SPORTING AROUND

It's springtime which brings about another sports season with the grandkids starring as my favorite sportsters! Isabella is on the Track and Field team at her school and the boys are playing church little-league softball (or T-ball in Jaden's case.) It is a lot of fun to watch them.

Richard and I traveled about an hour out of town for Isabella's first track meet. It was a long 4 hours of sitting there for her 2 events (the one mile and the two mile) but we persevered and she was able to ride home with us. We even treated her to a yummy dinner at a local restaurant in that area.

Starring Isabella in track and field and Josh and Jaden in T-ball:


Belle running in one of her races



Belle (on the right) and her friend after their race:



Jaden running all out



Jaden is the boy in the back... he is catching up with his teammate as they run to the bases after a hit




Amy and Jaden


Josh running a base after getting a hit

Our grandkids' sports keep us on the move.... so to speak!

PRESIDENTIAL CONVERSATION

So we said to him, "Barack, we know Abe Lincoln, and you ain't him."

FOLLOWERS

My friend Robin wrote to say that she has tried to sign-up to be a follower of my blog but she gets an error message. When I look at the list of my followers, I have a whopping three of them ~~ one of whom is listed as Robin. I don't know a lot about this stuff so found a place where I was able to put in Robin's email address so that she can receive email notification when I post anything new. Robin, this entry is a test to see if that method will work for you. If I have only three faithful readers, I certainly don't want to disappoint any of the three of you. :)

God is good! Have a wonderfully blessed day!

Being a Blessing Resulting in Receiving a Blessing!

Richard and I went up to visit Chip last week for the express purpose of "catering" a luncheon at his house for the church staff on Thursday.

We did all of the shopping, prepping, cooking, and serving. It was a ton of fun!!

As we were preparing to leave to return home the day after the luncheon, we turned on the weather channel only to discover that there was dangerous weather all of the way from his house to ours. We didn't want to drive 350 miles home in rain, wind, storm warnings, etc. so stayed put for Friday with the intent to leave for home on Saturday morning.

We learned from the weather channel that Huntsville had a "significant" chance for "significant" snow on Sunday. You have to understand: I love the snow. I don't like to be out in it but I love to watch it fall, love to step outside to feel it, "hear" the softness of the stillness it produces, and then enjoy by looking out the window at it. Richard and I decided to stay for the snow event!! (Chip wasn't even home on Friday and Saturday as he had gone to Paducah, KY to preach in a youth conference!) When Chip called (thinking we were headed home) we asked permission to stay through Sunday and, of course, he was very gracious and said that would be great.

The snow arrived on Sunday morning as was predicted and was so pretty!!

I had 3 hours to enjoy it before we left for Sunday School and church. When we came out of church, the clouds had parted to allow the brightness of the sun to shine down and melt all of the snow. It was so very beautiful for those few hours!

So, we went up to Chip's to be a blessing to him in the cooking of the luncheon and ended up receiving a huge blessing in our extended stay and the beauty of the snow. Thank You, Lord Jesus!!

My GRANDchildren

Our WONDERFUL grandkids stayed with us for 4 days while Amy went to "CEC" and then she and Brian had a weekend-get-away. We had so much fun with the kids. One evening while I was washing the dinner dishes, Jaden came into the kitchen with a flag, stood beside me, and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. I thought it was so cute that I dried my hands and asked Jaden if I could make a movie of him saying the Pledge. He loves to be in Grandma's movies (whereas the older kids don't like me to make their pictures much less a video!) so I grabbed my camera, took him into our "patriotic" guest bedroom, stood him on a stool in front of the patriotic stuff on top of the chest-of-drawers, pointed the camera at him and said, "Go." He lit into saying the Pledge, added the singing of "My Country "Tis of Thee," and then added a special blurb at the end about the Bible. That was all of his own doings which blessed my Grandma heart immeasurably. Here is Jaden (age 4 years and 3-1/2 months) as captured on Grandma's video....

Dr. Dennis On the Auto Harp

For 7 years, I have had the blessing of working in a Bible Study at a local retirement center. It is such a precious privilege to help with the Study as we bring in the senior citizens and Carol leads them in a study of God's Word. Recently, Dennis and Pennie M. have started coming out on Friday morning. Dr. Dennis is a musician and plays the auto harp for our song service. We are ALL enjoying this God-given talent. Here is a just a small auditory sampling of what we enjoy every Friday.

It's Grand Central Station With the Grandkids Here!

Yep... the grandkids are visiting, and they keep us busy!! Their school was dismissed at 1:00 on Wednesday for the annual "Teachers' Conference." Grandpa picked Belle and Josh up at school and they started their "vacation" at our house that afternoon. Jaden didn't go to school on Wednesday because I invited him to stay with us instead of going to K4 as it was going to be a "short day." Grandpa and I had a fun time with him and then picked up Belle and Josh at school when they got out at 1:00 for their 2-1/2 day vacation from school. During that morning with Jaden, we played outside and had a "BALL." Here is a picture I made:


As Amy left for the conference this Thursday morning and Brian headed off to work for the day, the kids arrived on our doorstep. We had a nice leisurely early morning and then headed for the church at 10:30. Richard and I had a luncheon meeting at the church that we were helping to "put on" so we had to be there at 10:30 to get things set up for the 12:00 luncheon meeting. The kids went to the gym (located in that building) and spent 3 hours entertaining themselves in the gym. We checked on them a couple of times, took their lunch (from the luncheon spread) to them, and then helped them put the equipment (balls and other paraphernalia) back where it went when the meeting was over. I was so proud of them. They allowed us to do ministry and participate in the luncheon and took care of themselves those 3 hours.

We got home from church at 1:45 so it was time for Jaden to grab a nap so Belle and Josh went to their house to get their music practice times done. While they were gone and Jaden was down, I found a warm place in the sun room and took a little snooze myself. It felt soooooooooooo good!!

Brian (their daddy and our son-in-law) brought pizza home for all of us to have dinner together so that was nice. He gathered up the troops (his kids) to take them out on a special fun evening together. Grandpa and I are enjoying the peace and quiet after their departure. Tomorrow will be another day of entertaining them and then we will have them through Sunday afternoon while Brian joins up with Amy after he gets off work on Friday and they take a 2-night get-away. We will enjoy the kids while they enjoy their R&R!! So Friday morning (when Brian leaves for work and the kids come over) will begin our 2-1/2 day and night fun of keeping our grandkids. It's like Grand Central Station but we need that once in a while.

NUMBERS COUNT!

This was D-Day week for me. I have been having trouble with my blood pressure and high triglycerides for a couple of years. I knew that the blood work this time would reveal how well or not-so-well my current meds were doing. I have been on HCTZ for my high blood pressure and on Fish Oil pills for the high tris. I went to the hospital lab on Monday for the blood work and then reported to my physician on Thursday morning for the results.


It turned out that my triglycerides were UP from 208 to 247 so he put me on a medication called Triglide to help bring that number down. My blood pressure was still up (152/92) and my potassium level was a little low so he took me off the 25 mg. of HCTZ that I have been on for two years and put me on the pill called Lisinopril/HCTZ which contains half the dose that I was taking of the HCTZ.

I am thankful that our Great Physician gives man the wisdom to formulate these medications to help us with our physical problems. I pray that the blood work in 3 months shows improvement in both my blood pressure reading and my triglyceride number. As far as I know, I am as healthy as a horse otherwise, and I don't take that lightly. Thank You, Jesus!!

Richard's Latest Projects Around the House

1Kings 11:28 And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valour: and Solomon seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.

It's hard to believe that Richard has been retired for nine months. When he was making plans for retirement, I wondered how in the world he would keep himself busy. I knew he was used to being busy 8-5 and worried that he might not enjoy being un-busy.

Ha!! Retirement life can be as busy as you care to make it. We are more involved in ministry and have somewhere to go most every day. In addition to that kind of being busy, Richard has kept busy with projects around the house. He is always thinking up some way to make an improvement, etc.

Last summer we got rid of our 2nd car which was our third vehicle. With Richard retired, we didn't figure we needed the two cars plus the truck so down-sized to one car and the truck. The truck (big ole dually) is parked in the back yard (behind the gate) so this opened up one side of the garage. Richard has a lot of tools and "stuff" that has been in his "workshop/shed" for these 7 years. He has made a switch!! The shed is now a storage place and one side of the garage is being transformed into Richard's workshop. He is a happy camper!! He will be cooler working in the garage than he was in the shed, he's got a big utility sink in the garage that will be handy, he is just outside the laundry room door so I can communicate with him better when he is working. He is enjoying putting it all together in the garage and having the shed for more storage.

His project this week was to buy, assemble, and install cabinets. He bought two huge cabinets for our garage.... his and hers.... so we can store some things out of sight. I had so much fun filling my cabinet with extra crock pots, warming buffets, Christmas dishes, and other things. His, of course, is full of ............. whatever men put in storage cabinets. HA!

Yesterday, he completed installing new cabinets in my laundry room. When the house was built, we had the wire shelving put in over the washer and dryer. I was fine with it but knew it always looked kind of messy. I love my new cabinets!!! They are pretty and so very functional. As usual, I am the one who benefits the most from Richard's projects. I am so grateful for a husband who is willing to make these improvements in our home.

Next on the agenda???? There's no telling.... but I bet I will love it!!

The new cabinets in the garage

Richard organizing and putting together his workshop in the garage

My new cabinets over the washer and dryer

Pics of Us Celebrating Richard's 62nd Birthday

Brian, Amy, and the kids came over on Saturday morning (actual birthday) for brunch. We made a few pics outside after brunch.

On Sunday, we went to Ryan's to celebrate Grandpa's birthday again and I made a few pics there.

Grandpa and Josh working on a project in the garage

Brian surveying things while Amy and Belle soak up the rays.

Jaden found his toddler ride in our garage and just had to ride it again.

Beautiful Bella

Josh with the bike he won on Friday at the candy sale awards assembly

Grandpa and Jaden at lunch at Ryan's today

Josh and Grandpa at lunch

Richard and Susan after lunch

That's all of the pics made during Richard's #62 celebration.