This was a big week!!

 Last Sunday (Nov. 6) was a gorgeous day, so in the afternoon Dick and I decided to take a walk in Anthony’s woods.  We took it nice and slow, and except for my ever-present fear of seeing a snake, it was delightful.  We did not see any snake, by the way!

This is the lovely view from their house!

The clouds were spectacular as we drove back home. 

On Monday it was 40 years that we said a sad goodbye to my mother.  She had a three-month battle with pancreatic cancer and turned 59 a month before she passed away.  It was a REALLY hard time in the Witmer family.  Here are some favorite pictures I have of her.  On top left she was talking with baby Jeremy and on bottom left she was holding newborn Lisa the day she came home from the hospital.  Some of my sisters were surrounding her.  My mom LOVED babies!

On Monday morning I met Destiny at Target Optical and entertained Elizer while she got her eye exam and picked out new glasses.  He is such an attention grabber!  Our cashier said, "He needs his own show! I would definitely watch it!"

He was here with me for the rest of the day after she went to work.  He LOVES tractors!  I noticed he was taking this one around and around and around the coffee table. 

Tuesday was a big day!!  His first day at St. Pauls Christian Preschool in downtown State College!!  It was such an amazing answer to prayer that any place had an opening.  After Destiny found out she would be eligible for a childcare subsidy she called so many places and they all had long waiting lists.  St. Pauls is wonderful!  Hunter had gone there for a few months, and Lori is very familiar with it, having done some of her research there. 

Here he is, ready to go!  His backpack had his sleeping mat in it, so it was very heavy and bulky, haha! 

When we visited the previous week the kids had been playing outside, down those steps on the left.  He was not happy Tuesday morning that we weren't going right down there to play!  Inside his classroom he cautiously checked things out.  The teacher said that he was a bit weepy for Mommy after we left and also at nap-time, but otherwise he did great.  He napped over two hours and had no problems playing with the other kids.  Whew!!  Big relief for Destiny and me!

That happened to be my birthday.  As I said in my previous post, Dick and I had gone to our favorite Texas Roadhouse the previous Friday evening when we were child-free.  After Destiny and I dropped Elizer off at St. Pauls on Tuesday we had time for her to take me out to lunch before going to work.  We went to Rey Azteca.  We both love that place so much!!  We had a nice time and the food was scrumptious as always.

When I picked up Elizer later the kids were playing outside.  He had missed the first outdoor playtime because we got him there too late.  So he was NOT HAPPY that I came to pick him up!!  

Since he had missed Mommy that first day at preschool Dick and I took him to see her at work that evening.  How sweet are they???

Wednesday was another BIG day in our family!  Our granddaughter Sophie signed her letter of intention for Miami University, which was her first pick of the three Florida universities to which she had had official visits. We prayed and prayed that Miami would come through with a good offer for her, and they DID!!  Thank you, Lord!!

How quickly these grandchildren grow up!!  I love high school senior Sophie, but I also miss this curly-haired cutie!

Wednesday and Thursday were really good days for Elizer.  He got to preschool early enough for the first outdoor playtime, so he wasn't at all upset when I got there to pick him up.  He loves riding in the little "cars."  His teacher said they discovered a way for him to be willing to go inside at the end of playtime - he puts his car to bed, hahaha!!   The teacher posts pictures throughout the day for us to view.  We LOVE seeing them!!!  He'll be going three days a week, Tuesday through Thursday.  Destiny always works a very late shift on Mondays and has off on Fridays.  

Playing with Grandpa one evening.  

Always happy to see Mommy when she gets done working.  He's really into saying, "I lub you."  It's so precious!!

On Friday evening my birthday celebration continued!!  Lori, Anthony, and the boys brought me a cake and a beautiful planter!  We had cake and ice cream.  A carrot cake, my absolute favorite!!  And vanilla ice cream, which I always get.  But also coffee ice cream, also my absolute favorite!!  As always, we had some fun with singing "Happy Birthday."  We four adults love to harmonize.  I told them before they started singing that if they all start harmonizing I'm going to jump in on the melody and sing to myself, which is exactly what I had to do on the last part, haha!!  I told Dick he looked like he was worshiping, lol!!

Friday was a RAINY, windy day - our experience with the remnants of hurricane Nicole.  Before I went to bed that night I heard a roar in our valley.  I checked to make sure there was no tornado warning.  There was not, but it was really blowing out there.  I didn't capture the big gust right before I started this video.

On Saturday Dick and I drove to Lancaster for my cousin Jeff Myers's memorial service.  It was so good to see cousins.  It was even better to get a glimpse of the wonderful man Jeff was.  You may remember when I posted that he had been killed in a head-on collision with a drunk driver.  All his siblings shared their memories of him, as did his wife Barb and his daughter Michelle and a man from their small group at Worship Center.  So many tears and so much laughter as they shared.  I wish I had not missed seeing him at our last Myers family gathering in April to which we were unable to go.  The pictures below are ones I took during the slide show.  The middle left picture was taken at that Myers reunion.  It is Jeff with his siblings and in-laws.  They are such a wonderful family.  Their dad Paul was my mother's younger brother. 

There was a meal provided afterward which gave a lot of time for conversation.  I'm so glad we were able to go.

Look at these beautiful flowers at our church Sunday morning.  The bouquet on top was in honor of a 65th wedding anniversary, and the one on the bottom was in honor of a 60th wedding anniversary.  

On Sunday afternoon Dick and I drove to meet Alex at our usual half-way point to pick up Elizer from him.  Destiny had taken him there on Friday when she went to Lancaster for an appointment.   

The weather has changed!!  It was really cold on Sunday and is going to stay cold this whole week.  In fact they mention the "S" word in the weather forecast this morning.  I can't even think about it.  

I took these pictures as we drove yesterday.  

The sun on Mount Nittany.

The view as we head away from State College. 

Cold, winter clouds. 

All buckled in for the ride in the dark, boohoohoo!  Dark by 5:00.  But he was fine.  He's such a good traveler.  

He was cute and funny as always last evening and of course delighted to see Mommy when she got home from work.  But somehow I never thought to take any pictures.  

And now I gotta get on with my day and my week!  Have a good one!