Our last week of February

We're about to enter March - unfortunately the month that seems to last forever in this part of the country.  But I AM thankful that we're going in the right direction - all the warm weather is still ahead of us instead of behind us!  

As usual I'll start with the one sunrise picture I took since my last post.  It was spectacular!

This was a sunset at the end of a very cold, windy day - last Saturday.

Last Friday, February 18, Elizer turned 18 months old.  A year-and-a-half!  Before Destiny left for work she said, "Dress him in something cute!"  I knew we couldn't go wrong with red.  Alex took these pictures.  His many expressions, melt my heart!

That afternoon on my way to deliver Anthony and Lori's food I passed the Bryce Jordan Center like I always do.  But this day was different.  Have you heard of Penn State's "Thon"?  A long-held tradition of raising money for children with cancer.  People dance to raise money, starting Friday evening until Sunday afternoon.  Every aspect of the event is student-run.  In the twelve years we've lived here I never before passed the BJC on the Friday afternoon of Thon.  It was so cold and windy, but students were gathering from every direction waiting for the doors to open.  I had tears as I sat in traffic watching them.  

I was especially moved because my cousin's 12-year-old granddaughter has been fighting cancer for three years, and I have been following her journey.  I knew that she was going to be coming to this event.  I learned later that she met two of her Hershey Medical Center nurses and was treated like a celebrity, just as all the children were.  I heard later that over 13,000,000 dollars were raised!

Meanwhile at our house that evening Dick was repairing the door to our tub "motor."  Elizer loved the sound of that drill! 

On Sunday Destiny had off work until evening, so after church we took Elizer to Discovery Space.  He had fun.  Actually, the most fun he had was watching the other children!  Under the one display he noticed that there was a computer.  You better believe he was down there checking it out!

Destiny was delighted to play with LEGOS for a change while I kept Elizer occupied elsewhere.   We discovered that there are "micro" LEGOS.  The picture on the left shows them, but you really can't tell how incredibly tiny those pieces are. 

After we came home Elizer conked out on the couch with me. 

Meanwhile Destiny made a really scrumptious pasta dinner. 

My Valentine roses were still beautiful over a week later. 

We watched the closing ceremonies at the Olympics that evening.  Most of us sat down to watch, but of course Elizer did not, haha!

Monday was an amazingly warm, beautiful day!!  I think we may have hit sixty degrees!  Here are a few pics from that day.  Elizer wanted his boots on as soon as he got up in the morning, so I put them on him right over his pajama feet.  The bird feeder was really busy that day.  In the afternoon Destiny and I took Elizer for a walk on his leash.  It was just awesome!!!  When we got back to the porch Elizer saw the sled and insisted on a sled ride.  Of course that didn't go too well since all our snow had disappeared. 

Tuesday was the famous Twosday!  Some pics from that day - it was a rainy day and Elizer sacked out on the couch for three hours that afternoon.  I got our taxes ready to go during his nap!  In the evening I introduced him to a crayon for the first time.  He immediately tried to do eye make-up with it, hahaha!!  I'm afraid he's watched his great grandma and his mamma more than a few times.  He put a paper bowl on top of his head after he and Destiny ate some grapes.  Then I put it on top of my head and decided it looked like the head covering I used to wear in my younger Mennonite days. 

Here are a few pictures from Wednesday.  I love watching Alex and Elizer together.  They are truly best buddies.   In the evening I took the picture of him trying to ride his motorcycle while wearing a pair of my Birkies.  It did not go well! 

The best part about Wednesday was that I could FINALLY  take the food I had cooked for Anthony and Lori's family all the way to their house - for the first time in WEEKS!!  Their private road is in the woods and faces the north side of the mountain, so it stays snowy and icy long after other roads are bare.  Dick is able to navigate it with his four-wheel-drive pick up truck, so three times a week I take their food to his truck at work, and he takes it to them.  I have missed seeing them so very, very much!!  So with the warmer weather we finally had I was able to take the food there myself.  I had Elizer along with me, and he had a great time with Hunter while Lori and Anthony and I sat down and caught up.  I couldn't get over how tall and handsome Austin was looking with his new haircut.  I had such a wonderful time being there that I didn't think of taking even one picture!!  Ugh!!  

Next are some pictures from Thursday.  We watched a play-off basketball game in the evening, and J'von's team won.  So they will be playing in Hershey next Saturday, and we are going!!  

That night we got freezing rain and snow.  What a MESS!!  Dick took Destiny to work in his truck.  Look how she was dressed in green!  Penn State is celebrating State Patty's weekend, a tradition begun years ago because St. Patrick's Day is usually during Spring Break.  The Auntie Anne's staff is dressing in green this weekend.  Isn't she adorable?

Alex did some shoveling, but the snow was ridiculously heavy.  Elizer had fun watching him.  

Obviously, with that kind of weather I had to take Anthony and Lori's food to Dick's truck at work again.  Ugh!!  I'm SO over cold weather and ice and snow.   But I really don't want to complain.  We have a very warm house and plenty of food.  Of course I'm thinking about the dear people in Ukraine this evening.  What a sad, sad situation.

Friday evening was the first track and field event for Calvary Christian High School in Clearwater, Florida where daughter Lisa is coach and granddaughter Sophie is the fastest runner.  I was watching the live stream here on my computer.  This is Sophie's 400-meter-dash.  I love hearing the announcer talk about her on this video I took.  

Just a few more pics.  My "Christmas" cactus has a second bloom, even prettier than the first one.  I'm not sure why it doesn't have more this year. 

Here's a picture of my "new" van, complete with my front license plate.  Musicaljean has been my gmail address for years, so that's what I decided on.  Destiny thought it should say something about "grandma."  But music has defined my life for many more years than being a grandma has, believe it or not!  

I'm saving the best picture for last.  After eleven days in the hospital in Philadelpia, in a room with NO windows, and with some setbacks and huge obstacles to overcome, our niece Christy CAME HOME yesterday!!!  They set up a hospital bed in their dining room facing those marvelous windows overlooking the woods behind the house.  It was daughter Zoe's 12th birthday yesterday, so it was even more special that Christy could come home!  Good things have happened in her recovery this week, and Christy's attitude is incredible, but there are many reasons to KEEP PRAYING!!!

Bless you if you stayed with me through this long update!  That's it till next time!