Our 51st anniversary

 Sunday (our 51st anniversary) was a really full day!  At church we were introduced to our new interim pastor, Jim Jacobs.  We liked him a lot, but the service did go longer than normal, so we were eager to leave as soon as it was over due to our tight schedule.  

We drove directly from church to Pleasant View Communities in Manheim.  We were planning to meet Grandma Arlene, as well as our daughter Miki and her friend Kicki at Hearth and Harrow, the restaurant in that community, at 12:30.  But we did not make it by then.  Actually Miki and Kicki were not there yet when we arrived.  Grandma Arlene met us inside the door.  And THEN we kept seeing people we knew!  Most of them were families whose children had been my students at Manheim Christian Day School.  It started to feel like a homecoming after a while! So fun!

We had a delightful time eating together!!  Such a lovely atmosphere there!

It was dreary and raining outside, but very warm and sunny in our hearts.  The girls will be coming up to our house next week.  I'm really looking forward to it.  They are so much fun!

From there we went to my sister Mary Ellen's house.  We were having a sibling gathering.  My sister Barb and her husband John were visiting from Idaho because he had had a 50th high school class reunion on Saturday evening.   John's sister Ruthie and her husband Andy, who live in Tennessee, were also there.  John and Ruthie's mother lives in a retirement home south of Lancaster, and they had spent time with her.  So this was the scene of our gathering in Mary Ellen's living room

Left to right:  Doris, John, Andy and Ruthie, Barb, Mary Ellen, Dale.

We talked and laughed and sang and shed some tears.   

Then it was official picture time.  My sister-in-law Nancy had arrived by then, and she's a professional photographer.  However, I got some pictures with my phone too, which is what I'm sharing here. 

Four sisters - Jean, Barb, Mary Ellen, Doris.  How we would have loved having Rose from S. Carolina and Betty from New Hampshire join us too!  

Sisters and in-laws:  Mary Ellen, Nancy, Dick & I, John & Barb, Dale & Doris.  

After pictures we sat around Mary Ellen's big dining room table and had pulled chicken sandwiches with lots of delicious sides.  The last course was our anniversary cake and ice cream.  This picture is the only one I took during the meal.  

And speaking of the cake, here's a closer look at it!!  Doris's daughter Greta, who is a self-taught cake decorator, did this cake for us!!  Those colors are just like our wedding colors!  Isn't it gorgeous??

All too soon it was time to say our goodbyes and drive back home.  And look who we brought along with us!  He's such a good traveler, and we were so happy to have him.  I never stop being surprised at how he's growing up.

Elizer and Destiny were so happy to see each other when we got back!

On Monday morning I went to my friend Helen's funeral at our church.  Helen was just 77,  but had been in a car accident a few weeks ago and was recovering, then ended up about a week later with a brain bleed.  It was so sudden and tragic!  Helen and her sister Pat have always played piano and organ together, and they have been my trusty subs whenever I go away.   Helen had been in our choir until COVID messed everything up.   She will be greatly missed!

Yesterday afternoon I picked up Elizer before Destiny had to go to work at 2:30.  He was excited to be going to my house, but when we actually got here he insisted that we go for a walk even before we went inside the house!  It was a raw, damp day, but we went for a walk anyway.  

I'm happy that despite the very cool, rainy days we've been having, we have not yet had a killing frost.  So this flower bed is looking lovely!

It seemed like a good day for soup, so I made a pot of chicken noodle soup.  It really hit the spot!   I'll be taking some over to Anthony and Lori later today.  

At the end of the day we had an amazing sunset!!

Destiny had to work until 11 pm (that's her regular Monday schedule - the only day she works that late shift), so we had Elizer.  He was so excited when Pawpaw came home from work!  

He fed his baby.

He made a zoo.

And we made a farm.

Destiny stayed here overnight since it was so late,  and this morning she had to start at 11:00.  I had Cocomelon on for Elizer to watch.  He had fun dancing with Old McDonald!

That's all for this time except THIS!!  Austin has a YouTube channel for his Pokemon games, and I just discovered that three days ago he made a video showing how to make this amazing origami box!!  It's about ten minutes long.  I still would not be able to make it.  He is definitely some kind of genius!