Rainy day

Early leave for AM mix class.  I do enjoy the classes.  I had a cup of coffee and then went to Orphan Grain.  They are such good people.  At 11 I got a haircut from Michelle at Trendue.  Matt texted and said Haley's track meet was cancelled.  SO on to plan B for the rest of the day.  I had planned to drive to Atlantic after my haircut and play pickleball from 1-3.  At 3, I was going to ride down with Bruce and Gail to Maryville to watch Haley ... BUT NO, BUMMER!!!   Instead I went to help at the widow's luncheon until 2 and then I went home for a nap until Denny got back from driving and discoing with Larsons.  It was a chill, easy,slow night.   Picture from Thursday meet that wasn't rained out. 

Full Monday April 29

I got up for zumba class.  Afterwards I headed home and was back home before Denny left.  It was kinda wet and he texted and found out he wouldn't start to run the machine until after lunch.  I had scheduled the windshield replacement for this morning.  I also made a Prius oil change appointment in Carroll.  I called Laurie J. and planned to meet her in Carroll.  Well, I saw that all the plans might not work, so I took the car into IG and they put in the new windshield by the Shopko store so I could just head to Carroll from IG.  It worked out great!!  I met Laurie and we just sat and visited at the New Hope Coffee center. I showed her all the blog pictures and talked and talked.  About 3:30 I left and headed home for a quick stop before going to Holstein to watch Ben at the track meet.  He did great, anchoring the shuttle hurdle for a first place win and winning the 400 meter hurdles.  I headed to bed soon after I got home.  Denny worked from 12 to 11:45.  Uffta!! That's a lot. 

Back home

Up before 6 and on my way home by 6:15.  I got to church in Arthur at 10:15.  After church we took naps.  Lazy day!!  We went to Camp Sunday and then we drove to get the pickup at Beckmans.  I started to try to find the names of classmates that I am suppose to contact.  Lord, help me, please.  At night it was camp Sunday with burgers and a speaker from camp.  Last year Hidden Acres had 2500 campers over the 6 week camping season.  Praise the Lord.  May Your Word be faithfully shared.

Hanging out around Burr Oak

Keith had coffee made for me in the morning.  :)  We went to Bruce's for breakfast about 7:30 for  Mike S. and 3 other friends who came this weekend with the intent to go trout fishing.  I"m not sure what they did with this weather.   Of course, the breakfast was great!!  I headed down to Bluffton to see Diane and Tom.  We went to the Little Farmer Daycare garage sale then back to Bluffton.  While I was there Molly called and visited with her about flowers for Gretchen's wedding.  Hopefully, I answered some of her questions, concerns.   After lunch and visiting I went to the What's New.  I love to walk around that place and look at stuff.  I visited with Marilyn and Becca when she stopped in.  Our reunion meeting was at 6 at Keith's shed.  Bill L. Diane W. Sue D. Dean and Ardie N. Margaret and Larry M.  We each have about 5 names to contact.  Afterwards we played a little pickle ball. 

Happy Birthday Missy!!!!!

Missy. we love you so much!!!!  Today I was at Decorah, at the same places where you were born 41 years ago!!!!  You have brought us so much joy!!!!  I thank God for your life.

Heading to NE Iowa.
I headed to IG for water exercise at 5:30, (that's am).  Nice class of 12 students.  Good water workout.  I swam some laps, sat in the hot tub, showered, got dressed, and left about 7.  It was a great day to travel.  I stopped at Floyd and looked at a a couple antique stores.  Also stopped on the way to and in Decorah.   I love shopping, going in and out of stores, and mainly looking.  Keith was at the golf course where I stopped on the way home.   He gave me a tour of his place.  It is so very nice.  Bruce came over and we decided to use Bruce's gift certificate at McGafferty's for supper.  Good meal, Bruce went to meet his friends at the Corner,  Keith and I went  on a driving tour of the N Winn Road and to Burr Oak where we stopped at Barneys's.  At his house we watched some TV.

Rainy day ... no fieldwork

AM Mix at 5:30.   It is a great workout ... (if only I could do it all and not just keep moving when the rest of the class are doing hard stuff).   I headed home.  Denny was still there because it was raining.  We moved the carpet ball table closer to the fire pit. He got an appointment for a haircut for 9 am and we went to IG.  We got groceries for the Awana leader supper next week.  I went to study at Ginny's.  When I got home Denny was mowing and I  joined him.   He went on to use the bobcat to groom the ditch area.  I put down carpet and wire supports for the plants I am going to plant next week.   We chilled in the coop and yard and called Missy for her birthday. She was out for supper with friends.

Awana Awards night

Denny was out and getting a grease "zert"er to grease the tractor before he headed out.  Home school testing at 8:30.  After testing we went to Morehead park for a picnic.  We went to church around 5 and got everything ready.  The pizza was from Pizza Ranch in Denison.  Very good.  There were around 210 to 225.  Nice turnout.  They gave Denny a plaque for all his years of being Awana Commander. 

Home School testing

I headed to IG at 5:10 am and went to the workout class that is taught by Jenn. C.  It was very good and got my heart a ticking.  I had coffee at the rec center before going to the Orphan Grain train.  It was good to the people at OGT.  I had 3 high school students at the Lutheran church for HS testing.  Susan let me use her kindle and start to read,"White Knuckled" by Hannah U.   I went to lunch with Susan at the hospital.  I got some mulch and a sprinkler at BomgaarsAt home I was so tuckered I took a nap.  I felt dead dog tired.  Maybe I was tired from the am exercise class, maybe I was still experiencing jet lag, I don't know, but I WAS TIRED.   I went out to set up the sprinkler and I started to roto-till around the yard.  AND I did till and till and till.  Denny got home about 7; the "team" came to use Denny's tractor to pull a stuck tractor that Conwell was driving.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho!

It's off to DISCO we go!!  On Friday Matt and his family were heading to Cherokee for supper before spending the weekend in Kingsley.  Interstate 29 was closed because of the flooding damage and Matt was traveling up highways 71 and 59.  Matt texted Denny to ask where he was working in the field.

Denny replied with this text:

 Matt sent this disco GIF:

Saturday I shared this "conversation" with Kim L.  She told Curtis and he replied:

I walked 3 miles this am.  

Christ is Risen! He is Risen, Indeed!!

Happy Easter!!  

Walked 3 miles, chai tea, banana, bacon, and coffee.   Great to be in church. We went to IG after church, but Bomgaars wasn't open to get an oscillating sprinkler.

Great lunch of sauteed onions, spinach salad,  corn on the cob, and wonderful grilled steak.  Matt, Becky and Grands stopped by on their way home.  Interstate 29 is still closed because of the flooding damage.  They were routed down highway 59.  So nice of them to stop.  They dug up some asparagus, gave the dog a run, and headed on their way.  After they left, Denny and I took naps.  What a beautiful day!!!!

Pretty much home in afternoon

Farmer Denny took off on this little tractor and disc at 7 am.   Boys and Toys ...

My early morning was pretty chill, I didn't do much.  Around 9:30 I went to IG to get the tire on the Prius fixed.  They were busy and so it took most of the morning.  (Uffta!  $20) At home I napped and then sorted through my dahlias to see if any were sprouting.  Some were sprouoting, but many were dried up and dead.  I put away all of my travel stuff and did a couple loads of laundry.  Denny's disc sprang a leak so he was home around 5.

These are pictures of the paintings we did in Kat.:

Leggos

Boats

Pretty sunset and light house

Mountains and village similar to picture. 

Friday April 19 Headed to Cherokee.

I got up and walked 3 miles as the sun came up.  Denny had fixed his eggs and bacon by the time I got home.  He left to drive tractor by 6:40.  Coffee, devos and news on TV was next on my list of "to do.".  I headed to IG around 8 and went to Dose, then to my dermatology appointment where everything checked out ok, then to Cherokee.  Jack made my day when I went to get him at daycare.  He saw me and ran to me with his hands out.  When I picked him up he snuggled in and just lay still on my shoulder for a long time.  It was so sweet.

 Matt and family stopped at Cooks for supper before heading to Kingsley for Easter.  Mandy and Jason had great food.  Everyone loved on Jack.  They choose N. jewelry, flags, hairbands, and etc. 

 Jack snuggling with me after his nap.  So sweet!!

I headed home about 9:20 after Jason helped by filling the Prius flat tire with air. Denny got out of the field about 9.  

Thursday April 18 I'm back in Iowa HOME :)

Well, 31 1/2 hours after the airplane took flight out of Kat. at noon on Wednesday, I am home.  My flight landed in Omaha about Thursday 8:40 am.   We flew heading east over the date line and "went back in time."   Evan had his birthday party today with 7 classmates today. 

Me and my luggage train.  I pushed one big bag and pulled the other big bag before I checked my luggage at Kat.  Then again I trained my luggage at the LA airport to check it thru American Airlines to Omaha.  Then again in Omaha before Denny helped take one of the bags to the car.

. 

Today was Evan's birthday "paintball" party.   

Evan and 7 classmates: born in America, Nepal, India, Netherlands, Australia, Korea, China, 

This picture was without amunition thus the boys do not have on all their protective gear.  

When we got home Denny changed his clothes, made a couple sandwiches and headed out to drive a tractor and disc.  I went to Bible Study at Ginny's.  I headed to bed at 8.  Pretty tired. 

Wednesday April 17 Happy Birthday! Evan!!! I leave for America this noon

Evan is a teenager!!!  We love you SO much and are so proud of the young man you are becoming!!  It has been great to spend time with your family ... on the trek ... painting ... playing ping pong and pickle ball and Uno and Carcasonne ... lots of good eating ... mo-mos ... fruit pizza
Our prayer is that as you grow older you follow Christ more and more.  His love for you will meet every need. Your life brings a smile to our face.

It was so great to see your school!!

 I love the way you read and retain the information that you have read.

Saying Good by to Grands and Missy and Phillip was hard.  I was SO glad to be able to visit them on the other side of the world.  

We played pickle ball up until the time the taxi came to take Missy and me to the airport.  

Ping pong with the Grands.  

Tuesday April 16 .. Last day here

It was a slow am.  I talked to Denny, he was heading home from disc-ing for the neighbor.  He was happy to be on a tractor, but got lost south of Denison and took him a while to figure out where he was.  The family is writing notes to people state side that I will deliver.  (Better that the postal service from N.)  I read my daily devotions 2 days ahead, so I could pack the heavy book in one of the 2 suitcases that I am checking.
     We left about 10:30 for language for Missy and painting for us.  But first I said ,"Good by" to Missy's dede  Maya.  She has been a real answer to a need.  She comes in 2-21/2 days a week and helps do laundry on the roof, cleans the house, shops for veggies/etc AND prepares the veggies by soaking in water with iodine (that is the color of weak tea) for 10 minutes and then peels and chops, makes N. dahl bhat and rice and other N. food (that the kids don't like the best)  AND she has helped Missy immensely by giving her a sounding board/ language correction for application of language in everyday circumstances.   She is a gem!!!

We took a taxi to language.  Then we walked to Evoke where Evan, Anabel, Brooks and I painted.  It wasn't open until 12 so AB and I looked at shops.  

 Finished pieces

We took a taxi home.  The family worked more on letters.  At 5 we met for the every other Team meeting.  What a great bunch of people to live life with!  Please pray for them.  

Monday April 15, At home with Grands

I gave Denny a call and visited in the morning.  Brooks brought his tablet screen and we watched I heart movies.  Missy and Phillip left for language classes.  Denny said that AEF raised $ for Missy's scooter during the reading contest!  How cool is that!!  I think Phillip got the email when we were on the trek and so I wasn't aware.   Evan has made a PPPB bracket, so a tourney is in the works.

 The downstairs bathroom is also the shower for the house.  Only there is no walk-in place.  

The water just shoots into the room, with no curtain around you as you shower.  

The bug spray has helped a lot with little gnats that were here a day or so.  

 No dishwasher.  No hot water from the faucet.  

The hot pot on the right heats the water one pot at a time.

The water purifier is above.
The water from the tap is not safe to drink until it is boiled in the hot pot. 

After the electricity went off we ate ice cream bars and Phillip read the last chapter on Prince Caspian. 

We made Philip's go-to birthday cake:  Fruits pizza.

Anabel and Brooks went to get the ingredients we didn't have, 

Evan cut up grapes and he and Anabel put on the fruit as Brooks distracted Phillip. 

 This is the laundry room.

The washer is on the left and the dryer is on the right.

 The outside washer is covered with a plastic cover.  

Missy isn't thrilled that the plastic cover says,"Playboy" all over it. 

We 6 took a taxi and went to shop at Dhukuti's where I got a small rug and some $1 gift choices.  

 We ate a Simply Mo-Mo tonight.  We got 7 different types of mo-mos. Very good!!!