Home

We are home after a long weekend at Lake Ann Baptist Camp. Every Memorial Day and Labor Day they have Work Bees. You arrive Friday night, spend Saturday doing work projects, then rest on Sunday, and work again Monday morning before heading home. They give you lodging and food in exchange for your working. It really is a lot of fun! This year we had around 40 people from our church go. Most of us try to stay in the Sunrise Lodge. It is nice because there are several common rooms that parents can use to play games and visit after the kids are tucked in bed.

Usually, the ladies from our church get signed up for food prep for the camp that the kids have to fix their own food. We get everything measured out right down to the packages of salt and pepper all sealed into baggies. This year we were late arriving and those from our group forgot to sign Rachel and I up to help them. Instead Rachel & I painted a hallway in the kitchen. The workers were thrilled. The building is 4 years old but according to one worker this hall hadn't had anything but the original primer on it the whole time. This was real good experience for Rachel. She learned how to spackle as well as tape and paint. She did a pretty good job for her first major painting job. She really got into the job you may say--including in her hair, and feet!

The men and boys usually set up TeePee Village. This also includes blowing up rafts and a few other projects. We were all done with our projects with over an hour left before dinner on Saturday.

Going there doesn't help get all the awaiting projects at home done but it really did a lot for our morale here. To spend time with the other families from church is great! Mark and I can't remember the last time we laughed as hard as we did this weekend, including with our daughter who managed to dump herself out of a kayak fully dressed! The messages at the services on Sunday were also just what we needed to hear. So now we are back at the grind but much more encouraged than before.

Lots to do to get caught up around here though. More when I can.

Garage Sale

I know it has been forever since I posted last and this is going to be a short one. Life just hasn't slowed down any and if anything is busier than ever.

We had a garage sale last Saturday. We didn't make a bundle of money but was able to get rid of some rather large items. I am especially happy that we were able to get rid of a broken washer and stove. We had them out with FREE signs and someone that collects scrap metal hauled them away. It was a good deal for us because we may of paid at least $10 each to have the city take them or if we hauled them to the dump ourselves.

For those of our family that shop at garage sales and that we may be seeing in the near future (especially Mom), I have a new shopping list for you. Stephen started occupational therapy last week (another story for another blog time) and they had some recommendations for some equipment that would be good to have. We could use a mini-trampoline, some BIG exercise balls and/or rubber kick balls. Also, Mom, could you bring me my "Hippity Horse" next trip down? Or if you find one cheap at a sale that would be fine too. He is thriving on the motion that he gets from these types of activities.

That's about all the time I have for now. Just wanted everyone to know that we are doing fine.

Mom's here!

Mom came down at the beginning of the week to see a school program that Rachel & Stephen were both in. Now she's here and Mark's not...he is at Lake Ann Baptist Camp up by Traverse City with 20 some other men from our church for a men's retreat.

I'm busier than ever and only have a couple of minutes to write. It is GREAT having Mom here. We work on all sorts of projects that I never get around to otherwise. We have fixed 2 light problems and have 1 more yet to go.

The kids have been wanting to go on a walk with her all week but the weather has been too bad. This morning she is out with Joshua and the older ones are hoping for a walk after school.

The school program was Tuesday. Mark's birthday was Wednesday. That was also the AWANA fair at church. They received their awards last Sunday and then have 1 more fun night before it's done. Thursday, Mark left for the retreat. I went to MOPS in the morning and they were short-handed for the nursery so I called Mom to come up. We then went to do lunch duty at the kids school and then I put in my AVON order in the afternoon. Now I am working on a couple of sheet cakes for a friend's son-in-law who is graduating from seminary tonight and they are doing an open house tomorrow. Is this insanity or what?

The good news is that I probably get to keep Mom till next Wednesday or so. Aunt Bette called and wants to fly in from Texas. She doesn't know where or exactly when yet but is working on it. Bette figured with Mom being down here it would help out with driving.

Well, I have to run. Talk to you more soon, maybe.