April Showers....

Its a rainy day around here and the last day of April. If the saying is true that April showers bring May flowers than April is trying to get all the rain in that it can on this last day of the month. As a matter of fact, I love rainy days. I always have and probably always will. Today, I am fortunate enough not to have to go to work because it is my day to keep Awstin so I am making the most of this day at home and this rain. There is something about a rainy day that inspires me to do things that I wouldn't normally do, such as make a pot of soup and/or homemade bread, clean up a room, organize my kitchen, catch up on office work, etc.

 

I chose to go with the soup and bread option today, so I have a big pot of broccoli and cheese soup on the stove and I am waiting for my bread dough to rise before I bake it.

 

I like to think that God sends us the rain not only to replenish the earth and water it so that flowers, crops, grass, etc. will grow but also to replenish our souls and allow us to water our lives with some activities that rejuvenate us and give us a feeling of accomplishment that so often in our busyness of daily life we are missing. Let it rain!

Father-in-Law

I was reading a blog the other day where the writer was listing the do's and don't that make a good blogger. One of the things she had listed as never to write about was one's mother-in-law. Well I have already broken that rule by this posting so I might as well break another one and write about my father-in-law.

Marlin H. Lehman turns a young 79 years old today. Anyone who has ever known Dad learns quickly that he enjoys a good joke and that he loves to tell stories. There were times when I wasn't quite sure if he was telling a true story or just pulling my leg so I would wait until the end to see if there was a punch line before I would commit to believing him. Though some people might find this annoying or confusing, I actually rather enjoyed it. It was always such fun to see how happy Dad got from telling his own jokes and stories that I laughed just watching his delight.

There are many things I appreciate about my father-in-law but probably what I love the most is his handyman skills. Whenever anything broke around the house, (washer, dryer, plumbing, railing, car, etc.) we called Dad to come and fix it or at least help Steve fix it. It was such a blessing to have this man who would come almost immediately and who never charged for his time.

Dad was a jack-of-all trades. It seemed there wasn't much that he couldn't do. He was a carpenter, electrician, plumber, heating and air-conditioning man to name a few. When we built the addition on to our house in 1997, Steve and he designed and built it together. They sat at the kitchen table and drew up the blueprint and then they went to work. As the addition took shape, they got the brainstorm that it would be nice to add a small room to the upstairs with a dormer window. Dad said "no problem" and they just modified as they went and soon the room and dormer were visible. I remember being amazed that they could just change their minds in the middle of building and still have everything come out all right. But that fits Dad to a tee. He just goes with the flow and doesn't let things upset him.

Dad had many jobs during his lifetime and most of them centered on some type of mechanical skills. He retired from Horst Group at the age of 62 where he had been an HVAC serviceman for their apartment complexes. After he retired he and mom spent many winters volunteering for Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS). They were well-liked and MDS soon asked Dad to coordinate some of the projects. Dad agreed and handled it well. I think all of his grandchildren (except for the four youngest) got a chance, if they wanted to, to spend time with Grandpa and Grandma on an MDS project. What a great opportunity for grandparents and grandchildren to work side by side!

Dad was a wonderful grandpa to our children. He was always happy to spend time with them and he made them feel important. When our children were small they loved to visit with Grandpa and Grandma. I remember one Sunday morning when Dad and Mom came to our church for Josh's baby dedication. Shawn would have been six and Jay four. When they saw Grandpa come in the door, they both rushed over to him and each grabbed and hugged one of his legs. Another man at church who didn't yet have grandchildren, said to me, "Wow, I hope I have grandkids who love me like that some day!"

The years are starting to take a toll on dad and he walks slowly now and with a slight limp. However, he still always has a twinkle in his eye and he never gets tired of playing a joke on someone or telling one of his stories. He is always willing to lend a hand where needed and we still appreciate his help on fixing and building things. Just this past fall, Steve and he worked on putting stairs down from our back porch. Jay is also glad for Dad's help with small projects around his farm and has called him on more than one occasion to give him a helping hand.

I'm just really thankful that this man is my father-in-law and that he set a godly example for his children and that he taught them responsibility and how to work hard and that above all, after God, family is the most important of all.

Happy birthday Dad!

Easter

Easter!!! What a wonderful day as we celebrated the resurrection of our Savior! Our church service yesterday was so beautiful and we had a joyful time of praising and singing to our risen Lord. Elva Hurst was our guest speaker and she shared her testimony and created a chalk drawing of the death and resurrection of Christ. I have always loved chalk drawings and there's not too many people who still do them so it was a treat to watch her.

Here are two videos of our singing. The first one is 10,000 Reasons by Matt Redman and Megan is playing the piano. I think this is her favorite song to play and one of my favorite to listen to her play. The girl helping Rhoda with the motions is one of our community children who attends church and she loves being up front and being involved with singing.

Jesus Lives!!

We had our children and Steve's parents for supper. Unfortunately, Mark was running a fever so Kristen stayed home with him. We missed them but that is just the way it goes sometimes. We were glad that Jay and the girls were able to join us. Alexis and Lydia enjoyed the egg hunt that I made for them in the back yard. Here are a few pictures. (Well maybe a lot.)

 Love This!

 

Alexis picks one up

Chip is always in the background somewhere :)

Lydia spies one!

Another one picked up by Alexis



 

Great-Grandma helps the girls search

Still searching



 

Even the men got into the hunt.

I didn't get any pictures of the grandsons this time. As I said, Mark wasn't there and Awstin didn't arrive until after the egg hunt and I didn't get my camera out again. We all enjoyed just sitting around and chatting after the meal and watching the children play. I am so thankful for my family and I cherish the times like yesterday when we can spend a relaxed evening together.

He is Risen Indeed!!!!

Alzheimer's

It seems the older I get the more I hear the dreaded word "Alzheimer's."  When I was younger, we would jokingly say when we forgot something, "I probably have Alzheimer's." Now you can hear the fear in the voices of those my age and older, when we say worriedly, "I think I have Alzheimer's."

Yesterday my siblings and I got together with some of our cousins on the Denlinger side. When my step-grandmother (Vivian) was alive, she would invite her grandchildren and spouses every April for a meal at Landis Homes and it was always nice to catch up with cousins that we never or rarely saw throughout the year. This ended quite a few years ago when Grandma was no longer well and then of course it did not continue after her death. Since Dad died, we children have been getting together four times a year and this time we decided to invite our cousins to join us. Of course it didn't suit everyone, but it was wonderful to reconnect with those that were able to attend.

As we sat around chatting, the conversation naturally turned toward our parents. My dad had five siblings. One sister died at the age of twelve and the other in her early fifties. Of the remaining four children, my dad was the only one who was not diagnosed with Alzheimer's (sometimes I exasperatedly accused him of forgetfulness, but he definitely did not have dementia even close to the degree of his siblings). His brother and sister that are still living are both suffering from this cruel disease. My grandfather (dad's father) had Alzheimer's for many years and I learned on Sunday that my biological grandmother (who died in her fifties) had a sister that was severely out of her mind in her later years as well. Talk about a double whammy! We all just kind of sat around the circle and looked at each other, wondering who already had it and if any of us have any chance of escaping it.

Steve and I were talking about it later, and I asked him to honestly tell me if he thought I showed signs of dementia. He replied, "well you definitely are forgetful and you often repeat yourself." After seeing my horrified expression he tried to backtrack and say that I have always been that way and he doesn't think I have gotten worse. But I wonder. I know I can't remember things as well as I once did and it seems more and more I forget people's names. Could I be in the early stages of Alzheimer's?

I was actually a little depressed about my self-diagnosis for several hours but then I got to thinking. We can't choose how we die or if we will suffer for many years with an illness before death overtakes us. Who of us, if given a choice, wouldn't choose to die quickly and painlessly and not be plagued with all the difficulties and illnesses that often come with old age? But as I said before, the decision is not mine. I have to live my life the best that I can and leave the rest to God. I can trust God and believe that He knows best. Even though it seems like there can't be any good in someone being totally clueless of the world around them, or suffering for many years with an illness, I can't see the big picture. This world is not perfect and a lot of things don't go the way we would like or the way we would choose, but one thing I know, God is in control. And that is enough.

Now if I could just remember how old I am....

Agriculture Essay

We are obviously a family who loves agriculture. It is all Steve and I have ever known and it is what our children were surrounded with growing up. Our three sons have all continued to embrace the agriculture world and Megan loves it as well. From early on in her life, she never took a lot of interest in "girlie" things but preferred to play and work outdoors and to tag along after Steve and the boys. After high school, she chose to pursue a college education and will graduate in May from Penn State University with an Associates Degree in Ag Business. She is intending to work for our business Green 'N Grow Compost (the website is under construction--this is one of the first things Megan is going to do when she starts full-time employment with us) and Steve and I are delighted to have her on board. We know that she will bring some good suggestions and knowledge from her college courses that will enhance our company.

Last spring, Megan wrote an essay on "Why Agriculture is Important to Me," and submitted it to PennAg Industries Association in hopes of receiving a scholarship. She not only received the scholarship but her essay was chosen to be featured in the latest PennAg Journal. I thought it was well written (of course what else would a mother think?) and it shows her love of agriculture and how it has affected her life and how she hopes to be a part of it in the future. Here it is (click on it to enlarge):

 

Congratulations Megan!

Addition to Previous Post

In my previous post about Awstin, I said I would try to video his chuckle. Well, I tried today and had a little bit of success. It wasn't his best one, but it will have to do.

I tried to tempt him with the remote and this is what I got.



I also took some video of him in the walker. Steve was in the house and was encouraging him to run after him. Awstin turned the joke on him, because in the end, when Steve offers to pick him up, he whirls around as if to say, "now you chase me!" I just love seeing him get around in his walker-mobile.

More GRAND Time

In January, I wrote about the weekend that we kept Jay and Kristen's three children and shared some of the fun things that I enjoy about each child. I thought it was about time, I blogged a little bit about my other grandchild, Shawn and Melissa's son, Awstin.

 

Awstin is eight months old and absolutely adorable. I love(d) each and every age of my children and grandchildren, but there is something about that time when a baby is between six months and one year that is just plain down cuteness over and over again. I keep Awstin every Wednesday and this has quickly become a day that I look forward to. Melissa usually brings him into the house and sets him on the kitchen table in his car seat while she goes back to her vehicle for the diaper bag. He peers over the edge of his seat and gives me a big grin that just melts my heart. He kicks his legs and waves his arms excitedly as he waits for me to lift him out. I oblige and our day has begun.

 

Awstin is not crawling yet but he loves the walker and his little feet take him all over my kitchen when I put him in it. He has mastered going around the kitchen table and can expertly maneuver the walker to the open dishwasher where I purposely put toys or spatulas and other kitchen items for him to pick up and wave around importantly. He loves to sit in the basement and play with toys that I set there for him and the noisier the better. I have several that play tunes and make ridiculous sounds and if they are all blaring at the same time, he couldn't be happier. When he is delighted he gives this silly, little chuckle. I am going to have to try to record it sometime because it really needs to be saved to show to him some day. It will be interesting to see if he still laughs like that as he gets older. 

 

Probably the best way to describe Awstin is happy and contented. He is a joy to have around and I love listening to him jabber and squeal and to see his enthusiasm for life. It seems each week he masters something new and I am only too aware that he will soon be crawling, walking, talking and before you know it all grown up. But for now, I am just enjoying this little boy (and all of my grandchildren) and am so grateful for the privilege I have of being a grandparent. Here are some recent pictures that I took of Awstin.

 

Busy, little guy--spatula in one hand, other hand opening door, toy in mouth.



Peek-a-boo!

He is ecstatic if he gets a hold of the TV remote or a cell phone.

In the tractor buddy seat with Grandpa, helping to turn the compost.