Our Christmas Visitors

We were really excited when Mike called to say they wanted to drive out for Christmas.  It would be a short stay --- but those can be the best of times!!!!   They would arrive on Wednesday evening.  We had JDC but they wouldn't be here until after 8:00 - so no problem.  As we drove in we saw their tail lights.....they had just arrived.

We have quite a bit of room in our trailer but we were a bit short on the beds.  We called Lee and asked if Mike and Julie could come and use "Gpa's" bedroom...."you bet".   So we had Mike and Julie taken care of........  Sidney and Halle would share the full size bed......  Rick, Brennan and Austin on the bunk and twin beds.  That left Trenton and Colton in the living room.   Julie said they were the first ones up in the morning......so Trenton was on the couch and Colton on an air mattress.

Things did get a bit messy  --- boots and more boots.....

.......but spirits were high and we just didn't worry about the small stuff.

Christmas Eve we all went to church for a candle light service at Lakeview CRC.  And then we would share Christmas Dinner with Dwight, Marvanne and Rob and Lee.....and Pastor Mark, Dawn, Michaela and Evan.  The size of our group made us decide to have it at the Community Center.   What a feast we had!!!  Then we got the Aggravation boards out and things got intense.

OH ----- I forgot to mention Diesel ----  a dog that looks like Toby's twin.  He took the ride in stride-----slept the whole way up and back.

They got along just fine --- yes, there was a fair amount of growling at times...... but mostly Toby put up with Diesel.  We have an extra dog run - so that was no problem.

When they weren't outside - hunting - they were in the house doing puzzles (the brain teaser type) or playing Aggravation or Uno.

Rick was very glad that we have wireless --- so he spent a lot of time on his computer......when he wasn't trying to win at Dirty Uno.
Halle's not into hunting yet but she was never bored either.

 When we were in Michigan, Sidney got her cedar box out ---- it was the first one that Grandpa had made --- wow was it ever little.  So Grandpa decided that Sidney needed a new "jewelry box" sized one.  Sidney's birthday is January 11 -- so he got right to work making it.  We let her open her birthday gift early --- so we could see her.......

Love those thank you hugs!!!    

Mike had been watching the weather. The plan was to leave on Sunday but with the snow we received on Christmas Day, Mike wasn't so sure --- he was willing to stay thru Tuesday - but NOT leave early !!!!     Then the weather man started talking about "Goliath"............  They would leave on Sunday!    Gary made sure that they would be able to get out ----- He called Rob and Dan ------ assurance that the driveway would be cleared for them.  Dan came Sunday morning about 8:30 --- he had the road clear all the way to the Lakeview/Crookston road.  THANK YOU DAN!!!   They did get stuck right in our driveway ----- that 15 passenger van does NOT have 4 wheel drive!   But we got them on their way and they had clear travel all the way home. 930 miles!!!!  They arrived at 12:30 (midnight) in tired but good shape.  THANK YOU Lord!!!!   

What a fun time we had ------ all the food making and the mess and the clutter and the noise....... worth every minute.    We sure hope they do it again!!!!

Wishing you and your family the most wonderful New Year!!!!

Gary and Barb

                                                                                                     

pictures

Well how about that........NOW the computer will upload photos for me again......so there you have it --- put these pictures with the last update and you have the full story.

I will now have to get the latest pictures on here of our Christmas "party" with Mike and Julie and Rick......Trenton, Austin, Sidney, Colton, Brennan, Halle and last but not least Diesel.

We have JDC tonight --- so don't look for it right away.    Sorry.
Barb

Wintertime..........a trip to Michigan

We made a fast trip out to Michigan via Amtrak ------ our son Rick had come "home" for a couple of weeks from the Netherlands.   Sadly it was for a funeral of a 17 year old daughter of a friend of his.  But wanting to see our son --- we packed up and headed for McCook, NE where we get on the train.  The train was 2 hours late.......should have given us a clue that this was not a good idea.    Arriving in Chicago 2 hours late meant that we missed our train to Kalamazoo......that was no problem (for them) ----we just took a later one....arriving in Kazoo at 9:15 in the evening.

We rented a car and drove to Grand Rapids to pick up Rick at his friends house.   Then back to Marti and Tim in Kalamazoo for the rest of the day.  We played Aggravation that evening.   WOW - that game can really get intense!!!  What fun!!!    Then the following morning we went out for breakfast and said our goodbyes to Rick.\

The train ride home was uneventful........  things at home were anything  BUT uneventful!!!  We knew we were coming home to trouble -- just didn't have a clue as to just what we would find.   We knew that we had no electricity and that there were a lot of power poles down by the storm that occurred immediately after we left on Monday evening...Tues morning.

As we came along our last mile west we could see the damage.....power poles down - snapped off at the bottom.   Apparently the lines had been coated with about 3 inches of ice.  Between the Crookston/Lakeview road and just past Don Schelhaas there were 30 poles down.....within 3 miles.  And then beyond that we heard a total of 80.

WELL ----- it was 23 degrees in the house.....my plants are all dead - froze solid....we have yet to see how our water pipes faired.  But we got the generator going and our portable heater......... --- so heat is coming slowly into our home.   Gary left to get Toby and, of course, the generator ran out of gas.   AUGH!!!! get back home!!!!!

We are now - at 3:00 p.m. (we got home around 10:00 or so... we are up to 60 degrees in here - feels like heaven compared to 23 degrees.   The men working on the lines are saying "power by 5:00 tonight."

We finally had power around 7:00 p.m.  So far the only problem with our water works in the house is our shower head doesn't want to give us any hot water. .......and the spray nozzle in the kitchen sink is leaking.   Other than that - we haven't got a thing to complain about.      We have another shower and Gary will do something (when it's turn for that fix) with the kitchen spray nozzle.  As I am typing he is cutting a hole in our bathroom wall......I'm just not looking.

We just heard from our son Mike and they are coming for Christmas   YEAH!!!!!!!  The weather sounds perfect....praying that it holds!!!
God is GOOD --- all of the time!!!!
Gary and Barb
p.s. I tried 3 times to put pictures on this thing -- - computer giving me grief.  sorry!!!!!

Pillowcases.....for Lakeview Elementary - from Overisel Reformed Ladies

This all started when I went out to help our daughter, Holly, after she had some major surgery.....in October. (By the way - she is doing great - back to work and feeling good).  Glenda Peters and Bette Sternberg had an idea.....maybe it was mostly Glenda who had an idea....but she passed it on first to Bette.  And then it really went after that.

The idea was to make pillow cases for our Release Time kids.....for Christmas. They had seen a pattern on Pinterest and got excited about it.  But the ladies at ORC had so much fun with it and so many wonderful donations of $$ and material and ladies doing the sewing..... that a question was asked...."do you think it would be OK if we made a pillowcase for EVERYONE at the school?"    Absolutely!! --- the school was totally in favor of the whole idea.  The final count of pillowcases was 60 --- we needed 52 for all the kids.  There would also be a new pillow for everyone.

We took some of the pillows back with us after Thanksgiving (our back seat was totally full of pillows)......and the others were shipped to us (thank you Robb Lubbers!).  We knew that the shipped package had REALLY been stuffed as full as it could be.  When we cut the box open the pillows literally "oozed" out of the box about 6 feet onto our living room floor.  I wished I  had taken a video!!

This video is of Pastor Mark and Gary playing around .....this was nothing like the box we opened at home!!!

I really should have laid all of the pillowcases out and taken a whole bunch of pictures of them.   They were SO CUTE!!! There were monkeys, birds, star wars, trucks, sharks, minnie mouse, cats, elk, circles, paw prints, geometric, paisley, baseball, football, plaids, crayons, lady bugs, dogs, flowers........I think there was about anything you could imagine.

Picking them out went fast.......one humorous thing that happened......  two boys were doing "rock/paper/scissors" to see who got the star wars pillowcase.  While they were doing that another boy walked up and made a decision for it real fast.   No there was no yelling or anything --- all taken in stride.

Having gotten a new bed pillow to put their new pillowcase over - there was some discussion.   The K-2 teacher thought about a "nap time".....the 3rd -4th you see below sitting on them for a cushion and who knows what the 5th-8th did.....I heard some talk about sleeping in class ..........  the teacher wasn't for that - but they could "use them".

The other sweet part of this was that there were just enough  extra pillowcases so that all the teachers and the 2 Aids got one too.   Some were going to their child or their grandchild.  Everyone was very appreciative!!   The ONE child who wasn't at school was not forgotten --- she got a real cute one picked out by her teacher.

Below are a few photos and movies.

This is the K-2 group.  We told each group that the ladies had been praying for them and that Jesus loves them and so "do we".

This is the 3rd and 4th graders.  The teacher, Mr. Walkling, came to say that everyone was using their pillows and I might want a photo.

And this, of course, is the 5th - 8th grade group.   Yes - as they get older they get more shy in front of the camera.  But they are a beautiful bunch of kids!!

You can tell by all the videos that everyone was very happy with their pillowcases and truly thankful for them.

Once again, we have been blessed by our friends at ORC.  I hope you know what a blessing you are to us and to this community!  THANK YOU!!!

Thank you Glenda and Bette for getting this all organized and accomplished.   And thank you - all of you who donated and shopped and sewed and prayed!  You are a blessing!!
Gary and Barb

Sunsets and Mirage!!!

The sunsets and sunrises have just been AMAZING the last several days.....weeks.  Last night I ran out to get a photo ----- took about 4 shots and then came back to the trailer only to look out and realize that I should have stayed and gotten more !!!!

These first ones are sunrises.....  We aren't always up as early as we should be --- but when we are --- we wonder why we would ever want to lay in bed when something like this is occurring.!!!

 

 

The following are from last night. That is the hill where our Purewater CRC used to be located - just south of  the hill.   Now it's where Dan and Sheri Tinant live.

 

 

 

 Such gorgeous colors.....My camera is not lying!!  It was GRAND!!

This morning we had a knock on the door...... I was vacuuming with my little portable vacuum.  I opened the door to Dan..... " you sure are making a lot of noise".   Then he told me that I better get out there and take some pictures of the mirage.   YES ---- I have never had my camera with me when I saw them before.  They are so .......strange..... amazing.....crazy......  I really don't think the pictures I got will let you  see what I saw......  but maybe you will be able to make it out. 

Those "hills" are NOT there really.  That's the mirage.   The first time I saw this phenomenon we were living at my Aunt Melva's.....and as I looked to the west --- it was like a forest had grown up overnight.  I had NO clue what it was and it almost freaked me out  because I KNEW those trees didn't belong there!!     This happens on a beautiful sunny morning.....and then it is gone just as suddenly as it appeared.    (OH --- that blob in the sky --- is something on my camera lense :(

Anyway ----- hope you enjoy some of the beauty we get to enjoy living out here on the Prairies.     They talk about snow for this area on Thursday.....more to the south and east of us.   But -yes - winter is coming......we certainly are enjoying the fabulous days we are having right now!!
Gary and Barb

 

 

Missed a lot of good photos.......Halloween and Baptism - Faith Boxes

We had our computer updated in Michigan and now I needed to get used to all the changes.  One change was  how my pictures get ??????downloaded - uploaded????? whatever the right word is.......things were different.  And for this "ole" gal that isn't good.  But I think I have it figured out....not to my liking -- but figured out.

So we missed sharing all of our Halloween Trick or Treat'rs ------- so gonna do that now.   We had a fun night with them.

 Little Beckett John Walklings 1st Halloween.  And he slept through it  :)  I think mom and dad just wanted some candy to snack on    :)

 Next came ----Noah with his sister Rebecca and Emma with her daddy Kyle....

 Raken (probably spelled way wrong) with his little sister  - the bunny....and James and Carson

 Here we have Ivy - the Librarian....Evan - a construction worker....Lilly - an owl...and Michaela - the Chef. 

Last but not least.....Micah and Sadie-----LOVE the hair!!!

Pastor Mark has been kept busy since his ordination.  We had the baptism of Paige Leigh LaFortune (Cassie (Gunnink) and Shane's daughter) on Nov. 1 and then Beckett John Walkling was baptized on Nov. 8.  The boxes that Gary made for Lakeview's "children" are gone ----- handed out....... More have been requested.   These are "Faith Journey" Boxes....... requested by Marlys Walkling for all the children of our church.  He made 11 and will be making about 5 more.......  These will go to children that don't come to church at Lakeview because they live far away......but they WERE baptized here --- so we need to get a Faith box to them also.  BESIDES - they are Vern and Marlys' grandchildren.....     :)

Without that sawmill --- none of this would be happening....the Faith Boxes that is.   So another reason to be thankful for that mill.  We are also having fun making some Christmas gifts for our family ---- but we can't share that yet.  I have one more update to do ........some scenery........

Catch you later.......Barb and Gary

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