Beautiful, beaming Heather. 

Lancaster - Lebanon County Chorus 

My favorite girl in the chorus - Heather Harley 

They're alive and well in Sweden

Today I finally had the chance to have a nice, long chat with Miki by phone. It's amazing how a phone call from such a distance is as clear as a bell. They recently added a new member to their family - a Jack Russell terrior puppy named Jaqueline, or Jackie for short. She's 9 weeks old now. Miki sent me pictures after we talked, so enjoy!

This evening I'm going to Solanco High School for the County Chorus concert. There are at least four of my former students in it this year. I'm going to drop Destiny off with Frank on my way there. Dick works at Advance Auto Parts on Saturday evenings, so I guess I'll go by myself. I was thinking I would ask my sister Mary Ellen to go along, but she went to a women's retreat this weekend. I wish Jeremy could go with me! When he was in County and District chorus and we went to the concerts, I used to think I had died and gone to heaven. It's just breath taking to hear 200 of the best high school singers all put together in one chorus. I can hardly wait.

A new playmate for Katrina and Bjorn. 

Bjorn snoozes with Jackie. 

Katrina relaxes with Jackie. 

Lindsey Stauffer, an amazing artist

Lindsey Stauffer is Dick's brother Jim's 21-year-old daughter. She is becoming quite an accomplished water color artist. Today she emailed me a picture of Destiny she had painted. She said she just sold the picture to a man who has two adopted daughters from Bolivia. He said the picture of Destiny reminds him of his daughters. Check out her work at lindseystauffer.artspan.com. Our favorite is the one she painted of Dick's dad playing the harmonica. All her pictures are so realistic it's really hard to imagine that they are not photographs.

Dick's mother was an artist. Her favorite medium was oil paint. None of her five sons took much interest in drawing or painting, but most of her grandchildren are very artistic, each in their own way. It's very interesting to see this strong trait develop. Even though she died in 1981, she lives on!

Lindsey Stauffer with Grandpa and the picture she painted of him. 

Lindsey Stauffer's painting of Destiny 

Merida and Isaiah with their new puppy 

Happy Birthday, Isaiah Kepnes!

Today my family is remembering this day six years ago. My sister Betty and her husband Scott were expecting their second child in March. However, there were complications and he was born two months early on January 12. I vividly remember my Dad's call that morning saying that things had reached a dangerous point and that the baby would be delivered that day. I cried out to God right there in my bedroom for Betty and Scott and their little daughter Merida, and for this tiny baby that would be coming too soon. When I got to school I shared my heavy heart with the staff during devotions, and we had special prayer there for them also. I'm sure everyone in my big family was praying that day. Isaiah was born, very tiny, but safely. I'll never forget seeing him for the first time at Easter that year (they live in New Hampshire), and I just couldn't get over how tiny he was then. I just can't imagine how much tinier he must have been at birth. Today Isaiah is in kindergarten, just like most other 6-year-olds. We thank God for Isaiah!

Isaiah and Destiny (October '04) 

Tastefully Simple and simply fun

This evening I went to a Tastefully Simple party. I never go to parties like that, because many years ago I decided I didn't have time for them in my life. But this one was an exception, because it was hosted by Melissa Nolt, my co-worker who bought our house. I really wanted the chance to go to that house as a guest for the first time ever. It was a strange feeling sitting there, looking around and reminiscing. But I didn't have a chance to get very sentimental, because we were having too much fun tasting things and laughing. There were four of us teachers there besides Melissa, and I'm afraid we were acting more like children than teachers.

Dick felt feverish when he went to bed last evening and he was ready to go to bed as soon as he was finished eating this evening. I helped Destiny to get ready for bed before I left and she watched a movie in our bedroom while he slept. She was still awake when I got home after 9. I guess we'll see how everyone feels in the morning.

A blessed, quiet weekend

This was a very quiet weekend for me - the first one in a very long time. I stayed home all day Saturday. The most exciting part of the day was when Jeremy called me three times from the Mario Frangoulis concert he was attending. I put my cell phone on speaker phone and got to hear some awesome singing.

Today we had fellowship meal after church. It's always so neat to have time to sit and talk and laugh with friends as we eat. If anyone ever knew Barry Herr, he's still as crazy as ever, maybe more! I took a good nap this afternoon while Dick watched football and Destiny watched a movie. This evening I got stuff done around here and plans made for things at school, so I feel ready for the week - the first time in a while, also.

I love new beginnings

I had a good day at school. I love when I can get started on new things. Middle school now starts working on songs for the Jr. High Choral Festival in May and Intermediate Chorus gets started on a musical for the spring program. I played part of the musical I picked and the kids LOVED it already. It's called King of the Jungle. I also had my first time with the Middle School worship team today. I shared what my heart is for worship and for the team, I had them answer questions on paper to get them thinking, I had them share some, then we watched some of the John Tesh at Red Rock DVD. It was a good time, and I feel encouraged.

After school Destiny and I got groceries and now I'm home and looking at a very non-eventful weekend. I hardly know how to act.

Anthony shows Destiny the tricks of his trade (software engineer). 

Bedtime story with Grandpa. 

One more thing done

I hurried home after school today to put supper in the over before Destiny's dance class at 4:00. As we were heading home, Enid called my cell phone and asked if she could have Destiny for the evening. I told her I'd bring her after the class was over. While at home I changed into my gym clothes and packed my school clothes, because I had a plan in mind. I got supper in the oven and we went to the gym. After we were finished I started to change back into my school clothes and discovered I had forgotten my pants. Rats! I was planning to go to Provident Bookstore right after I dropped Destiny off at Enid's. What to do? I took her there (she lives near Mount Joy), then remembered that there is a Goodwill store nearby. So I went there and bought pants and a sweater for a total of $7 and I was all set! I called Dick to tell him that his supper was all ready for him. He works at Advance Auto Parts on Wednesday evenings. So I had the luxury of spending all evening at Provident Bookstore looking at and listening to kids' musicals. It was wonderful. I picked one out for my spring program at school. Now I can cross that off my list of things to do. I went to pick Destiny up and she fell asleep on the way home, so I was able to sit down and eat a relaxed supper (a very late one, though). Now it's time to get some sleep.

Baby Natalia's surgery

I got a message from Dick's dad that baby Natalia's heart surgery was successful today, but that she will be a very sick baby for the next 24 hours. I think they expect it to be 3 weeks before she'll be able to go home.

My vacation is over (boo-hoo)

This was my last lazy day for a while, I guess. I really feel sad for Christmas vacation to be over. Below I posted a picture of Krista Stauffer holding her baby for the first time. Her heart surgery will be tomorrow. Also there are pictures of the Stauffers hanging out at Grandpa's house on Sunday.

Krista gets to hold her daughter Natalia for the first time. 

Some Stauffer women. 

"Grandma" Faye with Morgan. 

Watching New Years Day football at Grandpa Stauffers. 

Some members of the Jim Stauffer family. 

A whole lot of Stauffer guys. 

Watching New Years Day football at Grandpa Stauffers 

More food and family

On Saturday we made pig stomach for the first time. What an experience. Definitely not one for a vegetarian!! I had to wash, inside and out, the stomach, then soak it in salt water. Then I had to sew the one end shut. Thankgoodness I had some really strong upholstry thread and a big needle. We had made a mixture of loose sausage, diced potatoes, celery, onions, apples, seasoned with salt, pepper, marjoram, thyme, and parsley. Then Dick held the stomach like a bag while I filled it from the top with the sausage mixture. I had to sew the other end shut, then cook it in enough water to cover it for two hours. On Sunday I took it along to church and put it in the oven and baked it for 1 1/2 hours at 400 degrees, basting it with it's juices every so often. It really was delicious, believe it or not. So there, if anyone ever wants to try it - now you know how!!

We had a great time with the Stauffers Sunday afternoon. I don't have any pictures to post yet, because we left our camera at Dad Stauffer's house. Steve and Faye had some pictures of newborn Natalia. Please keep praying for her and her parents, Pete and Krista. The heart surgery is tomorrow. They finally got to hold her for the first time on Saturday.

In the evening we had some of our kids here - Anthony and Lori came down from State College, Sam and Jess from West Chester, Frank came and brought Danielle and J'von along. Ray missed it. He called about 9 p.m. and had just woken up. Too much New Years Eve, I guess. I wasn't exactly delighted. I had made chili, and we had what we call Mexican Pile-up. Later we had chocolate fondue with all kinds of things to dip into it - strawberries, marochino cherries, bananas, pretzels, graham crackers, marshmallows... It was really yummy. I posted pictures below that Anthony took with his camera.

So this is our last day of vacation. Anthony and Lori are staying here until tomorrow, so we'll have a good day together.

Our 34th New Year as husband and wife. (too busy eating to smile!!) 

Play doh was almost as much fun as the fondue. 

Destiny in the beautiful outfit from her daddy. 

Chocolate fondue - the favorite part of our Christmas tradition. 

J'von finds something else to do! 

J'von with one of his gifts. (Destiny looks like she's praising the Lord!!) 

Computer issues

I had a very irritating problem today. I recently discovered that our new computer does not have Microsoft Works on it. Today I needed my address labels for the annual letter and picture I'm preparing to send out. But those labels were done in Works. Anthony told me to email the file to him and he would convert it over to Word and send it back to me. That worked just fine. However, it was just one of three pages that I knew I had had. There was absolutlely no sign of the other two files anywhere. So this evening we got our old computer out and, praise God, there they were. I resaved them as Word files and saved them onto a disk. So all is well that ends well, I guess. But I must confess I shed some tears over it. I stupidly did not have those names and addresses anywhere else. I guess I've learned a lesson.

This afternoon I went to Hilltop Acres to buy a pig stomach! We're going to Dick's dad's place on Sunday for the family get-together. We're each bringing a stuffed pig stomach. This will be a first for me. I guess we'll line our pig stomachs up and see who's is the biggest or nicest looking or tastiest or whatever!!