A Busy and Snowy Saturday!

This morning I got up by 0830 to get some things accomplished before noon. I did pretty well too. Laundry sorted, Sunday School organized and got ready for a day in Grand Rapids.

We left just after noon and arrived at Mary's first event at Meijer Gardens. It was very nice and we had a nice time. There were even some reindeer! The kid's section had some games to play. I enjoyed trying the skittles game like we had when I was little. I think it was Dan's game. The Queen's Court looked very nice and lots of people talked with them and had their picture with them.

After the Gardens we went for pizza lunch. It was good, but we didn't make it to the store nearby before it closed. Mary needs a dress for the Glee Club Christmas Ball next Saturday. So we headed toward Lowell for the Christmas Parade. Walked around town and then watched Mary looking beautiful again on the lit up float. Jeff took video...I hope I can post it!

Matthew was invited to a birthday party, so we got him changed and out to the party for a few hours. He had a really fun time. Even got some chocolate on his ace wrap to prove it! No harm there.

I got home, prepared for Sunday School, rested and then found out the Gators lost! I couldn't believe it! How sad is that?! Like my mom tells me.."someone has to lose". Sure wish it wasn't the Gators. No National Championship this year. :(

Mary shopped online for a dress tonight and picked out a very nice dress. According to the measurements it should fit and be here by Tuesday/Thursday. Nothing like coming down to the wire. Got a nice deal on it too! Free Shipping! Yippee!

Now, I am going to try to post the pictures and get to bed. Tomorrow promises to be busy too.. Sunday School, Church (kids sing), Sunday School Practice and then Kids sing for the Ladies Advent by candlelight. Bowling to follow! I am tired just thinking about it!

Good Night!

Grace

Winter Is Here

As you can see from the new picture, winter has arrived in Greenville, MI. I am pretty impressed that our new camera even caught the snowflakes falling! I took that picture after the Winter Parade down mainstreet, just blocks away from our house. Mary was riding on the Danish Queen float. The pictures from the parade didn't turn out so well.

Yesterday started out really well. I got to sleep in and then bought some balloons for two of our quilters that had a birthday. They were happy with their surprise. I finished my moose quilt top and have the batting and the backing to work with Audrey to finish it up next week. Mary came home with some sad news. The One Act play for this year has been cancelled and laid to rest. No funding. Another blow to Mary's senior year expectations. I guess the spring play is a "sure" thing. They may include another play this winter instead of the one act. With the one act there is travel and other expenses that was just too expensive. Mary's teacher came up with a great idea today and suggested a student led play! Mary likes that idea.

Back to yesterday, we had pizza dinner and then a good orchestra practice. However, by 9 pm I wasn't feeling too well and figured I was going to be a victim of the flu bug. My clients family all had it.. so it was just a matter of time. Needless to say I was up most of the night doing what stomach flu patients do. Finally got to rest around 4 am.

This morning was a white one. Mary was thrilled that the snow had finally arrived. The first snow is really beautiful. I rested on the couch and slept and then watched it snow. I finally got enough strength to have a little to eat and work at the computer. Jeff went to work with his Air Force uniform as he participated in a send off to our local troops #1073rd. They will be leaving for Iraq very soon. This will be their second tour of duty there. Mary and Matthew sang the Star Spangled Banner with the Village Green for thier send off at the high school auditorium. Then tonight was the winter parade. The troops, the band, elementary kids walked and of course my beautiful Mary rode on the Queen's float.

The Danish court will be at Meijer Gardens at the Danish Christmas Tree. Here is there website. I am looking forward to seeing Meijer Gardnes for the first time. (http://www.meijergardens.org/calendar/event.php?id=932) . We hope to do some shopping in Grand Rapids before Mary has a pancake dinner with Santa in nearby Lowell and then ride in the parade as well at 6 pm. Matthew has been invited to a birthday party tomorrow night as well. I need to prepare for Sunday School and practice the piano. Laundry is piling up pretty high too!

For now, I should sign off and get some more rest.

Feeling better,

Grace

More pictures on the Photo Album

Lots of Good News!

Work went pretty well today. Hailey and her mom were feeling better. While I was at work I got three WONDERFUL phone calls!

• Sarah called and reported that she received a 100% on her nutrition exam. I am so proud of her! Yay Sarah!
• Matthew texted, then called and said that his broken arm is still alignment and that he avoids surgery a 3rd time. Next week the splint comes off for a x-ray and then the decision, cast or surgery. Thanks for your prayers!
• Sarah called again and was happy that she got her LL Bean winter coat that I ordered for her and also her new Mac software.

Needless to say that made my day. I got home pretty much on time and spent some time with Mary and Matthew before going to Advent soup supper and service. Tonight's service included the Hanging of the Greens in our church. I was going to take our new camera and post some pictures. I forgot the camera. Maybe I will take it to quilting tomorrow and get some pictures of the quilters and the church.

Mary and Matthew auditioned for a duet in the Choir Christmas concert. They sang Do You Hear What I Hear? Guess it went well. The Grand Rapids Symphony Christmas Concert comes to Greenville next Tuesday. I will buy tickets tomorrow. Didn't want to buy until Matthew was in the clear for that day. Mary will be in Spanish class, so only 3 tickets this year. I always look forward to hearing them.

Tomorrow is quilting (as mentioned before) and I hope to get my moose quilt done. It is also my buddy Norma's birthday. Happy Birthday Norma! Orchestra meets tomorrow evening. We should have some string players and maybe a bassoon! I have been practicing the music and am getting better at that hard Christmas piece. Thanks for all the encouragement from my mom and brass players.

We are expecting accumulating snow tomorrow. I always love to watch the snow fall and the yards turn white. Driving is another story. You can expect pictures!

It is getting late...better sign off.

Gracie

Best Laid Plans

Had a good morning at work then came home and had a short nap. Fed Mary lunch and then met my golf buddies for lunch at Applebee's. Stopped at church, shopped at Meijer, deposited money in the bank and worked on the computer. Needless to say I didn't do anything on my wishlist from last night's blog. I guess I can try to practice the piano, work on Sunday School stuff and maybe sort laundry.

Just got word that my little princess and her mom are sick. Don't need to be at work until 7 am! I better use some good nursing so I don't get sick. Maybe I will dose up with Echinacea.

Wish me luck!

Grace

PS- Picutres from the new camera on the Photo Album link.

Busy, Busy, Busy..Exhausted!

I forgot to mention that on Saturday while shopping at Wal-mart, I checked into camera specials. Mary texted Jeff the information and he met us at the store and we decided to buy a digital camera. It is a Samsung and has lots of options and even came with a case! I took time to learn how to use it today after 3 hours of work and a nap.

Sunday was pretty jam packed. We had church and sunday school practice, then packed up Sarah and headed back to Hope College. We stopped for dinner at Texas Roadhouse. We left Holland at 5:30 pm and got to Bowling back in Greenville by 6:40 pm. That is a record! We bowled ok, but lost 3. Seems our team brings out the best in the other teams. Before bed we watched the movie "Bride Wars". It was pretty funny.

Today an electrician came and wired and hung a new ceiling fan and light fixture. Jeff did rebalance it tonight and it seems to be working all right. Our front door is getting a facelift too. It is getting stripped and restained. Kids choir and chime team went really well. A new elementary student joined us and did great for her first week. Another student wants to join, but I asked her to wait until after Christmas so I can give better 1:1 time to each of the new people.

Tomorrow I work another short early shift. Then hopefully can get some more things accomplished than I did today. Maybe laundry, make car maintenance appointments, Christmas letter and shopping and preparing for Christmas for the orchestra. I need lots of practice time at the piano. I plan on painting the window frames this week too. I work a whole 12 hour day on Wednesday. Matthew has another orthopedic appointment on Wednesday to check on the bone healing process. Pray he doesn't need surgery.

Mary will be doing some Miss Danish activities this weekend. Two parades and meeting people at Meijer Gardens under the Danish Christmas Tree. The following weekend she will be attending the Men's Glee Club Christmas Ball in Ann Arbor.

Well, I guess that is all for now...we had some snow flurries tonight. Nothing serious or sticking to the ground.

Happy December!

Grace

(Picture taken with new camera)

The Day After

Well, we ended up going shopping in Grand Rapids anyway. Sarah's computer has caused her so much grief and frustration, that she went to buy a new one at Best Buy. She got a Mac Book and really likes it. Got a best buy credit card so she could pay 18 months same as cash. Lots of life learning experiences last night. Jeff and I looked for a new camera, but the ones we wanted were all sold out. :(

Earlier yesterday we went to see "A Blind Side". It was a very good movie. We all liked it very much and would certainly recommend it to anyone. We have another Netflix movie to watch this weekend too.

Today's plans are for more shopping. This time Walmart (my favorite), Jerry's paint store and find some jeans for Sarah. We are meeting the Cory's at Pizza Hut for dinner before I go off to work at 8 pm for 6 hours. I hope she comes home on time.

That is all for now. Tomorrow Sarah goes back to Hope and I we will bowl in the evening. 2009 is flying by!

Grace

I Am NOT Going Shopping...

I am not planning on shopping and fighting the crowds of Black Friday. The sales might be good, but I am not going out into the rain/snow mix to wait in line and then find out they are out of the item I was waiting for! I am going to sleep until my eyes open and feel awake. Sarah would like to see the movie "Blindside". Will have to check the movie times. Mary has been invited for dinner at the Cory's. Matthew just wants to do something fun. I like to see everyone happy and healthy.

Our Thanksgiving was nice. We watched the parades in the morning and cleared off the tables. Sarah got some of her laundry done while I was preparing the meal. Norma and Randy arrived at two and we were eating our dinner by 2:45 pm. All of the food was good. I forgot the Redi Whip, so the pumpkin pie didn't have the nice fluffy creamy sweetness it was supposed to have. The four of us bowled on the Wii, and then enjoyed each other's company and shared stories. Brandon came over later and played some mastermind with Mary. Then they invited Jeff and me to play scrabble with them. It was a great game! Brandon won on the very last play to beat me by two points! We did use every letter and covered most of the board. Mary took a picture to document this successful game. Sarah and Matthew played on his new computer game, The Sims. It looks pretty complicated, but I guess it is fun and addicting..Great! (not really).

Unfortunately, Sarah's computer is not working very well and it is quite frustrating for her. She'd really like a new one, but there isn't much of a fund for that. Jeff tried to fix it and at least discovered what was wrong. Hope we can get it working before she returns to school. She could have been talked into going to a doorbuster for a new computer. I wouldn't be much help since I so little about what to look for in a computer. Her phone has been acting up too, which just compounds the frustration.

I work on Saturday night for 6 hours. Otherwise, we have another day to spend together with family and friends. Matt's feeling well, needing less pain control and managing well with his splint. I am feeling pretty tired so I am going to sign off.

Grace

PS- Some of you might wonder why the Wizard of OZ music? When I was a little girl, I watched that movie every Thanksgiving night while the adults talked. Those darn flying monkey really scared me. Anyway that is why it is on my Thanksgiving music.

It is Thanksgiving Eve! We Are Thankful!

Matthew saw the his orthopedic surgeon this afternoon and once again avoided open surgery for his fractured arm. I guess the plan is to watch the bone get "sticky" to see if they are lining up well. If not, then they will have to fix it. So Matthew is not out of the woods yet, but so far so good. Two more weeks of waiting in the splint before the final decision is made. Thank you for all of your prayers.

Sarah is home. Jeff and Matthew picked her up before the doctor's appointment. She was happy to be with Matthew at his appt and see the x-ray. I got home from work at 6pm and then we all went to Big Boy for dinner. We got home with full tummies and Matthew is playing computer games, Sarah went to a friends house to watch movies and Brandon is home and over singing with Mary. The kids are happy...that makes me happy. I have 2 pumpkin pies in the oven while I blog this message. The dishwasher is cleaning the dishes and the washing machine the towels.

Our kitchen has new windows! They look really nice too. I am going to paint the trim in the kitchen with fresh white paint. I'd really like to pull the paper off the wall, but then I am in for a huge project. Not a good time of year for big projects. Speaking of projects, I made Matthew a soft pillow to elevate his arm on. He likes it and I think it turned out nicely. T-shirts make nice soft pillows!

Tomorrow our friends Randy and Norma are coming for dinner. We are having turkey, stuffing, potatoes, rolls of course, sweet potato casserole, salad and pumpkin pie! Mmm. I am sure we will find some fun things to do before we finish off the leftovers later! Hahaha! There is a threat of rain/snow mix the next 24 hours. Will we have a white winter? Time will tell.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE!

Gracie et All

A Good Weekend

Matthew is feeling better and adjusting to using one arm. He finally let me take his picture with his splint on. He goes to the Ortho doctor on Wednesday for xrays and the determination of therapy...maintain the splint, cast or surgery.

The Men's Glee Club 150th Anniversary Concert was terrific. Brandon looked so nice and he did great on his first concert. I was so glad that Mary, Matthew and I were able to be at the concert. The auditorium is gorgeous. We had some really good seats. I really enjoyed all of the songs, watching the choir file on and off stage and the pianist was awesome. It was truly an amazing night. We had a lot of fun spending time with Brandon's family on campus. I can't wait for the next concert! More pictures on our photo album!

Church and Sunday School went well. I enjoyed teaching the story of Daniel and the Lion's Den. I played for church and think I did a pretty good job. I am never without mistakes but everyone sang really well. My brass players did a great job too. We should add our flute and strings after Thanksgiving. Jeff's sermon was very good.

This afternoon we got the laundry started, took a nap, Jeff got the Christmas lights up with Mary's help, before the cold weather hits this week. We won't turn them on until after Thanksgiving. I have been good not turning on the Christmas tree too. Greenville had the community wide Thanksgiving service. It was very nice and Jeff and I got to worship together! WOW! From there we went over to bowing and I had a great game..173! Jeff bowled really well all night in the 170's all three games and yes he did beat my game of 173, but that is fine with me. Our team took 3 points tonight. We should have had al four but my last game was 97 and we ended up losing that game by just a few pins. I should have done better.

Now we are home and need to get showered and ready for bed. Work tomorrow at 0500 for 12 hours. Then kids choir and chimes. I will be really exhausted by bedtime tomorrow. That is all.

Gracie

Friday is Here!

Matthew went to school today and did fine. It was just a half day today. I worked a half day too. Then Jeff and I went to parent/teacher meetings. Both Mary and Matthew are doing great! Matthew was worried about PE, but not to worry. His grade won't suffer because of his injury. We met some parents that heard of Matt's accident and I guess there were several kids ready to take out the "tackler". we are hearing more and more that lots of kids get hurt in this game. Hmmm. All the teachers were complimentaryof both Mary and Matthew.


After conferences, our whole family (- Sarah)went to dinner at El Rancho. It was pretty good and then Mary wanted to buy a camera so she could take pictures the rest of the year and more importantly of tomorrow's concert at the Hill Auditorium (acoustically perfect) and her friend Brandon dressed in his tuxedo. Her new Canon camera is nice but very tiny. Sarah is going to stay at college, and now Matthew will be going to the concert with us.


Now Matthew is sleeping after some pain pills, Mary is making a little tote for her camera on the sewing machine, Jeff is at work and I am of course blogging. I will need to work on my sunday school lesssons and music. I play for church sunday too. I will probably watch some TV and just rest too. We'd like to watch our next Netflix movie, Star Trek, when Jeff gets home.


That is all for now!



Grace

A Good Night for Mary

Mary received acceptance to the University of Michigan today! Hurray! She has been waiting for that email for several weeks now. Mary is on Cloud 9! We are happy for her too.

Matthew is doing ok. Has little tingling in his 4th and 5th fingers. Talked to Doctor on call and reassured me that it is probably due to some more swelling and to make sure it is kept elevated. Reviewed reasons to call doctors this weekend.

That is all.. Hail to the Victors!

Grace

A Bad Day for Matthew

While I was at work yesterday, I got a text message from Jeff telling me that he was at the ER with Matthew. Evidently during a game of air force football at P.E., he got pushed down and fell on an outstretched arm.

The rest of the afternoon for Matthew and Dad were getting pain meds, reducing the fracture at our local hospital, only to find out that it was not successful. So the drove down to Helen DeVos Children's Hospital in Grand Rapids and were preparing for the next reduction when Mary and I arrived around 6:15pm. This time they had him under some pretty strong sedation and reduced the fracture again under flouroscope. The senior resident, Dr Tanner, felt as though the reduction went well, but that it was pretty unstable and that he would most likely require surgical repair. All the doctors and nurses were very nice. We had a choice to stay and have the surgery today or wait until Tuesday as an outpatient. We thought we should just stay put and have it fixed and taken care of. Plus Matthew was really zonked out from the sedation. I didn't really want to take Matthew home like that. He rested pretty well last night getting pain meds twice. Early around 0500 another resident, Dr. Bradley, came to let us know that all the doctors would be looking at his xray and then coming up with a plan. The attending, Dr Gelbke, came around o700 and explained that the reduction was very good from last night. That left us with 2 options: Go ahead with the surgery, noting risks of anesthesia, nerve damage and bleeding. OR Watch the fracture "like a hawk" and see if there would be any shifting of the little fragment that caused some numbness in his fingers prior to the reduction. What a decision to make so early without Jeff too! So the doctor, Matthew and I decided to wait and watch, as even if there was some shifting it wouldn't effect a surgical repair a week later. So we are back home and he is doing pretty well. He has a splint on and is keeping it elevated nicely. Needs to take pain meds regularly and he does sleep a lot.

Because of this "mishap", Matthew missed his PLAN test, a Village Green performance and opening night of the play (he is part of the stage crew). We aren't sure if he will be able to help out at any of the 3 shows. Most importantly, we need him to rest and protect that arm so the bone pieces don't shift and he dodge the surgery all together.

I work for 4 hours tomorrow and then parent teacher conference. Mary is going to pick up Sarah on Saturday morning so she can attend the Glee concert with us. Jeff wants to Christmas lights up this weekend before the cold wet weather gets here for Thanksgiving.

Better get going,

Gracie

Ugh!

Jeff had to take down the unfinished mailbox and take it back to Lowe's. It wasn't a good product at all. We were very unhappy with it. Too bad...We will have to find another one.

Surprise!

Mary and Matthew told us that they had a BIG surprise for us when we got home after bowling. We usually go out to eat afterward and the kids will meet up with Randy, Norma and ourselves. Last night we ate at the Reopened Big Boy! It was ok, as usual, and we had a nice time visiting. When we got home the Christmas Tree and some decorations were up! That was a surprise. They did a great job. I finished up some things this morning after I got home from work. It will be hard not to turn on the lights, but we decided we will wait until Thanksgiving for that. There are a few Chrsitmas things that didn't make it upstairs yet, but we have plenty of time to get it up and done. Jeff wants to put up the outside lights soon too, before it gets too cold. As for now, he is putting up a new mailbox. We really needed a larger one, even the postman asked about getting one for all the mail we receive. It has taken longer than expected because the directions might have well been written in Italian. Couldn't say Greek, Jeff can read that!

We have the home improvement bug (plus tax credits for energy saving upgrades). This Friday we are having some electrical wiring done is Sarah's room which will include a ceiling fan with a light! Woohoo! Then with in the next few weeks we will have our kitchen and backdoor area window areas replaced. I won't need to roll up kitchen towels for the drafts anymore! I will be painting the trim in the kitchen before the windows go in. Next year we would like to repaint/wallpaper the kitchen and put up some drapes in Sarah' s room. So many things I'd like to do, especially redo the dining room. Strip the paint off the wood and change the ugly wallpaper...Patience!

Our weekend was good. I think we got a lot done. Hard to remember now that the new week has started. Matthew had to work at the school play rehearsal both Sat and Sunday, not the way he'd really like to spend his weekend. Church went well as did the Friday movie event. The chime team played well and the choir sang very nice too. I have been working hard at music lately. I am playing for this Sunday's service, the Sunday School Christmas program and we have a pretty hard Orchestra song for Christmas. I have also been planning a few special music ideas as well. The laundry got done and I finished Sarah's pillow. It turned out fine. I think she will like it. Mary is sleeping on it right now.

I work the next two days for 12 hours and again on Friday for just 4 hours. That is ok, though as I bake for quilters this week and need to start that painting. Now it is time for me to go pick up some pizza for dinner. Have a great evening.

Grace

PS..Thanks for your prayers for Andrew. He continues to have good progress.

Quilt Top Almost Done!

I had a good morning at work, got some work done around the house and enjoyed time with Mary at her lunch time. She has been coming home for lunch each day. Sent Sarah a care package and then off to quilting. We had a nice chicken lunch and then I got to work! I have 2 of the 3 borders on the quilt top today. Next week I will put the last border on, and decide if I will tackle some cornerstone blocks in the corners. I want to, but I need lots of help. My quilting buddies are always there to help me through.Thanks guys. The name of the quilt design is around the world. Perhaps you can see that in the center is a moose square and then white circle around then green around then moose....etc...

Tonight we had hot dogs for dinner and then we watched the movie "Valkyrie" with Tom Cruise. It is about a coup attempt on Hitler and his regime. I think it is a very good movie. Time to send that one back and wait for the next movie on our list at Netflix.

Sammy hasn't felt too good today. His stomach is making all kinds of noises. No orchestra tonight, but I did work on some songs at home and have a few ideas for special music during the holidays. No work tomorrow, so I can work on laundry, sewing project and music. Then tomorrow night our church is hosting the movie "Expelled" for the community. I saw a clip and I am anxious to see it. Please pray for Sarah's friend, Bev. Her dad died earlier this week. :(

That is all for now...

Grace

A Bright Shiny Day

The weather is chilly with a beautiful blue sky. It is a lovely day...although I did have to scrape frost off my car the past few mornings. I need to start building more time into my morning routine to include warming up the car.

Before I go off to quilting, I thought I should share some good news with you. Mary received her latest ACT scores and got a 30 (that is up 2 points from the last time)! Yay! Now we are just waiting for her acceptance to University of Michigan. Central Michigan has already accepted her and University of Oklahoma should be sending their decision as well. I still don't know why anyone wouldn't want such an exceptional student!


Jeff wore his Class A uniform to the Veterans Day service yesterday to Concordia University Ann Arbor. He looked so good in his uniform. I told him that I miss seeing him in uniform. He got a free meal at Applebee's yesterday. Mary volunteered at Pizza Hut yesterday at a sponsored fundraising event for the Senior Mystery Trip. While I am glad to support the cause, the pizza wasn't that good. I should have skipped pizza hut and ate with Jeff at applebees. I went along with him after choir, but just had a drink and shared a appetizer with Matthew.

Guess that is all the news for now...Have a great Donnerstag!

Grace

Happy Birthday Martin Luther!

My brain has been on overload lately. I think about too much for too long, even about things that I have no control of. You know what comes next right??? Worry and concern. Jobs, school activities, music, chores, health the list goes on. Each day I do remind myself that I should "cast all my cares on Him for He cares for me". Reading Andrew Polzin's caring Bridge journal also helps keep my grounded as I need to have faith and trust in God. They are sure going through more than I am right now! Praise God for all of my blessings.

Nykerk was fun, but the class of 2012 didn't win..Their play was awesome! I wanted to get Sarah's care package together to deliver, but ran out of time. The pillow I was making for her isn't turning out right and I ran out of stuffing. Matthew was "missing" for a while until he called from his friends house. He thought he told us about it, we don't remember..Wolverines lost.

Do I sound like Charlie Brown or Eeyore or what??? How about Gators win! We had a fun time with Sarah! Mary had a great time at the Big House and Ann Arbor with Brandon. GO Gators! They won! Whew! That is better... Bowling was ok, we split the points. I bowled all three games over 100! Kids choir and chimes went well last night and the chimes will play "Fairest Lord Jesus".

Still looking for new opportunities to further my career. Had my glasses fixed and they feel a lot better. The frames got bent up pretty bad. Mary still waits to hear from U of M. Need to go shopping, put laundry away, work on some music and sleep. Back to work tomorrow by 0500!

Trying to keep my smile!

Grace

A Beautiful Day in Michigan

It is going to be a very nice Michigan fall day. Blue sky, a breeze and temps in the 60's! How nice for this nice weather to fall on the weekend! A great day for football in the Big House~Go Blue! Mary is Ann Arbor to attend the game with Brandon and his family. She has her nice blanket she made, with grandma's help, eventhough she probably won't get too cold there today. I know that she will have a great time, even better if they win! Matthew is out with the Village Green collecting pop cans for a fundraiser. Jeff is going out for a run before we both have lunch with Thrivent at the Winter Inn. I love their burgers and steak fries!

This afternoon we are going to Holland for the Nykerk Cup. We will meet Sarah for dinner and deliver a few needed snacks and a small personal project we are doing for her. I still have laundry to fold and a sunday school lesson to prepare. This week's story: Hezekiah Prays. I don't even remember Hezekiah!

Thanks for all your prayers for our friend Andrew. He is making some progress and even opened his eyes for his mom. Guess he is still on pain meds and some sedation meds. If you'd like to read an update, here is the link: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/polzin/journal.

I continue to job search. Seems no matter where I apply, I get the same response, "You weren't selected", not even for a phone call. As much as I love my patient, I need a change and a challenge. Thanks for your prayers and support.

Need to run in order to accomplish today's events. Go Blue against Purdue. I guess if they can win today they go to a bowl game! I'd be remiss if I didn't say GO GATORS!

Grace グレース・ウィルヘルム

Thanks to Justin Zachow for typing my name in Japanese. I don't have the Japanese word processor. I love it!

Just Before the Weekend

Wednesday was a good but long day. I worked for 12 hours with a very energetic little girl and then came home and ate frozen pizza made by Mary and then off to choir for a couple hours. Had to watch the last baseball game of 2009 as the New York Yankees won over the Phillies. Next year, watch out for those Tigers!

I had a good report from the foot doctor this morning and won't be needing a cortisone shot. If my feet plateau with moderate heel pain or if they get worse then a shot will be needed. I sure do not want that! I finished the main portion of my moose quilt today and will start bordering next week. Lunch was very good chicken and rice and then I picked up Mary from school so she could tutor this afternoon. She had a hair cut before she went of to Spanish class at the Community College in our newly repaired van. All the dial are correct and we even have new keys! I sure hope this fixes things "permanently".

Thanks to those praying for our friend Andrew. He made some awesome progress today as they art starting to bring him out of sedation. Andrew followed commands like "wiggle your toes", "squeeze my hand" and my personal favorite "smile". Praise the Lord. Please keep praying for Andrew and his family as the road is still a very long one.

Tomorrow I work for 8 hours then I hope we can watch our Netflix movie. Matt wants to go to a zombie hunt game. Saturday Mary goes to the "Big House"in Ann Arbor to watch Michigan play Purdue. Matt has a pop can drive. Jeff and I are going to a Thrivent Lunch and then off to Hope College for the Nykerk Cup. The freshman class competes against the sophomore class (Go 2012!) in song theater and oration. Evidently it is quite the event and Sarah's roommate is part of the competition. Sunday is Preschool Sunday and the Praise Team will be leading the songs.

Well, eventhough I don't need to be to work until 8am, I had better sign off.

Grace

PS - Picture is from the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo!

Halloween Came~They Stayed...

Can you guess??? Jeff and I heard bats early this morning from their favorite spot, the space between our ceiling and the floor of the attic! Somehow they got it, and remembered how much they liked our house. Seems like this is going to keep happening...I guess I should just name them and call them pets..hahaha!

The kids had the day off from school and we had a nice time together in the afternoon. I had to work in the morning and get my teeth cleaned. Matt worked at the theater in the scene shop. By two we were on the road to Kalamazoo to see the Air Zoo. General admission is free till the end of the year and we wanted to see what it was like. Well, it is great! Mary and Matt rode in the simulators and we all watched a 4-D movie and rode a corny space shuttle ride the the space station. I really liked all of the different planes to see and got pictures of Mary and Matthew in some cockpits. There were pictures of people I recognized from history or movies about true stories (i.e. The Right Stuff and Gen Doolittle from the Pearl Harbor movie). The pinnacle seemed to be the spacewalk experience. You get strapped in and you walk around the circle. Only once you get to a certain point you don't walk, you flip over! Evidently the astronauts use this to learn to walk in space. I prefer to walk on land! Still it was A LOT OF FUN! Enojy the pictures and video. LOL!



We stopped at Bennigan's for dinner and had lots of food. Mary had pot roast, Jeff had a new kind of burger, Matthew had chicken strips and I had fajitas! If that wasn't enough we stopped at Rosie's too for ice cream! They were delicious. At home we watched the World Series and then off to bed.

Today has been a good day too. The sun is out, I got a nice hair cut, made lunch for Mary and had lunch with my golf friends. I am getting a lot of the things accomplished today that was on my list. I need still need to cook dinner, shop for a few things and maybe start the laundry.

Please pray for Andrew Polzin, the son of our pastor when we lived in Georgia. He was in a car accident and sustained a severe head injury. They all need our prayers. Thanks! I have been keeping up on http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/polzin and I am amazed at their strong faith and witness at such a difficult time. Their journal entries are truly inspiring! They are ministering to me as they go through a place I hope never to walk. God Bless them!

Tomorrow I work 12 hours, then choir and praise team. It promises to be a busy day.

Just in: Our vans dials are all screwy again, even the speedometer, and will be in need of repair immediately! Darn!

Gracie

Happy November

Sunday morning church went well and the kids sang Awesome God wonderfully! The Jonah story went well, and sunday school christmas program practice #1 was productive. I am in charge of music this year. Afternoon was nap time and chill time for all of us. Bowling was good for me. I bowled a 169! Our team lost 3 points last night. Jeff bowled well both at the tournament and last night. Both of our averages went up! Mary is home safe and sound from Ann Arbor. She goes back on Saturday for a Michigan Football game at the Big House! That will be exciting!

I worked this morning and then had a dentist appointment. Mary is working on Spanish as there is no school today. Matthew is working at the scene shop at school. We might go to the Air Zoo this afternoon in Kalamazoo. Just depends. I do have choir/chimes tonight. Lots going on, will keep up abreast of all of the activities. Have a great day!!

Grace

A Good Last Day of October

Mary is safe on the other side of Michigan. Should be enjoying the Detroit Symphony right now. Sarah is back safe at Hope College after a cross country meet in Adrian MI. Guess the Men's and Women's team came in 2nd! Now she is watching a movie with friends on campus. Trunk or Treat was a sucess over 250 people came through. We all had a lot of fun and Sammy the dog was very good at his first ever Trunk or Treat! Everyone liked him.. He even "sang" a little. Still have to prepare my lesson for Sunday School and go buy some milk. Glad that the Gators won, Sooners are winning and sad that Michigan lost. Tebow now holds the record in run in touchdowns! That's cool. He got to keep the ball. :) Guess that is it. Happy November and Here's to "All the Saints"!

Grace

Sammy's Ready for Halloween!

Sammy is going to be a skeleton~I think he looks cute! It doesn't fit him very well, but he is tolerating it. I won't make him wear it the way it was designed. Thinking about taking him to trunk or treat so everyone can see him! Wonder if he will like it?? I think I am going to put a poster on our door directing them to church for candy. I don't want to miss trunk or treat...it is a lot of fun!

Matthew's Pumpkin Carving

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! We didn't get any decorating done, but Matthew carved this year's pumpkin by himself! What a great job! Just had to use it for the BIG blog picture. I have some before and after pictures on the family photo link later today.

Jeff is home safe and sound. It is good to have him back. Looks like he'll be home till spring. He will be bowling in a tournament in Grand Rapids. I may or may not go and watch. Matthew is working tomorrow at the show "In the Mood" at our performing arts center. I thought about going to that instead of the bowling, but it is $25 per person. He will work 10 hours and it is a paid job~! Yay Matthew! Mary is leaving for Ann Arbor in the morning to visit her friend and they are going to hear/see the Detroit Symphony. It is supposed to be a great show.

The weather has been yucky. Rainy, windy and chilly> Wonder how cold it will be for the trick or treaters? I have 600 pieces for our house, and 220 for our church's trunk or treat. That event has been a great success over the past few years.

It is LATE! Better get to bed.

Grace

It's Been a Good Day Overall

This morning my mom and I left home at 0915, sent a box to Sarah, picked up Norma and then headed for Detroit airport. We were there just before noon without any problems. It was sad to see mom leave, but we had a really fun time!

Norma and I headed back north and west. We stopped for lunch at Culver's and then went shopping at JoAnn Fabrics, Nike Store Outlet and Bath and Body Works. I bought some nice new shoes for my sore feet and some lotion for my dry hands! I found Gator material and bought a little of that for something special. We had a really nice time together, and got home around 5 pm.

Back at our house, dinner was homemade pizza before heading to the Fall Orchestra concert at the high school. Mary was a cello playing a cello. The concert was good for early in the year, including middle and high school students. The finale were songs from the Phantom of the Opera, and the Phantom showed up lurking around the orchestra. It was really cool.

I have to work early hours tomorrow and Friday. Tomorrow is 3 hours and Friday is 12 hours. After work tomorrow I will go to quilting with the main dish for lunch time. Need to be in Grand Rapids by 2pm and then will attend a meeting about how to find money for college. Jeff comes home Friday night. Saturday Jeff is bowling in a tournament and Mary is going to Ann Arbor to visit her friend and then they will attend the Detroit Symphony. Trunk or Treat at Mount Calvary at 6 pm~ I can't believe it is nearly November.

I am pretty tired, so I am going to get some sleep before my alarm goes off at 0430!

Grace

PS- I talked to my mom. She is home safe and sound. Evidently the plane was like an Emergency Room. Lots of sick people sneezing coughing and even throwing up! Stay healthy mom! Thanks for coming~ we had lots of fun!

Time Is Up

Well since it is after midnight, I can say that my mom leaves today. We sure had a lot of fun. In just 8 hours, I will be driving her back to Detroit airport, along with my friend Norma. I am glad she can come along so I have a buddy to drive home with too.! Thanks Norma!

Sunday's service was superb. The music was awesome and Jeff's sermon was great. We had burgers on the grill for lunch and then we were off to the reformation service in Sidney. Mary and her musical friends were playing for an anthem. They played well and this service was nice, but much more "relaxed" and the ringing of the bells took several minutes. By the time we got home, we had a few hours before bowling. Mom and I did some stamp crafts for her to take home and Jeff took a needed nap. Matthew had his friend over and they played the Wii and even did some wrestling! Yikes! Bowling went really well for me. I bowled over average all three games. We took one point and our opponents took 3. Oh well, we still had fun!

I worked 5 hours on Monday and then spent the rest of the day with mom. Jeff left for military duty while I was at work. Matt and Grandma watched Ghostbusters, while Mary and I made chicken crescents for dinner. My kids choir and chime team rehearsals went well and the kids will sing on Sunday. Mary has been working on her cello costume for the orchestra concert tomorrow. It turned out nice. She brought Liam, the cello, home today to make sure she could play well with the costume on! It seemed to work out nicely and I took a picture. She did a great job. Mary's latest project is to crochet a Michigan blanket. She started it off with Grandma's help and then got several rows done. Grandma worked on it today while she was at school. It is coming along nicely, but there is a lot to go! Will it be done in time for the Michigan/Purdue game? She will be in the Big House next weekend and this weekend is a trip to Ann Arbor to hear the Detroit Symphony's Tchaikovsky concert! Still waiting to hear from U of M about her acceptance. We are trying to be patient, but others are getting their responses.


Mom and I had fun runnning around the stores today and then we enjoyed dinner at Applebee's before Mary went to College Spanish. Matthew drove home with a stop at the orchard and the car wash. My Prius is clean! Thanks Matt! Got some laundry done and played a game a scrabble. Mary won, Mom came in second and I had an awesome word~quaint! I wonder what points I would have scored? We just play without keeping score and the first person without letters wins! It is fun and less stressful!

Well, I'd better get to bed and rest before the big drive tomorrow~Orchestra concert to follow!

Grace

Today is the day to remember my wonderful Grandma Irene! Happy Birthday GG! I know she is happy in Heaven.

Time is Really Flying!

The week with Mom is going fast! We are having lots of fun and keeping very busy, as usual:

~The concert on Tuesday night was wonderful. Matthew and Mary did a great job in show choir. It is amazing how much the students in learn in a short amount of time. Next Wednesday Mary has an orchestra concert. The students are dressing up as it is just before Halloween. Mary has constructed a cello costume, so a cello will be playing a cello! Too bad Mom has to leave that morning, so she will miss it.

~I worked on Wed and Friday for eight hours. Mom read her books, kept Sammy company and worked on other projects, including preparing to play the organ for church. The weather turned colder and we had soup and sandwich for dinner. I showed mom the Wii games and she played Price is Right and enjoyed watching the sports wii games.

~Thursday we went quilting and enjoyed lunch together with the quilters. Mom practiced the organ while I worked on my moose quilt. Mom helped in the quilters room after she was done practicing. We are working on a HUGE project...a quilt with 35 cats on it! Thursday night was the Brass Trio practice that went very well. We play for church for the first time of the season tomorrow! Reformation!

~After work on Friday Jeff barbequed some venison that tasted really good. I would have thought it was beef if I didn't know what he was cooking. We had some pizza too. Kind of a crazy mixture hey? Mary had a gig practice for a reformation service in the evening. More Wii games and watched "Monsters and Aliens". I thought the movie was just ok. I am glad I didn't pay a lot to watch it in the theater. Then we had a big surprise! Sarah came home! Her friend Kellie was home on furlough from the Marines, so a friend picked her up after school and they came "home" to visit. She stopped by with her friends and said hello and chatted for a while. I know they had a really nice time.

~This morning Mary took the ACT at the community college. She said she feels really good about it. The last time she took the ACT her calculator's batteries were dead. She did the math with paper and pencil. She still scored a 28! She expects that today's test will be higher. We should be hearing from University of Michigan very soon. They would be crazy not to accept her! Mom and I went to a craft show, then did some shopping for some of our own crafts! All of us went in to Grand Rapids for steak dinner. We got home after 9 pm and watched the end of the Gator game. Yay, another Win! The past few hours were spent at church practicing for church and preparing for Sunday School. It sure was a packed day!

~Tomorrow is busy too! Church in the morning and then we will go to the service that Mary is playing for in the afternoon. Bowling in the evening! Jeff leaves on Monday for Air Force duty.

Still enjoying the Leaves!

Grace

First Concert of the Year

Tonight is the High School's first choir concert. Mary and Matthew will be at the end of the program in the show choir. Matthew's first year in the top choir! I am so glad that Mom is here to enjoy the concert. We are all excited! Jeff has council meeting, but he plans to leave in time for the show choir performance.

Sarah is back at Hope College. Mom liked her room, and we toured the chapel as well. We got back home in time for Mary's doc appointment. She has had a bad cough for several days. No pneumonia! Yay! Looks like a virus and she should be feeling better in a few days. For now she will continue with the cough syrup and an inhaler.

Better get to the concert!

Grace

Mom is Here!

Mom's airplane was on time in Detroit and we made it home by 5pm. She really loves all the colors of fall. Don't see much of that at all in Florida. Introduced Culver's burgers to her for lunch and then we all had dinner at our Mexican restaurant. Mary and Matt had practice for the choir show tomorrow, Jeff had a meeting and Mom, Sarah and myself went shopping for food at Meijer. Have one more load of laundry to finish. Work for 3 hours in the morning. Mary and Brandon are at the movies and Sarah is across the street at our neighbors finishing a movie from last night.

Tomorrow we take Sarah back to college by lunch time. She has to work at a cross country practice at 2pm. I think we will take a scenic route home and then the concert in the evening. I work Wednesday and Friday too. Time with my mom will fly by!

Guess that is all for now.

Grace

Sunday Afternoon

It has been a really great Sunday! Sunday school was fun, we learned about Elijah goes to Heaven in the fiery chariot. Adult Choir sang just beautifully today! With the usual few errors that I make on a Sunday, I think I did pretty well. One communion hymn was 8 verses. I was going to play four, play a little interlude, and then the last four. Well, my kids in the front pew sang out verse 5 without me! So from now on, I am just going to play the whole hymn start to finish. The chime team played for the first time of the season and I think it was the best ever! I am very proud of the team. We even got applause! The congregation thanked us with gifts and a cake for Pastor's Appreciation day. We immediatlely used our new gift card to Applebee's for lunch.

Mary is back out to Brandon's for the day. Sarah 's friend is here and we are playing Dutch Blitz. Sarah is winning :( Matthew is playing video games. Earlier, Jeff, Matthew and I were outside raking leaves. There sure were lots of them. The picture of the leaves at the top were on our yard! I am close to getting the laundry done and the kitchen is cleaned. Bowling starts in just 30 minutes! I hope that I can do better than last week's 83! That is all for now I guess!

Homecoming 2009

Matthew decided to go to the dance. So I had to take a picture of him. He just got his hair cut today! I took him over at 8 pm and will wait for him to call for pick up.

Brandon made it back to Greenville about an hour ago and Mary is out visiting. Sarah has two friends over watching a scary movie! What is a scary movie without popcorn, chips and salsa and pizza rolls in the dark!!!! I am in the living room folding clothes and will start my sunday school lesson very soon. I think I have the music for church under control. Jeff is at church getting ready for service. It is certainly a lot more quiet there!

Sad to see Bradford hurt again and the Sooners losing the game. Glad that the Gators could pull off another win! That was too close of a game for me. Michigan had a "training" week against

Delaware State, as the radio man explained. We'll see who is at the top of the Football picks this week. Sarah and Mary have been there a long time!

Have a good Sunday!

Grace

Sarah's Home

Got home from work on time yesterday. Jeff and I drove over to Hope College and brought Sarah home for the weekend. It is fall break. She was supposed to have a Spanish midterm Friday but after a couple twists and turns, the midterm is now on Wednesday, the day after they get back from break. Sarah had hoped to get it over with. She and some friends studied two hours together on Thursday to be prepared! We went to the Greenville High School football homecoming game on the way home. Sarah worked down on the field with Mr Day. It was very cold. I had to go sit in the car, since I wasn't dressed warm enough. After we got home we ordered a pizza and enjoyed eating together watching baseball.

This morning I drove Mary to Central Michigan University for the Centralis Scholarship competition. It was an unusual day. Mary found grammatical errors on the power point and the message from the professor of the year got a little silly. Didn't even get the weather science right. The e-mail confirmation letter Mary received from the admissions office had run on sentences and poor punctuation. It doesn't give her a lot of motivation to go there for preparing as an English teacher. As for the competition, she said the essay question was easy. We won't know if she makes it to the next round until January. Should she win, the scholarship is a full ride scholarship for 4 years.

This afternoon we are watching football. Mary and I listened to the Wolverines on the radio on the way home from CMU. They were way ahead at half time~40 something to 3. We are watching OU battle Texas. Poor Bradford is injured again. Wonder if I will be able to watch the Gators tonight? I do have to prepare for Sunday School and I play for church tomorrow. Chimes play for the first time of the season. Lots to do! Laundry is extra large with all of us at home. I don't mind....I love having Sarah home. She is going to have a few friends over to watch a horror movie tonight. I won't be joining them this time. Matthew has decided to go to the homecoming dance afterall. Brandon is coming home tonight, so Mary will go spend time with him this weekend.

Well, if I am going to be prepared for tomorrow, I had better get moving!.....after the game!

Grace

Spirit Week

This is spirit week. It ends with our school's homecoming game on Friday and the dance on Saturday. Neither Mary or Matthew will be going to the dance this year. It will save me some money on dresses, clothes and hair! Anyway the week started off with twin day. Mary and a friend wore the same style shirt. Tuesday was camo day. Mary wore Matt's paintball camo shirt/jacket with jeans and Matthew wore a black shirt and camo pants. Yesterday was black and White day. Mary looked very very nice..Matt didn't want to participate which is fine. Today was wear your favorite school clothes. Mary wore Michigan and Matthew wore Michigan State! Will there be a rivalry within the family? Sarah of course would be wearing Hope College. Tomorrow is Purple and Gold day, GHS school colors! I hope we can win our football game.

I had a good day today. Got some things accomplished in the morning including baking brownies for the quilter's lunch. They turned out really tasty! Never put candy corn on brownies until after you bake them...they sink and melt. I learned that today. I got three more rows on my moose quilt done. It is looking really nice. This afternoon I tried to use a computer program to write music for orchestra. I got too overwhelmed and frustrated, so I just wrote it on staff paper like I am used to doing. The transposition wheel that I have is really helpful. Mary and I made ravioli for dinner and then she had class and the rest of us went to orchestra. The brass trio sounds great. Matthew's trumpet really adds to the depth of the song. He likes to improvise a lot. Most of it sounds really good. Jeff plays his French horn and Daryl the euphonium. We are ready to play for reformation sunday. Mom H. will be here and is playing for the service.

Tomorrow Jeff will go get Sarah from college for a long weekend. I work till 1630 and then will be home doing laundry and if it is nice, maybe go to the football game. There should be a parade too. Sarah and Jeff should be back in Greenville around 1930. Saturday morning Mary will be writing an essay for a scholarship competition. It will be an early morning...registration is at 0800! We will be back for lunch and then there is a party in the afternoon. Brandon is coming home in the evening for a long weekend as well, so I am sure Mary will want to go spend time with him. Monday Mom arrives in Detroit, and Jeff and I will be going to pick her up in the afternoon. Sarah goes back Tuesday, so Gma will get to see everyone.

Guess that is all for now...

Grace

Tuesday Took a Turn

Today was planned out for certain things to get done and things turned out very different. We ate the dinner I planned and I got a few projects done this morning, but the afternoon was like a whirlwind of stress!

Took the Prius into Grand Rapids to get the oil changed by the Toyota dealer. I had a coupon, plus I felt sure that they would know for sure how to maintain the Hybrid. Well, it wasn't that good of an experience. One of the service guys showed me that I had dirty air filters (Yes, they were dirty). However it seemed like $70 is a lot to pay for them. I was not prepared today to have that done. So I said I would think about it and come another time. When I picked up the car, the was a notation on the slip that said the filters were very dirty and the owner declined replacement. Reading between the lines, it said you are a bad car owner. Shame on you! As I drove away, I heard a terrible gear sound! I stopped, drove around the parking lot and could not replicate the noise, so I drove home. No problems. I stopped at Big Boy to get Mary an application for work. When I got back in the car and started it up and drove away the noise was back....I called Toyota and said I was coming back. Another 30 minute drive one way to have the fix what ever they broke. I dealt with another service person, whom I like and had before. Infact his son went to school with Sarah. He got the mechanic out and we rode together and the sound was replicated. He got out and discovered that there was a piece of metal bent on the wheel that the tire was hitting.. He was glad I brought it back and said there was no damage to the tire sensor wire, wheel, metal or tire! Yay! He's not sure how that happened, but I told him everything was fine until after the oil change. So far so good.

After driving another 40 minutes home, I had planned on talking about money planning, jobs and school. Well Mary had another blow by the theater department. Seems the director likes to say one thing and do another. Oh to the opening of new wounds. I am hoping that we can come to some resolution so we can all go on without bitterness. The money talk will have to wait.

Mary had Spanish class after dinner and then came home and is talking to her best friend and did her homework. Matt had a little nap and did his homework too. I am doing my homework, ~blogging! I want to write a report for music committee meeting too, since I will be at work tomorrow. Sarah comes home on Friday.

Jeff is on his way home from the Pastor's conference and should be home in about one hour from now. Yay!

That was my day in a large nutshell.

Grace

!!! Just realized that I lost another earring !!!!!! Darn !!!!

What a Wonderful Weekend!

Jeff and I had a really nice time in Minnesota for our friend Mark's wedding. The weekend was filled with lots of activities and excitement.

Our plane to Minnesota was delayed almost an hour due to weather conditions. The ride there was fine and they made up time, except when we landed they had no gate assignment for us. We sat on the tarmac for nearly 30 minutes waiting for a place to park! Many passengers saw their connections leave right in front of their eyes! We were glad that we didn't have any connections. Once we were parked at the gate it was off to the marathon of finding the baggage claim and rental cars. There is lots of walking at this airport and thankfully people movers too! We noticed that this airport is prepared for winter! The rental car garage and even gas refills are in the basement, inside! We drove a Toyota Matrix while we were in Minneapolis. It was very nice.

We drove across the highway to the Mall of America. What a place! It is huge and has an amusement park inside the mall! We ate at Tony Roma's Place for Ribs. I got chicken which was very good, and Jeff had the ribs which were ok but overpriced. Afterward Jeff treated me to Coldstone Ice Cream. I had a wafflebowl dipped in chocolate and sprinkels with chocolate chocolatechip ice cream. It was delicious, but very filling! I don't think I could have eaten one more sprinkle. Jeff had a waffle cone dipped with peanuts and cake batter ice cream and oreos. Naturally we needed to walk it off so we spent a good amount of time walking around to see what was there. There was Legoland, the rides, American Girl Doll store and even the home plate from a previous baseball stadium where the mall stands today! We did purchase a few things, and I looked for shoes that I ended up finding at Target near our hotel.

Jeff drove some pretty heavy rush hour traffice north through town to our hotel. The Suite we stayed at was very nice and reasonable with our military discount. It was a little late, but we headed back south to Minneapolis to see if we could see a play at the Guthrie Theater. Each night, 15 minutes before the curtain call, the sell tickets from 15-25 dollars depending on the day and time. This line is called the rush line and is first come, first served! We got there and since it was a Friday evening, we bought two tickets at $25/each. We were on the floor, 8 rows fromt he stage! How awesome is that! The play was amazing.. we saw Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest". Lots of laughs and good acting. This was a theater kind of in the round. Before the show, we went out on the observation deck and saw the night lights of the city. I really liked the lights on the bridge.

Saturday morning we met some new friends at breakfast. Paul and Monique were AF friends with Mark and Kim as well. I guess he was Mark's boss 3 times! Anyway, it was nice to meet new people and make new friendships. We sat together at the reception and had lots of fun. Jeff and I went exploring a little and had a nice pizza lunch at a nearby restaurant. When we got back to the hotel, it was time to get ready for the wedding.

The wedding was very nice. The pastor had a nice message. The bride's daughter and a sister sang some songs. This wedding was very emotional as well. Mark's son Scott couldn't be there as he is in pilot training in the USAF. There was a candle lit there to signify his prescence from far away. Mark's brother was the best man in Scott's stead, and the rest of the bridal party were the children of the bride and groom. Pat lost her husband to cancer, and most of you know how sad we were when Kim went to heaven 2 years ago. It is comforting to know that she is in God's presence. In that light, there were a myriad of emotions "flying" around. It was wonderful to see Mark very happy.

Sunday morning came early, and we were invited to share in the event of gift opening. We had a nice breakfast together and met some new people and have good fellowship. Mark's neighbors from Maryland are a lot of fun! Before we knew it, it was time to head back toward the airport. We had an hour or so to burn, so we just drove around the city to see what we could find. One thing we couldn't find was a gas station to fill up the tank for the rental car. We weren't going to run out, but we needed to return it full.

We returned our car, checked one peice of luggage for $15, went through security and then made the haul back to the gate, this time using a tram! YAY! I still can't believe we now have to pay for our luggage to ride in the underbelly of the plane. It is like a robber without a gun! We stopped for a bite to eat at the airport, since we had to high tail it to bowling as soon as we got home! I had Chinese and Jeff had a bagel sandwich. The plane was overbooked and they were asking for volunteers with flexible scheduling to fly home "tomorrow". We thought about it, then they said that the next flight was Monday at 3:40 pm! That is crazy...so no way Jose'! The plane was boarded and there we were again waiting on a plane for what? Evidently there was some maintenance issues, then the pilot apologized and said that the airport was short on workers and our luggage wasn't on the plane yet and catering hadn't arrived! What on earth are we paying that $15 dollars for??? It was another 30 mintues before we left, almost on hour after our scheduled departure. Needless to say that once back in Grand Rapids, we were very late to bowling. We bowled the last game with the team and then bowled the games we missed by ourselves. We ended up splitting the points and took 2. I had only one good game, 126. Jeff bowled pretty well and maintained his average of 150. Thanks to Mary, she brought our balls to the alley so we wouldn't have to stop at home first.

The kids did really well while we were gone. Mary and Matthew went to Hope College to visit Sarah. They went to a soccer game, played Dutch Blitz , ate dinner at Steak and Shake and watched a scary movie together. It is so nice to know your kids like spending time together! Mary did report to us Sunday morning that Sammy ripped and ate part of the cardboard backing of our refrigerator! I don't know what got into him, or how he actually got behind there in the first place. We have been finding him in wierd places. He has been sleeping upstairs, in Jeff's office and curled up by the kitchen table.

Now that we are back home, Jeff leaves again this afternoon for Pontiac for the Pastor's Conference. He will be back on Wednesday. I work Wednesday and Friday. Sarah comes home Friday for the weekend. Mary and Matt keep up with their activities at school. My mom arrives one week from today and will stay for ten days! Hurray! I will do my best to keep you updated during the week.

Have a great day!

Grace

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM! LOTS OF LOVE!

Before We Fly Away

Had some good work days. I managed to sew a few rows of my new quilt today after my foot doctor appointment. Got some new shoe inserts and meds. We will see if that helps my sore feet heal! Theater boosters meeting went well. Came up with some good ideas and strategy. Was able to talk to the managers about the fall play fiasco. We had a good discussion. Time to move on and look to the future. Mary is doing well and Matthew is anxious to get back to scenery and floor work as soon as the Stage Manager is done with soccer. The kids are going to see Sarah this weekend. I know they are looking forward to being together. Jeff and I leave tomorrow for Minnesota. We are excited to share in the joy of our friend's wedding. We will get back on Sunday, maybe even in time to bowl! Better finish packing!

Get Me to the Church on Time!

Grace

A Quick Note from Sarah

First off, I'd like to say this is my first attempt blogging so bare with me.

On November 13, Hope College is having a Relay for Life. My friend and I had decided towards the end of last year that we wanted to make an "Athletic Training" team for the next relay. Now its coming up. I am posting this today to see if you would consider donating to a very worthy cause. For those of you who aren't exactly sure what Relay for Life is here's a quick refresher.

Relay For Life is a really fun event that raises money to combat this disease and to spread awareness about how we can protect ourselves from cancer. It brings together people of all ages and we walk around a track for 24 hours to signify that cancer never sleeps. It’s basically a time of celebrating those who have battled the disease, remembering those who have died and a chance to fight back against a disease that takes too much from too many.

If you would like to help by donating, please click HERE. This will take you to my personal page and will give you a link to donate. I know, lots of links.

Thank you so much for your help.
~Sarah

Enthusiasm~Hope~Sadness

Well I really hoped the Tigers would win tonight. They started off so well~3-0! Then the game got closer and closer, tied and retied...I still had hope until the last Twin crossed the plate to win. Sniff Sniff... It was a crazy game, at least it was close and not a blowout! Who will I root for to win the series???? I'm thinking St Louis, since I went to nursing school there and they were my team when Ozzie Smith was their shortstop. As you can imagine Sarah is very unhappy as well. She loves that game and team more than anyone else I know. The commercial of all the babies dressed in baseball clothes, my grandchilden will be wearing a Tigers jersey one day! No Rush though! Hhahahaha.

Tomorrow is another all day work day and then choir. Not much time to get other things done. I work early on Thursday too and then have a doctor appointment for my plantar fascitis, quilting and a theater booster meeting.. Packing and dinner with the Gideon people. Yes the ones with the Bibles. Wedding this weekend. We can't wait. That is all for now...GO TIGERS, I love you anyway!

Grace

Just a Quick Update

Here are the 2009-2010 Hope College Athletic Tranining Students. Sarah looks so beautiful don't you think? It is nice to have her in the front row. I worked yesterday all day then had some really good music rehearsals. The kids sang well, and the chime team really turned the corner this week and are melding nicely. I worked this morning for 3 hours, and am back home with a bad headache. I took my meds and now am off to take a nap. All is well otherwise. ~Grace

Win Some~LOSE ALL!

None of our teams won today. That was a really downer. Michigan tied it up in the final minutes of regular play, then blew it with a great change to score in OT. Tigers couldn't win again today. I think that is 3 losses in a row. They have to win tomorrow! It would help if the Twins would lose too! Then the Sooners started out strong and then had trouble in the second half. Close to a touchdown, but not close enough, they lost too.

Otherwise we had a nice day. Went shopping a few times, once for groceries and once for new church pants for Matthew. Made Ravioli for dinner. Then play Dutch Blitz for 2 rounds. I won a game and Mitch won a game. Matthew wanted to challenge me again, but I had to get ready for Sunday School and practice a song for church tomorrow. I am looking forward to the kids choir singing tomorrow.

That is it folks!

Grace

Football Day!

I am pretty disappointed. The Michigan vs Michigan State game is not on our TV or on ESPN 360! So I am sitting here at the computer listening to game on CBS sports on the U of M website. The game just started and Michigan already got a field goal after an interception. Mary and Brandon are at their friend's house to watch the game on the channel we don't get! Sooner game on ESPN tonight and maybe even on a regular tv channel. We will see. Sarah is in Lansing today for Hope College Cross Country meet. Go Dutch~! Hope she doesn't have too many injuries, course that is how you get experience. Still I pray no one gets hurt.

Dinner last night was delicious. Everything turned out really well. Brandon and Mary sang for several hours last night, something they love to do! Jeff and I wathced "Memoirs of a Geisha". I just love that movie, it might show up on my Christmas list. Matthew's friend came over to spend the night. They watched some TV, were on facebook and now they are playing tennis down the street.

I am going to work on some picture projects and plan for Sunday School tomorrow. I need to go through my sock drawer too. I have too many, many with holes in them :( I will need to go to the store too for milk and a few other groceries. I applied for a few more jobs with the same result- Not selected. Sure wish God would let me in on His plan! I know Iknow, have faith! I do!

The rain is gone for now and the sun is out with a partly cloudy sky. We never heard from the Miss Danish people, so Mary had no idea where or when to meet for the parade. So we said go ahead and spend the day with your friends. The Miss Danish people really should have told her when to meet long ago.

That is all for now...Hope the Wolverines can start running the ball better. State is ahead!

Grace

So Far Sooooo Fun!

Mary made it safely to Ann Arbor and is already heading back with Brandon and their friend Nicole. I expect they will be "home" for dinner around 7 or 7:30pm. I feel better when she is not driving alone.

Matthew and I went bowling to support the Senior Mystery Trip this afternoon. We bowled on a lane by ourselves and actually got 4 games in 90 minutes. My first game was great~124! The middle two were exactly the same 98. I redeemed myself the last game with a 115. Matthew had a really good last game, 126! He should have found that ball from the beginning! After bowling we met Jeff at Applebee's for lunch. Jeff and I had lunch combo~French Onion soup and French Dip Sliders. MMmmm. Matthew had chicken fingers.

Back at home, we learned to play Dutch Blitz. We like it a lot. It will be even more fun with more people playing! I won the first round and then we had to stop as it is time to make the crescents. I also went out and harvested most of our tomatoes, even if they were green. I don't want to have the cold temperatures ruin the rest of our crop. Listen to me like I am some kind of farmer! Anyway the green ones are on the sill waiting to ripen. Right along with the cool weather, many many of the leaves are turning already. They started early this year...end of August. We have a light blanket of leaves covering our lawn on the side of the yard.

Well, better go...I want dinner to be great!

Grace

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!