A happening week!!

Time to catch up here again!  

As I showed you at the end of the last post, I had cleaned up the white furniture on our side porch.  On Thursday my project was cleaning the front porch.  I got a couple of new pillows for the rockers.  I'd had the previous ones for a number of years and they were faded. 

On Thursday I took food over to Anthony and Lori and got to see the rhododendrons again.  Definitely fading, but at least the sun was shining this time.  

When Dick got home from work that day he mowed our lawn and then took Elizer for his weekly ride around the neighborhood.  He came along with us to choir practice that evening.  He played in the nursery most of the time, but at some point he brought out a toy that has a tiny musical keyboard on it.  He also brought out a chair and situated himself at that tiny keyboard.  He was ready to accompany the choir!  Step over, Grandma, hahaha!!

While we were at practice Destiny was on her way to Reading to pick up her three younger sisters.  That's a 2.5 - 3 hour drive, depending who's driving, haha!  It would be late when she got back, so Elizer stayed here overnight.  

Friday morning I took him to daycare, then I went to Destiny's house to get the girls.  She had already left for work, but had "laid down the law" before she left, haha!  When I got there Jada had made sure they each had some cereal and were dressed.  

I brought them here for a while before heading out for the day.  Alaya went right to the piano.  V'anni had fun in the toy corner.  

Then I took them to Discovery Space - their first time there.  Dick and I have a grandparents membership and can take our grandchildren for free.  Believe me, we get our money's worth in a year's time!    The girls had so much fun!

From there we went to McDonalds drive-through and then to Starbucks at the Penn State library to see Destiny.  What a difference compared to the school year!  Almost no students there at all and only a few workers.  Destiny says it gets really boring.  So we livened things up for her!

Later we picked Elizer up at daycare, then went home and packed up for an evening at Bald Eagle Lake.  It was a REALLY HOT day.   Lori and the boys came too.  We had good time.

A gorgeous place!

That night V'anni and Alaya came here overnight.  Of course we were all dirty and sandy, so I filled up my big tup and they both got in to play for a while.  Then I washed their LONG hair!!  And combed it out afterward.  It reminded me of Destiny's long hair that I used to comb out every day when she was their age.  I texted her and told her I'm glad she has a boy, hahaha!  

On Saturday morning Destiny found out that Frank was going to be meeting her half way at lunch time so he could take Jada to her soft ball game.  So I kicked it into high gear and got myself and the girls ready to go.  I drove our whole bunch to meet Frank.  Dick was mowing over at Anthony's that day.  

We met at a Hardees and had lunch before the girls went home with their dad.  

On our way home we stopped at the Cove Barn, an antique/flea market place near Duncannon.  Destiny and I each found some bargains.  While we were so near Sammy and Bianca, I texted to see if we could meet up.  Imagine finding out that they were at Bianca's softball tournament just minutes from the Hardees where we had met Frank earlier!!

On Sunday morning Destiny and Elizer came to church.  Afterward we went to eat brunch with our group of church friends.  Then we went to meet someone at a Walmart about 45 minutes from here.  Destiny was buying something off Facebook Marketplace from someone.  Meanwhile we found out that Bianca's softball team had won their 10:00 am game and would be playing again at 3:00.  So when we left that Walmart we hit the road for the softball tournament.  

We sat with Sam and Steph.  Jenn was busy in the dugout, keeping the girls organized.  Sammy has apparently been tagged "team "brother."  He was often in the dugout helping the girls warm up before batting.  But when their team was in the outfield he played with Elizer.  Everybody loves Sammy!

It was hot in the sun, but not at all unbearable.  The temperature and humidity were much lower than on Friday.

The team they were playing against was the one they had played in the morning.  Bianca's team had to win this game or they would have yet another game that day!  It was SO close!  They were tie in the fifth (last) inning and Bianca's team was in.  There were girls on the bases when Bianca got up to bat. That's her in this picture.

Imagine the excitement when she hit that ball and her teammate made it to home base and they had won the game and the tournament!  I was so glad we were there for that!! We had not made it to any of her games this Spring.  Isn't this the greatest picture of her??

On Monday Elizer was here.  He doesn't go to daycare on Mondays.  He worked on his trucks and tractors.  We went for a walk and then went to the playground below our house.  He was thrilled by a cat that was actually being tame and friendly.  I cooked for Anthony and Lori while he napped and then took the food to their place.  Then I took Elizer to Destiny's place.  When I left he was having fun playing outside with his little neighbor girl.

And now I must tell you my "bad mom" story.  A few weeks ago Jeremy called and told me that he has a work event near Reading, PA on June 6.  I said, "If you're only three hours away, we're coming to see you!"  Then life got busy and I promptly forgot that I ever said that or that he was coming.  On Sunday evening after we'd gotten home from Bianca's tournament Jeremy called and said he was leaving on a Redeye that night.  I wondered where to.  He said, "Reading, don't you remember?"  No, I had not remembered!  Ugh!!  So that called for some quick plans to be made.  

On Monday Dick asked to take off work at noon on Tuesday, and they said he could.  Destiny gets off work just in time to pick up Elizer before daycare closes, so that was workable.

So on Tuesday Dick and I left at 1:00 and drove the three hours to Reading.  Jeremy's long-time friend Daryl Brubaker lives there and we met at his house.  It was quite a trip down memory lane as we drove on streets and passed houses that Destiny had lived in with her mom in years past.  Here's one of them.  They lived on the third floor, and we went up two long flights of stairs each time we picked her up and took her back home. 

Jeremy had gotten to Daryl's house right before we did and was standing on the porch finishing up a business call when we arrived. 

This is Daryl.  They met many years ago when they both worked at Martin's Flooring near Ephrata.  

We relaxed in Daryl's living room for several hours and talked and talked and talked!  It was the first we'd seen each other in person since last July!  We're hoping to be able to make the trip to Portland again in the next few months. 

We said our goodbyes and started the long drive home.  It took a lot longer than we had planned due to an accident.  We spent at least an hour just creeping along.  Thankfully neither of us had to go to the bathroom urgently, haha!

At least the sky was pretty, although we soon realized that it was the beginning of the haze from the fires in Canada.  We were able to smell fire!

Here are a few pictures the daycare teacher has posted on Elizer's portal recently.   He's really growing up.  Doing quite well with using the potty, dresses himself completely except for zippers, talks in complete sentences.  Just amazing!  He'll turn three in August.  

Out air quality is still unhealthy and the sky is hazy.  Is it keeping up cooler too?  We have just 60 degrees right now at noon!!  In June!  I hate it.  At least we have flowers!

That's all till next time!