The Wilhelm Family

It's That Time of Year!

2012-02-15T16:04:00.000-05:00

The time of year that none of us really like at all. FAFSA. Financial Aid applications. Having to get your taxes done a month early. Reporting bank accounts and funds so the government can determine how much of the college bill we can pay, the EFC, Expected Family Contribution. We can't get away from it, so we plug away and get all this numbers in order the best we can, and within certain deadlines. Our Quicken is nearly updated which is crucial for Jeff to work on taxes. What a headache!

I was busy at work last night, but it was still a good night at work and I learned some new things! That is always a plus. Everyone is so helpful and willing to help out this newbie. I am on-call tonight, so I need to be available should they need me to come in. I work a regular shift tomorrow. Then I have several nights off.

We had a nice time with Sarah home for several days and Mary had a nice Valentine's Day as well. She will be home for spring break in a few weeks. Yay!

Get's that is all for now. Have a nice week! Wish us luck on all of our financial forms to fill out!

Gracie

Happy 18th Birthday Matthew!

2012-02-13T23:08:00.001-05:00

It was 18 years ago, that Matthew was born. An unforgettable day, an adorable little boy. What do you remember about that day? I remember that this was my only delivery by a midwife. It was exceptional. Thank you Lisa, CNM! The next day Jeff brought the girls to the hospital all dressed in hearts with their hair in ponytails. That was impressive. I even asked why they were decked out in hearts. He said "It's Valentine's Day!" I had forgotten all about it, it didn't matter, I had the best Valentine gift ever, my son. We were all so very happy when we took him home.

We had a great weekend! Packed with activities:

Friday we finally got snow! It was so beautiful to watch it fall to the ground. The only bad thing was that it delayed Sarah from coming home from Holland for her winter break. Better safe than sorry. Jeff, Matthew and I went to the GHS boys basketball game and watched a wild and fast paced game. The best news is that the Yellow Jackets remain undefeated and conference champions! It was great..right down to the last seconds.

Saturday started out with Jeff and Matthew clearing the snow from the sidewalks. It didn't take too long and it looks great. The sky was clear blue with sunshine! Then Matt's friend, Alex came over and we headed to Craig's Cruisers for pizza, games and go karts. Sarah met us there too. We had a lot of fun. We brought home 5 goldfish as prizes. Glad to report that they are all still alive in our 10 gallon tank! Once we were all home we played a game and then the "kids" watched TV. I cooked them some food and worked on quicken so we could be one step closer to getting to FAFSA.

Sunday included a nice church service, chicken enchilada dinner together at home, more paperwork, then bowling and Applebees for a late supper.

Matthew was back at school on his real birthday and had a good day. Appreciates all the cards, wishes, calls and gifts. Mary called and wished him a happy day that put a big smile on his face. He loves his sisters.

It has been so nice having Sarah home. For those of you who might not have heard, Sarah has accepted a position as a graduate student/AT at the University of Toledo. Nice to have that decision made and excited about her future. Just a few more months of undergraduate work and of course the license exam in the spring.

Mary had a Glee Club retreat this past weekend that she planned as the business manager. It was well received and everyone had a nice time. Guess she needs to plan a trip out of state now to sing at a Director's conference. Still raising money for South Africa. Any fundraising ideas? Brandon took his LSAT test on Saturday and feels it went pretty well. He should know he score near the beginning of March.

I have been off work for over a week now. Thanks to a co-worker who traded shifts with me so I could be home with Matthew tonight. I am back to work tomorrow and Thursday and on call Wednesday and Sunday. I am liking my job very much.

That says it all.

Gracie, mom of Matthew.

Surprise!

2012-02-03T20:50:00.000-05:00

I worked last night instead of tonight. The hospital called me and asked if I could switch. I told them I could work 11-7 and they still did a swap. They sure needed nurses. It was very busy! We are making up for the lull we had in January. I will work Saturday and Sunday as planned.

Jeff had a meeting tonight for middle school youth, so Matthew and I went out for taco bell. I love the new enchiridos (minus beans). Matthew had Quesadillas (no sauce). Red Box was our next stop to rent a few movies. We await Jeff's arrival before starting them. I told Matthew that he could teach me a Wii game. So far that hasn't happened,but he wants me to play a war game with him.. Bad idea, but I will.

Sarah is home safe and sound, and has lots of decisions to make. She also needs to catch up on rest and studying after a two day trip to Toledo. She has been accepted to Toledo, Western and Indiana. The dopey Spartans at Michigan State haven't even communicated with her since her application was complete. Their loss.

Mary is spending time with fundraising for her South African trip this summer. Guess they are going to go out and sing for whatever money people will thow into the bin. They are going to sell flowers for Valentine's Day too. She also continues to work at a local elem school and has a new student to work with, she loves being in a classsroom.

Matthew has started his last semester at GHS. Likes his classes and is slowly getting to his college stuff. He really wants to go to Oklahoma! Jeff and I went to the show that Matthew sculpted rocks, even a skull rock, out of styrofoam. It looked awesome. He also built the jail bars. Tomorrow he will help strike the set and put in the set for Little Women.

Tomorrow we will be getting a new printer and a new laptop computer for me. The old desktop is moving slow and we rarely use it. I am excited, as the one I am using right now turns off without notice.

Well, I better go check the dryer..making sure I have enough scrubs for the weekend..

Gracie

Update!

2012-02-02T14:35:00.001-05:00

HAPPY GROUNDHOGS DAY! SIX MORE WEEKS OF WINTER!

Here is the latest:

Sarah made it safe to Toledo. Visit is going well.
I changed my dental appointment. Wanted the dentist that saw me to do the drilling. Wouldn't you?
Sammy still safe and sound..no more walkabouts yet.
Ready for Orchestra tonight
Got a lot accomplished, still need to work on laundry, quicken and cook dinner.
Still working this weekend.
Sarah drives home tonight. Praying for safe travel.
No more sore throat or stuffy head today!

Gracie

Stress and Anxiety

2012-02-01T13:27:00.000-05:00

The remainder of this week is causing some stress and anxiety.

Had big plans to accomplish a lot, but woke up with a sore throat and a stuffy head
Getting two fillings tomorrow...High Anxiety
Choir and Orchestra and a presentation of the GPS Melodrama, Westward Whoa!
Working a three night weekend.
Wondering if Sammy will go on walkabout again.
Sarah a little stressed about driving to Toledo today and will spend tomorrow with the Athletic Training Staff and Students.

Guess I had better get some work done. Charge!

Grace

Prayers Needed For So Many.

2012-01-31T16:31:00.002-05:00

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

2012-01-29T23:15:00.002-05:00

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!

2012-01-21T23:22:00.000-05:00

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

2012-01-18T12:58:00.010-05:00

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

2012-01-14T13:44:00.005-05:00

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

2012-01-03T23:36:00.004-05:00

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!

Happy New Year!

2011-12-31T00:08:00.001-05:00

I can't believe how fast 2011 went by. I'm sure in just a few blinks Sarah and Matthew will have gradutated this spring! My mom was right (as usual) time does go faster with each passing year. I am thankful for all the blessings God has given to us, our family and friends. Each one of you is a blessing to us!

Our trip to Florida has been wonderful. Although the trip was LONG on Sunday and Monday, it sure was worth it and we had no trouble with the driving and only a few traffic tie ups. Here are the highlights of our trip so far:

Waking up in Daytona Beach and seeing the sun glistening on the roaring ocean.
Playing shuffleboard with Jeff and Matthew and walking along the beach.
Witnessing the marriage of our neice, Lori, to Daniel Brown. A great couple!
Seeing all but a few of Jeff's siblings and their families. Friends too!
Having a delicious Japanese meal cooked at our table.
Celebrating Christmas..again!
Spending the day with my brothers and their families. Talking, laughing, playing games, eating, and watching some football.

Still ahead:

Celebrating Jeff's dad's birthday with many friends and family!
Welcoming in 2012. Praying for a healthy and happy New Year for everyone!
Church on Sunday before another LONG ride home. Sarah wants to try and drive straight through! I am not sure if we can do that. Only time will tell.

Signing off for the last time in 2011,

Gracie

Christmas Day!

2011-12-25T16:05:00.001-05:00

Mary and Sarah sang "Here With Us" at church Christmas Morning. It was beautiful. It has been a very nice Christmas. Presents have been opened, ham dinner shared and we even tried out Matt's new Wii Sports Resort! Mary is spending a little time with Brandon and family before we head out. I must say we have done a lot in a small amount of time! Way to go troops!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T03:30:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas Everyone! We had a very nice Christmas Eve, last minute shopping, wrapping gifts and even visiting a little princess! Church was very nice. The orchestra did a fine job playing along with the hymns. Jeff gave a good sermon and the candles are always the pinnacle of the service. I even sang Silent Night a little bit. Usually my emotions get carried away and wonderful memories come flowing back. I miss my dad. So thankful the Jesus loves us so much that he died and rose again, so we call live forever with Him! I know my dad is there and that makes me happy.

Our traditional Christmas Eve meal of Hot Dogs and Cheese Balls was eaten after church and then Mary and Brandon went to midnight service and the rest of us played a family game. I even won this time! The time kept ticking and soon, one by one, our family is falling asleep. Much needed rest. It will be my turn in just a few minutes. Tomorrow we will have church, eat, open presents and pack before heading south for a family wedding. Life is so busy!

My new job is great, but leaves me exhausted by the time I get home. My decision to work at the hospital again was a good one, and I am feeling more assimilated with each day. The girls finished up another semester of classes with all A's and one B. So proud of them! Glad to have them home too. I miss them so much when they are away at school. Our Sunday School Christmas Program was terrific! Everyone did a wonderful job.

With all the busyness at this time of the year, it is easy to forget the reason of the season! When those times of being overwhelmed stress you out, take time to talk to God. Without Him we are lost. Celebrate Jesus birth and let Him help you plug along at your list of things to do..I will get Christmas Cards out, but you might not get them until the New Year! The wishes will be just as heartfelt! Check out all the new pictures on the Family Photo Album.

Here's to a blessed 2012~

Gracie

GHS Christmas Concert 2011

2011-12-15T00:05:00.000-05:00

I went to Matthew's concert tonight. Had the day off! It was very nice. I especially liked the set/scenery. Matthew was chosen to sing the duet portion of White Christmas earlier today. He did a great job and looks so nice!

I am sorry that it has been so long since my last entry. I have been so busy the past few weeks. Last week was a full week of orientation, spending time in a conference room listening from the many departments of the hospital. We also had computer training as our chart is completely electronic. Lots to remember. This week I worked 2 twelve hour day shifts with another nurse and had many many experiences. I am glad to be back in the nursery and delivery rooms. Talked to my little client's mom and will be picking up a few days a month with them too. That was my plan all along. Just need to wait until I go to my regular shift on nights a few nights a week.

Last Saturday Jeff Matt and I went to Ann Arbor to have dinner with Mary and Brandon before an evening of singing. The Blue Horizon barbershop was terrific as was the Women's Glee Club. Glad we could see and hear Mary play her cello too! What a great night!

I am trying to get so many things done. The Sunday School program is this Sunday. Presents need to wrapped. Bought Christmas cards and Matt got more lights to put up outside. He has done a great job with the lights this year. I am playing for a wedding this weekend too. Need a little more practice time. Did I mention there are still presents to buy for some important people? Laundry is getting done and I even cooked dinner tonight. I need to do a little banking too.

The girls are still at school and preparing for the finals. Sarah is done on Friday and Mary next Wednesday. Can't wait to have them back home for a while.

I better get back to work...then bed..soon!

Gracie

RC.Chamber.AVI

2011-12-11T23:54:00.000-05:00

Mary's Chamber Group performs Panis Angelicus. These players are all from the Residential College and are majoring in something besides music.

Blue Horizon 12/10/11

2011-12-11T23:48:00.000-05:00

Mary and Brandon's Mixed Barbershop Quartet debuts before the UMWGC concert.

UMWGC.Winter (2).AVI

2011-12-11T23:45:00.000-05:00

Mary's Chamber Group accompanies the UMWGC. Can't see Mary. She is behind the director.

Thankfulness Abounds!

2011-11-28T18:22:00.006-05:00

What a fun filled weekend with our family! Thank You Lord for a wonderful husband and children!

I promised a report from Matthew and Jeff's black Friday adventure. They started out at Radio Shack and bought a new TomTom GPS on sale to replace the Garmin GPS Jeff would return later, only to have found a good exchange instead of a return at Best Buy with a TomTom GPS. So in the end, Jeff got a new GPS and then gave me the GPS from Radio Shack for my car! I might be needing it now that I will be driving to Grand Rapids more often.

Their next stop was the Apple Store. Matthew bought himself a new MacBook PRO laptop computer. He loves it, and now he and I won't be "fighting" over my laptop anymore. So all three kids were working on their MacBooks this weekend either for homework or for fun!

I had a good day at work on Friday and then we had chicken crescents for dinner as planned. Mary and I have it down to a science and can turn out a meal together pretty quick!

By 8 pm we were at the Sports Plex ready for ice skating. We had Sarah's skates sharpened and we all laced up! We all enjoyed ourselves but only needed one hour for skating. The skates hurt our feet. Even Sarah's did since they aren't the right size anymore. She still loves them and uses them. She looked so lovely out there skating. I miss it and I think she does too. We took lots of pictures, so be sure to visit the Family Photo Album. The night wasn't over, Sarah Mary and I stayed up and made Bulkoogi for dinner for Saturday. Sarah has mad meat cutting skills! The smell of the marinade made us hungry so we shared a frozen pizza before bed. Fun!

Saturday was the big Michigan vs Ohio State game. Mary, Jeff and I watched the game with the Cory's at their pub on the big screen TV. A fun private party! What a game and a nail biter. So glad the Wolverines hung on and WON! Go Blue! Wish we could say the same for the Gators. :( The Sooners had no problem beating Iowa State. By the way, Mary and Brandon were interviewed by the Detroit Free Press last week about their recent trip to OSU to sing the Victors. I have posted the link to the story on my Facebook.

The plan was to begin making the yakimondue after getting home from the game, but the whole matter of new cell phones and plans came up with great buys! So we went phone shopping for an hour to see what phone we might want to have next.

So even though we were behind a little, with great team work, Mary and I had the Korean meal ready by 7:15 and we ate to our hearts content. bulkoogi and rice and yakimondue...Mmmmm. So glad that Brandon could join us for our feast. Anytime Mary and Brandon are home, there is some singing involved. Matthew and I joined in on some barbershop quartet numbers. Their mixed barbershop quarter, Blue Horizon, should be debuting the night of Mary' Glee Club concert. Mary is playing her cello that night too. Can't wait!

Sunday morning came early and our group sunday school and church service went well. I played for church along with the orchestra. Our anthem turned out very nice. I was pleased, I think God was too! Jeff and I did chapel for the Long Term Care residents in the afternoon and then came the moment the girls were waiting for: ordering new phones. Despite the long phone call between two customer service people and four of the five of us, our new phones are ordered and we did get a good deal. They are even supposed to be shipped overnight, which means we should have them tomorrow! Another new toy to play with, when will I ever have time for Quicken? Brandon picked up Mary around 6 pm Sunday and headed back to Ann Arbor. They arrived safe and sound. Sarah stayed until after we finished bowling (we won only one game) and headed home around 11pm. She too made it home safe and sound with lots of work to do...Supposed to have a presentation today, hope it went well for her. Maybe I will hear from her sometime soon.

Today I did some cybershopping, "redecorated" the blog and watched TV. I want to start some laundry tonight and decorate our house for Christmas. First I have choir and chimes and a little shopping. Better get going!

Gracie

PS: Jeff has found a good deal on a new Toshiba laptop computer (his is old and slow) and will be driving into Grand Rapids to pick it up! Fun Fun Fun!

Keep Scrolling and watch a few videos from our ice skating night!

IceSkating - Sarah Jumps

2011-11-28T18:22:00.001-05:00

Ice Skating 11-25-11

2011-11-28T18:22:00.000-05:00

Black Friday is Overrated

2011-11-25T06:58:00.001-05:00

This was my second time shopping on Black Friday, only today I had to wake up at 0430 to go. Last time I shopped after a night shift at a hospital. That was 18 years ago!

Mary and I willingly got up and dressed and headed to our local K-Mart for a few good buys on kitchenware. After all, Mary will be cooking meals at school next year, living in a house with 5 other people. How can you pass up a deal of 16 pieces of cookware for $20 and a hand mixer for $10? We arrived only 5 minutes after KMart opened and there were no shopping carts left and we had a great parking spot (cough cough) first spot at the end! We meandered to the kitchen section and there were none on the shelf. Really? Five minutes after they opened? So we looked at some other small kitchen appliances when I noticed a mountain of them in one of the main aisles! Woohoo! Mary got her red pots and pans with utensils. Good thing we got up early, they were going quick! It was interesting to watch all these other people shopping. We were definitely out of our league here. There was one lady with a bike in her shopping cart. There was a line to get into the audio/visual department. Our decision was "let's go"! The checkout lines were pretty slow and long. We stood in line as long as it took to find our two items. Unfortunately, we got hot standing there in line with everyone else, only they had carts of stuff instead of two things. We both started feeling a little ill in line, but survived and made it home.

Meanwhile, Matthew and Jeff are on their own adventure. Radio Shack, Best Busy and the Apple Store. I wish them the best...and will report their success later on. Now for a little more shut eye before work.

Gracie

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T22:33:00.001-05:00

Today I am most thankful for my family that we can spend it together! Mary and Brandon surprised us and came home on Tuesday and Sarah was home when I got home from work yesterday. It is so nice to have them home for a long weekend. So far we have:

Enjoyed dinner together at Pizza Hut and late night shopping for groceries.
Sarah made delicious pumpkin-spice cream cheese breakfast rolls. They were yummy!
Mary and I made pumpkin pies.
Planned shopping for Black Friday...:Not too much...just a few things. I work tomorrow too.
Prepared and ate traditional Thanksgiving Dinner. Pumpkin Pies still to be devoured.
Matthew and Mary put up the Christmas Tree. Still need to decorate more this weekend.
Played a game and now watching some silly TV.

The past week has been so busy, I failed to write any updates.

Matthew was stage manager for GHS musical, Grease three nights in a row. It was a great show and all went well each night. I stayed after the last show to watch the strike the set and learned a lot about how much work goes into the techincal part of the show! Parents of the actors watch their kids perform and all is well. Techie moms and dads don't get to see their kids work, unless you watch the strike. Very cool.
MCLC Chime Team played on Sunday and it was virtually perfect! Orchestra plays on Sunday. Advent is here! Chirstmas Program is planned and parts distributed. I think it is going to be a nice service.
I went for my employee health appointment and can't start until I am cleared by the Metro Employee Health Doctor. He needs to clear me for work since I have had some knee issues related to arthritis. It might click and lock a little, but I don't have constant pain and never missed work because of it. Also need to check my immunity to mumps. I won't get to see him until next Thursday. Supposed to start the following Monday. That is cutting it pretty close, especially since I don't know what the doc will say. I fretted for a while, but there isn't a lot that I can do.
Our bathroom is finally finished and very nice. The floor is heated and feels great. The water strong now and the drains are no longer slow. Yay!
Our bowling team remains in 2nd place. I didn't bowl so well last Sunday, but Jeff had a great game of 204! He has a great average..176!

The rest of the weekend should prove to be a lot of fun! Sometimes I think we won't have enough time!

Shopping late night/early morning shopping. Jeff and Matthew are going into Grand Rapids and Mary and I are staying local, since I need to be at work later after the sun rises.
Chicken Crescents are slated for Friday dinner,but we are always open to change.
Possible Ice Skating at a new rink nearby. I may not skate, but I love to watch Sarah skate. She still loves it. Matthew would love it too.
College Football..U of M vs. OSU. Go Blue! Not sure where we will watch it, but it is sure to be a good game. Will be rooting for the Gators and Sooners too! Korean dinner on Saturday.

That is all for now....I will try to write more often!

Go Blue Beat OSU!

Grace

2011 WVU Marching Band Armed Forces Salute

2011-11-17T16:11:00.001-05:00

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Jeff posted this on Facebook. I think it is really great and worth watching! Enjoy!

Gracie

Hunting Season Has Begun

2011-11-16T01:30:00.000-05:00

The Wilhelm's are not hunters, but Matthew enjoyed the day to sleep in. No school on opening day of "gun" hunting. It certainly was still a busy day! I worked for my Marcella, my nurse buddy, who was out hunting today and got a buck and a doe! Every year she has success on day #1. Matthew worked at the childcare center and then had dress rehearsal this evening. Jeff worked at church then did a lot of work at the house. The carpets got cleaned, gutter repair, readying the snow blower and vacuumed the whole place! What a man! So grateful for all he does.

Tonight was press review for the high school's musical, Grease. It went pretty well. Looking forward to the performances at the end of the week. I will be selling tickets, both on Friday and Saturday. I love that job. Speaking of jobs, I got a message from the nurse scheduler from my new job. I will be in touch with her in the next few days to finalize my orientation schedule. I am getting pretty excited about my new adventure.

Our bathroom is almost finished! Just a few final touches. It has sure been a long time, since the end of September. It was totally worth doing the project though since the water pressure is so much better! We have yet to try out the heated floor. The electrician is coming next week to show us how to work the thermostat. I will take pictures when everything is back in place.

We ordered Matthew's senior pictures on Monday. The good news is that there is no deadline to order, so I will be bringing the proof book to Florida in December for everyone to see. If there is something someone wants to order, we can do it at the first of the new year.

Matthew worked hard outside last Sunday after church.He trimmed the bushes, cut back a tree, raked leaves and cut the grass. He has everything looking great! Our bowling team took three points on Sunday evening, but it was quite a struggle. The lanes we were bowling on kept malfunctioning, we were the last team to finish our games. My scores were mediocre, but Jeff had a big 204! Glad we were able to keep the games close and pull off a good result.

I had a wonderful time in Ann Arbor last Saturday. Pizza with Mary at the Pizza House, then we spent time visiting in her dorm room before the concert. The concert was very good as always, worth the drive there and back. We will be going back on December 11th for Mary's concert. In addition to the women's glee club concert, Mary will be playing her cello with her chamber quartet and the mixed barbershop quartet group Mary and Brandon formed at the the beginning of the year should be performing too! How exciting!

Looking ahead for the rest of the week:

Choir practice and Orchestra practice.
Grease, the musical
A birthday party
Chimes are playing on Sunday
Getting the house/bathroom back to normal
Plan Thanksgiving Dinner/weekend
Laundry and all those household chores! Whew!

Better get some rest! Goodnight!

Gracie

First Snow

2011-11-10T22:46:00.000-05:00

Today was our first day we had snow. It was little balls of snow, almost like tiny beads. It was fun to watch. Didn't stick around very long at all. We had all kinds of weather today, cloudy and gloomy, then snowy, then sunny then snowy...etc....It is cold. I broke out my winter coat. I don't mind though. I like the change of seasons.

The tile is down in the bathroom and it looks nice. Tomorrow the grout goes in tomorrow. Things are finally getting done. Next week the fixtures get put in and the final touches, including the carpet. Will take some pictures of the finished product.

I was able to get some Sunday School work done today, along with other paperwork and getting tickets to the GR Symphony concert. Had orchestra practice and it went pretty well. We have one more practice next week.

Today is Martin Luther's birthday...Tomorrow is Veterans Day! We will go out to eat somewhere that Jeff can eat for free! Probably Applebee's.

First another day of work.

God Bless America! God Bless our Troops!

Grace

Operation: Hail

2011-11-08T19:36:00.000-05:00

Well, I have kept this secret pretty well for the past month. Now I can share the video that Mary and Brandon participated in, singing the "Victors" at Ohio State University. No one was hurt or got in trouble. LOL! I think it is pretty neat and that they all sounded and looked marvelous! Enjoy watching and please share it with everyone one you know! I will be heading to UMich on Saturday for Brandon's Glee Club concert. I can't wait! I am in the spirit!

The past few days have been pretty good even though it has been cold and rainy. The bathroom project continues to move forward! Yay! Thinking the tile might actually start going down tomorrow! I know on this Thanksgiving, I will be thankful for an finished upstairs bathroom! Of course, I am most thankful for my family, friends and my new job and most of all for my savior Jesus!

Heard back from the doctor and I am a little anemic. Doc wants me to take iron. That is pretty hard on the stomach.. I am a little concerned that it will make me sick. Guess I should try it, maybe it will give me a little pep! Knee felt a little better today. Will see my doctor next Thursday.

Sarah is sick. Sore throat, fever and just feels horrible. She also has lots of homework and papers to write. Please pray that she feels better very soon and that she has the energy she needs to get her assignments done.

Matthew and I are off to the store. Remember to pass on the video link! GO BLUE!

Gracie

Good News!

2011-11-07T12:00:00.002-05:00

Well, today is the day! After several weeks of waiting, the tile expert is here this week to put in our bathroom floor. We sure hope that the rest of the bathroom repair goes smoothly with nice results. Not sure when it will be done, but sure glad there is some progress and don't want to rush anything. Watch for updates this week!

After years being on the job hunt, filling out countless lengthy online applications and three recent interviews, I was offered a night shift position at Metro Hospital in the Nursery and Postpartum unit. I am happy to announce that I accepted the position and will begin my new job on December 5th. I am excited about this new opportunity and furthering my career. The staff I have met are very friendly and helpful. The hospital has the reputation of treating the employees very well, and that they love working there! I am still planning on caring for my little princess as time allows.

We had a pretty good weekend too. Matthew had play rehearsal and reports that things are coming together nicely. He also got the proof book from his senior pictures and we are going to have a time picking out a few favorites. Matthew is getting excited about his senior year, graduation and being a Sooner! He has been accepted to OU but still has an interview to set up with the theatre department admissions. He needs to create a portfolio too. In the meantime, Matt is doing well in school and is part of the first ever Technical Theatre Class at GHS. Here is a sketch that he did for homework and was posted on GHS Theatre Facebook. I think it looks great. The melodrama "Westward Whoa" will be showing at GHS by staff and friends of Greenville Public Schools in February. We will see if they use some or all of Matthew's ideas! So proud of Mr Matthew. He works occasionally at the Church's Child care when needed. The kids love him!

Jeff and I enjoyed a delicious mexican meal with some friends from church last Saturday. It certainly is a popular place since there was a 45 minute wait. I don't think we waited the whole 45 minutes, but it sure was worth it. Loved my chimichanga. It was a fun time. Saturday is football day and we were happy that the Gators and Sooners won there games, but felt so bad that Michigan lost. I truly believe that they scored a touchdown with only seconds left, but it was ruled incomplete. Who knows what would have happened.

Sarah and Mary have been very busy. Sarah has a lot of homework to complete after attending an AT conference this weekend. She also wants to start applying to Graduate School. Sarah reported to me that Hope College is hosting the Men's NCAA soccer tournament and is so happy that she can work the Hope games with the team! She loves being around the action and athletes! Go Hope! Mary has lots to keep her busy and she was with the Women's Glee Club retreat this weekend, so I haven't heard much from her. I will be going to the University of Michigan this weekend for the Men's Glee Club Concert on Saturday. Brandon and Mary's mixed barbershop quartet might perform as well before the concert. That would be so exciting!

Today I am going for some blood work and hope to make an appointment with my orthopedic doctor for a second opinion on my knee problem that persists. Want to get it under control before I start my new job!

I guess that is all the news I have for now.....

Gracie

2011-11-01T22:55:00.001-04:00

My interview went really well. One interviewer said I did marvelous! Around 1:30pm I got a message on my cell phone from Human Resources that they have some good news for me! Now we are playing phone tag and I work tomorrow. Wonder when I will get to talk to her in person? The other issue is that they only have one orientation this month and it this coming week. I cannot just leave my job with Hailey in less than a week. I was supposed to have the option of job shadowing too. I don't think I could start until December without going against my conscience. Jeff waited for me during my interview and when it was over, I couldn't find him for 30 minutes. Turned out we were sitting in separate waiting rooms maybe a few hundred feet from each other! That was crazy! We stopped for breakfast and received no service for the first 5 or more minutes, not even a hello! So we left and bought some pastries to eat. They were delicious!

Sarah's presentation was superb! We are so proud of her! I liked how she gave the info and then had questions for the other students during the presentation. All of her teachers were very welcoming and had only nice things to say about our Senior. Hope College is a wonderful place! Took Sarah to lunch and then headed back to Greenville.

Had my first MRI ever today. My right knee continues to click, twist and catch during the day and I feel aching pain at night or at rest. I sure hope that it can tell the docs what is going on with it. I sure don't want to deal with this forever! Should have results by Friday. Hope I don't have to play more phone tag. Oh, I didn't have to go all the way into the MRI machine. That was a plus!

Just heard from Mary. She had a great day. So good to hear her voice and especially a happy one! She and five of her friends have secured an off campus home for next year. They are very excited about it. School is going well as is her activities, barbershop group, K-Grams and Glee Club. The South Africa trip is a go! Yay!

Better get going..Have some more things to get done before bed.

Gracie

Trunk or Treat!

2011-10-31T22:25:00.004-04:00

We had a lot of fun at Mt Calvary's Trunk or Treat! Jeff went as Darth Vader and Matthew returned as the Jedi Knight. Only wish Jeff would have said to him..Matthew I AM YOUR FATHER! Everyone loved the Star Wars corner and especially liked Matthew's pumpkins which were awesome! One little girl had to have her picture taken with Darth Vader! Most kids knew his voice and said that is Pastor Jeff. Darth Vader turned to the good side and was friendly as he passed out candy. We found the Jedi sat lifeless with his hood over his head until just the "right" time and scared a few kids. I was so original and went as a nurse. Whoopie! I guess it was better than not dressing up. The turn out for Trunk or Treat was huge, maybe 1000 people. We had no candy or hot dogs leftover and everyone had a lot of fun. There are lots of pictures on the Photo Album. Take a look!

Tomorrow is going to be a busy day. I have a third interview early in the AM with my potential peers at a local hospital. Jeff and I will continue on to Holland mid-morning to attend Sarah's senior case study presentation. I am looking forward to it. Can't wait to give my Sarah a big hug too! We have to be back by 3pm for an MRI of R knee. It has been especially bothersome tonight.

Well that is all. It was a good day! Praying for a great day for everyone tomorrow!

Gracie

Happy Reformation Day!

2011-10-31T02:38:00.003-04:00

Mt Calvary's Reformation service was great Sunday morning! I was very pleased with the Chime Team and with our horn players. I sang with a mass choir in the afternoon and that went pretty well too. It made for a long day after a short night's sleep.

Bowling started off a little rough, but ended up in a high note! Jeff bowled at 232 and I bowled a 157. Jeff's series was a 607 and now has an average of 178! Better him than me, I am happy to stay at 122.

Weather here is cold and rainy tonight. Matthew was able to mow our lawn and our neighbor's lawn one last time before the winter. I don't mind the cold..just the rainy part that. Rather have snow. To many snow is a four lettered word!

So we all get to sleep in tomorrow. Matthew has no school, but play practice from 9-1. Then he will go to work at the child care center at church in the afternoon. My little buddy is coming at 10 instead of 8:30, so I have a little make up sleep time too.

Trunk or Treat begins at 6pm, at MCLC and I am planning on having a great time as usual. Hope it isn't too cold. Matthew carved three pumpkins this year aren't they great?

Mary went to a halloween party last Friday. She and Brandon wore their trachten, German clothes. They look great and it sure looks the whole group of friends had a fun time! Don't know if Sarah has any Halloween plans. She has been super busy! Matthew and Jeff have their costumes ready. I am not sure what I am going to do yet.. I don't get too excited about dressing up for Halloween anymore. I will post pictures of them tomorrow after Jeff reveals his new look!

I had better get to bed. Think I will take some ibuprofen first. My knee still hurts. Hope the MRI can tell us why it is giving me so much trouble.

Have a Great Pumpkin of a Day!

Gracie

Pretty Good Week, Fun Weekend Ahead!

2011-10-29T21:06:00.002-04:00

The week at the Wilhelm's was a productive one. Good days at work, Survived joint choir rehearsal and our Brass Ensemble is ready for Reformation Sunday! Even the tile specialist came to look at our bathroom to see where he will be putting in the tile. Just a few more weeks. I am happy to report that the shower and toilet upstairs are in working order and that makes me very very happy!

Thursday Jeff and I went to Concordia Ann Arbor for a Parenting Seminar. It was very good and we also go the chance to visit with our Mary! We had such a nice one hour visit. Saw some of the houses that Mary and her friends looked to rent next year. They have decided on one, and have paper work to do! We also took her to McDonald's for a snack. She told so many fun stories and I got to give her a couple of big hugs! That is the best.

Friday we traveled into Grand Rapids for pizza and the World Series. What a battle! Great baseball to end the season. Wished it could have been the Tigers winning the whole thing. I had reasons for either Texas or St Louis to win. Went to Nursing School in St Louis and watched them win the world series in 1982, and it is always nice when a team who has never won a series gets this far. Looking forward to next year! We made as stop at Party City to get Jeff a new halloween costume. Won't tell you what it is, you will have to wait for pictures. It is going to be great!

Saturday is always College Football day in the fall. So glad to see Michigan and Oklahoma win, and felt bad that the Gators couldn't hold on and earn a win against those 'dawgs. Eeeww. Hope Brantley is ok, he was really limping at the end of the game.

Matthew has a friend over and they had fun carving pumpkins, eating dinner and watching TV. I am glad that Matt has a buddy to spend off time with. They are in Village Green together and maybe other classes too. Not sure. We have Matthew's senior picture proof book. I guess there is no way for family to see them. Will have to pick for you!! Ha Ha! They are nice, so no worries! Maybe if I knew if you like full length or close up, I can pick better.

I had a long list of things to do today, but didn't get it all done. I did start the laundry and thought about quicken. My poster is made and the kitchen is clean. Matt got his pumpkins and I watched all of my football games. I still need to shop and practice the piano.

Looking ahead....

Reformation at MCLC~Chimes and Orchestra are playing. Joint Reformation services of several Lutheran Churches. Our choir is in the joint choir.
Bowling
Halloween~Trunk or Treat at MCLC. Jeff's costume revealed! Fun!
Peer Interview early Tuesday, then off to Holland for Sarah's Senior Case Presentation. MRI on my R knee that continues to click, twist and pop.

It is always busy at the Wilhelm's house! How about yours?

Gracie

Plans Keep Changing

2011-10-25T11:48:00.002-04:00

Today Jeff and I were supposed to attend Sarah's Senior Case Study Presentation. Instead, I will use this day to do laundry, church work and go to the dentist. Tragically, a Hope student was hit and killed by a train going though the campus last night. I have crossed that track many times over the past four years. So today the campus will come together at the chapel at 1100 for a service of prayer and reflection. Sarah's presentation will be next week at 1100 and we will be there! So glad it is on a Tuesday. I feel bad for my Sarah since she was all set and ready to go! Waiting another week would cause some stress for me, that is for sure! I know Sarah will do fine, she has done such a great job all four years at Hope! We are so proud of her!

Went to the doctor for my knee. It is still bothering me after two weeks. Clicking, popping, twisting and that horrible feeling of getting stuck. Having pain at night too. Anyway, the xrays I had show only a little arthritis, so I will be getting an MRI sometime in the near future to see if there is damage to the meniscus. If there is, I will go back to Orthopedic Associates of Michigan. If not, then some physical therapy. Today I am going to the dentist and will get a cleaning and have them check my baby tooth that is chipped. I am freaking out about that! I don't like going to the dentist.

We did NOT see the Northern Lights last night. Jeff drove us out of town to a dark field north of town and we saw only twinkling stars, which were pretty too, but no aurora borealis. When I moved to FL many years ago, I missed the snow so much, that I asked God to let it snow in FL and when he did, I missed it. I was inside church acolyeting. Well, taking the robe off and putting stuff away. Now, I'd love to see the northern lights and God made them visible in W Michigan, even Grand Rapids, and I missed them. I certainly hope to see them one day, somewhere! The local TV station posted some pictures sent in by their viewers. Click here to take a look!

Last Sunday was position night at bowling. We won one game, losing three. I had one good game and my teammates had good games. The other team was just bowling over average each game. So I think we are in second place and lucky for us, we play the same first place team next week! I hope I do a little better.

Jeff was sad to watch the Sooners lose to Texas Tech last weekend. Seems our teams are having some tough luck lately. Michigan and Florida had a bye week, so hopefully we can pull off some wins this week! I really thought I was going to root for the Cardinals for this World Series, but I am finding myself rooting for Texas now. Hmmm. I still like my "old" cardinals, their uniforms and Ozzie Smith, but for some reason, hoping for a Texas win.

I have gotten through a lot of quicken which I had put off for months. Whew! Still have some work, but it is less daunting. What else is on my long list of things to do?

Pick a Christmas Program for Sunday School.
Heading to Ann Arbor on Thursday for a Parenting Seminar at Concordia University. Wonder if we will get to see Mary, even if it is just for a hug!
Finalize music for this Sunday (Chimes and Orchestra) Plus I need to call a publisher, since two of our orchestra books are missing multiple measures in our planned Christmas song. That was crazy.
Our church is having Trunk or Treat on Halloween. It is always a fun time.
Looking forward to getting Matt's proof book of all his senior pictures.

Better get rolling....I need to be brave and head to the dentist.

Grace

Top Two and Matthew's Concert

2011-10-18T00:42:00.001-04:00

Our bowling team, Alpha and Omega, was in first place last night. We battled the other team every game, losing the first game by only one pin. We won the second and then lost the third by enough to lose total points. Next week is position night, we will see where we stand after that. However, Jeff had two magnificent games! He bowled in the 190's the first and last game, the ones we lost. That is crazy, but no matter. Great games and we had a lot of fun. Mary and Matthew came to the bowling alley and bowled too. The night ended with McDonald's and then a couple movies before bed.

Mary and I had fun shopping this afternoon and found her some new tennis shoes and a few other things she needed to take back to college. Bought some groceries too, made chicken crescents for dinner and then enjoyed a great concert at Greenville High School. Matthew did such a wonderful job! I have posted three videos of his performance with Village Green. One is posted under Tuesday and two under Monday. I tried so hard to post before midnight, but I was two minutes late. You could also click here to watch the whole concert online! There is a link to the right too, "Watch GHS Events". I've also posted a few pictures in the Family Photo Album.

Jeff is going to Holland tomorrow for a conference, so I am sending mail, pillows, and presents for Sarah along with him. Sure do miss that girl! Mary is home until 5 pm tomorrow. It has been so nice having her home. Like a ray of sunshine. I have plenty to do to keep me busy.

Better get to it so I can get some rest.

Gracie

Now, keep scrolling to watch the videos!

Rhythm of the Night~Village Green Fall 2012

2011-10-18T00:02:00.000-04:00

Ain't No Mountain High Enough~Village Green Fall 2012

2011-10-17T23:56:00.000-04:00

Right Here Waiting~Village Green Fall 2012

2011-10-17T23:48:00.000-04:00

Good Times...Season's Over..

2011-10-16T02:13:00.002-04:00

It's been quite a week. Lots of activity, work and sports! Today the Sooners were the only one of my teams to win. Boomer Sooner! It was a fun day anyway.

But let's start back a week ago:

Bill and Bobbie's Wedding Anniversary
Matthew, Jeff and I had a little weekend getaway. Friday we headed to Wisconsin with a few fun stops. First we stopped in Holland to have dinner with Sarah and her friend. We had a fun time and ate delicious food at a place called Goog's. Driving through Chicago at night is always a treat with the city lights shining. We stopped for ice cream at an oasis in Wisconsin and arrived late to our hotel west of Milwaukee.

It was so nice to see Jeff's parents, brother Andy, Uncle Bill and Aunt Bobbie and many of his cousins and their families. The service was very nice and then the reception had great food and fellowship. They also had some awesome videos with well wishes from the present and then movies of their wedding 50 years ago! It brought tears to my eyes. Afterward we all headed their home and some people played football while others did some hiking. I went hiking and made it to the top of a hill with a great view and boy was the weather beautiful. Somewhere along the way my R knee started clicking, popping and catching itself on a frequent basis. No swelling or bruising, just hurting.

Sunday we attended church with Jeff's cousin then spent some more time with Bobbie and Bill, Mom and Dad, Andy and cousins. Seems time really flies and we were headed back to Michigan. Chicago pizza sounded pretty good for dinner so we stopped in downtown Chicago and had a great meal. We got home late, but had enough energy to check mail, do homework and give Sammy some attention.

Busy Week
I worked an extra day as a nurse and watched my little buddy and his sister this week. It is always a fun time, especially playing the leaves with them. Two music rehearsals, Sunday School preparation, a doctor's appointment, overdo laundry and of course Tiger's baseball kept me very busy. My knee continues to bother me, but at least it isn't constant pain and I can go about my business. Best of all, Mary came home for her fall break. It is so nice to have her home!

Happy Times with Disappointments
Today was quite a Saturday:

Matthew had rehearsal at the high school for "Grease" this morning.

All of us headed to Newaygo to have lunch with the Cory's and watch Michigan Football. It was the Michigan/Michigan State game. Our hopes of winning were crushed with a loss. Not a good day for the Wolverines. Michigan State, I thought, were mean players and very unsportsmanlike. But they did play better football. In spite of it all, we had fun with the Cory's and enjoyed a yummy lunch at Brandon's dad's restaurant, Jimmy's.

Matthew, Jeff and I returned to Greenville for Matt's buddy, Mitch's welcome home party after a very successful boot camp. He has already been promoted! Had fun visiting with friends and having more delicious food. We watched a lot of sports. It is always more fun to watch sporting events with friends and family. Matthew was so happy to spend time with his best friend. Mary spent day with Brandon.

Florida Gators lost, but not as bad as I would have guessed. Tigers, played a must win game six. It started out with some Tiger Home Runs, but quickly turned sour in the 3rd inning where they went through four pitchers and allowed nine runs! We continued to watch with our friends at the party, but knew there was no hope when it was 12-4. Tigers are done for the season, but they are still my team! What changes will be made to the team before next April?? Three losses..one game left. Oklahoma came through and won their game 47-17. Boomer Sooner! It is good to have one win.

Sarah stays busy in Holland at Hope College. It was Homecoming Weekend and she also worked a Soccer game. Wish I could have reported a win there, but they lost 1-0. Jeff is planning in seeing her on Tuesday when he is at Hope for a conference.

Well, it is Sunday morning and I have six hours before I get up for church. Better get some sleep! Tomorrow is another fun day with my family and then I will see if my knee will let me bowl. Our team is in first place for now. I am a little concerned.

Gracie

Check out the family album for some great pictures!

Tiger's Win!!!

2011-10-07T14:28:00.002-04:00

Yesterday may have started out depressing me with the knowledge that my bathroom is going to be out of commission for a while longer, and that poor Sammy boy continues to lose weight each time he goes to the vet for a visit or grooming. Some say it is because he getting old. That is the only thing that makes sense. He is acting normal otherwise.

But those Detroit Tigers turned things around! What a game! Wish we could have seen the first inning when Don Kelly and Young hit home runs! It sure was close and nail biting right up to the end! I am so glad that they won and move on to Texas to play for the League Championship! We can do it!! Keep the momentum Tigers! Let them hear you ROAR! A perfect ending for the day.

Getting things done this morning so we can head to Wisconsin for a family celebration this weekend. It will be so nice to spend time with family. Should have wonderful weather too! I took the day off, so we could be ready. Matthew is coming home early and will need to mow the neighbors grass, pack and off we go! Woohoo! We can all take showers this weekend, an extra perk!

Besides, the family celebration, we will be keeping an eye on our sports..Oklahoma plays Texas, Michigan plays Northwestern and both hope to stay undefeated. Florida plays LSU, which will be a rough game. The Tigers play on Saturday too! Wow, what a day! Can't wait!

Better run. I will take some pictures and report on our weekend!

Gracie

Thank You Mary!

2011-10-06T10:01:00.000-04:00

Mary uploaded her video of the UMMGC singing the National Anthem on Sarah's Bday at Comerica Park. Now it's on you tube, so here it is!!

I have lots to do today. I hope I can get the whole list done!

Take more pictures of our bathroom
Hang up all my clothes
Clean up
Quicken
Shopping
Prep for Sunday School/Kid's Church
Drop Off newspapers at the collection site.
Pick up the dog from the groomer.

Here's hoping your day is a superb one!

Gracie

I Just Want to Take a Shower!

2011-10-04T13:16:00.003-04:00

It's been a week since I have had a full fledged shower. The bathroom floor has been torn up, new pipes put in, sub-floor back on, the cement boards down, heating element down and today our new bathroom tile is going down. I took a peek and it should look nice. We almost picked a light brown tile, something a little different and give our bathroom a totally new look. But our common sense took over. It was a little risky, what if we didn't like it? Can't change the tile on the floor, plus it might make the old yellow tile on the wall pop more! In the end we got the white floor to tone down the yellow and to contrast with our brown vanilty. A new vanity was way too much money~$300 is a lot for a vanity. The one we have is old, but functional. We are getting a new toilet and sink top, so there will be some changes! Still not sure when it will all be done, and then how long it will have to "dry" before we can use it!

Sunday was a very nice day. Good service and Sunday School continues to hum along. Jeff and I did service at the local long term care facilities. Sunday bowling was a huge success! We took all four points and Jeff had a 603 series with a high game of 244. I was getting pretty excited after he bowled 6 straight strikes. But it ended in the 7th with a spare. Still the best game for Jeff ever! My bowling got better as the night went on, with a high game of 134, and my average remains 124. That is pretty high for me these days. Boy when I was on a league in Japan, I would bowl 140's! I still have lots of fun!

Now for the Tigers. Saturday's game was nauseating..we didn't look good and the Yankees creamed us. It didn't help that it was a continuation of Friday night's game. Glad it is over and that we won the next two games. Verlander was a beast last night. I love to watch him pitch. Had some good hitting too. If we win tonight, we move on to the Amercian League playoffs and send the Yankees home. It has been such a great year. I hope that the Tigers can go all the way and win the World Series! Sarah, Matthew and I would be so happy! Plus it would be a great event to remember during Matt and Sarah's senior year.

Guess I had better get working on some other things. Sammy's dog food is making him a little sick. Tried mixing it with other dog food, but it just doesn't agree with him. Need to get rid of it and give him some of his favorite, Beneful! Have two more loads of laundry and then quicken...I am in the mood, just need to move out to the other computer. Lunch first. Need to make sure things are ready for Sunday too since we will be out of town. Heading to Wisconsin to celebrate Uncle Bill and Bobbie's 50th wedding anniversary. Should be lots of fun to see everyone again!

Have a nice day!

Gracie

PS: It is the anniversary of Jeff and my engagement..It was a wonderful night!

It's Matthew's Day!

2011-10-01T19:43:00.001-04:00

After a late night of doing laundry after the GHS football game, I forced myself out of bed to take Matthew to his Senior Picture Shoot. What a great morning! Matthew looked so nice in his clothes and his nice smile! Those big blue eyes can't be missed! He had a great time posing for the pictures, studio, outside near a river and then GHS Theatre with shots as a techie! There are 4 teaser pictures posted here. We will get his proof book in about 3 weeks.

We met Jeff for lunch at our local Mexican Restaurant and had an ok meal. They changed up their enchiladas and Matt and I weren't to happy with the tortilla changes. Matthew played some video games for a while after we got home and I took a needed nap!

By 4:30pm Matthew was ready to head to the Homecoming Dance. Wore his new suit (without the coat) with his new green tie. He looked so nice and is a wonderful young man! His mom and dad are so proud of him!

I vacuumed the house again. Sammy is shedding so much I could vac twice a day! Need to get him groomed! Even though I stayed up late doing laundry, I still have three more loads to complete. There is plenty of football and baseball to keep me awake to get the job done.

Mary is doing well. She and Brandon enjoyed a show last night in Ann Arbor and then attended the Michigan game this afternoon. UMich is still undefeated! Let's keep the momentum! Go Blue!

Sarah went to ArtPrize yesterday with a friend and saw lots of different art from all over the country and as far as Beijing China. She said she liked it ok, but her friend is an art major loved it! I haven't been yet, but hear it is really nice. She is working a Hope Men's Soccer game this evening. I know she will be anxious to hear and maybe see how the Tigers game turns out after it was suspended due to rain yesterday and will be resumed this evening. I guess Verlander will not be pitching, which could be a really bad ramification of the suspension. He is the best pitcher in the American League. Fister is a good pitcher too, and we have a great team to back him up, so let's get 'em Tigers. Did I mention we are playing the Yankees? Yikes.

I just saw the end of the South Carolina/Auburn game and it will be controversial. Auburn won 16-13, but SC had a first down with one second left on the clock within field goal range. They called it out of time and Auburn wins! What a shame, but that's football. Heck it is just a game! I would like to pick the winner though, there's another game where I picked wrong! Texas A&M lost too Arkansas. I guess I will be moving down in the ranks this week!

Better get to the grocery store...out of milk! Gators, Sooners and Tigers play with in the hour! Bye!

Gracie

GHS Homecoming

2011-10-01T04:26:00.001-04:00

Friday night was the last homecoming for GHS at Black Field. Next year football games will be played at the High School Campus at a brand new field! Lots of memories for many people. There is a real sense of community there, but I am sure that the new field will be great. Decided to video the floats this year and the court. Matthew was so proud of his class and I was glad the senior float won! He also stood in the student section, something that he hasn't done in years! Even got in the first row..that made me happy to see him with friends, having a lot of fun. We left during the fourth quarter because it was getting to cold to sit in the bleachers, esp since the score was 44-0. Jackets win! We had pizza afterward and then I got to the laundry. Matthew has senior pictures in less than 5 hours! Got everything done, now just need to get some sleep! Will let you know how everything goes!

Good night! (really good morning)

Gracie

Good Morning to Another Busy Day!

2011-09-29T11:20:00.001-04:00

The morning started off with Jeff finding Sammy had thrown up near his favorite sleeping spot. My morning started out with cleaning it up. It looks pretty good too! I have had breakfast and sent out my emails.

So what else is on the docket for this Thursday?

Our bathroom continues with it's remodeling job. The electrician has been here for the wiring for our new heated floor, and now the builders are back to put the subfloor back in. The plumber is here putting some sort of valves on the tub and toilet or something.
Lunch at church with the quilters,office and preschool staff. I better find something to bring! It's a potluck!
Shopping with Jeff for bathroom tile, a new vanity and possibly a toilet.
Prep for Sunday School and Kids' Church for the next few weeks.
Going to the store with Matthew to get dressy clothes for senior pictures and the homecoming dance this weekend.
Bills and quick book work. Yike!
Picking music for Orchestra
Grocery Shopping
Laundry should get started.
Get Mom's football picks.
Upload pictures of the construction. Take a look on the Wilhelm Family Photos.

That is probably all I can attempt. But there are many more things to do! Reschedule appointments I missed when I was feeling pretty sick, banking and post office, and completing requirements for work.

So without further ado, I had better get started!

Grace

Fun Fun~Not So Much Fun

2011-09-27T22:35:00.001-04:00

Let's start with the fun!

We headed to Holland just after 1 pm Monday to have lunch with Sarah and deliver her persents. We took our little buddy, Jack with us. We had a lot of fun! Haven't had such little ones at the table with us for a long time. It iis cute to watch them play with simple things like coasters and napkins. Sarah was happy to have him with us. All the adults had burgers at Red Robin, while Jack like the french fries the most.

After lunch we went back to Sarah's place and opened presents. She was very happy with them. She got an official ACLS Division Champions TShirt, just like the ones the Tigers wear. We gave her a new memory foam pillow, and hope it helps relieve her morning neck pain and headaches. Time always flies when you are having fun, and before we knew it we were on the way home again.

Sarah had a very happy birthday in 2011! We are so proud of her and love her very much.

Chime team went pretty well for the first week of playing. We want to be ready to play for church in about three weeks. It's possible!

Now the not so fun:

Pipe repair of our upstairs bathroom is NOT fun. Everything had to come out. They have torn out the old yellow tile floor and exposed the pipes..Today they told us that no one should walk in the bathroom or they will land in the dining room below. Tomorrow the plumbers will come and start putting in new pipes. So will have to go and pick out new bathroom tile and perhaps a new vanity..The worse things are no more showers for a week, and the price tag at the end of the project.

My car's tire loses air every few weeks, Matthew was nice enough to go fill it up. Wonder what it will look like in the morning. Also, Matthew took down the sunflowers. They were dying. Still kind of sad.

Haven't felt too well today..Had to skip watching my little buddy and Sammy's grooming will have be another day. Hoping tomorrow will be a better one! Was able to cook dinner, write some announcements for Sunday School and even blog! Laundry is on hold and will have to look at the bills before heading to bed. Maybe I will take a few pictures of our broken up bathroom.

That is all for now...

Gracie

What a Weekend!

2011-09-26T01:50:00.000-04:00

I had a very busy day at work, but all in all a good one too. When I got home, Matthew was asleep. He works hard and has long hours, sometimes by his own choosing. Jeff was still at work and I decided it was time to relax.

The Michigan Men's Glee Club was invited to sing the National Anthem at the Tiger's Game Friday night, so I tuned in early and hope that they would cover the event. I was wrong, I guess they think that most people want to listen to people talking. Mary texted me after they were done singing, and to my disappointment, never heard them sing. I was watching a commercial! Boo Hiss! Mary said she recorded it, but I haven't seen it yet. We had planned to go to the GHS football game, but decided to go our for pizza with Matt before he left for the Village Green Retreat weekend.

Saturday morning came early, and Matthew was off for a weekend of learning choreography. He was looking forward to the weekend. Jeff signed up to ride in a 30 mile bike race, so I drove him over to the starting location and took a video of the start. Be sure to scroll down below this entry and watch it!

I bought a ticket for the "A Grand Night for Singing" concert at the University of Michigan. So I spent the morning getting some things done for church and sunday school in between checking in on the race. I was on my way by 1:30 pm, and listened to the umich football game most of the way. We won and remain undefeated! I was in Ann Arbor by 4 pm and Mary, Brandon and I enjoyed a delicious sandwich at Potbelly's. Nice to try a new place! I took a little nap in Mary's room when she left for her call time. Both Mary and Brandon were singing the concert as part of the Glee Clubs. I found my way to Hill Auditorium and took my seat.   The concert was very good and I was so glad that I went. The Glee Clubs did a great job, especially since they had only met 4 times since the beginning of school before the concert. Awesome!   Besides the Glee Clubs, there were solos, opera, music theatre, mixed choir, chamber choir and the Orpheus Singers that sang with a String Chamber Ensemble with Harpsicord. The finale was fabulous, with the professors singing along with the students. It was a wonderful night! I got home late, around 1 am without incident. The concert and time spent with my wolverines was well worth the trip!

Sunday School and Church went very well. It was preschool Sunday and the music was good, children's church was a success and Jeff had a really really good sermon. Jeff and I had lunch together and then pre-bowled after a short afternoon nap, since we had a church meeting in the evening. We bowled well, both averages went up again. I bowled over average all three game and now have an average of 125! Jeff had a 200 game today!   We found out later that we won three points and are tied for first place! Yay!

Matthew arrive home tired and with a little cold. He said it was a good weekend, and that the dances are good. Guess his feet hurt too.   We all watched a movie to end our Sunday evening and all of us are ready for sleep. The guys have already gone to bed.

Tomorrow will be a fun day too. My little buddy will be coming later in the morning, but in time to go to Holland with us to celebrate Sarah's birthday.. We will have lunch and deliver her presents. I will be so nice to see her. I miss my kids when they aren't home. What will I do as an empty nester?? It is just a year away.

Well, I am very tired.. I am off to bed.

Gracie

LeTourDeDonut.AVI

2011-09-26T00:33:00.000-04:00

Jeff rode in a 30 mile bike race, LeTour DeDonut. The catch? You stop twice and eat a donut! The race was put on by Klackle Orchards and it is a well attended event. In addition to Jeff riding, two other MCLC members, Gary and Paul, rode too. It was a beautiful day and everyone had a good time! By the way, Klackles has delicious donuts!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH

2011-09-23T00:34:00.002-04:00

A wonderful day in history. September 23, 1989 at Yokota Air Base, Japan. Sarah Elisabeth was born at 6:34 pm. My first day as a mommy. It has been a wonderful 22 years watching her (and her siblings) grow up and chase dreams. Now she is in her last year at Hope College, and on the brink of becoming an Athletic Trainer. She has done a remarkable job!

I guess she has some plans with friends for tomorrow evening and has to work a soccer game on Saturday. Her buddies from Klaaren Cottage from last year, will be celebrating with her on Sunday. So, Jeff and I will go have a birthday lunch with her on Monday. I can't wait to see her and give her some presents and a hug!

So here's to you baby girl, have a wonderful day and a very special year. Lots of excitement ahead!

Lots of Love,

Sarah's Mom and Dad!

A Week in Review

2011-09-22T23:52:00.001-04:00

Well, life and it's activities have kept me so busy that my ability to blog regularly has been challenged. I hope that this will change over the next month or so. I miss blogging!

For now, I will post the highlights of the past week:

Friday: Had another successful day at work and then supported the Lion's Club Spaghetti dinner in town. Matthew had McDonald's instead..he doesn't like spaghetti too much. Matthew also received acceptance to Western Michigan University. Hooray! The three of us drove to Holland and enjoyed a Hope Men's Soccer game. The weather was beautiful and the Flying Dutchman won! Didn't have much time with Sarah, but we knew that she was working. We got home to watch the Tigers clinch the Central Division of the American League. SO EXCITED!

Saturday: Matthew had a car wash for Village Green!   All three cars at home got cleaned! I got some errands done and came home to watch Michigan Football. But when I checked the mail, there was a beautiful mailing from University of Oklahoma! I dropped everything and drove back to the car wash so Matthew could open it. He gave us all the thumbs up! Matthew has been accepted to OU! We are all very happy! His friends at the car wash were giving high five's and even a chest bump! Now the work toward admission into the theatre program begins. Ok, now back to football. Michigan and Florida won, as did Oklahoma, but not without a lot of nail biting. Florida State (BOOOO!) really gave OU a challenge. We don't need anymore games like that one.

Sunday: Good Sunday School and Church Service. Our Sunday School Attendance went up and I think things are going well enough so that the kids and adults should want to return. Bowling started up Sunday night and although my first two games weren't very good, my last was awesome! Bowled a 178, all marks for the first five frames and good counts the last five.   My average jumped up 10!

Monday: Started having my little buddy back. He is so cute and would love to play with my ipod and phone rather than his trucks.    Had to fight off a migraine before junior choir and chime team. I am playing for kids choir and I am happy to say that Chimes is all planned for the next year! Just found out that there will be another "Bell Concert' with all the area church's bell/chime teams.

Tuesday: Book work day. More typing and organizing for activities at church. Even made some posters! It doesn't seem like a lot, but time keeps passing by and I don't get to everything I want to, like Quicken. I am going to be sorry! Our pipe situation continues. Upstairs bathroom drains area so slow, so we got a team of a contractor and plumber to take a look. Can you say remodel? The floor will have to come up and new pipes put in for the sink, toilet and shower. We will need a new floor, maybe a heated one(?), vanity and toilet. Yellow tile will stay on the walls. It is in good condition. Jeff has also given me the ok to investigate getting the dining room redone. I hate the wall paper and who ever painted the nice hardwood molding and doors should get a lesson in decorating. I want the wood stripped and refurbished. Just getting a quote. Wonder what the price will be??? I am a little worried.

Wednesday: Working, singing and trying to stay ahead of the game.

Thursday: The list I made last night, has a huge dent in it! Still have things to do before Sunday, but hey I have a few days left to accomplish it. Yeah right. Laundry will be done tonight! I even made supper twice this week!

What is ahead??

Sarah's Birthday!
Watch the Tiger's game tomorrow night. The University of Michigan Men's Glee Club will be singing the National Anthem! Once the game is on it's way, I may walk over to the GHS football game. We are playing a tough team from Grand Rapids, so I think I know what the outcome will be.
Jeff is going to ride in a bike ride on Saturday. I hope that he has fun and that he doesn't get hurt.
I am planning on heading to Ann Arbor for the concert "A Grand Night for Singing" Mary and Brandon will be singing. Mary needs some boots, shoes and coats.
Matthew will be in Holland with Village Green, learning the choreography for their Fall Show. He is looking forward to it.

Life is busy...I just take it one step at a time!

Grace

Yes! I'm a Proud Mom

2011-09-15T18:40:00.003-04:00

I am always a proud mom. Sometimes, though, I have to brag or I might just burst!

Mary was announced as a scholarship winner at last spring's Women's Glee Club concert. All summer she tried to find out how much the scholarship was worth so she could plan her finances. No one knew the answer. Not the Glee Club Board, Glee Club Director or anyone in the financial aid that would have received the funds. In fact The scholarship was not received in time for the bill payment deadline. She finally spoke with someone in the Music Department who had all the answers. Her Scholarship is The Quinn Scholarship~ $4000.00! Much more than we expected. She will get to meet the donors at a dinner where she will be served filet mignon! Wow, how cool is that?

Matthew has had a few great shots in the arm~

He was announced as the Vice President of Village Green this year. (The VP of VG!)
He is the PSM (production stage manager) for the GHS fall musical, Grease.
Received a letter from Central Michigan University, accepting him as a student there next fall. While this is NOT his first choice school, it is nice to get acceptance letters. We hope to get those same kind of letters from University of Oklahoma and Western Michigan University. He has been working hard keeping in touch with OU and WMU making sure he is completing everything required for admission.

Sarah is keeping up with a busy schedule her senior year of college. She has grown into a wonderful young Christian woman. Just talked with her and she has been cleared and will observe a surgery tomorrow! I wish I could go too! She is a little nervous that she might feel a little faint. Say some prayers! We are planning to back to Holland on Friday and watch a Men's Soccer game. She is a trainer for that sport and will be working. Hope has a good soccer team, so it should be a fun evening. Wonder if I should wear a sweatshirt? The temperatures have cooled off here. Possible frost tonight and highs in the 60's. Aaaaaah~just how I like it!

Better get some other things done...

Gracie, mom of Sarah, Mary and Matthew.

Time Really Flies!

2011-09-14T01:36:00.001-04:00

I don't know how many times I sit down to write an entry to this blog, and I get side tracked or just too tired to think. I felt like this tonight, but I am determined to give a summary of the past week.

Wednesday: A good day back to work. Confirmation began for Jeff and I was at home planning for the weekend ahead.

Thursday: I spent most of the day at church preparing for Sunday School. Rally Day is coming! First we had a Pandamania evaluation meeting and even started planning for next summer! I probably spent about four hours cleaning out the craft cabinet. I found lots of old unusable things that had to be discarded. Then it needed organizing. I wanted to make it easy for the teachers to find things, with the most used items plainly visible. As I was moving some coloring books around I found an old record. I thought whoa! It was certainly a 78, that was very heavy and thicker than other records I remember as a kid. Turned out to be a record from the early 1900's of a male quartet. This was unbelievable! I brought it home and played it on Mary's record player and it was simply amazing to hear the voices of men that were singing before my dad was born! I felt like I had found a treasure! I shared the news with Mary and Brandon and they were pretty excited too! How on earth did it find it's way into a craft cabinet?

Friday: Another good day at work. Jeff and I were scheduled to work at the concessions tent for the Senior Mystery Trip, selling burgers brats and fries. I had fun and we had good business. Matthew worked too slicing potatoes. Eventually, they excused Matthew and said you have worked enough! He shouldn't need to work at anymore events, he got them all done this summer! Way to go Matt! GHS played Holland High School and I saw a man with Hope Clothes and hat on, so I said Go Hope!   Turned out to be Sarah's badminton teacher and football coach! We had a nice little conversation.

Saturday: We all got up early. Matthew took the ACT and had to be there by 0800. Jeff drove him there which eased his mind. He did the best he could and is anxious to see how he scored. We picked him up at 1215 and then headed to Hope College for their Football game. It was pretty hot and Matthew and I couldn't sit out in the sun for very long. We were able to find some shade and stayed through the third quarter. Hope won! Go Dutch!   Stopped by to see Sarah and deliver her mail. She had lots of homework to do. I was glad we were home in time to watch some college football, namely, the Michigan game! It was a crazy game! We didn't look we could win, but I kept the hope and as the game neared the end, the wolverines got better! Was there time?? Denard Robinson got things moving...we were ahead with a few minutes left, then Notre Dame scored and took the lead by three points, with 30 seconds to go!   Amazingly, the wolverines moved the ball down the gridiron and all we needed was to make a field goal with 8 seconds to go into overtime. That isn't what happened. Denard threw a pass into the end zone for a touchdown with only seconds left! We won! Magnificent! A great end to the day!   All my teams won- Tigers, Hope, Florida and Michigan.

Sunday: Rally Day was a success! We had 46 in Sunday School/Bible Study and the church service was great...the music was nice and Jeff preached a good sermon. I presented the third graders with their Bibles and that was that! Later in the afternoon, I got a letter from Mary about her experiences from Saturday before and at the game. She and Brandon enjoyed a walk through the Arboretum in the afternoon. Then Mary saved a life. She found a very sick freshman girl in the bathroom, got help and stayed with her until the paramedics arrived. I am so proud of her, and I told her that God was proud of her too! Her letters are always so well written and her personality always shines through. She added the top ten reasons why last night's was the greatest game in Michigan history:

"10. Full moon/beautiful sunset
9. No rain!
8. No terror attacks (apparently there were rumors of non-credible threats)
7. There was a beautiful patriotic tribute at the beginning.
6. Desmond Howard was honored and made a moving acceptance speech.
5. Two parachute drops at halftime
4. We had polite and fun seat-mates (no drunk people!)
3. New attendance record for the NCAA!
2. First night game ever.
1. WE WON!"

Senior Youth Group met at church and we decided on what activities to do over the next few months. Our bowling league started Sunday night and we took on a name from the past and will be "Alpha and Omega" again this year. We took only one point, but each of us had a good game.

Monday: Was repair day. Jeff and I cleaned out the dryer vent system and changed the duct work. The dryer hadn't been drying the clothes too well, so we figured we had to clean out the lint, before a fire started. It was successful and after some frustration with the taping of the seams, all systems are go, and we are ready to do laundry. Jeff and Matt worked on the upstairs sink drain. It was leaking. With our house being so old, we are careful about how much we do with the pipes. Luckily, we have the water draining and not leaking so we can use that sink again.

Mary surprised us and came home for an overnight. Brandon had a meeting in town and Mary rode along. It was so nice to have dinner together and then just chat through the evening..We grilled steaks and later ended the night with brownies a la mode!

Tuesday: I had my little buddy to babysit today. We had a nice day and a lot of fun!   I got all the laundry done and even cooked dinner! The kitchen is clean too! Wow another day of accomplishments. Watched another great Tiger game too! They are on fire!

It is Wednesday now, and I need to be up in six hours. That means I have to go to bed....We are having cooler temperatures tomorrow.. highs in the 60's! Welcome Fall!!! I have had enough hot weather.

Need some sleep!

Grace

Matthew Starts His Senior Year!

2011-09-06T21:56:00.001-04:00

Today made it official. Matthew is a senior in high school. He had a good day and accomplished everything he needed to do with the guidance office for college applications, with the theatre department concerning the upcoming events and a new class offered, technical theatre. Matt will start that class next week as a 7th hour. He formed a barbershop group with his buddies in Village Green to practice and hopefully sing in the future. It will be great and he is excited about it. He is pretty happy with all of his classes, after all it IS school and he'd rather just stay home, like most teenagers. I know he will have a successful year!

I got a lot done on my blog, emails and shutterfly. All my pictures are posted in the Wilhelm family photos. Videos are up on you tube. Went to the end of the season softball coaches meeting tonight. Interesting. Lots to consider before the 2012 season.

Talked with my mom. She is hanging in there, trying to heal more each day. She can still use your prayers!

Back to work tomorrow!

Good night! I have finally caught up on the Blog!!!! Hooray!

Gracie

(Keep scrolling and read the next two entries! I had lots to say, so I broke it into three stories!)

Now the Rest of the Story

2011-09-06T21:41:00.003-04:00

Labor Day was a day we could sleep in. We met Sarah for lunch after dropping off the truck, and then stopping by Jim and Vicky's to drop off their ratchets and a few things Brandon sent back home. We had a nice visit.

The weather was gorgeous and Sarah was glad to have us! We had lunch at Brann's Steakhouse where we had a not so good waitress but pretty good food. Poor Sarah, her steak got over cooked and when she sent it back our server had them cook it more! Luckily, another waitress stepped in and took good care of the situation. Within a minute she had a new steak, cooked medium and our table was cleared and drinks refilled.We stayed and visited with Sarah for a while, laughing and just talking. Matthew and Sarah had a tickle fight. Well, Sarah tickled Matthew, Sarah isn't really ticklish. Took lots of nice pictures together before we left. She had lots of reading and homework to do.

We got home, had some ice cream and watched a movie. Summer is over.

(keep reading....the move in weekend novel is next!)

Grace

Mary surprised me with a picture of her dorm room all set up! Thanks to Brandon for taking a great picture. Her room looks great!

All Moved In and Ready for School!

2011-09-06T21:21:00.000-04:00

Friday morning came earlier than we wanted it to since we were up late packing the borrowed pick up truck. It turned out that we needed to take two vehicles to move all of Mary's stuff safely and comfortably. We got some help from the Cory's with securing a tarp over Mary's stuff in case it rained on the way. Glad we had the truck in the garage Thursday night since it did rain. Three of Four cars traveling to Ann Arbor were on the road before 0900. Brandon and Mary in his car, Jeff and Matt in the truck and I drove the Prius. Jim and Vicky would follow soon after.

Move in went very smoothly. We had move in helpers right away with rolling bins the use of freight elevators. Both Mary and Brandon were both moved in by noon. At least all of their things were in their rooms. All of us had lunch together at China Gate before Jim Vicky and Sam had to get back to Greenville. Then we got to work. Did some unpacking and put Mary's futon back together. I forgot to mention that we had another HEAT WAVE. The dorm rooms were very hot and had very little breeze. It was time to cool off.

So all of us went to our hotel to enjoy the swimming pool and a/c. Problem..our suite's air conditioning wasn't working and the pool was at least 85 degrees! We only cooled off after getting out of the pool since the air was cooler than the water. Jeff didn't get to try the hot pool because he was trying to get the hotel to fix the problems with the non-smoking room that reeked of smoke. We ended up getting a different room and informed them that we would not be staying a second night. If only we could have found another hotel on short notice. With the first UMich football game the next day, that wasn't going to happen. Needless to say it was a big disappointment.

Our pizza dinner was very good. Cottage pizza is always a good choice. Unfortunately, Mary had a migraine all day and she couldn't enjoy the food like we did. She was quite the trooper and pushed through. We all made a stop at Meijer to pick up things for their dorm rooms. That went pretty quickly and we found everything we needed including 97 cent ponchos for the game the next day.

Back at East Quad, Mary rested on her futon, while the rest of us continued working in her room. I was the unpacker organizer and Matthew put pictures on the wall and set up the TV and Blue Ray player. It was shaping up pretty nice. Mary helped as much as she could, fixing up some curtains and helping Matthew with the location for the pictures. Jeff was hard at work looking for a new hotel room for Saturday night and made the proper reservations. By then it was it was almost unbearable sitting in her hot room. So Mary decided to come back to our room with us where it would be cool and hopefully more comfortable.

Our hotel journey wasn't over. When we got ready for bed, Mary's pull out bed had used sheets and Matt's pull out bed wouldn't pull out at all. The hotel manager at night came and realized that we had a bad situation. He did all he could to make us have a good night sleep. We were sure glad to check out the next morning.

It's Game Day! We had hoped for temperatures to drop on Saturday, but no luck. It was very very hot. Upper 90's for game time. Brandon, Mary, Matthew, Jeff and I all enjoyed a nice lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings before walking to the game over a mile away. It was an experience to say the least. Lots of people walking, lots of maize and blue and lots of drinking parties along the way. Crazy! It was a lot more fun when we walked past as the band lined up to march. The drum major did his inspection and they all stood still even when their friends tried to talk to them. That made me mad. Anyway we kept walking along toward the stadium and bingo~the band caught up with us! I enjoyed listening to the drums as they marched by and I took video. Mary showed us the way to our seats and when we finally got there, we were sitting with some new best friends. Fans are pretty much sitting like sardines in the big house. I was determined to make the best of it and the 90+ degree weather. The pre-game show was great. I loved seeing the band run/march out onto the field. I felt so bad for them, they had to be so much hotter than I was, and they were still performing! Be sure to watch the video posted below this entry. I thanked God every time the breeze blew by and askefor continued breaks in the heat.

Michigan's defense still has a lot of work to do, but we enjoyed watching the wolverines run a 95 yard run and an interception that put Michigan ahead. Then the rain drops came. One..two...three four...I got my trusty dollar poncho out and on before the sunny downpour. Instead of the game on the big screens, it was the weather radar. Just as Jeff had said, the worst was still coming. Too bad he wasn't advising the refs, because they suspended the game while the sun was shining with little threat nearby. Soon they announced that the game would resume in about 15 minutes. It was extra warm now, with the sun and the plastic on, but I knew what was coming. Sure enough not long after the game restarted, the thunder lightning and rain came. This time we left with many others. They told us of place to take shelter, if needed. Instead we began our hike back to Mary's dorm. Unfortunately, we left through a different gate and were detoured through the golf course, so that when we headed back we were heading away from campus. Thankfully, we figured that out early enough that our walk was about 2 miles in the rain and thunder. It could have been worse. By the time we reached Mary's dorm around 7:30p, the game had been called, the first time in Michigan Football History! We were there! Soaked and tired, we sat with Mary for a little while deciding our next move. We thought it best to get to the hotel and dry off. Mary stayed in her dorm that night, spent some time with her buddies which we were glad for...she certainly didn't need to spend every minute with us! Our next hotel was about 30 minutes away and after another room change for odor and a loud a/c we got some needed rest.

Sunday we were able to drop off a care package for a Concordia Ann Arbor Student and then pick up Mary for church at University Lutheran Chapel at U of M. It is always a great service with inspiring music. Took Mary to TGiFriday's for lunch, it was delicious, and last minute shopping at Walgreens. Mary's headaches were pretty persistent, so I bought her some generic excedrin. That usually does the trick for me. Don't want her to suffer unnecessarily. Brandon has encouraged her to see the doc on campus and get the shot for migraines. That is probably a good idea since she really shouldn't have nsaids anymore. Plain tylenol won't get too far with migraines. Later, we followed Brandon in his car to his permitted parking lot and then took him home to keep him from walking two miles back to campus. It was good bye time...I hate it. Gave my hugs and we drove away, picked up the truck and headed out of town.

We had another destination. My little buddy, Jack, is one year old and was having a party at grandma not far from Ann Arbor. It was nice to celebrate something fun with fun people after leaving your kid at school. Weather was nice and fun was had by all. Our trip going home was slow going. There was a bad accident where a MI state trooper was struck by a east bound vehicle. I guess the car was too. Just read the article. Trooper in critical condition at umich and driver stable condition in Lansing. I-96 was closed in both directions for several hours. We were able to get off and take an alternate route pretty quickly and we still arrived home before midnight.

That was a FULL weekend..We are glad to be home, safe and sound.

Be sure to watch the video below and see the U of M marching band enter the field~! There are lots of pictures posted on Wilhelm's Family Photos! Be sure to take a look. Even posted last set of pics from our vacation. Enjoy!

Michigan Marching Band

2011-09-05T22:51:00.000-04:00

Goodbye Summer, Hello School!

2011-09-01T13:38:00.000-04:00

September 1st is here, and that means summer is over. It makes me sad since I like having my kids home. We will be taking Mary to the University of Michigan tomorrow morning, and moving her into the East Quad dorm. There is some excitement and worries too, will everything fit in the room the way she wants it too? We will find out. First we have to pack it all in the RAV! That has me a little worried. It is going to very hot on move in day, up to 95 degrees! I better wear some cool clothes. We are staying the weekend and going to the first home game and our first game in the Big House on Saturday afternoon. Won't be as hot, but could be raining! All in all, looking forward to a fun and busy weekend.

Matthew will begin his SENIOR year on Tuesday.   He did have to change a few classes, since the office messed up his schedule. He was assigned to consumer's finance and music theory. Last week, he went into the office and now has accounting and woodworking. His other classes are: AP Literature, Village Green, CAD I, and Spanish II. This fall's musical is Grease. He is hoping to be the production stage manager. Otherwise he will be on the scenic crew. There is a new after school class, technical theatre class that he will want to be a part of. Mary helped him apply to 3 universities this week. Oklahoma, Western Michigan and Central Michigan. Wow!

Sarah has begun her last year at Hope College. It is almost unbelieveable that she is almost done with college. Her classes sound very challenging.   Research Methods, Senior A.T. Administration, Senior A.T. Practicum, Social Psychology, Intro to World Politics and Badminton. She is covering Mens' Soccer and working in the Training Room at the DeVos Center.

I was back to work yesterday after a great week at Pandamania and time with my mom! My little patient is doing well, and I will be back to regular hours next week. Taking tomorrow off to for moving day! I am also busy with organizing and promoting a new sunday school year. I am optimistic and look forward to a fun year. Needless to say, I have plenty to keep my busy.   I haven't even planned a thing for chimes and orchestra. That will have to be on next week's agenda. Today will be laundry, packing, paying a few bills and hopefully working on quicken.

Here's the latest on my mom: Back pain persisted yesterday and Leslie took her to her primary doctor who said she had a compression fracture of the vertebrae (L1). Went to the ER and planned for a procedure to "fix" it. When the ortho surgeon came by, he told her she didn't have a fracture, but probably a bulging disc. Needs pain meds and bed rest. Continue to pray for healing. I really hate to have her hurting so much..It sure was hard putting her on the plane home knowing she hurt so much, but I knew she wanted to be back with her stuff and in her own bed. Glad to know my brothers are close for things she needs.

Better get to work!

Gracie

PS: Remembering my dad, he would have been 91 yesterday. Happy Birthday to Greg Wilhelm who celebrated his birthday yesterday! Soon we will all gather for Lori's wedding!

Ups and Downs...Still a Wonderful Week!

2011-08-28T21:46:00.000-04:00

Busy Busy Busy! That is all you can say about the last week in Greenville at the Wilhelm's. We had our ups and downs, especially after mom had a fall at the Danish Festival. She was bruised up and felt better a little each day. Sure wish I hadn't stopped to say hello to a friend, and walked along and saw the crack in the road that caught her shoe. Don't know why those things happen. We are thankful that she didn't break anything!

Last time I wrote was last Monday and we were off to a Whitecaps game. It was a beautiful night, and mom felt good enough to come along. We won the game and had a really fun time together. Matthew pitched some fast balls at the pitch tent, and his speed has improved! He was happy with his 61 mph fast ball.

Tuesday we went to the Grand Rapids Museum in the late afternoon and evening. Mom really enjoyed the displays and exhibits. It is amazing that every time I go, there is something I missed the time before and there are other parts I love to see again and again! The new exhibit was about Michigan during the Civil War. It was interesting and no extra cost. We had an added event at the museum's planetarium. A laser light show with the music of Pink Floyd! It was pretty awesome, everyone like the presentation. Had dinner late at TGiFridays. We like their food and service.

Our Sunday School is beginning a new curriculum in a few weeks called BUZZ. Group Publishing sent an ambassador to our church for a training session last Wednesday. It was very good and should be a lot of fun for the teachers and students. Learning Bible Stories through games and hands on activities. I knew we had to change something when even the 4 year olds thought Sunday School was boring. Pandamania continued each day and has been a very fun and successful week.

Thursday was another trip to Grand Rapids for "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2". Matthew and Grandma had watched all of them leading up to the last movie the week before, so we were all caught up on the story. Grandma read all the books too, so she was anxious to see the movie. It was very good, and now Harry Potter is over. What's next? We ate dinner and then went shopping for shoes. Matthew Jeff and I all got a new pair. Mary didn't find anything that suited her needs.

We finished out our week of VBS on Friday. The whole week went smoothly and our attendace averaged over 50 every day! We were hoping for 40 and God made our cup overflow! Praise the Lord! The whole family including Sarah went to the GHS first football game of the year! The stadium was packed and had standing room only! Greenville started out strong and was over 20 points ahead in the last quarter. However, we got sloppy and allowed the other team to catch up and tie us! We did win in overtime. So exciting! We don't need that excitement though for the whole season. Had late night snack at Applebee's and enjoyed half off appetizers.

Saturday was a chill out day. Watched Secretariat with mom, baked some cookies, paid bills, did some shopping and I finally finished the laundry that I started earlier in the week. Jeff was at church most of the day with Back to School Supplies Distribution and preparing for today's service.

Today was VBS Sunday. We had hoped to have more VBS kids and their families there, but it was pretty much just our church families. Guess the nice fliers I made weren't too effective. All you can do is try. The service was very good. Sometimes the simple messages of VBS are eye opening. Jeff did a good job of incorporating the VBS lessons into a Sunday service. The set was up, art work up, and fun music played. So far I haven't heard any complaints, but rarely do people complain to us, it is usually to someone else. Enjoyed a dinner with Sarah at the Olive Garden and then home. Mom's back pain has been acting up, and she needs all the rest she can get. Missed church, as pews are not the most comfortable place to sit with back pain. Please keep her in your prayers!

Hoping for a pain free tomorrow! It's mom's last day in Michigan. :(

Gracie

No Pandamonium at Pandamania!

2011-08-22T14:49:00.000-04:00

VBS started at our church today and I pretty much expected pandamonium. However, Day 1, went very smoothly and the kids had lots of fun. Now that everything is in place, each day should go well. For me, my job isn't organizing, but troubleshooting problems and needs of my leaders.

Yesterday's planning and decorating was rigorous. Four hours later, we went home, ready for a week of VBS. Matthew's set turned out really nice, even after he had to make some changes so we could watch the videos. Great job Matt. It was nice that my brother Dave and sister Leslie, made an overnight stay last night. They were a big help to us and we had a fun evening together, including a trip to Dairy Queen! I only wish they could have stayed a little longer. They headed off to Chicago and will go to a Cubs game tonight! Fun!

Tonight we may go see a Whitecaps game, see a movie or stay home and have game night. All of those sound fun to me!

Follow up story to our vacation. We believe we brought our snacking friend home with us from the plains. Finding evidence of a little squeaky creature in our RAV4. This little critter but run for the hills, because we are coming after him!

Enjoying our beautiful weather!

Gracie

Danish Festival '11

2011-08-21T01:06:00.002-04:00

Leading up to Danish Festival weekend, Mary and I picked Grandma up at the airport in the afternoon. All of us had dinner at Applebee's and came home and surprised Grandma with a belated Birthday party. Simple with a few friends and cake and ice cream. It was a nice time.

Thursday we took a trip to Holland and had lunch with Sarah. It was so nice to see her. She finally has a desk and her room has taken good shape. We hope to visit her once more or have her visit us! Thursday evening we attended the Flag Raising for the Danish Festival and listened to the Danish Band Concert in the Park.

Friday afternoon Matthew took Gma down to the Fairy Tale parade and I met up with them a little later. Eventually we attended the Big Band concert that was great! Nice evening weather to boot!

Today we started out early for the craft shows and saw lots of stuff and only bought a few things! The Grand Danske Parade started at 11 am and we had excellent attendance of friends on our lawn to watch the parade go by our house. God blessed us with dry weather until right after the parade was over. Then a severe thunderstorm went through with dark skies, thunder and lightning. By evening the sun was back out and we were able to attend part of one concert and then thoroughly enjoyed the Horns of Power Concert. Great music and some awesome singing, including Brandon singing "Come Fly With Me" with the band. He was great.

Now we are back at home, getting ready for church, played a game of scrabble and plan for another busy day. Dave and Leslie are coming tomorrow for an overnight, and we will be decorating for Pandamania, our church's VBS! It starts Monday. Yikes!

That's all for now...

Gracie

Final Travel Log

2011-08-20T18:36:00.001-04:00

Hope you enjoyed the videos of our vacation! We sure had lots of fun and the Lord blessed us with great weather all the way to South Dakota and back. Sad to hear that a town we stayed in the Upper Peninsula was hit by a tornado, just a week later! No injuries or deaths reported, thank goodness.

The last travel log left off in North Dakota. We drove another seven hours on Friday to nothern Minnesota. It was so nice to see Mark and Pat. They have a beautiful new home on North Star Lake and we enjoyed a fun boat ride! Saw some Loons and Mark did his expert Loon call and "talked" with them. Cookouts, stories from the past and present made for a great evening. Pat made a delicious breakfast bake and time flew. Didn't really want to leave, but the Porcupine Mountains were waiting.

We were able to see a lot in about four hours. Beautiful Forests, Waterfalls and Lake Superior Shoreline. I kept an eye out for bears, and saw none. Did see cute chipmunks and they are fun to watch scurry around the forest. There was lots of hiking. By now, I knew my limits and didn't always climb the whole way to see the falls from another view point. The weather was great and I do love the smell of the trees and nature of the forest, and hear the sound of rushing waters of the streams and waterfalls. We stayed at a family run hotel with adequate accommodations and took a walk along the lake superior. The sunset was beautiful! Dinner was late at a place called Roxy's. The food and service was delicious. We were tired and we needed sleep.

Sunday we spent more time at Porcupine Mtns and saw Lake of the Clouds. We also stopped at Bond Falls. They were spectacular. Took lots of pictures and headed to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. They were awesome too. The hiking we did here was not as long and I even made it up a smaller Sand Dune. But don't be deceived...there is a huge drop on the other side that would take hours to climb back up. Maybe days for me! LOL! We did a lot of driving and had dinner at the Dogpatch. It was good too, but a little pricey. Our waitress was very kind and after finding out we were an USAF family, she told us of her son who is in the AF and of all the places she had been visiting him.Saturday night we stayed at a Holiday Inn Express. It was very nice and we finally had the chance to swim a little. I wish I had taken a few pictures of this lodge.

Monday we did a few scenic view stops and ended up in Mackinaw City for lunch. Good pizza. Can't leave there without doing some shopping and we did find some good deals! Got home around 8:30 pm and Sammy was very happy to see us! We also discovered that somewhere along the line, we think the badlands, a little animal got into our snack basket and helped himself to the healthy seeds and nut snacks. The only place we brought the snacks in, was our cabin for breakfast. Went for a walk and the snack basket stayed in the RAV the rest of the way. Just glad they didn't get in the car and surprise us while we were driving. Don't need to bring any rodents home.

That completes our trip. The excitement doesn't end though, Grandma came on Tuesday for two weeks, and we have plenty planned. That will be blogged in the next entry.

Gracie

Video Show!

2011-08-18T00:17:00.001-04:00

Life is very busy right now. We are home safe from vacation and mom is here in Michigan and loving it! Nice weather so far, and doing some fun things each day.

I have uploaded all the pictures over 350 and am still labeling some. Check the photo album, lots there already. Tonight I have uploaded our videos on you tube, and have posted them here one after another, trying to put them in the order we saw them. Enjoy!

Will try to finish the travel log and our daily activities here in Greenville before school starts!

That is all for now...

Gracie

Badlands 2

2011-08-18T00:12:00.000-04:00

Badlands (4).AVI

2011-08-18T00:11:00.000-04:00

Badlands 3

2011-08-18T00:10:00.000-04:00

Badlands 5

2011-08-18T00:09:00.001-04:00

Bison (2).AVI

2011-08-18T00:09:00.000-04:00

Custer State Park~Bison

2011-08-18T00:08:00.000-04:00

Loons.AVI

2011-08-18T00:02:00.001-04:00

Michigan Waterfall~

2011-08-18T00:02:00.000-04:00

Sand Dune at Pictured Rocks Park.

2011-08-18T00:01:00.000-04:00

Upper Peninsula Panorama

2011-08-18T00:00:00.000-04:00

Porcupine Mountain Waterfall

2011-08-17T20:04:00.000-04:00

Travel Log Entry #2

2011-08-12T01:17:00.000-04:00

We were back on the road again by 1000 and had another long day of driving. There is very little to see and even less places to stop for food or restroom needs. Finally stopped for a bite to eat around 3 pm at the Dakota Diner. The food wasn't too bad. Jeff was going to try a local favorite~meat patty deep fried inside of dough. Unfortunately, when he cut into it lots of grease came running out. He sent it back and got a bison burger instead.

We reached Bismarck right around 6 pm and checked into our Comfort Inn Hotel. It is nice enough and we have a room that opens to the pool. We hope to rise early tomorrow and swim a little before our departure. Anyway, we met up with our friends the Thompson's who we first met in Georgia at Faith Lutheran Church. They used to babysit for our kids. Now they have six of their own! Matt T. went to seminary a year before we did, and we maintained our friendship there too. Now 10 years later, we reestablished our connections through Facebook. It was so nice to see them and meet their children, including toddler twin girls. We had good conversation with lots of laughs! We had a delightful time together. Glad we are friends!

On the way home, we saw a Papa John's and stopped and ordered a pizza and breadsticks. It was fun to have a late night snack together. Now we are all tired and ready for sleep. Tomorrow will come early for the swimmers and we want to get to Mark's in the afternoon. Next entry probably won't be for a few more days.

Good Night!

Grace

Travel Log Entry #1

2011-08-11T19:36:00.001-04:00

Greenville~Omaha~Badlands~Mt Rushmore (8/8-8/10)

We left home by 0900 and were on our way for a long day's drive to Omaha. With a stop for lunch, gas fill-ups, rest stops and a stop to check a unknown car sound, we arrived just before 7 pm at the home of Steve and Randi Horn, friends from our time at Yokota, Japan. So nice to see them again. After introducing our kids to them, we were off for dinner. We enjoyed a delicious authentic mexican dinner. The chips and salsa were so good, as was all the food they served, and there was a lot of it! No excuse for being hungry after that meal. Randi and Steve gave us a little tour nearby in Omaha where we walked around a nice park with sculptures. Mary's piics turned out especially nice. We walked around a shopping/dining area later where we had some yummy homemade ice cream! Back at the Horn's, we had time to enjoy converstaion, and seeing their beautiful home. We were all tired, so it didn't talk long for us to fall asleep.

Tuesday morning Jeff and Steve duct taped our mud flap, which was the reason for the new car sound, and we packed up after breakfast and headed for the Badlands of South Dakota. It was a longer drive that I expected. Once we got there, the Badlands were just amazing! Even with the many pictures we took there, there is a certain feeling you can't capture with a camera. I found a some similarities with the Grand Canyon. For a bunch of stone, rock and bad dirt, it sure was beautiful! Mary would make me nervous several times with some of her artistic photo poses. I was also on the lookout for the rattlesnakes, and thank God that I didn't see one, at least not yet. We were lucky enough to get lodging right in the Badlands Park another great experience! Having the Badlands scenerey right out your backyard of the cabin. Watching the sun come up in the early morning hours was spectacular, sorry, I didn't take the time to get the camera. I watched through the window, instead of going outside. (You can guess why). Mary did however get some nice sunset pictures the night before as we drove throught the badlands to Wall, SD for a BBQ dinner and sightseeing at the famous Wall Drug..it is much more than a drugstore. Mary took some great pictures, which I hope to post on our family photo album later next week. Be sure to check back here often. My pictures will get posted as wifi is available during our trip.

Wednesday morning Jeff went on a trail tour with a Ranger. He got some nice pictures and learned about the rock formations. Meanwhile, the rest of the group walked over to the information center, looked at the exhibits and of course visited the gift stores. Jeff met up with there and we watched the movie about the Badlands and its habitat. That was next on our agenda. We drove through the portion of the badlands where we saw cows, Prairie Dog Towns and Bison. I like calling them buffalo. The prairie dogs are so tiny and cute, and har d to see on our pictures. The buffalo where awesome! So many, and to watch them drop down and roll in the dirt was pretty cool. As we kept driving out of the badlands toward Mt Rushmore, we saw a thunderstorm develop which was picture worthy. Remember we are a weatherman's family, so that stuff is cool! It did rain on the way, but nothing too spectacular. I don't even remember hearing thunder. We drove through Custer State Park on the way to Mt R. and saw some more Buffalo. These guys weren't shy. They walked and some ran across the street in front of the cars, including ours, and the motorcycles. By the way, I failed to mention that we are vacationing the same time as thousands of bikers. That in itself is interesting. Lots of competition for parking! Anyway, the buffalo were pretty cool, and we didn't get to see any bighorn sheep or goats, as there are only ~20 in the whole park! Upon exiting Custer Park, we drove on Iron Mountain Road to get to Mt R. There were lots of hairpin turns, beautiful scenery, cool temps and narrow tunnels in the rock of the Black Hills. When you pass through the first tunnel, you can see Mt R framed in the trees! Awesome! Thirteen miles later of mountain driving we made it to our exciting destination~Mount Rushmore!

Mount Rushmore is simply wonderful. It fulfilled all my expectations. We had beautiful weather and although there were lots of people, we were able to do everything! First we had lunch, where Jeff had a Buffalo burger. He said it tasted better than the hamburger Mary. Mary said it was good too. Jeff's was thinner, but probably had no filler. Matt loved his cheeseburger and I had an all BEEF hot dog, even though they offered a buffalo dog. After lunch we walked through the walk of the states with their flags flying to the observation area. Wow! The monument in all its splendor. We took lots of pictures and hiked the presidential trail. It wasn't so bad going down the steps of the trail, but hiking back up was another story for me. I finally made it, taking a few rest stops and just taking one step at a time. Of course, we had to have some ice cream and do shopping. Found some nice things too. Can't wait to give Sarah her things! By now it was nearing six in the evening, and we wanted to stay for the lighting ceremony. So we took our goodies back to the car, got our jackets and headed back to the information center. We saw a movie about the sculpting of the monument. It still is mind boggling to think of how they used dynamite 98% of the time to sculpt each face into the stone. My dad was just 7 when they began construction and was 21 when they finished it in 1941. The sculptor didn't live to see it completed, his son completed his vision and it is something to see and appreciate. The night ceremony began with some presidential trivia which was fun, but as the ranger spoke, he lacked any inspiration, and seemed quite bitter with a chip on his shoulder. He asked us to consider what our time line will look like when we die. Wasn't expecting that. There was a film about the 4 presidents and finally the illumination of the faces in the rock. Pretty nice. The ceremony concluded with the singing of the national anthem with all active duty military and veterans on stage. Our day at Mount Rushmore was over, a dream of mine fulfilled. We stayed at a Comfort Suites Hotel which was very nice and where I spent several hours downloading and organizing photos. Take a look at our Family Photo album for many many pictures!

That is all.....Next stop...Bismarck, ND to see friends from the seminary, Marcell,MN to visit with the Welshingers at the new home, and then Michigan's Upper Peninsula for some more beautiful sightseeing.

Gracie.

On Vacation...

2011-08-11T03:42:00.000-04:00

Will blog ASAP. Downloading pictures tonight...Hope to have them up in the AM.

Having a GREAT time!

Gracie

Accomplished

2011-08-03T01:32:00.001-04:00

I felt pretty good about what I accomplished yesterday:

Banking..made a deposit, not a withdraw!
Purchased tickets to Horns of Power concert. Brandon will be singing at this concert, that will take place at the high school auditorium during Danish Festival. Matthew will be working as part of the tech team.
Voted on a local millage for the community college. It did not pass (for the second time).
Grocery Shopping and Back to School shopping. School supplies for my kids and for the school supplies drive at church. Matthew and Mary also got some needed clothes. I got a new top too!
Mary reorganized our cupboards. They look great!
Attended the Senior Mystery Trip meeting held at our church.
Fought off a migraine headache and finished writing annoucements for this Sunday's bulletin.

Today I plan to work on laundry and quicken. More importantly, I will be meeting Sarah in Grand Rapids for lunch and then her appointment with the rheumatologist.

Sure hope I can get it all done, since I work Thu and Fri. That leaves just the weekend to get ready for vacation!

Grace

Good Times Followed by Life's Challenges

2011-08-02T01:35:00.001-04:00

Friday at work went well for less than normal sleep. I do enjoy my job, but no matter how much sleep I get, by the end of the day, I am exhausted. So, I took a little nap while Mary was still at work and then we decided to go into Grand Rapids for dinner at TGiFRidays. We love the pot stickers for appetizers. Matthew and I got chicken tenders, Mary had a burger and Jeff a Chicken Sandwich. I noticed a shrimp tail amongst my chicken and thought it was a little strange to get just a fried shrimp tail with no shrimp. A few minutes later, I noticed another shrimp tail, this time it was attached to one of my chickens! So I decided to tell the waitress and manager. My main concert was that had I not seen the shrimp tail, I could have bitten into it and choked on it. They were all very nice about it and bent over backwards to make things right. The food and the service was good. We will certainly go back.The whole experience was a memorable one for the whole family.

Saturday was Mary's last official day on the Mc Doanld's. She will continue to work on an call-in basis. This gives her flexibility with her hours this last month of summer. I spent some time working on vacation plans and also planning things to do when my mom comes. Did some grocery shopping and then got to work on making bulkoogi for Sunday's dinner. Mary and I work well in the kitchen and had it done and in the fridge pretty quick.

Sunday church was very good and I helped with blood pressures. Afterward, Mary grilled some chicken for wrap sandwiches for lunch. Our Korean meal was only 6 hours away, so Mary and I were back in the kitchen making Yakimondue in the early afternoon. Mary kept working while Jeff and I went to the local Long Term Care homes for chapel. By the time I got home, It was time to start frying the yakimondue and start the rice. Set the table, then cook the bulkoogi. Mmm. Brandon and his family came over and we all enjoyed the meal until we couldn't eat anymore. Jim brought an Asian Slaw that went really well with the menu. But that's not all, we had fortune cookies and brownies ala mode! Played a game of Apples to Apples, with lots of laughs and fun before the evening came to an end.

Early Monday Morning we discovered that our A/C once again drained water inside instead of outside. So instead of going to bed late, we were up sopping up water with towels, sucking water with the wet/dry vac and pulling up the carpet and using fans to help dry things out. I couldn't believe this was happening again. It isn't as bad as last year, but still a pain to deal with and there is some damage. Then Matthew discovered another blow...let's just call him LeRoy enjoying our basement at night! He is now MIA and we haven't heard or seen him since. Keeping the doors closed is important now more than before. Sleep came late, almost 3 am.

Today Matthew got called into work at the childcare center, changing his plans of going to Holland with Jeff to get the camry home after they pick up Sarah's Kia. Jeff went alone and I had a fun day with my little buddy. Even had a milestone this afternoon~standing alone! I did some laundry, computer work, baked cakes and frosted them as baseballs and made a huge pot of mac and cheese for the Softball Picnic~ Jeff spent the afternoon looking for a new A/C unit, but alas there none to be had and no one expects new shipments. Looks like we will have to have a plan B.

Our End of Year Softball Picnic was a success. We had burgers and dogs on the grill, plus all the delicious food brought by everyone. Some of us played yard games and all of us had great fellowship. We did spend a little time discussing any concerns or ideas for next season. We ended the evening with each person telling their favorite story or play of the year. It was lots of fun. Sarah and her friend both drove from Holland, so Sarah could leave the camry for Matthew and then rode home with her buddy Bev. Everyone has their car back!

We found out tonight that Brandon will be singing at a concert during The Danish Festival. So I will be buying some tickets tomorrow to make sure we don't miss out! You can see what is planned here~Danish Festival Schedule 2011.

It is late again..and all is quiet..The carpet is drying. Jeff moved the dehumidifier upstairs, which was a pretty smart idea! No signs of LeRoy and tomorrow is another day. I will be praying for a happy one!

Grace

I Feel Like a Slacker...

2011-07-29T02:02:00.003-04:00

REASON #1: Falling behind....that's been the name of the game the past week. Sure, I am keeping up with the bare necessities of bill paying, some cleaning, laundry and making sure we eat. I might need a bigger plate with all the other things I have going on: VBS~Planning a new year of Sunday School~Plans for our Vacation~Work~Car Shopping~Quicken. Whew! I love blogging...but need creative time to make it happen. Late night is best for me.

REASON #2: I meant to blog earlier and wish my Mom a very Happy Birthday! Now it's a 365 days until her next birthday. So, just an hour after her birthday: HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! WE LOVE YOU!

Ok, now let's see if I can catch you up on the fun things we did recently:

We went to the West Michigan Whitecaps Baseball Game last Friday after work. We bought lawn seats and it was pretty neat. Now I don't think I could do that every time, but it was enjoyable. Next game, I will either bring a blanket or lawn chairs, or buy reserved tickets and have a seat! Glad to report that we came home winners! Stopped at Applebee's for a late night meal, where you can buy appetizers 50% off! Love the Wings. Mary and Matt usually get Mozerella Sticks or Mini Burgers

Saturday is when the craziness began. Several car dealers sent out "invitations" to their huge car sales, offering prizes, good trade-ins and even a new car! So, We took the time to start looking at vehicles to replace our minivan. It had served us well, but has lots of miles and little things (some big) kept going wrong. Time for a new car. The GM place showed us a Traverse, Equinox, and then a used Rendezvous. The used one was our favorite of the day. Had some blemishes on the interior. But still rode pretty nice. No decisions were made, except to wait and think.

Sunday after church, we were invited to meet Brandon's family at the Ionia Free Fair to watch a demolition derby. I wasn't too thrilled about going, but I do enjoy spending time together as a family and with Brandon's family too. We always have fun with many laughs! Here is the spin~the demolition derby was with Combines! It was something I have never seen before, nor will I probably see it again. Huge farm machinery crashing into each other! It took a long time between rounds, since they had to haul off the broken rigs. There was also a riding mower derby. That took a long time and the heat of the day made it uncomfortable in the stands. Sure glad the sun wasn't shining! Who knows how much hotter we would have felt. Matthew did catch a free prize thrown into the crowd. It is a plastic horn. The cool thing is that it is collapsible and he can make it sound a little like a trombone.

We stayed around the fair and saw some farm animals. My favorite: The cows. After all they give us my favorite drink ever! Milk!

Monday is the day with my buddy. We had a nice day, went for a walk and worked on Pandamania together. Jack emptied the can of materials and I looked at them and got more ideas and planning done for the upcoming meeting. Jeff and Matt did some car shopping and found a nice Toyota RAV4. Nice. Again, no decisions because we had to get to the last church softball game. Jeff was still recovering from some back aches and his twisted ankle, so he was our official umpire. We played really well, and ended up with a strong win! Our team is great..we are having an end of year party on Monday. Maatthew nearly got a home run, Sarah pitched great and caught a line drive and threw to first for a double play. I think I got on base each at bat, either walking or hitting. The evening ended with ice cream and thena 50% appetizers at Applebees.

Tuesday we were back seriously looking at the RAV4. After many hours of talking with salespeople, loan/financial people and lunch for the family on the house, we bought the 2007 Crossover SUV. It is nice to have another Toyota in the family and not worry about how long the minivan will last. It served us well over the past ten years. With the new car, we still have cargo room for those moves to campus and back home. Sarah will certainly need help moving to her next destination after graduation from Hope College next May. Wow! Had a VBS meeting where Matthew was able place the set and decorate for the staff to see how the church will look

Today I did accomplish a lot! Bulletin Annoucements, VBS planning, bill paying and letter writing. This evening Mary grilled burgers and hot dogs. She and Brandon went to a concert down by the river tonight. The rest of us went to another church to see their Pandamania set up and then they donated their decorations to us! They are nice and we are thankful. Saw a nice Thunderstorm cloud and Jeff and Matt were going to chase it, but it was too far and it would be dark before the next round moved in. Will have to chase another time!

I will be at work in less than 8 hours, for hours! Mary has been working all week, and will end up her summer job over the next few days with some short shifts. She is going to remain available as a call in employee, but off the official schedule. We will be going on vacation in just over another week, and then will have Mom H here for Danish Festival and the week of VBS! We have other fun things planned besides Pandamania! Ball games, bowling, movies, Scrabble, craft shows, parades and just enjoy time together! Sarah is working her three jobs in Holland for the next few weeks before she starts back at Hope for her senior year! She starts early, since she is the athletic trainer for Men's Soccer. Practice starts 8/22, so she needs to be there too!

Our vacation plan is to head out to Mount Rushmore then work our way home through Minnesota and Michigan's U.P. I am looking forward to some great scenery! Speaking of scenery, Matthew's Sunflower's are blooming and beautiful! He grew them for seeds!

That is all...better adjourn until next time!

Gracie

Lots of new pictures in the family album!

Parachuting Into Michigan Stadium with the 101st Airborne Division

2011-07-23T18:14:00.000-04:00

Mary sent a video from the spectators point of view when this event took place at the Big House last season. This is a video from the paratroopers point of view! Thanks for sharing mom!

Jeff, Matthew and I will be attending the first Michigan game of the 2011-2012 season against Western Michigan University (one of Matt's possible universities). It will be the first game for the new coach, Brady Hoke. We are hoping for a Michigan win! This was the perfect game to go to since we will have just moved Mary into her dorm the day before. Go Blue!

Gracie

HEAT WAVE~~~~

2011-07-19T23:16:00.001-04:00

The summer heat has hit! The temps and humidity have risen to make it feel like we are in Florida or somewhere in the subtropics. So glad our window air conditioners are making it comfortable in most rooms in our house. We enjoyed some swimming at Camp Concordia on Sunday afternoon. We enojoyed ice cream after a very hot evening of Church Softball. We lost by one..again. It's all for fun right? Still winning feels better! Mary helped me put up a new Sunday School Bulletin Board and then headed out for a day on the lake with Brandon. Bet she did some swimming!

Matthew and I did some shopping for the VBS set this afternoon and came out with a great result. The Daily News donated some plain newsprint that we can use for bamboo trees and murals for the Chadder Box. The local carpet store will be donating some old carpet tubes for the bamboo trees as well. What a wonderful community! Matthew picked out the things he needed at Wal Mart to complete the frame for the shadow box. He worked hard this evening and got the frame standing alone! Woohoo Matthew!

I battled a headache most of the day and ended sleeping two hours this evening. Headache is gone, but still feel a little icky. Hope I am back 100% for work tomorrow. The heat will continue through the weekend! Hope my clients A/C keeps working.

Matthew's Sunflower Plants are growing like crazy and has several blossoms. We are waiting for them to open.

Have a cooool week...Drink fluids and stay out of the heat!

Gracie

Where Do I Begin?

2011-07-16T15:51:00.001-04:00

It has been a while since my last entry and I am having a hard time remembering everything that happened.

TUESDAY

Met Sarah at the Orthopedic office. The doctor was very nice and he found nothing with her bones and nerves that would be the cause of her pains. In the end, we wish he had paid more attention to her knee, since that is what seems to bother her the most. Medicine just isn't what it used to be or should be. No Obamacare for me though, it would be so much worse! On a side note, Jeff's ankle and scrape are healing well.

Mary is home from her Florida trip with Brandon. They had a great time and she came home with some new dresses, a watch and a hat! Loved the pictures she showed us too.

Received word that or niece, Lori, is engaged! Congratulations!

Had a nice dinner with some of our church leaders. But had to hurry off to another meeting about The Senior Mystery Trip for GHS Class of 2012. Came away without volunteering to be an officer. I have created and will maintain our Facebook Page and will be host for the meetings, held at Mount Calvary. The meeting ended soon enough for me to head back to the church "party" and enjoy a pontoon ride on Baldwin Lake. It was wonderful and enjoyed God's artwork in a beautiful sunset!

WEDNESDAY

Had a productive day at work and enjoyed a home cooked meal made by Mary. She made Grilled Chicken Alfredo, made from scratch breadsticks, and broccoli.
Worked on the Senior Mystery Trip website, fell asleep on the couch and then cleaned up after the chef. That's our deal. If I cook, Mary cleans up and if She cooks, I clean up. Did some laundry too, since Mary needed her uniform to be clean for work.

THURSDAY

Got up early to take Mary to work. We are down to two cars right now, since Sarah took the Camry back to Holland until her car is fixed. Then got up an hour later to take Matthew to an all day birthday party. A Harry Potter marathon! I should mention that he reread the whole last book earlier in the week to prepare to watch the last Harry Potter movie. So at the party they watched all the Harry Potter movies in order, then went to the movie theater for the midnight (first) showing of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2". You know what that means? I got up at 2 am to pick him up from the party too. In reality, I don't mind. It is a fun time to talk with your kids. Get to hear all the stories while they are fresh in the minds.

Watched two great episodes of Matlock and then watched the Memory Service for Betty Ford, here in Grand Rapids. It was very nice. It was a big deal here, thought FOX might cover some of the events, but I was wrong. Oh well.

Got my Sunday School curriculum for the Fall ordered. Very excited about Groups BUZZ! Nice connection with Greenville's Yellow Jackets. Have a great vision...hope I can help make it happen!

I also got serious about VBS and did some reading of the manual and planning in my head. Time is ticking away, and soon it will be here! Again so good ideas, hope I can make it happen. Our Big Boy Fundraiser is a go! Bring the flyer to Big Boy anytime on July 24th and VBS will bet 10% of the bill donated by Big Boy. We will also get some funds from Thrivent.

Jeff and I went to Praise Team and had a good rehearsal. Some of the upbeats can be tricky, but we are getting a little better each week.

Mary made me some delicious Triple Chocolate Chunk Brownies for my Baptism Birthday. Yum!

FRIDAY

A great day at work, but very tired. Gee after getting up at 0200 to pick up Matthew and not falling back asleep until 0530, then gettting up at 0800 for work. Of course I was tired!

Pizza night at our favorite place, Mancinos. Watched the Tigers lose. More brownies and discussion about VBS set. Matthew is going to build it!

SATURDAY

Matthew and I walked downtown early, before 0800. He is going to be a scorekeeper for an outdoor basketball event. The senior mystery trip will receive money for our volunteering. Students need to work events to earn their trip, or pay a set amount of money to go. It has been a very hot day, so I am sure that he will be very tired when he gets home.

I have been working on my blog on and off all day, and want to work on banking and laundry before Jeff and I go to a musical event at a local church. Need to go grocery shopping too. I guess that can wait until tomorrow.

Supposed to be HOT for the next week. Hope we get a little rain with it, our plants are looking pretty peaked. Wonder if we will get our softball game in this week? I guess there is storms in the forecast.

Working on vacations plans and might go shopping for a new bike and some VBS supplies.

That is all for now...

Gracie

Game Results

2011-07-11T23:42:00.001-04:00

The storms are past and the heat and steam built up this afternoon. Still we headed out to the softball game and other than one large puddle next to third base in foul territory, the field was in good condition. The game was very close and fun. Here are some of the highlights:

One of our players had her first big hit down the 3rd baseline!
Matthew and our Shortstop turned two of three double plays!
Sarah had a great hit and played hard and pitched well.
Her friend, Bev had a great clinch catch in the outfield!
Yours truly got on base three times! Walk and two hits! That's a record..
Jeff had some good hits, even switched hit tonight. Unfortunately, he turned his ankle sliding into second base. Good thing our Athletic Trainer was there. She had his ankle all wrapped in ice and cleaned up the scrape. He is icing it and will see how it looks and feels in the morning.

The score was like a seasaw. We had it all tied up after our last at bats. Unfortuantely for us, the home team scored in the bottom of the seventh and we had to take the loss. Still it was fun and good fellowship was had by all. That is what we are there for.

Enjoyed ice cream of course, then dinner at McDonalds. Came home and I think a whole family of skunks must have passed throught the yard tonight. PU! It was pretty awful. Luckily we didn't meat up with them at all.

For now we are watching an old movie and relaxing. I am going to meet Sarah at the orthopedic office tomorrow morning to have a specialist check out why she has so much pain in her joints, and hopefully a way to help her heal and gain strength. Mary and Brandon come home tomorrow and I have a few meetings to go to in the evening. Will keep you updated on cars, ankles, doctor appts and travels.

Good Night!

Gracie

Stormy Weather

2011-07-11T17:32:00.001-04:00

This morning we woke to the weather alarm followed by thunderstorms. While we needed the rain and the storm wasn't too severe, Holland got pounded. Sarah reported heavy rain and severe thunderstorms. I have posted a few pictures, but you can also check my Facebook where you can click on Hope College's photo album.

Sarah also reported that her cars battery was dead for the second day in a row. After several phone calls by Sarah and Jeff, her car has been towed to get repaired from her accident over a week ago. The insurance people were apologetic that it took them so long to respond. Let's hope everything gets fixed up right and the car is back in good working order.

I had another nice day with my little buddy and also spent some time talking with Group Publishing about this Fall's curriculum. Now I am preparing for tonight's softball game. Hope everyone comes out to play! It will most undoubtedly be muddy. It has been very hot and humid today, hope it cools down even just a little.

Mary and Brandon fly home tomorrow. I will be glad to have them back, although I am sure that they have mixed feelings about their vacation being over.

That about does it for now..

Gracie

Happy Weekend!

2011-07-09T18:06:00.000-04:00

Hope all of you are doing well and enjoying your weekend! I should have gotten a lot more done by now, but I have been fighting off a headache today. Already taken ibuprofen and acetominophen. I don't know what to do next. Think I will try to ignore it.

Matthew, Jeff and I went to see a Toyota Highlander on Thursday and it rode pretty nice. There were lots of scratches on it and a stain on the inside. I think we have decided to wait on trading in and getting a new vehicle for right now.

I didn't work on Friday, as my patient was on vacation. Got some organizing done and then went to MCLC's Christian Ed meeting to discuss the direction of our Sunday School. After lots of thought and consideration, I have taken back the role of Sunday School Superintendent. I am excited about the new possibilities. Unfortunately, our attendance numbers are down, so my job will be leading a program that will not only retain our students, but to attract some of those who haven't been to Sunday School in the past weeks or months. Please pray not only for us, but for all churches, since I hear many churches are experiencing a drop in Bible Study/Sunday School.

I woke up pretty at 0333 and couldn't go back to sleep. Headed downstairs to watch some TV and then finally was tired enough to go back to bed by 0600, then slept till about 0930. Jeff and I worked together to get our schedules and calendar on "the same page" and then I tried to get more laundry done. That takes more time than I planned. Matthew and I have been watching Harry Potter the past few days. The last Harry Potter movie comes out on July 14th. I know Matthew is seeing it with friends and I am sure Sarah is anxious to see it too.

Tonight, we had thought about going to the Whitecaps Game, as it is Star Wars night with fireworks. There were very few tickets left, so we will go another day. Sarah was thinking of going with friends so I hope she has a great day at the game! Jeff Matthew and I are going to the rodeo instead at the Montcalm County Fair instead. I had fun the last time we went. The fairground are new this year, so it will be nice to see how everything looks.

Mary is having a great time in Florida with her best friend. Today was beach day and she sent me a picture. They still have a few more days before they head back to Michigan.

That's all for now. Going to fold some laundry now...

Gracie

Even Steven

2011-07-07T11:48:00.001-04:00

Not too much to report..Guess I will just jot a few thoughts:

Had a nice day with my little buddy on Tuesday.
Good day at work yesterday with my princess. Dinner and Ice Cream at Charley's. One our our church members was playing his stringed instruments and singing with a friend for entertainment
Netflix Movie night: "Convicted" It was ok.
Sounds like Mary is having a good time in Florida with Brandon and his family

What's ahead?

Quicken computer work
Laundry
Praise Team practice
Matt wants to look at getting a new vehicles
Meeting at church tomorrow...I don't have work, my patient's on vacation.

Have a good day. Weather permitting, watch the last Shuttle Launch...it is the last one FOREVER.

Gracie

Happy Birthday America!

2011-07-04T18:33:00.002-04:00

It has been a very nice Fourth of July Weekend, including the weather!

Marlene and Ernie left early Friday morning and arrived in Oconomowoc, WI safely that evening. They will be spending time with Aunt Bobbie and Uncle Bill for a few weeks. I had a nice day at work and then of course we had our Friday night pizza at Mancinos. Watched the movie "Defiance". It told the story of the Bielski Brothers and their success of hiding over 1000 Jewish people in the Forest of Poland/Belarus. It is a true story and was interesting enough for me to google the subject and read more about it.

Saturday was pretty hot and humid. We decided to have lunch out and ended up at Huckleberry's in Greenville. The food was very good. Unfortunately, they forgot to use our coupon and couldn't even correct the error. So they gave us a coupon for a free meal the next time. Good way to get customers to come back, hey?? After lunch we headed to Dairy Queen to use some more coupons on ice cream. It was delicious and pretty filling. With the heat and humidity still lingering, we all headed to Brandon's house for swimming. We had a very nice time and Brandon made me one of the best Strawberry Daiquiri ever! Mmmmm. Jim took us all out on their pontoon. First stop was a spring with water temps of 51-52. Too cold for me and for Vicky, buy everyone else jumped in and cooled off, including their dogs. Next stop was Blue Lake and we all got in this time and did some swimming. It was so refreshing. I don't usually like to swim in lakes, but this was a perfect day and a truly enjoyed it. Sure wish the lakes didn't have slimy bottoms, that is why I prefer pools. We enjoyed the boat ride back and then shared an ice cream cake together. It was delicious and there were no leftovers! Stayed while Brandon packed for Florida, and visited with Jim and Vicky. Got home around 10 pm. Mary did some laundry and we played a great game of scrabble. We are getting to be pretty good and fast too! We were all in bed by midnight, so we could get a few winks before 0400 rolled around.

I didn't sleep all that well and got up just before 0400 got ready to drive Mary and Brandon to the airport. They are visiting his mother who lives in Sanford, FL near Orlando. It is fun to travel with a friend! Our trip to the airport was uneventful, even stopped at McDonald's for breakfast before dropping them off at the Grand Rapids airport. Matt rode along with me so I wouldn't have to drive home by myself in the event that was super tired. I did fine, but it was nice to Mr. Matt with me. We were home by 0615 and I got another little nap in before getting up for church. Got a text from the travelers that they had arrived in Orlando twenty minutes early! So they were in Florida before I got to church!

After church we were all very tired and decided to take a little nap. Before falling asleep, I texted Sarah to see how she was doing. After all she worked a double shift at the Yacht Club on Saturday night. She is feeling better each day since her accident, but was pretty bummed out when she missed church. Got up and ready, then checked the website for her church in Holland and they changed the service time to one hour earlier! Good thing she checked before heading over, but sad that she missed her time to worship. She works Sunday mornings every other week, so it will be two more weeks before she can try again. Jeff said we should meet her for lunch. Great idea! Today's destination was TGIFriday's. We all had a delicious lunch complete with my favorite appetizer, pot stickers and and oreo dessert. After lunch, we looked at Sarah's car and saw the damage from the accident. We hope that it can get repaired soon!

Later that afternoon, I made some yummy appetizers and we headed over to some friends for a send-off to the Army for Matthew's best friend, Mitch. Everyone enjoyed the assortment of foods and more importantly the fellowship. As night approached, the guys built a bonfire and we watched fireworks from around the area. The younger people lit off some firecrackers and bottle rockets. We all had a lot of fun. Midnight rolled around an we said our farewells to Mitch. We pray for many blessings as he starts in his journey to serve America in the Army.

Today has been a "take it easy" day so far. Slept in and then watched TV with Matthew. Turns out it is "May the Fourth be With You" day on Cartoon Network. So Star Wars Clone Wars has been on all day! It is an ok program, but I can't watch one right after another. So I am blogging and doing some other stuff on the computer. I might go and transplant my tomato plants to a better location and thought about maybe going shopping and look for more shorts. It sure is nice, so I better go out and enjoy God's great creation!

Tomorrow is Jack day and the youth are coming over to compile some pictures of the youth gathering and prepare a presentation about their trip for the congregation next Sunday.

That is all for now! IN GOD WE TRUST!

Gracie

Here is a reprise of the best national anthem ever!

Michael W. Smith - There She Stands

2011-07-02T10:10:00.000-04:00

A nice way to start out the 4th of July Weekend! Happy Birthday America!

Good Times!

2011-07-01T00:31:00.001-04:00

I feel like a got a lot done today:

Got all but two small loads of laundry done, including towels, sheets and comforters!
Cleaned the kitchen then dirtied it up again making delicious Chicken Crescents!
Had fun watching a Tiger Game and Secretariat with Ernie and Marlene. Love that movie!
We all watched True Grit tonight together. It is good too, but I prefer the afternoon showing.
Played another fun game of Scrabble with Mary and Marlene.

Heard from Sarah this afternoon. Still able to go about her daily business, taking motrin and tylenol. She saw the Head AT and they have decided that she won't need to see a doctor yet. Thanks for your prayers, she still needs them!

Will be saying bon voyage to Grandma and Grandpa tomorrow morning. Had a very nice week together. They are heading to Wisconsin to see Aunt Bobbie and Uncle Bill.

Need to head toward bed, work tomorrow!

Gracie

Thank You Lord..Prayers Still Needed

2011-06-30T12:31:00.000-04:00

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...

2011-06-28T12:00:00.003-04:00

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.

Lunch at home, small nap and then planted my tomato plants.
Drove to Grand Rapids to see "Midnight in Paris". An interesting Woody Allen movie. I like it!
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

2011-06-23T23:07:00.001-04:00

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!

2011-06-19T22:55:00.001-04:00

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

2011-06-17T01:41:00.001-04:00

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

2011-06-11T13:20:00.002-04:00

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!

2011-06-09T17:16:00.000-04:00

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!

2011-06-08T22:30:00.002-04:00

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

2011-06-08T01:15:00.001-04:00

Birthday Report

2011-06-08T00:48:00.003-04:00

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...

2011-06-06T00:23:00.001-04:00

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

2011-06-05T22:57:00.000-04:00

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