The cabin we stayed in at the campgrounds was very nice. This is not like camping outdoors in a tent.
This is maybe what one would call "glamping". Not luxury, but much better than a sleeping bag on the ground for sure. (Although some people do like that kind of thing!) We had a nice bathroom and shower in our cabin. Most cabins did not have those but there was a bathhouse nearby. Since I get up usually in the middle of the night to use a restroom, I'm so glad I didn't end up in one of those cabins! The speaker was given the nice cabin! Glad I'm related to her!
It was a pretty walk to the dining room and chapel.
Here are the cabins without the bathrooms.
The leaves were just beginning to change colour.
Claire saw the chipmunk go into his 3 story apartment
Knock, knock!
The trees in Wisconsin are so tall and straight. In Kansas they are short, squatty and bent over. Kansas is named for the Kanza tribe and translates as "south wind people." We can have mighty windy days!
The dinner bell would let people know when it was time for chapel or dinner. Or other events. A continuous ring meant a fire or an emergency of some kind.
There were 145 women and girls at camp. Here they were just arriving for the worship and chapel time.
Sophia helped with worship
This couple was really good at juggling!
Jill had 4 sessions in all. One on Friday evening, 2 on Saturday, and 1 on Sunday morning.
Climbing the steep hill after chapel to go to the dining room. Pant, pant.
The food was quite good. Served family style. They also had gluten free and other options for those with allergies.
There were various activities to do during free time.
Going on a wagon ride.
Claire did laser tag both during the day and also at night.
There were also bike rides available, a challenge course, run the hill contest, and archery.
Way to go Claire!
Also riflery, crafts and Nine Square.
We couldn't pass up a boat ride!
I'm disappointed I left my camera on land. It was just so gorgeous out on the lake. Many parts the water was clear and you could see to the bottom. 'Course, wouldn't want to chance the camera falling into the water....
Sunday after Jill's last session, there was a lunch served, but we were ready an hour before and we needed to get Mindy to the airport. We decided we would just head out early and stop along the way. This is Maga country and there were flags all over.
While driving home, we listened to the Packers on the radio.
When we got to Green Bay, we got off the highway to drive by the stadium.
The practice field.
People who live by the stadium make quite a bit of money charging for parking on their lawns!
Stopped for lunch at Culvers again!
We watched the Packers while waiting for our food.
Last week I drove by myself to Wisconsin. I left as soon as it got light and made it to Kansas City, where I stopped to drop off a book at my brother's house. Dave was in Wisconsin too, golfing with some buddies.
I had a good visit with my sister-in-law before continuing on.
I filled the car up with gas at Bethany and at Des Moines took a little snooze in the car. I had intended to get as far as Cedar Rapids, but it was only 4 o'clock when I got there, and it was still light. "I'll keep going." When I got as far as Dubuque, I debated stopping. But it was only 6 and by that point I'm not that far from the kids'!
Some day I'd like to stay downtown, close to the river, but maybe when Al is with me and we can do some walking around together. Look at this place! Redstone Inn. We will have to do that!
I listened to 60's music, put in a Japanese conversational CD, listened to Pastor Jack Hibbs...kept my mind going. I'm not supposed to drive after dark with my one blind eye, but I know the road from Madison and it is 4-lane on 151 so I went for it. It would be silly to stay at a hotel just 1 hour away from Jill's! I couldn't believe I made it all in one day! Shocker! I've only done that once before when it was important to keep the car going and not get stuck midway due to car trouble. When Al is with me we often do it all in 1 day, and I take a turn at the wheel. But for me to do it by myself - I surprised myself.
Maybe we should get one of these:
Rather cute and I could pull over anytime to sleep!
I arrived at Jill's at 9pm. 14 hours (which included the stops). I was pretty exhausted. Kobi had the zoomies. They told me when they said Nana was coming, he perked up and got excited! Here's a picture of him after he has settled down.
Claire was struggling with a cold and Jill felt like she was coming down with it too. Their washing machine was on the blitz. (Ended up having to buy a new one) Could very well be a spiritual attack of the enemy as Jill was going to be the speaker at the Mother/Daughter retreat we were all going to. There was lots of prayer going on though.
"The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary they have divine power to demolish strongholds." 2 Corinthians 10:4
On Friday, I had a relaxing day. Jill went to work. Sophia was my personal barista and made me a coffee before going to school for Old Testament Survey that her mom teaches. She homeschools the rest of her classes.
Claire stayed in bed so she'd have energy for the weekend. She also packed for the weekend. Adam went to the Milwaukee Airport to pick up my daughter Mindy who flew in from Denver. We had originally planned for my daughter-in-law, Staci and granddaughter, Emeri, who live in Fayetteville, to also come for a full Mother/Daughter weekend. But a doctor in Tampa had an opening for Staci to come for treatments for a brain injury she suffered last year. She has been having lots of various treatments and this doctor was the next step. We do pray that the Lord should choose to bring her back to full health. But we sure missed her and Em.
This day was our son's birthday. Tenley and Kaia sang to him.
And Jill's OT Survey class did too!
When Mindy arrived and school was over for Jill, we packed up the van and drove off for camp. We made a stop at Culvers in Green Bay for dinner and got to camp as the sun was beginning to set.
After checking in and getting settled into our cabin, we went to the Chapel where Jill taught a session titled "We Are Made For More" from John 3:1-8 with a look back at Numbers 21.
She did such a great job not only speaking to the moms (and a few grandmas) but also to the young girls who attended with their moms. She involved them as she could.
The rest of the Mother/Daughter weekend in the next post.
While Al was at the Grand Canyon with our son and grandson, I kept myself busy with various things. One thing I did was go on a little excursion with my dear friend, Sarah. She and I teach a young mom's Bible study at our church. We needed to get together to do some planning and decided to make a day trip of it, checking out a couple cemeteries of our ancestors close to Moundridge, Ks, not too far away. She has many ancestors buried at Lone Tree Cemetery.
My mother loaned me this book several years ago and it was fascinating!
It is a historical fiction story about the Becker family. The Beckers are Sarah's family!
Below is a photo of the gravesite of her grandparents on her mother's side. They were involved in a tragic car accident on December 5, 2000. They were going with another couple to Carriage Crossings in Yoder when they crashed. The other couple were pronounced dead at the scene. Nina was hospitalized but never made it out. She died about a month later.
Lewie remarried 2 years later to a Marguerite Schmidt, who had never been married before. They were only married a little over 3 months when he died in June of 2002! How sad for her!
Nina was an Unruh. (I am guessing that we are distantly related as my grandmother was also an Unruh.) Nina was one of 17 children!! And I thought I was busy with my 3 children!
Most of Nina's 17 siblings are buried in this cemetery, except for 1 buried in Oklahoma and 1 on the east coast. Only 2 siblings remain; 1 in Canton and 1 in Massachusetts.
I was rather surprised that they allowed non-pacifists to be buried here at the Holderman cemetery. This is another of Nina's brothers. He was killed in the Korean war.
Nina's sister. I've never heard this name before. Mollie yes, but not Mulvena. I think I'd want to go by Mollie too.
Lena was Sarah's great-grandmother. She passed away when her grandfather, Lewie, was around 12 years old.
Below, this is her great-uncle and great-aunt but on the other side of the family. Norma was a sister to her Grandmother Elizabeth Koehn. Let me tell you, Mennonite Anabaptist roots get really complicated! A bush, not a family tree!
Her grandparents on her father's side.
This is an active cemetery and people are still being buried here. We wondered if the modern laser design would last longer? Time will tell.
Several gravestones we could not even read what they said. If you bring a plain sheet of paper and a crayon, you can rub the crayon lightly on the paper ( apply more pressure as needed) to transfer some of the words onto the paper.
I am pretty sure this guy was not Holderman, but they must have some ties to be able to be buried here.
We spent about an hour here then we drove to the First Mennonite Church cemetery, except the GPS had it wrong and sent us out to the middle of a country road with field all around.
We called the church and got the right directions.
Here is the head stone of my great-great-great grandfather, Christian Voran, who immigrated here in 1874.
and great-great-great grandmother Katarina (Goering) Voran.
These markers were put up to thank our immigrant relatives for making the decision to leave present day Ukraine to come here.
Quite a few Vorans (my maiden name). We are all related.
Downtown Moundridge is pretty cute!
My parents lived in this town the year before going to Japan. Dad pastored the Hopefield Mennonite Church.
This picture above is right before they went to Japan.
Sarah recommended going to The Hub for lunch.
There was enough for me to take home for Allen and I to share another meal.
We going to study the book of Haggai. There are about 20 of us studying this every other week. It will take us until the Spring to study this 2 chapter book of the Old Testament! We decided on our schedule and what we'd do on the first day.
In this world that seems to be falling apart, we will learn how to take courage as Christians. But as the saying goes, "the world is not falling apart, it is falling into place."
