Summer Vacation, Days 73 ~ 77

Days 73 ~ 77

Saturday, August 1

We packed up & headed to Wisconsin. Jim worked in the morning, so we got a late start, and stopped for lunch before getting on the interstate. Once there, we made a Walmart run. And then I spent an hour washing and prepping the fresh fruit & veggies, boiling eggs, making iced tea, etc.  Jim got pizza for supper. 

Sunday, August 2

Sunday morning found me sitting by the lake with a cup of hot tea & a breakfast sandwich. Aaah! 

Church was oh, so good!  During the sermon, the pastor quoted Oswald Chambers: "The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you do not fear God, you fear everything else." 

Lunch at an old-fashioned diner.  Afternoon of beach & fishing. 

Monday, August 3

We arrived at the waterpark just after lunch and left just before supper. I did the lazy river three times and rode one waterslide (perhaps the last one I will ever ride in my life!). Jim found a seat in the shade and read "Age of Opportunity." LM made friends, two girls & their homeschooling mom. One of the girls asked if we could share info so they could have a play date. Alas, we live hours away. Made it back to the WI house in time for LM to go to VBS!!

Tuesday, August 4

After a nice breakfast out & time for LM & me to walk the streets of the resort town, beach & fishing were the themes of the day. Of course, LM was at VBS from 6-8.30 ... and sad she would miss the last three days. "I made a friend, Mom!" Yes, of course she did! 

Wednesday, August 5

We left around 8.30 and were home by noon. A pleasant ride home. We all were tired! 

But we kept going ... Jim to PT, then BK to the farm, then LM to tutoring, and then BK to a youth group swim party. 

I didn't keep notes of our time there but sprinkled into our days there, in addition to the beach & fishing, were:

• lots of requests for mac & cheese (including for late night snacks),
• naps,
• Boxcar Children, 
• bicycle & scooter rides, 
• trips to the ice cream shop,
• lots of reading for Jim & me, 
• and in general - REST - big picture windows, mature shade trees, quiet street, open windows, box fans, & simple meals.  

Staying for four nights is exponentially more restful than two trips of two nights each.  

Summer Vacation, Days 68 ~ 72

Days 68 ~ 72

Monday, July 27

LM was up at 6.18 AM! Ai-yai-yai! I was definitely dragging by bedtime!

Jim & BK were at the farm in the morning. LM had tutoring from 2-3.30, while Jim had PT.  Then she stayed at Grandpa & Grandma's, while I went to a hair appointment and BK was with friends at the pool. Whew!

Tuesday, July 28

The children slept in. LM spent the afternoon with her aunt, while I took BK to the hearing clinic (70 miles away) for his annual hearing test. 

Wednesday, July 29

The children and I left at 9 to pick up snacks and then a friend and head to the Lincoln Museum & Lincoln Home. LM earned another Junior Ranger badge, and asked what happens when you earn ALL of them?! :) She has goals!

Home at 3.30. LM had tutoring 4-5. The friend's mom picked him up at 5.30. Jim took BK to Youth group. LM & I finished reading the next Boxcar Children book.

Thursday, July 30

LM came in our room at 4.15 AM. I exclaimed, "It's 4:00 in the morning!" And she excitedly asked, "It's morning?!?" She came back in at 5.15 and I sent her back to bed.  Whew! And then she slept til almost 10!

Somehow we made it to lunchtime. After lunch, LM & I visited the grandparents & then went to her orthodontist appointment, and to ALDI & Walmart and the pharmacy. 

Friday, July 31

I went to bed shortly after 8 PM, and got a great night's sleep! And had a VERY productive morning with chores in the kitchen (in part motivated by ANTS!), two loads of laundry, filling a month's worth of pill bottles, charging my Kindle & Fitbit, and in general crossing items off my to-do list.  Jim & BK finished some yardwork.  And then I spent a few hours on the phone with insurance & specialty pharmacies. That was just as fun as it sounds! 

After lunch, LM & I made the rounds of the post office, pharmacy, and library. 

At 5, we went to our small group's annual summer cookout. Yum! 

1000 Gifts, Vol. 7, #92

891. safely through another week

1 Safely through another week
God has brought us on our way;
let us now a blessing seek,
waiting in His courts today;
day of all the week the best,
emblem of eternal rest.

2 While we pray for pard'ning grace,
through the dear Redeemer's name,
show Thy reconciling face;
take away our sin and shame;
from our worldly cares set free,
may we rest this day in Thee.

3 Here we come Thy name to praise,
let us feel Thy presence near;
may Thy glory meet our eyes,
while we in Thy house appear:
here afford us, Lord, a taste
of our everlasting feast.

4 May Thy gospel's joyful sound
conquer sinners, comfort saints;
may the fruits of grace abound,
bring relief for all complaints:
thus may all our Sabbaths prove,
till we join the church above.

892. calming music

893. such a fun summer swim team

894. safely through the first week of unstructured summer vacation (!)

895. older women to speak truth to me

896. peers to share each other's burdens

897. fun book series in which I could escape

898. we ate this week, even though I was out of practice with cooking, after a week with relatives in town

899. spending a half hour of respite with Jim's 96 year old dad & his wife

900. watching the Lord arrange plans for the coming week

Childhood Summers

As I parent my children through summer vacation, my mind wanders back a few decades to my own childhood summers. What were they like? Do I remember them correctly? Ha! 

In my memory, my childhood summers were a combination of:

• getting up early and hoeing in the garden with my mom & three sisters, as the sun rose higher & higher. Mom always took the turquoise metal kitchen timer and (in my memory) set it for an hour, reminding us that the earlier we started, the cooler the temperature would be.

• 

• related to that, NEVER sleeping in! (My first day home for summer vacation after freshman year of college, I slept in until 8.30, and my dad was aghast, and let me know that NO ONE had ever slept that late in that house for 90 years!)

• summer program at the library (I only remember the park ranger, whom I also saw when I took my nieces to the library in 2010! Remarkably, our family also ran into him when hiking in spring 2021! As we hiked through the spring forest and marshlands, the highlight was running into the forest ranger who I remember coming to speak to my elementary class. He still is full of enthusiasm and a delightful teacher of children, and LG & LM are, to this day, excited that they got to learn from him out in the wild!

• spending hours in the steaming hot kitchen, either canning beans or filling bags of corn for the freezer. I remember having box fans running to try to cool down that small yet HOT room!

• being transported to a different world, as I read the Cherry Ames series in a rocking chair on the front porch,

• spending a week or two at Bible camp,

• making the 600 mile drive to Grandma's house and spending a week traipsing around to various relatives', friends', and places of remembrance for my Mom in New York State, 

• one week of evening Vacation Bible School, which was THRILLING!

• spending all waking hours that week memorizing extra Bible verses to earn points for my team, 

• going across the highway & up on the ridge to swim in a friend's pool (complete with slide, diving board, and underwater lights for night swims)!

Obviously there was a lot more to my childhood summers than that, but these are my memories, true or not. ;) 

Summer Vacation, Day 47

Monday, July 6th

Today deserves its own post! I mentioned that Sunday after lunch I filled up the gas tank, and noted that that was foreshadowing.

What did I do today? Today epitomized my driving era!

8 AM LM & I left for Bible camp (40-45 minutes away), where she is attending as a day camper this week!! [Yes, I will be making that one-way trip 20 times Monday - Friday.]

From there I drove to Jim's orthopedic clinic to exchange his broken cryo cuff knee cooler for a working one! 

Then to ALDI & Walmart (including swim meet snacks).

Stopped at the hospital in the next farm town to purchase a DELICIOUS lunch of brisket and cheesy mashed potatoes in their cafeteria. 

Home at 11.30! 

I put groceries in the fridge, served Jim lunch, made a to-go dish for myself, and left again! 

After backtracking 6 miles to drop BK off at the farm, I was late for my 12.30 oil change & maintenance appointment. Boy, did I enjoy those 2 1/2 hours! :)  Lunch, hot tea, music in my ears, and a relaxing book to read. :) 

I arrived home just before 4, and had time to help Jim with a few things, before I picked BK up and brought him home. 

I left immediately to pick up LM. We drove through drive-through, and then took the wrong exit so had to turn around, and were home around 6.30. 

I think that was enough for one day. ;)

1000 Gifts, Vol. 7, #89

861. The orange orb coming over the horizon at 4-something AM when I rolled over in bed

862. The quintessential blue summer sky with tall white clouds out my side mirror, with tall greenish-golden grass framing the bottom of the mirror

863.  A sanctuary filled with small groups of people huddled in circles praying for our nation

864.  The lovely pasture I drive by 8-12 times a week with good-looking cattle grazing & resting

865.  Watching LM confidently walk into swim practice, swim cap on her head, swim bag over her shoulder. 

866.  Ease of doing laundry & ease of keeping our home clean, as I have decluttered more and more!

867.  Amazing way the Lord provided someone driving 700+ miles between a friend's hometown & here, so they could hand carry an item to said friend. 

868.  Finding "The Blessing Series," when I was searching for historical fiction about Norwegian immigrants to the Upper Plains

869.  A shared love of books & learning - one of Jim's cousins brought a book to me at family reunion, and the other recommended a book!

870.  The coffee shop around the corner from swim practice. ;) [They serve great tea!]

More books for Mom!

Mom turns 92 next month and is soooo busy!  

Funny story: some of the residents at the assisted living are bored because there are no activities on Saturday, so they got permission to run their own Bingo game on Saturday afternoon.  Mom doesn't understand, because she enjoys her weekends and the extra time to read or paint. :) 

I remember Mom speaking often of this pottery place in northeast Tennessee.

This is a wild card, but I think she'll like it.

Edited to add that Mom does not recommend the following book: 

She liked another one of WWII, and this looks similar enough.

This was her request. She's not sure if she wants to continue with watercolors or move on to acrylics.  She is eager to learn!

Former TN governor, we think (?) he shook Dad's hand, as he walked across the state as part of his campaign. I definitely remember the campaign signs: "Lamar walked here."

This was advertised as being similar to Mitford. Mom says it explains the gospel, if you read it all the way through. 

Mom loves Spurgeon & she loves word searches. This looked like the perfect combo!

Mom requested this. Funny thing is that Jim's dad (96) just read it also.

She likes her devotional books!

I saw this on a booklist and thought Mom would enjoy it. 

Mom is thoroughly enjoying this one, as well as Turning Points in American Church History: How Pivotal Events Shaped a Nation and a Faith.  Always learning!

Do you have any recommendations? Or want to place bets on how long it will take her to finish these? ;)  If you're local, these books will (probably) all be free to a good home when she finishes them. :)   

Summer Vacation, Days 24 ~ 26

Saturday, June 13

EARLY morning wakeup call so we could leave at 6 AM ... BK packed in his youth-group-issued black tote with a yellow lid (so they stack in the trailer & are critter-proof in their tents) and the rest of us packed for WI.

We waited in the church parking lot for the prayer circle (40 trip participants; almost a 1:1 ratio!) and then we got on the road.  After stopping at Walmart, we still reached the house before noon.  We three had a leisurely afternoon of reading, beach time, and eating at the same lakeside restaurant where Jim and I ate on our second date. :)

Sunday, June 14

Church was really special, as always. I sobbed my way through, "Hymn of Heaven," by Phil Wickham. (Video here. Lyrics here.)  

And on that day, we join the resurrection
And stand beside the heroes of the faith
With one voice, a thousand generations
Sing, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain"

Lunch. Naps or reading. Safari!! (That was a new experience.) Walking around a touristy town, and trying out a new playground. Jim got takeout for supper.

Monday, June 15

We slept in. I paid bills (work which I had taken with me). LM & I walked almost 3 miles on the shore path. I love our tradition! I don't think we did it in 2025, but we did it together in 22, 23, 24, and this year! Jim met us at the restaurant at the end of our walk (near the Red Park, where LM played after lunch). 

Another leisurely afternoon of read alouds, napping, and, at 5.30, packing.  Home shortly after 9 PM (with another Boxcar Children read aloud completed in the van!) and very well-rested!

Books for Mom

My mom turns 92 next month, and is the epitome of a lifelong learner. She just took up watercolor painting, and her paintings are AMAZING! She watches the birds & deer out her window. She participates in all the activities. She reads her Bible and several devotional books, calls & prays for & writes friends & family, etc.! 

She also reads! I can hardly order books fast enough for her! This is the last book order I made for her:  

I'll be interested to hear what she thinks of this. I have discovered this past school year that YA books are quicker to read and can still be excellent writing! I listened to the audio version of this and really enjoyed how the story of Ruth came alive.

As I said, Mom is a lifelong learner, and she is very interested to read this book. 

She started this one right away and is finding it fascinating. 

This one and the next are for children / tweens, but we adults can still learn from them! Mom looked through one of them right away, and can't wait to read it!

I've seen a lot of people mention this, but it's a wild card, so I'm curious to see if Mom likes it. 

This one looked interesting. Time will tell. 

I am always open for suggestions!  She especially loves biographies & missionary biographies.

Summer Vacation, Days 14 ~ 16

Wednesday, June 3 ~ Friday, June 5

Wednesday (Summer is not slowing down!)

BK & I left at 7.45 for swim practice. 

Jim & LM left at 8.45 for VBS. 

I did uninterrupted housework from 9.45 - 11.15! Made laundry detergent for the first time, cleaned out the laundry soap cabinet, and attacked the laundry "room" floor (a small pass-through from garage to house... ugh).

Picked LM up from VBS at 11.30 and visited with other moms. 

All three of us attended our library program, "Bingo for Books," from 12-1.

At 1.40, we left to drop BK off at a friend's home with a whole gaggle of soon-to-be 7th grade boys.

LM had tutoring 2.45-3.45. 

We picked BK up at 5.40 for youth group. (LM & I went to prayer meeting.) Dropped him back off at 8.50 at his friends' home.  (The other boys had gone to another youth group.)

So, today from 7.45 AM - 9 PM, I took a tour of six small towns around us. This is what summer days look like when you live in the middle of nowhere and have children who are old enough to have lots of friends & activities but are (thankfully!) too young to drive. 

Thursday

9 AM - dropped LM off at VBS 

Swung by the pharmacy to pick up this week's refills (6)

1.5 hours to work on housework and enjoy introvert time ;)

11 AM - picked BK up from his friends'.

11.30 AM - picked LM up from VBS

12-2.40 at the pool with friends from church. 

ZZZ

Friday

My nurse was here at 8 AM, and I was hooked up to an IV until almost 1 PM. 

Jim took LM to Grandma's, and she delivered LM to VBS and picked her up afterward.

BK was at the farm part of the day. 

This infusion went really well!!  I wasn't so exhausted that I slept during it. I wasn't fatigued after it. Thank you, Lord! 

I did more housework, LM & I ran an errand, I made my favorite meal for supper (salmon, rice, & broccoli), I shot some hoops with BK, and I made Scotcharoos.  Wow!

It's a Boxcar Children Summer

For over a year, LM listened almost exclusively to Ranger Bill [available on Podcasts, but also for purchase on Audible - we purchased all 217 episodes for less than $10!]. 

She listened to him while falling asleep, when waking up, during breakfast, and on van rides. 

This summer's story of choice is The Boxcar Children. We have Volume 1 (Books 1-3) on Audible, and she has listened to each of them over & over & over again. She can recite certain lines!

We stumbled upon the above paperbacks at Goodwill, and made it our summer goal to read them! Read-alouds have never been so fun! She claps, she cheers, and she laughs out loud!

No doubt we will be checking the rest out of the library. What other series do you recommend for summer read-alouds?

2026 Summer Vacation, Days 11 ~ 13

Sunday, May 31 ~ Tuesday, June 2 

Sunday, May 31

Could our day have been any fuller?! Everything with an * denotes a 25-35 mile drive.

*Sunday School + church

5th Sunday lunch afterward

*{brief stop at home}

*Graduation party

*Drop the children off at Grandpa's

*Small group

*Pick the children up

ZZZ

Monday, June 1

Well, Monday also was a full day! Hello, summer! 

7.45 AM - I took BK to swim practice. 

8.45 AM - Jim took LM to VBS.

9.45 AM - after arriving home & getting farm clothes, I took BK to the farm.

Then I read in our van in the shaded parking lot at the park. 

11.30 AM - I picked LM up from VBS. 

2.15 PM - Jim picked BK up from the farm & brought him home. 

3.45 PM - LM & I took BK 25 miles to meet the 5th & 6th grade Sunday School class to volunteer at a food bank (& eat at Steak & Shake).

9.20 PM  - Jim brought BK home. 

Tuesday, June 2

BK went to the farm while LM went to VBS in the park and I cleaned house.

After picking them both up, I had to go to the bank with my dad's death certificate (it's a saga) and a $12 unexpected check from a corporate settlement. 

After lunch, I ordered medication refills, answered e-mails, and read on the front porch. 80* with 27% humidity and a slight breeze was PERFECTION! 

I started my new book, "Picnicking with God," and read aloud 57 pages of Book 4 in the Boxcar Children.

Jim & BK brought the basketball hoop back from the farm (where it stayed all winter, since Jim can't park in our garage when the hoop is in our driveway).

BK had a 5.30-8 PM water fun night with his Awana group. LM & I stayed home & got to bed at a decent hour. :)

Women's Ministry

I have never been to a TGCW (The Gospel Coalition Women's) conference, but I have heard great things about it!

Did you know you can watch the main sessions for free? (Register here.)

You can also listen to a playlist based on this year's theme: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/turn-your-eyes-free-tgcw26-playlist/

And I found this article about Nancy Guthrie fascinating, especially the stats about the state of the American Church when she was born, and the state of Christian publishing in the USA in the 90s. 

1000 Gifts, Vol. 7, #87

841.  pleasant early summer weather (read: low humidity)

842.  inaugural visit to the local pool in the next farm town

843.  start of summer swim season

844.  start of the library summer reading program (& weekly events, such as the nature program)

845.  5th Sunday lunch at church (corn dogs + lemon shake-ups + lots of conversation)

846.  doctors, scientists, and medication

847.  seeing a friend the other day

848.  30 minute ride to & from small group with Jim ❤️

849.  running into friends & neighbors at a funeral

850.  lunch out with Jim's aunt

Book stall

Sunday morning I received this photo in a text message. "I'm visiting a church out of town, and saw these in their book stall.  Would you be interested in any of them?"

Such a kind friend! I have read seven of them :) and have one other one (A Fallen Sparrow), so she is picking up the other one for me. 

How many have you read? 

1000 Gifts, Vol. 7, #86

831.  progress days & maintenance days & survival days 

832.  especially progress in planting!

833.  getting off my 40 mg/day prednisone boost!

834.  the Lord's goodness

835.  listening & praying friends

836.  a new friend to pray with & read a book together

837.  my doctor in Chicago! I love her! And am soooo thankful for her!

838.  insurance & medicine

839.  safety on the roads ... every day

840.  respite

Joys of biographies

One of the joys of reading biographies or listening to testimonies is learning how the Lord leads people through unique circumstances. 

One of my earliest blog posts mentioned an incident in J.I. Packer's life that providentially led to his going down the path of academia. 

Recently I listened to a 2-hour podcast interview with Wayne Grudem.  (I have linked the video below. I listened to the audio on Spotify. Find it on any podcast platform.)

As you can imagine, it's a fascinating interview, more like a conversation really. I was especially interested in the story of how he moved from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School to Phoenix Seminary. 

His wife had lingering health issues from a car accident. The cold & humidity of Chicago made it worse, but when they visited Arizona she was fine. On their second visit, he told her that he would move anywhere for her health, but that he's not an electrician or plumber. He can't just find a job anywhere. He said, "I'm a theologian, and there's no seminary in Phoenix." A few days later, she showed him in the yellow pages that there was in fact a seminary, so they drove over and introduced themselves, and "the fledgling seminary found a place for me." 

How has God led you uniquely through circumstances?

The first one that comes to my mind in my life is the fact that a certain couple moved to our hometown and then were very involved in my childhood church for 3-4 years (?). That period of time "just so happened" to overlap with the time that his brother's family was headed to the mission field in Japan, and the time when they were looking for someone to come for a year to help homeschool their children, and the time when I graduated from high school, and could go.   How very different the path of my life could have been. 

*Women* Missionary biographies

It is no secret that my favorite genre of books is missionary biographies.  Recently a friend asked if I had any recommendations of biographies of missionary women. Yes, yes, I do. :) 

My top 6 (in no particular order) are listed at the top:

• Sensei: The Life Story of Irene Webster Smith

• In the Land of Blue Burqas

• Miss Terri! : The Story of Maude Cary Pioneer GMU Missionary in Morocco

• A Passion for the Impossible (website)

• Evidence Not Seen

• Katharine Barnwell (article)

• Dr. Ida (NIH bio here) (children's biography here)  The biography I read is Dr Ida The Story Of Dr Ida Scudder Of Vellore, by Dorothy Clarke Wilson. We have also listened to the 2-part dramatized biography on Your Story Hour. 

• Point Me to the Skies: The Amazing Story of Joan Wales, by Ronald Clements

• Three Women: Mildred Cable, Francesca French, Evangeline French: The Authorised Biography, by William James Platt, Published by Hodder & Stoughton, 1964 (children's biography here)

• Educating the Women of Hainan

• To a Different Drum

• Gladys Aylward: A Life for China

• Granny Brand

• By Searching (& other books by Isobel Kuhn)

• Miracle on the Sepik

• And the Word Came With Power: How God Met & Changed a People Forever, by Joanne Shetler

• Helen Roseveare

• A Chance to Die, Amy Carmichael

• Windows for the Crown Prince by Elizabeth Gray Vining 

Do you have any to add?

Where do you find missionary biographies? 10 of Those is a great resource. The YWAM Christian Heroes series is great for children (or for a quick read).  And usually when reading a biography, they will mention contemporaries, so I often google that person's name. Or the biographer might have written several biographies, so I will google the author.  

Compilations like 12 Faithful Women allow you to read about several women's lives in a shorter time. 

Participation Trophies

I read a blurb recently about a new book, "Arlo Takes Off." Every parent needs to read this to their children &/or teach them the truths contained in this book.

For too many years, children have received participation trophies and been told that they can be anything they want. And now we have a generation of disillusioned people, who in fact could NOT be an astronaut, and so they are not even content to work at a different job.  

Let's tell them the truth. "God wants everyone to have a job. Some people are astronauts. But most people work at Walmart or Amazon or wherever. Some people work in offices. Some people are doctors. A lot of people are teachers. There are lots of jobs, and God made you so that you can do some of those jobs well. I wonder what job He has for you in the future."

When Arlo’s favorite TV show tells him

he can be anything he wants to be, 

he decides he wants to be like a bird and fly! When both he and his high hopes hit the ground, Arlo learns a painful lesson. His parents help him understand that, no matter what others may tell us, we can only be who God made us to be.

In a world that promises endless possibilities, 

it’s easy for little ones to feel discouraged when things don’t go as they imagined. But by learning how God uniquely created each of us—with our bodies, abilities, and

limitations

—we discover a more joyful way to live.

Tidbits

After watching "A Great Awakening," I was looking for an accessible book about Whitefield.  I asked one of our pastors, and his reply was not encouraging: 

"Boy, an “accessible” bio on Whitefield, not sure it exists. I have three more scholarly works on him in my library plus Dallimore’s two volume massive work. This latter one is excellent, but it is very long."

Then I was purging some of our books to donate and spied this one on our shelves! Looks similar to the movie.

~~~

In cleaning off my many piles on the dining room table, I found my favorite CD (Embrace the Cross by Chuck Swindoll).  I've been listening to it while I work on said piles of paperwork. :) 

~~~

After weeks of being greeted with the message "Sorry you can't access YouTube with your account," I finally figured out the problem. BK was signed into his school gmail account on my phone. At least we know the limits were working!

~~~

I learned this week that a missionary who stayed in my childhood home back in the 80s (and whom none of us have seen since then) is good friends with Jim's brother & his wife!

~~~

The best way to keep your dishes always clean is to have an ant infestation and watch each and every dish by hand the moment it touches food!

~~~

Not everyone likes rhubarb, so find yourself a friend with a patch! A friend mentioned on the local town FB page that she had some for sale.  I purchased a small amount. Later when I ran into her in the library I asked if she had sold it all, and she said I was the only one, so I purchased some more! ($1/4 stalks)