Family photos

Enid with Shalimar and Destiny (her daughter Keshila was not able to come this evening.)

Frank, Destiny, and Enid.

Frank with his three children, plus Abby's daughter Jaylah.

Frank with his three children, Destiny, Adrias, and J'von.

Tiny little Adrias didn't even know he was at Chuck E Cheese for the first time in his life. He just slept through it all! I did give him a bottle one time and he gave me a BIG burp afterward. I couldn't believe such a little thing could burp that loudly!

Not enough hours

This day just didn't have enough hours in it. I went to Cindy's house for prayer meeting this morning, then got to school just 15 minutes before my first class. I had classes the rest of the day, then my hair appointment, which lasted two hours, then I hurried home to eat some leftovers, then back to school for the Back to School Night. I cut out of there before it was over so I could get to the Berean Christian Bookstore before they closed at 9. I had an order of music to pick up and I wanted to pick out a music box to give Destiny for her birthday. Every time we go there she wants to play them and begs me to get her one. So now she'll finally have one. I got one that has an angel kneeling beside a child's bed. Then I went to Walmart and got her a Junior Scrabble game and Jumbo Dominoes. I should have done our laundry this evening, but it will have to wait for the weekend.

I have to tell this funny story. There's a new stylist at my hair dresser's. She used to be one of my students, an absolutely adorable girl. Her family lived in a lovely home out in the country where they burned their own trash and never used trash service. Today she had some down time and asked if there was anything she could do till her next customer came. One of the owners told her she could take the trash to the curb since tomorrow morning is trash day. They had four big trash containers with several trash bags in each. She proceeded to take the trash bags out of the containers, carrying them individually to the curb. So instead of four big containers sitting at the curb there were about 25 trash bags!! When they saw what she did they just howled laughing! She had to put them all back into the containers again. That's what she was doing as I arrived today. She will never hear the end of it! It was so cute when she said, "Well, I didn't know. I didn't grow up in the city." (As though Manheim is a city!!) She was such a good sport about it and laughed right along. I enjoyed chatting with her and catching up on her life while I was there today.

Doctor appointment and a workout

I left school early today to go pick up Destiny for a doctor appointment. Enid told me at the end of last week that her teacher requested it because of her classroom behavior issues. The school is also going to be providing her a counselor, which is very, very necessary. I had a nice talk with her teacher by phone today, and she will also be calling Destiny's kindergarten teacher at our school to get some insights on things that worked and didn't work last year. The teacher sent a letter along with Destiny today for the doctor to read. It was also helpful to him that I knew the issues from the past two years of school. He's going to start her on a low dose of Ritalin to help her to better focus and control her impulses, and we'll take it from there.

After the doctor visit we went to the gym and I got in a really good workout for the first time in a while. I would really like to be able to get there four times a week, but oh my..... Life has a way of getting in the way!

I finally have a hair appointment after school tomorrow. I usually go every six weeks, but for some reason it's seven this time, and I feel like a shaggy dog. Then in the evening we have Back to School Night, so no gym tomorrow. And Friday is Destiny's 7th birthday and we'll celebrate it at Chuck E. Cheese, so no gym that day. Hmmmm. I think I'd better get some sleep.

You Make Me Smile

Tonja passed on the above award to me today. I'm glad I make her smile, because she makes me smile a lot. In fact she usually makes me laugh out loud, except when she makes me cry!!

I do love to make people smile and laugh so I'm going to pass on a story I read on my blog from last September. This story occurred on Labor Day Sunday last year. We were planning to travel to hear our son Anthony's band. My sister Mary Ellen decided to go along and we also found out that Anthony's wife was returning from a conference in Washington D.C. and her driver would be taking her to Harrisburg where we would meet her. Suddenly we were in a very big rush to leave. And here's what I wrote last year:
I must add this funny little story to the events of our day. In our haste to leave early enough to meet Lori in Harrisburg, we decided to meet my sister Mary Ellen at Erb Mennonite Church, instead of waiting till she got to our house. We approached the church from opposite directions at exactly the same time. She grabbed her cell phone, pressed the number for "Jean" (or so she thought), and upon hearing the "Hello," said, "Hey, open your trunk and I'll put my things in it quick." The person on the other end of the line said, "Where ARE you?" Lo and behold, she realized she was had not dialed me, but her friend Jan in Mobile, Alabama! Jan recognized Mary Ellen's voice telling her to open her trunk quick!! I could hardly stop laughing when Mary Ellen told me that. It still makes me giggle every time I think about it!

There - I hope that made you smile! And I pass this award on to Tracey and Dianne.

Six years ago

So tomorrow is 9/11. And a Tuesday. What a horrible memory that day is. I'm sure no one will forget where they were when they learned what was happening. I was at school, but not having any classes till later in the day. In the hall one of the teachers told me about the first attack and the Pentagon. A parent had called the school to let us know. I went to my room and turned my radio on. I listened in horror as the newscasters screamed as they watched the second plane fly into the other tower and the first tower come down. I was quite sure this was the beginning of the end and I immediately started calling our children and Dick with my cell phone. After a while a TV was set up in the office and we teachers took little breaks from our classes to go up there and watch in dreadful silence and tears as the other tower came down and people fled across the bridge. We dismissed school at lunch, no one knowing what else might still occur.

That day we went from watching the most horrible images on TV that we had ever witnessed to one of the most beautiful - government officials standing on the steps of the capital in D.C. singing God Bless America. Not one person criticized them for that on such a day. We all knew we needed God that day.

If only we could keep remembering that without needing the pain and suffering that drives us to Him.

Did the Doctor Bring a Baby??

DID THE DOCTOR BRING A BABY??

In the summer of 1957 I was five-and-one-half years old and already had two younger sisters, two older sisters, and an older brother. I did not know that another baby was soon to join our family, because such things were not discussed with five-year-olds back in those days. I never noticed that my mother's belly was getting bigger, and maybe it wasn't. (She used to say that a month before I was born people still did not realize she was pregnant!!) I did, however, notice that she had two new outfits that were completely unlike anything she had ever worn before. Instead of the traditional Mennonite cape dress that she had always worn, she had a SKIRT and two smock tops, one a flowered print, and one a formal-looking navy blue. I thought she looked so beautiful in that navy blue outfit.

One Sunday afternoon my parents wanted to attend a local tent meeting. For some reason they decided to take just me along. Perhaps they thought I needed it the most then already!! I felt wonderfully special, like I was an only child. As we sat in our seats under the tent, a little girl I knew looked back at us from her seat in the row in front of us. I thought, "I bet she wishes her mom had a pretty outfit like my mom does!!" (I did need that tent meeting, didn't I?? Such vain thoughts at age five!!)

September 8th was a Sunday that year. I was awakened before dawn by voices in my parents' bedroom. I lay there listening, wondering what was going on. I heard someone go down the stairs, then after a while I heard people coming up the stairs. I recognized our family doctor's voice. I wondered what was wrong. For some reason I never did get out of bed to go ask. Eventually I heard a baby's cry. The doctor must have brought us a baby!!! I was so excited! I honestly did NOT know where babies came from, and I pictured a huge room at the hospital where babies were kept. I just couldn't figure out how they kept them from growing before people got them!

When I heard voices in the hall, I got up and went out. It was my older siblings. They told me that Mamma had had a baby girl. We stood out there and talked as we awaited our chance to go into the room to see her. My brother said in all his 11-year-old wisdom, "Well, Mamma won't need to wear those dresses anymore." I couldn't believe it. "Why not?" I exclaimed. "She looked so pretty in them." I think he tried to come up with some kind of lame answer, but I can't remember what it was!

We finally were ushered into my parents' bedroom and got to meet little Betty. It was love at first sight for me. I had been too young to enjoy Doris and Barb when they were babies, but now I could really have fun with Betty. And I did.

For some reason I felt a special need to take care of her. When she was big enough to outgrow her crib she became my sleeping partner. Every night I would hug her and tell her stories before we went to sleep. When she faced a difficult transition to public junior high school I took it upon myself to make three new outfits for her.

Betty has gone on to become a teacher and administrator, a wife and mother (after age 40!) and her name has changed to Elizabeth. But to us she's still Betty! Her warm, caring, funny, vivacious personality makes her a delight to be with. When they come to the area for family events they usually stay at our house and we enjoy having them here so very much. I'm so glad God brought Betty to our family 50 years ago. We love you, Betty!

Happy Birthday, Betty!

A young 80-year-old!

Today we went to an 80th birthday celebration for my sweet and funny stepmother, Mary. What a woman! She's the kind that makes you look forward to being 80! Here she is (on the left) talking with a friend she has had since they were 16 years of age!

Later on another main attraction arrived at the party - Paityn Lily Smith, my niece Marcy's newborn baby. We were all so delighted to get a chance to hold and cuddle this sweet little bundle.

My dad and Mary with their newest greatgrandchild.

And here are the proud parents, Scott and Marcy, with their sweet, little bundle of joy. They just glow with pride!

Before we left I wanted to get a picture of Mary with her boys. One of them, Lester (pastor of Petra Christian Fellowship) had already left, but the other five were still there. In one picture taking session I could easily see why Mary has developed such a quick-witted sense of humor - it was sheer survival in raising these six sons of hers! They had me laughing so hard I can't believe these pictures aren't blurred. First they were reaching front and acting like they were giving her a face lift. Then another sneaked his hand front and pulled her skirt up so her slip showed a little bit!

Finally, she shook her finger at these boys of hers and told them to behave themselves!

Ah, just look how mature and angelic they can actually make themselves look!!

Congratulations, Lori and Jim!!

This evening we received the happy news via email that my sweet neice Lori is engaged to be married. In the past six years she has had to walk through some of the deepest valleys of anyone I know - colon cancer which resulted in radical surgery, the shocking unfaithfulness of her pastor husband which resulted in divorce, and then her mother's sudden death (my sister Janet). Through it all, in spite of it all, maybe because of it all, Lori has blossomed into a woman of incredible trust in God. She is an amazing person, absolutely beautiful inside and out.

She said that Jim had the setting for his proposal all planned out. He had already discussed it with Lori's dad Elvin and brother Scott a few weeks ago when they were together before Elvin and Pauline's wedding. He also told Lori's two children that he was planning to ask her to marry him. And last evening he popped the question right in the presence of her children! Isn't that the neatest thing?

And here's the funny part. Before Lori was married her name was Lori Peifer. Then when she got married she became Lori Harris. Now she's engaged to a man named Jim Peifer!! So she will once again become Lori Peifer! She jokingly said she is considering a hyphenated last name: Lori Peifer-Harris-Peifer!!

Family from Minnesota

We had our first Friday of the school year today. It is my fullest teaching day, but it was okay. We are having an extreme heatwave, but the air conditioner in my classroom works pretty well. I remember how dreadful it was in my room before I had the AC. There is black pavement right outside my windows and it would be like having a furnace right at my open windows. Almost unbearable.

After school today I went to Lancaster to pick up Destiny for the weekend. We went to Dick's parents for supper. His dad made barbecued chicken over an open fire - so delicious. Dick's brother Bob and family were there from northern Minnesota. We had a wonderful evening together. Bob is a pastor and a very gifted cabinet maker. He and Dick are only 11 months apart in age, so each year Bob catches up to Dick for one month, then Dick pulls ahead again, ha, ha!!

Pictured, left to right, are Dick, Bob's daughter Juanita, Dick's stepmother and Dad, Bob's wife Doris, and Bob. Their other daughter Judy was outside with Destiny when I took this picture. They also have two married sons and six grandchildren in Minnesota.

D. James Kennedy

I heard on the news last evening that D. James Kennedy, pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, died. I have heard his sermons many times on radio and TV, but the main thing I think of when I hear his name is Evangelism Explosion, a course which he started. When Dick and I were newlyweds there was a man in our congregation who was a very enthusiastic evangelist. He held classes to teach the principles of Kennedy's Evangelism Explosion, and Dick and I got involved right away. We often went door to door with him, and we also got very involved in discipling a young couple who were new believers. How well I remember the classic question, "If you were to die tonight and God would ask you 'Why should I let you into heaven,' what would your answer be?" How many folks would say that they'd tried to do their best, or they tried to obey the ten commandments, etc! But the wonderful truth is that ONLY the blood of Jesus Christ covering our sin is the reason we will be able to enter Heaven when that time comes. It's all about HIM and the terrible price He paid for our FREE salvation! D. James Kennedy helped many thousands of people to clearly understand that and to be able to share it with others. I'm sure God said, "Well done, good and faithful servant" when he met the Lord face to face yesterday.

An accidental power nap!

I thought I felt pretty caught up in my sleep when I woke up this morning. I went to bed at 9:30 last evening and got almost 8 hours of sleep. But after my last class this afternoon I was sooo sleepy. I didn't have a class last period, so I sat in my chair and put my head back and closed my eyes. The window air conditioner was humming away and I thought it seemed like I was in an airplane. The next thing I knew I looked at my watch and it was 2:50 - 20 minutes after dismissal, and I am the teacher that's in charge of watching for the various buses and making sure kids get on them, etc. I ran up to the main hall and there were just a few kids left. I asked the secretary if everything had gone alright, and she didn't know what I was talking about. It seems no one even noticed I was missing!!! Now why do I go to all the trouble I do every day? Apparently the kids can do it without me. I could be getting a little power nap every day!

It's good I had that nap. I had called Enid today to see if I could have Destiny this evening since we didn't have her this weekend. Because I had taught a piano lesson after school it was major rush hour by the time I drove to Lancaster to pick her up. It took a very long time until we were finally home. If I had been sleepy that would have been bad.

I took her to the local park this evening. The weather was just perfect.

Our Pensacola trip diary

On Saturday morning we left home EARLY for the Philadelphia International Airport. Our flight left on time - 6:15 AM and I was asleep before we ever left the ground! We had a four-hour layover in Atlanta. I decided to buy a book, and got a paperback novel by Nicholas Sparks, At First Sight. I have not read a novel, just for the pleasure of it, for years! I read inspirational books, magazines, the Bible, and blogs, but I just never read for pleasure anymore. But my nose was buried in that book till it was finished. It was a really, really good book and helped the time to pass quickly.

When we got off our plane in Pensacola and started following the baggage pick-up signs, Dick suddenly said, "There he is!" I could not see him for the life of me. But that's because I wasn't looking for such an official-looking sailor! He had gotten a taxi ride to the airport. Wow, my heart just melted when I saw him looking so fine. But I found out there are rules of decorum for sailors when they are dressed in their official clothes - no long, mushy hugs, for one thing!! Just one hug! And then he was back to his serious, official military bearing!

After picking up our bags and getting our rental car, complete with a much-needed GPS system, we went to our hotel near the Naval base, Ashton Inn and Suites. I had brought a cooler in my luggage with sweet bologna and cheese. I walked to a nearby store for bread, chips, and a few other things, and we had lunch in our hotel room. Ray hadn't had sweet bologna since he left in May and said it was the best meal he'd had since joining the Navy!!

When I returned from the store, this is what I saw! My handsome sailor carefully ironing the shirt he was planning to change into, neat creases and all! He irons his clothes and shines his shoes every night!! Truly, wonders never cease!

After Ray changed into civilian clothes we headed down to the Naval base to see Ray's world.

This was our first sight of the bay as we drove across the bridge into the Naval Air Station.

Ray showed us where he eats, goes to class, and the barracks where he lives (the outside of the buildings only.) He said that I was not allowed to take pictures of the buildings, much to my disappointment. We walked out to the beach and had fun watching fish jumping out of the water. I've never seen anything like it! Then we went to a food court where the sailors and their visitors can hang out. We got sodas and talked for a long time.

After that we drove to the Cordova Mall. Ray's wedding band was too small, so we dropped it off at a jeweler to be resized, then walked through the mall. Ray was just so glad to have the chance to get off the base and do something "normal". He has such a great sense of humor and was so much fun to be with. We also got used to having conversations with Thyda too. They have cell phones on the same plan and keep in touch many, many times a day. I felt so sorry for her, because I knew she just longed to be there with us (and him, of course!!) in person.

Dick and I were so sleepy by then, so we took Ray back to the base and went to our hotel. Only after we were back did I realize that I had not set my watch to the time change and it was only 9:00 instead of 10:00!

We picked Ray up at the base in the morning and went to Ihop for breakfast. Ray LOVES to eat and he makes quite a production out of a good meal! He ordered the steak and eggs with a stack of pancakes on the side. Dick's delicious looking omelet and pancakes are also pictured below.

After taking a long time to eat breakfast we tried to decide how to spend the time until I would meet my blogging friends at 3:00. Ray really wanted to drive to Perdido Key State Park. I didn't think I wanted to go in the water and get all sandy and wet, because then I would have to shower and do my hair all over again. But I thought it would be okay to go just to see the beach. Well, that was a big mistake. It was the most awesome beach I have ever seen!! The sand was so fine and white, the water was so clean it looked like drinking water! And it was HOT in the 90 degree humidity.

At first we stood at the edge and got our feet wet. Here's Ray being his crazy self with his shorts pulled high above his waist!

Finally I didn't care anymore - I just had to go in. And that's just what I did. Fully clothed and in my right mind, I waded out and out and out and finally got in the water up to my shoulders. It felt sooo good - that is, until I got out of the water!! Thankfully Ray's raincoat was in the car, for whatever reason, and I was able to sit on that on the way back to our hotel!

After getting rid of my wet, sandy clothes, showering, and "sprucing" myself up again, Dick and Ray took me to the Crowne Plaza Hotel where my southern blogging friends, Kat from Destin, FL and Tonja from Dothan, AL, were staying. We instantly recognized each other in the lobby! We took time for pictures before Dick and Ray left for the beach.

Do we look a little bit happy to be together, or what??!!

They were so kind and took a picture of us with Ray - the only one we have from the weekend.

Here we are, hanging out in the bar of the hotel - just a little bit high from our cherry cokes!! I think we hung out here for about the first two hours or so. They had almost gotten used to my Pennsylvania Dutch (oh, how I hate to admit that!) accent and I to their southern drawl by the time we left here!

As our stomachs began growling, we decided it was time to head over to Carrabbas next door, where they kindly gave us a corner booth. Just like school girls, we all ordered the exact same meal. But lest anyone should think that we all bowed to peer pressure, the fact is that we all are trying very hard to eat more healthfully, and the meal we ordered fit our needs to the T. I can't remember what it was called, but it was grilled chicken with sun dried tomatoes and goat cheese on top, with a side of brocolli mixed with green peppers and onions. We were so incredibly good that we hardly even ate any of the delicious crusty bread we were given! We continued to talk between bites of food and long after we were finished.

After three hours or so we thought maybe we should let someone else have our table, so we left to go back to the hotel. I discovered to my dismay that I had apparently left my camera on the table, so we headed right back to Carrabbas, and they had it waiting for me, thankgoodness!!

Probably the deepest, most meaningful sharing of the evening occurred as we sat in the lovely lobby of the hotel. I love these ladies. They are true friends with the love of the Lord overflowing from their hearts. How amazing that such a heartfelt bond can be created through blogging. I know that none of us ever imagined such a thing when we first got started, as I know many of you bloggers can attest to.

Dick came to pick me up around 9:30 (I think) and we said our goodbyes.

On Monday morning, after getting packed up and saying my final good-byes to Kat and Tonja when they called me, Dick and I picked Ray up at the base, took him for one more breakfast at Ihop, then to the Cordova Mall to pick up his wedding band, and back to the base. Here he is, ever the clown, saying his good-byes - "Peace out." (Oops, don't look at those buildings in the background. I wasn't supposed to take pictures of them, and now I'm posting them on my blog!)


It had started to rain when we took him back. After we left, there was an absolutely TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR - almost too heavy to keep driving. But by the time we got to the airport it had stopped.

Our flights were both on time, but again we had a long layover in Atlanta. I got some lesson plans made, then bought another Nicholas Sparks paperback, A Walk to Remember, and read a good bit of it by the time we got to Philadelphia. (Man, does he make the women die in all his books??) It took too long for our long term parking shuttle to pick us up and when we finally reached our car at 11:30 PM, IT WOULDN'T START!! I had visions of sitting for an hour as we waited for AAA. But, my wonderful mechanic husband discovered that our starter had a loose connection which he knew how to temporarily fix, and when he told me to turn the key, it started! Praise God and thank you, Dick!! We listened to Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir very loudly all the way home to stay awake. We were sooo glad for our good bed, and so sorry when the alarm clock woke us up this morning!

We're home

We just got home. It will be a very short night. Hopefully I'll find time to post a full account, including pictures, of our weekend after school tomorrow.

A six-hour talk fest!

What an evening!! At 3:00 this afternoon I got together with blogging friends Kat and Tonja, and we spent the next SIX hours TALKING non-stop! (Well, occasionally we stopped to put some food in our mouths!) I'm just using our hotel's computer, so I can't share any pictures yet. I'm sure either Kat (Justabeachkat) or Tonja (Gatherings) will probably beat me to it, so just check out their blogs on my sidebar. We were sorry that it did not work out for Tracey and Dianne to meet with us as we had hoped, but really, when would there have been any time for them to talk? (Just kidding!!) We actually did get a phone call from Tracey and each took a turn talking with her. What a totally fun, meaningful, wonderful time we had together. I love you, Kat and Tonja!

While I did my girl thing, Dick and Ray went to Pensacola Beach and ate supper at Hemmingways.

Tomorrow morning we'll spend some more time with Ray, then we fly home. It will be VERY late when we get home tomorrow night, and then Tuesday morning we both go back to work.

I found a computer!!

Woo-hoo! I discovered that our hotel has a "business center" - a tiny room with one computer that we may use! We had a FUN day with Ray yesterday. Wait till you see what he looked like in his "dress whites" when we got to the airport. I was SOO proud to be his mother as we walked through the airport and heads turned!!

And yes, Cheryl, we did go to Cordova Mall last evening. This morning we are picking him up and going to Ihop for breakfast. Gotta run!

We're off to Pensacola

We're ready to leave for the Philadelphia Airport at this crazy hour. We have a very early flight and need to park our car in a remote parking lot first!

I'll be computerless until late Monday night. Bye, bye.