Snow and Ice Removal

When I went to bed last night it was raining.  When I woke up this morning it was still raining. I woke up to the village of Warsaw trying to get the icy slush off the streets before it froze.  This morning the rain turned to sleet and then to snow.  The snow came down as fast as a heavy down pour.  The snow brings back wonderful memories of growing up in MI.  I love it.  This afternoon the temps were supposed to drop to the mid 20's so I decided that I needed to get the ice and top layer of snow off the drive and side walk before it all froze.  It was a chore, but a great work out!!

Here I am with my snow shovel.

Here is the finished job. 

Snow Day

This past Wednesday snow accumulated all over Coshocton County.  Of course, it wasn't anything like what my parents get in western Michigan.  The children asked to go out and try to build a snow fort. They bundled up and I grabbed my camera.  Lydia took the dogs out, but they didn't appreciate the snow as much as she did.

            

   R: Maia, L:  Tessa

                                                       Caleb

                                           Lydia

                                    JoAnna

Flat Tire

Yesterday on the way home from ice skating the tire light on my dash board lit up.  I pulled into the next gas station and checked the tires.  The passenger side tires both looked a little low, so I made a mental note to go up to MMS and have one of the guys check on it today.  I had to be in town for a doctor's appointment at 9:40 this morning and for some reason last night I told myself to leave by 9:00.  When I started the car up I walked around the car to make sure that the tires still looked okay.  The back rear tire was completely flat.  My first thought was, "Okay I can handle this."  I walked into the house and told Caleb, "Get up. I need your help."  I told him the situation and he swung into full gear while I phoned the doctor to warn them that I might be a few minutes late.  Two summers ago, before I drove over 7,000 miles across the country and back, Dennis at MMS had me change the tire on my car.  Chris had walked me through it verbally, but I had never really done it.  Thank you, Dennis, for teaching me and giving me the confidence to take yet another step.  Caleb made me proud, also.  His work with Dave in the hangar prepared him for this and he jumped right in...it made me realize how much he can do, but I don't give him enough credit for it. We found the reason for the flat...we had run over a screw.  The tire has been repaired and is remounted underneath the car and I was only a few minutes late for my appointment.  I can see Chris grinning from ear to ear and saying, "Way to go!!  I knew you could do it!!"

Winter Break

Christmas week this year went fast.  The weekend before Christmas my mother went into the hospital.  She woke my dad up that Friday night and told him to take her to the hospital...she could hardly breath.  After she arrived and had been put through various tests and lots of poking they determined that she had blood clots in both her lungs.While she was in the hospital she watched a snow storm outside her window dump a couple of feet...NOT inches...of snow on the ground.  (Notice the table on the deck above.)  Christmas Eve morning she was finally allowed to go home.  We drove all Christmas day to get to their house. The roads were dry until we got off the expressway, about 15 miles from my parents house...then I battled ice mixed with black ice.  It was a challenge, especially since the guy behind me thought I was driving too slow.  We arrived safe and sound.  

The snow piles at the mobile home park where my parents live were pretty impressive.  In the photo above Tessa was impressed that she had to be thrown up on the snow bank to do her business.  I told my children about when I was young and it would snow we would hear the familiar sound of my uncle's snow plow hitting the ground and being pushed up the driveway. We would get excited b/c the snow pile was always big enough to sled down.  Sometimes we would get the shovel out and dig a fort in the back of the pile...it was tall enough for us to stand up in. Now THAT is winter.  

The past two years have been hard in the way of family meal time.  Dinner time was very important to Chris and we seldom didn't eat dinner together as a family.  Sitting around our round dinner table has been too painful for me.  No matter how we arranged the chairs it always felt like Chris was missing.  A few weeks back the girls and I went to Amish country and we found a new table.  It was delivered this past week.  It is rectangular and it doesn't have the feeling of a missing person.  We really like it.  The times we are home we have eaten at the table and not in front of the TV...another step.  It feels good.

Today we started ice skating lessons.  Even I signed up to skate.  It was quite fun.  I kept having to laugh, b/c I would hear this loud thumping and falling sound echo through the ice arena.  I would turn around and Caleb was sprawled out on the ice.  He has never been what you would call graceful, but today made me realize how much like his mom he truly is.  JoAnna made it over half way around with out holding on or falling.

Lydia was so graceful out on the ice.  I think she would do well at just about anything she would try.  We have 6 more weeks of lessons and I look forward to seeing how much she progresses by then.

Compass Rose

The other day I sorted through some older e-mails and I found this picture, it was taken a few weeks before Chris got sick.  A group a ladies travel around the country and they volunteer to paint the compass rose at different airports.  On this day they painted the compass rose at the Richard Downing Airport in Coshocton, OH.  The ladies asked for volunteers who might want to help with painting.  At the far right are Chris and Caleb.  Just next to Chris is Dave, the one who sent the picture to me and he is now the one who mentors Caleb on Thursdays at MMS.  I have to admit that I had to fight back tears when I saw this again.  I marvel at the fact that even though the Lord allowed Caleb's father to be taken from his life, he HAS provided someone else to step in and provide some encouragement as he grows into manhood.  Again, I thank you Dave, for allowing the Lord to use you in Chris' son's life.   

Children's Christmas Musical

This past fall two ladies at our church started working with the children for our traditional children's musical, which is performed the Sunday evening before Christmas.  Kristine and Sandi worked most Sunday evenings for over and hour to get the children familiar with the music and ready for the performance.  Thank you ladies for all your hard work and dedication and making it all come together.  What a blessing to hear children singing about the Lord Jesus.

The story line of the play involved a spelling bee.  The contestants were given a name of Jesus to spell, if the got it correct they advanced to the next round.  Here are Lydia and Chase.  Chase was the judge and told the children if they had spelled the word right--and if they didn't what part they would get in the Christmas pageant.  Lydia was the pronouncer and she gave the children their words to spell...I think I can give a totally unbiased opinion and say that she did a fantastic job!!  : )

Here is JoAnna as Bella McDoubt trying to think of the correct spelling for the word "lamb".  After asking for a song she perked up and confidently spelled L-A-M-E.  Her bubble was quickly burst and she was given the part of a shepherd girl.

This is Elizabeth as Beatrice B. Beesley...she buzzed around the stage showing off her beautiful yellow and black stripes.  She stayed in the bee one round and misspelled her 2nd word and was given the part of an angel.

Here Lydia and Kennedy are arguing about which of the final two contestants spelled the name "Emmanuel" correctly.  One of them used an 'I' and the other an 'E'.  It was concluded that it can be spelled either way.

Here are the co-winners Michael and Ruth-Anne playing the roles of Jesus and Mary.  

At the end of the play JoAnna, Brian and Olivia watch on as the others take their bows.

Uncle Tim

This blog is sad to write.  This past weekend Chris' brother Tim joined him in heaven.  He was a police officer and he truly loved his work.  He had a servant's heart and helping others was what he was all about.  Two years ago Tim flew to Denver and drove his parents to Ohio (in 1 1/2 days) so that they could be with me when we removed Chris' life support.  He walked into the room and said to me, "You're still coming to Texas for Christmas."  We did go to Texas for Christmas that year.  Please pray for this family as they start down the difficult road of grief--may the Lord carry and protect them.    

I want to share a few pictures of our trip to Texas two years ago.

Here they are playing Zingo, which was JoAnna's Christmas present from Uncle Tim and Aunt Stephanie.

This is Uncle Tim teaching Caleb and Lydia about riding a lawn tractor.  He let Caleb ride by himself, but Lydia went with Uncle Tim.

This is Uncle Tim taking JoAnna for a ride and letting her steer...that was so fun for her.  

JoAnna wanted to take some pictures.  She took a whole bunch of pictures and she got this one of her uncle, not to mention a bunch of her fingers, the ground, the side of the house, the sky...you get the idea.

Here, JoAnna is helping Uncle Tim open one of his Christmas presents.  He didn't seem to mind the extra help.

I don't remember what was going on here, but everyone seems to be having fun.

This is the beautiful locket Tim and Steph gave me for Christmas that year.  What a blessing.  I, in turn, this past week found a beautiful locket and put hers and Tim's pictures in it.  I could hardly wait to give her my gift.  I think she now fully realizes how precious their gift was to me 2 years ago.