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Friday With the Grandchildren

 

After a busy Thursday, Friday was a bit more laidback.

 

 

An outside view of our house quickly tells passersby that life is not normal in our household: our two vehicles are outside the garage, an old pickup truck is parked in our yard, and a four square layout is marked on our driveway.

 

 

Nathan, Jordan, and Jared

Inside the house the “big guys” are having fun with one of the “little boys.”

 

 

Jared loves when the big boys are here, and is disappointed when Jordan has to go to work.  Nathan also went to work today – helping my brothers on the farm.

 

 

Jana and Diana are going to spend another morning pulling weeds for Aunt Dot.

 

 

 

 

Yesterday, I noticed that they were on the wrong side of the road, and explained why it is important to walk on the left side – so you are always facing traffic in your lane – and vehicles arriving from behind will be in the opposite lane.  It looks like they remembered.

 

 

After weeding for for a couple of hours, the other girls and I stopped to get a picture – also an order for something cold from Rita’s.  

 

 

We got a few groceries, then a Rita’s Ice or Gelati for each person, and picked up Jana and Diana at noon.

 

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Everyone relaxed (played a game or watched a video) for the next few hours.

~~~

 

 

Then it was time to cool off with water balloons.

 

 

Jesse (who arrived at 1:00 p.m.) thought they were fun to pick up and throw on the ground.

 

 

 

 

I had to teach Ian and Jared that the idea is not to break them by slamming them against a tree or on the ground, but to throw them in the air or to another person and catch them without breaking them.

 

 

Jesse continued emptying the bowl – then picking them up and putting them back inside.

 

 

When we were down to two balloons per person, we made up a game of everyone throwing the balloons in the air at the same time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jesse was their cheerleader – standing on the sidelines clapping.  Last week he did not stand alone, now he has developed good balance, and is beginning to take steps.

 

 

The final three balloons.

 

 

 

 

Then there were only two.

 

 

Silly girls!

 

 

 

 

 

 

It went so long that I don’t think a winner was ever declared.

 

 

Ice cream was the next order of business.

 

 

 

 

~~~

 

After a supper of leftovers, then baths and a video…

 

 

…this was the scene in the back room (behind our garage) – six children sleeping on air mattresses.  It’s nice that this room is next to our bedroom so we are nearby if someone needs us.

Jordan and Nathan were still awake, watching something on TV or playing on GameCube – I forget which.  They sleep in our guest room.

 

 

 

How great is the love the Father has lavished on us,

that we should be called children of God!

1 John 3:1 New International Version

 

 

 

Thursday With the Grandchildren

 

 

After breakfast, Diana and Jana walked to the farm where my sister-in-law, Dot, had a weeding job for a couple of girls.  These two were anxious to earn some extra money.

 

 

 

 

Jenna helped me in the office for a few hours.  She loves making address corrections in my database – and does a great job.

 

 

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Then we spent some time in the yard – getting ready for a family reunion on Sunday.

~~~

 

 

Jared cut some mint tea for me.

 

 

Nathan did the weed-eating.

 

 

Jordan hauled bags of small red stones for our flower bed.

 

 

Jenna helped Cerwin put the stones in place.

 

 

 

 

Gloria and Ian gathered mulch from our surplus pile – for some bare spots I needed to touch up in the memory garden.

 

 

 

 

Nathan and Jared dragged a fallen limb to the burn pile.

 

 

~~~

By noon it was too hot to be outside, however, after lunch the children still wanted to work. 

(There aren’t any more pictures of Jordan and Nathan today, because they left to work for a farmer in their neighborhood.)

~~~

 

 

Jenna checked out my cupboards, and asked if she could bake some things for our freezer.

 

 

Ian washed the floor…

 

 

…then mixed up a small pack of cornbread for supper.

 

 

 

 

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Then it was time for fun!

~~~

 

 

Grandpa’s homemade waterslide – made with two tarps, a half-gallon of bubbles, baby oil, and water.

 

 

We put two old blankets under the tarp – folded a few times – to make their landing a bit softer than the hard ground.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They still weren’t quite wet enough, so played with water balloons.

 

 

Jesse came while we were playing with the water balloons.

 

 

Oops – I dropped that one.

 

 

Jana and Diana had fun with a leaking water balloon.

That was a busy, fun day!

 

 

 

Christ has set us free to live a free life.

So take your stand!

Never again let anyone put a harness of slavery on you.

Galatians 5:1 The Message

 

 

 

Cousins’ Week

(That’s what the grandchildren call it – Cerwin and I call it “Grandchildren Week”)

 

 

A McDonalds supper at Aunt Debbie’s

Left to right – Deb (our youngest daughter), Cerwin, Jenna, Diana, Jana, Gloria.

It all began at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday when I picked up these four girls.  They played and had lots of fun during the afternoon, but kept asking how long until we leave for Aunt Debbies.  Then during the hourlong drive, they wanted grandpa to drive faster, so we would get there sooner.  It didn’t help that we stopped at McDonalds to pick up supper.

 

 

One of the first things the girls did after supper, was choose their bed.  Gloria chose the top bunk, and Diana the bottom bed in the back room.

 

 

It was fun for them to meet Harley (Deb’s new kitten) for the first time. 

 

 

Meanwhile in the other bedroom, Jenna chose the top bunk…

 

 

…and Jana picked the bottom.  This is the first time all four of them stayed there at the same time.

 

 

The two big boys (Jordan and Nathan) were here when we got home – and Jordan was at one of his favorite spots – in my seat, using my laptop to check out the stock market and financial reports for the day.   (Josh is away at camp this week, and will join us on Friday evening.)

 

 

The little boys (Jared, Jesse, and Ian) arrived after lunch on Wednesday, and helped Nathan and Grandpa set up the garage for meals and extra playing space.

These special days involve our ten Pennsylvania grandchildren.  Our six Maine grandchildren have to wait until Labor Day weekend to get some special attention again.

 

 

Since there was plenty of time, Ian and Jared enjoyed racing their trucks in this wide-open space – before we set up tables.

 

 

Jesse’s new favorite thing to do is play with this large ball.

 

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Deb brought the girls home at suppertime, and Jere and Kristen joined us.  Jeff and Chris take advantage of this week each summer to celebrate their wedding anniversary – antique and flea market shopping, and eating at area restaurants.

~~~

 

 

Jesse was pleased with his birthday gift from Aunt Debbie.  Jere and Kristen were surprised at how quickly he adapted to it.

 

 

We laughed at his first efforts in trying to make it move.

 

 

Oops!

 

 

His parents were even more surprised when he got behind it and started pushing it – very fast!  He had never done anything like that.

 

 

Jared played with the box.

 

 

After supper Jenna played with Jesse while Jere and Kristen did some shopping.  Jesse is only here for a few hours each evening, giving his parents some “no children time.”  (Because of our daytime activities, it works better to not have a toddler here during the day.) 

 

 

He is just starting to stand alone, and this ball seems to make it easy for him.

 

 

Jared, Ian, and Gloria spent a long time playing in the sandy dirt under their favorite tree.

 

 

When they needed something new to do, they played with water on the patio – watering flowers and washing anything they could find that needed cleaning.

 

 

Jared even cleaned this stone frog that usually sits in one of our flower beds.

After that they were ready for baths, a video, then bed. 

 

 

I will walk in freedom,

for I have devoted myself to your commandments. 

Psalm 119:45 New Living Translation

 

 

 

Lancaster Barnstormers Baseball

 

This is what Cerwin did on Saturday evening while I went to Rose’s birthday party.  It was AgDairy Night, and our son, Jere, had the privilege of weighing the milk at the evenings milking contest.

 

 

Jere & Kristen’s children and a friend in the dugout.  Left to right:  Jared, Josh, Jonathan Kline, Jana, and Ian.

 

 

They were excited to meet Matt LeCroy.

 

 

The children had an opportunity to meet Chocolate, a Brown Swiss calf that was only a few days old.

 

 

The milking contest was between two teams – one led by State Senator Mike Brubaker, and the other by Representative Art Hershey (pink shirt).

 

 

Art Hershey’s team milked the Brown Swiss

 

 

Mike Brubaker’s (left) team milked the Holstein

 

 

Waiting

 

 

 

 

Brown Swiss, Cylo (Barnstormer’s mascot), and Senator Brubaker

 

 

Jere weighing one of the buckets of milk.

 

 

Declaring Art Hershey’s team the winner.

 

 

Jere with the two buckets of milk

 

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I can’t believe they didn’t take any pictures of the game!  However, the Barnstormers beat the Long Island Ducks 10-4.  The Barnstormers are a minor league team,and part of the Atlantic League

~~~

 

 

 

For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.

So you also are complete through your union with Christ,

who is the head over every ruler and authority. 

Colossians 2:9-10 New Living Translation

 

 

 

Happy Fiftieth to Rose

 

 

I enjoyed attending our friend Rose Gehman’s fiftieth birthday party on Saturday evening, while Cerwin attended a Barnstormers’ game in Lancaster.

 

 

A photo of Rose – probably about age 1.

 

 

 

 

 

 

People began arriving promptly in order to be there to surprise her when she and her husband, Gene, and their friends John and Judy came home after eating supper at a local restaurant.

 

 

Rose’s brother brought the cake.

 

 

Looking at old photos.

 

 

When they were a bit late in getting home, friends and family continued visiting.

 

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When we heard the cycles arriving, we quickly went inside the garage, closed the garage doors…

~~~

 

 

…then opened them when the cycle stopped.  Everyone was delighted – especially her husband, Gene – that she was surprised.

 

 

The rest of the photos do not need captions – as friends and family visited and Rose enjoyed her guests.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My parting shot of the party.

 

 

 

Be beautiful in your heart

by being gentle and quiet.

This kind of beauty will last,

and God considers it very special.

I Peter 3:4 CEV