It's officially summer

which means lazy mornings, quiet afternoons, working teenagers, and time to try new recipes.  A new family "thumbs up recipe" the BLT pasta salad!  With crazy schedules and heat,  everyone's appetite is always all over the boarding trying to please everyone is hard at times...so we make it fun and try new things!

First fresh iced tea of the summer

Salmon on the grill for supper!

I make a paste of brown sugar and some chili sauce.

A poem written by a friend of ours

To the Class of 2020

"The Missing Pages"

By: Jason Gear

There’s a special book that is being penned
It’s the story of your life from beginning to end

It is just getting started and will have many chapters
Every little detail of your life will be captured

It will include all of the particulars that are especially interesting
Except I see now that there will be a few pages missing

I knew something was not right at first glance
Missing is the page with pomp and circumstance

I turned back to find the last few months of class
But all of those pages were missing in mass

Since kindergarten you have been called the class of 2020
All of the work that you have accomplished thus far has been plenty

We have looked forward to gathering for commencement and graduation
But this memorable event has been cancelled and led to quite the frustration

I scanned through the chapters that were already concluded
There were many good memories which of course had been included

Whether you were born in 2001 or 2002
You probably don’t remember what the country had just been through

Terrorists had attacked us on our homeland
Our lives would be very different than beforehand

Your parents protected you and held you tightly
The chance of them letting you go any time soon was very unlikely

You will always be called the i-generation
Things that start with “i” will always be part of your formation

Ipods and Iphones and of course Instagram
Those are the things that shaped the way you were programmed

Wikipedia and the Internet were your virtual playground
And there was always plenty to watch on Youtube as you laid around

I scanned through more chapters and realized you had grown up
The boys had gotten much taller and the girls were now wearing makeup

You are no longer children still under your parent’s care
But are now adults, ready to launch into the world is our prayer

There will be some pages in today’s chapter that are missing
We wish there was a way that we could do some fixing

We have looked forward to this special day, a day of celebration
The day all your friends and family would gather for your graduation

Your accomplishments have still been recorded
And your diplomas have still been awarded

You make not get to walk down the crowded aisle
Or hear your name read while others cheer and smile

The last day of school with your friends didn’t really happen
But the memories from your years together will not be forgotten

Soon we will try to paste in the pages that are missing
But we know it will not be the same, who are we kidding?

We wish things were different, we wish things would happen as planned
A global pandemic has caused all of the public gatherings to be banned

Even though there a few pages that will be missing in this chapter
The book has many more pages that will need to be captured

Some of you will go to college, some of you will further your training
You all have so much more of your life remaining

Just a few short pages of your life that we expected to find
Will be missing from this chapter that we had so carefully outlined

I am sorry that there are pages which will be missing, it’s no fault of your own
Sometimes, why things happen in life are strangely unknown

There’s something more important than a few missing pages
It’s what is going to be written in your next chapter and life stages

The completion of high school is just the end of one chapter
There is much more to be written in your book soon after

Hold your heads high and be proud of your accomplishments
We applaud you enthusiastically with our compliments

God knew before you were born what pages would be missing
Through all of this, His grace and mercy will always be a blessing

We have trusted God to carry us through these difficult times
We know there are many more pages to write during your lifetime

Congratulations to all of you, the class of 2020
May God Bless you all in the days to come, with plenty

A beautiful and blessed week!

 Spring time in Michigan is truly beautiful!!!  After all the rain...we have had beautiful days and everything is lush and green.

 We now have the lower have of the house completed and we will wait for help on the top half.

 Yesterday, I did trim work and finished the ceiling of the front porch.  I tend to wear more paint than anyone else.

                                                 A special delivery for our graduating girl!

She says it is not official since she doesn't have her diploma yet.

                            A special delivery for me from one of my students and her mother.

         How thoughtful my school family friends have been to me!  Of course...I share everything!

May 22, 2020 The Graduation Day that we took time to observe!

 We marked this special day with a yummy grilled lunch and family time 

before the girls went to work for the evening.

We watched a special picture video of Alisa's growing up years 

with a special message from Dad and Mom!

                         Dad and Mom had tears in their eyes...couldn't quite see Alisa's eyes.

                                                           A special book just for her.

Teddy narrating and commenting on the variety of pictures.

 A special summery dessert for everyone!  The kiddos took off to do some things together.  The girls went to work.

We watched a special graduation celebration from a friend who wanted to make tonight special for our graduates!  I cried again and prayed it would be an encouragement to Alisa when she watched it later.  God is good.  

I am thankful for friends that speak life and truth into our children!  And the evening's sunset was a stunning reminder that there is beauty all around us...even in uncertain times...disappointments...struggles.  

All you need to do...is look up!  Be thankful!  Trust Him!

My Congratulations and Challenge to the Class of 2020

By: Jason Gear

1. In life you are going to make mistakes, just try not to make them more than once

2. Life is not a dress rehearsal, you don’t get any do-overs

3. It’s good to ask questions, it’s even better to ask the right person

4. Have some dessert, just don’t have it every day

5. You never know who is quietly watching you from the sidelines

6. You are going to spend quite a bit of time cleaning up other people’s messes

7. Stop trying to keep score for everything

8. Figure out, how to figure things out

9. Don’t rate how successful you are by what got crossed off of your list this week – you might have had the wrong things on your list

10. Life has many chapters, don’t be afraid to turn the page and move to the next one

Working...

                         on turning our house smokey blue...and turning myself the same color!

                              Replacing and repairing and scraping and priming and painting!

The first level is smokey blue and we like the color!  We had to work a little harder than normal to keep the color due to some unclear bylaws.  Our neighbors have given kind compliments as we have moved forward.  We had verbal confirmation.  Today...we got the official paper that said our color choice was approved.  We are working to fix up our house and learning lessons as we go!

Looking ahead to celebrating Alisa with an open house in July

 Waiting for the special announcements to arrive in the mail this week!  

What fun to see a goal accomplished!

Congratulations to our Alisa girl!

 Today...was the day for graduation...that did not officially happen...because...well...God allowed it!  We have a governor who is out of control.  We have people who are fearful.  We have tried to make wise decisions.

 We celebrated our girl today!  She is doing well!  We are thankful that even in disappointment...there is quiet peace and acceptance that God has a bigger plan in all that is happening.  We can look back at what God has done in Alisa's life and we know that He is still working!  So...Happiest of Graduation Days to you, sweet daughter!  This is an end...but really...a new beginning.  We look forward to watching you take those next steps...trusting the God who is the author of the best plans.

Another space created for our Ashlynn girl

 Made with love by Dad and Teddy!  Now to fit all her college stuff in her room...all neat and organized.

The girls took a road trip!

 Ashlynn, Alisa, and friend drove to Tennessee on Monday (May 11) and came home on Tuesday (May 12).  Ashlynn and her friend were able to make an appointment to pick up all their things from college.

 It was a fun girls only trip!  Mission safely accomplished!  And we are only slightly disturbed by our new house guest!

Looking at our home project!

Graduating our K5 and Seniors...

                                 and doing our best to make the last few school days special!

Our graduating girl...2020!

                                                               Alisa Kae Tackeberry

              A date of June 5, 2020, has tentatively been shared for a graduation ceremony.

Her senior year looked different...

                       but she took it all in stride!  We are looking forward to her next steps!

Her best cheerleaders and supporters...her siblings!  So fun to watch them work through the changes of life together.