Good As New!

It's great to have the car back!

Strike Three! (sigh)

How do you like our Wednesday morning surprise! We found one side of our back French door shattered from side to side and top to bottom. :-( Actually, it looks a little like lace. :-)

Sunroom French Doors courtesy of our last wind storm. (We found a tiny entry hole down near the bottom.)

Strike Two . . . But Truly Blessed!

Today I've been thinking about blessings. Last week found me frantically dodging a camper shell and work equipment when it flew off the truck in front of me. At 75 miles/hr. you have little time to think or react but surprisingly, I found myself doing both. In my mind I could hear Keith talking about how Ken had calmly kept control of the car during his deer accident a few days earlier. As objects started flying around me, I knew it was important to do the same. Even when a can of sprinkler glue struck, splattering the windshield, I was able to keep control! Later by the side of the road I gazed at the chipped paint, purple glue and dented grill. It was glaringly clear what a dangerous situation I had been a part of.

As I filled out our 2nd police report in as many weeks, my first thoughts were discouragement at this newest course of events. With reflection, however, it has been very apparent how blessed I was during this experience. Admittedly, the damage to my car is frustrating, but remembering the accident, I'm amazed the camper didn't land right on top of me. As I maneuvered through the flying debris, I was certainly guided and I'm truly grateful! I wonder, however, how many blessings I have failed to recognize because I was focused on the adversity involved!

May we always recognize the many blessings in our lives!

Consider the Lilies . . .

Since neither Ken nor I are remotely known for having a green thumb, we are astounded by our lilies this year! They have been incredibly beautiful!

Hope you are all having a wonderful summer!

Father's Day Weekend ---- The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

The Good:

Saturday was a lovely day filled with yard work! Ken and I are determined to get on top of our yard so Saturday involved lots of weeding, lots of mulch and lots of planting! And in spite of how much is still remaining, we were pleased with the results. Ken loved his Father's Day gift (two rose bushes)! He's been wanting rose bushes for as long as I can remember and was genuinely excited to finally have his rose garden!

The Bad:
After finally declaring our day of work at an end, we received a call from Keith. While working in his yard, a sprinkler valve had broken. He'd shut the water off at the main which meant no water at their home whatsoever. Ken and I left immediately and while the two of them headed off to find parts, the kids and I spent time together (Delores had traveled to a funeral).

The Ugly:
The trip to the hardware store involved a run-in with Bambi's brother! In spite of Ken's best efforts to avoid him, the deer made extensive contact with our car. Fortunately, the deer got up and walked away and the men were uninjured, but we can't say the same for the car! The side mirror is totally gone (note the dangling wires) and the dents around the door handle will take considerable repairs.

The Bad:
Finally making it back with the new valve, Keith maneuvered back into the hole in his front yard. That's when he discovered the repairs were much more extensive and involved a T connection not to be found at 11:00 pm on Saturday! Ken and Keith made plans to meet again on Sunday. (Time to pull the ox out of the mire!) Unfortunately, no T connection to be found on Sunday which meant no water until Monday at the earliest.

The Good:
Keith and his family packed up and came to stay with us until they could get their water on. For Abigail and Lillian it was quite an adventure although Abigail explained to me about no water at their house, telling me "Your body must have water or it will die!" Smart girl! :-) We enjoyed a nice Father's Day dinner with Keith's family, and since Dana was in Seattle, John and his girls came to dinner as well. Grandpa and the little girls watched Veggie Tales while some of the rest of us played games. A nice end to a weird weekend!

Alicia, Abigail, Natalie & Grandpa

Hope you all had a wonderful Father's Day!


Note: In case you are wondering, Keith found a T connector on Monday and his water is back on. Their family moved back home yesterday evening. And the insurance adjuster is looking at our car tomorrow. Hopefully repairs will begin next week!

Smiling with My Grandchildren

The other day I spent the evening with some of my grandchildren while their parents went out for their anniversary. The kids and I were quietly eating dinner when Kimberly spoke up and told me dinner was not usually this quiet because her mom and dad were usually talking. She then explained that first her Dad talks and then her Mom talks which makes dinner really noisy. I couldn't help chuckling to myself because I was sure John and Dana would have an entirely different interpretation of normal dinnertime noise. :-) Then, just as we finished dinner, Alicia turned to me and said with that slightly tolerant tone children have, "I bet by the time we go to bed, Mom and Dad will be kissing!" I could almost see her shudder at the thought and I found myself chuckling yet again. :-)

Always remember as you go about your life . . . the children around you are always watching!

Celebrating Milestones!

Just recently we made a quick trip to Reno, Nevada. Why, you ask? Ken's Uncle Jay and Aunt Claytha were celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary and Jay's 90th birthday! We just had to join the party! We had a great time visiting with the many relatives who also came to celebrate, and even had time to visit one on one with Jay and Claytha at their home before the party. It was very humbling to listen to them talk about their lives together and the family they had raised.

Jay & Claytha

Before returning home, Ken and I had the opportunity to visit the Reno, Nevada Temple. Another incredible reminder that Families are Forever!

Ken & Janell
Reno Temple


Lots of love to you all!

Fun With My Grandchildren * Alicia

For some time, Alicia has been asking for a "sewing" day with Grandma. This last Monday we set up the sewing machine and serger and got to work. She started out with a simple pillowcase but quickly moved onto her skirt, reminding me her big sister had made not one, but two skirts. She knew exactly what she wanted for her 2nd skirt and confidently searched through my fabric stash. When it came time to go home, Alicia had happily packed two skirts and two pillowcases (one for her little sister) in her overnight bag. We had a great time! :-)

Alicia and her pillowcase

Sewing her 1st skirt

Skirt #1

Skirt #2

Transcontinental Traveler

Several years ago while Marian's family was visiting, a crazy green head found its way into Ken's Christmas sock. Ethan and Addie thought it was wonderful and carried it around most of their visit. Ken and I offered to let Ethan take it home but Marian quickly vetoed the idea. I quietly found a pocket on Ethan's backpack and secretly tucked it inside for him to find when he got home.

Since then, this google-eyed green guy has criss-crossed the country several times. I found it tucked away last year after their visit and promptly took it back during my trip to New York later in the year, leaving it on a shelf in their frig. After Marian's visit a few weeks ago, I was convinced he was here somewhere and did a search but only just recently discovered his new hiding place on our can rack. Apparently he's into food storage! Now the question is: where will he hide next? :-)