They got the whole student body involved in their music. 

Middle School Chorus practicing for our Christmas musical. 

A good anniversary evening

Below are pictures from our anniversary evening. We spent a little bit of time at Dick's parents to get to see Dick's nephew Japheth Stauffer and his family who were stopping in enroute from a week with her family in Virginia back to their home in Minnesota. Japheth and Aimee have five adorable little children.

Then we took Destiny to my friend Rose's house and went to Olive Garden with John and Elaine Nissley. I think we two couples could spend a week together and still not be finished talking. Dick and John grew up together as neighbor boys. Elaine and I grew up together at Manheim Christian Day School and Lancaster Mennonite. When we two couples began dating we had so many fun times together. When our children were young we spent a lot of time together, but as they've grown up and we've both become busy with life, we need to schedule events in order to have time to catch up with each other. It's a really neat thing to be still be friends with someone we have been close to since childhood. Thank you, John and Elaine, for a very special evening together!

Japheth and Aimee Stauffer with their daughter Loraine. 

Three handsome little Stauffer boys - Japheth, Jeremiah, and Wayne. 

Baby Jaden thought Uncle Dick was the funniest guy ever. The giggles just rolled out of him! 

Dick's dad and stepmother. Aren't they a good looking couple? 

John and Elaine Nissley, who were our maid of honor and best man at our wedding 35 years ago, took us to Olive Garden. We had a wonderful time catching up on each others' lives. 

Sorry Dick had his eyes closed. I guess he was feeling so blissful with his stomach full of Chicken Marsala and having me in his arms!! 

A tragic day

It's hard to concentrate as I do this post today. In the background the TV is on with the horrible unfolding of the shooting that took place in a one-room Amish school here in Lancaster County today. Someone called our school around noon today to tell us what had just taken place. I happened to be in the office copying worksheets at the time. After that I had to go and begin my afternoon classes and had no chance to find out more. Would you believe how I got an update on the situation? Our daugther Miki from Sweden called our school and the secretary put her through to my room. She had already seen it on the news in Sweden and was the one who told me that some students had died. How bizarre. And how dreadfully tragic as we learn more about the actual events that took place in that school.

Yesterday afternoon we went to Anthony and Lori's place in State College. We hung out there for a while. In the evening we went to their church fellowship hall for a celebration of Anthony's 30th birthday. As we were leaving their house it was raining as the sun shone. There was the most brilliant rainbow I have ever seen, in fact it was a double rainbow.

The most fun of the evening was when I played a cassette tape of Anthony singing "Blow the Trumpet in Zion" when he was around 5 years old. As he reached the chorus, he shifted into his high head voice, then proceeded to sing the chorus over and over, raising the key every time. Everyone just howled laughing.

I gotta go. We're stopping in at Dick's parents' place to see Dick's nephew Japheth and his family, who are visiting from Minnesota. Then we're taking Destiny to my friend Rose from church, because we're going out to eat with John and Elaine Nissley who were our attendants at our wedding 35 years ago today.

Anthony with his wife Lori, who planned the 30th birthday party for him. 

The one end of the rainbow. Notice the double rainbow. 

The middle of the rainbow. 

The other end of the rainbow. 

I got this cake at Kreiders Dairy Farm Restaurant. 

The 30-year-old "birthday boy". 

The birthday "boy" and his parents. 

Some friends of Anthony and Lori who came to the party. 

More friends. 

More friends. 

More friends. 

More friends. 

Destiny "reads" to her friend. 

An adorable baby boy. 

A handsome little boy. 

A cute baby girl. 

35 Years

Today we are married 35 years. Amazing. I remember vividly almost every detail of that wedding day. Don't worry, I won't bore you with them!!

I have pictures to post from Anthony's birthday party last evening, but they will have to wait until after school.

This evening we will be eating out with John and Elaine Nissley, who were our attendants at our wedding.

The bride and groom, October 2, 1971.