Prayers Needed For So Many.

This is truly sad and tragic. I don't know how could handle such a tragedy.

The Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod - Crash kills pastor's wife, two children in Kansas

My friend of mine shared this on her Facebook~

Words from Rev. Jeff Geske posted on his Facebook wall - 

"Thank you! I would like to thank everyone for the words and love shown to me during this most difficult time at the death of Laura and Joshua and Joy. I rejoice knowing that they are now in heaven with our Savior Jesus. I miss them so much, but I know that one great and glorious day, they will along with Jesus welcome me home to heaven. May ...this difficult time for me remind you and encourage you to continue to express your love to your family. They are so precious and truly a gift from God on loan to us. May God comfort you as He is comforting me. Never forget how much God loves you! John 3:16-17 Take comfort in the five most important words you can ever know which are, "Jesus died for my sins!" Jesus loves you and so I ask and encourage you to love others and share His love, forgiveness, and salvation with them. Heaven is our home!"

 Wow! 

Gracie

Weird Weather

We sure have had some crazy "winter" weather.  Couple days of cold and snow, then a warm up with rain and sleet. The last few days have been cold and snowy and we have several inches on the ground with a little more expected in the morning.

Tomorrow Matthew has two finals covering the first semester in the morning and then a half day of 2nde semester classes in the afternoon. Time is going to go by faster now I think..it always does.  I will have my own assignment tomorrow at work instead of working with another nurse on the same assignment.  In other words, I am off orientation.  I think I am ready, but can't help being a little nervous.  Prayers are certainly appreciated by both of us!

Sarah had an exciting week with Grad School Interviews.  Monday a Skype interview with U of Indiana, Thursday Western Michigan called early in the AM for a phone interview and Friday she talked with U of Toledo.  Since their interview on Thursday, Sarah has been accepted to Western Michigan and will be visiting U of Toledo this week.  Michigan State hasn't communicated with her, so they are losing out.  :) Guess we will know more after the visit to Toledo on Thursday. Pray for safe travel and good visit.

We will be taking the Prius in tomorrow for a recurrent low tire pressure in one of the tires and an oil change. Wonder if there might be a nail in the tire.  In any case, I am tired of pumping air into the tires in cold weather! I have a long drive to work, so I want to be sure that I won't have trouble on the road.

Got the laundry all done and all but one CEU class completed.  Whew.  My to do list was whittled away, so I update that. Yay!  Matthew has been working on his application packet for OU's theater admission.  It's coming along nicely.  Jeff and I have to work on FAFSA, wonder what kind of financial aid we will get this year??

Guess that is about it..Have a great week!

Gracie

PS- Lost all four points at bowling tonight.  There's time to make progress.

So Far So Good!

I spent most of Friday sleeping, after working a couple of night shifts in a row.   Got up and made Chicken Enchiladas and rice for dinner then watched several netflix movies.  It snowed most of the day, but we only got about 2 inches or less in the end. The white blanket of snow looks beautiful but the single digit temps were bone chilling.

This morning I woke up at 0400 wide awake.  Tried to go back to sleep without success, so I went downstairs and watched some TV for a few hours.  Managed to get a nap in the mid morning. I wanted to get more done this afternoon, but it seems one thing leads to another and times just keeps flying by.

We decided to go see the new Mission Impossible movie in Grand Rapids this afternoon.  Sarah was able to meet us there, which made it so much more fun.   I really liked the movie and we had dinner together afterward.

Now I am  working on laundry, since I will need scrubs for work tomorrow night and Matthew will have clean jeans for school.  Guess I will be up a few more hours to get that done. 

That's all....have a good Sunday.  I am playing for church tomorrow morning! Almost forgot!

Grace

Here's the Latest

Sunday was filled with activity:

• After Sunday School and a nice service, Jeff Matthew and I went tubing with eight others from the MCLC youth group. Tubing is sledding on a big inner tube.  We had so much fun.  All eleven of us held on to each other and went down the hill together! Woohoo!  We had multiple runs, some with races, some going down by twos, fours and eights.  The last time we hooked together like a train! I discovered that both of my boots had holes/splits between the sole and upper. The outcome was wet cold feet. I bought some new boots last night at Meijer, on clearance.  Nothing cute, but they are warm and comfortable.    

•  Not too long after getting home from sledding, Jeff and I went bowling. Our team took all four points. I bowled over average each game!  So happy about that.  I work next Sunday so my sub will bowl.  We will end up bowling about half of the weeks each.  Thanks Janet for filling in!

Matt had no school Monday, Martin Luther King, Jr Day.  Instead he worked at the school scene shop all afternoon.  We all drove into Grand Rapids for dinner at TGiFriday's for dinner, and then I went on to work and the men went home.  I will be working tonight and tomorrow this week and then 3 days next week to finish up my orientation.

Had some good sleep yesterday and then got a few errands done, had pizza dinner and attended the forum at MCLC about finding a new preschool director.  Our current one is moving at the end of the year. Got home late.  Can you imagine?  Was hoping to spend a little time with Matthew in the evening and watch the MSU vs. UM basketball game.  Glad to hear the Wolverines pulled off the win 60-59.  What will be the result at their next meeting in Lansing?  Go Blue!

Happy Birthday to my brother Dave!  It was his day yesterday!   Hope it was a great day!

For now, I should get going.  There is more work to be done before I sleep a little and go to work tonight. 

Gracie

Matthew's Video of Tubing at Pando.  Fun! Don't worry if the screen is black.  Click on play and it will work.

    

School, Sleep and Snow

SCHOOL: All the kids are back to school. The daily routine is back.  Christmas decorations are down. Church activities are back in swing!

Sarah is starting her last semester at Hope College.  It's almost unbelievable and a little bittersweet. Hope has been such a wonderful place for Sarah over that past four years. She made the Dean's list again this fall, and has applied to Gradate Schools at Michigan State, University of Toledo, Indiana and Western Michigan University. Graduation will be on May 6th, and we are very proud of her.

Mary is going full throttle at University of Michigan. Classes, Glee Club, Barbershop Quaretet, K-Grams and Swimming are keeping her days and nights busy, just the way she likes it! Since she is the business manager for the Glee Club she is making the arrangements for their tour to South Africa and since then planned a winter retreat for the club at an upscale hotel in Detroit.

Matthew is almost half way through his senior year.  He is doing well is preparing for his interviews at University of Oklahoma and Western Michigan University theatre departments.  He recently bought himself a nook and is reading books a lot more lately. That is good! He is also busy at the school scene shop building the set for the next play, Little Women.

SLEEP:  Sleep has been a big part of my day lately since I am now working at night.  I really like my new job at the hospital and am feeling a little more confident with each shift worked. I have two more weeks of orientation and then will be on my own at the end of January.  I think I will be ready! I will be happy to work two nights a week instead of the three.

SNOW: We finally had our first BIG snow.  Of course it fell all night while I was at work and made the roads crazy for the ride home.  There is a Hyatt Hotel on the hospital campus, so I can stay there in the future, if I need to, especially if I work two nights in a row. Matthew was happy to have Snow Day #1!  Now that we have several inches of snow on the ground, tomorrow is sledding/tubing day after church. We usually have a great turn out.

This weekend promises to be busy:

• Doing laundry, including, putting away clean clothes since our vacation.
• Practicing the piano for church tomorrow.
• Preparation for Sunday School and Children's Church
• Watching Bronco Football.  Rooting for Tim Tebow and his team! 
• Sledding and Bowling
• No School Monday, but that will be a sleep day for me.
• Bills and Quicken.

Thanks for your patience and interest.  Like the new look of the blog?

Gracie

Happy 2012

Yes, we made it home. It was a long, straight through, ride home.  Mary and Sarah did a great job driving the Midnight shift.  We all slept as much as we could in the car.  Sure isn't something I want to do again.  Thankful for safe travel. I think we are still recovering.

We had a fun time celebrating Ernie's birthday last Saturday. Good food, friends and family.  What could be better?  Today is his "real" birthday.  Happy Birthday Dad!

Today I picked up Sammy the Dog and he is glad to be back home.  Tends to follow me around or sleeps in his favorite spots.  I think he is even glad to be out in our snowy yard. Laundry is caught up, errands done and had lunch with Mary before she and Brandon went back to University of Michigan. Time sure flies. Matthew goes back to school tomorrow and I am back to work!  Sarah will be home through the weekend.

For now, we are watching the Sugar Bowl.  What a crazy game this has been! Come on Wolverine's and WIN!  GO BLUE!

This year promises lots of events:

• Sarah graduates from Hope College and begins Grad School in the fall.
• Matthew graduates from Greenville High School and will be a college freshman in the fall.
• Mary will travel to South Africa with the University of Michigan Women's Glee Club~On Tour!
• Jeff and Grace will be empty nesters.  :(

Hoping I can wake up refreshed in the morning,

Gracie

PS: Be sure to check out the photo album for many more pictures!