Fun With the Grandkids

Yesterday Blaubeere and her kids came over for a visit.  That's always nice.  Life for our two families has been so hectic that they haven't been over for several weeks so it was especially nice that we were finally able to get together again.

Anyway, the scout troop that our church sponsors was having a fund raiser and had asked for donations so we decided to make some cookies to donate.  That was fun.  And as it turned out, a very profitable idea for the scouts, too.  But we'll get to that in a minute.

So Braumbeere found a cool recipe online that we decided to give a try.  After all, it did seem very appropriate for the season, this being Halloween season and all. So we went shopping to make sure we had every thing we needed and were ready to get down to business.  After all, malted chocolate candy and chocolate covered raisins are not something we normally keep around the house - had to go get some.

The cookies are essentially peanut butter cookies that are decorated special so we decided to just use the cookie recipe for the basic cookies.  That turned out to not the best decision because the peanut butter cookie recipe we normally use turned out to be way better than this one.  But it was okay anyway, it didn't seem to affect how well the cookies did in the auction at the fundraiser.

So Braumbeere made the cookies and cooked them up and all.  Then the grandkids helped with the decorating.  Or the grandkid, mostly.  One was too hooked on the Wii to come play in the cookies.  But Hero had a good time and did a real good job, as well.

So Grandma made the cookies and Hero put some of the decorations on. One on the cookie, one in the mouth.  No, not really.  He was real good about staying on task and getting his part of the decorations done.

Then, after Hero had done his part, Maulbeere put the finishing touches on with the frosting.  Very focused on her work; careful, steady hands and the end product turned out to look really good.  Even a lot like the pictures!

So we took seven plates of five cookies per plate to the fundraiser and they were auctioned off.  One of the scouts was auctioneer and didn't do too bad a job, especially after he got into it and got his rhythm going. As it turned out each plate sold for between $6 and $8 per plate.  Over a dollar per cookie - that was amazing.  I was a little surprised.  All totaled, the scouts did real well for their fundraiser.  Probably the best they've done since we moved in and got involved with this troop.  Certainly better than back when we were doing brat frys in front of the local grocery stores. That was a lot of work for a small return.

So almost all the cookies we made went to the fundraiser, there were only a couple left that went to "reward" those that helped make them.  It was a fun afternoon.

A Fun Evening

Tonight is Monday so it was Family Home Evening.  Only we decided not to stay in for FHE this time.  We went out.  We went geo-caching.  We looked up on the internet and found that the little park a few miles away had like seven geo-caches in it so we piled everyone in the cars and headed for the park to see if we could find a few.  The first one was real easy to find.  We parked and walked about 20 feet and found it on the sign by the soccer field.

Okay, that was so easy there was plenty of time left for another one.  The nearest one, according to the site we were using, was some 80 yards away, out in right field somewhere on a baseball diamond at the park.  That one turned out to be a little harder to find but we did find it eventually.  It was tucked into the fence around outfield.

Then we took a break from searching and played on the swings there by the diamond.  It was evening and relaxing and the grandbabies with us were having fun on the swings.  While we were playing on the swings the sun was going down.  That's a real nice time of day, and the sunset was pretty nice, too.

Then, when it was time to go we decided to do one more, since it was on the way out of the park.  It was too dark by then to get any pictures and it turned out to be the hardest one of them all.  There is a little shopping center next to the park that has a clock tower in it.  We figured it had to be somewhere near the tower but there was a lot of stuff around the tower, shrubbery, and decorative stonework and so on.  It took us nearly 20 minutes to find that one but we finally got it.  A successful and enjoyable evening!  We might have to do something like this again.

Happy Fourth of July!

Yesterday was the Fourth of July, a favorite holiday. One where people actually play instead of work on projects the whole day. Yeah, maybe some project work gets done but then people come out and play. So anyway, we putzed around in the morning getting stuff done and then in the evening went to see the fireworks.

Where we go they shoot them off at the river. Most people sit on the one side and the fireworks are launched from the other side. Its almost always a really good show so there's always a really big crowd. They block off several streets and limit it to foot traffic. Street vendors and small-time entertainers come and work the crowd. Its a pretty good time.

To be able to get a good seat, where you can see the fireworks you have to get there a couple of hours ahead of when they shoot them off. So we did.  That means you have time to kill while you wait. Fortunately, being on the river bank, there's usually plenty of interesting things to see while you wait. This year the most interesting thing was a family of ducks that was also swimming along the river bank, working the crowd. Near us a couple of people were throwing popcorn to them so they came over to get it. The baby ducklings were pretty cute.

There were also lots of smaller fireworks that people were setting off. This year something new that I'd never seen before. I'd seen pictures but never in real life.  Someone had some floating lanterns, candles with a cover so the heat from the candle carried the cover and all up into the air. So someone was lighting these things off, they'd float up above the town and then drift off until they got so far away you couldn't see them anymore.  Made me wonder how many wildfires gizmos like that caused. Maybe they don't come down until the fire goes out. I dunno. But they were fun to watch.

Saw birds flying over the river, right in the area where the fireworks would be going off after dark.  Good thing they didn't hang around. And then, finally, dusk arrived and the fire works began.  Always a good variety of fireworks, some super bright, some super loud, all just nice to watch. It was a fun way to end the day.

Hast Thou Not Seen?

Yesterday we took the opportunity to go visit Erdbeere and her family at their new house.  They recently moved and are still in the process of unpacking and settling in and putting their mark on their new place.  Its coming along very well and is a really nice place.  Much roomier than where they moved from and meets their needs and goals in a lot of ways. They chose carefully and it is turning out very well. I thought they did very well.

The nice thing about this visit was that only Brombeere and I went so we had the time to visit all the way there and back.  She sometimes accuses me of not talking very much and I’ll be the first to admit that whenever someone says “Talk to me” the next thing that happens to me is that my mind goes blank. Anyway, we talked and I thought it was very good because we had all this time together, which is sometimes hard to come by in this very busy life we find ourselves living.

Even though it was never a subject we addressed directly between us, I found myself, as we talked over a wide range of things going on in our lives, thinking over and over again, like a prayer, that See? There is another reason why we need additional blessings in this area or that one.  I sometimes get to praying about things where I feel there is need but don’t feel like the blessings are quite covering the need and pleading for more help.  Maybe that’s an ungrateful practices that I need to do better with but nevertheless, that is how it is at times.

So today in church we were singing the closing hymn, which was titled “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty”.  As we sang the second verse it suddenly hit me how much the Lord really has blessed, and continues to bless me.

Praise to the Lord! Over all things he gloriously reigneth.

Borne as on eagle wings, safely his Saints he sustaineth.

Hast thou not seen

How all thou needest hath been

Granted in what he ordaineth?

I felt like I had been ambushed by the answer to a prayer. Well, that’s how I felt. But the point is that once again I knew I was getting an answer to my prayers. I knew that the Lord was aware of me and my situation and was sustaining me at the level He wanted me at for the time being.

I used it later, during a lesson I was teaching, as an example of how the Lord uses scriptures and hymns to answer our prayers and communicate with us. So I didn’t hear a voice, but the Lord got his message across.

It Was a Very Good Time

What a wonderful couple of weeks its been!  We’ve seen all our grandkids and kids over the past couple of weeks, since the beginning of the month.  We’ve traveled a lot, got sick of being in the car (all the travel was driving) and, the one sad part of it all was a funeral. But as is so often the case, coming together for funerals leads to some wonderful times with family and friends. So we traveled out west for a funeral and got to see Heidelbeere and her family, along with my brother and sisters. Got to make muffins, do exercises, with the help of the kids and the family dog. Got to do lots of stuff together with kids and grandkids we don't get to see very often.  It was great!

Then we came back and Moosbeere and his family came to visit because he was in the wedding party of his best friend from high school.  This friend of his was over at our house so often as they were growing up that he felt like just another one of the kids. It was good to see him doing so well.

Himebeere had a birthday so we got to have cake and ice cream.And in the midst of all that visiting Erdbeere and Blaubeere and their families came to visit as well.  So its been wonderful, if not crazy and hectic at times.

We went to a couple of the parks here in the area and played around. Stachelbeere showed off his prowess in log walking. Everybody was sure he'd end up in the drink but he made it across dry with no problems. At this playground his niece came down the slide after him without waiting for him to clear out. It was fun.

Then at the end of the day we found some ducks to feed and got to spend some time doing that in the evening. Apparently the ducks get fed often enough that they knew the drill. Our granddaughter had a great time throwing them bits of bread.

It was such a good time. Makes me wish we were able to see them all more often. So we'll be grateful for the ones that live close enough to see more often and reveal in the times when we can see the others. Families are so fun, kids and grandkids are such a blessing. I love them.

A Happy Thing

Life is generally day after day, filled with the same old stuff, life goes on. Then, every now and then, a special time comes along that is either a high point or a low point. Fortunately there are more high points than lows. It has been my experience that the high points in life are generally some how associated with family. We recently had a high point. Maulbeere came to visit. That was so nice.

 

 A little over a year ago, Maulbeere decided to seek her fortune else where, get away from home and get a change of scenery.  That was okay and so she arranged to go live with her sister, Heidelbeere, who lives far enough away that we haven't seen much of her since then. In fact, this was only the second time she's been home since leaving. 

 

So Schwartzbeere and his brand new fiance, who decided they wanted to come pick her up from the airport, piled in the car and we went after her. All the way down the two of them were busy working on wedding plans. All the way back they were busy talking and playing with Maulbeere - not much serious planning got done.

 

 While here, Maulbeere spent some time with Himbeere, helping change the brakes on Mom's car. Maulbeere performed the valuable service of holding the tire down while it was off the car. Couldn't have it floating away - that would never do.

 

Erdbeere and her little boy made it to our house for a few days to visit. He's a cutie. When coloring he had to make sure that every crayon had an opportunity to be used. 

 

 Stachelbeere is staying with us right now so he and Maulbeere got to spend some quality time together.

 

 While she was here we made it out to a covered bridge not too far away and Maulbeere got to dip her toes in "the old millstream." It was Memorial Day, the official beginning of summer, and the weather was nice and warm as well.  A very nice day trip.

 

 Blaubeere and her kids came over a couple of times. They played in the backyard. You can't see it in this photo, but Dragon, the younger boy, has his right arm in a bright, red cast. He was playing in their living room a few days ago and broke his arm. Didn't slow him down much at all.

 

 Blaubeere's youngest is learning to walk. Actually, she could walk by herself if she wanted to but I guess its a confidence thing. She thinks she still needs to be holding onto something or someone to be walking. But one day we distracted her with some toys and she forgot she couldn't walk on her own enough to take a few steps all by herself. She's a cutie.

 

Then, all too soon, it was time to go back.  The time just zipped by. So it was back to the airport and off in a big silver bird. It was so nice to have her here. She is such a breath of fresh air. She brings smiles to faces everywhere she goes. We'll miss her.

A Happy Gramma, Part Two

So I was wrong. I thought she had finished it up and mailed it but that wasn't the case. In fact, it still hasn't gone in the mail. But it is done, wrapped and ready to package up and put in the mail. A cute little pink apron. All it needed was a couple of buttons sewed on and the ties put on. So Brombeere got it back out and got that stuff done the other day and it turned out really cute. This gramma loves sewing and especially if she can sew something for a grandbaby.  Maybe when she finally retires and has more time. She keeps looking at blankets and other things she can sew. She used to sew things for herself and all the kids back before she went back to work. When she doesn't have to work any more I expect there will be a lot more sewing going on. Until then the summer usually includes a couple of sewing projects if at all possible.

A Happy Grandma

I am married to a Gramma. I thoroughly enjoy that but that's another story. Anyway, this gramma I am married to has a number of grandbabies, only a few of which live close enough to us that we get to see them with any regularity. Ah, the down-side of our mobile society. We follow the job and it results in families being all spread out across the country. Such is life. We did it to our parents and some of our kids have done it to us. Fortunately, we also live in a society where communication is quick and living spread far and wide is not the problem it used to be.  But I digress.

This gramma I'm married to has several grand kids and they have birthdays.  This gramma I'm married to also loves to sew. She'd sew a lot more if she could find the time but other things seem to keep getting in the way.  She teaches kindergarten and usually gets to sew a couple of projects each summer.  That makes summer a happy time.  But I digress again.  One little girl, one of our cute little grandbabies, who lives many hundreds of miles to the south of us, is having a birthday in the near future. So this gramma I'm married to sewed her an apron. A cute, pink little number. Snip, snip here. Stitch, stitch there, in the merry, old land of ... well, my house.

 

This sewing usually has to take place late at night. And fortunately, for this talented gramma, a child's apron is a pretty simple project. Anyway, I was unable to get a picture of the final product because it got late and I had to go to bed and the apron got packaged up and mailed right away so it would get there in time for the birthday.  This gramma loves her grandbabies and she loves to sew. A wonderful combination.

An Engagement Party

 

Recently Schwarzebeere and his girlfriend announced they were getting married. To celebrate they held an engagement party and invited lots of family and friends. A new tradition to me but hey, who am I to complain about an occasion to party and celebrate. So the happy couple hosted a dinner, cut a cake and we all had a chance for the two families to get to meet and get to know each other. Family and a bunch of friends. It was a good time. The wedding is scheduled for later this summer, which is proving to be a bit of a challenge. It would seem that one of the reasons for long engagements in this part of the country is that the places to hold weddings and receptions are booked up that far out. But they're working at it and there are a number of options that remain available, even if not the first choice. But in the meantime, they move forward and are excited.

An Exciting Time

Yesterday after Himbeere got off work (he works third shift) he had some breakfast and then jumped in his truck to go visit his girlfriend.  She lives several miles away and part of the trip involves a long, straight stretch of dirt road.  Long enough to lull an already sleepy boy off to sleep.  So Himberre fell a sleep at the wheel.

He said later he felt a bump and opened his eyes to a small cloud of snow in front of him, snow he had knocked into the air. Then he saw trees rushing at him and thought, "Uh oh.  This isn't going to end well."

So on he plows, into the snow at the side of the road.  And then the truck came to a stop.  He said he sorta just sat there, with a white-knuckle death grip on the steering wheel for about two minutes.  Then he began to realize his hands were beginning to get sore.  So he let go. Then he just sat there a few minutes, taking stock and deciding he wasn't hurt.

Then he called his mother.  That made her feel good, not that he was in a tight spot, but that he called her first.  It took some doing and several other phone calls but they finally got the truck out of the snow and back on the road.  He ended up getting towed back to a heated shop because the serpentine belt had been shredded and was all wrapped around a bunch of other stuff on and around the engine.  That plus the engine compartment, in addition to the engine, was now all stuffed with snow.  So they towed it to a heated shop, dug the belt out and replaced it and then left the truck there a while so the now could melt out.  Then he came home and slept for several hours.

As his big sister said, "God loves you, Himbeere. He took good care of you this morning!"  Amen to that.