Thank You Lord..Prayers Still Needed

Sarah was rear-ended on the way to work yesterday afternoon. Evidently the car behind Sarah was traveling at 30 mph when she hit Sarah's car.  Evidently, the bumper will need to be checked out.  Sarah was not at fault.   As of this morning she is still sore, but "manangeable" with OTC pain meds.  She is going to see the head athletic trainer and they can determine if she should she a physician. Your prayers are appreciated.

Had a busy three hours at work yesterday. Still nice to get my hugs from the little princess. I was glad to get off early so I could spend some more time with Ernie and Marlene.  We are having a fun time.  Did some shopping and then made lasagna for dinner.  By then Jeff and Matthew were back from the Gathering and we went bowling.  Guys against Girls..it was pretty close, but the guys won!  We all had some good games and a lot of fun!  Ice Cream afterward was a great way to finish the evening.

Jeff and Matthew had a nice time at the Gathering. Met lots of people making this world a little smaller.  Matt came home donning a new t-shirt and Jeff brought home some fudge.  Everyone got a Gathering shirt which is quite nice. Jeff said the Ferry Boat personell commented that they hadn't seen so many people going to the island as  last Sunday in a long time!   I guess their were 1200 in attendance at the Gathering.  Praise the Lord for a great time!

Better get going...doing laundry and Jeff said I should move the tomato plants. Guess I will learn to do something new.   Need to clear ground cover to transplant them.

Gracie

Catching Up On Fun Times...

We have been having lots of fun the past few days.  Let me fill you in!

Thursday: Mary and Matthew built an ottoman for her dorm room this fall. It is very nice with a cushioned top that opens for storage inside!

Friday:  Had a nice day at work then our regular pizza night at Mancino's.  Came home and Jeff and Matthew got the air conditioner in the window in our room upstairs. We are using a different window this year thinking it will be better to cool off more of the second floor. I am thankful that Jeff got it in before he and Matthew left for Mackinac Island, but we haven't had to turn it on yet. I am thankful for temps in the 70s. Mary got  Sarah's room ready for Grandma and Grandpa's arrival while I was at work.

Happy Birthday to Brandon!  Mary had dinner with his family and ate Indian food for the first time. She said it was good even though it was pretty spicy!

Saturday: Did some errands in the morning and shopping in the afternoon. Grandma and Grandpa (aka Mom and Dad) arrived safely in the mid-afternoon. Good to have them here. Decided to grill out for dinner and Jeff initiated the new grill with Burger and Dogs.  They were delicious!  Glad the new grill is working now! Had some good watermelon and then ice cream for dessert. Matthew and Mary planted their flower garden.  Had to make a second trip to the store since the shorts I bought for Matthew didn't fit right and he needed them for the trip. We were able to find some that fit and Mary helped him get packed up for the Youth Gathering on Mackinac Island. I was busy practicing the piano for church and then finally worked into the wee hours on Quicken.  Once I get on a roll, I can't stop!  Glad to a big chunk of that done!

Sunday: Had a nice church service, although it was pretty emotional for me too.  Prayed for a family of a Hope College Graduate that was a soccer player that was killed by a drunk driver.  Sarah knew him and wrapped his ankle a few times. Sure hits home. Then a send off and blessings to Matt's best friend who will be shipping out to boot camp next week.  By then I couldn't hold back the tears and played the last hymn with somewhat blurry vision. Sent Jeff and Matt off to the Gathering and then made plans for our Sunday.

1. Lunch at home, small nap and then planted my tomato plants.
2. Drove to Grand Rapids to see "Midnight in Paris". An interesting Woody Allen movie. I like it!
3. Dinner with Sarah in Holland at our favorite Mexican Restaurant. Showed Grandma and Grandpa Sarah's new place!

Monday: Jack day!  Had fun caring for my little buddy most of the day. He is a real cutie. Since it was a rainy day, we were waiting to see if we would get to play church softball. The rain stopped and the sun came out.  I had enough people for a whole ten man team, although we had more women than men playing last night, including one of Sarah's friends from Holland. The other team had to forfeit since only 8 players showed up.  We played  anyway and had a fun time trying to keep up with the other teams big bats! In the end we were outscored by 5 runs, but still  took the win. Playing the whole game was exhausting for me, especially since almost all the hits were to the outfield.  So in the fourth inning, I played 3rd base and sent another faster runner to attempt catching the long fly balls.  Got one nice hit and made it second on an overthrow. Sarah was really on her game. She did some great pitching and was on base most at bats and ran for me the one time I made it on base! Everyone pitched in on coaching and umping. I umped behind the plate and really kind of liked it! Now I can be more confident should I need to ump again!

That brings us to Tuesday, Today! TV in the morning. Made Sarah another Doctor appointment at the orthopedic office, to see if they can help her with her joint pain. Rheumatologist appointment isn't until August and I hate to have her hurting so long.  We will be going to lunch with my golf buddies at the Winter Inn and then who knows?  It is a nice day, so maybe we will drive around a little or walk through the tunnel.

Hope to do some bowling tomorrow after I get home from a shortened day of work. Jeff and Matthew get home tomorrow. Yay!

Have a great day!

Gracie

Take Time To Breathe

This has been a busy week of day to day stuff.  Staying ahead of the game is a challenge.  Here's the update:

• Monday I worked an extra day then got home, picked up the reprinted team shirts, changed clothes and was off to the Church Softball game.   We had a good turn out and a well-played game including two in-the-park home runs! Final score was 11-8 with St Charles Catholic as the winners. I am a little concerned about next week's game, as I have six players unable to attend, with 3 more in question.  Will we have to forfeit??  We need nine players.
• Tuesday started out early.  Took Sammy to the groomer/vet.  He looks great and had a great check up.  Sarah had a required doctor's appointment to get a referral to her rheumatologist. Hope to come up with a way to manage her sore joints. We both are frustrated with the system of jumping through hoops just to get the care we need.  Oh well.  Had two meetings Tuesday evening.  First one for the Michigan Senior Youth Gathering at Mackinac and then I headed to GHS for the Senior Mystery Trip 2012 meeting.  Ended up volunteering to make postcard invitations for the next meeting. It won't be too hard since I can have Mary help me.
• Wednesday was another work day for me and then we went to dinner and I was too exhausted to do anything but watch TV.  There is always hope for getting things done tomorrow!
• Today fought with the doctors and the computer.  First, the doctor referred us to a new rheumatologist, instead of our established one.  After several phone calls and waiting  a few more hours she has an appointment in August.  More waiting.  Finally got airplane reservations for Mom to see us in August for Danish Festival.  It will be her first time! Should be lots of fun. Can't wish the summer away though, so I will be happily patient! Choir rehearsal and now.....

 I take time to breathe and blog, something I like to do!  It is nice to sit with Jeff on the couch and just watch TV together. 

What's ahead:

• Want to move some furniture around upstairs, making it easier to reinstall our window A/C unit.  
• Full day of work tomorrow.
• Practice the piano for church on Sunday.
• Clean up the house and get ready for Grandma and Grandpa's arrival!  
• Still need to work on Quicken...when will I get it done??? 
• Sending my guys off to the Gathering in the U.P. after church on Sunday.

Wish me luck!

Gracie

Happy Birthday to Tom! Hope your day was great!

Happy Father's Day!

Father's Day at the Wilhelm's was a nice one.  Great church service, nice weather and lunch at Texas Roadhouse with the whole family! Sarah was able to meet us in Grand Rapids before going to work at the yacht club later in the afternoon.  Jeff took a well-deserved nap while the rest of us played a few games.  Mary worked this evening and the rest of us did some chores around the house.  The evening ended with ice cream at Dairy Barn and a movie at home.

As for the rest of the weekend, it was successful. The outside wedding moved indoors to Mt Calvary, due to the fact that there was rain in the forecast. My little princess did a great job both at the rehearsal and at her mommy's wedding. She walked with me so nice and pretty much stood through the whole service, even standing on her own a few seconds at a time. I was honored to be included. Everything was very nice and we had a nice time at the reception too.  My family was able to meet me fellow nurses and get to their families too.

Believe it or not, I did get the laundry done and kept up with most of the household chores. Even got some work done for our church's VBS this August.  Seems like a long way off, but it will be here before we know it! I am predicting Pandamonium at Pandamania!

This week promises to be a busy one as well.  Here is the line up!

• Working M-W-F regular hours.
• Softball game Monday night.
• Sarah has doctor appoint early Tuesday morning to start the ball rolling to address her multi joint pain.
• Sammy goes the Vet/Groomer on Tuesday too!
• Two Meetings on Tuesday: LCMS Michigan Youth Gathering Meeting and Senior Mystery Trip Meeting for the Class of  2012! Here we go again! I can't believe my baby boy will be a senior in high school!
• Choir on Thursday.
• Happy 20th Birthday to Brandon on Friday!
• Grandma and Grandpa arrive on Saturday.
• Michigan Senior Youth Gathering begins Sunday on Mackinac Island. Jeff and Matthew will be attending.

Time to go switch out the Laundry...last load of the week!

Gracie

This Week's Update

Think I had better update you before the weekend...It is going to a busy one!

Sunday: I played clavinova again this past sunday with the staff from Camp Concordia.  I thought it went really well.  Church service is early now, so we were home by noon or shortly thereafter.  I had a little nap before Jeff and I went to the long term care centers in Greenville for afternoon services.  Attendance was lower than normal, but still very nice.  We got home changed clothes and all four of us met Brandon at the local golf range.  I did  as expected and now have a better idea of how far I can hit the ball with each club.  Matthew has decided that he doesn't like golf too much. He got a few blisters. Mary struggled with her swing, so I switched her to left-handed golf clubs and she did a lot better!  Gave her a few pointers that Dad gave me years ago.  Jeff and Brandon did well and we enjoyed watching their golf balls sail through the air.  The plan when we got home was to cook out on the new grill.  However..the grill didn't operate properly.  It was a great disappointment for all.  We still cooked out, but on our old grill. Even had some more roasted marshmallows and smores. Jeff has contacted the grill company and they are sending some missing parts.  Wal-Mart put it together for the kids and we thought it was ready to go! Guess the WM guy did too!

Monday: I used most of the day getting chores done, including taking in the Softball Team shirts that were turned in because of the screening washing off.  Plus I had to get my lineup put together for the game. Mary and Brandon went golfing together and had a nice time. Brandon had his best score ever!  Our softball game was great. We had great bats, gloves,base running and strategy! Three spectacular catches in Right Center and Right Field. I made a play behind home plate, catching a foul ball!  Matthew had a great hit and I hit the ball pretty nice too, but couldn't get to first before the ball did. Jeff and Sarah had a great game as well. In the end, we won 13-9 and all of us enjoyed ice cream afterward.  Oddly enough, our family had dinner after ice cream!


Tuesday: Paid some bills and got some other things done before heading to Grand Rapids for Matthew's check-up.   It was a long appointment, first we had to find the new office which is on the 10th floor of the new  Children's Hospital. It is beautiful inside, but I must say the exam rooms get dull after waiting two hours.  The lab guy came and took Matt's blood and the nurse came and spent a few minute with us. Then it was the long wait for the doctor.  I tried to be patient and told Matt that we should be very thankful that he just needs lab work and an exam every six months instead of enduring chemo and other treatments the other kids there experience. We won't know the lab results for another week at least, but Matthew feels great and has no worrisome symptoms. Mary and I made a chicken crescent dinner that was delicious and then I was off to the Theatre Boosters meeting. This fall GHS will perform "Grease" the musical and then "Little Women" in 2012.   Unfortunately, there will be NO more One Acts for Greenville High School (budget cuts).  That is very sad, since the kids really love Competitive Theatre.  Mary and Matthew preferred that genre over any other.

Wednesday: All of the Wilhelm's were working!  Matthew is back at MCLC Childcare and went bowling with the kids. I had a good day with my patient. We had dinner with our friends Randy and Norma at Mancinos Pizza before they left for New York where Norma will be bowling with Marlene at Women's National Tournament.  Hope they do well!

Thursday:  I did manage to start the laundry and worked on Vacation Bible School before I drove Mary to a doctor's appointment and the mall to return a pair of jeans.  I also called several doctors for Sarah who has been having lots of pain in many of her joints. Hoped to get in with her Rheumatologist, but since it has been so long since her last visit, we have to start all over. So she will she our primary care doctor next week. Sarah is keeping busy with her jobs and is preparing to take the GRE next month.

Coming Up!

• Work for everyone on Friday.
• I am in a wedding this weekend.  Helping my patient walk down the aisle at her mommy's wedding! Rehearsal Friday and Wedding Saturday.  It is exciting! So happy for them.
• Supposed to attend an open house, it will need to be a quick visit.
• Work on the ever growing "to do" list.
• Work three days next week! 

For now, I had better fold the last load of the evening...I am sure the dryer is done by now.

Good Night!

Gracie

The BIG Surprise

After a busy and exhausting day at work, I came home and found a big surprise, but it was one for my better half.  The kids chipped in and bought a new grill for an early Father's Day present.  It is really awesome.   It even has a Boomer Sooner Color!  Jeff was very surprised and happy too.  Mary and Matthew were so excited to see our reactions.  Planning to grill tomorrow. To top off the surprise, they cleaned the whole house with the kitchen looking nice and shiny! Thanks guys!
  

That wasn't the end of our Friday evening.  We all packed in the Prius and drove to Holland to have dinner with Sarah at a favorite Mexican restaurant. The food was delicious as usual and Jeff and Brandon got to see Sarah's townhouse. She has her Tiger stuff hanging on the walls and still needs a TV stand and a desk.  It's shaping up nice!  

The evening ended at home with a netflix movie, "The Tourist". Matthew and I made it to the end and liked it a lot.  We hope that we can watch it again with Dad and Mary.

Sarah told us some stories about her jobs including the fact that she found out she has a third job!  The Hope College Sports Camps that she worked last year are starting up and they have Sarah on the schedule.  She said she would help out, but didn't think she would be a regular.  Whew!  She is going to be busy. Next week is soccer camp for young kids. The camp scheduler knows that Sarah's priority is her Biology and Waitress jobs, and still has her Monday's off for softball.  Yay!

Mary has her own set of funny stories from McDonald's.  She has worked lots of hours the past few weeks and has graciously gone in early or stayed late on many occasions.  They gave her some crazy hours lately.  Worked 5-10 pm Thursday and then 6-11 am  on Friday.  That isn't very nice! She's a trooper and made it through the shift, helped Matthew get started on his model car and of course they went and purchased the new grill.

Matthew is working today at the Theatre for a Dance Recital. He is responsible for the lighting. Later today he plans to cut our neighbor's lawn and then finally relax.  Got his haircut already this morning, and stopped by his buddy's open house on the way to work.  

I wanted to get more done this morning, but fell asleep on the couch after breakfast. Decided I needed to blog before heading out to an Open House, grocery shopping and doing the ever challenging Quicken.  Helping out with the music at church tomorrow too, so I had better practice a little. Now, I just found college baseball on ESPN and the Gators are playing in the super-regional playoff.  I am hooked!  Oh boy, I need to stay focused! Top of the fourth and the Gators are winning!

Guess I had better get motivated! Go Gators!  

Gracie

PS.1  Wish we could be at our nephew, Eric's Open House to celebrate.  Have a fun time!

PS.2  My fish died today. He made me very happy the past week. Think I'll put the fishbowl away for now.

PS.3 The weather has been so much better..Highs in the 70s. It has been a little rainy, but the next few days are supposed to be sunny and 75.  Perfect!

Birthday Roses from my Boyfriend!

Jeff picked me up from work yesterday and gave me these beautiful roses as another birthday present.  I love them...and my wonderful husband too!

Hot Hot Weather!

The past few days have been unseasonably hot for early June in Michigan.  Worst part is that we don't have our A/C in our windows yet.  The ceiling fans are going full blast, windows open at night and closed by day, helps our brick house stay tolerably warm, most of the time.  I took a shower this morning before work and seemed to sweat afterward while I got dressed.  At night, no blankets are needed and I am glad that my hair is long enough to pull up a little during the heat of the day.  The good news is that we are expecting cooler weather the next few days although it will remain humid with rain.  I welcome the 70 degree weather with a BIG smile!


Matthew has only one morning left of school.  Took two exams, Music and Chemistry, today and will take Economics and English tomorrow.   He will be so happy to see the end of the year!  He has been waiting for summer for months!  Mary continues to work extra hours at McDonalds. They often call to come in early or ask her to stay late.  Being a good employee, she helps out whenever she can.  It helps her paycheck too! Sarah is working hard in Holland too.  She said she has more hours this month.  $$$!  Way to go girls, earning money.  Matthew has worked lined up too.  He continues to work shows at the High School auditorium as a techie.  This week's show is a dance recital from a local dance school.   He will also being working at the childcare center at our church a few days each week.  His least favorite is cutting our neighbors lawn.  It has a killer hill and a large portion of weeds to mow.  I continue to care for my little princess, my little buddy and play for church once a month.  Keeps me busy and pretty happy too. I like what I do!

Time to get this laptop off my lap...makes me hot!  Need to cool down!

Looking for cooler days ahead..

Gracie

PS: Sammy is trying to stay cool too. Glad I don't have that coat on! He lays in front of our box fans or in the doorway to the porch.

PS #2:  Looks like GHS Fall Musical will be "Grease"!  WOW!

PS #3  Jeff surprised me with red roses when he picked me up from work.  He said he got them for his girlfriend!  How cute!  They are just beautiful.  Hope they can survive this heat.

Happy Birthday Mom 6/6/11

Birthday Report

My birthday was wonderful.  I enjoyed watching my little buddy as usual on Mondays.  We had a nice walk with the baby in the stroller and Sammy on the lease next to us! Everyone enjoyed it.  Best walk with Sammy I ever had!  He didn't stop every 2 steps to smell the trees.  Sarah was home with me all day and since she missed the Outback dinner on Sunday, our whole family and Brandon enjoyed a meal together at Applebee's. We were home in time to get ready for and arrive at the field for our softball game.

Our new team shirts were ready and distributed to the team.  They look so nice and I love the color! Our team had good bats, good gloves and especially good attitudes.  I was and am very proud of each and every one of our players. Sarah was prepared and provided some first aid to a player who sustained an injury.  We all met at the local dairy queen after the game and everyone was there and sang Happy Birthday!  That is something I will remember for a long time. When we got home, we had some yummy chocolate cupcakes and opened my cards.  I am planning on buying a  iPod player for the car and maybe some new summer tops. It sure has been hot! Mary braided my hair before the game to help me stay cool!

Mary got her new flat screen TV she bought for her birthday, and was disappointed with it once she and Brandon got it set up and working. So they took it back and returned it and found a better one for just a little more money.  I will agree that the picture on the new TV is much better than the first one she brought home. It will be very nice in her dorm room next year.

Sarah stayed the night and left for Holland Tuesday morning, so she could get to work. She is safe and sound.  It was so nice to have her home for a few nights.

Matthew has just two more 1/2 days before he is done with his Junior year of high school.  He can't wait. Four exams...done.  Summer!  He will be working at the Church Childcare Center again this summer.

That is all folks!  Have a great couple of days.

Gracie

CONGRATULATIONS TO ERIC HEUMANN ON HIS HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION!  WE ARE PROUD OF YOU!

It's My Birthday and I'll Smile If I Want To...

My birthday has started out wonderfully!

• Had a delicious meal at Outback Steakhouse after church on Sunday.  Bloomin Onion, Tender Steak, Yummy Sweet Potato Fries and a complimentary Chocolate Thunder from Down Under!
• Watched the Gators Softball team beat Alabama and advance to the finals of the Women's Softball World Series..Go Gators!  They are really good!  
• Went shopping with my guys and got a new top and a new goldfish. Named him Al. 
• Tried to go get ice cream at Charley's, but they were closed. Came home and made some smores.  I just like the marshmallows.  All of us had fun roasting the marshmallows.
• Sarah came home after she got off of work.  Glad to have her home!

Looking ahead...

• Our little buddy, Jack will spend the day with us!
• Hoping Mary's new TV will arrive at Wal-Mart Site to Store and we can go get it.
• MCLC Softball game.  Deciding if I will play or just coach.  Hoping our new team shirts are ready. Need to finalize the line-up. 
• Guess I should do some chores like laundry and bills. I must vacuum since a cute little boy will scooting all over tomorrow. 

Being 48 is great!

Gracie

Happy Birthday to my birthday buddy, Kaitlyn Grace Heumann. Have a nice 15th birthday!

German Coast Guard

This is pretty funny! Less than a minute of your time!

UMMGC Cuba Video, Parties and Sports...

     
 
Brandon sent me the link to this video about the UMMGC singing in Cuba.  It is is Spanish but still fun to watch.  Brandon can be seen twice, especially at the end.  I love the cuban tour shirts!

Went to three graduation open houses this afternoon.  They were all very nice and it was nice visiting with the graduates, friends, and families. We even met up with Matt's OT from the time of his broken arm.  It was a good time!

Now I have watched the Gator Softball Team win their game and advance to the semi-finals for NCAA Women's World Series! Go Gators.   Stanley Cup Hockey is on and a couple of good shows and movies to channel surf through. Sports in HDTV what can be better??

That's all for now...Happy SONday!

Gracie

The Weekend is Here!

I am glad that the weekend is here!  The weather has been very nice the past few days and I love having the windows open.  Sammy likes being out on the porch.  I had good days at work and also attended that Baccalaureate for the Class of 2011.  It was very nice and the Pastor Cooper had a nice message.

We have a graduation open house this weekend and Graduation Service at church on Sunday. I am playing for the service and need to come up with some songs for the prelude, offering and postlude.   Mount Calvary is changing over to Summer Schedule, service at 0900 with Children's Church.  We should be home by noon, which is good, since I am planning on going out for my birthday dinner on Sunday.  Still deciding where to go.  Mary has to be at work at 1630. 

Monday is softball night, and that is good, because that means Sarah will be home on my birthday. That will be great.  I probably won't play again this week, but I really enjoy coaching and cheering on the team. Last week's game was a great one!  Let's hope the team wins this week too, that would be another great birthday present.

Waiting for Jeff to get home from work and then we will head to Mancinos for our Friday night pizza!  Yum!

Have a great one!

Grace