Our friend Kathy was welcomed into heaven on Sunday morning. She died peacefully, confident of the glory that she would experience the moment she drew her last breath. She blessed us with her friendship, her laughter, and her honesty through the struggles of the past few years. We will miss her!

Tom, Kathy, Sarah
April, 2010

In the midst of the sadness of the last week, Bill was able to enjoy an evening with friends on Friday. Quite a party! We'll be cruising with most of these friends next February and the anticipation is building as we make plans, decide on excursions, etc. Friends - how valuable they are to us!

Can hardly wait to see these two little ones!!!!!

AJ - a joyful little girl!

A. Mae - how she's grown!!!

I had a most wonderful day with Tori, Abby, Sophie, and Noah last Wednesday. We began with a scavenger hunt in the Grand Rapids Public Museum followed by a picnic lunch by the river. Next it was off to a short history tour (the homes where Gerald R. Ford grew up and my home on Calhoun Street - seems strange putting our two names in the same sentence....). Next it was off to 'shop' for school supplies at Bill's warehouse. What a treat it was for the kids to fill their bags with markers, notebooks, pencils, etc. After ice cream at Houseman's, we headed to a block party where the kids had loads of fun. It was a special, memorable day!

Signs like this were posted throughout the GR Public Museum - loved them!

May your life be touched
by the joy of great friends
and beloved family.

August!

Yesterday, the 14th, was Tori's 11th birthday! After a great afternoon and dinner at the cottage with my Mom & Rich and Denise, we stopped by Steve & Lynn's to give Tori a birthday hug and have a cup of coffee. Tori is a kind and helpful girl and we thank God for blessing our lives with her!


Tori spent the day with me today and tonight we took her for the traditional supper, followed by a stop for ice cream.

The purse Tori made with duct tape - great!

While Laura and Ben were spending a few days at Big Bear Lake......






.....we were spending some time Thursday evening with Ben's parents :). Here we are, four parents trying to have a conversation with Laura in a noisy restaurant.

Cherished friends - John & Jo!

More friends:

Susan! She promised (threatened) to take me for a ride on that bike soon.

Friday night wedding!
The bride and groom, Aaron and Kayla

I have loved watching these two guys grow up!
Brothers - Aaron and Josh

Bill at the photo booth at the wedding :)

Please pray for two of our friends:

Kathy will be readmitted to the hospital tomorrow, a necessity due to the fluid that continues to accumulate in her abdomen. A link to her carepage is in the right-hand column, near the top.

On Saturday we spent several hours with Jimmye V. who is incarcerated at Ionia State Reformatory. His testimony of God's faithfulness and goodness is solid and sure. We continue to be amazed at his acceptance of being in the 'war zone', committed to be used by God to impact the lives of fellow prisoners. What a journey! He asked me to post this picture to assure you that he is well, but he also asked for your prayers - that his heart remains tender and that he is able to endure the oppressive atmosphere and attitude of most of the inmates. You can also pray for his safety - even his facial hair is a necessity in that hostile place.

It looks like Bill and I signed Jimmye out for the day and we're enjoying a great afternoon in Detroit. But it's just a mural on the wall and, trust me, the atmosphere is dismal and gloomy. Still, our visits are upbeat and we leave blessed - every time.



Thank you, God, as this day ends
for our family and our friends.
Bless them all in gracious ways
through sleepless nights or carefree days.

And the Fun Continues!

Just a few pictures from the past week....

Saturday we went to the 60th (!) anniversary celebration of our friends, Henry and Tena. Henry and I have a 'tradition' that we have shared for years and years - every Sunday morning Henry would reach into his pocket and give me a Dutch peppermint in exchange for a Smartie from me. Tena and I have enjoyed many lunches and mini-retreats together with a group of friends. These two folks have blessed my life for years and I treasure their friendship.



Sunday lunch group.....it was great to join them again for our weekly meal together.



Noah called Sunday afternoon, inviting us to come out to see his newly decorated bedroom. We had seen it in stages, but the finishing touches are now on and he was so excited to show it to us.
The Michigan State Spartans would love it :)

Noah with some of the mementos on the wall

The kids find the date we'll be going to the GR museum!

Missed a picture on Monday evening of supper out with Gary and Shirley....got carried away talking to other friends on our way out. But, as always, we enjoyed our meal together, the conversation, and their friendship. Absolutely perfect!

Our nephew Elwin will be married next month! It was a privilege for me to host a bridal shower for his fiance on Tuesday evening.

Mary (Elwin's mom), Sue (Kristi's mom), Kristi, Joyce (Elwin's grandma)

Sophie won the parasol :)

On Wednesday, Tori and I spent some time with Abby, Sophie, and Noah in Holland. We had a picnic at the park and the kids had a great time playing at Kollen Park, one of their favorite playgrounds.

Tori and Abby at the fountain

Wednesday evening we spent time with Dick and Jacque, a late anniversary celebration for us - meaning they picked up the tab for our delicious meal :) As always, we shared a dessert with our traditional toast - something we've done for decades. How blessed we are by their friendship!



The next few pictures are of our CA family :)

Amelia at the beach

Annemieke is adapting to an occasional bottle, a necessity for when Laura returns to work after her maternity leave. As always, Amelia smothers Annemieke with kisses and lots of affection :)

Ever since Amelia was a very young girl, she sucks her thumb while 'playing with' her hair with her other hand......

What we didn't know is that her Daddy did the exact same thing! Just look at these pictures of Ben when he was a young boy!

Like father, like daughter.


May my life imitate my heavenly Father!

Ah, Summer!

What fun summer provides! We've had day after day, night after night of great times with great friends!

Last Thursday we enjoyed an evening at the Picnic Pops - 1/2 upbeat, classical music and 1/2 Beach Boys songs that took us down memory lane. It was a wonderful evening with lots of new friends!

Intermission

My Mom and Rich are in town for a few weeks at the cottage. On Friday we had dinner out with my family - well, most of it, anyway. We always miss Ron & Rose!

Family!!

On Saturday we spent time with friends at beautiful Canadian Lakes. It was the third day with my new camera arrived, so there are a few pictures that were taken during my experimentation with the settings :) Thanks, Brian and Diane, for the great meal, the boat ride, and your hospitality!

Tom & Ila, Brian & Diane, Bill

Tori joined me and Abby, Sophie, and Noah in Holland on Monday. We spent the afternoon at Dutch Village - great fun!

Monday evening we enjoyed time with friends Ali and Gerrit - always great!



Wednesday was super, too! First was an indoor picnic with the Joy Club, a most marvelous group of folks! (Sorry the picture missed those who had already left...) These friends have enriched my life in so many ways and I'm eager to resume meeting again in September!



Supper was at Holland beach with our friends in the Empty Nesters small group. Because the wind was so strong, we ate inside the pavilion before authorities closed down the beach - the water was dangerous and 28 people were rescued from the wild waves. A stop at Captain Sundae topped off the evening perfectly :)

The waves were washing over the pier - worse than it looks in this picture.

Today our sisters' lunch included Mom :)


After lunch, Mom opened her trunk and we all 'shopped' from 'Louise on Laurelwood' :)



I visited my friend Gerri this afternoon. No picture, just a request for prayers for her as she fights a MRSA infection. It's a long, slow journey.....


Some recent pictures of our precious California family - (Laura - pics of you soon?)

Amelia and Ben at the zoo

Annemieke and Amelia

One month old!

This picture was taken on Canadian Lakes last Saturday. The reflections on the water were gorgeous!

May your life
reflect God's goodness
and His blessings!