A wedding, a concert, graduations, an anniversary, the great outdoors!

It's been a beautiful week!  Before I go back to my activities and pictures from this past week, I'll share one picture from Anthony and Lori's porch that I took on Monday.  More pictures of the rhododendrons will follow later in this post.  This really is the most beautiful time of the year!

Last Friday evening I went to a wedding rehearsal at GBRV for which I was pianist, then I came home and dusted and vacuumed my house like a crazy woman.  Sometimes I feel like my house is dirtier than it's ever been and other times I feel like it's cleaner than it's ever been.  These grandcats really keep me on my toes, I'm telling you!  Here's a picture of them that says a lot about the way things go.  Cookie, the old man, always getting first dibs at the food bowl while Cocoa, the feisty girl, sits politely by to wait her turn.  But don't feel too sorry for her.  She is a royal pest to him.  She loves picking a good fight. 

The wedding on Saturday was the pastor's daughter Kelsea and her fiance Rob, a really sweet couple.  Pastor Calvin asked a friend of his to officiate the wedding so that he could be just "father of the bride" for this special day.  There was some rain in the forecast, but when the wedding was over and they went outside for the receiving line, it was gloriously sunny!

Dick and I did not go to the reception because we needed to go right to a rehearsal at Mt. Nittany UMC.  We stopped at Burger King for a lunch on the run.  Mt. Nittany's praise team leader, Christian, just graduated with a music degree from Penn State and will be moving to Nashville.  He wanted to have a last concert with all who had ever played or sung with him, which we did a few years ago when the praise teams from Houserville and Mt. Nittany combined for Wednesday evening services for about 9 months. 

After the rehearsal we ran home to get out of our "wedding clothes."  Then we went over to Anthony and Lori's for a cookout.  What a beautiful evening!  As we were getting stuff together in the kitchen to take down to the patio, Hunter was entertaining himself with his alphabet letters on the fridge.  He never ceases to amaze me!

We got to see a lovely sunset while we were out there.  We finished the evening in the hot tub, but no pictures of that. 

On Sunday we went to our service at GBRV, then to Calvary's service.  We recently became aware that a couple our age from Lancaster County, Jim and Sheryl Leaman, have lived in State College for the past seven years and also attend Calvary.  Their daughter Angie, whom I met at the Thursday morning Bible study, kind of connected us via Facebook.  We never really knew each other, but we have many similar connections to places, people, and experiences.  So on Sunday morning, as Jim and Sheryl were leaving the 9 AM service and we were arriving for the 10:45 AM service, Angie officially introduced us to each other.  WELL.  When you put two couples together who have so much in common, including the fact that both men love hunting, you don't just say "Hi" and "Goodbye!"  We stood there and talked for at least half an hour and could have gone on for so much longer!   But no picture of us!

As it turned out, we had already missed all of the opening worship songs and the announcements, and Dick and I were feeling like we needed time to breathe before we had to be at Mt. Nittany UMC at 1:00,  so we went home to relax for about an hour.  

We had a great concert that afternoon at Mt. Nittany.  Christian played piano and led most of the songs, which meant I could harmonize to my heart's content.  I played piano and led six of the songs.  Dick played bass guitar the whole time.  There were three guitarists and a drummer.  And six vocalists.  The songs from the concert have been running through my mind all week long. 

Here's a picture of us afterward.  Christian is the one in the front center.  I'm so glad our paths have crossed.  

The heavens broke loose as we were driving home afterward!!  When we got home it was raining and storming so hard that I decided to wait it out in the car.  Dick ran into the house, but I'm not that crazy!

We were home long enough to change clothes, then headed over to Anthony and Lori's again.  On the way there we stopped for some groceries.  I meant for it to be a quick stop, but alas!!!  This store, which I have often said no matter how often I shop there, I just cannot memorize their layout, is changing everything AGAIN!!!  I wanted to stand there and scream, "NO!!!"   I know that these things are dictated by the Weis authorities, but seriously.  Are there no women in the ranks to help them arrange things the way a woman thinks???

That evening we were babysitting the boys while Anthony and Lori hosted a Game of Thrones watching party in the barn.  We stayed indoors because it was so wet outside.  Austin was busy making these amazing origami creations.  The other picture is bedtime with Hunter - reading, of course!

I was over at Anthony and Lori's place Monday through Wednesday, and the rhododendrons just got more beautiful each day.  I have taken so many pictures!  Here are the ones from Wednesday.  They're too beautiful to put into a collage.

I had a little bit of time each day to sit on the porch.  It was so wonderfully serene everywhere I looked!  

Even my tired old feet felt serene!

One day while I sat out there I had a little fun with some Snapchat filters.  I decided this must be a couple named Jean and Gene, hahahaha!!  

Tuesday was primary voting day here in PA.  Once again Houserville House of Hope had their Vote and Go Cafe open for the voters.  Dick and I both stopped in to help and were also there to clean up at the end.  I didn't think of taking any pictures till we were finishing up.  My friend Amy is the driving force behind this wonderful event twice a year.  Her mac and cheese is the best I've ever eaten.  And the sausages her husband grills are the BEST, and the aroma fills the air outside the church.  In the few hours I was serving people I can't even count the number who said that this is the main reason they come to vote - to get the good food, hahaha!

On Wednesday evening Bianca graduated from preschool.  Jenn sent me these adorable pictures!  And many even more adorable videos, which we haven't figured out a way for me to share.  When she walked down the aisle at the beginning she stopped to kiss Sammy!  On the video you can hear people giggling and Sammy saying, "I guess she must love me!"  Melt my heart!!!

Another graduation that took place this week was my niece Merida.  She graduated from Simmons College in Boston.  It seems impossible to our family!  Betty (my sister, who now goes by Elizabeth) and Scott didn't start their family till she was 40.  We have SO enjoyed watching Merida and Isaiah grow up.  Now Merida has already graduated college and Isaiah just finished his first years of college. 

Here they are with Scott's beautiful mother.  Sadly, his father passed away this past year.  I love the graduate in her bare feet, haha!

Around here our irises are blooming, the hosta is getting big, and the blue salvia is just starting to bloom.  Dick plans to do a lot of planting annuals, thinning out perennials, and mulching this holiday weekend.  We just can't believe how THICK perennials become in just a few years.  

Today is Anthony and Lori's 16th anniversary.  We have such fond memories of that day in 2003.  We're keeping the boys overnight tonight.  It'll be Hunter's first time without Mommy or Daddy.  But I think he'll be ok.  

Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!