Hail damage repaired

When we were in Michigan the first part of September, we mentioned to Gary's cousin, Dale, that we would be going home to a bunch of repairs.....new windows (total of 10  - 5 in Grandpa Logterman's house and 5 in our trailer) and new siding on the north and west sides of both homes.   Dale said he would like to help.....and when he stopped in at another mutual friends home -- they wanted to come along too.   So Dale & Barb and John & Gloria came out on Sept. 23  - Monday.  By that evening we had all 5 of the windows in Grandpa's house and a good share of the siding up.  Robbi and Jerry were so surprised when they came that evening (in the dark) --- we had left a light on and they could see ......."we have windows"  !!!!  By Thursday (late afternoon) our trailer was also completely finished and looking grand!!!  What a blessing!

My sister, Linda and husband Dave, were also out here.  They had talked about going to the BIG car sale out in Pierce, NE.  But decided against it.  Later we heard that there were 20,000 people at this sale and one pickup went for $140,000.   These were cars from the 50's and 60's I think and they were in like new condition --- some with only a few miles on.  People were coming from all over the world.  Dave found a l949 Ford pickup ---- out here on the prairies and he was a happy camper........and he didn't have to fight any crowds to get to it.

Anyway ----- they all left us on Friday morning.  One driving a brand new SUV (so it was a S L O W trip to the Nebraska border) and the other pulling a loaded trailer.  That night it rained a nice!! rain.  The roads turned NASTY --- boy! were they glad they didn't stay until Saturday morning.  

Here are some photos to tell the story.

 First the siding came off and then all the nails that were sticking out had to be removed or hammered in.....

 John and Gloria volunteer a lot with Christian Reformed World Renew  --- so they are old hands at putting up siding.  It was wonderful to have help that didn't "need help".!!!

 While John and Gloria were busy with the siding -- Gary and Dale worked on the windows.

At night  (anyway one of the evenings) we played cards ---- Ripple fans eat your heart out.  We have never seen this one before.    And she decided to go for the last "12" right at the end of the game ---- I thought she was crazy!!!  But she got it!!  Way to go Gloria!!

Then we got started on our trailer ----- you would NOT believe how many flies were under the siding.....and they were mostly alive too....HUNDREDS of them buzzing at you!!!!  Guess they were finding a warm spot because it did get cold in the evening.

 The windows all came out and we made sure the door into the bedroom was closed --- had to try to contain all those bugs!!! --- flies and wasps!!!

Then the "wrap" --- should make for a warmer home this winter!!!!

Yes! I got in on the work too.  :)

 We took lots of coffee, ice tea and ice cream cone breaks with out fabulous crew!!

 Toby wanted a lick so bad!!  No one would share  :(

And then for a celebration supper.....everyone but me and Dave are on here.  (I took the picture and Dave removed himself from the viewing zone ).  Starting on the left --- Robbi, Gary, Linda, Gloria, John, Barb, Dale and Jerry. 

We thank God for such wonderful people!!!  We are very blessed!!!
Gary and Barb

Wanted to share a fun thing from 45th Anniversary Party......

This was given to us by our friends Bruce and Glenda & Ken and Sally.  I am going to type it out in case you can't figure some of it out.  What fun!!!

After years of dating NERDS and GOBBERS with ZERO appeal looking for her love DOVE, Barb found a BIT-OF-HONEY when she met MR. GOODBAR.  Gary wasn't an AIR HEAD, LEMONHEAD, or MILKDUD.  Gary knew that he could SKOR some WHPOPPERS points by taking Barb to Overisel and gazing at the MILKY WAY with him. HUBBA BUBBA! Barb exclaimed, you are the REISEN that I have been waiting for.  You are my HOT TAMMALE and honey BUN!  Barb knew they were MINT to be together.  Gary's HUGS warmed her heart and his KISSES fell on her TWIN CHERRY lips.  Marry me, KIT KAT and our lives will be MOUNDS of ALMOND JOY and I'll be your SUGAR DADDY and we will make lots of SUGAR BABIES.  As you look back over the years, TAKE 5 and enjoy each other NOW AND LATER remembering your NUTRAGEOUS time together with lots of SNICKERS and CHUCKLES.  We see you make each other feel like 100 GRAND.  Keep being SWEET TARTS forever....  You both are X-TRA SPECIAL to us!!  CONGRATULATIONS on your 45th Wedding Anniversary!!

We are so blessed!!!
Gary and Barb

oops.....I have to answer a question.....

Someone asked how do you pronounce "Onuniyan tehanl waun" - Amazing grace, how sweet the sound.   So here is a "pronunciation" spelling...... Oh new knee yan, ta houl why oon ----    We sing Amazing Grace every time we go....and if we have to do the lesson 2 times...... we sing it each time.  Most all of the kids know Amazing Grace for some reason.

Thanks for asking......
Barb

45 years and still ticking.....or is that tickling?!?!?!

WOW!!!  Gary and I have been married for 45 years --- August 30, 1968. Goodness are we really that old?!?!   We went back to Michigan to have a celebration with our kids, grandkids and friends......and we had a lot of fun.  We checked first with our "chef"........would he be willing to grill for us.  Son-in-law Dennis does a fantastic job of grilling chicken -- so we asked if he was willing and ---what could he say?!  Boy, was that good chicken!!  We added some potato salad, baked beans, fruit salad and a jello salad .....we didn't run out of  food - so, for me - that was a bonus  :)  Everyone, except my sister Ethel and hubby Jim (they had just come home from a  trip to Croatia) were able to make it.    We had the "party" in Dennis and Holly's garage (it was an old barn when we lived there).  A couple of photos will tell you a little bit more.

 This was our "Farewell Party" in 2008......  check out the 'old barn' look.....

This was our "45th Anniversary Celebration" in 2013.  Dennis and Holly have made a lot of improvements on the place.   It's a great place to have a party!!  Yes! It is John Deere green!!  What else?!?!?!

We were also able to take in a football game that our oldest grandson, Trenton Peters, played.  Trenton made 2 touchdowns and had some terrific catches.  They beat Coopersville - 38 to zip.  GO HAMILTON Hawkeyes!!  Trenton is only a Freshman -- so watch out!!   :)  :)

We also got to watch Clayton, Holly and Dennis' oldest - play soccer on Saturday.  His team also won and Clayton did a really good job of  getting in there and doing his part!!!

It was a good week with family and friends......but a week always goes by fast!!  Grandkids are asking about Thanksgiving  --- so we will probably keep the tires hot once again.

We came back knowing we had a lot of work to do.......new windows, new siding,  new shower and toilet (no that was not a hail damage item).  The roof on Grandpas house is almost finished....but the trailer roof is a "do we or don't we".  Gary says it could wait --- but you might as well get the insurance company to pay when they say it's bad.  We also have to get into the swing with our Religion Release Program.  Permission slips will be going out soon --- they were delivered today.  So now we wait for a good number to come back in and then we will begin.  This year we will be doing "Moses".  Should be some good stories to get the kids attention and some good Biblical applications for them as well.

While we were gone our faithful friends who come along on Sunday evenings (once a month) to JDC took care of things on our "2nd Sunday of the month".  We are very blessed by them!!!  We go away but the ministry  goes on.  Thank you!!!

Please keep Release Time and JDC and the Recovery Group in your prayers.  Also --- there is a once a month worship time in Rosebud that we have become involved in.  It meets on the last Saturday of each month.  We have been doing the children's message.  They have a meal and then the kids and adults separate and each have a message and then the kids either play games or we do crafts.  We are not in charge of this --- just participants.  A couple of Native American ladies set it all up, prepare the food and get the speakers.  I believe this past meeting there were about 75 in attendance.  The PLYC coordinator (my cousin), Robbi and Jerry also are involved each time .....coming out here from Sioux Falls to participate.

OH yeah!  At our 45th celebration we took a new "family photo".  I will try to post that in the future.  Right now it needs just a touch of editing.  You know --- one picture is good of this one but not of that one.........  We are now a group of 19  :)

Thank you for your support and prayers!!
Gary and Barb

That 'ole snake hanging on the wall.......

Well --- I always kind of liked my Bull Snake that I had mounted......skinned and dried and hung all by myself.   No one else wanted to touch it!!!!!    Some people found it interesting ---- others just cringed!!

Well, for those of you who thought it was "nasty"     (that's OK )   it is gone!!!!  And replaced - I think - with something wonderful. " Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound" in Lakota is now hanging in it's place.  I think you will like it.    And for those of you who never saw the snake ---- sorry --- it was coming off the felt and I ruined it trying to re-connect it.  So it has been tossed.

We will be heading out for Michigan on Thursday of this week.  Gary and I decided that seeing as how it's our 45th Wedding Anniversary on August 30 -- we should celebrate with our family.   Man oh man,  that really makes me feel old.  I remember celebrating my parents 35th and thinking they were getting pretty old.  YIKES!    Oh well,  we are still young at heart  :)  and that's what counts.

Gary and Barb

Choir at JDC and kayaking with some friends

OH WOW!!!  did we ever have fun singing tonight at the Detention Center.  We had 7 boys and 2 girls.  And this just happens to be a group of boys that love to sing....and were NOT shy about singing tonight.  We never take a camera in to the JDC --- it's not allowed.   However, Gary had it on his belt tonight because he had taken it along to show a gal the kayak trailer that he was fixing up for her.   It suddenly dawned on him that he could take a "movie" and catch the group singing.   So that's what he did...........

It was such a "quick" thing ---- that he didn't even focus the camera on the right song...."The Old Rugged Cross".  But it really doesn't matter..... the outcome is still pretty good.  We do think that if we had asked the officer if we could record them with our camera ---- we're pretty sure she would have let us......just keeping the camera off the kids.  I really think God was blessed by their singing!!!!!  Sometimes they seem irreverent and have to act up for their peers -- but not tonight!

If we had a "downer" with the Recovery Group.......we were BLESSED by these kids singing.  If you would pray for the Recovery Group that we minister to.  It just doesn't seem to be blessed by God and we kind of wonder if we should be going there.  But it also just seems like the kids....... the one girl was VERY responsive when she was in the Detention Center ---- but now - she just gazes off into space and we can't get much out of her.

 We were asked if we would go along with a group of teens from the Recovery Group and Aftercare on a kayaking adventure at the Parmelee Dam.  Parmelee is a community about 25 miles north of us.  The kids had never been in a kayak before and some were not so sure they wanted to get in that little thing.  But they all participated, after some coaxing....and had a good time. 

This is the trailer that Gary is converting into a kayak carrier. 

We have had rain every day this week.  So things are getting nice and green again....and we had to mow the lawn once again too.  The last time we mowed was just before PLYC. 

Have a good day!
Gary and Barb

Aunt Melva passed away --- what special memories!!!!

A special Aunt!!!  That's all I can say.  She was so many things.  My memories go way, way back to when we lived here in South Dakota.  I remember Aunt Melva bringing me some Orange Crush....just for me!!!  I had a kidney infection and had to drink and drink -- that was her way --- always giving in some way.  I also remember playing at the "Beck place"......playing dress up with Robbi --- and those red high heels - I can still see them -- I thought they were the most wonderful shoes around.   :)  And then Aunt Melva patching up my head when I got klunked by a baseball bat coming through the opening in the door (at the Beck place).  Was that you Randy?!??!

Then there's all those times that we came out here for a vacation and stayed at her place - or close by.  She always had the welcome mat out for us.  And the meals were --- amazing!!  She was some cook!!!!!   OH and then there's the time that Linda and I came out........  Linda wanted to go to Soldier Woman (a gift shop with Native "souvenirs".  So we headed out for Mission.   On the way I ran over a large snake.............  Linda found a $40 vase --- I found nothing....to much of a cheap skate I guess.  But as I was driving home I decided "that snake - if it's dead in the road  -- that will be my souvenir!!!.   It was dead in the road.   I loaded it up and took it to Aunt Melva's.   "Do you have a knife I could use".   "Well, yes." But she sure wasn't going to give me any help!!!  However,   guess what......

she just couldn't stand it --- she finally came out and grabbed ahold.....well - actually she just squirted the water.  But she was there!!!!   :)  Love Her!!!!!    Oh! --- she sent me home with that knife.... "don't want to see it in my kitchen again".

Prairie Light Youth Camp was very dear to Aunt Melva's heart.  I know she kept Prairie Light and all of it's working in her prayers until the end.  She was our cook for several years.  That's when (Gary would say) the food was "fantastic".....mashed potatoes, gravy......

The 7th and 8th grade group decorated an apron and gave them to our cooks that year.   And yes!!!  She was the Best of the Best!!!!

Aunt Melva had a stroke in 2007 at Thanksgiving time and was moved to a nursing home in Sioux Falls. Gary and I had the privilege of living in her home when we moved here in 2008.  What a beautiful place.  The location was grand ---- gorgeous sunsets almost every evening.....so much more. 

We thank and praise God for giving her to us. She will always have a special place in our hearts.

Gary and Barb