Looking Back Over the Week....

It is Sunday night just after 9:00. We just got home from small group in Grand Rapids (technically Lowell if you are from Michigan and it matters!)

We had a great group tonight. We devoured Proverbs 2 and Ephesians 1. That was after we had chili, chips and salsa, pineapple, apple crisp and chocolate covered strawberries! We have an awesome group of people in small group. I love how God ordained us to be a family...support each other, encourage each other, help each other out on this journey of life!
We are so blessed!

Going backwards through the week...Saturday....I had my card making class at 10:00 a.m. It was almost full. We had a great time making 3 cards you saw in the last post. Afterwards, we had lunch together. Only one person had to leave, and Dan and Hank joined us for the food! Deservedly so, cos Dan made the chili we ate! He had also made chocolate chip/potato chip cookies on Friday. The class attendees brought cornbread, pound cake, cookies, salad.....it was wonderful. They stayed and visited til mid afternoon.

Here is the table before everyone got here.

These are examples of what we'll be doing in our next class (Fancy Folds...different ways to fold a card)

I actually remembered to take pictures during the class!

Then Dan and I did oddball stuff around the house until 9:00 when we went to church. Every Saturday night the church is holding prayer meetings. You know how they used to do in the "olden days"?! We've been doing it for several months now, but last night something happened, something changed. We're excited to see what is going to happen in little Ionia!!
We just found out that Ionia and the surrounding area has a population of about 60,000. That's 10% of Grand Rapids and its surrounding areas.


Friday....I worked all day getting ready for my Saturday class. Dan got groceries, made chili, cookies, and fruit salad, and helped me clean the house.

Thursday....Dan put more mud on the walls in the remaining, unfinished room. I took pictures!

That's back far enough....hurting my brain to try to remember last week! LOL

Hope you had a great weekend!

Broken Foot? No......

Well, well, well....
Tuesday.
Second day of the week (feels like the 5th day of the week).
I have been sent home early for the second day in a row. It has been really slow at work. When it gets that way, the manager starts sending people home so they don't go over budget with payroll.

So, I've been working on the card classes. I had purchased a domain name quite awhile ago and forgotten about it. Today I went to godaddy.com and was reminded that I still have it. But then I couldn't figure out how to launch the crazy thing. I was spending so much time trying to research that, I got all frustrated.

After that time waster, I began making some examples for the class. Here are a few of them.

As for Dan - he is still not feeling well. He got up and went to his breakfast, ran a few necessary errands, but then spent some time resting this afternoon.

He talked to another person at a company in Freeport that does ICF (insulated concrete forms). He's been intrigued by the system since he first heard about it. He has built one for another couple, and is now hoping to get hired in at this firm.
They've agreed to talk tomorrow - will let you know how that goes.

Poor little Nate has been experiencing some pain in his left foot.
Mindi took him in last night and had X-rays taken. Nothing is broken, but they couldn't find anything wrong either. They wrapped it and sent him home with instructions for Mindi to watch it. If it continues to hurt they'll have to go to a specialist.
Evidently he's taking advantage of his 'injury' to instruct Rayna in assisting him to get what he wants ;-) Some things you just don't have to teach, ya know!?

He Has a Job, He Doesn't Have a Job......

Hi there!
Been awhile, hasn't it? The time has flown. I didn't realize it had been THAT long since I last blogged, but it's been over a week!

To update you, Dan and that company, that will remain nameless in this blog, have parted ways.
He is on the hunt again. He actually has been fighting the flu all week. Seems to be on the mend today....we went to church and he didn't pass out, so....

I've been consumed with work and getting ready for my classes. I advertised that I would be doing card making classes every Saturday in February so all my extra time has been spent getting ready for those. I've been thoroughly enjoying them so am considering continuing into March and who knows how long after that.

Here are a few (very) close up shots of the cards for this week and last weeks classes.

Work on the house has been on hold for the last couple weeks. Maybe this week we'll get back at that. We'd like to get it done before spring and before Dan gets a job. This spring we want to focus on the yard and the outside of the house. Will let you konw how that goes!

Have a great week. I'll try to post more often even if its short!

Dan is Now Employed....

This won't be very long, it is getting late.
Dan just got home a little while ago. He worked today!
He got a job!!!!

Not the job of his dreams, but it means money coming in.
He is working (on a trial basis, he's "trialing" them ;-)
for Evergreen Properties. They own strip malls and other buildings.
They need someone to do all the building, tear out, etc. when they
get new tenants. He's gone around with them about hours, pay, etc.
He is doing a specific job for them that they have a deadline on. Evidently, they have hired others who have made promises but didn't live
up to them. Hmmm....

They discuss (and renegotiate) things again on Monday. So we'll see.

Today, nothing got done on the house, obviously.

Tomorrow morning is my first stamping class here in Ionia.
Looking forward to it. Will let you know how it goes!
Have an awesome night.

Parental Challenges

Hi there! I've missed posting the last day or so.
I've been working on my card making classes coming up the next 3 Saturdays. So if you are reading this and didn't get an invitation, consider this your invitation! I'm teaching card making (starting with 101) the 12th, 19th, and 26th of Feb. The Ionia library has scheduled me for a Saturday in April. According to how well it is attended, we may schedule more after that.

We've also been dealing with Dan's mom. She is currently in California visiting Dan's younger sister. While she's been there (since Dec.) she has been failing in physical and mental health....to the point that the Dr. there said she cannot come back to Michigan and live alone. So the siblings (there are 4 of them) have been talking daily figuring out what needs to be done for her to be taken care of adequately.

Honestly, it has brought up a lot of memories and emotions from a couple years ago when we (my family) had to do something similar with my dad. He had Alzheimers and had to eventually be placed in a nursing home. That was one of the most difficult things I have ever experienced. Now dealing with a mother in law going through similar issues, it brings up all that emotion. Dan is having a difficult time with different aspects of it. All around a stressful time!

Today, he and his brother began the visiting of nursing homes. It took its toll on Dan.

He came home and decided he needed to hit some things or at least be physically active. So he put strips of drywall up where there was need. I think he's about ready to start mudding that room.

I downloaded pictures from the camera tonight. Truthfully, its been a couple days and I'm not sure what is on there. So I'll throw some up and tell you what's going on.


Gideon....we went over there the other day to help with their kitchen remodel (sorry if this is repeat!)

Kayla didn't want her picture taken

But if you are persistent long enough....

You usually get what you are going for!

Levi

We (Kayla, Levi and I) made a "tent" by stretching blankets over the couch and ottoman. Gideon didn't want to go under it, he would keep coming up and laying on top of it! He liked falling on it. After about 3-4 times of setting it up again, we left it down!

He's either getting ready to take it down, or he just did! ;-)

That boy never stops moving. Whether you are holding him or he's on the floor....


Pictures Dan took of the drywall

Maybe tomorrow some muddin' will get done!?

Grandkids for the Day

Let me tell you, today was an exceptional day.
I had planned to run into Grand Rapids to pick up a workbook for the Bible study the ladies have just started at our local church.

I asked Gina if I could pick up Kayla and Levi and take them with me.
While getting ready, Mindi called and asked if I could help with their kids this afternoon and evening because she was working second shift and Seth was feeling under the weather.

How it ended up going - I picked up Kayla and Levi and did the Grand Rapids running around. We then stopped by their house to pick up extra things for the afternoon and I took them with me to get the Miller children.
When Jaz got home from school, we packed them ALL up in Mindi's van and drove to our house. We played, made dinner, played hide and seek (my favorite game with them) then packed them all up again and headed back to the Miller household to help get them ready for bed.

Once they were tucked in, I drove Kayla and Levi 1/2 way home and met Gina and did the hand off.

Here are some pictures of our time together.


Little Gideon eating lunch when I got there

I have to tell you, so Gina won't kill me for putting these picture up: they are remodeling their entire kitchen. If the background looks messy, it isn't because she is a bad housekeeper! They've moved stuff out of cabinets so they can redo them! (maybe she'll let me live now)


Kayla sporting her new haircut. It is short in the back and longer on the sides. Looks really good on her!

Levi in his Buzz Lightyear pajamas.

While he was eating I was teasing him about his outfit, asking him if I could wear it. Gina pipes up saying she bet I could wear his other Buzz "thing" and proceeds to go get it. Here it is, modeled by none other than myself ;-)

Is that not the most hilarious thing you've seen in a long time?!

Levi and me together in our Buzz outfits.

Kayla took some pics of Levi in the car. She thought he looked so funny in her sunglasses.

Rayna and her baby

Nate found the game cabinet and picked a couple games to play.

Jazmyn did her homework right away - here Kayla is checking it for her!

Jaz and Levi watching a cartoon

Nate found Kayla's glasses and headband, so we put them on him and took his picture before hiding them.

Ok, work did get done here. Dan stayed home all day instead of going with me, and worked on the guest room. Here are some pictures from today and the other day.

To go back in time, we got all that snow on Tuesday evening and early Wednesday morning. I was supposed to work Wed.
I got a call Tues. night saying the mall was not going to open until 1:00 in the afternoon so to come in around 12:30. I thought that would work. That would give us time to clean out the driveway and the roads should be cleared by that time of day.
Well, we got up, putzed around, ate breakfast, then decided to shovel the driveway. When I opened the door,

that's what I saw. I quickly shoveled off the deck area. But when I got to the car, I could not believe how deep it was. It was up to my knees almost. Dan came out and we started in....it wasn't long and I said, "There is no way I'm making it to work by 12:30!" We kept at it...then a guy drove by on a 4 wheeler. I waved at him. He kept going. Soon he returned and asked if we wanted the driveway done. I asked how much he charged. He said $10.00. Oh, yeah, he was hired then and there!

I went in to get ready and by the time I was ready to go, the drive was done. At the same time the phone rang again. It was my manager saying not to come in at all, the mall was closed for the day.
Well, at least the driveway was done, and I was ready....for the day.

Here are a few pictures of our drive.

Later in the day, the neighbor to our left helped blow the snow off the sidewalk.

So, hopefully that catches you up a little.

Tomorrow is shaping up to be a busy day.
Dan has his men's breakfast, we have a meeting at 2:00, then group at 6:00. Somewhere in there, Gina and Dave want us to come help install a sink and other "stuff". It'll be fun though...all good stuff!

Have a good one yourself!

Snowfall Records

Apparently we are not blogging every day now. Not that we have stopped doing work around here, we've just gotten involved in several new things and the time seems to fly by and before we know it, it is 11:00 at night (like it is right now!)

Dan got the guest room drywalled. The inside of the closets still have to be done, but the other walls are done. I will post pictures tomorrow.

I have to get up and going first thing, so I'm not taking the time to upload pictures tonight....sorry.

I'll try to make up for it tomorrow!
Pictures of not only drywall but I'll put some up of the snow too.
That was fun, wasn't it?

The Storm of the Century

As most of you know we have not posted in the last few days.

I got the job tonight because I took a few pictures of my escapades today....I went to Dave and Gina's to help with the removal of the stove and frig. We also modified some cabinet doors to match the other doors in their kitchen.

It is amazing what you find when you start moving things. This is a shot of where the stove used to be.

Gina and Gideon supervising the moving of stove and frig.

If you haven't noticed already I have my superman cape on and I'm giving Hilma the night off blogging. Ok now she has fallen on the floor laughing hysterically. Now she is running from the room because I have reached for the camera.

Well, maybe I exaggerated the running away a bit.

Tomorrow it is back to drywall. Hilma doesn't have to go in to work until 12:30.
We'll see if the weather man got his predictions right this time!