor I had EVER hiked in their woods!!  Of course she was very pregnant last year at this time.  And we both are leery of the possible wildlife we could come across in warmer weather.  So this seemed like the perfect time to finally get out there.  I honestly felt more like napping, but knowing that my arteries are in good condition and that exercise is helpful in keeping my blood pressure lower, I decided to go for it.  

I'm so glad I did.  We had the most wonderful time!  

Austin was prepared to protect us!

The biggest tree on the property.

You can see the house through the trees on the left side of this pic. 

Standing on a rock pile. 

A different view of the barn.

Back in the house we ate the pulled BBQ chicken I had made in the crockpot with rolls and coleslaw. Here everyone was watching Lori race a car!

And this little guy was making his way around the room.  

On Sunday morning we woke up to RAIN, and it continued to rain all day.  Absolutely miserable.  But I was so glad it wasn't freezing.  The choir was planning to sing The Gift of Love in honor of Valentines Day just like we had planned to do it last year on Valentines Sunday.  However, church was cancelled because of snow last year.  And get this - two years ago church was cancelled because of snow on Valentines Sunday also!!  That's the time Dick and I were traveling home from Sam and Jenn's on a Saturday evening and got caught in a horrible white out.  We ended up staying in a hotel that night.  So anyway, I was glad that seconds did not make thirds!

We went to Calvary's service after we left Fillmore and then brought the boys home with us for the afternoon.  They looked so handsome in their "church" clothes. 

After lunch Grandpa and Hunter were buddies.

He fell asleep listening to Grandpa sing in a low voice and feeling the rumble of his chest.  Dick was proud that he still knew how to get a baby to sleep!

Meanwhile I introduced Life to Austin.  He was hooked in no time!  He LOVED making all that money and winning!  It was a long game and he didn't lose interest once.  When we were finished he begged me to play another round, but I knew there would not be time.  

Besides this guy was waking up and I needed my turn with him.  That sweater and jeans were cute, but there's nothing cuter than a onesie!

Grandpa and Austin played UNO.

Austin always looks forward to the mini ice cream sandwiches in our freezer, but alas, Dick had eaten the last one the evening before.  So I made these energy balls.  He actually liked them!  Probably because of the chocolate chips in them.  

All this snow and rain is causing the springs to flow once again at Stauffer Acres and the pond is totally filled up again.  When I took this picture yesterday there was ice on top.  Two years ago at this time they sold their house after just four days on the market, and this mountain property was starting to become more than a dream. 

Have a good rest of the week!