Sophie loves having Grandpa push her on the swing at the park. 

The Haag family. 

All bathed and ready for bed. 

A special moment for Grandma. 

We just love watching Baby Einstein videos together. 

Sophie gets up to say goodby to us on Thursday morning. 

Jeremy stopped in to hang out with us after work Wednesday evening. 

It's warm outside!

I just had to write that title after looking at the title for my previous blog! Yesterday morning when we left for the Baltimore airport at 3:30 a.m. it was 16 degrees. We got down here to Tampa and it was in the 70's!

We had such a fun time with Sophie yesterday afternoon. We all just sat around on the floor of her bedroom for the longest time while she played and did funny things and became more and more daring, walking from person to person. It just looks so cute to see her walking. Also, for the very first time she got up from the floor without holding onto anything and started walking. She just loves books too, and it's so funny to listen to her "read". I think that watching how a child learns to talk is one of the most amazing things of all.

Later yesterday afternoon Jeremy took me to a section of Tampa called Hyde Park, where there are little shops, some older buildings, etc. He says it reminds him of Lancaster City. Then he took me to see the Art Institute of Tampa where he takes classes. Meanwhile Dick was here playing with Sophie some more and watching one of her Baby Einstein videos. In the evening we had some awesome food from a little barbeque place called Jazzy's and we watched American Idol. I wish I could watch it with them every week. Last evening they showed the final 12 girls singing and this evening they'll show the final 12 guys. There are two girls that are absolutely amazing. One is only 17 and her grandmother used to be in a singing group, and the other girl is only 16, and her mother has been her voice teacher.

I talked with Destiny and Melissa yesterday morning when we were driving to Lisa's house from the airport. Everything was going fine for them. There was no school yesterday, so they were going to be going to see the Curious George movie that just came out.

It's c-c-c-cold outside!!

It is COLD!!! This is the kind of bitter temperatures we didn't get most of this winter. I figured it was saving it up for later. I'm looking forward to a few days in warmer temperatures this week. Although, you can never tell. Jeremy called me last week one morning and said, "Can you hear what I'm doing?" I said I couldn't. He said, "I'm SCRAPING MY WINDSHIELD!! I don't have a scraper anymore! How far south do I have to move to get away from this stuff?!!" He said when he came out to his car that morning, there were several Spanish people standing there looking at their cars. Jeremy said to them, "You scrape it off!!"

I woke up this morning with a fierce headache that refused to leave all day until sometime this evening. My eyes hurt too. I took a nap this afternoon, then I spent about 4 hours this evening at school getting things ready for the person who will be subbing for me on Wednesday. It's getting harder and harder to get ready for a sub. I use so much technology in my classroom. Some songs are on my computer, some are in my digital piano, some are on C.D.'s. Trying to write instructions for all that stuff is tedious. I think I will call her and see if we can meet there sometime tomorrow so I can show her everything. Dick and Destiny went to visit his parents while I was at school this evening. He took them the picture of Wayne that was on Japheth's blog. Maybe we can soon convince them to get "connected"!

Speaking of technology, if you want a good laugh, get ahold of the most recent issue of the Reader's Digest and read the article, "Tech-ed Off" by Dave Barry. I was reading it in the bathroom yesterday morning when I first woke up, and it made me laugh right out loud. Dick was still in bed and wondered why in the world I was laughing in the bathroom!!

We have off school tomorrow for President's Day. I will be doing laundry, packing for us, getting Sunday's music ready, and packing Destiny's things along with instructions for her care. She'll be staying with Jim and Melissa Nolt, the couple who bought our house. Destiny just loves their family and can hardly wait to go. She's not even mad at us for going to Florida without her this time.

A successful surgery

My nephew Japheth and his little son Wayne are back home in Minnesota again. Wayne's eye surgery was successful, as the picture shows. It will get progressively better as the brain takes over and helps the eyes to work together. What a little cutie he is with that adorable smile. I think Japheth should get a Father of the Year award. His account of his experience really touched my heart this morning. He has a blogsite at japhethstauffer.blogspot.com.

The result of Wayne's successful surgery. (Inset is a before picture.) 

A heavy load right now

Every Friday at school I have my weekly hour-and-a-half practice with my middle school worship team. There is SO much to prepare for those practices - instrumental arrangements, choreography, memos to the parents about program dates, spiritual input. My prep time was really cut short this week because I had that grandparents thing with Destiny's class on Tuesday and a hair appointment Thursday morning. (Remember - I have a slo-o-ow hairdresser!) So I spent HOURS last evening and early this morning getting things ready for that practice today. I'm also getting the middle school chorus ready for the JR. High Festival in May, and the intermediate chorus ready to do a musical at our spring program in May. So it's feeling like a heavy load right now. We're going down to Tampa for 3 days next week, so I need to do a lot of prep for a sub to teach for me on Wednesday and for Destiny to stay at Jim and Melissa Nolts. And I have an ingrown toenail that is getting worse despite all the self treatments I've been trying. I think I'm too sleepy to write anymore. Things will look brighter in the morning.

My baby boy, 26 years later!

Happy Birthday, Jeremy!

Today is Jeremy's 26th birthday. He joked yesterday that he was going to call for a moment of silence at 7:30 p.m. last evening at work - that's the time my water broke and I knew for sure that the baby was on the way! I was sure I was going to have a Valentine's baby, but he waited 45 minutes too long!

That was 1980. Lisa had just turned 6 and was in kindergarten at Manheim Christian Day School. Anthony was 3 1/2. I was really into natural everything back in those days, so I was determined that I was going to have this baby at home. I liked my doctor a lot, but I told him that if he didn't want to do a home birth, I would go to the lady doctor in the area that was doing lots of home births. He agreed to do a home birth - his first one. So when my water broke at 7:30 p.m. we got busy cleaning up, preparing the birth chair, etc. I still remember how excited Lisa and Anthony were - they were even picking lint off the carpet! My friend Elta Nissley came to watch the children for me. The doctor's nurse came after a while, and around 10:30 the doctor came. At 12:45 Jeremy entered the world, safe and sound. Of course Lisa and Anthony had fallen asleep by then, but we woke them up to come over and see him. I had a big snack ready for Elta to serve to the doctor and nurse. Dr. Nicolazzo decided this home birth business wasn't too bad after all, and he did lots more after that!

Eventually everyone left and Dick and the children went to sleep. I don't think I did. I just remember sitting on my bed in the family room holding my precious newborn son, full of thanksgiving to God for a beautiful birth experience, and a beautiful, healthy baby. SUDDENLY there was a loud crash outside. We lived along Main Street in East Petersburg and there had been a car accident out front. It was 5:00 a.m. My family room door was just a few feet from the street and I was so afraid that because I had a light on, someone would knock on my door. Apparently someone else came to their aid, praise God!

An even crazier thing happened later that day. I had advertised draperies in the Bargain Counter that week. The day before I had a caller who was interested in them. We had agreed that she would come at 10 a.m. the following day. So between the time she called and came, I had had a baby! Can you imagine her shock when she came to look at the drapes and I showed her a baby that was less than 12 hours old!!

I was always very sentimental about everything. I remember how I always felt that I didn't want to ever forget any special moment. There was something in a Little House in the Prairie book that I used to always think about at times when I felt so happy, content, and fulfilled. "Laura thought to herself, 'This is now.' She was glad that the cozy house, and Pa and Ma and the firelight and the music, were now. They could not be forgotten, she thought, because now is now. It can never be a long time ago."

That's what I was thinking that night. But that special "now" was 26 years ago. I'm so glad I have a good memory. Jeremy, I love you even more "now".

Grandparents Day at MCDS Pre-school

Today Destiny's preschool class at Manheim Chistian had a special Grandparents Day. We did activities with our grandchildren, helped them to put their valentines in the proper bin for each classmate, then ate lunch with them. It was a lot of fun. Even though having me at school wasn't really anything special for Destiny, she acted like it was, bless her heart.

Destiny's best friend, Nick Elzer, with his grandma, Mim Snyder 

Destiny and I at the MCDS pre-school Grandparents Day 

Jonathon Heisey with his grandma, Miriam Heisey 

Valentine's Lunch with the grandparents 

Storytime with teacher, Mrs. Houser 

Sad news

I was very sad this morning when one of my students told me that Lucinda Dice, mentioned previously on one of my blogs, died on Saturday. Miki and I talked a long time on the phone yesterday afternoon, but I did not know at that time that Lucinda had died. Lucinda was such a beautiful, vivacious person. When Miki was a new Christian in high school, Lucinda was her cell group leader and personal discipler. She would challenge Miki to be a woman of God, and I believe she deserves a lot of the credit for the spiritual growth and passion for God that Miki experienced over those years. Thank you, Lord, for placing her in Miki's life at such a strategic time. I heard a rumor today that Lucinda possibly had a strep infection in the form of a cyst that burst. How scary that such a deadly thing could be lurking in one's body. Just as in my sister Janet's death last November, there are so many questions. Why would God take such a dynamic person from the body of Christ? Why would He take a mother away from her young children? She waited on God for a husband and a family, and now they no longer have her. There are no answers that we as human beings can understand. Her first baby daughter died at several months of age of SIDS, I think. At least it's nice to think that she is reunited with that little one.

Winter Wonderland

It started snowing yesterday afternoon, and it's still at it! I don't know how much we've gotten, but it looks like the table on the deck has even more snow on top of it than when we had 8 inches in December. Even the table that's under a roof, right outside our sliding glass door, has a good bit of snow on it. I must admit, it looks beautiful, as much as I hate driving in the stuff.

Most churches in the area are cancelled this morning. I feel sorry for the people working at the two local Christian radio stations. What a list of cancellations for them to read - even longer than on a school day.

Destiny loves to play "dress up". Yesterday she was a princess. I had to say "Your Majesty" when I talked to her! She is even learning to talk with a bit of a British accent! I think she picked that up from watching Parent Trap so many times the other weekend.

Your Majesty, Destiny Collazo 

Would you like breakfast at this table... 

...or this table? 

Talent show participants receiving their applause afterward. 

MCDS talent show

I've been fighting a sore throat yesterday and today - not a fun thing for a music teacher.

This evening we had a talent show at school, put on by the parent-teacher committee. It was delightful. We had two awesome solos - one by 4th grade Molly Groff and one by 6th grade Jamee Irby. There were a number of choreographed songs - including hulahoops, jump ropes, cartwheels, streamers. There were two little girls who did a tap dance and a kindergartener who did a ballet dance. Five kids who take Judo did an awesome demonstration. They are the only ones I did not get a picture of. I was so engrossed in the moves they were demonstrating that I completly forgot to take a picture! It was great to watch a show that I did not have to put together!

It sounds like we'll see some white stuff tomorrow. I'm almost in the mood for a big one, but it doesn't sound like it will be that. This will be the first snow we've had in two months! Actually, I'm more in the mood for some of that 50 degree stuff we've had off and on all winter.

Celebrating the goodness of God for 83 years

Destiny spent last night and today at her mommy's house since it was Enid's day off from work. Dick had to work at Advance Auto parts this evening. So after school today I went to Provident Bookstore to pick up an order, then I went to my dad's house. Today was his 83rd birthday. My sister Mary Ellen was there too. We had a lot of fun playing dominoes. Dad might be a nonresistant Mennonite preacher, but he's a pretty aggressive dominoes opponent!!

I picked Destiny up shortly after 8:00 this evening and she fell asleep almost instantly. Before she did, however, she started on one of her whining routines that she goes through several times a week. We'll be driving in the car and she suddenly thinks about Chuckie Cheese. She gets up all the creativity she can muster to con me in to taking her. If it were up to her we'd go there at least 3 times a week. Tonight her ploy was this: "We never spend time together doing fun things." I thought she's talking about her mommy, so I came to her defense and said how she probably has things to do at home on her day off and doesn't have time to take her places." She said, "I'm not talking about my mommy. I still love her, but I'm talking about you and me. We never spend time together and do fun things. It's always busy, busy, busy, and it gives me a headache." I cracked up laughing. She was sleeping a few minutes later. Other times she comes up with things like, "I have an idea. We should go somewhere and celebrate and just have a good time." It sounds like a novel idea, but it's one of her preludes to "We could go to Chuckie Cheese." What a girl! Some day she'll be a good salesperson like Jeremy!

Grandma and Grandpa - aren't they the cutest couple you ever saw? 

Grandma's looking at a picture of the new house they will soon move to at Gretna Springs. 

A good game of dominoes. (I'd rather play Scrabble!) 

Dad with two of his lucky daughters. 

Updates

There is good and bad news this evening. Ellen is recovering so well that they allowed her to go home this evening, a day earlier than planned. Doris says she has a cute little walker and a wheelchair. The Tylenol 3 is keeping her pain under control.

Wayne's surgery went well. They are staying in the hospital overnight. He has a patch over his eye, and of course, is trying to take it off, as any 10-month-old would do.

Lucinda Dice needs a miracle from God. Her major organs are shutting down and there is internal bleeding. Please pray. Her children are only 7 and 9 years old.

More drama

I forgot to mention that we had some drama around here today also. Ray called me last evening around 7 p.m. and said that he was having extreme pain in a tooth where a filling had come out some time ago. I told him to go to the drug store and get some pain medication. He works night shift, so I didn't know if he'd be fit to go to work or not. This morning he called shortly after 5:30. He said the four ibuprofen he took didn't touch the pain. He worked until he couldn't stand it anymore at 2:45, went to the drug store and got ambusol (sp) swabs, but that didn't do a thing for him either. He finally called our dentist office at 4:30 a.m. and the message gave a number to call in case of emergency. He called it and it was the dentist's home number. Bless her dear heart, she told him she'd take him at 8:30 when the office would open. When he called me he was going completely crazy with pain. He said he'd been laying down trying to sleep, just crying and praying for relief. He didn't see how he could survive until 8:30. He wanted to get a hammer and knock the tooth out by himself! I told him to come to our house a while - I just couldn't stand to think of him being alone with all that pain. Until he got here, I looked up some tips on the internet. It said to keep the head elevated and try an ice compress. I also found out that he hadn't taken anymore ibuprofen since last evening, so I gave him a combination of ibuprofen and tylenol. He held ice against it for a while. When it started to calm down he said he was starving, so I made him scrambled eggs. Eventually he fell asleep sitting up and I had to waken him when it was time for him to go to the dentist. She said he has an absess, which must be taken care of first, so she gave him prescriptions for an antibiotic and a stronger pain medication. He slept here sitting on the couch today and was in much better shape by this evening, praise God. At least it happened on a Tuesday morning when I only go to school at 9 instead of 7:30.

Show Yourself strong, Lord!

I haven't heard any word from Hershey about Ellen's surgery yet. I talked to Doris this morning and she said that she'll be staying there with Ellen until they come home on Thursday.

Wayne's eye surgery is scheduled for 4:00 a.m. our time. It will be 3:00 Wednesday afternoon over there. He is not to eat anything after 8:00 a.m until the surgery. That will be a very long day for a baby and a daddy. I pray the Lord will do a work of grace to help them get through.

Another urgent need is on my heart. This morning Lucinda Dice, who was a very close friend of Miki's when they were single young adults, was rushed to the hospital after collapsing at home. Her heart had stopped beating. She is in very critical condition. Lucinda's husband is the pastor of DOVE Christian Fellowship on Newport Rd. about 3 miles from here. They have two elementary age children.

Lord, so many people need you to show Yourself strong!

Japheth and Wayne 

Pray for little Wayne who will have eye surgery this week. 

Pray for Ellen as she goes through foot surgery and the long recovery afterward. 

Another child needs your prayers

I have another prayer request I should have thought of last evening, but didn't. My sister Doris has an 11-yr-old daughter Ellen who is going to Hershey Medical Center tomorrow for surgery on her foot. They will need to cut a bone to straighten her foot, also cut and reattach a tendon elsewhere, work on lowering her arch. It will be a very painful thing, and she needs to be in a cast for six weeks and not put any weight on it at all. They will be getting a wheel chair for her and either crutches or a walker. Ellen is a special needs child, so please pray for her and Doris's family. The surgery is not until 1:00 tomorrow, and Ellen is not allowed to eat or drink anything tomorrow before her surgery, so that in itself needs prayer.

I'll see if I can post pictures of Ellen and little Wayne (the baby getting eye surgery this week), so you know who you're praying for.

Super Bowl, super Dan

Well, it's the Super Bowl. I told Dick to let me know when Dan Kreider is playing, because he is the only one I really care about. He was one of the guys in Anthony's "gang" in high school and they remained good friends through college.

Today the youth worship team led us in worship. Our little church is so blessed with musical young people. We have four guitarists, a bass guitarist, a keyboardist, a saxophonist, and a trumpet (er, ist??) We've been without a drummer for several years, but we now have a young man who is practicing drums. I have such a feeling of satisfaction when I am able to sit in the congregation and see all those kids leading.

Ray just got his own apartment for the first time ever. This afternoon we took some things there for him and helped to clean it. When we moved we rented a storage unit to keep some things in it we thought he might be able to use when he gets his own place. We just took the small stuff so far - next Saturday we'll get a truck and move the furniture. For now he's sleeping on our air mattress. Yesterday morning I went to some garage sales and found some things for him too.

I don't think I ever mentioned that Krista and Pete's baby Natalia, who needed heart surgery, has been home a few weeks already and recovering just fine. Thank you, Jesus!. Now I have another relative's baby to ask prayer for. Dick's brother Bob has a son Japheth who has a son Wayne, 10 months old, who needs eye surgery to pull a muscle back. Japheth, who lives in northern Minnesota, is self employed and does not have medical insurance. The cost of the surgery was absolutely prohibitive for them. They have connections with people in Thailand where there are hospitals set up especially for English speaking people who come there for less expensive medical care. Most of the doctors have been trained in the US. The expected cost of surgery plus a round trip ticket to Thailand was less than half of the expected cost of DAY surgery here in the States!! So Japheth has taken his son to Thailand and he will be having the surgery this week. His wife Aimee is at home with their other three children. Another couple with a 13-year-old who needs surgery travelled with Japheth, and their two other daughters are staying with Aimee and her children. This is not easy for any of them, but it's what they believe is the right thing. I am lifting them to the Lord whenever they come to my mind.

Winter weather has returned and will apparently stay all week. Once again it was ushered in with wild weather last evening. We had torrential rain many times. When I drove home from the grocery store I had to stop several times because I could not see. Lisa said they had 10 inches of rain on Friday. Their pool overflowed!

Time to go watch Dan!

Friday morning blues

It was late to bed last night- I had so much music to prepare for the youth worship team at church, who will lead this coming Sunday, and for my school worship team. It was hard to get up this morning, especially with the lovely sound of rain on the roof. It felt really good to stay under the covers and listen to the rain. Oh well, tomorrow is Saturday, praise God.

"Blog fever"

The "blog fever" is catching! I just wrote last time that Anthony and Lori started a blog - scstauffers.blogspot.com. Just since then I got an email from my sister Rose, who lives in Powder Springs, Georgia with her husband and six children, that she started a blog also. Hers is at mommyrose.blogspot.com. One of these times I'll figure out how to add links to my site.

Last evening Lisa sent some pictures of Sophie. It is just so amazing how a child changes from a helpless little newborn in a year's time. Enjoy the comparison below.

Jeremy called last evening to tell me that he got a 98% on a big project he turned in last week - the highest in the class. Many of the others got C's. Good for you, Jeremy!!