Petra and Grandma plant tomatoes

Finished version - Quilt patch

Happy Anniversary, Al and Ruthie!

Mom did the embroidery and the yo yo's by hand. Everything else was done by machine.  Mom want to put both our names on especially since I was named after Ruthie.

Quilt patch for Al and Ruthie Good's 50th wedding celebration

Combined effort with Mom.  Pleasant diversion!

Florida Trip - April 17 - 23, 2012

First stop - EMU

Tax season ended Tuesday the 17th this year and Linden was finished by lunch time.  We had supper at Austin's apartment with him and friends.  We stayed in the EMU guest house.  All the college kids were going crazy with end of the semester work piled up but they still had time to fit in inter-mural soccer.  It was great to get to see Austin play soccer again!

Austin, Sara Schoenhals and Petra

Savannah, Georgia

Drove Wednesday till we got here.  Enjoyed just walking about old Savannah.  

Hofwyl Rice Plantation, Georgia

Thursday morning we drove a short way to this historic site which was lovely and very interesting but most memorable for it's wicked gnats and mosquitoes.

Trying to enjoy the nature trail but it was hard.  Petra is swatting away and I'm trying to hide under my fluttering scarf.

Destination:  Tampa, Florida!

We arrived Thursday evening at USF and met Anna at the music building.  Thursday evening and Friday we got to go with her to a recital, a master class with her piano quintet and a full Mahler concert.

Looking out of Anna's room onto her balcony and the greenery beyond.

True to form - last minute stitching before Anna's recital.  Grantley's bike in the background.

Recital on Saturday 4:00

The recital hall - before.  Anna gave a lovely recital which I won't try to describe.  There was an element of surprise with the tango playing off stage between her pieces - Svetosar's doing.

After with 3/5 of the Piano Quintet - Leslie, 1st violin and Oliver, cellist

Fellow USF students:  Kisun (housemate), Anna, Rosa (former housemate), Leslie (former housemate from Goshen)

With Ruth and Pastor Roy Williams.  Wonderful people who put us up for several nights and fed us royally!

After the recital we drove to St Pete on the gulf.

Sunday after church

Sunday we had a real Sunday dinner at the Williams's.  

Cindy, Anna, Petra, Jessica.

Gloria got into Parables for next year!

Grantley's track meet 4-12-12

It's so hard to catch the best moments in a sports event.  Grantley ran 3 events and got second in one of them.

Easter Saturday Event MMC April 7, 2012

This turned out to be very fun!  Several weeks in advance I started throwing out ideas and asking people to do different jobs.  I wanted to try a fair/carnival type setting for the hour before the egg hunt with stations to visit in any order and at your own pace.  Although I got stressed a few times about whether I could find people to cover all the posts and I put in lots of time as well as numerous extra trips to church, by that morning all was ready.  The only question was, "would we get many kids to come?"  I was ready with 50 "passports."  We started off about 10 minutes ahead of time with our kids who were there and ready.  By the end, we had 10 passports left which means 40 kids came!  The kids also brought their parents and grandparents.  So the place was just humming!  

Eggshell flowers

Wendy and Bethany ran the station where you could make flowers with colored eggshells.

Katie helps Kara get a sticker on her passport

Liam, Laura and Quin.

A perfect branch broke off our magnolia a few months ago which I saved to hang our eggs and flowers on.  The eggs are our family collection that we have made over the years.

Jesse

Dakota

Pat the Bunny!

                                  Gertie brought some bunnies for the Bunny Petting Zoo

Carpentry with Gerald

Soul Snack - Ruth and Jackie, Tina made rolls

Abigail and Calista

Emma, Shannon and Jacklyn

Mariah, Jackie (serving) and Kelsey

Storytelling - Lisa E., Twila, Barb

 Twila telling the story with thumb piano about the lion and the rabbit.

Growing Tree student

 Lisa tells the string story about the Mosquito with Rebecca on lap.  Rebecca spent the whole hour in this tent.

Barb tells the Easter story with "Resurrection Eggs."

Makin' Music - Katrina and Rochelle

Sawyer and Samuel (?).

Laura and Quin doing an egg shaker to the music.

Katrina playing and singing

Rochelle in action!  Calista, in purple shirt, stood there shaking and egg for song after song after song.

Resurrection Relay - Johanna with help from Petra and Andrea.

Didn't get any picture but this was a spin off from the Bible characters who went to the tomb and found that Jesus wasn't there.

People!

Gathering for Egg Hunt

Headed for Egg hunt