Saturday morning our daughter Sarah brought Zachary over to anxiously wait for the parade to begin. The children noticed one of my neighbors had set up a yard sale so to pass the time we went over. Then we grabbed our chairs, blankets, and a bag for candy, walked a short block over to sit and wait for the sound of the police cars, fire trucks, and band. We were not disappointed. Promptly at noon the drums and whistles sounded. To begin a hospital helicopter flew over several times. Then came the police car, veteran carrying the flag, firetrucks, old cars, floats, band, and so much more. Most of the parade participants threw candy to the children and the smiles on their faces grew with the weight of the bag of candy. One of the final firetrucks even sprayed those watching along the parade route. This thrilled the children. For more pictures you may browse Sarah & Tony's Blog. The link is on the side of this page. To end our adventurous day we went to a pizza place which served a pizza buffet. How wonderful to enjoy fun times with our family. We wished the rest of the family could have been there with us.

Next we followed the crowd to the inflatables again so Abigail could introduce Zachary to all the fun she had enjoyed the night before. And to think all this fun was FREE thanks to the businesses of Petersburg. Before going home we shared an elephant ear with powdered sugar and another one with brown sugar & cinnamon

(July 20-21) Last weekend was a child's dream. It began with Abigail deciding she would like to spend with night with her grandparents. Although before we made it home from shopping she thought maybe we should drop her off at home because she was afraid she would get bored. Now those words are a challenge to any grandparent. So I began wondering how to make the evening eventful. We got to the city limits of our small town and the main street was blocked off. There in the middle of our street was the answer to my musings. The Petersburg Community Days had begun. We quickly unloaded the groceries and walked uptown. The library was having a wooden chair auction which we watched for a while as painted chairs which had been decorated and other items were auctioned off. Then Abigail was floating as we headed to the inflatable gyms an those bouncy places kids jump . She went up the steps and slide down so many times it was all she could do to enjoy a shaved ice, take a bath and dream of the parade scheduled for the next day. What a relief! She went to sleep convinced her grandparents had made this night special just for her!

GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.

Let Freedom Ring!

Holidays are not all fun and games at the Avery household. Now that most of the children have left the nest Phillip, Naomi, & I create our own style of celebrating. July 3rd we went with Hannah and Sarah, Tony, & their family to see fireworks on the grounds of a local church. (for a detailed account of Zachary's mishap see Sarah's blog) Then July 4th Naomi, Phillip, and I went to Dundee to see their parade. I forgot the camera so no shots of that. Afterward we came home and had hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, chips, and cottage cheese. Then Phillip got to work. He painted our dining room and I washed windows. It REALLY brightened the room up. Thanks, Phillip for a job well done. He did such an expert job the following Saturday I "let" him paint the bathroom ceiling. LOL The porch is next on the honey-do list.

FIREWORKS ARE A BLAST!

Lighting Up the Sky

June 30th the City of Tecumseh had a Pow Wow ending with fireworks. Phillip, Naomi, and I decided to expand our education and see what this event was all about and watch the fireworks. We found it interesting to see the Native American costumes and memorabilia. Here are a few pictures of our excursion. Naomi wasn't so sure she wanted to sit by a wooden Indian. I think she just wanted the fireworks to begin. One man made different designs using the hoops you see such as butterflys and a turtle.

Our grandchildren and their cousin Savannah.

(Cowboys & Poodle Skirts)

Our niece, Savannah Mayle & granddaughter,
Abigail Watters
(in their Poodle Skirts)

Clowning Around

Phillip & Cathy (holding Aaron) with

Timmy, Zachary, Abigail, Jason, Steven, Luke

Savannah showing her favorite play spot.

3 little monkeys playing in a tree ....

Pizza Party

Cookie Making Day!

Cousins in constructive play.

Even the Bride & Groom couldn't help enchanting Little Aaron

Aaron Avery 3 months old entertained us for hours with his coos.

Timothy Avery filling the Lake with stones

Zachary Watters wetting his toes in the Lake

Naomi Avery hair blowing as the waves grow

Phillip & Cathy Avery

Children:

Sarah & Tony Watters

Phil & Merrie Beth Avery

Hannah Avery

Naomi Avery

Grandchildren:

Abigail & Zachary Watters

Jason, Steven, Timothy, Luke, & Aaron Avery

GREETINGS:
Monday, June 4th,2007 dawned with excitement and expectation. Our daughter-in-law and 5 grandsons arrived at our home. We were amazed at the growth in the children and couldn't hold baby Aaron and pass out kisses often enough. Right away we saw there were adjustments to be made. Luke (age 2) was afraid of the Poodle we had been caring for. So it was like musical chairs when Luke was inside "Cuddles" was in the back yard or on the back porch. Or if Luke was outside the dog was inside on the front porch or in the front yard. But Cuddles loves children so he couldn't understand why he couldn't be with the boys so he barked. Sometimes we didn't get Cuddles moved in time and we would hear a scream and know that Luke's path had crossed with Cuddles. By the last few days after observing the other children playing with Cuddles you guessed it Luke no longer screamed at the sight of Cuddles and even teased him on occassion.

THE CATASTROPHY'S:
With any gathering of people there will be accidents. So on Wednesday after a warm and busy day the children played in the sandbox then came inside for supper. After supper they took a bath and prepared for church. Timmy (age 4) was so tired he fell asleep on the couch. As it came time to leave I decided to assist Timmy to the car. We made it outside on the sidewalk where Timmy stumbled and fell. Then it was like leap-frog! I fell over top of Timmy and landed on my mouth. Other than minor scrapes and bruises the major damage was my teeth. After a trip to the dentist it was determined I would require 4 teeth extracted and a partial plate installed. This dental work hasn't begun yet but the impressions have been made. What about Timmy, you may ask? Timmy was led back in the house where he curled up on the couch once more sound asleep with no memory of the incident.
Another bad memory was the evening Luke tumbled down the steps from our upstairs. Phillip saw it happen and was first to the scene. His report of it was that Luke fell head over heels from the top steps to the bottom. We praise the Lord that nothing was broken or cut. Other than being scared we couldn't find and damage on him.
FUN:
It was exceptionally warm on Thursday after Merrie Beth and the grandchildren arrived so we took them to Sterling State Park and let the children play in the water. Timmy decided he didn't want to be a sea-captain and was content to play along Lake Erie's shore. It was a very relaxing time and a real memory maker for the children.
On Saturday we attended the wedding of our pastor, Michael & Ruth Anne (Montgomery) Arnold. It was like being at Cinderella and her Prince Charming's wedding. The children were so excited for days afterward you could here them chanting "Here Comes the Bride...." and of course there were several re-enactments. LOL It was so cute.
The following week we began by taking the children to visit their great-grandparents, Arthur & Marjory Avery. Tuesday we started talking about and planning to attend the Newman Family reunion. This would require a 4 hour trip to Philo, Ohio and a weekend stay with (Cathy's mother) their great grandmother Naomi (Newman) Mayle. This was the first time for the great-grandparents to see Aaron. In preparation for the reunion the children and I spent one day baking cookies. Actually after the first batch that they assisted me with it was me baking - them eating! LOL Which I enjoyed giving them.
All through the week the children had the best time around the sandbox grandpa built. It was a lifesaver! Plus they enjoyed going to the park with Aunt Hannah and a sleep over with Abigail and Zachary at Aunt Sarah's & Uncle Tony's home. Tony, Hannah & Merrie Beth thrilled the children by taking them to a small circus to see the animals, clowns, and walk up the moon walk.
On Wednesday we attended church and then Timmy, Luke, Jason & Steven began getting excited about the next day. You see by this time it was June 13th and they had been east of Kansas since about May 18th visiting family WITHOUT their daddy, who was home working & pastoring. Thursday, June 14th our son Phil flew into Metro Airport aound 11:30 p.m. to join his family. Steven was so excited he asked Grandpa if he could ride along to the airport to get his daddy.
Friday we all loaded up and invaded my mother's home. We had a pizza party that night. While the children renewed relationships with their cousins Savannah & Ray Mayle. Then Ray & Savannah also decided to stay overnight at grandma's house to spend as much time as possible with their cousins. Saturday morning was a time of picture-taking and then on to the reunion which was only across the road at my uncle & aunt's home (the former home of my grandparents). The reunion held many memories of games, auctions, food, fun, & fellowship with near and distant cousins. The total attendance was 162. The silent and live auction raised $714.75.
TOUCHING MOMENTS:
Sunday morning we all attended Church with my mother where my cousin Terry Newman pastors. It was Father's Day. Also, Phil & Merrie Beth chose this day and place to have Aaron dedicated. As parents, grandparents, and great grandmother stood with Aaron's parents in giving him back to the Lord and dedicating him to the Saviour. It was a very touching dedication which was closed by the Church gathering around Aaron to anoint him for the physical difficulties he was born with. God's presence was so real.
GOOD-BYE'S
After dinner the children went outside to play one last time with their cousins under the giant pine tree and the adults shared and remimencised knowing that the close was soon coming. All the vehicles were loaded then Phillip, Naomi, and I said good-bye to our 5 Kansas grandsons and their parents. We made a stop at the Cemetery to visit my Brother & Father's grave and place new flowers on their graves. We drove the 4 hours back to Michigan filled with many memories and thanking God for a Blessed time with our family.

Luke Thomas Avery age 2

Phil & Merrie Beth with "Their Graduates"

Timmy (age 4) and Aaron Avery (3 months)

Jason & Steven

how angelic

age 7 ~1st grade awards/graduation ceremony

Jason & Steven Avery

1st grade graduation

There was excitement as we prepared for our family from Kansas to visit us. One of the "important" jobs was the construction of a new sand box for the children. Merrie Beth and their 5 sons arrived this morning. How blessed we felt as we once again held Aaron who is now 3 months old. We put the extension leaf in the table and counted 13 in the family circle. What fun, sharing, laughter, NOISE! LOL I wouldn't trade it for anything. Of course this is only the first day (joking)! The twins couldn't wait for Abigail to come home from school....they said they couldn't remember her voice. We are confident they will get not soon forget it after their visit is over. (smile) Be sure to visit this blog & Sarah's blog for pictures. Maybe Hannah will even have a few.

He won't crow at one & two o'clock any more! LOL

The finished Product!

Crushing the whole berries, adding sugar and sure-jell. YUMMMM

Here is an overview of our Memorial Weekend. Friday Phillip, Naomi & I excitedly loaded up the car and we began the 4 hour trip to my Mother's home in Ohio. We were an hour away and the car suddenly lost power. We quickly got off the expressway and called my brother, Tony. He called a tow truck and came to pick us up. We were so thankful that his insurance paid the towing bill. Saturday Phillip began the process of nailing down the source of the problem with the car. He soon determined the fuel pump and filter needed replaced. My brother who works in mechanics was able to get the parts we needed through his company and we paid less than half price for them. While Phillip was busy with this I helped Mom and my sister-in-law, Lisa make homemade strawberry jam from berries that had been picked prior to our coming. Later in the afternoon we went to the garden and sure enough the berries were ready to be picked again, which we did. I fed the sheep, chickens, and dogs. I helped Mom plant some flowers.

Friday night I had been awakened after only 2 hours of sleep thinking I heard Naomi awake but when I investigated I realized the source of the noise that had awakened me was one of Mother's three roosters. From 2 until 5 a.m. I was very wide awake and the rooster continued to crow. So as evening was drawing near on Saturday the rooster once again began to head for the bush near our bedroom window. Mom admitted that Mr Cock-a-doodle-do was annoyingly loud and she wouldn't mind having him in a pan with dumplings. So I convinced my husband to shoot him with the BB gun. This didn't work so I got a rake and chased him around the yard and down into the pasture, refusing to let him come to roost in the bushes in the yard. What a laughable sight this was! I was secretly hoping a sly old fox would find him. It didn't happen. Sunday morning he was back in the yard and was granted a reprieve one more day. Sunday we worshipped the Lord with our family and honored the Lord's Day.

After breakfast on Monday my nephew offered to assist in ending the roosters life. So as the pioneer ladies of old Mom and I plucked the feathers from the rooster and he found his way into the cooking pot for dumplings at dinner time. Then my sister, Victoria and I put up new curtains on Mom's large, glassed sun porch. The windows were so large we had to make extensions for the curtain rods and find enough hooks to hang the rods . During this time Phillip was trying to put a new door on the sun porch. We kept interrupting him to ask his assistance with our "project." He gallantly obliged us. After both our jobs were finished we grilled-out and feasted with the family. Now it was time to make more jam with the last batch of strawberries from Mom's garden before they went to waste. Everybody pitched in and Mom reminded us that "many hands make light work" which it did. My brother, Tony once again went to the berry patch and picked more berries. Since the Lord had sent a much needed rain on Sunday they were ready to pick AGAIN. By this time it was late in the day and we still had 4 hours to travel back home. We made a trip to the cemetery to pay our respects to my father and brother who were both veterans and returned home about 10:00 p.m.

What a blessing it was to be with our family and be able to share their load! We joyfully counted about 80 containers of strawberry jam which we anxiously look forward to spreading on Mom's homemade bread. (with more berries ready to be preserved) Some of those cups of jam made their way to Michigan with us and are in our freezer. We thank the Lord for traveling mercy and that our car is working well once again. We returned home tired but joyful. God is SO good! Now we are gearing up to entertain and enjoy our 5 grandsons and their parents who are coming in from Kansas for our family reunion in June. What anticipation!! We'll be sharing with you again soon.

(Back) Tony, Phillip II, Merrie Beth

(Second Row) Hannah, Sarah, Naomi

(Front) Phillip holding Jason, Abigail, Cathy holding Steven

A grandmother was pushing her little grandchild around Wal-Mart in a buggy. Each time she put something in the basket she would say, "And here's something for you, Diploma." or "This will make a cute little outfit for you, Diploma." and so on.

Eventually a bewildered shopper who'd heard all this finally asked, "Why do you keep calling your grandchild Diploma?" The grandmother replied, "I sent my daughter to University of Michigan and this is what she came home with!"

Grandma & Aaron,

Timmy, Zachary, Abby holding Luke, Jason & Steven

Someone Had Prayed The day was long, the burden I had borne
Seemed heavier than I could longer bear,
And then it lifted - but I did not know
Someone had knelt in prayer,
Had taken me to God that very hour,
And asked the easing of the load, and He
In infinite compassion had stooped down
And taken it from me.

We cannot tell how often as we pray
For some bewildered one, hurt and distressed,
The answer comes, but many times those hearts
Find sudden peace and rest.
Someone had prayed - and Faith, a reaching hand,
Took hold of God and brought Him down that day!
So many, many hearts have need of prayer -
Oh let us pray!

Naomi and her "prince charming"

&

her favorite playmate

THE IMAGES OF MOTHER

4 YEARS OF AGE ~ My Mommy can do anything!
8 YEARS OF AGE ~ My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!
12 YEARS OF AGE ~ My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.
14 YEARS OF AGE ~ Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either.
16 YEARS OF AGE ~ Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.
18 YEARS OF AGE ~ That old woman? She's way out of date!
25 YEARS OF AGE ~ Well, she might know a little bit about it.
35 YEARS OF AGE ~ Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion.
45 YEARS OF AGE ~ Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?
65 YEARS OF AGE ~ Wish I could talk it over with Mom.

Christmas 2004

When The Lord Made Mothers

When the good Lord was creating mothers, he was into his sixth day of overtime when the angel appeared and said, "You are doing a lot of fiddling around on this one."
And the Lord said, "Have you read the specs on this order? She has to be completely washable, not plastic, have moveable parts, all replaceable, run on black coffee and leftovers, have a lap that disappears when she stands up, a kiss that can cure anything from a broken leg to a disappointed love affair, and six pairs of hands." The angel shook her head slowly and said, "Six pairs of hands, no way!" "It's not the hands that cause the problems, said the Lord. It is the three pairs of eyes that mothers have to have." "That's the standard model," the angel asked? The Lord nodded. "One pair that sees through closed doors, when she asks, "What are you kids doing in there, " when she already knows. Another in the back of her head that sees what she shouldn't but what she has to know, and of course the ones here in the front so that she can look at a child when he goofs and says, "I understand and I love you," without so much as uttering a word. "Lord," said the angel, tugging his sleeve gently, "Come to bed ..." "I can't," said the Lord. "I am so close to creating something so close to myself. Already, I have one who heals herself when she is sick, can feed a family of six on one pound of hamburger and can get a nine year old to stand under a shower." The angel circled the model of a mother. "It's too soft," she sighed. "But tough," said the Lord excitedly. "You cannot imagine what this mother can do or endure!" "Can it think?" "Not only can she think, but it can reason and compromise," said the Creator. Finally the angel bent over and ran her fingers across the cheek. "There's a leak," she pronounced. "I told you that you were trying to put too much into this model." "It's not a leak," said the Lord. "It is a tear." "What's it for?" "It's for joy, sadness, disappointment, pain, loneliness, and pride." "You are a genius," said the angel. The Lord looked somber. "I didn't put it there," he said.
by Erma Bombeck

For those who are lucky to still be blessed with your Mom, this is beautiful. For those who aren't, this is even more beautiful. The young mother set her foot on the path of life. "Is this the long way?" she asked. And the guide said "Yes, and the way is hard, and you will be old before you reach the end of it. But the end will be better than the beginning." But the young mother was happy, and she would not believe that anything could be better than these years. So she played with her children, she fed them and bathed them, taught them how to tie their shoes and ride a bike, and reminded them to feed the dog and do their homework and brush their teeth. The sun shone on them and the young Mother cried, "Nothing will ever be lovelier than this." Then the nights came, and the storms and the path was sometimes dark, and the children shook with fear and cold, and the mother drew them close and covered them with her arms and the children said, "Mother, we are not afraid, for you are near, and no harm can come." And the morning came, and there was a hill ahead, and the children climbed and grew weary, and the mother was weary. But at all times she said to the children, a little patience and we are there." So the children climbed and as they climbed they learned to weather the storms. And with this, she gave them strength to face the world. Year after year she showed them compassion, understanding, hope, but most of all......unconditional love. And when they reached the top they said, "Mother, we would not have done it without you." The days went on, and the weeks and the months and the years, and the mother grew old and she became little and bent. But her children were tall and strong, and walked with courage. And the mother, when she lay down at night, looked up at the stars and said, "This is a better day than the last, for my children have learned so much and are now passing the se traits on to their children." And when the way became rough for her, they lifted her, and gave her their strength, just as she had given them hers. One day they came to a hill, and beyond the hill they could see a shining road and golden gates flung wide. And Mother said: "I have reached the end of my journey. And now I know the end is better than the beginning, for my children can walk with dignity and pride, with their heads held high, and so can their children after them." And the children said, "You will always walk with us, Mother, even when you have gone through the gates." And they stood and watched her as she went on alone, and the gates closed after her. And they said: "We cannot see her, but she is with us still. A Mother is more than a memory. She is a living presence. Your Mother is always with you. She's the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street, she's the smell of certain foods you remember, flowers you pick and perfume that she wore, she's the cool hand on your brow when you're not feeling well, she's your breath in the air on a cold winters day. She is the sound of the rain that lulls you to sleep, the colors of a rainbow, she is your birthday morning. Your Mother lives inside your laughter. And she's crystallized in every tear drop. A mother shows every emotion........ happiness, sadness, fear, jealousy, love, hate, anger, helplessness, excitement, joy, sorrow..... and all the while hoping and praying you will only know the good feelings in life. She's the place you came from, your first home, and she's the map you follow with every step you take. She's your first love, your first friend, even your first enemy, but nothing on earth can separate you. Not time, not space.......not even death!