Pauses and Birthdays

From cousin Karin's inexhaustible flower garden: a dahlia front center; vanilla-strawberry and lavender-purple hydrangeas; and zinnias. She wanted me to notice the floral design on the crystal vase.

In our more wild Indiana context, I was delightfully surprised by the appearance of this yellow lily. The bulbs were a wedding favor some years ago. This lone lily got mixed in with the iris transplants to an area by the mailbox.

Theme of the week: the looming deadline for delivery of 100 table dividers to a local school. Michael has been working on the project steadily all week with occasional help.

We were invited to join "old" friends (emphasis on the more than 50 years of friendship) vacationing with their daughter and family in Northern Indiana--an idyllic setting by a chain of lakes. We were so grateful for the getaway. The peaceful boat ride delighting in the beauty of God's creation and the fellowship were so refreshing, like a mini-vacation.

Wednesday, August 5, was our lovely daughter-in-law Karen's 45th birthday. There was no major celebration. I think she prefers it that way. I chose these Front and Back representative photos from her FB page. (Yes, she is an English teacher. How did you guess?)

Another delightful reprieve from daily routines and pressures, was a long walk with my dear friend to see the progress on their new home.

We've also enjoyed Moriah's occasional visits during her lunch break. Friday, August 7, we celebrated her 22nd birthday. (Interestingly, I realized that morning that my mother-in-law would have been 104. She's been gone 16 years.)

Moriah has been working this summer with engineering profs on a project that sometimes involves using machines in the shop adjacent to the robotics shop. (Don't let the Ball State t-shirt confuse you, she is definitely a Taylor University senior!)

Another birthday celebration was great granddaughter Rebecca's. She actually had two parties, to accommodate both sides of the family, and supposedly maintain social distancing. Shows you how many family fans Rebecca has! 

Matt and Kayla are amazing hosts. They prepared a feast both times. And even had two theme birthday cakes!

I attended on the wrong day, Matt's side of the family on Saturday, because we had other plans Sunday. And I only stayed for an hour. Then I drove to Winona Lake Park for Global Auto's summer picnic. 

I was so grateful for the invitation because I hadn't seen my brother since Mother's funeral.

Raquel, Alan's wife, did an excellent job of organizing this first annual picnic to honor and celebrate the Global Auto team. They've come through a very difficult season due to the multiple decisions and changes required by the pandemic. (Sorry that the photo does not include one of the main team members. He had already left with his family.)

Michael was not there. Saturdays are sacred to him. He cannot miss the opportunity to enjoy long rides with a group of bicycling fanatics. This time it was 98 miles and through some Amish areas.

He learned this week that all his exercising is paying off. The lung doctor, at his annual checkup for Sarcoidosis, said that his numbers are above average for his age! 

The Monday deadline for the table dividers loomed impossible! So, Michael was up at dawn and put in four hours of work at the shop before church.

Then in the afternoon we were privileged to attend a beautiful wedding. The whole experience was another refreshing pause that lifted our spirits.

We have interesting connections with the young couple's families. The father of the bride (front row next to big hat) grew up in a missionary family in the same denomination as my parents! The mother of the bride (blue dress bottom photos) was the college roommate of our dear OM coworkers!

The groom was born in the Dominican Republic when his parents were missionaries there. We share the Spanish language. Both families are part of our church community!

If you've read this far, thank you! One added reflection from this week: I received an old photo of my maternal grandmother's family. I realized that I knew nothing of my great grandmother, either because I had forgotten or never heard anything about her. She died 11 months after my mother's birth which means my mother did not really know her either. As a great grandmother myself now, I suddenly became very interested. I will have to write more about these ancestors sometime. For now here is the photo from the early 1900s.

Bottom left: my grandmother Esther Z Sprunger, next to my great grandmother Caroline