Celebrating again!

Last week we celebrated our Dads for Father's Day.

This evening we had some more celebrating to do - we are always ready for an excuse to celebrate! We decided to drive way out in the boonies to the town of Burns, population around 260.

We wanted to eat at this little cafe, run by some Holdermans. (Holdermans belong to a religious group that has its roots right here in Kansas. Most other Mennonite and Amish groups have their roots in groups that formed in Europe during the Protestant Reformation. The original Holderman congregations grew out of the same stock of Russian Mennonite immigrants to Kansas who settled in south central Kansas.)

It is open only on Friday and Saturday.
Famous for their pies.

If you don't get there early, they may run out of the flavor you want.

There were probably 20 different flavors of pie available; our family had coconut, peanutbutter/chocolate, pecan, chocolate, cherry, and blackberry.

We got there at 5:00, having left Newton at 4:30. The place was packed out! The food delicious! Barbequed ribs, marinated chicken, chicken-fried steak, home-made mashed potatoes (not the flakes from a box) with gravy, rolls. Hannah and Sophia split a huge hamburger. Sophia said "It's just like McDonalds!" Uuh, not quite.

We celebrated my mom's, Aunt Millies' and my birthdays.

We do that every year since our birthdays are so close together.

( It's really a candle in that sack)

LOVE the journal with my grandchildren's pictures on it and the notepads.

And the wonderful wrought-iron leaves.

And such generous gifts from my parents.

Thanks everyone!!!

We also celebrated Mindy having graduated from nursing school!!

YAY!!!

Mindy deleted the picture of her wearing this nurses cap I made so here is Sophia modeling it.
So proud of you Mindy for all you have accomplished!

She begins her job at Galichia ICU in July after she completes her state boards.

Josh and Staci also will be celebrating their anniversary the same day as my birthday.

Happy Anniversary!!
Wish you could have come with us!

Colleen

It is so hard to say goodbye to such a sweet, selfless friend like Colleen.

Colleen was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and lived only a few short months. I first got to know her when I began to teach the 3-year-old Sunday School class. Colleen helped with the 2's right across the hall from my class. She was incredibly gentle with those little ones. For about 14 years, she helped Joel and Linda Goering with that class. I went from teaching to the nursery director but each Sunday I saw Colleen and talked a little. I remember when she finally stepped down from helping. It was such a sad day for me.

Besides loving on little children, she also helped in the jail ministry our church has, visiting women who had such a rough life. Encouraging them. Pointing them to Jesus. She would offer to help in the church office, answering phones and greeting people when the office needed someone extra to come in. She led women's Bible studies also. And sent many, many cards of encouragement. And baked cookies for others. Always with a smile! And a kind heart.

When I heard about the cancer, I went over to give her a hug, to give words of comfort, but instead she was more concerned about me and the recent death of my brother. She was like that - always more interested in other's lives.

I have been reading "The Magnificent Obsession" by Anne Graham Lotz and a section I just read was on choosing to exercize our new nature.

"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry......put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of the Creator."

"How do we put to death our old nature? One choice at a time, dozens of times a day, every day for the rest of your life"...a choice to rudely tell off a slow checkout clerk or responding to her in kindness; pulling up to the bumper of the car in front of me or letting in someone trying to merge; telling a child to quit bothering you or giving them a tablet of paper and pen and suggest she work quietly while you are busy working on something; sulking and throwing out your husbands cold dinner because he's late and yelling at him when he gets home, or choosing to greet him warmly, reheat the food and ask nicely about the delay.

Colleen put to death that old nature. She was clothed with that new nature! She exemplified Jesus in her life! What a role model to me!

Arkansas

Jill, Hannah, Sophia and I went to Arkansas last week.

It was a LONG drive!

People say that Kansas is hot - but Arkansas is HOT and HUMID!! The girls jumped into the pool soon after we got there!











Josh had worship team practice the evening we arrived and Staci suggested we go to one of her favorite restaurants. We followed Staci but she made a turn and we missed it. The adventure turned out to be fun! Staci directed us via cell phone as she went the way she was going and we went another route. We ended up going through the University of Arkansas campus, including the stadium.

Here is the place Staci wanted to go to.

We didn't know it, but it was Daddy-Daughter date night at Chick-fil-A that evening. Over half the tables had white tableclothes complete with flowers in vases. Each daughter was presented with a flower too. This man was quite the Southern gentleman.

Meeting the cow.

If you look closely in the back, the cow is playing peek-a-boo. Emeri was frightened by the cow, but he slowly eased himself closer and in the end, Emeri even high-fived him.

The gentleman gave each of our little ladies a kiss on the hand. It was just adorable!

Eli didn't get a kiss. He did get a hand shake though. (Notice his KU shirt?! It was from us of course)

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Emeri and Eli live right next door to their other grandparents (who are also dear friends of ours). They have a koi pond and the kids got to feed the fish.

Playing in Elijah's walker is a blast!

Bed time story. I think Emeri looks like the baby on the cover!

The next day was also very hot. Josh and Staci have friends just down the street who have a pool and we went to take a dip.

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I had purchased these from Bed, Bath & Beyond. Waxed pipe cleaners that bend to make all kinds of things. Hannah loves crafts so I knew she would love these!

Hannah and her mommy made some pretty cool things with them. Hannah came up with a bumblebee all on her own. And the spider too I think.

The cousins took a picture to give to Papa for Father's Day. The mommies were pretty frustrated because the kids didn't cooperate but I thought they turned out ok. The kids were pretty silly!

It was time to go back to Kansas and on our way out of town, of course, we had to make another stop at our new favorite fast food place again!

Would you believe they encourage parents to get in the play gym with their children?

Rumor has it that one of these restaurants will be making their way to Wichita soon! (I know there is one on the WSU campus but it will be fun to have one that is not on a college campus)

It was fun to see you guys! See you again in August!

Celebrating Dads

Celebrating Dads
Mom invited us over to honor our dads.
We had brownies with all the toppings.

YUM!

Aunt Millie also came. And Mindy too but I didn't get a picture of her. Sorry Min! Sophia and Hannah love their Aunt Mindy!

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But before dessert, we went on a hike on the trail just north of the Bethel College campus. If you have never done that, it is well worth it. Has a feel of being in Colorado! It was almost 100 degrees yesterday, but in the woods, it didn't feel so bad actually.

Water break!

Stopping for a picnic supper.....
...do you see Sophia's little fingers pinched together? Can you guess what she found?
Something a little tasty - mulberry bird poop. Yep. Guess she didn't know that a wonderful brownie dessert was waiting at Grandma Lois' house.