End of Summer Events

I'm nowhere near the writer that Missy is. Months go by & I haven't written. There probably isn't as much for me to say as a mom with 2 busy girls and a BABY BOY on the way does! But, there have been some fun events since I wrote last, so I wanted to share them with you.



At the end of July, I went to Nashville for a long weekend to visit Paul & Katie. It was my 1st time to visit them there since they got married in November. Katie continues as Residence Director (Dorm Mom) for 105 freshman women in Heron Hall @ Belmont University. I went to visit Katie so we could work on a sewing project. She had gotten a pattern & cut it out earlier when Paul's mom, Frances, was there and I was trying to teach her how to sew on a new sewing machine that she had gotten. We didn't finish the dress before I had to return home, so I'm planning to go back at the end of October to hopefully do that.



August 2nd was Rick's & my 34th anniversary. It fell on a Sunday this year. It was a good time to reflect on all that the Lord has done in our lives.



Planning was also underway to celebrate Rick's 60th birthday on September 13th. The girls surprised Rick with a book & videos of remembrance and a visit from Becky, Paulie & Katie. We managed to pull it off without him knowing that they were coming. He was genuinely surprised and it was a special weekend. We were able to include Missy in the festivities via Skype.



This past weekend, I went to St. Louis with 7 ladies from our church. We went to the Joyce Meyer Women's Conference and it was really good. I have heard Joyce Meyer on TV, but I didn't realize how much her ministry does overseas. It was good getting to know the ladies from church better.



Our next trip will be at the end of next week as we go to NC. It will be the 50th anniversary of our former church in Winston-Salem (Midway), Faith Missionary Alliance Church. Rick will be preaching one night. It'll be good to see lots of old friends. Maybe I'll see some of you then!



Today I pulled out the last droopy giant sunflowers that I had planted in May. It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord put in that one little seed all that is needed to make a huge plant grow that yields so many other seeds. God is so Creative!

Granddaughters running in FL

Roadtrip to visit the Big & Little Girls

Since our family is so spread out, our vacation time can only be spent going to see them whenever we can. So, we took off Sunday, July 5th and traveled the 14 hours to Pace, FL (near Pensacola) where Paul, Missy, Ellie and Aimee live. Paul & Katie had gone down from Nashville to attend a wedding and spend time with the von Herrmanns for about a week, so we got to overlap and see them for a couple of days, too.



We were there 3 full days and enjoyed being with the little girls so much. Having the ability to see & talk to them on Skype helps a lot, but there's no substitute for hands on time. Of course, it was great being with Paul & Missy and Paul & Katie, too, but they don't grow as fast!







I'm so thankful that we have such a loving family that enjoys being together. We dream of a time when we'll live closer together.

Missy, 17 weeks along with Baby #3, and Keturah (Katie) with Mom

On Thursday last week, we took off on an 8 hour trip to visit with Becky in Augusta, GA. We hadn't been to Augusta in a couple of years, so it was high time that we made the trip. We got to spend some time with Becky, who'd returned from her 2 weeks medical missions trip to Trinidad less than 2 weeks before. She and her 2 sister housemates are moving from their rental house to a home that one of them has bought next weekend, so it's a transition time.



Last Saturday, we traveled the 12 hours back to Ft. Wayne from Augusta. It was a whirlwind trip and the time together went by much too quickly, but I'm thankful for the Lord's protection and the opportunity to go. I'm also thankful that Rick's mom was OK here while we were gone; she just can't make a trip like that, though I wish she could've seen everybody. I was apprehensive about leaving Danny in the kennel for the first time. He was a rescue dog and I didn't want him to feel neglected again, but he survived just fine. So, the trip went well, we're enjoying the beautiful weather while it lasts and we're back to work where the Lord has us for now.

Swan family crossing the road to look for bread in our yard

It's interesting that swans are so graceful on the water but walk like Godzilla on the land. I don't get too close to them, either, because they are very aggressive. I enjoy watching them anyway!

Can 2009 really be halfway over already?!

Tomorrow is July 1st and I've been meaning to update my blog for weeks. I don't write as often as Missy does on hers. I don't have 2 adorable girls here to write about! We mostly just work and wonder where the weeks went. But, for those who are interested, here's what we've been up to.



Our new Boston Terrier, Danny, has become more a part of our family. He loves it outside, so he spends lots of time on a leash outside. We all like being outside this time of year. We see all of our neighbors whom we hadn't seen during the long months of winter. I love the sights, sounds, smells and feel of late spring, summer and early fall. I enjoy getting out and planting flowers, adding to the pansies that I planted in the fall and amazingly, survived the winter here.



In the winter, I have a hard time running, since the roads are snowy and are slippery for weeks at a time. When the weather is nice, I can train to run in an occasional race. In early May, 5 of my co-workers and I went to Indianapolis and ran a 5K (3.1 miles) along with thousands of other people. I ran it in 31 minutes and 15 seconds. The time on the clock reflects the time from when the race started. It was a LARGE group, so we were wearing chips on our shoes so they could tell when we each FINALLY got to the starting line. Can you spot me?!




One of the things that I enjoy doing here in Ft. Wayne is to watch all of the creatures that the Lord blesses us with. My favorite critters to watch are the mute swans that inhabit the 3 ponds that are in our neighborhood. They go from one pond to another and I look for them when I run. Occasionally, they even cross the road and come into our yard as they did last week. They, along with the Mallard ducks, Canada geese, herons, hummingbirds, goldfinches and other birds, keep me entertained.



One night at the end of May, I made a visit to the ER of the hospital where I work and found out that the terrible pain I was having was because of a kidney stone. I'd always heard that it was some of the worst pain that you can have & I found that to be TRUE! After about a week of suffering, I FINALLY passed it. Here it is for those who'd like to see what one looks like. Sorry, I'm a nurse!



I'm so thankful for everyone's prayers as I went through that difficult time. Isn't it wonderful how quickly we can activate the Lord's prayer warriors?! I appreciate you all.

Last Friday, Rick and I had the opportunity to go to a local minor league basball game. We'd talked about going when we 1st moved here nearly 4 years ago & we'd never gotten there. So, it was nice to be able to go as part of a group with one of the companies that Rick serves. What a nice way to enjoy the gorgeous weather.



The next day, we had a visit from Dwayne & Rhonda Emberson, whom we know from our days in North Carolina. We don't get as many visitors as we did when we lived in GA and FL, so this was a treat! One of the nice things about living in so many places is that we've met lots of wonderful people! If you ever get near Ft. Wayne, IN, come see us!



Now, I'm looking forward to our trip to visit Missy and family on Saturday. We'll also get to see Paul and Katie and also Becky before we return the following weekend. I'd again be thankful for your prayers as we travel many miles. I don't take safety for granted. A week and 1/2 ago, Rick was on his way to do a funeral service. I remember praying for him after he left. When he returned, he told me that he had hit a deer on the way. I'm so thankful that he was OK and the car only had minor damage. The Lord is good!

As I was finishing this, Danny had a seizure, the 1st one that I've observed. I called Becky, because her Boston, Jake, has had seizures for over a year. I've often said that things we go through, if for no other reason, make us more able to relate to others who go through similar experiences. This was an example of one of those times. Thankfully, Danny seems OK now, but it gives me something to watch for.

Missy & Becky teaching Ellie a Palm Sunday song

3 Birthday Celebrations and a New Family Member

Tomorrow, it'll be a week since I returned from my trip to Pace, FL (outside of Pensacola) where Paul, Missy and their girls live. I had driven to Indianapolis and then flew to Pensacola by way of Atlanta the previous Tuesday. Ellie's 3rd birthday was a couple of days (3/31) before and Aimee's 1st birthday was on April 4th while I was there. It was so fun to spend a week with the von Herrmanns, experiencing their routine, seeing their new house, meeting their new cat, Piper and just spending time with them.



Becky drove to ATL from Augusta and then flew to Pensacola the day before Aimee's birthday, so she got to be there for Ellie & Aimee's joint birthday party.





Becky's birthday was April 8th, so we also celebrated "the National Holiday" a couple of days early.



Ellie & Aimee are so adorable & precious. Of course a Grandma would say that! It was so nice to be able to be with them in person for the better part of a week. I get to see them on Skype, which really helps, but nothing beats the personal touch. Paul & Missy are such good parents and have a nice house and good church. It was a blessing to be able to experience it all. I was wishing Rick could've been there. I hope we can get back during the summer.



It was special that I got to be with Becky on Palm Sunday. Becky is our Palm Sunday girl, because we have memories of her at age 3 or so in our background in Lake Worth, FL, waving a palm branch and saying "Honanna, honanna!" We got to tell Ellie about the meaning of Palm Sunday and teach her a song about it.





As such trips go, time flew by much too quickly. Becky & I flew to ATL on separate flights and had lunch together before she drove home & I flew on to Indy. I'm thankful for the opportunity to go and for the Lord's protection.



3 days later, Rick & I traveled to Michigan to look at a dog that had been rescued from a pound & fostered by a Boston Terrier rescue group. His name was Danny Devito and he's a year old. He's a sweet dog and we adopted him that day! Rick likes the name Mr. Bean, since he's lanky and has buggy eyes. I think Danny fits him (minus the Devito), so I guess he's Mr. Danny Bean. It's nice having a dog again after losing 14 year old Kayla 6 months ago. Rick had said at the time that we didn't need any more dogs, but we missed the companionship that they bring. Love takes work, but it's worth it!