A family funeral, a sick boy, COLD temps, snow, and soup!

Time to catch up here!

Last Friday I took some of that ham and bean soup (see previous post) over to Anthony and Lori's, and I have not driven since!!  Dick came to their place after work, and we left from there to go down to Sam and Jenn's overnight.  We had a fun evening.  I had brought the ingredients along to make chili, and Sammy was helping me (kind of!).  At least he enjoyed dressing the part, haha!  We also had a hilarious time looking at old high school yearbooks that Sammy had found in a box.

Saturday morning we went to pick up Grandma Mary to take her along to my Aunt Dorothy Witmer's funeral.  As I said last week, Dorothy was married to my Dad's brother Luke.  She was a warm, cheerful, friendly woman, and just six months ago was diagnosed with acute Leukemia.  I was so very touched and inspired as many of her children and grandchildren shared stories of how she loved them and stayed in touch with them and prayed for them.  There were tears and laughter.

It was a very cold day, so our family (Dick and I, Doris and Dale, Mary Ellen, and Dick and Nancy) decided not to go to the burial.  Instead we stayed with Grandma  Mary at the church until everyone came back for the meal.  We had good conversations with people we hadn't seen in years, and of course some good conversations and laughter just amongst ourselves.  Grandma Mary is a very entertaining story teller!  We love her so much!

The meal time was absolutely wonderful.  There were so many cousins and some aunts and uncles that I had not seen in many, many years.  I needed a LOT more time to catch up with everyone.  My heart was so full when we left for home.

On Sunday morning when we left for church we were completely surprised at how it was snowing!

When we left the service at GRBV it had stopped and the roads were clear.  So we went to Calvary's 10:45 service.  When we left that service it was really snowing again.  We went to buy some much-needed groceries, then headed right over to Anthony and Lori's.  I took this picture as we headed up their private road.  We had some trouble because the van does not have four-wheel drive, but we made it.

Lori had already left for the airport.  She had a work trip in San Diego.  And as so often happens when she has a work trip in the winter time, Hunter was sick!  Not sure how that happens!  We had gotten some pizzas to make, and also a bucket of fried chicken.  We stayed there with the boys while Anthony went to Lowes to stock up on salt.

Later Dick and I went home in the truck to get my stuff.  I decided that with the snow and Hunter being sick, I would just plan to stay at their place till Lori came back on Wednesday.  I cancelled my Monday piano lessons, so I would have no need to drive anywhere.  Dick sleeps better in our bed, so he came to Anthony and Lori's each evening after work for dinner and time with the kids.

It really was a beautiful place to be, especially knowing that I had no need to come or go.  We had more snow later in the week.

Hunter started out with a cough and a fever.  He was actually quite cheerful at the beginning of the week.  But then he started fussing with his ears and seemed really, really miserable.  On Wednesday morning Anthony took him to the doctor.  I went along for the ride and to get some more groceries.  He did have an ear infection. The rest of Wednesday he was a really sick boy.  I could barely get him to eat or drink.

At the same time the horrible Polar Vortex was hitting our area and we weren't even sure Lori would be able to make it back home that day, but thankfully she did.  When Dick and I left for home that evening (in the truck, because I was not about to try driving down their road) he was perking up just a bit.  All schools, even Penn State, were closed on Thursday due to the sub zero weather and wind chill.  Lori said Hunter was pretty lethargic all that day.

We also cancelled choir practice Thursday evening, so I had a whole day at home to do some catching up.

Friday morning Dick took me over to their place before he went to work so I could stay with Hunter.  He finally started feeling better!

I didn't mention Austin at all.  He had actually been sick a couple of weeks ago and missed a whole week of school, so he was good to go this week.  Here are a couple of pictures I took of him this week.

Here's a cute video of Hunter singing Old McDonald.  

It snowed most of Friday.  Dick came over after work, and once again we both went home in the truck.  My van is still parked over there, haha!  It's warming up some today, so this afternoon we'll go over and clean it off and I will see if I still know how to drive after a week, lol!!

So what did we eat all week?  It was definitely a soup kind of week!  On Monday I made a big pot of my favorite recipe of chicken noodle soup.  On Tuesday we just had hamburgers and the fixin's.  (Once in a while you have to make something that Austin likes, haha!)  On Wednesday I made cream of tomato soup and grilled cheese on rye.  On Friday I made cream of potato cheese soup and bran muffins.  I think I gained two or three pounds this week!  

Here's a Throwback Thursday picture I posted of a big snow in February 1979.  I think we got about a foot-and-a-half and built a big snowman.  That's Anthony at age 2 and Lisa, age 5.  How easy and uncomplicated those days were.  

And another fun one.  I saw on FB that some people were posting a picture of themselves and their parents and then asking which one they look the most like.  So here's mine.  With very little exception, everyone thought I most resemble my dad.  I am definitely a Witmer. 

Well, gotta run now!  Hope you're having a great weekend!