A Day at the Schools!

This morning started by going to see Grace get her awards at school. She did VERY well, and it was wonderful to be there with her! Next, I picked up Carissa and we had a little adventure! Jen asked us to pick up a lady, named Gerda, and bring her to speak to Jen's class. Gerda survived the Holocaust and is 94. What a blessing she was! Jen had heard her before and asked her to come, but she didn't feel comfortable driving. It just was a great day! I got to see Jen in action, meet some of her students, and hear someone very interesting. I was very proud of Jen's class. They behaved very well and had some great questions! Carissa and I have always been interested in the Holocaust and when she leaves for Israel next week, she will be headed to the Holocaust museum that Cary and I went to in Jerusalem. Meeting Gerda was just a bonus! When I asked her how old she was, she told me it didn't matter. She said she likes to count friends, not years. She also said each day is a gift. Somehow, knowing her history made what she said very credible. Her husband was arrested and put in a concentration camp before the war actually started. She escaped to Holland and made it out on the last boat to America before the war started. Somehow she was later able to get a student Visa for her husband, but they were apart for three years before he was able to get here. She has been in Fort Myers since 1965, when her husband established the synagogue in Cape Coral. They met through a tennis team in Germany, and married there. She has just given up tennis...she said she was afraid she might fall. She takes only blood pressure medicine, loves to read, and she was as sharp as she could be. Amazing. She reminded me that the quality of life really is all about the attitude we have, how we process what comes our way.

The NEW Grandpuppy!

We went to Josh and Jen's for lunch today. Josh grilled hamburgers, Jen made a great potato dish, I brought a salad, and Kaylee made the sweets. However, this turned out NOT to be about the food. This was all a plan to get us there, just to meet the newest grandpuppy. His name is Owen, he is about 9 weeks old, and he is a "puggle". That is half pug, half beagle. I think we're going to be great grandparents-we do the love at first sight thing very well! His legs are longer than he is and he's kind of clumsy and wobbly. They always make you smile and laugh a little! Had to take a break from the Israel photos to introduce you!

Mt Carmel-Galilee

Today we start with Mt Carmel. Wow, what a beautiful view. There were many emotions here. This is the place where Elijah told the people to worship either God or Baal and the ONE true God showed up, big time. I have always loved that story and what a thrill to be in the place where it happened. From the top of this mountain we viewed Armageddon, where the ONE true God will have the last word. I can't even describe the emotions of viewing where the final showdown will take place. Next was Megiddo where we saw lots of ruins, horse stables, mangers, alter of sacrifice, and walked the underground tunnel to their water source. We saw the Jezreel Valley from this site, so green and pretty. On to Nazareth-we did not actually go into Nazareth, just viewed it from nearby. We were able to see the church that is built over what is believed to be the home of Mary and Joseph. We ended this day in Tiberius where we stayed for two nights on the Sea of Galilee. The view from our room was impressive and once again we were up before the sun and taking pictures.

More Practice

After arriving in Israel, our first stop was Joppa. If you know the Jonah and the whale story, that will ring a bell. It was beautiful place, and a great place to see out first Israel sunset! It seemed only appropriate that we would get to see a bride! The festivities that would be waiting for us when we arrived back home were always on our minds. The first morning Cary and I woke up at 3AM. WIDE AWAKE. It did get better, but it was never what I would call "normal"!!!!! I choose to just say that this was part of the "once in a lifetime" experience. I'm just not a morning person! So, by 4AM we had given up on sleep and were reading and having breakfast in bed-granola bars and trail mix, and by 5AM we had showered and were ready for the day...so we walked the beach, the Mediterranean! It was so pretty. We rode on our bus to Caesarea by the Sea, where Cary had the morning devotion while the rest of us watched the Mediterranean behind him! We saw the remains of one of Herod's palaces-quite impressive. Again we were reminded of our fisherman we left at home when we saw the fishermen on the Mediterranean with their HUGE poles! We missed all our kids terribly during this trip. It was a wonderful trip, but such a hard time to be so far away. The hippodrome was very interesting. This is where Herod would watch chariot races and where people were eaten alive by the wild and hungry animals. Warped entertainment!

First Holy Land Pictures

Well, I guess it is about time...I have spent the last few days working on my Holy Land pictures, and it seems I have not made a dent in the project. I have spent a lot of the evening on the phone, getting help to learn how to make it easier for you to see the pictures. This is a test, I am seeing if I learned anything at all! Now, you must understand that a HUGE part of the decision to go on this trip was based on the fact that Mark and Macy were going. Mark is Cary's boss, and Macy just goes with the package...just for fun. We LOVE traveling with Mark and Macy. Cary and Macy always act up and embarrass Mark and I, they are the constant entertainment. It just would have killed me to have missed the opportunity to take this trip with Mark and Macy. Thus, we did the crazy thing of going to the other end of the earth on a ten day trip and returning three days before our son's wedding. I made Macy promise that I would not be disappointed. I wasn't. She came through for me, passed with flying colors. So, the first picture is of Macy and I on the Sea of Galilee, after we somewhat recovered from the emotion of the experience. The Sea of Galilee was one of my most emotional moments. The next pictures are of my camel ride! Oh, what a thrill! I couldn't wait to do it, and , again, I was not disappointed! The camel's name was Kojac, and Mark did a great job of capturing the moment. Jen, these pictures are for you! Jen and I have a "thing" about camels, and I thought of her the whole time! And finally, a picture of the four of us, then a picture of us with Pastor and LuAnn. This is just a rough overview...let's see if you can see those pictures!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

I had a wonderful Mother's Day! First of all, I was the mother of four this year, and that forth one came without pregnancy, labor or delivery! All my little chicks were lined up in church with me on Sunday morning, and even a few "adopted" ones too. After church we came home and had lunch and DQ cake, opened gifts and just did nothing. It was great! I did a whole lot of thinking about being a mother last week, while anticipating yesterday. It took children to make me a mother, and I said many prayers of thanks. Without a wonderful father, there would have been no children, and he's still around and even still wonderful! It was Joshua that made me a mother, and he probably gave me more than his fair share of practice at being a mother. Joshua was and is the most tenderhearted child I've seen. Along the way he gave me many weed bouquets, and a few roses from our yard. He knows how to make me laugh. Just month ago today, he provided a way for me to become a mother-in-law. I like being a mother of four, and Jen has made me excited about one day being a mother of six! I hope I can love the son-in-laws one day like I love her! Carissa is back at home and keeping us young. She keeps a steady flow of friends coming through to play cards, eat, and visit with us. We sleep very well when we make it to bed now! She makes us shake our heads and wonder how she came from us as parents. Perfection, focus, commitment, excellence. And then, there's Kaylee. All too quickly she seems to be slipping from our hands, becoming very independent, just growing up. Mature beyond her years in every way. I wish I could have been like her when I was 15. As I sat in church yesterday I thought about how thankful I am that all of them are serving. Serving God. Serving others. Giving. Sacrificing. Making a difference in the lives of those they come in contact with. As a family, we have fun and love being together, but they all know how to reach outside these walls and share what we have been given. Just a few weeks ago, we were at the Wailing Wall. It brought mixed feelings for me. I have no doubt that God hears and answers my prayers, wherever I am. Yet, there was something intriguing about being there and seeing all the small pieces of paper stuck in every crack and crevice. I wanted to do it, and started to think of what I would ask for if I could sum up a request on a small piece of paper, something timeless, something that would always be the desire of my heart. It came to me very quickly. When I leave this world, all that will be left of me is these precious ones that I call my children. They will be the ones to live out the rest of what I feel is important. So, naming each one by name-all four of them-I asked that they would come to love Jesus more with every passing day of their lives. I am getting to watch this prayer answered every day! When I am gone, that is how they will carry on for me, making a difference in other's lives, but more importantly, living their own lives today to the fullest because of knowing Him. That's what I want. I want them to continue to know and love Him more all the time, every day of their lives. That is what makes me wealthy. Very wealthy. Couldn't ask for anything more. I am blessed.

Grandpuppy Update

Tucker went and got his first REAL haircut last week. It seems the latest thing is getting your dog a MOHAWK! Oh, my. Let me just say right now that if my GRANDCHILD ever shows up with a blue mohawk I will probably not be quite as contained as I was with the grandpuppy! Good thing he's cute anyway! Like my mom always said, it's what's on the inside that counts...good thing. He has the whole personality thing nailed down at 6 months! Carissa and Tuc are moving back home, so I have been busy shuffling things around and clearing out her room. We are thrilled they are coming home!