Dinner Party

Tonight we had Brandon and family over for dinner. What was the menu? Salad, Chicken Crescents, Potatoes and Gravy, Applesauce and Chocolate cake. Everyone enjoyed the meal and we had lots of fun conversation filled with great stories! We have wanted to get together all summer and today was our last chance. We are going off to Florida in the morning and Brandon leaves for college on Wednesday. I am so glad we got together. Mary made the chocolate cake and made it into a Michigan Cake. Isn't great?

Yesterday we had a nice service. I played the"Yes!" song and the congregation did really well keeping up with me this time. I slowed down the verse part as it gets kind of tricky. Kid's church was fun too. I hope that some of the things we talked about and colored about stuck in their head. Later in the afternoon, I baked some brownies, worked on schedules for my musical groups and watched some baseball. Matthew and Jeff went for a bike ride and then worked on weeding. Mary went shopping with Brandon. Dinner was at our friends' Randy and Norma's house. It was for all the elders. We had brats/dogs, salads, chips, cheese, chocoalate cake and brownies. We had fun fellowship too. It was a really nice night. Matthew was glad when we got home. He doesn't like to be home alone. All of us played some Wii games before heading off to bed.

Well, now will get into the packing mode. All the clothes are clean, thanks to Mary, as is the house. We all pitched into a cleaned it up this morning. We are only going to be gone for 4 days, so I won't need to pack a lot! Jeff and I can even share a suitcase! Time of departure from our house tomorrow is 9 am and arrival at grandma's around 5 pm. There is a layover in Chicago. Jeff and Matt will go to Universal on Wed and we will go to Disney the next day. It will be nice to spend a few days down in the natural sauna with afternoon thunderstorms! What a difference! It was 40 degrees this morning here in Michigan! There was frost not too far from us! Once we get back, school will be just a few days away!

Last but not least, it is day to remember some birthdays! Happy birthday Greg! We also remember this day in honor my wonderful dad, Al. Belated Birthday wishes to Eric and Leslie!

Better get packing!

Grace

Payment

Matthew was very happy to receive his first paycheck for his work from the Performing Arts Center. He hopes that there will be many more! Way to go Matthew!

It's the Weekend!

Good News! I had good self control at the stampin up party. I bought a marker and a return address stamp, something I can use almost daily! I had lots of fun too making a card and talking with friends. Looks like my client won't be moving to Grand Rapids afterall. Things just aren't falling into place and should she stay in Greenville her other steady nurse can keep working.

Mary's Spanish class has been going well. She has enjoyed the class and says it is not too hard. Outside of class, she has been spending most of her time with her best friend, Brandon, before he goes to college this coming week. We are trying to keep a good schedule with all that her senior year will bring~Village Green, College Prep clases, Simply Strings Quartet, College Spanish and Miss Danish! Whew!

Matthew has been driving me around town whenever I need to go somewhere. He is doing really well, but likes to point out other driver's errors. I get tired of listening to his play by play comments of driving and just want him to focus on his driving! He continues to help keep the house clean and the yard nice. It has been pretty rainy lately, so We are waiting for some dry weather so he can mow. He is looking forward to going to Florida on Tuesday.

Sarah is back from camp and working AT clinic hours. She really loves it. Things are getting busy now as the freshman have arrived and the rest of the upperclassman arrive tomorrow. Classes officially start on Tuesday. Sarah got some pictures uploaded for me and there are a few here and more on the photo album.

I have already sent her a box with things that got left here. I know she loves getting mail, so will post her address~

Sarah Wilhelm
Gilmore Hall #107
PO Box 9022
Holland, MI 49422-9022

Jeff is fine. Found some black mold in the corner of his office. Trying to dry things out is difficult especially when it is damp outside. He has been working on Air Force stuff, church stuff and home stuff. He recently repaired our front steps again. :(

We all enjoyed the first Greenville football game last night. We won! 28-17. The weather was cool and it was nice to go out together and root on our team! Tonight is an art show right here in Greenville. One of our members will have art on display, and there will be live jazz music. Tomorrow I am leading kid's church. The story is about Titus. I am all prepared and ready to go!

That is all...have a great weekend!

Gracie

Catching Up

Mom and Dad left early on Monday for their next stop in Ohio. Monday night was our Sunday School meeting and I will be teaching preschool/kindergarten class. I am very happy with that. Mary will be teaching 3,4, and 5th grade with a friend. They will do a great job.

My golf game on Tuesday moring was very good. My drives were really good. I parred one hole and ended up with a 53 on nine holes. I really need to practice my chipping. Lunch at Cory's afterwards with my friends was most enjoyable and the French Dip sandwich was delicious! Mary started her Spanish class on Tuesday evening and thinks it will be very good. She likes the teacher very much.

Sarah is doing well at the cross country camp. She is the Athletic Traning student assigned to that team this year. She is spending the week with the runners as a first aid person and also to "bond" with the team. Once back to campus she will pursue getting a rail for her lofted bed. The incoming class arrives on Friday. She is happy to back at Hope.

I worked today for 6 hours. We had a nice day. I am off now until after Labor Day. My patient is almost out of nursing hours for the month and then Matt Jeff and I will be in Florida for 4 days next week. It will be nice to visit with my mom. She will visit Michigan in October. Mary will be at home taking care of Sammy the dog and going to Spanish Class.

As for now, I am making mac and cheese for dinner and then I am off to a stamping party.

Better get going!


Love,

Gracie!

Back To College

Danish Festival is officially over. Sarah is back at Hope College and School starts in two weeks. Summer is almost over.

Soon after church and lunch at Wendy's, we took Sarah back to Holland and Hope College. She was very excited to get back and move into her new dorm, Gilmore Hall. This place is much different from Cook Hall last year. Still is has a lot of character and Sarah no longer has to clean bathrooms! That is a plus! We met her roommate and she is very nice. The beds are lofted that allows for more living space. There is will certainly be an adjustment time to sleeping higher off the ground. We got her stuff in the room, went shopping at Meijer for snacks and a few other needed items. We ate dinner at Red Robin, dropped her off at a smores party and then came home.

Tomorrow Grandma and Grandpa W will continue on their journey. We will send them off with lots of thanks and good wishes for safety on the rest of their trip.

It is late again... That is all for now.


Grace

Danish Festival 2009

The festivities started on Thursday evening with the raising of the flags. Jeff was there playing with the band and Mary got there just in time after her simply strings interview with a bride. It was a nice ceremony with songs, pledge of allegiance in Danish and the introduction of the the VIPS, including the Queen's Court. Afterward the Band marched down to the gazebo, followed by the the Queens for a Concert in the park. It was very good and we had great weather and ice cream!

Friday we went downtown for some shopping. We saw lots of crafts and came home only with some Danish coffee cake, Kringles. Mary was doing her royal appearances all day, and was treated as such by others even to get free food and drinks! 6pm was the princess and prince parade. Kids can come dressed up ride their bikes in the parade. It is lead off by the Danish Band and the Royal Court. It started to rain a bit as it had all done all day. On and off again showers and rain. Next royal appearance was the Princess and the Pea bed race. One royal girl sat up on the stretcher, while the others pushed her down the road on a course. It was fun but her team didn't win in the end. The evening concerts at the main stage were cancelled due to the rain. I was sad the the Big Band concert was cancelled. It is always a big treat! The night finished off with the parade of fire engines. It is always a nice event. Mary got to ride in the bucket of fire engine. She and the 1st runner up had to do some major ducking to avoid the trees! She said it was a fun experience.

Saturday morning came early and Matthew and I were out early setting up chairs for the parade. We had a nice group of people from church and the neighborhood to watch the parade. Mary looked especially lovely this morning. Sarah got up early to have her picture taken with her sister. The weather was mostly cloudy with a few sprinkles and much cooler temperatures. After the parade, Jeff, Mom and Sarah went downtown to walk around and have some lunch. Matt went with my client's family downtown to help out with the kids. Dad and I stayed home to have lunch. Later in the afternoon, Matthew participated in the Dodge Ball Tournament. His team came home the champions! Yay! He has a champion By 3pm I was making my Korean meal for dinner. It was simply delicious if I say so myself! Maybethe best bulkoogi I have ever made! So much flavor. Mary was supposed to attend the Greenville Glows Balloon show, but I got cancelled due to weather. So instead she was able to spend time with her friend just as she had hoped in the beginning. Things always seem to work out for good. Matthew Mom and I enjoyed a game of Scrabble and then I helped Sarah pack up for college.

Well, it is early Sunday morning and Mom W is playing the organ for church. There is a potluck fellowship/breakfast after the service and then we are packing up the van (and a car) and taking Sarah back to Hope. She is happy to be getting back "home". I will miss her as usual, but am also very happy when I know just how much she loves her school! Mary will be staying behind to participate in a few more events with the festival, including chasing rubber ducks in the flat river! I guess the weather will be more sunny than saturday.

Better get some winks!

Grace

Update Before Danish Festival

Monday: Mom W. rode along with me to my Physical Therapy appointment in Grand Rapids. I had a good visit and seem to finally be making progress with my muscle confusion problem. I made some chicken for dinner and then attended a Senior mystery trip meeting. Luckily it was only one hour this week! The family joined in the den for a Netflix movie before bed.

Tuesday: We got up early and began our journey to the "thumb side" of Michigan. First stop was Frankenmuth, where we had lunch with some friends of Marlene and Ernie's at Oma's restaurant. Next we spent about an hour at Bronners Christmas Store. There are so many cool things. I had good self control and only bought a small gift for our dog-sitter. Tueday evening was spent at a Tiger's Baseball game. First we ate a diner right across the street from the stadium. Sarah was the photographer that evening and got lots of great shots. The game was a little slow going at first, but the end was so exciting! We were ahead, then tied, then a 2 run double by Cabrera but us ahead again. But the most exciting play for me was the steal home! The runner on first base led off and baited the catcher to throw out at second, forgetting that the man on third would run home, which he did and scored! YAY! Rodney finished and was the saving pitcher. Sarah's favorite pitcher, Porcello, got the win with 8 strikeouts!

Wednesday: I worked for 7. 5 hours. We enjoyed a meal at our local mexican restaurant for dinner. Jeff had a gig with the Danish Band as he does tonight, tomorrow night, and Saturday! Mary spent the day with Brandon after she picked out her Danish costume and had her picture taken in it. She had a event last night at a craft store, and will have many appearances this weekend. She will be on a pontoon tonight for the Night of Illumination on a local lake.

Thursday: Finally sent in the broken surge protector with the long questionairre. Turned in the picture of Mary in her costume to the dentist. He has a poster with all of his patients that are part of the Royal Court. His office is downtown. I also prepared the bulkoogi with Mary's help. It will be delicious on Saturday when we eat it! I will be making yakimondue after the Parade on Saturday. Tonight is the flag raising and Danish band concert at the Gazebo.

Looking ahead: Tomorrow is Kiddie Princess parade, concerts, craft booths and many activities. Saturday is the Grand Dansk parade down our street. We have had several people bring their chairs for the event already. We hope that weather will be favorable this weekend as it looks like rain right now. Mom W. will be playing for church on Sunday. What a nice treat for everyone! Thanks mom! Sarah goes back to college that afternoon. She can't wait!

Better get going. Have to get dinner in the oven and Mary has a meeting for an upcoming gig here at our house at 6pm! Ready for a crazy filled night!

Grace

Just Before Bed

Sunday has come and gone. Church was good and so was lunch. I had my usual pancakes and bacon. Unfortunately, Mary's burger came out wrong ( with all kinds of toppings) and they fixed it by scraping it off. By then the fries were cold too.

I played for an installation service this afternoon and did pretty well, especially for the late notice and very warm conditions. The meal afterward was nice and then we came home. Jeff, Marlene and Ernie walked around Baldwin Lake and then picked up the pizza I ordered for the rest of the household and watched some tv and played scrabble. Mom won.

Had some rain and are expecting more. We need some rain for our grass. We hope that this weekend won't be too rainy for the parade and festival. Mary will be out and about as part of the Queen's court. She also has another meeting for a possible wedding gig. What a busy girl! Sarah is getting excited about getting back to Hope on Sunday. Jeff is playing with the Danish Band Wed-Sat. Time is going to fly by now. Watch out soon I will be writing about Mary's graduation! It is on my birthday!

I only have two more days of work this month. I should have enough time then to get some other things done at home! No work related excuses! Plan to make Korean food later this week.

That is all.

Grace

Royalty!

We are happy to annouce that Mary did an awesome job tonight. She looked beautiful, played her cello wonderfully and answered an on the spot question with a great answer! The judges placed her at 2nd Runner Up. We are so proud! She had family and friends there to celebrate with her after the pageant. Congratulations Mary!

When we got home this evening, there was a message on the answering machine asking me to play for an installation tomorrow! I guess the organist is ill. I agreed to play and now have to practice and pray!

It's late! Good Night

Grace

Miss Danish Tonight!

Well the night is here! Tonight is the pageant, and there is excitement, anxieties and a few bumps in the road as time approaches. Sarah has already taken Mary over to the auditorium. Matt is there too ready for work. The rest of us will arrive after 6:30 pm to get seats. Thanks for your prayers. I am very proud of Mary for participating!

Yesterday after I got home from work, I baked cookies and printed softball awards. The picnic was lots of fun. Wish that more people had come out to join us! It was nice to swim and enjoy a meal together.

After we got home, we watched a movie together and then hit the hay. Time is really flying by! Gotta go.

Gracie

Welcome Grandma and Grandpa!

Grandma and Grandpa Wilhelm arrived safely in Greenville yesterday afternoon, and had a very nice evening including spagetti dinner and watching the results of America's Got Talent. I couldn't believe they put the dog act through. Bad decision. Mom got a ride in the new Prius right away after their arrival as the meat I bought at the store didn't end up in my grocery bags. I got new meat at no charge or even questions, and we were back home. I just hated to drive back after a long day at work and shopping at "rush hour".

Brandon is back and joined us for dinner. It was sure nice to have him around again. He and Mary went to a movie and then enjoyed watching the shooting stars in the night sky. Mary and Matt are at the school auditorium this morning for the Miss Danish contest, dress rehearsal. Matt got to work, and there were too many people. I guess a few extra kids showed up. The boss asked for 2 volunteers to go home. Matthew was gracious enough to volunteer eventhough he was asked personally to be there. In the end, I guess the boss needed him afterall and he is still there at work. I am happy for him, and anxious to see how Mary feels after the rehearsal. Sarah got bit by a bug on Sunday and now her toe is itching and turning red. Not sure what bit her, and whether she needs to see the doctor.

Tomorrow is work and then our softball party. I still need to decide what to bring! Sarah is working on the award certificates. They are pretty good even if I say so myself. Saturday is the pageant! Time is going to fly by~

That is all for now. Happy Thursday!

Grace

New!

I added a weather link and the Tigers Link under "Take a Look at This" on the left. Check it out and go Tigers!

Hot Hot Hot!

The weather has been pretty hot lately. We had some bad storms on Saturday evening and Sunday night too. Looks like the weather is going to stay in the mid to upper 80's all week.

Our outdoor church service was small but nice. Mary was in a skit about the 3 Little Pigs, and putting a bible twist. Theme was to have a firm foundation of the bible and then you will be ready when the Wolf shows up. Jeff was the Wolf. Both did a great job. After lunch, we had a nice time on the lake. I always enjoy the pontoon ride and Jeff and the kids went swimming off the boat. Matt's friends were tubing and stopped by, and took Matt tubing too. He had a lot of fun.

Sarah and I worked Sunday night, and all of us slept in on Monday morning. Jeff was able to make several reservations for some upcoming trips. Jeff, Matt and I will be coming to FL ~Sept 1st-5th. We needed to use our frequent flyer miles and going to FL sounded great. Jeff has a military ticket for Universal and Disney. Disney sounds ok to me, but Universal will be a Father/Son day. Mom and I will find some other things to do. Mary can't go as she is going to take a college Spanish class this fall. Classes start in August. Sarah will already be at Hope College. Boy are my kids growing up! We will also be travelling to Minnesota for our good friend Mark's wedding in October. We are looking forward to celebrating with him!

Jeff played Price is Right Wii style last night and was a double showcase winner! I met my match! We also watched a movie that was in the end, very stupid and a waste of time. Don't spend time watching the movie "Knowing".

Today was golf day! Mary went with us today. I felt like I golfed a little better, but my putting was off so my score went up 9 strokes today, for a total of 58. Norma birdied the last hole! Yay! Mary did ok and will probably go again, but she needs longer clubs to make golf easier for her. Here are some pictures from the golf course. How do you like that lie by the tree? It was wicked. I took the liberty of improving my lie, so I could actually take a swing at it!

Mary's friends is back home and she will be going out to welcome him home. She has missed him a great deal. I have had a headache this afternoon and although I am feeling better, am debating if I will go get some groceries tonight.

Grandma and Grandpa arrive tomorrow! Just in time for our softball picnic party, Mary's Miss Danish pageant, a Tigers Game and the Danish Festival. They will also get to come and see Hope College when Sarah returns on the 23rd.

Whew! That's all Folks!

Grace

God is Good! All The Time!

The rain stopped and the sun came out this afternoon! No rain for the weddings! What a blessing for everyone. Now we are grilling burgers and will have fries and salad. Picked another tomato for the salad. Going to bake spice cake for the picnic. Sounds good? I think so.
\o/
Grace

Look Who Is Home!

After a 13.5 hour day at work with my little princess, I got home, rested for an hour, took the kids to dinner then we were off to the airport to pick up Jeff. He is wearing his new uniform in the picture. It is wonderful to have the whole family back under one roof. In a few more weeks, or as Sarah would say "15 days!", she will be back at Hope College. She just can't wait. We did get word that she has to be there between 1-3pm on Sunday the 23rd of August. We will have to be packed up before church, so we can leave in time to get there at the proper time. This is not a major moving in day, just some athletic trainers and maybe athletes. Parking shouldn't be a nightmare this year. Sarah will be living on the first floor of her dorm, so no steps!

The kids really helped out this week with the cleaning. The house looks really nice. Our grass looks good this year too! That makes Matthew really happy. Mary preparation for the pageant continues now with dancing and "learning to walk" and checking the bathing suits for appropriateness. Her accompany track turned out really nice for her cello solo, but there are parts that will be hard for her to hear while she plays, so she has opted to play the cello alone without the track. Once you get off with a track it is too hard to get back on.

Today is a day for weddings. Jeff has a wedding at Mt. Calvary at 3 pm, and Mary is playing for a wedding at a home at 3:30pm. She says the group is ready and sounds good. The couples shouuld have a lot of luck as it has been raining all morning. By the looks of the radar, it will be a very rainy day. Mary says they will play on the porch or under a tent. My big concern is for Mary to be driving them out to the house in a bad rain storm. Maybe God will give us a window without storms for everyone's safety and enjoyment.

Tomorrow is our outdoor church service and picnic. I am playing the clavinova. Pretty much ready too. Plan to practice at church today sometime. Clavs feel and play just a little different than a piano. Not sure what to take to the potluck picnic either. Baking is always fun and then I still would have to bring some main dish. I am thinking italian, I bring stuff my family likes. Since tomorrow is going to be hot, 92, there will be swimming and games afterward. I will have to sleep somewhere along the line, as I work nights tomorrow.

Hope your day is sunny and bright!

Grace

First Harvest!

I picked the first of our home grown tomatoes! Don't they look nice? I hope they stay good until Jeff gets home on Friday. If not I will give them to my neighbors. I see more blossoms so I think we will have a good season.

I had a good day at work this afternoon. Only worked for 5 hours. I work 12 hours on Friday 5am to 5pm. Matthew got a call today to work crew for the Miss Danish Pageant. He will work on 3 different days, including the night of the show. I am so happy for him. Wonder what job he will get? He likes to work the lights. Mary had dance reahearsal today and said it went well.

Tonight Sarah and I will be watching So You Think You Can Dance. I sure hope the Kayla or Brandon wins. We will know tomorrow!

The weather is nice and all is well. Supposed to get hot this weekend. That is all for now!

Later Gators!

Grace

A Great Golf Game

I had the best golf score since I moved to Michigan~a 49! (9 holes). I didn't have very good tee shots like I normally do, and I had some really really good fairway shots and putts that don't normally happen. I even had a few 1 putt holes which is just amazing for me! I guess I should mention that I had loads of fun with 2 other lovely ladies as well. We laughed a lot and helped look for missing balls. I left one of my yellow balls in the rough. Never found it. We all had a delicious lunch at Cory's. I had the lunch special, Chicken Parmesean, for $5.99! It came with spaghetti and garlic toast. I added the best ranch dressing ever, and enjoyed every bite!

When I got home the house looked so clean and Mary was still de-griming the kitchen! It looks amazing. I pitched in right away and we got the work done quick. I treated the kids to Taco Bell and then took a nap. Dinner was chicken crescents and then off to Meijer for a milk run. Matthew has become my personal driver. He is doing pretty well with the whole driving scene. Mary went on a sunset walk with her friend Gia this evening and then worked on making a accompanying track for her cello solo for the pageant. It is sounding very good! Sarah cleaned a lot of her room today. Still lots of stuff, but you can tell she has straightened up a great deal. All of us have enjoyed playing the Wii together each day.

Monday I worked a few hours then had an appt in Grand Rapids. I drove in so we could be on time and then my driver drove home. We got a little lost going home a new way and ended up needing Sarah to google a map to help us get backon track. Mary had her string group rehearsal yesterday and the quartet is ready for their first gig together this Saturday. Mary says they were awesome! I went to the Senior Mystery Trip meeting and signed up for a committee and also to work at a burger stand at a football game. I started dinner, pancakes and bacon, and the girls finished up and did a wonderful job making dinner.

That is all the news for now. Have a great day!

Grace

PS My finger is healing well!

Oh What a Beautiful Day!

Today's weather has been spectacular! Blue skies mid 7o's and a gentle breeze. Church was very nice and the girls and I sang the verses of "Eat This Bread" without incident. I wish I could say the same about my piano playing during communion. Played sharps instead of flats for a few measures, then got back on track. We played some Wii Price is Right and then had McDonald's for lunch. Since it was such a nice day, we drove into Grand Rapids and finished off the clothes and shoe shopping. I can say that we found lots of good sales, so we really saved money! Matt got new shoes, Sarah got the shorts for athletic training and a few other needed tops and jeans. Mary got a top, scarf, book and shoes for the dance number in the Miss Danish pageant. She says they are quite comfortable. Sarah bought herself some shoes at Charlotte Rouse. They were quite affordable and got a second pair for $10! I showed my military ID and we got an extra discount! yay!

We skipped eating out for dinner and drove home and cooked some toasted ravioli, garlic bread and salad for dinner. It turned out great! Everyone liked it! After dinner I was trying out some new cleaner in the kitchen, when I sliced my R pinky finger open on the blade of my food processor. I don't think it will need stitches, and Sarah fixed up with a pressure bandage. I will check it in a while and reassess the situation. Matthew cut the grass and vaccuumed. He helped my clean the kitchen too. Both girls did their chores as well. All is well at home!

Talked with Jeff and he is also doing well in SC. Learning his job and still waiting for orders. Although he has had clearance for entering his work building, he didn't get a key badge until Friday . That means people had to come and let him in. Progress might be slow, but it is evident~ He gets home on Friday evening. Today he called after church and said there was a cookout after chapel. Guess he has been to 3 cookouts this week! I say yummmm!

Well, I am going to go check my finger and do something with the kids. I need to go to bed early, as I work from 0500 to 0800 tomorrow.

So Long!

Grace

A Day of Fun

Today we all got to sleep in! What a treat that was for everyone. Sarah made chocolate chip muffins for breakfast and then we played Wii games together. We all had our good moments. Mary applied to two colleges this morning, University of Michigan and Central Michigan University. She will complete the University of Oklahoma application soon. Now she is waiting for her high school counselor to write a reccomendation. Today was one of Mary's wedding gigs. She looked so nice that I took her picture. There was some rain at the wedding, but her cello is fine and everything went ok. Sarah and I watched some TV, took a little nap and then saw some white sox baseball before we went to get groceries at Wal Mart. We ended up getting a new Wii game too, The Price is Right! It is a lot of fun. I won lots of pretend prizes. It will be a fun family game. Now it is movie time. Our next Netflix movie arrived. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is playing in just a few minutes! Gotta GO!

Grace