Fun with the boys, work and beauty outside my windows

This will be a quick one.  It's late Thursday evening and I'm going to try to get this done before I hit the sack. 

Last Saturday I took Hunter to a Sesame Street 50th Birthday Party that WPSU was hosting.  It was quite crowded indoors, and he wasn't exactly in the mood for making a puppet or getting his picture taken at some of the cute backdrops they provided.  He did have fun putting stamps on a postcard to mail to Elmo.  He got to reach up and put it into a real blue mailbox.  The birthday cake was his favorite part.  Outside they had a real mail truck, fire engine, and ambulance for the kids to explore.  He loved pretending to drive the mail truck!

When we came home for his nap I was feeling totally DONE.  He was taking his nap in our bed, and I came out to the living room and lay on the sofa.  TWO HOURS later I woke up to him calling, "Grandma??"  from our bedroom door.  I couldn't believe it.  I don't know when I ever took a Saturday nap, and a two-hour one at that!  

Here are some pictures from Sunday.

There was a lot of work going on at the next door lot earlier in the week.  I have a front row seat as I work in my kitchen!

Because I know that my wonderful view of the sunrise will soon be blocked by a house next door, I have decided that I will take a picture as many mornings as I can between now and then!

It's definitely looking more like Fall around here even though our weather has been more like summer, which I am LOVING.  This picture was taken from my bedroom window at the back of our house. 

And one more picture.  They had huge pumpkins at Sam's Club the other day for $5.98.  When I was loading my stuff into the car I decided to see if I could strap the pumpkin into Hunter's car seat to keep it from rolling around.  Perfect!!  Just had to take a picture of it.  Lori said that Hunter was cracking up when he saw this picture that evening.

He's so funny.  I wrote this on Facebook yesterday:  Hunter's little mind is filled with days of the week, months, and schedules.  When I pick him up from daycare he always checks what day of the week it is, and then he figures out what we are doing and where we are going.  He also always says that he'll come to my house on Saturday.  Today on our way out I told him that he won't be able to come to my house on Saturday because we will not be home.  So he went right to December and said that Christmas is in December.  Then he asked loudly, "Will I come to your house in December?"  Someone within hearing distance said, "Wow, he's planning ahead!"


Speaking of Saturday, we're going down home for the whole weekend.  The biggest event will be my 50th high school class reunion on Saturday at Lancaster Mennonite High School in Lancaster.  Of all things, the forecast for Saturday is a high of 89 degrees!  What????  It's really hard to know how to dress.  I got a nice flowy cardigan to wear over all black, but I'll probably be too hot.  

Today Dick took my van to work to fix some things.  So I got to drive his new truck to the Bible study at Calvary this morning.  A few hours later I was surprised to see that it was raining when I walked out to the parking lot.  I HATE getting my hair rained on, but I had no umbrella.  So I tried to get out to my van as quickly as possible in that big parking lot.  But alas, I could not find my van!  I was sure I knew where I had parked, but I just could not see it.  It was raining harder and I was getting WET.  Then I remembered that my van wasn't even there and I noticed the truck for the first time.  Unbelievable!!

Today (Thursday) was Sammy's 8th birthday.  I got to talk to him on the phone this evening.  We're looking forward to being with him on Sunday.

Have a good weekend!

The Low Country Boil and other good stuff

Saturday already!!  These weeks are just flying by.  And as much as I want summer to last forever, I guess it will officially be Fall next week.  Actually, I don't hate Fall.  I just don't like that it means Winter is next. Like I've mentioned before, the leaves seem to be turning earlier than usual this year. 

Last Saturday was Destiny's 19th birthday!  I did not get to be with her this year, but we were in touch many times throughout the day.  I told her I was going to say Happy Birthday to her as many different ways as possible, and I did.  EXCEPT for a traditional phone call.  How pathetic is that?  I messaged her a video of myself and the boys singing Happy Birthday, I emailed her a JibJab video I made, I sent her a funny greeting on SnapChat, I did a FB post, I texted her.  And probably more.  I hope to see her soon.  Here is a picture Lauren posted last Friday when Destiny was at their house.  The five girls and the girl dog too, haha!

Saturday

Saturday was a BIG day around here!  Low Country Boil day!  In the morning I got the boys out of the way for a few hours and took them to Discovery Space.  We had a fun time, as always.

Then we came here for a quick pizza lunch and some playtime with the cats, going over to their place around 2:00 so Hunter could get a nap.  It was a very foggy, drizzly day, but we had faith that the forecast was correct about it clearing later!  And it did!  Anthony said it reminded him of their wedding day when the weather was exactly like that, then cleared just in time for their outdoor reception!  We were so delighted to see the sunshine!

Dick was busy getting a good fire started.  Anthony was getting the patio set up.  Lori was cleaning.  I had cut many pounds of smoked sausages into smaller pieces the evening before.  Tiffany had bought and husked many ears of corn, which Nana and Mike picked up and brought to Stauffer Acres.  Mike then cut each ear of corn into three pieces.  Nana and I worked on the lemons, onions and garlic.  Emil arrived to help Dick with the fire.  They were the official cooks, adding each thing to the pots at just the right times.  Tiffany came and carefully thawed the shrimp.  Mike went to pick up the crabs.  We got the tables covered, the tables set up in the lower porch for the sides and desserts that people would be bringing, the ice and drinks put into the coolers, the butter into little dishes.  It was a TEAM EFFORT!!  Emil and Tiffany, Mike and Nana are in Anthony and Lori's small group from Calvary.  TRUE friends, I'm telling you!   

Here's a picture of the different foods waiting to be added (except for the little potatoes, onions, lemons, garlic, and seasoning - those were first.)  And the lower right picture is the finished product.

Our amazing cooks!!  They were a perfect team!

Then the contents of the pots were divided up into the foil pans which were set on the tables for people to grab from and enjoy!  And of course the crabs too!

I'm not sure if anybody counted how many people came, but including the kids, I think it was probably at least 70!  What a GREAT time!  And such a perfect space for it!  

Some children played in the basement playroom, which is right there next to the patio, some went down to the pond,  Anthony took people on a tour of his barn studio, we had great conversations with so many wonderful people, we loved on Les and Holly's new baby girl - also in Anthony and Lori's small group. 

Austin found his soul mate (lower right picture.)  She is the daughter of Eric Steele, a good high school and college friend of  Anthony's.  These two kids have seen each other maybe once a year since they were little, and they always seem to totally "get" each other. 

Anthony's friend Sam took a lot of really great pictures, and a some of these are his. 

A lovely sunset - long before the fun was over. 

Lots of clean up afterward, but plenty of good help.  Needless to say, our beds felt REALLY good that night!  But our hearts were happy and full.

Sunday

On Sunday morning we went to our service at GBRV, but not to Calvary.  Dick and I caught quick naps after church before Sam and the kids arrived around 12:45.  I made BLT's for lunch.  The kids and I played Life while Dick and Sam watched football.  Later we got creative with Play Doh. 

At one point there was a whole lot of excitement over a big praying mantis out front.  We had so much fun watching it.  And that led to a hilarious discussion about the strange behaviors of the female praying mantis - that they sometimes bite the head off the male after they mate, hahahaha!  Sammy had way too much fun with that!

Later we went over to Anthony and Lori's for just a while.  It was a good, low key day.

The rest of the week

This was a pretty regular week around here.  My schedule is getting busier now with the return of choir practice and prep as well as women's Bible study at Calvary on Thursday mornings.  I took Hunter to his swim lesson on Monday and Wednesday.  He's finally liking it a bit better.  

I usually try to go to the local Boalsburg Farmer's Market on Tuesdays to buy the meat I use for Anthony and Lori's meals.  I discovered this week that I've been unaware that there has been someone there that I knew from way long ago - at the Clover Creek Cheese Cellar stand. 

Back in the late 80's, when Grace Community Fellowship was brand new, we had a young couple, Dave and Terri Rice, as our youth leaders.  They also sang and played guitar with our worship team.  In the summer of 1989 they left for a mission term in Honduras, and we lost track of them after that.  Well guess what?  They own a small farm about an hour from here, which they have turned into a cheese-making business!  A very successful one, I might add.  They have five young adult kids in varying stages of life.  Anyway,  Terri and I had the most fun catching up on Tuesday at her stand.  And of course, I bought some yummy Guda cheese too!

On Thursday morning when I got to the Bible study at Calvary I walked into the ladies room and discovered that I had gone a little overboard on my black and white theme.  Check my earrings, haha!  

Lisa is super busy with her new job, so she doesn't have time for our crazy Snapchat communications more than about once a week.  But I had some fun all by myself one evening! I especially love the one where I'm looking over my own shoulder!

Yesterday was Anthony's birthday.  I remember how the idea of a baby boy seemed so foreign to me.  I had had all younger sisters, and of course, Lisa was my first baby.  But of course, I found it to be wonderful to have a boy, and I've had lots of experience with little boys since then, partly thanks to him!

I picked up the boys yesterday and had them here for dinner while Anthony and Lori went out for dinner.  Then after we took the boys home we did sparklers, birthday cake, and gifts. 

Lori got him a record player at Cracker Barrel!  She told him ahead of time that if he thought it was a ridiculous gift she would not be at all insulted, since it was so "out there."  He took one look at it and said, "Would you believe I was just in a music store today and saw one and thought, 'I think I might like to have one of those.'"  We laughed that the only record any of us has is of The Witmer Trio!  I'm sure Anthony will be checking out some flea markets in search of some good old blues classics.  

And that is it for this week!  I'm ready for a Saturday afternoon nap!

Little bit of everything this week

Here we are at the end of another week!  And we have a big day tomorrow.  Somehow I just couldn't find a chance to blog this week until now, so this post is going to be a lot of pictures and just a few words.  

First, a picture of those mini-sunflowers!  We wish we had saved the seed packet to see what they were called.  

Last Saturday morning I drove down to Duncannon to watch Sammy's and Bianca's soccer games.  What a beautiful place for soccer fields!  I had a great time sitting with Jenn and some of her family to watch them. 

Sammy's game.  He was purple #6.

Bianca's game.  She was silver #3. 

After Sam got off work we met at the Duncannon Sheetz for a late lunch.   They have a nice dining room.  We had so much fun!

On Sunday morning at GBRV I went out to the car to get my water bottle during the children's story.  I was so amused by the parking lot that I went back inside for my phone to take pictures.  Apparently the good "backers" park on one side of the lot and the "non-backers" park on the other side, hahahah!

After the service at Calvary Austin and Hunter came home with us.   Austin brought his crocheting along.  He made a pouch and some coasters.  

We also went to airport park for a while.  They were still in their church clothes!

Lori was away on a work trip from Monday to Wednesday.  This time Hunter stayed at our place overnight.  

He has started swim lessons at the YMCA, so I took him to that on Monday and Wednesday after I picked him up from daycare.  

On Wednesday I made ketchup!  Austin does not like tomatoes, but he is so fascinated with the great big tomatoes at the farmers market.  He begs Lori to get them!  On Tuesday he asked me if I could make them into ketchup before they spoil.  So I looked up a recipe and the next day I made ketchup!  It's really delicious!

I was so sad when I arrived home one day to find the most beautiful tree next door cut down!!!  I have always enjoyed it from my sink window in the fall for the one week that it is a brilliant orange.  I walked out to the guy that was cutting up the wood and told him how sad I was to see it gone.  He said he hated to cut it down, but the new house going in would have been too close to the tree.  I understand that, but I'm still really sad. 

Speaking of orange leaves, we are having a lot of them already!  And it's not even officially Fall!!  Not sure what to think about that!  I hope it doesn't mean an early winter!  I took this picture through my car window one day, so it's not great, but you get the idea. 

Things really are happening next door.  Yesterday a big dump truck brought many loads of dirt. 

It's been a while since I posted a picture of the house I've been watching.  They had not done anything for a long time since the siding was put on and the windows put it.  But in the last week they started adding a porch.  Here's a picture from June 2018 compared to this week. 

And one more picture for a good laugh.  It really is a sweet picture except for that little girl picking her nose!  And that was me!  I was sitting beside my sister Mary Ellen.  Behind me was my brother Dick and my sister Janet holding my little sister Doris.  She was such a cutie! I totally remember when this was taken!

Well, that is all for this time.  I gotta get some sleep.  Tomorrow Anthony and Lori are having their annual Low Country Boil, and there are a lot of people coming and there's a lot of work to do.  I did a lot of shopping at Sam's Club today and cut up a whole bunch of sausages this evening.  You get the idea!  A lot of everything, haha!