Changes...

Hi... my daughters, along with my niece have blogs. They tell me it is therapeutic to blog and also they will learn what is going on here in Ionia, since our lives seem to be so chaotic and hectic lately. I though you were supposed to slow down in your older years! So far I am not seeing that happen!

First it was learning to load and use my ipod.. which I love! Next was learning to text Abc.. and then.... yes, on my own, I learned that there is Word or T9 for texting ( no thanks to my daughters..) and that makes it much easier and faster. So now I will try to blog for a while and see how I like it.

You have to understand, I love music.. that is part of me and my giving back of a wonderful gift I have been given. Bills gift has always been in helping others. He will think nothing of getting home and answering the call of a friend that has a leaky pipe, plugged toilet or broken car. He can be dead tired and will still go to help them. That is his "ministry" to others. I guess that what you get for being mechanical! I know I don't tell him enough but I do appreciate all he does to help our friends and family. So if you are reading this Bill, you ARE appreciated!

So many changes going on in our lives. Several moves... Let me give you some back ground on the moving---- instead of working in Maintenance for Ionia Schools, Bill should have started a business of moving college students.

Stephanie just moved to Lansing again--(she was there last year and home for 2 months this summer). Yet another move for her father who is always excited to have to get a trailer, time off and the drama that moving can involve. She and two other girls moved into an apartment.She had boxes and furniture from here and from her old apartment that had to be moved. So, with the help of Chris and Beth Moore, our friends they got her moved, yes, the day before Bill and I left for a weeks vacation! (it was terrible that I had to work that day :-) But I drove to Lansing that Friday night and helped her settle in a little more before we got up Saturday and left for vacation.

This weekend, we moved my mom and dad into a Senior Housing Apartment. The entire family was here to move them along with our very loyal friends! You know who you are! The move was on Saturday, which was a very hot day. We got my mom and dad moved and were all whipped last night. No one injured, nothing broken (well, a chair had a minor mishap but Bill fixed it!) and with the hot weather, tired bodies, short tempers--- no one was injured!!!!! We had a couple more things to move today (Sunday) but thank goodness that trailer has been returned!

Our experience with moving has been---Staci approximately 8-9 moves in 4 1/2 years time. Stephanie has 3 moves in 2 years time. I am sure if I am wrong on these numbers my darling daughters will correct me! Not to mention that the daughters have two very different styles of moving. One moves on the run... lets just say if you happen to be one to volunteer to move her, you could be greeted at the door with a meijer plastic bag and told to randomly pack things... this tends to stress out the dad. The other daughter is organized with boxed taped and marked and ready to go. However, she and her father are alike so if you volunteer to help move them-- you may see a few sparks flying! I will let you figure out which daughter is which!

It will be another Labor Day tomorrow... how time flys by. This September Bill and I will be celebrating our 29th wedding anniversary. This year, both my daughters and my mom and dad have moved. Bill has had rotocuff surgery, Greg ( my brother) is getting married, Amber ( my niece) will start college, Carmen and I will have been in Carson City at our agency for 12 years, Stephanie completed her first Mission Trip to Costa Rica, Staci received a nice promotion and we have to figure out who we will vote for as our countries President We have lost several friends, my Aunt Bonnie and a very special friend Tom Rondo. To top it off I turn 50 on Christmas Eve! A lot of changes in our lives.

Today our group, Praise Project played at a church in town and as always had a great time! I absolutely love playing with this group! After the move I was tired right out. But it was relaxing to play and sing.

Tomorrow----I plan to take it easy. I hope all of you have a great Labor Day---take it easy and enjoy your family!

I will try to update this blog periodically!