Exciting Events

The iris explosion has begun!

They are so delicate and beautiful!

And the color to match Taylor graduates!

Moriah with her engineering friends

Sunday we attended Moriah's open house and once again marveled at the well-organized party in every detail. Note the famous cake-pops. Of course, we enjoyed most of all meeting and talking to many friends.

Monday was a very rainy day. 

Six guys converged at Stephan's and, defying the weather, "raised the barn"! They worked till dark putting up the trusses.

Meanwhile, here, the girls were packing their accumulations of years. Julia, Moriah's mother came along to help make her room ready for the next occupant!

We hosted two of Stephan's helpers, our dear OM friends from decades ago!  The young guys they brought from MI stayed at Stephan's and the two ice carvers from NY slept in their huge RV.

Breakfast with Dennis and Phil

The sun came out the next day and work progressed much more pleasantly.

Tuesday was also my birthday. The day before, Moriah had given me a turtle to add to my collection. It was made by one of her engineering friends with a 3D pinter. Very clever, indeed!

Kendra took me to a coffee house I'd never been to and we shared a huge brownie. 

Here I am debating whether I should go across the street and get a tattoo! Is she telling me to go ahead?

Stephan invited me to join the gang for dinner that evening to celebrate my birthday together. I marveled at the house progress as I drove in.

Stephan enjoys cooking for the guys since he cannot do as much of the work due to his fractured shoulder. It was a wonderful meal!

Early Wednesday we said goodbye to Kendra on her way to Massachusetts and later Pennsylvania. She faces exciting and overwhelming life transitions: Friday she welcomes her family from Cambodia after two years apart; Monday she begins an internship; and in the fall heads to Hollywood for her last college experience.

The four men from MI left Wednesday evening.

Thursday, the New York helpers and Stephan wore their Ice Boot Camp shirts for the farewell pic.
 

Somehow Stephan managed to find time to engrave this board for all to sign at the wedding. 

All day Friday and Saturday morning, he baked a dozen different cakes.

We had front row seats to this amazingly beautiful and meaningful event!

Lexi and Malachi Koch!

The beautiful couple run off into the sunset!

We did not stay to see this grand finale, so are grateful for all the lovely photos posted so far. One more collage of a few other family members present.

The groom's proud and grateful parents; best man Elijah; Uncle Stephan and his lovely wife;
usher Zion, flower girl Rebecca, ring bearer Jude; Kern family  

Can life get any more exciting?

2016 Week 21: New beginnings

It has been a week of settling into new summer-break routines--resuming regular exercise opportunities and working on daily writing goals.

Monday, on my way up to the studio where we have our tap class, I noticed one beautiful big amapola (poppy). By Friday, there were several.

The same day, Michael invited me on a tandem ride! Couldn't turn that one down! The last time was a year ago. We didn't go very far, but his leg pain returned so no more tandeming that entire season.

This time we had a perfect pain-free ride and began to entertain the possibility of another tandem vacation this summer. We've done that at least five times, the last time was in August of 2013 to Northern Michigan and Mackinac Island.

On the first leg of a tandem-only circuit trip in 2008

I don't think we will ever attempt the tandem-only camping like eight years ago.

Tuesday, a thirty-minute drive to town for my every-six-weeks hair appointment, even though my lovely hair dresser lives across the road from us!

Wednesday, last year's walking friends got together for our first walk of the season. We admired the finished building at Taylor, stopped by one of the ladie's home on the way, and ended up at the coffee shop.

 Can you guess which pastry was most tempting?

At the senior's lunch there was a Remembrance Table. Do you know what each item symbolizes?

 Thursday, May 26th, Michael caught up with me in age! We're not big on celebrating our birthdays so, of course, he wouldn't miss a regular robotics work evening. I surprised him with his favorite dessert, a blitz torte, and his adoring student-fans brought cupcakes and ice cream. There were only a few present. The others don't know what they missed!

For days he's been making a special "bee house" so they have a place to go when they begin to multiply and swarm. He put together some 34 frames ready for the honey bees to build their combs.

He is much like the bees, always busy and productive!

2016 Week 20: A Quieter Week

The weather is lovely right now. I enjoyed a nap out on the deck this afternoon.

Mike is out riding his bike as I write, and has been able to get out regularly this week for 20 miles each time.

It was a quieter week for me, maybe not so much for Michael who is a an example of diligence and is involved in a variety of endeavors that keep him going all the time. Sorry not many photos to prove it.

It was my birthday week. Cards and very meaningul greetings arrived daily.

The highlight for me was a birthday breakfast, Wednesday, with four friends. I invited those who knew me the best and asked for their wisdom for the future. 

With each passing year I am more aware of the urgency to wisely live out the remainder. The admonition from Hebrews 12:1 stood out to me: "let us lay aside every weight..." and "run with endurance the race that lies before us". We talked about our cultural abundance that can become a burden, the many distractions of life; the importance of determining what our priorities should be and pursuing them. Not only concrete stuff, like clutter, deter us from purposeful pursuits, but also emotions and attitudes, such as worry, fear, anger, etc. 

I treasure the time we spent together, the memories we shared, and the lessons I take with me into the new year. Thank you, dear friends!

The next day, we had a delightful little visit with Kayla and Rebecca who stocked up on boxes from our attic to help pack up their household in readiness for their move, hopefully into their own home soon.

Muncie's Moonlight Movies kicked off Saturday and Team 1720 was invited to entertain the crowds before the showing of Big Hero 6. Their ads stated: "check out what the PhyXTgear Robotics Team has been up to this year."
Sir Minus (the alternate robot) was busy pulling wagon-loads of kids around with the help sometimes of Mike on the segway, when he became overheated. Sir Plus stayed home. With four competitions left this year, he can't risk being damaged or overworked. 
Team members were busy in a variety of ways promoting the team, entertaining. Moriah was interviewed live by radio station Star 106.9. And the event announcer repeatedly referred to the fact that this team is ranked 37th among thousands!

Movie Night @ Canan Commons

Tis the season for graduations, open houses, bridal showers, and then weddings.
What are your seasonal activities?