Trip to Michigan for Holly

Our daughter, Holly, had surgery scheduled for Oct. 14.   I almost dropped the ball ---- but God saw that I needed a nudge and took care of that part.   I took Amtrak from McCook, NE --- leaving at a little past midnight on the 14th and arrived in Holland, MI at 1:30 Thursday evening.  A long haul --- but it sure works good for someone traveling alone.

Everything with the surgery went great.   Our prayer was that the Doctor would be able to do it the Laproscopic  (can't figure out the right spelling) way.  SO much less invasive and the recovery time is so much shorter.   Thank you Lord!!!! 

Friday morning I washed some clothes and made some apple chips........and so on......did a little cleaning.........  Then in the afternoon when Holly was napping I took this computer to Hawkeye Computers for a good - much needed - tune-up.  We have no one here that seems to be able to help us with computers.......so this seemed like a good plan.... "Yes" they could have it done by Tues.  I then went and did some shopping at Love, INC.  Love that store!.

On Saturday,  me and the boys, Clayton and Sawyer, met my sister, Linda, and her grand daughter, Haeyden, in Hudsonville at the Rural Hay Days.  What a cold day!!!!  But we had a lot of fun.  I didn't take my camera ---- did use Holly's --- but right now I have no pictures of our activities.  Sawyer got on the Bull Ride and had a fantastic ride.  Maybe he didn't make it the full 8 seconds but it was a hoot!!  Way to go Sawyer!

  Linda bought the kids  (most everything was free) a chance at the rubber chicken throw.  Well,  goofy us --- we didn't ask any questions.  The gals in charge just said, "pick out your chicken"......and they recorded the number---and let it go at that. There were two posts with the sling shot hanging on them.......and then about 10 feet away was a marker.  We just assumed that the person who slung the chicken the furthest would be the winner.  So the kids did their best and we moved on.  A little later I told Linda that I would buy her a chicken.......  So we got her all set and she pulled back and pulled back and pulled back.....let go.....and PLOP she hit the ground!  We laughed and laughed!!!  (later she said --- good grief I could have broken something!!!).     Well,  about that time our brother, Bill, arrived to join in on the fun.  So I said,  "Bill, I'll buy you a chicken and let's see how you do."  Bill has a bit more sense then the rest of us.  He asked questions!!!!  It wasn't the chicken that went the furthest --- it was the chicken that came the closest to the marker.  So, Bill pulled back a little bit took aim and let it go.  The chicken landed and then jumped a little bit over --- toward the marker......  He probably came in 2nd!!!

On Sunday I went to church with Bill ---- the church I grew up in as a teenager......and got married in.  It's amazing how many of the people that were there when I was that young  are still members ......a might bit older (for sure)...but I recognized many of them.

Holly gave me a new "craft" to think on...   Holly and her mom-in-law have been making "Fairy Gardens"...... all I can say is for you to look them up on Pinterest.  CUTE CUTE!!  I will be watching for a "container" to be planting one in.

Holly just continued to improve daily.  On Monday she wanted to see how going up the stairs would go (the boys bedrooms are up there)........and on Tues. we went out to eat and then on for groceries .....and that went very good. I was very glad that I had made the trip ---- glad to be able to help Holly---- glad to be able to get to see 8 of our 10 grandchildren----glad to get to go to Sidneys volleyball game --- and watch them win----glad to be able to visit with some of our Overisel friends!

The trip home went good......LONG again.   The 4 hour lay over is Chicago is the killer...but that too goes OK.  When I arrived in McCook at 4:00 a.m. -------I really didn't think I wanted to drive in the dark so my plan was to wait it out at a restaurant that is open 24 hours.  I walked into the restaurant and I think my mouth dropped open.  The walls (shelves) were COVERED with cookie jars of every imaginable kind.  The waitress told me about the old building burning down several years ago ----destroying many of the jars.  However, she went on to say that they have about 2800!!!! It was   fascinating!   I didn't last very long - waiting for the sun to come up.......I took off around 5:30 and just drove slow.....watching for those deer on the road.

I arrived home around 10:00......tired but happy.    We had Release Time with our 3rd and 4th Graders and it went great.   They are 14 lively kids but they listen so good and have so much fun.  We feel blessed to be able to share God's Word with them.   The lesson was on The Wise Man who built his house upon the Rock and the Foolish Man who built his house on the Sand.   We have a FUN visual with this lesson, so the kids were attentive!!   We made some little wooden houses......one is
"built" (glued) on a rock and the other is placed on a pile of wet sand.  Then the "storm" comes.......in the form of a strong stream of water...and the house on the sand fell FLAT!!  Then they had some questions....."are you saying we have to find a rock to build our house on???? "  NO NO!!!  build your house (your life) on JESUS!!!  We have a shirt too that says This Is My House......another way to help explain that our "house" is our "life" and how we live it......who we put our trust in.   We've done that lesson with several different groups and I love it every time!!!

Well --- this is probably too much reading --- so will close.  

Thanks for all your prayers!!
Gary and Barb