Grovers and Groovers

Since I graduated from Grove City College, I'm a Grover, and last week we had the Groover experience. The Groover family (from our church) went to pick up one of their children from college (which happens to be Grove City College as well!) and asked if we'd watch some of their children for them. So we had an additional 9 year old, 8 year old and 4 year old for 5 days. We had a GREAT time. It was very fun, if not totally exhausting. Here are some pictures from our days together.We had a pretty "strict" schedule and lunchtime happened with the greatest regularity. If you're wondering about our unconventional table top, I smashed the glass one by accident, so now we have a plywood one. It is flat after a rain, and a little curved in hot weather! Unusual, eh!
The Groovers we had are all redheads. (They have 8 kids, 5 of whom are redheads!) But they all blended in quite nicely.
Here are the girls diligently working on their schoolwork. Our bonus room has been such a blessing. It doubled as their bedroom and is our usual schoolroom. Because of its multifunctions it required us to be diligent about picking things up. More diligent than when we don't have guests living in it! Maybe I should do this more often!
And after school, each afternoon there were wonderful playtimes. Lots of digging for worms, playing cowboys, searching through the woods and general running around. Lots of fun!

Dad's Birthday

I completely forgot that I had these photos on my camera and so I hadn't blogged because I had forgotten. Okay, does that tell you a little of my brain overload these days!

My dad turned 69 on May 1st. We celebrated on the Saturday before down at my parents' house. My youngest brother, Gareth, was in NC (from Hawaii) doing some training before his next deployment, so that made it extra special (but sad because his family wasn't with him).

My mom set up a volleyball net in her front yard, which attracted some little neighborhood children as well ;0)
My dad is doing remarkably well for being 69 and having been an insulin-dependent diabetic for 50 years. He serves as an assistant to the Pastor in a PCA church, and regularly preaches elsewhere filling pulpits and preaching conferences. He preached one last October in PA with Sinclair Ferguson. I'm proud of my dad ;0)
My sister's family came as well (absent my sister), so her husband is featured relaxing in the deck chair.