Labor Day Weekend Fun

Friday night was so fun with Sarah here.  After grilling rainbow trout for dinner we decided to go to Orange Leaf for frozen yogurt.  It was a special treat for all of us, but especially for Tom.  All three of us decided on the coffee flavor...it's the closest thing to coffee that both Tom and I have had since March!  While eating our yogurt several WCHS students along with some Operation Barnabas students came over to chat with us.  What a special time hearing and seeing how God uses and works through these teens.  Back home we enjoyed conversation around some Skip-Bo games.
Saturday morning the heat was on.  Highs in the upper 90's made us decide to keep Tom home, cool and comfortable, while Sarah and I headed to the Worthington Farmer's Market.  I met up with Julie McIntosh while Sarah met up with her English conversation partner from OSU, Kumin and her husband Hyphen.  Julie and I were able to redeem our Groupon Coupon this week at Dove Rock Farm.  A grocery bag full of herbs, lettuce, corn on the cob, tomatoes and onions!

It was so fun to see Kumin & Hyphen again.  They are expecting their first child, a son, in October!  They really liked the farmer's market and will bring Kumin's mom when she arrives from China for the baby's birth.

Sarah, Kumin & Hyphen

Sarah and I had a great time making home-made salsa and pesto with the fresh vegetables we bought that afternoon while Tom napped. 

Homemade Corn Salsa

Homemade Pesto

Sarah and I also squeezed a little shopping into our fun Saturday.  She was able to spend some Christmas money at TJMaxx...one of our favorite spots!  We grilled some turkey burgers before she headed north to meet Zac in Ashland.  What a blessing to have her home, even though it was just 24 hours, we always look forward to our time together.

Sunday evening we had the privilege of being with great friends for an amazing dinner at the Polaris Grill.  We were invited along with Troy & Julie McIntosh and Kevin & Anne Marie Weakley by Kent & Suzanne Homoelle to join them for a Labor Day Eve dinner!  What fun to laugh, eat and fellowship together.

McIntosh's, Homoelle's, Weakley's & Anglea's

Our weather has changed drastically.  Huge rain storms moved through on Sunday and now we are experiencing very cool temperatures for this time of year.  I have mixed emotions about the weather.  I'm not ready for cold weather, but I love the Fall.  I will look forward to an Indian Summer.

What a great picnic we enjoyed at Doug & Carylee Meyer's home on Labor Day.  As you can see from the photo a fire was welcome, especially by the kids who chose to swim in spite of the 67 degree temperature!  Another time of great food and fellowship with long-time friends.  Thanks to Grant Lawrence for taking the next photo with me in it!  Many of the kids/teens didn't join in the picture.

Meyer's, Janie Meyers, Miss Katie, White's, Dan Singleton, Burby's, Rettstatt's, McCoy's & Lawrence Families

Tom was originally scheduled to start round 3 of chemo Monday night.  However, because of the shingles outbreak he was instructed to wait until after his 9:00 appointment with the oncologist this morning.  After blood work and meeting with the doctor we all agreed to go ahead and start round 3 tonight even though Tom's blood work is borderline.  The doctor wants to get blood counts again in two weeks to especially watch the platelet level.  So pray tonight that Tom will tolerate his next round and not experience any nausea.  His shingles are "yucky" but definitely getting better.  Thank you for praying us through this "bump".

We look forward to my parents coming into town this Friday for a couple weeks.  My niece's bridal shower is this weekend and then the wedding on September 24th.  It will be great to have them here and I'm already making a list of fix-it projects for both of them!