Teacher's retreat on Lake Huron 2021

Yummy food!  Comfy stay!  Encouraging words! Laughing coworkers!  Helpful conversations!  Rousing games! 

A winning team!  We won a gift card to Target!

Beautiful scenes!

We had to visit the "scary store" again.  It was open!  And this time we brought more friends...and then felt bad that we didn't buy anything...so one of our party bought an over-priced coffee cup.  We are pretty sure we saw most of the same exact merchandise as last year..plus more dust and dried bugs.  

Brad and Mari joined us for Thursday night supper, session, dessert, and games.  The food was fantastic!  But it always is when you don't have to prepare it.

"Um...we would suggest not standing there!"  and then we all laughed.  Too much power exerted sent pieces flying off the end!

 

Fall came to Michigan!

The last blooms of summer are bright and happy!

Kindergarten field trip to the apple orchard!

Treats for my family!

Warm apple crisp with vanilla ice cream...so fruit was for dessert on Tuesday!

Fun with apple things in Kindergarten equals fresh applesauce in the crockpot to bring home!

Leaves are beginning to turn!  Temperatures are changing. 

Our daughters

make me smile!  If you have been following our blog for any length of time, there was a day or two that I wondered if these girlies would ever appreciate one another.  We saw glimpses throughout junior high and high school...but now days...they are full on friends who miss one another in the daily life!  I am ok with the fact that they talk more with each other than they do me!  It actually brings tears to my eyes when Alisa or Teddy casually say they talked with Ashlynn.  A bigger blessing to my heart is when they include me in their talks...and when I get a call or Marco Polo or Dad gets one (where there isn't a need or a problem to solve) thankfulness sets in in a big way!  Yep...the days of breaking up fights and arguments were worth it...because they have a good relationship now!
 

Tastes of fall

Teddy requested the "pink dip" to go with these ginger snap cookies.  Raspberry dip it is!

School birthdays always bring treats!  These were especially yummy!
 

Looking back

 Looking forward to being shape detectives...causes Mrs. T. to make unbreakable shape detective finder things!

"Oh, Mrs. T., you are eating monkey food!"  Why, yes, I am!  What kind of monkey food are you eating?  "I have grapes!  And he has strawberries!"

Dad got back from Georgia...and these two won't leave him alone!

Saturday at the soccer tournament for the last game...because...it was beautiful out...and why not!?  And look who is over by the goal helping out...yep...Teddy!  I love that he wants to help out.

Friday night...I was all alone for a little while.  Pedicure and Lucky Charms for me!

Cuddles and conversations with Alisa!  The giggling at Chica's antics was catchy!

So much tiredness around us this week!  Week 2 of school...check!

Time with our big kids

Mexican food sounded good to everyone on Sunday night after church!  We headed to one of our favorites and Teddy spoiled us.

"Hey, I thought you weren't going to eat the whole thing?"  Ummm, yeah,  I just realized that I ate the whole thing about 20 seconds ago...and didn't realize what happened!  He is so funny!

Teddy also explained to us how guys paying works...Alisa needed a little tutoring on what not to do.  Ha ha ha!  Dad has taught him well!  I love time with our grown up kids.  They are smart.  They are kind.  They know how to laugh.  They know how to care about people.  And they know I'm a mess without my best friend...and they still love me!
 

"I am so tired today!"

Teddy and Alisa both have stated this several times today.  It is the first time in about a month they have not had to work or out of town with no schedule.  I see them in their rooms as I walk through the house to motherly chore stuff...and they are resting.  Some days you need to just stop and catch up on rest.  Our puppies provide us with good examples.

Ted made his way north to Tennessee from Georgia to be with Ashlynn.  I'm so glad he can break away from stressful work responsibilities and be with our girl.  He gets to see Ash's place in real life and Ash gets to play hostess!

I drank multiple cups of coffee and baked today.  It was beautifully cool this morning, so I made a quiche, sausage roll-ups, and chocolate chip cookies.  I felt a little glimmer of excitement when I saw all the fall flavors are starting to hit the stores!  The weather is teasing of fall weather and some leaves are already changing.  We get to have a field trip to the apple orchard and that makes me a little happy.

Each day after kindergarten, I came home to eat some lunch and then cuddle with the puppies.  They had a rough week...no one home with them all day!  One afternoon, I went and got my nails done.  Oh, my girls started me on something that has been quite a treat!

The face of a tired but grateful kindergarten teacher.  My 14 little friends are doing a good job as we begin our year.

This was our storm damage this week!  Planters blew over...I picked up and saved the plant as soon as the storm passed, but had to wait for things to dry out to be able to scoop up the dirt.

There is nothing like first day fun...all wrapped up with nervous twitching when you have to work through some hiccups!  Here is my first day picture this year...no big kiddos here with me for school!  Ted flew to Georgia.  Teddy headed to work.  Alisa dropped her Dad off at the airport and then came to work in the Toddler room.  Meanwhile in Tennessee, Ashlynn has a day off and then 6 more weeks of training at a different salon.  We are all back to a routine of a work schedule.

Now that I list it all out...yep, we have good reason to be tired!  Lots of work, lots of time investing in people, lots of wisdom needed, lots of responsibility....and we are thankful to be able to do it all!
 

Noticing the sounds of an ordinary day

As I got up and moved around this morning, I knew what day it was...September 11, my Daddy's birthday!   The birds are singing.  The coffee brewing.  People doing yard work.  The hum of the washer told me Teddy was awake.  A text buzzed as Ted told me he was headed north to Tennessee to our Ashlynn.

How thankful I am for my Dad and his faithfulness to his God and his family all these years!  I am also struck with the fact that everything he and mom taught us, prepared us to navigate the challenges of this life.  Not many are willing to stand for truth these days, because there is a cost!  Truth is valuable and something to be fought for on all levels.  And so today...as I remember my Dad's birthday, I also remember the value of life and truth that has been represented through the years!  

Twenty years ago, the stability of daily life in the USA was shattered by a people who have hated Truth down through the ages!  Our country was founded on Truth and freedom to embrace Truth.  These days...Truth has been attacked in ways I didn't even think about a year or two ago.  As we moved away from the time of events of 9/11/01, I have taken for granted the freedom we have!  "We hold these truths to self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that are among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness..."

For the last 18 months, our lives, liberties, and pursuit of happiness as Americans have been under attack!  Most people have succumbed to fear and are now controlled by the evil leaders under the guise of help.  How quickly they have put their evil plan in place!  How quickly Americans have been duped!  How quickly Christians have relinquished hold of Truth!  And today...everybody is saying and sharing "Don't Forget!"

You have forgotten for 18 months!  You said we were conspiracy theorists.  You said it wasn't a "big deal".  You have sought to be politically correct to the point of erring from the Truth. You have been fighting against those who have spoken the Truth trying to remind you not to lose heart, keep the faith, trust in the One who is in complete control.  The world and today's government do to operate from the foundation of Truth!  That ceased decades ago when God was removed from places of influence.  Why are you being blind?  Our family has been attacked and told we shouldn't say certain things.  We've been told we don't understand, that we are narrow-minded, that we have brain-washed our children, and we don't have a clue about "real life".  We hear "Everyone has rights!"...till my rights make your rights uncomfortable?  You have freedom to say whatever you want, but my words offend?  

And then...I remember...we all have different foundations that we have laid.  There is a foundation built on man's wisdom, and a foundation built on God's wisdom.  And that is where the divide comes...satan has been attacking since the beginning of time...and continues today!  God said he would.   I must remember not to take it personal...when it becomes personal.  Easier said than done because relationships are affected.

We know the Truth of God's Word...we know how this story will end...we know the Creator and Master of it all...and we will not fear!  We have lived and learned this Truth personally.  God has kept our family safe in the past.  He has worked in ways that we did not see or deserve!  Our Truth is found in God and God alone and there is one who is at work against that Truth...he has been since the beginning of time...the father of all lies!  And Christians have chosen to follow the lies of this world...and then have turned on other Christians who have chosen to embrace and follow the Truth.  The USA has always been on alert for attacks from outside its borders.  We have learned in these last few months, the attacks that satan is using to his best advantage...are attacks from within...on the ordinary days of life.
 

A weekend of being at home...

"Hey...sometimes cereal is a great idea, isn't it!?"

Lazy Labor Day...smoking and sitting!

And laughing and eating!

Smoked chicken....mmmm!

Bright colorful zinnias