Mother's Day

Last year for Mother's Day, Jill suggested that we ladies go out for Mother's Day. We went here: It was so much fun, we decided to keep the tradition. Today we went here:

P F Chang!

Jill said we should do this every year - a different restaurant each year.

Sisters

and one brother (who lives in Arkansas)

It has been such a privilege to raise 3 wonderful kids like these!!

I am blessed to be a Mom!

Outings

I had a couple of outings this week. On Wednesday, our Biblestudy had our annual end-of-year outing. Only about half of us could go but what fun we had! We drove to Yoder and had breakfast at Carriage Crossings. Their cinnamon rolls are about 7 inches in diameter and only a little over a buck! What a deal! We ordered one to split then also ordered some other good country cooking like the Yoder sausage, french toast, home-made biscuits..... Carriage Crossing has a fun store and some of these grandmas shopped for next Christmas already!

After a drive through the cute Amish town of Yoder we drove on to Buhler with its darling little shops.

And we had lunch at the Mustard Seed. I was still stuffed from breakfast but who cares!

They set us up in their tea room.

Most of us ordered their special - a turkey sandwich with sprouts on a freshly home-made croissant. And split their home-made peach cobbler. Oh my!

Yesterday I went on another outing - this time with Hannah and Sophia. Their mother is on her own outing....in Green Bay, Wisconsin visiting a friend! We went to the zoo in Wichita. Hannah wanted to see the tigers. We went through that exhibit twice!

They were up and close!

The playground is always a must.

The kids love to read their zoo maps to see where they are.

Fun times! Precious friends and family!

Some "bunny"

Some "bunny" came to visit!

Our 4 grandchildren - Sophia, Emeri, Elijah and Hannah

Since Adam is doing a sermon series on the book of James, he has been getting different people to lead the worship in his place. This week he asked his brother-in-law, Josh, to come up from Arkansas and lead worship. We were just there last weekend for Elijah's dedication and it was just so fun to be with them again this weekend!!

Mom and Dad enjoyed being with their great-grandchildren, and the kids LOVE their Aunt Mindy!

Of course Hannah and Sophie wanted to take their cousins to the "puppy store", our local country goods store by the outlet mall.

The AmericInn in Hesston has swimming for $1.50.

So much fun!

Sunday afternoon we took a trip to Pretty Prairie to visit Al's Dad. He got to see his great-grandson, Elijah for the first time.

We don't know if Dad knew who we were, but he was just all smiles and seemed to say things that made sense. Whenever we bring the children, he seems to be more cognitive and not in some far off place.

We drove out to the farm. Al's brother lives there with his family and they are always open to us "coming home" and letting the kids enjoy the animals.

No place like home!

A friend and I are going through a book by James MacDonald called "Lord, Change My Attitude." It suggests that you determine for a 24 hour period that you don't complain. Carry around a piece of paper to record every time you do so.

Then they suggest an exercize for a lifetime. And that is to record each day 5 things that you are thankful for. "Today I am thankful for....." Big things and little things. This past week we began this. I bought a little notebook just for this. Oh, He has truly blessed me with many good things!!!

Here is a little thanksgiving quote I love!

"O Lord and Maker of all things, thank You for this light that now streams through my windows to rouse me to the life of another day.
Thank You for the life that stirs within me.
Thank You for the bright and beautiful world into which I go.
Thank You for earth and sea and sky, for scudding cloud and singing bird.
Thank You for the work You have given me to fill my leisure hours.
Thank You for friends.
Thank You for music and books and good company and pure pleasures.
To You, who are everlasting mercy, give me a tender heart today toward all those to whom the morning light brings less joy than it brings to me.
Those in whom the pulse of life grows weak.
Those who must lie in bed through all the sunny hours.
The blind, who are shut off from the light of day.
The overworked, who have no joy of leisure.
The unemployed, who have no joy of labor,
The bereaved, whose hearts and homes are desolate;
And grant Your mercy on them all.
'It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to Your Name, O Most High' Psalm 92:1"

I am so grateful for sweet little "bunnies" who come to visit me especially!

Eli dedicated

We went to see our Arkansas grandbabies this past week. They are so precious!

Look at Elijah's chunko-munko legs!! At least I won't be the only one with dimply rolly polly legs at the beach this summer!

Josh and Staci had a long to-do list to be accomplished. Al enjoys doing that with Josh.

One of the things they did was to take apart the crib Emeri has been sleeping in and putting together a big girl bed. Emeri was so proud of being able to be big enough to sleep in a real bed!

Staci had her own project. Way to be artsy!! And it is so cute! She got some canvas and painted it blue. They found a font they liked on DaFont.com and printed off Elijah's name and also the meaning to his name on clear plastic. Using the church's projector, Staci projected that onto the canvas, penciled over that, then took brown paint and painted the lettering. It is adorable!

On Sunday, we went to New Heights Church where Josh and Staci dedicated Elijah to the Lord. Essentially, Elijah does not belong to them, but to the Lord.

Staci's parents, grandpa and her aunt's family also were there to celebrate.

The verse they chose for Elijah is from 1 Kings 18:36-37: "...let it be known today that You are God in Israel and that I am Your servant and have done all these things at Your command. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, so these people will know that You, O Lord, are God and that You are turning their hearts back again."

May God help them as they raise him to follow the Lord that:

1. God will speak clearly to him and that he will listen

2. That Eli will believe that God can do anything!

3. That Eli will be an instrument to help lead people back to God

Staci has a list of prayers from the story of the prophet Elijah in the Bible. It is so wonderful that he has parents who will pray for him and lead him in the way he should go.

Baptism

1984 - A picture of the cousins: Mindy, Jill, Brandon and Nikki, Josh.

This past Sunday my nephew, Brandon was baptized upon confession of his faith in Jesus Christ!

He attends Restore church in Kansas City. They meet in a highschool and the baptism took place in the pool at the school. Nine people were baptized. One entire family (who all jumped in the pool at the same time), a couple couples (who kissed one another right after they were baptized - so sweet!), some others and then Brandon. We were in tears. Mom and Dad have prayed for Brandon every day and of course were overjoyed that Brandon is choosing to follow Christ. So glad we could go to celebrate! Wish Brandon's daddy was alive to have witnessed it too. He died 3 weeks ago.

"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9

Chinny chin chin

The girls were playing in their cardtable play house. Their daddy decided to join in the fun and this is what I overheard. Adam: Little pigs, little pigs, let me in.

Hannah: Not by the hair of my chinny, chin chin.

Adam (in a rather gruff, wolfish voice) : Then I'll huff and I'll puff and I'll blow your house in!!

Sophie: NO!! (She really was quite frightened by this conversation)

Adam: Well, ok, then, can I come in for tea?

Sophie: Oh yes. Let me get my tea cups!