Cherries and One More

This is Jack's plate after he ate supper. For dessert he had cherries.
Kristen is posing for a picture featuring her new duck bill made with two pringle potato chips.
Some of the leftover cherries.
Another type of cherry. I think they are called Queen Anne.
This is the last of the left-over cherries.

The kids and grandpa had fun picking cherries. They have eaten several bowls full. I sure hope they don't get sick.

I have to get back to the camper and dry these children off (they have been playing on the slip'n'slide) and get them ready for the evening meeting. Jack and Madeline will be singing with their primary friends in the big tent this evening at 7:55 p.m.

Hoping to have more to follow, depending on the cooperation of the internet service here which is very limited.

Pictures and Camp Meeting Update

Jack singing and doing sign language to the words of the song.

Matthew gave the sermon on Monday evening to the primary division. It was on love and the ten commandments. He did great. I think he is a future family pastor. Watch out grandpa!!

The kids spent hours knocking down pine cones from this tree.

Still playing with the pine cones.

All the kids plus extras as they eat their strawberry shortcake.

Madeline.

Our camp site.
Jack and Kristen

The kids and grandpa are off picking cherries. They took all sizes and shapes of bowls so each one would have a bowl to put their cherries in. They didn't have a ladder, but grandpa said the older kids could just climb the trees and he would lift the littler ones up to pick. Can't wait till they get back and have a chance to sample. Below are a few more pictures from camp meeting.

Camp Meeting Highlights

Oh, we are having a great time!!! The internet here is soooo slow, I've tried several times to add pictures, only to find myself frustrated because it takes so long so I'm just going to write to let you know what is going on.

The kids are having a blast. They love the meetings and come running back to the camper after their meetings, telling me (all of them at the same time) what they did and showing me the treasure they received. It is so easy to entertain them. For instance, today the kids have spent hours throwing a stick up into a pine tree, seeing how many pine cones they can knock down. Then they have a pine cone fight. I've had to work everyday, but Bob has been looking after them when I'm busy. Last night Bob came back from spending a few hours at home with the kids and brought a flat of local fresh strawberries. So, supper was simple. Strawberry shortcake. I served eight kids supper. And half of them asked for seconds. Kristen wanted seconds on the cool whip!! We're having a repeat of the strawberry shortcake tonight and the kids are so excited.

The primary division are singing a special song for the big tent this evening and Jack is so excited. He can hardly wait. Last night they practiced and Jack went right up front to help the leader sing and do the sign language. He is just loving it here.

Below are a few pictures I've managed to put on. It takes so long to attach the pictures. I have some really cute pictures from yesterday, but I'm just going to go with what I have for now and enter those later.

This is where jack sleeps. He's eating a little snack before bedtime here. Homemade biscuits with homemade strawberry jam.

Here's a picture outside of our camper. The kids and I went and bought these flower baskets and we also bought a metal hanger, but under the grass is just rocks, and Bob can't find any place in our camping area that the hanger will go into the ground. He just hits rocks. So the flowers are decorating our picnic tables.

Kristen and Madeline eating their late night snack.

Before we left for camp meeting, Jack was a big helper. Here Jack and Punkin are taking out the compost.

Madeline's bed is on the couch.

Jack's bed is on the table.

Kristen's bed is the top bunk. That's been her bed ever since she started coming to camp meeting.

More pictures to be added later. I hope.

Off to Work We Go!

It was back to work for me. Madeline went back home and Gracie and Hannah went to stay with Lisa's parents for a couple of days. Jack and Kristen went to work with me today. They were a great help too!! I made today a long day so I won't have to go in tomorrow. I'll be going out to the camp ground tomorrow to help the children's divisions get set-up.

Jack and Kristen helped me cut the memory verse cards for the primary division at camp meeting. Then they help collate them and put rubber bands around them. We had to do 100 sets. Along with 100 song books.After Jack finished his work, he took a break and watched a video in the conference room in the basement.
Kristen took a break and read her book while lounging in my office.

It was a fun day at work today. During lunch time, we played Bananagrams. We love that new game. I only had one tile left and Kristen was asking me about some words, so I got busy giving her advice and ended up losing the game. Kristen won!!! My friend Barbara thought it was a great game too. She and Jack played together as a team.

I'm on Vacation

I've taken a few days vacation to help Ryan and Lisa move. My job is to watch the girls. I think I have it easy. We are having such a fun time together. Madeline is also staying with me so Shannon can study. She finishes in August.

The girls had fun making biscuits for breakfast. They cut the biscuits out with cookie cutters so we had stars, hearts, Christmas trees, and moons. Pretty cute aren't they? The girls came up with the idea.

Then the girls went outside on the porch and played store. They had me save empty food boxes and they set-up their very own grocery store. An old electric calculator served as the cash register. They even had real "play" money.

Then they decided to take a break and blow bubbles. Gracie had fun chasing them and trying to catch them.

Shannon shared some of her tiger lilies so the girls and I planted them. Thank you, Tina, for the garden tools. They were perfect.

Then we had to fill all the bird feeders and hang them back up.

Gracie and Hannah look so cute in this picture. All three of the girls were so good. I had so much fun on my mini vacation.

Life is Great!

But busy!!! I've taken a few days of vacation to help watch Gracie and Hannah while Ryan and Lisa are packing and moving their things into storage and to our house. Madeline didn't want to be left out, so she has spent several days with me also. The boys, Ryan and Matt, are helping with the move. And, they have been a big help. Yesterday, I made a quick trip to Buffalo to pick-up Kristen and Jack. I took Hannah and Gracie with me. Auntie Lisa was taking Madeline home so she could see her daddy who was home for a couple of days. For the next few days we'll be busy packing and getting ready for camp meeting. Bob leaves today and will be in charge of the electrical at camp meeting set-up. Then he'll have a whole new set of jobs once camp meeting starts. I don't have to be there until Friday. Kristen loves to go to camp meeting and has been going with us for several years. This year, Jack decided he'd like to come. So, I was excited to be able to have both of them.

Yesterday on the way home we took an exit so we could stop and get an ice cream cone at McDonald's. As soon as we got back on the toll road, I heard a ding and the empty light came on. How can you run out of gas so fast when you just filled up on Friday? Fortunately, the kids had the answer so we would make it to a gas station before running out. Pray!!! They all agreed that that was the answer. And it worked. We made it to the next gas station. The gas pump shut off at $75.00. I was hoping it was full. Wrong. Only 3/4 full.

When we got home the kids had fun making scrap books. After awhile, Hannah and Jack decided to go outside and pick a few flowers. My house looks beautiful. Vases full of lovely flowers everywhere! Little Gracie doesn't care what is going on as long as she is on my hip or sitting on my lap. She's precious.

This and That

This has been a very busy week. We celebrated Lisa and Matthew's birthday on Wednesday evening. Ryan asked me to make a carrot cake and decorate it with roses. I don't usually decorate cakes, because it takes too long, makes a big mess, and then looks like a home decorated cake. And, that's exactly what happened. But, the cake sure tasted good. Ryan asked Bob to make homemade maple walnut ice cream and it turned out perfect and delicious. We had the party at Ryan and Lisa's house, but had to have it outside because Lisa is trying to pack and things are in a little disarray inside.

Here's the carrot cake and the very pitiful try at decorating.

Matthew's favorite gift was his new bicycle that his mom and dad gave him.

Thursday evening we went to the church school's program. It was so sweet to see Johnny (Lisa's little brother) holding himself up by pushing with his arms on the wheelchair armrests when the choir sang. He didn't want to be the only child sitting down. You could tell that it was very difficult for him to do this, but he did it everytime the choir sang and he knew the words to every song. He loves going to school. This is the first year he has been in school. He had been home-schooled.

Bob brought Ryan, Jr. and Matthew home on Thursday evening so they could help him mow the lawn and work in the garden on Friday.

Ryan did all the mowing with the tractor in the fields and around the garden. He is quite mechanically minded, knows how to drive the tractor, and he sure did a great job. A few years ago, Bob tried to teach me how to drive that tractor and it is way too complicated for me. The weather here is very miserable, though. We had ninety degree temperatures today with high humidity. I am so thankful that we have air conditioning in the house. I stayed cool and comfortable!

Bob brought a load of stuff from Ryan and Lisa's house that we will be storing at our house until they decide what to do with it. The boys helped grandpa unload the truck.

As you can tell, our garden is doing pretty well, but there are plenty of weeds. Matthew and grandpa worked about six hours in the garden pulling weeds. It looks much better now. I should have taken a picture after the weeds were pulled.

Lola is all wet and dirty. She looks pathetic and doesn't even know it. She is so sweet. She loves to run around in the weeds. That's why she is all wet and muddy. We had a big thunderstorm last night so everything is muddy and wet (just like Lola).

Matthew mowed the lawn around the house. There is so much humidity in the air I couldn't get a clear picture.

My peonies are blooming!

We were invited over to our friends, Bub and Pat, for dinner tonight and she asked me to make mashed potato buns, so I spent part of the day making them. I also made pecan rolls for Bob and the boys. It was a busy day but very productive. We're all very tired, so I'll close for now.

Lola Changed Her Mind

Tonight when I went out to go for my walk, both Punkin and Lola came running into the garage and when Punkin saw the leash, she started wiggling all over and whining. For the past two days, when Punkin did this, Lola would run to the slammer. She was not interested in going for a walk on a leash. Well Punkin must have told Lola how much fun she was having, because Lola twirled around and around and jumped in the car. She was going for a walk too.

I decided I should give her a trial walk on a leash around the yard before taking her out on the road, and it's a good thing I did. She didn't understand how to just walk with something around her neck that snugged up on her if she went too far ahead. So I worked with her a little and then she decided that she would once again, stay in the slammer.

As soon as Punkin and I arrived back home from our walk, Lola wanted out of the slammer and Punkin and Lola had a good long talk. I'm sure she will want to go tomorrow.

It sure would be interesting to know what Punkin told her.