No School~ Rain~New Quilt

Today is a teacher work day and Matthew and Mary have no school today! Mary is already gone. She is going to spend the day in Ann Arbor with Brandon. He and another mutual friend will come home tonight. I will be doing a lot of praying, especially when she is driving alone on the highway. I don't work today either, so I am going to try to think of something fun to do with Matthew. There is a bowling special at noon, so we might do that. I sure need to practice. I wanted to take him golfing, but this rainy weather prevents that. We are going to learn Dutch Blitz!

The weather is definitely fall weather. We have had some really cold temperatures for the season. We even had 30 degree temps one morning! The high temps are in the 50's on the average. The storm windows are closed and the heater has been working again...Jeff already misses the summer.

After Sarah called last Monday reporting cold temps and high winds, I decided she needed her winter coats! We forgot them last weekend for her birthday. So after PT in Grand Rapids I drove over to Holland and hand delivered her two coats! I also tried to treat her to a McD's burger. I had a strong urge to check the meal after leaving the store and they screwed it all up. So I had to drive back and get a new correct one.. By the time I got the food to her, the fries were cold and the burger just ok. She was appreciative, but it didn't turn out the way I intended it too.

Sarah has been very busy at college, and doing well. Classes, tutoring, work at the Biology department and DeVos for Athletic Training and Meetings for Relay for Life have been keeping her schedule full. She loves to watch the Tigers and is probably sad like me, that they lost yesterday. It sure is coming right down to the wire!

I worked on Wednesday and had a decent day. Sadly, Hailey didn't feel well. She slept most of the day. I worked a few hours on Thursday too. I am supposed to work again on Monday.

Choir rehearsals are going well. The kids are singing on Sunday, and the adult choir will join us to sing the doxology at the end of the service. Chimes are coming along nicely. Orchestra is pretty much a brass trio right now. They sound very nice. First service we play for is for Reformation.

Yesterday marked the return of our Thursday lunches at church. The quilters and church staff eat together. I made hot dogs and there was chips, veggies with dip and apple cake! It was great. I also started a new quilt. The pattern is around the world. There is the single moose in the middle then the rows of colors and moose surround it. I think it is going to be great! I will take another picture when it is sewn together. I had to lay all the pieces out then pin rows together. Next week I will sew the squares into rows and then rows into the quilt, then add some borders! Probably not all in one week though!

The Prius informed me that my tires were a little low on pressure, so Jeff helped me a LOT by getting the tires filled to the proper pounds and bought me a digital tire gauge. Itis pretty cool. We checked again this morning and got Mary all set to drive to the "thumb side"! My car is pretty smart!

Mary is supposed to be in the Cedar Springs Red Flannel Days Parade tomorrow. Unfortunately, it is supposed to rainy and as of right now, no one has contacted her as to where the parade starts, meeting times etc... We still don't have a schedule! How crazy is that! Mary will be tutoring English on Wednesdays and teaching cello lessons on Fridays. She is thinking very positively lately of all the past events and circumstances. I am so proud of her!

Matthew helps keep the house straightened and looking nice on a regular basis. He is practicing with the tennis team and was the stage manger on duty yesterday. He says he doesn't really like the stage managing, he'd rather build the sets and work the floor. Once the soccer season is over and the other manager is back full time, Matt can switch back to that. He played the trumpet last night at orchestra, and boy if he just practiced a little his range would be out of this world. It sure is nice to have a trumpet in our group! Matt is a cool kid.

Looking ahead, I am making chicken crescents for dinner tonight. Brandon will be joining us. It is good to feed college kids a home cooked meal! We were going to the Red Flannel festival in Cedar Springs, but with the weather and lack of info, we may not go. I guess you have to wear red or you get thrown into the festival jail! Tomorrow is the Michigan vs Michigan State game too. I will want to watch it. Next weekend we are in Minnesota for friend Mark's wedding! Yay!

Until the next update,

Gracie!

Rainy Mondays

It is a rainy Monday, a great day to blog, play farmville, finish laundry and catch up on things I didn't do on the weekend. It looks like I might get Mondays off from now on. The regular Monday nurse has worked every other monday since the birth of her baby and is ready to go back to once a week! That means I would work Wednesdays and Fridays. That works out fine for me.

I spent Saturday watching football, preparing for Sunday School, vacuuming and doing laundry including sheets and towels. I was glad that Michigan pulled off another win! Indiana was tough! GO BLUE! Can you guess that I am a Wolverine supporter? Now on to the Florida game...Tebow really got hit hard and now I hear that he was knocked out for a few minutes and that CT scans confirm a concussion. He is lucky he didn't have a worse neck injury. \o/! I was also impressed that Urban Meyer stayed behind in Kentucky to be with Tebow and Family. Glad they are all back in Florida. Hope he recovers quickly! Go GATORS! Certainly was great that he played so well even with the flu and the team was so far ahead when he got injured. I wanted to teach myself how to play Dutch Blitz, but I have still to try to play after reading the directions. Sounds like a good idea for a rainy day, hey? Sarah is still in the lead in our football pick group. Jeff and Mary are only 2 behind and Snow White is following right behind. I did pretty well this week, but didn't do well last week, so I am catching up. Dan did great for his first week. Matt is ahead of me, so that will make him happy.

Sunday was very nice. The weather was sunny and breezy. The service was nice and the choir sang really well. I must admit I was a little worried, but the Holy Spirit ignited us for a good outcome! My Sunday School class was small yesterday, but we had a nice time. I even made homemade playdough for our class. I love small kids, they say it like it is and are pretty darn smart. Jeff and I went out for lunch at Winter Inn. I had a delicious burger and Jeff had teriyaki chicken sandwich. I love the steak fries too! Youth was supposed to meet for frisbee golf, but only a few came out. We waited a while and then decided to try it another time. Jeff and the one youth that came went through the course. While at the course I received a message from Mary that the bus forgot to pick them up at the choir retreat. They would be home 2 hours later than expected.

Bowling came next. I actually bowled pretty well~124, 103 and 140. My average is at an all time high of 120! Our team did well, but still lost all four points. Jeff established his average this week which changed the outcome of our score. The past two weeks they had an average of 120 and his actual average after last night is 153. So we had to subtract 33 pins from each games total. We still had a lot of fun!

The singers were home by 8 pm. We left the van in the parking lot for Mary. They had a really nice time and I guess that choreography went well. We continue with fundraisers for their Florida trip. I am already tired of all that..I hate selling stuff, especially if it isn't worth the price. So this last one we are just donating to the cause. I don't want any of their sausage and won't ask anyone else to buy it either. Tomorrow is a pop can drive. That is usually pretty profitable.

Mary will be tutoring English, starting a Sweet Adelines group at the high school, playing cello for the Messiah at the local community college and was just recently asked to give private lessons to a freshman cellist. Still waiting to hear about the library position.

Sarah called and left a message this morning. It is windy and cold in Holland. The winds remind her of being at grandma's house durning hurricane Charlie! She is thriving at Hope.

Tonight is chime team, kids choir and Senior Mystery Trip meeting. I will be at the musical events and Jeff will go to the Senior Meeting. Tomorrow is PT for me and Matt gets a physical so he can play sports at school. Work on Wednesday and Friday, Quilt on Thursday, I am bringing the main dish. We are back to our joint lunches. Friday Mary is going to visit Brandon and will bring him home for the weekend. I am making chicken crescent dinner for when they get home. I should mention that there is NO SCHOOL on Friday.

Guess that is about it!

The Rest of the Story

What do you think of that very cute, large Curious George? Matthew won him at Universal Studios throwing a baseball and knocking down a stack of blocks off the table. George has been a secret since our Florida vacation until last night when Matthew gave him to Sarah for her birthday. Sarah found George when we all got in the car to go for dinner at Logan's Roadhouse. Sarah's friend Kara came along for the fun! She is very nice. The dinner was very good, except Mary's steak came overdone and she had a wait for a second, which was better, but not exceptional. Sarah even got a Yeehaw for her 20th birthday. We went back to Sarah's dorm and watched the Tigers and Project Runway. We weren't happy with either show outcome, Tigers lost and the designer we thought should go home, stayed. Oh well, we had a lot of fun watching TV together. Sarah was going to show us how to play Dutch Blitz, but all of us were distracted and we forgot. I hope I can figure the game out, I bought one for us too! Seems a little complicated with all the piles of cards. Before dinner and before George was discovered, Sarah opened her gifts, Tiger photos, Tiger shirt and the Dutch Blitz card game. I took cupcakes for her to share with her friends. We took some home to eat, since we were all full from a big dinner. We got home late, after midnight. It was a great celebration!

Now you probably want to know the results of the play auditions this week. It was a horrible ending :( This plays director has never really liked Mary and unfortunately removed her from any chance for a lead role. We are all very sad and disappointed with her decision. I for one cannot understand how a student like Mary, with 10 plays under her belt and superior ratings from state theater judges, gets cut from the play. When Mary spoke with the director yesterday, she was told that her reading was too severe, formal and stiff. What planet does this lady live on? Evidently she wanted someone with more fire and "spit". Hmmm....I would think severe and fire sounds compatible to me. I truly believe that she just has her favorites. Mary wasn't allowed to read for the lead roles on Thursday and only read for the flighty mother. That in itself is crazy. So, Mary made the decision to remove herself from the play all together, cast or crew. She doesn't think she was going to be cast at all Monday morning, but we won't know. It is probably best that she doesn't work with the director at all. (FYI-she almost had a mutiny during the last play she directed). Infact Matthew isn't sure he wants to work crew for this lady who shafted his sister. Even many many students at school are just flabergasted that Mary wasn't in the running for the lead. Finally as a parent, it is very difficult to watch your daughter get shafted by a department that she poured 3.5 years of commitment and dedication into. For the past 3 years, everyone said "you are great" or "you might deserve a lead, but you are not a senior" or "wait for your senior year". So she did with grace and integrity. Then her senior year, they decided to change things up, no musical, got a new director and away with all those words of wisdom through the years. Shafted big time! But as my wise mother reminds me, That's show biz! Guess it is good she will pursue education next year in college. Thanks for letting me vent...I needed it!

On a happier note, Mary is going to tutor English to some adults that need to pass a test to get into a program at the community college. She hasn't heard about the job at the library. I will encourage her to apply at some other places too. Because she won't be in the play this fall, she will be able to go down to University of Michigan to hear Brandon sing with the Uof M Glee Club. I don't think I posted that great news before now. That is quite an accomplishment! I am planning to go listen as well. It should be fantastic, especially since it is in the Auditorium on the Hill. It has perfect acoustics! Mary has begun a group of girls at the high school for Sweet Adelines. Brandon is coming home next weekend. I am sure that he and Mary will have a good time watching TV and more than likely, singing barbershop.

Mary and Matthew had to get up early this morning to go to Show Choir camp. They left at 0610 and won't be home until tomorrow late afternoon. During the retreat, they will learn the choreography for their songs and do some group strengthening activities. Mary had fun last year as Sarah did the year before, and Matthew was looking forward to a good time this year with his sister.

I have become a college football maniac. I am watching the Michigan/Indiana game on ESPN360 while I blog. Michigan is down by 3 at the half...The Gators play later tonight against Kentucky. I will be rooting for Florida to win. I have a Big Gator decal proudly on a window at our house now! Go Gators! GO Blue! Oklahoma isn't playing today. Boomer Sooner! Hope College football isn't on TV much. Sarah is working a cross country match today. She loves athletic training!

That is all...have a great weekend!

Gracie

Sarah Turns 20! Happy Birthday!

Sarah turned 20 years old yesterday. I really can't believe it! Seems like she was just a baby. We will be going to see her on Friday for dinner and presents! Sarah said she had an amazing day and it has finally hit her that she is no longer a teenager!I really wanted to post this yesterday (even had the birthday cupcake border for her birthday), but I have been working early and long hours. I was just exhausted last night!


Jeff's plane was delayed Monday. He finally got a new flight for Tuesday which worked out better, since picking him up at 0100 and going to work 4 hours later would have been really hard. I worked 3 days straight starting at 0500! Tuesday was a short day, 3 hours. The others were long 12+ hour shifts followed by choirs on both Monday and Wednesday. I am off now for several days.

Mary has had auditions all week. Today is supposed to be callbacks. Usually phone calls are placed Thursday evening offering parts to the play. Mary is hoping for the lead role, but preparing for the worst, since this is a new director. Last years promises from the last director are null and void. Matthew is working crew and also been practicing tennis. He wants to practice with the team, but has to wait until after his physical next week. This weekend Mary and Matt will be going to Camp Geneva, near Holland, for Village Green choreography camp!

Well, I was planning on going to quilting and I have to prepare for church orchestra tonight, so I had better finish this post.

A mom of a new 20 year old!

A Calm Before the Storm

We had a nice weekend, including great weather. I finally got some paperwork accomplished. Worked best late at night. So I have Chimes and Kids Choir done and even cleared off my messy desk! The brat sale at the football game was successful. We sold out of everything except water by the end of the 4th quarter. The Yellow Jackets won too! Mary played her cello (strings quartet) for the rehearsal and wedding the past few days. Everything went well. Matthew has been playing some tennis this weekend. He goes to the courts and practices serves and hits the ball against the wooden board. He wants me to play, but my feet have really been hurting with what I have diagnosed with plantar fascitis. Jeff will be a better partner for him. I go to the doctor on Tuesday to see if my feet hurt for a different reason. Bowling tonight was like a rollercoaster. I bowled a 99, 173, and 106. At least I was able to bring up my average a little, back to where I left off last season.

This week is packed full: I work Mon 12 hours, Tuesday 3 hours, Wednesday 12 hours, all starting at 0500! After work on Monday I have kids choir, chimes and I pick up Jeff at 103o! Guess I won't get too much sleep! Mary has auditions on Tuesday and Wednesday and hopefully call backs on Thursday. Choir on Wednesday. Matthew wants to practice with the tennis team after school. His friends have invited him to come. He is committed to doing techie work with the play too, so that will take priority. Friday we go to Holland to have dinner with Sarah and celebrate her 20th birthday a few days late. I have her gifts to take down with us. I am looking forward to seeing her again. Mary and Matthew go on an overnight trip for Village Green Saturday morning and come home Sunday late afternoon. Oh I forgot to mention that Church Orchestra is supposed to start on Thursday. Still have to organize the music for that.

That makes me tired just thinking about it. Should go to bed soon so I can get up for work.

Good Night~

Grace

What Can I Say?

Not much has really happened since my post on Tuesday. I have enjoyed being home, but find myself waiting for the kids to come home. Have lots that I can do, but other little "chores" keep from accomplishing my music planning and organizing. I still feel like you really need to be "in the mood" to get that done. I am trying to get motivated. So I am getting a little done at a time. Have some creative ideas for another event and worked on that idea, then went job hunting on the web. Then time just zips by! Got my schedule for next week. Well, I work Saturday evening 6 hours, then Mon 12 hour day, Tuesday 3 hour early morning and Wednesday 12 hour day. Whew!

School is going fine the kids. Mary and Matthew got their yearbook today. It is nice. Some nice pictures of Matthew and Mary. One of Matthew pitching and Mary is seen in orchestra pictures and theater pictures. Mary hasn't heard about the job yet. She does have a wedding gig this weekend with her Simply Strings group. She is also planning some more trips to Uof M. One will be a trip to a Big 10 Michigan Football Game! Yay! The other one will be for a U of M Men's Glee Club Concert. Brandon auditioned and was selected to a part of this exquisite group! I'd like to go and listen too. We'll see. I think that Mary is going to be a Wolverine, as long as they accept her as a student, but we know that will happen~! Sure hope she gets that job!

Sarah turns 20 next week! I can't believe it! Seems like I just brought her home from the hospital on a warm sunny day in Japan. We will be going to take her for dinner and presents next Friday! It will be nice to see her and hug her! School is going well for her and she is busy all the time! Besides her classes, she works at the biology department, AT clinic hours and tutors. Don't forget working at the athletic events! She will be travelling to Lansing with the cross country team tomorrow.

I have tomorrow to work on the music and Sunday School preparation. Senior Mystery trip brat sale is at the home football game tomorrow and I signed up to work. Saturday is free till 7 pm when I go to work. Jeff doesn't get home until Monday night. I will pick him up late Monday evening after a long 12 hour day at work, kid's choir and chime team! I will be tired. Maybe Matthew will drive.

That is all...

Grace

Kudos!

Sarah: Has her first "student" on Thursday as a tutor in biology

Mary: Has a possible job at the Greenville Library..will have to wait and see!
Might have a job tutoring English on the side. That would be great!

Matthew: Is selling lots of candy bars for fundraisers.

Monday's Over!!!

Monday was quite a day! The kids had a good day at school, but my day at work was long and stressful. I am not going to disclose anymore information, but I was really glad to get home! I was also sad to hear about Patrick Swayze's death. He was a good guy and dancer.

Mary threw in some frozen pizza, while I was getting ready for kids choir and chime team and they were doing homework. My kids choir went really well and I finally think I have an idea where we are going this fall with our schedule. Chime team had a good turn out. Eight people showed up and 2 returning members were absent. I probably won't have to ring and direct this year! That is helpful. Now I can plan more appropriately! We will start off simple. Last night it was so hot in the balcony, that we met in the narthex for a meeting, then we played a simple C scale and learned about timing and techniques.

Went to the store for milk and advil and a few other items. Watched America's Got Talent Finale. I really like the Fab Five cloggers and the Recycled Percussion. Those are the shows that I think belong in Vegas. There were a few good singers, but not for Vegas.

Important information- I have contacted the orchestra director about the procedure for getting entertainment books in your area. Please hold your purchase for Mary. We'd appreciate it.

That is all for now...Have a good day.

Grace

Bowling Season Begins!

Our fall bowling season started tonight. I didn't bowl so well. My scores were 98, 139!, and 98 with an average of 111. The only good thing is that I should be able to beat my average at least for a few weeks, and my high handicap will help the team start off ahead. Jeff is in Miami until next Monday, so he won't have scores to post yet. Not sure how they will determine points and wins/losses while he is gone.

Mary took Brandon back to college today and had a nice visit there and drove home solo without any problems. Yay! They had a nice weekend together and really enjoyed the barbershop concert last night.

Looks like Sarah had a fun time at the beach as a dorm outing. It certainly was a perfect day for it. Matthew went to our Youth groups swimming party this afternoon and had a nice time. I got lost going to pick him up. Finally I realized where I was, and got there just a few minutes late. First day of Sunday school went well. I really liked my class.

Tomorrow is work in the morning and afternoon, and then kids choir and chimes. Sure hope I can get things together! I am way behind in the planning stage. I am usually all planned out to at least Christmas by now.

Guess that is all for now...GO TIGERS...they won today!

Grace

A Great Saturday!

This morning started out with a village green car wash. Eventhough it was work, the choir earned about $500! Matt stayed the whole day, and Mary and I worked in the morning. Mary had plans and I had a wedding to attend.

The wedding was very nice and I must say the cake was delicious! I had 2 pieces. It was nice to chat with people from our church and friends from the community.

After I got home, Matthew and I watched the first 3 quarters of the Michigan/Notre Dame game. Actually I saw the 2 and 3 quarter. I was glad they were winning when we left for dinner. We had a nice dinner together. I was waiting for Sarah to report the UM score the whole time. Not a message. I called Mom when I got home and I heard that Michigan won in a spectacular ending.. winning by 4 in the last minute. Wow! Yay! Go Blue!

Matthew and I went back to church to decorate my classroom. It looks pretty nice and I am ready for my first Sunday School class of preschoolers and kindergarteners. I filled up the Prius with gas and now I am home for the night. Mary is going to take Brandon back to Ann Arbor tomorrow and I want her to take my car. It has better gas mileage and I trust it more than the van. I hope they had fun at the Barbershop concert tonight.

Jeff is super busy. He had the wedding today and of course church and bible study in the morning. The real kicker is that he is going to Miami for Air Force duty tomorrow and he has to be at the airport just after noon! That is cutting it pretty close. He is already packed and will be gone until the 21st.

I am not sure of my week's schedule yet, but know that I work on Monday and then have kids choir and chimes monday evening. I am not planning much, until I know how many singers/ringers I will have. Mary has auditions this week for Pride and Prejudice and has a wedding gig this weekend. So, yes we will be busy!

That is all...Have a great SONday!

Grace

Hooray!

Just a quick annoucement~ Mary was selected to be the president of the Village Green for the 2009-2010 school year! Congratulations!

Tomorrow is a car wash fundraiser for the Village Green Singers at Dr. O'Donalds office on M-57 from 10a-3pm. Those of you in the area, come out and get your cars washed and support our choir! Thanks!

Wedding in the afternoon. Then Mary and Brandon are going to a Barbershop Concert Saturday evening. They have been looking forward to this for months! I am happy for them.

Sarah has asked for the game Dutch Blitz. I am going out to look for the game this afternoon. For now I am going to plan for Sunday School and Choirs!

That is all for now!~

Grace

Good News to Pass Along

Sarah called my early this morning to tell me that she had her interview for a biology tutor job at the student resource center. The interview ended with the job offer at the end. Hired on the spot! This is a paid position and I think a good way to keep up on knowledge you have already learned. She hopes it will expand to include Anatomy as well. We are very proud of her.

Choir tonight and work tomorrow. School is going well. More info on coupon books coming soon!

Grace

First Day of School

The first day of school of school was a success. Mary and Matthew made their lunches last night and we up and ready to go by 0700 with a good attitude. I got up and made muffins for them. Mary will be driving to school this year and has a couple other friends to pick up on the way to school. Another year of school has just begun. It will be crazy too. Senior year events, Village Green and Orchestra trips along with all their fundraisers! Don't forget about classes!

Eventhough it was a cool foggy and cloudy morning, I went out golfing with my buddies. My game was not at it's best. Remember my great score of 49 a few weeks ago? Well today I shot a 64! My woods were off and I actually liked my irons (wierd). So as I try to look at the bright side of things:

• I used my driver several times today (I never use my driver). I hit the ball with the driver as well as my 3 and 4 wood. Thus I will try to use it more often!


• My irons were good! I really like my 2-4 irons. I got some good distance on them, unfortunately after a few tries.


• I had some good putts. I putt one in from off the green! This one, wasn't as lucky!


• We all had a lot of fun and enjoyed a pizza buffet lunch.

Beat the kids home from school. I was anxious to see how there first day went. Mary and Matthew had a good day, told me about their teachers and even came home with fundraiser merchandise~ Chocolate Candy Bars and Entertainment books. For those of you in other states and locations, you can order your book online and Mary will still get credit for the sale and help her earn a trip to Chicago with the GHS Orchestra (We will send out info on how to do that later). The candy will be ongoing for the Village Green trip to Orlando, Florida/Disney World ~April 28- May 2. There are plenty of other fundraisers going on all of the time. I hate it, but I guess it is necessary. I filled out a few forms and then they got their homework done. Oh, and by the way, Mary said the Obama speech was no big deal. She remembers the main message as: Work hard and stay in school, if not you are not just letting yourself down, but your country too. (paraphrased).

Matthew got a haircut and we had toasted ravioli for dinner. Then we made a trip to wal-mart for a few things..The good news is that we bought only what we needed! Hurray!

Well, I guess that sums it up...Tomorrow is Worship committee and I really want to plan for my musical groups as well as for my Sunday School class. Choir starts tomorrow evening as well.

Goodnight from Greenville,

Grace

Going Back In Time

It has been nearly a week since my last post. We had a wonderful time in Florida. Our weekend was busy too with family times. Catching up on sleep has been important and almost impossible. So I am going to write this blog backwards, starting with Florida and ending with today, Labor Day!

Wednesday September 2
Jeff and Matthew enjoyed their time at Universal Studios Orlando. Best rides were: The Simpsons, The Mummy, Men In Black and ET. The rollercoaster was good, but the wait was way too long. Wednesday was pretty rainy, but they were able to see and do a lot. The park closed at 6 pm, so the plan was for all of us to eat dinner together afterward.

Mom and I went to the mall, returned some "ugly" curtains and looked for some new dinner plates, curtains and a book. We came home hours later with Gator decals for my car. In the midst of our shopping journey, we did have the most delicious sesame chicken dinner at a local Chinese restaurant. Everything was good...there was just way too much food! Next time we will split an entree!

Dinner together was Sonny's Barbeque. Mmmm. I wasn't very hungry after that huge lunch, but managed to eat my favorite from the menu..sliced pork, with lots of sweet sauce!

Kept in touch with the girls and both are fine. Sarah busy at school and Mary bored at home.

Thursday, September 3
Today was Disney day!! First we stopped at Chik-Fil-A for lunch. It is one of Matt's favorite places and there aren't any in Michigan. Plus eating outside the park is a lot cheaper. We couldn't decide which park we preferred, Epcot or Magic Kingdom. Luckily, when we got to the ticket window it was actually less for a 5 day park hopper than a one day park hopper with the special deal they had going. Unfortunately, they do expire and we will most likely won't get back to FL before December 23. Still we saved money so that is what it is all about! I should remind you that we were able to fly using our frequent flyer miles, and Jeff received a free pass to Uinversal and Disney as a thank for serving our country! Anyway, so we were off to Epcot first and would finish the day in Magic Kingdom since they were open later.

Epcot was a lot of fun. Matthew really liked the ride inside the big ball in future world. We had fun sending electric postcards to the girls with our pictures imposed on a cartoon of the future. Other fun rides in future world were: Test Track car ride. I really like this one. Jeff and Matt went on the Mission to Space ride and the new Soarin' ride that makes you feel like hand gliding. I spent time in the interactive innovations area. All of us enjoyed the interactive areas, especially the weather experience and I learned about the origins of Velcro. On the other side of Epcot is the world showcase. We walked through each country where Matthew collected a stamp and die cut from each land. We rode the water ride in Mexico and Norway. Watched Taiko drummers and ate an authentic lunch in Japan. I had curry, Matthew had Chicken teriyaki and Jeff had Sukiyaki Beef, Teriyaki Chicken and tempura shrimp combo. By the time we walked around the world we were ready to head to Magic Kingdom.

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We had a plan for Magic Kingdom. We knew what we really wanted to do and headed there first. Matt and Jeff went on the water ride, Splash Mountain. I don't likethe last big drop of the ride, so I waited at the entrance of the next rollercoaster. All of us enjoyed Thunder Mountain and then proceeded to the Pirates of the Carribean and Tiki Birds in Adventure land.Tomorrowland was next for Monsters INC Laughs and Buzz Lightyear. We rode Buzz a couple of times, shooting our laser guns at targets hoping to get a great score. Matt did the best I think, I and just couldn't get it together and had a pathetic score. I still had fun though! Off to Fantasyland where I made a HUGE mistake. Matthew and I rode the teacups. We spun ourselves silly...well almost sickly. Matthew was laughing and I was thinking...what have I done? I was able to prevent him from making the cup spin the opposite way..that would have been the end for me. Thank goodness, we ended our rides with the 3-D movie Mickey's Philharmagic and a Small World. Watching the fireworks from the backside of the castle was different. We were very tired by now and still needed to get back to the Epcot parking lot. We met a couple of nice families, most with small children. I am glad I didn't have to carry anyone back to our car....whew!

Our Japanese dinner had been hours ago, so we stopped at the largest McDonald's in the world and had midnight snack. It hit the spot. It was pretty late when we finally got back to my mom's house, but we shared our day with her and had lots of happy stories.

Friday, September 4
We slept in today...got up around 9am! I always make a visit to the cemetary to visit my dad. He was a very special man and will always live on in part of all of us! We ate lunch at Beef O Brady's, we headed to Orlando to see WonderWorks a hands on science museum of sorts. Matthew has wanted to go there for several years, and so we finally found the right time to go. Grandma got to go with us today and that was extra special! We were hoping to meet up with Tom and his girlfriend for lunch, but that didn't work out. We hope to see them another time, sooner than later!

Wonderworks was a lot of fun. We experienced hurricane force winds, a 5.o earthquake, and pitched baseballs in a pitching game that recorded our pitch speed and strikes and balls. Matthew pitched 56 mph and had of course struck him out! I pitched 38 mph and walked him after a full count. Jeff pitched well too, getting a strike out. There are lots of interactive quizzes and mind puzzles. We tried to land the space shuttle, but I don't think any of us were sucessful at that. Matthew and Jeff went into a virtual rollercoaster. Jeff and Matt both gave lying on a bed of nails a try! After seeing a nail hold in Jeff's shirt, I said no thanks!

We ended our Friday with another delicious meal this time at the Cheesecake Factory. The food was very good and the cheesecake,well...Mmmm. Jeff and I split a Red Velvet layered cheesecake, Matthew had plain and Mom had the Tiramisu cheesecake. Wow! We were full and satisfied.

Once we were back home, Matthew, Mom and I played a game a scrabble. Grandma won, but we were able to use all the letters on the board. Matt wanted to stay up and milk every last moment he could with grandma, but we had to be up at 043o to get to the airport! That is early!

Saturday, September 5
Yes, we got up on time and packed up our things for our flight home. Matthew gave Grandma his collection of countries. She thought it was most interesting. I still have one that I made from years ago. We are glad she liked it. Our little blue rental car, Nissan Versa, was packed one more time and off we were to Orlando airport. Jeff dropped us off at the curb for us to check our baggage and he returned the car. For 0600, that place was hopping! Luckily we had checked in online, so no long lines for us!

Our first leg from Orlando to Chicago went well. I think we slept most of the way. I don't sleep that well on a plane, but got some cat naps in. Matthew and I never got a drink, so I guess we slept through that portion of the flight. Once in Chicago, we headed to the USO office to drop off our carry ons. We had a 3 hour layover, and decided to ride the trains for an hour or so. We got off at our half way point according to time, went outside, took a few pictures and then got right back on the next train and headed back to the airport. Security was slow and time was ticking away. Thank goodness our gate was nearby. We made it in plenty of time and waited as they called stand by passengers to get their tickets. We boarded this small plane with one seat on one side and two on the other. It wasn't very clean and the flight attendant must have been having a bad day. Her attitude wasn't too good. Thanks goodness it was only a 28 minute flight!

It was nice to be back in Grand Rapids! The weather was 75 and clear sky, unlike the hot humid air of central Florida. Mary was so happy to see us when we arrived back home. She even had warm cookies out of the oven. Mary had a busy day too. She was in a parade with the Queen's court. All of us were tired, and ended up napping. Matthew just plain crashed and slept the rest of the day. Mary and I watched "My Fair Lady" a portion at a time. It took the rest of the day. We also watched the Michigan Wolverines cream the W Michigan Broncos! GO BLUE!

Sunday, September 6
Our Sunday schedule is back to "normal". Sunday School at 9am and Church at 10:15. Sunday school was led my Thrivent. Teaching Kids about money. Younger children got piggy banks and the older ones at notebook of sorts to teach about saving, sharing and spending. Church went well. Matthew did a great job as the AV guy, Jeff had a good sermon on favoritism from the book of James. Lunch after church today was Pizza Hut. It was ok, but we really didn't like the new stuffed crust pan pizza. Not enough sauce.

Matthew had his buddy Mitch over for the day and to spend the night. They had lots of fun with the Wii and played some catch outside before we all headed to lake michigan to watch the sunset. It was beautiful! The guys played some football and Mary and sat on the beach. Matt and Mitch actually went into the very cold lake, nearly to their waist. I think they are crazy! I put my foot in and said no way!

Monday, September 7, Happy Labor Day!

Mary had to be up early again. She was in today's Labor Day parade in Belding. The girls cannot wear their Danish clothes to events outside of Greenville. Mary wore here black and white dress and looked just beautiful. We went to the parade with a friends mom as we did last year and had a really fun time! Mary looked so lovely on the float and blew her daddy a kiss! Brandon's family was there and his dad took a picture of her to send to Brandon. He titled it.. Here is The Queen Mary! I thought that was so ingenious~ We had a good lunch at Cory's and then Mary and Matt went home and Jeff and I walked around the fesetival a little bit.

You can probably guess that there was some napping going on again this afternoon. Mary and I went shopping for food and decided it was a good day for a cookout. Jeff grilled some delicious burgers and dogs. We had salad, applesauce and corn too!

Our summer has officially ended. School starts in less than 8 hours. Mary will be a senior, Matthew a sophomore...back to the grind. It makes me kind of sad. Before they went to bed, we all played a game of Wii Price is Right. Matthew was the big winner tonight.

Now it is late and I am sure that just as I close my eyes, the alarm will go off, and I will be sending my kids off to their first day of school. This will be the last first day at home for Mary. Next year college. Sniff Sniff! Sarah continues to love her school, friends and life at Hope College. It is a blessing to see her thrive in a wonderful Christian College community!

That concludes this edition of Going Back in Time~

Gracie

PS ~All Pictures were taken with the cell phone camera

~Thanks to Sarah for posting the video of Mary waving at the Princess Parade last month. Take a look at it on the video bar!

~As always, look at the photo album for more pictures!

Florida

We had quite the experience on our travels down to Florida yesterday. Arrived at the Grand Rapids airport on time; Jeff dropped Matthew and me off to check bags and he parked the car. Do you know that it costs $20 a bag now? What I am supposed to travel without luggage and wear the same clothes? I think that this encourages people to bring more carry on bags and of course it is a racquet because they know you have to check bags especially if you need more than 3 oz of shampoo. Anyway we had a little snack before going through security. Soon after our plane arrived, I overheard a deplaning passenger say- "You don't want to fly that airline!" I thought "Oh No!" Not a few moments later, the gate person annouced there were problems with the aircraft and there would be a delay! Evidently it had to be towed from the runway to the gate. Groan. Our connection in Chicago O'Hare allowed us less than an hour to get to the next gate. We are going to miss our next plane! Proactively, the American Airlines person booked all passengers on the next flights and connections. Some were sent to other airlines to get them to their destination in a reasonable amount of time. We were booked for a 2:15pm flight to CHicago and arriving in FL around 7 pm. After about 30 minutes, the mechanic was able to fix the plane and we would keep our original flights. So we were on the plane and in the air by 12:20pm and landed in Chicago at 12 noon. Our connections left us minutes to get from H-3 to K-17. The steward allowed us and another passenger with a "tight" connection to deplane first. They we were, running though the airport. We heard the final call for the Orlando flight. Jeff took the lead to get there first to have them hold the door for the rest of the family. Matt arrived second and I came up laset huffing and puffing. The door was already closed. The gate keeper was waiting till I arrived and then opened it and allowed us to board. Thank God we made it. It took a while for my breathing to correct itself and I had a couple of coughing spells. I bet I was wheezing because I sound like Sarah when she has a flare up of asthma. I took the window seat and was glad to see our bags being loaded onto the plane! YaY! The flight was fine. Matthew let me use his iPod to listen to music, Jeff rested and Matthew played some gameboy games, I think I saw Jeff playing too! It is wierd not having a laptop with us, but it is good not to worry about those things and just enjoy yourself. Once in Florida, we picked up our blue Nissan Vista and drove to Grandma's. It was probably around 5:30pm. Dinner at Outback. It was delicious and then we came home and watched some TV and visited until bed time. What a day! Checked in with the girls back home in Michigan and all is well!

Today is father/son and mother/daughter day. Jeff and Matt are at Universal Studios today until ~6pm. Mom and I are going curtain shopping at the mall and doing lunch together. The weather here is hot and humid in contrast to Michigan's cool but sunny weather. Tomorrow is Epcot day for all the Wilhelm's! Looks like I could make reservations for dinner at a World Restaurant, but will have to wait until tonight after my men get home. I enjoy Epcot a lot, but am not looking forward to the hot humid weather!

That is all for now. I don't have access to my cute little pictures or photos, so you will have to be happy with my creative writing skills! Hahahah!

Grace

Dinner Party

Tonight we had Brandon and family over for dinner. What was the menu? Salad, Chicken Crescents, Potatoes and Gravy, Applesauce and Chocolate cake. Everyone enjoyed the meal and we had lots of fun conversation filled with great stories! We have wanted to get together all summer and today was our last chance. We are going off to Florida in the morning and Brandon leaves for college on Wednesday. I am so glad we got together. Mary made the chocolate cake and made it into a Michigan Cake. Isn't great?

Yesterday we had a nice service. I played the"Yes!" song and the congregation did really well keeping up with me this time. I slowed down the verse part as it gets kind of tricky. Kid's church was fun too. I hope that some of the things we talked about and colored about stuck in their head. Later in the afternoon, I baked some brownies, worked on schedules for my musical groups and watched some baseball. Matthew and Jeff went for a bike ride and then worked on weeding. Mary went shopping with Brandon. Dinner was at our friends' Randy and Norma's house. It was for all the elders. We had brats/dogs, salads, chips, cheese, chocoalate cake and brownies. We had fun fellowship too. It was a really nice night. Matthew was glad when we got home. He doesn't like to be home alone. All of us played some Wii games before heading off to bed.

Well, now will get into the packing mode. All the clothes are clean, thanks to Mary, as is the house. We all pitched into a cleaned it up this morning. We are only going to be gone for 4 days, so I won't need to pack a lot! Jeff and I can even share a suitcase! Time of departure from our house tomorrow is 9 am and arrival at grandma's around 5 pm. There is a layover in Chicago. Jeff and Matt will go to Universal on Wed and we will go to Disney the next day. It will be nice to spend a few days down in the natural sauna with afternoon thunderstorms! What a difference! It was 40 degrees this morning here in Michigan! There was frost not too far from us! Once we get back, school will be just a few days away!

Last but not least, it is day to remember some birthdays! Happy birthday Greg! We also remember this day in honor my wonderful dad, Al. Belated Birthday wishes to Eric and Leslie!

Better get packing!

Grace

Payment

Matthew was very happy to receive his first paycheck for his work from the Performing Arts Center. He hopes that there will be many more! Way to go Matthew!

It's the Weekend!

Good News! I had good self control at the stampin up party. I bought a marker and a return address stamp, something I can use almost daily! I had lots of fun too making a card and talking with friends. Looks like my client won't be moving to Grand Rapids afterall. Things just aren't falling into place and should she stay in Greenville her other steady nurse can keep working.

Mary's Spanish class has been going well. She has enjoyed the class and says it is not too hard. Outside of class, she has been spending most of her time with her best friend, Brandon, before he goes to college this coming week. We are trying to keep a good schedule with all that her senior year will bring~Village Green, College Prep clases, Simply Strings Quartet, College Spanish and Miss Danish! Whew!

Matthew has been driving me around town whenever I need to go somewhere. He is doing really well, but likes to point out other driver's errors. I get tired of listening to his play by play comments of driving and just want him to focus on his driving! He continues to help keep the house clean and the yard nice. It has been pretty rainy lately, so We are waiting for some dry weather so he can mow. He is looking forward to going to Florida on Tuesday.

Sarah is back from camp and working AT clinic hours. She really loves it. Things are getting busy now as the freshman have arrived and the rest of the upperclassman arrive tomorrow. Classes officially start on Tuesday. Sarah got some pictures uploaded for me and there are a few here and more on the photo album.

I have already sent her a box with things that got left here. I know she loves getting mail, so will post her address~

Sarah Wilhelm
Gilmore Hall #107
PO Box 9022
Holland, MI 49422-9022

Jeff is fine. Found some black mold in the corner of his office. Trying to dry things out is difficult especially when it is damp outside. He has been working on Air Force stuff, church stuff and home stuff. He recently repaired our front steps again. :(

We all enjoyed the first Greenville football game last night. We won! 28-17. The weather was cool and it was nice to go out together and root on our team! Tonight is an art show right here in Greenville. One of our members will have art on display, and there will be live jazz music. Tomorrow I am leading kid's church. The story is about Titus. I am all prepared and ready to go!

That is all...have a great weekend!

Gracie

Catching Up

Mom and Dad left early on Monday for their next stop in Ohio. Monday night was our Sunday School meeting and I will be teaching preschool/kindergarten class. I am very happy with that. Mary will be teaching 3,4, and 5th grade with a friend. They will do a great job.

My golf game on Tuesday moring was very good. My drives were really good. I parred one hole and ended up with a 53 on nine holes. I really need to practice my chipping. Lunch at Cory's afterwards with my friends was most enjoyable and the French Dip sandwich was delicious! Mary started her Spanish class on Tuesday evening and thinks it will be very good. She likes the teacher very much.

Sarah is doing well at the cross country camp. She is the Athletic Traning student assigned to that team this year. She is spending the week with the runners as a first aid person and also to "bond" with the team. Once back to campus she will pursue getting a rail for her lofted bed. The incoming class arrives on Friday. She is happy to back at Hope.

I worked today for 6 hours. We had a nice day. I am off now until after Labor Day. My patient is almost out of nursing hours for the month and then Matt Jeff and I will be in Florida for 4 days next week. It will be nice to visit with my mom. She will visit Michigan in October. Mary will be at home taking care of Sammy the dog and going to Spanish Class.

As for now, I am making mac and cheese for dinner and then I am off to a stamping party.

Better get going!


Love,

Gracie!

Back To College

Danish Festival is officially over. Sarah is back at Hope College and School starts in two weeks. Summer is almost over.

Soon after church and lunch at Wendy's, we took Sarah back to Holland and Hope College. She was very excited to get back and move into her new dorm, Gilmore Hall. This place is much different from Cook Hall last year. Still is has a lot of character and Sarah no longer has to clean bathrooms! That is a plus! We met her roommate and she is very nice. The beds are lofted that allows for more living space. There is will certainly be an adjustment time to sleeping higher off the ground. We got her stuff in the room, went shopping at Meijer for snacks and a few other needed items. We ate dinner at Red Robin, dropped her off at a smores party and then came home.

Tomorrow Grandma and Grandpa W will continue on their journey. We will send them off with lots of thanks and good wishes for safety on the rest of their trip.

It is late again... That is all for now.


Grace

Danish Festival 2009

The festivities started on Thursday evening with the raising of the flags. Jeff was there playing with the band and Mary got there just in time after her simply strings interview with a bride. It was a nice ceremony with songs, pledge of allegiance in Danish and the introduction of the the VIPS, including the Queen's Court. Afterward the Band marched down to the gazebo, followed by the the Queens for a Concert in the park. It was very good and we had great weather and ice cream!

Friday we went downtown for some shopping. We saw lots of crafts and came home only with some Danish coffee cake, Kringles. Mary was doing her royal appearances all day, and was treated as such by others even to get free food and drinks! 6pm was the princess and prince parade. Kids can come dressed up ride their bikes in the parade. It is lead off by the Danish Band and the Royal Court. It started to rain a bit as it had all done all day. On and off again showers and rain. Next royal appearance was the Princess and the Pea bed race. One royal girl sat up on the stretcher, while the others pushed her down the road on a course. It was fun but her team didn't win in the end. The evening concerts at the main stage were cancelled due to the rain. I was sad the the Big Band concert was cancelled. It is always a big treat! The night finished off with the parade of fire engines. It is always a nice event. Mary got to ride in the bucket of fire engine. She and the 1st runner up had to do some major ducking to avoid the trees! She said it was a fun experience.

Saturday morning came early and Matthew and I were out early setting up chairs for the parade. We had a nice group of people from church and the neighborhood to watch the parade. Mary looked especially lovely this morning. Sarah got up early to have her picture taken with her sister. The weather was mostly cloudy with a few sprinkles and much cooler temperatures. After the parade, Jeff, Mom and Sarah went downtown to walk around and have some lunch. Matt went with my client's family downtown to help out with the kids. Dad and I stayed home to have lunch. Later in the afternoon, Matthew participated in the Dodge Ball Tournament. His team came home the champions! Yay! He has a champion By 3pm I was making my Korean meal for dinner. It was simply delicious if I say so myself! Maybethe best bulkoogi I have ever made! So much flavor. Mary was supposed to attend the Greenville Glows Balloon show, but I got cancelled due to weather. So instead she was able to spend time with her friend just as she had hoped in the beginning. Things always seem to work out for good. Matthew Mom and I enjoyed a game of Scrabble and then I helped Sarah pack up for college.

Well, it is early Sunday morning and Mom W is playing the organ for church. There is a potluck fellowship/breakfast after the service and then we are packing up the van (and a car) and taking Sarah back to Hope. She is happy to be getting back "home". I will miss her as usual, but am also very happy when I know just how much she loves her school! Mary will be staying behind to participate in a few more events with the festival, including chasing rubber ducks in the flat river! I guess the weather will be more sunny than saturday.

Better get some winks!

Grace

Update Before Danish Festival

Monday: Mom W. rode along with me to my Physical Therapy appointment in Grand Rapids. I had a good visit and seem to finally be making progress with my muscle confusion problem. I made some chicken for dinner and then attended a Senior mystery trip meeting. Luckily it was only one hour this week! The family joined in the den for a Netflix movie before bed.

Tuesday: We got up early and began our journey to the "thumb side" of Michigan. First stop was Frankenmuth, where we had lunch with some friends of Marlene and Ernie's at Oma's restaurant. Next we spent about an hour at Bronners Christmas Store. There are so many cool things. I had good self control and only bought a small gift for our dog-sitter. Tueday evening was spent at a Tiger's Baseball game. First we ate a diner right across the street from the stadium. Sarah was the photographer that evening and got lots of great shots. The game was a little slow going at first, but the end was so exciting! We were ahead, then tied, then a 2 run double by Cabrera but us ahead again. But the most exciting play for me was the steal home! The runner on first base led off and baited the catcher to throw out at second, forgetting that the man on third would run home, which he did and scored! YAY! Rodney finished and was the saving pitcher. Sarah's favorite pitcher, Porcello, got the win with 8 strikeouts!

Wednesday: I worked for 7. 5 hours. We enjoyed a meal at our local mexican restaurant for dinner. Jeff had a gig with the Danish Band as he does tonight, tomorrow night, and Saturday! Mary spent the day with Brandon after she picked out her Danish costume and had her picture taken in it. She had a event last night at a craft store, and will have many appearances this weekend. She will be on a pontoon tonight for the Night of Illumination on a local lake.

Thursday: Finally sent in the broken surge protector with the long questionairre. Turned in the picture of Mary in her costume to the dentist. He has a poster with all of his patients that are part of the Royal Court. His office is downtown. I also prepared the bulkoogi with Mary's help. It will be delicious on Saturday when we eat it! I will be making yakimondue after the Parade on Saturday. Tonight is the flag raising and Danish band concert at the Gazebo.

Looking ahead: Tomorrow is Kiddie Princess parade, concerts, craft booths and many activities. Saturday is the Grand Dansk parade down our street. We have had several people bring their chairs for the event already. We hope that weather will be favorable this weekend as it looks like rain right now. Mom W. will be playing for church on Sunday. What a nice treat for everyone! Thanks mom! Sarah goes back to college that afternoon. She can't wait!

Better get going. Have to get dinner in the oven and Mary has a meeting for an upcoming gig here at our house at 6pm! Ready for a crazy filled night!

Grace

Just Before Bed

Sunday has come and gone. Church was good and so was lunch. I had my usual pancakes and bacon. Unfortunately, Mary's burger came out wrong ( with all kinds of toppings) and they fixed it by scraping it off. By then the fries were cold too.

I played for an installation service this afternoon and did pretty well, especially for the late notice and very warm conditions. The meal afterward was nice and then we came home. Jeff, Marlene and Ernie walked around Baldwin Lake and then picked up the pizza I ordered for the rest of the household and watched some tv and played scrabble. Mom won.

Had some rain and are expecting more. We need some rain for our grass. We hope that this weekend won't be too rainy for the parade and festival. Mary will be out and about as part of the Queen's court. She also has another meeting for a possible wedding gig. What a busy girl! Sarah is getting excited about getting back to Hope on Sunday. Jeff is playing with the Danish Band Wed-Sat. Time is going to fly by now. Watch out soon I will be writing about Mary's graduation! It is on my birthday!

I only have two more days of work this month. I should have enough time then to get some other things done at home! No work related excuses! Plan to make Korean food later this week.

That is all.

Grace

Royalty!

We are happy to annouce that Mary did an awesome job tonight. She looked beautiful, played her cello wonderfully and answered an on the spot question with a great answer! The judges placed her at 2nd Runner Up. We are so proud! She had family and friends there to celebrate with her after the pageant. Congratulations Mary!

When we got home this evening, there was a message on the answering machine asking me to play for an installation tomorrow! I guess the organist is ill. I agreed to play and now have to practice and pray!

It's late! Good Night

Grace

Miss Danish Tonight!

Well the night is here! Tonight is the pageant, and there is excitement, anxieties and a few bumps in the road as time approaches. Sarah has already taken Mary over to the auditorium. Matt is there too ready for work. The rest of us will arrive after 6:30 pm to get seats. Thanks for your prayers. I am very proud of Mary for participating!

Yesterday after I got home from work, I baked cookies and printed softball awards. The picnic was lots of fun. Wish that more people had come out to join us! It was nice to swim and enjoy a meal together.

After we got home, we watched a movie together and then hit the hay. Time is really flying by! Gotta go.

Gracie

Welcome Grandma and Grandpa!

Grandma and Grandpa Wilhelm arrived safely in Greenville yesterday afternoon, and had a very nice evening including spagetti dinner and watching the results of America's Got Talent. I couldn't believe they put the dog act through. Bad decision. Mom got a ride in the new Prius right away after their arrival as the meat I bought at the store didn't end up in my grocery bags. I got new meat at no charge or even questions, and we were back home. I just hated to drive back after a long day at work and shopping at "rush hour".

Brandon is back and joined us for dinner. It was sure nice to have him around again. He and Mary went to a movie and then enjoyed watching the shooting stars in the night sky. Mary and Matt are at the school auditorium this morning for the Miss Danish contest, dress rehearsal. Matt got to work, and there were too many people. I guess a few extra kids showed up. The boss asked for 2 volunteers to go home. Matthew was gracious enough to volunteer eventhough he was asked personally to be there. In the end, I guess the boss needed him afterall and he is still there at work. I am happy for him, and anxious to see how Mary feels after the rehearsal. Sarah got bit by a bug on Sunday and now her toe is itching and turning red. Not sure what bit her, and whether she needs to see the doctor.

Tomorrow is work and then our softball party. I still need to decide what to bring! Sarah is working on the award certificates. They are pretty good even if I say so myself. Saturday is the pageant! Time is going to fly by~

That is all for now. Happy Thursday!

Grace

New!

I added a weather link and the Tigers Link under "Take a Look at This" on the left. Check it out and go Tigers!

Hot Hot Hot!

The weather has been pretty hot lately. We had some bad storms on Saturday evening and Sunday night too. Looks like the weather is going to stay in the mid to upper 80's all week.

Our outdoor church service was small but nice. Mary was in a skit about the 3 Little Pigs, and putting a bible twist. Theme was to have a firm foundation of the bible and then you will be ready when the Wolf shows up. Jeff was the Wolf. Both did a great job. After lunch, we had a nice time on the lake. I always enjoy the pontoon ride and Jeff and the kids went swimming off the boat. Matt's friends were tubing and stopped by, and took Matt tubing too. He had a lot of fun.

Sarah and I worked Sunday night, and all of us slept in on Monday morning. Jeff was able to make several reservations for some upcoming trips. Jeff, Matt and I will be coming to FL ~Sept 1st-5th. We needed to use our frequent flyer miles and going to FL sounded great. Jeff has a military ticket for Universal and Disney. Disney sounds ok to me, but Universal will be a Father/Son day. Mom and I will find some other things to do. Mary can't go as she is going to take a college Spanish class this fall. Classes start in August. Sarah will already be at Hope College. Boy are my kids growing up! We will also be travelling to Minnesota for our good friend Mark's wedding in October. We are looking forward to celebrating with him!

Jeff played Price is Right Wii style last night and was a double showcase winner! I met my match! We also watched a movie that was in the end, very stupid and a waste of time. Don't spend time watching the movie "Knowing".

Today was golf day! Mary went with us today. I felt like I golfed a little better, but my putting was off so my score went up 9 strokes today, for a total of 58. Norma birdied the last hole! Yay! Mary did ok and will probably go again, but she needs longer clubs to make golf easier for her. Here are some pictures from the golf course. How do you like that lie by the tree? It was wicked. I took the liberty of improving my lie, so I could actually take a swing at it!

Mary's friends is back home and she will be going out to welcome him home. She has missed him a great deal. I have had a headache this afternoon and although I am feeling better, am debating if I will go get some groceries tonight.

Grandma and Grandpa arrive tomorrow! Just in time for our softball picnic party, Mary's Miss Danish pageant, a Tigers Game and the Danish Festival. They will also get to come and see Hope College when Sarah returns on the 23rd.

Whew! That's all Folks!

Grace

God is Good! All The Time!

The rain stopped and the sun came out this afternoon! No rain for the weddings! What a blessing for everyone. Now we are grilling burgers and will have fries and salad. Picked another tomato for the salad. Going to bake spice cake for the picnic. Sounds good? I think so.
\o/
Grace

Look Who Is Home!

After a 13.5 hour day at work with my little princess, I got home, rested for an hour, took the kids to dinner then we were off to the airport to pick up Jeff. He is wearing his new uniform in the picture. It is wonderful to have the whole family back under one roof. In a few more weeks, or as Sarah would say "15 days!", she will be back at Hope College. She just can't wait. We did get word that she has to be there between 1-3pm on Sunday the 23rd of August. We will have to be packed up before church, so we can leave in time to get there at the proper time. This is not a major moving in day, just some athletic trainers and maybe athletes. Parking shouldn't be a nightmare this year. Sarah will be living on the first floor of her dorm, so no steps!

The kids really helped out this week with the cleaning. The house looks really nice. Our grass looks good this year too! That makes Matthew really happy. Mary preparation for the pageant continues now with dancing and "learning to walk" and checking the bathing suits for appropriateness. Her accompany track turned out really nice for her cello solo, but there are parts that will be hard for her to hear while she plays, so she has opted to play the cello alone without the track. Once you get off with a track it is too hard to get back on.

Today is a day for weddings. Jeff has a wedding at Mt. Calvary at 3 pm, and Mary is playing for a wedding at a home at 3:30pm. She says the group is ready and sounds good. The couples shouuld have a lot of luck as it has been raining all morning. By the looks of the radar, it will be a very rainy day. Mary says they will play on the porch or under a tent. My big concern is for Mary to be driving them out to the house in a bad rain storm. Maybe God will give us a window without storms for everyone's safety and enjoyment.

Tomorrow is our outdoor church service and picnic. I am playing the clavinova. Pretty much ready too. Plan to practice at church today sometime. Clavs feel and play just a little different than a piano. Not sure what to take to the potluck picnic either. Baking is always fun and then I still would have to bring some main dish. I am thinking italian, I bring stuff my family likes. Since tomorrow is going to be hot, 92, there will be swimming and games afterward. I will have to sleep somewhere along the line, as I work nights tomorrow.

Hope your day is sunny and bright!

Grace

First Harvest!

I picked the first of our home grown tomatoes! Don't they look nice? I hope they stay good until Jeff gets home on Friday. If not I will give them to my neighbors. I see more blossoms so I think we will have a good season.

I had a good day at work this afternoon. Only worked for 5 hours. I work 12 hours on Friday 5am to 5pm. Matthew got a call today to work crew for the Miss Danish Pageant. He will work on 3 different days, including the night of the show. I am so happy for him. Wonder what job he will get? He likes to work the lights. Mary had dance reahearsal today and said it went well.

Tonight Sarah and I will be watching So You Think You Can Dance. I sure hope the Kayla or Brandon wins. We will know tomorrow!

The weather is nice and all is well. Supposed to get hot this weekend. That is all for now!

Later Gators!

Grace

A Great Golf Game

I had the best golf score since I moved to Michigan~a 49! (9 holes). I didn't have very good tee shots like I normally do, and I had some really really good fairway shots and putts that don't normally happen. I even had a few 1 putt holes which is just amazing for me! I guess I should mention that I had loads of fun with 2 other lovely ladies as well. We laughed a lot and helped look for missing balls. I left one of my yellow balls in the rough. Never found it. We all had a delicious lunch at Cory's. I had the lunch special, Chicken Parmesean, for $5.99! It came with spaghetti and garlic toast. I added the best ranch dressing ever, and enjoyed every bite!

When I got home the house looked so clean and Mary was still de-griming the kitchen! It looks amazing. I pitched in right away and we got the work done quick. I treated the kids to Taco Bell and then took a nap. Dinner was chicken crescents and then off to Meijer for a milk run. Matthew has become my personal driver. He is doing pretty well with the whole driving scene. Mary went on a sunset walk with her friend Gia this evening and then worked on making a accompanying track for her cello solo for the pageant. It is sounding very good! Sarah cleaned a lot of her room today. Still lots of stuff, but you can tell she has straightened up a great deal. All of us have enjoyed playing the Wii together each day.

Monday I worked a few hours then had an appt in Grand Rapids. I drove in so we could be on time and then my driver drove home. We got a little lost going home a new way and ended up needing Sarah to google a map to help us get backon track. Mary had her string group rehearsal yesterday and the quartet is ready for their first gig together this Saturday. Mary says they were awesome! I went to the Senior Mystery Trip meeting and signed up for a committee and also to work at a burger stand at a football game. I started dinner, pancakes and bacon, and the girls finished up and did a wonderful job making dinner.

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

Grace

PS My finger is healing well!

Oh What a Beautiful Day!

Today's weather has been spectacular! Blue skies mid 7o's and a gentle breeze. Church was very nice and the girls and I sang the verses of "Eat This Bread" without incident. I wish I could say the same about my piano playing during communion. Played sharps instead of flats for a few measures, then got back on track. We played some Wii Price is Right and then had McDonald's for lunch. Since it was such a nice day, we drove into Grand Rapids and finished off the clothes and shoe shopping. I can say that we found lots of good sales, so we really saved money! Matt got new shoes, Sarah got the shorts for athletic training and a few other needed tops and jeans. Mary got a top, scarf, book and shoes for the dance number in the Miss Danish pageant. She says they are quite comfortable. Sarah bought herself some shoes at Charlotte Rouse. They were quite affordable and got a second pair for $10! I showed my military ID and we got an extra discount! yay!

We skipped eating out for dinner and drove home and cooked some toasted ravioli, garlic bread and salad for dinner. It turned out great! Everyone liked it! After dinner I was trying out some new cleaner in the kitchen, when I sliced my R pinky finger open on the blade of my food processor. I don't think it will need stitches, and Sarah fixed up with a pressure bandage. I will check it in a while and reassess the situation. Matthew cut the grass and vaccuumed. He helped my clean the kitchen too. Both girls did their chores as well. All is well at home!

Talked with Jeff and he is also doing well in SC. Learning his job and still waiting for orders. Although he has had clearance for entering his work building, he didn't get a key badge until Friday . That means people had to come and let him in. Progress might be slow, but it is evident~ He gets home on Friday evening. Today he called after church and said there was a cookout after chapel. Guess he has been to 3 cookouts this week! I say yummmm!

Well, I am going to go check my finger and do something with the kids. I need to go to bed early, as I work from 0500 to 0800 tomorrow.

So Long!

Grace

A Day of Fun

Today we all got to sleep in! What a treat that was for everyone. Sarah made chocolate chip muffins for breakfast and then we played Wii games together. We all had our good moments. Mary applied to two colleges this morning, University of Michigan and Central Michigan University. She will complete the University of Oklahoma application soon. Now she is waiting for her high school counselor to write a reccomendation. Today was one of Mary's wedding gigs. She looked so nice that I took her picture. There was some rain at the wedding, but her cello is fine and everything went ok. Sarah and I watched some TV, took a little nap and then saw some white sox baseball before we went to get groceries at Wal Mart. We ended up getting a new Wii game too, The Price is Right! It is a lot of fun. I won lots of pretend prizes. It will be a fun family game. Now it is movie time. Our next Netflix movie arrived. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is playing in just a few minutes! Gotta GO!

Grace