I wrote my last post on Tuesday, September 19 and ended the post with this: Praying for Puerto Rico (Hurricane Maria) and Mexico City (earthquake) tonight. Lord, have mercy! As we know, Hurricane Maria devastated the island of Puerto Rico, and the news and pictures are absolutely heart-rending. Some of our adult children have biological family there, and waiting to hear from them has been so hard. I follow Mennonite Disaster Service's Facebook page. A friend of ours, Larry Stoner, has gone down this week for MDS to do investigative work. MDS expects to be working at rebuilding for the next seven years at least. Of course the immediate crisis is the people who desperately need food, water, and gas. Larry said that the gas stations he passed had 100 to 200 cars lined up waiting. People stand in line in the hot sun with their gas cans, only to have to do it again the next day.
I pray they find ways to get help and essentials to people more quickly. Now I will catch up with what we've been up to since the other Tuesday. Wednesday, September 20 and Thursday, September 21 Wednesday, the 20th was Anthony's birthday. On FB I posted this picture taken a week or so after he was born - our "million dollar family!"
We had our girl and our boy and we thought that was it! How little we knew, hahaha! Wasn't Lisa the cutest little thing? Lori had to leave for a work trip on Anthony's birthday, so it was good we had had that big birthday bash on Sunday. This time while Lori was away Austin slept at our house and I took him to school in the mornings. I would pick Hunter up from daycare in the afternoons, take dinner to their place and eat there, and then take Austin with me. He went with us to our Wednesday evening service and then also to our choir practice on Thursday evening. If he has his hot wheels cars to play with and his iPad, he is perfectly able to entertain himself. Friday, September 22 On Friday I got things ready for another camping weekend at Bellefonte KOA. When we were there in August with Sam and the kids, Lori really wanted to plan a weekend there in the fall. Finding a date that suited both them and us was almost impossible. On top of that, we found out that KOA had no vacancies at all on Penn State home game weekends. So we picked September 22-24, even though we knew Lori would be coming back from one work trip on Friday and leaving for another on Sunday!!!!! She's crazy like that, haha! Dick got off work at noon on Friday, and we got to the campground early evening to begin setting up. Lori and Anthony had decided that they would rent one of the cute cabins, so we got a tent sight for us that was right across from a cabin and next to the awesome bath house.
The weather was much more like hot, humid summer than fall, but after the sun went down it became really nice. We roasted hot dogs over the fire.
Austin slept in the pop-up with us. (Actually, Anthony, Lori, and Hunter went home to sleep that night so she could get some laundry done overnight.) Austin and I played Life. Once again, he beat me soundly! We followed more of the detailed rules this time. The only thing we haven't gotten into is the stocks, and he really wants to add that element the next time.
Saturday, September 23 It was actually quite chilly when we woke up Saturday morning, but it did not take long at all to warm up. Dick made sausages over the fire.
I made chocolate chip pancakes on the camp stove.
We had so much time to relax it was amazing! I tried taking a nap in the pop up, but without AC or shade trees, it was too stifling hot in there!
Lori and Anthony's cabin had good afternoon shade, so we hung out over there.
Lori and Anthony took the boys to the playground. I was too lazy to walk down, so I missed a whole lot of great pictures. Apparently Hunter absolutely had a blast on the jumping pillow! Here's a short video that Anthony took.
Dick made some good hamburgers over the fire.
Austin caught a frog and held it for a while, but then let it go back to its surroundings.
S'mores.
Lori gave Hunter a bath and I got to hold him for a while afterward. Sweet clean sleepy baby.
Then we went across the road to our camper which was nice and cool by that time.
Sunday, September 24 Dick and I got up very early Sunday morning, got ourselves dressed up and sneaked away for our 8:15 service at church. We got back soon after 10:00. Lori was already getting things packed up. We made bacon, eggs, and home fries over the fire. They were extra yummy for some reason. And then we got busy packing up. Check out time was 12. The last time we got permission to stay later, but this time we did not ask for that because Lori needed to leave for DC. Austin helped Grandpa by turning the crank on the popup.
Hunter helped by being wonderfully content to watch some Baby Einstein in the van, hahaha!
All weekend Austin was having fun with the walnuts, still in their hard green shells. He would pick them up and throw them as hard as he could against trees and watch them fly apart. When there were no more walnuts to pick up he decided to try smashing big stones. This particular one was unsmashable, no matter how hard he slammed it against the ground.
Ready to head back home.
Dick and I went over to Anthony's later in the afternoon and hung out for a while. Lori was already on her way to DC. Later we took Austin home with us for the night. He was ready to fall asleep by 8:00. Monday, September 25 On Monday morning when I was taking him to school I suggested we play the alphabet game. But he had a different idea. By the time we got to school he had found the letters to spell Koenigsegg (which I had never even heard of!!!), Lamborghini, and Ferrari! He also had time to tell me his big dreams of someday making the best and fastest Lamborghini in the world. It would be electric and computer-driven and would be able to fly. Much better than the alphabet game, LOL! Tuesday, September 26 He stayed at our house overnight Monday also. Lori got home Tuesday evening. All her boys were waiting for her! Hunter has learned a new laugh that absolutely cracks us up. Here's a video that Anthony took that evening. I hope it shows up for you.
Tuesday was also Sammy's 6th birthday, so that evening I spent some time Facetiming with him. We'll get to see him on Sunday. Can hardly wait!! He has brought so much joy to everyone since the day he was born.
On Sunday we will be going to Grace Community Fellowship in Manheim for a "homecoming." That is the church where I was worship leader for 24 years before we moved to State College. I will be leading a few favorite worship songs from the 90's. I'm really looking forward to it. Just disappointed that one of my friend's sons is getting married that day, so a number of people will be at that wedding instead. We will actually be missing Sammy's birthday party because of the homecoming, but we are going to stay at Sam and Jenn's overnight Sunday, so we'll still get to be with them. Our 46th wedding anniversary is on Monday. Dick got permission to come to work at noon that day instead of 8 am as usual. It would have been nice to have the whole day off, but we have our Florida vacation coming up in two weeks. Woohoo!!
Last week was a pretty routine kind of week. Just the regular things of music prep, cooking, piano lessons, the Wednesday evening Houserville/Mt. Nittany praise service, exercise class, Thursday evening choir practice at Fillmore. I did notice, somewhat to my dismay, that our leaves are turning already! Don't get me wrong! I DO love the beauty of colorful autumn leaves! But I feel like it's too soon. I hang onto summer as long as possible.
Friday, September 15On Friday evening we went to a new place - Seven Mountains Wine Cellars. It was a fund raiser for the upcoming Ten Thousand Villages store that will be coming to State College in the (hopefully) near future. We have always been familiar with Ten Thousand Villages because its roots are in Lancaster County. Years ago we knew it as the Self Help Craft Store. They sell all kinds of beautiful things made by artisans in third world countries so that they can make a sustainable income. I just looked at their website and read the history of their humble beginnings in the 1940's - one woman named Edna Ruth Byler bringing home embroidery made by women in Puerto Rico and selling it to her friends and neighbors and sending the money back to the women in Puerto Rico. Here's a link to their website. It is SO interesting and you can buy things online. http://www.tenthousandvillages.com/ The setting on Friday evening was lovely. Apparently Seven Mountains has campfire evenings each Friday all summer. This was their last one for this season. There was live music. Those of us who were there for the fund raiser sat together in one area and I met some wonderful people and had such interesting conversations. Our friend Lindsey (putting a log on the fire) was one of the hosts as well as her friend Rachel (seated.)
Lindsey and Rachel provided the most scrumptious appetizers.
Saturday, September 16 On Saturday morning I drove to Lancaster to pick up my new glasses at Modern Eyes. My first new glasses in 13 years!! While I was getting them fitted who should walk in but my sister Mary Ellen!! We just cracked up! She didn't even know I was coming down to Lancaster, so she was so surprised to see me! Our sister Doris's daughter-in-law Christy works there, so of course they know Doris. We told them we are both Christy's aunts, Doris's sisters! It was just too funny! I'll tell you more about my glasses later. After chatting with Mary Ellen for a bit I drove to Reading to pick up Destiny. Her birthday had been on Thursday and I was taking her out to eat to celebrate. Her 17th birthday!! I was there at her birth, so her birthday is very special to me. Here's a picture of us that day. Such a precious memory.
When I picked her up I asked where she wants to eat. The past several years her choice has always been Jumbo China Buffet. I thought perhaps she was tired of that and ready to try something new. But NO! She was definitely n the mood for that again. So there we went. It really is the most amazing selection of scrumptious Chinese food of any place I've ever been. And we were lucky to get there for the lunch time prices. However, they did not have crab legs at that time, but Frank and Lauren had treated her to crab legs and lobster on Thursday, so she was ok!
Of course we had to take our usual bathroom selfie! I told her that sometime I'm going to make a collage of all our bathroom selfies, haha!
She wanted to go to the exotic pet store nearby. I wasn't too sure about that word "exotic" because I wasn't interested in looking at snakes. But I think there were only two and she warned me about where they were so I didn't have to look at them! We saw lots of beautiful fish and birds.
This guy was noisy and hilarious.
Then we went to Frank and Lauren's and I got to hang out with Jada for a while.
Lauren was not home at the time, but Frank was there with the girls. What a GREAT picture this is of Frank and Jada! They are so photogenic!
Jada wanted to take pictures with my camera, so I let her. She took LOTS of pictures of the funniest things. I thought this was adorable - she displayed her cheering outfit on the steps to take a picture of it.
She also took pictures of Frank and me. I promise I was not scolding him, hahaha!!
Even though he does have that scolded look!!!! Not sure what we were talking about!
Then Alaya woke up and I got to play with her for just a bit before I had to head home. I put these sunglasses on her and she liked them!
Speaking of glasses. I decided to try out my new glasses for the drive home.
I have worn contacts exclusively for the past 34 years, but I've always had a pair of glasses to put on at home when I would take my contacts out. I am very near sighted and my glasses have always had very thick lenses, especially years ago when the style was very big frames. Oh my. The lenses would protrude on either side of the frames!! The technology for slimming down thick frames is absolutely astonishing! But I still am not ready to wear glasses in public. I honestly felt like I was ready for bed the whole drive home, because that's how I feel in glasses! When I got home I pulled my memorabilia box out from under my bed and found some of my old glasses. I decided to do a fashion show, hahaha!! Early 70's. - These don't even have lenses in them anymore. It's surprising how modern they look!
Probably late seventies. I had a pair of wire rims for a few years before these, but I don't have them anymore.
Early and mid-eighties. I got contacts in 1985 and still wore these when I took my contacts out at night until 2004!!
I got these in 2004 and have worn them when I take my contacts out at night until this past Saturday!
And one more picture of my new ones. I do like them. If for some reason I can't wear my contacts some day, I will not be embarrassed to wear these in public!
There was a home game at Beaver Stadium Saturday evening , which I passed on my way home, against University of Georgia. Later I saw a picture Lisa had posted. They were watching the game with the Penn State Greater Tampa Bay Alumni Association. I was so HAPPY to see a picture of them right there in the front! Lisa said they were sitting with a couple whose names were Andrew and Irma - Florida's favorite couple, LOL!!!
Sunday, September 17 On Sunday after church at Fillmore we went to Anthony and Lori's to pick up the boys. They were getting ready for a really big party at their place. Actually Dick went over to their place to help and I stayed here with the boys. Hunter is turning into such a HAM!! He found a pair of reading glasses in my nightstand drawer!
He doesn't talk much, but he is LOUD! One word he says a lot is "Yeah." He draws it out so cute. I guess that's better than saying "no" to everything! So Austin asks him just the right questions: "Do you hate the devil?" Hunter says, "Yeah." "Do you love Jesus?" Hunter says "Yeah." It's hilarious. And he cracks himself up as you can see here!
Austin worked on Legos for a while and watched golf on TV while Hunter napped and I snoozed. Golf. To me that is the most boring thing ever, but he did not want me to change the channel. He wants to play golf. He wondered if they get paid. This boy!
Over at Stauffer Acres they were getting ready for a Low Country Boil. Or Frogmore, as we call it when we have this meal at Stauffer camping. This was to celebrate Anthony's birthday (which is tomorrow.)
What a GREAT evening!!! Sixty people, including children and babies. Sausage, corn, shrimp, potatoes, and onions boiling in those kettles with an Old Bay seasoning mix.
The water and sand tables were a huge hit for the younger kids.
More people arriving.
Some of the older kids played in the basement playroom. Many of them were having a great time playing outside and down at the pond. I didn't get any pictures of that.
Food's ready!! Lori was the hostess with the mostest, let me tell you!! She was BUSY and working hard. Anthony and Dick were too. I was just keeping Hunter out of the way!
The weather and the setting could not have been more perfect. Everyone was having such a good time.
S'mores after dinner. There also were SO MANY desserts that people had brought, plus an amazing birthday cake for Anthony. It had blueberries and strawberries inside it!
My busy boy!
I met one of my Facebook friends in person for the first time! Jenny is the director of our Pregnancy Resource Center here in State College. What a fun, delightful person!
And that is finally the end of this post! Lots more coming up later this week. I'll post next week! Praying for Puerto Rico (Hurricane Maria) and Mexico City (earthquake) tonight. Lord, have mercy!
