It's Finally Home!!

After a week of headaches for us and the car mechanics, the van is fixed and at home. Yay! The kids are especially happy. Now when dad and mom are at work, they can still get around. It is good to know that it is working well for our upcoming vacation next week.

Sarah is still very sore. Her jaw joint hurts quite a bit. I am sure that it got jarred really well, since the ball hit her on the left side of the chin/mouth. Her chin is still pretty swollen and bruised. The laceration is healing quite nicely so far. When asked if it is worth playing ball and risk injury, she says, Yes!

I am working about 25 hours this week. Just tomorrow afternoon shift left before our vacation. I have been quite busy at work lately, which is good since time goes by faster. My little girl is growing up and is beautiful and lots of fun. But like a toddler, is getting into everything, what good news!

The weather is beautiful...blue sky and warm temperatures. I hope it stays nice for the weekend. There is a wedding at our church for a very nice couple. We all will be attending.

The family went to McDonald's for lunch today. I came outside and found Mary and Matthew at a picnic table and it reminded me of when they were little.. Aren't they cute?

I guess that is all..

Gracie

A Fun Game and Another Win!

The big news from the ball game is that Sarah got nailed in the face with a ball. She missed the throw and takes full responsibility for the injury. It did bruise almost instantly and her lip has a good laceration. Of course she finished the inning and played the rest of the game as much as possible. I took her to the ER tonight just to be safe and there are no fractures! Her laceration could have had a stitch or two, but the doctor said it would heal fine without it. That is all Sarah needed to hear. So no stitches either! Can you see the bruise on her chin?



The whole team played well tonight. We scored lots of runs. Matthew batted 1000 tonight! I got on base all but once and I think Sarah and Jeff were on most of the time. Sarah pitched until she got hurt and then Jeff took over and did a great job as well. Good fielding and good sportsmanship on both teams! What fun we had!


Earlier today I was in Grand Rapids for a medical appointment and decided to go use my Kohl's money afterward. They had awesome sales and I got some tops and new earrings. Lunch was good and then I got some paperwork and laundry done before the game.


I'd better cut this short! I have to be at work in four hours and I really need a shower!


Good Night!

Grace

What a Night!

I worked most of the morning on Sunday School records and paperwork. I had a volunteer to take over as superintendent, so I want to give her a very organized and workable book. I guess I should order the curriculum, so we get the right amount next month.

We left for Craig's Cruisers, a place for pizza, games, go karts, mini-golf and such and enjoyed ourselves. Our mini golf game was pretty good for most of us, and the go karts are fun even if you daughter and her girlfriend bumps into you. I got lapped by everyone, but that what happens to safe drivers on a race track! By 8:30pm we were on our way to downtown Grand Rapids for the fireworks. We sat on some rocks along the shore of the Grand River. The fireworks were very good, lasted about 20 minutes. We had nice weather for the event as well.

Church went well. I taught kids church and ran out of time. We learned about Solomon's temple. The kids came down after church to finish their projects. I also had a softball meeting. The league is requiring signatures from the team stating they know the rules. There has been a lot of nit-picking and some poor sportsmanship. It is getting a little crazy. Supposed to have all the signatures by today, which is really crazy since several of my players are gone this weekend. I hope we don't have to forfeit a game! That would really be nuts!

Well, got to run, playing for chapel at the nursing homes and then we are going to a welcome home party for a family friend that just got home from boot camp. Have a great day!


Grace

Happy Birthday America!

It is a cloudy morning and Jeff is out jogging. The kids are sleeping and of course, I am blogging. We had a nice cookout last night for the family. Burgers, watermelon, potato salad and then soft serve ice cream at McDonalds. We played a game of running bases (aka pickle) in the side yard, and had lots of fun. Matthew absolutely loved it! I remember playing that with Dave and Dan for hours. Mary spent the day with her best friend, Brandon.

Speaking of Mary, she has most her paperwork done for the Miss Danish Festival and is working on her cello solo for her talent. Her platform is keeping the Arts in Schools. She is a little nervous, but is also excited.

Matthew's driving continues to get better. He suggested going to Craigs Cruisers today for family fun, so we plan to go this afternoon. There is pizza/pasta buffet, go karts, games, mini golf and laser tag. We hope to see some fireworks too. Hopefully it doesn't rain!

Sarah was very happy last evening when one of her best buddies from Hope called. She sure loves Hope and the people that go there! She can't wait to go back. The summer job never materialized. Not many are hiring and those that do hire friends or popular people. I am thinking I should quit my job and then refile FAFSA. We might get more aid!

Our van was in the shop all day yesterday and got a new alternator and battery. Unfortunately the battery light still goes on even with the new parts. We took it home for the weekend and need to return it on Monday for diagnostics.

That is all the news for now.

Grace

What A Difference A Day Makes

I was going to blog Wednesday night, but couldn't think of anything to report. I guess I could have told you that I had a good day at work or that I acutally made dinner last night, but those are just regular daily routines. I bought a new Wii game that we have played a lot lately, a Disney Trivia of sorts. Sarah especially likes it, she wins! I still have fun anyway.

But today (7/2), well I have some unbelievable news! Mary has decided to compete in the Miss Danish Festival Pageant. She thought that she missed the deadline, but they called today and said she could still apply. Since this morning she has accomplished much of the paperwork that is required to participate. Should she win, she would advance to Miss Michigan! How crazy is that? Jeff and I support her, and think as she does, that this would be a great opportunity and experience. Some of you may have already received an email from her. I guess this was kind of a Mary day, she received her driver's license in the mail and got a new hair cut this morning. She wanted some more layers and got a little more that she bargained for. It still looks nice and the length in general is about the same.

Yesterday, we weren't sure of our travel plans. Today we have an itinerary! St. Louis, MO-Norman, OK-Dallas, TX- Memphis, TN-Columbus, OH. All in about 10 days! Good thing we have 5 drivers in the family. We were thinking of what we could do tomorrow as a family, maybe go somewhere for fun. Well, the van is going to the auto clinic in the AM for a new alternator/battery and then Jeff has a private memorial service in the late afternoon. We hope to go see some fireworks on Saturday. Sunday I have kids church and Jeff and I will be doing chapel for the assisted living/nursing homes here in town.

Sarah has been applying for scholarships online and has pretty much decided that there is no job for her in Greenville, especially since she will be leaving for college in 7 weeks and 2 of those are on vacation. She'd really like to get to a Tigers game before heading back to Holland. Matthew just wants to drive, drive anywhere! He'd like to see transformers too, but his sisters saw it with their friends separately and I really don't want to see it at all. Guess he will have to wait or find a friend to see it with.

Guess that is about it. Have a great weekend!

Grace

Take the Good With the Bad

BAD
Our van needs a new alternator and battery. It is still running, but we know that it has to repaired. Especially since we plan to take it on vacation in a few weeks. Sarah went to the doctor today for gastric reflux. She had some symptoms years ago and then went away. It came back and she has had some bad tummy aches. Doctor put her on Prilosec and ordered a Swallow study. Darn! She really didn't want to go through that again. Otherwise no other symptoms that would indicate that her connective tissue disease has worsened. She still gets purple fingers, but no ulcers! Yay!

GOOD
I really enjoyed today's weather. Cool with some sunshine. I got to sleep until 0830 too! Mary drove me into Grand Rapids today for more expressway experience. She did fine! We had a nice lunch at Steak n' Shake. Their menu is better with more affordable prices. The Prius is working well. Everyone is happy. Jeff enjoyed the conference for the most part. He comes home tomorrow.

That is all for now. I work in the morning!

Gracie!

We Won!

Mt Calvary pulled out another win tonight. As usual, we started off a little shaky. The score was 5-0 at the end of the 2nd inning. We came alive in the 4th inning and scored 4 runs and then 2 more in the 6th, in addition to holding the other team at 5. Way to go team! They are awesome. Sarah pitched another great game too. Yours truly had a couple hits, got on base once and then struck out her third at bat. I waited too long in the count, and panicked a little. I can always find an excuse. Matthew got on base all at bats and played out in R field. He is very cooperative and played wherever I needed him!

Work went fine today. I called the office to talk to the director of nursing about the meeting last week only to find out that she is no longer with the company. Looks like the "mean" lady might be the new boss! Watch out! We will see what happens.

That is all the news for the day. Just wanted to pass on the good news about our team!

Grace

A Wonderful Weekend!

We had a very nice weekend! Saturday I got up and made some brownies for part Brandon's graduation gift. The afternoon was spent at another graduation open house and then we went to a nearby church for a musical concert. Jeff spoke for the event. He did a great job and used the story of being out on the family boat with his dad and brothers when a storm blew in. A favorite of ours. Dinner was served and we were off to a Whitecaps baseball game. It was Thrivent Night. It was pretty warm but in the shade! We had a winning ticket and got a baseball cap. We were glad when there were some light showers! The game went into extra innings and we ended up losing 5-4. I hope that our softball team can win tomorrow night!

Church went well. I played for the service. Seems like I have more trouble with introductions than with playing the hymn for them to sing! The congregation is forgiving. I enjoy playing the clavinova. We had lunch at Subway. Jeff left for the Michigan District convention and the rest of us headed out to Brandon's Open House. We had a very nice time. The food was very good, lots of fun pictures to look at, videos to listen and watch and outdoor games to play. Matthew spent ~3 hours swimming in the lake, kayaking and went along on a pontoon ride with me and some other folks. After we got home, we watched some TV and I heard from Jeff. He reports that the first night of the convention was very good! YAY for a GREAT Sunday!

I wish I could say that Friday was a good day too. I had an interesting day at work. The nursing compnay supervisor came out for a visit and can say that she was condesending and hard to get along with. I am not going to go into detail, but I couldn't wait for her to leave. It was a long day. We drove into Grand Rapids for dinner at the Olive Garden and enjoyed a meal then shopping at Kohl's for some needed clothes. Matt drove home with Jeff riding shotgun. It was a ride to remember! Matt had to drive through construction on the expressway with curves and such, at night! He is getting some good experience.

Tomorrow I go to work, Sarah has therapy and of course our softball game in the evening. I hope to update soon after!

Guess that is it for now. Have a good week!

Grace

Another Licensed Driver!

Mary passed her road test this afternoon and is now a licensed driver. She can drive alone now! I know it is exciting, but a little scary for parents too. They are all growing up fast now. We went to the secretary of state office and did the paperwork and got the picture taken. The driver's license will come in the mail in about 2 weeks. We are having Chicken Crescents for dinner in her honor!

We watched Grand Torino last night and really liked it. Would encourage people to watch it. There are some funny parts, but it is a good story with excellent acting from Clint Eastwood. I think Jeff is trying to find a way to use it in a sermon.


Sammy got all of his shots this morning and got groomed too. He looks nice! Heartworm test was negative! Sammy is healthy! Yay! He will be 10 years old in a few months. He is still pretty hot with Michigan temperatures of over 90 degrees. We have only one window A/C unit upstairs. So we are tolerating warm temps in the house too. The basment is nice and cool!



Better get going!

Gracie

Home From Work

Just got home from working a night shift with my little patient. It was a good night. She was sleeping when I arrived then woke up and stayed up most of the night. At least it help keep me awake. I also keep an alarm going during the night on my phone, just in case I get tired.

Yesterday I got a lot accomplished too. Mary had strings practice and then finished sewing a dress. She wore it to the wedding that she and I played for. The wedding was simple but nice. Mary played Canon in D with me. I did an adequate job. The bride was happy. It was so hot that my fingers and hands were sweaty. Excuses! Excuses!

I will sleep for about 4 hours, and then go back to work for a few hours so that my friend can go to an important appointment. Mary is going to spend the day with Brandon. It is his 18th birthday today! Tomorrow Sammy goes to the vet/groomer, I get a 2nd key for the Prius. Mary takes her road test tomorrow at 1300 hours. Any prayers are welcome. Back to work on Friday. This time a day shift.

Weekend activities are 2 graduation open houses and a white caps baseball game. It's Thrivent night! Jeff leaves on Sunday for the district convention. The weather has been very hot, in the 90's. Our A/C in our bedroom is running and the fans are circulating the air pretty well. I am anxious to get more toward the 70's or low 80's.

Better get some sleep!

Grace

A Game to Forget

We lost our softball game. It was a very frustrating and disappointing game. Our opponents' sportmanship was less than acceptable and they nit picked every possible rule they could, even with a score of 11-0. The last two innings we pulled together and scored 6 runs and avoided a shut out, which made me very happy. I told the team that I was happy with their ability to play with integrity and that we can be proud of ourselves. I don't know why it takes us several innings to get our gloves working well. Sarah pitched another great game, all 7 innings. Jeff, had an awesome catch and slid into 3rd and was safe. He has some wounds to show for it! Matt threw some long hit balls back into the infield and got a great hit tonight! We have a great team and I am proud to play with them! I played catcher the whole game and had some good hits, but only got to first once. Poor Sarah said softball wasn't fun tonight, that makes me sad, since she loves the game more than anyone I know. I didn't make her happy when the other team called her a "daisy"!

The weather is hot and humid. We turned on our A/C in our bedroom and have the fans positioned on both floors for good air flow. Tomorrow will be another hot day. There is lots to do. Mary has her quartet practice, then a wedding, and I work night shift tomorrow night. I hope to get some extra sleep sometime. Guess I should call it a night. Need to shower first though after a long battled game.

Feeling better,

Gracie

Father's Day

We had a really nice Father's Day. Church was very nice and then we had lunch together. Now most fathers would like to relax and have a nice dinner. But our dad ran in a relay! Jeff ran 5 miles through west Michigan in a bright green shirt carrying a token torch showing Michigan the Jesus loves them! The run will travel through Michigan until next week when the district convention commences. The weather was sunny and hot. There were many hills through the countryside. We passed several Amish families, some in their carriages, some walking one with a wagon full of cute little children. I guess one horse got a little spooked when he saw the bright shirt. Next time he saw a carriage, he kept his distance and stopped while the horse passed. The van that accompanied the runners kept him well hydrated and made sure he was ok. Jeff ran those 5 miles in less than an hour! How wonderful! He was tired, but had fun. We drove along in our Prius, encouraging him along the way. Sarah took pictures. Hope to have them posted soon. There might even be a video! The next runner showed up as Jeff finished at an Amish farm and he ran the last 10 miles! He is a pastor from Cadillac. We stopped at Wal-Mart after the run and got a few things. Mary was happy there was still a material department there. She is anxious to sew another dress. We found some pink and brown polka dot material. It will be very nice. From there we went to St. Peter's Lutheran in Big Rapids, MI for a small rally. On our way home we stopped for dinner at Ruby Tuesdays and then had Ice Cream Cake and played a little on the Wii.

What is on today's docket? Well, I will be practicing for the wedding, Sarah has therapy and then the rehearsal. This evening is another softball game. Our record is 4-1! I have a few players that need to start praying with us if they want to be playing with us! Tomorrow is the wedding and I work night shift afterward.

I guess that is all for this Monday Morning!

Grace

Rain Rain and More Rain!

Well, we had some nice weather at the beginning of the week, and have had lots of rain today! God did provide a window of hot sunny weather for VBS's last day. We have had thunder storms but no damage in Greenville. Sadly we did hear reports that buildings at Hope College are flooded. Sarah's dorm room is on the 1st floor this year! Clean up is already in motion and I am sure everything will be ready for move-in day.

Sarah's job hunt has proved fruitless. Most places aren't hiring or are waiting another month which doesn't help her at all. Our one hope for an outside scholarship ended today. Not sure if it is worth looking for jobs in Grand Rapids is worth it right now. She will definitely need to work this fall in Holland. My job hunt isn't much better. Just goes to show that no one is hiring in W Michigan right now. I will have 30 hours of work in this week which is good. Guess I will need to schedule as many hours as I can.

We got our Prius back this afternoon. So far so good, although the drive home isn't too far. Will have to take it for a longer ride tomorrow. I am so glad to have it back! Sarah drove it today to Physical Therapy for her knee. Mary will take her road test on Thursday. She practiced driving yesterday with Jeff and did pretty well. She has decided to take the test in the Camry. Matthew is always willing a pleading to drive somewhere. He is doing well.

Well, guess that is about it. Need to practice for the wedding, work tomorrow evening and work on errands and chores. I can always be busy! Blessings!

Grace

Good News!

Matthew and Mary received their report cards today. They both did great! Mary had straight A's with GPA of 3.9 and is ranked 7th out of 282 classmates. Matthew had A's and B's with a GPA of 3.4. He got an A on his physics exam! That was a hard course for freshman. Great job to both of my high schoolers!

A Proud Mom!

Sammy Has A Fan Club

We had a lot of fun with our cousins the past 2 days. They got the grand Greenville tour with new and exciting information that Mary had in her head. Katherine went to VBS and Logan worked as a helper with Matthew's group, a bunch of kindergarteners. We grilled, had ice cream and played Wii games and Scene It. Sammy was treated like royalty. He got so much love from everyone.

Both evenings there were some ball games going on. Monday our church team won 17-8. We seem to start out a little shaky, but then pull it together and put on the heat with good hitting and fielding. I even gave away a game ball. Our right fielder made some awesome catches in defense and made a great slide to be safe at 2nd. Sarah had a great game too. She could have gotten a game ball too, but we only had one and she is my co-coach, so I thought it would cause a conflict of interest. Anyway she pitched the whole game and caught 3 line drives to the pitcher. She was just awesome. You can tell she is passionate about ball! Last night Sarah umpired a rec game and most of us saw the last part of the game. Fatime and I went to pick Mary up from her Segment II driving class.

Driving class. Matthew is done with segment one and has his level I license. He has been driving around town and doing a good job. He can't take segment 2 for six months. Mary is now eligible to take the road test. She wants to practice some parallel parking and backing up parking before scheduling the test. Jeff will have to go with her because he can stay quiet during the test unlike her mother. Mary is anxious to get her license so she drive out to her friends and not have to ask for rides anymore.

I will be playing for a wedding next week. So I need to be practicing some music daily so the wedding won't be remembered with bad music. Mary is going to play some cello with me I think.
Some disappointing news comes from our Prius. We got it home and drove around that night and we still experienced some minor electrical issues. The good news is that they are fixing it and even gave us a loaner to drive while it is getting fixed up. I can't wait to get it back. I have almost forgotten that we have a 3rd car.

Just for some closure, church went well as did the chapel for the Assisted Living center. We also enjoyed the choir party. We had good food and fellowship, a pontoon ride, paddle boat rides, volleyball and a fun game where you throw golf balls on ropes at a ladder. Sounds wierd but it is fun!

I am working early tomorrow for 3 hours and then 11 hours on Friday and 6 on Saturday evening. Have to pay for college, cars and show choir!

That is all. Have a great day!

Gracie

Golfing in the AM

Jeff and I golfed with our friends Randy and Norma today as a fundraiser for Camp Concordia. We had a lot of fun! We didn't win, but still had a great time. I had some really nice drives and even a few good fairway shots. I now like my 3 iron. Jeff did better with the pitching and putting. Randy did win $10 for a great story. He drove the ball and it hit a tree then bounced back into the fairway and all the way back to the green. We had hot dogs at the turn around and then grilled burgers after the tournament. We are back home and tired. Jeff rested before heading over to church for weding counselling.

Matthew has his permit and is asking to drive all the time. Everyone wants to drive my new car, the Prius. It is a pretty cool, although we are dealing with some ABS problems. The dealer is going to look at it again on Monday. I guess one of sensors needed replacing, but evidently there is more to the story. I drove to GR yesterday and got over 40 miles to the gallon. I filled it up on Wednesday night and it is still registers a full tank. I probably only used 2 gallons to get to grand rapids and back.

Work was fine. I fell on Thursday going into church for quilting. I saved the brownies I made, but tore the knee right out of my pants and scraped up my knee and bruised the other. Needless to say, I couldn't crawl around the floor like I normally do. I work Monday and Friday this week. Just found out that one of my patient's doctor was a med student at St Louis Childrens Hospital when I worked there in 1998! I thought he looked familiar. I looked him up on the hospital website and true enough it was George from St Louis!

Tomorrow is church, chapel in the afternoon for the retirement home and a choir party. VBS starts Monday morning. We are anxious to see our cousins again too!

So Long from Sunny Michigan!

Grace

Lots of News

Church/Orchestra

Church went really well. The orchestra did a wonderful job. We had many compliments and I think we will plan to do this again sometime. I did drop a large music book on the keys of the clavinova during communion, and heard a few chuckles.

Birthday Cake/UP!

After church we got home and had some lunch. Mary made me a birthday cake while I took a much needed nap. She had the kitchen all cleaned too! Brandon and Nick came over to sing with Mary and the rest of us went to see the movie UP! I thought it was good, but as Mary (saw it earlier in the week) says it is kind of a sad movie for PIXAR. We came home and had delicious Devil's Food cake and then played a game of Cranium.

Softball in the Rain

Monday is softball day. It was pretty rainy most of the day, but being the die hard ball players, we waited till we got to the field to see if we could play. With dark clouds all around, we started playing and our team was up to bat first. The skies opened up and the heavy rains came down. The spectators gathered up the children and took cover, as there was a tornado watch and we heard a bit a thunder. The two teams decided to go ahead and play anyway. During our first at bats we scored 2 runs and then just as quickly the rain stopped and God sent a beautiful double rainbow! Our opponents had outscored us during the first half of the game, ahead 7-3. We came back and pulled ahead by 1 by the 6th inning. Our gloves were better and we had our bats on the ball. At the bottom of the 6th it was 10-8. We had our work cut out for us! Well we did it! We came from behind and won 17-10!

New Toy!

Our family has enjoyed playing the Wii I purchased with some christmas money last winter. Our fun was limited since we had only one remote control device. So for a birthday gift I bought another controller that came with 9 more games! Now we can play against each other instead of against the system (except for Bowling and Golf). We had a lot of fun playing games for several hours. Matt killed me in baseball. I really need to practice hitting. Matt is pretty good at all of the games. Sarah has had practice too, so it is fun to watch both of them duel.

I'd like to have a word with the FAFSA people

I have decided that the financial aid system for college is really a mind game. It really irritates me that the govt can decide how much we can afford for college. So we are using our thinking caps to come up with a game plan for college this year.

Employment?

Sarah has applied for several jobs with responses that usually sound like, we will be calling people in 3 weeks, or sorry we aren't hiring. I continue to hit brick walls with my job hunt as well. I was able to speak with someone at one of the hospitals that took my name and promised to send it on to the recruiter. Course, if I work another job, then the govt will think we can pay even more for college!

Prius

Well the Prius is ours. We got it this afternoon. It looks so nice and runs well. I am going to have to get used to the brakes and gas pedals as they are more sensitive then the windstar.

Driving Students

Matthew passed his writen driver's test and is done with his driving class. Yay! Tomorrow we will go to get his permit/license from the Secretary of State. Then he can start driving with us in the car. I hope I am ready for another young driver! Mary takes Segment II of driving class next week and is then eligible to take the road test. She can't wait to drive by herself.

Upcoming events

I will be making dessert for our quilting lunch tomorrow. It is the last potluck until the fall. We will either brown bag it or go out together for a DQ footlong hot dog. Mary is going to a White Caps baseball game with Brandon tomorrow and Sarah has an umping gig. I worked last night and again on Friday during the day. The Stanley Cup final is Friday night. Will the Red Wings win? Saturday is a golf tournament and Sunday is chapel for the Long term care facilities and a choir party out at a lake. Then we look forward to having Jeff's cousin, Jim and his family here to visit the beginning of the week.

Orthopedic Update

Sarah had her R knee examined today and the orthopedist said she has pain in her knee because her loose joints. With all the stress when climbing stairs and playing ball, it resulted in patellar tendonitis. She will get some PT for 2-4 weeks and also wear a patellar strap to keep the stress off of that tendon. Icing and Ibuprofen is something that she has already been doing and can continue to do. The good news is that she can keep playing ball, a sport that she loves!

Well, I am sure I will update soon!

Gracie!

We Had a Fun Day

Well Orchestra practice went well and service should be nice tomorrow. We played pretty well together for not having rehearsal most of the month of May. After tomorrow my responsibilities will be reduced to staffing kids church for the summer.

We got the car back to the dealer. It should be ready on Tuesday. We will decide then if we will purchase it or not. I do like the car very much and miss having it in our garage.

I practiced pitching some softballs this afternoon and I am too inconsistent to pitch for the team as of right now. Sarah did well and Matt did too. We will see how Monday's game goes and switch some players around.

Birthday dinner was at the Texas Roadhouse. All of us had delicious steaks, bread, potatoes and an onion blossom thing. After dinner we went out to a bonfire at one Mary's friend's house. It was nice to get to know some new people.

All in all it was a good birthday. Now I will have to wait another 365 days for number 47! Thanks to all for the birthday wishes!

Grace

PS: Mary decided against the self study summer spanish and has dual enrolled at the community college for Spanish this fall.

It's My Birthday!

The first thing I did on my birthday is get my hair cut and styled. It looks nice. Starting to grow out some of the layers again. I have orchestra practice in a few minutes and then we will take the Prius back to the dealer. We had it overnight. We like it a lot and hope that they can have a few things corrected so we can buy it! Later is an graduation open house and then we are going to dinner tonight. I am considering Texas Roadhouse, Red Robin and On the Border. The weather is beautiful and I just might practice my slow pitching skills this afternoon, so I can use them in an upcoming game. My left thigh muscle is still tight and sore. I hope that I can play on Monday.

I'll type more updates prn.

Gracie, RN

Accomplished!

Today was very productive. I made lasagna rolls for quilting lunch, worked on music for Sunday and am working on the last load of laundry. This afternoon Matt had driver's training, and we took a look at this Prius right here in Greenville. It is very clean. There are more miles, but that makes it more affordable. I also know that Toyotas are great cars, so even with more miles I know I can depend on it. We should know if it will be ours in the next few days. I think buying local is a plus, that way I wouldn't have to drive to G.R. for any needed service.

Tonight we went to the High School Jazz Band concert. It was great as always. The weather was great and time flew by and it was over. Brandon did a very nice job singing with the group. He also plays the keyboard. I'm thinking Mary should sing with the group next year. Matt is done with band. He doesn't really want anything to do with it. We are keeping the trumpet and Jeff wants to learn to play it. The mouthpiece is stuck and I still have to get to the music store to have it repaired.

Mary had a meeting with the guidance counselor and the spanish teacher this morning. Mary wants to get some foreign language credit on her transcripts for college admissions. So she will do independent study for Spanish I and take a profieciency exam this fall. Sarah can help her. Then she will take Spanish II in the fall. She will have Independent study english, Pre Calculus, Chemistry, Orchestra, Village Green and Government one semester and Music theory the next semester. Matt had his last finals today and school is officially over! He is very happy.

Driving is going pretty well. Matthew has one more week and then Mary will have a week of class. She will be eligible to take the road test after completing the 3 day course. We have been practicing parking procedures.

Well, I am working at 0500, so I am going to end this post. I'll let you know what happens with the car.

Good Night!

Grace, who is 45 for just 34 more hours!

Just To Let You Know

We are deciding whether to get another car. Initially we were going to trade the van for a "new" one, but found out we wouldn't get very much for it. Our van has over 150,00 miles on it. The more we thought about it, the more the plans changed. I had the idea of getting a "new" car for me and letting the kids drive the old van, which is fine with them. This is better because of insurance costs. The first car we tested was the Kia Spectra. A brand new red one with great incentives! It was ok, and I could walk away without feeling a need to buy it. Whew! Then we stopped at the Toyota dealer. I love Toyotas. I saw a nice little Matrix, but Jeff has been interested in getting a Hybrid. So they showed me the Prius. What a cool car! It drives really nice and I was so much more interested in the used Prius than the new Spectra. No, we didn't buy it, not yet. Jeff has done a lot of homework on pricing, interest rates and insurance. We may go drive this white one later today. By the way, the Matrix smelled of cigaretter smoke! Yuck!

Today. It will be busy. Cook for quilting, school runs for Matthew. Drivers Ed, car shopping (maybe), dinner and then the annual Jazz Concert at the gazebo in the park in the evening. Brandon will be singing many songs. Yay! I forgot we are invited to an open house too! Sarah has to ump a game. Of course I still have laundry waiting for me downstairs. I work early on Friday, so I can't stay up too late!

Speaking of late, I am tired! Better get some sleep. Wonder if I will hear our bats? The bat man came and found another nook where they might be getting in. He says he will keep coming until they are gone. The waranty will be good.

Sandman is coming! Night!

Grace

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!

Let's start with the GOOD! Graduation was very nice. We arrived early to see if there were any tickets to the gym available. I think we were even closer in line this year than last year for Sarah's graduation. Anyway, we were talking with the people behind us and told them our saga, and low and behold, they had two extra tickets! We were sooo grateful when they gave them to us. Brandon's family arrived later, so we were able to get them in line with us and we all sat together. The address was well done by one of Mary's favorite teachers. The band did a great job playing pomp and circumstance while the graduates received their diplomas. I think Matt said they played it 29 times through! Luckily, there is a rotation system in place so that all of the musicians don't have to play the whole time...~30 minutes! The weather was nice so we were able to get a nice picture of Brandon and Mary afterward. On a side note, the mouthpiece on Matt's trumpet is stuck! Even a mouthpiece puller couldn't get it free. We will have to go to the music store and see if they can remove it.

The BAD... Although our softball team is amazing..we lost last night 17-6. We played the best team in the league with 15,000 players (it seemed) and some of their calls were not so good. They are really liberal with their strikes, balls and safe calls. Sarah pitched at the end of the game and was awesome! She has earned a permanent place on the mound! We had some good hits, but they had better gloves last night. I hit one to the pitcher then took a walk at my last at bat. Jeff and I only batted twice last night. That should tell you that we weren't getting lots of runs!

The UGLY! My poor leg hurts terrible. I was walking like I was 110 years old. Limped through most of the game. I pulled my quadriceps femoris (thigh muscle) of my left leg at work 3 times in the past week. It was sore before the game and just got worse each inning. My right foot has chronic heel spur stuff going on. I do feel better this morning and am back to my almost 46 year old gait.

Kids have half days today, tomorrow and Thursday. Then summer vacation! Yay! I have places to be, so I am off to the shower! Have a great day everyone!

Gracie

The Safest Place

A good friend of mine sent this to me this morning. I loved it so much, I wanted to share it on my Blog....

How to stay safe in the World today

1.. Avoid riding in automobiles because they are responsible for 20% of all fatal accidents.

2. Do not stay home because 17% of all accidents occur in the home.

3. Avoid walking on streets or sidewalks because 14% of all accidents occur to pedestrians.

4.. Avoid traveling by air, rail, or water because 16% of all accidents involve these forms of transportation.

5. Of the remaining 33%, 32% of all deaths occur in Hospitals. So, ... above all else, avoid hospitals.

But,.... You will be pleased to learn that only ..001% of all deaths occur in worship services in church, and these are usually related to previous physical disorders.

Therefore, logic tells us that the safest place for you to be at any given point in time is at church!

....And.....Bible study is safe too.

The percentage of deaths during Bible study is even less.

So,Attend church, and read your Bible IT COULD SAVE YOUR LIFE!

GOD BLESS YOU!!!

Before Church

Happy Baptism Birthday Mary! Well, we celebrate 17 years of Mary becoming a child of God! Hurray. What can be better? I am playing for church in just a few hours and I think I am ready. The communion hymn is tough. Playing and singing. I am going to have to help the people sing this one. Otherwise, the songs are great today! The 2009 graduates of our church will be recognized this morning. They will be wearing their caps and gowns. All of the Sunday School students will receive ice cream this morning as a perk for thier attendance.

We can't stay too long after church, as we have to get over to the high school and get in line for graduation. It is a beautiful day, so it won't be too bad standing out there. Rumors have it that there are still tickets for the gym, just don't know how to get them. I hope that Mary can be in the gym even if I sit in the comfort of an auditorium seat. The bleachers aren't too comfortable, but it is nice to be there in person. Either way, we will get to see the graduation.

I got a note with my paycheck yesterday that I need to drive to Lansing in the next 7 days to correct my charting. Another nurse got one of those, when she called they told her she didn't check the right box. Well, I am telling you I am not going to drive over an hour to check a box. I will pay for postage for them to send me the problem papers. It just really urks me that even after several errors I found on the chart, they think it is ok to ask someone to drive over an hour. Hah! They didn't come to fix the errors on the chart that I reported! We'll see if I still have a job tomorrow. Don't worry, I will be nice and diplomatic, at least at first!

Guess that is it~I need to turn my attention to Sunday School then piano playing!

Grace, who wears many different hats!

Time to Catch Up

Baccalaureate was very nice on Thursday evening. The orchestra played Slane, aka Be Thou My Vision pretty well. The second violins always struggle. There was some good scripture readings and the Village Green sang You Raise My Up. It brought tears to my eyes. The Catholic Priest gave the address and did a really nice job too. It was all over by 8 pm. I had to race out of there to pick Matthew up from driver's ed. Tomorrow is Gradaution! Mary and I will attend and Matthew will be playing in the band. As for Mary and Matthew they have one more full day of school and then 3 days of finals. Mary has only one due to exemptions and taking the AP tests earlier this year. Matthew has to take all of them, poor guy. He was sick and missed more than three days, so no exemptions for him. I don't think he will have to take a band test, since he is playing for graduation, just as Mary played for baccalaureate as her orchestra test.

Friday I worked again, only 6 hours but I was just exhausted! I took a nap after taking Mary out to Brandon's. Then Sarah took the van to her Hope College friends house. They enjoyed pizza together and then saw the movie UP! They liked it very much. I guess Mary and Brandon are going to see it tonight. Matt Jeff and I went to Home Depot and looked at new lawnmowers. Our old one's self propelled thing a ma job broke. We decided however after looking at new ones just to repair the old one and use it until it stops again. On the way home we enjoyed burgers from Checkers, something we don't get to eat very often.

Today I helped at our church's garage sale for 4 hours. We did pretty well. Made some money for this summer's VBS. Mary and I went shopping, she went running and I am blogging. Matt and Jeff got some mulch for the "flower" beds. I think that our grass is looking pretty good. I play for church tomorrow, so I will be practicing and organizing music for the morning and next week's trinity service. The orchestra will play the whole service next week. Tomorrow is also the last Sunday of regular Sunday School. Starting in June, sunday school stops and we have church at 0900 with Kids Church during the sermon.

Of course I will have to try and keep up with chores, laundry, cooking and keeping track of our day to day activities. I got a letter from my job in Lansing that I need to come and fix some nurses notes. I think they are crazy. They sent the same letter to another nurse here for forgetting to check one box. They will be getting a call from me on Monday. I take a lot of care to make sure things are right and do a lot for them.

The bat man should be out this week. Sadly, he rolled his new truck last week. He is ok, but the truck is totalled. I heard our batty friends last night near my closet and in the ceiling. I still wonder if we will ever be rid of them. Seems normal to hear them now. That is Crazy!

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

~Gracie

Cloudy and Gloomy

Greenville has been cloudy and gloomy the past few days, with occasional rain. I think it is supposed to clear up the next few days with cooler temperatures. I still have to do the whole flea thing, but I keep putting it off. That is one good thing about Michigan, I don't have to put on flea medicine med on Sammy while it is cold. It is time to give the treatment. I just don't like the smell.

I worked 11.5 hours yesterday. It was supposed to be only 7, but when Mom got home from the doctor it was clear she needed to sleep. So I stayed to make sure everything got done. It wasn't so bad, just made for a long day. I woke up later this morning and am still tired. Had my own appointment this afternoon and then will attend Baccalaureate tonight. Mary plays as a final grade for orchestra. It will be nice to attend for all of her friends too. I work tomorrow too, but I am only going to work 6 hours.

I have gotten 3 more rejections from applications at several hospitals. Looks like I am going to have to call and ask why I can't even have a chance to interview. I am discouraged and close to giving up.

Sarah is going to her college friends house tomorrow for a movie and spending the night. I hope she has a lot of fun. She really misses her friends from Hope. Sunday I play for church and then there is graduation at 3 pm. Matt needs to be there at 2pm and then Mary and I will stand in line to get good seats in the auditorium. Congratulations to the class of 2009!

Grace

The Umpire is Sweet!

I finally got to one of Sarah's games. She is not the player, but the umpire. She did an awesome job! Think I got some good pictures of her too. See the album for more. I really don't know many ladies that love the game of ball more!

I had a pretty busy day at work. Lots of paperwork and phone calls today. My patient is doing better and was pretty happy today. I work for 7 hours tomorrow, but I don't have to get up at 0430. My alarm went off at that time this morning and I thought I hit snooze, but turned it off. Luckily, I woke up at 5 and was to work by 0515. Whew!

We had nice weather again today. Trying to get laundry done, but it slow going. After an 11 hour day of work, I really don't feel like doing laundry. The bat has not shown himself again, but we keep the door to the ping pong room closed. I still am a little nervous going down there at night. I don't know what I would do if he flew at me while by the washer.

Well, better get going. Have a great one!

Gracie

Happy Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day! It has been a beautiful weekend here in Greenville, MI. Jeff and Matt got a lot of yard work done this weekend. We hope to have a nice green lawn this year. We also did some cleaning around the house and Sarah continues to unpack the never-ending boxes in her room. I guess she is leaving some packed with stuff she doesn't need until she is back at college.

On the fun side of things we went to see Night at the Museum-#2. We thought it was good. We grilled out burgers last night and then hot dogs today for lunch after spending time at the driving range hitting golf balls. I can't say that I got any better. Mary gave it a try as well. An onlooker thinks she would be happier with longer clubs. Matthew still likes to hit it like a baseball, but has many good hits. I continue to have good and bad shots eventhough I feel like I am hitting it the same way. Jeff helped Mary and Matt, as did I a little bit, then finished up his bucket. I think Matt was "helping" dad empty it by hitting some of his balls. This afternoon we celebrated at our firsts graduation open house. They had wings and meatballs some "regular" and some "hot", like the graduate prefers. The cake was delicious.

Now Mary is out at Brandon's house enjoying time with her best friend. I am sure it is an awesome sunset on the lake. Jeff is back working on the yard, Sarah in her room and I am holding off on the laundry since the sprinklers are running.

We have been thinking of our family in Ohio this weekend, celebrating the baptism of Claire! It would have been nice to see everyone and meet our newest little cousin. Hopefully we will get to visit them later this summer.

I work Tues 5a-5p, Wed 10-5p and Friday 8a-4p. Not much time to get other things done. I will just continue to plug along day by day trying to get as much done as I can. That is all I can do.

Thank you to all of our troops! Especially those in our family, Jeff and Bob! We are proud of your service to our country!

~Grace

Swingout!

Swingout for the Class of 2009 was very nice. All three student speeches were good, especially the welcome. Village Green sang a song from the musical "Wicked". It was very moving. Matthew played in the band for the processional and recessional. They play a song from Star Wars. He had to dress up today, tie and all! I think he looks great! The band director liked his State tie, she's a Spartan! The whole class got a balloon and they had a ballon release in honor of a classmate who died from leukemia. I think that was nice. Thought about mingling with some of the graduates, but it was crowded and cold this morning. So I decided to let it be a day for their family and school mates.

I finally finished the laundry and even made dinner for this evening! Wow! Matthew is driving for the first time tonight. I am happy for him and also a little nervous. He will be riding while other students learn to drive. I have been praying a lot today, so I will include that too. Pray for my little patient as she is quite sick again. Waiting to hear from her mom. She took her to the doctor today. I am supposed to work tomorrow for eleven hours. Sarah will be going with me and taking care of two of the boys.

Tonight we hope to watch the movie about Benjamin Button. I hear that is very good and I will need kleenex. Mary has been invited to join up with her senior friends after their mystery trip and spend time together at a friend's house. I am glad that they included her. She is going to miss all of them. Everyone is growing up too fast. Technically I guess Mary is a senior now!

Better check on the dinner!

Grace

PS- Mary got two tickets to graduation! She and I will attend commencement anyway~

Honor Roll

This was awards week at Greenville High School. Today was honor roll day. Both Mary and Matthew received academic awards this morning. We are very proud. Before I know it, Mary will be graduating. Tomorrow is Swingout, the seniors last day. Three students will deliver speeches, and student government will change over to the class of 2010. After the morning ceremony the students swingout and leave on the mystery trip planned by the senior parents. I think Matthew will be playing in the band for the processional tomorrow and on Graduation, May 31. Mary will play with the orchestra at Baccalaureate on Thursday.

I worked nights last Tuesday and had a pretty good night. My patient slept through most of the shift. The next day is always pretty rough. I slept several hours, but with at least 4 phone interruptions. I just don't feel like doing much of anything,except recover. By midnight was wide awake again and did work on the computer till 0300! While I was sitting at the computer I heard my little night friends in the wall! I don't think we will ever be rid of the bats! There! I just called the bat man and told him I heard them. He wasn't too happy. Neither are we. What will we do next??

I have tomorrow off to attend Swingout. I would love to see the kids in their caps and gowns. I won't get to go to graduation. Then I think I am going to take Sarah to Grand Rapids for some clothes that she needs. The weekend kicks off with a 12 hour shift on Saturday afternoon. We had hoped to go to Ohio for a family baptism, but Matthew has driving class on Monday evening. So the drive to Columbus was a little far for the amount of time we would spend visiting. We hope to incorporate a visit to see the new baby this summer. We do have a graduation open house on Monday for one of Mary's "boys".

Sarah has another game to umpire tonight. She is behind the plate. Matt finally has a day of rest. Tomorrow is his first day behind the wheel of a car! He can't wait. We also want to see the next Night at the Museum movie.

Well, better finish up the laundry, only 2 loads to go!

Grace

Driving and Softball

Today was Matthew's first day of Driver's Education. He was so happy to start and will drive for the first time on Friday. He can't wait. I guess they showed a movie that kind of scared the kids a little. I think that is ok, since driving can be dangerous. He has written is paper and tomorrow will be type type type! Unfortunately, he has to have a few baby teeth pulled in the afternoon and then driving again tomorrow evening. Lots to do!

Our church softball team did well again tonight. We won 32-9! I had some really good hits tonight, and crossed the plate twice! There are lots of good hitters on our team. All of the Wilhelm's got a least one hit tonight. Two of my hits went to the outfield. I am not much of a fielder, so I play behind the plate a few innings to earn a place in the lineup. We have next week off and play one of the toughest teams on June 1st. The weather was just perfect for the game, so that was nice too.

Tomorrow is the High School Jazz Band Concert. I really want to go, but I am working night shift tomorrow. I will see how much sleep I get and how Matt is doing with his paper, before I decide if I go to the concert and then go right to work. Sarah is umpiring her first game behind the plate tomorrow. I know that she will do a good job. She sure loves ball. We will also need to figure out who has what car when. I can get dropped off at 9 pm and get picked up the next morning.

Thursday is academic awards day. Both Mary and Matthew will be receiving awards that day. Friday is the senior's last day of school and then Mary will be at the top of the totem pole. She will be very sad though, as her best friends are seniors.

That is all for now.

Grace

Happily Ever After...

Mary's birthday was very nice. She had a really nice time. Dinner was very good at Outback and then we had cake with her best buddies..all boys! She liked her presents too. We bought her a new DVD player and the outfit seen in the pictures. She got Emily Post's Book of Etiquette, (something she really wanted) a gift card, cards and even a birthday song written just for her! She was very happy to spend time with family and friends.


Boy, is it late and the alarm will go off soon. Goodnight!

Grace

Happy 17th Birthday Mary!

I can hardly believe that our Mary is Seventeen Years Old! She has grown into such a lovely young lady. One more year and she graduates from high school. The time is flying by, just like my mother warned me. This morning we did had our traditional wake up call to the family singing "Happy Birthday" later in the morning. Then I made scrambled eggs and sausage for breakfast/brunch. Her funfetti cake is done and frosted and ready for a message. I took her shopping for a new outfit and she will get her other gift later. Brandon will be joining us for dinner. Mary is still trying to decide where we will be going. Cake and ice cream will finish off the night. A few other friends may come for the sweets.

Working backwards in the week, Matthew had his last baseball games yesterday. They won one and lost one. I guess he did pitch, but we got there after he was done. No walks. He got on base a few times and played 2nd base for the rest of the game.

Thursday night was the big choir concert. It was very good. We went to the late show at 8:15 pm. Matt's choir sang several songs and then the show choir did some awesome singing and dancing. Mary did a great job esp with the Quick Step during "The Joint is Jumpin". Later after the show, Mary didn't feel well at all and ran a fever all night. She got better the next day and was cleared at the doctor's office of any strep throat. She has the same kind of cold symptoms that I have had for a while now.

Wednesday I held our last children's choir. We had nice time eating ice cream and played "Name that Tune" with the songs we sang during the past season. We had a lot of fun.

Tomorrow we have church, then we will rake some leaves for a youth fundraiser for a hour or so. Mary has an AP party (for kids in the advanced placement classes) in the afternoon. Jeff and I will be leading worship at the Long Term Care centers in town. Matthew has to work on his paper that he has been working on for a while now. I will be glad when that it finished!

That is all...better go wrap Mary's present.

Grace

Win Win!

Tonight was a winner all around! The church softball team won big 28-0! Sarah got a double on her first at bat. From the looks of the scorebook, everyone was hitting well. Wish I could be in two places at once! While Jeff and Sarah were playing ball, I was at the choir awards banquet. We had a really nice time. Mary received her varsity letter for choir and as an officer helped with the passing out of the other awards. Matthew received his certificate of participation. Mary, Matthew and Brandon received the presitigious Musician of the Year Award. How wonderful! I was glad I could be there. We sat with friends and all enjoyed the evening together. Our table actually got a little rowdy!

Now it is time for bed again. Sarah is at a bonfire at a friends house and will be home late. Tomorrow is going to be busy again. Matt plays ball in Grand Rapids and then there is a Band/Orchestra concert at 7 pm. We will be going to Matt's game so we can bring him home in time for the concert. He will miss the 2nd game. There may not be a 2nd game, since there are 3 in the concert, 1 sick, 1injured and 1 ineligible. That is 6 guys short. I wonder if they will have enough boys to play?

We are under a freeze warning tonight. I brought in my flowers I received as a gift last Sunday. It was cold this AM too, dipping down to 37! The heater had to turn on last night! We are ready for spring to last!

A proud parent/church ball coach!

Grace

Relapse

Well, after I thought my laryngitis was gone, I felt a cold coming on and by yeaterday afternoon I was really stuffed up, coughing and sneezing! No fever or aches, so I don't think it is the "swine" flu. I feel a little better today after taking many different drugs to relieve my symptoms. Maybe I will be back to normal soon!

Even with my cold, I had a very nice Mother's Day. Church was nice, though I couldn't sing with the choir as I had a bass voice yesterday. We went to Cory's for lunch. My chicken was very good, but the service was very slow. I got some nice cards from the kids and a box of chocolate from Jeff. Discovered a voice message on my cell phone and Mary's friend, Brandon, surprised me with Mother's Day wishes. How thoughtful! We took naps as always on Sunday, and then watched some TV and ate pizza.

Mary is helping Matthew with a huge english assignment. We hope that he can get it done. Mary had her own project that she finished. It was quite impressive english assignment. They have less than 3 weeks of school left. Time really flies by. Mary turns 17 on Saturday. She wants to go out to dinner together. Not sure what else she'd like to do. Probably spend time with her friends. I just want her to be happy!

Tonight is our first church softball game. It is also choir awards night. Jeff and Sarah are going to play ball, and I am going to the awards banquet. I need to bake brownies and cupcakes for the event. Last week of HS baseball and there are two concerts this week. I am looking forward to both of them. Next week Matthew starts driver's education! I can't believe it! Look out world!

Sarah needs to work on unpacking her stuff, apply for a scholarship and consider other job opportunities. The only problem with a summer job would be trying to go on a family vacation. Are they a thing of the past for us???

That is all for now... Better get baking and start the laundry, again!

Gracie

Delayed

Jeff made it Dallas so far tonight. Got a message that his flight to Detroit was delayed. It is a good thing that he has hotel reservations tonight in nearby Howell, MI. I guess there are some thunderstorms around the area.

I had a good day at work. Then came home and watched some TV, took a nap and played some catch with Matthew. He helped me put the 3rd seat back in the van. We took it out to move Sarah home. Don't feel much like cooking whe Jeff isn't home. Tonight we had pancakes.

Think I finally have got all the prescriptions to the right place. We will see over the next week, if the newest prescription went to the right place. I really hate that I, the customer, has to do so much of the work. That is way things are though.

Guess that is all for now. We had nice weather yesterday and today, and expect some rain and thunderstorms tonight with cooler temps. That is spring in Michigan!

Grace

Missing...

My voice is missing. I sound very squeaky. Since I have no other symptoms, it have decided that it must be allergies. Lots of things budding and blooming. Wonder if I will be able to sing on Sunday?

Jeff is doing well in AZ. He packs up leaves tomorrow, flies to Detroit, then will drive home Saturday morning. it will be nice to have him back home again.

Charlotte's Web opened tonight and it was very nice. The kids really knew their lines and I thought it was well done. I will not go tomorrow, but am selling tickets on Saturday and will watch it again, I think with Jeff, Sarah and Matt.

Mary took her AP Literature test today and feels pretty good about it. We won't know the results for at least a month. Her birthday is next weekend. Can you believe she will be 17? Nothing much planned yet, but she'd like to go to dinner and spend time with her friends. I am trying to think of some thing nice to get for her birthday. Don't have much time left to dwell on it.

Matthew had an away ball game today. They won! Yay!! Matt got on base a few times and made some good plays. I wish I could have seen him, but I generally don't go to the away games unless I know right where it is, or if I am riding with Jeff.

Sarah applied for some jobs yesterday and did a few things around the house. Her friend is over watching movies. She was going to be the taxi driver again, but I don't have to be to work until 0730 instead of 0530. I will go to work after I drop the kids off at school.

Better get off to bed.

Grace

Here to There

Life just keeps a going. Jeff made it to Arizona safe and sound. He won't be home till Friday night or Saturday. In the meantime, things at our house continue at the same pace.

I made it through the split shifts at work Monday early morning and then the night shift. Both were fine and Hailey is doing better. She can sure get around and is getting into lots of things. It is fun and tiring at times to keep up with her. In between shifts Sarah and I watched Matthew's baseball game. They won by one run. It sure was a close one. I also spent a lot of time on the phone with our new prescription plan, trying to get things in order. Still not sure everything is in it's right place. Guess I will be on the phone again today.

Yesterday I slept and then made some cupcakes for Mary's orchestra banquet. Soon as they were frosted we were back at the ball park for a double header. Matt pitched the first game and played second base for the 2nd game. He pitches well, unfortunately the batters hit the ball and then our fielder's struggle to make the out. I saw Matt make some good plays in the second game before I left for the banquet.

The banquet ended up being a disappointment for Mary. She had hoped to be elected president of the orchestra for next year, but lost by just a few votes to a kid that probably won't work too hard at the job. Mary will share VP position with another girl as they had the same number of votes. We all enjoyed a dessert feast portion of the program.

Well, today I should catch up on laundry, insurance issues, choir and grocery shopping. I think a nap sounds good too. Still making up for that night shift. Sarah wants to apply for some jobs and work at cleaning her room. She misses Hope College a lot.

That is all...Have a great day!

Grace

PS If you'd like to see pics of the new cousin, you'll have to click on their link below the Sooner Schooner.

Wow We Wow!

We've had some beautiful weather! Brandon came to pick Mary up for play practice in his '65 Mustang Convertible. Isn't it a beauty! This was supposed to be the prom car too, but of course it was raining cats and dogs that night. Practice is over and Mary is out with her friends probably watching TV and maybe going on a boat ride.

Church was very nice. It was confirmation day. All the kids had very nice professsion of faith speeches. The music was good too. My kids choir dwindled to only 2, sisters, that are very committed and enthusiastic. The sang the song as a duet into the microphone and did a great job. Had many compliments. Mary played the guitar for a song included in the children's message~ I Just Want to be a Sheep. Very fitting as it is Good Shepherd Sunday as well.

Softball practice was awesome! We had a good turnout and good hitting and fielding, except for the coach who couldn't get her glove on the ball most the practice. I know my limits and usually put myself in as catcher or RF. Batting is just so much more fun! Sarah skipped practice today. Her right knee is really hurting. She is self-treating right now until her MD appt next week. She also stayed up all night watching movies with some high school friends she hasn't seen in a while. I guess before they knew it, the sun rose! Sarah made it through church and lunch then passed out on her bed. Now she is out with some friends for some more fun. This week however, is find a summer job week. She has several applications filled out ready to turn in. I don't know how people feel about hiring just for the summer. I guess we will find out.

I am working two shifts tomorrow. I work early form 0530-0930 then again from 2100- 0800. Sarah will be driving us all around tomorrow, including getting the kids to school most of the week. Jeff is going on Military Duty tonight and won't be home until Friday or Saturday. So if Sarah goes job hunting, she will need a car. I am probably working Friday for sure too. I will get the schedule tomorrow. I applied for a couple more jobs this weekend. Both OB jobs one 20 minutes away and the other at the hospital that shafted me 3 years ago. The home care job is always changing. The nurse who was going to work all kinds of shifts, is backing out of a lot of them and guess who is supposed to pick them up? In the end, I could use all the shifts possible with college and two in the show choir! So Yay!!!

Matt has another ball game tomorrow afternoon. I will sleep, work,sleep, watch ball game, sleep and work. I am not sure if Matt will pitch, only time will tell. He plays second base too, so at least he plays most of the time.

Well, I think that is about all. Have a great Monday. I will be a zombie on Tuesday for sure!

~Grace

A Beautiful Day

Today has been just gorgeous. Blue sky and warm temperatures. Matthew was called to umpire a little league game at 1 pm. Sarah and I went to watch. He did a great job. I went prepared for wind and a chill, but got rather warm. Spring is defintely here. Mary is at play practice until 6 pm and then I have a chicken crescent dinner planned for 6:30 pm.

Jeff leaves tomorrow afternoon for a week in Arizona with the USAF. It is his last time to that base. He is being transferred to Shaw AFB in S.C. He will begin there this summer. He is not afraid to fly with the current flu situation.

Kids choir sings tomorrow too. It is confirmation day. The kids will sing "Teach Us Lord". It is ia great song and the kids sing it well too. There was one party invitation listed in the bulletin. We could stop by I guess. Church softball is supposed to have practice tomorrow at 3 pm. It will be our only practice before the first game on the 11th. I don't think people will want to come out on Mother's Day for ball practice. We will see. Have the first game's line up prepared. I will compare it with the people who show up!

Sarah got home safe and sound. We got to her dorm around 3 pm and then packed her up and moved her out. Jeff and Matt did a lot of lugging in the rain. We were checked out by 5:30 pm. However, Sarah still needed to finish her English paper. We sat in the Kletz, and eating and meeting place, and she finished her paper. We left after 8 pm. All is well, and one year of college is over! She missed out on the ice cream cake for our Anniversary, so we got her one last night as a celebration.

That is all for now. Gotta go make crescents!

~Gracie