Everyone was having a good time, whether sitting on the floor...

....dancing in the family room,

or visiting on the deck.

In addition to Lori's mom, her sister Andrea (on the left) and two of Lori's life-long friends came from New York City on Saturday. I had so much fun with these girls. Bless their hearts, they had to make the five-hour drive back to NYC last evening because they each had to be back at work today. True friends, indeed.

I tried to get a picture of Lori with her mom and sister, but Lori was in the mood for being the pesty little sister.

By the time we got to this shot I think her mom was saying, "Now Lori Ann, behave yourself."

Austin with his other Grandma Jean. She discovered that he loves her little Jamaican rhymes and rythms.

Eventually everyone left and there was nothing but the clean up. Yikes! There was still a lot of food to decide what to do with, but Anthony and I got it figured out. We left around 8:00 with full bellies and warm hearts. It was a truly wonderful day.

A good Saturday

My sister Mary Ellen and I made plans for her to come here for a cookout this evening. That was just the motivation I needed to give my house a good cleaning today, even the deck and porch furniture.

In my favorite fashion, I listed every cleaning chore, room by room, etc, and gave myself a time limit for each. I started doing that many years ago when I was in charge of my younger sisters and the Saturday cleaning. I also did it that way with my kids, especially Lisa. And now when I want Destiny to do chores for me, she says, "Write me a list first."

I had a nice time catching up with Mary Ellen this evening. She brought a delicious rhubarb dessert she had made. Dick grilled some scrumptious hamburgers. She and I reminisced over her lovely wedding album. Today would have been her 11th wedding anniversary. That was such a tremendously happy day for our family, a dream come true, we thought. Unfortunately, Mary Ellen has had to walk through the bitter valley of heart break and divorce. But she's a survivor, and has moved on to become a tremendous blessing to so many, especially our family. She goes to great lengths to keep our family connected to each other. We love you, Mary Ellen!

Tomorrow morning we will head out early for State College. There will be a baby dedication for Austin at church and then a cookout at Anthony and Lori's afterward.

Bargains

I took a day off from my classroom. This morning I took my dad and stepmother to see Dad's neurologist. It was nice to have time to be with them.

This afternoon Dick planted the flowers I bought last evening. This evening we went to Pizza Hut and then to the mall to make use of some of the great coupons for Father's Day. We saved so much money we should go shopping again with all that money we didn't spend this evening, ha, ha! Seriously! At Penneys we got him two St. John's Bay polo shirts, regularly priced at $26, now on sale for $9.99, and we had a $10 coupon!! At Kohls we had a 30% off coupon and got him a shirt that was already 60% off on a clearance rack. I got Destiny the cutest pink sandals, regularly $25, on sale for $12.50, then 30% off that! Really, they might as well give their stuff away. Do they ever sell anything at its regular price, or are those prices just put there to make us feel like we're getting a bargain?

Getting closer

It's a good thing my classroom is on the lower level. Otherwise I'm afraid it would soon start rising into the air for lack of enough things to hold it down. WHY did I keep EVERYTHING I ever used for sixteen years???

I'm soon finished with my classroom - just have to clean my stuff out of my two computers. But then there's still the costume storage room. (BIG LOUD GROAN.) That will be another week - sometime after our vacation.

Starting a new trend

I just looked at myself in the mirror and was surprised to discover that I had a white bead earring in one ear and a black one in the other. I've been to the gym, the bank, and a grocery store this afternoon. It's a good thing my capris were white and my tee shirt was black. Maybe I can start a new trend!

That's pretty sad, though, when you can't remember what color earring you just put in your one ear by the time you put one in the other, isn't it? Maybe I should start looking in the mirror before I dash out the door (like I suggested other people should do a week or so ago!)

Gittin' 'er done

Today Destiny stayed with my friend Amy from church. They have kids near her age and a pool, so she had a great day. And guess where I was for hours and hours?? In my classroom, of course. One whole wall of shelves, cupboards, and closet are completely cleaned, dejunked, and organized. I wonder why I never did that so thoroughly for myself??

This is a picture of my birdbath taken about this time last year. I remember that I decided, after looking at this picture, to plant something red out around the hosta, making a third circle.

We actually planted red things twice - the first ones didn't survive, so we tried something different later in the summer. I was pretty sure it was a perennial, but whatever it was didn't survive either. Here's a picture I took today.

Either that, or this exploding hosta is covering the red things up. I haven't actually gone out and checked yet - since I'm still hardly ever home.

I love summer

Last week Lisa, George, and Sophie combined a vacation with a work-related meeting in Miami. These are two of my favorite pictures from the album that Lisa posted on Facebook.

Next week at this time we'll be thinking about packing. Dick and I are actually going to Florida TOGETHER. Can you believe it?? Jeremy will be graduating from college, and since we now know that Dick has a full-time job on the horizon, we decided to make this a real vacation, since Dick will probably not get one for a long time after he starts the job. We're going for six days! I'm so excited. Anthony, Lori, and Austin will be there most of that time too. What a time that will be.

I worked in my classroom all morning, then this afternoon did much-needed laundry and made cookies with Destiny. This evening we went to the gym and she swam in the pool while I worked out. I love summer.

Camping with our church family

No, we did not have this adorable baby camping with us this weekend. But when we came home a while ago, I found this picture posted on Anthony's Facebook. He called it "Austin makes a mess at the doctor's office." Doesn't he look like he's just having a blast messing up that crinkly-sounding paper?

Anyway, Friday we left for a nearby church camp to spend the weekend with our church family. It is a highlight of our year. In fact, as we drove up the steep hill toward the camp on Friday evening, Destiny kept exclaiming, "Oh, I just love this place. My heart is just bursting with joy!" etc, etc. That's the way I felt too. So many, many good memories have been made there over the 20 years we've been going there - always the first weekend of June. This was our humble abode for the weekend.

Saturday evening we had an all-ages softball game. What FUN to watch! If you click on this picture you'll see who the pitcher was. Still pretty good in his old age!!

He's even better at bat. I took this picture when he was swinging - just a blur.

Two cute little spectators, both 2nd grade students of mine.

Near the end of the game we spied the moon, big and orange, peeking between the trees as it rose.

This morning during the worship service Dick and I were completely surprised when, instead of a message by our pastor, he turned it into a time for people to express their appreciation to us. There we sat on the front row as person after person came up to the microphone. There were many tears, there were many laughs, there were many hugs. Really, I can't find words to tell about it. I feel like I need to just "ponder these things in my heart."

The water slide is probably the most popular feature of the weekend, and today's bright, sunny, warm weather was just perfect for it. Here she comes....

....and there she goes!

After playing hard and being in the sun for hours, Destiny is konked out, probably for the night. She has a break before she starts summer school, so she'll be here this week.

And look what I should be doing instead of sitting here at the computer! Ugh. I hate cleaning up after we get home from camping.

To State College and back

We spent several hours this morning with Anthony, Lori, and Austin, ate lunch, and then headed home. It was pouring rain the entire time - horrible for driving. Too bad we didn't take a picture of Austin and I until we were ready to leave and he was ready for a nap. He was all smiled out.

Now we're ready to pack up for camping. Rain, PLEASE STOP!!!

Better day

This was a cool, rainy day. I decided to indulge myself and just stay home for a day. It was nice, just what I needed.

Tomorrow morning Dick is going to State College to sign some papers at Pep Boys and I'm going along to see a certain little man. Can't wait.

Then we'll have to turn around and come home right after lunch because this is our annual church camping weekend. That's always a good time.

A time to cry

Remember that old song, "It's my party and I can cry if I want to"? Well, I'm certainly not having a party, but today I can cry if I want to. And I want to.

Yes, this job has been exhausting and it consumed my life, and yes, I am looking forward to slowing down and finally being able to have quality time with children and grandchildren. But I loved this job and saying good by to people and things that have become so familiar and dear is very, very, very hard. Tears have flowed freely today and many times I'm holding in sobs. It is a time to cry. And that's okay.

Last things.....and some tears

Yesterday was the last day with students. They were dismissed at noon. There were a number of tearful goodbye hugs. One precious little first grade girl even brought her camera to take a picture of me. I was too busy with classes all morning to even start thinking much about the fact that this would be my last day with students.

After they were gone, however, and it was time to begin clean up in my room the tears started coming close to the surface. One time I walked into the darkened, completely empty gym for something and I just stood there, feeling like I was in a sacred place. So many, many memories of things that took place on that stage.

As I started going through cupboards, drawers, shelves, files, trying to decide what was mine, what was the school's, what would the next person want or not want I felt like I was dismantling my soul. After a while I just had to stop and go home. I'll have more days to work on it.

Today we have staff meeting with the new administrator and then our annual staff lunch at Olive Garden. Leaving after we're done there will really be hard. Then the reality of this decision will hit. Don't worry, I still believe we have made the right choice, that it IS indeed God's choice, but my ties with my coworkers are very deep and strong. They are my best and closest friends.

On a happier note, my lost worship team folder was found yesterday! Yes, in a place I had searched many times on Saturday. During 7th grade class the kids were helping me to take things off my walls, cleaning chalkboards, emptying middle school chorus folders, etc. I was in the kitchen filling a bucket of water when I heard excited girls saying, "Mrs. Stauffer, Mrs. Stauffer! We found your notebook! We found your notebook!" Sure enough, right there with the middle school chorus folders where I had looked carefully on Saturday - several times!! But I guess I never read further than the MCDS on the label - they all say MCDS on the label, but this one also says Worship Team. Unbelievable!

My last time with MCDS Worship Team

Yesterday my school worship team had our last program of the year. It was my last one of all and the best day together ever. HOWEVER, you could not have convinced me on Saturday that such a thing could be possible.

I discovered on Saturday that my worship team notebook with all the songs for the program, the skit script, the back up CD for our offertory song, the phone numbers for each team member was MISSING. I literally searched almost every room in the school, every drawer, cupboard, and closet in my classroom, here at home, at church. Even now, two days later it still has not surfaced. I remember having it last Tuesday at my desk, so it had to have disappeared since then. I spent a lot of time on Saturday making new copies of everything. I was very, very frustrated.

Sunday morning we met at school at 6:45 AM to carpool to the church in Juniata County, 1 1/2 hours away. We had a nice long time together while the church was having their Sunday School hour. First the kids gave me a lovely bouquet of fresh roses and a beautiful 8 X 10 photo of the team. We then had a very precious time of sharing words of appreciation for each other, especially to the 8th graders who are leaving. We girls might just as well have not bothered to put any make up on - it got washed away by our tears before the program ever started!

Here we are starting our last program, the kids kneeling during the instrumental introduction to Awesome God.

The girls did an Israeli line dance during King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

"So take me as You find me, all my fears and failures, fill my life again..."

My biggest disappointment in not being able to find my worship team notebook was because in it was the back-up CD for our offertory song, He Never Failed Me Yet. But, bless their hearts, they wanted to try it a capella during our rehearsal time. It went pretty well, so we decided to go ahead with it that way. Well, it went pretty well during the rehearsal, but it sounded AMAZING during the program. A number of parents who have been following us from program to program said it was the best we ever sounded!! God is so good! We knew we desperately needed Him, and He just poured out His favor upon us.

Good grief, do I really look like that when I sing???

After the program the church served a delicious meal. I had such a good time connecting with the parents that came along. I gotta tell you a good one! One of the dads is a teacher at our local high school and we got onto the subject of other teachers that we knew. Out of that conversation came the revelation that I had graduated in 1969. The mom across the table from me said, "That's the year I was born!" Oh my word!!! It IS time for me to retire, ha, ha!

From there we went to the home of an uncle and aunt of one of my team members. They had new Springer Spaniel puppies they wanted us to see. We had so much fun with them! Enjoy all the pictures.

Hey, Austin, this little guy was trying to run you some competition!! But that's okay. You smell a lot better than he did!

Here's a close-up of those beautiful roses the kids gave me.

What an awesome day this was to end my years with the MCDS Worship Team. No question about it, the worship team was the absolutely favorite part of my job. I am so thankful God gave me the opportunity to invest into their lives and do what I loved most at the same time.