Prom 2009

The lovely couple. Off for an evening of fun!

And the Winner Is...

Dennis! He said the car was fast, and the competition was tough! Although he's said he won't be running for points this year, I'm betting that he will try to run the entire Dash for Cash series. It's just five races and a big finale in mid-September. The only question is: Will he be able to make the May 9th race? We'll have to see how the planting season goes.

Off To The Races!

Dennis is off to the races this evening. I was invited, but after thinking about it for a while, I decided I really didn't care to be sitting out in the wind and cold. I'll wait for warmer nights. It's the first time out for this year. As he was leaving I ran out to get a picture.
I think the last time the car ran, Tyler was driving it because his own car broke down. Tyler was going for the points in a special series. Dennis was happy to let him run it, and Tyler did win the championship. Of course, Dennis was tickled about it. Tyler built the car and made it fast.

In fact, there were times when Dennis wondered if Tyler might be sorry he made it so fast, because Dennis was Tyler's toughest competition. He even beat Tyler once in a while. Anyway, he's off tonight to see what it will do. Who knows? He might bring home a trophy!

Since it's been almost a month since the last post, I'll try to catch up, not that there has been so much to tell. Spring has arrived. Things are beautiful and green and the songbirds are all around. Zach helped me mow grass last weekend. He did a good job. I let him mow the level places, and he thought that was great!

Tomorrow is Resurrection Sunday. Our choir is doing a "mini-musical" and I'm really looking forward to it. We've been practicing for several weeks, and again this morning. Some of the songs are just so beautiful. One in particular really chokes me up when we sing it. I don't know how the soloist gets through it without breaking! It's going to be at Burnside Christian Church (in Burnside IL) at 9:45 A.M. and you're all invited!

Yesterday, while out walking in the woods, I noticed that the big water hole in our pasture is teeming with mosquitoes about to hatch. All the goldfish we keep in the stock tanks survived the winter, but there were too many in one tank. I decided to catch a few and put them in that water hole to eat those mosquitoes! Catching them was more difficult than I'd anticipated, but I did manage to catch seven. They seemed to like their new home. This afternoon I went to check on them, and they were all fine.

All four of our heifers appear to be expecting and we think we'll start getting calves late in June. They're not as fun as the goats were, but they're very nice and pretty. I still miss the goats. But, cows don't jump on cars! I still remember how upset Dennis was to find the goats walking all over our van! Still, they were so cute!

We've been doing a bit of fishing, but we've not had any luck. Today, while I was out around the pond, I saw a fish jump. Maybe the next time we go the fish will be more interested.

Well, I'm sure there was more, but I can't remember anything else at the moment. If Dennis comes home with a trophy, I'll have news tomorrow.

Thursday! Fun With Thomas the Tank Engine

It's a perfectly gorgeous day. We started off a bit chilly, with frost covering the ground, but it's sunny and 60 degrees, with no wind! I love it!
Wyatt has been spending every day with me this week. He doesn't have school. Kindergarten spring break! He told me just a little while ago that he likes coming here better than school. He's been building track and playing with my Thomas stuff all day today. Here's what it looks like:








Dennis has been keeping busy, and has been able to cross a few things off the "to do" list. The knee and elbow are improving all the time, and he's faithful in doing is exercises. It won't be long until he and Travis are busy planting.
With this absolutely beautiful weather, I'm going to stop typing and get out there!

Thursday's Thoughts

Today I enjoyed the time between bus routes hanging out with my cousin. Wow! How long has it been since we just got together for no reason, and spent some time together? One fun, and interesting thing we did was visit a couple of the local churches to look at (and photograph) stained glass windows. Can you believe that I didn't have my camera? What was I thinking? Ummm...obviously, I was NOT thinking! I hope Nanci got some good pictures. We met our friend, Pam at the First Baptist Church, and then went together to Calvary Baptist, where we stayed quite a while visiting with Pastor Heath. Both Nanci and I were raised in that church, but at the time, it was Calvary Community. We enjoyed reminiscing and sharing stories with Pastor Heath and Pam.
We had some serious conversations as well as a lot of laughs. It was a day well spent!
Have you seen the big, bright, and beautiful moon the past couple of days? Wednesday morning it looked like a huge ball suspended just above the trees on the western horizon. It was gorgeous! This morning it was pretty too, but not as spectacular as Wednesday morning.
Tomorrow is Friday the 13th again! How lucky is that, to have Friday the 13th in two consecutive months? It's also "Game Night" at our church. I'd think about going, but seem to be coming down with a serious cold or sinus infection. I doubt that anyone would appreciate sharing that with me! Our spring revival starts on Sunday, and I am hoping to make it for each night. The theme is "What I Didn't Know When I Was 12..." I can think of lots of things I didn't know when I was twelve!
We had grilled talapia for supper, and although I don't care much for fish, it was quite good. I was surprised. Now I'm being told that it's "movie time", so I better get to my recliner! We're going to watch "8 Seconds: The Lane Frost Story" ... again. We like it!

Just for Dobey!

Here's a cute picture for JCC's Dobey. I found it among some photos of a friend on Facebook, and of course thought of Dobey.

Not much else in the way of news here. Dennis has had elbow surgery, is healing well, and working to stretch his range of motion a little bit. We'd hoped for a lot more, but optimism was doused when we talked to the surgeon last week. He says that it's very unlikely that he will be able to fully extend and completely bend it, but at least he won't have the pain he had before!

Signs of spring are increasing daily, and I am excited about that! Every season is my favorite. I'm especially enjoying some of the "early birds" at the feeder. So far I've only seen a few spring arrivals dining with the regulars. Yesterday I saw a pair of towhees.

Our boys' basketball team is going to Des Moines for the playoffs. That alone is an accomplishment, even if they don't make it all the way. I'll be there Monday night along with most of our district, hoping that they'll be able to claim the title. Go, Hawks!

February Fun

Since swimming in the creek last weekend, we've been back down to the frigid zero degree temperatures, and then back up to 50 on Friday. What a roller coaster! We were very happy for the beautiful weather Saturday. Tyler and Kathy are away for the weekend, so the boys and I had planned to take a short trip to see a local historical site. Columbus Junction has a really nice swinging bridge. I pitched it to the boys as "going to see the Indiana Jones bridge". When we were almost in Columbus Junction, Wyatt said, "I don't think this bridge will be the same bridge Indiana Jones was on."
After the big build up, I was a little concerned that they'd be disappointed when we actually saw the bridge, but they both were very excited and interested. We stayed longer than I expected, just running across it and feeling it bounce and swing. If you have never been to Columbus Junction to see their swinging bridge, we recommend that you do so!
We think that we could build a swinging bridge and hope to try it during summer vacation. We're going to start gathering building materials and making plans. Naturally, our progress will be reported here, if indeed we actually get to build.
We stopped to play at the Denning Conservation Area near Houghton on our way home. We were the only ones there for quite a while. Another family with three little girls came, and they eventually started communicating with the boys. Actually, chasing the boys would be a better description. They chased and chased until they were worn out and their parents told them it was time to go. After they left, the boys wondered "why did those girls chase us". I just told them to get used to it, and keep running....that girls would be chasing them from now until one lucky girl catches a husband!


Denning Park is a very nice playground, very secluded and quiet, but the neighboring fields have recently been fertilized with organic waste, so the air wasn't as fresh as we would have liked. Otherwise, it's a great place to take the kids!

January Thaw!

With the last day of January having sunshine and temperatures in the fifties, we enjoyed playing outdoors. We were not really planning to get wet, but when we fell through some soft ice on the creek, the boys decided to enjoy the water. I also went through the ice and got wet, but I wasn't cold, so I figured that we wouldn't have to head back to the house unless someone complained.
They were already wet, so why not have some fun!



As we were walking back home, Zach said, "We always have fun when we come to your house, and sometimes it's kind of weird fun." I think he must have thought that playing in the creek in the winter is weird. I don't really know. I do know that they both thought it was more fun than playing Wii! And, I happen to know that they love playing Wii.

Can't Argue With Dr. Rogers!

The following came to me in an e-mail. Perhaps you've seen it. I think he's completely right about this, and I can almost hear him saying:

"You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the wealthy out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything that the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is about the end of any nation.

You cannot multiply wealth by dividing it."

~~~~~ The late Dr. Adrian Rogers, 1931 - 2005 ~~~~~

Comments?

My Best Shot of the Day!

Taken just an hour ago!

One of the comments on this post warrants adding here for all to see.

1 Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in the whole earth!
You have made your glory
higher than the heavens.
2 You have made sure that children
and infants praise you.
You have done it because of your enemies.
You have done it to put a stop to their talk.
3 I think about the heavens.
I think about what your fingers have created.
I think about the moon and stars
that you have set in place.
4 What is a human being that you think about him?
What is a son of man that you take care of him?
5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings.
You placed on him a crown of glory and honor.
6 You made human beings the rulers over all that your hands have created.
You put everything under their control.
7 They rule over all flocks and herds
and over the wild animals.
8 They rule over the birds of the air
and over the fish in the ocean.
They rule over everything that swims in the oceans.
9 Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in the whole earth!
---Psalm 8 (NIV)
Thanks, Chris!