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Ice, Rain ,and Granddaughters

Everything was dripping with ice this morning.

Mrs. Downy Woodpecker braved the cold, wet weather.

This afternoon it rained…

…and rained…

…and rained.

The birds looked wet and cold.

~~~

The girls are here!

Cerwin picked them up on the way home from work. 

This time we’re celebrating Diana’s half-birthday.  She is nine and a half today.

It’s not fun to party alone, so she invited her two sisters and cousin, Jana.

Jenna

Jana

Gloria

They are relaxing tonight, but have big plans for tomorrow.

Love God, your God, with your whole heart:

love him with all that’s in you,

love him with all you’ve got!

Something New and Fun

Following a rather routine day in the office – finalizing attendance and meal reports for TFC’s Winter Retreat in two weeks, sending them to Camp Hebron, then adding lots of names to my database for a mailing…

…I went to the International Office for a 3 p.m. Communications meeting with JJ and Inge. 

Cerwin and Howard Moses spent the day at the Frystown chapel, installing electric heat.  This is an older chapel that still had oil heat.  After he got back, we went to Wendy’s for supper.

~~~

We had a 5:30 p.m. appointment at Dish-it-Up to claim half of the Christmas gift from our children, and didn’t know where it was located, so planned to put the address in our GPS unit.  However, when we pulled into Wendy’s, I told Cerwin, “I don’t think we are going to need the GPS unit.”  He asked, “Why?”

I said, “Look next door!”

We heard about this place, and looked forward to preparing meals for our freezer. 

The owner, Megan, explained the process.  At this station we would be assembling Slow Cooker Beef Stew.

Then we were on to the next meal, Dinner Party Brie and Chicken.

We were able to divide most meals into two (which means we will have twelve meals).

While I placed the chicken and brie in the pans, Cerwin mixed the cherry topping, then spread it on the chicken.

The last step for each meal is covering…

…and labeling the container.

The directions for making Meat Ball Soup.

We could have split this into two meals, but chose to keep it as one, thinking it will taste better when cooked in one pot, then maybe freeze the leftovers.  When a meal consisted of several bags, Megan suggested that we wrap them in plastic wrap so they stay together in the freezer.

We did the same thing with the Smokey Stovetop Ham and Beans.

Labels give cooking details.

Our last meal preparation was Turkey Breast Provencal.

That was so much fun, and such a great way to prepare meals.  Each meal serves six people, so that means we will have twelve to eighteen meals for the two of us!

Now I look forward to cooking and eating them!  

I did not get pictures of the Gorgonzola Crusted London Broil.

~~~

We still have six meals left on our coupon, so we get to do this again.  There are twelve new meal choices each month.

Each meal costs $18.00 (for six people) – that’s $3 per person.  The cost is reduced slightly if you order more than six meals.

Our children know that their parents are often too busy to spend a lot of time in meal preparation, so this was a perfect gift. 

Maybe if I drop a few hints they will do it again sometime. 

Morning, Noon, and Night

Wednesday was a tie-your-trash-can-down kind of day ~ stormy and windy.

This goldfinch stayed long after all other birds gave up fighting the wind.  Notice the feeder in back of him swinging in the wind, and the feathers blowing against his beak on the right side of his face.

About midmorning I heard someone coming down the steps to my basement office.  It was my niece, Amy, with a fresh-baked loaf of bread. 

Yum! 

I told vernam06 that we needed to get together.  I noticed on her site that she was making butter.  Alas, we are too many hours apart. 

Lunch with a few Sauder aunts, uncles, and cousins.

I am not sure how this quarterly lunch gathering began (a year or two ago), probably when some cousins wanted to get their parents together on a regular basis.  The older cousins are just beginning to retire, and most of the aunts and uncles no longer drive.  Uncle John announced at this meal that he gave up his driver’s license.

The aunts and uncles are Cerwin’s mother’s siblings.  Left to right on the right side of the table – cousin Elaine, Cerwin, our brother-in-law, Mel, Cerwin’s sister, Velda, Aunt Edna, and cousin Reba.

Cerwin’s brother, Elvin, cousin Blanche, and Ella (Cerwin’s mother).

If you look closely at Blanche’s menu, you can see we are at Oregon Dairy.  This is the restaurant of choice, because three of the siblings live nearby at Landis Homes Retirement Community.

Aunt Bertha and her daughter, Nancy

Elvin, Blanche, Mother, Uncle John, Bertha, Nancy, Cousin Resie, and her dad Uncle Amos.

Aunt Naomi with daughters Esther and Elaine.

Aunt Edna with three of her children:  Reba, Ken, and Anna.

 Bertha, Nancy, Resie, Amos

The next Sauder lunch will be at noon on April 30.  Any Sauder cousins reading this – you are welcome.

When I looked outside an eastern window at suppertime, I knew there must be a beautiful sunset.

 It was still windy, so I didn’t feel like going to my favorite “sunset-taking” photo spot in the front yard, so carefully opened a door at the back of the garage.  (Carefully ~ so it didn’t slam against the house!)  I think I found a new, favorite place to take sunset pictures.

~~~

Shortly after sunset the wind stopped (where does wind go when it stops blowing?), and we enjoyed a quiet, relaxing evening.  Then, just as I was ready to make this entry, a few minutes before 9 p.m., the electric went off.  

We don’t usually go to bed at 9 o’clock, but neither of us felt like reading by candlelight.  When we woke this morning, the electric was back.  Yes, to electric!

Never hold grudges.

Colossians 3:13 TLB

Gray Day

I was up early and got a lot of work done in my home office, before going to TFC’s International Office for a 10 a.m. meeting.

I thought I may get ahead of the rain, but it started a short time earlier, making the roads a bit dangerous because the temperature was right on freezing.

The first two pictures are not black and white – that is just how gray, cold, and dreary it was outside.  I must have done something “right” with my flash to make those interesting, black-trimmed, rain drops.  I took the pictures on portrait mode, which blurrs or softens the background.

~~~

I was a bit nervous about the half-hour drive, but only came upon a few icy places. 

Cerwin wanted me to arrive early to get new pictures of the chapel that is under construction for Chilliwack, British Columbia.

He is installing cabinets this week.

The microwave and refrigerator will be placed in the openings to the right of the cabinets.

Looking toward the chapel area.

Facing the entrance to the chapel.

It was good to see Bill.  He has not been feeling well for several weeks, and is still having tests to help discover why he is nauseated much of the time.

Cerwin and Bill

Coffee break

They were enjoying pumpkin cookies.

~~~

I still had a few minutes, so walked around the office to see who I could find at their desk.

Hey, there’s the boss – TFC’s President & CEO, Scott Weidner.

Bunny was checking out our new website at www.driverswellness.com. 

~~~

Then it was 10 a.m., time for our meeting.

The purpose of our meeting today was to meet or become better acquainted with Janette Guy, wife of Chaplain Richard Guy, who recently accepted the challenge of becoming International Office Manager. 

The men – Scott, Bunny, Cerwin, Mike (out of camera range) – and I were asked to be there for the first part of the meeting.  Howard was missing, since his wife, Angie, was having some outpatient tests today. 

Following that meeting, the ladies on staff (minus Angie) met to become acquainted with office changes.  Lynn, (standing) the current office manager, will train Janette, then assume new responsibilities – using her creative talents – probably with our websites and literature.

~~~

Welcome aboard, Janette!

Be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Ephesians 6:18 NLIV

Never Forget it.

Where You Are ~ God Is

 Since some of you are asking, yes, I did take these pictures.

But they are a mere reflection of the real thing, and the ONE who created this beauty for us to enjoy.