I Had A Dream

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There are times that my heart swells up with sadness.  (I know that a lot of it has to do with perimenopause hormones.)  Last night was one of those times where my heart was incredibly sad.   To allow myself to feel better a good cry is in order.  So I cried myself to sleep.  Your probably wondering why am I so sad?  Well, the unfairness of having a house built for you and not being able to live in it.  Yes, it was our decision not to live in it, but their is still a grieving  process to go thru.  The unkindness of NTMA to make a no indoor pet policy decision.   Our home in Lowell, MI that won't sell, locking up our finances so we are unable to purchase a home.  And no homes in our area to rent.  

Everyday I examine my heart am I sinning?  Am I making pets my God?  Do I need counseling?  And every sermon I listen to I look for answers for why God is putting us thru these struggles.  I don't have any answers.  Maybe you do?  I have made decisions to be content in my circumstance.  I have made a decision to not desire pets any longer.  My family has not done the same.  My children still cry about it.  They beg for pets.  They ask to be excused from school work to go pet the neighbors dog or cat.  My Husband longs for pets too.  They are constant reminders to me of my desires not to think about pets. :-/

Well, I didn't mean to download on you.

What I wanted to share with you as I cried myself to sleep in bad thought and in prayer to God.  He gave me a dream.  Here it is.....

Ace lead me into a beautiful and rich log cabin that was to be our home.  As I looked around there was a basket of two puppies and as I was about to pick one up Ace said  "that is not all" and handed me a Yorkie puppy, which is my favorite. 

Yorkie Puppy

I woke up instantly very Happy!  And I knew this was a Love dream, a gift from God.  He is there walking along my side.  This is silly because I've know he has been there all along.  Sometimes we need little gifts from Him to know we're not in this world alone.  

I quite often think of my Wendy's Frosty.  Thank You Lord for My Wendy's Frosty.  I still remember it.

Bonus Story....

I worked at the Grand Rapids press in the Classified Section.  I usually get off from work at 2:30pm.  This evening was Friday which usually meant working later because of all the Sunday adds.  It was past 8:00pm and my brain said, "boy, a Wendy's Frosty sure sounds good".  When two seconds later, in walks a sales rep with two Wendy's Frosty's one for me and one for him.  I was sooo amazed by God.  He knew, way before I even thought of it.  He knows too that someday I'll live in a home where we can have indoor pets.    If God gave me a Frosty which I think is small and minor He too can give me a home and pets.

Do you have a Wendy's Frosty in your life?

Were back from our Home Assignment

Wow what a wonderful time we had visiting our supporting churches, friends, and family.  And seeing Michigan again, it was an ah moment.  Everyone's yard is phenomenal.  Ace and I were trying to figure out why Michiganders  plant so many plants in their yards?   During this visit,  Michigan looked to us like a jungle.  And all the stores were immaculate which caused me for some reason to break out in tears.   I think it was culture shock.

OK here are the Highlights........

Enjoying some snow

Living at the Sarver home.  God has blessed the Sarvers with a large home that will fit our family and theirs and we so enjoyed getting to know them and also listening to them play the piano and viola every day.

Sleeping under the stairs in the Sarver basement.

Enjoying the Sarver pets.  Bailey the Dog, whose love language is food.  I think Gary Chapman should add a 6th love language to his book just for Bailey.  The Sarvers have 2 dogs and 3 cats who all got lots of hugs from the Glidewell children.

Since we're on the subject of Dogs we enjoyed spending time with Jesse puppy.  Since she was born here at NTMA campus and went to live in MI. with Ang's parents, it feels like shes part of our family.

Spending time with Ang's family around the campfire.  Telling campfire stories is a family tradition.

Ace and Ang enjoyed a date weekend at Frankenmuth sponsored by friends.

Five of our children getting Strep Throat

A day spent at John Ball Zoo with Cousins

A weekend spent in Ohio with the Durfey family.  Carl are you standing on something?????  While visiting the Durfey's half of our children were sick again.  I was suspicious that it was "Return of the Strep Throat".  But it wasn't.  Every picture of  Stormie her eyes were closed.  She also had a fever and was being a good sport. :-(  Ruben your way tooo cute and Cherry misses holding your hand. 

Two men talking in a foreign language; something about cubic inches, torque converters, and gear lube.  Who knows??

Visiting Lehman's

Sleeping children after Lehman's

I sliced my finger while cutting a watermelon.  I am now scared of watermelons.  The interesting thing is, just yesterday the tip of my finger nail broke off because the knife cut into my finger nail.  Yep there is fingernail under that sliced skin.  Sam and I now have matching fingers.

Ace sharing with churches

Alton Bible Church had a Thanksgiving potluck for us March.  We mentioned our love for ABC's Thanksgiving potluck on Facebook and they decided to celebrate it with us.  Just to let you know its not about the food its about the Testimonies of Thankfulness!  Cherry is showing us her eyeball, er, meatball.  When she points she has to close one eye.  LOL

We watched Blake propose to Courtney that day.....and on top of ALL that, the Church gave us $800.00 towards a new frig! (see pic below.)  It was a fabulous day!

Having Fun!  Underwear super hero's.  I think they were really supposed to be folding laundry. :-/

Ace bought a motorcycle to save on gas money.  As he commuted up North to help a friend with his business.  Plan is to sell it when we got home, but is still sits happily along side the BWV in the carport.

Potty training Cherry.  I thought she was cute with her legs crossed.

Family pictures taken for our prayer cards.  Thank You Sarah!

 The kids saved their allowance to go to Cedar Point. Then we were blessed with someone buying our tickets.  Thank You Simmons!

Sam and Aurora enjoy  Gemini Jr. at Cedar Point

Celebrated Holidays like Easter Sunday

Memorial Day

and 4th of July with The Glidewell Family.  We haven't been all together in maybe 10 years?  We don't know how much longer Pop pop (Ace's Dad) has with us so it was exciting for all of to get together.  Boy was it a HOT day.

And just before we left Michigan we found two frigs at Lowe's in there scratch and dent.  Got them for a great deal, both for less than the price of one non-dent!  Thank You Alton Bible friends and all those who gave too.

Volunteer Valentine Party

One of our Highlights during the year is our winter volunteers.  We have a group of retired folk who come and help with maintenance items here on campus.  Last year we were blessed with a couple from North Dakota, Wayne & Judy.  They took it upon themselves to throw us a Valentine Party.  I never thought a party would be such a blessing but it was.  And, I've never walked away from a party with such gratitude before.  This year Wayne & Judy came back and did it again.  And again I walked away gleaming at how much fun I had,  and how very encouraged we felt. 

Dessert

When Judy throws a party, in order to eat, we have to work to get our dinner.  Last year our table had to sing a song with love in it.  This year our table had to write a poem containing at least one reference to Valentine's Day and one reference to Love, and had to be four verses long. Piper loves writing poems so we set her to the task but her brain was in need of dinner.  

So Ace stepped in and helped her out.

We were the last table to read our poem.  Don't you just love Cherry waiting patiently?  I'm pretty sure her fork is being used as a person.

Piper reading our poem.

Our gift is not one of rhyme

But is one of Valentine.

We may be kind of late,

But I want food on my plate!

I am getting in a mood 

that means I want FOOD!!!

I want to say something about Love

But it's hard when in my mouth 

there is a milk chocolate Dove.

After Dinner the games were started lots of laughter.  My favorite quote from Judy was if you want to win a prize there has to be pain.  Those were not quite here words but it was something along that line.  

Oreo cookie on the forehead game working down to the mouth.  I've seen this game all over the internet so I know you've tried it. Notice, Ace doing his usual stand and watch and not participate.  He's excuse, was he was still eating his cupcake.

It's the kids turn.  Notice, Gustie doing the same thing?  HA! Ace says she's not like him, but she's like me.  I think Gustie looks like her ma but has Ace's brain.

Sam, Aurora, & Stormie participate in a game.  It's two pop bottles taped together with gumballs inside.  The first team to get them down to the other end is the winner.

Each age group got a turn

Ace & Paul need to use chopsticks to move conversational heart from one bowl to another.  Time to be a missionary from China.

Here we have, Larry & Kim kissing for the "how many kisses can you give your spouse in 60 seconds game".  The lipstick the ladies put on, did not do a good job leaving its mark, so there was a do over request. However the audience voted that Larry & Kim put on the best show leaving them to win the prize.

Time is Flying By

A lot has been happening here.

House #8 has been painted.  I still need to get a picture of it.  Choosing the color was very hard for me.  I finally picked one. Randomly! Yeah!  The volunteers asked me to come see if its the right color.  And, it is!  I guess they were trying to decide if it was gray or green.  Ace said its split pea soup.  Yesterday, when up close it looked blue.  We are in the shade of the carport so you can't tell, but the sun really bleaches out the color.  So, every time I look at the house in the sun, it looks white.  Now I know why all the houses in Arizona are brightly painted or are dirt color.  The dirt is always blowing so the houses get very dirty and the sun bleaches the color out of the paint.  So you just might as well paint them dirt color.

I was overwhelmed by a surprise box!  The Ladies at Alton Bible Church, our sending church sent me a care package.  It felt like a spa for my body and my soul.  Lots of fun thing like lotions, spiritual CD's, devotional books, chocolate, bath soaps and so much more.  As I read their cards and notes I cried.  Thank you so much ladies.  You were and encouragement to me.

They even sent a little something for the kiddos for Valentines Day.

 The kiddos are working on their cars for the Grand Prix, a time consuming activity, and a whole other blog about that!

A Visit to the Cotton Gin

Cotton Modules

loading on to the feeder

Feeder cleaning out stick, leaves, and debris.

Removing seeds

5,000 lbs of pressure to make a 500lb bale of cotton.  This bale can make over 300 dresses.

Samples of cotton are taken from each bale an are tested for length and thickness and given a Grade

Each bale is given a bar code that stays with it for life. This bar code tells all about the cotton, where it came from and its Grade.

A Big Pile of Cotton Seed

Cute babies dressed in cotton!

Going to see the cotton bales.  This is our large homeschool group.

Everyone was given some cotton to take home

And we were all given some cotton seed too.

Because of the loud noise our tour guide was hard to hear so the kids got board quickly.

Kids finding shade

Here it is, the life time identity of this cotton bale.

Hope you enjoyed the tour, we did!  Gin stands for engine in case you were wondering.  I liked this video on Cotton found on You Tube.  I wish there was a good video on Eli Whitney who invented the cotton gin but couldn't find one.