Enjoying grandkids in Wisconsin

It's been hard for me to get around to posting lately.  I've been on the road a lot - seeing all the grandchildren in Wisconsin, Arkansas and Colorado last month.  But beyond that, my mind seems quite occupied with what is happening in the Ukraine.  It is heartbreaking!

Because of religious persecution, my own ancestors had to flee Switzerland, going over mountain ranges to France.  When Napoleon was on the move, they fled again, this time to Russia.  That black spot on the picture is where they went, which is located in what is now the Ukraine.  They were Volhynian Mennonites.  They lived there around 100 years before immigrating to North America.  I've read some of the stories of our ancestors.  It wasn't easy.  But what is happening now over there is horrific, isn't it?  What will the future hold for my children and grandchildren?

“Do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.”  Matthew 6:34

I am reminded of God's Word "Do NOT fear, for I AM with you."  A precious promise that is repeated many times!!

There have been many stories of miracles coming out of the Ukraine!  Even in the midst of the horror, God is at work!  People are praising Him.  I am brought to tears to see videos of the people singing praises to Him...videos of hearing them read Scriptures in Ukranian.

I am so grateful that we are still free to travel in the US and can see our grandchildren!   Gas prices keep rising and it might become prohibitive to do so, but for now....  We spent several days in Wisconsin with our daughter's family.

Hannah

We were able to meet her friends when they came for dinner.

We missed out on the play she was in a couple of weeks earlier.  She was the Grandmama in the "Adam's Family" and had to walk with knees bent the entire time to make herself shorter!  Although we missed the play, we were able to watch it on their tv.

Sophie was in the play "Alice in Wonderland" while we were there.  She was Tweedledum.

She wanted me to meet her friends!

"I've told them stories about you!" she said to me.

Claire was baptized on Sunday!  Her daddy is the pastor and he baptized her.  I LOVED hearing her testimony of faith in Jesus Christ!  How she loves Him!

Both sets of grandparents

We played a game where we wrote our Top Ten.

We went to see the ice sculptures at the Sturgeon Festival.

Sophia was at the play, getting ready for another performance.

On Monday, while Hannah and Claire were at their schools, Allen taught Sophia some of her home-school lessons.  Unfortunately, in chemistry class, he says they "killed" the patient...their experiment failed.  

On Valentine's evening, we sent Adam and Jill off on a date and we treated the kids to Gilles Frozen Custard (a local joint similar, but better, than Sonic)!  It had just opened up for the season!

Hannah is taking a photography class at school.

We are SO grateful for the times we had with the grandchildren!!   We continue to pray for the families in the Ukraine.  Often I wake up at night praying.  Recently I watched the following video of Ukranian Christians praying Psalm 31.  You may have to copy and paste in order to view it.  

https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2022/march/incredible-compilation-of-ukrainian-christians-turning-to-god-praying-psalm-31-from-bomb-shelters-amid-deadly-uncertainty

Psalm 31:  

In You, O Lord, I put my trust;

Let me never be ashamed;

Deliver me in Your righteousness.

Bow down Your ear to me,

Deliver me speedily;

Be my rock of refuge,

A fortress of defense to save me.

For You are my rock and my fortress;

Therefore, for Your name’s sake,

Lead me and guide me.

Pull me out of the net which they have secretly laid for me,

For You are my strength.

Into Your hand I commit my spirit;

You have redeemed me, O Lord God of truth.

I have hated those who regard useless idols;

But I trust in the Lord.

I will be glad and rejoice in Your mercy,

For You have considered my trouble;

You have known my soul in adversities,

And have not shut me up into the hand of the enemy;

You have set my feet in a wide place.

Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am in trouble;

My eye wastes away with grief,

Yes, my soul and my body!

For my life is spent with grief;

And my years with sighing;

My strength fails because of my iniquity,

And my bones waste away.

I am a reproach among all my enemies,

But especially among my neighbors,

And am repulsive to my acquaintances;

Those who see me outside flee from me.

I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind;

I am like a broken vessel.

For I hear the slander of many;

Fear is on every side;

While they take counsel together against me,

They scheme to take away my life.

But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord;

I say, “You are my God.”

My times are in Your hand;

Deliver me from the hand of my enemies,

And from those who persecute me.

Make Your face shine upon Your servant;

Save me for Your mercies’ sake.

Do not let me be ashamed, O Lord, for I have called upon You;

Let the wicked be ashamed;

Let them be silent in the grave.

Let the lying lips be put to silence,

Which speak insolent things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.

Oh, how great is Your goodness,

Which You have laid up for those who fear You,

Which You have prepared for those who trust in You

In the presence of the sons of men!

You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence

From the plots of man;

You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion

From the strife of tongues.

Blessed be the Lord,

For He has shown me His marvelous kindness in a strong city!

For I said in my haste,

“I am cut off from before Your eyes”;

Nevertheless You heard the voice of my supplications

When I cried out to You.

Oh, love the Lord, all you His saints!

For the Lord preserves the faithful,

And fully repays the proud person.

Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart,

All you who hope in the Lord.

Continuing our scenic drive to Wisconsin

We drove into Elizabeth, Illinois.  The town was named after an early settler, Elizabeth Armstrong.  This place was the location of the last Native American attack east of the Mississippi.

We came to Stockton, Illinois.  I looked up what was interesting about the town and here is what I read:

"In 1914, the Kraft Brothers opened a cheese factory in Stockton, and operated it until Kraft sold the facility in 1998. This was the birthplace of the Kraft Corporation and the first cheese plant opened by J.L. Kraft."

Here is a spot I would have for sure stopped at if I'd been traveling by myself!  (not my husband's thing.  He would have stopped if I'd asked, but it wouldn't have been enjoyable for him.)  Doesn't it look like a fun place?!

or maybe here!!

My grandfather's name!  This town is the Swiss Cheese capital of the U.S.  That is appropriate since he was Swiss background.  They made so much cheese that my mother got sick of it.

Al's grandmother was an Albrecht.  Maybe we should have taken the time to stop in and see if they were relation.

Slightly creepy....

We passed Janesville. noted as a town where Lincoln slept.  He spoke here, on request from a passionate abolitionist.  The town helped the union cause; the highest number of men enlisted into the army from this county.

That's an interesting name for a town.  I looked it up:  "Footville was originally called Bachelor's Grove. The present name is for Ezra A. Foot, the original owner of the townsite. A post office was established as Bachelor's Grove in 1846 and renamed Footville in 1855."  Ezra Foot was a member of the Senate.

There is a Whitewater in Kansas, very close to where we live.  But the population of the town here by us is under 800.

Isn't this a cute place?

A happy little town!

How do you pronounce this?

Many towns in Wisconsin have Native American names.

I LOVE these back roads!!

The barns are so interesting too.

We were getting fairly close to our daughter's home and it unexpectedly began to snow!!  We had been watching the temperature dropping, dropping.  The weather prediction had said high around 40.  I was even wondering about the ice sculptures melting at the sturgeon festival.

It was getting slick.  We slid aroud a little.  We saw a car that had gone in the ditch aross the road. Luckily, someone had stopped to help.  We were so glad to get to our daughter's home safely!