The girls started the crocodile two days ago, and have painted each day since then. Here Donia helped to finish it tonight.
Today was also moving day for Hans and Svetlana. They moved just down the street, but are thankful to be on first floor now, instead of fouth. All the moving helpers were thankful that Hans rented a lift this time. What a blessing!
Friday morning Danielle and Donovan woke up very early. They spent a little while together on the couch.
Danielle visited her Daddy after lunch and enjoyed his chocolate flavored coffee. :) After her first sip she reached for his handkerchief and wiped her mouth. What a riot! :)
Miss Amber played school with Danika and Donovan. Here Danika got to have a turn at the blackboard. (This one is left from my own childhood !)
Here the students were listening to Miss Amber for instructions.
The old facility was made up of two apartments. The back apartment had a toilet, a bathroom, two rooms, a kitchen and two halls. Amber, Stephen, Derek and Eldon scraping off the old wall paper in the former nursery.
Derek, Eldon and Kai working on the same wall. The ceilings are 3,20m high.
Kevin working on the other side. The men above later worked on papering the same wall.
Doreen helped me paint for awhile. Later Derek and Eldon edged in the doors, corners, and along the floor. Their help saved me a lot of time.
The kids tried their hand at pitting the cherries, but found out how tiring it is.
Doreen helped me with the crusts. Danielle enjoyed the sugared cherries while she watched.
Here is the birthday "boy",Kevin, with Carol holding Evan next to him.
Thursday we decided to harvest some of our sour cherries so we could bake a pie for my brother Kevin. He always loved cherry pies at Grandma Cameron's house when we were there during the summer. She had two nice trees that yielded lots of cherries and were made into wonderful pies. Anyway, Devon and I picked only the dark red cherries, and at one point he challenged me to catch one. I missed. :) We got enough to make three pies.
As many of you know, Bradley has been working on a song book for the camp ministry for a long time. Here Danielle joined him while he was at the piano figuring out some chords.
Devon has been helping him evaluate the guitar chords. Bradley wanted the guitar to be able to play with the piano, if desired.
Doreen and Danika walked down with Miss Amber to pick up Lynette for the afternoon. The Matthia family lives down in the old village, and we live on a rise above the village, in a new development.
The girls enjoyed baking, as they always do. This time the cookies had smarties in them.
They also had yummy home-made pizza for supper.....
which was an indoor picnic due to our frequent summer showers.
Before time to leave for choir practice and church, the girls played a game, each drawing a part of a person on folded sheets and then enjoying the funny people they had created. :)
After working for 10 hours yesterday, and before going to church, Dalene and Danae were able to slip over to Shepherd's Care, thanks to their friend Ren who drove them over.
Grandpa seemed happy to see them, ...
and they enjoyed their visit with him, as well.
This week Dalene scheduled her day off, so that she could accompany her Aunt Pamela and youngest girl cousin, Rachell, on their weekly trip to Atlanta. Tuesday morning they left for the several hour long drive, depending on traffic.
Rachell had gained weight (she reached 15 lbs!), praise the Lord, but needed to have her medications upped again, so we continue to pray for the Lord's healing in her little body. She was a charm everywhere she went.
On the way home they enjoyed supper together at Olive Garden.
Here Dalene is talking on the phone with Danika while she is out shopping. Digital photography is a wonderful thing. She sent pictures to Danika that evening of various things they had seen while walking through the store. Here the tiarra, for example.
My parents in front of the door in the new house being built for them by my youngest brother, Kent. This was taken a week before their anniversary.
Here Danae is working in the church nursery at Mount Calvary Baptist Church. She got to enjoy the babies. (This little guy is her youngest cousin, Jacob.) At work, "her" children are about 3 years old.
Dalene with a little cutie at church as well.
Doreen and I went up and baked peanut butter bars to enjoy after the painting time, and then she and I went outside to set the "brown trash", the bio-degradable trash, out on the street.
It was 9:40 p.m. and still quite light. You can see some pretty blue sky between the storm clouds.
The strong winds have continued for days now. The trees are bending over.
At 10:20 p.m. I drove the Matthia girls home. We enjoyed the very visible moon on our way. This picture was taken right off of our front steps.
Lorraine stirred up the body color for the gorilla, while Derek and Devon made sure that the girls had cheerful music to work to....
while Lavonne and Donia painted on the banana....
and later all three worked on filling in the body.
Two hours later the body was covered. The girls would want you to know that these are their painting clothes, and normally not seen by anyone. :)
Tonight Kevin brought up the overhead and paints, and the girls got started on their yearly project of painting the mascots. This year we are really missing Danae, who headed up the project in the past!!! We even gave Danae a short call as we were getting started. We set up for this painting in the basement ping pong room.
The little kids got to watch for a few minutes before heading for bed. Danika is pretending to be the monkey that they had on the overhead picture. :)
Mixing colors is part of the fun. (Donia is on the left, Lorraine on the right)
Doreen helped with the clean-up end of it...washing brushes and containers. Thank you, Doreen!
Tuesday morning Dustin and Danielle sat on the couch reading during their quiet time.
Derek and Devon worked again and saw first-hand the damage the strong winds and heavy rains of the last days have done. Kay, their boss who attends our church, said the loss is estimated at about 15% so far.
While they were working outside, a helicopter flew over.
They got a little bored waiting to be picked up last night :) They were in a crazy mood, for sure! :)
