Love the Lord your God, listen to His voice and hold fast to Him, for the Lord is your life! Deut. 30:20


Friday, March 8, 2013

March cemetery post


We took a trip to this cemetery, just north of Pretty Prairie a couple of miles.

 It was just a little weird seeing these 2 graves.  Alan (not the same spelling) Graber and Oliver Smith.  Two pretty special people in my life who are still very much alive.

We found the grave of a kid we went to school with.  He was a missionary and died in Africa.  Accidentally electrocuted while working on some appliance.  It was such a shock.  But God knows our days and times.

Hmmmm.  Interesting last name - I believe the Bible is pretty clear that none of us is good enough.
"He saved us because of his mercy, not because of any good things we did." Titus 3:5

These next 2 tombstones tell it like it is!


The names given children in the days past were interesting.  I've also seen Patience, Constance, Prudence, Charity, Humility... 


My grandmother's sister and husband.  Uncle Ernest and Aunt Bertha lived a couple houses down from us when we lived in Pretty Prairie.

 My Dad's sister and her husband, Aunt Mary and Uncle Lee.  They lived on the family farm.























Aunt Mary and Uncle Lee


The Collingwoods are the ones who founded Pretty Prairie.  Mrs. Collingwood was a widow with 9 children.  Attracted by "free land", Mary Collingwood sold her boot and shoe factory in Indiana, bought 2 prairie schooners and headed for Kansas.  There were fears of Indian attacks, but she chose to take a chance.  When she reached this area, she said "My, what a pretty prairie!" and the name stuck.

Mrs. Collingwood's mother did not want her daughter to live in a soddy or dugout, so gave them $250 to build a house.  The first house was 14' by 16'.  Covers off the wagons were used to line the small structure to keep out the cold.  There wasn't another house between Collingwood's and Texas at that time in 1872.

The stage route went by the Collingwood house and this became a regular stopping place where horses could rest, be watered and fed.  They also served as the post office, cafe and grocery store.


Some other interesting gravestones.


Here are some of the older ones.






 Very good friends of our parents.  They were in the singing group "The Quiet Place Singers" that Al's mother played the piano for.  Tammy went to school K-12 with Al.  And yes, not so distant relatives.






After walking through the cemetery, we took off through the country.












We drove by the family farm where my Dad grew up.  It has been sold to someone we don't know.


My grandparents.

We went on down Whiteside road until we got to highway 61 and stopped in at the Dutch Kitchen.

Good Amish cooking!!  We hadn't had fried chicken for so long!  Al's mom used to make it all the time and taught me how to cut up a whole chicken and to fry it.  But it isn't the healthiest food to eat - pretty greasy, so I don't fix it any more.  But every once in a while, there is nothing like good old fashioned home cookin'!  Fresh baked bread and pie from scratch to boot!



Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Time Out!



Our church had a Time Out Retreat.  A time to have space, time and the opportunity to take a break from life and refocus on our relationship with Christ.

We were checked in by these amazing women!  Thank you Jessica and Cheri for all the hard work you put into this.  I know there were others too.   We each got a bag of goodies and a gift certificate to a restaurant.

Heading to our room.  Love this carpet!


Andrea made cookies and Sarah made muffins. 
 There was also other goodies in the room for us!  Thank you ladies!!!





















Our very nice room.

The view from our room.

After we checked in, we had a couple of hours to do our own thing.  So we went shopping of course!
When we went back to the hotel, we had to slow up for the geese who were crossing the road.  There were several other geese, although we only got a photo of these two.

We got to choose which restaurant gift card to use and we chose Bonefish Grill.  Jill knew she would never go there with Adam since he hates fish.  It was very crowded and we had to wait an hour to be served.



It was Sarah's birthday

When we got back to the hotel, it was time for our session.  We started a little late since those of us who went to Bonefish were rather late getting back!

Brianna led us in worship

Bless the Lord oh my soul
Bless the Lord oh my soul
And let ev'rything within me
Let ev'rything within me
Let ev'rything within me Bless the Lord

Sarah encouraged us to balance our lives

For the reverence and fear of God are basic to all wisdom.  
Knowing God results in every other kind of understanding. 
Wisdom will make the hours of your day more profitable and years of your life more fruitful. 
               Proverbs 9:10-11


We shared why we came to retreat.  Some women needed a good nights' sleep (because of waking babies or snoring husbands!)  Some came to make new friends.  And to relax and spend uninterrupted time with the Lord.
Jill and I slept very good!  Didn't wake up once!
I got a phone call around 8:00 from Sarah.
"Want to get together for coffee?"  I am always in the mood for coffee with Sarah!

A few other of the "older" ladies came to join us (most of the young moms were sleeping in).  We had a wonderful time chatting and laughing!  I can remember when I was a younger mom and would go to these retreats.  Usually we stayed up all night long talking!

At 10:00 I went back to our room and Jill and I packed up and did more shopping.  We told our husbands we would be back in time for supper though.  Adam had taken the girls to our house and they had spent the day together.

A happy family greeted Jill home!






Thank you, Al and Adam for the wonderful TIME OUT!!