Lions and Tigers and Bears Oh My!

Well we might not have any of those beasts, but we have had a problem with bats! Jeff killed one about a month ago and then we had one Tuesday in the late morning. I sat down by this computer and noticed something moving out of the corner of my eye. It was a bat stuck in our brass floor lamp! I called Jeff and he came home. He caught it and killed it. Now it is weird that the bat was awake and all in the day. Although he could have been stuck for awhile or he was sleeping on the ceiling and fell in. According to our "batman" he said there are lots of "teen" bats out there getting into mischief and are still learning how to fly. I didn't notice anything when I got up at 0430. Mary was up at 0530 and didn't noticed anything either. Bottom line is this. If he was flying around while we were sleeping, he could have nipped us with his small teeth and we might not have noticed. None of us have any new areas that could be bites, so we don't think there was an exposure. We are not even sure when he showed up. I took the carcass into the health department today for testing. It might be too decayed for testing we are not sure. Either way, the bat was sent to Lansing and if they can will test for rabies and have info by tomorrow afternoon. Please pray that they can test it and that it is negative. The Varmint Evictors are coming any minute to inspect our house and prevent anymore bat experiences.

Sammy got groomed this morning. I went to our vet this time because the old place was really dirty and the people didn't seem as nice. I told the new lady that I like his "arms and legs" trimmed close along with his feathery tail. So she said more like a lab dog. "Yeah I guess" I replied. Well when I picked him up, he didn't even look like my dog! Let's just say he got a dog's version of a buzz cut. Good for the summer. I like his hair better when it is fluffy to pet it. I just thought it would get thinned out and trimmed short. Oh well, hair grows back even on a dog! Poor Sammy. Mary doesn't like it, Sarah says he looks like a puppy and Matthew says pretty cool, not so much to vacuum. I suppose we will get used to it. The Vet doesn't carry Frontline anymore so now we have a new flea med. It really has a strong scent, like eucalyptus. I am anxious for it to wear off.

Matthew has wanted to paint his room for a long time. I finally gave the ok and it is already painted. I like to call it the chocolate room...it is a nice shade of brown. We picked up his wallpaper border today and will hang it on Saturday. The border is sports equipment with a baseball glove, hockey skates, football and such.

Sarah is getting ready for college. She has been in contact with her roommate and they are planning for an awesome dorm room. We have most things she needs purchased except for things like laundry soap and school supplies. She will need to clean up her room at home too, before we leave on Aug 22. The whole family will have orientation on Saturday the 23rd. It sounds like a pretty fun time.

Tomorrow is my last day of work. I work 9a-4p. Their new house is really nice and my patient is doing well. I have gotten a lot of errands done today. I still need to go to the post office, get money for my pop cans and get my pre-op labs drawn today or tomorrow. Your prayers for sucessful surgery on Monday morning and for a quick recovery are appreciated.

I am looking forward to the Olympics that start tomorrow night!

Grace

PS You can click on the pictures to see them larger.

Update! 1-Can't have labs drawn until the weekend. 2-Having the Bat Man eliminate bats with one way doors and seals. 3-Sarah is not feeling well. Has a sore throat. 4-We have church at Camp Concordia this Sunday and I am playing the keyboard, followed by a potluck picnic. That is all...for now, hahahaha.

Everyone is Home

I am glad to report that everyone is home safe and sound. They arrived around 6:30 pm and we had a nice reunion. Jeff and Sarah's group worked on the "condemned" donated trailer and made it liveable again. Cleaning mildewed windows, laying new flooring, fixing the roof, providing plumbing for the house, including a flushing toilet. Matt's group built and deck and did repair on another family's house. Many memories were made and friendships built. This morning the group spoke during church about their experiences. They did a really great skit that was humorous and touching at the same time. I wish all of you could have heard it. By now my mom, brother and sister should be back in America. I will be anxious to talk to her.

I have to work this Mon, Tues, Wed and Fri. Mostly 8 hour shifts. Then I will be off work for 4-6 weeks starting next week due to my upcoming pelvic surgery. Nothing major just some needed repair. Looks like my client might be switching nursing agencies again. I will have to decide whether to hire on at a new place and continue to work for my little girl or break loose from Home Health and pursue hospital nursing or whatever else God has in mind. So far nothing has presented itself, or I have received "sorry you weren't chosen" responses.

During my time "off", I will be organizing Sunday School for the next year, preparing for chimes, kids choir and orchestra, and helping Sarah get ready for college. I don't know how many choirs will continue until I get a handle on the interest for each of the groups. I purchased some "Stampin Up" stuff and want to make a few projects and cards too. There are lots of things to keep my busy without doing any heavy lifting.

In just 3 weeks, Sarah will be at college. Time is flying by and we are collecting things she needs to take. Her computer is very pretty and she had it operating last night. Mary has inherited the computer Sarah used last year, and Matt inherited Mary's old laptop. Jeff offered me the laptop that Sarah used, but I don't really need it, and I really don't like laptop keyboards. I am sticking to my computer in the living room.

Matt's band uniform was too big, so we have to have that altered or replaced this week. I am sure that the kids are anxious to get their high school schedule in the mail very soon. Sarah has her schedule and it looks like Thu is her long day. Classes start at 0830. That isn't too bad.

The 2 DVD players that wouldn't play are still broken. We think Mary's might be due to the high humidity lately. The other one is older, and who knows maybe that is a problem there too. Sarah's works no problems.

That is all. Have a great day!

Grace

A Good Day

I had a good day at work. Tomorrow I work again from 10a-6p. My client moved to a new place and I am looking forward to seeing it tomorrow. Even more exciting is that our family will be all back together again! Hurray! I really missed them. I actually talked to them last night while they went for ice cream. Sarah was very chipper and glad to hear her computer is waiting for her. Matt is doing fine too, had to cut the call short since it was his turn to order ice cream. Jeff call a few minutes later before they drove into the "no cell zone" of the mountains and said everything was going really well.

A very strange thing is happening to our DVD players. Nothing will play. So now I am pretty sure it is not the discs, but the player. Last night while finishing the den, we watched Guys and Dolls. With 15 minutes left it froze and wouldn't play. We put in a different disc and it said bad disc. So we went upstairs and were able to watch the rest of Guys and Dolls on Mary's 3 month old DVD player. Then put another movie in and it said bad disc and now it won't play anything either. Can a DVD ruin a player??? Was there some power problem that has damaged our DVD players? I am afraid to put any movies in any other player we have. Mary's player wouldn't play a movie she watched one hour earlier, and now the tray opens all by itself. A friend suggested to buy and use a cleaning disc. We did, and it said bad disc. If anyone has any ideas about this problem please write me! We are stumped!

Tonight Mary, her friend and I went to watch the sneak peak of this year's band parade and half time show. It was very good. I felt bad that Matt had to miss this week, but he enjoyed his week with the mission. He helped build a deck. I did get his shirt and talked with his old band teacher and Matt received all the music he needs for the season at the end of last year. He will have to learn a few steps for the parade in a few weeks. Freshman don't march in the half time show.

Last but not least, I finally took a picture of our den. Here is a before and after.

We love it and hope that the rest of the family does too! We worked hard on it.

That is all for now. More later.

Grace

A Few More Words

Great News! Sarah's spring green laptop computer arrived this morning, just a few minutes ago. I didn't open it, but I am still excited for her. I am glad we were home to receive it when it came, since it needed a signature. Hurray!

I have received a few text messages from Jeff in the Appalachian mountains of W. Virginia. He and Sarah and Matthew are all doing well. Here is Jeff's first message from the crew site: "Good first day- turning donated trailer into something liveable. Tree crashed down on old trailer." The weather has been good and the work is proceeding well. They are doing more than the staff had planned for. They will be home Saturday evening. Please pray for safe travel.

Mary and I will attempt to finish the den today, since I have to work tomorrow and Saturday. It should look really nice. I found this picture and article of a dog nursing tiger cubs that were abandoned by their mother. WOW!

Better get to work. I am going over to quilting for a little while and I also need to practice for a few songs on Sunday. The timing is tricky.

Grace

Another Few Days Gone By...

Good Morning!


I am off to work in a few minutes, but thought I'd write a few lines. I really think that burnout at my present job is approaching. Still, I can't really find too much out there in my nursing specialty areas. I'll keep looking and praying about it.


Mary and I have had some fun times. Monday we primed the den for new paint. We had a nice meal at Cory's. Mary had a burger and I had lasagna. Mary's friend was working that night so he took his break and joined us for dinner. We had lots of laughs and good food. After dinner we went to the Michigan Whitecaps game. It was British Humor Night. Mary likes the humor and I like baseball. When we arrived, we got tickets in our favorite seciton, 217, front row. We were so happy. There were two older ladies sitting next to us with blanket, feet propped up and backpacks. Real baseball fans. Well, when the wind blew the best description I have is "nursing home smell". We just couldn't stand it. Then the one lady put her feet up and started cleaning her toenails. After a few innings, we "went for a hot dog" and found another seat. The humor was fair, mostly Monty Python and the game was fun with some exciting plays. The pitcher caught a ball driven right at him and the ground rule double play was exciting too. We left in the 8th inning, Caps winning 2-0. Then on the news, we heard they lost 5-3 in the 11th inning. I am glad we left when we did.

Mary and I painted our den yesterday. It looks fantastic. I would never have thought to pick the color we did, but the paint store man recommended it, and it looks sharp. I'm living in the Better Homes and Gardens Magazine. It is a darker green. We are going to put up some Asian wallpaper border that matches perfect. Just wait till you see it! We want it done before the mission trip members get back.

Tonight I worked at the uniform distribution at the High School. I tried to pick stuff out for Matthew, but I think it will all need to be altered. He marches in two weeks! I got talked into really large clothes I think.

It has been pretty hot lately, we were supposed to get rain, but didn't. I will be watering the grass tomorrow.

Better Get Going,

Grace

Before I Go To Bed

Had a busy weekend. Got Jeff Sarah and Matt packed up for the mission trip and then saw Batman movie. I liked it, but got confused in some parts. I would see it again, I suppose, and maybe it would clear some questions that I have.

This morning Jeff Sarah and Matt left at 0400 and we have received word that the mission team arrived safely in Omar WV around 330pm. They will have a busy and rewarding week. My kids' message went fairly well. The kids didn't really answer the way I hoped, but you never know how a children's message will turn out. I also sang a duet with friend Annette. It went really well. There was the BP clinic after church that I was involved with too. I wore lots of hats this morning.

Mary and I ate subway for lunch and then watched Sweeny Todd. Mary got a call for babysitting this afternoon for the theater manager's boys and had a really nice time with them. I vacuumed and folded clothes and watched movies on TBS. It is very quiet around here. I miss my family already.

I am working lots of hours, but mostly in 8 hour blocks. MWF and Sat. Mary and I hope to paint the den and hang up some pictures this week as well. Some friends have invited us to dinner this week too, which is really nice! We plan on going to a whitecaps game tomorrow that includes British Humor Night, I will be helping at High School Band Camp and then listening to them Friday night to see what they learned. Mary has voice lessons and plans to spend time with friends while I am at work.

My mom, brother and sister are in Germany and France this week. I know they will have a good time seeing the Bach and Luther sites before seeing the sites in Paris. Jeff's sister Kathy had a baby boy this past week, Joshua, and all are doing well.

I guess that is all for now. Until the next episode,

Grace

What a Story

The other day at work I watched the movie, "The Notebook". I heard it was a good movie and some thought Mary looked a lot like an actress in it. Well, I loved the movie so I went to Wal-Mart the next day and purchased it. Unfotunately, the movie skipped stalled and sometimes just wouldn't play. I got through it and hoped it was the player or a smudge. So last night I wanted Jeff to watch it with me and it wouldn't play at all...the screen just said "bad disc". Hoping to replace it, I went back to WM and looked for one to exchange. There weren't anymore. The customer service person said he couldn't refund money because of copyright laws. So what now?? Then the news came that they were only going to sell it online..I went back to DVD dept and they were going to order it for me and call me when it arrived.. Went to the computer and it said "out of stock". I said all I wanted was to watch my movie and now I have no movie and I don't have my money. Who knows when it will be available? The asst Manager told the store to give me store credit and I went home. It was a good thing Sarah was with me she helped me keep my cool.

On a sad note. I got a call from camp yesterday evening. Matthew was buring up, chills and had a sore throat. Jeff picked him up and brought him home. Temp was 101.9. Jeff talked to a PA and they called in penicillin for him. This morning his temp is 1oo.5. He felt a little better after ibuprofen and wanted to go back to camp to star gaze with the group. He was sad. He needs to get better though, because he is going on his mission trip Sunday morning to WV to fix up homes in the appalachian mountains. Jeff and Sarah will be going as well. Mary and I are staying home. I hope paint the den. I will be singing a duet and doing the children's message on Sunday.

Mary spent the day with her friends. She had a nice time. Then went to the Ionia Free Fair, that is not free to get in however. Ionia is a small town between Greenville and Lansing. She rode lots of rides. Sarah and I shopped and found some more things for her dorm room. She is getting really excited about college. I think she and her roommate will get along well. Sarah and I also made yummy yakimondue and pork for dinner. It was a busy day.

All of us still want to see "Batman" and a few of us would like to see a local play called "Assassins". Mary's friend is in it and she has already been and said it was great. I will work around 30 hours this coming week, but they are in 8 hour increments which is great. I am still actively looking for a new position in a hospital.

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

Gracie

Update

I am quite tired after working from 5a-5p and then went to a stamping party with Sarah. We had fun making a few projects. I have been trying to upload some pictures for our blog and family photo album, so take a look!

Adam, Jill and Ellie came to visit this past weekend and we had a nice time. Dinner, ice cream, church and just plain catching up with each other. Ellie is a cutie and a lot of fun. They brought their dog Brewer too! Sammy and he got along for a while, but eventually did better separated. The kids all loved playing with Brewer, he loves fetch with a ball. Sammy is a pretty low key dog.

Last night was the Elders Dessert Potluck at our house and everyone had a nice time. The men had a meeting and the ladies played Scattergories. I know we had more fun.

Matthew is at Camp Concordia all week. Mary is working with me three days this week, counting today. We hope to see Batman sometime in the theater. Then come Sunday morning, Jeff, Sarah and Matt leave for their mission trip. I hope that we can find everything we need for the trip. Time is flying by.

Sarah is getting really excited about college. She has ordered a computer (a green one too), her bed sheets and has got her class schedule. She moves out in 31 days.

Well, better get to those pictures. Enjoy!

Grace

We Are Home

Just a short note to let you all know we made it home safely around 0130 on 7/17! We had a late start. Our room at Holiday Inn was less than acceptable, so we were given free sit down breakfast and the return of 10,000 points toward another stay. Anyway we left late and had bad traffic in Lexington which slowed us down even more. We stopped just south of the MI state line and met some friends from Tampa who are staying with family for another week. We had dinner and ice cream. I noticed it was just a few miles from where my cousin and my aunt live, Perrysburg, but I didn't have the phone number or address plus it was 9 pm. Oddly enough I received a letter from them in the mail while we were gone with all the information. Hmmmm.

Sammy was glad to see us and I had to sweep up lots of dog hair, but no accidents! Yea! Tomorrow is catch up day. Sleep and chores. Mary's friend is supposed to come over and "hang out". I will be doing laundry and grocery shopping. I don't work until Friday afternoon. That should give me enough time to get lots done.

Well I am pretty tired...I am off to bed.

Night!

Grace

PS Blogs are posted in PST...3 hours earlier than written

One Last Leg

Well, we will be home tonight. Our vacation was a good one. Monday we went to a dinner theater with my mom and although the play was a little hokie, all of us had a great time and the food was good. We managed to add a pizza and movie in during the late night. We try to go places that W Michigan doesn't have.

Yesterday we travelled from Orlando to Chattanooga, stopping in Atlanta at our favorite mexican restaurant near our old house. Mary's friends was able to meet us again for dinner this time. We also drove by our old house and was pleased to see it in nice condition. The community pool looked the same and brought back fun memories of swimming there with our young family. We stayed up to watch the All Star Game, but I fell asleep. Sarah and Jeff watched the whole thing.

It is 0930 and we will be off in a few minutes to finish our journey back to Greenville. There is more fun and activities planned for the weeks ahead not including going back to work. Fun!

We'll keep you updated!


Grace

The Weekend is Over

Well we had a wonderful weekend. It has been extra special to see all but one of the Wilhelm siblings and families, including Jeff's cousin and Aunt and Uncle. Sister Kathy is ready to have baby number 3 in Texas. It won't be long now. We missed her and her family. Matthew and his cousin Logan always have so much fun together. All of the teen girls, Sarah, Lori, Julia and Mary were reunited after 4 years. My mom and brothers and families came over, along with many friends to celebrate Jeff's parents 50th Anniversary. The party was a success. We had a slide show, music, food and cake of course. family introductions, speeches and a song sung be Uncle Bill and Aunt Bobbie.

After pitching in to clean up the hall, we went to Ernie and Marlene's for dinner and opening presents. At 7:30 pm nearly 40 people went bowling together.. It was sooo much fun. Sarah had a lifetime high game of 155, she beat her dad! Jeff's brother Tom had the night's high game of 193. Matt and cousins Logan and Eric bowled 5 games in 2 hours. No matter the score, everyone had a really fun time. Lots of cheering, laughing and picture taking. We hope to post some soon after we get home.

Today we went swimming first thing this morning, got ready for church and had McDonald's breakfast. We attended church at Woodlands Lutheran with Mom and Dad and all of the family. We had lunch at Buffalo's Southwest Cafe. I liked it a lot. I had a delicious burger. When the troops got home we all went to the swimming pool and most swam others enjoyed talking poolside or playing billards indoors. The afternoon storms rolled in and we headed back home for more family time. Some played games, some watched a James Bond movie. One thing is for sure. It was hard to say goodbye to everyone after having such a nice weekend. We all agree it would be fun to get together more often.

Tomorrow, really later today, we head back to Mom Heumann's house for one more day and leave Tuesday morning on our trip back. I hope we stop at our favorite Mexican restaurant in Atlanta on the way home. I guess I should get this posted. Have a great one wherever you are!

Grace

Hello From Sunny Florida

We had another day of driving yesterday and made a few stops along the way. Of course we encountered very heavy traffic around Atlanta. We took some side roads and saw the kid's old schools and neighborhoods.We met Mary's friend at Sonny's for a delicious lunch.I drove through the city of Atlanta and gave up driving before we got to Macon. Jeff drove most of the evening stopping at Chick-Fil-A for dinner, something we don't get to eat in West Michigan. I drove the final leg of the ride to my mom's and we arrived safely around 11pm.

Today we had a nice leisurely day. Leslie came with Callie and we had a fun afternoon. We watched some videos of last year's school events, had lunch and Matt got her to play catch and a video game. Mom won Scrabble. Tonight we plan to go out to eat and see a movie.

We leave tomorrow for the other side of Orlando for a fun filled weekend with family and friends as we celebrate Jeff's parents 50th Anniversary. I'll be sure to keep this blog updated as much as possible. I might be having too much fun. Time will surely fly by and we will be back on the road to Michigan.

I guess that is it... Have a great day!

G.E.W

This is the Big Chicken in Marietta, GA (A Landmark)

Tennessee

We left home right around noon and drove all day and into the night. All the drivers took turns. Mary drove twice for several hours with dad coaching. I got to drive through Louisville and a few traffic jams. I am glad Mary didn't have to deal with that. Jeff drove twice and Sarah drove through Nashville which is an experience in itself. I drove the last leg into Manchester,TN. Judging from the traffic going the other way, we drive home another way.

Today we start off with Jeff driving through Chattanooga and stopping for lunch in our old stompin grounds of Atlanta. Mary has a friend there that would love to see her on her lunch break. We hope to get all the way to Grace's mom's house in Oviedo FL late tonight. We have lots of movies and video games to play while while the driver and navigator do their job. It helps pass the time.

Need to get breakfast and get going.

G

Things are Looking Up!

The car is finished and now we are going to pack it up. Jeff has a few pastoral things to complete before we leave, and a few bills to pay. There always seems to be something else to delay you.

My hope is that we are on the road by lunch time. We are driving all the way to Tennessee today. We have four drivers so it shouldn't be horribly bad.

That is all. Next update from the road!

Grace

Quick Update

Mt Calvary won tonight..16-15. It was a close, competitive and fun game. I played catcher I caught a foul ball, and tagged a player sliding at home. He was called safe, but I was proud of myself none the less. My glasses were kicked off, but they are fine too. Matt played well at third, tagged two people out, and Sarah and Jeff took turns pitching and playing first base. I am glad that we won. Everyone got hits and runs. Hooray! I had to hand over my team to our clean up batter for next week's game :(

Our van acted up yesterday and we took it in to get checked this noon. It needs work before we can drive to FL. We hope that it is fixed by tomorrow or we will have squish in the Toyota for the trip. I have a little extra time to get the packing done.

Hope to be leaving soon,

Grace

One Day Left.

We had a nice weekend. Work went well. Mary and I got new haircuts that we really like! Yesterday we had a minor flood in the basement from the pipe our washer drains into. The dehumidifier shares this pipe and when I do laundry, sometimes it can't handle all the water. Glad to so everything is fine now. Attended the pastor's picnic and had burgers and roast. I took some delicious cupcakes. We played some ball, bochi ball and golf! I got some more laundry done and then was off to bed.

Today is finish laundry, pack, last minute errands and car check up. If the thunderstorms hold off we will play softball tonight. It will be our last game. We have only 10 people playing tonight. Getting rained out might be a blessing in disguise. I really want to play though! Mary has a job interview tonight at 6 pm at our church daycare. Matt wants to apply too, but not sure if they will hire a 14 year old. Will have to ask. He is really good with kids.

Well, better get packing! I'll update as much as I can on our trip.

Grace

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!

Happy Fourth of July! Today is a beautiful sumer day with temps up to 80 with blue sunny skies. Our neighbors are coming over later for a cookout. I am going grill burgers and dogs, have corn on the cob and cheesecake...maybe cookies too.

Just a few days ago, we had some severe weather move through. A tree fell across our side street from ouR neighbors in the yellow house. Jeff got home a few minutes before the tree fell, called the authorities and took pictures. It is a good thing he didn't get home two minutes later, or he and our car would have been a great danger. All kinds of lines were hanging low to the ground. I guess it was cable for TV. We were without power for a few hours. Couldn't cook so we went to Cory's for dinner and had a nice time. Mary's friends was working that night and chatted with us when he could. I worked that day and helped them move into "grandma's" house just in time. I will work again tomorrow from 2-8pm.

Yesterday was shopping day! Sarah bought a book, shorts and a swimsuit. Mary got a DVD of Guys and Dolls and even I got some new clothes with my birthday money. Thanks everyone! I think we have everything we need for our trip next week. Now I need to wash clothes one more time and pack up. I have already made a pack list! I love lists!

Tomorrow after church we are going to the circuit pastor's summer get together. I need to make a dish to share. Time will fly by and we will be on the road. One more softball game for us on Monday night. Then I will pass the roster to my fellow teammate to run the last game while we are gone.

Sarah has her room assignment, and orientation schedule. There is lots for families to do too! She will be in the air conditioned dorm, since her roommate had a doctor's note that she needed it. We got a small fridge for her, and now she is looking into sheets for her dorm bed.

Mary received her International Thespian Society membership card and is working on songs from Guys and Dolls so she will be prepared for tryout this fall. Less than

10 weeks away. Matthew is keeping our grass cut and helping around the house now that ball season is over. He looks forward to being a Junior Counselor again at Camp Concordia the week after we return from vacation. Then he, Jeff and Sarah are going on the mission trip, then the Danish Festival and move Sarah to Hope College on August 22. I hope to paint at least one room this summer.

That is all. I will keep you posted as we travel.

God Bless America and You!

GRACE

Finally..Another Win!

Mt Calvary won their softball game tonight-33-13! We are back in the "swing"! It was a close game at first, but their pitcher got tired and we started hitting the ball really well. Sarah had several hits, Matthew had hits, and Jeff got hit! He has quite a bruise on his right leg. He was pitching and got nailed by the ball. He has been icing it hoping to keep the bruising to a minimum. . Jeff had some good hits and ran great even with an injury. He switched hit his last up and got a triple. I hit the ball well, but hit it right to the short stop, a couple times. I did get on base once and crossed the plate. We have two more games to play this season. Our record is 5-3. Sarah, Matt and Jeff did some great fielding too.

I worked 9 hours today. It was very tiring. The family is moving locally and it is crazy. I work again on Wednesday and Saturday. No news on my job hunt. Sarah hasn't heard anything from her applications either.

Mary has been with her friends Greg and Kayla most of the day. They went to see the movie, Wall-E. Yesterday she had fun at her friend Brandon's birthday party. While she was at the party, we were learning about the mission trip. It is less than a month away now.

For those of you who remember our nighbors, their daughter had twin girls a week ago and everyone is doing fine. No C-Section needed and the girls weighed over 5 pounds each! Yea!

Well, I guess that is all....I am pretty tired.

Grace

Repression Can Be Good Thing

It is late on Sat or really, early Sunday morning. Thought I would do a little catch up before another busy day tomorrow.

Matthew's team won again Thursday, which sent them to another playoff game today. We drove about 1 hour and watched, waited and hoped that they would call the game. Matt pitched a good first inning and lost a little focus in the second. The coach pulled him the first time out to the mound, rather than give a pep talk. Anyway with the next pitcher, and some poor fielding, 12 runs were added to the other team. I think they used 4 pitchers in 4 innings. Final score was 25-0. The season is over, and we can be proud about how far our team went in the tournament. Jeff and I both got a little sunburn while sitting in the bleachers at high noon. Repression Can Be Good Thing.

Sarah received a phone call from Hope College about her schedule. After all of her required classed she needed 3 credit hours to equal 16. We searched for a 3 hour class and found none. Sarah's been in contact with the softball coach and she encouraged her to take her softball class(one hour). That brought her to 14 which is considered full time. She wanted to take Spanish, but that put her over 16 which would be difficult plus add to tuition. So the scheduling people signed her up for a 2 hour religion class. So now she will have the 16 credit hours that is reccommended.

Tonight was Thrivent night at the Michigan Whitecaps game. I have looked forward to this for a long time. I had such wonderful memories from last year's games. First there was a rain delay, which worked a little toward our favor since we were a little late. But it started after 8 pm. Our seats were near the top and it was quite a slow moving game. By 1045 pm, they just finished the 7th inning. Worst of all we sat just below were the balcony people sit, and someone must have spilled beer, because it was dripping on Mary and the lady next to her. The lady finally put up an umbrella it was so annoying and bad. After talking to several people, they cleaned the drips off the balcony and gave us paper towel to clean the seats. We left early disappointed and missed the fireworks afterward. Repression Can Be Good Thing. I did win a baseball cap with a matching number on a coupon and the team magazine. It is a nice hat.

On a good note, Jeff made it home safe and sound. He had a good visit in Arizona. Worked hard, took a test, and was able to meet up with friends from out Yokota days in Japan. We are glad to have him home. Mary is going to start voice lessons this Wednesday and throughout the summer. She is pretty excited about that. Sarah has one more Wednesday evening softball game with Hope and before you know it we will be on our way to Florida.

Tomorrow Matt is usher, Sarah is acolyte and Mary is helping me with children's church. We have a graduation party to attend, mission meeting, Camp fun day and Mary had a birthday party and sleepover. I work Monday Wednesday and maybe on Saturday. I am hoping that our church team can win Monday evening. It will be nice to have Jeff back playing on the team. Sarah is babysitting a bunny for a week. He is very cute. His name is commander bun-bun. Sammy doesn't know he is in Sarah's room, and we have the gate up on the stairs.

I guess that is all for now. Until next time,

Grace

FUN FUN FUN!

Yesterday was a really fun day. We looked at old yearbooks and had a few laughs. Then Mary went to buy her iPod touch. It is pretty fancy. Expensive too. I treated the kids to Applebee's for lunch and Sarah applied for a job there. Blockbuster won't interview for 2-3 more weeks.

Later on, Sarah went to umpire a softball game where she was behind the plate. She didn't throw anyone out of the game, and no one got irate with her either. Matthew got a ride to his tournament game with the coach, since I had a medical appointment. Then I took Mary to the Drum and Bugle Corp competition. We had a really nice time. We judged them and we like our results better. The last band actually brought out a mini stage and the show was like a little musical. I thought it was too "showy" and prefer the pure music of a band. Anyway thatshowy band won. We stopped at "Cory's", a favorite restuarant to split a dessert and came home with lots of smiles.

I called Matthew to see how his game went and wow! Matthew pitched a shut out! Pitched a whole game, 5 innings, before they mercied the other team. I guess Matt struck out 6, walked only 2 and was on base three times. I am so proud of him! I wish I could be 3 places at once!

I worked 8 hours today and had a good day. Matt called and told me there was another game tonight at 6pm. Sarah was supposed to be in S Grand Rapids at the same time to play fast pitch with Hope College. Now I was stuck. I decided that Matt couldn't pitch today, due to required rest time, so I got him a ride again and took Sarah to her game. His friend invited him to spend the night, so I don't know what happened. Sarah played well. Caught several fly balls to outfield and walked once, struck out swinging once, and hit and got to 1b once. Best of all she is meeting new people that will be part of her life this fall.

Tomorrow I have a day off, so I am going to try to get a few errands done, and have fun with the kids. Supposed to have hot weather ~88 degrees for a high. Our trip to FL is coming up fast, so maybe some planning for that and checking in our quilt.

That is all the news. Toodle do!

Grace

PS- Here is an amazing video of a pitched ball hitting a bird.

Kind of a Bummer of a Day

Today was pretty tiring. I worked night shift last night and slept till around 12:30 pm. Although there were no incidents, it is still pretty tough to stay up all night even if you slept ahead of time.

I saw the doctor this afternoon for annual blood test for my throid and a few aches and pains. I do have a recurring wartlike lesion on my hand that he will biopsy after our vacation. I also had a skin tag removed from below my left eye. Thank goodness.

Matt had a nice day at his friends house. He plays baseball tomorrow evening in the second of the district tournament. I can't go, so he will be going with his coach. Mary has been wanting to go to the Drum Corp showdown for several weeks, so I am going to that with her. Sarah is working at a softball game tomorrow night.

Speaking of softball, our church game was fun but discouraging too. We lost 39-9! They had good bats and gloves and we had some errors. Everyone got along and we even played through some rain. That was our best inning! I had a nice hit to L field. I told the team God was teaching us some lesson, maybe patience or losing with grace. Sarah was the pitcher and did an excellent job, Matt had a great snag at third base!

Mary is swimming tonight with her friend. Hope they don't stay out too late. Mary played her cello yesterday afternoon at the Flat River Historical Museum. It was very nice and she played well. There was someone who plans to call and hire a quartet. This was the first time Iwas at the museum. There are some very interesting things. I will need to take visitors to the museum and show them Greenville history.

We found out that this fall's musical is "Guys and Dolls". Mary is pretty excited and looks forward in getting a role in the play. We are thinking about voice lessons this summer to determine her voice range and also help in preparation for tryouts in September.

Well, it is time to get going. Need a shower after that game in the dusty infield.

Grace

One Week Down, One to Go!

Jeff made it to Arizona without any problems. He did take some pictures of the terrible flooding in Iowa from the airplane. Seems like the rain keeps falling in the same places. Speaking of weather, we have had nice mild weather all week. Last night we did have an isolated thunderstorm. I was at work and it must have hit close. Lost power briefly then it was all over.

I worked 31 hours this week, including a night shift last night. I'll work another tomorrow night as well. It really screws up my sleep and I am tired the whole next day. I will work around 30 hours next week too. As some of you know, I continue to look for a new job. I applied for 2 more jobs this week. So far I have had all rejections.

Mt Calvary had VBS all week at Camp Concordia. Matthew stayed at camp as a junior counselor and had a wonderful time. He helped at VBS too. Mary went to help the skit team on Thu and Friday. The weather was perfect and they had over 100 children participate. Matthew got a little too much sun on his ears and they have blistered. We saw the doctor and he prescribed a wide brimmed hat until it is healed then back to the baseball cap. Benadryl for the itching. HE loves to be at camp and looks forward to another week as Jr. Counselor in July.

Sarah had a new experience this week as well. She played softball with the Hope College girls team on their summer league. It is quite a bit more intense than HS ball. She was at first a little intimidated, but played well and made some new friends. I'm telling you the people at Hope College are just so welcoming. During the double header, Sarah played Left Field the majority of the the innings, and had several at bats. The highlights were a diving attempt to catch a fly ball that popped out of her glove. She went to the doctor too, her knee was swollen and bruised. All clear for any damage. Just bruised. She'll play next week. Back to the highlights, Sarah had a beautiful bunt at the end of the second game. There were runners at first and third, runner at third came in and the runner at first went to third, which pulled the fielder off second and allowed Sarah to reach second base on her bunt. WooHoo! She caught the last fly ball to LF to end the game. FYI, the sun was terrible for the outfielders that day.

Mary has been babysitting to earn money for a iPod. She is very close. There are a couple other families that have her name for future jobs. Mary also has job playing her cello, Liam, tomorrow at the Flat River Historical Museum at 2:30 pm. Mary has been viewing the sunset as much as possible each night and taking pictures. She and her buddy Gia have started riding bikes each night to their viewing spot and around town.

So we made it through one week without Jeffrey, who is at Davis Monthan AFB until next Friday. He is doing fine. He took his Air War College test on Thursday. We won't know if he passed for a week. So now he works on some papers and also at the weather office. That is all I know. So one week to go and we'll have him back just in time for the Baseball Game on Saturday at the Whitecaps Stadium. It is Star Wars night and Thrivent night too.

This week is of course work for me, Church softball on Monday, Little League on Tuesday, Fast Pitch softball for Sarah on Wednesday and Quilting on Thursday. Of course there is the day to day stuff and the need to shop for our upcoming vacation to FL in a few weeks.

The girls made pizza for lunch so I am signing off. Have a great week.

Until next time,

Grace

PS... Matt had a great day at his ball game. He had two RBI's and got on basae and stole his way home. He was responsible for all of the runs scored today. Way to go Matt!

Almost a Week Later....Happy Father's Day!

Time really flies by, doesn't it? It's been a week, and I can hardly remember what happened. It is good to stay busy, I guess, but rest is good too!

I worked Mon-Wed-Friday this week and had good days. Monday night we had our weekly church softball game and we won 18-11. We started off a little shakey, but had a big inning with 10 runs! Matt had a baseball game the same night and they lost. Tuesday all the teenagers had there yearly check ups and are healthy. Sarah received her meningitis immunization for college and had TB test too. The doctor had a lot of forms to sign for the college health office. Matt had baseball practice and Sarah refereed a game. Oh, our piano was tuned finally! Thurday I sewed in the morning, did some paperwork and took Sammy to the Vet. He is healthy too. Matt had his last baseball game that night and was the starting pitcher. He did a fine job. Pitched 3 innings. We were ahead, but lost by one at the end. However, the other team used a pitcher that was supposed to be on rest since he pitched less than 48 hours earlier, and there were a few bad calls by the umps, that could have changed the results of the game. The baseball banquet was last night and it was a very large crowd. It was a huge picnic for all the players, not just for our team. We survived and Matt received a nice trophy. Today Jeff and I played 18 holes of golf with our friends, Randy and Norma in the Camp Concordia Tournament. We did pretty well. It is a good thing it was a scramble, or we might still be looking for some of our balls. We went to a couple of High School open houses and then had small group bible study tonight. Whew! What a long day. We had a lot of fun.

This week promises to be busy as well. I signed up for 30 hours of work this week. Probably M-W-F again. Matthew is helping at Vacation Bible School held out at Camp Concordia all week from 10-2. Mary and Sarah are volunteering a few days and I will go out on Tuesday and Thursday. Sarah will be a chaueffeuer a lot for me this week since Jeff is going to Davis-Monthan AFB for 2 weeks starting Monday morning. Matt has ball Tuesday and Saturday. Sarah refs a softball game on T-TH and hopes to play community fast pitch ball on Wed with some of the girls from the Hope College team. Oh, Church ball on Monday night. We play one of the undefeated teams and they beat us for the championship last year. I hope that we can win! Right now we are 4-1. I need to find a replacement pitcher, Jeff won't be there! I should go quilt on Thursday at least in the morning. We have a few more open houses to attend this month.

Mary has found a new hobby.. She loves sewing. She has made 4 dresses this month! She is so creative and can really make her ideas work! The projects she does and does them well. Watch out Martha Stewart!

Well I had better get going..Church in the morning! Happy Father's Day!

Grace

PS: The glasses are for fashion!

Praise, Storms and Parties

We had a "fun" praise service today. I played the clavinova, and we had singers, a drum, guitar, violin and madolin. Everyone sang well and Jeff gave a good sermon. The Ice Cream social was well attended and delicious.

After we arrived home, we began setting up for Sarah's Open House. Everything looked really nice. Our friends helped, by setting up their tent (@ our house), and we some lend us a roaster, coolers and tables. Sarah set up a very nice display of her high school life. Then an hour before the party, the sky got dark, windy and then the downpour. We were glad that Sarah took pictures before it rained. I will post them as soon as she does. We had a nice turnout and didn't have too much leftover. Everyone enjoyed the taco bar, chips and salsa, cake and fudge. We have pop left, but that will keep. After the party was over, many of our friends stayed and helped clean, take down the tent, and move table and chairs back to church. We are blessed.

Sarah is exhausted. She opened her cards and gifts and fell asleep. The kitchen is clean enough for me to go to bed without thinking, I should really stay up and clean. I do have to work tomorrow (8-4), so the girls can clean the rest up while I work. Matt has a 1/2 day of school left and then has a baseball game. Church softball is tomorrow too. we will see if we play. Lots of storms. We are expecting another storm in the next few hours.

I guess that is all.

Happily,
Grace

It was a Happy Birthday

I had a very nice birthday. We went shopping at our favorite local stores and then had lunch together before I took mom to the airport in Lansing. We all had such a nice time together for Sarah's graduation. Jeff's parents left a few days earlier and stopped to see some friends in Indiana. Anyway, on the way home I drove into a severe thunderstorm. My weatherman called me several times to forewarn me. Sure enough just as predicted, I drove into a storm with strong winds and torrential rains. I pulled into a church parking lot and parked next to the building to be protected from the wind and then the hail started. I waited around 15 minutes till the storm passed and got home safely.

Jeff and the family took me for a barbeque dinner and then we spent a few hours cleaning up the basement. Fun! Actually it is nice to see it so clean. Tomorrow is the graduation open house and Sarah wanted to have extreme ping pong, thus cleaning the basement. Mary baked me a chocolate layer cake and it was moist and delicious.

The excitement began later when a bat appeared in the house! Jeff and Mary's friend Greg help apprehend the critter and released it into the night sky.

During the past week, it was nice to have Sarah home and we went for birthday lunch at Red Lobster with Ernie and Marlene, Gloria and Jeff met us there. Thursday was a busy day...quilt, clean, banking, piano lesson, baseball practice, Band Booster meeting, Softball banquet and a GHS Jazz Band concert in the park, which was really good. We actually went to all the events.

Today will be busy enough. Matthew has a baseball game, open houses, cleaning house buying groceries, decorating and preparing for Sarah's open house tomorrow. I play for church in the morning and am part of the fellowship team after church! I'll need a rest, but I work Monday from 8 am to 4 pm. My patient is moving to California, so I need to work as much as I can before that.

Better Run!

Grace

Graduation Day

It has been a long time since I wrote an update. I am going to make this one on the short side, since I am very tired after a long day.

Grandma and Grandpa Wilhelm arrived safely. We attended the following activities:

Baccalaureate: It was very very nice. Jeff gave the address and it was awesome. The whole auditorium was quiet and he received many compliments. What a wondeful message of God's Love for all and for the journey that continues.

Matthew's Award Day: He receieved awards for perfect attendance, musician and singer. Plus he is on the high honor roll. There was a fire drill that brought the ceremony to a quick end.

Graduation: It was a beautiful day today. The graduation was exciting, I think. The graduates processed and recessed to Star Wars music and the pomp and circumstance was during the presentation of diplomas. Mary was impressed to see her teachers with their graduatioin robes, some with the Master's stoles. After all the pictures were taken, we drove to Grand Rapids and ate at Olive Garden. We finished up the day's activities with an ice cream cake that was delicious.

Mary had an eventful first gig playing for a wedding in a string quartet. It was so windy at the park, that some of her sheet music blew away into the nearby river. I guess even the flower arch over the altar blew over. Several men held it up for the rest of the service. She recently received a trophy for best actress from the drama club.

Matthew had a few baseball games this week. They won one and lost one. He pitched the last inning of his last game and did really well. He battled at the plate and eventually got the walk. The game was called before the third out, because we won!

Sarah has been attending multiple open houses and enjoying a lot of fun times with her friends. I can't believe that soon she will be off to college and I won't see her everyday.

I worked 12.5 hours last Friday and work 8 tomorrow. The rest of the week will be pretty much free. Of course there is always something that needs to be done. Plus it will be nice to spend time with family before they go home later this week.

Getting really tired, better head off to bed.

Grace

Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day!

I need to start way back to Friday when Sarah had her "swingout" from high school. She looks very nice in her cap and gown. After the assembly, we took lots of pictures outside before she got on the bus for the senior mystery trip. Sarah had fun on the trip. They went to Gameworks in Detroit and then went on a dinner cruise in Lansing. She spent the night at her friends house after they returned home around 3 am.

I worked on Saturday after Sarah came home. It was a long afternoon and evening, but Hailey and I had a lot of fun. Sarah had her hair cut for graduation. Nothing drastic, just a few inches off the bottom.

We had a nice Sunday service, Matthew played "Taps" after the benediction. he did well and it was quite effective. The church was silent. After church was our sunday school end of the year picnic. Grilled hot dogs, potato salad, chips and cookies. Later in the afternoon, we saw Indiana Jones movie and then went for Ice Cream at Charley's a favorite place with good ice cream and prices! Jeff put down some new mulch around the house in the garden beds.

Today had many acitivities. Lots laundry, Mary made a dinette set that I go this week that will actually be my sewing table. It looks really nice. Unfortunately, she cut her finger on a sharp screw that needed attention. I doctored it up and it has stopped bleeding, but it still hurts. We went shopping for a few things had Subway and then I cleared off my desk...hurray! It was way overdue. Sarah had softball practice tonight.

Tomorrow Mary and Matt go back tomorrow and Sarah will be at home. She has been filling out housing info and other forms for Hope College today. We will be setting up banking this week and will try to make a picture presentation for graduation. Sarah will be playing softball in pre-districts, last game of the regular season and then districts this Saturday. Baccalaureate is Thursday. Mary is playing for a wedding this weekend on her cello along with friends and their violins and viola. Matt has baseball on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.

We look forward to Grandma and Grandpa Wilhelm's arrival on Wednesday this week to celebrate Sarah's graduation. It is less than a week away now.

I will work on Wed (8-4) and Friday (5-5) for sure. Maybe Thursday morning for a few hours. Plenty to keep us all busy!

That is all for now.

Grace

Orchestra Ovations

Tonight's orchestra concert was really fantastic. Mary and Brandon's duet went well. The dynamics were precisely executed.

The high school concert was exceptional. I really liked the "Hoe Down" by Aaron Copeland and "Inchon" by Robert W. Smith. The percussion in Inchon simulated sounds of helicopters, gunfire and water. It was quite impressive. The audience gave immediate standing ovation at it's completion. You may be able to hear it in the future on Greenville High School's Performing Art website under the mp3 section.

Tomorrow is swingout. I can't believe Sarah is done with high school. I know that I will become emotional. We are all very proud of her and all of her accomplishments.

Matt's team lost tonight, but he got a chance to pitch and he said he did a little better. Sarah is pretty tired after a long day, softball practice and umpired her first game.

Mom is having a good time, driving all around Greenville with me and going to all the activities.

Time for some shut eye..

GW

The Excitement Builds

Yesterday was Scholoarship day. Sarah received a scholarship from the Rotary Club, and Hope College. We are still waiting to hear from Air Force Aid and another one for athletic training.

We did some shopping and then headed to Lowell for cello lessons. They went well and then we cooked dinner and went to the GHS Jazz Band Concert. It was great! Matt played well and the whole evening was very enjoyable.

Today was academic achievement awards. I drove over there after working for 3 hours at Hailey's. Mary received a plaque for maintaining a GPA above 3.9. She looked very nice. Sarah received her award for maintaining a GPA over 3.8 throughout high school. She also received a letter from President Bush for academic excellence and a Gold Honor Cord to wear on Graduation day. Tomorrow is Swing Out the senior's last day. By lunch they will be on a bus for a 24 hour trip.

Later today Mary will be in her last orchestra concert until the fall. She is currently 2nd chair and will also play a duet with her friend during the concert. I am looking forward to it. Matt has baseball game tonight in GR, and is spending the afternoon with a friend and ride to the game with him and the coach.

Need to pick Sarah up from Softball practice and then she umpires a community ball game. They craziness begins!

Grace

Perfect Timing

Today was so full of activities that perfect timing was important. I spent this AM writing articles for the newsletter and Sunday bulletin. Three loads of laundry were done last night and three this morning. I picked up the kids at 3pm, Sarah had a double header at 4 pm and Matt had a game at 6pm. So Grandma and went to Sarah's first game, Jeff drove Matt to his game and then came back to watch Sarah's second game while Grandma and I drove to see Matt play his game. One hour after his game started we all left for Matt's last middle school band concert. It was at 8 pm. We all made it and enjoyed the concert. The trumpet section did a great job! Unfortunately, Sarah did not get to play either game and the team lost both of them. (Next time put Sarah in the game coach.) Matt called a friend on the team and they lost by one run, again. Matt played really well at first base and scored a run.

Monday was awards day for leadership/activities and Mary received her superior award for the role of "Martha Webster" in the production of "Bury the Dead" the one act play last winter. It was a great moment.

Tomorrow is scholarship awards day. Sarah will be getting at least one award. The assembly is at 0845. I worship committee and then drive Mary to cello lessons at 4:15pm. The Jazz Band concert is tomorrow at 7:30pm. Another busy day!

Better get going, I have brownies in the oven for Sarah's Anatomy class tomorrow. Good Night!

Grace