School is Open!

I stayed up pretty late (aka early morning) with Matthew while he finished a paper.  We were sure hoping for another great storm and another snow day. When the snow did arrive it was pretty awesome with huge flakes, just didn't snow long enough to call a snow day.  No freezing rain. Wake up time came way too soon and I have been praying that Matthew makes it through school. I was lucky enough to get more sleep this morning and will work 4 hours this afternoon and then choir/chimes tonight.

Tonight's German Theatre show is
     "Affare Rue de Lourcine"
Tomorrow they will tour Dachau.

Have a great day! I am planning on having one too!

Grace

Time to Catch Up!

Work on Friday was very nice.  Had a nice time with my patient and she keeps me smiling.  Home on time and Jeff and Matthew brought me some boneless chicken wings from their dinner at Applebee's. They are so delicious, what a nice midnight snack!  We watched a netflix movie, The Killers, which was pretty good.  I like Ashton Kutcher and Tom Selleck.

Saturday, Jeff participated in the Walk for Warmth fundraiser.   They raised over 4000 to help those who can't pay to keep the heat on in their homes.   It has been a pretty cold winter and I can't imagine not having any heat!  Later we worked on FAFSA and financial aid.   Saturday evening I went to Chelsea, MI  with a friend to watch the showcase of  Michigan High School Show Choirs.  We had a nice time and the choirs did a great job.  So proud of Greenville High School. Unfortunately, I got a pretty bad headache and went right to bed when I got home.

I felt better this morning, thank goodness.  Was able to prepare my Sunday School lesson, practice the piano and get to church by 0830.  Class went great and the orchestra played well.  I always enjoy playing the clavinova for church.  After church I was taking blood pressures with another nurse from our congregation. Matthew always gets his BP taken and likes to compare numbers.

Finished up all the FAFSA and Financial Aid stuff today and also got in a needed nap. Jeff did too. Youth Group had their meeting this afternoon and Matthew is signed up to go to the Michigan senior youth gathering on Mackinac Island this summer. 

Bowling was pretty crazy tonight! We all bowled well and won three points.  We spotted the other team over 100 pins and the games were neck and neck all night. They  bowled the best games of their lives! We had lots of fun and other team is a nice group of young people. Now for the scores!  Jeff bowled a 575 series with a 188, 213 and 174.  I bowled a 416 series with a 154, 145 and a 117.  Randy and Norma had a great night too. It was position night, so we will see how where we stand next week.  Norma usually knows earlier, since she bowls on Monday nights too.

We are gearing up for another storm overnight and tomorrow morning.  We could get up to 1/4" of ice tonight and a little snow.  Will we have "snow day" #7?  Only time will tell.  I am working tomorrow from 1-5pm, but that should be fine, since the storm will have moved out by noon.  Whew!

Sarah is not feeling too well right now and has a fever. Please pray that she will be feeling better soon!  My hand did hurt after a few games of bowling and is giving me a little discomfort with typing this blog. I will be seeing a hand doctor in a few weeks.

Update from Germany
We did receive a letter from the German teacher notifying us that everyone made it safe and sound.  I also received an email from Brandon's Blackberry Phone reporting that "all is well". Guess they found a Starbucks where they can get internet access. Mary is without her computer, so she will be contacting us through other people's phones, computers or the teacher.

Saturday they got some Euro, got acclimated to the city of Munich and saw the play "misunderstood".

Sunday the whole group got a short tour of the Art Museum from a friend of the teacher who in one of Germany's top art historians. They were able to explore the museums for most of the day.  Mary and Brandon went to see the opera "Nagano".   By now they are probably almost ready to get up for a German breakfast.

I am pretty sure they have a free day of sightseeing then see another show Monday evening.

Sounds like lots of fun!


That is all!

Gracie

Away She Goes!

Mary and her friends arrived home last night just after midnight.  Got to visit with the girls and Brandon until Jim came to pick him.  The girls enjoyed pizza and pop and then crashed on our couches while Mary Jeff and I worked to finish Mary's FAFSA. Mission accomplished! 

Morning came early, and I got up and made cinnamon rolls and also had mini donuts for the travelers.  Matthew got off to school and by 0800, the girls set out for Brandon's to drop off a car and then head to the airport.  Thanks Jim!  I will be picking them up late Sunday night, March 6th.  

Anyway, last I heard, they had made it to Chicago and are waiting for the trip to Munich.  There was a one hour delay in Chicago related to weather.   Their plane will stop in Philadelphia where everyone changes to a new plane and then take off for Munich.  Arrival time is 0845 Munich time or 0245 our time on Saturday.  Will keep you updated as much as I can. 

For now, I have to get to work.

Grace

Deustchland, Morgen!

It is officially Thursday morning, so Mary officially leaves for Germany tomorrow! She is almost done packing and will be home tomorrow in time for sleeping and a late night snack. This is such an exciting time. I'd be lying if I didn't admit to being a little nervous.  I want her to have a great time and learn lots, but I will worry a bit about her safety and staying healthy.  Lots of prayers!

Matthew's concert Wednesday night was nice.  He always looks nice and does a great job singing and dancing.  He doesn't like weekday concerts, since he gets home and still has homework. I came home looked up stuff for taxes, and then watched a favorite show, Top Chef~All Stars.

Gute Abend!

Elisabet

Deutschland Countdown: 3 Days!

A lot got accomplished today.  Sam the dog is all groomed, got Mary's shoes for her Germany trip, doctor appointment for my hurting hand and grocery shopping ~done! Cooked dinner too, and the kitchen is clean! Now, watching Indiana Jones, love it!

 Sammy really needed a grooming...his nails were long and his hair out of control.  He looks so nice now and really soft!  No more long nails either.  Now he can be more stealthy.  

As soon as I got Sammy home,  I was off to Grand Rapids to pick up Mary's shoes. They are nice and have a good rubber sole.  Looks like they will have rain at least the first part of the trip.  Can't believe that they will be off to Europe on Friday morning.  

My whirlwind trip to JCPenney's was uneventful and my next stop was the doctor's office.  My left hand has been hurting for about a month, since I woke up one morning and my hand "popped".  It has hurt on and off, but over the past week it has been hurting more and been more noticeable while I work, type, play the piano and just use my hand.  The x-ray looks like the bones are ok, but narrowed near the wrist. I  am on some anti-imflammatory medicine.  See if that helps over the next week or so.  If not, I will be off to a hand specialist.

Matthew went to the movies with some friends while I was completing my tasks. He said the movie "I Am Number Four" was a good movie.  Then Matthew and I went shopping together and came home to make dinner.  

Jeff is very faithful, working on taxes so that the FAFSA's will be done by March 1st.  I feel sorry that I can't do much to help.  I am so glad he knows what he is doing.  

That is all my news...

Gracie

 

Snow Day #6

The Wilhelm's have dug out of the snow, and the roads in the City of Greenville have been plowed, but there must be some problems in the outlying areas because there is no school tomorrow.  I wonder how many have been worked into the school year before they need to start making up days at the end of the year?   I think it might be ten.

Mary had classes today, but her classes and chamber group took place in her dorm, so she didn't need to go outside all day.  Sarah, on the other hand, called my several times as she walked around campus on a cold windy day.  Guess she almost slipped several times on the ice, but she is safe and sound at home for the rest of the evening.

Tomorrow: Sammy goes to the groomer
                  Going to the Mall to pick up Mary's shoes
                  See the Doctor about my hurting left hand
             

That is all!  Good night!

Gracie

Happy President's Day! (4 Days to Germany)

 Drum Roll Please...

 Jeff measured another 2 inches of snow this morning which brings the grand total snow accumulation to 13 inches.  Sure is similar to our blizzard a few weeks ago. This time the blowing wasn't as bad.  Matthew and Jeff are digging out, Jeff with the shovel and Matthew is "driving" the snow blower.  Not the best way to spend your day off from school/work.  I told him I would go out and build a snowman with him later.

Jeff has been working hard toward getting the FAFSA done. That is a lot of work and we are all grateful.  Guess I should work on finishing my top ten things to do and move on to my list of non-urgent projects as well.  Going in to the doctor tomorrow for my sore left hand.  Think I pulled something a month ago and it has been on again off again until lately, it is causing discomfort at work, writing and playing the piano. We will see what he says.

Sarah isn't happy with the all the snow they got in Holland either.  Still she is keeping up with classes and papers.  I think I forgot to mention that she will be going to Minneapolis for the  GLATA (Great Lakes Athletic Training Association) Convention. She is looking forward to attending and learning new things. Sarah also applied and was appointed to be part of the Michigan Athletic Training Student Council. Congratulations!

As noted above, Mary and Brandon will be flying to Germany in FOUR days!   They are excited of course, but are keeping their nose to the grindstone to finish up papers and such before spring break  Looks like Mary's Sweet Adeline's Quartet may be singing in the lobby before the Women's Glee Club Spring Concert.  She will also be part of a small group of singers.

Matthew is doing ok.  His cold hasn't gotten much worse and he appreciates the extra long weekend.  I know he has homework to do though for tomorrow.  We will see if there is school tomorrow.  Roads are getting plowed and unless we get lots more today, I think school will be open.  Not sure when he starts rehearsals with the middle school play.  Lights don't always start early, but the play will be at the end of March, so there isn't much time to prepare. This Wednesday is the Village Green Variety Show. Matthew will of course perform with the Village Green Show Choir and he is part of a men's group that is going to sing a Billy Joel song.   I look forward to attending!  Saturday is the Chelsea Showcase.  Village Green performs at an evening concert with 4 other show choirs from Michigan.  Think I might go with a friend.  Saturday nights aren't good nights for Pastors to be out late.

Well, I guess that sums up everything...Have a great day!

Grace

Repeat Storm??

Well, my favorite weatherman has been keeping up with the snowfall all day.  As of this writing, we have 11 inches and it is still snowing!  Digging out of this will be much harder than after the blizzard a few weeks ago, since this snow is wet and heavy.  Making a snowman should be pretty easy!  Jeff thought it would be a good idea to take a picture of the "snow" gauge...It is almost full and it hasn't been 12 hours since it started snowing.  I love my pastor master forecaster!  A man with many talents! I took a picture through our kitchen window too, showing the accumulating snow on the van.  We sure have lots and lots!

Hunkered down in Michigan!

Gracie

God's Perfect Timing!

This morning started with the sun out and no precipitation.  Sunday School and Church nice as always. The Chime Team did an exceptional job this morning with "More Precious than Silver".  Jeff confidently cancelled youth group this afternoon, knowing the storm was still going to arrive and conditions would worsen.

Boy was he right!  Around 1 pm the snow began to fall and accumulate fast.   By 5 pm we had four inches and we are still experiencing snow showers and may get some freezing rain and sleet tonight followed by more snow. Sammy came in a white dog from the backyard.  Good thing I cleaned the yard yesterday! Sarah and Mary haven't been left out of this snowy mess.  I am not sure how much snow Holland has, but I know Ann Arbor had fast accumulating snow like us, with the same totals.  Wonder if they will have more icing since they are along the I-94 corridor. 

Tonight is one to write into the history books.  Bowling was cancelled!  This has never happened since we started bowling in 2007.  I wonder what this means? We will need another week.  Our last night was supposed to be Palm Sunday. Could Easter be the new "Fun Night"?

For now, we are keeping busy on our computers, watching some TV and staying warm. 

Hope your day is a warmer one!

Gracie

The Results

Matthew is home safe and sound.  He is getting a cold though, which is a bummer.  GHS came in second place in their division, 10th in the state of Michigan.  It was a great show and they had a great run...Now on to the next production.   Greenville Middle School will perform Alladin Jr.  High School students will run the tech part of the show.  Matthew has signed up to do lights.

Now we wait and see what kind of weather we will get during the next winter storm. It starts tomorrow, after church/sunday school begins.  The question will be what will the weather be when we leave church?? Good thing there is no school on Monday, might even be questionable for Tuesday.

For those of you who want to know how much of my list got done, I accomplished all but two of the top ten things.  Not bad!

Good night!

Grace

Countdowns

According to the MIFA One Act Festival Schedule, it is only one hour until the awards ceremony and announcements of the company's rating I, II or III. Matthew is having a good time. He is part of a company that earned their way to state.

Less than twenty four hours before the snow and ice arrive.  A Winter Storm Warning has been issued for our area beginning at 0700 tomorrow until 0700 Monday. The tree trimmers never finished cutting down our tree, so I hope with ice accumulation, and wind that it doesn't end up on our house.  Just read the report on the NWS and we could get up to 7 inches of snow and a 1/3" of ice.  The cars have gas. I have milk, bread and milk. We have blankets and a fireplace that can work if necessary. I will keep you posted.

Six days until Mary goes to Germany.  She is buying some new comfortable shoes that can be used for sightseeing and attending the theatre.  They are only taking a suitcase they fits in the overhead, so she will have to pack smart.

One Week and a few days until the FAFSA is due. Makes for a stressful time, but an important one nonetheless.

Six weeks until Jeff, Matt and I pack up for our spring break trip to Florida!  It will be nice to have time away together. 

Two months until Mary finishes her first year of college.

Three months until Sarah travels to Japan with Hope College's Athletic Training Department, and Jeff retires from the USAF at Shaw AFB, SC.

 Lots to look forward to!  Will let you know what happens with Matthews awards.

Grace

Time To Get Things Done...Right :/

It is a bright sun shiny Saturday and I have written up a list of things to do! Turns out I have 10 things to accomplish:

#10  Correspondence with family and friends~

#9    Create a poster/flyer for the Upcoming Shrove Tuesday Dinner at MCLC, benefitting the Senior Youth   attending the Michigan Gathering at Mackinac this summer.

#8    Putting ideas that are swirling around in my head for Matt's portfolio down on paper.

#7    Work on answering interview questions for a certain athletic trainings student who is awesome..

#6    Prepare for tomorrow's Sunday School lesson.

#5    Clean up after Sammy:  That means vacuuming and "clearing" the yard.

#4   Clear off  table of bills and old mail

#3  Finish the Laundry

#2  Clean the Kitchen

#1  Pick up my favorite Son, Matthew,  after he returns from State One Act Festival tonight at 11:30 pm.  Can't wait to hear all about his trip.

Let's hope I can get all this done!  If not, there is always tomorrow, right Scarlett??  Besides the bad weather hits tomorrow so I probably won't be going anywhere:

• Snow
• Freezing Rain and Ice
• More Snow

Jeff thinks we may have to cancel Youth Group tomorrow, I wonder if there will be bowling??? Only time will tell. Good thing there is no school on Monday!  Teacher work day!

Until then, back to work!

Gracie

Not Too Much News

As you might have noticed on my Facebook, I was keeping track of time and events that were happening across the state. I did get a text from Matthew before spike time that unloading went well.  Then much later in the afternoon, he texted "Things went well. Thanks!"  I also found out that their show time was 43 minutes, so that is very very good (can't go over 45).  Tonight he texted me from the last show of the evening and said that he was tired.  He sure had been up a long time and had a big day!  Hope they get good rest.  Anxious to hear all about it tomorrow night.

Jeff and I went to see "Three Men and a Tenor" tonight. The concert was at GHS performing arts theatre.  Pretty good crowd.  Nice show too. There was an afterglow party at Applebee's, but we chose to come home instead.

Other than watching the clock this morning, I got a few loads of laundry done, balanced the bank accounts and had a nice lunch with a friend. The weather was sunny, almost 50 and windy.  More cold air is moving in, and we will be back in the 20's and 30's.  Brrr.  Lots of the snow has melted and we can see patches of grass!   Sammy's yard needs cleaning up...yuck.

For now, it is time for some TV or a movie.  Have a good night!

Gracie

Three O Clock...All is Well!

Hi Ho Hi Ho, It is Off to State They Go~(whistling)~Hi Ho Hi Ho!

Matthew and I got up at 0220 and were ready and off to school before 0300.  When I dropped him off, no bus yet, although I am sure it will be coming soon. The high school lobby is filled with kids, chaperones and our feearless leaders!  It is going to a great experience for them. Have fun and Break a Leg!  They spike the set at 1055 and their Performance at 1120.  Sure wish I was going.  I have decided to stay home and get other things done.  Six hours of driving alone, through Detroit, is a lot, for two hours of fun.  Matthew has promised to keep us up to date when he can.  We won't know any scores/ratings until tomorrow night! This is a two day festival!

For now, it is back to bed for me...Praying for safe travels for the cast/crew et all.

Gracie

A Special Presentation from Mary

"I had to make some visual music for my theater class and everybody LOVED it, so I posted it on youtube. Which I guess means you can see it on this blog." ~Mary Wilhelm

I have moved Mary's Videos higher up on the sidebar, so you can see and hear her musical mix for a class.  It is  pretty cool!  Thanks Mary!

Had a nice day at work and choir went pretty well too.  When I got home and read the mail, I received a stuffed envelope from my employer with reading and requests.  It is so hard to keep up with all the requirements.  Still need to quicken and finish the laundry.  Think tomorrow sounds like a good time to start.   Need to watch Top Chef at 10 tonight!  I love that show!

Still trying to decide if I will travel to State One Act Festival on Friday.   It is a pretty long drive, three hours one way.  Extra long when you are driving by yourself. Of course I would love to see the show again and watch Matthew build and spike the set.

That is all for now.

Gracie

Ikimashoo!

Sarah is going to Japan!  She was one of three Athletic Training Students from Hope College to travel to Japan this May.  We are all so happy for her and she is very excited herself! I don't know all the details, but I know she will have a great time.   Wish they needed a chaperone, I'd love to go along! Course it would have been perfect to travel with Mary to Germany and then to Japan with Sarah!  I am just so happy for both of them and for these wonderful opportunities!

\o/ Grace

Timber!

Early this morning we heard the humming of a truck.  It wasn't going anywhere.  Jeff had a look and the City of Greenville was cutting down a tree  on the easement next to our house.  We have asked for that tree to be removed for a few years.  It is nearly dead and the woodpeckers peck away at it.  The big problem was that it was leaning toward our house, and we weren't sure when it would come crashing down on our house.   It is always a little sad seeing a tree get cut down.  I wonder "How long has it been there?"  Maybe it was there before our house was built.    I sure like the shade it provided, but I guess there will be less leaves to rake next fall. Should we plant another tree? The world needs oxygen!

Sarah is safely back at Hope College.  Wish she could have stayed longer, but she is committed to getting her homework done before classes resume tomorrow. We are very proud of her.  Mary is doing well at U Mich and the countdown to Germany is 10 days! Hooray!

Matthew's One Act Production is heading to Clinton Township, MI for State Festival.  It will be at the Armstrong Theatre which happens to be across the street from Selfridge AFB.  At first, I thought I would skip this performance, especially since Jeff and I are going to the show Friday night. However, Matthew told me yesterday that the shop area is much smaller than our theatre and they will have to assemble the set and spike/mark the stage during spike time, which is 25 minutes just before they perform.  They haven't done that before, and since he is a stage manager, he will be responsible for a lot of it.  It would be so nice to see him doing the work he loves and maybe take some pictures for his portfolio.   Afterward, I could check out the AFB and maybe do a little shopping at the commissary!  That would be so much fun!  Jeff and I will have to talk about the events before I make a decision.  Mary and Brandon want to see the show again and want me to pick them  up "on the way".  Sounds so tempting, but Ann Arbor isn't really on the way, it would add 2 hours of driving for me, plus they have class!  Awards are on Saturday evening, so I won't be going on both days, that is for sure. Which is more important? I think the performance, it's a hilarious comedy!

Well, that is all for today.  I am off for a nice lunch at Jimmy's Pub and Grub with my golf buddies, then I will do some laundry, work on bills and paperwork.  Exciting....not really.  Still it needs to be done. Have to call LL Bean too, since Sarah new boots developed a hole.  Two pairs of boots, same style, same make and both developed holes, one within a year and one within a month!  They better give a great deal!  Wish me luck!

The Icicle Garden has melted....temperatures are heading to the 40's to almost 50 later this week.  Pull out the shorts!  I am not fooled, I know there could be more snow and cold before spring arrives.

Update: The tree was merely trimmed (quite a bit), but it still stands tall!

That is all!

Gracie

HAPPY 25TH ANNIVERSARY TO DAN AND JANELLE! BLESSINGS FOR 25 MORE!

Happy Valentine's Day

Seventeen years ago, Jeff brought the girls to the hospital after school.  They were all decked out with heartsy clothes, pinks and purples.  I asked Jeff, "What's with all the hearts and stuff?" He said, "It's Valentine's Day!"  I was pretty impressed and the girls even had ponytails!  What a great dad! Every year since then, I almost forget that it is Valentine's Day, which is ok, because Matthew's birthday is pretty important.  Today is also Jeff's sister's birthday~Happy Birthday Liz!

Matthew had a wonderful birthday. Church potluck was ok, and the chocolate cake I took was delicious!  When we got home, Matthew and the rest of us were able to talk with Mary via Skype.  It was a lot of fun and I even got pictures of the three of them together. Matthew even opened his presents and cards while Mary was "with" us. Afterward, some of us took a nap while others kept busy with TV, iPods or work.  Then we were off to Craig's Cruisers for pizza buffet and fun.  I thought the pizza was pretty tasty and then we spent a couple hours playing games in the arcade.  Mostly, Deal or No Deal and Wheel of Fortune.  I won 173 tickets at Deal or No Deal and Sarah won 322 tickets on Wheel of Fortune.  All of us won tickets and gave them to Matthew to spend.  We ended up with over 1200 tickets!  It was a record for our family.  Two activities were included in the price, so we rode the go karts twice!  They were closing, but they let us ride the second time anyway and we had the track to ourselves!  It was fun especially since my M&M car was fast and I won!  Found out at the end of the race, that they let us drive an extra two laps, since we drove "clean" and it was Matthew's birthday.  Luckily, the prize counter was still open and we eventually found prizes suitable for our family, bouncy balls, footballs, candy, and a few little cute toys.  All in all it was a lot of fun.   Topping off the celebration, we all enjoyed a Blizzard Ice Cream Cake, Cookies and Cream! Mmmm.  It was tasty.

Matthew is back to school this morning and will be home for lunch.  Sarah is doing laundry and homework. She plans on returning to school this evening.  We sure had a fun time with her. Now, I have lots of things to accomplish. Mainly cooking, organizing, bills and computer work. 

Have a great week.  Let's hope GHS will have a Superior time this Friday at One Act State Festival.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!  LOTS OF LOVE TO MY SWEETHEART, JEFF!

Grace

Happy 17th Birthday Matthew

We haven't officially celebrated Matt's birthday, but it is only 2 AM on this special day.  It promises to be very busy, so I opted to stay up and type an entry. It was 2 AM, 17 years ago when we called our parents and said we were on the way to the hospital.  Three and a half hours later, little Matthew was born at 5:37 AM, a Sunday, just like today!

We did some celebrating at the One Act Regional Festival yesterday afternoon and evening. GHS  production of  The Complete Works of Shakespeare (abridged), received a rating of (1) and is moving on to state competiton this Friday. Great Job to all.  We are especially proud of the Asst. Stage Manager, Matthew Wilhelm!

Sarah arrived home Friday late afternoon and we enjoyed dinner and then went to the GHS basketball game.  They won!  Sarah was happy to spend time with her High School mentor, Mr Day!  She loved the One Act production too! Laughed the whole way through...I think it gets funnier for me every time I see it.  I am not sure if I will make it to state festival on the east side of the state.  Sure would be nice, but Jeff and I have tickets to see Three Men and a Tenor Friday evening. Mary wants to go too, but she has no car and has German class!  Too bad.

Mary is getting excited about her trip to Germany in just two weeks!   Hard to believe..She is going to have a great time.   In the meantime she is busy with her classes, chamber quartet, sweet adelines group and the Glee Club, not to mention her two jobs!  Her sweet adelines group had only three girls since it began after Christmas, but will add the fouth tomorrow.  I guess the Glee director heard them practicing before Glee Club last Thursday and wanted them to sing at their retreat this weekend.  She offered to sing the "baritone" part with them since the new girl hasn't practiced with them.

So, for the big birthday plans~

• Church and Sunday School.  "Jesus walks on the water", Choir/Praise Team and a potluck dinner to follow.  I made a chocolate cake.  
• Open cards and gifts...Thanks to all
• Go to Craigs Cruisers for pizza buffet, go karts and arcade games. It's a lot of fun!
• Ice Cream Cake at Home.   

Sounds fun!  Sure hard to believe my baby boy is 17!  He was a cute little boy and has grown into a handsome young man!

Proud Mommy Grace

Extra Extra Read All About It

Icicle pictures are posted on the Family Photo Album!  They turned out pretty nice.  Tomorrow I hope to take a picture of Matthew's Icicle Garden.  It is pretty awesome!

Forgot to mention a special day this past weekend.  I always remember February 4th as my dad's ordination anniversary.  It will always be a special day to me too.

Have a great night and wonderful rest of the week.

Gracie

Icicles Galore!

Today is a bright sunny day in Greenville and as I was driving home I noticed all the pretty icicles hanging from our house. Some small and delicate and others large on long extending from the roof to the ground, even intertwining with the bushes. Matt mentioned the possibility of another icicle garden.  We will see if he has the time to create one this year.  He has been super busy with school and the One Acts the past few months.

Speaking of SUPER, we didn't see much of the superbowl since we were bowling against..ourselves!  We had a bye week and had no opponents.  In order to win points we had to bowl BETTER than our team average.  Well we had such a "great" night we didn't win one point!  Our pre-bowling went much better for next week, so maybe those games will make up for our losses.  We shall see!  I watched a few commercials after the fact and thought they were pretty cool.  Still have to watch the flub up on the National Anthem.

Last Friday, Jeff and I attended dinner and a melodrama at the high school put on mostly by Greenville Public School teachers and superintendents.  There were others that are philathropists that were also involved in raising money for the fine arts for Greenville Schools. I helped serve dinner for the Saturday night crowd. There were over 100 people both nights!

The excitement doesn't end though.  Sarah comes home this weekend for several days. Saturday,  Sarah and I will attend the regional competition for the One Acts in Grand Rapids.  Sunday is Matthew's 17th birthday and we will all celebrate at Craig's Cruisers as a family.  We will miss Mary this year.  It is also that time of year to be filling our financial aid forms.   That is a lot of work especially for Jeff.

For now, I had better think about dinner.  There is council tonight, so I have to make sure what time dinner will be.  I am thinking it is a pizza night. Matthew is home from play practice and we are going to go out and "pick" icicles!

TTFN ( that is ta ta for now, made famous by Tigger!)
Gracie

So the Groundhog Didn't See His Shadow!?!

He should have come out in W Michigan, Wisconsin and other areas of the midwest and had a look.  We had about 12 inches, with poor visibility and crazy winds!  We were under a Blizzard Warning!  I got up early this morning to check things out and then called my client's family and said I wasn't going out today.  It wasn't safe for me to venture out in the blizzard.  By the time the snow waned off and stopped it was nearly noon.  Took a couple hours at least for the three of us to clear the snow.  I have posted plenty of after the blizzard pictures in the photo album. Have a look!  Jeff is out on a finishing round to completely clear off the driveway. It's a beast!  Sammy was stunned when Jeff let him out this morning and the snow was up to his belly!  Whew that is cold, huh Sammy boy??

This snowstorm was no big surprise. Jeff had predicted this storm for days.  Matthew and I went to the store after school yesterday to make sure we had plenty of milk and other groceries.  I had a nice lunch with my friends and then got the banking and bills done and even finished laundry!

Moday was spent in Kalamazoo. Matthew had a college visit day.  Our first tour was at the Theatre, our guide was very friendly and helpful in preparing for college over the next year.  Looks like Matthew will have to have a portfolio of photos and such of the sets he has worked on over the years.   Then we visited with the Occupational Therapy department in a very nice new building!   The advisor gave us lots of good information and had a thorough tour of the labs and classrooms.   Matthew decided after that meeting that OT is probably not for him, and techincal design and production is more up his alley.  Our last stop was at the admissions office for general information and campus tour.   It was nicer than I remember it, and Matthew liked it too. It was very very cold and I bowed out just over half way through and waited in the admissions office. I made the right decision.  Matthew and Jeff were pretty cold when they returned.  Part of our plan was dinner at Cici's not far from campus. When we arrived they were closed....forever.   What a big let down for us!  Instead we stopped at another of Matthew's favorites, Steak N Shake.  It certainly was a day to remember, and fun to share with Matthew as he plans his future.  Our day wasn't over yet.  Matthew needed a new coat, so we stopped at Burlington Coat Factory and got him a new coat, snow pants and gloves!  Good thing too, he got to use them all today!

So Mr. Groundhog, it is still snowy and very cold..I think we have plenty of winter left.

By the Way~Snow Day #5 tomorrow!  Just found out.
Gracie




Here is another song at our  private performance of Barbershop after the  Glee Concert last Friday!