M&M (Makenzie & Moving)

Yesterday morning, I watched Makenzie Jordan. Julie Friesen asked me last week if I would want to do that. She had noticed that Lori's feet were swollen (with her pregnancy), so she wanted to treat her to a pedicure. So, could I watch Makenzie so she could take her out? Is that not so sweet?? Julie Friesen is such a thoughtful and caring woman! I think the world of her!!! Loves the Lord and shows it. Makenzie and I had a wonderful time. We played babies in our little "house" in the basement, played with Legos, marbles, playdough....
I found out that Jill was at the yellow park (what Hannah calls the park at Quail Creek since the slides there are yellow) so we went to the park to play with Hannah and Sophia. Makenzie was excited to go!

Adam's sister, Stacy is spending a few days with them. Hannah and Sophia have 2 Aunt Staci's so they affectionately call Adam's sister "Silly Stacy" because she is so fun and silly.
This was the first time I have seen Sophie on a big kid swing. She wanted "up high". It scared me to push her but Adam said it was no problem. The higher she got, the more she laughed and laughed. Frightened me to pieces! I was so scared she'd fall out.

Makenzie wanted Hannah to push her. She loved that!

Isn't she so cute with her sunglasses?

This morning we went to Wichita. We were moving Mindy. With her going to clinicals this coming year, she won't be able to work as many hours so she needed to find a less expensive place to live.

A friend from church and a couple of nursing school buddies came to help out.

Thankful for great friends!

Mindy's place was on the 3rd floor so we really appreciated them!

Her new apartment is on ground level.

It will make it easier for the next move.

On the way to her new apartment, a drawer fell out of her nightstand. We weren't sure if that was what had happened or if we had misplaced it. But we searched and searched. I drove the route we had taken and even looked in 4 or 5 dumpsters just in case. Her iPOD, a couple of remotes, her Bible and devotional books, diary and her glasses were all in that drawer. I was praying that it would be either found someplace in the apartment or that if it did fall out of the pick-up that it would be some kind person with integrity that would find it and return it. When we were all done moving and on our way to Jason's Deli for lunch, Mindy got a call from an older woman. She had been out for her morning walk and saw the drawer fall out of the pick-up. She gathered it all up. The drawer was slightly damaged and one thing was broken, but in all, it was intact. What an answer to prayer! Mindy happened to have some financial paper from the school in that drawer and it just happened to have her phone number on it. We were so grateful for this woman to be honest and return it all!

We spent part of the afternoon hanging up pictures, putting the tv on the wall, making the bed, getting the kitties used to their new home. Xander enjoyed the adventure but Kellin ran under the bed. He is definitely a scarety cat.

Thank you, Dave Balzer, for the use of your trailer! Good luck Mindy in your new home!

Our Anniversary!

Today is our 34th wedding anniversary! A long time - yet it doesn't seem so long at all. In church yesterday, Pastor Steve announced that Eldo and Lola Anderson were celebrating their 76th wedding anniversary. That is more than double the years we have been married!

Here is a current picture of us

(with our granddaughter Sophia).

I promised pictures from the 70's.

Here is a picture of my "hotty" back in 1972.

You can see why all the girls fell for him.

Why I fell for him.

I got him!

Can't believe it.

Our family came to America in 1971.

Allen's grandmother was a dear neighbor lady

who became a friend to me.

She encouraged Al to take me to youth group.

He did.

He took me to the State Fair for our first date.

I was lucky because he asked another girl, but she turned him down.

We had so much fun on our date.

By our 3rd date we just knew we were meant to be.

We got married in 1975.

I had just turned 20.

He was still 19.



I love you sweety!!

You are so caring and unselfish.

So gentle and kind.

So thoughtful.

Such a man of God.

A WONDERFUL father to our children!

And such a playful grandpa!


I'd marry you all over again.

Anniversary at the Barn, Clean-up & Cora's Playground

ABC
A is for Anniversary
B is for Barn
C is for Clean up and Cora's Playground

Anniversary at the Barn:
We celebrated our 34th wedding anniversary last night. Our anniversary is really on the 20th (same as Joel and Kendall, by the way). We went to listen to Chamber Music at The Barn at Prairie Pines. I usually go to these kinds of things with Jennifer Veer - oh Jen, you are going to be sooooo jealous! I got to hear the Fairmount String Quartet along with several other performers! There were violins, violas, cellos, oboe and harpsichord. By the end I was moved to tears. What an incredible evening. I know it isn't Al's favorite thing to do, but he did it for me. He is so sweet! On the 20th, I'll post try to post pictures from the 70's of when we began married life.







C is for Clean up - I was busy the first half of the week with VBS, but on Thursday and Friday I knew I needed to tackle my desk. The before and after:

It took 2 days to go through the pile. So worth it.

C is also for Cora's Playground - Work has begun!! Kris (our children's director) called me to tell me that they would begin tearing out the fence and then the sludge that was put down as our playground surface. We had someone put down this surface who did not know what he was doing. It has been a fiasco to say the least. And not always easy to have a Christ-like attitude about the whole thing either. Good riddance to it I say. I am so excited and looking forward to having the children playing in a new and just wonderful playground -

First, we had to move the old play equipment to the east side where our swings are.

Then they had to remove the fence.

Here are a few boys - young and old - enjoying the machines.

This morning, a Bobcat came in to begin tearing it apart.

And a couple volunteers to shovel the edges.

Next week work will resume.

Shade structures.

Play equipment!

Cora's Playground. It just grieves me that it all had to come about in the way it did. We are all so very sad for Joel and Jess. The tears come unbidden at times. But someday, Cora's little brother or sister will be playing out there! Yay!

Spectacular clouds tonight.
An a beautiful rainbow that arched across the entire sky.
We have had VBS this week.

Today was Day 3.

Each night Hannah thanks God for VBS.

Sophia also prays, "Tank You BS." (smile)

Today 10 children accepted Christ as Saviour!

I bought Hannah and Sophia the CD of the songs of VBS.

They play it over and over and over and over.

Adam and Jill were very grateful for it - Ha.

Arkansas

Just got back from Arkansas. My son, Josh is a worship pastor at New Heights Fellowship in Fayetteville. Staci is pregnant and so tired. So I went to help out a little. Let Staci sleep in, take care of Emeri and fix dinners.

Staci, Emeri and I went to Walmart. Boy, the Walmarts in Arkansas are really nice! Very good produce, wide aisles, etc. She tells me there is one Walmart, I think in Bentonville that has all wood flooring. We went to a neighbor's house to go swimming. The neighbor's dog, Gracie enjoys the pool too.

Josh is an artist and they have art supplies for Emeri in Josh's art room. Emeri even does the "mouth" thing when she concentrates, just like Josh did when he was little. Did I say "did"? I think he still "does"!

She definitely needed a bath after this one.

Back home in Kansas.

It is hot here!!!!!!!

The girls helped me water my plants.

Hannah made her own slippy-slide on our driveway.

She disappeared in the garage.

"Hannah, where are you?"

She came out laughing -

and totally naked!!

I shrieked and sent her back to get dressed.

Told her it isn't appropriate to go naked in public.

I about died laughing though.

* ******** *

This morning I was reading Philippians 4:6,7 in another version. I've been feeling pretty tense and worried. July and August are killer months for me as I prepare the nursery at church for August and the fall. So many needs. 138 workers just for August when all the regulars take a break. Then having to staff all the rooms with regular workers seems monumental and impossible. Four (and maybe 5) rooms of little kids infant through 2, with 3-5 workers in each room during the 9:30 and 11:00 services (8:00 is rotation workers). I love Christ's words "Feed My lambs". So many lambs!! There are 106 on the roster (some don't come regular though).

Here are the verses:

"Don't worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks (that is not too easy!). And God's peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. I have learned to be satisfied with the things I have and with everything that happens..."

Faith puts God between itself and its circumstances.

"In the Lord I take refuge" Psalm 11:1