Shish-Kabob Moments

Because some of you assured me that you check this site regularly, I'll continue to post for a while. You'll see from the following pictures, that it has been a packed, fun-filled two weeks since I posted any pictures.

I'll begin with pictures of the fun weekend we shared with Tom and Anna and the kids. We spent a day at Greenfield Village and then went to a Tiger game, a gift to Bill for his birthday. Great fun for us!



We spent a great few days with Laura and Ben in Seattle. We visited the Public Market (just a block from their apartment), went to some familiar and favorite spots, and
enjoyed some new places. The best part was just spending time with them!




I spent Friday night with Abby, Sophie, and Noah and snapped just a few pictures of playing outside and going for ice cream.



Saturday afternoon we celebrated with a young family from church. Michelle has been declared Cancer Free after many months of treatments, procedures, therapies, and tests. We praise God with her and her family!


As mentioned on my last post, Tom and Ila invited us and Dick & Jacque up to their place on the Muskegon River. We always enjoy their peaceful spot and, as usual, it was an evening of great friendship and great eats.


My sister Marva planned our Girls' Getaway this year. It was a day of pampering, relaxation, and special places. We celebrated Mom's birthday a few days early - it's actually next Tuesday, when she'll turn 82. Hard to believe from the picture, isn't it! Thank you, Marva, for arranging such a great day :)



This last picture is of the kabobs Ila made for dinner - yummy!!!

May your life be PACKED
with morsels of great joy,
bites of fun and delight,
and a variety of special moments with family and friends
that add great color and flavor to our lives.
Savor the good times!

Quick Update

Just because you might be sick of my last post popping up, here's a few notes about the last week:

• We had a wonderful time with Tom and Anna and the kids at Greenfield Village and the kids' first Tiger game. The game was their birthday gift to Bill and I got to tag along :). It was perfect in every way! Thanks to Bob and Nancy for their hospitality, delicious meals, and for spending Saturday with us and our shared family.
  
• My doctor gave me permission to fly, so we were able to spend several days in Seattle with Laura and Ben. Laura is 22 weeks pregnant and it was pure joy to feel their little girl move around, to shop for baby things, and to register for items for the baby showers coming up. Okay, maybe the registering got a bit overwhelming..... Ben is working hard at his studies at Fuller Seminary and is doing very well. As always, it was a relaxing and wonderful time.
  
• Zac has completed his first week of college at the University of Northern Ohio where he is studying diesel mechanics. He's off to a great start!
• Ty starts high school tomorrow, Deven starts 7th grade, and Tori 2nd. So Lynn is back to packing lunches and carting kids.
  
• Abby, Sophie, and Noah begin pre-school next week - can hardly believe it. I spent a few hours of fun with them on Friday evening - playing 'Emergency!', running around the yard, and going for ice cream.
  
• Bill is back to the routine of school tomorrow as well.
• Check Anna's blog - she's got a new part-time teaching position!
• We celebrated the 'Cancer Free!' report of a young mom from our church; they threw a great 'thank-you' party on Saturday;
  
• We spent a great evening with Dick and Jacque at Tom & Ila's place on the Muskegon River on Saturday. Tom and Ila are gracious hosts and we enjoyed a delicious meal and great conversation at their little piece of paradise.
  
• Steve loves his motorcycle - much to his mother's chagrin. He and Deven went out to the beach on it tonight.
  
• My vision is still blurry and a bit distorted, as expected at this point; next visit to the surgeon is Thursday.
• It was great to see and talk to many of the Brummel relatives at the reunion today.
  
• Talked to my friend Meike for a while today :) Because my phone card didn't work from Iceland, there are LOTS of minutes left on it - so I make calls to Germany much more often.
  

Wish I had time to post some of the many pictures taken in the last nine days.....maybe later this week. Three meetings and a day away with my mom and sisters will fill the next few days.

I'm considering shutting down this blog, although it's been a fun way for me to 'journal' the events and activities in my life. Decision coming soon.
Blessings!

I'm Back :)

After two weeks with my head down, the gas bubble that was placed in my eye during surgery is now absorbed and - as of Tuesday morning - I can once again raise my head and stand up straight. It was a wonderful two weeks in many ways.....here are some random things I learned or was reminded of during that stretch:

• My life is so blessed with family and friends who overwhelmed me with kindness in the form of prayers, visits, meals, flowers, phone calls, and cards.
• Bill is a fabulous care-giver.
• My family is priceless.
  
• God's promises are true - I tested many of them during the last two weeks.
• Eyesight is precious.
• Many things in my life are over my head - literally and figuratively.
• I'm humbled by the thought that my eyesight might be restored while that of my friend Jay cannot.
  
• God's ways are mysterious to me.
  
• My church family is so dear; don't know how folks get by without belonging to one.
  
• People are good and kind, thoughtful and compassionate, generous and helpful.
  
• I'm less Calvinistic than I used to be. (This thought follows the comment immediately preceding it :).
  
• Some things are dreaded more than they need to be.
• Gifted surgeons and modern technology are invaluable.
• Only God could create an eye with the ability to see.
• I depend on the use of my computer for lots of things.
  
• Furniture collects a bit of dust after two weeks.
• The beloved old hymns of the faith mean more to me than I realized.
• I miss going to worship services.
• Bill hates crossword puzzles (but read the clues to me each night anyway :).
• I wake up looking exactly like Walter Matthau when I sleep face down - NOT a pretty sight! Google his name and you'll see what I mean.
  
• Two ounces of wine through a drinking straw is plenty.
• Sleeping pills don't always work.
  
• Our house is peaceful and serene.
• A 42 cent stamp can deliver words of encouragement and friendship. I need to be better at that.
• A neck gets really sore after a few days of being stretched; neck and shoulder rubs do wonders.
• I miss the 'old folks' at Bible study.
  
• Children are marvelous day-brighteners.
  
• I love John 10.
• Listening to the Olympics isn't very exciting.
• It takes a while to go through two weeks' worth of emails.
  
• An hour of cable news a day is enough t.v. for me.
• Some folks I rarely see take the time to send cards and add a personal note. Amazing.
  
• I am blessed beyond my deserving.

Other thoughts will come to mind later as I look back on this process. Should have written down some of my thoughts during the weeks....no, wait - writing and reading were forbidden.

It will be another 2-3 months before the total success of the surgery of known. Vision in my eye is still very blurry, as expected. Tomorrow morning is another appointment with the doctor and hopefully he'll lift a few more restrictions - like driving, for example.

We're really hoping to get the okay tomorrow to fly to Seattle to spend some time with Laura and Ben and in utero Granddaughter!

Anyway, to be a little self-indulgent, I'm posting these first two pictures so you'll know why I'm so delighted to be able to raise my head. The first one is a photo of how I spent much of the daytime and the next one is of the contraption needed for sleeping.




One of the many blessings of the last two weeks was a visit by Nancy and Mike and their girls; they are family of my friend Em who passed away last December. They brought me some of Em's plants from her beloved garden that we used to stroll through together. My sister Denise planted the flowers for me - I'll treasure them and the memories of Em.

Nancy and Mike

Thanks to all of you who helped get me through the last two weeks.
You made the time precious by your presence, your provisions,
and your prayers.

Another bright note - it's Tori's 8th birthday tomorrow! We celebrated with a picnic on Monday night with her family, Uncle Tom and Aunt Anna and the kids,
and even two Great-grandmas and Great-grandpa Zeeff.
On Tuesday night Bill and I took her shopping and out for supper.
Tori is a delightful and precious girl and we are so thankful for her.
Happy Birthday, Tori!

Saw this shirt on a young boy....wish I had one like it.