Flowers in Our Yard
Thursday, April 8
Weeping Cherry Tree
Even the old cherry trees that have been in our woods for a very long time, and have lost branches, look pretty this time of year.
I love the brand new growth – this happens to be a hosta
These ferns remind me of the times I ate fiddleheads.
The weeping cherry up close…
…and even closer
Bleeding Hearts
Pink Dogwood
Azalea
Tulips
Forsythia
Daffodil
More Tulips
It is a beautiful time of year.
Always do the right thing. Be faithful, loving, and easy to get along with.
2 Timothy 2:22 (Contemporary English Version)
Easter Lunch With My Siblings
…their spouses, children, and grandchildren
Sunday, April 11
Our part of the meal was providing the meat (ham this year), the house, and seating for sixty. (There were actually a few less – maybe fifty-five).
Some of Steve (my brother) and Brenda’s children and grandchildren were in the kitchen. Pictured: Kurt, Nadia, Sandy, David, Caleb, Laura, Katie, and Vince. Jared, Andi, and Molly came after I took the photo and sat in the empty chairs.
The garage provided seating for fifty.
This is how it looked from the same angle when it was full of people.
My sister, Nancy, her husband, Marlin, and several from their family sat in the room in the back part of the garage.
The children (age twelve and under) anxiously wait for the word “go” so they can find the 400 plastic eggs the teenagers hid after lunch. I think each child was permitted to collect twenty-five. I forgot to take a picture of Deb giving out prizes. She and Roy bring the eggs as their contribution to the day. Some eggs include the word “prize.” If you look closely, you can see the green tub full of prizes in front of the garage door.
Kelci
Jared and Jesse look for eggs while Roy, Jordan, and David watch from the background.
Emma spotted more eggs.
Jared, Ian, Zachary, and David (there were several Davids)
Jesse
Andi, Molly, Brenda, David (youngest David), Laura (expecting a baby any day and wife of the oldest David), and Caleb
Jared, Ian, and Andrew
Andi, Jared, David, Molly, and Ian
Roy, Jeff, and Jordan watching from the porch.
Gloria
David
Spraying Roy with Silly String – Jake, Jared, Roy, Jenna, Reagan, Jana, Ian
Roy, Jamie, Andrew, Jenna, Jana (hidden behind Jenna)
Chris feeding formula to one of the two motherless bunnies they found.
Jeff and Chris brought the bunnies for Deb, who loves to try to keep orphaned baby animals alive. She said both of these are girls. (Sadly one of them died this afternoon – Wednesday.) Wild bunnies are very difficult to raise.
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Tomorrow night: Pretty flowers in our yard
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The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you.
Deuteronomy 33:27 (New Living Translation)
Easter Sunday
…and two birds
April 4
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Yes, I am on my new laptop. I love Windows 7. There are new things to get used to, but I am finding the transition quite easy – and I have only been working on it for a few hours. 
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We thought our Easter Sunday was going to be quiet, then, just before Sunday school, our daughter Deb called to wish us a good day. When she asked what we were doing for lunch, Cerwin said, “Grilling fresh sausage.”
She asked if we had enough for two more, and we said sure. She offered to bring a few things for the meal. We decided to invite the other Pennsylvania children and ask them to bring whatever they were making for lunch. It only suited Jeff & Chris’ family as Kristen’s mother had fallen and broken her hip a few days earlier, so she and Jere were taking lunch to her.
Chris was making a brunch casserole – which went nicely with grilled sausage and vegetables.
In the afternoon Roy made two young girls happy when he took them for a ride on his Harley.
Diana was the first one to get a trip around the block.
Gloria watched them leave…
…and was delighted to see them return.
Now it is Gloria’s turn.
Look at the smile on her face.
After the rides, we visited a bit longer…
…then Roy and Deb were on their way.
One of the doves took advantage of the pretty day to come to the feeder – after everyone went home.
I have enjoyed seeing this mockingbird many times in the past few weeks. I don’t remember seeing one here in years.
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Tomorrow night: Our Hershey Family Easter lunch – Sunday, April 11.
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God guards you from every evil, he guards your very life. He guards you when you leave and when you return, he guards you now, he guards you always.
Psalm 121:7-8 (The Message)
“Plan B”
My laptop died this morning – just like that – without warning. I took it to our favorite computer place (TCW Computer Systems), where the diagnosis was that everything on it was lost – and it was not worth repairing.
Thankfully, I do not keep very much on it. It is my devotional, photo, travel, and PowerPoint computer, and I transfer everything to an external hard drive every week or two. The only things lost were photos from April 3-9 – including the ones I was going to post tonight of Cerwin visiting Sam Rittenhouse. Sorry Sam, I cannot show everyone the pictures Cerwin took of the tour you gave him of your orchard. 
I did loose the pictures of Becca’s shower – but I can recreate a photo album for her from my Xanga posts. The resolution will be lower, but she will at least have some pictures.
Because my desktop (where I am working) is slower than my laptop, I will only post a few pictures tonight. I will post Easter pictures tomorrow night when I have my new laptop – at least if I can figure out Windows 7. I was still using XP.
These pictures were taken today – especially for my brother Clair who is in Rome. I thought he would like to see what is happening in the fields.
The weather is cool and sunny today, but it is supposed to be rainy tomorrow.
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Tomorrow night: Hopefully the post will be from my new laptop.
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Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s seat—I am. [Jesus]
Luke 9:23 (The Message)
Becca’s Bridal Shower
Part 5
Flowers, Cards, and Things That Didn’t Fit in Any Other Post
Saturday, April 3
After lunch and the opening of gifts many of the ladies created more stationery cards for Becca.
I loved the creativity of these women.
This was a scrapbook page
Becca with her two grandmas (center) and Kevin’s grandmas (left and right)
We added Kevin’s mother (left) and Becca’s mother (fourth from left)
Becca’s sister, Hannah, was added for this photo (third from left)
Washing dishes
A few decorations and flowers
I noticed these azaleas outside the church as we waited for Cerwin.
Cerwin was so kind to drive our van load of ladies to Perkasie – a two-hour drive – and visited our friends Sam and Alice Rittenhouse, who live in the area, while we enjoyed the shower.
We traveled through beautiful tree-lined streets as we left Perkasie.
It was a great afternoon.
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Tomorrow night: Cerwin’s visit with Sam and Alice
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When we take up permanent residence in a life of love, we live in God and God lives in us.
1 John 4:17 (The Message)
