Sunday April 5, 2009

 

 

Highlights ~ Wednesday Through Friday

Grandchildren

April 1 – 3

 

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This is Josh’s favorite past time – texting someone or playing a cell phone game.  In this picture he is waiting for the rest of us to be ready to go to church on Wednesday evening. 

 

 

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Jesse loves wearing a bigger brother’s shoes.

 

 

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Jana and Josh ready for school on Thursday morning.

 

 

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Jesse at his window post.

 

 

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Josh wasn’t as ready as he thought.  He forgot his lunch box.

 

 

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When they’re on the bus, it’s time to clean up and get ready to go to the office.

 

 

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This was one of the cutest toys I bought in a long time.  This NASCAR is “fueled” by pushing a button (or using the gas can to push the button).  Jesse’s left thumb is “fueling” the car. 

 

 

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This was Jesse’s reaction when I sent it back to him.

 

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Taking Jared for his kindergarten test.

 

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He was a bit nervous about it until we got to school.

 

 

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He looked at several books while waiting for the other children to arrive.  They tested five at a time.

 

 

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Listening to the teacher as they prepare to leave the room.  The fifth child is directly in front of the teacher.

 

 

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I know this is blurred, but I wanted you to see Jared’s reaction when he came back into the room one hour later.

 

 

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Showing me his things.

 

 

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He even volunteered to show his pencil to Mr. Fry, the principal.

 

 

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He was also pleased to show his stuff to his mom’s friend Angie.

 

 

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When we got home – he gave Ian a slushie and told him about his time at school.  Tiffani, a neighbor girl, came to babysit Jesse and Ian while we went to school.

 

 

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That evening Jana, Ian, and I went to their house to water the amaryllis.  Kristen was disappointed that these flowers would bloom while they were gone, so the next two pictures are especially for her.

 

 

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Back at our house, Jana, Jared, and Ian decided to make a “fort” out of our bed, using a skein of yarn.  They thought it would keep us safe. 

 

 

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Friday morning was rainy.  I think Jana thought if she kept walking she wouldn’t get wet.  They stayed under the overhang of our roof until they heard the bus coming.

 

 

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Inside the house we were warm and dry in my office.  Jesse’s new favorite game is chasing rabbits out of the garden.  This is a very old Fisher Price game.  He giggles each time the scarecrow says “boo,” and a rabbit hops out of the garden.

I love this game for little people, because it works with the touch of any key, and doesn’t need a mouse.

 

 

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Jared is on my laptop and Ian on my #2 computer, playing Shopping Cart Hero.  They can play this for hours – the reason I brought my laptop to the office so they are both occupied while I get some work done.

 

 

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They race a stick figure who is pushing a grocery cart, then at a certain point the stick figure jumps into the cart.  When it hits a ramp it flies through the air.  Points are received if you keep the cart from flipping when it hits the ground. 

 

 

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Jesse also occupies his time by throwing or stacking mailing trays…

 

 

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…or climbing up and down the stairs.

 

 

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By Friday evening we had a total of eight grandchildren in the house.  (Jesse did not want to stop playing with his NASCAR.  The reason for his sad face.)  Jenna, Diana, and Gloria joined us for Jenna and Jana overnight birthday celebration.

 

 

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Sunday April 5, 2009

 

Stand firm in the Lord.

Philippians 4:1 (New American Standard Bible)

 

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Saturday April 4, 2009

 

 

Monday & Tuesday

Grandchildren

March 30 & 31

 

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Monday was the beginning of ten days with grandchildren.  We continued to celebrate Diana’s half-birthday by going to Wal-Mart and Five Below (everything is $5.00 or less).  Josh and Jana were in school, so these are the ones who got to go shopping:  Gloria, Ian, Jesse, Jenna, Diana, and Jared.

 

 

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Jesse enjoyed chicken fingers while he, Jared, Ian, and I waited in the van when the girls went into Five Below.  

Jenna, Diana, and Gloria were only here for one day, and went home before supper.

 

 

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Josh and Jana getting off the school bus on Monday afternoon. 

It is nice that the bus driver will pick them up and drop them off at our driveway during the time their parents are in Switzerland and Italy.

We received an email early Tuesday that Jere & Kristen’s flight to Lucerne was uneventful. 

 

 

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Tuesday morning they are back at the bus stop.  This time Ian is along, as this is a kindergarten day.

 

 

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Jesse is at his post in the window – watching for the bus.

 

 

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When he started tapping on the window and got Jana’s attention, she ran up to the house to wave to him.

 

 

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Jesse and Jared having poptarts and milk for breakfast.

 

 

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Jared loved helping me with a mailing.

 

 

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When that was finished, he had some of his own “office work” to do.

 

 

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After school Ian played a matching game on the old computer in my office.

 

 

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Jana played one of her favorite online games.

 

 

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Supper was easy tonight.  I just defrosted one of the five meals that Kristen made for us while they are in Europe.  This was a ham and egg bake.

 

 

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Saturday April 4, 2009

 

Celebrate God all day, every day.

I mean, revel in him!

Philippians 4:4 (The Message)

 

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Friday April 3, 2009

 

 

Sunday, March 29

 Birthday Party

And a leftover half-birthday gift

 

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After church we met Roy and Deb at Two Cousins.  This was a gift to Diana who was celebrating her half-birthday.  She wanted to spend time with Roy and Deb.

 

 

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After getting home, Roy, Diana, and Cerwin set up the garage for the evening birthday party.

 

 

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Diana liked unrolling the carpet like this.

 

 

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 This is a photo from earlier in the week when Jenna and Jana went shopping for their party decorations.  They didn’t want me to put this on my blog before the day of the party.

 

 

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Setting the tables for their party.

 

 

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They got the special table.

 

 

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When the garage was ready, we played the Bible version of Apples to Apples.  (This was part of Diana’s half-birthday gift.)  The grandchildren try to come up with creative things they can do to celebrate half-birthdays.

 

  

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The birthday party guests were supposed to arrive shortly after 5 p.m., but a serious hail storm delayed it a bit.

 

 

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We watched in amazement at the hail moved toward our house from the southwest.  We could hear it hitting the barn roofs in the neighborhood before it got to our place.

 

 

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We were blessed that it passed our house without damage.  However, a few miles later a tornado took the roofs off of several barns and houses, and flipped seven or eight mobile homes.

 

 

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Photo of Jake by our daughter Deb.

Because Jere and Kristen were leaving for Switzerland the next day, they had an appointment to take Jake to a local kennel.  That appointment was also at 5 p.m. and was delayed a bit due to the storm.

 

 

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Photo by Deb

Speaking of Jere (on the right), many people are amazed at how much Deb’s friend Roy looks like Jere.  Last night at the banquet, Cerwin’s mother even thought Roy was Jere, and asked where Kristen was. 

 

 

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Finally we are ready to start the party, but Jeff is having a problem with where I am standing as I take this photo of him and Chris.  I am blocking his view of the TV and the last lap of the NASCAR race!

 

 

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The birthday girls – Jana and Jenna.

 

 

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Cerwin waiting for everyone to get seated before prayer.

 

 

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The girls even made name tags for everyone.

 

 

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Flowers from Jere and Kristen.

 

 

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The girls decided that they wanted to open their gifts before the cake and ice cream.

 

 

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Jana was pleased with her Bobby Jack bedding.

 

 

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Jesse preferred the box.

 

 

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A Bobby Jack Birthday cake for Jana

 

 

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A pretty ice cream cake for Jenna

 

 

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Jenna’s brothers Nate and Jordan came after work.  Both help local dairy farmers.

 

 

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The evening ended with Kristen and Jere saying goodby to their three youngest – Ian, Jared, and Jesse (in photo) as they were staying here overnight.  Josh and Jana will get on the school bus at their house in the morning, then a short time later Jere and Kristen are leaving for a ten-day trip to Switzerland and Italy. 

The early part of the week will be a business trip for Jere, then they will do some sightseeing and visit an exchange student who spent time in Kristen’s home when she was a teenager.  Toward the end of the trip they are flying to Rome to visit my brother Clair.

 

 

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Friday April 3, 2009

 

I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious

—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly;

things to praise, not things to curse.

Philippians 4:9 (The Message)

 

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Thursday April 2, 2009

 

 

Saturday Evening, March 28

TFC Dinner Concert

Lancaster Chapter

Yoder’s, New Holland, PA

 

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We arrived early to help the Lancaster Committee put programs, donation envelopes, and TFC literature on the tables.  Waitresses were just beginning the setup.

 

 

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Two hours later the room was filled with 505 people.

 

 

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Looking the other direction.  Our family was at the table in the foreground.

 

 

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Following dinner, we were blessed by the awesome talent of Set Free, a bluegrass gospel group from York, Pennsylvania.

 

 

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If they are in your area, go to hear them.

 

 

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Scott Weidner, Transport For Christ President and CEO, informed the audience about our Church Training Module.  This is a program in which churches are trained to participate in TFC’s network of contact churches:  churches where drivers can be encouraged to attend when they are at home, and where members are encouraged to become volunteer chaplains.

 

 

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Dan Lehigh, a chaplain with another trucking ministry, shared how TFC has helped to train him and his volunteers in ministering to drivers.

 

 

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 Bunny O’Hare, TFC Director of Chaplains (right) introduced a local pastor who has been involved in the church training module.  He told how driver Ken Sanders (middle) began attending his church.

 

 

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Cerwin gave a chapel construction update, and introduced Clarence and Gene Martin, the men who built this lowboy and dozer and donated it to TFC. 

 

 

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 It is an amazing piece of art, and will be available to the highest bidder at the TFC Truck Rally auction on June 27.

 

 

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 Set Free closed the program with a second concert.

It was a fabulous evening.

 

  

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Thursday April 2, 2009

 

I am with you all the days

(perpetually, uniformly, and on every occasion),

to the [very] close and consummation of the age.

Matthew 28:20 (Amplified Bible)

 

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Thursday April 2, 2009

 

 

Friday, March 27 ~ Evening

A Piano Recital

By the Students of Mrs. Jennifer Groff

 

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The piano in the Hoffer Auditorium of Pleasant View Retirement Community was in perfect tune.

 

 

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A few of the thirty-eight students playing tonight, wait for the recital to begin.  Our granddaughter Jana is in the middle of the photo – in the turquoise-colored dress.

 

 

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Jen began the evening with a brief introduction and prayer.  She is a piano teacher extraordinaire.

 

 

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Jana played Linus & Lucy by Guaraldi.

 

 

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 Our friends, Darvin and Angie Stoner’s son, Conrad, followed Jana, so I stayed in my position on the floor to capture a photo of him.  He played Rockin Robin by Thomas, Arr. Barden.

 

 

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 Jana following her recital.

 

 

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 The corsage from her parents.  We sat in the back of the auditorium and left partway through the recital because of the little children, and some of us had not had supper.

 

 

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Jana chose a peanut butter sundae.

 

 

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 I like how she sat on her chair.

 

 

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 Jana wanted Deb and Roy to attend, and because they came from a distance, and directly from work, neither had supper.

 

 

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 Jana’s big brother Josh

 

 

Her younger brothers…

 

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Ian

 

 

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 Jared

 

 

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 Jared with his ice cream

 

 

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 Jared and Grandpa having fun

 

 

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 Baby brother Jesse

 

 

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 Jana’s dad, Jere, with Jesse

 

 

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 It was a fun evening.

 

 

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Wednesday April 1, 2009

 

God’s Word is better than a diamond, better than a diamond set between emeralds.  

You’ll like it better than strawberries in spring, better than red, ripe strawberries.

Psalm 19:10 (The Message)

 

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