Dance Class Trip to CARE

The top picture is our whole dance group that met Saturday morning. Some had to leave before pictures were taken. The bottom picture is the six of us from my Israeli-style dance class at our church.

Our Israeli-style dance class from our church traveled to Baldwin, Michigan to learn more dances from the people who we had gotten the dance DVD from. They are a community that does intense counseling for people who have suffered severe trauma. They have adopted a lot of Jewish practices. We enjoyed their Shabbat service Friday evening and then joined their dance class on Saturday morning. If you want to know more about them, visit www.carepkg.org.

Glenie's visit

Our friend Glenie has been staying with us. We've been enjoying conversations together and catching up with her. This picture is when Bob asked Glenie if she wanted popcorn and she said she would eat a little. That's what she got!

Two down and none to go until 2009!

He's all packed up and ready to go Thursday morning. Bob and Kyle drove in his car and I drove the minivan to Ball State Thursday at 11 a.m. We got to Amber and Matt's at around 1:45. Amber had a nice lunch ready for us. We headed to Ball State around 3:30. Traffic was terrible at Ball State...so many people moving in. When we got to check in, they had Kyle's name on the sheet but it was highlighted like as if he already checked in! They couldn't find his key either. We got it all straightened out. He had registered late. They pulled keys of people who were registered but not in the computer three days before. Kyle had been entered into the computer two days before.

Kyle has a roommate from Evansville. We didn't meet the roommate, we met his dad. A.J. and his mom had went to get something. His dad told us he's a sloppy person and he didn't want to have a neat roommate. Kyle said he hoped he wouldn't get a sloppy roommate. We'll see how they can get things worked out between them.

It was a humid, hot day to move his stuff and there was no air condition in the dorm. We were all very sweaty by the time we were finished packing. We took everyone out to eat afterward and said goodbye around 7pm.

We are left with one child at home now. It's not completely hit me yet. I've been cleaning their rooms out and getting beds repositioned for company. My friend Glenie and her mom came Friday night to stay a couple weeks. This way the emptiness won't be felt for a while. Glenie is a missionary with YWAM in Texas for the last 5 1/5 years. Before that, she lived in our area and was a part of our small group for years.

This picture was taken while we waited for his enrollment mess to be worked out!

One Down, One to Go!

We moved Jezra to Purdue Sunday morning. His roommate is his friend from high school. This week he has freshmen orientation activities. His classes begin on Monday, August 20. He seemed very eager to go with this roommate and begin his college life. Sean had moved in the day before. We didn't stay very long. Jez said he had a good night sleep his first night at college. I miss him already!

Thursday we move Kyle into Ball State. I won't know what to do with myself without my guys around! It will be pretty quiet unless Breanna brings her friends over.

Cheryl, Glenn, and Sabrina Visit

Cheryl, Glenn, and Brina came for a visit. We met them at Mom and Dad G's house on Wednesday evening and then didn't see them until Friday afternoon. Friday evening we had a gathering of relatives. The cousins played a "quarter game." It was nice to see them all playing together making up a game that seemed to be really fun. The quarters would bounce on Grandma's carpet and sometimes would bounce into the basket! The second picture is our bike ride around Goshen on Saturday. What fun!

Fantastic Family Reunion

The highlight of the reunion at Grandma and Grandpa B's house is the pond/ditch area that the dogs chase balls in and the kids kayak in. The weather was fantastic. It wasn't too hot, had a nice breeze, and it didn't rain.

Lots of people bring photo albums and this was the table to look at them.

The two youngest cousins, Lydia and Naomi, were getting water out of the dog water bucket and pouring it on the ground in front of Peanut, the dog. They had a blast.

The whole Ray and Fannie B family together at last!

Bob put up a swing on a tree branch and it was a hit even with me!

Two youngest boy cousins, Nolan and Brandon, loved the set of cars put out by Aunt Shirley.

Ashley and Breanna.

This is what some people like to do at reunions! This is Uncle Rollin.

Kayaking in the water. What fun!

More of Jenny and Dwight's visit

Sam and Dwight playing chess with Kyle.

Sam's silliness after having a lot of sugar.

We look like we're having a wonderful time, don't we? We met at Mom and Dad's for pizza on Wednesday evening.

Lincoln can't talk without his hands!

Wonderful visit with Jenny, Dwight, and Sam

When Jenny and Dwight arrived Sunday evening at 10pm, we had been without hot water since Saturday afternoon. It was a huge fiasco trying to find the part we needed for a whirlpool gas water heater from Lowe's. They had recalled the part we needed because of a class action suit against whirlpool and we found it impossible to get one anywhere. We finally bought a new water heater from a plumber on Tuesday afternoon. All I can say is don't ever buy a whirlpool gas water heater! We all had taken at least one cold shower and were really glad to have hot water again on Tuesday afternoon.

Monday afternoon we went to the 4-h fair. Joel B. had rabbits at the fair and we were able to hold them for a while. How soft and cuddly rabbits are.

On Tuesday for lunch, Jenny met two women who are homeschooling only children (HOO group) that live close to us at a local park. They had never met but had talked together online before through their HOO group. (Sam is holding up the sign that we took to the park so the ladies would know we were who they were meeting. Sam wanted to hold it upside down because it spelled ooh.)

Painting on the 4th

On the fourth of July, before we left for Amber's on Friday, Mom, Dad, and I helped Tami paint her and Ben's bathroom. (Bob worked on the fourth so he could take off on Friday.) Dad took these two pictures of our finished project. The first one you might be able to see that their dog, Bear, got paint on him!

Merry Christmas!

We purchased and Bob put in a new screen door for Matt and Amber as an early Christmas present. Bob put it in on Sunday afternoon. Their windows aren't able to open so they had only the front screen door for ventilation. Now the air can draw right through the house from the front to the back.

Last Bike Ride Pictures

Home again after over 24 miles.

This is the trail we were on for 22 miles.

More Bike Ride

After riding 12 miles, we all needed a big rest and much more water.