Enjoying time with Dad and Mom

We arrived in Hillsdale at 1:30am (2:30am Michigan time).  The Lord gave us a safe trip, and we are grateful for those who prayed for us!  We enjoyed Susie's pasties for supper once we got across the bridge.  It was beautiful as we ate at the picnic table with the seagulls.  We bought pasties and smoked white fish too.  We picked up blueberries and cherries at the Deer Ranch.  We brought a taste of Michigan to Mom and Dad!
I will say...driving through Wisconsin late at night...in parts that I have not driven before...was kind of eerie!  Thankfully, Mari had been that way before and recognized the names of towns.  Our GPS led us through the three national forests.  We laughed when we asked our phones, "Where are we?" and she answered, "I'm not sure."   Mari watched and counted the frogs as they hopped across the road and the bugs splat on the windshield...gagging as I turned on the wipers when we ran into hard rain for awhile.  We are thankful Ted and Teddy replaced the wipers!!!  Thank you, honey!!!  We are pretty sure a frog splatted on the windshield at one point.  We also counted many deer...a couple had nice antlers!
It was so nice to see Dad standing in the driveway as we unloaded and turned to go into the house!  It was a short...early...morning!  A cool breeze made for good sleeping and the coffee tasted good as we sat this morning and talked and laughed.
We ALL worked outside this morning...Dad got on the mower for awhile and we worked in the garden!  We picked 3 pails of green beans and a pint of raspberries.  Then we weeded and watered.  It has been a restful day...full of thankfulness for God's protection and our husbands' generosity.  We are glad we came!

Update on Grampy

I just talked to Mom and Dad.  The doctor came in this morning and talked with Mom and Dad.  The bloodwork is showing that Dad had a significant heart attack with muscle injury to his heart.  The nurse was still checking the records and notes to find more specific details for them.  He will be staying in the hospital through tomorrow for sure.  He is out of CCU and on the floor now...well, he is in a bed...and I type that for Dad's benefit!  He asked me if I was a bright child and asked me to look up one of the fancy words the nurse gave them.  I told him I had my moments!  We laughed together and that helped me!  The cardiac enzymes (Troponins T and I) are measuring high which indicates the significance of the heart attack.  Once again...I am thankful for those who helped him yesterday!
Mom has asked that we pray that Dad won't worry about the pain coming again, which adds to the stress on his body.  Please pray for rest for Dad, peace for Mom, and wisdom for the days ahead...and safety in travel...Mari and I are heading up to see them tomorrow!

Another summer event...

when the kiddos pack up their suitcases, roll up their sleeping bags, pick out snacks, and board a bus for camp!  This year...they head south to the Wilds in North Carolina.  And yes...that is a long ways away from Michigan...in a bus...for a week.  And yes...my heart catches in my throat every once in awhile when I think about it.  And no...that doesn't mean we won't let them go or insist we go too.  It means that we will spend a lot of time in prayer this week.  I also know that they will be experiencing many fun and helpful things while at camp.  It is going to be very quiet in our house this week!

A Beautiful Summer Day...

 How do you spend a Friday off work?  Well, we got up early, dropped Chevy off, and drove 2 1/2 hours away!

 First ride of the day...Mad Mouse.

 The first and only wooden coaster we rode...we felt beat up after it!  They sure make rides smoother than they once did!

 No humidity and a mix of sun and clouds makes for a perfect amusement park day!

 Log ride, anyone?

Hey, Kari, you get the front!  Ha, ha, you can get wet!

 Waiting for the bumper boats...turned out to be our favorite thing...bashing into each other and trying to splash one another.

 This park sure has changed over the years!  It has tripled in size since I went while I was teaching in Grand Haven!  We went into the water park area and the kiddos enjoyed several parts.  It was too cool for me by that time!  Ted lasted a short ride on the lazy river and then he was done too.  "Crazy kids, I don't know how they stand it for that long!  That water is cold...especially with the air being so cool and the breeze kicking up."

"You are not supposed to take pictures!"

 "Teddy, sit still!  You are rocking this gondola!"

 Fixing her loose screw..."Careful!  Don't drop it!"

 "So...Snoopy is the mascot for this place?"  Yep!  We enjoyed the day.  It is a clean park.  It wasn't crazy crowded.  And they have kettlecorn that was amazing!

The sun setting at 9:05pm as we pulled out of the parking lot to head home!  "I like being able to take a day off now and then to spend it with all of you." Ted remarked while we watched the kiddos ride the Tilt-o-Whirl.  I am thankful for that special gift too!  There were seasons in our life where that wasn't possible.  God brought about seasons in our life that brought changes...which have brought us to this summer season...and blessing.  Another reminder that seasons go by so quickly and we want to learn from, be thankful for, and enjoy each one.

I know that I am not going to sleep much tonight...

so I thought it would be a good time to catch up on some posts of this week.  Our church had appointments for pictures for a new church directory this week.  We dressed ourselves up and went to smile perty.  We had to wait for quite awhile...not a great way for a company to make a sale!

 Teddy kept us amused!  I can't help myself...he makes me laugh out loud very loudly sometimes!

 Poor Ted...rushed away from work and had to catch up on things.  "Being off for a day and leaving early doesn't make my job easier!"

 We practiced smiling nicely...

 We picked colors that complimented the colors in the guys' ties...turquoise, black, blue, and gray.

 We used muscles in odd places trying to unnaturally make the poses look natural?!  Yikes!  What you don't see...Teddy is dancing and making faces behind the photographer that eventually had Ted laughing so hard we had to stop for a minute.  The photographer had no idea what was going on...which made it even funnier.  "Son, I'm gonna hurt you!" which did not help matters either...because Dad couldn't get off the stool to get him...and Teddy knew that and kept it up.

 Then it was Dad's turn to work on Teddy's composure!  Our kiddos are growing up so quickly!  They cooperated so nice...but the poses were so old school that we couldn't stop laughing.

 They had a little fun being overly dramatic with some of it...while waiting for the photographer to set things up.

 Teddy was a mess...giggling.

I missed his first pose...his chin on his hands...thankfully, that wasn't the pose the photographer had for him!  We were cheap.  We sat for the directory and will get the free 8x10, but we didn't buy any of the pictures.  Why? Because...while they turned out nice...they weren't natural...and it is awfully expensive for something we just didn't love!

I Peter 5:7 "Casting all your care upon Him; for He careth for you."

What a day!  My heart has been in my throat after talking with my dear Mom this morning.  My Daddy has had a very rough week with lots of bouts of heart pain.  To quote Mom, "The stable angina has now become unstable angina.  Something is not right!"  Pray without ceasing...a wonderful privilege we have as God's children!

And then...what a night!  The first call from Mom came just as we started our family devotions!  Dad was airlifted to Eau Claire after being taken to the hospital for severe chest pain.  Lots of tears and prayer together as we read the portion of I Peter 5 tonight...the verse right before our passage...verse 7..."Casting all your care upon Him..."

I just got off the phone with Mom about 9:10pm Michigan time.  The doctor had been in to see her. They did an angiogram and found a 95% blockage in one of the previous bypasses.  It was the bypass they did several years ago with the vein from the leg.  The doctor told her those don't hold up very long/as good as the other ones (from the arm?).  Anyway, they put a stint in, right then and there!  Praise the Lord for quick medical attention and abilities!  They said nothing of heart attack, but Dale (one of the deacons...who Dad called to take him to the hospital while Mom was gone to Rice Lake...picking up more of the nitro pills) said Dad was in a great deal of pain by the time they got to the hospital..."I think he was gritting his teeth..."  Dad responded to the nitro drip and other medicines the medical team gave him before airlifting him.  Dale said he was feeling better and joking before getting on the helicopter.  I guess it only takes about 10 minutes that way!  I'm so thankful they chose that route!
So...at this hour, they were getting Dad settled and then Mom would be able to go in and see him.  He will be in CCU tonight and be monitored with the possibility of going home tomorrow.
I'm so thankful for a Heavenly Father who worked through others today to take care of my Daddy...and my mom!  Thank you, Dale and Angie, for being there for our parents!  God is good all the time!  And I'm thankful He cares for His children and reminds us in the uncertain and scary times! 

"Hey, Alisa...think we should go get some ice cream?"

 Dad knows when to take a moment and make it special!  Alisa was our only kiddo at home and Dad needed a break from his studying!  "I'm taking a sweatshirt!  It's chilly out!"

 "Mmmm, this is so good!  But I'm freezing!"  I'll warm you up!  But do you have to look so scared of me?

Ok, that's a little better...sort of a smile and sort of a grimace.  Dates are fun...even on unseasonable cool summer nights!  "I like Michigan!" said Alisa...and we agreed.

"See, Mom, told you it would be fun without the girls!"

 We dropped off the girls at Allison's 16th (OH. MY. WORD.) birthday/overnight party and took off to explore the Splash Park.  Beautiful day.  Nice and clean place.  And just a little "too boring" for two eleven year olds.  "Mom, the slides are so slow.  There isn't enough water shooting down them."

 It was one of those times that I gave them a choice as we pulled in, "Do you want to go down to the lake or do you want to do the Splash Park?"  In unison, "Splash Park!"  I pulled the Mom card, "I gave you a choice and now I paid to do this.  Make the best of it and enjoy how clean it is...no sand!"

 They went off again...being good sports...and then came back to sit for awhile.  They were giggling so loud as they watched this little girl squeeze gobs of sunscreen all over her hands and rub it all over...the mothers were totally oblivious to their daughters...the boys howled and I sat thinking "I am so glad that we are past those ages!  I can just sit and do nothing here!"

 We stayed about two hours and then got over-priced pretzels for a snack on our way to the car as Ted's text came through asking about supper plans.  "Hey, guys, only eat 1/2 now!  Uncle Ted is making supper!"

 Oh...man...is he a good cook!  And he even picked the perfect night...Cappuccino Almond was the flavor of the day!

It's fun to splurge in the middle of the week with the boys! 

Ashlynn's first experience at Band/Music/Drama Camp 2014

 They left Michigan on Sunday afternoon and headed to MBU in Wisconsin.

 They were a little nervous...new experience and not sure what to expect.

 So many junior and senior high music/drama students...all there to learn.  "Mom, it was nice, everyone wanted to be there.  No one acted up."

I was so excited for Ashlynn to experience Dr. Ledgerwood's instruction and leading, as well as others...some of my classmates and acquaintances.

 A great opportunity for our big girl!  She was stretched and encouraged.

 Lots of instruction, practice, challenge, and fun.

 Junior high choir

 Band concert outside

This day just wasn't complete...

 1.  Till we made our blueberry muffins to go with our book by Robert McCloskey book fun today.

2.  Till we got glue all over our fingers.
3.  Till we ran crazy in the gym and played outside too.
4.  Till one of our little friends threw up all over the floor...as I was turning her to the garbage can...to be off the carpet...thus enabling her to hit the tile floor splashing all over my feet which were in my slip-on sandals...just as the children were sitting down to their lunches.  "I need the Clorox wipes...NOW!" 
I took care of me first...she was still puking in the can..I was standing right behind her consoling her and I wasn't about to walk and slip...
what would you have done?
Then her mother actually asked if she had to come get her, Umm, let me see, YES!  She was wretching over the can!
I'm still queasy after two hours!
Blah!
Some days just aren't fun enough...without more drama and nastiness in the three year old room.  However...this does explain, a little bit, as to why she was being so difficult today.  I wonder what kind of bleck we have all been exposed to now....and it is summer!

We will witness several weddings this summer...

 so there have been some bridal showers to attend.

 The colors and flowers of the recent one were so simple...yet so pretty.

 Showers are filled with such girly fun things to eat and do.

 And I enjoy the "big grown up girl time" with my sister...and other friends.