Anna is 19!

 How is it possible that my baby girl I started this blog for all those years ago is now a freshman in college? So happy and proud of the woman she has become. Love you Anna! Happy Birthday! 

My Dad

I have been meaning to do this for awhile. I was recently asked to speak at a teen conference called a YES Conference. It was about saying Yes to God. I was asked because the person who asked me was pretty sure I would say yes. When he introduced me, he talked about how often I say yes. Will you chaperone a teen all-nighter? Yes. Will you go pick up some pizzas? Yes...etc...

I talked about my call on my life and how I came to say yes to God and His call. I talked about saying yes to being an NYI president. I talked about saying yes to helping with a new start church. I talked about saying yes to the things God asked of me and saying yes to the little things like picking up pizzas, helping a neighbor and friends. I finished talking briefly about how I learned this spirit of saying yes from my dad. I told them my dad it seemed had held almost every position in a church but pastor. Then for a short time after his pastor left, the District Superintendent came to visit. My dad told them with no pastor, there were some decisions that needed to be made. The D.S. asked my dad what he thought the decision should be and then went with that one. Basically my dad didn't preach (he was petrified to stand in front of a crowd), but he was to be the "pastor" decision maker until the new pastor came. So that got me to thinking about all the jobs my dad has had. I wanted to list them here for myself and for future generations of his family who someday will learn the culture of saying yes to God.

My dad has been, in no particular order: board member, board secretary, NYI president, Missions president, Work and Witness Coordinator, Sunday School teacher (several times, different ages, mostly jr and sr hi), usher, head usher, money counter, church bus driver, church custodian, all around church handyman. He has been on multiple work and witness trips. The trip that he coordinated he took about 8 teenagers on the trip with them. People told him he was crazy, he told them the teenagers listened better than some of the adults. He also stayed retired when he was ready to go back to work to help build the addition to the church in Milford.

He was never one to stand up front. He didn't sing and he didn't preach. He would shake while at the pulpit to make announcements about the missionary society. But while he was the mission president the two years he was in charge of speakers for Faith Promise he managed to get Jerry Porter and Harmon Schmelzenbach. (If you are a part of the Church of the Nazarene, you know these two names.)

My dad said yes to all those postilions. I assure you, he was asked and didn't ask himself to do any of them. He said yes to helping people move, and drug his two older sons along to move the big stuff. He said yes to staying late and cleaning up. Growing up, I am sure it was not always true, but it felt like we were always the first ones there and the last to leave. Mom and Dad both said yes to vacuuming the floors and putting up chairs. They said yes to making food and visiting the sick. They said yes to my brothers friends moving in with us when they had no place else to go.

I definitely grew up in a culture of saying yes. A culture I hope I will continue to pass on to my girls.I know my sister has done a great job of passing that culture on to her children. Hopefully my dad's legacy of saying yes will continue for generations to come.

Overtheory

Check one of my favorite bands!!! The lead singer/ song writer is a friend of mine.

http://www.reverbnation.com/overtheory

Sue

We have so many role models in our Christian life. We have pastors, SS teachers, parents, professors… the list goes on. But every now and then we have a person who comes into our lives and truly shows us what it means to be a humble servant.

A person who offers to take food to people who don’t seem to appreciate it.

A person who works with kids who are not the easiest to work with for a living, then volunteers to work with even younger kids who are just as hard to work with when there is no one else to do it at church.

A person who continues to help the same people over and over and trusts that even though she is not going to see the fruits of her labor, that surely this is God’s leading and will continue to be faithful without knowing the end results to it all.

A person who for years and years continues to help the same group of people who have nothing to offer in return.

These people hunger to know more about God, they seek with everything they have to do the most they can for God, just because He loved us first.

These people when they are at the hardest part of their life, want only to know how you are doing and what is going on in your life.

Sue Riffle is this type of person. She is such a special person who will soon get the rewards she has never looked for, but so richly deserves!!

WE LOVE YOU SUE!!

@ Schnormeier Gardens

National Trail Day and just a great day!!

What a great day!!! Today was the American Hiking Society's National Trail Day. Last year I hosted an event. This year I settled for going to the Knox County Park District and the East Central Ohio Audubon Society's Early Riser Bird Walk. It was out at Honey Run Park where I helped make the trail. We saw 25 different birds, including the Indigo Bunting. I happened to be the one to spot it, about five times. It became the running joke that it was following me.

So after getting home from that, Amber went to scrapbooking and the girls and I went to the Farmer's Market and the Pink Cupcake. We bought a tomato and a head of lettuce, and a cupcake and some cookies. We enjoyed our treats at the PC. We came home and set up the tent and had a picnic out by the tent, picnic basket and all. We made turkey sandwiches and had our lettuce and tomato on it from the farmer's market. We then cleaned up quickly as the rain started to come. We relaxed for awhile inside until it was time to go the teen's bonfire at the Dubusky's.

The whole family went. We enjoyed hot dogs, chips, lemonade and of course smores. We played some capture the flag. (Anna cheated a little and actually held on to her team's flag the first game.) We came home very wet, sore and very tired. Overall it was a great 2nd day of June!!

Picnicing in the back yard

Our picnic is right outside our tent. #daytimecamping

Saturday at the Market and Pink Cupcake

Another Saturday morning of the farmers market and The Pink Cupcake. #funw/mygirls

End of school year trip to McD's

Memorial Day Parade

Ashlyn proud of "Old Glory" given to her by the Exchange Club.

Took the girls to the waterfall today.

RIP Maurice Sendak

The first book fair I can remember is when I was in second grade. Hundreds of books to choose from, and only one got my attention as a second grade boy.
This shelf with Where the Wild Things Are and the two wild things has been hanging in my office for several years. I have always loved this book since. As an adult, I even loved the simple life portrayed by Little Bear and his family as my girls would watch that cartoon.

"Please don't go. We'll eat you up. We love you so." - RIP M. Sendak

Ella's Birthday

Today my "little" girl is 7. I cannot believe she is 7 already. We had a great day for her birthday. Today was the first day of the Farmer's Market. So went down to the Market then made our traditional trek over to the Pink Cupcake.

This is by far my favorite part about living in Mount Vernon. Taking the whole family to the Farmer's Market and going to the Pink Cupcake to pick out our mini muffins or favorite cupcakes. It is one of those little hole in the wall business that kept the look of the store the way it would have looked many years ago.

After the FM, I went over to MVPD bike auction to see if I could get Ella a nice bike for her birthday. It was a beautiful day to be at an auction, 77 degrees and mostly sunny. But it was to no avail. I had to run to Wally World and get the bike she had her eye on before. I really surprised her though by adding the Princess basket with tassels and a bell with the money her Gran sent for her.

All in all we had an additional 11 kids come by for the party and they were all great. Now time to see where Ella wants to go for her birthday dinner and see if maybe it won't be Mc'D's Playland. :-)

Bedtime snack at McDs

Bedtime snacks. I am sure this will wind them down for bed. :-)

99 ways to Simplify life with Kids

I love these ideas. Not all are practical for everyone. But the more ideas you have the more you can use and come up with some of your own.

Guess who scored free Chipotle for lunch?

RIP SJ

Daddy - Daughter Date Night to celebrate Anna doing well taking the OAA test.

Our little orphan Ashlyn.

It's not the Prodigal Son, but Anna was ecstatic to once again find B, who was stuffed in with her sleeping bag, for almost 10 months.